Finding clothes your kids actually like and are comfortable wearing isn’t always easy, especially when you have kids with special needs and sensory issues. Now shopping is even easier and more budget-friendly thanks to Kohl’s new adaptive clothing lines for kids.
Kohl’s has introduced adaptive clothing line extensions to three of its biggest private labels including Jumping Beans, Urban Pipeline and SO. The new items are available in sizes and styles to fit toddlers, children, juniors and young men with sensory sensitivity issues and those with physical disabilities.
Some of the adaptive clothing features include flat seams, abdominal access, diaper friendly bottoms and hidden leg openings. The collections are focused not only on comfort, but style because every one should have the ability to be both comfortable and show off their own fashion choices. In order to make those with special needs feel included, the line features the same patterns, graphics and styles as non-adaptive items as much as possible.
The entire collection, which features all the essentials including bottoms, tops, fleece, dresses and shoes is now available to shop online in sizes three months to girls 16 and boys 20.
With the school year ending and summertime around the corner, the days of pool parties and day camps with school friends are almost here. This time of year, however, can be lonely and isolating for some peers, especially those with disabilities, as their differences can cause them to be left out.
Jonas, my son, was born with Peter’s Anomaly, which is a rare disease that caused him to be blind at birth. He was able to gain very low vision after several surgeries, but still requires the use of a walking cane and is currently learning how to read Braille. He is such a sweet and strong kiddo, but something I worry about every day is that he will soon start to notice how he is different from other kids his age.
I have personally felt nervous on numerous occasions navigating the world of disabilities for my own child, so I can absolutely imagine that other parents with children who don’t have disabilities may also feel anxious or have fears about welcoming another child who may have special needs over for a playdate or sleepover. With this understanding and gratitude for parents who are willing to welcome a friend that may be different from their own child, here are a few of my top tips to welcome others who are differently abled into your home:
Include Everyone and Be Accepting: All kids want to feel included and accepted by their peers, especially kids who may already feel a little different than the others because of their disability. When it comes to playdates, birthday parties, or just planning a time to carpool, don’t forget the importance of including everyone! One simple invite may make a huge difference for a child who is often overlooked. It’s also a good reminder of the importance of loving and including others even when they may be different than you.
Encourage Your Child to Ask Questions: In my experience of caring for a visually impaired child, I appreciate it when parents or kids ask questions to me and my husband about why Jonas uses a walking cane. Showing interest and curiosity in a thoughtful manner can also demonstrate to your own kids that it’s okay to ask about someone’s differences in a respectful way, as it ultimately allows them to be more considerate of the other child’s circumstances and needs.
Set a Good Example for Your Kids: Always remember that your kids are consistently observing you and your actions, especially towards something they are not as familiar with. As a parent, if you act nervous or uncomfortable around peers with disabilities, that may signal to your child that they should act the same way. Lead by example!
Don’t Complicate a Disability to Your Child: As a momma to a child with disabilities, don’t feel like you have to overly complicate trying to explain why a child may be different from the others. From my experience, once kids are able to ask questions about Jonas and why he doesn’t see things like most of us do, they’re able to process it in their own way and move on! Remind yourself that kids are kids, and the ‘why’ can be simple.
Most importantly, remember the value and impact of caring and loving others around you, with or without disabilities. The more your children see you including and loving others of all shapes and sizes, the more likely they will be to treat their peers the same way.
Laura, co-founder and COO of Jonas Paul Eyewear, started the brand with her husband shortly after their first child, Jonas, was born with a rare-eye condition. From there, Jonas Paul Eyewear was created with the mission of creating stylish eyewear and providing sight to children in need with every purchase.
Have a preschooler with a problem or two to solve? Luckily, Nickelodeon’s Abby Hatcher (created and produced by Spin Master Entertainment) has arrived just in time. With Abby’s surefire mix of empathy for her Fuzzly friends and motivation to help them through any mishap, preschoolers can catch cute Fuzzlies along with Abby and catch on to inspiring ways to work through common challenges. Read on for five “fuzztacular” ways you and Abby Hatcher can help your preschooler build a critical life skill like problem solving, empathy and determination!
1. Help Them Understand Others In this new show, a lot of focus is put on helping preschoolers manage their emotions (like many Fuzzlies learn to do), but empathy—one of Abby Hatcher’s strongest qualities—is all about understanding somebody else’s feelings, too.
•How Abby will help teach your kids empathy: She is determined to find out what each Fuzzly needs to feel included and useful around her family’s hotel. Abby’s mission isn’t always easy, as she first has to learn how each Fuzzly communicates. After all, we don’t all turn different colors depending on our emotions, like Bozzly! Throughout her adventures Abby consistently reveals how empathetic she truly is.
• What you can do: While kids need to understand right from wrong, that binary thinking can also cause conflict. Try redirecting that energy to better understanding another person’s point of view, as Abby does, and give your preschoolers the language to ask how a friend feels about something.
2. Help Them Be Motivated to Take Risks As parents, we’re used to coming to the rescue when little ones need a hand learning how to walk or sharing a toy with a friend. Now that preschoolers have reached many self-care milestones (and likely have major opinions about them—hello, threenager!), stepping back so your kiddo can take the lead is a new, important step for any parent.
• How Abby will help teach your kids motivation and to take risks: At the first hint of a Fuzzly problem, Abby and her best pal Bozzly “GEAR UP” into Fuzzly Catcher mode. They’re ready for anything, and that’s a great feeling to give kids who might be intimidated to try something new.
• What you can do: Designate a “problem solving” cape like Bozzly’s your preschooler can don for a confidence boost, or special shoes like Abby’s Pogo-Springs that help her hop to it. If your little one is already eager to dive in, wait before offering a helping hand. If they do turn to you for help, show them how to regroup and jump back in.
photo: Spin Master Entertainment
3. Help Them Try and Try Again If a Fuzzly is in need of her help, Abby Hatcher isn’t one to give up the first time her plan doesn’t quite work—or even the third.
• How Abby will help teach your kids persistence and determination: What’s useful for preschoolers to see is the way Abby adjusts her plan each time, which shows different approaches to one situation. Everyone might learn a little differently, too, and still arrive at the same result. Similarly, Abby is accepting of all Fuzzlies and their unique abilities.
• What you can do: Emphasize to your kiddo that Abby’s type of determination and critical thinking can serve them well as they learn things that take practice, like reading or riding a bike.
4. Help Them Team Up From the get-go, Abby and Bozzly make a great team. Abby is quick to rescue Bozzly when he runs into trouble and Bozzly pulls a helpful gadget or gizmo from his pouch when Abby is in a bind. The buddy system is also a great approach for preschoolers, whose attention spans are expanding.
• How Abby will help teach your kids to team up: Abby’s loyalty to Bozzly is admirable and he reciprocates that allegiance. This dynamic duo exemplify the buddy system, which can be a great approach for preschoolers, whose attention spans and ideas of friendship are expanding and developing.
• What you can do: Teamwork opportunities abound with classmates, siblings, playgroups, as well as us parents when it comes to solving cool problems, too, like how to build the biggest fort! Make believe, after all, might be the most magical part of these preschool years. Help them use their big imaginations and team up like Abby does with Bozzly and her Fuzzly friends!
photo: Spin Master Entertainment
5. Help Them Find the Fun in Everything While great role models like Abby are vital, we as parents remain a powerful presence for years to come.
• How Abby will help teach your kids to find the fun: Let kids in on your secrets to success, whether that’s sharing a problem you faced at work and how you resolved it or getting your partner on board to model best communication practices around the kids. And all of this should include an awesome attitude like Abby’s. She is all about finding the adventure with enthusiasm and optimism, no matter how tricky things get.
• What you can do: So, if you and your preschooler are having fun even when challenges arise, or “catching a hug” like Fuzzlies do when needed, then you are teaching another critical life skill: coping. And coping mechanisms help preschoolers and parents alike set out to solve problems, big or small.
BONUS:
Check out the trailer to this new show below:
photo: Spin Master Entertainment
Tune in weekdays to Nickelodeon to catch fun-filled original content your kids will love. Catch clips of Abby Hatcher here anytime!
The Bay Area is home to some of the best playgrounds in the country, but children with special needs haven’t always been able to share in the fun … until now. Palo Alto’s brand new all-inclusive Magical Bridge Playground goes way beyond wheelchair ramps: think wheelchair-accessible treehouses, signs in braille, bucket swings, and wide slides. It’s truly a place where children of all abilities can play side by side.
Photo Credit: Bonggamom on Google+
Building Bridges: The Story Behind the Playground
The Magical Bridge Playground is the brainchild of Palo Alto parent Olenka Villareal. Her daughter Ava was born with developmental challenges, and Olenka quickly realized there were no places where she could take Ava to play. Olenka envisioned a playground where kids of any ability could have fun and feel included. When she couldn’t find one, she set out to create her own.
It took 6 years and over $3 million to make Olenka’s vision a reality, but the result is nothing short of magical: the first truly inclusive playground in the Bay Area. The Magical Bridge Playground is a place so accessible that children with varying disabilities can play, and so cool that typically developing children want to join in the fun.
Fun for Everyone
The smiles begin as soon as you enter the playground area: Sensors built into the main entrance wall trigger a series of soothing sounds as you cross the threshold. The playground has everything little ones need for hours of swinging, sliding, spinning, climbing, and pretending. Bucket swings let groups of children swing together, and spinning coocoons will make kids dizzy with happiness. A two-story play house is set among the trees, and a swinging bridge leads young adventurers to a slide hill, with multiple paths to the bottom. There’s even a place for the littlest tots, with a mini play structure and a set of musical bells.
Photo credit: Magical Bridge Playground
On Top of the World The playground’s piece de resistance, a giant two-story play house, was designed by local artist Barbara Butler. Inspired by her own free-range childhood, Barbara set out to create a magical space filled with nooks and crannies for kids to escape to. Colorful accents, large windows, and a simple floor plan help visually impaired individuals navigate throughout. The second floor looks out onto a stage area, where budding performers can sing or act their hearts out. Both floors are wheelchair accessible, so kids and adults in wheelchairs can enjoy the sensation of living in the treetops. Even the swinging bridge leading to the slide hill is wheelchair accessible.
Photo credit: Magical Bridge Playground on Flickr, Bonggamom on Google+
Music to Our Ears Kids of all ages are sure to enjoy the playground’s Light Harp, a 20-foot arch whose “harp strings” are actually invisible laser beams spanning the top of the arch to the playground floor. Movement across the beams triggers soothing, musical sounds; wave your hands hands, arms, legs across the arch, or use your entire body to create sweet music.
Thoughtful Touches Magical Bridge Playground is designed to allow individuals—children, teens, and adults—with disabilities to access each and every attraction. Among the inclusive features: signs in braille, bucket swings for individuals with limited upper body strength, slides with rollers for individuals with limited mobility, wheelchair-accessible teeter-totters and merry-go-rounds, wide pathways, nooks and quiet areas for overstimulated kids, lots of hand railings, and trees for shade. One of our favorite features is a slide with an extra-wide landing area, so that kids who need a moment to get back up (or into their wheelchair) can scoot over and let the next kid in line slide down.
Good to know
The closest parking is located at the adjacent Abilities United center, a non profit that supports children and adults with disabilities. Additional parking is located at the Mitchell Park Library, and restrooms are located across the bridge at the Mitchell Park Playground. The closest snack bar is Ada’s Cafe at the Mitchell Park Library; in addition, an Ada’s Cafe snack cart, staffed by disabled individuals with the help of Abilities United volunteers, will make its way to Magical Bridge once a day to sell their goodies.
Boasting 5,000 square feet of bargain shopping heaven, Itsy Bitsy Thrifty is Boston’s biggest kids consignment sale—and your Totally Awesome pick for best kids consignment. Featuring a humongous selection of discounted brand name clothing, baby gear, toys, books, and much more, this seasonal spring-up shop draws a crowd for a reason! Founders Ann Marie Palmer and James Fedas recently summed up what makes this sale such a hit, how they balance business and parenthood, and more. Read on: Red Tricycle: Congratulations! Your community recently voted you “Most Awesome.” What do you think your customers value most about your business?
Ann Marie Palmer & James Fedas: Our customers love that we are down to earth, accessible and fun! And most importantly that we give back to the community that we work in.
RT: What inspired you to start your business?
AMP & JF: We were excited by the prospect of being able to find new homes for gently loved toys, clothing and baby gear and giving other families the opportunity to make a little extra cash for whatever they need next!
RT: Any advice for new business owners just getting started?
AMP & JF: Do your homework and be ambitious! Turn your “Someday…” into “Right Now!”
RT: Can you give us one tip for balancing entrepreneurship with parenthood?
AMP & JF: Keep the kids involved! Running a business is no easy task, especially when you’re also running a household. We get the kids involved and let them help! Whether it be drawing our next advertisement layout (in crayon, of course)or helping to organize items for our next event (a.k.a. “testing” all of the toys) making them feel like they are a part of what we’re doing makes them feel included instead of slighted by the fact that you are working.
RT: What is your proudest moment as a business owner or parent?
AMP & JF: The thing we are most proud of is what we can give back at the end of each event to a local charity that helps kids in need. That makes all the effort worth it!
