And the Perfect Fall day...tah dah!!!

This is the last post for today because as I sit her and create these, I realize that it is almost two in the afternoon and the perfect Fall day that I am talking about is right outside my window and if I stay here, I will miss it totally - and now wouldn't that be a shame (since the rain is due to come for the next few days.)  I just wanted to take the time and show you a few pictures from Morris Arboretum - the giant Japanese bell, and the entrance to the giant bird's next with the blue robin's eggs, the suspended bridge and lots more wonderful parents and children out with us encouraging and FUN for the day.  OK...enjoy the glory and I am going to go and revel in same!!  PS: the woman in the upper left is Connie - the perfect person to be at the welcome wagon and share the facility and events with the public.  She is just gentle and charming and I know that I felt honored to have her focused time talking with me.  She is definitely a DARE to AFFIRM person!!  She makes everyone feel as if they are special!!

Fantastic Dad Encourages Exploration!!

It was a perfect Fall day and we decided that outdoors would be the perfect place to spend it!!  We decided to go to Morris Arboretum in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia.  There is so much to share about the displays but first I want to focus on what matters bunches to PhotoSchmoozer - parents who are so involved and engaged with their children that it makes my heart sing and just about brings tears of joy to my eyes.  It happened so much this day, I was gratified.  I especially think about it because a few days before, I was in a clinic and sat as I watched a mother telling her not quite 2 year old NO NO NO to everything he said and/or wanted to do and if he did not stop, she was going to ground him!!  Today was totally different.  Every parent/child dyad was talking, teaching and learning from one another - really enjoying their time together.  I thought about the Hart and Risley study where they spent time over several years in different home/family environments watching and recording the language that children and their parents used.  By the time the child reached 3, there were vast differences - some of the children had a larger vocabulary than some of the parents in the study.  As I watched Chloe playing with the little stones, totally fascinated by them, I also watched her father who was fascinated by her exploration and even encouraged it!!  I engaged in conversation with him and made sure to affirm what a totally cool dad he was.  He didn't understand why because he said that is the way it is supposed to be!  I still thanked him and then asked her if I could take a picture of her hands with the stones.  Lovely...just as the world should be and I continue to stop, watch and affirm what I see that is working well.  Do you do the same?  It's the best way to encourage and/or impact interactions!!