The Parent Voice

Happy New Year! We are a couple weeks deep in 2020 and I can’t believe it! I was fortunate to take a trip to Mexico with my husband and sons over the holidays.

I enjoyed reading the Chicken Soup for the Soul books while growing up. The books were filled with true inspirational stories of hope and happiness. The stories were written by many different people who had faced adversity or had overcome challenges. Somehow, they were able to draw from hope and see the good in the situation. It was inspiring to see how the writers took control of their lives and found good in difficult situations.

It is December and we are in the thick of holiday season celebrations. This is my eighth holiday season as a parent and I feel confident in how I celebrate. To me, focusing on simplicity makes for a more peaceful and joyous holiday season. More importantly, it honors the true spirit of the holiday season by allowing space to enjoy time with our cherished ones.

Have you ever seen the quote, “Change your thoughts and you change your world”?  Well, it’s true. How do we make our brain happy so that we may have a better lens to view life? Through working in the early childhood field and with medical personnel, social workers, therapist, counselors, and behavioral specialists, I have come to know the special effects gratitude has on your brain the science exists.

Three years ago, my son’s preschool class made mini-pumpkin pies. I still admire his teacher for leading the baking project. The pumpkin pie was small, cute, and the smell was both comforting and mouthwatering. Luckily, my preschooler shared some of his little pie with me and I am not sure if it was because my son made it but that little pumpkin pie was so yummy! It made me think that things are to be enjoyed no matter how big or small. Quality over quantity, a good motto to have this holiday season.

This past weekend I was able to hold a sweet baby girl while mom used the restroom and it took me back to those baby-era days. My sons are in preschool and elementary school so it is a different ball game, still demanding but in different ways. When my boys were babies, basic human necessities were a process and a lot of work to make happen. For instance using the restroom in peace and quiet was an unrealistic expectation. I frequently felt like I was sneaking away to do simple things like showering.

We recently celebrated my younger son’s third birthday! With his third birthday came a noticeable development in his language. He is quite articulate with thoughtful questions and comments. After a recent visit with his pediatrician he said, “My doctor takes care of me.  He loves me.” The entire family is enjoying Samuel’s comments and questions. We are entertained by Samuel’s newly developed communication skills.

One of the main reasons I enjoy working in early learning is the strong focus and importance of social emotional development. Social emotional curriculum, support and education has become more normalized over the years. Which makes sense, we are only humans and emotions are a big part of our biology. Knowing how to regulate our emotions properly and teach skills to our littles is possible.

Fall is in the air, children are back to school, and I continue to chip away at introducing protective factors. This month we will be focusing on Social Connections and for starters, I am taking the side of social connections for parents. Parenting can be a bit isolating and more so when the weather is not favorable to be outside, eh hem during the winter months. I remember being a new parent and happily wanting to be home which is appropriate; however, when does it become unhealthy?

Last blog I spoke to Knowledge of Parenting. As we parents know, some parts of parenting come naturally and some parts are learned. Personally, parts of parenting that have been learned have a lot to do with child development, this blogs' focus. The better informed I am around understanding appropriate child growth and milestones the more responsive and understanding I am to my children. Knowing timely child growth helps me in creating secure attachment with my sons and encourages brain development.