Wait! There is more than meets the eye with this picture. For the past two weeks, my son’s little red remote control race car has been planted in the back window of my Saturn.

Here is the funny part:

Everytime I turn a corner, the car drives from one side of the car, across to the other and it makes a little whirling noise as the wheels are turning. I want it to stay there because I think it is funny. Someday, we are going to miss the simple moments like this. It is hard to believe my “little guy” is already 8 1/2 years old. The time has flown and I am doing everything in my power to stay present with him and for him, enjoying the ride all along.

Please share similar stories below!!
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When was the last time you went out of your way to do something nice for someone that you wouldn’t normally think to do? Thursday is National Pay it Forward Day and this year, we are going to celebrate it as a family. In this troubled economy where unemployment hovers around 8% people need good deeds more than ever. (more…)

This post is third of a series of three posts written by Sarah Simons, Doula and mother of 7 about her experience having a special needs child with autism

Many parents plan for their children’s extracurricular activities: our situation differs only in that many of Garret’s activities are prescribed because of his autism. It is as if extra layers are added to an already thick life. Sometimes it is very cumbersome, but important, so we adjust. (more…)

This post is second of a series of three posts written by Sarah Simons, Doula and mother of 7 about her experience having a special needs child with autism

I was relieved. I finally found a group of people who would “get me.” I listened to them share their stories of parenting children with disabilities, the stress it brought to their relationships, the exhaustion of relentless appointments and treatments, and the exhilaration of small gains achieved. I shared my own story of uncertainty, grief, and the joy of my boy who had to stroke my cheeks and say certain words at regular intervals to move cautiously through his day. It was here that both Garret and I felt welcomed and understood. Where he was just a child, not an enigma, not a behavior problem, not a case number, and I was just his mom, not an advocate, not an educator, not a threat. (more…)

This post is one of a series of three posts written by Sarah Simons, Doula and mother of 7 about her experience having a special needs child with autism

My son was born on New Year’s Eve, 2001. Weighing in at 11 pounds, 6 ounces, he was what my Uncle called a substantial baby. Alert, smiley, and full of chortling roly- polyness, Garret delighted us all with his antics. His development seemed normal, but as he approached his second birthday, I had a niggling of doubt. Words were few. His gaze seemed distant, his attention fixed on something beyond the rest of us. I rationalized about the fact that he was a boy, boys sometimes acquire language more slowly, preferring the sound effects of cars, trains, and elephants over commonplace words. I considered birth order, the youngest of six at that time, Garret really didn’t need to say anything when his siblings could anticipate and meet his every whim. (more…)

Get your tickets now! The Walt Disney Studios will celebrate Earth Day 2009 (April 22nd) with the debut of “Earth,” the first feature-length nature documentary from its new production banner, Disneynature. The movie follows three families across our planet that include elephants, polar bears and whales. In addition, Disney is going to plant a tree for every ticket sold.

To find theatres that will be showing the movie, go to the DisneyNature website and type in your zip code and state in the upper right hand corner. This website also has games and resources for educators. View the movie trailer below:

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1. Positive reinforcement works. Children need to know that adults in their lives care about reading.
2. Consider having reading time as a family and talk about ideas in the readings
3. Provide an allowance for books as an alternative to money.
4. Subscribe to magazines for your child. Kids get excited about ownership & receiving their own mail.
5. Lead by example and model reading sending a message that literacy is a way of life.
6. Read aloud no matter how old they are, it encourages interest in reading.
7. If your child decides to read something to YOU, be patient and listen
8. Use book browsing in the Internet. Try Kidsreads.com as a great starting place.
9. If your child starts a book and doesn’t want to finish it, it’s OK. It happens to all of us.
10. Seek reading materials that expand on kid’s interests or hobbies.
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By Paula Huddy, Librarian at Blake School, Wayzata, MN

Is it possible to teach a child to enjoy books and reading in our days of TV, computers, Internet and video games? I think it is, and I know many families that have successfully done it. Obviously, the best way to go is to start early, when your children are young, and then keep doing it, making reading together one of your family traditions. (more…)