Well, we are just about done month #3 of 2011...and I am curious...how are you doing on your New Year's Resolutions?
As I mentioned in January, I made little charts in my notebook by my bed, so I can review where I am at on various goals on a regular basis. I am so glad that I wrote these charts in a notebook I open almost everyday...because it has helped keep my goals in my mind and remind me when I am falling behind!
All of my goals this year I realize, are relationship based. My relationship with my husband, with my daughters, and with friends. Here are my results so far:
1. Monthly Interviews with 3 older daughters: I am happy to report that either Wayne or I have done this each month.
2. Monthly dates with girls: Definitely room for improvement. Took all three girls in January, one in February, and scrambling this last week to take the other two for March.
3. Monthly date with Wayne: He has been behind this one, and out of 3 months, he has surprised me TWICE! I am loving it! (For those of you who think a date with just the two of us twice in three months is NOTHING....then I am guessing you don't have 5 kids...two of which are under 2 years old.)
4. Having friends over at least once a month (at least 12 in the year): I am THRILLED with our success with this one. To date we have had 5 different friends/families over and have one scheduled for April already.
Although I can think of countless other areas of my life I would like to improve, for now I am content with these 4 goals. They feel important, they feel doable, and I believe they will make me a better person for doing them. And for today...that is enough.
I would love to hear an update on your resolutions and how you are doing or even if you realize you just need to refocus!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Baby Signs and Expressive Language
Me and my baby get to participate in the Roots of Empathy program at the elementary school. We essentially get to go meet with a grade 5 class (same one all year) every 3 weeks, and they get to experience the relationship I have with my baby, and they get to see her grow up and reach milestones. It is a REALLY fantastic program!
Yesterday, I got to talk a little about Infant Sign Language, which is sign language for babies so that they can communicate before they can talk. (Ideal for 8 months - 2 years old)
The topic started because we were talking about receptive and expressive language. Receptive language is the ability to UNDERSTAND what is being said, and expressive language is the ability to COMMUNICATE what you want to say. Receptive language in babies is developed first, and usually far earlier than most parents realize because a baby does not have the ability to tell anyone what they understand. Using signs, however, enables a baby to develop their expressive language at an incredibly young age and in turn helps them learn to speak sooner.
Let's use my 3rd daughter as an example. She did her first sign when she was 10 months old by "panting" for DOG. Every time she would see her favorite stuffed dog, she would "pant" and we would say "Yes! That is a dog!" At 10 months old, she was able to tell us about something that she was interested in, and we were able share in her interest! By the time she was 12 months old she was using multiple signs like EAT, DRINK, MORE, and ALL DONE. What this meant is that without the need for whining, pointing, and grunting, she was able to tell us what she needed and learned early on that we understood her.
Signing provides the ability for a child to engage in a conversation before being able to speak. One of my favorite example is when my daughter was 13 months old. During the night she had thrown up in bed, but didn't cry so I didn't know. In the morning when I went to get her I said something along the lines of "Oh no! You got DIRTY in your SLEEP. Lets go have a BATH and clean you up." Naturally, as children love repetition, she went through these signs a few times as we went through the process of cleaning her up. However, the best part for me was a conversation we had AN HOUR later while eating breakfast.
She looked at me, put down her spoon and signed DIRTY.
I said "That's right. You were dirty this morning."
She then signed SLEEP.
I said "That's right. You got dirty while you were sleeping."
She then signed BATH.
To which I replied "That's right! You had a bath this morning to clean up!"
And then she went back to eating breakfast.
It was amazing to me to have her bring up a subject that I was NOT thinking about, and realize that I would have had NO IDEA what she was thinking about it if she didn't have the ability to sign to me. Her expressive language was very well developed even at the young age of 13 months old!
I feel very fortunate that I accidentally discovered The Baby Signs Program 11 years ago, and that I've had the privilege of enhancing the expressive language of my children at very young ages! What fun we have had!
Yesterday, I got to talk a little about Infant Sign Language, which is sign language for babies so that they can communicate before they can talk. (Ideal for 8 months - 2 years old)
The topic started because we were talking about receptive and expressive language. Receptive language is the ability to UNDERSTAND what is being said, and expressive language is the ability to COMMUNICATE what you want to say. Receptive language in babies is developed first, and usually far earlier than most parents realize because a baby does not have the ability to tell anyone what they understand. Using signs, however, enables a baby to develop their expressive language at an incredibly young age and in turn helps them learn to speak sooner.
Let's use my 3rd daughter as an example. She did her first sign when she was 10 months old by "panting" for DOG. Every time she would see her favorite stuffed dog, she would "pant" and we would say "Yes! That is a dog!" At 10 months old, she was able to tell us about something that she was interested in, and we were able share in her interest! By the time she was 12 months old she was using multiple signs like EAT, DRINK, MORE, and ALL DONE. What this meant is that without the need for whining, pointing, and grunting, she was able to tell us what she needed and learned early on that we understood her.
Signing provides the ability for a child to engage in a conversation before being able to speak. One of my favorite example is when my daughter was 13 months old. During the night she had thrown up in bed, but didn't cry so I didn't know. In the morning when I went to get her I said something along the lines of "Oh no! You got DIRTY in your SLEEP. Lets go have a BATH and clean you up." Naturally, as children love repetition, she went through these signs a few times as we went through the process of cleaning her up. However, the best part for me was a conversation we had AN HOUR later while eating breakfast.
She looked at me, put down her spoon and signed DIRTY.
I said "That's right. You were dirty this morning."
She then signed SLEEP.
I said "That's right. You got dirty while you were sleeping."
She then signed BATH.
To which I replied "That's right! You had a bath this morning to clean up!"
And then she went back to eating breakfast.
It was amazing to me to have her bring up a subject that I was NOT thinking about, and realize that I would have had NO IDEA what she was thinking about it if she didn't have the ability to sign to me. Her expressive language was very well developed even at the young age of 13 months old!
I feel very fortunate that I accidentally discovered The Baby Signs Program 11 years ago, and that I've had the privilege of enhancing the expressive language of my children at very young ages! What fun we have had!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Baby Talk
My 4th daughter is 22 months old now and really starting to talk up a storm! This is such a fun age too, since so many of her words are adorable baby approximations! All of her "L's" and "R's" sound like "W's"...and with her cute little voice...she is just adorable.
What I have found, however, is that her older sisters (and parents) don't sound nearly as cute when we imitate her! Not only that, but if we were to continue to use baby talk with her, she would have a difficult time learning to pronounce words properly, and would have a greater chance of developing a speech impediment.
Not only do we avoid using baby talk with our toddlers, but we also strive to re-say the word they are saying with the proper pronunciation. For example, our toddler LOVES apples and cheese, and when she asks for it, it sounds like "happle eese"...to which I reply, "Apples and cheese? You want some apples and cheese?" This provides her the opportunity to hear the proper way to say what she wants to, and sometimes she tries again. She is still too little to actually pronounce it completely, however, I want to make sure she knows how it is supposed to sound when she is ready.
And if she continues to use baby talk when she is older, I will get down to her level, and encourage her to try pronouncing it properly. If she asks for a "baff"...I will get down...say "baTH? Say baTH"...and encourage her to practice the "th" sound.
As parents, it is our job to teach our children skills. Language and speech is no different. It is much easier to shape our child's speech when they are just learning rather than trying to retrain them when they are older. Being aware of how our children are pronouncing words, and encouraging them to develop good speech habits is helping them for the future.
Of course, using regular speech with our children and encouraging them to pronounce words properly does not guarantee they won't have a speech impediment. And if that is the case, how grateful I am for professionals to help our children!
What I have found, however, is that her older sisters (and parents) don't sound nearly as cute when we imitate her! Not only that, but if we were to continue to use baby talk with her, she would have a difficult time learning to pronounce words properly, and would have a greater chance of developing a speech impediment.
Not only do we avoid using baby talk with our toddlers, but we also strive to re-say the word they are saying with the proper pronunciation. For example, our toddler LOVES apples and cheese, and when she asks for it, it sounds like "happle eese"...to which I reply, "Apples and cheese? You want some apples and cheese?" This provides her the opportunity to hear the proper way to say what she wants to, and sometimes she tries again. She is still too little to actually pronounce it completely, however, I want to make sure she knows how it is supposed to sound when she is ready.
And if she continues to use baby talk when she is older, I will get down to her level, and encourage her to try pronouncing it properly. If she asks for a "baff"...I will get down...say "baTH? Say baTH"...and encourage her to practice the "th" sound.
As parents, it is our job to teach our children skills. Language and speech is no different. It is much easier to shape our child's speech when they are just learning rather than trying to retrain them when they are older. Being aware of how our children are pronouncing words, and encouraging them to develop good speech habits is helping them for the future.
Of course, using regular speech with our children and encouraging them to pronounce words properly does not guarantee they won't have a speech impediment. And if that is the case, how grateful I am for professionals to help our children!
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