As we make our way through kids games this month, they will get slightly more complex and grow with age. So while Candyland is one of the easiest games to learn and play, we’ll introduce other games that start incorporating strategy, team play, finer coordination, and different game board configuration.
Next up on the board game roster is Guess Who?.
I always enjoy using board games when working with kids. Games are a familiar medium and improve a variety of skills, but they’re also fun. And if the kids are having fun, the better they’ll take to their new skills.
Because April is Occupational Therapy Month and board games are a frequent go-to for pediatric OTs, they’ve become our awesome #OTMonth blog theme. First up, CANDYLAND!
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When the Back to Sleep campaign kicked off in 1994, there was a noted decrease in SIDS. However, the number of babies with developmental delays rose. Interestingly enough, the cases of torticollis and flat-head syndrome (aka plagiocephaly) dramatically increased as well. Coincidence? I think NOT!
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I usually don’t have two book reviews this close…
I received an advance copy of How to Raise a Healthy Gamer and was planning on saving it for May when we have a whole week talking only about video games. I’m only about 70% done with this book, but I think the psychology and framework can be applied to other things besides gaming.
Author Dr. Alok Kanojia introduces himself as a former video game-addicted undergrad who got kicked out of UT Austin for skipping nearly all of his classes. Kanojia then went to a monastery in India when he realized he did indeed have a problem. There, he learned the power of the mind to control his own thoughts (in addition to yoga, meditation and Reiki) and returned to college. He now has a medical degree in Psychiatry.
In addition to being a therapist, Kanojia owns a mental health coaching company called Healthy Gamer that provides resources to overcome video game addiction. The book, How to Raise a Healthy Gamer: End Power Struggles, Break Bad Screen Habits, and Transform Your Relationship with Your Kids, helps parents understand modern video game addiction and work with their kids to create a plan to establish healthy gaming boundaries. It publishes March 12 and is available for pre-order.
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Based on our Playdate Reviews, you know that Mary and I have been doing bi-monthly playdates with our kids for over a year now since they’ve been in the school-age stage. But for the last couple big playdates, I started seeing some patterns.
I feel like what we are seeing is probably similar behavior to what you’ve seen when kids are in groups: talking over each other, getting louder in volume, fighting for attention and showing off, getting jealous, making rash decisions, and going apesh*t when the playdate ends.
At the end of these playdates, I’ve felt like I had to incessantly apologize and abort mission on more than occasion. Baby and toddler playdates are going to have a different vibe, obviously. We are far from the time when we could’ve just hung out with wine while the kids did whatever.
That is not to say that all playdates are like this. I look forward to picking and planning these outings and our kids very much see each other as best friends. So let’s talk about the ups and downs of playdate behavior and what Mary and I have done to stay cool.
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Child(ish) Advice 