Thursday, November 22, 2012

Living with Gratitude Everyday


Happy Thanksgiving! I think of it as a day to teach children about gratitude and taking a moment every day to marvel at a moment in time or to give thanks for the little things in life.

Friday, November 2, 2012

After disaster strikes


After disaster strikes children need help regaining their sense of safety and security. Creating a safe space for children to talk about their feelings and fears is essential. As adults we often get scared by this; it raises our own anxiety about the unpredictability in life. Yet being able to openly listen without reacting negatively and acknowledging children's feelings helps foster coping skills for life.
For more tips on coping, see the National Association for the Education of Young Children's on-line brochure, Helping Young Children After a Disaster.


Thursday, September 20, 2012

Keeping Peace at the Restaurant

Creative mom Sarah has figured out a way to keep kids entertained during any impromptu restaurant stop sans your normal bag of tricks. Using items commonly found at the table, she's posted photos and descriptions of how to keep pre-school kids from running down the restaurant aisles. Love it - here's the link to her blog:  Repeat Crafter Me: 10 Restaurant Waiting Games to Play with Kids
 

Thursday, September 13, 2012

A Digital Library of Children's Books

Here's the scenario - your pre-schooler wants to look at your computer screen and you want your pre-schooler to read a book with you. Now thanks to an initiative by the Pearson Foundation and Penguin Group you can read books on the computer with your child for free on http://www.wegivebooks.org/. Over 200 books are geared for different age ranges from toddler to school-aged children.  There are fiction and non-fiction books and selections of series like Skippyjon Jones. Some of our household faves are on the site including: Baby Signs, Llama Llama Red Pajama (preschool), Goodnight iPad (a good laugh for older kids and parents), and Miss Rumphius.
Want to show your appreciation for this  resource?  You can click on the site's  "give a book" donation button to donate money for one or more children's book to a child in need.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Back-to-school: Packing lunches made easy

I am relishing the last few days of August before the crazy rush of school mornings starts. Packing lunches has never been a favorite task of mine but there are a few things that can ease the morning crunch.
1) Pre-pack. Rather than packing snacks in containers every morning, make Sunday evening a "snack-packing party." Kids can get involved in filling re-usable containers with different snacks. Some easy snacks to pack: pretzels, crackers, popcorn, rice cakes, mixed nuts or trail mix, and snapea crisps. For refrigerated snacks that can be pre-packaged: baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, celery sticks, and jicama sticks. Dips include: ranch dressing or nut/sunflower seed butter depending on the snack. Different snacks are now ready to go each morning.
2) Let kids make choices: Kids (and parents) can make a list of favorite healthy foods on a piece of paper or the kitchen white board. By shopping together for the foods on the list,  kids will feel more invested in their lunch choices.
3) Think outside the square: Are you and your kids tired of sandwiches?  Alternatives include ham and crackers, cheese stick with a slice of bread on the side, turkey and salad wraps, or warm foods like mac and cheese  packed in a small thermos bottle. Dream up some creations and name them - then they can become part of a rotating menu.

Monday, August 6, 2012

The Dinner Table

Family dinners are such an important part of staying connected. It's not a matter of whether it's a home-cooked meal or take out -- what matters is the sharing of time and conversation. When I was a kid I loved hearing my father's childhood stories, both humorous and tragic. To this day I feel the connection to my father through the stories he shared. But around the time I was 11, the TV was introduced to the dining room and the stories around the dinner table became those of the sitcoms and dramas.  So to keep the communication and connection alive within my own family now I'm constantly thinking up ways to create dinner games and rituals to stay connected.  I loved the articles that I recently stumbled on:
From Oprah.com -- An excerpt from Laurie David's book The Family Dinner -- 3 Fun Ways to Avoid the Silent Dinner Table.  Tired of "How was your day" questions? David discusses different games to get everyone talking and introduce more playfulness around the dinner table.
On Time.com, The Magic of the Family Meal, details just why family dinners are so important to  children's development, resilience, and health.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Embracing the Mess


This morning I looked around the living room. Once again the floor was scattered with toys – Dinosaurs, Lego bricks cars and other toys were strewn on the floor. This a day after the living room was thoroughly cleaned. Once upon a time, not so long ago this would have left me feeling annoyed and resentful as I put everything back in its place. Today, I looked at the living room and saw things a bit differently. On closer inspection I noticed that some of the toys were not strewn – the cars were actually carefully arranged for a race; there were half built Lego spaceships and Iron Man sat in the one designed for his size. I suddenly felt grateful that these toys were here on my living room floor. They were a testament to play, imagination and discovery. They were also a sign of all the life in our household – the laughter and joy; the sibling rivalry and tears; the chaos! I thought back to a time before children when the living room was barren and everything arranged neatly in it’s place. Would I really want to go back to that? No, it seems so boring sterile. I still don’t like clutter but I am getting used to the chaos because it is also a sign of my kids’ imagination and creative play.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Cultivating curiosity and love of learning

Parents magazine recently printed an article highlighting ten ways to nurture our children's lifelong love of learning through fostering independent play, supporting special interests, tolerating messes,  embracing setbacks and more. For the complete list and more details about each, go to http://www.parents.com/kids/development/thrive-in-2025/parents-lifetime-learning-pledge/?ordersrc=rdparents1103742. The pledge can be shared with friends as well.

Monday, July 9, 2012

The Not Bummer Summer: Five Boredom Cures

1) Build imagination and visual thinking: Discover audio books for kids. They've been a favorite in our family for a few years now - in the car and at home.  Our favorites: 
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds [Unabridged]Cam Jansen Mystery Series (my 7 year old son loves trying to figure out the mysteries and now even my 2 year old has started asking for "Cam Jansen" in the car)
Movies in My Mind Adventure Series (Chris and Amy, the main characters, meet different historical figures like Thomas Edison and Amelia Earhart) 
Pinkalicious audio collection (what's not to love about the adventures of Pinkalicious, Purplicious and Goldilicious)
Available on CD/casette or easy download to any smart phone or computer via Audible.com.
2)  When was the last time you went bowling? Bowling alleys have appeal for kids ages 5 and up (plus they're air-conditioned). Check you local bowling alley website for weekday discount coupons. 
3) Re-design a room in the house and get the whole family involved. Whether you decide to make a big or small change, you'll activate your child's critical thinking, spatial and artistic skills:  change a coat of paint, move around furniture, hang a door curtain, paint a mural in the kids' room or decorate a wall with vinyl pictures and letters.
4) Turn off the TV and host a Read-In. Take a trip to the neighborhood library in the morning; then kids get to spend the whole day reading books in a living room fort made out of pillows. Perfect for kids who need a break from over-scheduling during the school year.
5) No homework? Learn a new language. Studies show that kids acquire language more easily prior to puberty so it's never too early to start. Free on-line activities as well as purchased workbooks and  CD's can be a big help. Also check out local schools that offer language classes for kids. 



Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Celebrate Spring By Digging in Dirt

 San Diego author Richard Louv said it best,
“The future will belong to the nature-smart—those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the natural world and who balance the virtual with the real. The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need.”
Now more than ever kids need to dig in dirt and spring is a great time to get out and start a garden.  Digging in dirt is relaxing and calming. It also stimulates our senses - smell, touch, taste. When I think of being out in the garden, I think of the smell of wet dirt after a good rainstorm, the prickliness of an artichoke plant, and the sweet taste of cherry tomatoes warmed by the sun and eaten right off the vine. Gardening allows our kids to see the cycle of life, to understand where our food comes from (it's not grown in the grocery store as I recently heard a first grader say to her friend), and to reconnect with the natural world.

Digging for potatoes at Petaluma Urban Homestead
Of course there are other ways than gardening to connect with the natural world.  The other day I picked up my son from school and found him digging with some friends in a corner of the school's garden. He proudly explained to me that they were "building" a clubhouse - it had seats for four friends arranged in a circle and a kitchen area complete with garbage disposal. "Young architects," I thought to myself.

Live in an urban environment without a gardening space? A potted garden allows kids to dig and connect as well. Or get together parents and teachers at your local school and start a community garden. There are grants available for starting a garden including one from the Whole Kids Foundation. Weekend trips to nature trails in National, State and County parks also allow for exploration.