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Play Therapy at Home
Back in November, I was on an education conference panel with a therapist from Dallas, Stan Ferguson. In between sessions, I quickly mentioned the struggles that our oldest child has with self-regulation, and Stan recommended that I try a therapy technique at home called “Special Playtimes.” I bought his book, What Parents Need to Know about Children, to learn more about it.
The gist is that you set aside designated time to play with your child (about 30 minutes per week), provide a specific set of toys for use just during Special Playtime, and then follow along as they direct the play. You don’t praise, criticize, ask guiding questions, … Read More
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Birthday Rituals
Candle holder ritual from several years ago Henry celebrated his 8th birthday last week, so our birthday rituals are in full force around here!
The first thing I do is select ten or so photos from the past year and send them to Walgreens for printing using their online functionality. I order 4×6 for all the photos, except I order a 5×7 of my favorite.
Then I hang the Happy Birthday banner that I made when I was pregnant with Henry. I use painters’ tape to hang the ten or so photos around the banner.
Then I hang a piece of twine with push pins across our dining room window … Read More
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Holiday Rituals: Valentine’s Day
Henry’s love note to me on Valentine’s Day Either through nature and/or nurture, I have passed along my love of holiday traditions to my oldest son, Henry. Last year he asked, “What do we do as a family on Valentine’s Day?”
Up until that point, Matt and I hadn’t done a whole lot. We only get presents for each other on birthdays and Christmas (not even our anniversary!). So I quickly designed a new holiday tradition:
- We wake up on Valentine’s Day and make waffles or pancakes as a family.
- While we eat breakfast, we brainstorm what we want to do together as a family to celebrate our love for