Parenting Articles

Morning Routines in the Summer

By / 4 minutes of reading

  During the school year, we tend to keep it all together.  Mornings can be crazy, but we usually have it down to a science, and everyone knows what’s expected. Then summer arrives – later nights, lazy mornings, less pressure.  Before we realize it, it’s lunchtime, and the kids are still in their pajamas.  Or we face the opposite, with kids who are so excited that there is no school that they will be jumping on our beds and poking us in the face at 5 am. We need routines in the summer just as much as we need them …

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Feelings

What Are You Feeling? – Active Learning

By / 3 minutes of reading

Everyone of all ages have feelings and it is important to be able to express and discuss what we are feeling in healthy ways. Talking about our feelings helps us to connect with those we care about. Being aware of our feelings and being able to discuss them can help us avoid or resolve conflicts more naturally and move through difficult feelings more effectively. Signing Time Dictionary Spend a few minutes a day reviewing the signs for feelings. Watch each video and practice the sign. Parent Resources As parents we must understand our own emotions and be comfortable with discussing …

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What's Next? My Signing Time

What’s Next After Baby Signing Time?

By / 3 minutes of reading

We often get asked what’s next after Baby Signing Time. While all of our shows can be used simultaneously there are also several different options to support your child’s sign vocabulary as well as teaching them the process of learning. Potty Time, Baby Joy Joy, and Signing Time Nursery Rhymes may be used with Baby Signing Time and/or with our preschool programs, Rachel & the TreeSchoolers and Rachel & Me. For Homeschoolers, Preschools, and Child Care Centers we also offer the Signing Time Preschool & Child Care Program that offers a complete curriculum based on the four Baby Signing Time …

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Signing Time Your Way: Integrating Signing with Homeschooling

By / 2 minutes of reading

Colleen Brunetti, M.Ed. Originally Published March 5, 2013. Updated to reflect current information. Families who homeschool their children have a wonderful opportunity to choose curriculum and activities tailored exactly to their child’s needs and interests. Let’s look at some of the ways that signing with your homeschooled child can be integrated into your day. Capitalize on your child’s learning strengths As we well know, children learn in different ways and through a variety of strengths. Sign language taps into tactile (touch), auditory, visual, and kinesthetic (movement) ways of communicating, making it highly accessible for just about any young learner. Further, …

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Teaching Children to Be Grateful

Teaching Children to Be Grateful

By / 3 minutes of reading

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Teaching children to be grateful is an abstract skill. Being Grateful, also know as Gratitude, is a warm feeling of appreciation or thankfulness towards specific items, individuals, actions, etc. Learning how to say thank you is the foundation of showing gratitude. It is also an important sign for good manners and the best place to start with teaching gratitude. You can start teaching your child to say “thank you” through American Sign Language from infancy. Start to teach the sign “Thank you” by modeling it. Whenever your child hands you something say, “Oh! Thank you!” and sign “Thank you”. You …

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How to Stop Your Child from Whining

By / 3 minutes of reading

Why do children whine? Children typically start whining as they develop verbal language. It’s often the only way toddlers express themselves when they are hungry, tired, uncomfortable or don’t want to do something. While whining is very common in toddlers, but by age 3-4, children should be able to use the same words to express themselves with a less whiny voice. Then by age 6-8, children should be able to break the habit completely. Positive Parenting states kids whine, “Because it works!” (For your kids, that is.) When your kids whine and negotiate, they secure a big chunk of your …

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Using Sign Language to Enhance Learning

By / 1 minute of reading

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Updated November 1, 2019 I am absolutely passionate about American Sign Language and the benefits it can have with all children. This is why I am an instructor in the Signing Time Academy; it’s why I teach my own children; it’s why I work with the Signing Time Foundation; and it’s why I continue to dig deeper and deeper into the language through friendships, conferences, and immersion workshops. On October 29th, at 8:00 PM Central Daylight Time, I got to share part of my excitement about the benefits of American Sign Language in a Facebook Live talk. The event was an …

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Halloween Safety & Fun

Halloween Safety & Fun

By / 3 minutes of reading

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Halloween can have mixed emotions for many children with costumes and decorations varying from playful to scary. As parents it can be difficult to help children understand that Halloween is all pretend. Knowing the facts can help you teach your children and make it fun. Halloween evolved from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts, but over the centuries Halloween transitioned to a day of parties, costumes,  and trick-or-treating. The History Channel states, “Halloween, celebrated annually on October 31, is one of the world’s oldest holidays. Although it’s derived …

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Story Time

How do I help my child love reading?

By / 6 minutes of reading

Did you know October is National Book Fair Month? In 2003, The National Book Foundation, which sponsors the annual National Book Awards, is embracing October as National Book Month as part of a national effort to raise the profile of reading in American culture. In honor of National Book Fair Month we want to help you teach your child to love reading. Did you know that by middle school, most kids stop reading books that aren’t assigned in school. In the USA, an alarming 65 percent of fourth graders in public school were reading below the proficient level in 2015 …

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How Do I Teach My Child About Being Safe?

How Do I Teach My Child About Being Safe?

By / 9 minutes of reading

Think about the warnings you were given as child. They often invoked fear and stress. You may have been taught things like “Stranger Danger”, “You will get hit by a car”, “You will get burned”, and other similar messages in an effort to teach safety. For many, these left opportunities to see how far you could push it before you got hurt. Being honest, but not scaring your child is key to helping them stay safe. Being proactive in teaching your children ways to keep them safe and aware of their surroundings provides them with confidence and security. There are …

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