Many of you know that I am a big fan of the parenting site Root & Sprout, and the related social network Grow Together. Over the last few months, Root & Sprout has experienced much growth and many changes, including hiring a core team of writers while still providing opportunities for both paid articles and voluntary submissions to the ezine.
Starting this month, articles will be published one or two per day instead of all on the first of the month. They will continue to range in category, covering ages from pregnancy to the teenage years and including other topics relevant to parenting. There will be giveaways each week, too, so subscribe to the feed today to stay informed!
Now that the site is using a blog platform (where you can also comment on the articles – hint, hint!), each post has its own permalink, which is great for referencing previous articles and sharing them with others. My newest article has just published today, and I have written two previous articles:
I am hopeful that sharing our potty training experience will give some hope to other moms who aren’t sure it will ever happen, whether your child has special needs or is just not responding the way you think they should be. I’d love to hear what you think!
For Try This Tuesday at 5MFSN today, I wrote about my introduction to 1-2-3 Magic, which is a parenting/discipline method we are starting to use with Michael. A big part of its success depends on the parent keeping their own emotions and words under control, which can sometimes be difficult when you have a high stress level.
I recently saw an article on our local ASA listserve called Calm, Cool, Collected and Consistent, which goes into quite a bit of detail about how stress affects our bodies and how regular exercise such as walking can help. I tracked down the reference and was able to find it as part of a collection of articles by Susan Crum from Able2Learn. I would definitely recommend checking these out.
Another site that looks like a great resource is Jill Kuzma’s Social Thinking Weblog. Jill is an SLP from Minnesota who offers both information and teaching resources on a variety of social skill related topics. She also has a list of ideas for social language IEP goals and a detailed page about assessing pragmatics/social language skills.
Usually I mention at some point each month that the new issue of Root & Sprout is up, but I don’t know if I’ve told you that there is also a community that has built up around this site and its philosophy. First of all, what is Root & Sprout?
Root & Sprout is an online site with new articles published each month, all geared towards “practical information, stories and advice about being a parent and raising a family” and based on the concept of “gentle, hands-on parenting.” Although there is a team of writers being developed, submissions are also accepted from anyone who wishes to contribute.
The articles are categorized by stages, such as Shoots for preschool age and Buds for elementary school age. And I love the special needs category name, Wildflowers. There are also sections devoted to learning and crafts, healthy living and product reviews.
Grow Together is the place to meet other parents who are dedicated to “giving kids the roots to help them sprout.” Once there, you can share your thoughts in the forum, join groups that fit your specific interests and even post to the community blog. Visit my page to check it out. See you there!
KC at mindless chatter of a busy mom shared her answers from an interesting quiz called What’s Your Mothering Style?, so I took it myself to see how I compared. Here are my results:
Your type is: INFP —The “Tuned In” Mother
“Inside our children, I believe, is a truth that tells them what’s best for them. I am always listening for that truth.”
* Aware, astute, and understanding, the INFP mother is sensitive to her child’s needs, feelings, and perceptions. By observing and listening to the cues of the whole child, she is “tuned in” and naturally develops an intuitive feel for what he or she needs. Responsive and helpful as well, she tends patiently to those needs as they arise.
* The INFP mother is comfortable letting her children follow their own course of development and make their own choices. She offers encouragement and uses her insights to head off trouble and difficult issues.
* The INFP mother takes vicarious pleasure giving her children good experiences and watching them enjoy childhood. She’s happiest creating pleasant, memorable times for the whole family.
The potential downsides are that I can be drained by too much interaction and need time alone to recharge so must guard my energy throughout the day. I also can struggle to maintain structure and order, as well as balance relaxing with doing chores. These are all very true challenges for me, and they are all things that my son needs more of in his life (although I do still feel that being understood, having choices and have good experiences is more important).
I am so thankful to my husband for understanding these things about me and doing things like taking the Little Guy to Virginia to visit Grandma & Grandpa this weekend. I have had such a wonderful time having a quiet house and doing things at my own pace without a lot of interruptions. I did spend some of the time with friends and at church, which was good and is important for me, but the time alone has been a huge blessing. Thank you honey!
I don’t know about you, but the parenting books I was reading before my son was diagnosed with autism have pretty much gone by the wayside. Although much of it is good information, it is very hard to apply when your child’s development is at a different level in almost every area and when he doesn’t respond to typical strategies the way you would expect.
Here are some parenting resources specifically aimed at parents of special needs children:
