Feature Friday

It’s Christmas, David! by David Shannon.

Being a kid is hard. Being a kid waiting for Christmas to come is even harder and David Shannon remembers what it was like. As parents we try so hard to teach appreciation, gratefulness and patience but it’s so hard to be any of those things when you are little and very very excited! In this book we follow David as he gets scolded for trying to grab Christmas cookies, for peeking at gifts, and writing his name in the snow…with pee.  Over the years I have had readers say that they aren’t a fan of the original No! David because they worried it would spark naughty ideas but that is not what these books do. Young kids have a very natural sense of what is right and wrong and they are laughing because they know what he is doing is wrong and even David knows that he has messed up, as he fears Santa will leave him nothing but coal. Of course we all know that David is not a bad kid ( Are there bad kids? I don’t think so!) and his heart is in the right place even if sometimes he makes bad choices. Kids love this book and I love the underlying message to parents that being a kid is tough especially when parents are busy.

Thoughtful Thursday

Is There Danger in Play or More in its Absence? Part 2

So what would bring Gray to the conclusion that the connection between a reduction in play and the increase in psychopathology is not just correlation, but actually causation? 
The first point that is made in Gray’s article is the move from intrinsic motivation to extrinsic motivation.  Free play is purely intrinsically motivated.  Children play, explore, pretend, and build because they are driven by an internal sense of wonder and interest.  Conversely, many of the organized activities that have replaced children’s free play time over the years are linked to the extrinsic motivation of rewards, praise, or recognition.  Many of the activities are chosen and directed by grown-ups and are therefore generally predicated on their goals and objectives and the child often seeks to please the adults and their external standards for performance.

When children learn to care more about the judgments of others than their own internal drive, the result is often depression from not measuring up, or anxiety from the inability to control the perceptions of others.
Among his other reasons for supporting a causal relationship, Gray points out the role that play serves in building important decision-making skills, self-control, social skills, and emotional regulation.  Rough and tumble play, for example, while it is often restricted due to fears of injury, actually builds self-control as the implicit rules of “play fighting” include the fact that you can not actually hurt the other players — your friends.  This act of going to the line while holding back, requires a great deal of self-control while also recognizing and empathizing with the needs of others.

Social Play Makes Children Happy, and Its Absence Makes Them Unhappy
Perhaps it is the last reason Gray gives for the need for play that is most compelling.  “Social play makes children happy, and its absence makes them unhappy.”  It doesn’t take a degree in psychology to recognize that if one is deprived of that which makes them most happy, they are more vulnerable to diseases of unhappiness such as anxiety and depression.

In his book, Louv suggests that many symptoms of ADHD are caused by, or at least can be effectively treated by the amount of time children spend exploring and playing in nature.

In his conclusion, Peter Gray sums up our misdirected concern for our children:
“Somehow, as a society, we have come to the conclusion that to protect children from danger and to educate them, we must deprive them of the very activity that makes them happiest and place them for ever more hours in settings where they are more or less continually directed and evaluated by adults, settings almost designed to produce anxiety and depression. If we wish children to be happy and to grow up to become socially and emotionally fulfilled and competent adults, we must provide them, once again, with opportunities to spend many hours per day playing freely with friends.”

Certainly there is a place for an adequate amount of safety regulation.  Likewise, there is arguably a need for some degree of structure and adult direction.  But the theory that “if a little is good, a lot is better” is usually false, and no where does that seem to be more true than in the case of these “good things” that tend to push play from its prominent position in childhood.

We have to remember not to inadvertently trade these good things for the things that are best of all.

Posted by Angélica Pérez-Litwin in HOME LIFE, Parenting
Contributing Author - Amanda Morgan

Workshop Wednesday

Christmas Tree Lights Game

Materials: Tree pattern or clip art; miniature bulbs cut from a strand of lights that was no longer working; dice or number cards

Directions: Have children roll die or draw number card and place that many bulbs on the tree. You could extend the activity by using two dice or number cards and have the children add or subtract.


Taken from Counting Coconuts

Transition Tuesday

S A N T A

(Tune:  “BINGO”)

There is a jolly bearded man          (Put arms out in front of you

And Santa is his name-o.                  like Santa’s tummy.)

S – A – N – T – A,

S – A – N – T – A,

S – A – N – T – A,

And Santa is his name-o.

He lives at the North Pole…                     (Clap instead of saying “S.”)

His wears a suit all red and white…        (Clap for “S” and “A.”)

He makes toys for girls and boys…        (Clap for “S,” “A,” “N.”)

He drives a sleigh with 8 reindeer…       (Clap for “S,” “A,” “N,” “T.”)

He’ll visit you on Christmas Eve…           (Clap for all letters.)

 

Taken from Dr. Jean

Make & Take Monday

Simple Craft Stick Ornaments

1. Reindeer Ornament

Materials: 3 craft sticks; brown paint; paint brush; pom pom (nose); wiggly eyes; glue; brown or black pipe cleaner 

Directions: 1. Paint craft sticks brown & allow to dry.

2. Once craft sticks are dry form a triangle with them & glue.

3. Point side down will be nose - glue pom pom there.

4. Add wiggly eyes (one on each side near top).

5. Form antlers from pipe cleaner - cut about 1/3 piece from end and then cut that in half to make additional antler  points. To set them in place, wrap them around the top craft stick.

6. Tie some ribbon onto the top & hang on your tree!

2. Christmas Tree Ornament

Materials: 3 and 1/2 craft sticks; green & brown paint; paintbrush; glue; sequins

Directions:

1. Paint 3 long craft sticks green & the 1/2 stick brown and allow drying time.

2. Using 3 green craft sticks form a triangle & glue in place.

3. Add brown craft stick to bottom as trunk.

4. Decorate with sequins as desired.

5. Tie some ribbon onto the top & hang on your tree!

 

3. Snowflake Ornament

Materials: 4 craft sticks; white paint; paint brush; glitter

Directions:

1. Paint craft sticks white & allow to dry.

2. Form a t with 2 craft sticks - gluing them together in the middle.

3. Glue the other 2 craft sticks forming an x on top of the t.

4. Apply glue onto snowflake with a paintbrush.

5. Add glitter as desired.

6. Tie some ribbon onto the top & hang on your tree!

 

Feature Friday

Tactile Inflatable Cushions

Have you ever had a student who just couldn’t seem to sit still no matter what? Then try these new tactile cushions from Fun and Function. Children who have the wiggles can easily find their place with Tactile Inflatable Cushions! Wonderful for balance and posture. Increase or decrease the air for the perfect seating arrangement. Features a smooth surface on one side and smooth slightly raised “bumps” on the other. The Tactile Inflatable Cushion is an ideal choice for children with sensory processing and focus challenges as it allows just the right amount of movement without leaving their chair. Movement can create a filter from over stimulation and encourage focused attention. So why sit still when you can move and learn!

The cushions come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. They are made of a very thick, durable vinyl material. The cost is $24.99.

Consumers testify that they really work! Yes, can you believe it? Something that really does what it says it does, how cool is that? Second, you may want to purchase more than one cushion. If possible, have several and make sure the children who really need them get them, but rotate the other cushions among the other students to balance things out. And third, they hold up really well which is a huge relief when working with young children.

I don’t know about you but I’m sold on these therapy cushions!

Thoughtful Thursday

Is There Danger in Play or More in its Absence? Part 1

As parents and caregivers, the safety of our children is our highest priority.  We ask them to wear their helmets while biking, to look before they leap, and we remind them again and again of the proper procedures for crossing the street.  We want them to be safe.  That’s reasonable and responsible.  But, as it is easy to do, we sometimes go a bit overboard on our efforts to protect our children.  In the long run, some of our efforts can backfire.

Can A Playground Be Too Safe?

A piece in the New York Times, entitled, “Can a Playground Be Too Safe?”,  the author notes that the tall slides and adventurous climbing structures of our own childhood playgrounds have been replace by tamer, assumably more lawsuit-proof equipment.  While anyone with memories of asphalt-gnarled elbows or sunny-slide-burned thighs might be grateful for the progress, some researchers question if we’ve taken our safety measures too far, removing the opportunity for valuable play experiences.

Author of Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv, cites that many parents keep children away from playing and exploring outdoors because they’re afraid of kidnappers, serial killers, and other crazies and kooks.  Unfortunately, too many children are harmed by adults, but the majority of those incidents involve family members, not strangers.  In fact, while our 24-hour news cycle makes us aware of every misdeed around the world, the truth of the matter is that, according to crime statistics, it’s actually safer for children to play outside than it was during many of our own childhoods.

Play Spaces and Play Time Are Slowly Disappearing:  At What Cost?

Between our fear of strangers and injuries, our acceptance of push-down academic goals, and our society’s penchant for litigation, play spaces and play time are slowly disappearing from the lives of many children.  What is the cost of this trend?

In The American Journal of Play, research professor and prolific writer, Peter Gray compares research showing that the decrease of play in America seems to correlate with an increase of anxiety, depression, and other types of psychopathology.  It’s a connection that Gray strengthens with decades worth of research.

While research shows that child-led play is being replaced by school work, TV and computer time, and organized sports activities, concurrent studies also show an increase in psychopathology in children and adolescents.  These mental ills include things like anxiety, depression, and even narcissism.  While checking for other causes of psychopathology, this research found that American children are actually more anxious now than they were during the Great Depression, World War II, and the cold war.

Posted by Angélica Pérez-Litwin in HOME LIFE, Parenting
Contributing Author - Amanda Morgan