Tips on Stopping Tantrums

It’s happen to all of us we often try to squeeze in a few more errands before nap time and this can lead to the dreaded public tantrum. Anyone who has been a parent or guardian has had to endure the public tantrum. Instead of losing your cool, and your senses, try taking a deep breath, smile at an understanding adult nearby, and then see if one of these tips will work:

1. Praise/Rewards. A goal for good behavior can do wonders. Something along the lines of, if you stop fussing until we get to the car, I'll let you watch your favorite video tonight”. The child's favorite things are truly wonderful motivators to use to get the behavior you desire. However be sure to use this tactic sparingly so they don't expect a treat every time they show good behavior. Remember praise can also go along way, telling your child how good their being when your out and about can go along way.



2. Do not overwhelm a child that really just needs some peace and calm to settle down. Your child mirrors your response to their tantrum. If you respond by yelling at your child this might just increase the tension and raise the level of your child’s tantrum or make it last longer. Try a calming hug and some kind words instead. Your child may just want to know that you understood their feelings or frustration.


3. Sometimes it’s ok to give in and choose your battles. Sometimes you need to step in and stop the tantrum, other times if they are not hurting themselves or anyone or anything around them let you toddler express their feelings. Let them get their anger out and then explain the consequences of their tantrum.


4. Distract. Distract her/him with something, this a great way to help them to calm down. Put a cartoon video on, listen to music, read a story, watch television, go outside, or watch animals outside your window. This is often not easy to do, but if you find a distraction that works it might be enough to settle the storm.

Stranger Danger

Strangers, it’s a scary word. To parents it represents one of our biggest fears. We worry a lot about a stranger harming our children. To continue with Goddard’s theme this month about safety, we are focusing on strangers this week. How do you strike the balance between raising a friendly child vs. raising a cautious child?

Here are a few tips to help teach your children about the concept of strangers:

Try not to scare your child with details on what a stranger can do to harm them. You want to develop a healthy caution not a phobia about strangers.

Set ground rules for when you’re out of the home in a public place.

· Work under the rule if I can’t see you or you can’t see me you are too far away. This could stop your child from ending up in an isolated place where a stranger can harm them.

· Another good rule is to tell your children to always tell their caregiver where they are or where they are going.

· Teach your child that they should not talk to strangers especially when you aren’t right with them

· Review with your child what a stranger is in simple terms. Someone they have never been introduced to. Someone who is trying to make them leave with them. Explain that you would never send anyone to get them that they don’t already know.

· Review the tactics a dangerous stranger might try. “Please help me find my lost puppy dog” or “If you go with me to the candy store I will by you a treat”.

Other ways you can protect your child include:

* Teach your child their phone number and address at an early age. By three, he should know their own full name and parent’s full names. By three-and-a-half, they should have their address memorized. And by age four, your preschooler should know their phone number.

* Role play with older children on what to do in situations with strangers.



Source: http://life.familyeducation.com/

First Sleepover

This is a true sign that your child is growing up. When your child is ready for their first sleepover it is certainly a milestone. But it can also be an anxious time for both you and your child. Here are a few tips to take the anxiety out of a sleepover.

* Make sure your child knows the family they will be spending the night with pretty well. In the best case scenario your child would have had several play dates and maybe even shared a meal with the family. This will help them get comfortable with the habits and traditions of the family and make them much more comfortable.

* Make sure that you like the family the child is staying with. Children can always sense when their parents are uncomfortable and this could lead to additional anxiety for your child.

* Set expectations with your child for what a sleepover will be like. Tell them what activities they will do and how much fun they will have.

* Pack some of your children’s favorite items in their overnight bag. This will remind them of home and comfort them.

* Anticipate the midnight call. Don’t be disappointed if your child calls and wants to come home. This is not a failure on their or your part. Take some time and try again once you feel they are ready.

The Goddard School is pleased to partner with Pediatric Partners of Northern Virginia for our first parent seminar of the 2010/2011 school Year.

The Goddard School Hosts the First Parent Seminar of the 2010/2011 School Year

The seminar will take place on Tuesday, October 19th at 6:00PM.

The topic of discussion for the evening will be children and food allergies. The platform seminar will be a lecture by Dr. Theodore Kim followed by an open discussion. This is an informative event that you will not want to miss. We hope to see you on the 19th!

The Goddard School Helps To Feed The Hungry

The Goddard School and Loudoun County Interfaith Food Pantry have teamed up to feed the hungry. The holidays will soon be upon us and because the need for non-perishable food items is so high at the food pantry, Goddard jumped at the opportunity to reach out to those families in our community that are falling on difficult times.

From October 1, through October 29th The Goddard School entryway will become a collection station for those in need. Our goal is to contribute 500 food items as well as grocery store gift cards to the food pantry on October 29.

Interrupting

Do you get frustrated when you’re trying to carry on a conversation with another adult or even one of your other children and you get interrupted? It’s frustrating to everyone involved. Here are a few tips to help your little one learn to wait their turn during conversations.

Children’s have a small social circle. They often interrupt because they feel that they are the center of the world and that it all revolves around them and their needs. Helping them understand that there are rules around conversations with others and that what others have to say is just as important as what they have to stay is critical to stopping interruptions.

Establish some basic rules of the road and stick to them:

• Establish rules for when visitors come to your home – when you have company coming over tell your children that it’s really important that you talk to your company uninterrupted. Offer them alternatives to keep them busy such as a toy, book or TV.
• Point out when your child interrupts – this will help them identify the disruptive behavior and learn that it is not appropriate.
• Don’t ignore interruptions – this is likely to result in frustration and often makes children interrupt more.
• Explain when interrupting is ok. Describe what types of situations are important and what aren’t.
• Explain how important listening is instead of interrupting. Listening is a critical part of the communication model and an important skill need to excel in school.

Hopefully, over time, you’ll see a reduction in interruptions from your child.

Fire Safety at Home

October is Fire Prevention Month and Goddard Ashburn is reviewing fire safety with the kids at school, but you help at home too.

Here are a few tips for teaching fire safety to kids.

· Practice fire drills at home – rehearse different emergency scenarios with your family. This can avoid wasting valuable time when you’re dealing with an emergency in your home.

· Talk about escape routes for each room of your home.

· Designate a meeting place outside your home that is a safe distance away

· Test your plan

It’s always good to introduce scary topics to your children through games. Here are a few games that teach valuable safety lessons.

• Feel Your Way to Safety – have your kids close their eyes and feel their way out of the home. This can also help your kids get some exercise. Just make sure you watch your kids closely so they don’t fall and get hurt.
• Stop, Drop and Roll – press your fire alarm test button or simply say go and have your kids see how fast they can stop, drop and roll.

Teach your kids about fire safety

• Explain what smoke detectors, escape ladders and fire extinguishers are – explain to your kids how they work, why they are installed in the house and what they will do when you use them.
• Explain that getting out of the house is most important in a fire. And once you’re out, stay out.

These rules can go a long way to protecting and even saving the lives of your family.

Bedtime Boot Camp

Why is bedtime so difficult? It should be the best your best time of day. The kids are going to sleep and you’ll finally have time to yourself. But for many parents and guardians bedtime is time for battle. Crying, whining, temper tantrums and stalling, and one more story, can result in a long drawn-out process.

Here are the tips that can get bedtime under control:

• Establish and keep a regular bedtime

• Remind your kids 15 minutes prior to bedtime so they can mentally prepare and begin the wind-down process

• Eliminate late-night distractions. Turn off the television and video games 30 minutes before bedtime

• Establish a bedtime routine (brush teeth, go to the bathroom, reading books)

For the child or children who are up out of bed 18 times, try these tips:

• Don’t talk to them and don’t yell. Simply return them to bed with a little fan fare as possible.

• For crying children, check on them, reassure them and offer to check on them in a few minutes. By the time you return they will often fall back to sleep.

• If a nightmare is the causes of the disruption try to calm them, tell them they are ok and try to get them back to bed as soon as possible. Avoid letting them jump into bed with you.

If you can’t seem to get your child in a routine of your child truly has difficulty getting or staying asleep, you may want to seek the advice of a medical professional.

How to make scary Halloween a little less scary

You probably never think of it as a parent but Halloween can be a scary for some kids. In fact, it can be downright frightening. Skeletons, mummies, bats and vampires can really take the fun out this great tradition and stop your child from participating in trick or treating and other events.

Try to take the fright out of this Halloween night with some of these quick tips:

• If you sense your child is developing fear about the scary parts of Halloween, bring the subject up. Explain that other kids are in those costumes. Maybe even have a sibling dress up ahead of time to show them what’s underneath the scary costumes and faces.

• Let your child choose their own costume. Make sure that it is appropriate for their age. Try boarding on the scary by choosing a costume with a moderate scare factor like a pirate, ghost or something that your child has been previously exposed to. If your child is comfortable in their own costume they will be more comfortable with those around them and their environment.

• Skip the haunted mansion or the local freight-fest. Attend a fall fair, pinking patch, or hayride instead. Also consider trick or treating at the mall or during the daytime.

Overall you can’t protect your child from all the scary and gory decorations out there, but you can try to minimize it. Talk through your child’s fears so they feel comfortable and can enjoy the season!