Let's be THANKFUL

It’s that time of year again! The holiday season is upon us. Although this can be stressful, it is generally known for remembering what we are thankful for and expressing our gratitude more freely.  

Emergency Preparedness Kits for Kids

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Emergency kits are very useful to have in case of an emergency, whether it's a natural disaster, large scale family emergency, or something small. I have an emergency backpack that I keep in my car, and it is fantastic to have. I've used it for all sorts of things that aren't for a natural disaster - things like a lighter for a candle, band-aids when I ran out, or for an anti-bacterial/anti-pain ointment when I got a bad cut on my finger. Emergency kits definitely have their use for things other than big emergencies.

Play Strengthens Your Child’s Development

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Have you heard the phrase, “Play is a child’s work?” It’s true. Play strengthens all aspects of your child's development. I’ll share a few examples of the benefits of play in different developmental domains.

Happy Recycling Day!

Happy Recycling Day!

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Here at Help Me Grow we LOVE the world we live in and we want to help make it a better place!

We all can do this by recycling; however, recycling is just a part of how we can help our environment. Today we are going to focus on the REUSING part of recycling. We have three fun craft ideas that you can do at home with your family with extra plastic bottles you might have.
(Idea found at this link)

Helping Children Through Deployment

Parents across America are being called to serve on military deployments around the world. These families have to adjust to different changes and experiences throughout the stages of deployment. When this occurs, all areas of a child's life are affected. It is important that parents, relatives, teachers, and community members are all educated on how to help children cope and adapt to the changes they are going through. 
Sesame Street aired an episode for military families to help teach children about deployment, and the changes they might be going through. The video to the left encourages the community to be a support group for these children, and help them cope with these changes in their life.

Election Day!

As an adult it's easy to see why we need to participate in election day, we understand the importance of being an informed citizen and being involved. But have you ever thought of using this time of year as a opportunity to start educating your child to be involved in their community?

There are ways that you can talk about voting and government without getting technical or overwhelming your child with specifics. With this year's election day upon us, your child has likely seen billboards, TV and radio commercials, and the ever present "I voted!" sticker. You can use any of these as a jumping off point to start a conversation.

Ask your child if they know what it means to vote. I'm sure they have already formed some idea about the word. After seeing what your child knows, you can explain to them that voting is a chance for them to speak up, share their opinion, and have their opinion counted as one of a whole group.

After you've introduced the idea, help your child apply these concepts in appropriate settings. Perhaps you could call for a family vote on what to eat for dinner one day that week or what fun activity your family should do over the weekend. Make it extra fun and have the vote using actual "ballots".

How have you talked to your child about voting and government? We'd love to hear your ideas in the comments!

-Kali

Delaying Gratification

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 It is easy to give in to the tears and screams when your child just wanted a little candy bar at the checkout. But could giving into those desires be harming their development? Teaching children how to delay gratification is helping them control their impulses. It is important for them to develop self-regulatory patterns while they are young, so they can have appropriate self-control of their feelings and actions as they get older.

     An experiment by Walter Mischel, psychologist, tested the willpower of children. The “marshmallow test” was set up where a child was given a single marshmallow. If they wanted two marshmallows, then the child would have to wait until the researcher returned to the room with the second one. If the child could not wait to eat the marshmallow, then they would only get one. A video link to an example of the test can be found here. 

     As a parent, you may be wondering what you can do to help your child delay gratification. Here are a few things that can be done to promote self-regulatory behaviors with your child:

Make them wait.

The best thing you can do to help your child delay gratification is by making them wait. Watch to see if your child distracts themselves to avoid the temptation. One technique that can help the waiting process is by gradually increasing the time they need to wait. For example, the first time you tell them they need to wait only do 1-3 minutes. From there, you can increase the time so they understand the process of waiting.  

Labeling emotions.

It is easy for children to get carried away by their emotions. Helping them verbalize what they are feeling can help them understand how to control their impulses. Putting a word to their feelings, such as mad, angry, frustrated, or sad, helps them recognize their body’s reaction in a healthy way. Once they identify how they are feeling, it is important to set limits to help them understand how to regulate their emotions.

Don’t let the hot override the cool.

Mischel described impulse reactions in two different systems, “cool” and “hot.” The cool system helps us to think about our feelings and actions in perspective of our ultimate goal. All of that can be overridden by the hot system of reflexes, which leads to giving into impulses. To help children stay in control of their cool system, you can play games or activities that encourage self-control. “Red light, Green light,” and “Simon Says” test the child’s ability to stay in control and allows them to practice self-regulation.

Make goals and start saving.

Helping your child set goals teaches them the importance of working towards a specific outcome. If your child constantly asks for a toy each time you go to the store, encourage them to set a goal to work towards earning that toy. Set up a system where your child can earn money or points to buy it themselves. This teaches them how to save up for something they want. Other examples could be marble jars, sticker charts, or collecting tickets.

Sources: https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/willpower-gratification.pdf

-Hannah