The Power of YET

YET is an incredibly powerful three letter word. It opens the door to possibility. I can't draw a unicorn...yet. I can't count backward...yet. I haven't read this book by myself...yet. It changes everything. Embracing a growth mindset, and teaching children to embrace a growth mindset, is a huge predictor of success and growth. If a child believes they can, even if they can't YET, it makes a huge difference in confidence, learning, and self-esteem.

This "Power of Yet" song on Sesame Street is a sweet way to introduce growth mindset to young kids, and as they get older we can adjust the way the idea is framed. With older children, it can be fun to learn about successful people's paths, and how they often experience windy roads (with many failures and wrong turns!) that led them to creating, or doing, something great.

Sesame Street: Janella Monae - Power of Yet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLeUvZvuvAs

As the school year begins, if you notice your child embracing fixed mindset self-talk, gently remind them it is okay to fail. Failure is simply a way that did not work. Failure gives us information that can lead us to finding ways that DO work! It's okay to not know ityet.It's all part of growing and learning.

Little Plum Social Emotional Coaching

During Little Plum social emotional coaching sessions, I use growth mindset with my clients and their families every day. It is so important to empower the student, so they can take charge of their growth and development. Growth mindset work can help children overcome challenges with self-esteem, confidence, anger, anxiety, and more.

I currently have just a few openings left for social emotional coaching for 2019-2020. Educational Therapy slots are full, but feel free to drop me a message if you'd like to be put on the waitlist. The best way to reach me is by emailingally@littleplumeducation.comto schedule a FREE initial consult meeting, or phone meeting.

Happy Fall!

In Gratitude,
Ally

Power Struggles

Every parent knows the challenge of engaging in a power struggle with a child. It often ends with no real winners, and leaves everyone frustrated, tired, and defeated. But, what is your child communicating by engaging in power struggles? Authority is a foundational part of social emotional development, and children are figuring out there is a reward when they engage in certain behaviors. Caretakers can reduce this urge in a variety of ways, while satisfying the need for autonomy.

If you find yourself engaging in power struggles more often than you would like, consider signing your child up for Social Emotional Coaching with Little Plum Education. SEL Coaching provides children with tools for self-regulation and offers support for parents, leading to smoother transitions and more peaceful interactions.

Little Plum is booking now for Fall SEL Coaching and Educational Therapy. E-mail ally@littleplumeducation.com to secure your spot!

5 Approaches to Power Struggles:

CHOICES
Create opportunities for autonomy by presenting non-limiting choices. When there are non-negotiables, give time options (“We can leave in 10 minutes, or right now, gymnastics starts at 4!”). If you run into grey areas (ie: it’s cold and the child is refusing a jacket) have the child bring the garment with them in bag, so if they notice they are cold, it is available to them.

ROUTINES & FOSTERING INDEPENDENCE
Routine is your friend! Referring to a routine can help a child be the one to remember to do certain activities necessary. You can help them remember certain checklist items, but work towards independence. Family rules are helpful (ie: we always wash our hands before we eat). Schedules are also important (ie: we go to bed at 8pm, so we have time for 1 or 2 books and then the lights go out!).

“I UNDERSTAND”
Validating feelings can be helpful to ensure the child they are heard. Maybe you even feel similarly about certain tasks! ;)

MODELING
Model & point out times that you practice flexibility, compromise, following routine, or other helpful traits.

BE MINDFUL OF ACCIDENTALLY REWARDING
Negative attention is still attention. Decide your response for certain situations, and stick to them! “A tug on the rope is still a tug”, even if it’s well meaning.

Dyslexia & Creativity

There is often a link between Dyslexia and Creativity, and I have seen it firsthand with my clients and students. Quite simply, Dyslexia can, and often does, coexist with creative problem solving and unique perspective-taking. When everyone else sees a “b”, a child with dyslexia may take longer to differentiate between the b, d, and p, because the shape is the same. Orientation is less apparent. They are looking at the letter in a more unconventional way. This can cause the child to hit some trouble with reading and writing in the beginning of learning these skills, but ultimately it’s proof to me that they are unique thinkers, looking at the world with a fresh perspective. I think helping children with dyslexia to understand the positive qualities, that can come along with the processing difference, is crucial for their confidence and long-term success. Dyslexia is yet another piece of the neurodiversity puzzle, and really, it should be celebrated, along with other unique qualities in people. The child who struggles with reading and writing is not the issue, it is the approach being used to teach the child. At Little Plum Education, I seek to meet the child where they are, and use strategies that meet their learning needs. I use an eclectic approach, helping children to build confidence and strategies.

This article from Psychology Today has a nice overview of Dyslexia and Creativity!
 

OFFER DURING JULY & AUGUST:

CURRENT CLIENTS! Spread the word...
Refer a friend to Little Plum Education, and receive 1 free session, if the friend books a session by August. Tell the friend to mention your name to me when booking the initial meeting.

How can you help your child with Dyslexia build confidence?

+  Share stories about successful people with Dyslexia
+  Celebrate your child’s accomplishments, talents, and creative problem solving skills
+  Praise working hard at things that feel difficult
+  Encourage a Growth Mindset (always learning) -- Big Life Journal is a great resource!
+  Acknowledge that Dyslexia can be “annoying”, and sometimes funny! Help your child relax into learning by having a sense of humor, and allowing them the time to learn.

Metta/Lovingkindness

Teaching children about Metta, or Lovingkindness, is truly a worthwhile practice. Unlike romantic love, loving-kindness is a general caring-in-action that can apply to anyone, including yourself. Learning to love themselves, their neighbors, animals, and the Earth can help make the world we live in a better place. I grew up in the 90’s, watching Mr Rogers when I was a child. He spent most of his career spreading the simple, yet effective, message of Lovingkindness, and I have always admired him for it. How can you and your children practice Lovingkindness today, this week, this month?

I love helping children learn to practice Metta and Lovingkindness in their everyday lives through Little Plum, whether hosting a tween yoga class, or coaching 1:1. I am now accepting clients for Fall 2019! E-mail ally@littleplumeducation.com to get started with a FREE initial meeting.

"Miss Ally is funny, and kind, and really helps me"
— Conor, age 7

This is one of my favorite Mr Roger’s songs: There Are Many Ways to Say I Love You 

How can a child or teen practice Lovingkindness?

• Metta Meditation:
  May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful
  May You be happy. May You be well. May You be safe. May You be peaceful

• Drawing pictures for a friend or family member

• Volunteering for the Community

• Helping family members at home

• Small acts of kindness - holding the door, a smile
  

“Though we all have the fear and the seeds of anger within us, we must learn not to water those seeds and instead nourish our positive qualities – those of compassion, understanding, and loving-kindness.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh 

Twice Exceptional

If your child is twice exceptional, you understand that it can be a challenge to find services that fit their needs. “Twice exceptional” means that a child is academically gifted, with the potential for high achievement, and also has one or more disabilities. Often the content isn’t challenging enough, or the facilitators don’t understand the unique needs of a gifted child on the Autism spectrum, and/or with a learning disability or behavioral challenge. I really enjoy finding ways to better serve students that are both intellectual, and need accommodations/modifications to access materials. I treat every child with respect, and hold them to a high standard of achievement based on their individual needs. Whether your family’s goal is to enrich your child’s academic skills, or support their social emotional development (or both!), Little Plum can meet your child’s unique needs.

Email ally@littleplumeducation.com to schedule your FREE initial meeting, and get started today.

“Ally is so interested in figuring out what makes students tick—and what helps them feel comfortable and ready for learning. Her commitment to what is best for a student is everything.”
— Cynthia, Durham, NC

2E Children and Social Emotional Learning

Here are some ideas of goals and skills that can be worked on in Social Emotional Coaching:

CHALLENGES:

Worry

Anger

Impulsivity

Rigidity

Greed

Negativity

Fear

Inattentive

Reactive

Control

Loneliness

Overly Competitive

GOALS:

Peace

Calm

Patience

Flexibility

Sharing

Lovingkindness

Courage

Mindful

Responsive

Letting Go

Community

Motivation to Learn More

Sweet Summertime

Sweet Summertime!
The blossoms are blooming, the bees are buzzing, and many area schools are closing! It is officially summertime in North Carolina, even if the 21st is several days away. Summer regression is the loss of academic knowledge learned throughout the school year. If you would like to avoid summertime regression, now is the time to schedule your summer Educational Therapy, or Social Emotional Coaching sessions! I am also accepting clients for the 2019-2020 school year. Book early to reserve your spot, especially if you would like a coveted “after-school” time for the Fall!

Email ally@littleplumeducation.com to schedule your FREE initial meeting.

“When we noticed that our son's reading comprehension started to lag behind, we were eager to get some supports in place for him. Finding Ally and Little Plum has been an amazing experience for our son and family!” - Kim in Durham, NC

Taking a Breath:
I would like to invite you to take a deep breath. Breathe in the summer warmth, letting your breath fill your lungs completely. Exhale completely, letting go of the end of the year rush. Now, isn’t that better? ...Breathing practices are a great way to become more mindful of the present moment, and sharing them with children can impact them in many positive ways. Here are 3 breathing exercises you can practice with your child today. These are great to practice during transitions, car rides, before bedtime, during a morning ritual, or really any time of day!

1. Take 5 Breath
Take 5 Breath uses counting to shape the length of your inhale and exhale so that the breath is even. Breathe in for 1-2-3-4-5, and breathe out for 1-2-3-4-5. You can use your fingers to show the count. You can also do counts of 3 or 4 if 5 is too long for your child.

2. Shoulder Roll Breath
Sitting up nice and tall, roll your shoulders up towards your ears, then back and down. That is the movement to use for shrug breath! Now sync your breath with that same movement. Breathe in, as your shoulder move up, and out, as they move back and down. Practice this a few times and it will become a rhythm.

3. Feather Breath
Take a feather, and hold it in your hands in front of you. Breathe in and out, while you watch the feather move on each exhale. Try to keep the breath even and calm. You can also use a pinwheel, or another tool that will move with the breath.

I hope everyone is having a great start to their summer!

Choosing an Educational Therapist

Choosing an educational therapist, or any professional to work with your child, is something that requires careful consideration. Consider your child's strengths and areas of challenge, your family's philosophies about learning and growth, and the educational therapist's areas of expertise.

Information about Ally Budnick, M.Ed. of Little Plum:

• Ally earned a B.A. in Psychology and Education from UMass Amherst, and a M.Ed. in Mild/Moderate Disabilities from Lesley University. She has worked with children with diagnosed and undiagnosed learning and emotional challenges for the past 15 years, in a variety of settings.
  
  

• Ally uses researched-based approaches to help children with learning and behavioral challenges, such as ADD/ADHD, Autism, ASD, 2E, and more.  She has also worked with children without a diagnosis, who tend to be more spirited, worried, disorganized, or easily frustrated
  
  

• Ally is experienced in teaching mindfulness, yoga, and social emotional regulation skills to children 3 years, and older. She also teaches children and teen yoga classes, as well as mindfulness and yoga workshops for children.
  
  

• Ally has a wide variety of academic tutoring experience. Her specialities include writing, literature, art, social studies, and organization. She uses academic tools, such as literature, art, and social stories, during her sessions to help guide student learning and illustrate social and emotional concepts.
  
  

• Ally has seen first-hand the impact that emotional and behavioral issues can have on kids in a variety of school settings, including homeschooling environments. Her goal is to help children navigate those challenges, and help students gain a better understanding of social emotional intelligence, self-regulation, self-esteem, organization, and social skills.
  
  

This article from Understood.org has more information about picking an educational therapy professional that is the right fit for your family!