Friday, June 29, 2018

Hug Somebody!

It has been a great summer so far.  I have truly enjoyed having time with each of my grandchildren.  They all bring out something different in me and help me to be a better person.  

My oldest grandson is such an encourager.   He often sees me practicing my Spanish lessons and always has an encouraging word, even if I can't roll my R's very well.  I love what he said to me yesterday, "Meme, I know why you are learning Spanish.  You don't want anyone to feel left out."  What a beautiful thing to say.  He is incredibly tender-hearted.

My oldest granddaughter wants to talk about literature with me.  We talk about all kinds of books and our love for reading.  She is my challenger.  She challenges me to read a variety of books and to expand my interests.  I love that about her.  She also has a joy about her that is contagious.

My little grandson makes me smile all day long.  I love listening to his vocabulary expand.  I love seeing the world through his eyes.  He is always full of excitement and adventure.  

And my little granddaughter is my symbol of hope and drive.  In our crazy little world these days, she reminds me to try harder to make this world a better place.  The beauty in her eyes continues to give me hope.

Being a parent, and now a grandparent, is a blessing that I never want to take for granted.  I have spent the last couple of months working on a book about grandmothers.  The words just poured out of my heart.  The book is with my editor right now and I look forward to sharing it with you soon.

In the meantime, hug your kids!  Hug your grandkids!  And if you don't have any, find some other kids to hug that need it.  This world could use a lot more hugging :)


Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Explaining Autism to Children

I am excited to share this great video on autism.  Summer is a great time to talk to your children about a variety of topics and have the time to discuss them.  Thankfully our children are getting the opportunity to be with children with autism but often they don't build relationships because so many questions are left unanswered.  This is a great tool to help them build relationships.


https://www.facebook.com/SPEDPH/videos/1670887129605859/?autoplay_reason=gatekeeper&video_container_type=0&video_creator_product_type=2&app_id=2392950137&live_video_guests=0

Here are some discussion questions you may want to use:

What things are you good at?
What things are difficult for you?
Isn't it great that God made us all different?
Do you know anyone in your school with autism?
Have you ever talked to him/her?
Do you have any questions?  (Don't be afraid of questions because you can research and learn together if you don't know the answer)
What could you and your classmates do to help him/her feel more comfortable and more included?

For more information you may want to visit:  https://www.facebook.com/SPEDPH/?hc_ref=ARQpjeb0dVn2ojlHMuMBchumDcTNTP2_1h3oSQOGlQDzekjxGakHfEO2ddNbD8rdkeI&fref=nf