Luca Lashes, Children’s eBooks and Apps
Parenting Tips For New Experiences
Guest Post, by Nicole and Damir Fonovich, co-creators of Luca Lashes children’s eBooks and apps
Every day parents are confronted with a new experience that their child will have. All parents struggle with this issue, and ask themselves so many questions that confusion typically reigns supreme: “Is my child ready for this experience?” “Will my child be afraid?” “What should I do if he/she is afraid?” “What should I do to prepare them?” “Are they ready to try new things on their own?”
These are just a small sample of questions parents deal with on a regular basis. As the experiences become markedly different and complex, the confusion becomes even more the standard. Obviously the first thing to let all parents know is that they are not doing and have not done anything wrong. If you are asking these questions (and more), you are already well on your way to being a good parent, because a bad parent would not care so much to be that introspective. This reassurance aside, there are some simple rules that could be followed with helping your kids through new experiences that can give you some sense of peace and self-confidence:
1. The earlier the better
With most new experiences, familiarity and repetition breed confidence. So the simple fact is that the younger you expose your child to new experiences, the easier it will be. If the first dentist appointment your child goes on is when they are 1, then it stands to reason that annual dentist appointments should get easier and easier each year. If you want your child to become a good swimmer and not be afraid of water, get them into a pool as early as your pediatrician will allow.
2. Model the behavior
This is of vital importance. If your child sees that you are hesitant and afraid of new experiences, they will most likely pick up on that anxiety and display it themselves. Easy examples here include going to the dentist. We are currently experiencing an epidemic of tooth decay in preschoolers that was reported in every major news outlet. It would be really interesting to see the statistics on how many of these cases could have been prevented by parents who are not afraid to go the dentist themselves. Beyond the obvious advantages of showing your children your own willingness to try new things and jump right into new experiences, there are valuable lessons in self-confidence that a child can learn from modeling these behaviors.
3. Talk through it first
Sometimes it pays to over-prepare as a parent. In the case of having to experience something new, if you have the ability to talk a child through a new experience and have them understand you, you should do it. Let’s look at going to get that first shot at the doctor’s office (the one a child is old enough to remember)! Ask your child if they know why they have to go to the doctor. Walk them through what the office will look like, what the nurse will do, and what the doctor will do. Describe the experience with as much detail as you can, and give your child an open ear so that you answer any questions they are capable of asking. It might also help to go the doctor’s office a day early and get your child ready for what the experience might look like the next day. The most important part of this method is being ready and willing to answer as many questions as you get. Children can get very creative with their worries and fears, and being confident and reassuring in your responses will make the whole experience more worthwhile.
4. Talk about it after
So you have gotten through that first haircut, or just come home from the first plane ride. It seemed like everything went well and your child got through the experience with very little anxiety and seems comfortable. Maybe you had the opposite happen and your child is now overanxious. The most important thing now is to talk about what happened. Was the experience everything your child thought it would be? Did they understand everything that happened? Do they have any questions? Did they want you to be more active or less active in their experience? Whatever the result of the experience, this conversation is the most important teaching moment for different experiences later.
No one has the magic elixir for having your children experience the world with discovery and wonder through every moment, but the hope here is that this primer can give parents a starting point. Happy parenting!
Together, Nicole and Damir Fonovich have 17 years of experience in education, in both teaching and administration. They are the co-creators of Luca Lashes, a line of multilingual eBooks and apps designed to help kids (0-4) turn “fear of firsts” into fun. They currently live in the Chicago area. Learn more at www.lucalashes.com.
Nicole and Damir recruited a team of editors, illustrators, music composers, translators and narrators to create an educational and fun answer to every parent’s struggle. The result: a whimsical, multi-lingual (English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Chinese) line of children’s eBooks and apps based on a boy with magic eyelashes which give him special brave powers in all his “scary” firsts.
Nine books in the series release throughout 2012, and follow Luca as he (and his parents) conquers fearful firsts, from brushing his teeth to visiting mommy in the hospital. Parent suggestions at the back of each book and on YouTube highlight key teaching concepts and offers questions parents can use to prompt learning opportunities.
New technology also allows for interacaction with the words and illustrations. For example, the Luca Lashes: The Brown-Eyed Boy with the Magic Eyelashes app allows readers to listen to the school bus as it honks and drives away, hear the dog bark, and turn Luca’s bedroom lights on and off. In the Luca Lashes Learns to Brush His Teeth app, kids see toothpaste being squeezed onto the toothbrush, hear the sound of toothbrush bristles, and hear frogs “ribbit” and ducks “quack” in the background.
AVAILABLE AT: Luca Lashes: The Brown Eyed Boy with the Magic Eyelashes app is free on iTunes, and the other apps can be downloaded for $1.99 at all major marketplaces. Accompanying eBooks can be purchased for $2.99 everywhere eBooks are sold, and also at Lucalashes.com. View the Electronic Press Kit here.
Luca Lashes: The Brown-Eyed Boy with the Magic Eyelashes (free app on iTunes)
Luca Lashes Learns to Brush His Teeth (now available)
Luca Lashes and His First Trip to the Dentist (now available)
Luca Lashes and His First Haircut (now available)
Luca Lashes has his First Swimming Lesson (now available)
Luca Lashes Visits the Doctor (Nov. 2012)
Luca Lashes and the Trip to the Nursing Home (Dec. 2012)
Luca Lashes Visits Mommy in the Hospital (Jan. 2013)
Luca Lashes and His First Airplane Ride (Feb. 2013)
