One week to go, and iiiittt’s… Chanukah!
Gift shopping, party planning, menorah polishing… Chanukah may be a seudah-free yom tov, but no one can say that there’s no hard work involved. And you’re definitely not getting out of those late nights, either.
Over-sensory-stimulating parties, vacation days, sugar highs, and fire-within-reach-anxiety make for an exhausting mix.
Do you feel dizzy as a dreidel just thinking about it, and it’s not even Chanukah yet?
You’re not the only one. But Chanukah is a time when we discover that just a small jug of positive thinking can miraculously last us a full week.
We did it last year, and we’ll do it again this year.
So take a deep breath (or better yet, a donut), and do it!
Get ready, get set, go!
Preparing a child with special needs for the special week ahead takes forethought and careful planning.
We did the legwork for you – click on the picture below to download an adorable Chanukah social story which will teach your child what to expect!
With cute, colorful pictures and large print easy-to-read font, your child will learn about new sensory experiences, schedule changes, tips for dealing with sensory overload, and important safety reminders.
Aish is fire, fire is hot 🎶
That nerve-wracking moment when your child grips the lit shamash in his hand, face aglow with eagerness and hand trembling from excitement, and the only question you’re left with is whether it’s scarier to close your eyes or to keep them open…
That’s why these cool velcro “menorahs” were invented.
I don’t know which brilliant preschool morah came up with this idea first, and was brave enough to send it home with her students in place of the traditional ultra-safe painted piece of wood, but we commend her!
Alternatively, use electric candles for a safer, fire-free experience!
Here’s just one option we’ve seen – many similar ones are available on Amazon.
Family dreidel - with a “twist”
(Get it? Twist? Whatever.)
You know how the kids wait impatiently for their turn to spin the dreidel, as each child takes their sweet time spinning the dreidel in such a way that it spins… and spins… and spins… and gets knocked down by an impatient sibling, causing the child whose turn it is to begin the delicate process again?
So, smartest idea ever (especially for kids without the waiting capabilities):
Put the gelt (or candies, or whatever you like to play with) in a bowl in the middle of the table.
Everyone gets their own dreidel, and spins at the same time.
The rules are as follows:
Nun = nothing
Gimmel = take two
Hey = take one
Shin = put one back
Game continues until Mommy announces that the game is over.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital
A new bikur cholim room opened up in Cincinnati Children’s hospital to serve the frum patients and their families! This is great news for many of our families who travel to Cincinnati for treatment.
Bikur Cholim of Cincinnati can be contacted at 513-970-1911.
New in Ezreinu
Due to popular request, Holding Hands has come to BALTIMORE!
Holding Hands
Mrs. Weissberg and Mrs. Goldfine each called Ezreinu about their respective children with special needs; both of them were looking into different unique treatment plans and wanted more information. Ezreinu paired each mother up with another parent who had experience with the specific procedure that they were looking into, so that these mothers could receive personalized guidance and mentoring.⬛
Toby is a sweet young woman with special needs who never misses a family simcha. Her family loves to have her around and it wouldn’t be the same without her, but she needs constant entertainment, making it difficult for her family to focus on others. When the next family wedding rolled around, Toby’s family reached out to Ezreinu, and a special “friend” was sent to hang out with Toby the whole time, so that Toby and her family could both enjoy themselves fully.⬛
Identifying details have been changed to protect client confidentiality.