Nature Walk

The dew drops were still glistening on the leaves as my grandnephew and I began our nature walk one early morning in Edgewood Park. We decided to take a trail through a wooded area that led uphill to a grassy meadow and beautiful rolling hills.

Learning about Wildlife

My six-year-old companion was very curious as we came to each kiosk situated along the trail. He asked me to read about the plant or animal described along with its photo. We would look for the plants depicted as we continued on the trail. Eventually he began to recognize and name the ferns, moss, lichen, and the various shrubs and trees we saw.

My grandnephew was also excited to know about the animals and insects that surrounded us. We read about the deer, raccoons, and other small animals we might see in the forest, as well as the snakes we might see in the grasslands. We talked about how the park had many habitats for many plants and animals. This was their home. We needed to be respectful of them as we visited this beautiful park.

Nature Walks Can Happen Everywhere

I’ve taken nature walks with my children and grandchildren in many settings. A neighborhood walk can turn into a nature walk as well as a walk to the local park. Plant and animal habitats surround us in front yards, in trees along the route, and in our neighborhood parks. Children can explore the habitats of plants, insects and birds in any of these settings. We expand the world for our children as they realize that plant and animal habitats surround us, whether we are near or far away from home.

Enjoy nature with your little ones, every chance you get.

With love and affection,

Rosemarie

Early Intervention for the Developmentally Disabled

Parents know their children better than anyone. The first three years are very important in a child’s life. If parents are concerned about their child’s development, it is best to identify the concern as soon as possible. Families who have infants or toddlers with developmental delay or disabilities, may qualify for early intervention services provided by the Early Start program.

California’s Early Start Program provides early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and to their families. Families may access the program through one of California’s Regional Centers for developmental disabilities, County Offices of Education, or local school districts.

Are you concerned about your child’s development?

If you have concerns about your infant or toddler’s development, discuss them with your child’s doctor. The doctor may recommend that you call the local regional center or special education program at either the school district or the county office of education. You may also contact these agencies directly.

Next Steps

When you contact a regional center or school district, a representative of the agency will provide additional information about services and, if appropriate, make arrangements to have your child assessed. Your child may qualify for confidential special services. You may also receive information about local Early Start Family Resource Centers and Family Empowerment Centers on Disability. These services provide parent-to-parent support, resource materials, and other information useful to families.

Eligibility

Children who are eligible include infants or toddlers (birth through 36 months) who:

have a significant delay in at least one area of development,
have a condition with a known probability of causing a disability or delay,
have severe vision, hearing, or orthopedic conditions, or
are at “high risk” of experiencing developmental delays or disabilities due to a combination of risk factors.

Early intervention services support the well-being of young children ages birth-3 years old. A child’s development is assessed in each of these five areas:

ability to move, see, and hear (physical)
ability to think and learn (cognitive)
ability to understand, talk, express self (language and speech)
ability to relate to others (social and emotional)
ability to eat, dress and to care for or help self (adaptive)

Services

When a child is eligible, families and professionals work together as partners to plan and deliver quality Early intervention services and support. The regional center coordinates community services based on the child’s needs and the preferences of each family.

Early Start services are provided in “natural environments”, such as the home and community settings where children without disabilities may participate. Evaluations, assessments, and most services are provided at no cost to the family. Private insurance, when available, must be used for medical services or therapies.

At age 3, children who have been served by Early Start move to a different system. They may continue to receive services through a special education preschool program and through Lanterman regional center services. If no longer needed, they may graduate out of specialized services.

Last month I wrote about accessing services for school-aged children with developmental disabilities. If children can be identified prior to beginning school, services will already be in place at the time educational decisions need to be made. That will make for a smoother transition into school for the child with developmental disabilities.

My best to you during this time of Thanksgiving.

With love and affection,

Rosemarie

Get Ready for School with Siblings, Twins, and Multiples Play Activities

Infants and preschoolers love pretend and play with lovies as soon as they can grab for toys. Many infants will react happily to cause and effect play and will soon grow into loving pretend play with their preschool siblings and family members. Suggested activities can include the following:

Materials:

Yikes! Brandon and His Twin Sisters Go to School book
Twin and multiplies play kits (e.g. Calico Critters Stroller Set with mother and twin guinea pigs)
Community stickers (i.e. My Town Reusable Sticker Pad)
Building kits (i.e. 80 Mega Blocks)

Activities:

Read Yikes! Brandon and His Twin Sisters Go to School and ask the following:
- Why did the twins starting going to preschool?
- What activities did they participate in when they attended school?
- What did they learn when playing with different toys?
- Do you attend preschool? What are your favorite play activities?
- Have you ever played with twins or multiples? Do they look the same? What have you learned when playing with twins or multiples?
- Can you tell the difference from each twin or multiple child? What would you do if they looked identical and could not tell the difference between each child?
- Describe your favorite activities at school.
- Make a sticker picture of a fun day at school.
Build a home for your Calico Critters and other pretend friends.

How many of your friends are identical or look the same and how many are different?
Create a puppet show using your Calico Critters and friends. What are they doing to get their older brothers and sisters ready for the first day of school? What can you do to help your older sibling get ready for school?
What happens when your roll the Calico Critter twin stroller? Can your other friends fit into the stroller? Does the stroller roll faster or slower with different friends who fit into the stroller?
What types of school activities do you like to play? Do you like to color or draw pictures?
What do you do with stickers? Can you make a picture with your stickers? Can you tell a story? What does each person in the story do in your community? Can any of these people help your siblings get ready for school? Do they help your brothers or sisters during the school day?
What community helper would you like to be when you get bigger? Pretend you are that person. What do you do in that job?

When reading and discussing suggested books with your children, listed below are several relevant California Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy:

Kindergarten: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Grade 1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Grade 2: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g. what moment in a story an illustration depicts).
Kindergarten: With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.

Listed below are relevant Common Core Standards in Mathematics for these activities:

Kindergarten Measurement and Data: Classify objects and count the number of objects in each category.
Kindergarten Counting and Cardinality: Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.

Your Child Hurts Himself and Doesn’t Want to Cry

Your Child Hurts Himself and Doesn’t Want to Cry!

One of my friends brought her child over to my home to play with my grandson. While running around the backyard, my friend’s son, Nathan, stumbled and fell hard on his knee. The knee was severely bruised and bloody. Shockingly, Nathan withheld any emotion although he was in extreme pain. My friend and I were alarmed that he was too self-conscious and afraid to express his true emotions. When approaching Nathan about his injury, my friend responded to his distress by:

Encouraging him to express how he felt
Telling him it was OK to cry
Reassuring and cuddling her son
Having her son help when washing and applying medicine on the knee

As an adult, I hardly ever cry. I don’t think it is healthy. I held back my emotions when family members were ill because I did not want to worry other family members and create turmoil. I wanted to be a good girl and denied my emotions to take care of the family.

When raising my children and now my grandchild, I have encouraged them to express their emotions. I want my grandson to learn how to feel his emotions and express them. If a child withholds his feelings, he may not identify his true feelings. Over time, the child may develop anxiety, anger, or depression about life’s circumstances.

When your child puts himself last and everyone else first, healthy relationships with family members have limited grow and may not be nurtured.

May you resolve those trying times with loving tears!

Joyce

Summer Time with Your Preschoolers

It is that time of year when parents are deciding about what they can do with their kids during the summer. Many of us have big ideas that are too expensive or time-consuming for a family’s resources. GenParenting readers shared the following affordable activities for fun-filled times with their children:

A camping trip that you can share with other families
A long weekend at a family friendly beach, resort, or motel
Spending a night at an animal sanctuary and waking up to the sounds of lions, water buffalo, exotic birds, or farm animals
Staying in a cabin or tent lodge at a lake or national park
Bicycle rides through botanical gardens or community parks
Planning overnight and extended visits with grandparents or special friends that allow for exploration of new cities and landmarks

When planning these getaways, consider the following:

Keep it simple and flexible.
Be spontaneous and ready to change when children become tired or lose interest.
There is no need to travel far from home as children love the simplicity of a local adventure.
It doesn’t have to cost much to be fun. The best adventures are typically inexpensive or free. These can include hiking, riding bikes, digging in the sand, and water play either at home or at a nearby park, beach, or lake.
The trip does not have to be days long.
Children can plan the excursion.
Include friends and family and share childcare duties.

Happy travels as you plan this year’s adventures with your children!

Joyce