Kashif Ross's Blog

Today, I learned about Design Thinking for my Springboard Career Track. I was surprised to know how much I already knew about it. Design Thinking is, by all means, how teachers design their classrooms.

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What is Design Thinking

It is a process for building a product. Design Thinking involves five steps:

EmpathizeDefineIdeateProtytypeTest

I’ll explain what each of these mean below, but before I do, I want to emphasize that these steps aren’t linear. Though you generally start with empathizing, you may jump around and return to steps.

Empathize

Ever try to put yourself in someone else’s shoes when they were dealing with an issue? That’s the founding principle for designing a product.

To empathize, designers have to take several steps just to discover the problems that users might have.

Often teachers discover the problems with formal assessments (exams/quizzes), but there are other ways to informally assess a student. I can ask questions or hold discussions in class. I personally like to talk about things that seemingly have nothing to do with what we’re learning in class to see how students link the topic back. This helps me see who is capable of higher-level processing or where a student may struggle to do this.

By the way, empathy is a learned behavior. If you want to learn more about it, check out this video:

Define

After finding what users are struggling with, designers need to determine the problem. Once again, after evaluating all potential problems a user may have, designers have to buckle down and identify one major issue. When the problem is defined, they can move forward.

In the scientific method, this is the hypothesis. You use prior knowledge and data to determine the issue. This stage comes before planning a solution. That’s right. It’s important to find what needs to be solved before creating a product.

This can be the scary part of teaching. I often have to assume that I know a student’s strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes they’ll argue, “No, Mr. Ross. I’m good at this,” but my data proves otherwise. Therefore, I have to ignore what a student deems as their target area for growth and push them in the direction that I view best.

During this time, I have to ignore what the school wants from me and how they view student success. The define stage isn’t about the “company.” It’s about the user or (in my case) the student.

Ideate

(Why did they let designers coin a word?) This is the stage where other professionals join in to brainstorm ideas or solutions.

As a teacher, working with grade level team or interdisciplinary teams is a value because you can discuss particular students and share assumptions. If everyone has a positive view of that student, teachers can formulate strategies for the student.

In short, we share ideas!

Prototype

Eventually, something has to be built.

For designers, this means making an attempt to see if the assumptions were correct by putting a prototype in front of a customer and asking, “Did this help their problem?”

For teachers, prototyping involves creating targeted assignments and assessing the student’s progress. Then, asking, “Did this help solve the student’s problem?”

Test

If the prototype does help with the problem, the team can move on. Now, designers can test a more complex program or app. And teachers can test students using formal assessments.

What did I learn?

Nothing. I’ve been implementing Design Thinking all my life. Just kidding.

I learned that as a teacher, I should ask more questions when empathizing with my students. Also, I want to be more comfortable with making mistakes when assessing problems. With children, it’s easy to “panic” and fear that you’ve set them back by not pushing them forward. However, “failure” is a learning opportunity. If a student or design doesn’t improve, it’s back to the drawing board.

Instead of reading the book, I decided to try a course for The Design of Everyday Things. This is a really popular book by Don Norman. The course on Udacity isn’t quite as well known and for a good reason. Ironically, it isn’t designed well. Still, there’s a lot of valuable information that Norman and crew provide when teaching designers how to think about the world around them.

Summary of the Course

The Udacity course covers Affordances, Signifiers, Conceptual Models, System Image, Gulf of Evaluation, and Gulf of Execution.

I won’t waste your time defining each of these, but here are a few takeaways:

All products must be designed with the user in mind.
Users need clear design features that show them how to use the product.
If a function isn’t clear in the user’s mind, send them a sign!
Provide users with some type of instruction or guide.
When a user interacts with a product, they expect some feedback to know that they’re using it right.
To make sure that you cover all of these goals and objectives, be sure to test your ideas regularly.

Design of Everday Things in the Real World
Example 1

I’m not the smartest man on the planet. To be more specific, I’m the idiot that ignores the handle on the mug because … I’m not smart. As you can imagine, I hurt my hand for mishandling the handle.

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The maker of the mug put that handle is there for a reason. Its design is meant to keep your hand safe from the mug’s heat. And anyone who uses a coffee mug shouldn’t need instructions to know how to use it (unless you’re me).

Example 2

When I consider how these concepts can be used in the real world, I think of my children. Parents are a product and their kids are the clients. My wife is a source of food, discipline, love, and entertainment.

If she gets on all fours and neighs, the children know that she’s a horse. If she scrunches her face and speaks with a sharp tone, they know that they need to listen and alter their behaviors.

I’ve personally stomped toward my children and realized that the action can represent a friendly monster or a scary one. Therefore, designers need to know that the usability of designs can change based on a user’s situation or settings.

Course Review

I took some valuable information away from this course within two or three hours. But–like always–the book is better than the film.

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Over and over and over again, I see someone writing about how to obtain success. Blog post after blog post highlight the “7 8 9 Habits of Successful People.” Steve Jobs. Steven Spielberg. Steven Seagal. Stephen (different pronunciation here) Curry. They’re all stupendously successful because they share similar stories.

Today, I read around five articles, each explaining how to conduct the proper job search. And each article assumed that I shared the same values as Steve (or Steph). I don’t.

Below, I critique these articles because…

People make advice too general

My five articles assumed that I wanted:

New jobsMo’ moneyNice housesNice carsNo struggles

However, I’ve watched many men strive for “success” their entire lives only to discover that they were void of happiness. If you look at many basketball players today, like Kobe or LeBron, many of them are desperate to seek what I’ve had for years–strong relationships with their kids. Both of these top basketball players are eager to be parents today because they’ve learned that the world’s view of success has nothing to do with what is meaningful in their hearts.

Searching

Don’t get me wrong. These articles are right. (Here’s one). I do want those things, but I don’t want them to be attached to my success.

When I conduct job searches, I try to detach myself from thinking that “earning 100k will make me a man one day.” No. Being a father and teacher provides me with all of the success I ever need in life.

My job search is about learning and growing. When a recruiter doesn’t reach out to learn more about me, I don’t assume that I’m doing things wrong. I assume that I need to change my approach.

I’m okay with rejection, kinda

My wife always makes a joke about my interviewing skills. She assumes that I’ll get any job that I want. This is a gross exaggeration of my abilities, but I am quite gifted at applying to jobs.

My techniques: apply for as many openings as possible and be better than anyone who applies. Or don’t.

Most people get discouraged when they get rejected from 20 jobs or if they don’t hear back. I get down in the dumps too. However, I have another technique for getting over the slump of rejection.

Create Two Personalities

When I apply for jobs, I allow myself to have two voices.

Voice 1: “Man, we’ll never get hired.”

Voice 2: “Shut it, chump! We’re amazing. Those idiots don’t know what they’re missing out on.”

Voice 1: “Do you really believe that because–“

Voice 2: “Shut up. No, I don’t believe that. I believe their business will fail without me, but I’m trying to keep things simple for you. Hit APPLY.”

Voice 1: “We don’t qualify.”

Voice 2: “SHUP AND HIT APPLY!”

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I don’t believe in trying to remove the sadness I feel from rejection. I accept these emotions and remember that I need to grow up. But sometimes even I (the AMAZING Voice 2) get discouraged. When Voice 2 is too quiet, I try to remind myself that my wife pushed two kids from her organs.

Getting a job is literally nothing.

Most recently, I submitted over 100 apps for jobs that I kinda qualified for. Did it work? Meh.

I could’ve taken a job in New York, but it was too far and too expensive, so I ended up with nothing. Instead of quitting, I decided to sign up for Springboard Bootcamp to enhance my skills. (That’s why I wrote this post).

Being rejected inspired me to push myself and enhance my abilities. Then, I intend to apply for jobs again in three months.

What if I don’t get hired?

There is a chance this will all fail and I still don’t get hired. But I’ll keep trying and developing my skills. And I won’t let someone else tell me how I need to get this done.

For example, they say that most jobs come from networking and not online applications from random people, but networking never worked for me. (I’m still going to try to network because I never throw all my eggs in … Actually, I just never throw my eggs).

I once had a principal get me several job interviews in a very nice school district, but not one person hired me. While waiting for this extreme opportunity, I rejected job after job in “bad” neighborhoods from positions that I acquired from online searches.

What I learned was that my network was connected to a group of people that shared different values than me. The end result: No job and a really long summer. Eventually, I took a job that I would’ve rejected while waiting on my network to land my dream job.

This experience taught me that people always have a “best method” for doing something, but not the best method for me. I’ve mastered the art of breaking the mold. Why stop now?

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Recently, I’ve started studying UX design. On April 15th, I plan to receive some help with my studies from Springboard, a UX design bootcamp that will help with the learning process. Until then, I intend to read books and complete a few tutorials online, so I can establish a strong foundation of knowledge. Just this week, I picked up a book called “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug. The book has a straightforward approach to learning how to think like a UX designer.

Before I review it, I should probably explain what UX design is. UX stands for User Experience. I like to think of it as the “feel” you receive from interacting with a website. A lot of people try to explain what these designers do, but the explanation is simple. The next time you go to any website, start thinking aloud. Answer these questions:

What’s the purpose of the website?
What am I looking for?
How do I find that?
What will I click?
Why?
Did I click the right link?
Why or why not?
What’s great about this website? How can it be improved?

The frustration or ease you experience when answering these questions defines the user experience. Now that you understand the concept of what I’m learning, let’s talk about the book.

Purpose
[image error]Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (3rd Edition) (Voices That Matter)[image error]

Don’t Make Me Think is a brilliantly simple concept. If you want to know how to create the ultimate user experience, you don’t need to read the book. Just read the title.

The purpose of the book (in an overly simplified explanation) is to inform designers that they must reduce a user’s frustrations by making sure users are not thinking when interacting with a website. In short, all users should have multiple routes to find what they’re looking for. Each route should be clear and simple to navigate.

Use Common Sense

A friend of mine once said, “Common sense is a superpower nowadays.” This is a pessimistic view on life, but it is applicable to design. With user design, you really have to use common sense, and Krug helps readers understand how to best accomplish this goal.

Everything should have a purpose
Know your constraints
Work with your team, but don’t clutter your ideas
Simplify when you can
Test your product with real users (any user)
Test frequently and make adjustments

Don’t Make Me Think

I really enjoyed this book and I intend to use these concepts regularly.

I’m trying to make a return to writing on the blog. I’ve decided to simplify my website and get back to writing about writing as I did back in the day. Today, I want to focus on the very first thing that I believe you should do as a writer, write your first line. The first line of a novel is difficult to construct. (Shoot it’s difficult to talk about too). I recorded a YouTube video and did a horrible job summarizing my ideas, but you can watch it if you’re bored. Otherwise, read the more concise ideas below.

Side note:  I will still write about the kids, but on our Box Rocket Parents website. My wife and I are co-writers on that site, which means there will be more frequent posts.
Video

The First Line Focus

Most people want to focus on planning, and that’s great, but it’s not my focus. If you need strategies on how to plan a novel, I recommend that you seek other advice. I hate planning novels because finishing one is challenging enough. The result doesn’t need to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to be good. But saying that you’ve completed a novel is an accomplishment in itself. A published book is something to add to your resume. You don’t have to hope to sell millions. Some people just need a kick on their bucket list.

So if you’re not planning your novel, what should you do first? Start writing? Yes. Write the very first line at least twenty times and stop.

The first line to your novel is the very most important. Some strange people will open a book and read the middle to judge your work. But most “normal people” read the first line and decide whether to click the purchase or back buttons.

How to compose the first line?

Do your research. If you want to create a petition that makes your readers fall in love, look at what others have done. Read the first lines only and save the best ones for later because you will return to their books to learn how to write an opening.

*Keeping a reference nearby is invaluable. You need to know what inspires you.

What should your first line include?

Your first line should encompass your entire novel. People are going to read your book because of this first line. So if the rest of the novel has nothing to do with this engaging segment, they will curse you! Therefore, you have to think of something that makes them want to stay.

How, Sway? How do I make this incredible single line?

Be unique. Give a reader something that they haven’t heard.

The easiest way to give someone something that they haven’t heard is to start with what they have. In other words, take a cliche and change it so that it seems foreign.

Cliche 1: Money is the root of all evil.

Predictable change: I am the root of all evil, so the prophecy says.

Unpredictable change: While sitting in church, I heard the pastor mention the root of all evil, but he made no mentions of his new Porche.

Cliche 2: Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Predictable change: I fall asleep on the wrong side of the bed.

Unpredictable change: I woke up in my best friend’s mother’s bed, so I gotta lotta ‘splainin to do.

Do I really need to write twenty?

Yes, dammit. There’s no accurate way to teach someone how to write well. Writing is an art with words. If you want to get better, you need all the practice that you can get. And after you write your novel, and you realize that your writing still sucks, rewrite that first line twenty times again.

My family and I returned to America around four months ago, so life has been hectic, to say the least. My wife remained in Abu Dhabi for quite some time, so being a single dad was quite the challenge. Adjusting to our new lives was chaotic and stressful. I’m a writer by nature, but I haven’t done much to get the demons out of my head for about four months now. In fact, my last post was in June. Sheesh.

Why the hiatus?

The first problem was recognizing my reach. I’ve owned this website six years (if I recall correctly). And I’ve been able to write what’s on my mind freely during that time. When moving to Abu Dhabi, I thought I could continue to stay in contact with friends and family with my post, but I reached a lot more than a few folks in the US.

I got a little stressed when Tiyaanah pointed out that my post was a bit too informative right around the time when people that we didn’t know started asking me questions about Abu Dhabi. Sheesh. I felt bad because I’d essentially revealed that she’d be alone for a few months, which made me a little anxious.

What are we doing now?

Getting our lives in order. We’re back in America adjusting to rent, weather, traffic, people, culture, and food. Some of these things are good, but others are quite annoying. It’s a matter of perspective.

How are the boys?

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The kids are healthy as hell. Initially, they struggled adjusting without their mommy, but since we all moved into a house with little dust, we’ve had no allergy attacks. Zero. A few coughs here and there, but nothing major at all. I haven’t even needed to take the kids to the doctor yet, though they have appointments coming up.

How am I?

I’ll let you know when I figure that out.

For now, I’ll try to post some updates here and there. Hopefully, I’ll find time to get back to my most recent rewrite of Barcode. I have completed it, but I hate it, and I’m rewriting it again.

Tiyaanah (hey bae) and I parted ways almost two weeks ago. It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed. I live in a state of raw dreariness, so I haven’t had time to process how long we’ve been back in the States. My body requires much more coffee than ever before just to keep up with the boys and their indoors and outdoors antics. If you’d asked me this morning, “How long have you been back?” I would’ve replied, “Not even a week.” That’s where my brain is at the moment.

This entire journey has been nothing but wild. The rollercoaster of being without Mommy sucks for all of us. We miss her dearly, and it shows in our attitudes, but there are some positives to this adventure.

The kids are far more active than they were back in the UAE.
They are interacting with many more friends and family.

Though I’d rather be back in Al Ain, we are having a good time.

The Flight

So how does one man take on an international airport with two toddlers? Because of our Thailand travels, I took way more precautions. First, I packed enough snacks and diapers to fill an entire backpack. Then, I let the boys kill some energy at the indoor play palace in the airport. Seriously, they had an indoor gym. I love the UAE.

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We played here for way too long. I thought that the terminal was next door, but there was a screening room for international flights. I was so late that I could’ve missed the flight, but nothing in the UAE is ever “on time.”

Things looked cute early on, but I forgot to check Kairo’s headset volume, so he didn’t want to watch ANYTHING for ten hours. It also meant that Kalel was as fussy as his brother. Fortunately, I had many snacks, and flight meals weren’t bad. I actually enjoyed the kids’ food more than my own.

Friends and Family

We hit the streets running, meeting up with friends and family despite are obvious fatigue. Gigi donated her Cash for Clunkers vehicle that I hoped to drive for a few months. Unfortunately, it ended up overheating, and I bought another car. However, that precious/struggling car managed to get us out and about during our first few hours. Because of the Clunker, we were able to meet with Kairo’s best friend.

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The crew was reunited and everyone went to town. Of course, Kairo was overly emotional and got upset with his bestie a few times, but she knows how to get my kid to settle. Bestie would give Kairo a “look.” It was almost as if she were asking, “Why are you mad? We’re friends.”

We’ve spent a lot of time with Bestie over the past few days. The cutest conversation they had went something like this:

Bestie: Kairo! You have to be nice. Your Daddy said that you will have to go home if you’re not nice.

Kairo: But I don’t want to go home.

Bestie: I know! So you have to be nice.

Somehow, Kairo manages to keep a calm head around her. She is better at putting him in check than his father. During their first meeting, he had no outbursts until it was time to go. He wanted to keep playing but deep down…

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…he couldn’t hang. The kid was exhausted and unmoveable. This is how he remained for the rest of the day.

Job Hunt

The next few days were quite the blur. I didn’t take the kids out too much because I had job interviews. Somehow, I managed to pack absolutely no clothes for myself, so I bought two pairs of jeans and a shirt and slacks. The boys were too tired to shop for professional attire, but they managed to have some fun along the way.

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I acquired a different summer position on the spot, and I attended another interview the very next day. That final interview is a story for itself, but it was inspirational. Still, I took another position in Las Vegas. Again, another story.

Fontana Family

Gigi was still putting in work, so she volunteered to drive the boys and me to Fontana so we could see Nani. They terrorized Aunty D’s place and played with any toy they could find. Kairo and Kalel enjoyed climbing the stairs, putting together a fire truck with Legos, digging for fossils in the backyard, and refusing to eat anything on their plates.

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Allergies

You probably already know about the kids’ allergy problems. In the UAE, we were stuck indoors. However, we’ve spent a lot of time outside now that we’re back in the States.

The boys are doing a lot better with being outside. Kairo still coughs at night quite a bit, but only at night. His room is relatively dusty, so he still struggles with that allergy. Kalel, on the other hand, is 1000% better. He hasn’t had more than a runny nose since stepping off the plane, so the clean air is treating him well.

Time together

Most importantly, we’re still together a lot. We talk to Mommy every morning and sometimes at night. Kairo and Kalel are bonding in their own way, though that means the occasional fight. Still, they are the perfect duo that keeps me inspired. Again, I’d rather be with my lady right now, but I see the blessings where I am.

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I purchased our tickets to fly back to America, so the move is official. The boys and I have a 16-hour flight across the world, and we will Leave Abu Dhabi on May 21st. Below, I discuss some of the obstacles that we have faced thus far.

To take the boys or leave them

The first problem that arose was finding a daycare for the kids. I’m headed back to America broke because we’ve been aggressively paying off our consumer debt. (You can read the most recent update on our goal tracker here). Tiyaanah and I had enough saved to send us back to America on the cheapest flight, but after conducting a bit of research, I learned that “you get what you pay for.” To fly out for less than $2000, I needed to stop in Saudi Arabia or Russia. For anyone interested, feel free to read the reviews on the airlines by clicking on the country’s name.

In short, I couldn’t endure that struggle of the 23-hour flight and those 1-Star airports, so I decided to leave the boys behind. After enduring a week’s depression, I reached out to my mom and borrowed way too much money (thanks mom), and purchased the tickets. Now, we’re flying back on a non-stop flight. I still have to solve my babysitter situation for 12 hours of the day, but a friend suggested a school that I’ll look into once we’re back in the States.

My mom helped with the tickets, but my mother-in-law also solved my airport pickup issue and my first set of wheels. The money saved also makes it easier to keep the boys with me.

Interviews

My interviews were a problem as well.

I managed to acquire the attention of several schools. However, some principals filled their positions before I could pack my bags. Others simply stopped responding to emails.

Shrugs.

I’ve decided to delay submitting any other applications until the end of this week (besides one in Nevada).

The Mommy

And then there’s bae. Tiyaanah has been living with the stress of losing her family for two months, so her angst has been VERY apparent.

And I rarely use all CAPS, so just imagine.

We’re all spending a lot of time with one another because we’re still trapped indoors (Kalel’s allergies flared up after a few trips to the mall). The time together is driving us crazier and closer somehow.

Life without mommy will be difficult, but as Tiyaanah says, “We have to do what’s best for the boys.”

The tickets are the first step toward our new/old life.

 

I was born in the mid-eighties when families and “olden” values met the tail end of their downward spiral. Due to the influence of the war on drugs and the monumental impact of the television, my society began to lose honorable ideologies like chivalry and manhood. I grew up hearing that men were providers and women knew their place in the home. (Somehow, they just knew.) My uncle showed me how to unbutton my blazer when standing, my father told me to hold the door for ladies, and Mr. Egbahlieh instructed me to shake hands firmly. But few people care about those traits nowadays. And of all the men that ever entered my life, no one taught me what I care about most: how to raise my sons.

For a long time, I worked valiantly to harness the dying habits that once existed for men and professionals. I wore power suits to each interview. I would go as far as opening car doors for ladies, and I shook hands powerfully while staring into a man’s eyes.

Awesome. Now what?

(I’m sure, many would disagree with me) But I cannot see how chivalry or professionalism makes me a better man. When I walked into an interview, I often felt overdressed. Women invariably declined the door opening gesture, and some people don’t like their hands touched.

Gangster rap, evolving technology, the death of professionalism, and the rise of narcissism have all influenced how people behave in today’s society. My antiquated philosophies are often a waste of time and energy and have little to do with who I am as a person.

Keep your head up.
Look into a man’s eyes.
Add some bass to your voice.
Don’t back down.
Be bold.
Blah.
Blah…

Do you think my toddlers give a damn about any of these traits?

Don’t hurt yourself. The answer is no.

I’ve said this before, but the best thing I have ever done in my life is let my wife work while I stayed home with the kids.

Call me what you want, but I have a single finger gesture to show how much I care.

Men don’t know enough about their kids because that’s one of those things that a woman just knows. My dad couldn’t tell you my favorite color, song, or movie (still love my dad, though). Most fathers (non-chefs) couldn’t tell you the last meal that they cooked for their kids. And few of our machismo leaders can say, “I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve held my kid because they had a boo-boo.”

Real Men

Fathers don’t tend to defy the status quo because we value how people perceive us and not what our kids need. I’m not saying that you can’t be a chivalrous professional that saves the world with your left hand and provides affection for your children with the other. No. Some men do it all, but not enough. Additionally, I’m not throwing shade at men who cannot take off with their children for a year. I’m glad I could do it, but it’s not the requirement.

My central points

Raise your kids.
Know them inside and out.
Learn about what they love and hate.
Communicate with them.
Scream and be angry.
Be right and be wrong.
Feel like a failure when you make them cry and like the best damn dad in the world when they smile and hug you.
Make mom work for her title as “THE FAVORITE PARENT.”

The best way to steal mom’s reigning title is to go out of your way to spend time with your kids. How much time? Too much time.

I rarely give parenting advice, but I’ll hammer it in again!

Men:

Love your kids with all of your heart, and never let them go.

When they think you’re overprotective and too possessive, you may have finally accomplished the goal.


Stalk them.
Kiss them too much.
Tell them you love them more than anyone else can.
Be present.
And most importantly, raise your damn kids for life.










#realmen #stolenwithoutpermission #dontsueme #iaintgotit #momsneedtotakemorepictures #thesewerehardtofind #wearemorethancameramen #hopeididntleaveanyoneout #ifididohwell

I’ve been monitoring Kairo’s ability to communicate since the day he was born. I was around for his first word, and I made sure to continue pushing his development from then on. To maximize his speaking abilities, I read daily for over thirty minutes. Every time he said a word–even something as simple as “ba”–I would mimic the sound. When Kairo evolved and formed words or sentences, I would hold imaginary conversations with him. As a result, my big guy started holding real talks with me at an early age.

Kairo made a lot of progress over the years and manages a vast vocabulary. Just today he said, “Daddy, I stubbed my toe!” after hitting his foot on the wall. His words that impress me the most are:

Hypothesis
Underwater diver
Dinosaur names (pteranodon, stegosaurus, and some other ones that I can’t spell)
Nectar
Composting

These are the ones that I can think of easily, but there are more. My toddler never ceases to amaze me, which inspires me to drive his education. However, I was a bit unprepared for changes that occurred recently. His speaking abilities began to wane. As a teacher, I know that reading and language skills easily regress, but I didn’t expect it to happen to my kid.

Regression Timeline
Two months ago

Tiyaanah and I noticed that Kairo would mumble when he was nervous. We didn’t think much of it.

One month ago

Kairo started muttering all new words instead of trying to learn the pronunciation. Again, I didn’t think much of it, so I would work harder to make out what he was saying.

Three weeks ago

Over half of Kairo’s sentences became a blur. Tiyaanah and I had to tell Kairo to slow down repeatedly. We were saying “Speak clearly,” for nearly everything. And he grew increasingly frustrated with us.

Intervention

At this point, we were worried. I thought that I finally messed up and gave the boys too much television (whoops). Or it had to be because we were trapped indoors for so long.

Tiyaanah and I both began researching ways to improve his speech. However, we stumbled across a straightforward solution. We both forced Kairo to mimic our words, and he did it flawlessly. From this, I recognized that Kairo was always smiling when talking, so he wouldn’t move his lips enough. Tiyaanah noticed that he wouldn’t move his teeth.

As a solution, I decided to enunciate every word for two weeks straight. If you caught me on Marco Polo recently, you probably heard me dragging out my sentences by accident. This was a practice I implemented to help Kairo remember how to form his lips to create certain sounds.

Results?

There was never a problem. My kid was just too freakin’ happy. After getting him to slow down and try to stop smiling so much, we managed to restore his language skills. Now, we’re able to hear about 90% of his words better than ever before.

Kairo still has moments when he speaks in blurs, but I’m trying to relax on correcting him regularly. HE’S THREE. In other words, he doesn’t have to be academically sound anytime soon. This week, I’m moving away from focusing on the little things because I just want him to explore and discover so we can both enjoy the journey of his little life.