5 Steps to Make the Perfect Playdough Elephant

Looking for a fun activity to do this weekend? Pull out some playdough and create some animals! Sometimes the best learning experiences happen when you don’t know you’re learning. Playdough is a great activity to help with shape recognition and sensory issues.

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.

TO FIDGET OR NOT TO FIDGET, THAT IS THE QUESTION

What’s the deal with these fidget spinners?! Fidget spinners seem to be a trend that swept the country for those that are both young and old. They are selling out of stores across the country. Fidget spinners can be found in a large variety of designs, colors and materials. People have even come out with DIY tutorials on Pinterest of how to make your very own fidget spinner. Over 4 million videos can be found online both teaching the users how to do different tricks with their fidgets and showing off their fidget spinner skills. Many of the video creators are young children in elementary school.

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!

When Will My Child Learn Colors?

I often get questions from parents wondering if their child is colorblind. This concern arises when their child cannot seem to identify a correct color. 

Why the concern? Often our only benchmark of knowing when children should be able to do something is by comparing her to the neighbor child! It is natural to be concerned when the neighbor kid can consistently identify his colors, count to 10, and know his shapes before your child can. 

My 3 Year-Old Should Use Scissors? Say What?

We talk to countless parents that are surprised their child should be using scissors by age three. We get it. Age three seems really young to be playing with scissors, right? This question often comes up because a question on the 36 month Ages & Stages Questionnaire asks if a child can use scissors. So why are scissors so important for your child’s development? I asked one of our child development specialists, and got her advice on scissor activities for toddlers.

5 Important Stages of Literacy

Sometimes kids think that they do not know how to read or write because of their age. However, we know that children are building their literacy skills from the time they are in the womb and it is our job to help them work on these skills.

The first literacy skill children use is Listening.

Attendance Adds Up

One in ten kindergarten and first grade students are chronically absent, meaning they miss 18 or more school days. Missing just a few day each month can quickly add up to a potential problem.

September marks Attendance Awareness Month, a national initiative to promote the important role school attendance plays in a student's academic success. While missing a few days here and there may seem innocent, these instances can develop into habits that can have an effect on your child’s education.

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!

Inexpensive Summer Activity: Giant Letters!

Summer is here! Kids are excited to have time off from school and parents are stressed about how to keep their kids engaged and learning through the summer - without lots of screen time! This idea from Constantly Lovestruck is a great activity for kids of all ages that can be used inside or outside - even adults can join in on the fun!

Guest Post: Read 1000 Books Before Kindergarten!

Many libraries around the United States are implementing a program called 1000 Books Before Kindergarten. This program encourages parents and caregivers to establish a habit of reading to their kids from birth.

We know that reading with children helps them develop an early and enduring love of reading and learning. Many studies have shown that reading with children from an early age helps them be successful in school. The early years are essential, as a child’s brain develops more during the first three years of life than at any other time.

Ways to Prevent Cyberbullying

First let's start with what Cyberbullying is....

Cyberbullying is any type of bullying that happens using electronics. Today there are many different electronics that cyberbullies use. Phones, computers, tablets, gaming systems, etc. Cyberbullying can happen on the internet through social media or email, or it can be done through text messages. Sometimes we know who is the cyberbully, but sometimes the bullying comes from an anonymous source.

Making Time for Family Time

School is starting soon…like in a month! Summer is going by fast and this is the time of year where most families start to get really busy…and start to spend less time together. Everyone is getting ready for school and all the extra stuff like…Extracurricular activities, Homework, Arranging car schedules, Parties, Sports, Projects, Volunteering and PTA meetings, etc.

When schools begins, it’s usually family time that gets thrown out the window first. However, family time is where the whole family can get together without distractions and spend quality time together. Growing up my family was always super busy because we have 5 kids, but we still (even now) try to spend quality time together. I believe that making that a priority has helped me be a better friend to my siblings and my parents, not just a sister or a daughter. And staying close has kept us out of trouble….for the most part.

Now I know what you’re thinking….there is no time for family time!!! Well here are a few tips to help you squeeze it in to your busy life.

HOW TO MAKE FAMILY TIME POSSIBLE:

(Click here to get full list and follow a great blog!)

Turn off TV and Technology during the week, or for a specific amount of time during the day. This is getting rid of distractions and allowing family relationships to grow.

  Limit your child’s extracurricular activities. Yes they are great, but your child can’t be involved in everything. They and you will get burnt out fast. Limit them to having one or two after-school activities.

 Limit your own activities. As parents we tend to think that we are superheroes (which is true) with amazing time powers (which is sometimes true), but our families need us. Parents should go out one night a week to get alone time and a break, but more than that usually can cause stress in the home.

 Eat dinner together! Make it a safe place where members feel loved. Don’t allow phones or any other type of distraction. If Dinner doesn’t work with schedules do breakfast! 

Sleep!!! Set bed times for you and your kids. You might think that you get more done when your kids are asleep, but you need rest to handle everything you deal with during the day. Sleep will help everyone be more calm, patient, and understanding with each other.

 Plan fun activities to do as a family during the week. We have chores, and homework, and violin lessons, and soccer, but we also need fun activities for family time. (examples: going to get ice cream, watching a movie, having a water fight in the backyard, making a meal together, going for walks, reading together, playing a card game)

So remember…family time matters and there is time for it.

Wide Open Library Doors in Utah County

Wake up.

Cheerios soon cover the floor.

Puzzle pieces add to the spread.

Load up in the van for a mad dash to the store for diapers.

Ham and cheese sandwich for lunch.

Flip through the same pages you did yesterday, and the day before that.

Finally he is napping and you attempt the marathon of your to-do list.

Fold laundry "together."

Dinner quickly comes and goes.

The family game night quickly turns to wreckage.

Bathes, bubbles and down for bed.

Repeat.

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No one will argue that parenting is the most important work that a parent can do but the day-to-day parts of parenting can easily become mundane and repetitious. 

If there was just something that allowed you and yours to get out of the house every now and again to do something new that you both enjoyed with real people who eat ham and cheese sandwiches as often as you do!

   Utah has done just that. Local libraries all over Utah allocate large sums of funding, volunteers and hours to provide children and their families with activities that encourage early literacy, social skills, community interaction, parent-child relationships, and creativity. These resources are available to any parent who simply walks through their local library doors.

   In the Utah County area alone there are more than 15 city libraries, each with their own children's programs. A simple internet search can connect parents with a long list of activities for their children to attend on nearly any given day day of the week! 

   This month at the local Provo library just around the corner from our United Way office there are endless engaging children's activities just waiting to be attended! Those activities will be listed here but if you live somewhere outside of the Provo area don't hesitate to find your local library by following this link & searching with your ZIP code. 

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At the Provo City Library each week their Kid's Program hosts:

• Book Babies. Every Friday at 10:00 am for children ages 0-12 months. This hour has age-appropriate stories, songs and finger-plays for babies and their caregivers.
• Spanish Story Time. Every Monday at 6:30 pm & Friday at 10:30 am. Music, stories and crafts for Spanish speaking children and their caregivers.
• Early Literacy Parent & Child Workshops. Every Monday at 10:00 am for children ages 2-3 years. This hour has hands-on activities that encourage literacy and reading readiness. Pre-registration is necessary, and can be completed here.
• Library Kids Jr. & Sr. Every Thursday from 4:15 pm-5:00 pm for children ages 5-8 years (Library Kids Jr.) and 8-12 years (Library Kids Sr.). Exciting book and literacy based crafts and activities, pre-register your child for Library Kids Jr. here and for Library Kids Sr. here. 
• Toddler Time. Every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday at 10:15 am and Friday at 11:15 am. For children ages 1-2 years old and their caregivers with lots of fun through story time, songs and finger play.
• Preschool Time. Every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday at 10:00 am and 11:00 am for children ages 3-5 years old and able to separate from their caregivers. Prepares children for school readiness through social interactions with stories, finger plays and songs.

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As well as these weekly activities there are also regular monthly activities:

• Mother-Daughter Book Club on the last Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm for girls ages 9-12 years old and their mothers. At this event, discussion of an assigned popular chapter book is followed by a craft and light refreshment. If interested, pre-register here.
• Mother-Son Book Cub on the last Wednesday of the month at 7:00 pm for boys ages 9-12 years old and their mothers. At this event, discussion of an assigned popular chapter book is followed by a craft and light refreshment. If interested, pre-register here.
• On the firt Saturday of each month there is Special Needs Story Time for children ages 5-8 years old who have special needs. Story and presentation cater to the needs of children with autism who respond best to low sound and soft light. Pre-register by calling the Children's Desk at (801) 852-6682. 

This list of events is just the beginning, there are also a myriad of teen and adults events hosted each month! To stay up-to-date on all of these events, follow this events calendar.

So many in our community do so much to try to ease the parent's heavy load of caring for and teaching their children. The local libraries here in Utah County are some of those places and are waiting with open doors for the community's families to walk in and learn together.

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?

Preparing for 1st Grade

The transition from kindergarten to 1^st grade can be a big one for kids.  It means a full day of school versus a half day, lunch time with the big kids, and being away from mom.  All these can lead to some very understandable anxiety for your 1^st grader.

There are a few things that you can do as a parent to help the transition go smoother for your 1^st grader and yourself.

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• If they are still taking naps start weaning them off now so they can get used to the full day schedule. 
• Start going to bed and getting up at the time you will be when school starts to get your kids in the habit early.  This will make will make it so much easier when they actually have to get ready for school in the morning.
• Create a routine and go over it with your child.  Talk about and/or write out the morning checklist of how their routine will go (make bed, get dressed, breakfast, brush teeth, backpack, etc.)  The more they know what to expect the less anxious they will be.
• Talk to your 1^st grader about some of the differences with the new full day of school (recess, lunch, snack time, start and end time, homework, etc.) This will help them know what to expect and help you as a parent learn what their biggest concerns are.
• Address anxiety or concerns in a positive way.  Help them feel like a “big kid”. Let them know that their worries are valid and talk about how they can work through them.
• Get them excited now! Discuss positive changes. Especially if they are getting nervous about going to 1^st grade.  Let them know about all the other positive things that will happen.  Talk about what else will happen during the new school year such as, “When you are a first grader you’ll get to...( stay up a half hour later, play T-ball, take gymnastics class, get your own library card etc.).
• Find other kids that will be in their class and go on play dates.  Having a familiar face in the classroom will help make the transition easier.
• Make contact with the teacher.  Take some time before the start of school and send your new teacher an email introducing yourself and your child and letting them know any concerns you might have.
• Give them control over what they want to wear.  Especially if they are nervous this little bit of independence can help them boost the confidence they need.
• Talk to other parents about how they handled the transition with their children.  You might get some really great ideas from parents who have already gone through the same situation.

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Sources:
Charlotte Parent
Yahoo

The Week of Back to School!

It's that time of year again: backpacks, notebooks, uniforms, and fall sports.

Here at Help Me Grow we have decided to make a whole week of ideas for back-to-school preparation.

We will break down the areas into Preschool (Monday), Kindergarten (Wednesday), and First grade (Friday). We will be compiling tips from experienced moms and educational websites, just to make sure we cover everything.

If you are sending your child off to school this fall you don't want to miss these posts!

Before we start the week, here are some fun ideas for any grade:

First Day of School Pictures

Back to School Fairy

From "Happiness Is..."

 A bag full of back to school goodies, all delivered by the "Back to School Fairy."
The bag could include:
Crayons
Markers
Notebooks
Waterbottle
Lunchbox
Stickers

Social Skills Review

I was actually homeschooled my entire elementary education, but my mom still went through all the steps of school preparation; buying new pencils, notebooks, curriculum, and charts.
The most memorable part to me was my dad's preparation (he wanted to make sure we had adequate social skills). He would pull out his Dale Carnegie book How to Win Friends and Influence People and give us a brush up on the most important steps of socializing with other people. I felt that it made a huge difference in my life, especially when I started attending public school in 8th grade.
Unlike popular belief, kids aren't born with the natural ability to socialize, and most teachers don't have Social Skills 101 on their agenda. Children need to be taught how to properly interact with other children and adults.
Here are the most important points that should be reviewed every year:

• When you want to play with someone, ask them! Start with "My name is ______, what is your name?" and then, "Can I play with you?"
• The best way to make friends is to be interested in them; ask questions about them: "What do you like to play?" "What is your favorite movie?"
• You need to obey your teacher, sit quietly in your seat and make sure you raise your hand if you want to ask a question.
• Kids may say mean things to other kids, or even you. This is not nice and you should never call people names other than their own.
• Always use your words; do not hit, push, bite, or scratch. If you are upset at another child you must tell them that you are upset and why, do not hit another child because you are mad at them.

 As adults, these are no-brainers! But for children these skills do not come naturally. Communicate with your child how to make friends and how to be a good friend.

Transitioning: It's more than music time!

Huge life changes anyone? I recently got married (5 months tomorrow!!). I will fully admit to being a gushy newly-wed, but I’m totally ok with that. Here are a few pictures so you can see how cute we are (photos by Lora Grady Photography): 

Two days before I got married I had an almost breakdown. I called my parent surrogates (my parents died when I was 19) absolutely freaking out (we’re talking high pitched, fast cry-talking). My father said, “I’m not qualified for this,” and passed the phone to his wife.

I didn’t know what my life was going to be like in a few days and that was just scary to me! My mother said she had been waiting for this “reality hitting me” phone call, which made me feel a lot better. She reminded me that yes, this was a big transition in my life, but I knew I was doing the right thing, and I love my (now) husband very, very much and that the new comfortability in my new life would develop, probably easier than I thought (an honestly, isn’t he just so handsome? I am very happy in my marriage!).

This is my "I'm trying to do a sexy, but I'm mostly just really exhausted" face.

Get what I’m talking about yet? Transitions!

Just like getting married was a huge change in my life, changes in pretty much anything can be really hard for a child! I’m an adult and my life changes still want to make me cry sometimes. Here are some of the reactions that children may have to a transition in life: 

1. Temper tantrums
2. Disobedience
3. Confusion
4. Attachment to a parent or other figure (maybe a blanket or stuffed animal)
5.  Lack of sleep or desire to eat
6. Over excitement (I watched this one in a friend’s daughter that kept saying, “No, I can’t just wait Mommy, I just can’t!”)

Doesn’t that sound fun! These can either be because a child is overly excited or because the child is saddened by the change. Either way, there are things you can do to help your child transition and make changes easier. Here are a few ideas:

1. Talk to your child about what is going on well before the event is going to happen, and keep talking about it. If they are starting kindergarten, moving, or even going to visit Grandma, make sure that they know it’s going on, what will happen (are they going on an airplane, for example) and what that means. Kids understand more than we think of what we tell them. By explaining things to your child you are building a relationship of trust.
2. Make sure your children can talk about their feelings before during and after the change. This means that the child talks about what they’re feeling, and the adult mostly listens. By talking about their feelings, and having an adult give a name to that feeling (after the child has adequately talked about it), a child can learn to be emotionally competent and confident. It makes those feeling less confusing to the child, and again, they trust the parent more with their feelings in the future. (This is called Emotion Coaching)
3. Keep regular rituals before, during, and after a transition. This can be hard, especially in the middle of a move, but having predictable patterns makes a world seem a little less shaky when you’re unsure of what’s going on or what’s happening next.
4. Prep your child for the small and the big things! This can be anything from a Dr’s visit or recital to moving into a new home or starting a new grade.
5. Don’t stop doing transitions just because your child is older or they seem to be ambivalent to the news! Keep up that open communication regardless.
6. If you haven’t prepped your child ahead of time, or something happens unpredictably, and you find that you’re having problems after the event, make sure that they child knows that you care about them and that they have your support. If a child is properly attached to an adult, that gives them a safe home-base to rely on when it seems like their world is hazy. Again, Emotion Coaching can really make a huge difference!

Using these and other strategies (see the links below) can really make a huge difference in the trust and comfortable feeling of a child in their life. Think about it, kids don’t have control over much and don’t have the experience that adults do, but if they have a loving adult that’s helping them see the changes for what they are and how they can be dealt with, you’ve given them a great tool!

What other ways have you made transitioning easier for your kids (or nieces/nephews, kids you babysit, anything)?

Here’s some more information:

"Helping Your Child With Transitions" - selfgrowth.com

"Temperament: Reaction to Change" - zerotothree.org

Aren't we cute?

Back to School Countdown #0: Homework Tips by the Utah PIRC

We hope your FIRST DAY of SCHOOL went well!  Did your kids get up on-time after sleeping in all summer?  Did your kids get lucky enough to have all their friends in their class(es)? (...or maybe not so lucky if they talk to much when they are with their friends.)  Did you cry when you had to drop off your kindergartner?  or were you like my friend who cried when she dropped her "little girl" off for her first day of HIGH SCHOOL?  Are you starting to feel old yet?  Leave a comment and tell me how school went!


Well, now that school has started it is time for "Harnessing Homework Hassles!"  The Utah Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC) has provided this helpful check list for "harnessing homework hassles."  

Parent's Homework Check-List

1. Know your school's homework policy.
2. Ask your child about their homework, but keep it positive. (SMILE!)
3. Provide a quiet place.
4. Review your child's homework often to make sure it is being done correctly.
5. Make sure there are no interruptions.
6. Make homework a priority-turn off the TV, don't answer the phone, and read or do something quiet next to your child while they work. (Set an example.)
7. READ! READ! READ! Read to, or with your child every day.  Take turns reading pages or paragraphs. Have your child pick out the verbs-maybe even act them out to make it fun.
8. Praise your child often.  Make a big deal of them getting done or even for writing their letters neatly.  Make sure they know you think homework is important.  

Visit the Utah PIRC at www.ufpn.org for more parent information resources and tips.