Just Talk

On this Manic Monday (aren’t they all manic), I want to remind you that you’re doing an amazing job! I know that sometimes the sheer number of things on the To Do List is enough to send you marching back to bed, pulling the covers over your head in a dramatic fashion.

I saw this post recently from Clever Classroom…and it actually made me feel a little more overwhelmed, as if everything I do is under a microscope. 

It felt paralyzing.  But the truth is, our kids are watching us, but they’re also watching lots of other people.  Their other family members, friends, coaches, teachers and even people in our neighborhood serve as models…the village is big and we don’t shoulder the entire burden.

So, when I feel overwhelmed, I like to fall back on something that I know can help Michael.  I just talk to him.  I tell him what I’m doing. I used to do it with Will when he was a baby and couldn’t talk back. It never felt pointless because I assumed he was learning from it. Do that with your special kiddos too.

As I’m cooking dinner, I show Mikey the garlic and say, ‘garlic.’ It doesn’t take time away from cooking dinner, but it includes him and there is some great news:

So, just by doing the things we already need to do and chatting with our kids about it, we’re exposing them to tons and tons of useful language. I know sometimes it feels like they don’t understand. I think of it as putting coins in a piggy bank, you can’t see them, but you’re building up value every day. Keep putting the coins in the piggy bank! You’ve got this!