Parents and kids while camping. 

Some of you have maybe wondered why I haven't sent any newsletters for the last month or two. I have been enjoying a camping vacation in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Oh, how I LOVE CAMPING! I could seriously live in a tent or a very small camper for the rest of my life....except for the fact that I live in Minnesota. It would be difficult to do that in 30 below temperatures. :)

I love watching parents and kids while camping.

My husband and I were hiking in Big Bend National Park. We came upon a lovely couple with their 3 year old daughter. She was getting a bit tired, and they still had a ways to go before getting back to the parking lot.

Many parents would have maybe picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. This couple, in the most delightful way, used several techniques that were absolute perfection.

1. Empowerment - They were encouraging her, letting her know how amazing she was in her ability to hike that far. You could tell that the parents knew what her skills were and what she could do. They certainly didn't push her beyond what she could handle. They simply encouraged her by giving her specific compliments on what she was doing.
2. Talking about the world around her and following her lead - Along the way, this little girl saw a bug on the path. Her parents noticed and took the time to get down to her level and describe what she was seeing. They asked her questions about what she saw. The language stimulation and interaction was a beautiful site. They weren't in a hurry. They took the time to see something their daughter was interested in. They used that opportunity to teach her many vocabulary words. I'm sure they had no idea how amazing they were.
3. Giving choices and Distraction - As they were walking, they said, "When we get back to the car, we can have something to drink." They gave her a choice of 2 things. This gave her something to think about and gave her some power in her situation.
4. Specific praise when they got to the car - They took time at the end of the walk to tell her what she had accomplished and how impressed they were that SHE DID IT! Empty compliments like "good job" can never take the place of specific compliments like, "You walked 2 miles all by yourself! That's amazing!"

When you coach parents or if you are a parent yourself, think about some of the ways parents can guide their child, teach new vocabulary, and empower their child to get through tough situations. Be specific in your suggestions.

Sale on Talk With Me or WE CAN TALK

I am offering 25% off both Talk With Me or WE CAN TALK books for the next 2 weeks. This offer ends on April 19. Use the coupon code, Books, to receive this discount.

If you haven't looked at the wonderful Talk with Me book, created by speech-language pathologist, Teri Peterson, please check it out here. I have always believed that this book is a must have for any SLP or parent of young children.

My WE CAN TALK book is a tool that I used throughout my work in coaching parents. I would often choose a technique for them to emphasize for the week such as, "check your position in relation to your child" to get the most out of eye contact and interaction. A simple technique like this is not always something a parent thinks about but can be very helpful when trying to interact with their child. Go here to read more about this book. In addition, you can view videos of me describing these techniques here. The videos are free.