For lots of kids, back to school is part of the norm. But for little Johnny, this is his first day at Kindergarten. You have taken him shopping for new cloths, backpack, lunch box and some school supplies. He seems excited to have all the “new cool stuff”, yet he hesitates when you ask him if he is excited about going to school.

What can you do to ease little Johnny’s anxiety?

Here are 10 tips on how you can help Little Johnny;

Tip Number 1: Check your own stress level: this can be an emotional day for many a Mom and Dad. It is very important to ease your own stress; kids will pick up on your anxiety.

Tip Number 2: If at all possible, take the day off from work: kids grow up fast and being part of this milestone is important for you and little Johnny. Johnny will be more comfortable with his new adventure to have you a part of it.

Tip Number 3: Read books about starting school: there are lots of books out there about starting school. Plan to read a book together, in your special reading spot. This will be comforting for little Johnny and he can gain a better understanding of what school will be like.

Tip Number 4: Respond with patience and understanding: little Johnny may cry and ask to go home with you. Remember, he is totally outside his comfort zone and needs reassurance that he will have fun.

Tip Number 5: Pick the magic time to leave: finding the perfect time to leave isn’t easy. Reassure Johnny that you are coming back and that he will have tons of fun while you are away. Make a quick good-bye; lingering will only make the next morning even harder for both Johnny and you.

Tip Number 6: Keep it simple: Yes, this is a major milestone but making “too big” a deal out of this adventure may cause more stress on little Johnny than you intend.

Tip Number 7: Be active in your child’s school life: arrange for both of you to meet the teacher or tour the school before that first day. Tape a family picture to the inside of Johnny’s lunchbox lid. Have a copy of the class schedule so you will feel connected to your child’s school life. Volunteer to be a teachers aid for a day once or twice a month.

Tip Number 8: Stay in touch with Johnny’s teacher: meet with Johnny’s teacher frequently. Offer your email address and phone number, so that she can communicate with you easily if any problems arise.

Tip Number 9: Understand what Johnny is afraid of: if he seems overly afraid, talk with little Johnny. Talk with his teacher too. Teachers are a great resource on what kinds of problems children have and together, you can alleviate any of Johnny’s fears.

Tip Number 10: Send “Mr. Snuggles” along: of course you need to check with Johnny’s teacher first, then send along a favorite stuffy or blanket. Just having a little comfort from home will help to ease his anxiety and he will not feel so alone.

The first day of kindergarten will be fantastic! Remember, it takes time to adjust to new surroundings, new routine and even new friends. Give little Johnny some time, be active in his new adventure and before too long; he will be asking to go to school, even on Saturdays!

Leave a comment or share your ideas on this topic at:

Facebook

When school starts back after the summer, the morning routine can be very demanding and stressful for the whole family. Most households are chaotic from the moment they wake the kids to the moment they drop them off at daycare or wave good-bye to them on the bus.

Do you often think, “OMG, get me out of here!”?

If your house is anything like mine used to be, mornings were one of the most stressful times of the day. There was bickering, fighting, and sometimes even crying. Can you relate?

How would you like to have a peaceful morning where everyone moves through the routine with grace and ease? That’s how the mornings in our household are now, for the most part, calm.

We created a routine that works for our family. Of course we are human and not always does our morning routine work and chaos takes over. The next morning, we get back into the routine.

Here is our time tested morning routine. This routine was created, tested, recreated, adjusted and continues to adjust as our family needs have changed.

Remember, to stick to the routine and stand by the routine even in the face of difficulties. If you waiver, your children will not trust that you will follow through with consequences and they will not benefit from the experience a schedule will bring.

First, create a ‘Family Schedule’: Go online and download a calendar or purchase a desktop calendar from your local office supply store. Mark all the after school and work activities for each family member on the calendar. Be sure to schedule time for homework and don’t forget to mark down dentist or doctor appointments.

Second, be vigilant and refer to this schedule everyday: Check this schedule each evening and plan for the next day. Figure out then which adult will take the kids to their after school activity or appointment.

Third, get, as much done the night before as you can. Gather and prepare all the kids “stuff” and place it by the door. Each child can help you make their lunch or they can make it on their own if they are old enough. If you have pets, like Marvin, you may want to put the lunches up high so no one can steal it in the night! LOL

Fourth, create a master list of all regular items the kids will need for their day ahead: Include items like, homework, gym cloths, runners, mitts, or hats etc. List anything the kids may need for after school activities, too. Post this on the fridge and take a few minutes every morning to review the items with your kids.

Fifth, create the morning “To Do” list: These are the things that need to be done like, shower or wash hair, brush teeth, tidy bedroom or pack lunch into backpack, etc. Post the “To Do” list in the bedroom or bathroom, or anywhere that will help the kids to know what to do next. This will help stop you sounding like a broken record.

All these time saving ideas will make for an easy morning routine. It may all look like a lot of work in the beginning, trust me, once you do it, you will be amazed at the time you can save. With a little patience, you and your family will be working together and enjoying your mornings. Good luck!

Leave a comment. Let us know how your routine works and give us some ideas. We love to hear from you!

Contact us at  www.marvindiscovers.com

Facebook  www.facebook.com/MarvinDiscovers

I’m so excited to be interviewing Monta Briant, best-selling baby sign language author and owner of Baby Sign Language Basics. Tune in at 7pm CST and hear Monta’s advice on how to start signing with your little one!

MOMMY HANDS BLOG TALK RADIO

It’s that time of the year, again. The first day of school is just around the corner! Where did the summer go? Do you have the list of back to school supplies bought? Are your kids groaning on the outside? Just realize they are most likely excited (and a little bit nervous) on the inside with the thought of going back. Now you need to get everyone back into the school year routine. How do you accomplish that? Where do you start? Here are some ideas that have worked well for our family for you to test out. After you read this let us know how they work for you and you can add your ideas as well.

A couple of weeks before school starts, or as soon as possible, get the whole family together and create a plan. Create a list of the family’s daily and weekly activities. List things like homework, after school sports and lessons. Now, create a calendar from your list. Make sure the kids are involved with the scheduling, the more input the kids have in their schedule, the more interest they will have to see it successful. Balance the schedule out so so you include time for family fun as well as homework and sports etc. Once the schedule is set, be vigilant for a few weeks to set routine and work out the bugs. Ask each child to pick one or two extra curricular activities to enjoy outside of school. Schedule these activities in to the calendar, keeping homework a priority. REMEMBER…any “must see” TV shows can now be recorded and watched later in the evening, week or weekend. (What did we do before TiVo?)

Make homework a priority. Decide with your kids where and what time they will complete their homework. The “homework” area could be the kitchen or dinning room table, the kid’s room or the family den. Set up the “homework” area with supplies like paper, pencils, crayons etc. Having supplies on hand will ensure homework will be completed successfully.

Getting organized for the school day can happen the night before. Thirty minutes before bedtime, get kids “organized” for the next day. Gather homework, supplies, books and backpacks, even after school activity stuff. Making lunches and gathering the kid’s “stuff” will alleviate any chaos and rushing the next morning. Everyone will be more relaxed and ready to face the day ahead.

Post an affirmation on the fridge for the whole family to read as they are getting breakfast, help the little ones read it as well. Affirmations help to develop a positive mindset: such as, “Learning is fun and exciting”. Here is a great site for affirmations for kids, Abundance Tapestry . Affirmations are a great tool to start the day off with a bang!

Ask your kids what they would like to have in their lunches. Kids can get bored with their lunches; by giving your kids choices on what goes into their lunch, you will help prevent boredom. Research the Internet for lunch ideas. Creative lunches will make your kids the envy of the class!

Talk to your child about what makes going to school so great! Meeting new friends, catching up with the friends they haven’t seen all summer. Mention all the new stuff, like cloths, backpack and pencils etc. If this is the first time going to school (kindergarten) talk to your child about the fun activities like arts and crafts, playing on the play ground or reading new books.

If at all possible, take some time off of work during the first week of school especially if your child is starting kindergarten or has just started a new school. Go to school with your child on the first day. Remind your children of the routine you all set and have practiced for the last week. And when you are on your own during the day, take some time for yourself. A relaxed Mom and Dad will help the kids to relax.

Be excited about the first day of school for your child and your excitement will be contagious. Note: You know your kids best of all so if they seem overly anxiety around going to school or their anxiety continues for too long, talk to your child and then talk with their teachers. There may be an underlying cause of your child’s anxiety around going to school and you want to figure out what it is a ASAP!

Remember to share your tips for going back to school.

Connect with us at:

Twitter

Facebook

Are you looking for ways to share the passion you have for reading with your children this summer? There are many benefits to reading with your child such as opening the door to discovery, adventure and creativity. Reading together with your child also forms strong bonds that will last a lifetime.

• Introducing your child to reading can start at an early age. When your child is too young to read you can purchase books with large tangible pictures that they can touch.
• Add drama and enthusiasm to capture your child’s attention.
• To make your reading time special, snuggle together at a set time and special place, each day and read.
• When you want to read your favorite book, encourage your child to sit beside you and they can read their own book.
• It is important to involve your child in each story. Pick short adventure story picture books and then after you read a page or two, ask questions about the pictures. Ask your child what they think will happen next.
• To encourage imagination, ask your child questions about the story you are reading together.
• Create a connection when you introduce your child to the same books you loved as a child.
• Create outrageous sound effects for the different sounds in a story.
• Create a distinctive voice for each character in the story.
• Get your child to help you make the sounds as the story moves forward.
• Make it theatrical: act out a short adventure story. Give each child a character to play.
• Make finger puppets or Popsicle stick puppets with your child for their favorite story.
• When new words appear in a story you are reading, discuss what it means and then support using the word throughout the day.
• Use magnetic letters on the fridge door to encourage spelling and word recognition.
• Go to the library, bookstore or used bookstore with your child and get the books that interest them.
• Check out CD’s and DVD’s that are available, that are interactive for children to learn the alphabet and increase their vocabulary.
• Explore the world of online apps.
• Create a reading chart.
• While in the car or playing at home, play music for your children to sing along with. Learning new songs increases your child’s vocabulary.
• Your goal is to make reading one of your child’s favorite activities. Studies show that children who are good readers are 3 times more likely to succeed than children who do not enjoy reading.

There is a multitude of ways to share your love of reading with your child. The most important way is to read with your child. It creates a strong bond between you and your child and it creates the love of reading.

What ways do you encourage reading with your family? Send us your comments or ideas! MarvinDiscovers

Our next Stock Order Event is September 1st!

Order any Signing Time product from our on-line store and

SAVE 10% AND FREE SHIPPING!

To receive an on-line order form, email:info@thesigningmom.com

www.signandplaystore.ca

I love finding unique comfortable clothing for my little man, but finding clothing that promotes expression, creativity and permission to show individual style  can be challenging in a sea of Gap kids.

I often shop for clothes for kids online and most recently I found a great shop called Ellos where I found these pieces that I just had to pick up.

Aren’t they so hip and sweet?

Ok, I will admit that I don’t think Curtis cares what I dress him in now. But, it’s not a bad idea to get a head start on teaching him to be choose clothing that he feels great in and that shows his personality.

Lastly, please don’t spend a fortune on kids clothing and if you do, make sure that you pass it on!

Hi Moms!

Are you ready for a hot topic tonight for the #healthymomschat ?! We hope so because we’re talking about sex baby!

We want to know…

If it important, how you make time, are you getting enough, who has the bigger appetite, how to stay intimate, how to have enough energy at night and more!