help! I need some issues! LOL

[zebrabelly]

Hey, all. I lead a local, monthly AP support group and I need a topic for this month's meeting. I am stumped this month. Can anyone think of something interesting to address? Previous topics are listed below:

Tantrums: Is there a gentle and attached way to handle them? What do you do?

Summer Vacation and/or Home-Schooling: What activities do you plan for your children (from tiny toddlers to school-age kiddos as well!) as fun and educational outings? Let's share some favorite and affordable ideas for outings in San Diego! Related article in the current issue of Mothering: Camp Oddino

Reality Check: How has your parenting style changed as your children grew? How do you find yourself parenting now that your child is here, as opposed to how you imagined you would parent?

Crying it Out: What does it mean to you and where do you draw the line? What are some positive ways to keep your patience from running out?

Thanks in advance!

bons

[CurlyTop]

Play & Laughter

Zebrabelly,

I also work in a parent support group and our topic this week was "Play & Laughter" as a way to deeply connect with our children. It was one of the best received topics so far. The salient points:

- one of the first things to go when we get stressed is laughter and play
- laughter and play is one of the very best methods to connect closely with our children
- children (all people, actually) NEED play and laughter to feel confident and happy

We started by listing things we do in our families to play and laugh - lots of great ideas.

Next we listed things that get in the way of us playing and laughing - stress, fatigue, chores, and the one that started the most conversation: the mood and behavior of our kids! If our kids are acting crabby, self-righteous, abrasive, etc, etc, we don't easily WANT to play with them. Yet that's a perfect time to practice playfulness, to move in close to our kids, to be available for them to sound off about what's bothering them. This sets the stage for them to actually KNOW they can tell us ANYTHING.

Overall it was so thought provoking and gave good ideas to try right away.

Hope this is helpful.

Your fellow zebra-body,
CurlyTop

[siddie]

I'm voting for play and laughter!

[BabyOsMommy]

Play and laughter vote here too! I wanna come! Too bad we're all the way across the continent

[LiminalOne]

I too like play and laughter (or even better, imaginative play). Our group only does quarterly forums (with kids present), so on my long list of topics, I have:

cloth diapering
baby and toddler wearing
healthy eating (potluck style with recipes)
vaccinations (a bit scared of tackling this one)
birth experiences and transformations
family rituals

I'm hoping to schedule imaginative play for January when people are really going a bit crazy.

Good luck
Angie

[ebethmom]

All of those ideas sound great! I would love to attend a forum on family rituals. I like hearing what is special and meaningful to other families.

[mom2kbeth]

I love the thought of a family rituals meeting! Rituals are so important and I am always looking for new meaningful ones to incorporate into our family life :0)