creativechild.

com

FEBRUARY 2018

IS IT
DYSLEXIA?
DIFFICULTY READING,
& OTHER SIGNS.

VALENTINE’S
PLAYDOUGH
EASY, FUN AND
HOMEMADE!

TASTY TREATS

PUDDING
7 TIPS
TO GET YOUR
& YOGURT CHILD TO TALK
CUPID POPS! TO YOU.
 CONTENTS

s p e c i a l f e at u r e S
5 Building The Parent Child Bond
27 Could It Be Dyslexia?

craft corner
13 'I Love Chew' Gumball Machine
33 Valentine's Day PlayDough

kid's kitchen
23 Fruit & Pudding Cupid Pops

Editor's Choice
17 Raising Kids Who Talk to You
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 CREATIVE CHILD

S T A F F
publisher/editor-in-chief
Scott Reichert

Operations director
Diane Morse

Art Director
Katy Stewart

marketing director
Marikate Wilson

digital content editor

Jenna Gleason

contributing WRITERS
Sarah Lyons
Deborah Song
Rebecca Eanes​

Web Developer
B&R Designs

president of MARKETING & ADVERTISING

Melissa Vincent
melissa@scooterbaymedia.com | 818.897.9999

associate publisher
Mindy Reichert

Published by: Scooterbay Publishing, Inc.

2505 Anthem Village Dr. #E619 - Henderson, NV 89052
ph 702.837.2734 | fax 702.837.2701
scooterbaymedia.com

The Scooterbay Network:

3
 Play Time
All TheTime!

pacificplaytents.com
blog.pacificplaytents.com
 special Feature

Building the
Parent-Child Bond BY: Sarah Lyons

The first and most important relationship

we have in our lives is the one with our
parents. Children learn how to love, play,
interact, and resolve conflict through the
bond they form with their parents.

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 From the moment a child is born, they want their parents
love and attention and it helps form their confidence and
identity develop as they recieve it. As they mature, the bond
strengthens through shared experiences and by spending
quality time together. Here are some easy ways to strengthen
the parent-child bond.

Play together.
The simplest way to bond with your child is to spend time
playing with them. Play comes naturally to children and is a
great way to spend quality time with them. Play teaches them
life skills such as how to share, resolve conflict, and how to follow
rules. It is also a great way to bond with your child. By playing
peek-a-boo, tossing a ball in the backyard, playing house, or
making crafts, you are bonding with your child because you
are sharing in their joy of those activities. Playtime gives your
child a safe place to share their feelings and express worries. By
spending time doing what they enjoy, you are showing them
they are important and you are there for them.

Find a mutual interest.

What is your child interested in? If your child enjoys reading,
create a two person book club and discuss the books as you read.
If your child loves football, make game night a family event
and cheer on your team. If your child is interested in dinosaurs,
visit a museum. Since some of my lifelong friends grew from
playing sports or participating in activities together, the
same can be assumed when we are talking about parent-child
bonding. If you truly enjoy activities together, a stronger bond
will naturally form.

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 special Feature

Tell them you love them and why.

It is likely your children know you love them but how often do you
tell them? Saying I love you to your child has powerfully positive
effects for your child. Try not just saying you love them, but tell them
why. “I love you because you are so fun to be around.” or “I love you
because you care about others.” Words of affirmation are powerful
tools to give our kids the self confidence they need to face the world
and they are a great way to bond with your child. Similarly, snuggling,
hugs, kisses, pats on the back, or even tickling and wrestling give
your child the physical affection and bonding they crave from their
parents and creates a strong bond.

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Make them a priority.
Put down your phone and talk to your child. Show them that
they are your number one priority. If you have a task that needs
to be done, ask them to let you finish it and when it’s complete,
give your child your full attention. If you have multiple children,
it can be hard to spend one-on-one time with them. Set aside
time to gon on a “date” with each of your children so you can
connect and check-in with what they have going on. Ask them
open ended questions and then listen to the answers. When you
commit to making your child a priority, they will feel important
and it will help to strengthen your relationship.

Create a helper.
For the busy parent, finding the time to make quality moments
is a daunting task in addition to all your other responsibilities.
To ease this try incorporating them into your daily tasks. While
you are cooking dinner, doing dishes, or folding laundry ask your
child to help and start up a conversation. Some kids may bond
with their parents over fixing the car, painting, gardening, or
any household task. Not only are you creating a great opportunity
to spend time together but you are teaching them life skills and
a good work ethic.

Love them no matter what.

One of the best ways to build a healthy bond with your child
is to let them know you will love them no matter what. You
communicate this by listening to their problems, offering advice
when appropriate and then respecting their decisions, even if it
will have negative consequences. If your child makes a mistake,
let them know you are there to love and support them through
the challenges that they may face. Everyone needs to know they
have someone in their corner, especially on the bad days.

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 special Feature

Most of these ideas are not profound

or difficult to do, they just take a little
planning and intentionality. Over
time, without even trying, the bonds
will be built and your child will have
a foundation of love and support as
they mature.

9
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 Craft Corner

“I Love Chew”
Gumball Machine
Are you looking for a bright treat for
your kids this Valentines Day? These mini
gumball machines are simple, adorable,
and cheap to make. This has to be the cutest
DIY valentine a kid can give! BY: jenna gleason

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MATERIALS:
• Plastic Cups (Red/Blue/Green)
• Hot Glue
• Mini Soda Bottles or
Clear Plastic Ornaments (100mm)
• Gumballs

DIRECTIONS:
1. Remove any labels from the soda bottles
or ornaments using Goo Gone. Clean
them with soap and dry them off to
remove water spots. The clearer it gets
the more realistic the outcome of the
gumball container.
2. Fill your container to the top with
colorful gum-ball candies. Close the top
so the gumballs are enclosed inside.
3. Hot glue the bottom of your container
to the bottom side of the plastic cup. The
cup should be upside down.
4. Place a ribbon or label of the front that
says “I Love Chew!” or “Chew the Best!”
and then you’re done!

14
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 editor’s choice

How to Raise Kids

Who Can Talk to You
About Anything BY: Rebecca Eanes
We all hope for the kind of relationship with our children where
they feel they can talk to us about anything. We hope they’ll run
to us with their hopes, fears, problems, and dreams. However,
getting them to open up isn’t always easy. Here are 7 powerful
ways to ensure the communication lines will stay open.

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 1. Listen to the chatter of your toddler or preschooler.
Why? You’re making deposits and building rapport.
Kids will only talk to you if they feel like you’ll listen,
especially when they get older. Focused attention,
eye contact, and thoughtful responses now mean a
child who feels she can open up to you later.
2. Engage in side-by-side conversations. Often we
want to sit our kids down face-to-face and have a
deep, meaningful conversation, but many children
are more likely to open up when you’re either busy
doing something together, such as playing ball or
watching a show, or if you’re not making direct eye
contact, such as when you are in a car. Sometimes
a face-to-face chat is great, but other times it
can cause a child to clam up, especially if the tone
or body language is off. If you want your child
to communicate more, create opportunities for
conversation while you are side by side and engaged
in something.
3. Hold your tongue – at first. Parents can be quick
to dish out advice or even criticism, but be careful
with your words. If children feel that you’re going
to be judgmental, they may look for a peer to confide
in instead. Of course, children need our guidance
even when they aren’t asking for it and don’t want
it, but it’s best to be a great listener first. You’ll be
able to feel if your child is currently open to hearing
your hard-earned wisdom or if they may need a little
time. When you do give advice, try not to lecture.
Keep it short, and end with showing faith in your
child to do what’s right.

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 editor’s choice

4. Make your relationship number one. A strong parent-

child relationship is the single most important predictor
of good communication. Spend time connecting with your
child each day. Play, cuddle, listen, read, dance, and just
enjoy one another. I think we can sometimes take our
role so seriously as the “behavior patrol” that we forget
to enjoy our kids, and that comes at a great cost to our
relationship. A good relationship is also what allows our
wisdom to reach a child’s heart. If your child isn’t feeling
connected and accepted, your lessons won’t stick.

19
 5. Don’t trivialize. Sometimes kids have big
feelings over seemingly little things, and it
can be easy to brush those off as nonsense,
but again it’s about making relationship
deposits. Put yourself in those little shoes
and try to see from his perspective. When
kids know we can handle their big feelings,
they’ll come to us with them. On the other
hand, if their big feelings cause us to have
big feelings or make them feel ashamed or
on guard for having them, they’ll stuff them
down or take them elsewhere.
6. Provide the right environment. Questions
like “how was school” or “who did you
play with at recess” are likely to draw one
word answers. It can be so frustrating and
alarming to feel like you’re being shut out!
But rather than trying to drag it out of them,
just provide the right environment for safe
conversation. The right environment is one
of connection, warmth, and unconditional
positive regard. If kids fear they’ll lose our
attention or affection if they share difficult
truths with us, then we lose.
7. Be available. I often hear about how teens
and tweens open up best in the quiet still of
the night. I know by the end of the day, we
are so done, but being available those few
extra minutes just might mean the world to
your kid, and to your relationship.

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 KIDS’ KITCHEN

Cupid Pops
BY: digital media team

When you think of Valentine’s Day you think, “CHOCOLATE!”, but here
is a healthy option to try that kids will love just as much. This recipe can be
molded into different pops for any preference your kids may have. Also the
order of layers I use can be switched up to how you prefer. It’s just three
ingredients and takes no more than 10 minutes to make. Let’s get started!

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INGREDIENTS:
• Chocolate Pudding
• Strawberry Yogurt
• Cherry Yogurt
• Raspberries
• Popsicle Molds/Plastic Cups
• Popsicle Sticks

DIRECTIONS:
1. Prep your popsicle molds, plastic cups can be used as
well.
2. Wash your raspberries and set them aside to dry.
3. Simply pour chocolate pudding into your popsicle
molds. After add a thin layer of the cherry yogurt.
4. This step is optional; chop up your raspberries or just
place a layer of them on top of the cherry yogurt. Add
another thin layer of cherry on top of the raspberries.
5. Add another layer of chocolate pudding on top of the
cherry. Then pour strawberry yogurt on top to finish
up the popsicle.
6. Freeze overnight and serve to the cupid’s in your life!

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 special Feature

Could Your
Child’s Reading
Difficulty Actually
Be Dyslexia?
How to Get Evaluated
and Find Help
BY: Deborah Song

Dyslexia is a learning disability in reading. Kids with dyslexia might find it

challenging to read accurately and fluently. But they could also have trouble
with reading comprehension, spelling and math word problems. It’s important
to understand that dyslexia is not an intellectual issue. Many of the world’s most
accomplished people, like Albert Einstein, have been known to have dyslexia.

27
 While the inherent cause of dyslexia is not known, it
seems to be genetically linked. About 40 percent of siblings
with dyslexia have the same reading issues. And as many
as 49 percent of parents who have kids with dyslexia have
it too.

Signs and symptoms:

A key sign of dyslexia in kids is something called phonemic
awareness. Many kids who become diagnosed with dyslexia
have trouble matching letters to sounds, preventing them
from reading fluently. While this problem can be detected
as early as preschool, in other kids, dyslexia isn’t picked up
until later on when they have trouble with more complex
skills like grammar, reading comprehension, reading
fluency, sentence structure and more in-depth writing.
Here are more specific signs and symptoms broken out by
grade level:
Preschool: Trouble recognizing whether two words
rhyme, taking away the beginning sound from a word,
learning new words, trouble recognizing letters and
matching them to sounds.
Grade School: Trouble taking away the middle sound
from a word or blending several sounds to make a word,
can’t recognize common sight words, quickly forgets how
to spell many of the words she studies, gets tripped up by
word problems in math.
Middle School: Makes many spelling errors, frequently
has to re-read sentences, reads at a lower academic level.
High School: Often skips over small words when reading,
doesn’t read at the expected grade level, prefers multiple-
choice over fill in the blank.

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 special Feature

How to get diagnosed:

The only way to know if your
child has dyslexia is to have her
fully evaluated, either at school or
privately. While the IEP teams at
schools can “identify” learning and
attention issues, only doctors and
clinicians can “diagnose” dyslexia and
other learning disabilities.

29
 School evaluations are free. Clinical diagnosis often
requires out-of-pocket payment, although health
insurance may cover some of it.
The purpose behind a school identification is to
determine if a child is eligible for special education,
whereas the purpose behind a medical diagnosis is to
understand the cause of symptoms to guide decision
on treatment.
The support and services your child may receive
through school includes how and what students learn.
For example, a student who has been identified with
a learning disability might get extra time for work
or tests and breaks throughout the day. They might
also work in smaller groups or a quieter space and be
required to do fewer problems on a page.
The range of professionals that can assist a child with
dyslexia outside of school include reading specialists,
speech-language pathologists, child psychologists,
child neuropsychologists, and special education
teachers. They employ specific teaching methods such
as an approach called Orton-Gillingham (OG), which
uses highly structured, sequential and multisensory.
Reading specialists and speech-language pathologists
also focus on phonological awareness, an early
language skill that’s key to reading. They can also
help with decoding, word recognition, spelling and
reading fluency. If your child is getting specialized
instruction through an IEP at school, it’s likely he’ll
be taught these methods as well.

30
 special Feature

While there are no medications or medical treatments

for dyslexia, studies show brain activity in people with
dyslexia can change after they get proper tutoring. And
scientists are learning more all the time. There is even
a typeface that’s helping dyslexics differentiate more
clearly between similar-looking letters. Understood.org
is also an invaluable resource for children and people with
dyslexia. But above all, early detection is one of the best
things you can do for a child with dyslexia.

31
 Craft Corner

Valentine’s Playdough
Get into the spirit of Valentine’s Day with this fun play dough recipe!
It’s a fun activity to do with the kids and the dough lasts 2 weeks.This also
makes a great gift for a class party. Try it out this Valentine’s Day, enjoy!

BY: digital media team

33
MATERIALS:
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon Cream of Tartar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil (Canola oil works too)
• Plastic Hearts, Glitter, Red Heart Confetti
• 3/4 Cups Salt
• 1 1/2Cups Flour
• 1 1/2 Cups Water
• Red Food Coloring

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine all dry ingredients and mix. This includes cream
of tartar, salt, and flour (also Kool-Aid powder if using as a
substitute for red food dye).
2. In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients. This includes
vegetable oil, food coloring, and water.
3. In a medium sized pot, combine wet and dry ingredients, and
stir on low-medium heat until it starts to stick together like
mashed potatoes. (2 - 4 Minutes)
4. Once that occurs, turn the heat off and wait for it to cool
enough for you to touch without it burning.
5. Place all of it on a floured cutting board and knead until it’s
the right consistency of playdough.
6. Add the confetti sparkles or heart pieces and fold them into
the playdough.
Tip: If you don’t like red food dye, use a packet of a drinking
powder like Cherry Kool Aid to get a red colored playdough.
This adds a slight scent to it as well.

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