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Resolutions, goals, or priorities ... ? Part 1

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Another New Year is upon us! It is always interesting to me that as we go through the year, Christmas seems so far away. But then, out of nowhere - December is here, and then January - the New Year! Once a new year arrives, the 'resolution-making' begins. I can discuss ends on ends about resolutions and why they are helpful - and when they are not. To be brief, resolutions can be helpful when they encourage us to make goals and take steps to achieve them. However, the major issue with resolutions is that we often fall into the trap of making 'bold and big' resolutions. These can 'work' for us for a temporary time, and then we fall back into our previous habits. Or, we might set resolutions that are 'trendy' because we want to be like others, we perceive a benefit from certain 'goals' (ex. 'drink more water! Get 10, 000 steps a day!', etc)., or because of certain external factors (ex. a sale on certain products, a promotion, etc).  The c

Lessons from children: Babbling

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This is a continuation of the series on 'lessons from infants/children'. If you have not already ready the previous posts, please take a look here and here . When you first read the title of this post, you may be wondering how on earth adults are supposed to learn from infant 'babbling'. Have you heard an infant babble? It's a jumble of sounds that seem to be halfway between humming and speaking. It really is quite amusing when you watch a child babble - they do so without any fear of judgment, simply moving their mouths and enjoying the fact that sounds are emerging! First, let's briefly talk about the value in babbling. Infants babble before they are able to produce 'real' words and sentences. Babbling, hence. is a form of early communication. Apart from the fact that babies are learning to produce vocalizations, babbling also allows them to learn to make eye contact with others, hear changes in sounds, and see 'how communication' works in rea

Lessons from Children: Play!

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 Continuing in the series around 'Lessons from Children', let's talk about the power and importance of 'play'.  What exactly IS play? When was the last time you allowed yourself to 'play'? Why is play important - or is it? (I suppose you can assume that if I am asking this question, it is important!) There is a great deal of literature on the importance of play. We will definitely have another post about technology and the pros/cons of this, but for this post, let's focus on the importance of taking time to 'play' and be 'a child' again.  What are some activities that you enjoy doing that involves 'playing'? Let's brainstorm a few; here are some ideas to get started! -arts and crafts (painting, colouring, drawing, doodling) -puzzles (jigsaw, number, etc) -sports -listening to a podcast -singing and dancing -fixing things for fun -cooking, baking -organizing a room or space -gardening and planting  -reading a story/book; writ

Lessons from infants: 'Taking it all in'

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Have you ever watched a baby look around the room, or jump their attention from one adult to another?Have you ever noticed how little infants, as they become more aware of their surroundings, take delight in staring at things around the room? Their eyes scan the room and 'take everything in'. If you observe these little ones, you will notice how interested they are in their surroundings.  When was the last time you stopped to notice what is around you? We often say 'stop to smell the flowers' or 'take in the sunshine'. But do you actually DO this?  Young children are learning about their environments; our eyes take in our surroundings and transmit these messages to the brain, where visual processing occurs. Without getting too complicated, it is quite a complex and interconnected process! The miracle of vision is truly a blessing we all have. Stop for a moment and take a look around you. What's there? Is your room organized? What colour are the walls? How is