Why these things, Jen? ❤️🥺 (Oh, the magic of communicating... and reading!) I wanted to tell you a little about why I chose the curriculum for our Bird Learnin' Palooza this week, because it's not our usual lineup ❤️ We have these free Paloozas once or twice a year, and not near the summertime... People get so busy in the summer! It can sometimes be harder to be home to learn (🥳!) with parrots 🏃‍➡️ But after teaching and working with parrot moms and dads for nearly a decade, we realized that summertime is when our birds sometimes crash a bit 😢 Did you know vacations are thought to be a triggering event for parrot plucking? That birds who had never plucked before begin - and those who have a history of it can flare worse and hurt themselves... Because their moms and dads are gone. They miss them so much! AND their routines get all mixed up, too! 😭 (But moms and dads need to be away sometimes!) And learning that others can love and care for them - learning strength and resilience - when they are in bodies that can live decades or maybe even 100 years... 💛 Learning to be ok no matter what... 💪 Is a treasure 💝🐥 This week's curriculum is full of lessons you can tuck into your heart year-round... 🤗🌻 Video calling ALL the time! 📞 Communicating with pictures & symbols together, and with love, clarity, and fun! 🪧 Learning other ways to ask, not just <SCREAM> anymore 😅 Reading reading reading reading - the journey of a thousand joys and miracles! It's not just about the books - it's about calming frantic, frustrated little creatures. It IS about joy, because reading is joy! It's about discovering the world, WORDS, and the deep (deep!) bonding that comes with trying hard new things together 🥰 But on Friday, I'm also going to teach you one of the most steady, grounding and compassionate things we can teach our parrots... That when we're gone, we're coming home. And exactly when. ❤️ Can you imagine your whole world is someone who leaves - and you've got no idea when, or if at all, they are returning? How stressful and heartbreaking to have no idea if the last snuggle was truly the very last... 💔 Because so many of our birds have been rehomed, too. No wonder some struggle - or begin to pluck - when we are gone 😭 On Friday, I'm going to teach you the Visual Calendar System (IT'S SO EASY TO DO!!) I use with my girls. They always know Mom and Dad are coming home - and exactly when 🤗 Video calls, so you can connect and connect when you're apart 🥰 Communication, for joy and clarity... and reducing those screams! :) And Reading - for the 10 million amazing reasons WE all learned to read! Books, adventures, fun and literacy - for the little birds too! 🐥 Pick the track(s) that bring joy to you and your family! We're gonna support you all week as we work together! 😍 🌟*Click the link in our Bio to join us on Zoom at 4pm ET!*🌟 There's no cost - this is a free community event! 💖 Come join us - and if you can possibly come live, join us live! I can answer your questions and guide you all week! 🤗 Let's make some bird-learning magic together! ✨ Jen - @parrotkindergarten