Osnat Shlain- Early childhood specialist

https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vRQgyDhIjZupO2H-2rIDXLy_zkf76RoM-_ZIYsOfn9FkI7TETgRtOfXK9VobMvGh6iEZfDPgALXJTCR/pub

In Our Name: A Message from Jewish Students at Columbia University Over the past six months, many have spoken in our name. Some are well-meaning alumni or non-affiliates who show up to wave the Israeli flag outside Columbia’s gates. Some are politicians looking to use our experiences to foment America’s culture war. Most notably, some are our Jewish peers who t...

Tonight is KULANU Shabbat! all us come together to worship, learn and celebrate Shabbat! 5:45PM JOIN US!

Socializing while at home: ideas for games!
My 8 year old and I just brainstormed games he can play on virtual playdates (using FaceTime, Hangout, Skype etc.) with his friends(can also work for younger/older children):

*Simon says
*Charades
*20 questions
*Chess - if you both have a board and you aim the camera just right.
*Categories- one friend picks a category (ex: songs, NBA teams, snacks) and friends takes turns naming something in that category until someone (the loser) is stumped.
*Alphabet- take turns going through the alphabet. Each player must find the next letter either on something in the house
*Story- one friend says a word that begins a story. Take turns adding one word onto the story and see where it ends up!
*Would You Rather- play an epic game of Would You Rather. Try to stump the other person with the weirdest or most difficult questions you can come up with.

Hope everyone is hanging in there today.
As a mom but also as an early childhood specialist and a former preschool director my main concern these past couple of weeks has been the mental wellbeing of our children. I believe that as parents we have the ability to affect to a great degree if this time will become a distant memory or a painful trauma. Having grown-ups around who are very anxious, and fighting an invisible enemy, can be extremely scary for children and have long terms effects.
We need to make sure that this time at home is as positive as possible. I believe that a school-like consistency will help children find peace in their new day-to-day, providing as much predictability as possible. I also believe that the way we talk to our kids, and the language we use about what is going on is crucial.
Some language that we have been using is defining our roles by a 'community helper' language. Here is an example that fits kids N3-3rd grade with minor adjustments
"There is a virus going around right now, it is very contagious and can be not safe for some people in our community. If many people become sick at the same time there will not be enough room in the hospitals and that is not good for everyone, but we can help! by staying home / limiting meeting friends and washing our hands.. we are helping keeping these people and our community safer and healthier. Just like when we recycle we are helping many people around us for many more years and just like firefighters, nurses, doctors and the crossing guards are doing things even though they are not always the most fun (like standing in the rain) - they do it to keep the community safe, and that is what we are doing now. I am very proud of us all"

Things you can do now to help the environment:
(These are things we do on a daily basis and I believe are easy to implement, take whatever works for you and your family)

1.walk instead of drive (hold hands, talk great way to start the day)
2. Hang laundry to air dry in the summer (we do this with all the grown up clothes, helps keep it looking good for longer)
3. Use a fabric/reusable rag for cleaning (wash it after).
4. Give each kid her own kitchen towel to use at meal time for cleaning hands,face and spills (wash it every few days or as needed)
5. Kids outgrew their clothes give them away (good karma and less shopping)
6. Invest in a good reusable bottle and you will help the environment and drink way more

Helping the environment is not an all or nothing kinda thing, even if you do some of these part of the time you are still helping! 🌈❤️

The Lake School | postcardsandpedagogy http://www.thelakeschool.com So my pedagogical journey has finally begun! Picture a big lake, houses, and the city of Oakland surrounding the lake. Then tucked ...

When a new baby joins the family, everything happens so fast. you function on pure emotional energy. Sometimes it feels like being in a big train station,lot's of noise and commotion and it is so easy to get lost.
Let me help you find your way, make sense of all the mix advice. You will get tools that will help you calm the baby and start off on the right foot. wrapped in love and empathy. If you a new parent or searching for the perfect baby shower gift contact me

"It is never too late to become a good person" let's help our kids to learn how!

Are you raising nice kids? A Harvard psychologist gives 5 ways to raise them to be kind Think your kids are being raised to be kind? Think again. A Harvard researcher and psychologist has 5 ways to train your child to be kind and empathetic.

My new Blog post, dedicated to all the working parents out there. Enjoy!
וידווים מהמשרד מוקדש באהבה לכל ההורים העובדים באשר הם :)

Confessions from the Office ByRachel Osnat Shlain | Sparkup - The Magical Book Reader Hi! My name is Rachel -Osnat and I am a working mom. There, I said it. I can't take it back. You are probably wondering what happened to m