I remember my just-hours-old newborn, swaddled up tight, propped on a pillow, fast asleep. Right then and there, I wanted to communicate with him. And it wasn’t long (2 hours when he woke up hungry) before he made his needs known. I learned his language as fast as I could: there was crying (a LOT of crying), smiles, eye and body movements, facial expressions,
With much enthusiasm and a pull on my heart, I highly recommend Ginger Parish’s CD of Lullabies, Twilight Comes Tiptoeing. The poignant songs remind me of those precious moments when I sang to my small boy as I helped him fall asleep. I also remember my mother playing simple songs on her old guitar, soothing me when I was sick or couldn’t sleep. These are
What? Brownies? I know you thought this site was about children’s behavior. Well, kids need lots of vitamins and minerals to help their brains learn – and the brain gets really involved in learning new behaviors. So that brain needs good fuel. My son likes white foods. He’s one of those. Been that way he was a very little guy. At ten, there’s more
Singalong Storybooks are the brainchild of Music Together, the international, research-based, early childhood music program. What a GREAT idea! They have taken several songs from their music collection and created a storybook around a song. In this video, Susan Darrow, Director of Educational Services for Music Together, clearly explains a variety of ways to interact with your child musically at home using these Singalong
The 3R’s of Positive Behavior is an excellent manual for educators. There are a lot of GREAT classroom techniques that can transfer to parenting as well. The 3Rs are Respect, Responsibility, and Reliability. If you like the idea of Thematic Parenting, this is a “Go-To” resource. This manual is written by my father, Gailen Keeling. I grew up with first-hand experience of many of
When I took a Positive Discipline parenting class, we were all given this book. What is Positive Discipline? Can you have both those words together in one experience? To begin, Jane Nelson names three adult-child interactions – strictness, permissiveness, and positive discipline – and then provides helpful concepts for understanding their differences. She writes about how punishment DOES work – it stops the immediate
If you don’t have one already, an accessible basket of musical instruments is a must-have in a home with children under the age of 5. Where to start with your basket? Maracas, Jingle Stick, Castanets, a Drum and stick – these are great basics to start with. Here’s a set that I like: Shake, Rattle and Drum by Sounds like Fun. I give it
