ML Interest Tag: isolation

Before We Knew Autism

By Jaime Ramos

Photo: Jaime Ramos

Pictures, pictures, and more pictures. I’ve been taking pictures since I was nine and my parents bought me a camera for my birthday. This was before smartphones and the craze of capturing every moment.

I love it. 

Sometimes after the exhausting bedtime routine I lay in bed and stare at pictures of my kids. Yes, the kids that I’m constantly with, the ones I just prayed would fall asleep and leave me alone.

Suddenly in the quiet and dark of my room, I miss them.

When I look at baby pictures of my son Johnny, who is five and on the autism spectrum, it’s a conflicting feeling that pulls at my heart.

I think about how cute and little he was, how I miss having a little baby, but it also feels like another time. The time before knowing something was different. Before knowing autism.

Back then there was so much hope. So many possibilities.

Life seemed so much more certain and typical. I feel like that now our whole world has shrunk in so many ways. Less people, less space, less certainty.

These pictures remind me of a simpler time, before I realized that those fussy nights would continue so much longer than they told us. Before he went from responding to his name some of the time to never responding. That the couple of words he had would come and go. Our world would become a constant back and forth of progression and regression. Back then I had no clue I’d be filling out hundreds of professional forms that refer to my child’s behavior as “odd” and “strange.”

I had no expectation of myself crying on the way home from soccer practice, nursery, and family events because my child would not participate. Sometimes he would scream and cry or hide in a corner the entire time.

I didn’t know the plans we had to do every sport and activity would turn into therapies and explanations. Explanations of him, us, autism. 

Although, now that we are slowly turning the corner of acceptance I see more.

I can see that before I did not know how much I would learn. How it would make us better parents and people. I would have never known how different I would become. My patience, love, and acceptance of others has grown tenfold. All thanks to Johnny.

I did not know that our wins in life would mean little to others but the world to us. The first time Johnny said “Hi mom” so casually at four, I cried. The first time he jumped with joy about something, my heart burst. The day he finally got potty trained I felt the most relief I probably ever will. His smile could change the world. 

Before autism, I did know how much larger my heart would become and how full it could be. 

Most days are hard. There are meltdowns, frustrations, isolation, worry, and confusion. Then there are moments of amazing. The moments that keep us going. The little wins carry us through the weeks and months. Before autism, I did not know that was possible.

This post originally appeared on Johnnysspirit.com.

Jaime Ramos, is a mom from Colorado. She's married to Isaac and has two kids, Amelie and Jesse. Jesse, her Johnny, is on the Autism Spectrum. She went to school to be a filmmaker, but now spends her days mainly as a stay at home mom.

 

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

What Is Social Media Depression and Is Your Child at Risk?

By Isabel Cintra

If Snapchat filters, Instagram followers, boomerang pics, the perfect photo, tweets, and Facebook ‘likes’ seem to consume your teen’s life, it is no surprise. Social media use is currently the most common activity enjoyed by children and teenagers. Over 75 percent of children own a cellular phone, and the majority use it to access social media platforms several times each day. With such a broad reach and widespread popularity among our youth, it’s important that parents understand that while mostly fun and games there can be negative consequences of excessive social media use. 

Does the following sound familiar?

Lately you’ve noticed that your child appears aloof, irritable, and withdrawn. He prefers to be left alone in his room spending time on Instagram and Snapchat. Though he is restricted from screen time after bedtime, he has had several nights of breaking this rule and staying up late to check his social media feeds. As his parent, you’ve established rules regarding social media use including having access to his social media platforms usernames and passwords. You’ve come to learn, that he has a fake Instagram (i.e. a “Finstagram”) account and has experienced bullying due to some recent posts.  

Or this?

Your teen has been unusually irritable. She’s having trouble sleeping and is spending more time alone. She’d rather sit in her room and swipe and post on her social media feeds than spend time with her family or even go out with friends. She appears overly concerned with her physical appearance and getting the “perfect look” for pictures. Once cheerful and self-assured, she has lately become self-doubting and withdrawn.

At first glance, we might think that behaviors and mood symptoms such as these can be chalked up to a teenage funk or a child hitting a rough patch. Another possible cause? Social media depression. Social media depression refers to a clinical depression that results from the intensity, pressure, and eventual isolation stemming from social media use. And unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly common among kids and teens.

Social media depression is not recognized as a formal diagnosis among health care professionals. Yet, there is a growing body of research that shows an association between social media use and clinical depression, especially among youth and young adults—thus the term “social media depression.”

How do you know if your youth is struggling with a clinical depression and this is more than a moody teenager? If you notice that your child has several of the following symptoms over a two week period or more, then you should be concerned about clinical depression: depressed mood (most of the day and nearly every day), changes in sleep pattern (sleeping too much or too little), loss of energy nearly every day, poor concentration, an inability to experience pleasure in activities that your child previously enjoyed, increased time alone and reduced time with friends, or even talk of death or suicide. 

Social media may be an underlying cause if your youth has an excessive amount of interest and time spent on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook. Take heed if you notice the following behaviors and telling signs: spending considerable amounts of time on social media at the expense of real friendships and family time, a hyper-focus on physical appearance because of a posting the “perfect” picture, and excessive comparisons of themselves to friends.

If you suspect that your child is suffering from clinical depression, that’s your cue to take the next step. Get professional help—the sooner, the better.  We’ve seen that early intervention can make a great difference. 

Written by Dr. Carlin Barnes and Dr. Marketa Wills.

Through her vibrant picture books, illustrated by her brother Zeka Cintra,Isabel strives to introduce kids to a world where diversity is valuable and beautiful. Fantasy, representativeness and diversity are common themes in her editorial production. She currently resides in Stockholm, Sweden with her husband and daughters.

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

How My Son’s Diagnosis Taught Me More about Myself

By Shannon Gainey

mom and baby

Photo: Adventures in Autism with Murphy

I’m Shannon and this is how autism helped me find myself. My true self. I’m the proudest boy mom to the two most amazing boys. One of those boys was diagnosed with autism two years ago and completely changed everything I thought I knew about myself and autism.

The day our “Adventure in Autism” started was the darkest day of my life. I felt like I was being forced to go on a journey I didn’t want to go on. I did everything I could to keep from boarding that plane. I tried for the longest to keep that plane from taking off. I just knew this flight we were reluctantly on was headed to crash and burn. I feared the label, autism, more than anything I had ever feared before. I had feelings of shame. Despair. Loneliness. I talked about autism only when I had to. I never openly told anyone my son was autistic unless they asked. I thought that with enough therapy we would cure autism right away. It would be gone as quickly as it had appeared. No one would ever have to know. I cried at the sight of puzzle pieces and I only acknowledged autism during the month of April.

Through all the resistance our journey continued. Day after day. Month after month. Autism was still there, but so was my son. The son I knew before the diagnosis. The son I had fell so in love with since the first days our eyes met. I started to see that autism had always been there, even in the moments that I had put my blinders on. I quickly came to the realization to not love and accept autism was to not love or accept my son.

Day after day, I started to open up little by little. But I was still very guarded. See autism can be a very controversial and confusing world to an outsider like myself. I never thought our hard was “hard enough” and I didn’t think we were worthy. My son was diagnosed with Level 1.High functioning. He could talk. He played with other kids. He made progress. Everyone I associated with autism had it so much worse than us. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful. I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I didn’t want to offend anyone. Puzzle piece or infinity symbol? My son has autism or is an autistic? High functioning? Labels? Was I suppose to celebrate the month of April? Was I a bad parent because I worshipped ABA and all the therapies? I kept quiet. I talked about the good things about autism. My new perspective. My journey to acceptance. The progress my son made. The beauty that this journey had shown me thus far. Every time I got the urge to speak about our hard, I shoved it down. I buried it. I continued to show the Disney side of autism. That’s what people wanted to hear about right? People didn’t want to hear the negative. And then my son regressed.

I watched everything we had worked so hard for the past year disappear slowly. I tried to grasp and hold on to our world as I watched it fall apart. I had found myself once again in a dark place on this journey. Except this darkness was different. This darkness was darker than any black hole. Lonelier than any feeling of isolation I had experienced previously. The presence of even the smallest glimmer of light was absent. The sheer hopelessness of our new reality engulfed me. And so I got mad. Mad at this journey. Mad once again at autism. Or so I thought.

I quickly realized it wasn’t autism that the source of my anger was me. It was me. I was so very angry with myself. I realized that I had created my current reality. I was the one who stayed quiet. I was the one who didn’t think our story was worthy. I was the one that stayed submissive about our journey. I sadly realized that the current reality I found myself in, darkness, loneliness, and isolation, could be my son’s forever reality if the world stayed the way it was.

And so I started talking. I started sharing our worthy story. I started talking about the hard. I started processing my feelings through writing. Our world was still very hard. Sharing our story didn’t have any change that. But I started to notice that I was less and less alone. People willingly boarded the plane with us and joined our adventure. That darkness that I talked about earlier, I started that see a glimmer of light way off in the distance. I finally started to feel our story was worthy. I finally felt we were seen. Seen by my parents. Family. Friends. Other moms. Special needs moms. Moms that had a hard way harder than ours. I started to see that people saw my son in a different light. They saw his challenges, his victories. They were able to celebrate with us! That beautiful perspective autism had shown me early in our journey, I had selfishly kept that to myself.

Now that I was sharing our truth, others were able to see the beauty of this journey through our hard. They were able to join us on our adventure. They wanted to join us on this journey. And so I continued talking. And now a day hasn’t gone by where I don’t talk about our journey. I use to not be able to say the word autism. It was too painful. But what no one told me on that dark day two years ago is how this adventure would not only be an adventure about my son, it would be an adventure that would lead me to myself. My true self. Someone who isn’t ashamed anymore. Someone who speaks up for those that are different so they never have to feel less. Someone who knows the worth of her son and what he deserves. Someone not afraid to share and talk about the hard. Because it’s in the hard, that I truly found myself. My entire life was changed two years ago by one word. But it’s the best change that could have happened to me. It’s a change that I needed in the worst way. It’s a change that more people in this world today need. And for that reason, I will continue to talk and share. I won’t keep quiet. Because it’s the ones that are the most resistant on this journey that need that change the most.

This post originally appeared on Adventures in Autism with Murphy.

Shannon is a proud boy mom, Hairstylist, and passionate Autism Advocate. She lives in New Orleans, Louisiana with her two sons Murphy (5) and Merrick (2).  Murphy was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3. Follow her family as they journey through Autism together on Adventures in Autism with Murphy Facebook and Instagram page. 

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

What Children Will Need Most Post COVID

By Gay Cioffi

While early childhood educators have long touted the importance of play, it has never been more crucial than during the coronavirus pandemic and its aftermath.

We know that play and social interaction are critical to children’s emotional development and that it is loaded with cognitive learning opportunities as well. In fact, the social-emotional benefits of play boost learning, which cannot occur when children are stressed.

In a recent article in The Guardian, “Call for ‘summer of play’ to help English children recover from COVID-19 stress,” the benefits of social interaction and physical activity with friends are emphasized over more time devoted to playing academic “catch-up.”

Understandably, parents and educators are worried about the losses resulting from distance learning for all children, especially those from households with limited access to computers and the internet. However, experts are warning that trying to make up for losses can backfire if the social and emotional losses are not addressed first.

Since schools provide much-needed childcare as well as academic instruction, I am aware of the concerns that families have about turning down summer school opportunities. However, communities should push for local government to provide day camps and recreational activities instead of traditional summer school or at very least, in addition to.

Now is the time to be thinking about your child’s summer plans and that might include urging local school and community officials to provide increased recreational activities for children of all ages.

Many children have experienced heightened anxiety and depression as a result of social isolation. Providing increased opportunities for social interaction and physical activity is a much-needed antidote to the effects of nearly a year of quarantine and social distancing. In the words of Mr.Rogers, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

This post originally appeared on Little Folks Big Questions.

I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

My Best Piece of Parenting Advice May Surprise You

By Patrick DeFors

Question: What piece of advice do you wish you had known prior to having kids?

A few days ago we received some wonderful news about someone close to us expecting their first child.  When they told us the news they then asked, “Do you have any advice for us?” Definitely a common question that many first-time parents ask. While my first thought was to say, “You should have used protection” it somehow seemed inappropriate at the moment (but still funny). But, at the end of the day, it really got me thinking about what I wish I had known prior to having kids.

There are countless books and articles covering this topic but for each person, it is a personal answer. Each parent’s lives are impacted in such different ways that there is no single, correct answer that fits each person’s idea of parenthood. If I asked 10 people for their advice I believe that I would receive 10 different answers. I’m sure some people would say to be prepared for the lack of sleep, while others may talk about a drastic change in their social lives. For my wife and I, I think the biggest change when having children was how it redefined our marriage.

Prior to having children and while we were still in London, our marriage was so in sync that Justin Timberlake would have been impressed. We could predict one another’s thoughts and were always on the same page no matter the topic. We had a strong social calendar (as a couple and as individuals) and our home life was relatively simple. We had disagreements like any couple, but the vast majority of the time it was smooth sailing no matter which direction we went. As a couple, we were in a wonderful spot and loving every minute of our life abroad. Enter Kids…[cue doom and gloom music…jk]

“Happy marriages look to the future, not the past.” – Dale Partridge

To say that our children did a cannonball from a high dive into our simple, carefree, predictable life would be an understatement. From day one we rapidly learned just how unprepared we were despite having taken several classes and made all the appropriate preparations. And my wife and I…let’s just say that our marriage was quickly redefined in the most beautiful of ways. You see, the funny thing about kids is is that even though they can be pure anarchy, the absolute joy and innocence that they also bring to any family should be a reminder of what’s truly important. So, while our simple world was turned upside down, the 180-degree turn was the best decision that we ever made.

While it is true that our social lives have been kicked in the crotch, sleep is a luxury (hence the name Dad Loves Coffee) and much of our day revolves around the kid’s schedules, my wife and I have grown even closer as we’ve had to work together to keep our relationship strong. As a couple, we’ve had to figure out new ways to keep the spark alive while knee-deep in diapers. It’s been a major challenge that hasn’t been without arguments, but at the end of the day, it’s been a challenge that we’ve tackled together. While there are some days that we miss our care-free lifest‌yle (especially during the pandemic and isolation), we both know that we wouldn’t trade our new relationship and family for anything in the world.

So to any first-time, expectant parents, I would give this piece of advice: Understand and accept that your marriage and personal lives may/will change but you must work together to create a new definition of who you are as a couple. New boundaries will be drawn and a new set of expectations will emerge after the child is born, but it is in your best interest and the best interest of your children to keep your marriage strong despite the changes you’ll face.  Because at the end of the day, the best thing that we can give our children is a strong, happy marriage.

This post originally appeared on Dad Loves Coffee.

Balding, gray-haired 30-something stay-at-home-Dad living in the Lincoln Square area of Chicago. Enjoys coffee, a cold pint and Bear Grylls while musing about parenthood and life.

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

3 Parenting Trends That Are Here to Stay, According to Dr. Harvey Karp

by Amber Guetebier

Renowned pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block, has a 2021 prediction for you, and it has nothing to do with the weather or your sun sign. He’s compiled his expertise to make some highly educated guesses about what will trend in the parenting sphere in 2021. Here are his top three:

1. Embracing flexibility.

iStock

Even before COVID-19 parents today have been doing more than ever before with less help. Add in COVID-19 and that delicate work-life-school balance has been blown out the window. The result? Dr. Karp says it's rule-bending! Parents are learning to be more flexible. "Whether all this 'rule relaxing' means being okay with a bit more screen time or a cheese-and-cracker dinner, parents are trying to 'should' on themselves less and embrace flexibility! In 2021, I expect we'll continue to see parents give themselves some well-deserved grace…and I hope this is a trend that will outlast COVID!"

2. Relying on telehealth.

mom daughter computer online school virtual elearning
August de Richelieu via Pexels

"Out of necessity, many doctor's appointments have gone virtual this year—and this is a trend we will likely see stick around next year…and beyond. While some doctor's visits require face-to-face, in-person interaction, many doctors are finding that are others that can be done effectively from behind a screen." Dr. Karp writes. And parents can't argue the benefit of not having to take the extra time to drive to an office for an appointment, for themselves or their kids. 

3. Seeking virtual support for the fourth trimester. 

Happiest Baby Products

Parents of a new baby, whether it's their first or their third, need as much support as they can get—from friends, family, co-worker, health-care providers and their community in general. But during social isolation, having your bestie come over and hold the baby while you shower isn't an option. Their new support groups? Virtual! Finding your people online, connecting with friends and family can help. In addition, technology will play a big role in parenting such as Dr. Karp's SNOO, a smart bassinet parents rave about.  

"I created SNOO to actually give tired new parents an extra pair of hands to hold and soothe the baby. And, it also is the only baby bed proven to add hours of sleep to the baby's sleep and keep the baby safely on the back…all naps/nights. This is a massive piece of the puzzle in curbing the scary upswing in postpartum depression and anxiety…and for forging a new trend of reliable and meaningful virtual support that may help keep those perinatal mood disorders at bay. Happy SNOO New Year!"

—Amber Guetebier

featured image: SNOO/Happiest Baby 

RELATED STORIES 

SNOO Bassinets for Rent? It’s True & It’s a Fraction of the Cost

These Are the Kids Rooms Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2021 

SNOObear Will Soothe Your Baby & Help Them Transition into Their Crib

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

5 Tips to Stop Thumb Sucking from a SLP

By Janine Segner

Photo: Janine Segner

My three year old has literally been sucking his thumb since he was in the womb. The doctor saw him doing it on the sonogram and said, “You have a thumb sucker on your hands.”

The other morning, while snuggling with both of my sons before getting up for the day, I snapped a picture of both of them, sucking their thumbs. 

While the SLP in me was screaming, “NO! I can’t have two thumb suckers!” and my mind immediately raced to “Open bite! Lisp!” the mom in me was thinking, “This is just too adorable, and I need to remember this moment forever.”

That’s the advice I want to give you. Similar to overnight potty training, most thumb suckers will eventually, naturally stop sucking their thumb. Your little one won’t go to college with the same habit. 

When to Start Worrying

Typically, you do not need to worry about thumb-sucking until after a child’s permanent teeth come in. 

But, why is it a problem? Well, the constant presence of the thumb between the teeth and pressure on the teeth and roof of the mouth (palate) can lead to atypical growth and development in those areas. 

Persistent thumb sucking can also lead to an open bite (when the teeth do not touch in the front of the mouth, essentially forming an “O” where the thumb usually rests) or a very high palate.

These issues can then take their toll on feeding and speech. 

Sometimes children with a high palate struggle with eating certain foods because their oral cavity is just too large, and they begin to avoid foods that may get stuck up on the roof of their mouth, like peanut butter, or require extra manipulation, like raw carrots. 

Chronic thumb suckers can also have their speech impacted as a result of developing poor positioning and movement of their tongues. 

This can result in a lisp where the airflow for speech sounds such as /s/ and /z/ is pushed in the wrong direction resulting in a “slushy” sound. Other sounds that might be affected include /t,d,n,l/.

So, what can you do about it as a parent? Here are my top 5 tips.

1. Offer an alternative. If you notice your child is often sucking their thumb while listening to a book or watching a cartoon, give them something to hold with both hands such as a stuffed animal.

2. Target in isolation. In other words, don’t work on thumb sucking at the same time you might also be sleep or potty training. Many babies, toddlers, and young children use thumb sucking as a self-soothing technique, and they may rely heavily on it during those times. 

3. Avoid ridiculing or comparing your child to a younger child (e.g. “Only your little brother sucks his thumb.”). This can be a tough one, especially for other family members, but it is important. Scolding your child for thumb sucking can lead to guilt and may only increase the behavior or habit because of those negative feelings. Your goal is to decrease your child’s dependency on sucking for soothing, and the best way to do this is to make them feel more comfortable in other ways rather than increasing shame and other negative feelings. 

4. Offer rewards and incentives. Start small. For example, read a book together before bed and let your child know that if they keep their thumb out of their mouth, they will earn a sticker towards another larger prize or whatever else might motivate your child.

5. Use physical or visual cues. Try having your child wear a glove during the day, as long as it does not make them feel too self-conscious around other children. Or, consider placing a visual cue (a picture of a thumb with an X on it) perhaps at their preschool table. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends treatment if a child is sucking their thumb beyond the age of 5. If you have concerns, bring them up at your child’s next dentist and/or doctor’s appointment. 

 

Janine Segner is a credentialed speech therapist with a decade of experience in school, outpatient medical and private practice settings. She is licensed in Virgnia and Maryland and is the owner of Expressive Speech and Feeding, a pediatric speech therapy practice in Herndon, Virginia.

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Making It through 2020 with a Whole Lotta Grace (& Acceptance)

By Tracy Shaw

Photo: Amazon

I like to give advice.

I created a blog all about offering advice, on everything from making Christmas ornaments to eating more vegetables.

But most of the time when I give advice, I’m really giving it to myself. Because I really need it.

It’s no secret that 2020 has been a dumpster fire. For some people more than others. And for many people, it has been way worse than it has been for me. So I want to preface this all by saying I am not special. I did not lose a loved one or my job. I have not spent countless hours on the front lines helping others to the sacrifice of my own health (physical and mental). My heart breaks for those who have.

But however big or small your hardships have been this year, I think we can all benefit from calling it the dumpster fire that it’s been. And giving ourselves a whole lotta grace for, however, we’re making it through.

2020, for me, started off pretty good. I ran my first marathon with my best friend in the happiest place on Earth. And I spent a hectic yet fulfilling weekend at a theatre festival seeing my child come alive in their expression of the arts and friendships with good people.

Then I was diagnosed with a stress fracture which didn’t just curtail my running schedule, it literally took me off my feet. I wasn’t able to walk—at all—for 10 weeks. And on top of that, a deadly pandemic quarantined the whole country, kept us cooped up at home, and isolated us from friends and family and our normal way of life.

I think it’s been vastly understated how this has really affected all of us. I’m an introvert and even I was waylaid by the isolation and anxiety of the quarantine and ongoing fear of the pandemic. The fact that I couldn’t even walk, sent me spiraling even lower.

But a lot of us put on a brave face. So well so, that others don’t know we’re hurting and need help. We self medicate with food, booze, tv binging, pick your poison. And many of us don’t even realize it’s happening. Another glass or another show is cloaked in self-care. And that’s totally necessary. And what I’m mainly preaching in this article is that it’s ok to do that and give yourself grace for it.

But when we slide into that day after day, month after month, it starts to take a toll. And one day you look in the mirror and you’re sickened or saddened or pissed off about how you got to this point—with more pounds or your body or bags under your eyes or fewer healthy relationships in your life.

I did see it happening to me, all along the way. Because It’s happened before.

Four years ago I quit my job to move to Florida with my family and be a stay-at-home mom. My career had been my identity to that point, for nearly 20 years. I spiraled quickly.

The common denominator between four years ago and 2020, is that I completely lost sight of who I was. When I stopped being a successful, highly paid manager in a high-stakes profession I didn’t know who to be next. This year, when I stopped being an extremely active runner who was always on the move, I didn’t know who to be next.

I’m only now slowly starting to find my way back. I did it four years ago. And I may do it again sometime in the future.

But as we close out this tragedy of a year, I try to hold on to that grace I always preach that you need to give yourself. I’m trying to find hope that the pounds will come off, that I’ll feel like properly getting dressed and fixing my hair again, that I’ll find a new identity again—this time being even wiser and kinder to myself than before.

So the advice I’m giving to you—and to myself—is not to assume that where you are, is who you are. There are seasons. They pass. And a new one always dawns.

Tracy Shaw is a mom of two, wife, veteran journalist turned stay-at-home mom and saver. Check out some of her tips for having fun and staying healthy on a budget at www.FrugalFloridaMom.com.

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Want to Go to Hawaii for Free? Here’s How

by Karly Wood

Hawaii has been off limits to most of the world during the pandemic, but a new program is changing all of that.

The 50th state in the U.S. just launched a new “travel” program and it’s all about remote work from the Hawaiian Islands. “Movers & Shakas” is a state/private-supported program that is offering 50 free roundtrip flights to Oahu to pre-employed people. Keep reading to get all the deets!

photo: Tatonomusic via Unsplash

Recipients must stay and work on the island for at least one month and in exchange they must give a few hours a week to a nonprofit organization. The program is also offering discounted rates at hotels and restaurants to make the program even more enticing.

Jason Higa, CEO of FCH Enterprises says “Working from Hawaii can provide a much needed respite from the isolation and burnout caused by remote work. With the lowest rate per capita of COVID infections in the country, and an abundance of social distancing activities and dining experiences, Hawaii is ideal for those seeking a safe place to work and play.”

Interested people need to apply by Dec. 15 at the Movers & Shakas website.

––Karly Wood

 

RELATED STORIES

13 Family Travel Trends to Watch for in 2021

I Became a Digital Nomad with My Family. Here’s What I Learned

The 48 Most Amazing Airbnbs for Families Across the Country

 

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Teens, Screens & My New Perspective

By Jenny Michaelson

Recently my friend sent me this great article, “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Screen, by Linda Wilbrecht, PhD.” It helps frame some of the positive ways that screen time can support teens during the pandemic. When I received the article, I had already been reflecting on how much screen time my two teenage sons have had since the lockdown in March. Since the boys were young, we have always limited their screen time out of the fear of the negative side effects like screen addiction, social isolation, increased anxiety and depression and lack of in-person communication skills.

This past summer, without their regular summer activities, the boys were on the screens a whole lot more, and I know it was the same for most kids. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t all bad and that even in my own home there are some really positive ways screen time is helping my kids through this crisis. So much of what my kids were choosing to do was actually helping foster many of the things that I had feared in the first place!

Instead of becoming addicted, they are actually finding their own screen balance, increasing social connection, sharpening their communication skills, and learning new things. One of their friends developed a server for Minecraft, the “world-building game.” Together, they go on adventures and build new worlds including a “Capture the Flag” arena where they actually play “Capture the Flag.” This past weekend, six kids got together to fight the Enderdragon and “win” the game. While they play, they talk and chat through Discord, a communication platform. But the great thing is that they organized this all themselves! From the other room, I hear them working together, being creative, working out conflict and collaborating in ways that they just can’t do right now in person. 

Both of my kids are exploring their interests and developing new skills using their screens. One is learning to draw his favorite anime characters while the other is teaching himself to repair and maintain his bicycle. They are also spending time diving mindlessly into the black hole of YouTube videos and there seems to be a place for that too.  

We have had conversations about different types of screen time because as Linda Wilbrecht writes in the article, “It may not be the amount of screen time that is important, but what we are doing with our screens.” She makes a good point and with this in mind it became my goal to help them to distinguish between active, productive screen time where they are building skills and passive screen time which is purely for entertainment. Encouraging them to balance active and passive screen activities made the difference between feeling good about their increased screen use and my worry that they are online too much. ​

My boys still don’t have free reign of their screen time. We talk about it daily, how much, what kind, and how it makes them feel. All screens are off by 9:30 p.m. We make time to connect as a family each evening. We make sure that they are getting enough exercise and sleep. So while I still can’t say that I love the screen, it isn’t scaring me as much as it used to. I am more at peace because I see its value for my sons during this time that they are cut off from their friends. I appreciate their giving me a new perspective, especially during these challenging times.

 

I'm Jenny Michaelson, Ph.D., PCI Certified Parent Coach®. I live in Oakland, California with my family. I love supporting parents through my practice, True North Parent Coaching. Together we uncover strengths and develop strategies to make transformational changes to overcome parenting challenges and bring more joy, ease and fun back to parenting. 

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement