Guest blogger Donna Holloran: 18-month-old Brody hops off his dad's lap and retrieves his airplane from his toy box.  He brings it back to his dad and points at the picture of the airplane in his book.  "Yes," says his dad, "this is a picture of your airplane and this (pointing to the real plane) is your toy airplane."  Brody smiles.

At SCRIBBLE PRESS, children of all ages come, with their mom, dad or other important grownup, to write their stories.  Complete with their own drawings or photographs, their stories come to life and help children make sense of their experiences in the world.  For some children, it might be a fantasy--what they wish would come true; and for others, it might be an account of something that truly happened.

SCRIBBLE PRESS offers a fun and comfortable environment that includes desks, plenty of marker colors, and shiny paper.  Some children enjoy telling their own stories while others can get a little help from the "developmental cueprints," designed to help facilitate the telling of a specific event (i.e., my mom/dad at work, being a good sport, I can sleep all by myself, my first day at school, etc.).  These "developmental cueprints," written by child development professionals, are a great way for young children to express their feelings by filling in the "blank."  It makes the experience more real when they see it in pictures and hear the words as the same story is read over and over.  Children's own stories help to soothe their feelings, increase their problem solving abilities, and help the child feel in control of a particular situation.

In fact, current research shows that a parent's ability to understand a child's experience from the child's point of view is connected to the child's increased ability to think on his/her own, greater social skills and a child who is better able to regulate their emotions.

In my weekly parent-infant/toddler groups at BABYGROUP, parents are encouraged to visit SCRIBBLE PRESS, which offers an opportunity for connecting with your child.  It is focused one-on-one time with your child that goes a long way when reading your book after a visit to SCRIBBLE PRESS.

After her visit to SCRIBBLE PRESS with her mom, 3-year-old Izzy reads her book with her dad several times and then, when night comes, there is no fuss at bedtime.  This is a surprising trend, but true for many children when they are an active participant in the "plan" and the "routine."  Making their story real, by putting pictures and words in print, helps a child to see the beginning, the middle and the end.  They see that they will be okay.  And, isn't that what we all want to know and feel--that we will be OKAY!

 For more info, visit www.scribblepress.com. For more from Donna, visit Babygroup.