Boredom

Being bored is not a crisis to be solved. It’s an internal emotional state that needs to be regulated. You can give your child the time and space to figure out how to handle this sensation! The more practice they have, the more likely they will be to find something to do on their own.

When children play by themselves they develop inner resources. For parents worried about lack of play-dates during coronavirus social distancing, maybe this knowledge can help alleviate some guilt when your child complains, “I’m BORED!” Continue reading “Boredom” →

Social Skills

During covid-19 homebound time, most parents have expressed concerns about their children’s lack of socializing. They worry that their child is missing out on developing important social skills for when they start (or re-start) school.

This is a valid concern, as friendship making skills are a very important component of school success. However, there are many other social skills that are valuable which CAN be developed during stay-at-home time.

Here is an overview of some of those skills and suggestions as to how you can support your child’s development at home. Continue reading “Social Skills” →

Garden Activities

February-March in the Pacific Northwest is the perfect time to resume gardening tasks.

You can buy many seed varieties at grocery stores and there are a number of online seed stores. I particularly like Ed Hume Seeds as they are family owned and from the pacific northwest. There are also plant and seed sharing groups online that allow you to do contactless sharing during the pandemic. Continue reading “Garden Activities” →

Spatial Awareness

Spatial sense is a basic math skill which is also important in many other aspects of life like art and nature. Think of it as how we understand shape, size, position and direction. It’s how we understand, describe and interact with the physical world around us.

Well before geometry class, children can recognize and identify shapes at a very young age. But this is not the same as analyzing shapes and spaces. To aid this more in depth learning, children need access to and active involvement with concrete 3-dimensional objects. For example, constructing models, folding paper cutouts, using mirrors, pattern blocks and tangrams [from https://www.state.nj.us/education/archive/frameworks/math/math5.pdf]

What can you do to create a rich, spatial learning environment? Continue reading “Spatial Awareness” →

Zero to Sixty

During developmental screenings, parents often tell me their child has trouble with “big” emotions–anger and frustration–and goes from “zero-to-sixty” when they don’t get their way.

What most parents are witnessing is more likely a child who is actually very successful in self-regulating from stress throughout the day!

These children don’t have multiple outbursts over every little thing. They adapt and adjust over and over throughout the day. Because they are so successful at adapting and adjusting, you don’t notice it! Every time they are told to “wait.” Every time their sibling grabs a toy. Every time an adult tells them, “no;” “not now;” “I’m busy.” Every time there is a change in routine. They handle their emotions so well you don’t know it’s happening! Continue reading “Zero to Sixty” →

The Name of This Book is Secret

by Pseudonymous Bosch (pen name of Raphael Simon)
1st in The Secret series.

This book starts like a mystery. That’s why I chose it for review. I am an avid mystery fiction fan, so my natural inclination is to introduce all of you and your children to the wonders of this genre.

But, what started out as a mystery, with detection and secret codes and yes, even an unexplained death–turned on a dime and became a fantasy.  Just enough fantasy, perhaps, to hook more modern readers who may have come to expect more fantastical elements woven into plots. Continue reading “The Name of This Book is Secret” →