While there is no question about the benefits of Kinship Care, the sudden shift for caregivers assuming full-time parental responsibility can be overwhelming. This is where the Encompass Kinship Care program steps in.

By providing vital support and resources, Kinship families have access to assistance with legal services, counseling, parenting classes, health care, and more. Where needed, our team helps point families in the direction of grant opportunities to help relieve financial burdens. They offer fun gatherings and outings to help provide a sense of normalcy and provide weekly and monthly support groups to share the unique joys, concerns, and experiences that come with kinship care.

Often, Kinship providers have little to no notice that they will become full-time caregivers. Thanks to funding from the King County Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL), the Encompass Kinship program can provide emergency funding for basic needs such as car seats, beds and bedding, rent, food, clothing, and more, relieving some of the stress families typically encounter.

In addition to emergency basics, Encompass provides support to help children and families adapt to their new circumstances. In recent months, this has included a specialized grief camp for children, necessary therapy not covered by insurance, summer camp tuition, and even a saxophone. These ‘extras’ are a crucial step for children experiencing trauma and play a significant role in helping them find a new sense of belonging, not just at home but also in their school and community environments.

The sudden transition to Kinship Care can be overwhelming for everyone involved. Encompass is here to help children and families feel supported, connected, and well-equipped to thrive.

The Encompass Kinship Care program provides weekly virtual and monthly in-person support groups. To learn more, visit https://encompassnw.org/program/family-enrichment/kinship/.

The post Preserving Family Ties Through Kinship Care first appeared on Encompass.

Inside Fun

Let the light in!
Before mentioning activities, our number one tip during daylight hours is to open all the blinds and curtains and let the light in! These winter months are dark. Even if we’re not outside, soaking up natural daylight is a game-changer for our moods and energy levels.

Build a blanket fort
That age-old activity from when we were kids? Turns out, it’s timeless. Help the kids grab sheets and blankets and go to work. Make it cozy with lights, stuffed animals, and pillows, then settle in. Books, coloring, puzzles, snacks – everything is more fun when you’re in a fort.

Sensory tubs
One of our most popular activities when we are out in the community is our sensory tubs. We fill them with rice, dried lentils, crinkly papers, fuzzy balls, and more. Then we bury puzzle pieces for kids to find so they can build a puzzle. Or they do a dinosaur match, looking for toy dinosaurs and matching them to a picture. This is an easy activity to replicate at home and creates fun quiet time entertainment.

Get cooking!
At a basic level, kids love to help pour and stir ingredients or run the mixer. Start with something simple, like Jello or cake. As they get older, help them read a recipe, use measuring cups and spoons, or set the oven temperature. If you’re feeling brave – give them a separate bowl to try cracking an egg. They will learn this skill faster than you might think, but only if you let them practice.

For more mileage out of your cooking activity, consider baking cupcakes or cookies. Once cooled, arm the kids with decorating supplies – frosting, writing icing, sprinkles. Be sure to take a picture because these works of art are too tasty to last for long.

FaceTime family or friends
When you’re feeling housebound, it can help to connect with loved ones. If your typically chatty kid suddenly doesn’t know what to talk about, have them choose a new or favorite book and let it guide the conversation. What’s it about? Who are the characters? What’s their favorite part? This is particularly fun when the FaceTime session is with other kids, and everyone comes ready to share.

Games
Board games, yes. Always. Whether it’s something new from the holidays or an old favorite, board games are a great way to get everyone together and pass the time away. But consider other games that get little bodies moving. See how long kids can keep a balloon in the air. Play musical statues. Create a scavenger hunt. Build a simple obstacle course with beanbags, cushions, rings, and other toys. Time how long it takes to run it. Play The Floor is Lava. You can find many more suggestions on the Internet. Tip: Be an active participant, not just the person running things. More fun for everyone!

Build
While it can be easy to think of this in the traditional sense of Legos, why not get creative? Give the kids a big stack of Dixie cups and watch them go town. It’s crazy how much entertainment can be found in something so simple. Try it.

Get Outside!

Step One: Try on those winter clothes
Kids grow fast. If you haven’t already, make an afternoon of dragging out the heavy coats, snow pants, snow boots, beanies, and winter gloves. Because if the snow comes – you want to be ready! And if we do get snow – we think you know what to do here.

Embrace the rain
Sadly, our gray winter days are more likely to yield rain than snow. But we still need to get outside. Grab the raincoats and boots and go for a nature walk. Have some towels on hand and let the kids jump in the puddles, stomp in the mud, and dance in the rain. Do it with them! Kids love it when we let loose and get silly. Is it messy? Yes. Is it worth it? Also yes.

Visit the playground
Remember that playgrounds aren’t just for summer. Head to your favorite local spot or try a new one for something different. Take a thermos of hot chocolate for a warm treat.

Getting outside in these winter months is so important. The fresh air and exercise are good for everyone, even if the effort seems big.

Go on a Field Trip

Storytime at your local library
Most King County Library branches offer weekly family storytimes. These sessions are free and can vary from babies to toddlers to all ages. Check out https://kcls.org/storytimes/ for more information. Be sure to check some books out while you’re there!

Explore a museum
Here’s a hot tip: Did you know The King County Library provides a limited number of free museum, park, and zoo passes for library cardholders? Think KidsQuest, the Museum of Flight, The Northwest Railway Museum, The Seattle Aquarium, and more. Check out https://kcls.org/museum-passes/ to learn how the program works and start taking advantage of this amazing opportunity!

Go swimming
It may be winter, but water is always fun. Most indoor pools offer public swimming sessions at a reasonable price. Always check for the latest schedule. Note: The pool at the Si View Community Center is closed through mid-February for upgrades. Check out Julius Boehm Pool in Issaquah as an alternative.

Find an indoor playground
Help your kids get the wiggles out. Our friends at Si View Community Center operate a twice-weekly Indoor Playground for kids 0-5 years. For a small fee, kids can run, jump, and play while building social skills. As a bonus – grown-ups can have grown-up conversations! Registration is required. Learn more here: https://www.siviewpark.org/indoor-playground.phtml

Try ice skating
Our friends at Sno-King Ice Arena offer daily public skating sessions for kids and grown-ups starting from age 2 and up. Skate rentals are available, and experienced staff will be on hand to help get you started if you’re new to the ice.  Learn more at https://www.snokingicearenas.com/program/public-skating/.

These gray winter months will come to an end. In the meantime, a bit of planning and intentionality can help fill our weeks with fun, memory-making experiences. And the great news is, even now, our daylight hours grow ever longer. We can do this.

The post Tackling the Winter Blues first appeared on Encompass.

If that’s where you are, then our Summer Spectacular podcast is for you. We compiled a great team of Encompass therapists who share their tips and thoughts for making it a great summer!

Resources:

Encompass Summer Camps

Encompass Tip Sheet: Traveling with Your Child 

Kid-Friendly Summer Snacks

King County Library Museum Passes

King County Library Summer Reading Program

Contributors:

Encompass North Team Supervisor Missy Budworth, MS, CCC-SLP

Encompass Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Morgan Falco, COTA

Encompass Speech-Language Pathologist and Feeding Specialist Autumn Howard, MS, CCC-SLP

Encompass Marketing & Communications Manager Caley George

Thanks for listening!

View All Podcast Episodes

The post Parent Talks Podcast: Summer Spectacular first appeared on Encompass.

This brilliant movie showcases an emotional journey through the inner workings of Riley’s mind as she navigates the complex emotions we all experience when moving through childhood. As a mental health therapist for kids and families, I was thrilled to see the portrayal of the different stages of life through the perspective of emotional development.  Riley moves from early childhood experiences with core emotions (joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust) to navigating more complex feelings like anxiety, ennui (boredom), envy, and embarrassment.  Inside Out 2 does a wonderful job of normalizing a range of feelings without villainizing any of them.

In my work with families and with my own kids, it’s so important for adults to encourage and allow kids to experience a full range of emotions so that they (and we) can experience moving through them in healthy ways.  Kids can’t be expected to appropriately manage feelings they aren’t allowed to have.  Riley quickly moves from feeling to feeling in a way that will help kids feel comfortable with the emotional fluctuations that happen as we grow.  So often, kids start to worry that other people aren’t feeling the same way they do and that results in a feeling of isolation and loneliness.  Those feelings can cascade into mistaken beliefs about their worth and ability to love and be loved.

The overall message that every emotion, even the difficult ones, is vital to our development and growth, will have a positive impact on kids.  Many of the kids we see in therapy struggle to acknowledge and identify challenging feelings because they’ve absorbed the message that their feelings are too big, too scary, or too overwhelming.  Helping kids understand that every single emotion has its function and contributes to healthy growth and development is key to raising empowered kids who can navigate life’s challenges with resilience.  In addition, the message that reaching out to safe friends and family members for support as a positive coping strategy cannot be oversold.  Healthy kids need healthy connections to thrive.

Starting a conversation about emotions can sometimes feel awkward, but the more you practice, the easier it will be.  I’ve noticed that asking questions will cause kids to get overwhelmed and shut down, so I will often wonder out loud instead of peppering a child with questions.  Saying something like, “Oh boy, that isn’t what I meant to say. I think Anxiety was in charge there; let me try that again,” or “I sometimes feel like the embarrassment character. I wonder which one felt most like you.” can go a long way toward a child feeling invited to a chat instead of being tested to pick the right answer.  I also find that car chats where kids aren’t expected to make consistent eye contact often lead to more openness and vulnerability.  The biggest tip I can offer is to respond with curiosity, kindness, and empathy to whatever emotion your kids express.  Every emotion is valid even when we want to shift the behaviors that are sometimes used to express them.

I watched this movie with my 80-year-old parents and 17-year-old teenager, and we all laughed, a few of us cried, and we all left the theatre feeling excited about the focus on emotional awareness, coping strategies, and common emotional experiences. Inside Out 2 entertained, educated, and inspired meaningful conversations among my crew and I hope you will give it a chance to do the same for yours!

The post Creating Space for All Emotions with Inside Out 2 first appeared on Encompass.

In this month’s Parent Talks podcast, we sit down with ESIT Director Jessie Scanzon and Family Resource Coordinator Brooke Boevers to take a deep dive into understanding the ins and outs of the ESIT program and how it partners with families to build healthy foundations for children.

All children under 3 are entitled to a free developmental screening at no cost to the family. If you have questions about your child’s development, reach out to the Encompass ESIT team at 425-888-3347.

If you are outside the Encompass service area of the Issaquah, Riverview, Skykomish, or Snoqualmie Valley School Districts, contact the Washington State ESIT program at (800) 322-2588.

Don’t struggle. Call.

Resources:

Encompass It All Spotlight: Early Support for Infants and Toddlers

Encompass Early Support for Infants and Toddlers 

Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families – ESIT

Encompass Blog: When Baby is Born Early 

Thanks for listening!

View All Podcast Episodes

The post Parent Talks Podcast: Understanding Early Support for Infants and Toddlers first appeared on Encompass.

In our latest Parent Talks Podcast, Encompass Speech-Language Pathologist Grace Gonzalez, MEd, CCC-SLP, talks with Casey Ehrlich, Ph.D., a social scientist, parent coach and educator, the CEO and founder of At Peace Parents, and a leader of the first peer-reviewed studies of PDA in the United States. Casey shares her journey and learnings as a parent of a child with PDA, as well as professional insights from her research. Together, she and Grace discuss examples of behaviors they have seen and ways they have adapted their approach to working with children and families experiencing a PDA profile.

Resources:

At Peace Parents: https://www.atpeaceparents.com/

Is My Child PDA? The Clarity Masterclass: https://www.atpeaceparents.com/opt-in-eec01613-fd48-49bd-a608-6b9ffd19588b

Declarative Language and Co-Regulation: https://www.declarativelanguage.com/

Thanks for listening!

View All Podcast Episodes

The post A Conversation with Casey Ehrlich: Recognizing Pathological Demand Avoidance first appeared on Encompass.