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Diversity is the fundamental presumption that allows us to become who we want to be in this world.
For our children who deserve to live in a world where they can safely live a life as who they are, teaching them about diversity could be a good start.
Dr. O’Neill then explained the typical symptoms of childhood depression: Lack of joy, abandoning play, self-isolation, saying things are not fun, negative talk (I am stupid, no one likes me, I can’t do things anymore), lack of energy, inability to enjoy their favorite activities, inability to stay focused or participate in child-oriented activities, crying easily, being inconsolable.
Dr. O’Neill then explained the typical symptoms of childhood depression: Lack of joy, abandoning play, self-isolation, saying things are not fun, negative talk (I am stupid, no one likes me, I can’t do things anymore), lack of energy, inability to enjoy their favorite activities, inability to stay focused or participate in child-oriented activities, crying easily, being inconsolable.
Pushing the envelope. Pushing boundaries. Pushing buttons. Here’s to children’s books that expand our assumptions of what a children’s book can be.
I love magnetic letters and I recently bought myself some lowercase magnets and decided to create some printables to use as mats to place over cookie sheets and turn them into wonderful magnetic free choice activities. Lowercase letter magnets are so versatile and no matter what level your child is at I have a printable or two that will work perfectly. But before I link the free printables I want to share with you some of the benefits of using these manipulatives in your class or homeschool program
We both heard the anguished cry coming from the direction of our bathroom. Before I could make a move my husband Tre’ said, “I’m on it,” and strode purposefully to our damsel in distress. Our damsel, Vivianne, had bonked her head on a drawer and was badly in need of some comfort, but as Tre’ attempted to soothe her tears away she screamed in anger, pulled immediately out of his grip and said, “I want momma!”
No cleanup needed!
Who here is a parent to a toddler who has not given a smartphone to her child to keep him occupied? If that question were asked in a room full of parents, we'd be surprised if a lot of hands went up.
Parenting a toddler while I was pregnant was not as simple as I thought it would be.
I imagined in that last trimester as my stomach housed a whole human, that I'd be able to sit on the couch and rest while instructing my two-year-old how to engineer towers with blocks.
Laugh on.
These are so lusciously creamy, sinfully rich-tasting – the kind of thing you put in your mouth and kind of can’t believe what’s happening. Vegan, almost raw, and full of whole food ingredients, they are also downright filling!
5-Ingredient Vegan Magical Fudgesicles
Makes 4 cups / 1 Liter / 10 fudgesicles
Ingredients:
1) ½ cup / 75g unroasted, unsalted cashews
2) 1 14-oz can / 400ml full-fat coconut milk
3) 1 large, ripe avocado
4) 1 cup / 250g pitted, packed soft dates
5) ½ cup / 55g raw cacao powder (cocoa powder will also work)
Optional add-ins:
1) a few pinches sea salt
2) vanilla (seeds from 1 pod, powder, or extract)
3) a few drops of food-grade essential oils (peppermint, orange, almond etc.)
4) finely diced fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mango etc.)
5) a pinch of cayenne pepper
6) espresso powder
7) finely chopped toasted nuts (cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios etc.)
Optional toppings:
1) melted raw chocolate (recipe here) or melted dark chocolate
2) cacao nibs
3) finely chopped toasted nuts (cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios etc.)
4) dried fruit (I used raspberry on the ones pictured)
5) citrus zest (lemon, orange, lime)
Directions:
1. Place cashews in lightly salted water and let soak for 4-8 hours (overnight is fine).
2. Drain the cashews and rinse well. Add to a blender (a high-speed blender is highly recommended) with the remaining ingredients (and any flavourings, if using) and blend on high until as smooth as possible. Add water only if necessary – you want to mixture to remain quite thick.
3. Spoon mixture in popsicle molds. Firmly knock the molds on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Insert a popsicle stick into each mold and place in the freezer until set – at least 6 hours. To remove popsicles, run the mold under hot water until you can easily pull a fudgesicle out.
4. If you want to decorate your fudgesicles, dip or drizzle them with melted chocolate and sprinkle with desired toppings. Eat immediately, or place back in the freezer to set until ready to enjoy.
As early as possible, Leatherman says, elementary age kids “should learn what to do in the water, how to swim and how to float.” And as kids are getting comfortable in the water, parents can encourage them to think about safety at the beach. One place to start: what do kids themselves feel cautious about? Parents may be surprised to learn kids are feeling leery of sea creatures, or bothered by the sun, and take the opportunity to talk more about sharing the water with wildlife, or the importance of sunscreen—as well as getting across the absolute basics of beach safety: young kids shouldn’t go into deep water, and should always stay near their parents or a lifeguard.
Wouldn't it be great for restaurants to hold a special hour of dining for special needs kids? A mom from South Florida is hoping that more restaurants would do this after her experience with her special needs child.
The June school holidays are here and, for some primary school pupils, that could mean schedules packed with academic revision, remedial lessons and tuition. But there is also value in giving children free time and space to initiate their own activities, which can complement their learning in school, say educators.
Stuck for ideas this summer? Music is a natural part of everyday life for toddlers. I watch my little ones dance around to any and everything around them each and every day. Even if we don’t have any music playing. They’ll make up their own songs. They’ll sing to their toys.
Greater support in special needs education, moving Singapore from tolerance to greater acceptance and the active inclusion of children with special needs and their families by society – these are some of the hopes of parents of children with special needs, a survey has found.
To me, the definition is simple. While most of the time I try to raise my kids in a nurturing, educationally rich, nutritiously sound environment, sometimes, the s*@# just hits the fan (or, more likely, my most expensive rug). And when temper tantrums, fevers, or general fussiness is the order of the day, all bets are off . . . and the cartoons come on. And I am totally, 100 percent OK with that. So how do you become a survivalist mom? Here's my handy guide to my "whatever gets you through the day" philosophy.
How do I get my 2 year old to stop screaming when he does not get what he wants?
Nature vs. Nurture: While identical twins share the same DNA, they don't become the "same" people. So, how does "Nurture" affect our children?
The clock is color-coded so that kids can easily follow along and know what task they should be working on. Having structure in the evenings helps develop an easier bedtime routine, which is essential for kids. Their brains are working overtime, so make things as easy as possible for them!
According to parenting experts, there is a indeed a quick fix to your child’s bad behaviour. You’re more than likely assuming that this tactic involves something to do with mixing up your disciplinary skills or strategies, and–for the most part–you’re right. Surprisingly enough, though, the real trick of this strategy is to look inward.
It can be so hard when your child’s friend is not a good influence. Here are some good advice from parents of what you can do:
Children or teens who are “revved up” and prone to rages or—alternatively—who are depressed and apathetic have become disturbingly commonplace. Chronically irritable children are often in a state of abnormally high arousal, and may seem “wired and tired.” That is, they’re agitated but exhausted. Because chronically high arousal levels impact memory and the ability to relate, these kids are also likely to struggle academically and socially.
This is a story about a sock. It was an ordinary white toddler sock that lay abandoned right in the middle of an otherwise cleared-off set of stairs. I happened to see this sock in the middle of the stairs the morning before I was leaving for a few days. Being a mom, I went to pick it up.
I know you think I wear yoga pants and athletic T-shirts because I spend my days doing pilates while my kids practice Mozart on their harmonicas. But, I’m here to tell you, I wear them because they’re stretchy...
Logic: Temporary boredom enhances the child's creativity and let them explore the world around them. If children wouldn't be given a planned routine even for just a day in a week, they would be able to come up with something that triggers their cognitive and analytical skills.
This FREE Farm Animals activity includes 8 farm animals that children have to match to their beginning letter sounds. Includes both uppercase and lowercase letters so you can choose which one is right for your child.
While it may seem like such a small gesture, it can truly mean the world to feel included.
I see you looking my way – when I hold my 7 year old, my 5 year old, my 3 year old in my arms. I want to tell you something: my 9 year old doesn’t fit there anymore… and that is why I still carry my kids.
About 100 pre-schoolers spent their Saturday afternoon at the weekend colouring at Suntec City Convention Centre in celebration of World Kids Colouring Day. The event, organised in Singapore for the ninth year by writing products manufacturer Staedtler, saw the children colouring pictures on the theme of "funny animals".
The characteristics gifted children have often lead to social and emotional behavior problems that can affect their development. To understand your gifted child completely, it's a good idea to see how your child's giftedness can influence his behavior.
Break out that giant collection of toy cars and stick a piece of tape marked with a letter on top of each one. Then have your kid line them up in alphabetical order and sing the ABC song while pointing to the car with the correct letter.
We decided to create our own DIY Treasure Chest for Toddlers using a baby wipes container and baby food lids to kick off our first activity. And I just happened to have some gold spray paint leftover from our Solomon’s Temple blocks to make our makeshift “treasure chest” and gold coins a little more authentic-looking.
Sensory tubs gives children opportunities for learning so many things, not just making a mess. The one that I see most often with the 3-year-olds I work with and thinking back to my own children is storytelling.
This week in parenting you learned that the reason your kid trusts you might have something to do with you being really, really ridiculously good looking. But if your good looks aren’t exactly translating in the bedroom, a statistician thinks Game Of Thrones is to blame for your lack of literal game. Parents of thumbsuckers and nail biters were given reason to rejoice, because their kids might have fewer allergies later in life. Plus you found out what the hell Pokémon Go is, and while it’s no Nintendo NES Classic Edition, at least it will get you kid outside. All this news and more, because every week is busy when you’re a parent.
Obviously, many people don't know two amazing facts about him. First, Matthew is aware that his appearance is different and accepts the way he is. He is extremely happy and energetic. Second, with a love of football, he has ambition to play for Real Madrid or Manchester United, but he is yet struggling to decide which team to approach!
Here are some common literacy practices in US schools (and everywhere) that research suggests are NOT OPTIMAL use of instructional time:
For a child, everything is new. Refresh your view of a mundane day through the lens of a toddler!
Kids are genius imitators. And you may need to watch closely what they are learning from Internet.
One question we’ve always struggled with is what time we should get our little ones to bed. Go to bed too early, and they goof off, get hyper and never get to sleep. Go to bed too late, and we’ve got grumpy tired kids who can barely make it through the day...
Kids put together the strangest outfits. You’d think this is because kids can’t be bothered with style (so many more important things to do!), but that’s not the case. Kids care very much about what they wear.
Secondhand smoke isn’t just bad for your kids’ health. According to a recent study, exposure to household tobacco smoke in early childhood can also cause behavioral problems, The Mirror reports.
Researchers from the University of Montreal have found a link between exposure to antisocial behavior, which is “characterized by proactive intent to harm others, lack prosocial feelings, and violate social norms.” This can manifest in the following...
Here is a list of questions that your child could hopefully answer with more than a single word or grunt!
We all know how difficult it is to be consistent with parenting. The area of discipline is even fraught with a lot of hand-wringing, usually out of guilt on our part. We've lost count at how often we've given the kids a pass from an infraction that would have meant automatic suspension of iPad privileges if it happened on a day when we're not distracted (read: bone tired).
Storm-Manea Ellyatt is calling bull on the facade of parenthood displayed on social media. Instead of posting a highlight reel of her life, she’s getting real about the daily struggles she faces as a mother — and she invites everyone to join her.
“All those cute bonds ads, miniature Nike shoes, adorable baby shower gifts, baby spam on Instagram, squad dates with your mum posse and those god damn laceylaners lied to me,” she wrote on Thursday, listing her failed expectations about parenting based on how it’s conveyed by ads, TV and online.
“Not once did I see an ad with a mum locked in her cupboard crying in her leaked stained pjs from 3 days ago, covered in sweat and vomit, praying to every god imaginable for the strength and patience to go back to the s**tshow that is now their life,” she wrote. “The once calm, poised, patient goddess, who could sling cocktials, swear with sailors and dance uninhibited until tomorrow afternoon, can bearly hold a conversation, hold her eyes open or the tears back from this new found ‘bliss.’”
Do people treat lost rich kids differently to poor children? A heartbreaking video filmed for Unicef found the answer is most definitely yes.
What do you think makes children unhappy? A recent study has shown that it is no longer unsatisfying toys or snacks. Rather, online pressure is increasingly hunting the children from early age. Parental guidance becomes crucial to instill in your child healthy self-image. This article lists which apps to blacklist, which to closely monitor, and, the most important of all, how to communicate without crossing the line.
One of the most fascinating things of parenting is watching your children learn and develop. From the moment they are placed in your arms their little minds are absorbing knowledge and information from the world around them. They’re always watching, always listening (even when you wish they weren’t!) and all the time, their minds are expanding. There’s no ‘off’ switch when it comes to toddler’s learning. From the minute they wake in the (very) early morning their brains are little sponges; soaking up whatever their environment has to offer.
New games that will make acquiring programming skills as simple as playing Lego for kids!
