Show 41: Colic, Reading with Kids, and Family Night
We discuss what colic is and how to deal with it, reading with kids and how to have a family night. We’ve got lots of great info and fun, fun, fun!
Colic with Roshan Kaderali , CEO of Bliss by Mom. Nancy LOVES their Gripe Water product and it saved her from long hours of crying when Anna was a baby. Check it out!
READING with KIDS
Reading to babies is a great way to encourage language development on several levels. When you read out loud, you introduce your child to the rich sound of language. You also introduce them to the concept of words on a page. When you add signing to your reading experience, you make this process an interactive experience. Babies not only see the words and pictures and hear the sounds, they also participate by signing along with you. Reading reinforces the concept that everything has a name and a sign (called labeling).
- Choose books with simple stories and pictures of things relevant to your child. Board books are great because they allow your child to interact with the book by turning the pages. Simple, but colorful illustrations are best.
- Read aloud but keep it simple. If the book is too complex, simplify it just telling what is on the page. You can point things out and tell your own story—don’t feel tied to what is written on the page.
- Sign any of the words you know (you might wish you were an octopus trying to hold the book and sign, but it gets easier). A great book to start with is Brown Bear, Brown Bear. This book is very repetitive and helps you sign a lot of animal signs. Or, put the Sign Babies ASL Flash Cards for the signs you are signing in a 4 x 6 photo album and make your own personal “book” that you know includes the signs you want to sign with your baby.
- Take a step back and let your baby lead in the reading process. If she knows a few signs, let her express her knowledge by signing things she sees in the book. You can ask her questions about what she sees in the book and ask her to show you things in the book. If she signs something, reinforce the sign with the spoken word for that sign: “Yes, that is a BIRD!”
- Take reading at your child’s pace—if he only wants to flip the pages, that is OK. If she can read for a long time, go with it. If she likes the same three books, great. It is not so much the books you read as the process of opening the books and turning the pages. It is the talking about the pictures and the being together that is important at this age.
GREAT BOOKS AND THE SIGNS THAT THEY TEACH: Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle: food signs; Moo, Baa La La La ! by Sandra Boynton: animal signs; Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle: animal signs; The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton: bedtime and bath time signs; Curious George Are You Curious? by H.A. Rey: emotions; Hug by Jez Alborough: emotions; Counting Kisses by Karen Katz: family members; Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton: colors
