Truth about Toddlers

Whatever profession you are in, you usually seem to gather books and articles and magazines that focus on that subject.  It's the same for those of us in Early Intervention.  I have a couple of fabulous books called Baby 411 and Toddler 411 by Denise Fields and Dr. Ari Brown.  Here is a little excerpt from Toddler 411,

The three truths about parenting a toddler

1.  You can't make a kid eat, sleep, or poop on the potty.  Yes, toddlers have a will all their own - and if they don't want to do any of the above, darn it, that's the way it is.  Nope, you have to come well-armed with a series of clever strategies and tricks to work some magic. 

2.  Parenting is the great equilizer.  No matter whether you're a CEO or a working stiff, parenting a toddler puts us all in the same place.  We all have to deal with the same anxieties, concerns and frustrations.  And yes, even the experts (ahem) have had their toddler throw a tantrum when its time to leave the playground.

3.  Monkey see, monkey do.  Long gone are the days when you could behave badly and have your little newborn look up at you with a blank stare.  Nope, your toddler is studying all your moves . . . so if you expect your toddler NOT to throw a tantrum or utter curse words, you have to set the example.

Now I realize that none of those truths are earth-shattering, in fact they are simple truths of raising a toddler.

The book goes on to provide tricks and tips for parenting a toddler.  There are a lot of parenting books out there.  I have tried to focus my time and energy on the ones that are practical and helpful (not the "How to Raise a Genius" ones).  These two books seem to be good reference material and you are not required to read them from cover to cover to find all the secrets.  Soon I hope to post a list of the Staff Favorites.  But for now, what is your favorite parenting book/author?

Picky Eaters and Problem Feeders

One of the frequently voiced concerns of parents of young children is about food.  There is a difference between picky eaters and problem feeders. 

Picky eaters are choosy.  They tolerate about 40 different foods.  They may seem to not be able to get enough of a certain food and then they will stop eating that food only to pick it up again later.  If you think you have a picky eater, just be patient and they will cycle around to foods you thought they were done with forever.  Also, don't be sneaky about their food.  If you are diluting their juice, let them see you do it so they don't get suspicious about what you are doing.  They may cut that food out forever, if they are worried about what you are doing.

Problem feeders tolerate less than 40 foods, and like picky eaters, they may go on a food jag, but when they stop eating that food, they will never pick it up again.  This whittles down your options of what to feed your child.

Don't be too concerned if your child doesn't eat a good dinner.  Look at a child's diet over a weeks time - not by each meal or even a day at a time.  Look at the whole child to determine health - weight, skin, eyes, energy level, hair, etc.  Also, consider portion sizes.  Make a fist - the size of your fist is about the size of your stomach.  Look at the difference between the size of your fist and the size of your child's stomach.  Make sure you are giving your child portions that are the right size for them - not the right size for you.

Here are some ideas to help your child eat healthier:

• Watch the sugar intake - avoid the sugar roller coaster.  The occurs about 2 hours after eating sugar.  The child will become angry and hungry.
• Give your child the gift of hunger - at least 2 hours between meals and snacks.
• If you are trying to get your child to eat more, give food first and then liquid. 
• Consider that it generally takes 21 presentations of a new food to get used to it.  Keep offering, but don't pressure.  Most children will try a new food once they are aquainted with it.
• Many children are starving for outside play.  Outdoor play increases appetite and also provides health benefits from fresh air and sunshine.
• Let your child have fun with food.  Read a book that incorporates food and then serve those foods to your child. (Hungry Caterpillar or Stone Soup)
• Make edible play dough.  There are a variety of play dough recipes on playdoughrecipe.com.  Make sure the recipe you choose is edible before you let your child take a bite.

At a workshop I attending on mealtime success, a presentation was made regarding Primary Foods and Secondary Foods.  Primary Foods need to be taken care of first and include physical activity (outdoor play), relationships (taking turns, playing with family and friends), imaginary play, and self care (doing chores or choosing activities).  Secondary foods are the actual foods that your child will eat.  We have to take care of Primary Foods first if we want our children to eat a healthy diet.  Remember - There is not enough broccoli to make a bad day okay.

If you have more questions or concerns about your child's eating habits, give us a call.

Getting the Word Out

You may be surprised to hear this, but not a lot of people know who we are and what we do.  Some of our referrals come from friends or relatives, sometimes even doctors.  We never receive referrals from the legislators, but those are the people who decide how much funding we get each year to maintain our programs and the services we provide.  We are currently participating in a campaign to inform our state legislators about the services we provide and the difference we can make in the lives of families involved in Davis Early Intervention.  Would you please help us?

We would like to share your story!  Stories from families sharing how you learned about early intervention or about the skills your family has developed through your participation in Davis Early Intervention make a great impact in helping legislators understand what we do.  We are currently compiling family stories to give to those who make the decisions about allocating state funds.  We would also like to create a book to keep in each of our centers.  Please write up your information, add a picture of your family and either email it to me at mzeschke@dsdmail.net or give it to your service provider.

Each year we have the opportunity to submit family stories to the Utah Department of Health, Baby Watch Early Intervention Program about how involvement in the local early intervention program has helped.  These stories are used to motivate staff that is working with Baby Watch to make the program better as well as to include in the Annual Baby Watch Report.  This is another publication distributed to legistlators and others who provide funding for the early intervention programs.

If you would like to participate, please write your story and send it in.  No last names of families will be used in the stories or in relation to the pictures.

We love to hear the stories of how Davis Early Intervention has helped your family.  Please share with us.

Welcome!

Davis Early Intervention is taking a leap into the 21st century!   It is our goal to provide families involved in our program an easy-to-find source of information regarding the services we provide and to also be a resource if you have concerns about your little one's development.  As an introduction, here is a little about what we do.

The Early Intervention program serves children with qualifying delays from birth until their third birthday.  Your child can be tested at no cost to you.  Early Intervention services are usually provided in the child's home.  Other locations can be used if it is determined that they would better meet the child's needs.  The focus of service is to help parents enhance the development of their infant/toddler with special needs.  An Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is created by the family and staff.  Goals are determined based on the child's current development in all areas.  If your child qualifies, a minimal participation fee will be assessed through the State Department of Health.

Based on the delay/disability the following services may be offered:

Occupational Therapy - for small muscle development
Physical Therapy - for large muscle development
Speech/Language Pathology - for development of speech and language
Nursing - for children with ongoing medical concerns
Developmental Specialist - for children struggling to meet milestones
Speech/Language Specialist - for prelanguage development

All services are based on the needs and goals of the child.  Our philosophy is that the parents are the best teachers for children from birth to three years and so our job is to provide training for the parents so they can help their children reach their goals.  Most services are provided in the home on a monthly basis in order to allow the family time to learn the techniques that will help their child and to practice them together.  Usually, the children progress at a steady rate when the parents are taking a few minutes each day to incorporate the suggestions that we make.

Working together we CAN make a difference for the child and the family.  Thank you for working with us!