The Road to Bilingualism

The percentage of bilingual children in the United States has risen steadily for the past decade, causing families to wonder if it really is worth it to have their child learn another language or if the process is too lengthy and costly. This blog is to inform and help families navigate their way to having their child become bilingual, so families can decide if it is truly worth the effort.

Speaking to Your Young Children About the LGBTQ Community

As parents, we are always concerned about our children and we tend to ask ourselves an abundance of questions. For instance: “Is my child doing well in school?” “Why is my child so picky?” “How can I tell if my child’s speech is normal?” These are questions parents can usually answer or seek out resources to obtain answers for.  But what answers do parents have when the question is “how do I explain the LGBTQ community to my child?” It can be a challenging process to educate children about LGBTQ individuals , no matter what your beliefs or values may be. The acceptance of the LGBT community can be seen through entertainment, education, marketplace, as well as social media. It shows the tremendous change in our culture and has become extremely effective to educate and highlight LGBTQ awareness.

Talking to Children about Sexual Assault

With all of the stories in the news recently about sexual assault against children, taking time to talk to your children about what sexual assault is, signs of sexual assault, and other information is more important than ever! Children need accurate and age-appropriate information about child sexual abuse and confidence that adults they know will support them. Here are some ways and guidance for addressing the issue in a conversation with your child to make sure they understand and are aware of the danger.

Educational TV: Does it exist?

Many children’s TV shows claim they are “educational.” A show can claim it is educational, but what is it teaching? A large percentage of children’s shows (and apps) claim they are educational yet have no reason to back that claim. It is normal to worry that watching TV will harm your child. On the other hand, many parents use the TV as an “electronic babysitter.” I am going to present research about shows that have shown to be educational to help parents make decisions about TV use.

Music in the Home

Music has always been essential to my life. Growing up my family would sing together every morning before school. And I’ve continued to learn new instruments (just the basics) and love almost all forms of music. I’m so grateful that my parents incorporated so much music into my life. Maybe you had a similar experience, maybe you didn’t. Either way, you can make music something special and important in your child’s learning and here’s why you would want to.

Six Ways Infants Learn

Babies learn differently than adults. Their brains are still forming and going through the pruning process. Babies are curious and love to explore their new surroundings. Isn’t it great that as parents you get to be a part of that exploration? Since you are part of that exploration, it is good to know how babies learn. Here are six ways infants learn:

Synchrony: this is the give and take between you and your child. Dora the explorer attempts to have synchrony. She asks a question and waits for the child to respond. While the intent is good, synchrony is best achieved in person.

Guest Post: Reading to your Children

We all can remember those special times when a story was read to us, whether at home by somebody we love, at school, or maybe at the library. The story came to life, and we were enthralled with the words. The magic of story reading is a powerful tool.

At least 55% of Utah's parents read to their children ages 0-5 everyday compared to 47.9% of the nation, according to a survey conducted by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention National Center of Health Statistics.

Why is knowing about Child Development Important?

Some parents tell me they are not interested in completing a developmental screening because their child is not behind. A common myth about these screenings are that they are only looking for delays in your child’s development. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire administered by Help Me Grow does so much more than identify delays. It also helps caregivers to see the strengths their child has and how much they are already learning even as young as 2 months.

Stay Hydrated!!!

Parents are always reminding their children to drink water, especially in the hot summer months. But what about you busy parents? Are you getting enough to drink?

Guest Post: 3 Simple Ways to Prepare Your Kindergartner for Handwriting Success

Tera Robinson, OTR/L is a Utah wife, mom and pediatric occupational therapist who loves working as hard as she plays with all the kids in her life! You can visit her blog, yumstheraplay.com, or follow Yums Theraplay on Facebook or Instagram to learn more!


Summer break is just beginning and it always flies by too fast! It pains me to say it, but school will be starting again before we know it. Take advantage of summer time to brush up and prepare your child for the next school year!
As an occupational therapist, I often work with children to develop fine motor skills for activities such as handwriting and cutting. Even in our digital age, paper, pencils, crayons, scissors and glue will be used daily in your student's school day. Current research indicates that good, old-fashioned handwriting improves learning of letters, reading and helps retain information better than typing. Parents can implement some very simple, yet very effective strategies at home to prepare their child for handwriting success in kindergarten and beyond!

How To Prevent Kindergarten Separation Anxiety

It's perfectly normal for a child, as well as their parents, to feel some form of anxiety during the transition from preschool to kindergarten. However, it has been shown that preschoolers have a smoother transition to kindergarten when their family, caregivers, and teachers take an active role in preparing them for this adjustment period. Here are 5 tips that will help ease this transition period for both you and your child!

3 Ways to Prevent The Summer Slide

Despite its name, the summer slide is not as fun as it sounds.

The “Summer Slide” is a term coined to describe the amount of learning children lose during the summer while not in school. It can be easy for children and families to slip out of the daily reading and math habits they had during the school year. But how much does that effect your child?

According to the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), in just three months, children can lose up to 2 months of math skills! This academic loss can be even more pronounced in children from low income homes. “Every summer, low-income youth lose two to three months in reading while their higher-income peers make slight gains”, says the NSLA. Throughout their schooling, children who are consistently regressing during each summer can be years behind their peers by just fifth grade.

But there is hope! There are many ways to prevent the summer slide and even make reading and math gains during the break from school!

The Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be tiring, draining, and all around uncomfortable. The last thing you want to is to exercise, but being physically and mentally fit during pregnancy is so important and has many
benefits. Many exercises may be strenuous for pregnant women, but brisk walking, swimming, and actively playing with children are all exercises that are fun, easy, and they need no expensive equipment or any equipment at all! It may be a great way to get together with friends all while getting that physical exercise you need! Benefits include lowered risk for gestational diabetes, blood pressure, and a smoother labor and delivery.   

Happy National Nutrition Month

Happy National Nutrition Month!

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The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has dedicated March as National Nutrition Month!

Their theme for this year is “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right”. The main goal of this campaign is to help everyone develop good eating and physical activity habits. The theme is meant to encourage everyone to enjoy and appreciate flavors and social experiences that comes with the food we eat.

A whole month dedicated to celebrating the yummy food I eat? Yes Please!

How Will My Body Change During Pregnancy?

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So we all know a woman’s body is going to change during pregnancy. There will be happy changes and not so happy ones. Usually changes include gaining weight (yay…..), cravings, morning sickness, pain, mood swings, etc. But when does everthing usually happen? Honestly, it’s different for every woman, but here is an average break down of what changes to expect by trimester.

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

Family Safety Night

Fall is such a fun time of year! The leaves are changing, the weather cools, and there's so many fun holidays to look forward to. It is also a great time to talk to kids about safety.

The Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center recently has published a newsletter talking about family safety. The big question asked was "When is the right age to talk about personal safety with your child?" Their answer - there is no right age.

Children of every age learn about how to be safe. When babies are learning to crawl and walk, they

look to their parents to help protect them and teach them to be safe. Toddlers are protected from

running out in the street and learn that they can't go outside alone. As children get older they learn more about "stranger danger".

What the Gundersen Center does recommend is having a family safety night twice a year, keeping in mind that as questions and "what if" scenarios are brought up, or situations arise that need to be discussed, that those are addressed.

Since kids don't like to sit and hear a lot of information all at once, here's some ideas about how to make the discussion interactive and positive, to not scare children.

• Have your children trace their hands, and in each finger, write the name of an adult they can talk to if someone is breaking their personal safety rules.
• Choose a code word specific to your family that can be used if your child needs a ride home with no questions asked.
• Use the "what if" model by using scenarios to learn more about what your child already knows, doesn't know, and to encourage more conversation. These can include questions such as:
• "What if the person breaking your body safety rules is someone that we know and like? What would you do then?"
• "What if you get a bad feeling around someone, but don't know why?"
• "What if you're in a place where you don't know anyone, and are scared?"

Teaching children about what to do in various situations can help protect them from potential

dangers. Some situations to talk about with your children, as is developmentally appropriate, are:

• Stranger Danger - Which strangers are safe to talk to, i.e. police, moms with kids, etc.
• Good touch, bad touch
• What to do if they're lost
• What to do when they are in a situation that makes them uncomfortable
• How to say "No", even to people they like and care about

Having Family Safety Nights are a great way to talk about hard topics in a way that isn't scary to kids. It helps prepare children to know what to do if a safety problem comes up. It also helps children to not be afraid, but to be able to act if a threat to their safety arises.

-Kim

Source: www.gundersenhealth.org/ncptc/newsletters/from-our-experts/family-safety-night

MORE BOOKS for just a LITTLE

Summer is a great time to read! Here is some ideas on how to aquire

MORE BOOKS for just a LITTLE

It's great to go to the public library for books, but you may ask yourself, how can I increase my home library?  Here are a few ideas to consider:

Yard Sales:  This is a great way to get gently used books for a bargain price.  I'm a big yard-saler, and I see books at almost every one I go to.  For kids books, make sure you flip through the pages and check for torn, missing or colored-on pages (it happens!).

Thrift Stores:  Most thrift stores, such as Desert Industries and Savers, have a good supply of books for sale.  So many that you can even be choosy!  For kids, I would suggest getting hardback or board books, they just hold up a lot better.

Public Libraries:  Your local library probably has a book cart/shelf with books for sale.  These are usually discarded items that may have issues, so check carefully.  The Provo City Library will have their next Book Sale on Sept. 2, 2015.  www.provolibrary.com/library-book-sale

School Libraries:  Periodically the school libraries will "clean out" their inventory and give away or sell their excess books.  Ask your school librarian when the next time is they will do this.

Birthday Gifts:  Books make a great gift for anyone at any age!  Start giving your child a book each birthday to help build their own collection.  Also, when grandparents or relatives are asking for gift ideas, simply say, "Books!"

BYU Bookstore:  The BYU Bookstore has several sections of books on clearance.  On top of that, if you go from late November to late December, you can get 20% off your total purchase.  Just in time for Christmas!

Seagull Book:  The Seagull Bookstores found throughout Utah County have a bargain book table somewhere in the store (usually in the back) with great deals on books for all ages.

With just a little bit of effort and not a lot of money, you can increase the books available in your home, and hopefully the amount of reading in your home.  Good luck and happy reading!

Teaching Kids about Independence Day

For many children, Independence Day is an exciting time to celebrate with fireworks, parades, swimming, and barbecues. Without parents and teachers making an effort to explain why Independence Day is significant, some children may never see it as more than a fun time to wear red, white, and blue. This time of year is a great opportunity to teach children about what makes America different, what Independence Day represents, and what it means to be patriotic.

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Here are some ways that can make this 4th of July have more meaning for your children:

The flag: The next time you see an American flag, point it out to your child and explain why it's important. Help them know it shows we're on the same team as Americans and how to treat the flag with respect. Teach about the symbols and meaning of the different parts of the flag. The 50 stars represent our 50 states. The 13 stripes represent the original 13 British colonies who decided in 1776 that they wanted to live freely and govern themselves rather than be ruled by a king.

The Pledge of Allegiance: Your school-age children have likely recited the Pledge of Allegiance before, but they may not understand what it means. Explain that the pledge means we're making a promise to be loyal (allegiance) to our country, because we can vote for our leaders (republic) and stick together (indivisible) so that everyone can enjoy freedoms (liberty) and be treated fairly (justice). The pledge helps us remember and be grateful that we have special freedoms that many other countries don't have.

National Anthem: At sporting events or while watching the Olympics, children will probably hear The Star-Spangled Banner. Help them understand that it's our country's song and that we show respect to honor America while the song is sung. Teach kids that we stand to face the flag and be silent or sing along with our hands on our hearts. You can also share the story behind the anthem. Francis Scott Key wrote the words during the War of 1812 when he saw the flag still flying after a fierce battle. He wrote the words of the song because the flying flag meant that the country was protected and we still had our freedoms.

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Independence Day: Help kids understand that July 4 is our country's birthday. On July 4, 1776, our country was born! A group of American patriots declared our independence by writing the Declaration of Independence, stating we would rule ourselves instead of being ruled by the King of England and his unfair laws. It was risky and dangerous to rebel against the king of England. He had a powerful military and the American patriots had to continue their battle for freedom during the Revolutionary War. They won the war and set our country on the path to where we are today!

Community involvement: Being a good citizen and working together to keep the community running is another important lesson that kids can learn during this time of year. Help them understand the the importance of voting and why you vote. Depending on your child's age, you can take them to city council meetings, neighborhood gatherings, or the State Legislature and then help them write letters to their elected officials. Volunteering or giving community service as a family is a great way to help send kids a positive message about how we all pitch in as citizens of the United States of America.

Happy Independence Day!

Other Resources:

10 Ways to Teach Kids to Love America

10 Things Patriotic Parents Should Be Teaching Kids About America

Back to School

As much as we may not like to admit it, school is quickly approaching. And for some of us it has already begun. It's never too soon to start preparing your child to return to school. Here are some quick tips to help make the transition back to school, easier. 

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1. Adjust their sleep schedule gradually. Summer means later bedtimes for most kids. Easing them slowly back into an earlier bed time will help the transition back to school. Simply put your child in bed 15 minutes earlier each week for the month before school starts.

2. Prevent rude awakenings: Later summer bedtimes, generally mean later wake-up times and lazier mornings. Help your child transition from lounging around in the morning to getting up and out for school by planning activities for early morning. Start the morning by going for a walk, or playing outside.

3. Meet their teacher: Most schools have a Back to School Night where you can meet their teacher. Being with your child the first time they meet their teacher may help them to feel more comfortable with their teacher. If it's their first time at the school, you may also want to walk around the school with them so they can become familiar with where things are.

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4. Talk with them: Discuss going back to school. Help them feel prepared by talking about their fears. Address what makes them nervous about school, riding the bus, etc.

5. Focus on the Positive: Find the positive aspects of going back to school. Remind your child of all the old friends they will see again, and the new friends they will make. Focus on their favorite school activities, such as P.E., art, etc.

What have you done this year to prepare your kids to get back to school?