Singing Some Sweet Tunes

Music can soothe the soul. It soothes my soul at least! Music is a wonderful, amazing coping tool and making a CD of soothing music is as easy as Itunes. I uploaded a bunch of my 'kid friendly' CDs (And I maybe made them listen to my favorite songs by Tom Waits and Death Cab for Cutie....) and let them go to town. PS--keep the songs age and family appropriate folks--Common sense! I have them scroll through my Itunes and prompt them to pick tunes that 'soothe the soul.' Then doodle on the CD cover. Best part? Practicing listening to those tunes! 

Friday Fact #15

#15: "I'm bored!"  How many times have you heard those words from a client? We often want to "fix" boredom right away, but I came across a great article and perspective that being bored is not a bad feeling for kids, and that we should hesitate before intervening. It is important for parents and caregivers to understand boredom is not only ok, but can be very beneficial for imagination and creativity.  Enjoy "I'm Bored" and let us know what you think!  Happy Friday!

Bullys

Bullying is a HUGE issue among my clients and kids all over right now. Anderson Cooper was a part of a special on the Cartoon Network, who aired Lee Hirsch's documentary "Bully."

 "In the award-winning documentary “Bully,” filmmaker Lee Hirsch embedded himself in schools across America and captured footage so raw and eye-opening, it sounded alarm bells and helped create a tipping point about how critical the issue of bullying has become." 

The Bully Effect Special on Cartoon Network.

A book I found that was great for younger clients, was Don't Laugh at Me, By Allen Shamblin

After reading the book we identified the 'bully' behaviors  then made a visual aid that showed postive behaviors  We also practiced what to do if they see someone being bullied. 

Bullying is an ongoing topic with all my clients, the video and book have been great to keep the conversation of how to be positive friend, not a bully! I hope these can help you and yours!

Mother's Day

It's coming up fast, and there are a ton of activities to choose from, but here are a couple MORE ideas!!

Aside from having an activity to do with kiddos, this one can be a good start to a conversation about the relationship your client has with their mom. 

Many of our treatment plan goals have to do with cooperation and ways these kiddos react to conflict at home... Do they fight a lot or struggle to be on the same page or to communicate at all?  Shocker right? 
When was the last time they were able to work through a problem?  How did they work through it, or what can they do on their part to better the interactions and communication with mom or other family members?  

You can also give them an opportunity on a card to make a list of what they enjoy or love about their mom, sometimes we just need a reminder of why it is important to work hard at our relationships.

Clay leaf print magnets

Air dry clay
Nature walk to collect leaves
Print them into soft clay
Let it dry and paint
Attach a magnet on the back

Original Pinterest image here





Plant in a can

Decorate a soup can with Mod Podge and magazine clippings. Plant a flower or some wheat grass for a classic Mother's Day gift. 








Make a card

Ask them to write an original poem
Name the top 5 reasons they love their mom
Or make a little bird like this one here

"Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship fall.  A mother's secret love outlives them all."

-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Friday Fact #14

#14 "Young children—even toddlers—are spending more and more time with digital technology. What will it mean for their development?" I was having a conversation with a client about differences of when I was her age...the biggest change? This generation is online and connected all.the.time. Heck, I still had dial up when I was a kid and ONE computer (that was bought when I was 11) in the house (my boyfriend didn't have a computer until he was 18!)...Don't even get me started on kids having phones and the social skills being lost via text and email! This article dives into the over digital generation...Check it out!

Executive skills part 3

So you have pinpointed what executive skills the teen you work with is struggling in.  Now what?  Here are some suggestions and strategies to help work toward improving the skills these kids need to succeed.

-Establish a routine, including getting things ready for the next morning.

-Help parents understand where their kid is developmentally, that they will struggle to regulate themselves, wake up early and focus. This understanding will help the overall stress of the household.

-Teach them skills to become more independent without overpowering or completely backing off.

-Help them brainstorm ways to help in the morning, such as setting up their favorite music, or setting the alarm across the room.

-Reward system for keeping their room, locker, car and backpack organized.

-Lists a reminders- get creative...fridge, microwave, mirror...change it up.
Include what they need to remember the next day in a specific area in the house.

-Have a list of rules and consequences that they help list and brainstorm.

-Give a time limit for a consequence, requiring they follow through right then and there can lead to to further stress and unnecessary conflict. Emphasis to teen and family the necessity to allow time to calm down.

-Weekly goals they establish themselves (homework, exercise) then reinforce the positive feeling they feel when they complete or follow through.

-And of course keep teaching those relaxation, calming and coping skills!

The main points this book makes is to understand where these kids are coming from, and to help them come up with a plan to practice practice practice!!! Don't forget to check out Smart  but Scattered Teens.

Hope this helps! Happy kids + Happy parents= Happy PSR workers!

Take one for great behavior

This chart was a very specific project to help a client with building a positive relationship with a family member, but can be altered for any kiddo. 

It is a pretty simple concept, whenever needed -take one and follow through.  

For this particular chart we had easy and fun ways to work on empathizing and positively interacting with a sibling.  This was easy to review with my client, and she was excited to be able to rip off the paper.  

This is also an easy one for parents to follow through because there is no specific time the client has to complete, and each kiddo can rip and complete themselves.