Encouraging excitement with learning

I've been trying to enjoy my last few months with Zeke before he starts Kindergarten. So we started Mom and Zeke preschool to replace his preschool that he finished. We found a song on you tube here about the planets in our solar system. Zeke has had a fascination with the phases of the moon and I decided to try to expand that. Zeke loves the planet song and wants to watch it every day and I often here him singing under his breath "My name is Mars, I am red in color, the fourth planet from the sun!"

So we decided to find a solar system craft to work on during preschool. We found this one here and decided to use yarn instead of embroidery floss. Zeke helped pick out the balloons and cut the yarn but he didn't want to get his hands dirty with the glue and yarn. Apparently getting his hands dirty is just an outside thing. After they all dried we popped the balloons and soon discovered that you want to loosen up the yarn from the balloon before popping. Our poor sun looks a little worse for the wear.

We got all the planets hung up in his room yesterday and it has been a fun way to keep learning about the planets and why they are different colors and the storms and rings on them and how they orbit. Mostly it has been fun to watch Zeke so excited about learning!

National Parks with Kids

In the last 6 months we've taken our kids to a couple National Parks (Yellowstone last September, Zion in March), and I thought I'd share some of my thoughts about the experiences in case you choose to do a similar trip!

Packing Tips:
1. Hip packs - We always pack the kids' fanny packs full of snacks (including some special treats/snacks they don't normally get at home) and water to keep them moving on the hikes ("We can eat a snack when we get to that shady rock!). They are then in charge of their own tummies and it makes for fewer whining sessions.

2. Coats - Both Yellowstone and Zion were REALLY cold in the mornings during the times of year that we went, so we kept the kids' heavy coats in the car with us in case we got to a hike and decided they'd be more comfortable with a bigger coat. The rest of the day the coats just sat in the car.

3. Food - We brought coolers with breakfast and lunch basics. We also brought an electric tea kettle to make warm drinks and hot cereal. My kids wake up early and are always starving, so this ensured we could stuff them full of food before they ate the other hotel guests. It also made it easy to pack lunches to take with us, since restaurants and stores are few and far between in National Parks. The restaurants are also sometimes pricey and don't always offer things the kids want to eat.

4. Driving Entertainment - We have an in-car DVD player, which we save for road trips. My mom also sent us with little gifts for the kids to open every few hours in the car. They were things like koosh balls to throw around at rest stops, a special snack, balloon toys, etc. Small things that won't take up too much room work best. We always bring a few movement activities for rest stops, like balls and frisbies.

In-Park Tips:
1. Junior Ranger - My kids were very motivated by the Junior Ranger program offered by the Park. We had more time at Yellowstone, so we worked through the packets while there and the kids earned their badges. I was really impressed with the Ranger Discussion we chose to go to as part of the program--I learned cool things!

2. Toileting - Never assume that your child's bladder is empty. We've had to use "nature's restroom" before when I thought they'd gone recently enough that one more stop wasn't necessary. Wrong.

3. Expectations - Matt and I were amazed at how slowly we moved on hikes, getting out the door, etc. Things just take longer when you're with the kids, and that's ok. The kids brought an old camera, digging/exploring tools, and notebooks, and had a wonderful time learning about and appreciating things we never really would have noticed had we been moving at our typical pace.

Any other National Park/hiking tips from y'all? What do you find works best with your kids?

Tips for quick birthday party prep

I've come up with a pretty easy way to throw birthday parties the last couple years, and wanted to share my experience in case anyone is hoping to have some fun activities that don't take too much money or effort to prepare.

1. Pick a theme. Although this isn't necessary, it makes it easier for me to make all our regular toys/activities look like they are actually a fun birthday activity. My kids the last few years have done monsters, under the sea, monster trucks, Frozen, Tron, and dinosaurs. Some other fun ideas I've seen friends do include chefs, mad scientist, fairy princess, etc.

2. Use what you've got. I rarely buy new activities or toys for birthday parties. I simply gather our favorite group activities and rename them to fit the theme. So PlayDoh becomes "Dino Dough," "Monster Goop," etc. Pin-the-Tail games can be "Fix Olaf's Nose," "Attach the License Plate to the Monster Truck," etc.

Our favorite group activities are art (coloring pages, decorate a paper bag for goodies, etc.), PlayDoh, dance party with ribbons or scarves or balloons, egg/treasure hunt, bean bag toss, pin-the-tail, cake walk or musical chairs, and sensory activities (bean box, play in shaving cream or pudding, dig in sand, etc.).

3. Keep the take-home simple. I don't like getting a bunch of trinkets and junk food from parties, because the toys get broken easily and the junk food is not something my kids need more of. I've gone to sending home something really simple that the kids will likely have fun with. When we did Tron, we sent home glow sticks. When we did monster trucks, we sent home a dollar store can of shaving cream and a little toy car so the kids could drive the care through the shaving cream. When we did dinosaurs, we sent home an activity we just didn't have time for during the party (little excavation kit made of a toy dinosaur skeleton, plaster, and sand). All the toys have been about $2 or under each, and the kids have fun using them at home. And I don't send home sugar because I know what it does to my kids and I don't need parents hating on me.

4. Interact with the kids. I've found that the kids seem to have the most fun when Matt and I really interact with them throughout. They enjoy being complimented on their artwork or PlayDoh creations. They like getting to brag about themselves a bit. And the kids that don't know many of the other kids at the party can always use an extra buddy or two (even if it is the parents). 

Favorites as of late

Gardening
We had several spring-like days in January and it made me very excited to get going on my garden this year. Since we moved into the house in June and it had no existing garden plot, we didn't get one done last year and I really missed it (the planter beds had PLENTY of cleaning out to keep us busy, though, since they were a little overgrown).

I'm actually thankful we didn't already have a garden because I just learned about a totally different style of gardening that I am eager to try. A friend of mine from grad school started a new garden using the Square Foot Gardening approach last year with amazing results.

The method is based on the idea that you really just need optimal soil without a ton of extra space around each plant as long as you aren't walking on the soil and packing it down. They recommend 3x3 or 4x4 boxes (so you can reach across for planting and weeding without walking on it) and a specific mixture of soil: 1/3 blended compost, 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite.

After reading the book she lent me, I'm converted! We plan to put in a garden this spring, and I can't wait to get the kids involved and get planting. I am also SO excited to have lots of sun here so we will get a better yield than in Western Washington.

I'm trying to come up with a design I like best for the garden boxes. Here are a couple options (the boxed in areas would be the garden beds, the other areas are walkways). What do y'all think?

 

Kid Activities
I've followed an amazing blog for a while called Made By Joel. This guy draws little scenes for his kids (along with other amazing art projects), and offers the PDF files free for download. My kids needed something to keep them busy while off of school yesterday, and these were a hit! They like to make little movies, too, and I can see this turning into a multi-use activity.

 

Housework
We have a rather crummy dishwasher (it must be as old as the house, which makes it about 15 years old now), and I get frustrated when I pull out dishes that were rinsed really well and still have crumby nast on them. Anyway, I am happy with a solution I found to the problem we had with cloudy glasses.

After doing some research, I discovered it's most likely calcium deposits due to hard water. A little bit of citric acid (usually about $3 at Walmart) in the dish detergent has made a huge difference! I've even been making my own detergent and simply increased the ratio of citric acid in the mix to help keep the clouding to a minimum. Doesn't make me love my dishwasher, but it has helped me hate it less.

Finance Family Council
Matt and I have made it more a priority to meet together formally to discuss finances and make budget plans. We decided to do this more proactively, because I don't discuss things well if I'm emotional (and I get emotional about money and budgeting in the heat of the moment). This month's Ensign had a nice discussion on how to be more successful in couple family councils. The only thing I would add is that our last council was so much more fun because we sat in our formal room and drank "Mormon wine" that Matt had run across at the store! It was super fun to feel so fancy during our discussion.

Monster Pants

I am also late, I was working on a different post but as with most things in my life it is half-finished and I haven't set aside the time to complete it. But I thought I'd put up this super quick crafty fix for boys' (or girls') pants that I found on Pinterest. I made it even easier by using Liquid Stitch instead of iron-on interfacing or stitching like I saw on some different Pinterest examples.

So all I did was cut a piece of thick corduroy fabric in a rectangle and glued it on the inside of the pants. Then I cut out little eyes and teeth out of felt and glued them on the inside and outside of the hole. We'll see how it holds up, but even if I have to replace it every so often at least he can wear the pants now whereas before they just sat in the back of his dresser. Literally took like 5 minutes per patch when I wasn't being distracted by Zeke. I think these pants now scream "awesome sauce" and I'm excited for him to wear them instead of hiding them in the back of his drawers.

Childhood Stuttering

Stuttering is something that makes a lot of parents worried, but is often times just part of a child's typical development. Not every child will go through a period of stuttering (A never stuttered, but E went through a period of a few months where she could hardly get a sentence out without repeating the first word over and over). The majority of those who stutter will grow out of it after a few months. This "stuttering" is called normal disfluency.

In my experience, the normal disfluencies usually occur during a time of rapid language growth in early preschool years (ages 2-4), as if the child is attempting to use all their newly-learned language but becomes disfluent as they try to organize everything in their brain.

Stuttering is in no way an indication of intelligence, and frequently people who stutter have higher than average language skills. It is simply a neurological phenomenon that affects the output of speech.


Here are some things to consider if one of your children or a child you know begins to stutter:

Type of Stutter: Typical disfluencies are usually initial word repetitions (saying the first word in the phrase over and over before continuing). If the child is stuttering in other ways (prolonging sounds - wwwwwwwe went to the store; "blocking" - looks as if they are trying to say a word, but it seems stuck; syllable repetition - "I want bu-bu-bu-bubble gum"), it is more likely to be a concern.

Family History: If the child has a family member who stutters (and never outgrew the stuttering), they are more likely to struggle with stuttering long term.

Age at Onset and Duration: If the child begins stuttering before age 3.5, they are more likely to outgrow the stuttering (usually within 6 months).

Gender: Girls are more likely than boys to outgrow stuttering. There are also more boys than girls who stutter in the first place.

Other Factors: If the child speaks clearly otherwise and has few speech errors, they will be more likely to outgrow the stuttering. 

Here are some suggestions for responding to a child who stutters (either as a long-term issue or a short-term, normal disfluency):

Reduce the Pace: As much as possible, help the child feel unrushed. Do this by slowing your own rate of speech, allowing enough time for them to talk and complete tasks, and organizing your day so there is less stress on quick performance.

Listen: Show the child you are really listening to the content of their message, not the disfluencies.

Reduce Questions: Reduce the number of questions you ask in succession.

Modeling: Use FHE or other opportunities to model appropriate turn taking with family members in conversation. Teach other children how to be patient and let the child who is struggling with disfluencies finish a thought. This is one of the hardest things for other kids!

Special Time: Set aside time to do something of the child's choice so they feel safe and loved by you. Reduced stress usually decreases stuttering.

For some fantastic information (including parent-friendly pamphlets and articles), check out the Stuttering Foundation website.

Mother's Day crafts and a schedule change

Hey all, I'm late with this and I think if there are no objections I'm going to switch my posting date with the Q&A date as I have Achievement/Activity Days every first Tuesday and I just haven't been great at getting my post done before that day.

Which brings me to my post today. Nothing amazingly thought-provoking but I thought I'd share our Mother's Day crafts that we did at Achievement Days last night. They were pretty easy and also turned out well so I thought I'd pass the idea along in case anyone is ever in need of a Mother's Day craft.

Artwork Candles

Supplies needed: 

-Hair dryer
-Dollar store candle
-Tissue paper
-Markers
-Wax paper. 
-Also, a oven glove is pretty handy as your hand gets pretty hot when you are blow drying the design onto the candle


Tissue Paper Flower Corsages

-Pretty tissue paper colors
-Card stock circles
-Pins
-Green Ribbon
-Glue (not pictured, we used craft tacky glue)

The girls had fun making stuff for their moms/grandmas and I loved seeing what they came up with. The only thing is I wish I could have helped them more with the corsages but I was blow drying their candles and they struggled a bit with the twisting and gluing. Also, I would have made the white tissue paper strips less tall as they ended up overhanging the top and bottom a bit on some of the candles.

Ways to Use Pictures with Kids

Kids have an amazing ability to learn, though sometimes it takes a while for them to be able to verbalize their knowledge, needs, or wants. I love to incorporate some non-verbal means of communication into my interactions to help kids express themselves more easily. Kids are very observant and quite visual, so I find myself using pictures with not only the kids I work with as a speech therapist, but also with kids at church and my own kids at home. Here are some ways I love to use pictures:

Make an activity choice chart. When my kids were having trouble thinking of things to do to entertain themselves, I put together a chart that had pictures of a bunch of activities I knew they liked. I stuck it in a sheet protector and hung it on the fridge. Then, whenever they complained of boredom, I just pointed to the list and said, "Pick anything you want!" They felt very powerful having so many options and I loved being able to say, "Yes! You can do that!"

Make a chore chart. Some kids love being able to be in charge of their own chores and routines, but their level of "doneness" may not be up to our standards. When you provide pictures of what needs to be done, the child can visualize how much is left. The pictures can be pulled off the chart, covered up, crossed off, etc. to provide a visualization of completion. I used pictures like this on a chore chart for Andrew that had flaps to fold down over each item when they were complete.

Make a schedule. When I teach primary or preschool or work with certain kids as a speech therapist, I use a picture schedule. This consists of laminated pictures that are attached to a schedule board with velcro. As each item is completed, it's pulled off and put in an "all done" pocket or envelope. Kids can even help choose the order of the pictures when you put them on the schedule (then it's their own fault if they don't like what comes next!). If you don't have the fancy laminated pictures to use over and over, you can always draw one or create one on the computer. Kids can cross off the pictures as they complete each item. We even use schedules for birthday parties to keep the craziness somewhat under control.

Tell stories. My kids love when Dad tells stories and draws pictures at the same time. Andrew has always loved to draw, and it's almost as much fun to watch the process as it is to see the finished product because he tells such fun stories while drawing.

Make a kid shopping list. I hate grocery shopping. I really hate grocery shopping with children. I try to take advantage of the Fred Meyer nearby because they have a kid's land for the little ones to play (supervised by a sweet old lady who works there) while I shop. But when it's full or we are there before it opens, I sometimes have to be creative to keep the kids from tearing each other's hair out. One thing they have enjoyed is a small sheet of paper with their own "grocery list" (pictures I drew of some of the foods we need). I always choose things they really like so they are extra motivated to make sure we remember them. They get to cross it off the list when we put it in the basket.

Teach songs. There are so many resources on the internet that contain visuals to go along with Primary songs. Try working on the Primary song for the month (Did you know Primary kids work on the same song Church-wide for several months of the year? Find them in the Outline for Sharing Time on lds.org) during FHE each week. Print off pictures for the kids to follow along.

What are ways you have used pictures with your kids or with other kids you've worked with?

Speech Sound Developmental Ages

I think one of the most common questions I get from parents regarding their child's communication revolves around speech sound development. Parents are often surprised that there's actually a range of normal--some kids have very few errors and others take years to correctly produce their sounds.

The most helpful way to demonstrate this is in a chart for parents to reference. In this cart, the bars represent the average age ranges for kids to learn the various sounds:

Source

Some other points to remember include the following:

1. Each child is different, so even if an older sibling had all the sounds by age 3, a younger sibling may not necessarily follow suit.
2. Children who start talking later may be a bit behind in sound development. Watch their development through the sounds to make sure they continue to progress.
3. Difficulty with hearing can hinder speech development. Watch for ear infections, as these cause a temporary hearing loss that can make it difficult for kids to learn sounds. You can't imitate what you can't hear!
4. Enjoy the funny pronunciations for words that your kids come up with!

Here are some of my favorite mispronunciations my kids have made. I'd love to hear some from you, too!

shlower = flower (A.H.)

sicken = seven (A.H.)

dinky = stinky (A.H.)

wogurt = yogurt (E.H.)

binocoly = monopoly (E.H.)

goggie = doggie (E.H.)

iPoo = iPad (E.H.)