A Jugar Mommy and Me Spanish Class

Life as an immersion teacher. Not only finding quality materials but also translating them when they aren't available in Spanish. Can you guess what children's book this book relates to?

Have you registered yet?!?
Next session starts MAY 19.
www.EstrellasAcademy.com

Now registering for summer classes!

An interesting read as families prepare for park and playground season.

Getting children outside matters. What shapes development just as much is what adults do once they are there.

When adults step back, children get the kind of experiences their nervous systems are built to learn from.

Running, climbing, balancing, navigating uneven surfaces, negotiating space, choosing when to join others, and recovering from small falls all strengthen coordination, body awareness, risk assessment, emotional regulation, and social understanding.

Risky play gives children real feedback about their bodies and the environment. It supports confidence, judgment, and self trust in ways controlled or overly protected experiences cannot.

Well meaning adult explanations or attempts to eliminate challenge can and will most certainly interfere with this learning, including social emotional development.

Stepping in with phrases like “we’re all friends!" "let’s share!” "go play with them!" “give them a turn,” or “let them play too” may reduce (your) discomfort quickly, but it removes the child’s opportunity to practice negotiating, waiting, asserting boundaries, and repairing social tension on their own - all skills that are equally, if not more necessary than anything else that can be developed.

Falling, misjudging a step, waiting for a turn, losing a game, or being told no by a peer can feel uncomfortable (for the children and for us), but these moments are essential. Disappointment and frustration engage the brain systems responsible for regulation and problem solving. When children are allowed to feel these emotions and work through them, they build frustration tolerance, flexibility, and resilience through lived experience rather than adult instruction.

Children do not become resilient by being constantly directed or rescued. They develop resilience through movement, risk, missteps, disagreement, pause, and repair. Outdoor play, especially at the playground, supports development when adults trust the process and allow children to meet challenges with their bodies, brains, and peers, knowing that risk, effort, recovery, and persistence are where deep learning takes root.

www.EstrellasAcademy.com

Another fun night with this crew!

Ignoring the fact that this is a stock photo, one of the things we love about our Parent/Child Class for Little Ones is watching the moms (and other caregivers) connect, ask questions of each other, and share advice. Adults need community, support, and friendship just as much as kids do!