Like many traditions that have endured over the years, making New Year’s resolutions serves a valuable purpose for me. It creates room for reflection and for refocusing myself on living with intention. My youngest child is 14 years old, however in the whirlwind of raising small children, this was especially hard to do—and especially needed (then and now).
I know firsthand that days with little ones can feel so very long, yet the years feel all too short, and living them mindfully helps with both. To aid you in thinking about your values for the coming year, one thing strikes me as how important it is to “make time.”
Time is what every parent of young children feels they have the least of … and it’s the one irreplaceable gift to our kids, and ourselves, that really matters in the long run. But the funny thing about time is that it’s not absolute. Instead, it’s malleable, stretching or compressing on experience and memory.
Just like hours in pleasant company of friends and family can disappear at breakneck speed while minutes at the DMV stretch like hours, truly meaningful moments will loom larger in memory than the days or weeks surrounding them. Focus on creating those meaningful moments with your little one this year and give yourself a break about the rest of the time.
Fantastic ways to construct quality time together include sitting down to do a DIY craft or activity with your child, cooking a kid-friendly recipe together, cuddling over a shared book, or playing an old-fashioned board game. Why not take a few minutes to brainstorm what you’ll do together, so you have something up your sleeve when a window of time opens up? Spending quality time at Explore & More is always an option, too!
Hope to see you at the museum soon,
Lisa Chrapowicz Director of Strategic & Community Initiatives
For January’s newsletter, we will turn back the clock to December! I was lucky enough to attend, and present at the National Conference for Social Studies, in Nashville, Tennessee. This annual conference is a gathering for thousands of professionals from various disciplines who hail from across the United States and the globe:
“Elementary, secondary, and college teachers of history, civics, geography, economics, political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and law-related education. The NCSS membership represents K-12 classroom teachers, college and university faculty members, curriculum designers and specialists, social studies supervisors, and leaders in the various disciplines that constitute the social studies.”
The conference featured speakers, vendors, breakout rooms, and poster sessions, all of which worked to inform and spark learning and ideas for educators like me. I presented a project entitled “Discussing ‘Hard Histories’ in Elementary Education,” discussing why it is vital to teach difficult history topics to early elementary students. While also providing examples and lessons that could assist teachers (and therefore students) in teaching topics that might be uncomfortable or difficult (for both teachers and students). Much of what was shared was experiences and lessons that were practiced and sharpened here at Explore & More. This museum is a space that hones teaching and learning techniques that ultimately lead to positive outcomes for the children and families who spend time with us. If any parents or guardians have any questions regarding teaching methods, lesson plans, or educational strategies, please feel free to ask and I will do my best to share all the knowledge acquired from my attendance to NCSS, and nearly a decade’s worth of experience working in the field of education in Western New York. Have a wonderful New Year and let’s make 2024 Explore & More’s best yet!
You already know social skills are necessary for children’s social-emotional learning and development. But how do you effortlessly teach them in a way that introduces them into your kid’s daily routine?
❓ Did you know? Strong social skills are an indicator of success in future life. ❓
Social skills are not easily learned, and guiding your child through the process of developing them is critical for their social-emotional learning and development. Especially after coming out of a global pandemic, many of us have been deprived of practicing our social skills, which means that even many adults have a current deficit in this area.
A consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic was an overall switch to spending an increased amount of time on screens. Additionally, many of us did not grow up with all the screens that children have access to nowadays. I remember having to call my friend’s landline phone when I was a kid. Then I’d have to talk to their parents before I could even talk to my friend! 😲 Technology has definitely affected the development of social skills in many ways, some positive and some negative.
What Are Social Skills? Social skills are the tools individuals use to communicate, interact, and form healthy relationships; they are crucial for a successful life. Social skills are an important part of childhood development and social-emotional learning. The term social skills is quite a broad word and there are various types of skills in this category. Most basically, it is the ability to follow directions or use manners when interacting with others. Then, there are more complex skills like problem-solving or empathy. It is pertinent to keep in mind that social skills are always a work in progress and appropriate social skills are different as children develop.
Examples of Social Skills:
Sharing
Following directions
Listening
Making eye contact
Using Manners
Problem Solving
Expressing Emotions
Advocating for Oneself
Impact of Poor Social Skills When children have poor social skills, they cannot effectively communicate their feelings, wants, and needs. Research has shown the negative impacts of poor social skills, including:
Increased stress and loneliness
Difficulty building and maintaining healthy relationships
Poor academic performance
Benefits of Good Social Skills When children have appropriate social skills, they can effectively communicate their feelings, wants, and needs. Children equipped with social skills have various benefits, including:
Decrease in stress – Researchers have found when children learn a new social skill, they experience a decrease in cortisone, which is a hormone released during stressful situations.
Improved ability to communicate and build relationships– Researchers have found that children with strong social skills have improved cooperation and social awareness skills.
Greater academic achievement- Studies have found individuals with strong social skills have higher graduation rates and increased college readiness skills.
Ongoing development of social-emotional learning skills
Ways to Develop Children’s Social Skills
Modeling and practicing social skills with your child in daily interactions are authentic ways to develop this skill. For example, when you go to the grocery store, have a discussion with your child as you greet others. Show them how you use your manners and let them practice.
Read social skills storybooks together. Extensive research has proven that well-developed social skills lead to various positive life outcomes, including improved mental health and academic performance. Studies support the idea that storytelling is one of the best ways to enhance social-emotional skills for toddlers.
Learn through play. Playing with your child has been proven to improve their social skills. There are various ways to play, including building blocks, playing with stuffed animals, playing board games, playing in nature, dancing, etc. Come on over and play at Explore and More!
💡Idea: You can have your child become an actor/actress! 🎭 Provide scenarios where your child has to practice a specific social skill. Role-play is a memorable and fun way to learn. We have various opportunities to dress up and play at Explore and More!
Some ideas include:
1. Meeting a new person (practice making eye contact, introducing self, listening, etc.) 2. Taking turns with a toy (use manners, problem-solving)
Overall, if we teach kids social skills from an early age, they will have the foundations they’ll need as adults. You can try the above strategies to model and integrate social skills into your daily routine. ♥️ You’re clearly an awesome caregiver because you’re here reading this. ♥️
As we say hello to the winter weather here in Buffalo, there are many mixed emotions we feel with the extreme temperatures that are headed our way! For my article this month, I wanted to share some science-backed facts that shed light on the BENEFITS of cold weather! As you are bundling up and dusting off that shovel this month, keep these facts in mind to help stay positive during our chilly season ahead of us!
Did you know?
The cold weather is known to boost your brain, helping one to think more clearly! In a study, it showed that human performance was improved when working in cooler temperatures versus warmer temperatures! Check out more information in this study from the National Library of Medicine.
The cold temperatures are also shown to have a direct relation between the decreased chance of getting gestational diabetes. Repeated cold exposure has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. Gestational diabetes is a condition that can affect pregnant women, and women are encouraged to get tested for gestational diabetes while pregnant, due to a part of the placenta hormone that can cause high blood sugar. In a study, pregnant women gestational diabetes was found to be in 4.6% of women exposed to cold temperatures, versus the 7.7% of pregnant women with gestational diabetes who were exposed to warmer temperatures. How interesting! Check out more information in this study from the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The cold can enhance your quality and duration of sleep! If you ask my husband and I, as current first-time parents to a newborn, there are few things better than a good night’s sleep! When one begins to fall asleep, your internal body temperature begins to drop, as a part of its natural circadian rhythm. Being in cooler temperatures this process can of course happen much quicker, if you are in a colder environment, versus a warmer environment. The faster one can get to sleep, the longer their sleep can be, ultimately resulting in a better night’s sleep. Also, it has been said that when sleeping in a cooler room, specifically at 66 degrees Fahrenheit, can aid in your ability to metabolize fat by 10 percent!
It is important to remember, although there are benefits to being outdoors in the cold, it should be noted to make sure one is wearing the proper winter attire (clothing, shoes) to best be outside in order to best receive these amazing benefits! I hope you and your families enjoy a chilly and safe winter season!
Season’s Greetings, Explore & More friends! Did you know that every year, there is a winter solstice, the shortest day of the year? On December 21st, 2023, the planet will be tilted as far away from the sun as possible, with the fewest hours of daylight. After the winter solstice, days become longer and nights shorter as spring approaches.
Humans may have observed the winter solstice as early as the Neolithic period or the last part of the Stone Age. Neolithic monuments, such as Newgrange in Ireland and Maeshowe in Scotland, align with sunrise on the winter solstice.
On the winter solstice day, try standing outside at noon and looking at your shadow. It’s the longest shadow you will cast for the year! If you do this again on the summer solstice day, there will be almost no shadow. The winter solstice is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the return of sunlight by using candles, lanterns, or LED lights to make the world bright & warm in the darkness.
Explore & More will be staying warm and bright during this winter season by hosting several holiday events throughout December, with three classes of “Holidays around the World: Cookie Decorating”, a “Cookies & Cocoa with Santa” event on December 23rd, and a Countdown to Noon on December 31st. We hope to see you and your family celebrating with us at the museum!
