Parenting With Teacher Nancy

In this stressful time, we need to focus on what is most important, so we'll look at how Love and Affection  ( the most important parent competency ) has long term effects.    How a Parent's Affection Shapes a Child's Happiness for Life The biggest and most expensive longevity study showed the warmth of your relationship with a parent matters long into adulthood .  So let's build this warmth through hugs. Practice for this Week Hugs would fit into parenting competencies one, two and three, as long as you are hugging your children and anyone else in your household.    Forbes magazine also has it as a way to combat the stress of this pandemic time. The late Virginia Satir, psychotherapist and pioneer in family therapy believed “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.”   Directions Decide your goal for number of hugs.  If you are not getting four hugs a day, make this ...

This has been a tough week. It's stress and anxiety producing enough just to be parenting in this day and age, and for most, keeping up healthy co-parenting relationships.  Then we have the pandemic, and its by-products: concern or worry for the health of your family and loved ones, financial/housing/work...insecurities.  In the education realm, all who are involved, teachers, staff, students and families, we are grieving the normal beginning of a school year, missing the face to face connections, loss of our classrooms to the virtual world with all the challenges, and parents simultaneously home schooling and attempting to work. Let's add the political climate with the upcoming election, disagreements that arise in every direction, inequalities and the unjust systems. We can't forget the racial awareness that is now at the forefront of the nation's conscience that has resulted in daily protests in this country and the need for change. On top of everything else-- Fires....

  While we are stuck together as we shelter in place, and this summer (whatever that might look like), it's important to be present, really present, with each family member.  Sometimes when we are together too much, we forget to "see" each other.   Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson, authors of my favorite parenting books, describe how to "show up" and connect with your family.  Do You Really "See" Your Child Taking risks is an important part of childhood (more on that next).  But how do you calculate this risk moving out of the pandemic, and deciding who to see(grandparents, friends...) and where to go (school, daycare, camps...).  Emily Oster, the economist and author of Crib Sheet and Expecting Better, helps parents understand how to evaluate risk. How to Decide: Grandparents and Day Care . Allowing your children to take risks as they play, whether on their own or with others, is an essential part of development. For those of you who have read...

Dream and plan for the future of your family together with your partner this coming Saturday night, June 6:  Creating a Family Vision and Mission .  Geared for prenatal to adolescent parents.  Join me on Zoom! If you're ready for Part 2: Creating a Family Plan With Rituals on June 13, register here . Find out more here .  Not to worry, the impact of  social distancing/isolation will be minimal  for your kids. I've  heard too many parents concerned about how this pandemic will also effect their learning and future. Many parents assume young children learn as adults do.  In reality, if they are loved and have time to play freely, they will thrive.  Debunking the Belief That Earlier Is Better Serious Need For Play Let your child/ren play on their own, and play with them when you want.  They will grow up well. **There is new evidence that some children do benefit from academic rigor at a young age, but those are the children whose p...

Just Announced: May 16, Creating a Family Vision and Mission Workshop on Zoom   with Nancy Some have asked about how to deal with tantrums, since sheltering in place is difficult.  Here are a couple good articles: Tantrums: Why They Happen, and How To Respond Understanding Why Tantrums Happen and How To Support Them also What to Say Instead of "Don't Cry" Another indoor fun resource: 87 Energy-Busting Indoor Games  &  Activities For Kids (Because Cabin Fever Is No Joke) EXTRAS Last week I suggested this book to a student, and then was sent this link from a different student.  It's a great talk to give us a taste of the ideas in his book. Whole Brain Child: Neuroscience of the Developing Brain with Dr. Daniel Siegel (City Arts and Lecture) Toddler Tantrums 101:  Why They Happen and What You Can Do 14 Ways To Tame a Tantrum CLASS ANNOUNCEMENTS  Students- Please email me for more details. This Tuesday evening, April 28, 8-9 pm,...

Thank you to those of you who shared your ideas.  It's a great list of Things To Do With Children, Delicious, Comforting, and Tried and True Recipes, Health and Wellness and Entertainment. Things To Do With Children Bussy Toddler- https://busytoddler.com/ - Site is full of fun and engaging activities for toddlers to kindergartners that are easy to set up.  (Try Sticker Sort -- For more exercise, I like to hold the stickers myself in another room.  Then I give my toddler a couple of stickers at a time and she has to run to the other room to sort them.) WideOpenSchool.Org Google, PBS, National Geographic, Scholastic and other companies working together to do online schooling.  For Pre-K to 12th grade. Finger Painting ( Bc my toddler still puts everything in his mouth, I use plain yogurt with food coloring and "paint" the stove top. You could use other colorful foods like red tomato paste, orange sweet potato/carrot puree, etc. ) Sink Play ( For tho...