Mother’s and Father’s Days are for saying thank you to the mothers, fathers, and parent figures that make the world a better place! It is also time to celebrate parenting! All the doctor appointments, therapies, school meetings, IEPs, carpooling, and running around are paying off. The hard work is making an impact. Little by little they are growing and gaining skills. Take a moment to take credit for all that has been accomplished!
Here are 5 simple ways to celebrate your efforts as a parent and relax while promoting your child’s language:
1) Take a walk together. Talk about what you see. Listen to what they see. Take the time to smell the flowers and enjoy the sunshine. You deserve it.
2) Go for a drive together. Pop in some music you enjoy and sing along. It is ok to listen to music you like and model your enjoyment of music.
3) Watch a movie together. Talk about the actions and characters in the movie. It is ok to have some screen time together.
4) Turn on some spa music and read a book together. You can read to them, or each look at your own book. If they aren’t reading yet or you just need a break from reading, the calming music will support their regulation and get some quiet time for you!
5) Do some exercises together. Learn some new stretches or yoga poses or go for it and find some cardio videos. YouTube has free exercise videos for adults and kids. Talk about your actions as you do them. Model that it is ok to take a break for yourself.
Parenting is challenging, rewarding and wonderful. Enjoy the ride and remember to have fun!