Focusing on Speech

Hearing your child's first words is a joy for every parent. it doesn't matter how many children you have, each time is new and exciting. What happens when that moment isn't coming? When you suspect that your child might have a speech delay?
Each region has different resources, but in most areas like with any specialist, there is a wait. So what now? How do you encourage your child to speak, or help improving the quality of the speech they do have?
We have been through speech therapy twice now, and are receiving some for Little C right now. It is very difficult when your little one isn't talking, but there are things you can do to help.

Have them drink from a straw
I wish I had known this one! Little S's therapist let me know about this one. When you use a straw, you are using the same muscles that are used in speech. Developing these muscles assists in the easy formation of words. Whether your child is just learning to drink a sippy cup, or already in school, a straw can help. 

There are many straw cup options for kids of all ages. The earlier they start, the greater the benefit. 

Use Baby Sign Language

Yes, believe it or not this helps speech. Not only does signing help prevent frustration in babies, and help you comunicate with your child at an earlier age, many studies show children who sign speak earlier, and have a bigger vocabulary than children using speech alone. In our family I noticed an incredible difference when I introduced signs to my children.

Play the "Echo" Game
When your baby or toddler babbles, repeat what the "say" back to them. This teaches them about conversation, and about turn taking. Repeat them a few times, and try using similar sounds back to them encouraging them to echo you. The more they enjoy it, the more likely they are to "echo" you. Gradually increase the difficulty moving from vowel sounds, to consonants, and finally words.

Name the Objects Around
The best thing you can do to help your child is model speech for them. Name objects, show them what speech is for, even with your infants.

These are only a few things, but it is amazing how much these few things can help! 

Teaching Tuesdays: Motivation

Every child is different. We all know it, but do we really believe it in more than just a theory?

I Home School, so I have seen just how different my children's learning styles are. Litte P and Little E started Kindergarten the same year, and wow. They are so different, it is unreal. Little E learned how to write his name at 3, and Little P was still struggling at 6. Little E loved to draw and color as soon as he was able to hold a crayon, Little P would scribble for 2 seconds and yell "Done!"

So how do you motivate them? If you push something too hard it can become a battleground and then no one really wins. The parent is frustrated, the child is confused, and no one learns anything. Parenting is not about control, it is about teaching our children to be a self controlled, successful person. Yet, how can you judge success? Shouldn't it be different for each person?

Sometime it can be tricky. Little P for example seems impossible to motivate in school work.  He can sit twirling his pencil, or retracing the same word forever!

So now the big question, how do I motivate the one who doesn't want to be motivated?

• Be Smart

Not every battle is worth the fight. Sometimes a child pushes back just to push and have control over something. Pick your battles wisely. Is it really a big deal if they colour the dog blue when they are 2? Choose what is worth fighting. Keep in mind, bad habits are harder to break the longer they are kept. It is worth woking hard on pencil holding and hand position while writing. It may not be worth fighting every battle. Ask your self if this is a potential bad habit, or just a phase.

• Be Encouraging

Compliment your child. Blue dog? How imaginative! Children are sponges. The absorb everything we put in them, so lets fill them up with the good stuff, and they have no need to absorb the bad.

• Be Rewarding

Everyone likes to work for something. Try sticker charts, coins for their piggy banks, or even TV time. Use what works for your child. Stickers worked great for Little E, and Little P could care less. What motivates him is hearing the words "good job sweetie!" Pay attention to what excites your child, and incorporate that in their rewards. 

• Be Loving

It sounds easy, but some days it is hard to show. When you struggling to explain the it is important to hold a pencil right, or why we have to colour in the lines, it is easier to scream than smile. It's ok. Smile, and take a break. The love is what they will remember. Breaks are just as much for mom as for the child!

• Be Easy On Yourself

Taking the time to work with your child is hard work, whether it's home schooling or public school, teaching is hard, and draining. It's ok to be human. You will make mistakes. Go easy on your self. You will be more effective if you have confidence in your self. It's true what they say: Children can smell fear! Well, maybe not literally, but they will take notice of uncertainty, or insecurity. Trust your instincts. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a person.

Teaching Pre-Readers

I am a home schooling mom and proud of it. We decided to home school before our oldest was born. Since I knew that I was responsible for all the teaching, I made decisions early on to have early exposer to educational toys and programs. I figured that the more the kids absorbed from their environment early on, the easier it would be to teach them later.

Even if you plan to public or private school your children, it still pays to give them a head start.
Everyone knows the whole "Raise a Reader" read to your child bit, but what other educational things can you do to help introduce those early reading skills?

Play With Letters
Children can memorise their name long before they can learn to read. Use fridge magnets, flash cards, ABC blocks to make family members names for your child. Help them become familiar with the look of their name. Help them to see that letters are for more than a song.

Sing Rhyming Songs
Our brains retain so much information. Have you ever noticed how quickly we can memorise a song? Now try to memorise a poem? Not so simple, is it? Learning rhyming songs gives your child something to relate to when they learn to read. My son figured out rhymes on his own just from songs and games.

Let Your Child See You Reading
The more your child sees you reading, the more they want to know how to read. I am guilty of not doing this as much as I'd like to, but any little bit helps.

Pick Educational TV Shows
I'm not one to let the kids sit in front of the TV all day, but there is noting wrong with some entertainment, especially if they are learning at the same time. I am a HUGE fan of Leap Frog DVDs. We bought the Letter Factory when my son was 1, and he knew his phonetic alphabet before he could talk!

Incorporate Reading In Activities Your Child Loves
If your child loves to colour, colour letters. Love building with blocks? Try building word buildings. We used to sing alphabet songs while we pushed our kids on the swing. It all adds up!

Visit Educational Websites With Your Child
There are many websites out there with pre-school games. Here is a list of my favourites :
http://www.starfall.com
http://www.jumpstart.com
http://readingeggs.com

It is never to early to lay down foundation to help your child read. Investing in our children is part of parenting, right?

Raising People, Not Children

Looking down at your new born baby is something that is indescribable. You vow to protect that little life. Spoil it some, cuddle lots, and never let them feel any pain.

Then they turn 2. Then 4. Before you know it, you have a 16 year old. That 16 year old is a result of every cuddle, word, and toy you ever gave them. It's not so easy to influence that 16 year old. Before you know it, they will leave home.

 Looking down at that new born, we can forget that one day they will be an adult. They will have to make their own choices, and live with the consequences, both good and bad.

People are always amazed at how helpful and polite my boys are. They are not perfect. They are loud.... (Anyone want to give me shares in Tylenol? I could use it!) They fight, after all they are boys, but they stand out in public.

Here is a perfect example. We are in the grocery store. With 5 kids, I am focused. I want to get in, and get out as quickly and quietly as possible. 2 kids in the basket, 3 kids walking close to me. I have taught them to stay close, but they are kids, so my eyes are on them. All of a sudden, Little P darts away from me. I turn just as I hear him say "Excuse me Ma am, you dropped this." He is handing a women something that fell out of her cart. No one asked him to. She didn't even know it fell. He is on it. A perfect gentleman at 9 years old. We are then stopped by people saying how rare it is to see a child so helpful and polite. We stand out.

My boys are taught "Ladies first." They hold doors for me, and any other people we come in contact with.
My boys have chores. It is Little P's job to start the van, carry laundry up and down the stairs, take out the garbage, and put the garbage and recycling out on garbage days. He gets no allowance. He is happy to help. He only gets toys, games and gadgets on his Birthday and Christmas. TV is only for after his school work is done. Does this make him deprived? He is happy. he is responsible.

Some times we forget that our children are not children forever.What kind of adult will they be? Shouldn't that be our main focus as parents?

How many times have we seen teenagers and judged their lack of work ethic, their lack of responsibility, and  shaken our heads. Yet as a society, we give our children everything for nothing.

When I was growing up, the big concern was watching too much television. A child having a television in his or her room was a concern. Now we have a generation of children with iPads, cell phones, and computers in their rooms. Parents spend all their time engrossed on their technology, so it seems acceptable that the children do the same.

We have a generation of 30 and 40 year olds still living at home, unemployed, playing video games and having Mom do the laundry.

In my province, teachers are discouraged from using red ink to mark papers, or fail a child in school. In the work place, we see people that want a raise for showing up late each day. It might not be that way everywhere, but this is my reality. Is it the teachers fault? How can we blame the teachers for what goes on at home? What can we expect from our children if we don't teach them?

Don't misunderstand me. My boys both received tablets for Christmas. I don't have a problem with kids having "things." I have a problem when I see a 12 year old kid pushing past me and my children while texting.  Or seeing a 7 year old out alone at 10:00 PM on a week day. What does this teach that child is acceptable when they enter the workforce? Come to work tired, sit and do nothing, and get paid? It's OK if you don't do it right, we just want your self confidence to be high.

Children will not be children forever. They are a piece of clay. Each day of their lives, we as parents, grandparents, and teachers are moulding them. Do we want them to stay children at 40? Or do we want them to be confident, competent adults? The choice is ours. We are either raising children, or raising people.

Snow Days

Living in Winnipeg, snow storms are common. Even in the month of May. The last few years we have been fortunate. There haven't really been any major blizzards. This year, so far, we have had 2 major snow falls. Not quite shut the city down blizzards, but pretty nasty weather.

 This year I was facing winter with out my husband to help dig me out.He does construction, and was working out of town for 3 weeks at a time. Sure enough, while he was gone, I was snowed in, with 5 children. Not a pleasant thought. I could handle this many ways. Cry, hire someone to the shovelling for me, or do it my self. I decided it was an opportunity to teach my boys how to do a job right. My oldest 2 boys are 9 and 8. They are hard workers, and their Dad has been getting their help in previous years with the shovelling  although, it was more work for him then help up to now.

So, we dug down deep, and kept our walk ways and driveway clean all on our own. I even received the best complement. A friend of mine popped by and assumed my husband was back in town because the walk way was cleared so well. It was all the work of my boys, not my husband.

Yesterday morning, I was told that schools were shut down out of town already. Since we home school,  weather has never effected us. I am very thankful for that fact. yesterday here in the city was windy, but now too bad. Of course, the snow still came. This is what I woke up to:

And this is what my 8 and 9 year old boys did:

This was all their own muscle. I only encouraged and coached a wee little bit. 

I couldn't be more proud of my boys!