Blog Archives

Super Mom!

12/30/2013

by Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS

Super Mom!

My house sparkles!

My family eats “clean!”

I nursed all of my babies until they were one year old!

I work 25 hours a week in a well paid job where everyone values me!

Some people call me a “soccer mom!” I never miss a game and do more than my share of the car pools.

We attend the Sunday service and I teach Sunday School!

My husband is always satisfied with our level of intimacy!

Oh, sorry…I was daydreaming.

The reality is, I have to schedule time to go to the bathroom and some days I’m lucky if I can get a hot dog on the table.

Moms…Just how exactly are we to fit it all in???

Over the summer, I became aware that I had so much on my card that my health had deteriorated to the point that I felt like I couldn’t even stand for a period of time and on one occasion, my daughter tried to tell me something and I yelled at her, “Stop talking to me! I’m breathing right now!!” Not a proud “Mom moment.” I felt like I couldn’t multitask (one of my strong points) at all, even to the point of breathing at the same time as listening to my daughter. (One of the issues was low iron.)

So I began a program, in part that involved assessing my responsibilities, priorities and time. When I tried to plug everything into the charts I became boldly aware that it just didn’t compute. It wasn’t possible.

As 2014 begins, I encourage you great moms to look at your responsibilities, goals, needs and time and see to it that you aren’t just living each day to get it over with and onto the next, but that you are really living and getting what you want.

I hope you find these two tools useful! You might want to share them with your husband as well, if he is prone to not having a clue what you do all day.

This chart is for you to put all of your responsibilities IN A DAY; the things you must do, really should do and wish you could do.

Now friends, here is a place to plug in the things from the first chart. See if you can do it. I could NOT do it even when I extended the times from 6 am to midnight. No wonder I was completely depleted!

Tomorrow, or when my virus infected computer comes back to life, I will post “Super Mom II” where there will be some great info on goal setting the “SMART” way.

As always, I can be reached at www.tracylamperti.com or 774-722-5919.

If you would like more information or a consultation, please go to www.tracylamperti.com. If you have any concerns that your child or a child you know may be being sexually abused, please consult with myself or another professional trained in this area right away. Sexual abuse has lasting and devastating effects on an individual and our community. You can help protect your own or another child.

Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS
Psychotherapist, Educator, Consultant
My Blog
My Website
lamperticc@gmail.com
774-722-5919

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School vacations are an awesome time for a full scale Family Movie Night!

12/23/2013

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by Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS

Once “Family Movie Night” is established in your home, the whole family will look forward to this special time! The whole package deal will be so cherished that even on a night when the movie turns out to not be as good as hoped for, or one child has to give in to another child’s choice, these things won’t even matter that much.

ALL family movies should be filtered or pre-reviewed by parents, no matter who recommends it.

Please follow the link at the bottom for tools that are good for filtering and Tracy Lamperti’s “Favorite Family Movie List.”

Schedule the Date

You might want to have a “family night” and rotate movie night, game night, special dinner night…don’t worry so much about frequency. Families can have lots of spontaneous moments of fun, but in establishing traditions, planning is very important, especially for busy families and to help children learn the advantages of thinking ahead.

Be Prepared

Make sure you have the movie on hand, that you have looked at reviews, previewed the movie if you feel necessary and have a “plan b” in case you need to abandon the first choice.

Make it Fun

Parents are very busy these days! Try not to convey the message that “Family Movie Night” is a chore. Establishing FMN can be a bit of work but once your family has all of the rituals down, it will go smoothly.

Consider ordering or making pizza or something else your family really likes and is easy for you to prepare.
Bring out the comfy pillows and maybe blankets or sleeping bags.
Set the lighting for the right mood.
Boundaries are helpful. Once the movie starts we all settle down and watch. Schedule a potty break or snack/drink refill break. Too many disruptions reduce the fun factor.

Have Good Snacks

Traditional movie theater snacks can be a fun treat for FMN. Cups with covers help to avoid accidents that disrupt the movie and upset everyone. Be careful about sugar so close to bed.

Set a Theme

Take turns deciding who picks the movie or if there will be a special theme, such as holiday or comedy. Some family members are really creative and plan snacks around a theme or even make crafty movie tickets or funny hats!

Plan

Especially for younger children, showering and getting pjs on ahead of time can help to avoid issues like children being too tired to do those things after the movie. It is best to keep it to just washing hands and brushing teeth after the movie. Try not to get started too late.

Filter Distractions

Turn off your ringer. Shut down your social media. Children are more perceptive than we sometimes think. They will know if you are not fully present. The kids should put their devices away as well.

No Skipping

A good policy is that on family movie night, the whole family watches the movie. It is just understood that in good faith, a movie will be chosen where there is a reasonable expectation that everyone will get something out of, even if they have to stretch themselves. It is good to bear with one another and participate with one another as a family, because we are a family. The same concept applies for family meals. We work together and give and take when it is or isn’t our favorite. Children feel good about participating even if the movie (or meal) wasn’t their choice. Children learn in families, about taking turns, treating each other nicely and working together. Sometimes they realize they have actually enjoyed the movie, when they assumed they would hate it. But even if not, we are a family and we support each other and enjoy life with each other, even when we aren’t getting our own way. Increase the fun factor of family movie night so that even when it isn’t Johnny’s night to choose, he will want to come because of the other factors.

Uh-oh, that movie wasn’t a good choice.

Yes, we sometimes have regrets after a movie. At times when you feel that you have exposed your child to a theme or experience that was not appropriate and you did not have the wisdom at the time to turn it off, be sure and talk about it afterwards. It is important to tell our children when we have erred in our judgment and exposed them to something that we then regret. There are also times when something may seem harmless at the time and then you see your child playing out a theme that makes you uneasy and you know exactly where they picked it up. Maybe your child is strutting around like a sassy character on a Barbie movie, or maybe having bad dreams. Use this opportunity to connect with your child, guide them and build trust with them. You might think your new sassy Barbie daughter needs scolding, but it actually might be most appropriate, especially if this is a bit out of character or more extreme than usual for your daughter, to have a little motherly sit-down and point some things out. “I notice you’ve had a bit of an unfriendly attitude lately, like when you……………. yesterday. I’m thinking that this is kind of like the attitude of …………on the Barbie movie that you have been watching.” Continue the conversation and try to engage your child in sharing some insight that they might have, now that you have pointed it out. Suggest, “Let’s take a break from Barbie for about a week and see if the friendly you comes right back. “ It is the same thing with nightmares or other behaviors. “I’m noticing that these bad dreams started after you watched that lava scene on Star Wars. We may have made a mistake watching that scene. Let’s not watch it again for awhile and I think you will start sleeping better pretty quickly.”

“It was fine.”

All too often, I hear parents say, “Yes, they (a 4 year old) watched Indiana Jones. They were fine. It didn’t seem to bother them at all.” Typically, children stare at the TV screen. They listen and they watch. An occasional child will hide behind a chair until a scene is over, or cover their eyes or ask a parent to turn it off. But the MOST common occurrence is for children to sit and stare. Some parents will interpret this as everything being fine. It’s better not to bank on that. We have to guide and direct our children and that includes helping to be their filters in the world. There is so much that we don’t have control over, AND there is SO much that we do have control over.

“I’m preparing them for the real world.”

I have also heard many parents say that they have let their children watch movies with profanity or other bad behavior and rationalize it by saying, “but we talked about it and they know we don’t allow that kind of behavior.” Some parents rationalize by saying it was a “good” thing because it provided an opportunity to talk about that kind of behavior and why it is not acceptable. This is also a weak argument that is only possibly strengthened by the type of behavior mentioned vs. the developmental stage of the child and maturity level. Foul language or surly themes in a movie are simply unnecessary, add nothing to the movie and should be filtered out.

“Favorite Family Movie List” http://174.121.3.221/~tracylam/Favorite-Family-Movie-List.pdf

I would love to hear about what your family does to make movie night special! Post your stories on my fb https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lamperti-Counseling-Consultation/205305462892981

email me lamperticc@gmail.com or send me a note on my “contact” page at www.tracylamperti.com

Thanks,
Tracy

Check out this "WOW" Giveaway!

http://tracylamperti.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/a-wow-giveaway/

Winner gets;
Popper, popcorn, spices, oil, popcorn cups and bowl, three DVDs pictured!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Deck the House for the Holidays…with your Children

12/18/2013

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By Kelli DiDomenico

It’s that time of the year again when you start to think about decorating your house for the holidays. Argh… is one of the first thoughts that may come to mind for many adults, when we think about this hefty endeavor. Many parents are already tired, overworked and have too much on their plates. The thought of adding another task can be overwhelming. That is just when the kids will say, “let’s decorate the house, it’ll be fun!”

You can make it fun. Let’s start by involving the entire family in the decorating festivities, instead of dreading the work it takes to decorate your house. You can follow some of these ideas and plans to get your family started.

Set up a family meeting – Get everyone involved in this family project. Set up a day or days and times that everyone can dedicate to just decorating. Put it on the family calendar on the fridge and make sure that everyone has committed to it.
Check out your inventory – Have the kids (with adult supervision if needed) pull out all the holiday decorations that you currently have for the season. Then, as a family, decide on a budget for the other needed supplies or decorations. Then hit the discount stores or resale shops for supplies and try to keep it under budget.

*A good tip to remember for the end of the holiday season is to neatly organize and put away decorations in an identified space that is easy to retrieve for the next year.

Areas to decorate – This can be the big question for the kids. What areas of the house are we going to decorate? Trying to decorate every nook and cranny can be overwhelming and very expensive. So start off small and expand on your areas each year.

Ask the children if they want to decorate the inside or outside? Then you can get started. If they chose the inside they may want to decorate the table, the kitchen, the living room or maybe even the bathroom. Let them choose what areas to decorate. Remember we want to make decorating a fun filled family time and not a stressful event. If they decide on decorating the outdoor area maybe they may want to consider the front door, front yard, porch or patio.
Make and/or pick decorations –However, to make it easy you want to start by using the decorations that you currently have at the house.

Once you have done that then you get to the real creative stuff…making some homemade decorations.

Some ideas for decorating…

Decorate Bowls & Baskets –This project is a great excuse to utilize old baskets or bowls that maybe from previous gifts that you have piled up in a closet just wasting space. Let’s the kids have a ball picking out a few good baskets to display some of their holiday decorations or art projects from school. They can also gather some pine cones and decorate them with glitter and display them too. Let the kids use their imaginations to see what they can design for their creations.
- If they want to get really creative they can also gather some old glass vases or jars and fill them with holiday balls or garland. Try not to be judgmental with their design choices. As their parent, we need to proudly display all of their lovely crafts.
Popcorn or stringing beads – Stringing popcorn or beads is a fun inexpensive way to create a fun decoration for any holiday. All you need is string, needles and pop up some popcorn or gather up some beads and you are ready to get started. Have fun and be creative. You definitely need to consider a child’s age and ability when working with this craft activity.
Countdown paper chain – A paper chain project can be great for all ages. The children can cut strips of paper, in their favorite colors, number them and hook them together. Find a great place to display your creation and let the countdown begin. Each night a different family member can cut off one of the pieces of the chain to display how many days are left for the big day.
Christmas wreaths and swags – Children love to go on nature hikes. This is a great opportunity to explore the outdoors with your children. Have them gather pieces of branches, pine cones, and other greenery that they can use for their homemade wreath. All you need for supplies are some glue, paper plates, scissors and a ton of imagination.

Countdown paper chain – A paper chain project can be great for all ages. The children can cut strips of paper, in their favorite colors, number them and hook them together. Find a great place to display your creation and let the countdown begin. Each night a different family member can cut off one of the pieces of the chain to display how many days are left for the big day.
Christmas wreaths and swags – Children love to go on nature hikes. This is a great opportunity to explore the outdoors with your children. Have them gather pieces of branches, pine cones, and other greenery that they can use for their homemade wreath. All you need for supplies are some glue, paper plates, scissors and a ton of imagination.

*Another good tip for next year is to stock up at the after holiday sales to find some great decorations for good prices.

Finally the ultimate goal when decorating your home is to have fun, spend quality time with your family and end up with a holiday display that everyone had a hand in creating. Remember that your family can add many of their own traditions to make it special. If you want to add a little zip to your holiday decorating you can always add some healthy snacks, warm hot chocolate and holiday music playing in the background. The point is to discover, as a team what works best for your family. Happy Decorating to all!

Kelli DiDomenico is Director of Parent and Community Relations at The Children’s Workshop. With over 20 years of experience, Kelli earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Rhode Island College and ran her own child care business before rejoining The Children’s Workshop family team in 2010. The Children’s Workshop has locations in Bourne and South Dennis with early learning programs for children of all ages. The Children’s Workshop is where learning is child’s play! www.childrensworkshop.com

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Cape Cod Mom Advisor Suzanne Golden Reviews iPad and Tablet Apps!

12/18/2013

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By: Suzanne Golden, M.S., CCC-SLP

The holidays are upon us we all know what that means…. GIFTS! If you have been a good boy or girl you may wake up to a shiny new iPad or other tablet under your tree on Christmas morning! In one of my old posts, I’ve shared some of my favorite apps for speech therapy. Today I will add to that list and I hope you might try some of these apps out with your children after Christmas day!

Developer: Software Smoothie
Price: $.99
Description: iBaby buttons is a great app for young children to learn new vocabulary and cause and effect. With a touch of the screen a button appears on the screen. Another touch turns the button around and reveals the customizable picture with sound. One more touch makes the picture pop and disappear.

Speech/Language use:

I love customizing this app to include a variety of people and animals and work on prompting my clients to say “hi” and “bye” as the buttons turn to reveal the people/animals.

Phonics Studio
Developer: Grasshopper Apps
Price: FREE
Description: Phonics Studio comes with over 2,500 colorful pictures of phonics sounds grouped by letter. Choose a letter and which positions words that you want the sound to appear and then flip through the flashcards to see the picture and hear the word. It also comes with a recording feature to help your little one hear him/herself say the word.

Speech/Language use:

This app is great for children learning how to read and for children working on articulation. In therapy, these bright pictures are a great motivator and my clients love recording their voices while practicing their sounds using this FREE app!

Bitsboard
Developer: Grasshopper Apps
Price: FREE -$2.99
Description: Bitsboard is a customizable app that allows you to create decks of cards to study and play games with. Search the Bitsboard library for a picture or upload your own to suit your needs. Once your deck is created, choose from 13 different games to meet your child’s learning needs! One of my favorite parts of this app is that boards can be shared among users so you may not need to always start from scratch!

Speech/Language use:

I use this app in so many ways in therapy! This app is great for creating a schedule or social story for children who need some structure. I create custom word lists for my clients to download at home and use for homework. I use it to create flashcards for my clients to work on receptively identifying pictures. Bitsboard is my number one free app that I recommend to all of my clients!

If you find yourself lucky enough to wake up to a new iPad or tablet on Christmas morning, I hope you will take the time to explore these apps and use them with your children!

If you are concerned about your child’s language development call Golden Speech Therapy and schedule a free screening!

Golden Speech Therapy
Suzanne Golden, M.S., CCC-SLP
Contact Info:
781-603-8529
www.goldenspeechtherapy.com
www.facebook.com/goldenspeechtherapy

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Sweat is Sexy

12/12/2013

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By: Jennifer L. Long, RN, NCN

Was hitting the gym one of your New Year’s health goals? If it was I have great news, SWEAT IS SEXY! Yes, regular exercise will do many things for your health and body, and revving up your sex life is one of them! The benefits of exercise are well-noted; increased strength, endurance, improved muscle development, cardiovascular and respiratory function, increased metabolism, better sleep and yes, BETTER SEX! It is obvious that working out can make your body stronger, now isn’t it awesome to know you can show it in the bedroom?

It is no mystery that nutrition and fitness go hand in hand in creating better health. General health practices are important to keep your body strong, the more you do to take care of yourself with nutrition, exercise, hydration, sleep and stress management, the better your body responds and improves in many ways. This also directly affects your sexual function!

Think about this…when physicians and nurses encourage physical activity to their patients, one goal is to increase circulation and blood flow, vital in sexual function. In a February 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, scientists found that sexual dysfunction is more likely among those with poor physical and emotional health, and plays a major role with negative experiences in sexual relationships and with overall well-being.

Men have been studied and shown to have an increase in testosterone and improved sexual function with regular exercise. There is also evidence to show men to decrease their chances in developing Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and/or impotence. Women are not excluded from this great news! Studies have also shown that with increased physical activity, an increase in blood flow and circulation to the vagina and clitoris, promoting a more satisfying sexual experience.

So, would it make sense with exercise being such a huge factor in your love life, more would be better? The answer is NO! In fact, the same studies determined with heavy exercise, men showed a decrease in testosterone, leading to a less robust sex life. A quality workout can be anywhere from 30-90 minutes.

With all this great news, are you excited about getting started on a new workout routine? This is a positive response and one I am pleased to encourage. How to get started and STAY started is where you need guidance! First of all, my first recommendation is to consult with your primary care physician to determine what type of physical activity your body is healthy enough for. Assuming you are cleared for any form of activity and have zero limitations, you can begin your search for what interests you.

There are different forms of exercise. If you do not already have an interest and aren’t sure where or how to start, I suggest finding a fitness coach or personal trainer to guide you.

There are other factors that can affect your circulation as well. Obesity, smoking and heavy alcohol use all contribute. Exercise is however, the most effective in increasing circulation.

Make 2014 your year! For nutrition, health and fitness consulting, contact RNutrition Health & Wellness TODAY!

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Empathetic or Apathetic, that is the Question

12/12/2013

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By: Amy E

I am so disgusted by some recent events I saw online pop up online on someone's Facebook page. What you will read today in my blog may shock you and it may not. Maybe it has become the norm and people are okay with this behavior. I know we have all seen this before online, some of us have been affected by it, been victims of it or have even been the aggressors of the situation. And we are all aware of the effects of “cyber bullying” and “slandering”. Adults and young people have killed themselves over things like this. To see what transpired yesterday, which has now been taken down by the admin, was heartbreaking. A group of fellow women and also mothers decided to make fun of another local mom. They made degrading comments about her looks, her business and her family including her children. In fact one of the comments was slightly ironic since they were conversing about a “selling” type page and made a comment about how she “can’t afford a bed for her son”, implying because she found a good deal online that she was poor or a bad mother.

To pick on someone in a public forum (Facebook is a large public forum regardless of privacy controls) that potentially could reach thousands of people all of whom are local was disgusting and horrifying. Why trash another mother like this publically? Why damage her reputation, her businesses integrity and her family by calling them “inbreds”. And not only did this group of women trash this mother, but they made themselves look like a bunch of crazed animals. What was also shocking was the stunning SILENCE that echoed on this Facebook page and how almost no one stood up to these ladies.

This behavior is nothing new, it just has grown as the digital age has grown. As the problem has grown and this online “gossiping” and “bullying” has grown, has our apathy to the situation also grown? Do we see it and choose not to get involved because it’s just drama and it is typical? Has the CONSTANT need for being connected finally broken down and changed the way we communicate and empathize with one another? Good communication is one of the reasons that humanity has been as successful as it is and now that it is breaking down, what does that mean for us?

We are all sisters, why are we fighting and picking on one another? We should be encouraging one another and supporting each other. Aren’t we all in this big job of “parenting” and being “moms” together? We have one of the toughest jobs on the planet my fellow sisters…. Raising the next generation, and we all know this is no easy task. Personally some days I feel like I am banging my head against the wall I’m so stressed and overwhelmed. But women are strong and we will persevere and fight to get the job done to the best of our ability even if it means sacrificing.

We are supposed to raise our children to be courageous, kind, gentle, and empathetic. We are supposed to teach them honesty and accountability. We are supposed to inspire them to be even BETTER people than we are! It worries me for the kids who may be learning this behavior in the home and who will someday “copy” it and try to hurt another human being. Our children are a reflection of us and they will reflect the qualities we model for them.

This really happened yesterday and it happened in OUR community. Now what are we going to do about it? Next time you see something like this happen, will you sit by and let it happen? Or will you put yourself on the line and say: “Enough, this is our community and this person is part of our community and we will NOT allow this to happen, we will NOT allow our children to learn this behavior.”

Remember, we are fellow sisters. Don't break each other down, support one another. Women of the past fought hard for us to be where we are. We are stronger together and together we can change the world.

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Christmas Wreaths and Decorations with Cape Cod Mom Liz!

12/9/2013

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By: Liz S

The holidays are a wonderful, magical time of the year. They are also an expensive and hectic time for families. I am always looking for a way to save some money while sharing an experience and making memories with my family. I love decorating inside and out for Christmas! Wreaths and swags are a festive favorite, but the price tags are sky high. Stop by any garden center and decorated wreaths can run up to $50. The bows alone can give me sticker shock, and all for something that gets tossed out after New Year’s Eve. We dabble in DIY projects but nothing hard core, yet we took on the task of making our own wreaths and swags. I promise you do not have to be super crafty to get a “WOW” result.

Step 1- Where to start? We went to our favorite local garden center and bought several plain-jane wreaths, 12-14” in size for about $8 each. You can use whatever sizes fit your need and of course, the plastic wreaths work if you are so inclined. I hit the Christmas Tree Shop and bought a bag of starfish, $5, and the Dollar Tree for ribbons, $1 each roll. I had some wire from an old ribbon making kit, but you can buy it locally for under $2 a roll. I wanted a Cape Cod feel to our wreaths hence the starfish. I used some pine cones that my daughter collected around the yard, and we sprinkled silver glitter on them.

Step 2- We simply attached the pinecones and starfish to the wreaths using the wire. Do as many as you like, placed wherever looks good to you. It’s all about self-expression and having fun. It is easy, I promise J I tied the bow around the wreath and we were done.

Step 3- My family was so proud of our wreaths, we decided to try our hand at swags. I grabbed a basket and pair of garden clippers and went off to our front yard. As many of us do, we have Leyland Cyprus trees and Holly bushes in our yard. All I did was cut a bunch of branches off. We played around with the branches to get a nice, full set, and then tied together at the stem with our wire. We added ribbon and in less than 5 minutes we had swags.

Making our own decorations was fun and festive. My husband, daughter and I had such a blast. The wreaths came in under $10 each and the swags were under $1.00!! Saving money allowed us to make some of these handmade gifts for friends and neighbors. We enjoyed being able to spread some holiday cheer and everyone loved them.

Whether it is making wreaths, a gingerbread house, cookies or candles- I hope you and your family can share a fun activity together this year. You may stumble on a new tradition like we have. Happy holidays from our family to yours.

Peace and Joy,

Liz

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Cape Cod Mommies Celebrates Family With Our Festivus Giveaways!

12/5/2013

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Festivus!

A term coined by pop culture by the ever popular and much loved and missed sitcom: Seinfeld! Now defined on Wikipedia as a "secular holiday celebrated on December 23 which serves as an alternative to participating in the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas and holiday season," this holiday gets back to some of the more important parts of Christmas: FAMILY!

For me this time of year brings up happy and warm memories of family and friends..... being together, making new memories, celebrating old ones. In my mind I can smell the cookies baking, the fresh pine permeating the entire house. We used to play outside in the cold or snow for hours before coming inside with our rosy cheeks to read stories, build forts, or play games. We would enjoy a cup of tea or hot cocoa and a cookie (if we were good) while the fire crackled.

I feel like we rush around way to much these days especially during this time of year. We try to cram in our greeting cards, holiday parties, shopping, Santa, decorating, hiding that sneaky Elf on the Shelf (or in our house the Bumble who mumbles), baking, parade floats, planning for Christmas dinner, tree lightings, caroling, the list goes on and on and on..... my head is honestly spinning so much already and it's barely the beginning of December!

In honor of Festivus and Family and to remind you to SLOW DOWN and take some time to really enjoy everything with your loved ones this season, we've teamed up with some of our local Cape Cod and Plymouth Businesses to bring you some amazing giveaways. Make sure you take some time to support your local businesses-many of our donations below come from family businesses and local parents so let's show them some love!

All giveaways will close at 11:59pm on December 19, 2013. All winners will be contacted via the email the provide upon entry by 12/20/13. There is a free entry for each giveaways and then several bonus entries! We ask that you please not cheat, as we will validate all entries and if one entry is found to be invalid then we will disqualify you and invalidate all your entries. So play fair :)

GOODLUCK!

Festivus Giveaway

$100 Cash from Cape Cod Mommies
$50 Gift Certificate RNutrition Health & Wellness
$25 Gift Certificate Bzzyfingers
$20 Gift Certificate Mommy & Me Consignment
$20 Gift Certificate Kemp Pottery
Archery Lessons from Millennium Archery
Boogie Wipes Prize Pack Cape Cod Mommies

Cape Cod Children's Museum 4 Pack Admission
Cheesecake from Cheesecakes by Audrey

Cinnarum Coffee from Cape Cod Coffee Roasters
Coaching Session from MK Yoga & Health
Holiday Book Package from Cape Cod Mommies
Melissa & Doug Toys from Golden Speech Therapy
Pink Polka Dot Kid Gift Basket
Power Yoga of Cape Cod 5 Class Gift Card $65 Value
Turning Pointe Dance Studio Gift Certificate
Undertow Autographed copy by K.R. Conway

$100 CASH

$50 GC RNutrition Health & Wellness

$25 GC Bzzyfingers

$20 GC Mommy & Me Consignment Store

$20 GC Kemp Pottery

Archery Lessons from Millennium Archery

Boogie Wipes Prize Pack

4 Pack of Free Admission Passes

Cape Cod Children's Museum

Cheesecake from Cheesecakes by Audrey

Cinnarum Coffee Cape Cod Coffee Roasters

Coaching Session from MK Yoga & Health

Holiday Book Package

Melissa & Doug Gift Basket from Golden Speech Therapy

The Pink Polka Dot Kid Gift Basket

Power Yoga of Cape Cod Harwich 5 Class Punch Card

Turning Pointe Dance Studio Gift Certificate

Undertow Autographed copy by K.R. Conway

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Toys to Promote Language Development

12/3/2013

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By: Suzanne Golden, M.S., CCC-SLP

Christmas is coming and it is time to start thinking about what toys to buy for your children. As always, I am an advocate for thinking about language development, even when buying toys! I have a list of my favorite toys that I love playing with when I work with my clients and when I play with my daughter. These toys are open-ended, fun and best of all – they are great for expanding language! Here are some of my favorites to choose from:

Kitchen Set and Pretend Food

A toy kitchen and pretend food can provide hours of entertainment and thousands of opportunities to introduce new vocabulary, role play real-life situations and expand on previously developed language.

At my office and at my house, we have the Melissa & Doug Wooden Velcro Food. These foods look realistic, are very sturdy and provide hours of cutting fun! My daughter loves to combine different types of foods to make different “meals” that we can pretend to eat. She uses her stuffed animals to set up a “restaurant” and cooks meals, using this food, to serve to all of her “friends”. This allows us to introduce a variety of new vocabulary words and scripts about eating, serving and cooking in a restaurant.

Blocks

Blocks are another essential toy that I have both at my office and at my house. There are a variety of types out there and all are great for pretend play. Blocks can be turned into a castle, bridge or other creation. They can be stacked up high and knocked down. You can talk about shapes, sizes and colors.

At my house, we have the Imagibricks Giant Building Blocks. These blocks are often turned into a road that roams around my daughter’s room or a castle where a magical princess lives. They provide hours of pretend play fun!

Farms, Houses and Jungles

Toy farms, houses and jungles are great for language development in so many ways! They are great for role-playing various scenarios (eating, sleeping, running, jumping, etc..) and can promote following directions (“put the pig in the pen”). For early communicators, verbal imitation can be promoted through animal noises.

I love the Fisher Price Little People Farm. The pieces are colorful, bright and durable. There are also a variety of other Little People accessories that can be purchased later to further build the pretend-play repertoire!

I hope these suggestions provide you with some gift ideas for your little ones this Holiday season!

If you are concerned about your child’s language development call Golden Speech Therapy and schedule a free screening!

Golden Speech Therapy
Suzanne Golden, M.S., CCC-SLP
Contact Info:
781-603-8529
www.goldenspeechtherapy.com
www.facebook.com/goldenspeechtherapy

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Archery Lessons from Millennium Archery

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4 Pack of Free Admission Passes Cape Cod Children's Museum

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Power Yoga of Cape Cod Harwich 5 Class Punch Card

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Kitchen Set and Pretend Food

Blocks

Farms, Houses and Jungles

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