Caring Connections

Make it a habit. Say it out loud so your children learn to do it too.

Reassuring self-talk helps us gain and maintain composure and deal with the situation in a helpful way; however, it must be combined with S.T.A.R. breathing (or other deep belly breathing) to be effective.

Continue learning more about the Skill of Composure here: https://bit.ly/3Vn8zGH

Oh yes! Think about it. A child’s work IS important.

Think about it... we don’t think twice about interrupting infants and toddlers, mostly because we don’t think to value what they are doing.

At the same time, we want our children to be learners and achievers. We want them to be able to listen patiently in the classroom and have the tenacity to solve difficult problems and pursue their dreams. We want ‘paying attention’ to come naturally, learning skills to come joyfully and easily. The first years of life are formative for developing focus and concentration.

I share 7 ways to foster a long attention span in this post, one of my most popular ever: https://www.janetlansbury.com/2010/04/baby-interrupted-7-ways-to-build-your-childs-focus-and-attention-span/

Need ideas for encouraging literacy? Here they are!

A new month = new early literacy activities! Each day of this calendar is filled with literacy ideas, focusing on one of the six best practices of reading, writing, singing, talking, playing, and counting. Click the link to download and participate in this month's activities!
bit.ly/FFPLLITERACYCALENDARS

Are we there yet?

ALL. SUMMER. LONG.

Reminder! If you have concerns it doesn’t hurt to ask.

If you have concerns about a child's development, visit HelpMeGrowMN.org to learn about development and how to refer a child for a free screening. Screenings are available regardless of family income or immigration status.

Summer safety is so important.

This is a great safety guide for children swimming in lakes and swimming pools. The color of the bathing suit can make it easier or more difficult to see children while they are swimming. This is a good reminder to always have adult supervision when children are swimming. (Thanks to Praire Lakes Healthcare System.)

Do you take them for granted or make sure they are available daily?

What would you add to this list from .parents

Something to check out for your kids.

Kids Camps | The PACC KIDS CAMPS Register HERE! KIDS CAMP SIGN UPS REGISTER NOW! The PACC is offering Kids Camps this summer. These are week long themed camps with fun camp counselors, exciting themes, and fun activities all week long. We will have a special guest everyday! Click Here  WHAT ARE KIDS CAMPS? Kids camps ...

Interesting perspective on tattling and the motivations behind it. When you think about it children aren’t the only ones who tattle.

As Magda Ge**er says, "Do less, observe more, enjoy most!"

Parents this service may be just what your family needs.

OPENING TOMORROW!!

Now booking clients in July! Call us or send us a message if you would like your child to receive speech therapy services this summer - It’s not too late to start practicing those skills and getting a head start before the school year this fall!

Stay tuned for the Grand Opening & Open House!!

📞 612-245-5496
✉️ [email protected]
📍 21566 State Hwy 78, Battle Lake

Moms and Dads make great playmates. 😊

Around 18 months, many babies like to play by handing things back and forth with their playmate.

🧡 By using pictures to show children what to do, we provide consistency and help them understand our expectations more clearly.

What's a routine that you use pictures for in your classroom or home? Share below!

Learn more about how we use visuals to help build successful routines here: https://bit.ly/4eh4o8a

Also supports their listening skills.

Annnddd, FREEZE! The freeze dance game is one we love to use in OT sessions because you can support many areas: impulse control, receptive language and auditory processing, gross motor skill coordination, executive functioning, crossing midline, etc. Kids LOVE this game as a brain break! https://www.theottoolbox.com/brain-break-games/

I’m all about the play and it’s benefits but make sure their environment includes many materials to strengthen their muscles. Writing uses large shoulder and arm muscles as well as eye hand abilities. Ride trikes, climb and hang from monkey bars, use all sorts of sensory materials even slime! Things to squish! Dig! Plant!! Play can include materials you provide and they can explore. Be brave. Do it! Oh yes don’t forget to tear paper and cut with scissors!

Important to know.

When do babies make eye contact? Babies make eye contact early in life, as young as 6 weeks old. We recommend immediate referral if your baby is not making eye contact with you by 2 months old.

It is so joyful to be a Grandma for all of these reasons. I am so thankful when I can help my children and enjoy my grandchildren. It does fill me with joy. Also thankful that I am no longer in the trenches. It was a beautiful meaningful experience but now I can move on to the next beautiful phase.

When my mom came to visit . . .

She cooked all of my favorite meals.

She spent hours playing with my kids.

She went to the store and stocked us up on laundry detergent and toilet paper and paper towel.

She took our dog for a walk.

And somehow the house was completely spotless.

My mom always makes it look so . . . easy.

Every single time she visits.

Not only does she do it all, but she does it with so much JOY.

I won’t lie—at first I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Was I missing something? Why couldn’t I take care of my family the way my mom took care of my family?

I think I said something along those lines to her once, out of incredulity and a little bit of envy, when she turned to me and stopped me right there.

This is the difference, she reminded me, between mothering a child, and mothering a mom.

Right now, I’m smack dab in the middle of mothering children. Every day is devoted to caring for them and making sure they are happy and healthy and safe. Every day I get them up, get them dressed, get them fed, get them to school, get them to appointments, get them to activities, get them to do their homework, get them ready for bed. Every day I am responsible for not only their physical needs, but their mental and emotional ones—I help them regulate their feelings, soothe their worries and fears, mediate their disagreements, teach them boundaries, and show them how to interact with the world around them.

On top of all the other things I have to do just to keep our household going.

My mom is done mothering this way.

It’s why she gets to do the fun stuff. It’s why my own kids can get away with things I never would have dreamed of doing. It’s why she can shower them effusively with affection and gifts and overlook all of their quirks and faults and have energy left over to take care of everything else, too.

Because she’s not the one responsible for making sure they eat their vegetables. She doesn’t have to be the disciplinarian. She doesn’t have to clean my house or cook all the meals. She doesn’t have to fulfill every one of my children’s physical and emotional needs every single day.

So when she comes to visit, she does all the things for us.

Joyfully.

Because she remembers so vividly what it was like to be a busy mom to little children and how demanding that could be. She remembers how hard it felt, how long the days were, how exhausting it was. So if she can ease that burden for me even a little bit, she won’t hesitate.

And because, well . . . it’s easier to do it all when you don’t have to do it all, all the time.

But MOST of all, I know it’s because she loves me so very, very much.

And even though she may be done mothering children, now she gets to mother a mom.