Dana’s Kids Blog

No matter how you choose to do it, at what point in your child’s life or with which method. there is one important thing to keep in mind during sleep training: you are giving your child the opportunity to learn how to soothe him or her self.  This is a life long skill.  It is a skill that takes time to learn.  Longer for some children than others.  My technique uses routine, consistency, and individual needs to help children learn to soothe themselves to sleep.  Most importantly, I rely on the belief that the vast majority of children have the ability to learn this skill.  Once we have made a plan, I often tell parents: Just when you feel like you can’t listen to them as they ”work it out” any longer, wait a few more seconds before you rush in.  Send your child the message that you know they can do this!  Give them some time to figure it out.  You’ll both have learned something valuable in the long run.

If you have specific questions about sleep training, when to begin, the techniques I use, or simply need some support please email me at dana@danaskids.com

For anyone who hasn’t made it, run….don’t walk, over to Sprout San Francisco’s new location in New York City!  This store is terrific.  Its products are natural and organic,  and its staff is incredibly knowledgeable.  Best of all, they share my philosophy of educating parents and caregivers.  With that in mind, we’ve created a series of workshops to empower  and educate you about parenting and your child’s development.  If you can’t make it to either location, their website, www.SproutSanFrancisco.com, is a wealth of information and you can even shop online!

Sprout San Francisco And Dana’s Kids Are Proud to Present A Series of Parenting Workshops

Thursday October 13 Developmentally Appropriate Play: Stretching Your Child’s Abilities Without Frustrating Them (0-2yo)

Monday November 14 Emotionally Responsive Parenting: Following Your Child’s Cues and the Value of a “Flexible Routine” (All Ages)

Monday December 5 Baby It’s Cold Outside: Indoor Activities for When It’s Too Cold To Leave the House (1-3yo)

All sessions are 6-7pm and will include time for questions. Classes are $25 pp when purchased individually and $65 for the package of 3. Attendees can register in advance by emailing their name, their child’s age, the class date/title they are registering for or their interest in the package, as well as any questions they may have, to dana@danaskids.com. Payments will be taken in the form of cash or check (made out to “Dana Rosenbloom”), prior to each session from 5:30-6pm. Packages must be paid for at the October 13th workshop. Walk-ins are welcome!

Recently,  I wrote an article for a website about preparing young children with special needs for mainstream kindergarten.  Needless to say, this had me thinking about the skills I would hope all children entering kindergarten would have.  Before entering kindergarten, most 4-5 year olds should have the ability to speak in sentences, understand the sequence of story, process a story told by another person, and the ability to relate a familiar story to someone else.

The activity below can be done with children younger than 4 as well.  Toddlers love having photographs to remind them of the important people in their lives and the activities they’ve done.  2s and 3s can answer specific questions about events, people and materials.  Many 3 year olds love telling stories and seeing their words written on paper.  Though most can not tell a story in a linear (events in the right order) fashion.  This is also a terrific activity for children with special needs.  Caregivers and therapists can concentrate on eye contact, answering and asking questions about specific events, and picking up on visual cues in photographs.  Give it a try!

What You’ll Need:

-Camera

-paper and a pen

-crayons

-tape or glue

The Plan:

In the morning, make a plan for the day.  Take pictures at each of the activities.  The next day, print the pictures and make a book.  Your child should tell the story while you write it.  Have them try to do this without looking at the photos.  If they are having difficulty, let them look at the photographs you’ve take.  For children who still find this challenging, try making the book at the end of the same day you’ve done the activities.  If they are able, have your child help write some of the words.  Children who like drawing can make pictures to go along with the story.  Let your child “read” the story to others.  Try it again on another day.

Where to start? Where to start? One needn’t looking any further than the first photograph in Kate Zernike’s recent New York Times article, “Fast-Tracking to Kindergarten.” The poor munchkin in that picture looks so overwhelmed. And why shouldn’t she be? Developmentally, her mind and body are not ready for this work. I’m all for enrichment and supporting children’s growth, but we should be following the child’s lead, the topics that attract them and their developmental capabilities. A proficient educator can teach any number of skills through a variety of topics that originate with the children. Reading this article, I thought longingly of the days when after-school and summer activities were simply playing with friends and exploring the world.

As an educator, I encourage all parents to reflect on their children, run with their interests and expose them to a variety of experiences. In this way children build skills and self-esteem. Expecting toddlers and preschoolers to sit for long periods of time and do homework is developmentally inappropriate and has the potential to be emotionally and psychologically damaging. This article made me feel sad for the child, the parents, and our world. I’m not naive. I understand the pressure and the reality. Maybe it’s time we start pressuring parents and caregivers to let kids be kids. They’ll have plenty of time for drill and kill.

Check out the Events Page for information on two upcoming workshops at Three Little Birds Music (UES, NYC) this June.  On June 15, I’ll be speaking about Toilet Training and Signs of Readiness.  On June 29th the topic is Positive Discipline and Dealing with Tantrums.  Hope to see you there!

All children love seeing themselves and the important people in their lives in photographs.  For babies, photo albums can be used to support language development, recognition of their loved ones and caregivers, and are a great transition object for day care.  Toddlers enjoy labeling all of the people and things they know.  For twos and threes, photographs help with separation at school and camp, they can be used for setting up schedules (children at this age thrive on routine), and can teach children about flexibility.  Threes and older love recalling events like trips to the farm, Halloween, and visiting family and friends that live far away.  A series of photographs can be used for sequencing activities and promote telling stories with a beginning, middle, and end.  Photo albums are a terrific tool for helping children through moves from one house to another, can ease the anxiety and unpredictability that may arise during divorce or separation, and are great for children with special needs.  Give it a try!  Thinking about using photos or a photo album with your child and not sure how to proceed? Get in touch: Dana@DanasKids.com

On March 15, 2011, I’ll be speaking and answering questions at an event coordinated by Big City Moms. The topic is Positive Discipline and Limit Setting. Check out the “Events” page for details!

When a child says “help me please,” how can you resist? It feels so good to be able to give your child what he or she needs! But parents and caregivers should be aware that self-help skills are incredibly important for young children. Sometimes, adults don’t realize how capable children are. Toddlers can help put clean socks in a drawer. Two year olds can help clean up a spill and help put on and take off clothing. Three years olds can thrown away their garbage and put on their own shoes (once you’ve loosened them). Here’s a great trick I’ve been using for years to help children recognize which shoe goes on which foot. They’re called “kissing dots!” 

To make kissing dots, simply take a permanent marker and draw small dots on the inside sole of each shoe. When the shoes are placed on the floor next to each other, the dots should appear to be “kissing!” (Wow, it’s much harder to describe this than I anticipated.). Explain this idea to your child. If he lays his shoes on the floor and the dots are not kissing, they will not be on the right feet. Once your child has the shoes on, ask him “Are the dots kissing?” With time, your child will be able to “check” on his or her own.

Stay tuned for more tips! As always, if you have questions, please get in touch.