Another great place to work on language and vocabulary skills is in the kitchen.  Kids love to help out in the kitchen when given the opportunity.  And it's easy to incorporate some language building activities to make the experience fun and secretly educational!

***First and foremost it is important to keep your child safe in the kitchen and teach them the rules they MUST follow if they are going to be your assistant.  Create a work space for your child with kid-friendly utensils away from any hot surfaces.  Provide them with a sturdy stool so that they can be counter height.***

*Include your child in the planning of the meal.  Teach them about the food pyramid and plan a meal that includes all of the food groups.  Creating a colorful dinner plate can help them learn their colors too!

*Have them help you set the table while following directions:  put the plates on the table, give each person one napkin, etc.

*Talk about the function of objects and compare items:  what do we use a bowl for, how are a fork and spoon the same/different?

*Talk about the sequence of steps required to prepare a recipe:  first we crack the eggs, then we stir in the cake mix, last we bake it in the oven.

*Talk about numbers as you measure and stir ingredients.

And lastly keep in mind that cooking with kids is as much about the process as it is the end result.  But you may find when you include your child in the preparation of a meal, they maybe more likely to eat it!  Bon appetit!

Opportunities for language growth during everyday routines abounds!  One of those "teachable moments" that occurs weekly for most families is a trip to the grocery store.  Often times I find myself just trying to make it through the trip with no one pitching a fit or escaping my grasp as I navigate the aisles.  I feed them snacks and get the impossible to steer "car cart" just to keep them busy and quiet so I can think about what I am purchasing.  But if you try to include your child in the experience, give them a "job" and engage them in the trip, you might find that not only are they learning, but you walk out of the store feeling a little less stressed!

The grocery store is a great place to work on vocabulary development.  Here are some ideas to help you and your child enjoy the trip:

-As you prepare your grocery list make a list for your child with pictures.  If you need 4 apples draw an apple with the number 4 beside it. Have your child count the apples as they place them into the bag to work on counting.  Give your child the responsibility of holding their list and being on the lookout for the items on it.

-Some grocery stores have mini carts for little ones.  I have found these to be heaven sent!  If your store doesn't have them, take your own.

-You can talk to your child about how the items in the store are grouped together by categories: fruit, vegetables, dairy products, breads, etc.  Ask your child where you would find carrots, milk and hamburger buns.

-Have your child help you sort the items in your cart by color or size.

-As you walk through the freezer aisle talk to them about hot and cold.  Open the freezer door and let them feel the chill.

-Talk to your child about the different people who work in the supermarket: butcher, baker, cashier, bagger and coffee barista (if your lucky enough to have a Starbucks in your store!).

-You can also talk to your child about where foods come from.  A cow gives us milk, chickens lay eggs and farmers grow apples on trees.

Sometimes we get bogged down with everyday life and lose sight of how our daily routines can be fun, exciting and educational for our kids.  And the best benefit...when our kids are engaged and feel like they are helping us, they are more cooperative and well behaved!!

Happy Shopping!

Have you had your workout today? What about your kids? We know as adults that we feel better and function more efficiently when we've allowed ourselves regular exercise (it's just a matter of making it a priority, right?) Have you considered your child's fitness? Regardless of their age, physical fitness is important. Besides the obvious benefits of building strength and maintaining age appropriate weight levels, physical activity in children builds self confidence, increases bone density (which protects them as they age and engage in contact sports), builds social skills, releases stress, and improves sleep quality among other benefits.

1 in 3 American children are obese. Why? Family structure has changed. We are busy, not home much, and eat on the run. Communities are not designed to promote walking or bike riding safely, and our culture promotes play through technology versus outdoor fun.

Did you know that children under 2 years old should not be still for more than 30 minutes at a time? Children older than this should get 60-90 minutes of physical activity a day (divided between structured and unstructured play). What can we do to encourage this pattern of behavior? Here's a few tips:

• Lead by example: encourage your child to bike, hike, or walk with you outside. They want our time and will enjoy this special activity with you.
•  Take your child to the park. I know hours are limited after work, but take something with you that you can work on while they play with friends.  Children need to jump off higher surfaces repetitively (like a playground set) to build enough bone density to prevent stress fractures later on - a playground is a perfect opportunity for this regular weight bearing activity.
• Have jump ropes, hoola hoops, and balls around the house and provide a space inside where play with them is allowed.  Options with these toys are endless. Play basketball with a laundry basket. Host a long jump contest with two jump ropes. Play Simon Says with the Hoola Hoops jumping over, through, around, and in them.
• Use the garage for hopscotch and bike riding in colder months.
• Look into structured recreation: there are plentiful opportunities for gymnastics, soccer, dance, basketball, baseball, and even children's running clubs among other things.
• Don't forget to swim! Find an indoor pool in the winter. Water provides natural resistance to build muscle and endurance. Kids love the water! This is a great time of year to look into swim lessons. The early you start, the better in my opinion.  Learning to swim is a life skill vital to safety besides being fun.
• Don't forget your childhood favorites - freeze tag, flashlight tag, duck duck goose, and leapfrog are fun and great exercise.
• Consider movement in reference to daily routines. Dance while cleaning up dishes. Seek out extra opportunities to go up and down the steps.  Play "basketball" while folding socks.
• Support increased physical education and outdoor recess at your local schools.  School administrators are under lots of pressure to meet state standards of learning, but it's important to remember that the brain works best when the nervous system is fed regular movement.
• Remember to keep the focus on being active and healthy and not thin. Our direct and subliminal messages are heard by our children. Focus on how fast or strong they are and not how they look.
• Don't neglect nutritional education. There are picture based food pyramids available online. We went through a period of "food struggle" in our house and I made our girls look at the picture and choose good foods in each area for their own plates.

Making physical activity part of your child's daily routine from the time they are babies is a wonderful gift. It teaches them that this is a valued part of their day and their health, just as important as eating well or brushing their teeth! Remember that fitness consists of cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility - so consider all elements and get out there and get those kids moving.

Our youngest often BOUNCES OFF THE FURNITURE - LITERALLY! I often need to remind myself that this is not necessarily a bad thing!

March madness is in full swing at our house and there is always a game on! I got to thinking that we spend lots of time in our society promoting a TEAM concept. We cheer on our favorite high school, college, and professional teams. We fundraise and volunteer for our schools as a team. We worship, plan, and celebrate with our church teams. We form groups, network, and share while collaborating on teams for work projects. Our children are taught early about the importance of teams for sports, clubs, and scouts. Turn on the news? The current political scene urges us to pick a team to support. But what about TEAM FAMILY? After you've worked, volunteered, worshiped, car pooled, cheered from stands, voted, and attended meetings is there time for one of your most important teams?

I know in our house, time devoted for our little team of four seems to be feast or famine at any given moment, but it is something that I want to be intentional about. I think arming our children with the supportive nature of a family team gives them confidence and encouragement. When all else fails, you always should have the team of your family! My friend always tells her kids that they were each others "first friends" and that makes me smile because it is so true. We choose our friends, but our family is chosen for us so why not be as intentional to build strong relationships and memories with the members of the family chosen for us as we are about other teams we join?  It only makes sense. We spend more time with this team than any other, yet we often neglect our family team.

Certainly special birthdays and vacations are memories our children will remember but the daily routine of family is something constant and reliable that will shape them.  How do you enjoy your team at home? What creative team building activity can you do this weekend? Here's a few fun suggestions:

* GAME NIGHT: board games are a great traditional that I think should be honored from time to time (seriously everyone should play Pictionary from time to time), but think outside the box. What about charades? For children who aren't reading yet, use pictures and have them act out their favorite animal, object, or even family member!

* Shut out the lights, grab a flashlight and play "pass the story."  Let the first person start a sentence and pass the flashlight on to the next person to repeat the sentence and add on.  Keep going until you can't remember the beginning any more and you'll be laughing more than talking.

* Head outdoors! With the weather changing there are so many opportunities for fun outside. Go on a nature hike and collect objects. Play a friendly game of kickball with friends. Wash and decorate your bikes and have a family parade at your local trail. Have a bubble blowing contest. Roast smores. Play freeze tag. See who can throw rocks the farthest at your local stream or river. The possibilities are endless.

*Road trip somewhere new. Even f it is 20 minutes away to a local park. Read about it, photograph it, and journal your experience together. Let each person finish the same sentence about your day such as "the best part of of the day was...." You'll create a great experience and a lasting memory.

*Find your inner artist. Head somewhere such as a park, museum, or your own back yard and share paper and paints or colored pencils and create some family masterpieces.

*Volunteer together. Even smaller children can help serve meals to homeless folks. Older children can join the family at a day helping with larger projects like Habitat for Humanity. Nothing builds a team better than looking outside ourselves to help others.

* Assign each person another family member through a "secret swap."  Take time to leave a note, treat, or do a chore for another family member in secret. Have a special dinner at the end of the week or month to reveal who the person is.

Whether you choose one of these ideas or hold a family meeting to choose your own, I think you'll be pleased with a decision to carve out some time to spend together. What could be more rewarding than actually allowing yourself time with those you love most. Who knows - turn off the TV and try - and March might not seem so MAD!

This week has been a particularly crazy one for me as a mother. It's times like this week that I feel as if I didn't have enough time, energy, and presence to be what everyone needed me to be and to get everything completed. Let's just say the week included the Sheriff's Office unlocking my car at a patient's house so I could get my keys and a mad run in the rain in my PJ's and husband's shoes to catch the bus with my 6 year old. Just a glimpse. It wasn't a smooth week. Something caught my eye this morning that helped re-center my thoughts to where they should be, and I wanted to share.

A few years ago, a friend of ours lost their young child suddenly. It was heart -wrenching for the family and the large community that supported them and loved their child. It was the first time that as parents we had to explain a child's death to our own children.  Following the services, this resilient mother, sent thank you cards and with them, she sent a note with the message below along with her radiant child's picture.
One of my organizational goals is to  to keep my refrigerator uncluttered (I just love to hang on to baby announcements and masterpieces!) but I keep his photograph and this note on the corner of my refrigerator. On a regular basis, I read it to myself, or it catches my eye, and just the vision of it reminds me where I need to be mentally. Even though life moves quickly and we don't see this beautiful mother or her family regularly, her sentiments and strength are a continual gift to me, and I wanted to share with you.... 


When we were working on our new website, (Have you checked it out? milestonesandmiracles.com), I came across this quote, "Stop trying to perfect your child, and work on perfecting your relationship with him."  Wow! That hit me! Worrying is a natural part of parenting. Enjoying our children is a benefit. I need to enjoy my benefit more frequently and worry less often!

I've had a few meetings this week for work and church that are interestingly centered around the same concept: we as parents are our child's most important teacher, regardless of what we are teaching them.  In discussion with friends, we reminded ourselves that a strong foundation through relationships with our children now helps with the challenges that may lie ahead. Sure, this all sounds "rosey" and I know first hand after a week like this one that life gets in the way, but try to think of it all in smaller steps. Waiting in line at the grocery store is a chance for a hug. Sitting while an older child is in a music lesson, is an opportunity to read a new book with a younger sibling. Dinner at the table together (even if it is cereal) is a chance for conversation about what mattered in each person's day. We can do it.  It might not always look like a rosey perfect picture, but if our minds are intentional our children will feel our love.

• Young children have a hard time understanding the concept of time.  To them, handing over a favorite doll or truck may seem like they'll never see it again.  Provide a option of measuring time in a way they understand, such as "I'm going to set the timer for 2 minutes and then I'd like to see you share that with your friend, and then they can play for 2 minutes and they will give it back." Play fun music and let each child hold the desired toy for one song. This is a great option to break up arguments in the car!
• Negotiate a trade! Your young child might be more enticed to share when presented the option of exchanging for a toy they've eyed at their friend's house.
• Model a great example! Children model what they see. When playing with your child or in daily routines, speak the language you want to hear from your child. Use "please," "thank you," "when you are done with that, may I please use it." etc.
• Keep your expectations real. Obviously expecting your child to hand over their favorite sleeping toy close to bed time or brand new toy at their birthday party might not yield the best result. At times like this,you can explain to the other child that your child is very tired or excited but will be happy to share the next time they see each other.

Speaking of sharing....we are one step closer to releasing our first product and are happy to SHARE that this weekend we launched our first website. You can now access our blog and find out more details on a product that can give you more examples on how to encourage sharing, tackle other parenting challenges, and learn how to play with your child in creative, age appropriate ways at www.milestonesandmiracles.com. Let us know what you think!