Hello Life Skills

Amazing what a little toilet paper, shaving cream and food coloring can do! 🤩 Kids watched “rain” fall through fluffy shaving cream clouds and got creative crafting their own rain clouds 🌧️

If you're a parent, I'm sure you can easily relate to the question that I'm frequently asked - "What should I do with my kids when I need to take a shower or prep a meal if I don't want to plop them in front of the TV? 🤔”

Here's my answer: remove yourself from the equation and empower your kids!

🔑 Reframe your thinking: your role is to set up the environment and their role is to flourish within it.

Here are our top 5 activities for independent play that we love to rotate between. Check them out!

1️⃣ 🧫 Sensory play: This can be a great way for children to explore their senses and engage in independent play. Set up sensory bins filled with different materials, objects, tools or toys for them to manipulate and explore. This type of play stimulates their senses, promotes fine motor skills, and encourages exploration and creativity.

2️⃣ 🎨 Arts and crafts: This encourages children to explore their artistic side by drawing, painting, or even sculpting with clay or play dough. This type of independent play allows them to express themselves creatively, develop fine motor skills, and enjoy the process of creating something unique.

3️⃣ 🧩 Puzzles and brain games: This can provide hours of engaging independent play. These activities help develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and enhance cognitive development.

4️⃣ 🪄 Engaging in imaginative play: Children have a remarkable ability to create their own worlds through imaginative play. Encourage them to engage in activities like playing dress-up, acting out stories with dolls or action figures, or setting up a pretend grocery store or restaurant.

5️⃣ 🧠 Building and constructing: These activities stimulate creativity and problem-solving skills. Provide children with building blocks, magnetic tiles, or LEGO sets and let them unleash their creativity. They can build structures, vehicles, or even their own inventions. This type of play promotes spatial awareness, fine motor skills, and logical thinking.

✨ Remember, independent play should be child-led and allow children the freedom to explore their own interests and ideas, ignite their imagination, and have fun without relying on screens! ✨

Parents! Add these to your toolbox 🧰

🚫 STOP GIVING CHILDREN AND TEENS SMARTPHONES 🚫

In a tech dominated world, it's crucial to consider the impact smartphones have on our kids. Here are some reasons why they might not be the smartest choice for children and teens:

💤 Sleep Disruption: Excessive screen time can disrupt their sleep patterns, affecting their overall well-being and performance.

🌈 Limiting Real Connections: Constant phone usage can hinder their ability to build meaningful relationships and engage in genuine face-to-face interactions.

🏃‍♂️ Less Active, Less Play: Excessive screen time replaces physical activity and outdoor play, impacting their health and development.

📚 Impaired Focus and Learning: Multitasking on smartphones can hinder concentration, productivity, and academic performance.

🌐 Digital Dangers: Exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and online predators pose real risks to their safety and mental health.

Nothing is more important than the kids we're raising.

Invest in your kids’ development by encouraging them to spend more time outdoors - here’s how:

1. Schedule outdoor activities: You can plan outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, camping, picnicking, and playing sports with your kids. Scheduling outdoor activities can help make it a routine for kids.

2. Create an outdoor play area: You can create a fun and safe outdoor play area in the backyard or balcony. This could include a swing set, a sandbox, a sensory play space or a treehouse.

3. Limit screen time: You can limit your children's screen time and encourage them to spend more time outside instead. This can include setting time limits for screen use and designating screen-free times, such as during meal times, car rides or before bedtime.

3. Incorporate outdoor time into daily routines: You can incorporate outdoor time into your family's daily routines, such as walking or biking to school, going for a family walk after dinner, or spending time in the backyard after homework is finished.

4. Lead by example: You can set an example for your kids by spending time outdoors yourself. This can include going for a run, gardening, or simply sitting outside and enjoying nature.

If kids can spend 1000s of hours a year in front of screens...they can definitely use some of that time to be outdoors and develop a love for nature and physical activity!

It can be a struggle to figure out our own relationship with tech and screens, let alone that of our family’s. I think what makes it more challenging is that we approach this topic from a place of fear and guilt instead of approaching it with a learning and growth mindset.

When we shift our perspective and are open to learning, we are able to acquire tools and skills along the way that can help us create healthier lifestyles that improve our overall wellbeing and that of our loved ones.

It’s 2023, we can’t afford to burry our heads in the sand anymore, we need to understand and learn about the world of tech and screens so we can better equip our kids.

Let’s start this new year with the intention to rethink our relationships with tech and screens — embrace a slow tech life and connect more with our kids and loved ones!

Drop a 💛 below if you’re ready for the challenge!

Happy New Year 🥳 Wishing you all a safe and healthy year surrounded with loved ones and meaningful connections 💛

⚠️ If you have children that use the internet or are active online - swipe through for some important info to be aware of + tips to keep your kids safe online!

If your child is active online, what’s your biggest challenge or fear surrounding that? Share in the comments!👇🏽

Parents of students I worked with always said, without fail, that getting their child a smartphone was one of the biggest regrets they had.

Why is it then that 25% of kids have a cell phone by the age of 10 and 75% of kids by age 12? And most, if not ALL kids, have smartphones by the age of 15?

The answer might shock you. Most parents don’t even question themselves on this matter. It’s just something everyone’s doing…”all the other kids have one”…as if it’s an unavoidable fixture of childhood and adolescence.

You don’t have to conform to a norm, cave under the pressure, or cede control to your child or society without questioning yourself on how getting a smartphone for your child will impact their life or health. You have the power (and responsibility) to ask yourself some serious questions.

As a parent, can you relate to any of these?
- You don’t want to be the mean parent, you prefer the “cool” or “friend” parent title.
- You think your child is different from other kids so you believe they’ll never use their smartphone inappropriately.
- You never imagine that an online predator, pe*****le or s*x trafficker will target your child.
- The peer pressure of your child being the only one not to have a phone is something you feel you can’t handle.
- Screen or po*******hy addiction doesn’t seem like a real threat to you.
- You’re very busy with work and without a smartphone your child gets very bored.
- You think this is how your child will become tech savvy and media/digitally literate.

The best gift you can give your child is to delay giving them a smartphone.

👉🏽 Check the “resources” highlight for safe smartphone alternatives!

⚠️ Trigger Warning / Su***de

We're all still shaken hearing about Stephen "tWitch" Boss's death by su***de and it's significantly harder to make sense of it all seeing how happy and cheerful he seemed on the outside.

We never really know what someone is going through. The struggle with mental health is real and talking about it is the first step we can all take to help with prevention.

Parents often worry that if they speak about su***de, it'll plant the idea in their child's mind. That’s a myth. What's actually dangerous is the silence and stigma that surrounds the topic of su***de.

Su***de happens to be the second (!) leading cause of death among youth aged 15-24 (CDC).

If your child is on social media, they have most likely seen su***de-related content in the past few days as the news of tWitch's death went viral — take this opportunity to have a conversation with them. Be your child's safe space.

And if your child is not ready for this conversation, let them know that when they are, you'll be there to listen and support them.

If ever you suspect that your child has suicidal thoughts or is in a crisis situation, contact one of the resources shared in this post to speak/text with a trained counsellor who can provide guidance on the most appropriate next steps and resources.

For help finding a Mental Health Professional, consult with your child’s pediatrician, info-social (dial 811), your local CSLC, or a psychotherapist/psychologist in private practice.

You’re not alone in supporting your child, there’s always help, please reach out 💛

Start the conversation! Download this free Chatterbox Game and Feelings Wheel bundle to connect with your child and support their emotional well-being 💛

Perfect for ages 5-12+, this game is a fun way to help your child open up and talk about their feelings and emotions with you. You can use the feelings wheels as a companion tool to help them recognize and label their feelings - the most important first step in processing and regulating emotions in a healthy way!

Research shows that one of the main predictors of emotional competence is talking to children about emotions — this is ultimately how children learn to express and control their emotions and recognize emotions in others.

〰️ THIS PRINTABLE BUNDLE INCLUDES 〰️
• a chatterbox game
• assembly instructions & directions on how to play
• 2 feelings wheels for younger + older children (primary, secondary, tertiary emotions)
• a blank customizable chatterbox template

👉🏽 Get your free bundle now: https://bit.ly/3Pl9Fj7

#️⃣ TAG when you play to be featured and to inspire others to start the conversation 💛

Start the conversation! Download this free Chatterbox Game and Feelings Wheel bundle to connect with your child and support their emotional well-being 💛#emotionalwellbeing #emotionalwellnessmatters #emotionalwellbeingforkids #youthmentalhealth #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #youthempowerment #parenting #parentingtips #lifeskills #youthadvocate #familyconnection #familyconnections

It's normal to want to shield our children from difficult emotions and life experiences sometimes.

But instead, what if we instilled a growth mindset in our kids?

In order to really support their emotional well-being and mental health, we can teach them that difficult experiences and emotions can actually help them grow and improve!

You can help your child become emotionally strong by doing these 5 things:

🏷 teach them to name their feelings and emotions
⚡️ help them figure out what their emotional triggers are
🫂 validate their feelings
🧘🏽‍♀️teach them coping skills
🎨 provide emotional outlets

The most important thing? Talk to your kids about emotions and feelings.

As parents, we know this isn’t always easy. Here’s something to help you start the conversation:

📥 Download your free Emotions Chatterbox Game + Feelings Wheel bundle here: https://bit.ly/3Pl9Fj7

Happy connecting 💛

Do you want to prioritize your child and family’s wellness, avoid meltdowns and all the negativity that surrounds screen-time-related conflicts in your home?

Here are 5 screen-time boundaries to help you get started:

1. Encourage other activities. Get out of the house and go for a walk with your kids! And when you're at home, make sure your kids have multiple reading and playing options. Kids are more likely to play independently with well-organized toys and play spaces.

2. Parents, we have to lead by example. Have designated screen-free times and screen detox days at home. Also, car rides are a great opportunity to have meaningful conversations with your kids, take advantage!

3. Have clear limits. Make sure to communicate them and reinforce them when necessary. Also, kids don't need screens in the bedroom.

4. Keep an eyes on the screens. Yes, this means going through their devices. These devices belong to you, not to your children otherwise they would be the ones paying for them. Have parental controls on and make sure you're aware of their online activities.

5. Create a list of safe TV shows, movies, and video content you are comfortable with your child viewing in advance - this will help provide structure and allow you to feel confident in your choice (guilt-free). You can download the free SAFE TV guide to help you with this, link in bio.

Drop a 💛 in the comments if this was helpful!