My daughters are in their early 20’s. So do you know what that means?  

It means I raised them without devices and tablets.  Sure, we watched cartoons from time to time or had movie nights, but it was on a TV and my girls had “toys” and open-ended opportunities for play around them.

I share this with you because it’s proof that it is 100% possible to raise kids without a device.

Look, I get it.  Everyone has a device AND we see everyone including babies and children on them EVERYWHERE we look.  

Seeing that gives us a little silent whisper of permission that it must be ok.

Screens are easy. Our kids just fade into the background when they are on them.  

And if it’s “educational” content, we feel that it helps to balance our guilt from allowing screen time.

I believe that (and know) that parents do not want to substitute opportunities and experiences for a device. 

The problem is that very little is being done to support parents in offering alternative solutions.

Let’s face it, everything comes with some kind of instruction guide or how to, EXCEPT our precious babies.  We are left to navigate that on our own.  

Often relying on friends, neighbors, social media, and of course good ole fashioned trial and error.

Anything can be challenging UNTIL you learn tools, ways, strategies, gain knowledge and understanding, and actually feel like you know what you are doing.

One thing my daughters LOVED and so did the hundreds of students that came through my classroom were SCAVENGER HUNTS!

Long before all of the access to the internet and free downloads, I made these for my girls on a piece of paper.  They were NOT fancy by any means, but guess what? My kids never noticed and had the best time. 

With most things available to us now with the click of our mouse, we can search Google and find “resources”.

Without a doubt, I am living out my true purpose in life….teaching, guiding, and empowering parents and grandparents to successfully raise happy little humans successfully screen free!

I raised 2 incredible humans without devices, taught early childhood education for nearly 20 years, and went back to school and earned a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.

That means I’ve walked the walk and had the experiences, trainings, and schooling to empower you.

You can learn more about how to become screen free by following me on Instagram and TikTok where I share valuable information and provide you with resources so that screen free parenting or grandparenting doesn’t feel challenging.

Chances are if I’m sharing content,  whether it’s on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or an email, you can bet that I’ll be mentioning the words “fine motor skills.

I talk about it so much because it’s a super duper important skill that often gets overlooked.

You see, after 20 years of teaching, I’ve come to understand that it gets overlooked not because it’s hard to teach kids, but because parents just don’t really know about it.  AND if they are aware,  it’s typically a question of “What else can I do?”

Before I go any further, let me briefly explain what Fine Motor Skills refers to. 

Any motion that is related to the fingers and hands of your little ones is working fine motor development. The muscles in their little hands and fingers must be strengthened before they can use them successfully and easily. The more opportunities you can provide and expose your kids to, the stronger the muscles, coordination, and ability to maneuver basic things like food, toys, crayons, and scissors.  Strong fingers and hands lead to dressing, zipping, buttoning, tying shoes, and of course writing.   Your little ones can never have enough practice and exposure to fine motor activities.

The moment your baby is born they are beginning to develop those muscles. When your baby grabs your finger for the first time and hangs on for dear life, they are learning how to open and close, or squeeze, and release.  Reaching, grabbing, batting or swiping, and moving objects from one hand to the other are all part of the early stages of development for fine motor skills. 

As your child continues to be exposed to an array of opportunities for practice, they will display more precise finger and hand movements and coordination. It’s important to understand that it takes SO MUCH practice for their little muscles to develop what’s referred to as “muscle memory”.  Having really good muscle memory would be when a 4 year old is adept at cutting. It was always very obvious in the classroom what students had had lots of exposure to fine motor development and which kids didn’t.

When you think about “toys”, be intentional about opportunities for manipulating objects, putting things in and taking them out, pouring, turning knobs, lacing, tearing, and anything that requires the use of their fingers and hands.

One more quick mention…..I love allowing kids to explore, problem solve, and figure things out for themselves, there is so much value in that.  However, sometimes our little ones need to be explicitly taught how to do something.  In the classroom we used what was called “The Gradual Release Model” or “I do”, “We do”, and “You do”.  Meaning…..first I will do it and show you how.  Then we will do it together and then finally you will do it successfully on your own.  That release model often takes repetition of the “I do” and “We do” before your child is confident in the “You do”.   Be sure to allow for lots of modeling, patience, and guidance.

So next time you hear me mention “fine motor”, which you can be confident will be soon, you will know exactly what I am talking about!

Think back to the last outing with your kids. Most likely you won’t have to think back too far. How did it go? Were your kids cooperative? Was it an enjoyable experience? Did you give your child a screen to “keep them busy” while you ran your errands?

If you typically give your child a device when you need them to behave, then I have something exciting to share with you.

You don’t have to rely on a screen any longer.

I think most of us would agree that we rely on a device for a few reasons. First of all, EVERYONE DOES IT (so it must be ok), it’s easy (when we remember to keep it charged), our kids are quiet and stay out of our hair (hallelujah), we tell ourselves “it’s educational”, and quite frankly we don’t know what else to do that works as great as a screen.

Here are my top 3 Tips for Running Screen Free Errands:

1. Be mindful of when you intend to head out the door with your little humans. Is it close to their naptime? Are they going to be hungry as soon as you get to the appointment? Have they had opportunities for movement? Are you pushing the envelope with that last errand? Sometimes it can be tricky to adjust our schedules to our children, but asking ourselves some simple questions can help set us up for success. Sitting & waiting is not a preferred activity for little kids. They inherently love to explore the world through movement. Be sure your kids have had time to get their wiggles out before buckling up for an outing.
2. Behavior of any kind equals communication. Maybe you’ve heard that before but you aren’t quite sure of what it means. Until our children are able to verbally express their feelings, the behaviors they display will be their method of communication. Here’s an example…If your 16 month old has been sitting eating/waiting for a while and then begins to throw their spoon, make a mess, or become a little irritable, that is their way of saying “Hey mommy or daddy, I’m all done”! Remembering tip #1, being mindful of when you are out running errands, when your child begins to exhibit behaviors you don’t prefer, understanding that they are communicating something to you can be a game-changer.
3. Be prepared. If you’ve ever attempted to go on a diet, begin a new workout regimen, or implement a new habit, you know that being prepared and setting up systems to help you be successful is critical. The same is true for leaving the house. I know firsthand that it takes a little extra on our part to do the “preparing”. It’s “just one more thing” to do, and to top it off you have no clue what to do or what to give your kids to keep them engaged. Hence, out comes the cell phone or device.

This post wouldn’t be complete without giving you 3 alternatives to a device.

I will always recommend books. Try having touch-and-feel books, board books, and picture books for variety. Another option would be to allow your child to pick out a few of their toys; maybe a stuffie or special blankie. Finally, you can purchase my Screen Free Errand Guide. It’s an extensive guide that will leave you feeling empowered and happy because your kids will no longer be on a screen when you are out and about.

If you haven’t read the post, “The one office supply your kids need”, be sure to read that first so you can get the most out of this incredible “toy” and have this post make sense.

The CLIPBOARD! 

In my previous post, I shared what kind I like and why.  I also gave you The top 5 ways to use a clipboard. 

As promised, in this quick read, or as I like to call them “bite-sized” info for parents, I will give you the insider scoop on WHAT skills your child is acquiring when using a clipboard.

Before we get to the benefits of a clipboard, I need to let you in on a little teacher lingo…FINE MOTOR SKILLS.   This refers to anything related to your child’s fingers and hands.  Your kids need  MANY opportunities to develop the muscles and strength in their hands and fingers.  Until those muscles have the memory to manipulate with ease and fluidity, they will need more practice. 

NOW, let’s talk about the FINE MOTOR SKILLS that  are being developed when using a clipboard:

✔ Learning to open and close the clip is tricky. But excellent for strength & coordination.

✔Manipulating the paper under the clip while keeping it open with the other hand is again working the hand and also coordination.

✔Holding a crayon, marker, or pencil takes dexterity and practice.  “Fisting” is a common first stage of development. 

✔If you tie a crayon to the clipboard, learning how to manipulate that is another great skill as they figure out how to maneuver the crayon around to be able to use it.

A few other skills you want to know about…

✔ Having a clipboard that is their “own” allows them to appropriately take care of their needs, which is an excellent way to foster their social-emotional development.

✔Using a clipboard appropriately with your children can be great for their cognitive development.  Here’s an example…When your child is given a clipboard with a book and/or a story map (which you can learn more about by clicking here),  you are providing them the opportunity to engage and attend positively to learning. Any time your little ones can build their “stamina” or attention to an activity consider that a HUGE WIN!

✔Depending on what your little one has clipped to the clipboard, most likely will have a “whole lotta” skills that are being developed.  A quick example….a piece of white paper with a crayon can emphasize literacy (letter) skills, number skills, and cognitive skills by showing curiosity and inventiveness in their thinking via drawing or writing, writing their name, or even writing to convey meaning.  Even if they are the only ones that can “read” it.

And there ya have it….the power of an inexpensive office supply!