Coretta Walker, project manager with Ready for School, Ready for Life, wrote a blog post for Triad Moms on Main highlighting ways to take your child outside to Explore Through Movement and Play this summer. Her suggestions include having “tummy time” outside, going for a walk or blowing bubbles. Read the full blog post here.
By Jasmine Faison and Jonathan Linton
As a toddler, it is important for Jade to know that she is safe, protected, and loved. She is much more in tune with her feelings now and is able to be more expressive about what she needs emotionally. Strategies to Maximize Love and Manage Stress are helping us to show Jade just how much her feelings matter. It also helps as we guide her on how to treat others.
She loves to share, take turns, and be kind to others. We encourage her to try new things, while we talk out loud about our feelings and act out emotions so she can see that it is ok for her feelings to change. She is already quite the sweetheart and we enjoy watching her grow more secure in her feelings and confidence. Whatever makes her feel happy and confident is our number 1 priority, even if it means that she continues to wear her Happy Birthday headband- 5 months after her birthday!
By Jennifer Scotton
Until I became a parent, I never understood how much talking the role would involve (for me). I now know how important it is to narrate what I’m doing for my one-year-old because it helps her understand how her world works.
My daughter is just beginning to try sounding out words other than mama and dada, so I’ll tell her what I’m doing as I go along, pointing to objects and trying to entice her to say the word. One of our favorite activities is visiting the plants in our garden to check on how our vegetables are growing. We go out to the garden and she touches the leaves of the plants while I water them. I tell her “Mommy is giving our plants some water so they can grow big and beautiful! Can you say wa-ter?” We pick tomatoes together and I teach her that we leave the green tomatoes until they turn red so they will be nice and juicy, showing her how to gently pluck the fruit from the plant. I love watching her confidence grow with her understanding of the world around her.
By Glasher and Ray Robinson
Logan and Lauren were excited to read What Will Kami E Bee? In the book, the main character Kami E searches to determine what occupation she will have in the future. Through exploration of different paths and conversations with friends who can be found in nature, Kami E learns about various careers. For Logan and Lauren, the best part of the book was the fact that Kami E looks like them, an African American young lady. Representation Matters!
Throughout the book, Logan points to pictures and says the names and roles of Kami E’s friends. Lauren made predictions about what career Kami E would choose and why. Logan then attempted to reread the book herself based on what she remembered, using the pictures and adding her own details on occasion. In the end, the Robinson girls concluded if Kami E can, so can they! Logan decided she wants to be a doctor and Lauren a medical professor. This was absolutely fitting since the author, Dr. Jasmine Weiss, works in both of those capacities as a pediatrician and an assistant professor at UNC Chapel Hill Department of Pediatrics. The icing on the cake is that Dr. Weiss also looks like them. We highly recommend this book, which we purchased on Amazon.
By Lizzy and Colin Tahsuda
At 14 months, Eleanor is consistently mimicking words. She points at everything, signaling that she wants you to name the object. She then tries her best to repeat what you said, mostly just saying the first syllable at this point. Not only is it adorable, but it is fascinating how she watches how your mouth moves as you speak and then tries to imitate. We have a little parrot on our hands!
Eleanor started pointing relatively early, so we have been naming objects for awhile now. We try to use a lot of repetition and are always amazed when she points at something and states what it is without being prompted. Pointing and talking has made a big impact on her speech development so far!
By Jasmine Faison and Jonathan Linton
Now that Jade is over 1 year old, her communication and social skills are growing each and every day. From using the sign language symbol meaning “to eat” to let us know she is hungry, pointing at objects she wants, letting out a great big scream when she’s excited, repeating phrases and learning new words, our little one has quite the personality accompanied with a unique and versatile communication style.
Talk, Sing and Point is in full play as Jade is discovering more about the things around her and eager to show/tell someone what she’s learned. As we enter into the second half of the year, it is important for us to pay attention to what she is showing interest in, so we can start to cultivate those interests on a deeper level. Talk, Sing, and Point is helping us do just that!
By Terry and Candace Martin
When we first found out we were expecting, we knew we wanted to get as many books for our baby boy to enjoy. Now at 7 months, Titus has a collection of books; some classics, some new and diverse that include stories and characters that look like him.
He loves books that have touch and feel, makes sounds and lots of images. We have recently been reading My First 100 Words, a board book filled with colors, words and pictures that describe each word.
Titus loves to help turn the pages and even hold the book himself. We read each page using different voices and sounds and discuss the illustrations on each page.
We also took advantage of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library that sends him a FREE book every month until he is five years old. It is always exciting each month to see what book he will get and add it to his bookshelf.
By Jennifer Scotton
Our daughter is nearly a year old and busier than ever. It’s a joy to watch her try out new skills and make discoveries on a daily basis.
Children learn by watching what we do, so we have begun to point out and identify objects for our daughter while we move through daily tasks. As she is discovering new items, I will name the object and describe its use for her while she turns it over in her hands: “this is a watering can, it helps us give our flowers water so they can grow big and beautiful.” I demonstrate how the object is used and then let her try it on her own. Her confidence is blossoming with every new skill she learns.
By Glasher and Ray Robinson
Velocity 360 Fun Zone is becoming a new favorite activity in the Robinson household. Logan and Lauren fell in love with the trampolines during our last outing. This visit there was a lot of time spent exploring the obstacle course. Lauren led the charge and Logan aimed to keep up. I strived to push Logan to try some things that, based on her facial expression, she was unsure about. With each word of encouragement, Logan began to climb higher and higher (also with the assistance of her big sister). When she finally made it to the top, there was a round of applause. Logan shouted “I did it”! A very proud moment.
Making it through the obstacle course once was enough for Logan, so they slowed down a bit and played in the ball pit. Logan then made her way to the Toddler Center where she flourished playing with toys that were targeted for her age group.
By Lizzy and Colin Tahsuda
Eleanor participated in swim lessons this month at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. It was such a fun summer activity that was brand new to her! Being in the pool allowed her to explore how her body moves in water. She loved splashing, kicking her feet, and leaning back to feel the water on her hair. She seemed comfortable in the water from day 1!
She also enjoyed going under water! Before going under, we counted to 3 so she knew to close her eyes. It only took a couple of times before she knew exactly what to do. When we got to “2”, she smiled and got excited knowing she was about to go under. It was an unexpected way to teach her more about counting and numbers!
By Renee Harvey
Ten months has certainly been exciting for Wesley…and a new adventure for mom and dad. Between mastering crawling and getting really close to walking, he is finally able to explore this great big world around him.
Last week, we brought his new walker to the backyard so he could really experience some independence. He’s always loved being outside and, like most kids, is fascinated by all the sounds and movement. It didn’t take him long to realize he could now go wherever he wanted, and he was thrilled! I let him take the lead and gave him words for the things he was touching or gesturing toward. He was able to experience opposites, colors and movement all for himself.
In the end, despite all the fun new things in the yard, his favorite thing to go after was his current best friend – our dog!
By Candace and Terry Martin
Tummy time was one of the first things we started when we brought Titus home. Starting at 1 to 5 minutes a day, now at 6 months he spends multiple times each day on his activity mat and it helps us get creative with tummy time!
The high contrast patterns, colors and textures help Titus with exploring through movement and play. He enjoys seeing his reflection in the mirror. When on his back, he loves reaching for toys that make noise! He loves to push up and just look at things from a different view (and be a little nosy!)
Titus is very active – moving hands and kicking feet; we’re sure to have a crawler and walker on our hands soon and we’re excited!
By Jennifer Scotton
To help reduce stress, we like to keep our children on a regular schedule. This prepares them for what is to come and gives the kids a sense of security. We know that when their schedule or environment changes, we must be proactive and plan ahead to avoid stress.
We devised a strategy to reduce our 10-month-old daughter’s stress as we prepared to embark on a recent family vacation, the first for her. We knew we’d have a long car ride ahead of us, and she’s not used to spending so much time in the car. I spent time looking for engaging activities to keep her entertained on the 11-hour car ride as we planned our trip. I gathered some of her brother’s hand-me-down toys that she had never seen before and devised some creative activities to keep her occupied. We planned an overnight stop to break up the 11-hour drive, as well as rest stops along the way to give the kids a break from the car. It may appear to be overkill, but the extra planning ensured that the trip went as smoothly as possible when our daughter’s patience for the ride wore thin.
By Ray and Glasher Robinson
Logan kicked off her athletic career this Spring playing soccer for the Hayes Taylor YMCA Sharks for 3-4 year olds. Bless her Coaches, The Bridges for their patience with Logan and her teammates. The Bridges learned pretty quickly after the first attempt at a drill that the key terms like “one at a time” and position words such as, “kick around your teammate” were not inferred and to be explicitly stated. When directions were not as specific as possible things became chaotic.
The coaches modeled dribbling (kicking the ball while running), how to stop the ball, passing, and then kicking the ball into the goal. Parents have assisted the coaches at practice with modeling how to do each of those items, too, because it’s two coaches and twelve 3-4 year olds. It’s been surprising to see the children even attempt to guide one another and act out skills for visual aid support.
I can honestly say we have seen a lot of progress from the team as a whole this season. With one more game left in the session, the Hayes Taylor Sharks are currently undefeated.
By Lizzy and Colin Tahsuda
Eleanor turned one a few weeks ago! We can’t believe our baby is officially a toddler. To celebrate, we took her to the Greensboro Science Center for the first time. She had a blast! We started in the aquarium. We talked about all the various colors of the fish and counted seahorses. The penguins were her favorite! She laughed as they waddled around and dove into the water. We probably could have spent the entire afternoon just hanging out with the penguins!
Outside, we spent time with the meerkats and the red pandas, but her favorite were the maned wolves. We think she thought they were dogs. 😊 She squealed at them just like she does when she sees our dog at home or dogs on walks! At the end of our visit, we rode the carousel. We identified the different animals, and she chose to sit on the tiger. All in all, it was a great day!
By Glasher and Ray Robinson
Recently we reflected upon the fact that our schedules are stretched most days. Logan is now in her first season of playing youth soccer. Lauren participates in taekwondo and Girl Scouts. On our busy days, Logan’s emotions can run high, and we may experience meltdowns. We maximize love and manage stress by watching for nonverbal cues like yawning. And we talk about her feelings, and asking her why she reacted the way she did.
We have now purposely scheduled time to relieve stress and regulate emotions by doing yoga before bed. We encourage Logan and Lauren to work together to complete tasks like picking up toys. We decided we needed to spend time relaxing and having fun as a family, so we took a trip to Velocity 360 Fun Zone. The girls had such a great time and there were lots of activities to participate in. Logan and Lauren’s favorite was the trampoline area.
Megan LeFaivre, literacy coordinator for Ready for School, Ready for Life, wrote a blog post for Triad Moms on Main highlighting the five Basics and their importance in preparing children for school and for life.
LeFaivre wrote: “Children learn new things every day, starting on the day they are born. In fact, research shows that 80% of a child’s brain growth happens before the age of three. A good foundation in these early years can be critical in helping a child succeed both when their formal education begins and later in life. While this may seem a bit overwhelming, there are Basic things parents and caregivers can do with babies and toddlers to help lay the groundwork for success.”
Read the full blog post here.
Maryrose Nelson of Voices Together recently spoke with WFMY about using song to build a connection with your child. She also spoke about how songs can help with early language development. Check out the segment here.
By Jennifer Scotton
I didn’t realize how important a good game of peek-a-boo was until I became a parent. What appears to be a simple pastime is actually a valuable lesson for your child.
Our daughter now enjoys playing this entertaining game on her own. She’ll cover her eyes, and when she uncovers them, we’ll gleefully respond “peek-a-boo,” or “keet-a-boo,” as my three-year-old says. In response, she always giggles! We’re teaching her through simple play that when objects leave her sight, they don’t disappear forever. It is a significant milestone that will assist her in working through any potential separation anxiety she may experience in the later stages of infancy. Playing peek-a-boo is just one more tool we can use to help prepare our children for future success.
Written by Lizzy and Colin Tahsuda
As the weather gets warmer, we are enjoying many outdoor activities. The other day, we took Eleanor to the Greensboro Arboretum for a walk. She loved hearing the birds sing, feeling the warm sunshine, and looking at all the plants and flowers. We even passed by a few dogs, which she always finds exciting! We came across a small park close to the Arboretum and decided to try swinging. She had so much fun! During our visit, she noticed other children playing, enjoyed the breeze, and absorbed everything around her. The outdoors stimulates all of your senses in a way that we take for granted. It’s incredible to watch her learn and experience new things!
By Shontia and Jayvon Johnson
Exploration is the highest form of discovery for PJ these days. Exposing him to the “real world” environments and occasions has offered him additional vocabulary and analytical thinking. A trip to the Memphis Children’s Museum allowed for him to turn items seen on television or during his learning time through flash cards, become life size!
The opportunity to touch and feel actual equipment, gadgets and items associated with fire trucks, airplanes and “big people” objects, has given Parker freedom to add great value to his young life and desire to know more! We watched as his eyes lit up in excitement and eagerness.
By Glasher Robinson
When the weather is nice, spending time outside in the Robinson household is a must. On a beautiful Sunday, Logan, Lauren, and I found ourselves at one of our local neighborhood parks. The playground is where I get to watch Lauren and Logan take turns leading, playing, and exploring. When we arrived, there was one other family there. Logan observed Lauren immediately having a conversation, introducing herself and asking if he wanted to play. Logan then introduced herself, too, before heading up the stairs towards the lower slide. During this visit, I witnessed Logan become more fearless in how she played. As she saw her big sister and new acquaintance use the higher slide, so did she. This time she asked to be pushed harder on the swing so she could go higher than she felt comfortable doing before.
Having older children around to observe how they played increased Logan’s confidence and encouraged her to be more fearless. There was a small window on the playground that Logan quickly transformed into a restaurant. We became her customers and served hotdogs. Their new acquaintance’s shoe fell off and she ran over to help him. I realized that Logan developed a greater sense of independence at three years old than I remember seeing on the playground during previous visits.
Mia Gray of Greensboro Day School recently spoke to WFMY about how creating a routine for your child can help Maximize Love, Manage Stress. She also offered suggestions on creating a routine for infants and toddlers. Her tips included following infants natural schedules for the first few months and setting consistent bedtimes for toddlers. Watch the segment here.
