News From PWS Children’s Program…Our Outing to Krista Kays!

Krista Kays is an ice cream shop where the kids can get ice cream for a total of 32 calories. The kids go here twice a month as a little treat (choosing to give up their chocolate milk at dinner, in order to get this treat.) At Krista Kays everyone is allowed one “base” ice-cream and two flavors. This is a lot of choices for them! Most of the girls went with chocolate, cheesecake and some other random flavor like mint or bubble gum.

Tuesday night I took five of the girls out to ice cream after dinner. I had them decide what they were going to get before we left campus so there would be no confusion or anxiety when we got there. I wrote down what each kid wanted with their initials next to it. When we got there, all of the girls sat at a table while I ordered their ice cream. I asked that their cups be labeled with their initials rather than what they were eating. The girls loved this idea and felt a certain sense on security knowing that there would be no mistakes around their food, this is what they ordered and what they are getting.

I found a good way to keep them occupied on something positive. Instead of being anxious about all of the yummy treats at the ice cream shop, I gave each of them little jobs to do while we were there (they really enjoy being able to help out!) Since I had a new staff with me I asked a couple of the girls to help her to decide what is good. The girls loved this and even ended up convincing me that coconut, kalua, and chocolate ice-cream would be the perfect mix for me (and it was not!) But I tried it anyway.

We all had a wonderful time and they were so well behaved & appropriate, even remembering to thank me when we left for taking them!

Article submitted by: Kelly McCarthy