The New Parent Breakfast for parents and grandparents of children with Down Syndrome is Saturday, November 16th at 10:00 am at the Intermountain Medical Center Doty Education Building. In addition to a light brunch and meeting each other, we will have a presentation by Mandy Zeschke from the Davis School District, Davis Early Intervention. She will talk about the importance of early intervention and related issues. Please RSVP by email to newborn@usdf.org or on our Facebook Invite. Hope to see you there!
There is also a volunteer opportunity. Volunteers are needed to help with the Newborn Breakfast. These are held once a quarter in Salt Lake. Responsibilities would include working on invitations, organizing location and food, attending the event and helping with clean-up. If you are interested, please contact info@usdf.com
Play…it’s all about the relationship
With the holidays right around the corner, parents are busy looking for the best deals on electronics and toys for their kids. Most adults tend to believe that young children benefit most from high-tech educational toys. However, young children learn best through play and we do not need to force-feed academics to toddlers and preschoolers, despite what the ads on TV say. What really matters most is the interactions that occur during playtime. As adults we should strive to spend more time and less money with our children. Sitting down on the floor and playing is the key to building a happy, successful playtime experience. We can foster a lifetime love of learning by providing young children with positive playtime experiences because playtime experiences = learning experiences. This is true because very young children do not learn best through “direct instruction” but rather through play that is relevant and meaningful to their life.
Follow your child’s lead by playing with things that are of interest to him/her. Try not to take over the play by being the teacher, director, or conductor, but rather nourish playtime by being a play partner. Put your phones, tablets and other electronic devices away for a few minutes while you play with your child – I promise those devices will still be there in 15 minutes. By doing this, you are saying “I want to be truly present with my child” and not allow technology to interrupt your time spent together.
Allow your self to play like a kid again and you will be amazed how your young child will respond. People have always made playtime all about the TOY, but it is the RELATIONSHIP that is fostered during the play exchange that really matters most.
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