Aaah, Yom Tov is in the air!
The children are all home from school, the younger ones are playing quietly and peacefully at home, the bigger ones are helping out, delicious smells are wafting out of the kitchen as Mommy cooks, and the merry sound of banging is coming from the backyard, where Tatty is busy building the Sukkah… What did you say?*
That isn’t how your house looks right now?
Neither does anyone else’s, don’t worry:)
It’s a mitzvah to rejoice on Sukkos, so if you manage a smile despite the spiked tension levels, noise, and glorious mess – give yourself 10 points!
The lack of structure is hard enough on any family, but with some special needs in the mix, you may as well throw your standards out the window…
Check out our adorable and helpful resources to get you and your child through these nutty wonderful weeks!
* I didn’t say anything, I only snorted.
Forewarned is forearmed
Clichés aside, the best way for your kid to go into Yom Tov season is to go in prepared.
You know your child best, so choose the method best suited – whether going over the schedule verbally, or using visual aids or social stories to help them understand what to expect and what’s expected of them.
We made your job a bit easier – click the buttons below to download these cute and simple social stories for Yom Kippur, Sukkos, and Simchas Torah!
Picture books are a great way for a child to process new ideas.
Here’s a real classic:
Personalized schedule
How is it that my child is bouncing around the house with nothing to do, when we own hundreds of dollars worth of toys, games, and art supplies, spilling all over the closet shelves?, you wonder on every day off from school.
Here’s a practical idea from a talented mother of a child with special needs:
Make a personalized visual schedule!
Start with a base chart of four activities. Let your child choose four activities that they would like to do from a visual list of all of the options in your house.
Your child can place his four choices onto the base chart, and set a timer.
The timer can be set for 20 minutes (or however long the child’s attention span is!).
The child begins to play with the first game/toy/activity on his schedule. When the timer rings, put away the current activity, reset the timer for another 20 minutes, and move on to Activity 2. Repeat until all activities are completed.
You’d be surprised at how enjoyable the same old toys can be when there’s a structure and limit to how they’re being used!
Sounds overwhelming to design this schedule? Fear not – we attached instructions + all of the templates you need right here.
Print, and enjoy!
🔻Click on the pages below to download🔻
Some kids enjoy having all of their options open in front of them on a “schedule wall”, while others might be more attracted to the idea of a “special schedule book”. Do what works for you!
If you want to make the schedule into a book, you just need to take the extra step of getting a plastic binding, or – even easier – simply stack up the pages, hole-punch them, and use a key-ring to keep them together.
For YOU 👇
School vacation, while so much fun and family-oriented, has more than it’s fair share of patience-trying moments.
A couple of tips:
👉 When encountering an overwhelming or stressful situation, like a temper tantrum or an overturned kitchen, close your eyes and picture something yummy you’ll reward yourself with if you get through the next few minutes without losing it. It sounds silly, but it helps – try it!
👉 Tracht gut vet zein gut is the way we’re supposed to lead our lives, but a touch of realism mixed in with the optimism helps. When you wake up in the morning, be realistic. Are there likely to be meltdowns/fights/broken items today? Mentally set a number of expected things that will “go wrong”. For example, if you start the day with the thought that these two siblings will fight 8 times today, you’ll be able to accept each fight as it comes and deal with it calmly and logically. And if there are only 7 fights, well, that will be a reason to celebrate!
👉 Make yourself a cute countdown until blessed routine becomes the norm once again. Print out the attached calendar and add decorations, inspirational quotes, or the rewards you’ll give yourself at end of each week.
Yom Tov can be a real sensory-overload trigger for children with special needs. So many people at home, so much food, so much mess, and no routine.
Designating a quiet spot for your child to play undisturbed can make a world of a difference.
If your child has their own bedroom, equip it with favorite toys and sensory supplies such as squishies, fidget toys, and, if you have one, a large beanbag or hammock… And close the door.
Siblings should be reminded to give this child the extra space they need over Yom Tov.
Many children feel more secure and comfortable in a small, closed space where they can escape when they feel overwhelmed by their environment. Those little pop-up tents designed for pretend play can serve this purpose well.
Here’s a cute, cheap (and Sukkos-themed!) option which you can still order before Yom Tov:
Dozens of clients call Ezreinu for referrals. Schools, respite programs, therapists, or medical professionals – you name it, we get calls for it.
Updating our information is a never-ending task which we tackle with vigor, determined to give all of you amazing parents the best of the best.
(You’re welcome 😌)
And what can be better than information directly from the front lines, information that parents LIKE YOU give over to us, straight from their experiences?
So first of all, hats off to everyone who submitted the school form!
btw it’s not too late for that 😜: click here to submit school form
Secondly, it’s time for round two!
Parents of kids with special needs needs DENTISTS who are experienced, patient, and accommodating with special needs. We’re running our FAMILY PIZZA DINNER contest again this month for all parents who take a minute to submit the dentist form!
STEP 1: Complete this 7-question quickie of a form
STEP 2: Get entered into a raffle to win a pizza dinner for your whole family!
^^ Want *YOUR NAME* to be in this spot next month?
Join Holding Hands and win a
$150 gift card!
Get 2 people to join Holding Hands = 1 ticket
Cover a short-term request = 2 tickets
Cover a long-term request = 3 tickets
Get involved TODAY to be entered into this month’s raffle!
No WhatsApp? No problem! Join the text group by texting your name and number to 929-450-4433.
And yes, you can still enter into the raffle:)