A Message from Nina & Karen...        So often, moms feel alone, isolated at home, misunderstood by family members, church members and co-workers as they juggle being the mom of a child with Down syndrome or other special needs. There is a tendency to withdraw emotionally and socially.           Moms4Moms is a vital part of who we are at Special Strength Communications. We want moms and caregivers to be refreshed by what they read! We are all walking in each others' shoes (or slippers, or flip-flops...) and all trekking the same bumpy path of concerns, heartaches and multiple joys as we raise our special needs children.        The goal of Moms4Moms is to touch as many lives as possible. To do that we need your help. Please refer a friend and feel free to refer a friend and feel free to make suggestions for what you would like to see on the Special Strength website.        We are eagerly anticipating reading your thoughts, tips and insights! Return to our site often! Take a moment to sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and be refreshed and inspired, even if it's 5 minute break in your day. Nurture yourself! We look forward to building a special friendship with you! ___________________________________ Our Goal To touch the lives of mothers with special needs, one mom at a time! Our Vision While teaching your child to read you will grow together in love and power.  Our Philosophy In order to effectively nurture your children,  you must remember to nurture yourself! Our Purpose To provide inspiration and encouragement to moms and  caregivers who care for people with special needs.

Tip Jar by Nina Fuller  Sharing Wisdom & Experience Moms... If we don't "tip" one another who will?        My twenty year old son recently left a $10 tip on a $20 meal!  As I watched him put the money on the table, I did a double take, thinking he made an error.          “Joey,” I declared “This is a fifty percent tip!"            "I can do the math, Mom!  You obviously have never worked for tips" my generous but haughty college sophomore said.       He got that right!  I don't know if I have ever received a tip for my thirty years of superb service to my family.  One husband, five kids, and a dog or two later, I realized that my rewards most certainly do not come from a tip jar on the kitchen counter.      That’s why Moms4Moms is placing a Tip Jar on our website.  We want to pass on precious rewards of experience and wisdom to one another.  We need YOU, our readers, to send us your helpful nuggets of information on everything from pregnancy care tips, to relaxing CDs you have enjoyed,  to parenting tricks (that work), to marriage builders, to websites you have found helpful.  Get creative in the theme of your tips and start sending them our way.       If we don’t “tip” one another, who will?  After all, like my son, Joey, it’s only when we’ve walked in one another’s sneakers…or flip flops…or slippers that we feel compelled to be generous.  It takes like-minds to be there for one another!                        Pay forward your precious rewards of wisdom and experience!   (Scroll below to submit.  Please, do not let spelling or grammar hold you back, just share...we'll tidy it up!)                                                             Interrupting a Patterned Response When your preschooler’s assertive response is “No!” several times in a row to the same request for obedience (over the course of 30 seconds) throw in a question to which you know they will say “yes.”  It interrupts their patterned response.  Here’s an example:   “Hope, please pick up the books you have scattered on the floor."      “No” “Hope, please obey and pick up the one, two, three, four books.”      “No.” “Hope, Mommy needs you to obey.”      “No” with an added foot stomp. “Hope, you must obey Mommy.”      “Nooooo” spoken with conviction. "Hope, would you like to go swing after picking up your four books?"      "Yes!" Eighty percent of the time, this works!  (No method is perfect, just like no parent or child is perfect!)  Positive Transitioning Positive Transition By Stephanie Jones, North York Region’s Home Management Consultant.  Q: How can I help my child make a positive transition back to school? A: Whether your child is starting a new school or returning to his or her previous school, the best way to make a positive transition is to plan ahead. For your child: If your child is transitioning into a new school or has had difficulties returning to school in the past, consider looking at pictures of the school, classroom and teacher with your child before school begins. In addition, you can call the school a week before it starts and request a tour. The idea is to make your child feel comfortable with the school environment and have a base understanding of what it will mean to attend school before school starts. Establish the school routine a week (or more) ahead. The routine should involve a set bedtime and wake up, typical school breakfast and lunch options as well as his or her after school routine. For academic preparation, consider adding 20 minutes of structured literacy or numeracy time in the evening. This could be reading together or playing a dice game. The idea is to try to make this time as close to a school day as possible. Check in with your neighbors and/or store owners, keep them posted on new routines and potential issues that may arise at school. When your close community is aware of your child’s strengths and needs, this is community safety at its best. Model calm and appropriate copying skills. If you don’t freak out, neither will your child. For yourself: Introduce yourself to the school staff in person. It is so much easier to bring up issues over the phone or via print text over the year if you already have a relationship with the school staff. Remember that the first few weeks of school are rocky for all kids. Try to ride out concerns and see if your child settles in by the end of the month. On the other hand, if your child is having significant concerns at school, the best thing to do is to go in and observe. If you feel that a therapist might be needed, suggest this now. Don’t wait until November. Talk to other parents. Establish a network and learn on them when needed. Contact your local association pertaining to your child’s disability. These associations often have support groups and online chat groups of parents who are facing similar issues at school. For more information on Ministry of Education protocols and documents, please visit http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/speced.html.   Calming Down a Raging Child  This is a great tip for preschool age and younger! Description of technique for dealing with temper tantrums: When my 1.9 yr old pitches his temper tantrums, my first normal reaction used to be getting just as angry as he was. One day, he was throwing himself on the floor, screaming at the top of his lungs, for what I couldn't figure out right that moment. But, I decided not to react the same way and expect different results. I did totally the opposite. I sat down and put my hands in my lap and just waited. I would look into his eyes, when he allowed me to, and wait. In between screams and cries, I would let him know in a soft, calming voice that 'everything is okay' and ask 'what can I do?' Even though he's not even two, he seemed to get the message through the tone of my voice. It didn't happen overnight. It took weeks of doing this consistently. And now, it still happens occasionally of course, but not as bad. I started handling 'temper tantrums' this way because I remembered that I was the adult and he was the child. I'm supposed to know not to treat anger with anger. And in doing it this way, my baby is learning at an early age that acting out in anger isn't an acceptable emotion to get what you want any quicker than taking a calm approach. It sounds like an adult way to handle a situation, but it worked. I wish I had known it was okay to try things like this with my nine year old. But, hindsight is 20-20. - Anonymous Mom

Welcome to My World What's going on in your house?         Share with us at Moms4Moms what amusing things you have experienced in the course of raising your family.  You know, the stories that after you have shared with someone and you’ve finished chuckling, you tag at the end, “You gotta laugh just to get through!”        An old proverb says “A merry heart is good medicine.”  Let’s serve this medicine in mega-doses! It will be good therapy for all of us!        Send us your amusing anecdotes and we will post them on the website as a source of fellowship and laughter for other moms who need a merry heart. What's your merry medicine!   (Scroll below to submit.  Please, do not let spelling or grammar hold you back, just share...we'll tidy it up!)   My 4 year old with Down Syndrome received a bubble maker from his uncle and was very excited about it. He stood outside making bubbles and then spontaneously broke into a chorus of "Jesus Loves Me." Well that's sweet, I thought, but I wonder what brought that on? About that time he got to "Yes, Jesus loves me, the bubbles tell me so." ~Submitted by Polly Chapman