FoxyMama's Baby Signing Academy

NEW Baby Signing Classes every Thursday 9.30-10am (March7-Apr 25) - Register now, email [email protected] or call +60122300342!

100 likes! Thank you all and.. we will celebrate by launching our Facebook shop (yes, now you can place your order online!) and also will give everyone free shipping for all Baby Signing Time items from now until March 15!

by Loretta Gallo-Lopez, MA, LMHC

The American Academy of Pediatrics has indicated that “… play is healthy and in fact essential for helping children reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones as well as helping them manage stress and become resilient.” Interactive play has been shown to enhance social communication and connection. Many children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulties spontaneously engaging in interactive or social play. The following tips will help to encourage and support this type of play for children with ASD.

Make every effort to play with your child several times each day for 15 to 30 minutes.
Play at your child’s eye level, facing your child and following your child’s lead.
Be a fun, animated and sometimes silly play partner. Encourage other family members to play with your child as well.
Start with games, toys and props that represent your child’s passions, interests and strengths and gradually introduce other items to help broaden the play experiences.
Play simple games together like peek-a-boo with a blanket, music making and singing songs together, rolling a beach ball, building with blocks, or drawing together on large sheets of paper.
Create spaces for play within your home – carefully choose toys and props that encourage dramatic, imaginative and interactive play. Toys such as a dollhouse with family figures, toy animals, vehicles, a garage, toy cash register, costumes, hats, etc., all support the type of play that enhances social communication and connection.
Play can take place anywhere. Use every opportunity to playfully connect with your child. Have a tea party on the porch, a picnic in the yard, build a road along the floor for toy cars or trains to travel around town.
Provide opportunities for daily outdoor play. Bubbles, ball play, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and sand and water play are all great ways to encourage sensory and interactive outdoor play with your child.
Have regular family dance parties. Start with your child’s favorite songs and add new songs to increase flexibility.
Enjoy, treasure and value these daily play times with your child!
Loretta is the co-editor and contributing author of Play-Based Interventions for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Beware of lurking predators Kidnappers are out there waiting to grab your child at the first opportunity. Child activist Hartini Zainuddin has a list of horror stories of children being abducted when parents take their eyes off their kids.

http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2013/01/021.html

Study Finds Link Between Music and Preschoolers Reading Readiness - News Center BUFFALO, N.Y. – New research from the University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education shows a link between preschool music activities and the development of reading and writing skills in children.

Peter Reckell Amazed at Daughter's Sign Language | People.com Juan Rico/Fame Pictures Loden Sloan Reckell, the 17-month-old daughter of actor Peter Reckell and singer Kelly Moneymaker, may not be able to verbally tell her parents what she wants yet, but she has been taught a way to communicate — sign language. Calling the baby signs she’s learned “amazing,” th...

Hi! We've been signing in Bali these last few weeks whilst everyone has been busy with Thanksgiving sales... here's a SONG for you to sign and sing with baby!

Unconditional Love from a Child

We sometimes learn the most from our children. Some time ago, a friend punished his three-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.” He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found that the box was empty.

He yelled at her, “Don’t you know that when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside?”

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, “Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty. I blew kisses into the box. I filled it with my love. All for you, Daddy.”

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl and begged her forgiveness. My friend told me that he kept that gold box by his bed for years. Whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us as parents has been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children. There is no more precious possession one could hold.

Have you ever wonder who loves you most?

Let me share a story:

A professor gave his class (50% male and 50% female) two questions.

Question 1:
There is a man who loved this beautiful woman. But one day, she was disfigured in a freak accident, will he still love her?

Question 2:
There is a woman who loved this wealthy man. But one day, he lost all his money due to financial crisis. Will she still love him?

The answers by the class:
1. 30% Yes 40% May be 30% No
2. 20% Yes 30% May be 50% No

The professor commented that the answers suggest man is at a higher risk of losing his love when he loses his money, compared to women losing their love when they lose their beauty.

Then he asked, "Have you all thought about the relationship the man and woman had in the two questions?
Did you all assume it was a romantic relationship between a man and a woman?"

"Yes....are they not?" the class replied.

The professor said, "Answer the questions again - this time, assuming the relationship is between a father and a daughter for question 1 and for question 2, a relationship between a mother and a son."

This time, the answers were:
1. 100% Yes
2. 100% Yes

So now you know - who love you most. :-)

PARENTAL LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL & EVERLASTING .

Next Art project: Old MacDonald Farm felt puppets. For Sign & Play Class 3, Pet's I Love. hehe... Faith can't wait to play with them!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2218515/Think-ready-children-Hilarious-new-parent-test-taking-mummy-blogs-storm-MIGHT-just-off.html

Think you are ready to have children? Hilarious new parent test taking mummy blogs by storm MIGHT ju A hilarious and candid blog about the high and lows of motherhood is taking the internet by storm. '14 steps to follow before you have children' was posted on Mamami by Chet.