Aba and I had a bit of a situation this morning. While laying in bed, Chaya decided to tell everyone that it was time to wake up and she was going to watch her show. As we usually do, we told her that it was Shabbat and we didn't watch TV on Shabbat. Then Shira asked why some people watched TV on Shabbat. I told her that some people aren't Jewish and don't celebrate Shabbat. She then informed us that she didn't want to be Jewish and didn't want to celebrate Shabbat.
When discussing this with other mothers at synagogue, my original impulse was confirmed. Aba and I need to make Shabbat a day of "do" not one of "don't." One idea was to go through the toys on Friday and pick out some that were "Shabbat worthy" and set them out. Another was to get some books and toys that are only for Shabbat. Also shared was the tip to do something every day to get ready for Shabbat so that there is anticipation building.
I've tried the first two at different times with varying success but will give both of them another go. The last idea is something that I do for myself but haven't really done for the girls. I started tonight. When we finished Havdalah I stated, "only six days until Shabbat!"
If you have any other ideas of ways to make Shabbat special for 3-1/2 year-olds, please let me know! Also, any tips of books and toys that are Shabbat-appropriate (no batteries, music, writing, etc) are welcome.
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