Get Loud with Lemonade!

Recently on a Selective Mutism Facebook group that I am a part of, a woman posted that her daughter was starting a "Get Loud with Lemonade" Project to raise money for the Selective Mutism Association. She was not only raising money through her stand, but also encouraging other children with SM to set up their own lemonade stand to practice their bravery and raise awareness.  What an amazing idea!  My boys love to sell lemonade in the summer, so I knew that they would be excited about this project!  I thought it would be a great way to spread awareness locally and help my oldest practice speaking with people he was not familiar with. When I told them about it, they wanted to start right away!

The boys received a make your own lemonade stand for their birthday and so they went to work coloring and setting up the stand.  At first Thomas's younger brother was the only one yelling "Lemonade for sale!" Thomas didn't feel quite comfortable enough to yell it at first, but by the end he was screaming along with him.  He easily talked with the neighbors.  He told them how much the lemonade was and was able to say thank you.  We had a few delivery men and lawn care workers stop by as well, which proved harder for Thomas to converse with, since he did not know them.  Overall though, it was a big success.  Thomas had some new opportunities to practice his talking and handover/takeover skills, while spreading awareness of a great cause.  We raised $14 for the Selective Mutism Association!  I encourage you to "Get Loud with Lemonade" and share your experience as well!  Check out the map below with the states where kids are already getting involved.

 Kids and parents in fourteen states ( so far) have hosted lemonade stands and donated the money to the Selective Mutism Association or made a donation of some kind. They've raised a combined total of $540.00 so far with more still coming in! It will ALL go to the Selective Mutism Association to help spread awareness.  Check out the Get Loud with Lemonade Facebook Group to learn more about the creators of this project and to post your own Get Loud with Lemonade pics!

10 Strategies to Help Your Child with Selective Mutism Transition into the New School Year

Start the school year off right!

As summer starts to come to a close, (sigh) our focus as parents begins to shift towards back to school preparation. While you are making sure your children get all the supplies on their school list, you are probably getting a little nervous about how the transition into the new school year will go for your child with Selective Mutism. As a mom who has been there, I have created a free printable of the 10 strategies (in detail)  that I use each year to help the difficult transition of new schedules, teachers and classmates go as smooth as possible for children with SM.  Get the school year off to a successful start with my FREE printable 10 Strategies to Help Your Child with Selective Mutism Transition into the New School Year