Parent Appreciation

PTN Chicago
July 1, 2024
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Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities to Help You and Your Child Unwind

Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities to Help You and Your Child Unwind https://www.ptnchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/7.11.24.png 1080 1080 PTN Chicago PTN Chicago https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75b089686fe2661b8b749214cd380f64?s=96&d=mm&r=g July 1, 2024 July 4, 2024

Parents are true superheroes; they are also some of the most incredible people in the world. However, even “superheroes” need a break, especially when tasked with handling so many day-to-day demands. From taking care of your children, going to work, and balancing everything else in between, it can be overwhelming at times. The PTN team is here to help take some of this stress off your shoulders by sharing some relaxing activities that allow you and your child to unwind during Parent Appreciation Day (July 28th) and beyond. We hope that you enjoy partaking in these peaceful activities with your little ones!

Have Spa Time
This does not have to be complicated and can be an easy way to relax any time of day. You can really have fun with this idea (and get some time to unwind, too). For example, run a bath and add some essential oils or bath salts. Lavender is a scent that is known to be particularly calming. Then, sit with your little one and soak your feet together. You can use this time to relax and also as a time to “catch up” with your child.

Make Popsicle Stick Pictures
Creating silly art pieces with your little ones is a fun and relaxing way to show off your creativity. One craft we think you’ll love is creating popsicle stick pictures! Gather some popsicle sticks, glue, paper, and markers, and find a cozy and quiet place to sit. Now, work with your child to create the perfect popsicle stick picture. Then, once your artwork is complete, hang it on the fridge for everyone to see, or frame it and hang it on the wall.

Have a Tea Party
Children love having make believe tea parties with their stuffed animal friends. So, why not take part in a real tea party together? Tea parties are very calming, and have numerous benefits, such as allowing your child to use their imagination. To begin, grab some cups and plates, and have your child set up your tea party. Ask your child to “invite” their favorite stuffed animal friends, then, come together to make some healthy snacks and drinks, and serve them at your tea party.

Go Stargazing
One final activity to help you unwind is stargazing. Wait for a night with mild weather, grab your favorite blankets and a few pillows, and head outside. Once you set up your cozy spot, lay with your child and stare at the beautiful stars in the night sky. Stargazing is very peaceful, and is great for sparking your child’s curiosity and wonder. As a bonus, print out a star constellation map, and work with your kiddos to try and identify as many constellations as possible.

Follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) throughout July as we continue to celebrate our incredible PTN parents with activities, tips, resources, and more! Additionally, please don’t hesitate to contact us to talk about if your child could benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your family in any way that we can.

PTN Chicago
July 6, 2023
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Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities That Work on Your Child’s Skills

Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities That Work on Your Child’s Skills https://www.ptnchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/7.10.23.jpg 1080 1080 PTN Chicago PTN Chicago https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75b089686fe2661b8b749214cd380f64?s=96&d=mm&r=g July 6, 2023 July 11, 2023

Although we are always so appreciative of our PTN parents, we love getting the opportunity to show our gratitude for each of you on Parent Appreciation Day. This year, Parent Appreciation Day is on July 23rd, and to celebrate, we wanted to share some activities that you can partake in with your children that also allow you to relax and unwind. From trying family yoga to gardening together and more – here are some relaxing activities that also work on your child’s skills. Enjoy!

Family Yoga

An excellent way to relax and get moving is to partake in family yoga. Yoga is a great way to exercise while relaxing your mind, body, and soul. Not to mention, yoga is perfect for working on your child’s gross motor skills and balance. If you have done yoga in the past, fantastic! Use your knowledge to guide your child through some simple yoga poses. But if you’ve never done yoga, this family yoga video is easy for your whole family to follow.

Play a Board Game

Another easy way to relax while working on your child’s skills is to play a board game together. Board games are a great way to spend quality time with one another, and believe it or not, many board games are great for working on your child’s skills. Although there are many board games to choose from, one we highly recommend is Candy Land. Candy Land helps your child work on color recognition and counting, and also allows them to work on their fine motor skills when rolling the dice and while moving their game piece around the board.

Garden Together

One final activity to do with your little ones is to get outside and garden together! Gardening is very calming and a great way to bond with your kiddos. First, get a pot, fill it with some dirt, and dig a hole in the dirt. Now, have your child use their fine motor skills to grasp the seeds and place them into the hole, and then ask them to use their gross motor skills to pick up the watering can and water the seeds. Now, you and your little one can watch the plant grow and appreciate your hard work!

We wish you all a very happy Parent Appreciation Day! Be sure to follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) all July long as we continue to celebrate our amazing PTN parents and share some fun activities, tips, and more! Also, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime to discuss if your child would benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your child in any way we can.

PTN Chicago
July 1, 2022
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Parent Appreciation

Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With 10 Reasons Why Parents Are So Important

Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With 10 Reasons Why Parents Are So Important https://www.ptnchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/7.8.22.jpg 1080 1080 PTN Chicago PTN Chicago https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75b089686fe2661b8b749214cd380f64?s=96&d=mm&r=g July 1, 2022 July 1, 2022

Parent Appreciation Day is right around the corner (July 24th), but we don’t want to wait another minute to start celebrating our amazing PTN parents! All the parents we work with are so special, and we appreciate the opportunity to work with each of your families. You make our jobs so much easier, and the way that you support your children is so inspiring.

This year to celebrate this amazing day, we wanted to share why parents are so important (especially parents of children with special needs). Though we can think of hundreds of reasons, we wanted to keep it short and sweet and share our top 10.

Parents are…

Caring: Our PTN parents have such kind hearts and are incredibly caring. We see how much you deeply care about your little ones and want them to be the best they can be. Your sincerity and kindness are something that your children will never forget.

Supportive: You show up daily for your children and support their development journey. You are constantly helping them improve their skills and are their emotional support system. Our team also appreciates the support you give us during each therapy session. We couldn’t do it without you!

Loving: The love a parent has for their children is unmatched. We can tell how much you love and care for your little ones, and your love is something that your children will cherish for the rest of their lives.

Fun: So many of our PTN parents enjoy getting involved in their child’s therapy sessions, which is something so special. You get to have fun with your little one while also helping them learn and grow in the process. The best part is that you can continue the fun with your children while working on their therapy at home.

Helpful: All of our PTN parents are extremely helpful. You’re constantly helping your little ones with their needs and helping to develop their skills with at-home therapy activities. Our team also appreciates that you help us get to know your little ones better during each therapy session.

Inspiring: Parents are genuinely so inspiring. You inspire your children every day, and they are always looking up to you. You also inspire our PTN team. Parents have to juggle so many things in life, and you all somehow make it look so easy.

Patient: Parents are there to support their children during their learning and development journey, which can sometimes take patience. It’s important to remember that each child is going to learn and grow at their own pace, and that’s okay! With your patience and support, your little ones will do amazing things.

Funny: Being able to show your goofy side around your little ones is something so special. There are so many awesome activities that allow you to be silly with one another and work on your child’s skills at the same time. So, never stop being funny and goofy with your children. These memories are something that your children will never forget.

Thoughtful: Our PTN parents are so thoughtful and are always looking for ways to continue helping their little ones work on their skills. You are selfless and are always thinking of the needs and well-being of others. Your thoughtfulness is a trait that we really admire.

The Best: PTN parents are the best. You help your little ones grow big and strong, fix their owies, wipe away their tears, make them laugh, and comfort them in times of need. You’re their biggest cheerleader no matter what and are always there for them. We genuinely thank you for always welcoming us into your homes and for being such a great support system. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Be sure to keep an eye on our social media (Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest) all month long as we continue to show our appreciation for all of our incredible PTN parents. We’ll also be sharing helpful tips, resources, activities, and more! Please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time to discuss if your child would benefit from pediatric therapy. Our team is here to support you and your child in any way we can.

PTN Chicago
July 7, 2020
No Comments

Parent Appreciation

5 Reasons Why Parents Deserve a Huge Pat On the Back (Including You!)

5 Reasons Why Parents Deserve a Huge Pat On the Back (Including You!) https://www.ptnchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7.17.20.jpg 1080 1080 PTN Chicago PTN Chicago https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75b089686fe2661b8b749214cd380f64?s=96&d=mm&r=g July 7, 2020 July 7, 2020

Happy July, everyone! We can’t believe that 2020 is already halfway over – what a crazy ride it’s been so far! We hope you and your family have been staying safe, happy, and healthy throughout these uncertain times, and look forward to working with each and every one of you during the second half of the year and beyond.

At PTN, we get extra excited when July rolls around because with this month comes one of our favorite holidays – Parent Appreciation Day. This holiday is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in July. This month, it happens to land on the 26th.

The truth of the matter is, being a parent is one of the toughest jobs out there and unfortunately, parents don’t always get enough credit for all that they do. That’s why we wanted to take this holiday to remind you that you deserve all the thanks, love, appreciation, and happiness in the world. We feel very fortunate to be able to work with all of you incredible parents each and every day and our team is thrilled to celebrate you even further this month.

And, just in case you need the reminder, here are 5 reasons why parents deserve a huge pat on the back today and every day:

Parents Provide Emotional Support

Life comes with many highs and many lows. It’s important that we all have someone that we can look to when life gets tough, and for children, parents are a main source of emotional support from the time they are born, all the way into adulthood. Being a child comes with a lot of unknowns and children tend to look for support from their parents to help them learn, grow, and feel safe with. Children need someone that they can turn to when they want to ask questions about life, when they’re sad, or when they need help navigating a tough time in their life. Being able to talk to someone about uncomfortable things while also feeling safe is something that your child will appreciate and remember forever.

Your constant emotional support is admired – give yourself another pat on the back!

Parents Are Hardworking

Parents are some of the most hardworking people in the entire world. Being a parent comes with many hats and responsibilities such as making sure there’s food on the table, a roof over your family’s head, and ensuring that your children are taken care of – we’re exhausted just thinking about it!

It takes a lot of time and effort to make sure that everything is running smoothly within your home, especially when it comes to taking care of your family. That’s why it’s important to remember that you, as a parent, are basically a modern day superhero.

Your hard work is appreciated – give yourself another pat on the back!

Parents Are Great Teachers

Believe it or not, as a parent, you’ll always be your child’s number one teacher in life. You help them learn to walk and talk, how to be polite and use their manners, how to share, how to ride a bike, and so much more. You’re basically always teaching your child something whether you know it or not, all of which will help them grow into a kind, smart, and self-sufficient adult. Children look up to their parents for advice and guidance throughout their whole lives, and more likely than not will continue to look to you to teach them things (big and small) for years to come.

You are your child’s number one teacher – give yourself a pat on the back for helping them grow!

Parents Are Understanding

Being a parent isn’t always the easiest job in the world, especially when your child makes decisions that you don’t agree with. There are going to be times throughout your child’s life when they may choose a path different from what you thought they’d choose such as joining the band when you thought they should play basketball.

The thing about being a parent is that you love your children unconditionally and want them to be happy. So even though you may not always agree with their decisions, your understanding and support go a long way!

You’re understanding even when it’s hard to be – give yourself an extra pat on the back, for this one!

Parents Make It Look Easy (Even When It’s Not)

Maybe the biggest thing that you as a parent should give yourself a pat on the back for is making parenting duties look easy even though they’re not easy at all. There are a million and one things that parents have to take care of on top of raising children, and it can get overwhelming at times.

Parents can somehow manage to juggle staying on top of their work, keeping up with duties around the house, and spending time with/taking care of their family without a blink of an eye. As we said before, parents are superheroes!

Thank you for pushing through and making being a parent look easy – give yourself one final pat on the back!

Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities to Help You and Your Child Unwind

Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With Relaxing Activities That Work on Your Child’s Skills

Celebrating Parent Appreciation Day With 10 Reasons Why Parents Are So Important

5 Reasons Why Parents Deserve a Huge Pat On the Back (Including You!)

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