Monday, December 31, 2018
Happy New Year!
Thank you for a great year together. It is very rewarding to be able to share my experience with each of you. I hope you also have a rewarding and successful new year. And a special wish for all our friends and neighbors who have experienced tragedies this year. Our thought are for more peace for 2019.
Friday, December 21, 2018
The Importance of Selecting a Great Day Care!
Your choice of the day care for your child should be a life altering experience in a positive, formative way. It is occurring during the most important years of your child’s life.
When your child attends a daycare (especially full time) they are probably spending more of their “awake time” with their caregivers than with you, the parents.
We held our annual holiday get together last weekend. It is always exciting to see many of our alumni who try to attend as often as possible. We even enjoy the parents of the alumni who are not home from college yet and get caught up on all the news.
We had several experiences this year that were particularly heartwarming.
1.A mom who came to thank us for the influence we had on her son who graduated from college last year and is already in a responsible position in the TV industry.
2.More moms and dads who came without their children who are not home from college yet. They just want to bring us up to date on their children’s’ activities and once again, pass along a big thank you.
3.More grown up guys and girls that for a while it almost looked like a young adult party!
4.Watching them search for their pictures that are displayed throughout the daycare and sharing some of the experiences they remember from being here.
5.One dad who wanted to share that he was surprised he did not have to convince his grown son to come to the party.
6.It was one of the largest gatherings ever with 200+ people!
It was truly an exciting celebration for everyone. It felt so warm and rewarding to think we had any influence on who they had become.
You will want to select your child’s day care very carefully.
1.Be familiar with their mission statement.
2.Discuss their philosophy and make sure it will support an experience that will benefit your child.
3.Ensure it is a well rounded program, including education and social skills in a very healthy environment.
4.Visit the facilities at least twice. Be prepared and ask all the questions that are important to you.
5.Have a conversation with at least the parents whose child attends a daycare that you are considering.
6.Also check out Wonderschool to see if they have a facilities near you. They are worth investigating!
There are good day cares out there, but you have to seek them out!
Don’t settle!
It is your child’s future!
Good luck!
When your child attends a daycare (especially full time) they are probably spending more of their “awake time” with their caregivers than with you, the parents.
We held our annual holiday get together last weekend. It is always exciting to see many of our alumni who try to attend as often as possible. We even enjoy the parents of the alumni who are not home from college yet and get caught up on all the news.
We had several experiences this year that were particularly heartwarming.
1.A mom who came to thank us for the influence we had on her son who graduated from college last year and is already in a responsible position in the TV industry.
2.More moms and dads who came without their children who are not home from college yet. They just want to bring us up to date on their children’s’ activities and once again, pass along a big thank you.
3.More grown up guys and girls that for a while it almost looked like a young adult party!
4.Watching them search for their pictures that are displayed throughout the daycare and sharing some of the experiences they remember from being here.
5.One dad who wanted to share that he was surprised he did not have to convince his grown son to come to the party.
6.It was one of the largest gatherings ever with 200+ people!
It was truly an exciting celebration for everyone. It felt so warm and rewarding to think we had any influence on who they had become.
You will want to select your child’s day care very carefully.
1.Be familiar with their mission statement.
2.Discuss their philosophy and make sure it will support an experience that will benefit your child.
3.Ensure it is a well rounded program, including education and social skills in a very healthy environment.
4.Visit the facilities at least twice. Be prepared and ask all the questions that are important to you.
5.Have a conversation with at least the parents whose child attends a daycare that you are considering.
6.Also check out Wonderschool to see if they have a facilities near you. They are worth investigating!
There are good day cares out there, but you have to seek them out!
Don’t settle!
It is your child’s future!
Good luck!
Friday, December 7, 2018
A Toddler Checklist!
Based on what I hear and see, I think it is time to review the toddler challenge.
I hope you have been communicating with your child since birth and are expecting them to understand you (which they do).
If that is the case, the toddler checklist will be an extension of your child’s experience of what is expected. If you have not been doing that, then this checklist will be extra challenging. Your toddler now has more verbal skills, more experience with how they can get their way with thing, and better control of their habits.
Either way, you have to acknowledge you are dealing with a more skilled and experienced child.
They now have figured out what works when you do not prepare for, or acknowledge, that the result could be a two year old out of control. This is where the “terrible two’s” expression was born.
So here are my guidelines.
1. They need to be taught that when you speak they need to listen and follow your directives. Be persistent and calm. It will take awhile for them to know that you mean it. Do not give up.
2. Set boundaries. Be clear on what they cannot do. Have possessions in the family space that they cannot have. They need to know that everything is not theirs. I.E. they should not play with your phone/radio ect.
3. One half of their awake time is teaching them how to play, and the rest will be observing their skill level in applying what you just taught them. There may be a lot of repetition, but expect them to complete each task or skill themselves. For example, they don’t know how to do a puzzle. You have to spend time with them and show them how to take the pieces from the puzzle box and fit them back in correctly. Also how to remove it from the storage area and return it. The entire process should be their responsibility. It makes them feel empowered.
4. When it comes to tasks, give them responsibility for personal ones i.e. putting their clothes in the hamper.
5. Only say what you really mean and follow up on it 100% of the time.
6. Take the time to explain and trust that they can problem solve. Don’t jump to help every time some small issue occurs, stand back and say, “you figure it out”.
7. Teach them to respect rules and follow them.
8. Do not give in when they are misbehaving in public.
9. Always keep your tone firm, respectful and calm.
10. If you still have infant toys, furniture or clothing – store them or give them away! Your child is no longer an infant.
Children thrive on responsibility. Give them as much as you can when it is safe to do so and it is a situation they can handle even if it could be a little stretch.
They need to start becoming confident and independent with your guidance and support!
When you and your child accomplish this, it will make both of you very proud and ensure they are btter prepared for the rest of their childhood.
Good luck!
I hope you have been communicating with your child since birth and are expecting them to understand you (which they do).
If that is the case, the toddler checklist will be an extension of your child’s experience of what is expected. If you have not been doing that, then this checklist will be extra challenging. Your toddler now has more verbal skills, more experience with how they can get their way with thing, and better control of their habits.
Either way, you have to acknowledge you are dealing with a more skilled and experienced child.
They now have figured out what works when you do not prepare for, or acknowledge, that the result could be a two year old out of control. This is where the “terrible two’s” expression was born.
So here are my guidelines.
1. They need to be taught that when you speak they need to listen and follow your directives. Be persistent and calm. It will take awhile for them to know that you mean it. Do not give up.
2. Set boundaries. Be clear on what they cannot do. Have possessions in the family space that they cannot have. They need to know that everything is not theirs. I.E. they should not play with your phone/radio ect.
3. One half of their awake time is teaching them how to play, and the rest will be observing their skill level in applying what you just taught them. There may be a lot of repetition, but expect them to complete each task or skill themselves. For example, they don’t know how to do a puzzle. You have to spend time with them and show them how to take the pieces from the puzzle box and fit them back in correctly. Also how to remove it from the storage area and return it. The entire process should be their responsibility. It makes them feel empowered.
4. When it comes to tasks, give them responsibility for personal ones i.e. putting their clothes in the hamper.
5. Only say what you really mean and follow up on it 100% of the time.
6. Take the time to explain and trust that they can problem solve. Don’t jump to help every time some small issue occurs, stand back and say, “you figure it out”.
7. Teach them to respect rules and follow them.
8. Do not give in when they are misbehaving in public.
9. Always keep your tone firm, respectful and calm.
10. If you still have infant toys, furniture or clothing – store them or give them away! Your child is no longer an infant.
Children thrive on responsibility. Give them as much as you can when it is safe to do so and it is a situation they can handle even if it could be a little stretch.
They need to start becoming confident and independent with your guidance and support!
When you and your child accomplish this, it will make both of you very proud and ensure they are btter prepared for the rest of their childhood.
Good luck!
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