Spring Break Survival Tips + Opening Your Home for Foster & Adoption

Happy Spring Break!

Spring Break is right around the corner, and we are all excited for a much-needed break. Whether you’re hitting the road or staying here in NWA, we hope you can get the rest you deserve.

We know that a week off can come with added stress for parents staying home with kids, and we want to help! Check out this list of tips for Spring Break 2022!

Macaroni Kid

Macaroni Kid is a resource that compiles tons of helpful information about events in your area that you and your kiddos can participate in! There’s a page for Fayetteville and a page for Rogers/Bentonville, and there are plenty of fun activities scheduled to keep your kiddos busy this Spring Break!

Get Outside!

Not only are the outdoors full of fun, exciting activities for your kids, but it’s also healthy for you to get outside! Did you know that your body only needs to be exposed to the sun for 15–20 minutes at a time to absorb the maximum amount of vitamin D that your body needs? Vitamin D improves your bone health and immune system, and it also aids in regulating moods and reducing depressive symptoms.

Get Intentional!

We know that 24/7 time with the kiddos can be exhausting, but it’s also a perfect time to grow your relationship with them! Playful, fun interactions can foster new fine motor skills for your child, which help coordinate their small muscles. These can help with talking, writing, catching, etc. These intentional interactions also help develop gross motor skills like running, walking, jumping, sitting upright, and more!

That’s not it! Intentional playtime with your child can even assist in developing executive functioning skills like organizing, strategizing, paying attention, remembering details, managing time and space, and much more.

What can you do to foster quality time with your child? Research from Karen Purvis on Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TRBI) shows that quality time can significantly impact your child. Science shows that it takes 400 repetitions to create a new synapsis—a memory stemming from experience—in a child’s brain. When the interactions are playful and fun with intentionality behind them, it only takes 10-20 repetitions to create a new synapsis. 

Here are three easy ways to cultivate intentional, meaningful interactions with your child:

1. Put your phone down when you’re spending time with them.
2. Make good eye contact with your child throughout the day and when you play with them.
3. Utilize safe touch with your child through back rubs, hugs, etc.

Take Care of Yourself

As a primary caregiver, it’s critical that you practice quality self-care this Spring Break. Try reading a book, taking a walk, or doing something else that gives you life when you don’t have to look after your kids! Keeping a routine is also incredibly helpful when practicing self-care. You don’t need to follow the exact routine you would in a typical week—nonetheless, a routine is essential. 

Lastly, we encourage you to practice grounding yourself throughout the day. This can help bring you back to reality so that you can be one with the moment. To practice grounding, take a moment to take a deep breath and recognize these five things:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

The CALL Updates!

We want to take a moment to highlight a few ways you can get involved with The CALL! Mark your calendars for April 7 and get excited to participate in this year’s rendition of NWA Gives! We also have an upcoming informational meeting on Tuesday, April 12. The meeting will be on Zoom from 6–8. Click here to register for the meeting!