Cradle to Rocker

02/29/2024

While I appreciate the following, I want to publicly state that my former website has been co-opted - I am NOT responsible for the content, and seeminly unable to stop / change it!!

08/23/2022

Cradle to Rocker Family PT will be closing effective 9/30/22.
This is a bittersweet time and some friends and supporters are planning a celebration.
We would love to have as many of our friends and families as possible to come and share.
This is a no present event. If you want to consider contributing to some of our favorite organizations, these are some of our favorites:
-Huntsville TN Valley AMBUCS
-305 8th Street
-Merrimack Hall
Much love and thanks for the support over the years!
Andrea Oyen Batt

Cradle to Rocker is closing it's doors and Andrea is retiring!

02/17/2022

HOW TO BEST PREPARE PRESCHOOLERS FOR FUTURE READING AND WRITING

There's no need for pencils or paper. Preschoolers don’t need to learn letters at this age either.

“Getting ready to read and write does NOT need to, nor should it, involve sitting still, OR letters, OR paper, and pencil. There are so many other important things that need to happen, and happen a LOT, before a child can successfully read and write.” - Denita Dinger, author and early childhood educator

• Children need a strong sense of body awareness (developed through active free play)
• Eyes need to track
• Core muscles (stomach & back), shoulders, neck, hand, and finger strength should be adequate
• Children need basic coordination of both fine and gross motor skills
• Children need time to make lots of mistakes and learn perseverance

Children gain these foundational skills through FREQUENT outdoor play opportunities!

Let children....

Blow more bubbles.
Swing, spin, and roll down hills.
Hang upside down from the monkey bars.
Climb more trees.
Build more forts.
Make more mistakes.
Struggle more, give up less.

Ample outdoor play opportunities lay a strong foundation by organizing the brain and preparing the body, so that reading and writing can become a meaningful experience.

06/28/2021

04/15/2021

"Dear men, husbands, people who love us,

On behalf of mamas everywhere, I have an important request:

Take our picture.

Even when we complain, even when our hair is a mess. Even when we are wearing a dingy, oversized sweatshirt.

Take our picture.

I know this isn’t something on the forefront of your mind, and that’s okay. We don’t need every special moment documented...but, let’s be honest:

We spend a lot of time doing just that for everyone else.

Please. Take our picture.

Even when we fuss about how 'chubby' we think we look in our swimsuit. If you see us splashing and laughing loudly with our babies in the heat of a gorgeous summer day—I don’t care if we are nine months pregnant (*ahem*).

Take our picture.

Even if we moan that the angle isn’t good or our smile looks a little insane, I promise you this:

We want to be seen. We want to be remembered. And it means the world to us when you take our picture.

You may not realize it now, but we’ve taken hundreds of sneaky photos of you and the people you love.

When we see you snuggled on the couch with our babies or playing catch in the backyard, our hearts fill with joy and we can’t help but take your picture.

Or maybe you DO realize it, and you think it’s a little bit annoying. I can understand that, too.

But here is a little reminder of why these pictures are SO dang important:

One day, we won’t be around for our babies.

One day, you and I will be gone and what will remain of us will be the memories we’ve captured of this beautiful life we made.

One day, our kids will gather around a table and scroll through images of these precious, fleeting days.

They will cry and laugh and commiserate.

They will say, 'Remember that vacation? Remember that day?'

And it will be so, so beautiful.

But if every single picture was taken by their mama, guess who won’t be in those memories?

Men, husbands, people who love us,

Take our picture.

The mother of your children deserves to be seen, documented, and remembered.

Not through posed family portraits or hundreds of selfies. But as who she was—who she is NOW—in those real, special life moments.

I know we complain and we don’t make it easy. Love us enough to do it, anyways.

For our sake and for yours.

For the sake of our babies

Take our picture."



Credit: Mary Katherine Backstrom

04/01/2021

What a glorious Sunday it is for our friend Allison Gabriel! Today is Allison's 27th birthday, and she is celebrating her big day and her great life with her mom Susan Gabriel her dad Harry and her sister Beth. I'd like to remind you what a beautiful young lady Allison is, as well as the huge role that a man named Gene Stallings has had in her life. This is Allison's story as told to me by her mother Susan.

It was back in February of 1993 when Harry and Susan Gabriel welcomed to the world a beautiful baby girl named Allison. Soon after the birth, the Gabriel's would be shocked to learn that their newborn daughter was diagnosed with Down syndrome. Harry and Susan were confused and a bit bewildered, as they were suddenly faced with the daunting task of raising a special needs daughter.

A month earlier in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide had just wrapped up their victory celebration after winning the national championship with a win over Miami. Just weeks before she gave birth, Susan had watched that victory parade and tears came to her eyes as she watched how Coach Stallings had loved on his special needs son John Mark. Little did she know that in a matter of weeks, she would be the mother of a child with Down syndrome.

It was a quiet March day in Fayette, AL in 1993, just a few months after that victory parade. As Susan and her one month old daughter rested, suddenly the phone rang. Susan answered, as a man said, “Susan? This is Gene Stallings.” Susan shook as she talked to one of her idols. It was then that the coach told Susan, “I felt an urge to call you. I know that you are confused and perhaps upset, but I want you to know that no one will love you more than little Allison. You may not realize it now, but your daughter is a blessing. I look forward to meeting Allison at the RISE Center in Tuscaloosa.” Before wrapping up the conversation, Coach Stallings added some words that Susan will never forget: Said the coach, “I promise you that your daughter has a place in heaven- you just need to make sure that you are there, too." And so ended a conversation that would change the lives of Allison and her family members.

Within months, the Gabriel’s enrolled Allison in the RISE program, where she was helped and encouraged for six years. As Coach Stallings visited Allison often at the Rise Center, the two soon found themselves featured in People magazine. The ripple effect resulted in RISE Centers being built in numerous cities throughout the country. Coach Stallings and little Allison had started a movement, and the world was a better place because of it.

As she celebrates her birthday today, Allison remains a student at Shelton State. Allison is a student assistant with the basketball team, and she is scheduled to receive her college degree in Office Administration come May of 2021. In addition to her studies, Allison also works twice a week at the power company in Tuscaloosa and models clothes for an online boutique!

It’s a real life success story that reads like a movie screenplay: A former Alabama Football coach taking time from his duties to make a phone call that changed the lives of not only the Gabriel's, but hundreds of others. And a beautiful, driven woman who is showing the world that a special needs person can accomplish anything.

The moral of this story? Always believe and never give up- and if you can, try your best to receive advice and encouragement from a beautiful man named Gene Stallings.

Please offer happy birthday wishes to our friend Allison Gabriel! Your heart will be warm if you do.