Cradle to Rocker

While I appreciate the following, I want to publicly state that my former website has been co-opted - I am NOT responsible for the content, and seeminly unable to stop / change it!!

Cradle to Rocker Family PT will be closing effective 9/30/22.
This is a bittersweet time and some friends and supporters are planning a celebration.
We would love to have as many of our friends and families as possible to come and share.
This is a no present event. If you want to consider contributing to some of our favorite organizations, these are some of our favorites:
-Huntsville TN Valley AMBUCS
-305 8th Street
-Merrimack Hall
Much love and thanks for the support over the years!
Andrea Oyen Batt

Cradle to Rocker Closing Celebration Cradle to Rocker is closing it's doors and Andrea is retiring!

HOW TO BEST PREPARE PRESCHOOLERS FOR FUTURE READING AND WRITING

There's no need for pencils or paper. Preschoolers don’t need to learn letters at this age either.

“Getting ready to read and write does NOT need to, nor should it, involve sitting still, OR letters, OR paper, and pencil. There are so many other important things that need to happen, and happen a LOT, before a child can successfully read and write.” - Denita Dinger, author and early childhood educator

• Children need a strong sense of body awareness (developed through active free play)
• Eyes need to track
• Core muscles (stomach & back), shoulders, neck, hand, and finger strength should be adequate
• Children need basic coordination of both fine and gross motor skills
• Children need time to make lots of mistakes and learn perseverance

Children gain these foundational skills through FREQUENT outdoor play opportunities!

Let children....

Blow more bubbles.
Swing, spin, and roll down hills.
Hang upside down from the monkey bars.
Climb more trees.
Build more forts.
Make more mistakes.
Struggle more, give up less.

Ample outdoor play opportunities lay a strong foundation by organizing the brain and preparing the body, so that reading and writing can become a meaningful experience.

"Dear men, husbands, people who love us,

On behalf of mamas everywhere, I have an important request:

Take our picture.

Even when we complain, even when our hair is a mess. Even when we are wearing a dingy, oversized sweatshirt.

Take our picture.

I know this isn’t something on the forefront of your mind, and that’s okay. We don’t need every special moment documented...but, let’s be honest:

We spend a lot of time doing just that for everyone else.

Please. Take our picture.

Even when we fuss about how 'chubby' we think we look in our swimsuit. If you see us splashing and laughing loudly with our babies in the heat of a gorgeous summer day—I don’t care if we are nine months pregnant (*ahem*).

Take our picture.

Even if we moan that the angle isn’t good or our smile looks a little insane, I promise you this:

We want to be seen. We want to be remembered. And it means the world to us when you take our picture.

You may not realize it now, but we’ve taken hundreds of sneaky photos of you and the people you love.

When we see you snuggled on the couch with our babies or playing catch in the backyard, our hearts fill with joy and we can’t help but take your picture.

Or maybe you DO realize it, and you think it’s a little bit annoying. I can understand that, too.

But here is a little reminder of why these pictures are SO dang important:

One day, we won’t be around for our babies.

One day, you and I will be gone and what will remain of us will be the memories we’ve captured of this beautiful life we made.

One day, our kids will gather around a table and scroll through images of these precious, fleeting days.

They will cry and laugh and commiserate.

They will say, 'Remember that vacation? Remember that day?'

And it will be so, so beautiful.

But if every single picture was taken by their mama, guess who won’t be in those memories?

Men, husbands, people who love us,

Take our picture.

The mother of your children deserves to be seen, documented, and remembered.

Not through posed family portraits or hundreds of selfies. But as who she was—who she is NOW—in those real, special life moments.

I know we complain and we don’t make it easy. Love us enough to do it, anyways.

For our sake and for yours.

For the sake of our babies

Take our picture."



Credit: Mary Katherine Backstrom