ML Interest Tag: spoken

11 Virtual Events to Celebrate MLK’s Legacy with Your Kids

by Kate Loweth

The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one that we want to share with our children, especially in today’s world. Even if we can’t attend a local march or spend the day volunteering in our community, there are many ways you can bring Dr. King’s legacy to your children while at home. From dramatic interpretations of Dr. King’s speeches to songwriting workshops where kids can write a song inspired by the civil rights movement, there are activities for all ages. Be ready to be inspired!

Tumisu via pixabay

Stanford University’s World House Project Film Festival
The World House Project will host a free, four-day webinar and virtual film festival featuring  30 documentaries, musical performances, interviews and panel discussions that speak to Dr. King's vision of the World House. Jan. 14-17, Event details 

38th Annual MLK Celebration
SF parks and recreation presents a virtual celebration of MLK featuring Dr. Joe Canton as keynote speaker.
Jan. 14, 11:30 a.m. Event details 

Rally for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2022 marks The 5th Avenue Theatre’s sixth year of proudly supporting the Kent School District’s Rally for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Each year, the rally is led by a team of passionate teen leaders and features musical performances, community speakers and student reflections on the life, work and legacy of Dr. King. This year, you are cordially invited to join us as the rally is streamed for the Kent community and beyond. Jan. 17, 7 p.m.

LBJ Library photo by Yoichi Okamoto

Brooklyn Tribute to Martin Luther King
The celebration brings together artists and civic leaders to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. King. The 36th edition features speeches by civic leaders and activists. There will also be performances, including live appearances from singer Nona Hendryx with Craig Harris & Tailgaters Tales and Sing Harlem and a recorded dance piece by choreographer Kyle Marshall. Join us in hope and solidarity! Jan. 17, 7:30 a.m. Event details

Tacoma's MLK Day Celebration
Join the city of Tacoma for its 34th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration. This year’s event theme is “Hope & Healing.” Activities will highlight the present and the future of Dr. King’s impacts on our community and feature local performers and speakers who work and volunteer to ensure our community represents equity, hope and healing. Jan. 17, 8 p.m. Event details

MLK Day Celebration 2022
The California African American Museum invites families to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day immersed in music, culture and community. This year’s virtual festival highlights MLK’s dedication to labor and workers’ rights with the importance of these movements continuing on today. Jan. 17, 10 a.m. Event details

National Parks Service

Songs for Justice: 2022 Annual MLK Birthday Celebration
The Rothko Chapel presents Songs for Justice in celebration of Dr. King’s birthday. Log onto the live stream to enjoy a series of concerts and conversations exploring the role that music plays to further social justice movements. Jan. 15, 3 p.m. CT. Event details.

MLK Celebration 2022
The New Haven Museum will present a day of family friendly virtual programming dedicated to celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Performances, storytelling, dancing, art workshops and more—all from your living room. Jan. 17, 10 a.m. ET. Event details.

johnhain via pixabay

Joy as an Act of Resistance
This is the second annual virtual celebration presented by the Saint Louis Art Museum. This year will feature local Black performing artists, Robert Crenshaw, Alicia Revé, and Freeman Word, who will respond to photographs of Dr. King from the Museum’s collection through dance, music, and spoken word. Jan. 17, On Demand. Event details. 

Celebrate MLK Day with MoAD
Celebrate with MoAD on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service! Now being held virtually, the annual event will feature free programmings like art workshops, museum tours, and more. Jan. 17, 11 a.m. Event details

Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with the Washington State Historical Society
Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the Washington State Historical Society. Highlights of this virtual event are a performance of his famous "I Have A Dream" speech, an art-making workshop, and more. Jan.17, 10 a.m. Event details

—Kate Loweth

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5 Reasons to Learn Sign Language as a Family

By Lora Heller

Have you been considering learning sign language but wondering how you and your family might benefit? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Sign language can support development in many areas and here’s how:

1. Sign Language Helps to Solidify One’s Deaf Identity
Do you have a Deaf child or anyone in your family who is Deaf? American Sign Language (ASL) is used throughout North America, and the sign language for each country is an integral part of its unique Deaf community. There is a rich culture and history surrounding sign language and it is an essential component to developing one’s Deaf identity. Sign allows for language to be accessible to deaf children from birth, providing the opportunity for them to acquire language, engage in learning, develop supportive relationships, and socialize on par with their hearing peers.

2. Sign Language Can Help to Bridge Two Spoken Languages & Lead to Trilingualism
Are you already a bilingual family? Once you speak two languages, it’s easier to learn a 3rd—your brain is wired for it. Sign language can also aid in bridging two spoken languages: when your child hears one parent or family member say “milk” and another say “leche” and each one signs it (in ASL, for example), the same sign connects and provides consistent meaning to the two different words. Meanwhile, a 3rd language is acquired!

3. Sign Language Helps to Clarify Word Approximations & Expand Vocabulary, While Also Giving a Real Language to Children Who Don’t Develop Speech
Do you need clarification because you can’t understand what your child is trying to say? It’s possible that they’re using words you might not expect from a young child, and asking for sign clarification can help. If your child is looking at flowers but saying something like “ggog”, perhaps the sign for ‘pretty’ would let you know that they picked up your descriptive use of the word ‘gorgeous!’ Or maybe they are saying “bah” for many things—distinct signs can let you know if your child is referring to a book, or the bath, a banana, or a bird… and that way they’re expanding their overall language use through sign. Additionally, some hearing children with disabilities may not develop speech, and ASL (or the local sign language where you live) can be essential as their primary expressive language.

4. Sign Language Can Help to Strengthen Motor Coordination & Support Literacy Skills
While these two things seem to be quite separate, there’s more connection than one may think. Crawling requires cross-lateral coordination which strengthens overall brain development. This type of movement and practice helps to solidify eye-hand coordination and spatial awareness, among other skills that are required in reading. Left or right-hand dominance develops here as well, leading to comfort with writing. Also, fingerspelling allows for practice in fine motor skills while providing opportunities for spelling and reading to emerge.

5. Sign Language Can Connect People in a Conversation from a Distance
Wouldn’t it be helpful if you could communicate with a neighbor through your window? Or with your kids from across the playground? If more people, Deaf and hearing, used sign language this would be an option! When my kids got too far away from me at the playground and fell down, they would either sign or respond to me signing with things like ‘hurt’, or ‘ok’, or ‘help.’ Signing also allows for clear communication in a noisy subway or a quiet library, rows apart in a theatre, giving instructions in a swim lesson, and more.

So how do you get started? There are many online resources, but it’s important to make sure they are reliable. We recommend learning from Deaf teachers and from teachers who are credentialed in Deaf education or otherwise experienced in this area. At Baby Fingers we offer programs in person and online with Deaf and hearing teachers who are active in the Deaf community and can provide additional resources to families, children, and students of any age.

RELATED:
Baby Sign Language 101: Baby’s First Signs
This 6-Year-Old Inspired an Entire School to Learn Sign Language

Lora Heller is a music therapist, Deaf educator, and author of several sign language books for kids. She has also written for music therapy professional publications and national parenting magazines and is the on-line expert for various parenting programs including ParentsTV.com baby sign language video series. Lora founded Baby Fingers in 2000. www.mybabyfingers.com 

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Where Has the Time Gone?

By Samira Soto

As we approach your 3rd birthday I can’t help but reflect back on these past years.

It’s just been you and me from the start.

And although some days feel like an eternity, I still catch myself wondering, ‘Where has the time gone?’

God made me the luckiest woman alive when he chose me to be your mom.

Thank you for your tender kisses, and for your ferocious hugs.

For showing me in return all the heart and soul I have poured into you, and for your gentle ‘I love you’s’ to remind me of why I will never stop.

Thank you for making me a better mom every day. 

For teaching me more patience than I ever knew I was capable of, and for still loving me unconditionally in the times I don’t.

Thank you for your strength and perseverance.

For reminding me every day of the miracle of a spoken word, and for giving me every reason to believe in hope for the future.

 

Thank you for being uniquely you.

For allowing me to step into your world, to see all the wonder, magic, and beauty within, and for your forgiveness in the times I can’t always.

 

Thank you for the lives you are touching, and the mindsets you are changing.

For these people will now move forward in their lives with a better understanding of autism, and hopefully will walk through society with more compassion because of you.

 

You and this world of wonder that I call autism have taught me amazing things about life this past year that I don’t think I would’ve experienced if not for you two.

You’ve both have taught me how to turn my grief into gratitude. 

Pain into perseverance.

Sorrows into sacrifices.

 

It’s surreal to say that a little boy so curious and charming like you, and a world I knew nothing about could teach me the most important things about this life.
 

I’d choose you in every lifetime Kanen.

The goofiest little goober, I love you more than you’ll ever understand.
 

Your mom,

Samira

Samira is a 25 year old single mom to a 2 year old son Kanen Arley. Her son Kanen was diagnosed with severe non-verbal autism in September of 2020, which inspired her to start sharing their journey through My Charming Arley on Facebook and Samirasstella on Instagram.

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Here’s What Learning a Second Language Will Do to Your Kids (According to Science)

by Karly Wood

If you’re wondering whether you should bother with teaching your baby a second language, the answer is a resounding yes. Despite not being able to speak, babies still begin hearing, retaining and pruning sounds as early as the womb, which will ultimately form the foundation of language.

Just like reading to your kids, the benefits of being bilingual are plentiful. Studies have shown that bilingual children are given a leg up in life, achieving higher cognitive and academic skills and receiving higher scores in non-verbal problem solving, grammar and mental flexibility.

photo: Teddy Rawpixel via rawpixel

Scientists have found that academic success is best predicted by early language interactions, including the integration of a second language. So what does that mean exactly?

While teaching your child more than one language requires work, it’s worth it in the end. Begin speaking to your child while still in the womb, speaking all the languages spoken in your home. Once your bundle of joy has entered the world, continue speaking to them in English and your other tongue when it comes to singing, reading and everyday conversation. The gift of language is truly priceless.

––Karly Wood

 

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Katie Lee & Husband Ryan Biegel Welcome Baby Girl

by Jennifer Swartvagher

Congratulations are in order. Food Network star Katie Lee has given birth to a girl. Lee and husband Ryan Biegel both announced the good news on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

 

Welcome, baby Iris Marion Biegel 💕 9.2.20 💕Our hearts are so full.

A post shared by Katie Lee (@katieleekitchen) on

“Welcome, baby Iris Marion Biegel 9.2.20 Our hearts are so full,” Lee captioned a photo of her holding Iris.

Iris is the first child for the couple.

Lee, who has spoken about her struggle with infertility in the past, announced she was pregnant in February.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of lev radin via Shutterstock

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The More You Talk to Your Babies, the Smarter They’ll Be as Teens, New Study Finds

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Feel silly having a conversation with a baby that can’t talk? Don’t, because those one-sided conversations about farm animals and the colors of the rainbow are actually vital to your kids as they grow. A new study has found that how much parents talk with babies can have an impact on their IQ later in life.

The 10-year longitudinal study was conducted by LENA, a company that creates curriculum and programs for educators and parents to help with early language development. The researchers concluded that the amount of talking parents did with their babies up to age three had an impact on their IQ and verbal abilities, like vocabulary and verbal comprehension, in adolescence.

Photo: Pexels via Pixabay

“We know all of the child’s conversational partners matter, from their parents and primary caregivers to their child care teachers,” said Dr. Stephen Hannon, president of LENA. “This research confirms a growing body of science that says adult-child interactive talk is essential to early development and success in school.”

The study showed that while talking to babies at this age was important, what was most vital was talking to them in a conversational manner. In other words, even if your baby is too young to answer you, its important to speak to them as if they might answer.

In order to complete the study, LENA researchers developed and utilized their wearable “talk pedometer” to measure things like adult words spoken, “conversations,” like a parent saying something and a baby offering a coo or sound in response. The first phase of data collection was conducted in 2006 with 146 families. Ten years later in 2016, the same kids at ages nine to 14 were given language and cognitive tests. The amount of adult words recorded in the first phase of the study correlated with the kids test results ten years later.

“It’s incredible that we are able to measure the relationship between the experiences of babies and their cognitive skills 10 years later,” said Dr. Jill Gilkerson, Senior Research Director at LENA, and lead author on the paper. “It strongly supports what other research has shown: talk with babies may make a huge difference in their futures and there is a need to begin early, since parents’ talk habits in the 18-24-month window start forming from the moment the baby is born.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

 

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4 Agreements Every Rockstar Parent Should Make with Themselves

By Shelby Spear

Photo: Rawpixel

Books are my spirit animal. Well, maybe dragonflies, but anything bound and full of inspiration and insight runs a close second in stirring my soul. While many of us in the book lover club have read hundreds upon hundreds of amazing works, we usually sink our heart into a few favorites.

One of my all-time cherished books, which I recommend to anyone willing to listen, is The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz. This little gem is only 138 pages, but every word awakens the spirit and makes you think. You come to a certain knowing with each agreement listed, nodding your head in affirmation of a spoken truth.

Don Miguel Ruiz shares how making only four agreements with yourself and the universe can unfold and unfurl the bound-up version of self and lead you back to your authentic identity and purpose. Doing so awards you the freedom to live from a place of wholeness.

Regardless of your worldview or spiritual beliefs/non-belief, these four agreements make sense because they’re universal truths any of us can and want to live out. No matter who I recommend this book to, no matter what they believe beyond the here and now, the wisdom shared within The Four Agreements resonates.

1. Be impeccable with your word.

All we need do is look at Twitter for 30 seconds to realize how often this agreement finds rejection. Words matter. They can cause irreparable damage and instill lasting hope. This world is in dire need of the latter.

2. Don’t take things personally.

Who doesn’t do this? And how is it working out for us? The rampant “everything is about me” mentality is causing widespread disconnect and detachment.

3. Don’t make assumptions.

We live in a world that functions on assumption more than fact. Headlines and gossip have become the basis for judgment. In large part because communication, which requires listening, discerning, studying, has become a lost art.

4. Do your best.

Every human can start doing this right now. Doing our best is enough, even if some days our finest hour is a complete mess or failure. Doing our best includes accepting and forgiving ourselves and others for collective weaknesses and faults.

As common sense as these agreements sound, we’ve all fallen into the trap of living outside their boundaries. The human thing, ego thing, illusion thing, is hard. But continued resistance to these positive commitments means more misery, suffering and dysfunction will exist. The good news is, a mindful decision to enter into these agreements—the best we can—will change the world around us. Instantly.

Consider just one example: if you decide not to take your coworkers comment personally today, then your time home with the family after work will be pleasant and enjoyable. This in turn makes for a stress-free evening for your spouse and kids. The lack of tension helps everyone have a good night’s rest. And, come morning, each person in your family starts a new day feeling refreshed, joyful and ready to face the world.

In this scenario, agreeing to not take things personally in one single instance affects the entirety of your experience going forward, including all the people in your sphere of influence. One agreement by one individual in one moment of time has the power to change countless lives via the ripple effect.

The four agreements Don Miguel Ruiz challenges us to embody are powerful, important, healing. My commitment to practicing them has changed my life, my family, the people around me.

Although I’m just one person making a small difference in a limited space, together we can make a significant difference in an ever-expanding space. Humanity deserves the healing.

This post originally appeared on Thrive Global.

A self-described “sappy soul whisperer/sarcasm aficionado,” Shelby is a wife of 27 years & mom of three millennials. She co-authored How Are You Feeling, Momma? (You don't need to say, "I'm fine.") Her stories are in print at Guideposts, online at sites like Her View From Home and Parenting Teens & Tweens, and at shelbyspear.com. Get 3 FREE chapters of Shelby's book

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Study Shows Babies from Bilingual Homes Switch Attention Faster

by Jennifer Swartvagher

According to new research, babies born into bilingual families are better at switching their attention from one task to another compared with infants from homes where only one language is spoken. The study, led by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), used eye-tracking technology to record the gaze of 102 infants carrying out a variety of tasks. Scientists found that those from bilingual homes are able to change their focus “more quickly and more frequently” than those from monolingual homes.

Baby reading with dad

The researchers studied babies between the ages of seven and nine months, half from bilingual homes and half from monolingual homes, to rule out any benefits gained from being able to speak a second language, often referred to as the “bilingual advantage.” Instead, the study focused on the effects of growing up simply hearing two or more languages.

Dr Dean D’Souza, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at ARU said, “Bilingual environments may be more variable and unpredictable than monolingual environments — and therefore more challenging to learn in. We know that babies can easily acquire multiple languages, so we wanted to investigate how they manage it. Our research suggests that babies in bilingual homes adapt to their more complex environment by seeking out additional information.”

When shown two pictures side by side, infants from bilingual homes shifted attention from one picture to another more frequently than infants from monolingual homes, suggesting these babies were exploring more of their environment.The study also found that when a new picture appeared on the screen, babies from bilingual homes were 33% faster at redirecting their attention towards the new picture.

D’Souza added, “Scanning their surroundings faster and more frequently might help the infants in a number of ways. For example, redirecting attention from a toy to a speaker’s mouth could help infants to match ambiguous speech sounds with mouth movements.”

The researchers are currently investigating whether this faster and more frequent switching in infancy can have a longer lasting developmental impact.

The findings were published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Picsea on Unsplash

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Why I Didn’t Talk to Anyone about My Postpartum Depression

By Jamie Johnson

The other day, someone I didn’t know reached out to me and complimented me on how brave it was that I am so open about my experience with postpartum depression.

I was flattered, to be honest. But the only thing I could think to say back, besides thank you, was that I wish someone had spoken out about it before I did.

I know doctors talked about it in articles you could find in mental health magazines. There were some celebrities that had discussed their situations. But no one sat my pudgy pregnant little butt down and said, “Okay, you have a history of depression. Here is what you need to know about what happens after you deliver this baby.”

I wasn’t reading mental health magazines prepping myself for what I would think was the “baby blues”.

What a difference that would have made. I could have saved myself a lot of tears, a lot of dark thoughts, a lot of grief, and a s**t ton of doubt.

Doubting if I was good enough to be the mom of this beautiful baby boy.

Doubting if I was letting my child and my husband down.

Doubting if I was meant to be so lucky.

Doubting if this is the life I was supposed to be living.

Doubting if I should actually get out of bed.

Doubting that I was doing this whole thing the right way.

Doubting that anything would ever change.

And scared sh*tless that absolutely everyone would tell me I was overreacting.

That’s exactly why I didn’t talk to anyone about my postpartum issues. I was doubting everything. And I was scared. Of the stigma. And scared of people I love looking at me in a light that was anything but the perfect mom I had envisioned I would be.

I was absolutely terrified that if I got out of bed, picked up the phone, went to the doctor or even told my husband, that I would be labeled as a bad mom. A mom that wasn’t good enough to have an amazing, sweet, precious baby boy like the one I had. I thought people would look down on me. That they would call me “crazy” or “insane.” I worried that they would think I was an unfit mother.

Looking back, I spent about three weeks in bed, in the dark, crying, pumping, nursing, changing diapers, sleeping, repeat, repeat, repeat. The days rolled by and I didn’t know day from night. I didn’t care to know. I was flat. Sad. Depressed. Unmotivated. Scared. Doubtful. Insecure. Lonely. Undeserving. And unable to express any of those emotions because it took too much energy.

At that time, I was not the mother that I wanted to be, but I was NOT an unfit mother. My baby boy was getting all of his needs met. He was being fed and changed.

And I did love on him and snuggle him. But most of the time that I was loving and snuggling him, I was crying and apologizing to him for not being the mom he needed and deserved.

Thinking about that now makes me so sad. The mom he needed was in there, she just needed some help finding herself again.

I did eventually find myself, and saw the light at the end of that scary, dark tunnel. But it took a long time and a lot of soul searching. And a lot of convincing myself that all those doubts were just that, doubts. None of them were true.

So I decided that I needed to share my story. And I think that a lot of people have benefitted from hearing it.

I’m not telling anyone to start a blog and post all their failures as a mom for the world to read, but if you have experienced PPD, or Postpartum Anxiety—which I also think I had or any other postpartum issue, don’t be scared to talk about it. It is so much more common than anyone admits.

And I can promise, if you share your experience, you will feel a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. And you could possibly help save a life. The only thing it can do is help. But mostly, I think it will help you.

Until next time,

Jamie

This post originally appeared on HashtagMomFail.com.

I am a full time working mom with two little boys, Henry and Simon. I write about real life and real life gets messy. Contributor for Motherly, HuffPost Parents, Scary Mommy, Today Parents, Love What Matters and Her View From Home. 

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