Change is Strange - personalized books for little kids making big changes

Alleviate the trauma for your child

2008-10-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Urban baby published a very helpful article today on helping to alleviate the trauma of an E.R. visit for your child. I found it really helpful and quite on target with the change is strange brand being that we are all about taking strange situations and helping our children adapt to them. Here is what the article said:

A trip to the E.R. with a child often means hours of waiting, needles, the stress of watching your baby in discomfort, and docs who look nothing like George Clooney. But it’s still your job to alleviate the trauma for your child.

Pediatrician Dr. William Sears, best-selling author of more than 30 parenting books and father of eight, says an emergency room visit is a chance to shine as a parent. He spoke to UrbanBaby about some easy things you can do to keep the fear factor to a minimum.

Stress less: Stay calm. An anxious parent makes for an anxious child.

Comedy hour: Humor is the best medicine. Crack a joke or act silly to diffuse tension.

Mind over matter: Keep in mind that children who feel better, heal better.

Security blanket: Pack a favorite comfort item — a stuffed animal, rattle, or book.

Advocate: Speak up. Ask questions, update hospital personnel of any change in your child’s condition, and take notes. You’re there to represent your child and to make informed decisions on her behalf.

Hand holders: At the hospital, ask for a child life specialist or social worker. A child life specialist has been specially trained to help little patients and their families cope with the stress of a hospital visit.

Needle know-how: Almost every kid fears the dreaded needle. Ask if the hospital has a topical anesthetic such as Zingo.

Pain meds: Feel free to request pain medicine for your pride and joy. Little known fact: Asking the E.R. intake personnel (receptionist) for pain medication can sometimes fast-track junior’s case (translation: she’ll get to see the doctor sooner).

Honesty: Tell your child what to expect, and tell the truth — you want her to trust you. If a needle is in her future, say, “You’ll feel a little stick, and it will last as long as it takes to say your name.” Draw pictures to help explain what’s happening: If your child is getting stitches, sketch out a set of railroad tracks and tell her how it will bring the two sides of the wound together.

Scope it out: Not all emergency rooms are created equal. Some are staffed with pediatricians and have a kid-friendly waiting room; others do not. It pays to do your research before an emergency happens. Call or visit the E.R. and find out if they have pediatricians, a pediatric intensive care unit and child life specialists.

Visit getthehospital411.com.

Brooke Shields thinks Change is Strange is "great"

2008-10-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

I recently received a really nice thank you note from Brooke Shields for the Change Is Strange book series. She was given the book series by Access Hollywood as a present after a guest appearance on the show. This is what she said..."Thank you so much for the wonderful books. It is true that change is scary and your books are a great way to help during transition of any kind." Jennifer Garner and Natalie Morales will soon receive the "we're having a baby" book for Violet and Josh. Let's hope they like them as much as Brooke !

Preparing your child to become a big brother or sister

2008-09-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

So, you’re belly has begun to swell and your child is starting to understand that there is another baby on the way. In most instances, this news is greeted with both sadness and delight. One minute, your child can’t wait to be a big brother or sister and the next instant, they are throwing a tantrum and angry at the thought of sharing all the attention. Sibling rivalry usually starts right after, (or even before) the arrival of the second child. The older child often becomes aggressive, “acts out” or even regresses. It’s important to prepare your older child when you know you are expecting a new baby. Kids need to know what to expect, and they need time to adjust. So what is a pregnant, hormonal mother to do?

There are a number of things you can do to make the transition easier on your child. The first and most important of tasks is to include your child in the process of having a baby. Allow your child to “own the role” of being a big brother or big sister. Allow your child to pick out something special for the new baby like a toy or decoration for the baby’s room.

Discuss changes that will occur ahead of time. Let your child know about the things that will be different so there are no big surprises once the baby arrives.

Check with your hospital to see if they offer sibling tours or classes designed to help your little one adjust to the transition.

Tape a picture of your child to the baby’s crib. It will help make the big sister or big brother feel important.

Always include your child in helping with the baby so they don’t feel left out and most importantly, set aside special time every day to focus on your child. Giving your older attention and focus will make him (or her) feel loved and reassured.

A mixed reaction to the new baby is normal and to be expected, so take a deep breath and give yourself a break! As we all know by now, Change Is always strange at first!

www.changeisstrange.com

CHANGE IS STRANGE WANTS YOUR FEEDBACK

2008-09-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!! 5 titles and four years later, Change Is Strange wants to know how to grow with you and your children. We want to know about your “transition challenges”. We want to hear about the good, the bad and the ugly. The more we talk with each other as parents, the more helpful we become to one another. Raising children is a challenge. There is no need to reinvent the wheel every time we encounter a roadblock. To this day, I’m thankful to my mother for sharing with me the import of talking your children through change. She is the one that explained to me how important it is to telegraph coming events and experience so that your child doesn’t feel as though they are constantly dodging curve balls. I’m thankful for my friends for being honest with me about their spirited children, shy children, ADHD children, and all the children in between. I’m thankful to Change Is Strange for being able to help kids and their parents through some of life’s challenges, BUT we want to do more! We want more book titles, more personalization, more readers and a more active community. We promise to listen so let’s hear it!

The First Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

My youngest daughter, Charley, started Kindergarten this week. I thought it would be easy since it’s the second time around, but all the butterflies were there again just like they were three years ago. We did all the things discussed in the Change Is Strangee “The First Day of School” book. We visited the school, had play dates with future classmates over the summer, went shopping for school supplies the weekend before school started, and read the Change Is Strange book over and over. She understood where the bathrooms were in relation to her classroom and that Mommy or Daddy would be waiting for her everyday when school let out.
Charley was excited about Kindergarten all summer. When her older sister said she was nervous about starting third grade, Charley chimed in “I’m not nervous at all, I can’t wait for Kindergarten”. She feigned confidence and enthusiasm all the way up until the teacher asked them to form a line before entering the classroom…and then, out of nowhere came the face. The face that said, “are you really leaving me with these strangers? Can’t I just go home with you?” She didn’t actually say any of these things but the look in her eyes said it all. I had to stop myself from welling up and saying “of course you can come home with me! Forget this school stuff”. Instead, I held it together, told her she was going to be great and walked away.
Today was her 4th full day of school. She kissed me with a big smile on her face and ran into line ready to face the day. She looked as if she’d been doing this for years!
So, we did it. We made it through another First Day of Kindergarten and I would say we did it rather successfully!

First Day of School

2008-06-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

The First day of School can be quite a big change for your little one. Whether your child is starting pre-school or kindergarten, here are a couple helpful hints that should make the transition a little easier.

1. Try to visit the school and see the classroom before school starts.
2. Prepare your child for the new school experience by explaining what to expect. Explain to them what they will be doing at school, what time you will pick them up and what will happen once school is over. Answer all questions directly and honestly.
3. Go shopping for school supplies and explain to your child how your child will use them in school.
4. Read books to your child that talk about daily activities at school and address children's fears about beginning school.
5. Establish a routine involving both the night before a school day as well as morning preparation. Rituals and routines are comforting.
6. Once you tell your child you are leaving, it is important to follow through. Extending the good-bye tends to heighten anxiety rather than relieve it.
7. Never sneak out because this can break the trust between parent and child and make the second school day even harder.

www.changeisstrange.com

Change Is In The Air

2008-06-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

It’s all about change these days. Everybody’s talking about it and many are even doing it.
From Barak Obama, to Gandhi, Al Gore to Dr. Phil, change is on everybody’s mind.

Change We Can Believe In, Be the Change You Want to Be, Climate Change, Cha..Cha..Cha..Changes!

Everyone agrees that change is good. With every change comes the gift of growth. But before change can be good let’s be honest…
At first... Change Is strange!

Help your children adapt to life's changes with the Change Is Strange book series at http://www.changeisstrange.com

change really is strange

2007-03-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

well, CHANGE. really is strange. In fact, it's stranger than I ever imagined. In September 2006, my family and I moved from Los Angeles, California to Boulder, Colorado (this explains why my fifth Change Is Strange book is called "We're Moving" and is all about moving to a new house.) Well, after doing all the same research I do for every book title, I sat down with my mother and co-author, Penny Asher, and wrote the book, then consulted with the child development specialists and put together a list of things to prepare my children for the move. We took the kids to visit our new house the summer before our move, showed them their new schools, introduced them to their new neighbors and let them help pick out colors for their new rooms. We had a going away party for their friends and handed out self-addressed stamped postcards to all the guests so the kids would receive mail when we got to Colorado.
Needless to say, the kids have adapted swimmingly. They love Colorado and have made the transition quite smoothly. I ,on the other hand, have had a more difficult time with the transition. I think I was so busy getting the kids ready, I was in denial of how a big a change the move was going to be for me. Having grown up in west L.A. and spent most of my adult life there, leaving my network of family and friends has been quite a challenge. I miss my comfort zone and routine. If this move has made anything clearer, it has re energized my passion for change Is Strange. Change Is Strange and that's all there is to it. Whether you're a kid, a teenager, or an adult, change is hard and confusing, scary and exciting and to be able to ease the transitions for people, is the goal and job of Change Is Strange Inc.
If you are moving and are interesting in a list of tips to help your children adjust to the move, you can visit http://www.changeisstrange.com and download the "helpful hints" page as a pdf file. Thank you, Ricki Booker

Summer is here!

2006-06-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

Summer is finally here and in full swing. Swimming pools, barbeques and beach days are a common occurrence. Schedules become looser, bedtimes less strict and the homework arguments cease to exist. But, before you know it, school will be starting again. In order to properly prepare your child for his or her first day of school and avoid August meltdowns, here are some suggestions on how to prepare your child for his or her first day of school:
1) Try to visit your child's school and see the classroom before school starts.
2) Prepare your child for the new experience by explaining what to expect. Explain to them what they will be doing at school, what time you will pick them up and what will happen once school is over. Answer all questions directly and honestly.
3) Go shopping for school supplies and explain to your child how the supplies will be used in school.
4) Read books to your child that talk about daily activities at school and address children's fears about beginning school.
5) Establish a routine involving both the night before a school day as well as morning preparation. Rituals and routines are comforting.
6) Once you tell your child you are leaving, it is important to follow through. Extending the good-bye tends to heighten anxiety rather than relieve it.
7) Never sneak out because this can break the trust between parent ad child and make the second school day even harder.

checklist for getting your toddler ready for the new Baby

2006-02-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

A new baby can be very difficult for the little ones. They can feel excited yet anxious about all the changes that are about to take place. Here are some suggestions to make the transition just a wee bit easier.

We're Having a Baby

1.) Bring your child on a doctor's appointment so he/she can see the baby on the Ultrasound.
2.) Let your child help decorate the baby's room or pick out a special toy for the baby.
3.) Talk to your child about the things he/she will be able to do with the baby.
4.) Buy your child a baby doll and act out what will happen when you come home with the baby. Let your child care for the doll.
5.) Discuss changes that will occur in the household ahead of time. Let your child know about the things that will be different so it's not a big surprise once the baby arrives.
6.) Check to see if your hospital has a sibling tour and/or classes designed to help them adjust to the transition.
7.) Take your child to see where you will be delivering the baby. Let her/him see where you will be staying and take a peek at the babies in the nursery.
8.) Tape a picture of your child to the baby's crib. It will help make the big sister/brother feel very important.
9.) Bring a small gift to the hospital for the baby to give to his/her new big brother/sister.
10.) Keep a wrapped present in the closet in case a visitor brings a baby gift. Then you will have something for the big brother/sister to open as well.
11.) Throw an "I'm a big sister/I'm a big brother" party.
12.) Do an arts and crafts project where you make a shirt that says "I'm a big sister/brother or "my sister's/brother's name is_________."
13.) Always include your child in helping with the baby so they don't feel left out. Make it their job to hand you the diaper, the bottle, etc.
14.) Set aside special time every day to focus on your child. Giving your older child attention and focus will make him/her feel loved and reassured. Mixed reactions to the new baby is normal and to be expected.

pdf print file

Change is Strange book series

2006-02-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

It's not easy for little kids to make big changes. Let's face it--change is strange at any age. That's why we have created the CHANGE IS STRANGE series, developed to help make life's changes easier for kids and their parents.