Ugh! I'm so fat, I'm not very smart, I'm ugly, nobody likes me. I would like to say that these 4 self-image distracters are the only image issues that we as parents, grandparents, humans might have to deal with, but that would be far from the truth. None of them, or all of them, maybe how you personally felt at one time, or perhaps even still do.

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood," Fred Rogers, aka Mr. Rogers. Children need various types of daily play to support meaningful learning opportunities as they develop language, social, emotional, and cognitive abilities. The types of play include physical, dramatic, sensory, music and art, nature, and age-appropriate play.

According to Wikipedia, "Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto a game board divided into a 15×15 grid of squares. The tiles must form words that, in crossword fashion, read left to right in rows or downward in columns, and be included in a standard dictionary." Research shows that playing games can improve children's abilities to organize, plan and get along with others. In addition, play helps with language, math, and social skills and even helps children cope with stress.

With this New Year, I began reflecting on the past. Long ago, when life was simple. No "peaceful protests" or looting happened back in 1968, right? Mine were fond memories of childhood with my own unique hideaway space, the crawl space under the stairs. It was safe from the outside world and insulated me from the happenings of that era. Unaware was I about the Civil Rights movement or the Chicago Riots after Martin Luther King was assassinated. Little did I know about the Vietnam War except that my godfather fought in it. It started my thinking of why special places are essential.

CRAYON: A stick of colored wax used for drawing on paper. 

We are not a stick of wax, but not unlike a broken Crayon; people can be viewed or can view themselves as broken. In a way, we are all crayons, some with our wrappers peeled and others damaged from the impact of life in the crayon box. At times we may get broken, but we must never forget we all choose to continue to color the most vibrant of pictures essential to our quality of life. We all can color the world more beautiful than a rainbow.

You are never to old to learn to walk…

As I watch my son and daughter-in-law prompt, cajole, and attempt to bribe my little 14-month-old grandchild to take those first steps by himself, I ask you, remember back when your child was first learning how to walk. Did you think that they would ever "get it?" Did you have a personal goal on when he would “do it?” I don't know about you, but I, too, tried everything in my power to influence and motivate.

When our kids were little, my dad would always say to his grandkids when they were bleeding, "just throw some dirt on it, and you will be fine."  No, it was not a literal statement.  It did get them to laugh and to realize there was no need for tears.  No longer is the three-second rule acceptable when food gets dropped on the floor.  They are required to wear masks because of COVID19 as young as two years old.  Hand sanitizer is used every time kids touch something while scrubbing their hands raw several times a day has become a ritual.  What is the balance of cleanliness and dirty?

“A promise is a promise.” A phrase that emphasizes that a promise should be kept. As a young girl, my mom taught me that keeping your promises is the backbone of any healthy relationship. When it came to arriving on time, my mom drilled into me that you should never be late at an early age. My mom was never late and usually arrived early to any event, appointment, or meeting.