Rabbi David M. Rosenberg, Coordinator, Jewish Educational Services, JCFS Chicago Therapeutic Yeshiva reflects on Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month and the opportunities for success the JCFS Chicago Therapeutic Day School & Yeshiva create for students whose potential to achieve has been hindered by their emotional disability. 

Looking for ideas to cure cabin fever?  Here are 10 ways to make the most of the long winter days.

The winter months are a great time to master kids’ dressing skills. With the addition of coats, sweaters, and vests to the daily dressing routine there are many opportunities to practice managing fasteners including snaps, zippers, and buttons

Fostering someone else’s child is a tough parenting situation, and while a child is in your care it’s up to you to manage their behavior. The key to successful behavior management is to examine your own reaction to the behavior, change that reaction and in most cases, a more positive behavior will result. Here are some guidelines to consider:

Welcome to our new Bulldog Bulletin where we share the endlessly wonderful things our students, teachers and staff do here everyday! Read our first issue, Bulldog Bulletin February 2019, Volume 1.

At some point, parents have to set limits on their children's behavior. Children need structure and discipline, but not every kind of parental response is effective. Impulsively, some parents resort to harsh discipline and lecturing to help their children behave, but there are much better options.

Being a parent can be a joyful, rewarding experience, but it also comes with challenges, particularly for parents of children with special needs. Resolving to set aside even 15 minutes per day to recharge can help you regain focus and control and be the best version of yourself for your kids.

Did you know that too many toys in a child’s play environment can have a negative effect on their development? Having access to fewer toys enhances children’s cognitive and neurological development according to the findings of a study conducted by the University of Toledo and recently published in The Journal of Infant Behavior and Development.

No one realizes before they have kids, how many “what do I do now?” moments are involved in being a parent.  There are so many parenting books that it’s impossible to know what to read (if you have the time and energy to read) and too many people are eager to tell you what your family should be doing. 

As the holidays approach, we sometimes equate the value of a gift with the level of love and caring we have for a particular person, or as a symbol of the gifts of the Magi during Christmas or the gifts to commemorate the miracle of the oil lamps during Hanukah. In a larger context, it is important for parents and caregivers to understand the real meaning, cost and benefits of giving rewards to children and youth in care.