Reading and discussing stories builds healthy brains in all sorts of ways. It exposes children to words, characters, experiences, places and ideas. It inspires creativity and imagination. Stories help with memory and important pre-reading skills. 

But stories are also a great tool for connecting to your child’s “inner world” in a way that regular conversation doesn’t always touch.

We all struggle with how to handle uncomfortable emotions like anger, fear, nervousness, sadness, and grief. Learning how to acknowledge uncomfortable feelings is a crucial part of growing into an emotionally healthy person. The earlier our children learn to accept and process uncomfortable emotions, the better equipped they are to handle transitions, everyday disappointments, and relationships with others.  

Books can be a simple and powerful tool to help them on their journey! Children can connect to the emotions of characters in a story in ways that help them feel less alone. They can also learn how to empathize with others and show compassion. When children see that a character in a book experiences the same fear or nervousness as them, they realize these feelings are normal.

When uncomfortable emotions present themselves, you can refer back to a story, reminding your child of how the character felt and what happened in the book.

Let stories become a jumping off point for questions and thoughtful conversations with your child. Sharing meaningful books together can also help you connect with your child on a deeper level, making them feel safe and secure. (You may be surprised by the ways they help you too!)

Here are some great lists of books for young children that can help them handle uncomfortable emotions. Your local library will have many of these titles.

Books to Help Kids Handle All Kinds of Uncomfortable Emotions

23 Children’s Books About Emotions for Kids with Big Feelings

11 Smart Books to Help Get Your Kids Ready for Preschool or Kindergarten

17 Children's Books For Anxious Kids

The Basics are 5 fun, simple and powerful ways that every parent can give every child a great start in life! 

Here are some resources that can help you on your journey:

• Watch this short video for encouraging ways that real parents "Read and Discuss Stories" in everyday life. Click on the tips at the bottom of the page for Infants 0-12 months and Toddlers 12-24 months.
• Receive regular, FREE resources from The Palmetto Basics.
• Follow The Palmetto Basics on Facebook and Twitter. We provide encouraging, real-life, shareable content to help parents and caregivers!
• If you, your faith community, your organization, or your place of business would like to join us as a Champion for Children, contact us! palmettobasics@gmail.com.

Thanks for sharing this post and spreading the word about The Palmetto Basics to those within your circle of influence!

Are you looking for indoor and outdoor ideas to keep you your child busy and active? We’re here to help!

Movement and play help young children develop coordination, strength, overall health, and school readiness. Exploring through movement and play is how little ones learn about the world; each stage of development comes with new and exciting opportunities for learning!

Hot summer weather, plus the many restrictions during Covid-19, can make it a challenge to keep little ones engaged and active without resorting to screens. We understand that it’s tempting to simply turn on the TV or the iPad instead of encouraging activities that will stimulate the brain and the body in the ways a young child needs. But we hope these simple activities will help you and your child have fun, stay active, and burn off some energy!

1. Have fun chasing balloons and bubbles!

Going outside with balloons and bubbles is a fun, simple, and inexpensive way to keep your young child occupied. There are so many great brain building and body-strengthening activities that balloons and bubbles can provide!

Because children can’t predict where the balloons and bubbles will go, chasing them are a great way for kids to develop gross motor skills (and burn up lots of energy!)

Kids can chase bubbles and try to pop as many as possible. While chasing them, children have to run, jump, zigzag and move in ways that require sudden shifts in balance and weight. The same is true when throwing and trying to catch or kick balloons. You can also set up a game of balloon volleyball in the yard.

* Be sure to keep a close eye when children are playing with balloons as popped balloon pieces can be a choking hazard

 Thanks to Aging With Flair, LLC for these ideas!

2. Block play

Source: www.blockfest.org

Blocks are a wonderful activity for young children for many reasons!

• Blocks can include wooden blocks, plastic blocks, Duplos, or Legos. (Remove any extra small blocks or Lego pieces that could be choking hazards.) 
• Blocks develop fine motor skills in fingers and hands as children learn to pick up and stack the blocks.
• Blocks build a child’s imagination as they imagine objects to build and learn to create from that mental picture.
• Blocks are useful for sorting objects into groups by size, shape, and color. Children can make patterns with blocks, count them, and compare them. In this way, blocks help children develop important early math skills!

For lots of ideas on block play, visit www.blockfest.org and follow them on Facebook.

3. Boxes

Empty boxes can keep a child occupied for hours!

• Several boxes are fun to build with or to stack and knock down.
• Boxes are great for making an obstacle course, for climbing in and out of, for jumping over, or filling up with items around the house.
• Children can turn a large box into a house, truck, or rocket ship!
• Provide crayons or washable markers so they can get creative with their boxes.

We hope these ideas provide fresh ideas for play during these challenging days. Know that when you put away the screens and encourage your child to engage with the real world around them, you are building a powerful brain, preparing them for school and for life! 

The Basics are 5 fun, simple and powerful ways that every parent can give every child a great start in life!

Here are some resources that can help you on your journey:

• Watch this short video for encouraging ways that real parents are helping their young children "Explore Through Movement and Play" in everyday life. Click on the tips at the bottom of the page for Infants 0-12 months and Toddlers 12-24 months.
• Receive regular, FREE resources from The Palmetto Basics.
• Follow The Palmetto Basics on Facebook and Twitter. We provide encouraging, real-life, shareable content to help parents and caregivers!
• If you, your faith community, your organization, or your place of business would like to join us as a Champion for Children, contact us! palmettobasics@gmail.com.

Thanks for sharing this post and spreading the word about The Palmetto Basics to those within your circle of influence!

You may also enjoy:

15 Screen-Free Indoor Activities to Keep a Young Child Busy

7 Simple Ideas for Exploring through Movement and Play (and why your child's brain needs it!) 

The Basics of Exploring through Movement and Play with Your Baby and Toddler

10 Everyday Ways Your Child Can Explore Through Movement and Play (even when it’s hot outside) 

These are challenging, unprecedented days. And when parenting young children is part of the mix, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. When you’re overwhelmed, it’s easy to “check out,” to say to yourself, “I’ll be more intentional about things once life becomes normal again.” We get it. 

We never thought we’d be here, did we? Parents in all kinds of work and parenting situations are suddenly forced to find solutions for challenges that didn’t exist even a week ago.

We’re here to help. The mission of the The Basics is to provide every parent and caregiver with simple ways to give children a great start in life. And while all 5 Basics are important, the very first Basic is the foundation for everything else: Maximize Love, Manage Stress. It's also the foundation for our daily lives right now! 

Are you supervising digital learning for older kids and / or possibly trying to keep younger children occupied?

Are you now working from home with children?

Do you still have to go to work and find alternative childcare?

Are you facing financial worry while trying to stay calm and steady for your children?

These are stressful times. Loving your children well while managing personal stress is the most important thing you can do right now. (Besides staying home of course!)

This is The Basic that serves as a foundation for all the rest. Maximizing love for your child prepares their young brain and body to learn, to adapt, to relate to others, and to thrive in all areas of life—both in a time of crisis and beyond.

FIRST, LET'S TALK ABOUT "MAXIMIZE LOVE" AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN EVERYDAY LIFE RIGHT NOW. 

Children thrive when the world seems loving, safe, and predictable. This is true during everyday life in normal times AND during everyday life in times of crisis.

This can feel extra challenging for you as a parent or caregiver when the world feels especially unsafe and unpredictable. But you can provide these things for your child in simple, everyday ways. It’s not as complicated as you might think. (Remember, these are The Basics.)

Holding, kissing, and cuddling your young child helps them feel loved and safe.  Simple, everyday routines provide a world for them that's predictable and secure. Having consistent rhythms for eating, bathing, and bedtime helps children easily transition from one thing to the next because they know what to expect. 

What does this look like right now?

1. Provide extra snuggles, hugs, and kisses.

When you respond to the needs of your newborn or toddler, you teach them that they can count on you. This helps them feel secure. Children, even babies and toddlers, can sense your stress and the anxiety level in your home.

2. Find simple daily rhythms that work for you and your family.

Predictability helps children feel secure. When they know what to expect, they are less likely to push back and negotiate. If you are at home with children, there are a variety of daily schedules circulating on social media. If any of those are helpful, use them. But having a schedule that's too rigid can lead to more stress if your baby won’t nap or your toddler has a meltdown that throws everything off. We suggest a flexible daily routine instead of a rigid schedule.

Maybe your routine is loose and flexible and looks something like this:

• Set mealtimes—breakfast, lunch, dinner—around the same time each day
• Activity time in between—toys, go outside, read books, watch an age-appropriate show
• Afternoon rest time
• A bedtime routine—bath, read-aloud, goodnight

The times may not be exact. The activities may vary from day to day depending on weather, energy levels, etc., but there is some predictability to each day.

Maybe your routine is more structured and looks something like this:

• Wake up – breakfast – play with blocks or other building toys– play outside if weather allows – have read-aloud time – eat lunch – rest time – watch a 30 minute show – color or do crafts – have a snack – look at books while parents make dinner – watch a 30 minute show – bedtime routine: bath, read-aloud, goodnight

Do what works best for you and your family! 

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT "MANAGE STRESS" AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW. 

You can’t avoid stress, especially during a time of crisis. But you can learn to cope effectively and teach your child to do the same. 

In the same way that children thrive when the world seems loving, safe, and predictable, children suffer when their world is neglectful, unsafe, or chaotic.  

As we’ve mentioned, young children are greatly affected by the stress of their parents and caregivers. Even babies can sense the stress of a parent. It's crucial that you find healthy ways to cope with stress as you also care for your child. Not doing so can having a lasting effect on a young child's brain, body, and emotions.

Here are some practical ways to manage stress as you face new challenges in daily life: 

• Get enough rest. Sleep = sanity.
• Move your body. Stretching, yoga, going for a walk, doing a workout online. Movement boosts our body’s good hormones and provides endorphins!
• Get outside. Weather and space permitting, go outdoors. Nature provides peace and perspective. Sunshine and fresh air are good for the body and soul.
• Take breaks from media. The news, social media, and local forums have their place. It’s good to be informed from trusted sources. But mindless scrolling and taking in too much information in a culture of fear and alarm can add to your anxiety.
• Take a break from your phone and other devices. Put it in another room for a time. Studies show that stress levels decrease when we disconnect digitally. This will feel hard at the beginning; you might actually feel more anxious at first. But over time, this healthy habit will become life giving.
• Stay in touch with those you love. Call or text the friends and family you don’t get to see right now. Though you can’t be with others in the ways you're used to, you can still reach out in ways that bring connection and comfort.
• Know that grown-ups need timeouts too. When you’re overwhelmed, when it’s only 11 am and the kids won’t stop fighting, it’s okay to step away and count to 100. It’s okay to leave them with your spouse or partner so you can walk around the block.
• Practice gratitude. Studies show that gratitude actually improves mental health; it's a positive emotion that helps fight negativity. Perhaps you can begin each day listing 3 things you’re thankful for. If your child is old enough, teach them the practice of gratitude too!

Be kind to yourself. We’ve never been through something like this and we all need grace and compassion for ourselves and for others. Encourage the parents and caregivers in your life. Help them in any way you can, knowing that when you do, you’re helping children too.  

One day normalcy will return. But let’s make the most of this time with the children who depend on us. Research shows that a solid foundation of love and security helps children focus, adapt to new situations, control their emotions, and begin school ready to learn.