The Holidays are Here: How to Thrive During this Busy Time of Year!

December 12, 2011 By Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed. Leave a Comment

The snow is falling here in Michigan, and the winter season has begun to set in.  Neighborhoods are buzzing with children sledding down snow covered hills, and families are busily decorating their homes.  It really is “beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!”

Before we know it, school winter breaks will be here and our children will be home for a couple of weeks.  With the holidays right around the corner, I thought it might be helpful to share some tips and activity ideas that will help you and your family thrive during this busy time of the year.

  • Keep a consistent schedule.  During this busy time of the year, it is very easy for families to get away from their regular routine.  Before you know it, the kids are eating breakfast at noon and staying up until all hours of the night.  It is important for families to keep a fairly consistent schedule even through the holidays.  Keeping regular bed, wake, and meal times will be important to maintain your routine.
  • Have some jolly holiday fun.  There are so many fun activities that you can undertake during this holiday season.  Making holiday cookies and snacks, having a red and green meal, going sledding or caroling, decorating the house, and making holiday ornaments for friends and relatives are just a few of the fun activities that you and your family can enjoy.
  • Don’t overdo it!  The holidays tend to be an extremely busy and stressful time of the year.  When you are looking at your calendar and scheduling activities, be sure that you are limiting them so that you are also including time for just your family.
  • Make a family new year resolution.  The new year is a great time to start a new endeavor.  Are there things that you would like to work toward in the new year?  Keeping the house clean, sharing chores among family members, and saving as a family for a desired trip are all great things to work toward.  As a family, sit down and create a family resolution for the new year.  Be sure it is something reasonable to which all family members will be able to contribute.
  • Enjoy the season.  Even though the holidays can be a busy and stressful time of the year, it is important for everyone to sit back, relax, and enjoy the season.  Be sure to take time for yourself to get some well deserved rest and relaxation.

By following these simple suggestions, your holiday season will be merry and bright.  I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, and look forward to sharing more with you in the new year!

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Help for the Holiday Hmm’s

November 30, 2011 By Michelle VanderHeide, BSW Leave a Comment

If your life is anything like mine near the holidays, it’ll probably sound a little like this: “Mom, can I get that for Christmas?” “I’ll put it on your wish list honey.” As the next commercial comes on, “Mom can I get that for Christmas?” “That does look like fun. I’ll put it on your wish list.” The television, newspapers, and billboards are inundated with advertisements for all the hot toys and gadgets for this year. As parents, aunts or uncles, and grandparents, it can be very overwhelming to know what gifts to buy that will be both fun and “educational.”  Knowing what gifts will be best for our children – that they’ll enjoy – leave many of us going “hmmm.”

Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for all children:

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Developing a sleep schedule that works

November 22, 2011 By Michelle VanderHeide, BSW Leave a Comment

“I just want to have a quiet evening! Why won’t you just go to sleep?!?” Do you ever have those nights? Maybe this is your night every night! Whatever the situation, it makes life much more stressful when you are tired and can’t get your child or children to fall asleep and sleep well! Rest assured, you can have more relaxed evenings and get your household the way it was intended to be – kids in their own beds, at a reasonable time, for the duration of night.

In my several years of working with families, many different situations have arisen. Keep this simple acronym in your head to ensure a good night’s S.L.E.E.P.

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Fun Family Activities for Any Occasion

November 15, 2011 By Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed. 2 Comments

Since weather is an unpredictable phenomenon in life, I have begun to appreciate a variety of activities that I can do with my family whether we are stuck indoors due to rain or snow, extreme hot or cold.  Although it is hard to find an activity that they whole family can enjoy together, it is not impossible. 

Here are a variety of ideas that you can use when you are stuck indoors with your family, and unsure of what to do.

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Fixer or Facilitator?

November 8, 2011 By Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP 2 Comments

As a former itinerant staff member in a local school district, I can identify with how difficult it is to feel like you are really making an impact.  From the large caseloads to student schedules, to the traveling from building to building, and everything in between, it can be hard to know if you are making a difference.  I lived that life for more than thirteen years, and there were many times when I walked out of school wondering if I had made any impact at all that day.  I saw improvements in my students, which told me that I was doing something right; but I often wondered if there was more, a different way of providing service that could make a bigger impact or have more benefit.

On this path of discovery, I asked myself a few important questions that helped me to make the decision to change the way I was doing things.  The questions I asked were: “Do I just want to fix the holes on the surface, or do I really want to get in there and solidify the structure that will lead to longer lasting and farther reaching results?”  “Do I just want to teach the child to say words, or do I want him or her to communicate meaningfully?”  Once I stopped and thought about the answers to these questions, I knew what I needed to do.  I couldn’t just keep shoring up the house with ‘jacks,’ I had to find a way to firm up the foundation so the house could stand without supports.  I needed to find a way to make communication meaningful, and not just a rote skill of learning words to say.

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The Gut and Nutrition

November 1, 2011 By Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP 1 Comment

We see many children and young adults in our practice, and we are finding that most of them (70-80%) benefit from a special diet, elimination of certain foods, or use of supplements.  There are many conflicting studies out there that make it difficult to know for sure if there is a connection between nutrition/gut issues and autism; but I can say that in our experience it seems to be true for many.  Like the population as a whole, one rule doesn’t apply to all.  I see some children who do not seem to be affected at all by the things they eat – no gut problems, bowel issues, or behavior that would indicate feeling ill, or high levels of yeast – while others seem to be very affected by all of these things.   It can take a lot of time and effort to sort this all out, but the differences can be remarkable when a child is feeling well and getting proper nutrition.

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What Makes You Tick?

October 25, 2011 By Michelle VanderHeide, BSW Leave a Comment

It was one of those perfect days. The sun was out, the temperature was just right, around 70 degrees. The pressures of life were minimal for a few hours, but a wonderful few hours they were. I walked outside to join my daughters while they played. I planted some flowers, pulled some weeds, and freshened up the look of my front yard landscaping. Once I finished, one of the girls suggested that we go for a bike ride. The males of the family were taking a nice Sunday afternoon nap, so I thought “Sure!” – and off we went with the girls’ “American Girl Dolls” in the baby seat behind me. We rode around and ended up at a nearby park. The girls and their dolls enjoyed a little time at the park and then we journeyed home. When we arrived back, the boys were awake, so we started a riveting game of family kick ball. This to me was a perfect afternoon. I felt refreshed and reenergized as I faced a new week.

So what makes you tick? Are you giving yourself the time to do the things you need to do to stay healthy and be fully available and calm for your child(ren)?

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Holiday Parties—Helpful Hints for Educators

October 18, 2011 By Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed. Leave a Comment

The leaves are beginning to turn colors and fall from the trees; and whether we want to admit it or not, fall has arrived here in West Michigan!  It is hard to believe that in less than two weeks, children will be knocking at my door trick-or-treating.  With the arrival of fall, it is important for educators to start thinking about and planning classroom parties if your school chooses to include them.  For special educators, it is even more important to examine classroom parties and plan how your students can have a successful and enjoyable experience.  As a special education teacher, I used to dread classroom parties with all of the chaos erupting here and there; but, after several trials and errors, I found a few strategies to be rather useful in my classroom during those hectic events.  Not only did my students have an enjoyable time, but so did I! 

Here are several tips for teachers to keep in mind when planning holiday parties.

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Moments Together: Engaging Our Children in Everyday Life

October 10, 2011 By Nicole Beurkens, PhD 1 Comment

I witnessed something recently that has caused me to think about the time we spend with our children, and the importance of everyday moments.  While standing in line at the counter of our family’s favorite pizza place, waiting for our take-out order to be ready, I noticed a little girl and her parents walk into the restaurant and sit down.  The girl was probably around 5 years old and she smiled widely at me as they walked past.  My pizza was taking a while, so I had the opportunity to stand and watch this family out of the corner of my eye.

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Homework Headaches: How to Reduce Stress and Frustration between Parents and Children

October 4, 2011 By Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed. Leave a Comment

For many families, the hustle and bustle of the after-school time can be stressful for both parents and children. Kids come home, want a snack, and need to get the wiggles and giggles out while we as parents are trying to accomplish those last minute things that need to be done for the day. Homework is just another stressor that all too often gets thrown into the mix and can cause anxiety and frustration for everyone involved. Homework can be useful for many purposes; however, spending great lengths of time working on homework and increasing feelings of frustration are negatives that far outweigh the benefits.

If your child struggles with completing homework assignments and managing anxiety or frustration due to homework or school in general, here are a few strategies that you can use to make the after school hours at home more enjoyable for everyone in the family:

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