Easy 4th of July Crafts

Why not spend sometime this week getting ready for the 4th?!?!?  Get the family together and try one of these quick and easy crafts that celebrate the Red, White and Blue.

1. Pom-Pom Flag Painting

2. Toilet Paper Roll Fire Work Stamp

 

3. Fireworks Straw Paintings

 

Changing Brains: Helping Your Child Grow

What can you do to help your child's brain develop to its full potential?  That is one of the question that scientists at the University of Oregon are working to answer with the Changing Brains project.  Their website provides great resources for parents on the brain development of children, including a great series of videos focusing on different areas of the brain.  Not only does each video include interesting and important information about development, but provides tools and strategies to maximize your child's brain growth in that area!  Visit their site and click on the "watch" tab to start learning more about your child's amazing mind.

http://www.changingbrains.org/index.html

Oregon Ag in the Classroom: A Great Resource for Everyone!

 Looking for an activity for a summer day?  Want to get your kids off the couch and excited about learning?  Although designed for classroom support, Oregon Ag in the Classroom is a great resources for families during the summer months.  Filled with activity ideas focused on Oregon's unique wildlife, industry and natural resources, the website has links to fun, educational projects and lessons for kids from preschool to high school!  Visit the site and begin exploring Oregon from the comfort of your home today!

http://aitc.oregonstate.edu/teachers/handson.htm

Do Your Kids Seem to Behave Better for Everyone Else?!?!

BHF Staff recently attended a state-wide Parent Educator Summit and heard from the "Parenting Doctor," Ann Corwin, about why our children often misbehave at home, yet are angels for others.  Here is what she had to say.....

"Most parents believe and say, “My kids know how to push my buttons to manipulate me and that is why they don’t behave for me”!  I also hear well-meaning, grandmothers/fathers, mother-in-laws and neighbors reinforce this notion by saying, “He never does that at my house”!  This implies of course that the parents are responsible for the child’s inappropriate behavior.

Believe it or not this is not why kids behave inappropriately with their parents and not with others.  It’s because their parents unconditionally love them and that makes kids feel safe enough to misbehave.  In other words, they feel comfortable enough and are sure enough in the love of their parents to experiment with different behaviors.  They know that their parents won’t ever leave them, no matter how troubling their behavior might be.

So parents, have faith the next time your kids seem out of control with you, that you are doing something right and that is allowing your kids to try out different ways of communicating to see how you will react.

Remember when your kids behave appropriately be there to let them know that by telling them you like the way they are talking to you, following the family rules and or treating you and others.  And when they pick other, not so appropriate ways to behave, make sure they see you respond to them in a different way.  This will help your kids begin to tell the difference between what they get from their parent when they behave in different ways.

For kids, life is all about learning how healthy relationships work by trying out different ways to behave.  So, instead of looking for ways to get your kids to stop misbehaving look for ways to teach them what they can do to create a healthy relationship with you, their parent, who they love & adore, Dr. Ann

Help Fight Summer Learning Loss

The staff at BHF will be working with diligence this summer to communicate with children, families and our communities the importance of keeping brains and bodies active during the summer months!  While summer learning loss plagues all children, its largest impacts are seen in our most vulnerable children.  Check out the informational poster below.  Created by the National Summer Learning Association, its a great introduction to this critical issue.