Grocery Store Gabbing--communication during daily routines

Lately, I've had several opportunities to go to the grocery store with my youngest child, 18 month old Logan. This is a rare, rare treat, as usually I have at least two of my children with me, and never with my baby boy alone! Being a busy family, I always find going to the grocery store a great time to catch up with the "big kids" (even though, yes, I would prefer to shop alone), but being alone with Logan made me realize what a great time it is to communicate with my little one too! Here are some ideas for the grocery store: 1. Take turns vocalizing with your child--the grocery store is a stimulating environment, and likely to get your child babbling. If he says "oo-da-da-ba-ga!", say something back to him! Practice this early form of conversation. 2. Talk to your child about what you're buying--"apples, bananas, carrots, cereal, crackers, milk, cheese". See if your child tries to imitate any of the words or signs. 3. Point out interesting items to your child--at the store I go to, the pet section is near the grocery section, which means we always have to look at the fish! Say to your little one, "Look at the fish!" while pointing to the fish tanks. Encourage your child to look, and smack your lips like a fish. See if he'll imitate you. 4. Talk about how things feel--if you get something out of the freezer, have him touch it and say "oooh, cold!". or maybe you'll get a rough kiwi, shiny apple, or soft bread. 5. Practice sound imitation--Mom says "bababa", child says "bababa". Mom says "mamama", child says "mamama" etc. If possible, keep your trip short--most kids will only last a half hour before the first tantrum hits! Have fun and enjoy these precious moments. Happy Talking! Where is your favorie place to take your children shopping? Your least favorite place?

Signing Sick Day! "Fish"

Another day home with sick kids!  These sick days seem to be the time for me to catch up on blogging!  Today's video is the sign for fish, which is wiggling your hand through the air like a fish swims through the water. 

While you're at it, have your child practice smacking his lips together to make a "fish sound".  Look at books to try to find pictures of fish.  Ask your child simple questions such as "What's that?" ("fish"), "What does a fish say?" (smack lips), and "Where's the fish?" or "Show me the fish." 

Lets Roll: using toiletries as toys

I'll probably never go into someone's home for a speech session and say, "Hey, let's go to the bathroom and play with toilet paper!" Parents, you'd send me on my way, right? But as a mama myself, I know that when you're trying to put your make-up on in the morning, you need to occupy your little one for at least a few minutes. My one year old tends to occupy himself, usually by digging through the cabinets and drawers to find all sorts of exciting no-no's. So, why not make life easier and give them some yes-yes's to play with! One great idea is several rolls of toilet paper! Stacking is a great motor skill, and you can practice the vocabulary words "up, on" as they stack, and then "ready, set, go" before the tower gets knocked down, then "down" as they all come tumbling to the floor. Of course, he might think it's great fun to start tearing off pieces of toilet paper to hand to you. Really, who cares, as long as he's not using up an entire roll! As he hands you pieces you can model "more", "piece", "little." And again, tearing off those little pieces is great fine motor practice! Your kiddo is going to think he is something else for getting to play with an off-limits "toy"--and usually those are the kind that keep their attention the longest! So sip your coffee, put on your mascara, and enjoy the morning:) Happy Talking!

Sit dog, sit! Using the family pet to develop language

A few posts back, I think I wrote something along the lines of "never, ever, ever (ever, ever) wanting a dog." Well, sometime this summer that changed, and all I could think about was wanting a dog! So after some persuading the hubby, we got Bodi, a fluffy black Cockapoo with a sweet heart, sloppy kisses, and sharp little teeth. I had to quickly teach my kids the appropriate way to show him who is boss. So, within the past three weeks my children have heard me say "down" and "sit" about 3,000,000 times. And guess what, my 16 month old now looks at Bodi and says "da" (down) and "tit" (sit), words he was not saying before. Repetition, repetition, repetition! Sometimes a child needs to hear a word many times before he will try to say it, and then he will have to say it many times before he can pronounce it correctly. So if there is a word you really want your child to say, make sure he hears you say it frequently! And if it is a really hard word, find a way to simplify it, such as nana/banana, papa/grandpa, or tato/potato. Accept a close approximation of the word (da/down), and praise him for his attempts! What word do you really want your child to say? Happy Talking!

Signing Sick Day

Back in May, all three of my kids were sick for an entire week.  It meant a lot of missed work, a lot of running to the doctor, and a lot of snuggling on the couch with my poor, sick babes.  I fully intended to take the week off of blogging, and return to writing the following week.  But, well, you know, life happens.  Memorial Day, weddings, summer, birthdays, etc.  Before you know it, it's been over two months since I've written a blog post!  My promise to myself is to return to doing 1-2 blog posts a week, and starting off with "signing sick day", in honor of the reason I "fell off the bloggin wagon" to begin with.  The sign for this week is sick, which I believe can also be used for "hurt." 

Here's hoping your family's are staying healthy this summer.  Ironically as I write this, my youngest is sick, again....

Waiting on the sibs: How to communicate during your busy day!

I work full time.  I have three kids, ages 4, 3, 1.  My oldest two children are already involved in extracurricular activities, like swimming and gymnastics.  As I'm sure many of you mama's of more than one child agree, giving baby #3 his fair share of attention isn't always easy.  Sometimes I feel guilty that I don't just sit and play with him enough, but then reminded myself to practice what I preach!  Turn the time you have with your kids into quality time!

So here is how I turned waiting for big sib at gymnastics into language learning time for Logan. 

• We had brought a blanket in to sit on, which turned into a game of peek-a-boo.  Social interaction, turn-taking, action imitation, and sound imitation.
• Body part identication--"where's Logie's head?  There it is!" while patting his head (using a really excited tone of voice by the way--the other parents were probably so annoyed with me).  After a few trials, when I said "where's your head", by golly little Logie reached up and touched his own head!  We started the game for "belly" too before little man lost interest. 

But, those two little activities alone added up to a good 15 minutes of interaction.  We laughed, smiled, felt connected, and had fun--and hopefully next time I say "where's your head", Logan will reach up and pat his sweet little noggin. 

Signing Saturday: Mom

In honor of Mother's Day, your sign of the week is "Mom".  You can ask your child "Who am I?" and cue them to sign "mom."  Also model saying "mama" at the same time. Touch your lips, or have your child touch her lips, to cue pressing the lips together for /m/. 

Happy Mother's Day!!