“To learn more about Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy and the Greenway in Boston that bears her name, and to see an animated digital storybook version of Rose’s Garden, go to http://www.rosekennedygreenway.org”
Tag Archives: parenting
Daily Story…day 6
Again, thank you to Pippin Properties and Peter H. Reynolds. And find your favorite books at The Vermont Book Shop
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Daily Story day 5
Please visit The Vermont Book Shop for more titles!
Again, thank you to Pippin Properties for allowing me to read and record this story, and Peter H. Reynolds for being willing to share his work.
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Daily Story…day 4
The Vermont Book Shop is a great place to find more stories by Ashley Wolff!
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Daily Story…day 3
Ashley Wolff graciously allowed me to record and share this story with all of you. You can find her books at The Vermont Bookshop!
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Empathy and How to Cultivate It: My notes from listening to Michele Borba
Michele Borba was one of the keynote speakers at a conference I attended this week. She is passionate, dynamic, and empowering. If you ever have the chance to hear her speak, do it!
Anyway, so much info so I’m just going to make a list of highlights that I wrote down, and hopefully you are able to glean some key information from it. Any statistics or definitions came from her presentation and can be found in her book or on her website. She talked so fast, it was tough to note sources. My thoughts will be added in italics.
- 1 in 5 teens will have a mental health disorder wow!
- “Unless parents realize it (empathy) can be cultivated, it will become dormant” parents, guardians, caregivers…and it can be cultivated at ANY age
- Around the year 2000, empathy decreased 40%. Lack of empathy creates exclusion and polarization which is what we are already seeing in society, and if you think it’s no coincidence that this coincided with the smart phone and screens everywhere, you’re not alone
- The average middle school kid is more comfortable texting than talking to another person
- Some easy and specific suggestions and her list of habits to use: face to face contact, read picture books to your kids that have a moral dilemma, weave in the 9 essential empathy habits listed here:
for more detailed information, I encourage you to buy her book Unselfie - “Empathy is transformational. Empathy is a teaching tool” it doesn’t cost a dime and can change the culture of the classroom
- 66% of kids say we (adults) are too plugged in.
- A person learns new skills best by doing it, seeing it modeled, not by telling it.
- “You change the culture with the trickle down effect” she told a powerful story about a teen who changed the culture at his school just by holding the door open in the morning and greeting everyone
- “Look for the Helpers” Fred Rogers. She says a statement like this, “Galvanizes the good. Share the good with kids everyday.”
- “What would’ve made the difference?” She responds by sharing lyrics to the Cheers tv show theme song and what happened next was moving beyond words
In closing, you can make a difference.
More to come from the workshop she did following this presentation!
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Kids and their Questions!
So I’m attending the VAEYC conference once again, and our keynote was about the power of questions. Dr. Lindsey Godwin from the Appreciative Inquiry Center, an internationally renowned speaker and author, shared her work and perspective on questions.
Did you ever notice that we, as adults, often get annoyed by kids asking us questions? We are busy, and it takes time and energy to stop and explain things, and quite honestly, why is it important to answer a “silly” question that isn’t important to us?
Well, it’s valuable to respond so to encourage more questions. Why on earth would we want to do that? To cultivate creative thinkers, problem solvers, innovators, and open minds! Dr. Godwin states, “As children, we get messages from adults that they want answers, not questions.” And she’s right, we are always asking kids to tell us things, when we should really invite them to find their own answers by asking more questions.
Dr. Godwin has two lessons for us to take back to our classrooms:
1. Inquiry is intervention. Inquiry leads to change. Our questions set the stage for what we find, they determine what we pay attention to, and ultimately the direction of what comes next, whether it is curriculum plans and activities, or your next fundraiser or parent meeting. Inquiry has the power to inform and shape opportunities for all of us.
2. What we ask about “grows”. If you ask a question based on a deficit, that will be the focus. Instead, shift focus from your biggest challenge to your most unique assets to “magnify and learn from moments of highest engagement and enthusiasm.”
This is how we accelerate the positive changes that we need to grow and learn, and ultimately how we grow the curious minds of the youngest members of our communities.
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Messy Play: not just for fun!
I used to detest messes…still do in my mommy brain. My teacher brain loves it though! The value in it is limitless and cannot be missed. Clothes and hands can be washed. The house will get messy too, but with a little planning, you can minimize any lasting effects.
Fun is always important, after all, it makes learning meaningful to children and facilitates deeper connections. But why is messy play so important? It is essential to brain development! Every time a child touches wet paint or squishy goo, new connections are forming in the brain. The stimulation provided by a mud pie or runny oobleck can’t be replicated by a computer game, flash cards, or stories. The act of skin coming in contact with tactile discovery stimulates new connections and learning.
Children learn through their senses, and all areas of learning are impacted. In my experience, the more messy play children get to do, the more relaxed they are. They are also more flexible in routines and quite creative in their thinking.
Here are some tips that may help you in your messy play adventures:
- Take it outdoors
- Get a vinyl tablecloth and tape it to the floor to contain the mess
- Provide clear expectations for the children’s messy play
- Use simple materials like snow, water, ice
- Plan ahead to make sure you have enough materials for the number of children you have
- Get in there and get messy! It’s more fun than trying to stay tidy and clean
Try this Simple Slime Recipe for lots of fun that’s edible and not sticky!
Enjoy!
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What’s the big deal with play?
So I’m attending my annual conference and I finally have time to write. Sorry it’s been so long, though thankfully I have lots of renewed energy tonight so let’s talk about play. It’s such a popular word in early education these days, but what are they all talking about? Isn’t just about kids using toys?
No it’s not, it’s much much more. It’s the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky. It’s the method by which children are living their lives, their anchor, their work. The definition of play in our field is usually described in a paragraph with so many terms and variations. The common threads are enjoyment, participation and engagement.
Different types of play occur throughout a child’s development. There’s no schedule or order, no wrong or right, though some patterns exist. There are natural shifts in the kind of play as children’s environment, community, and minds take shape.
- Solitary: a child plays alone
- Parallel: a child plays alongside another child without interaction
- Cooperative: children interact as they work toward a goal
- Symbolic: a child uses one object to represent another
- Sociodramatic: pretend play in which a child takes on a role
- Games with rules: children follow guidelines dictated by an established game
- Mature: a child will dive deeply into their play, staying with it for an extended period of time
Please keep in mind that each type of play serves a purpose, and has its own value. For example, a child who pretends a ball is an apple will later be better equipped to visually represent quantity. A child taking on a role is learning to self-regulate, practicing self-control.
I’m interested in hearing what children say when asked, “what is play?” You probably wouldn’t hear words like problem-solving, achievement, creativity, imagination, identity, or persistence. But if you observe carefully, you’ll see these qualities and more. And they make for amazing adults; adults which will one day take care of us, our planet, and the children to come. So next time you think play might just be a simple word with little meaning, think of all that is gained from it.
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“Is the Game Over Yet?” How to survive team sports with your athletes siblings
After spending the morning cheering for my son and his lacrosse team, while observing a mom struggling with two younger kids, I decided to write this post. The mom kept her cool, but I could tell she was aggravated with her other two children. She spent most of her time telling them not to go anywhere, stop fighting, and no, the game isn’t over. In all fairness, they brought a blanket and that was it. I’d be bored too.
Now, I can look at this a couple of ways: how irritating to have the constant disruption for those of us trying to enjoy the game, and then there is the perspective of the mom who is trying to support one child while the other two are bored and behaving in a way that makes mom feel like people are judging her.
Bottom line: it made the morning kind of miserable for everyone, especially the mom with the two bored kiddos. So, as a child care provider who is trained to prevent behavior issues ahead of time, here’s my two cents (or 20 since I tend to ramble).
1) set the expectations before your arrival. Just make it very clear to the children what they are to expect for the outing and how you would like them to conduct themselves.
2) be prepared. Have each child pack a small bag of things to do. This can include a frisbee, coloring book, or deck of cards. Even a pair of binoculars will provide engagement. Remind them that the bag is theirs to carry and keep track of. This builds a sense of ownership, responsibility and pride. (And don’t forget snacks!)
3) include the siblings in the athlete’s activity in some way. Encourage the siblings to make a banner to cheer on their athlete. Give them jobs like gathering a water bottle or cleats. Remind them why you’re there, and engage their interest: “did you see how she kicked the ball?” Or “look how fast he’s running!”
4) give them a little freedom. There are many other families at these games, and plenty of other bored siblings. Set some limits, but let them go play together on an empty field when possible. Just situate yourself so your kids are in your sight line, and let them roll around in the grass with other kids.
I hope this helps!
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JenniferCyrFamilyChildCare 