Five Fun Things to Do With Water!

Summer’s here and I don’t know about where you are, but it is H-O-T in Texas. Here are five funtabulously fun things to do with water with your preschooler (besides the obvious- swimming). Enjoy!

1. Make a water xylophone – Fill several drinking glasses with different amounts of water. Using a metal spoon, gently tap on each glass to hear the different sound it makes as a result of the differing amount of water. Tap out a song! Add some food coloring for an extra colorful instrument!

2. Washing Dishes Helper – While you’re washing the dishes, give your child a few clean tupperwares or plastic plates to ‘wash’ alongside you. It will get your child involved give him some fun sensory experiences.  

3. Experiment with Colors – Use food coloring, juices, or anything soluble that can turn the water different colors. Mix colors, mix materials, just have a go at it and create your own science experiment. Then see how things turn out when you try and use your creation as paint!

4. Paint the Sidewalk – with water. Grab an old paintbrush, fill a bucket with water, and ‘paint’ the sidewalk or the driveway. I used to LOVE doing this as a kid. It’s relaxing and it will help your toddler or preschooler work on fine motor skills.

5. Sink or Float? Before bath time round up a whole load of water safe toys. Make two piles: one pile of things you think will float and one pile of things you think will sink. Hop in and test. Were you right?

Depression and Your Parenting Style: What it May Mean for Your Child

In a fascinating study that came out last month in the journal Psychological Science, researchers from the University of Maryland found that preschoolers with depressed mothers became more stressed out during mildly stressful experiences than children without depressed mothers, but only if their mothers exhibited a negative parenting style.

Let’s break it down. The researchers put preschoolers in mildly stressful situations when they participated in the research experiment, like interacting with a stranger or giving them a locked transparent box with a fun toy inside but no way to open it. They measured cortisol, a stress hormone, both before and after the stressful experiences. When we’re stressed out, our cortisol levels increase. The researchers found that the cortisol levels increased the most in kiddos who had moms who 1.Were depressed and 2.Displayed a negative parenting style.

What is meant by negative parenting style? I’m so glad you asked. In the kind of work I do, negative, or hostile, parenting is defined as parental behaviors that express anger, frustration, and/or criticism toward the child. At the extreme end, think put-downs, yelling, blaming. At the milder end, think sarcasm or frustrated insistence that a child do a task a certain way.

Back to the results. The researchers can’t say that depression and negative parenting caused the increase in stress for the kiddos- it’s just a correlation, or a linkage, but it’s still super interesting. But what’s hopeful to note is that, in this study, just having a depressed parent didn’t result in an increase in stress- the depressed parent had to have a negative parenting style. Which means we can focus on the parenting behaviors, which is very doable!

So if you think you might be depressed, besides getting help for yourself (because depression is one of the most treatable mental illnesses!), here are a few things you can do to make sure you’re giving your child your best:

• Set a timer for 5 minutes and give your child that much undivided playtime. If 5 minutes is too long for you, set it for 3.
• When playing with your child, repeat to yourself, ‘I can be flexible.’ Remember: letting your child take the lead is a good thing. Play doesn’t have to be structured to be fun!
• If you find yourself drifting away mentally during play, find physical attributes about the toys to point out to your child (colors, letters, numbers, etc.). This will help you stay engaged and help your child learn!
• Ask your child to ‘read’ a book to you.
• Schedule structured outings away from home, like story time at your local library. Getting a fresh view will be nice for you, and not planning anything will take the pressure off.
• Think about the words that come out of your mouth to your child. "If I had to make a general rule for living and working with children, it might be this: be wary of saying or doing anything to a child that you would not do to another adult, whose good opinion and affection you valued." -John Holt

Physical Therapy: Warning Signs and What Parents Can Do from KidsCare Therapy

It is with such sadness that I introduce our final post in our KidsCare Therapy series. I've had such a fun time working with KidsCare to bring you valuable information about in-home Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapy, what to look for as warning signs with your children, and how to help your children along developmental milestones. All good things must come to an end, I suppose, but I've let KidsCare know that they are welcome back 'round these parts anytime :)

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KidsCare Therapy has bittersweet feelings about being back this week for the final post of our series with Avant Garde Parenting for the second half of information on physical therapy. We are so happy that after today we will have provided you with the last bit of information to help enable you to keep the kids in your life developing, but we have enjoyed sharing our passion so much that it is sad to see it end!

In our last post we covered the general overview of what a pediatric physical therapist scope of treatment includes. So what do you think we are going to discuss for this week?  That’s right – we are going to tell you all about the specific diagnosis our physical therapist see in children, as well as potential warning signs and some things you can do with your children to ensure they continue to develop on target!

Physical therapists most often see children with developmental delays. While they also treat many patients with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome and Neurological Impairments, as with speech and occupational therapy they are really treating a list of common symptoms in these diagnosis, which we discussed in our last post. In order to know if your child could potentially need physical therapy services, we have provided a list below of potential warning signs in a child.

These warning signs include;

• If an infant has difficulty holding up his/her head
• A child is falling a lot
• Unable to perform skills like their peers
• Walking on their toes
• Regression of motor skills they have previously acquired
• They have difficulties walking
• Poor posture
• Asks to be carried all the time
• If they use one side of the body more than the other
• They show jerky movements or poor balance 

For additional developmental delays please check out our developmental delay chart 

These are all potential signs that could mean a child in your life needs to be evaluated for physical therapy services, and as we mentioned in our last post, catching this early, with proper treatment can help to alleviate problems later in the child’s life.

So, what can you do to help ensure you child develops normally? While you can’t be sure that they don’t break a bone or get into an accident (because lets face it – kids will be kids), you can do a few simple things to help make sure they continue to develop their motor skills at a normal pace.

·       For an infant it is important they have the opportunity to spend time on the floor in different positions.  While it is not recommended for them to sleep on their tummies, it is important that they spend some time on their stomach while they are awake.  This helps to facilitate rolling, head control and overall development. 

·       Minimize the time your infant spends in seating systems such as a car seat, bouncy seat and swing.  These activities are primarily passive and don’t encourage a lot of movement and strength building.  Providing your infant with floor time will assist them with developing their gross motor skills and meeting their milestones.

·       In today’s day of TV and video games it is important that your child gets exercise daily.  This can be easily done by doing activities that range from riding bikes, scooters, jumping rope, or just taking a walk or going to the park.  Limit TV and video games to one hour per day and remember to utilize a helmet when riding bikes and scooters (to prevent those kid accidents!).

·       Along those same lines, playing with your child is perhaps one of the best things you can do to keep them in shape and healthy. Specifically, swinging on swings, crawling through tunnels, and playing on the playground can help to develop their motor planning skills, strength and endurance.  Simple things that you can do in your home include building an obstacle course using furniture,  building a fort together to explore, or playing with the couch cushion making tunnels or towers. 

·       Being involved in sports such as gymnastics, swimming, and soccer are also great ways to enhance strength, coordination and balance.

With the help of these activities hopefully your child will continue to grow and thrive normally, but as we mentioned before if you ever notice that a child in your life is displaying some of the above listed warning signs be sure to mention it to their pediatrician. There are lots of great home health agencies in the area that can provide physical therapy services to your child right there in your living room!

See below for a great story about a kid who with one of our home health physical therapists was able to play with his brother again.

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Jaden, age 2, was born prematurely.  He and his twin brother were delivered via C-section at 32 weeks because of a complication called twin-to-twin transfusion.  One of the twins’ systems (in this case, Jaden’s) was doing all of the work for both.  To make matters worse, he also had a condition called tricuspid atresia, a problem in which the right ventricle of his heart did not form.  Jaden’s heart, already weaker than a normal baby’s, was forced to support two babies.

Jaden spent the first three months of his life in the hospital before his parents were allowed to bring him home.  He underwent his first heart surgery at one and half months; his second, at six months.  His most recent heart surgery, the third, was one month ago—a week after his second birthday.  All were considered great successes, but as with any surgery, post-operative care is critical.  Because of the vulnerable state of his heart, Jaden cannot and should not expend too much energy.  In addition, he is very susceptible to infection and he must receive oxygen at all times, which means leaving his house is difficult.  Anytime Jaden goes anywhere, his oxygen tank and supplies follow.

All of these complications make Jaden a very immobile child.  Unfortunately, mobile is just what he and his family must be with the constant schedule of doctors’ appointments.  They consider themselves very fortunate having the ability to receive therapy in the home.  Not only does this mean they are not obligated to transport Jaden and his equipment to therapy sessions six times a week, but also do not have to expose his fragile system to the shock of the real world as often. 

In-home therapy has also given Jaden’s therapists a chance for educating the family to be better able to care for him.  They have been taught exactly how to work with him so that he will continue to progress, even when the therapist is not present.  After just a year of therapy, Jaden has conquered most of his sensory issues, is standing, and will soon be walking around just like his active twin brother!  This will be a dream come true for everyone in Jaden’s family.

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Our passion here at KidsCare Therapy is helping kids, and because of this we have enjoyed providing information to all of the Avant Garde readers on how kids can develop and thrive. We hope that you have found our posts entertaining and informative and please feel free to contact us at our office if you have any questions about potential warning signs you see in a child in your life!

Parent of the Week: Danny Tanner

This past Sunday was Father’s Day and I can’t think of a better dad to celebrate than Danny Tanner himself. I mean, seriously, raising three girls on your own PLUS letting your deadbeat starving artist musician brother Uncle Jesse, his wife and twin babies, AND your creepy (did he ever really date anyone?) quirky best friend Uncle Joey live with your family in your amazing San Francisco town home? How did he do it? And what did he do for a living again? (Oh yeah, he hosted a television morning show. I just Wikipedia-ed it. I guess they could afford that house...)

ANYway, Danny was an awesome dad and the last five minutes of every show make me confident of this. Why, there was the time DJ went on a crash diet so she could be skinny, the time DJ got drunk at a party...man, DJ had a rough go of it. But Danny was always there for a quick 5 minute heart to heart, complete with compelling background music. And shoulder pads. For both of them. And a swinging kitchen door. What is it with 80’s/90’s sitcoms and swinging kitchen doors? Did any real people actually have these in their homes?

I digress. Again.

Today, Danny Tanner, we honor you. We honor your ability to solve all childhood/adolescent problems as a single parent in 5 minutes or less with the perfect background track. We honor your...dancing ability?

Teens who Feel Responsible to Parents Fare Better in School

In a fascinating new study, researchers find that teens who feel a sense of responsibility toward their parents tend to do better in school. Interesting, huh? I know what you’re thinking – this website is about preschoolers. But preschoolers grow up to be teenagers. And parents are always concerned about how to help their children succeed in school. So I thought this was relevant J

The study followed children from 7^th to 9^th grade in both the United States and China and asked kids questions like, ‘How much time do you feel you need to spend with your parents?’ and ‘Do you try to do well in school in part to please your parents?’ When students were in 7^th grade, both American and Chinese students felt equal respect and responsibility toward their parents, but something interesting happened as they got older: American teenagers began to feel less responsible to their parents. This was not true, however, for Chinese teenagers. This is likely a difference between cultures.

But here’s where it gets really interesting. For both American and Chinese teens, those who felt a high sense of respect toward and responsibility to their parents got better grades and showed better attitudes for learning. Why? Well, we don’t know for sure, but it may have something to do with those teens and parents maintaining a close relationship with each other. One of the authors of the study suggests the importance of parents being involved in teens’ lives, which was also linked with teens’ feelings of responsibility toward their parents.

So what can you do with your preschooler? Start now! If your child is in preschool, be involved. Celebrate successes, but don’t put too much emphasis on perfection. Let your child know that family time is important- set aside one day per week for time for just family, and stay committed to that. Continue these traditions throughout your child’s school years.

Children and Mistakes

I'm excited to bring you a guest article from Alina Tugend, author of Better by Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong. Goodness knows that I'm wrong. A lot. I'm so excited to read this book and learn about how we can actually benefit, and help children benefit, from learning from our mistakes rather than dwelling on them...enjoy!

Children and Mistakes
by Alina Tugend,
Author of Better By Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong

It's crucial that we, as parents, allow our children to make mistakes and fail and figure out how to recover from them. We can't rush in and fix every problem, whether it be forgotten homework, an awkward social encounter or not getting a part in the school play.

We know from research that building children's self-esteem and self-worth is much less about praise and gold stars and trophies for everyone and much more about creating resilience. Children who know how to screw up and fail and try again.

"While we do not want our children to face ongoing failure, to attempt to overprotect them and rush in whenever we fear they might fail at a task robs them of an important lesson, namely that mistakes are experiences from which to learn," writes Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein in their book Nurturing Resilience in Our Children. "It also communicates another subtle or perhaps not-so-subtle message to a child: We don't think you are strong enough to deal with obstacles and mistakes."

It's not that resilient children don't feel bad about their mistakes and failures, but they don't see themselves as failures. Too often children who think that messing up means they're losers quit tasks, blame others and deny responsibility.

But, as we know, nothing in parenting is black and white. It's fine to theoretically say that all children must make mistakes and fail, but when it's our children, all that great insight can go out the window. Or as my sister said when her nine-year-old was having a particularly tough baseball season, "I just don't want to be there when he strikes out."

What parent hasn't felt he or she would do anything to stop the tears? Or even worse, knowing there's something we can do and chose not to because our son or daughter has to learn a lesson.

So here are some thoughts that I keep in mind during the treacherous journey of parenthood:

• There are no absolutes. We shouldn't always rescue our children from their mistakes, but that doesn't mean we never should. Author Barbara Coloroso helpfully divides parents into brick-wall parent, jellyfish parent and backbone parent.

The brick-wall parent rigidly adheres to views of when to help. Never deliver the forgotten band instrument or science report. The jellyfish parent scurries over to school, French horn in hand, as soon as the call comes. The backbone parent takes the situation into consideration. Is the child constantly forgetting? Then she needs to learn Mom or Dad isn't always there as a back-up. But if it's an occasional thing, then why not bring over the lunch left on the kitchen table? After all we all forget things sometimes.

• Try (and I said try -- it's not always easy in the heat of the moment) to criticize your child in an appropriate manner. Avoid the words "always" and "never," as in "you're always so lazy and never ready when you need to be." Instead attempt to stick to the specific offense, "You seem to be late to school because you don't get your backpack ready the night before. How can we resolve this? Do you need me to check with you in the evening? If you don't want me to, you need to deal with it -- but if you're late to school again, we are taking away your TV privileges for the week."

In the second version, you're addressing the specific problem, telling the child he or she needs to figure out and to resolve it -- while giving a few suggestions -- and warning of specific consequences if the problem is not fixed.

• Work on focusing on the process, not just the results. When we're too worried about the good grade or the sports success, we lose sight of what we're trying to really teach our children. We start buying into the false notion that if they don't do well in every area of their life, they won't get into a good college, land a good job and have the great life we want them to have. We lose sight that one of our most important jobs as parents is to help teach our children how to successfully navigate the inevitable ups and downs of life. Children who aren't allowed to fail or resolve their own problems grow into adults who fall apart at the first setback.

And guess what? If we want to look long-term at our children's future success, increasingly employers say they aren't necessarily looking for the best student or the one that piles award upon award, but rather those who can show they know how to goof up and recover, how to learn from mistakes and successfully move forward. 

© 2011 Alina Tugend, author of Better By Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong

Author Bio
Alina Tugend, author of Better By Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong, has been a journalist for nearly 30 years and for the past six has written the ShortCuts column for the New York Times business section. She has written about education, environmentalism, and consumer culture for numerous publications, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, and Parents and is a Huffington Post contributor. Alina was awarded the 2011 Best in Business Award for Personal Finance by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. She lives outside New York City with her husband and their two sons.

For more information please visit http://www.alinatugend.com, read more from Alina on Huffington Post, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter

Parents of the Week: Dr. And Mrs. Huxtable

Oh, you didn't think I forgot them, did you? Not a chance. Just waiting for the right moment.

Cliff and Claire Huxtable rocked the mid-late 80's with style, humor, and romance- not to mention raising five children! That family had everything- a kitchen with a swinging door, living room furniture with fancy wooden feet, and even a hunky older brother (Theo) with a cool hairstyle (flat top). Just saying.


Really, though, Cliff and Claire were great parents. Sensitive and loving with clear boundaries. Supporting each other's decisions. Parenting with humor and not taking themselves too seriously. The way Claire would sit down and have a heart to heart with the kids, the way Cliff could make anything not seem so horrible...could you ask for more from parents?


So today we honor the Huxtables. And I leave you with this clip- even though it's not the best method to make your kiddos sit until they finish their veggies, this clip is really cute :)

Quality of Parent-Toddler Relationship Linked with Childhood Obesity

A recent article suggests that the quality of parent-toddler relationships could affect children's risk for obesity...what?! Sounds crazy, doesn't it? Let me explain.





In this fascinating study, the authors looked at the attachment relationship between parents and children. The attachment relationship is a special bond between parents and children. In short, it's based on the consistency with which you respond to your child- do you comfort her when she's upset? Do you pick him up when those precious arms are reaching for you? Do you snuggle her when she's sick? All of these behaviors foster the attachment relationship and send the following message to your child: "My parent will be there for me when I need her/him." They become securely attached.


Children who get this message are able to rely on their parents as a 'secure base.' That is, they are able to explore their world freely, knowing that mom and dad will be there as a secure base when come back from school/playground/church/upstairs. Sure, there will be a little separation anxiety, but it's always tough separating from your comfort, right?! The important point is that children who are securely attached are able to regulate.


But what happens when children don't become securely attached- when parental responsiveness is negative or inconsistent? Children may respond to environmental stress (going to school/playground/church - anywhere unfamiliar) with greater amounts of anxiety and fear). They could act out aggressively or refuse interaction all together- the classic flight or fight response. 


And what the authors of this study find is that the same areas of the brain that control stress response control appetite. In fact, children in the study who were insecurely attached were at a 30% increased risk for obesity, according to their BMI scores. The authors think that appetite control may be just one way children who receive inconsistent parenting respond to this sort of stress. 


Interesting, huh?

An Inside Look at Physical Therapy from the Folks at KidsCare Therapy

KidsCare Therapy is back, for our third and final month to tell you about another great therapy service for children. Thus far we’ve covered occupational and speech therapy, and during the month of June we are going to tell you all about the third discipline we treat –physical therapy. As with the other disciplines, we will start out this month by giving you a general overview of a pediatric physical therapist’s scope of treatment in this post, and then follow it up in a couple of weeks with specific diagnosis, potential warning signs and some treatments. After this month we hope that you will all be well versed as to how to identify a child that may be in need of speech, occupational or physical therapy, as well as how you can help to ensure you keep a child in your life healthy, and on target!

By definition physical therapy is a branch of rehabilitation that uses specifically designed exercises to help patients regain or improve their physical abilities.  Physical therapists work with many types of patients from infants all the way through adulthood to assist with that which limits a patients ability to move and perform functional activities as well as they would like in their daily lives. This differs from occupational therapy (which we learned about in April) because physical therapy deals more with large body movements versus the fine use of the hands. Physical therapy is helping mobility and strength, while occupational therapy assists more with the fine motor skills involved with performing each task. While both of these play into one main goal, which is to help ensure a child develops into a fully functioning adult, with all of their motor skills intact– each of these disciplines have different ways of obtaining this goal. A physical therapist would describe “success” as being able to facilitate improvement of functional skills and independence, but also strength, coordination and balance for increased mobility.

When most people think of physical therapy they tend to think of a therapist who helps sports injuries in athletes, adults after surgery, or those who have been in accidents. Most people don’t think about children needing physical therapy as well, but a pediatric physical therapist can treat a wide range of disabilities or delays to help ensure a child continues to thrive. By giving a child the opportunity to continue to grow physically at an early age, it can alleviate problems that may develop later in life, and can facilitate growth, as well as help to development cognitive, speech and fine motor skills.

While pediatric physical therapists do work with children who have broken bones or have been in accidents such as car accidents, falls, or had traumatic injuries, most generally they work with kids to treat delays - whether a child is premature or just having problems developing their balance, range of motion, coordination, strength, body awareness, motor planning, or functional mobility at the same rate as their peers. A pediatric physical therapist can also help bring a child to a more appropriate level in his or her play skills. Often times a child will not be playing not because they don’t want to interact (what child doesn’t want to have fun?) but instead because their body is physically limiting them.

As with occupational therapy, physical therapy is also ideal for the home setting with children. Essentially they are learning how to play and use their mobility skills around the toys and activities that they will be doing on a daily basis at home and in the community. In this familiar environment a child is more likely to grow at a faster rate, and it helps the ability to continue to facilitate therapy with the parents after the therapist has left the home!

Please read below to learn how a child was able to overcome great obstacles with the help of home pediatric physical therapy.

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Joshua is a shining example of how physical therapy can make an impact on the activities of daily life for children with developmental delays.

When the therapist from KidsCare Therapy met him, she was struck by his boisterous yet affectionate personality.  Joshua, a three-year-old boy with Down syndrome, was referred to physical therapy for gross motor delays.  As with most children with Down syndrome, he exhibited low muscle tone, joint hypermobility, decreased strength and decreased endurance, poor balance and lack of coordination.  At his initial evaluation, Joshua was unable to remain standing erect for more than a minute, fell frequently, could not independently ascend the steps outside his apartment, and was unable to kick or catch a ball.

In order to provide Joshua with improved stability, we worked with an orthotist to obtain SureStep orthotics.  This company’s orthotics are designed to provide children with low muscle tone more stability through the hindfoot, but flexibility in the forefoot, to allow running and jumping.  Joshua has shown significant improvement in gait, balance, and coordination since receiving his orthotics.

Other important components of his therapy have been therapeutic exercise and home exercises for strengthening.  His family has played an integral role in working with Joshua on developmentally appropriate activities for strengthening.  He has shown gains in strength and core stability through Swiss ball training, sit ups, climbing activities, and the use of a weighted vest.  The combination of strength training and equipment ordered through therapy has enabled Joshua to make significant gains in his gross motor skills.  He is now able to climb the stairs with stand-by assist, jump off the ground with both feet, kick and catch a ball, run, and play without frequent falls.  Joshua’s clear progress has been observed empirically through improvements of standardized testing.  His physical therapist states, “I have enjoyed being able to play a role in helping him achieve greater independence and mobility.”

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Be sure to be on the lookout for KidsCare Therapy’s final post where we will cover specific symptoms you can look for in a child to see if they may need physical therapy services, as well as ways that you can help to ensure a child in your life develops their physical skills at a normal pace. 

Parent of the Week: Adri

Today we honor Adri. Adri is A-mazing. She's just full of joy and it comes across in her words and photos. She's also a singer- she wrote a lullaby for her baby girl and gave me permission to print the lyrics!! (They're at the bottom of her post). Okay- enjoy!

REMEMBER: If you’d like to be a Parent of the Week, or if you’d like to nominate someone, simply email me at deluna.jamie@gmail.com. It’s that easy!

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Tell me about your children.
I have two step-sons, Sephiroth (11) and Sebastian (10). Then, there is Serena, better known as "Critter". Critter is 11 months old and walking, practically running. The boys dote on their sister and she lights up when they come into the room. Seph is good with electronics, engineering, robotics. He's a wiz kid as long as he's doing a project that he thought of and not an assignment the teacher gave him. Sebastian is great with writing, video gaming, and make believe. He has such an imagination and writes incredible stories. Serena has been a constant blessing in an often stressful world. She loves to sing, dance, and beat out a rhythm. But, it is the three of them together along with their dad that bring deep joy to my life.

How did you meet your husband?
Robert and I were good friends in the youth group at our church. I met him when I was 13 and he was 15. When he turned 18 we went our separate ways. It was in 2003, I was 23 and he was 25, that he came back to that same church and I was there...again. We started dating almost immediately and in 2007 we were married. It hasn't always been an easy road, but with God's help, everything that we have gone through has made our marriage stronger and everyday I love him a little bit more.

I would also like to take a minute to point out that my husband is a stay-at-home dad. He is incredible with Serena. From the moment she was born, he had stars in his eyes. For the first few weeks he was the only one that could calm her down when she got upset, which was rare because she is happy 95% of the time! Most mornings, Robert brings her to me (in bed) and I get to snuggle with her and then feed her and put her back to bed for her morning nap before I have to get ready for work. He knows how important that time is to me. Then, while I’m away, he sings the ABCs with her everyday, reads books with her, gets down on his knees and plays with her in her nursery, keeps her out in the yard while he gardens or straps her on his back when he cleans up around the house, and then spends time with both of us every evening when I get home. He has been with her everyday for the past 11 months and I do believe our family routine has contributed to Serena’s early development.

Tell me a little about you.
I love my family. Not just my kids and my husband, but my extended family as well. I was raised to have a strong sense of connection with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I try very hard to instill that connection in my kids because it has always been nice to know, through high school and college, work and marriage, and now parenting, that I am never alone.

I also love to sing and write songs. I love Christian rock and country music. Really, I love anything I can sing along with. I wrote a song for Serena before she was born and I sang her that lullaby everyday when she was a part of me. Then after she was born, I wrote her another song. I could probably write a few albums for her, but I think that might just embarrass her too much.

I love to cook and bake. I love my job, working for the local school district. I love praising God and trying to set a good example for my kids. I tear up every time I hear a patriotic song that reminds me of the sacrifices being made on my behalf so that my family can have freedom. And…I over use the exclamation point!!!

What surprised you most about parenting?
How amazing it feels. Even as a step-mom, before Serena came along, I cherished my time with the boys. I love all three of my kids with such intensity, but I’m not a helicopter mom, I promise. I’m actually really tough on them, but I don’t think they have ever questioned whether or not I love them.

What one tip would you give other parents or parents-to-be?

Something I learned from Love & Logic, the number one rule for parents is to take care of yourself. If your child is driving you cookoo, take a time-out and know that it’s totally ok. What your kid just learned is that mommy or daddy cares enough about themselves to take a break and not lose control. Kids learn from what we DO.

This is a lullaby for my baby, you were made just for me and your daddy

God created you to be perfect, it's true, and we love you...just the way you are

Not a day goes by, we're not thankful, for the gift of you, our little baby girl

God created you to be perfect, it's true, and we love you...just the way you are

Just the way you are, is how you always should be, because you're perfect to daddy and me

Yes you're perfect for our family.

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Adri and past Parents of the Week, feel free to grab the award badge:

<center><a href="http://avantgardeparenting.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src=" http://i911.photobucket.com/albums/ac319/avantgardeparenting/ParentoftheWeek.jpg " /></a></center>

CBS 11 clip- Traveling with Kiddos

Totally forgot to post my CBS 11 Clip from this week! Here it is:





Wow, I look really happy in the still. (I was really happy. I LOVE the people at CBS!)

Question for Parents

What is your child interested in? How do you support that interest? Could you be doing more?