Bed head, dirty clothes, bumps and bruises – oh my!

The perfect signs of a great summer! Even though summer brings the stresses of “what am I going to do with my kids” the opportunity to just sit on your back porch, deck, or blanket on the grass and watch your child explore is worth the extra load of laundry. For young kids – especially two to six years old, the opportunity to dig in the dirt and experience multi-sensory activities is vital to helping develop a greater sense of self. From fine motor skills to gross motor skills, to brain development like critical thinking, problem solving, team building – a few bumps along the way should be expected.

Childhood is a special time because it provides an opportunity to test limits (while still having a caregiver close by even when unnoticed). This summer, promise yourself to slow down, stop and let your child play, take risks and get dirty. Take off your shoes, dig in the dirt, roll in the grass, and don’t brush your hair. Relax, laugh, and be silly! It’s summer, after all!

Research actually shows that the effects of not letting a child play and take risks are actually more detrimental to the emotional and physical growth of a child than the risk associated with a child climbing a tree. So let yourself say “okay” the next time your child wants to explore.

Here are a few ways Chipper will be going out on a limb to celebrate the freedoms of summer:

• Looking under logs & rocks to find bugs!
• Climbing trees
• Planting seeds and watching what grows
• Moonlit hikes in jammies past bedtime!
• Family camp-out (even if it’s only right in your backyard)

Join us in the great outdoors.

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