Puzzles can be a great activity for individuals of many different ages. But, did you know that puzzles have a purpose and support many areas of your child’s development?

Areas of Development

Puzzles can support areas of your child’s cognitive development. The cognitive skills puzzles address include spatial awareness, problem-solving, focus, and working memory. Use puzzles to practice, develop, and refine these skills. Additionally, puzzles help teach the child about choices and strategy. Kids can also work to develop speech through play with puzzles. With the support of an adult, puzzles can be used to support expanding your child’s expressive and receptive language skills. Fine motor skills of grasping and hand-eye coordination can also be supported through play with puzzles. Puzzles require the child to turn, flip, and slide the pieces, which can help to support dexterity and finger strength. Puzzle play can help nurture areas of emotional development, including persistence and frustration tolerance.

Purpose of Puzzles – Tips for Teaching

Puzzles can support development for a wide range of ages. Therefore, it is helpful to provide your child with the appropriate challenge, not too easy and not too hard.

• Select a puzzle that is appropriate for your child’s development and skill level. Ensure that your child can be successful, then increase the challenge from there.
• Show your child a demonstration of how to put the pieces together.
• Describe the piece and what you see on the piece to your child to promote language development and observation skills.
• Sort the pieces by color to practice color skills and categorize items that look alike.
• Cue your child to turn or spin the piece around and try all the different sides of the piece.
• Encourage your child with praise when they get the pieces together.
• Simplify it by giving them just a few pieces at a time or giving them the puzzle already partially together.

What is a speech sound disorder? The term “Speech Sound Disorder” encompasses a variety of disorders with variable causes that may affect a child’s speech. A child may have difficulty with speech sound production due to difficulty with motor planning, a disorganized phonological system, or they simply do not know how to say a sound. Treatment will vary depending on the cause of your child’s speech sound errors, so it is best to ask advice from your speech language pathologist for tips on how to best help your individual child’s needs at home.  Here are some overarching tips on how to help. 

5 Tips to Help A Speech Sound Disorder at Home

• Repeat what your child just said but with correct pronunciation. It is also helpful to emphasize the incorrect sound your child produced. For example, your child said, “Look, a goggie!” Revise their pronunciation by saying, “Oh, I see the doggie!”

• Avoid imitating your child’s errors no matter how cute they can be. If you prefer, you might video their utterances to admire them, but try not to reinforce the incorrect sound productions.

• Model words during play or daily activities. For example, you might model the words, “see, swing, sound, and ice” while on a walk with your child. Even without asking your child to say the word back, they are subconsciously learning from the auditory input you provide. 

• Practice successful words. Practicing words your child can say well will given them a sense of accomplishment, and they will be practicing the sound correctly instead of incorrectly. 

• Start simple. As with any task, we start with simple words when working on new sounds in speech. If your child is working on S, start with modeling “see” or “ice” repetitively. Once your child has heard the word many times, they might try to say it. If they don’t say it correctly, that’s okay! They tried! Acknowledge their effort by saying something like, “Oh, I see the car too!”

These suggestions do not have you asking your child to repeat words. Children might become understandably frustrated when asked to frequently repeat words. Additionally, incorrect practice reinforces the incorrect pronunciation. Children benefit significantly from auditory input, and if they choose to imitate your models, that is a bonus!

We often get asked about multiple languages within a home, and if it’s “okay” to be teaching toddlers two (or more) languages. We always encourage this and love to see young children learning bilingualism.

Some helpful notes to remember:

We would expect a bilingual child to meet age appropriate milestones at the same time as an English-only speaker. Firstly, at least one word by one year. This can be in either language and pronunciation does not need to be perfect. We “count” a word when it is used consistently and appropriately in the correct context. So, “awa” for “agua” OR “wawa” for “water” are typical speech sound approximations.

Secondly, consistent babbling in infancy and a variety of speech sounds across different syllable shapes by age 1. This may be a combination of different sounds from different languages or sounds grouped together by language.

Lastly, a total of more than 50 words by age 2. These can be either language. The goal is a combination of 50+. A dominant language is likely to emerge as they reach toddlerhood. If your child is hearing English in the community and at school, and a second language only at home, it is likely that they will prefer to express themselves in English across all contexts for a period of time. This can be expected and does not indicate a “problem” in their secondary language.

Language Differences do not Equal a Language Disorder.

A preference for one language over another is a language difference and does not necessarily indicate a need for therapy. A grammatical error due to a difference in one primary language vs another does not indicate a need for therapy, but may better benefit from an English Language Acquisition tutor. Consistent difficulty acquiring a mode of communication in BOTH languages, with delayed milestones overall, despite adequate exposure, is a language disorder, and may benefit from a visit from a Speech Language Pathologist to help their bilingualism develop.

5 Easy Ways to Incorporate Bilingualism Across Your Toddler’s Day

We are using Spanish as an example to demonstrate this. Choose to speak only one language in the home. If the child has English exposure at school, offer only Spanish in the home environment. Refer to common items in Spanish as they present across day to day activities. Don’t translate new concepts into English, instead offer only in Spanish, and introduce English later on. Pick a new Spanish word each week to encourage your toddler to use. Express everyday phrases (i.e. “Good morning”) in day to day routines in Spanish. Pick one activity per day that is Spanish dominant (i.e. Dinner time, 15 minutes of play time on the floor, the car ride to school etc.). Also, you can make sure your child is ready to learn multiple langues before they even start talking by practicing prelinguistic skills.

If you’re like me, you may have a hard time keeping up with all the activities our community has to offer. Often times you hear about something really cool happening in town after it has already happened. Do you find yourself wondering how other people find out about these things? One great resource for community activities is the Bozeman Parks and Recreation website.

Bi-Annual Activity Guides

Twice a year, Bozeman Parks and Rec publishes a program guide with all of the activities they will be putting on. Activities include those specifically for adults, as well as a variety of children and family friendly activities. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the cool happenings in our community, however they have a ton to offer.

They just put out their Spring and Summer Guide and registration opened on March 9, 2023.

Activities for All Ages

No matter what the season, Bozeman Parks and Rec usually offers Active Aging Programs specifically for adults 55 and older. These include: fitness classes, group outings, presentations, and even brain booster classes. The catalogue will have more information on dates, times, and fees.

For adults, including those 55 and older, pickleball, badminton, and ping pong sessions are usually available on certain days. Story Mansion is hosting acoustic string music events the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday of each month. There will also be a sand volleyball league, and this summer they are putting on a Grow Your Garden for the Birds class at the Story Mill Community Center.

For children, there are classes, camps, and programs for those ranging in age from 2 to 17. These include a variety of sports (t-ball, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc.), aquatic activities, clubs, and learning clinics. In addition, they offer a variety of summer day camps, as well as middle school PIR day meetups.

Scholarships and Registration for Community Activities

Some programs and events are free of charge, but others cost a fee, and some require preregistration. They  offer a scholarship program for youth within the city of Bozeman to give them an opportunity to participate in activities that might be unfeasible otherwise. In order to register for events, you have to register for an account. Step-by-step directions are here. Check out their guide (linked above) for all the events and activities coming up.

Also, for more spring and summer activity ideas you can check out some of our previous blogs, including: Exploring Yellowstone and Hiking With Kids.

It is stressful for a parent to follow the developmental milestones that are provided from the pediatrician for feeding under 1. And let’s be honest, it is also hard to follow the various online resources readily available. It can appear that information is not straight forward when it comes to answering the big questions of “when do I start solids with my baby?” or “what foods do I first give my baby?” Let’s answer these questions with recent research.

Feeding Under 1: up to 6 Months of Age

Firstly, until 6 months of age, a child’s intake should consist only of breast milk, formula, or a combination. This ensures the child is obtaining the optimal amount of vitamins and minerals for body and brain growth. When deciphering the most optimal time to begin solids, there are a few factors that must be considered. These include the child’s immune system, sensory system, and motor development.

If your family has a history of celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, or other factors, introducing gluten to a baby before 3 months of age or after 6 to 7 months of age seems to increase the risk of celiac disease. Similarly, introduction to cereals, both rice and gluten-containing grains, before 4 months or after 6 to 7 months has been associated with a greater risk of type 1 diabetes.¹ The sweet spot to introduce solids may be right before your baby turns 6 months old.²

Feeding Under 1: The Sensory and Motor Systems

Secondly, the sensory system must also be considered. The optimal time to expose your baby to new tastes and textures is 5-6 months. Lastly, when looking at a child’s motor development, the following is necessary for introducing solids: head and neck control, trunk stability, sitting up with minimal support, crossing midline, and bringing toys and fists to the mouth.  So, provide lots of tummy time, beginning at birth, for optimal gross motor development and core strength. To summarize, ensure all necessary motor milestones are present while offering a wide variety of flavors with repeated exposures.²

Feeding Under 1: 6 Months and Up

What first foods should you feed and how should you prepare them? First foods can be prepared by steaming, poaching, roasting, pureeing, or offered fresh. As you prepare a food, keep in mind you can use formula, breastmilk, or water to achieve the consistency you want when mashing or blending. Let’s take a closer look at examples of a “grocery list” that are presented mashed or blended.³

Foods to Steam or Poach

• Apples
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Chicken
• Pears
• Peaches
• Plums
• Summer Squash and Zucchini
• Sweet Peas

Roast These Foods

• Apples
• Bananas
• Beets
• Carrots
• Peaches
• Pumpkin
• Sweet Potatoes

Foods to Offer Fresh

• Avocado
• Ripe Banana
• Peaches without Skin
• Plums
• Soft/Very Ripe Melons
• Hummus

You can offer your child what the family is eating if you present it in a safe manner. Foods that are soft and are able to be held should be cut to the size and length of an adult pinky finger for the child to hold in hand and “mouth” the tip. As more food opportunities are offered, the child will continue to develop gross and fine motor feeding skills. Allow development of fine motor skills by dipping a spoon into a puree or offering soft meltables, such as yogurt bites, around 8 months of age. This will help to define the pincer grasp. The pincer grasp occurs when the child can pick up the meltable with the index fingertip and tip of the thumb.

For the first few months of beginning solids, a parent should focus on consistently offering new food experiences and variety to expand tastes and oral feeding skills. However, be aware you should not replace formula and/or breastmilk. Therefore, it’s best to introduce solids after and between formula, breastmilk, or combo milk feedings.

For more recommendations or counseling, please voice concerns to your pediatrician or seek assistance from a feeding specialist.

References

1. Ludvigsson, J. F., & Fasano, A. (2012). Timing of Introduction of Gluten and Celiac Disease Risk. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 60(Suppl. 2), 22–29. https://doi.org/10.1159/000335335
2. Potock, Melanie with (Katz). Responsive Feeding: The Essential Handbook – A flexible, Stress-Free Approach to Nourishing. Babies and Toddlers. S.L., Experiment Llc, 2022.
3. ‌Fernando, Nimali, and Melanie Potock. Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater : A Parent’s Handbook– a Stage-By-Stage Guide to Setting Your Child on the Path to Adventurous Eating. New York, Ny, The Experiment, Llc, 2015.

I always hoped that sibling rivalry wouldn’t be an issue with my children because they are different genders and 2 years apart. Boy was I wrong! I feel like my children are constantly at each other, and I just don’t know what to do! If this sounds like your home, then this post is for you. If the fighting and constant rude comments between your children are wearing you down and impacting your life negatively, read on for some tips that may help you along the way.

Is Sibling Rivalry Normal?

Sibling rivalry includes, but isn’t limited to, disagreements, envy, resentment, verbal, and even occasional physical fights. This is normal.

As humans progressed, we have had to learn how to compete to survive. If food was scarce, you would want to be the strong sibling/parent in order to obtain food for your family/children. It is human nature to want/need to provide care to your loved ones.

If your child(ren) is regularly being verbally and/or physically abused to the point that it is affecting their well-being, then you will likely need to seek external help with the relationship. If your child(ren) is regularly getting hurt or you worry their mental health and/or physical health is in danger, you should seek out professional help.

Family Dynamics

Your family dynamic is a huge contributor to how our children feel secure and valued, which can greatly impact sibling dynamics. Below are some examples of various situations that can impact your child:

• How much physical time a parent has to devote to a child (Do they work full time? Care for another person’s medical needs?)
• Adult to child ratio (Are there two children and two parents? Or one parent to three children?)
• The amount of emotional availability the adult(s) have.
• The physical space of the home. Does each person have a safe place that is theirs alone? Is your house cramped? Do children share a room?
• How defined are the family roles? Is one child clearly viewed in the lime light? Another as a big brother/big sister and role model? Are the expectations set to high? OR perhaps one child is competing for the same role as another child?

Have you noticed a pattern to the sibling rivalry? Do they behave better when mom and dad are not around? What is each child’s personality? Are your children strong willed? More laid back? Individual temperaments really affect the dynamics of the family relationships.

Signs of Sibling Rivalry

There are some obvious signs of typical rivalry and there are signs of more extreme rivalry.

Typical

• One-upmanship. For example, the younger sibling passes their spelling test with ease and the older sibling struggles with spelling.
• Bickering and picking small fights with one another about trivial things (what side of the counter is theirs in the bathroom).
• Indifference. For example, in children this could be a lack of support when their sibling is facing a big event in their life, and their needs are placed on the back burner for a time.

Extreme Rivalry

• Clear lack of empathy, constant verbal abuse from one sibling
• Physical assaults/fights where one or both get hurt
• One sibling showing dominance over the others

Why Don’t My Kids Get Along?

Children often fight because of insecurity. Children need to feel safe and secure. Sometimes children feel that their security is at risk by the sheer presence of their sibling. Kids often feel this subconsciously,and it can heighten their feeling of parental rejection.

These feelings and fears are realistic to a certain extent. For example, the arrival of a new baby will mean that you get less of your parents’ attention (resulting in the feeling of rejection). However, if your child is feeling insecure, remember that it is not your fault. Children of all ages and stages go through periods of insecurity.

So Much Fighting!

Why do my children fight so much? The answer to this is complex and also includes a combination of factors. Some of these include:

• Personalities (incompatible or too similar)
• Family environment (space, responsibilities, roles)
• Parental approach (do you unwittingly encourage competition by celebrating good grades?)
• Level of family stress
• Birth order and age

Can Sibling Rivalry be Good?

Sibling rivalry can have benefits and is positive for development. Some of the positive reasons for this include:

• Competition can be healthy. Competition can set high goals for children and can allow for them to become high achievers.
• Rivalry can get children to practice important social skills in a safe environment. It allows children to work on conflict resolution and how to prepare and manage adult life.

How Can I Help?

Here are some effective strategies to help in managing and resolving conflict between siblings.

Firstly, Reward Cooperation

Despite sibling rivalry being normal, we can still work on and reward cooperation. We can bring out more of the behaviors we want to see by encouraging, labeling, and rewarding the behaviors we like to see. The more practice a child gets in cooperation skills, the more they will be able to follow through in the future.

For example, if you are making cookies at home give one child the job to turn on the mixer each time a new ingredient is added and have the other child place the ingredients into the bowl. If they achieve the goal of making cookies and following through with their roles, let them know how proud you are! The key to letting them know how proud you are is to make sure you “label” what it is that they have done well. Make sure you plan family activities that require the cooperation.

Secondly, Plan Parent Child Time to Decrease Sibling Rivalry

Parent Child Time is one on one full direct attention to one child. Make sure that there are times when your children do not feel that they need to compete with others for your attention.  This means scheduling one on one time with each child. This allows them to feel special and valued. This can help with reducing the feelings of insecurities and, in return, decrease the need to compete for attention.

Lastly, Give Them Different Roles

Give them different roles. Sibling rivalry occurs when siblings actually feel they are rivals. Altering this dynamic by changing the way they see themselves can help. Talk to your children about their unique roles within the family dynamic. It also really helps children if they can help teach others. For example, “Can you teach your brother how to transform the car into the robot?”

Hopefully after reading though and understanding sibling rivalry, you can begin to implement some of the provided strategies to implement at home. If you need additional guidance, one of occupational therapists can help!