Disclaimer: I was provided LoveSnack Cards for a review, however all the thoughts on this post are mine alone.
Moving is extremely hard on everyone in the family. The stress can be overwhelming.
Our furniture was packed to our new destination in the beginning of August and my house is empty. We have a couch, 4 chairs and some mattresses on the floor. Our clothes are already packed in suitcases and they go from the washer straight back to the bags…. In the meantime, I am trying to keep our routines as close to normal as possible….
My son started first grade in mid-august. I bought him new school supplies but he will be attending his school for only a month….
School has rules and consistency and that is good during a transitional time…
I foster communication at home as a way to help the little ones cope….
Moving can be extremely stressful for the little ones and when everything is changing communication is important.
“Children’s knowledge about emotions and the way they express and regulate their own emotions are key aspects of emotional competence (Eisenberg, Cumberland, & Spinrad, 1998; Saarni, 1997)”
“According to Gottman and colleagues, optimal emotion coaching requires parents to: be aware of the child’s emotion; view the child’s display of emotions as a time for intimacy and teaching; help the child to verbally label their emotions; empathize or validate the child’s emotions; and help the child to problem solve (and if necessary, set limits). Children who experience this style of parenting have fewer behavior problems, stronger social skills, and fewer physical illnesses (Eisenberg et al., 1998; Gottman et al.).
With the research to back it up I understand the importance of understanding my children feelings.
When I saw the “LoveSnack Cards” By MirrorBooksLLC I was in love. I reached out and asked for a sample for review….. As a mom and a teacher I believe that products like this one are very important to our children and I want to make others aware of their existence.
I have been sending these Notes since the beginning of the school year and every afternoon my son brings them back home with a check on how he is doing… His fine motor skills are not perfect yet so he brings the check on how he is feeling and a story to go with it.
I absolutely love how the “LoveSnack Cards” provides a fun way to communicate with my son. He looks forward to receiving a note from mom at lunchtime. He knows that I took the time to remind him that I love him and he loves that…..
My son has been collecting the cards, and he loves them.
I hope that these “LoveSnack Cards” will continue to help our kids with the transition…
I hope as a parent I continue to acknowledge my son’s feelings and help him become a strong adult.
You can check out the website: http://www.mirrorbooks.me/
The prices for the LoveSnack Cards are very affordable: $10.00 for 20 cards.
Check them out for yourselves and let me know what you think…..
Much love,
Raquel
References:
Eisenberg, N., Cumberland, A., & Spinrad, T.L. (1998). Parental socialization of emotion. Psychological Inquiry, 9, 241–273.
Gottman, J.M., Katz, L.F., & Hooven, C. (1997). Meta- emotion: How families communicate emotionally. Mah- wah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.
Havighurst, S. S., Wilson, K. R., Harley, A. E., Prior, M. R., & Kehoe, C. (2010). Tuning in to kids: Improving emotion socialization practices in parents of preschool children – findings from a community trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51(12), 1342-1350. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02303.x
Saarni, C. (1997). Emotional competence and self-regula- tion in childhood. In P. Salovey, & D.J. Sluyter (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Edu- cational implications. New York: Basic Books.
