Parenting and the Development of Children's Emotions

Ever wondered how children learn to share their feelings? Studies reveal that three main factors observed in parents help determine how children will express their emotions. These are: 1) how parents display their own emotions, 2) how parents respond to the child's emotions, 3) and the family's overall emotional demeanor. Learn more from this video and article, in English and Spanish. https://www.childtrends.org/videos/parenting-and-emotion

December Activity Sign Up! Check your email!

It’s time for our December Community Activity sign up again!  Please contact Mandy (mzeschke@dsdmail.net) or Leah (lewilson@dsdmail.net) to let us know what you and your family would like to attend as soon as possible.  We will take requests through November 30^th.

  December Activities

Santa at Station Park  Station Park, Farmington   Monday, December 3^rd at 12:30.  Great opportunity for a photo with Santa!

SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium  Layton Hills Mall, lower level by the Play Area   Tuesday, December 4^th (Groups of 25 per time slot) 10:00, 10:15, 10:30, 10:45, 11:00, 11:15, 11:30.  A hands-on educational experience.

*The SeaQuest Activity only allows for 25 people to attend at each time, so please let us know your first and second choice of time.  Also, each family will be allowed 2 free entries.  All other family members will pay a discounted amount of $4.00 per person for entry into SeaQuest.  You can also purchase tokens at SeaQuest to use for food to feed some of the critters.  You can purchase 10 tokens for $19.00 at SeaQuest.  We do not sell tokens.  If SeaQuest is one of your chosen activities, you will be emailed tickets indicating free entries and $4.00 discounted entries for your family.  Please bring those with you to the activity.

Bountiful ELC Activity  9 East 400 North, Bountiful   Wednesday, December 5^th at 9:30 or 11:00. Fun, appropriate activities planned and presented by Davis Early Intervention staff.

Layton Hay Rides  Layton Commons Park  Wednesday, December 5^th at 5:15 pm    Meet at the bowery at the north end of Constitution Circle.  Dress warm to see the Lights in Constitution Circle!  Little or no waiting since this activity opens to the general public at 6:00 pm.

Layton ELC Activity  1010 Emerald Dr., Layton  Thursday, December 6^th or Friday, December 7^th at 9:30 or 11:00.  Fun, appropriate activities planned and presented by Davis Early Intervention staff.

Flipper’s Gym  1246 Flint Meadows #102, Kaysville  Tuesday, December 11^th at 12:30 pm.  Fun for all ages!  Experience gross motor activities in a fun, safe environment.

The Value of December Community Activities

Parents teach their children every day in a variety of situations and environments – they are the ones who make the most difference in their child’s development.  In order to support parents in all situations and locations, we provide an opportunity for families to receive support and learn strategies to make outings successful through December Community Activities.  This is a billable service.  Davis Early Intervention has coordinated with several community agencies to participate in activities that are available to Davis County Residents.  You will receive a list of available activities and be given the opportunity to select an activity in which your family would like to participate.  Our Early Intervention staff will be present at the activities to provide support and strategies for your family to have an enjoyable and successful experience.  There are many benefits of receiving services in the community.

·         A child is more likely to generalize skills learned in natural environments. 

·         All children learn to understand and accept differences. 

·         A child is more likely to learn appropriate and effective social skills.  

·         Every child has an opportunity to participate in his or her community. 

·         Communities recognize that children with special needs are children first. 

·         Children and families experience a sense of belonging. 

·         Children receive the opportunity to practice their skills. 

Babies Don't Need Smartphones

This is a re-post of this article from 10/19/2015.  This is still great information!  In order to help our children learn social skills and communication, they need to experience social opportunities with adults and other children.  This happens best on the playground, during play dates, during family meal times, play times or any times.

The information in this post comes from an article on USAToday.com dated 5/8/2015 by Judith L. Page.

Increased technology use stands in the way of our children's speech and social development.

More than 2/3 of 2-year-olds are using tablets and more than 1/2 dawdle on smart phones.

Overuse of technology can translate to an underuse of speech and other forms of human-to-human communication.  Nothing substitutes for human interaction when it comes to speech and language development - not even technology.  Technology can cause damage to hearing if it is allowed to repeatedly emit unsafe sound levels close to the ear.

The early years are when children are most malleable, as the most rapid period of brain development takes place before age 3.  During this time, the primary way young children develop their speech and language abilities is through human communication, something technology simply cannot duplicate.  The less time they're conversing, the less opportunity these children will have to develop strong speech and language skills.

There is no substitute to developing vocabulary and communication skills through organic conversations and real exchanges.  Listening, talking, reading, and interacting with their parents and others is the best and only way children can build a sound foundation for a lifetime of communication.

If we allow technology to "rule our world" and starve our children of human interaction - society, and especially children, could well pay a terrible price in communication ability.

Tomorrow is White Cane Day!

Toys that Teach

This article is copied from http://preschoolexpress.com/learning-station07/toys-that-teach-dec07.shtml.  As we get closer to Christmas, you may be wondering what you can get your child that will help with development.  Here are some things to think about!

Your child already has the most important toy he or she could want or need – YOU!
Other toys, however, can be very important for helping your child to learn through play.
Here are some things to consider when considering toys for your children.

 IS THE TOY SAFE?  Is it sturdy, with no small pieces to break off?  Will it become a dangerous toy in the wrong hands?

 WILL THE TOY LAST?  We often buy disappointment for children when we give them toys that will break in a couple of days.  All around them, children see that they live in a throw-away world.  Let’s give them some things that will last and upon which they can depend.

DOES THE TOY MEET A DEVELOPMENTAL NEED?  
           PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT--  Toys can aid in the physical development of children by encouraging coordination and the use of both large and small muscles.  Toy suggestions:  balls, toys that fit together, button books; toys to push, pull or climb upon.
           MENTAL DEVEOPMENT  -- Toys can aid in the mental development of children by encouraging reasoning, problem-solving and creative thinking.  Toy suggestions:  puzzles; games; blocks.
           LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT – Toys can aid in the language development of children by helping them learn new words, and word sounds, and sentence structure.
Toy suggestions:  Books, video’s, alphabet toys.
           SOCIAL (& IMAGINATION) DEVELOPMENT  - Toys can aid in the social development of children, by giving them opportunities to understand how others feel and act.  Toy suggestions:  Dress –up clothes; puppets, tea sets, doll houses.
           CREATIVITY DEVELOPMENT – Toys can aid in helping your child learn creative expression and to become problem solvers.  Toy suggestions: Open-ended art materials, play dough, dance costumes, musical instruments, blocks.
            DISCOVERY (CURIOSITY) DEVELOPMENT – Toys can lead to discovery and  foster experimentation. Toy suggestions:   Magnets, magnifying glasses, color viewers, toys for playing in water, mud or sand.

IS THE TOY APPROPRIATE FOR THE AGE OF THE CHILD?
            THE INFANT (0-1) is busy learning about himself, his body control and the use of his senses.  He responds to touch, sounds and smells.  Toys can provide an infant with the stimuli for motor and sensory development.  An infant needs safe, simple toys that he can master, toys that are easy to hold onto and toys that can be touched, felt and watched.  Toy suggestions:  mobiles, rattles, teethers, squeeze toys, musical toys, baby mirrors, water toys, washable stuffed animals and dolls.   

            THE TODDLER (1-2) has learned about herself and  now feels confident in learning about the world.  She is especially interested in learning how to control other people.  The toddler recognizes the existence of others but is still self-centered.  She generally plays alone, even when surrounded by others.  The toddler is busy developing large muscle control and learning to imitate the sounds and actions of others.  She is very adventurous and needs toys that can be safely pushed, pulled, climbed on and taken in and out.  Toy suggestions:  wooden blocks, sand box with scoops, small cars, trucks and people, large durable trucks to push, water toys, simple dress-up toys, such as hats and scarves, ball, hardcover books, simple wind-up toys, beginning puzzles, stuffed animals and dolls.

            A PRE-THREE (2-3) is concerned with self-expression and the beginnings of socialization.  Toys suggestions:  any of the toys mentioned above, plus small riding toys (not a trike), table top easel, creative materials, such as paper, crayons and marking pens, play dough, rhythm instruments, tapes, puzzles, simple storybooks, play phones, a small wagon.

            A PRESCHOOLER (3-5) is still experimenting with the senses, coordination and self-expression, but now he has more social awareness of others.  Toy suggestions:  any of the previously mentioned toys, plus tricycles, large blocks, balance beams, flannelboards, magnetic boards, pencils, paint, scissors, paste, collage materials, pounding toys, real tools, nuts and bolts, puppets and a puppet stage, dolls and doll houses, play centers, sewing cards, puzzles, learning games, magnets, magnifying glasses, storybooks.

DOES THE TOY HELP THE CHILD LEARN TO REASON?  In looking for toys that help children learn to reason, keep in mind that there are four different kinds of toys for this purpose.  Examine your child’s toys and see that she has at least one toy that fits into each of the four categories below.  Children need a balance of toys from which to learn different skills.
            COORDINATION TOYS – are designed to incorporate practice for a motor task that may be difficult for a child.  They enable a child to become self-sufficient in their  day-to-day environment.  Examples:  sewing cards, button frames, interlocking blocks, balls, putting pegs in holes.
            CONSTRUCTION TOYS -  are designed so that the end product is deliberately left undetermined by the materials being used.  Example:  Blocks and shapes.
            RECONSTRUCTION TOYS – are self-correcting materials that can be taken apart and reassembled.  These have degrees of difficulties.  Examples:  stacking toys, puzzles.
            CLASSIFICATION TOYS – are materials that require matching, patterning and grouping.  They include most games.  Examples:  lotto, dominoes, beads, board games, etc.

IN CONCLUSION – Children learn through play and the use of a variety of toys.  But as I stated at the beginning, nothing can replace interaction with adults, especially parents.

A Fun Event for Children With Special Needs

Have You Participated In A NICU Graduation?

Many of the families involved in Davis Early Intervention have had the opportunity to participate in a NICU Graduation of some sort.  Here is an article about one family in Utah.

https://kutv.com/features/health/baby-your-baby/baby-your-baby-nicu-graduation-celebrates-babies-families

CDC Developmental Milestones Available in English and Spanish

Here is a great resource for families trying to determine what milestones they should be working on with their little one.  You can watch videos, complete a milestone checklist or even download a milestone tracker app.  

The Learn the Signs, Act Early website from the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/) has an amazing array of free resources for families and professionals. A new feature is the Spanish version of The Milestones in Action library. This resource was created to help parents, early care and education providers, and healthcare professionals to identify developmental milestones in very young children (2 months to 5 years) and areas of concern through photos and videos. No permissions are needed to use the photos and images in this library for educational or awareness-building purposes.

Library in English https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-in-action.html 

 Library in Spanish https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/spanish/actearly/milestones/milestones-in-action.html

Benefit of Play

Play is a child's job.  Help them do their job well by understanding the benefits of play and guiding your child to play that will help them develop skills in all areas.  Here is a resource that talks about the benefits of play to development in the areas of physical, emotional, social, cognitive, creative and communication.
http://www.thegeniusofplay.org/tgop/benefits/genius/benefits-of-play/benefits-of-play-home.aspx?hkey=75c664db-cb16-4004-8756-03ba00ba381e

 

Physical Development Delay: What to Look For

Do you have concerns that your child isn't moving like other kiddos his or her age?  Or maybe your older children were progressing faster than the little one?

Googling for information can lead to such a large amount and variety of age appropriate skills that it can be overwhelming.  Here is a link to access information and help you gather the information you need to start a conversation with your pediatrician.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/MotorDelay/Pages/default.aspx

There is also a list of age appropriate activities to look for.


You can also talk to your service provider from Davis Early Intervention if you have questions.

Davis Early Intervention Has a Facebook Group

We have recently started a Facebook Group with the hopes that families will be comfortable asking questions, sharing successes and communicating with Davis Early Intervention staff and other families via the Davis Early Intervention Facebook Group.  Please share your concerns, questions and suggestions.  We ask that you be respectful of each other.

Since we are new to this Facebook Group resource, please be patient with us and we figure out what we are doing!  We really want this to be an additional resource for our families, so teach us by asking your questions and sharing your comments.  We want parents to be able to communicate with each other, so feel free to answer questions and share experiences.

Our Davis Early Intervention Facebook Group is a closed group so anyone can see the group and request to join by searching in Groups or by clicking on this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/228505264544916/.  However, only current members of the group will be able to see posts.  In order to make this successful, we need and want everyone to be involved!

We also want to say Thank You for sharing your little ones with us and letting us enjoy your family struggles and successes along with you.

We love our Davis Early Intervention Families and want to do all we can to provide support for you!

Parenting

I was listening to the radio yesterday and during the Dave and Dujenevik show on KSL I heard Dave talk about a study on Helicopter parenting.  He said that kids as young as 2 years old who have parents who hover, make all the decisions and fix all the problems grow up to be less able to self-regulate or learn from their mistakes or build lasting relationships.  The push in Utah is to move toward more "free-range parenting".  What happened to the happy medium?

When I was growing up, I knew I had boundaries but I could choose my activities, my friends, and my mistakes within those boundaries.  I knew my parents would be there to guide and support but they would not dictate.  My parents knew where I was and I knew when I heard either of them whistle it was time to go home.  (I could hear that whistle from blocks away - and I always knew when it was my parents).

So what are some strategies to find that happy medium in parenting?  Try some of these ideas:

• Give your child choices.  Let them learn that they can decide.  Start with simple things like what shirt they want to wear, which snack to eat, or what outside activity to do today.  Make sure the choices you give are all acceptable to you and don't overwhelm with too many options.  For a two year old, start with a choice between two items and gradually increase to three or four.  The best way to teach a little one to make good choices is to stand by what they say.  If they choose the green shirt, they wear the green shirt, even if the blue one is their favorite.  Tell them they can choose the blue one tomorrow if they want to.
• Allow your child limited freedom.  Can you keep an eye on them from the kitchen window?  Then let them play in the backyard on their own or with a friend.  Don't provide all the latest and greatest toys for them, let them use their imaginations.  My little grandsons love to throw sticks at the "dinosaurs".  
• Encourage your kids to have a growth mindset.  Teach them that if they make a mistake, they can learn from it, not fail because of it.  They can build on what they have learned to become successful in their endeavors.  Everyone makes mistakes, but those who don't see it as a failure, but as an opportunity to learn are the most successful in life.  Here is a link to a growth mindset resource that has great information for helping your child build a growth mindset:  https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog

Have fun parenting.  It shouldn't be a horrible experience for anyone.  I know it's tough sometimes, but as you give your child some opportunities to make their own choices and their own mistakes, they will grow to be amazing little humans.  Just the way you want them to be.

Seeing Children do More with Less

How do children learn to play?  Are we offering toys too early and not letting little ones develop the abilities to self-regulate or develop creativity?  Here is an interesting read explaining the benefits of not introducing toys too early.

“Imagine not offering babies any toys until they find their hands for play,” writes Deb Curtis in this fascinating article. Read on to learn about an approach used by the Pikler Institute in Hungary, where they have documented over 75 ways that babies learn to use their hands for play. If you want to learn about alternatives to toys that beep, rattle, and flash, read on at http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2018/seeing-children-do-more-with-less Thanks to Community Playthings for making this article available!

How Parents Can Teach Perseverance

EnglishEspañol

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Use positive words, celebrate success, encourage kids to try new things—parents can say and do so many things to instill perseverance in their kids. But a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggests that one of the most effective ways parents can teach persistence is to allow children to watch others being persistent.

Perseverance is necessary for discovering new ideas. It enables us to take risks, and learn from failures and then try again. Research even suggests that it’s a valuable skill for babies, since it may help academically later in life. But how can parents teach this trait to their kids?

Developmental psychologists at MIT recruited 102 babies between the ages of 13 and 18 months. As babies watched, researchers tried to retrieve a toy from a container and detach a key chain from a carabiner. In front of some babies, they completed the task easily and quickly, while they struggled to complete the tasks in front of other babies. Then, all the babies were given a toy with a button that didn’t work. The babies who had seen the researchers struggling with their own objects pushed the button twice as many times as those who had seen the researchers succeed effortlessly. So, key lesson: If adults don’t quit, it may help their kids build grit.

The researchers performed the experiment again on 80 babies and got the exact same results, suggesting that babies are keen observers and can learn even persistence by watching other people.

Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Supervising Producer; Milvionne Chery, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.

Produced by Child Trends News Service in partnership with Ivanhoe Broadcast News and funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. 

Baby Watch Early Intervention Program Survey Time

The annual parent survey from Baby Watch Early Intervention Programs is out!  Check your email for a message from babywatch@utah.gov.  The subject line will be "We want your opinion about Davis Early Intervention".  This survey is going out to any family who have a child who was enrolled in our program on March 31, 2018.  If you don't see it, check your junk mail or ask your service provider if you can complete the survey during your visit.  Or it can be accessed by clicking on this link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/davisearlyintervention


This survey is how Baby Watch Early Intervention gets information about how we are doing.  Since they are the lead program in the state for all 15 early intervention programs, it is important that they get information about each program.

Please take a minute to complete the survey.  It will be available until June 8, 2018.

Are You Raising a Retro-Toddler?

This is an article from Deseret News Online.  Some of the things we did as children helped us develop skills that we are not helping our kiddos develop.  Building with blocks, playing with play dough and coloring are pre-writing skills.  Tapping and swiping are skills that produce children not ready for holding pencils and attending to a teacher in a classroom.  What can we do to help our children be successful when they enter school?  Read on . . .

SALT LAKE CITY — Want to raise healthy, happy and smart children? Go retro, advises a pediatric occupational therapist in Tennessee, who says parents should abandon glitzy technology for low-tech activities and toys they can make themselves.

Anne Zachry’s 2013 book, “Retro Baby,” was the result of research for her Ph.D. in educational psychology. Its call for a return to vintage practices in parenting caught the attention of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is publishing her new book, “Retro Toddler,” on May 15.

Zachry is chair and assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and she's also a mother of three who blogs about child development. She spoke with the Deseret News about why going retro is important for kids, the biggest mistake parents can make, and why you should never watch violent TV shows when a baby or toddler is in the room.

AAP

In advance of the May publication of her book "Retro Toddler," The Deseret News interviews this mother of three about why going retro is important for kids, and what activities are important for a toddler's physical and mental development.

The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Deseret News: How did you come to the topic of “retro” parenting?

Anne Zachry: I was looking into the research about how much baby gear babies were being put in throughout the day, and how that affects their motor skills, because I’m an occupational therapist. In the school system, I was seeing a lot of referrals for children who had weak hands and weak shoulders, and I started sending home surveys to the parents. One of the questions was, “Did your child crawl as an infant?”

It turns out that many of the ones that were getting referrals for OT (occupational therapy), the ones who were having these fine motor issues, didn’t crawl, and spent a lot of time in carriers or swings or bouncer seats. … When they’re in the bouncer seats and carriers, they’re also getting exposed to screen time. That’s a double whammy, and all of this is negatively impacting their development and their attention span.

DN: You have three children, ages 18 to 27; were you doing this research when they were young, and how did what you learned affect your parenting?

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AZ: My son was born in 1990, and back then, I was a single mom and had no baby gear, no equipment. But then, when I had my next two, we went to Babies R Us and registered for every piece of equipment under the sun. It was like night and day. That’s when the seed was planted; I was thinking, "Wow, there’s a lot of pressure for us to buy a lot of equipment and accessories and toys." That’s about when I started my Ph.D.

DN: So did you resist putting your youngest two in bouncers and swings?

AZ: Well, it was a gradual process. I initially did receive all this equipment; in fact, we had this equipment at the grandparents’ house, but then as I started doing the research, I was like, oh, no, we don’t need that, and we don’t need that. And let’s avoid these highly stimulating TV shows that they were watching when they got to be 4 and 5.

DN: So what exactly does it mean to raise a “retro” toddler?

AZ: It means you can be back-to-the-basics with your parenting. You don’t feel like you have to entertain them constantly, put them in front of screens, give them high-tech toys that light up and blink. You can spread a blanket out on the floor with some building blocks and puzzles, and let them learn to entertain themselves. Children will develop better that way in terms of their motor skills and perceptual skills.

And even just back to the way you praise your child — praise them for hard work, instead of just saying, “You’re so smart.” It’s a back-to-the -basics approach. But it’s definitely about balance. I know what it’s like to have two kids crawling around and there are times you’ve got to take a bath, but follow the AAP guidelines for screen use and equipment use, and know that you have to have a balance.

DN: What’s the most damaging aspect of modern life when it comes to raising children?

AZ: My biggest concern would be TV or screens that have violent content. The research shows nothing good comes out of that. They’re not learning, and there are so many negative consequences. And even if a parent is watching a show, and a baby under 2 years old is in the room, they're taking in some of that content even if the parent thinks that they’re playing. Research shows that they do pick up that inappropriate content.

Another study found that if a TV is on in the background, toddlers — even if they have a new toy that they’re playing with — are taking it in. They’re spreading their attention out. They look at the TV and then back to the toy and then back to the TV.

DN: Your book promises more than 100 “old-school” activities to help boost development in toddlers. Which ones stand out for you as especially effective?

AZ: Playing with building blocks. And they don’t have to be commercially bought — I’ve made blocks out of milk cartons and duct tape. It encourages creativity, and they’re actually having to use their motor skills.

And just reading to your child and reading with your child — that’s another huge one. And physically active play to keep them moving, activities such as making an obstacle course out of simple things in your home, having them climb through it. That helps them develop that upper extremity strength and coordination they need, so much more than if they’re sitting in front of a screen playing a video game.

And I love “Simon Says” with toddlers; it teaches them to pay attention and follow directions and they also have to visually watch the movement that the parent makes, so that’s a fun one.

DN: Do you have any advice for moms who work and have to put their children in the care of someone else for 40 hours a week? What should they be looking for to keep the “retro” in their toddler outside of their own home?

AZ: Oh, I love that question, and all three of my kids were in child care, so I’ve been there, and sometimes it feels like it’s out of your control. I don’t have a preference as to whether it’s at home or in a facility, but just tour and see if screens are on in the room. Definitely you want a facility where there’s not a lot of TV, even if it's just on in the background. Also look for physically engaging activities — outdoor play, or play that involves construction or building.

I would not be impressed if there were iPads in a room for toddlers. I don’t think it’s appropriate, and I’ve seen it.

DN: You have more than two decades of experience as an occupational therapist. How do parents differ today from how they were when you first started your career?

AZ: That’s tough, but I think there’s been a trend toward higher expectations of teachers, instead of saying that it’s the child’s responsibility to learn and be successful. I have a hard time with that. I always tried to teach my children that you’re responsible for your learning, and you’re going to have teachers that are really entertaining and you’re going to have some that are boring, but what you get out of it is what you put into it. I hate to sound negative; not all parents are that way. I think we’re going back in the other direction, but for a time, that trended upward.

DN: What about parents who think it’s too late, that they already let technology consume their kids’ lives?

AZ: One thing that I want to say to parents is not to feel guilty. What’s in the past is in the past. If your kids have been exposed to too much screen time, or your baby was in a carrier all the time, move on and change what you can change now. Just do better moving forward. When we know better, we do better.

3comments on this story

Everyone’s busy, they’re working and doing a million things, but if you can make the time to do some of these DIY activities and toys, the memories your child will have will be much greater than driving to a T-ball practice. At least once a week, try to do something like that.

And have a screen-free mealtime at least. Stack your phones, and don’t let anybody look at their phones during mealtime. Just talk, make eye contact, communicate and spend time together. Sometimes you have to start with the small baby steps, I think.

Jennifer Graham