Fearless Arianna

Outraged by all that media coverage on the "runaway balloon with no boy inside", this known-to-be-feisty author makes a daring point. . . or two! But tighten your seat-belt because this piece isn't for readers wearing rose-coloured-glasses, or for those who faint at the sight of social change!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/how-about-a-little-covera_b_326472.html

Be a Sensory Smart Parent!

This is the leading website for parents of children with sensory integration issues.

SPD is "a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses", and can be described as "traffic jams" in the brain. Research by the SPD Foundation indicates that 1 in every 20 children experiences symptoms that are significant enough to affect the everyday life of the child and their families.

A child may be super-sensitive to light, sound, food, or other forms of sensory input. What many people don't know is that some children experience SPD in the opposite extreme. That is, to "under-respond" and show little or no reaction to stimulation (pain, or extreme hot and cold). SPD may be appear for only one sense (such as touch) or multiple senses.

Many children with SPD benefit from occupational therapy.

SOURCE: http://www.spdfoundation.net/

Playscapes

Photos taken at our home on Whidbey Island 2007-2008

We've lived at two different homes with amazing outdoor spaces for kids - a giant sandbox, a play house made out of solid wood, fruit trees and vegetables to grow, and plenty of child-friendly flowers to pick, smell, and share. But recently, we moved to our home in Collingwood, Ontario with the boys (ages 2 & 5), and so our search for backyard ideas began, and we already have a number of dreamy looking mature trees to work around. There are so many natural playground ideas online.

For a playground to be considered a "playscape", the space should be as natural as possible, with as few man-made components as possible. They’re designed with the intent to bring us back to nature, and the design offers a wide range of open-ended play options allowing children to be more creative and imaginative. Playscapes offer a wide range of developmental benefits to children, as well as to rehabilitation programs, and all people in general. Design elements typically include a variety of native plants, rolling hills, and lots of trees. My 5 year old son called one of these outdoor play areas a “forest playground”.

And while I have your attention, check out this Canadian company designing Natural Playgrounds! Wouldn't it be great if our municipalities incorporated designs like these into local parks and our schools bought into this paradigm of play? http://www.naturalplaygrounds.ca/

Summer Camp & Homesickness

I started exploring homesickness while my son participated in a week-long day-camp. He appeared not to be settling in, and he was experiencing intense separation anxiety, However, by the end of the week I could see that his primary issues related to being in a large group, quick transitions between activities, and some of the verbal instructions were too complicated. He was continually withdrawing from participation, and the diligent efforts of camp counselors to be inclusive didn't seem to ease his discomfort at all.

During the week, I attended part of the camp with him and felt intense pressure to "conform" and get over it.

As I parent my super smart and sensitive child, I sometimes feel alone and isolated. This week, I received uninvited advice and I felt discouraged having the 1 in 20 child struggling in such a "visible" way to fit in.

Research has shown that as much as 90% of children attending summer camp feel some levels of homesickness, and 20% can face a serious level of distress that - if untreated - worsens over time and interferes with their ability to benefit from a camp experience.

Source: http://www.campparents.org/search/apachesolr_search/homesick

Ten Ways To Be A More Light-Hearted Parent

Saw this piece by Gretchen Rubin on the Huffington Post and wanted to share it:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gretchen-rubin/ten-ways-to-be-a-more-lig_b_187095.html