Celebrate the magic of childhood by celebrating inchstones

What does it mean to celebrate the magic of childhood? For most of us, we get stuck in a routine with our kids. Day in and day out is the same thing. And, it can get a little monotonous. Learn how to celebrate the magic of childhood by celebrating inchstones!

For parents with older kids, think back to when your child took their first step or rolled over for the first time. Do you remember how happy that made you? Or how proud of them you were when they came home smiling on their first day of preschool? Think about your child’s sense of accomplishment when they conquered these things! This is how you celebrate the magic of childhood!

We often get stuck in the routine and become very task-oriented. Our lives are busy, and we don’t have a lot of time for “extras.” However, during the COVID pandemic I was able to have little moments of celebration with my children because, honestly, I had time to do it. Now that the pandemic is over and we have gone back to our busy routines of school, church, sports practices, gymnastics, and piano – we have forgotten the days of lounging around at home with no schedules. But guess what – the moments of celebration have remained!

I am constantly finding was to celebrate my children and to celebrate the magic of childhood! This certainly doesn’t mean I celebrate excessively by any means…but it allows me to recognize one of them for just being amazing! I’m not of the mindset that every child deserves a trophy just for participating in an event, but guys, being a kid these days is hard work! They have so many demands, why not celebrate the little victories. Celebrate the Magic of Childhood!

Read on for more ideas for celebrating kids of all ages!

This concept of smaller “milestones” is called inchstones. Inchstones are little milestones that are as small as an inch, but as significant as a mile. They are the smaller steps on the way to developing a larger goal. The concept of inchstones became common amongst parents of children with special needs, because what a child with different abilities achieves may not seem like milestones to other parents of typically developing children, but is a major step in their development. While by no means should we take away this very important concept from children with special needs, it can be just as important to kids of all abilities to celebrate the little “wins.”

So, try to remember while our kids are still young to embrace what are good and real sources of joy. Isn’t surviving the first day of preschool setting them up for a childhood full of school days? Or, how by putting on their shoes for the first time by themself, is setting them up to take big steps to everything they will achieve in their life. Celebrate the Magic of Childhood!

Here are some ideas for opportunities to Celebrate the Magic of Childhood by celebrating Inchstones!

Infants 0-12 months

First time they sleep through the night
First smile
First time they put their toes in their mouth
First time they say Mama or Dada (and mean it!)
First time feeding self with a spoon
First tooth
First solid food
First ride in a swing
First diaper blowout – because, well, all kids do this – so take this moment to celebrate yourself for surviving it!

Toddlers 1-3 years

First time sitting on the potty
First time sitting on the potty and actually going potty
First time using a sippy cup
Saying goodbye to a bottle
Saying goodbye to a pacifier
First haircut

Preschool/Kinder 3-5 years

First day of preschool
Surviving and smiling after the first day of preschool
First time riding a tricycle
Getting dressed all by themself
Putting shoes on by themself
Writing their name

School age 6-12 years

First days of school
Reading their first book by themself
Passing a hard test
First time riding a bicycle
Tying shoes for the first time
First presentation/show/concert/play
Making a new friend (especially important for children who are shy or have difficulty with social interactions or new social situations

Middle School and High School

First day of middle school (eek!)
Passing a hard test
Taking the SAT
Sending off the first application to college
Getting their drivers license
First date (double eek!)
First job or volunteer experience
Completing a big project
Learning or participating in a new sport

Here are some fun celebration ideas:

My default has always been baking. I bake cookies for the first day of school. Cupcakes on the last day of school. Chocolate drizzled popcorn for passing a test. Now I also know that as sweet, delicious, and a stress-relieving baking is, it is not always the healthiest option. If you space out the sweet treats, then it is not over-indugent and kids can be mindful with their sweets. Between the bigger celebrations I use smaller experiences or trinket type toys for little celebrations. I also don’t want to break the bank so sometimes I just make a small craft or card and my kids are just as excited to get these, too! Below are some great ideas for little celebrations that are easy, budget-friendly and fun!

For younger kids:

Take pictures! A cute little chalkboard sign like this (Only $3.37 on amazon! #affiliate) and a fun picture is a great way to capture the memories and look back on achievements.

Make a treat basket and fill it up with little trinkets like these from Walmart or amazon (#affiliate)

Celebrate the Magic of Childhood with the Melissa and Doug Sticker Collection — Celebrate the Magic of Childhood -Melissa and Doug Sticker Collection

Celebrate the Magic of Childhood- Finger puppets

Celebrate the Magic of Childhood - CAT Tractor and Digger set

Celebrate the Magic of Childhood - Kids Pro-Ball Set — Mama Nurse Approved – Kids Pro-Ball Set

Celebrate the Magic of Childhood - bathtub animal set

Celebrate the Magic of Childhood - Eye Found it! — Celebrate the Magic of Childhood -Eye Found it!

Take them out for a scoop of ice cream.
Make a memories scrapbook where you document their successes.
Buy a cheap bag of balloons at Walmart or Dollar Tree and blow them up and fill up the floor. Kids of all ages love running around in a room full of ballons (watch out choking hazards in young kids when balloons pop and don’t let them put balloons in their mouth.
Bubbles! Have a bubble-blowing party
Have a dance party – and let them choose the music.
Let them choose stickers and make a pretty picture with them together.
Make some healthy cookies!

For older kids

Get a small balloon from the Dollar Store – either a favorite character, #1 or “you’re special”
Make a simple card out of plain white paper and markers, and leave it out for them to find.
Create a “wall of success” at home – you can roll out a large roll of butcher paper and write achievements as they come up.
Take pictures! A cute little chalkboard sign like this and a fun picture is a great way to capture the memories and look back on achievements.
Let your child choose an experience as a reward for a job well done – let them choose some one-on-one time like taking a walk to the park, reading a favorite book, or playing a favorite game.
Take them out for a scoop of ice cream.
Let your child pick the movie or game for family fun night (we do movie nights on fridays and game night on sundays and the kids are always fighting about who gets to pick!)
Cook their favorite dinner – and ask them to help you prepare it.
Create a short video clip you can text or send to older children telling them how proud you are of them.
Decorate their bedroom door
Make a memories scrapbook where you document their successes.

Don’t let these suggestions overwhelm you! They are intended to be fun, low stress, and to celebrate those moments in your child’s life. And don’t think you have to do all of these. Just a few here and there will make a world of differences.

Isn’t easy, but you got this!