Phew!  Here we are still.....we are super-troopers!  I truly hope you have thought about yourself like this over the past 9 weeks.  No matter what your specific situation is, you are working hard to make the best of it and likely doing a super-trooper job of it!  I would like to tell you WAY TO GO and THANK YOU for all your efforts.  This has not been an easy thing to handle - for kiddos or adults! - but you're doing the best you can and I hope that you are finding moments of good success and joy within it all!  As we all move forward, really the best way we can measure this whole time will be in the small moments of good - then our work to build on them to make them even bigger, better and longer.

I'd like to highlight our younger kiddos and parents of 'Littles' this week a bit.  Many families with younger kiddos may be thinking the social impact of not being in school is less important than with older kids.  This can be true to some degree, but lets not forget how important school can be for Littles to learn and practice important social skills with their classmate 'friends'.  Whether Littles seem to be 'missing' their 'friends' or not, encouraging interactions with same-age kids is an important thing to continue.  Right now that likely can only come about through virtual means.  Now, if you've been a part of your Little in the midst of a Zoom or Facetime meeting, you may think I'm nuts to say that they are impactful and important (trust me, I have a 1st grader too and have actually thought that about myself as I continue to have him do them!).  The reality is, whether our Littles are interacting directly with one another or in more indirect/parallel interaction with one another, it IS making a positive difference in their social skill development.   So continue to make those virtual meeting opportunities happen for your Little and know that they are a good thing!  Whether friends find ways to play totally WITH each other during them or just 'NEXT TO' each other during them (set your device up and have them just play with their own volition....you might be surprised by the interactions that develop as a little time goes by) - positive social skills are being developed, which are one of the THE most important part of learning for our Littles.  

Hope you all find a way to enjoy the beautiful weather we've got with us this week!  Mrs G