Let’s Talk About Super Special Kids & Cake Podcast [Episode 001 / Segment: Eating Cake for Breakfast]
Professor Rhea Paul and I recently completed series 1 of our podcast, Let’s Talk about Super Special Kids and Cake. One of the segments in the podcast is called ‘Eating Cake for Breakfast’ and in today’s post, I wanted to share a little bit more on what this segment is all about!
Eating cake for breakfast is a metaphor. It’s the part of the podcast where we share ideas on super fun and creative things that you can do with your child that’s just as fun as well; eating cake for breakfast! Now as much as we’d love to eat cake for breakfast every day (who wouldn’t?!) we know that this isn’t always possible. What is possible however; is doing super fun things every day with your special child.
Now, a lot of parents hear me say this and get anxious about how they’ll find time in the day to do something exciting with their child. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be an extravagant day out; sometimes you don’t even need to leave your home to make your child’s day special. It can be small, tiny things that you do together that makes all the difference in their day.
I’d like to emphasise the importance of knowing your child’s interests and building real genuine social interaction with them by bonding over these interests. For example, a friend of mine played peek-a-boo with her granddaughter where she would hide her face behind a cloth and, upon revealing her, face she would say “peek-a-boo!” Her granddaughter loved this game and my friend could see that her granddaughter was learning a lot from this simple game they played together: she was learning that her grandmother was only gone temporarily and would return.
Thus, by turning learning about the basic principles of trust and that when a person disappears, it doesn’t mean they’re gone forever – they do come back. Her granddaughter was learning that things don’t just vanish, they can also re-appear (psychologists call this object permanence). And this is what I really mean when I say, ‘eating cake for breakfast’. It’s all about looking for those experiences where we can bring enjoyment to our children. Joy that they can share with us and from which they can build their connection with others.
Keep your eyes peeled as I will be sharing so many more fun tips and ideas on other things you can do with your child that’s as fun as eating cake for breakfast in future posts. Not just in the house, but out and about too!
P.S. I cannot wait for you all to tune into Series 1 of our podcast!
Donia x
