Is Your Child Safe?

Are you doing all you can to prevent sexual abuse in your child's life?  Contact Little Warriors and register for the Stewards of Children program (a prevention and response program for adults).  You will learn the 7 effective steps to preventing child sexual abuse, become aware of the signs of abuse, know how to respond appropriately to suspicions and how to respond to a child who confides in you concerning his/her experience(s) with sexual abuse. This course is highly empowering and equipped me with the tools and confidence I need to be effective in preventing child sexual abuse.  

Is This how You see Child Sexual Abuse?

Did You Know...

One in every 4 girls and one in every 6 boys are sexually abused?  That means that you most likely know several victims of sexual abuse.  It is also likely that you know a couple of  abusers.  The greatest risk to your child is dose not come from strangers but rather from someone you and your family know and trust (eg. your friends, a family member/relative, your child's teacher or babysitter).  "Over 90% of children who are sexually abused know their abusers" (Darkness to Light -confonting child sexual abuse with courage).  Abusers look and act like normal people, often going out of their way to be seen as trustworthy.

Easter Advent Tree

Make this spring center piece and let your child add an egg ornament each day leading up to Easter.  If you have a personal relationship with the Christ of Easter, use this advent tree to teach your child about the spiritual significance of the events surrounding Easter.  Starting with a paper egg for Palm Sunday put a scripture verse on the back of each egg with the day of the week labeled on it as well (Palm Sunday, Monday, Tuesday etc.).  Or  label the eggs with numbers 1-8 Ending with a verse for Easter Sunday.

To make this tree you'll need...

Introuducing Your Child to Math - Numicon Style

Wondering where to start in regards to introducing your child to numbers and basic math skills? Watch the 1st Steps at Home video above for Numicon's great suggestions on fantastic ways to get started. Simple and Beautiful. This is what I call learning made easy!

I fell in Love with Numicon

Math was ( is ) not my strong point so I wanted a fun, preferably hands on, way to introduce math concepts to my little ones. While searching the net for manipulatives I stumbled upon Numicon and I am so glad that I did! Numicon's multi-sensory, step by step and playful approach to introducing math makes learning stress free and fun for both parent and child alike. This is by far the best math product I have ever seen. 

Apple-lutely Fruity Fractions

Here is a fantastic introduction to basic fractions, starting with whole, halves, thirds and quarters. It is called Magnetic Apple Fractions and can be found at Education Station. The pieces are magnetic and connect to show how many of each fraction it takes to make a whole. In the box you'll find a small pamphlet of activity suggestions for larger groups. However, large groups are not necessary to enjoy these brightly colored math manipulatives. It is just as fun for the individual child to discover the basics of fractions using play, brief discussion and adapting group games for one on one activities.

Creativity, Your Child & The School System

"Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity." This video is a must see for all parents and teachers who desire to help their child's built in genius thrive. Watch now to see why Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity | Video on TED.com

Lettering them Jump!

One of my friends recently told me of a fun game she created for her daughter who is constantly on the go. This game is great for children who learn by doing and children who need to keep moving. It is also great exercise... so why not join in mom?

The Game:
Take letter puzzles and scatter 3-5 pieces on the floor. Choose one letter from the pieces on the floor and call out its name. Your child then identifies the called letter by jumping onto that puzzle piece. Reverse roles and let your child call out the name of the letters. Be enthusiastic about it and let your child know how fun learning is.

Glitter Gourds

This is a wonderful little crafty project I came up with for my daughter for the Harvest season. It doesn't require much skill or craft knowledge just be sure to supervise! You can use decorative pumpkin gourds or other decorative gourds both of which can be found at your grocery store. The sparkles I used have a beautiful sugar glitter shimmer to them and comes in a variety of colors. It can be found at DeSerres along with the Mod Podge both of which are by PLAID and are non-toxic. You can also pick up your sponge brush at DeSerres as well. The completed product is for indoor use and makes a beautiful center piece at the dinning table where the whole family can admire your child's work. To make this project you'll need...

A Splash of Fun

Give your child her own piece of the ocean- add a few sea shells to her bucket of tub toys. It will bring a little nature indoors while encouraging imagination and exploration. Use smooth and textured shells in a variety of colors for added interest (Be careful to avoid small, sharp, fragile or pointed shells that could be a choking hazard or cause scrapes/cuts). Mixing shells with buoyant toys is a great way for your child to explore which items float and which ones do not.

Geography at the Dinner Table

Exploring geography with your child can be a world of fun.  When introducing geography to your toddler start by identifying one or two continents. Repeat those continents a few times before introducing a new one. If you choose to use a geography place mat (we found ours at Laugh 'N' Learn) you can personify animal crackers or goldfish crackers and "help" them travel or "swim" to a named continent. Children love this. The more imagination sprinkled in the better- so be creative! My daughter's uncle just left of New Zealand and her little girlfriend just left on a trip to Africa so we include discussions about that in our learning time as well.  When you are confident that you've overheard your child correctly identifying the continents on his own initiative then you can begin to ask him to identify or locate the continents.  I like to ask things like "can you help the goldfish swim to Africa?"

Here are some helpful tips for teaching geography to your young child:

1-Make it fun- don't turn home learning into homework
2-keep it brief- this keeps interest for the next session
3-if your child is not interested don't worry. Put it away and try again later.
4-Help your child associate fun with learning from a young age -avoid this activity if either of you are not in a good mood or is overtired. At this age children learn best from loosely structured hands on exploring.
5-It is natural to want to show others your child's abilities and new skills -you're a proud parent and you should be -just remember that some children don't want the extra attention and may feel pressured to perform.
6-Don't test. Testing just puts more expectations on your child. Instead wait to overhear your child correctly identifying on his own time line.

Love

Pictured above, Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies topped with white Chocolate, made with love by Dagny and her little "sweety-pie".

This Valentines take a little time to learn your child's primary love language. Primary love languages are the ways we best express and receive love. There are five love languages: Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Gifts, and Physical Touch. To learn your child's love language check out Gary Chapman's love language assessments.