New Year’s Eve Fun With the Kids

Plan a New Year’s bash with your kids that is fun and educational. Kids can feel left out of New Year’s celebrations because they can’t stay up until midnight. But with a little planning your kids can have a New Year’s bash that they will remember for years to come.

It’s Always Midnight Somewhere – Plan your party by the world clock and ring in the New Year when the clock strikes 12 somewhere else. This is also a great way to teach geography and world cultures. Another option is ring in the New Year at noon.


Imitate the Ball Drop – Buy a pinata so you can imitate the Times Square ball drop. At midnight, let the kids crack it open to get the candy. Or, try a balloon drop. Put a bunch of balloons in a large trash bag and then release them at your faux midnight.


Toast – Use plastic, fancy glasses with sparkling cider


Think Up Resolutions-  Help your child stick to their resolutions by writing them down or making posters to remind them.


Make Noisemakers - Fill toilet paper roll with rice or dry beans. Cover both ends with paper and decorates the tube. Shake it as the ball drops to welcome the New Year.

Happy New Year!

What To Do With The Kids During Break

With the kids off from school this week parents are looking for activities to do with the kids and here are a few ideas:

· Kids Movies Playing Now - There are plenty of kid’s movies out this holiday season. Try checking out The Muppets, Happy Feet 2, Arthur Christmas, Hugo and, for older kids, War Horse.

 · Museums- Many museums have holiday displays or even special events for the kids to check out over the holiday break.

 · Roller or Ice Skating- Have your kid’s burn energy while skating. Just make sure they wear protective gear.

 · Take a Hike- Take a family hike and discover the outdoors.

 · Be a Chef– Let your kids help you in the kitchen while you supervise. This can be a great learning experience. Reinforce counting as you measure the ingredients. Let them help you pour the ingredients in a bowl to practice coordination and fine motor skills.

 · Science Experiments – You can do some really interesting home science experiments with household items. Teach them about static electricity by rubbing your feet on the carpet and touching each other to see if a static shock develops. Mix some baking soda, vinegar and raisins and see if you can get raisins to dance. Search on the Internet for some more interesting science experiments you can do at home. Just use your best judgment to determine what’s safe for you and your child.

 · Pen Pals– Teach your child how to send a good old fashioned letter. Let them create their own holiday cards and send them to relatives or even classmates. Your child’s friends will be excited to get mail and your child will have fun creating their own holiday cards, for just the cost of some stamps.

 The holidays are a special time for children. Take the time off to slow down, spend quality time with the family and enjoy the special moments.

Make a Snow Globe

Supplies:

• Baby food jars (medium or large) or any other type of jar with a lid
• White and/or silver glitter or fake snow
• Hot glue gun
• Ribbon or felt

How to make it:

• Wash and dry your jar completely, including the lid.
• Fill jar with water to within 1/2 inch of top. Use cold water, warm water tends to cloud. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of glitter, or “snow” into water.
• Add any other objects that you think would add to your snow globe.  Another idea is to add food coloring to the water.
• Using hot glue gun, line inside of lid with glue.
• Dab lid dry if any water dripped or spilled. Apply a layer of hot glue around the rim of the lid to seal shut.
• Let stand and dry overnight -- lid side up.
• Decorating the lid rim with decorative ribbon with glue, use plastic holly berries for a holiday feel, or use colored felt.  There is no wrong way to decorate your globe be as creative as you want.

A Season for Sharing in Fire Safety

Each year fires occurring during the holiday season claim the lives of over 400 people, injure 1,650 more, and cause over $990 million in damage. According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), there are simple life-saving steps you can take to ensure a safe and happy holiday. By following some of the outlined precautionary tips, individuals can greatly reduce their chances of becoming a holiday fire casualty.

Selecting a Tree for the Holiday

Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.

Caring for Your Tree

Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.

Disposing of Your Tree

Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service.

Maintain Your Holiday Lights

Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory.

Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets

Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires - they should not be warm to the touch.

Do Not Leave Holiday Lights on Unattended

Holiday Decorations

Use Only Nonflammable Decorations

All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant and placed away from heat vents.

Never Put Wrapping Paper in a Fireplace

It can result in a very large fire, throwing off dangerous sparks and embers and may result in a chimney fire.

Artificial Christmas Trees

If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant.

Avoid Using Lit Candles

If you do use them, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never leave the house with candles burning.

Never Put Lit Candles on a Tree

Do not go near a Christmas tree with an open flame - candles, lighters or matches.

Finally, as in every season, have working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home, test them monthly and keep them clean and equipped with fresh batteries at all times. Know when and how to call for help. And remember to practice your home escape plan.

Source: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/holiday-seasonal/holiday.shtm

Car Seat Safety

With so much information about car seat safety many parents wonder and worry if they are keeping their child as safe as they should be.  Below are guidelines set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA).

           * Select a car seat based on your child's age, height, and weight.

           * Keep your child in a car seat for the maximum age, as long as your child 

              fits the seat's height and weight requirements.

 * All children under 13 should ride in the back seat.

Birth – 12 months

Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat.

There are different types of rear-facing car seats: Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

1 – 3 years

Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

4 – 7 years

Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

8 – 12 years

Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it’s safer there.

Many local stores and organizations offer safety checks were certified technicians are available to check your car seat installation for free. Click HERE to find your nearest inspection station.

Source: http://www.nhtsa.gov/

Learning to Write Letters

Writing the letters of the alphabet is a skill that preschoolers who plan to enter kindergarten next year should be learning. Here are some tips on how to help your child learn to write their letters. 

• Have paper and big easy-to-grasp crayons available to your child. Tell them to scribble and have fun writing as much as they want.

• Don’t be that concerned if when you child starts writing letters, they are all over the paper. Children learn individual letters first and it takes some time for them to grasp the concept of words.

• Don’t be that concerned if your child spells words without vowels. As kids enter school they are taught the concept of vowels, proper spelling and the difference between upper and lower case letters. The concepts really begin to develop as a child learns to read.

• Don’t expect handwriting to be neat initially. Motor skill need time to develop.

Remember patience is the most important thing you can bring to the table when you are teaching your child how to write.  It will come over time and with lots of practice.

Learning another Language

December is learn a foreign language month, so now is a perfect time to teach your child a second language. Because the brain of a young child is in language hyper-drive learning mode, they can learn a foreign language much faster and much more effectively than a teen or adult. In fact, by the time your child reaches middle school that part of their brain is developed.

Here are a few steps you can take to introduce a foreign language to your child:

•       Use bilingual books and toys
•       Have them regularly interact with someone who speaks a different language like a babysitter or caregiver
•       Immerse your child in foreign culture through travel or by visiting areas of your city or town where one culture is prevalent
•       Take your child to cultural events like fairs, food markets and restaurants
•       When teaching your child the names of objects and body parts, refer to them in both languages
•       While playing games say the words in both languages
•       Begin to use basic words in the second language
•       Listen to music, or television in other languages
•       Watch your child’s favorite movie in another language

Have fun teaching your child to embrace different cultures and languages.

Learning Through Games With Toddlers

When your toddler is around 3 years old you may want to start thinking about using board games to help them learn and grow. When we were growing up, board games were all the rage. But as technology and hand-held gaming devices started to rule the kid’s game market, the traditional board game fell by the wayside.

You may be asking why you should dust off the old board games in the attic. Board and card games have a lot to teach your children. Not only can they teach them about success and disappointment, they can teach valuable cognitive and social skills through hands on experience. And many children learn more effectively through hands on experience.

Here are some of the benefits of playing board games:

•     Learning to follow rules
•     Being honest
•     Focusing on a single task
•     Social Skills
•     Taking turns
•     Sharing
•     Learning to count
•        Matching
•        Learning colors, numbers and letters

A few examples of games that incorporate these skills:

•     Candyland          
•     Chutes and Ladders
•     Sorry
•     Hi-Ho Cherry-O
•     Trouble

Stopping Tantrum

This time of year brings out the best in our children, their schedules are off because of all the fun and exciting activities associated with the holidays. Parents often try to squeeze in a few more errands before nap time and this can lead to the dreaded public tantrum. Anyone who has ever been a parent or guardian has most likely had to endure the public tantrum. Instead of losing your cool, and your mind, try taking a deep breath, smile at an understanding adult nearby, and then see if one of these tips will work:

1. Distract.

Distract your child with something. This a great way to help children calm down. Put a 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 them down.

2. Provide Incentive

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. However, be sure to use this tactic sparingly so they don't expect a treat every time they show good or bad behavior.

3. Pick 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 your toddler express their feelings. Let them get their anger out and then explain the consequences of their actions.

4. Keeping Your Cool

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 understand their feelings or frustration.

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Facts About Learning Disabilities

When your child is diagnosed with a learning disability it can be scary. Here are some facts about the causes and diagnosis of learning disabilities.

• Although learning disabilities can be caused by variations in a child's central nervous system, most learning disabilities are not a result of brain damage or mentally retardation. 
• Children are often born with the tendency for learning problems and learning disabilities seem to run in families. 
• Since most children play and act like other children it is often difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of a learning disability. 
• The diagnosis of learning disabilities has improved substantially along with advances in healthcare. In the past, learning disabilities were often misdiagnosed and treated incorrectly. 
• There is a wide range of learning disabilities (mild to severe).It can be very difficult for parents to recognize a mild learning disability in their children. Most mild learning disabilities are diagnosed in  kindergarten and first grade as children have difficulty keeping up with the class.

 Learning disabilities generally affect the following three skill areas:

•  academic skills (reading, writing, spelling, math)
•  language skills (speech) 
•  motor-sensory skills (coordination, balance, writing) 

 The good news is that treatments for learning disabilities have advanced in the last ten years. Public schools have also put a lot of emphasis on the early detection, diagnoses and treatment of learning disabilities. More resources than ever are available to help children with learning disabilities. If you think your child has a learning disability consult with your family doctor.

Hands-and-Feet Turkey

Since we are talking about the meaning of Thanksgiving this week, why not make a turkey with your child and talk about all the things you are Thankful for.


Materials

• Construction paper in brown, tan, orange, red, yellow and white 
• Scissors 
• Glue 

Instructions

• Trace 1 foot (with shoes on) on brown construction paper. 
• Trace two hands on tan construction paper. 
• Trace two hands on red construction paper. Trace two hands on orange construction paper. 
• Trace one hand on yellow construction paper. 
• Cut out all the pieces 
• Make the turkey body and head, placing the heel at the top (the heel will become the face) 
• Glue the red, orange, and yellow construction paper hands behind the brown body to make the tail.

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to teach your children about the importance of giving thanks. Thank you is becoming an endangered word, because of its infrequent use.  Volunteerism and charity is being reinforced more in schools but many charities remain in need of more help. Here are some simple ways to teach your children the importance of giving thanks and helping others.

Send a thank you Text or Tweet

Children learn by seeing. Watching you write a thank you text or Tweet or, hearing you make a call on your cell phone to someone to thank them will allow your children to learn by example.

Show children the meaning of the word thank you

Here are some ways to help your children gain a knowledge and appreciation for giving thanks to others through volunteerism and charity.

• Arrange for your children to gather used toys, clothes, video games or other items to donate to a charity.
• Volunteer at a charity. If your children see you devoting your time to a charity they will be much more likely to do so when they grow up. If it’s appropriate take your children with you.
• Take a warm meal to an elderly relative or neighbor. Let the children help you prepare the meal. 
• Visit elderly relatives during the holidays. This is a win-win because wise older relatives often have a lot of wisdom to pass along to younger generations.

The simplest way to remind children to give thanks and be thankful is to remind them how much they have to be thankful for and to remind them that there are others in the world that need our help. 

Learning to Write

How will you know when your child is ready to write? The ideal time to start helping your child with writing is between ages 4 and 5. One signal to look for is that your child will begin forming figures that look like letters. Your child may also begin to string multiple pictures together to create a story. This means that your child’s motor and cognitive skills are becoming more refined and developed.

Here's a few ideas to move your child’s writing skills along:

·         Make sure you have a lot of markers, crayons, pencils, and paper in places around your home so your child can scribble anytime they want.

·         Offer your child a choice of colors in paper, pencils, markers and crayons, the more colorful the better.

·         Encourage them to do projects that reflect everyday life. Here are a few fun projects that reinforce early writing skills:

o   Create a menu and play restaurant

o   Have them write out checks to play store

o   Have them create a program for their big play or dance recital

o   Have them create tickets to a show

o   Have them write a note to you every night before they go to bed

o   Make scribbling/writing a lot of fun by using pudding, ketchup, yogurt or other edible items.

Above all, make writing fun for your child and hopefully they will begin to practice their skills on their own. 

Table Manners

Every family has a different outlook on manners. How a child should act at the dinner table depends on what you as a parent think is appropriate. It is hard enough just getting kids to sit down for more than five minutes to eat dinner. But, if you want to reinforce good table manners with your children, here are a few tips.

Eating with a fork - around the age of 3, you can begin explaining the difference between finger foods, like hot dogs or a soft pretzel, and foods you eat with a fork, like steak or spaghetti.

Switching from the shirt to the napkin – also around age 3, you can start to remind your children to use their napkin instead of their shirt sleeve. This not only reinforces good table manners, it will also save you money on stain remover and new clothes.

Please and thank you – if you are trying to reinforce the use of please and thank you with your children, the table is a good place to start. Have your kids practice these skills when asking for or receiving food. When eating at a restaurant, you can also reinforce the importance of thanking others outside of the family when they do something nice for us.

Eating slowly – it’s not only good manners, it is good for your health. Eating more slowly and chewing thoroughly is helpful for overall digestive health, it reinforces good manners and it will give you more time to talk and get to know what’s going on in your child’s life. 

Dealing With Bullies

Schools, the press and society are starting to improve our countries response to bulling. But, bullying still occurs every day.  As parents and guardians, we want to protect our little ones but we cannot be there all the time. What steps can you take to help prepare your child to deal with bullies? Here are a few tips:

·         Tell your child to avoid the bully as much as possible. Stay away from him/her on the playground.

·         Have your child practice standing and walking with confidence. Bullies usually pick on people who are smaller and physically weaker than they are, or who they feel will not retaliate

·         Don't let a bully make your child feel bad. Teach your child that when someone says something bad about them to think about something positive about yourself.

·         Don't reward the bully with tears. The bully wants to hurt your feelings, so act like his name-calling and taunts don't hurt.

·         Teach your child to use humor when dealing with a bully. Throwing a joke back at a bullies taunting, can often diffuse the situation.

·         Most importantly make sure your child is comfortable keeping the lines of communication open with you.

If you think the bullying has gotten out of control, contact your child’s school for help. 

Kids & Stress

As adults, we deal with stress every day and we learn coping skills that allow us to deal with stress effectively. Even though you may think kids have nothing to be stressed about, they do. Your child’s personality often has a lot to do with how well they deal with their stress. Here are some different situations that can cause stress for your child and some tactics to help them cope.

Babies

What can cause your baby stress? An overload of sensory information or a lack of down time (naps and quite time with mommy or daddy) can lead to stress in your baby. To help your baby cope, make sure that they are getting enough sleep. If your baby isn’t a great at taking naps, take some quite time to cuddle during the day. Find a quite place and put on some soothing music or maybe read a book to your baby. This will help them reset their senses and reduce their stress levels.

Kids

What can cause stress in school-aged kids? School work and exams, activities such as sports, and problems with friends such as cliques, can all cause your child stress. In addition, children often pick up on major stresses their parents are going through, no matter how good we think we are at hiding problems from our children.

One way to help your school-aged child to deal with their stress is by talking to them. Let them know that stress is a normal part of everyday life. Ask them about their problems. Tell them that you are always available to help them with their problems. Real issues can arise when your child feels alone and unable to seek help for their problems. 

Tweens/Teens

This is a time of life when major stress often hits children. Stresses can be caused by relationships, school work, and overall pressure to succeed academically, socially and in activities. Throw hormones in with stress and you get rapidly changing moods and emotional outbursts or, what’s also known as the typical teenager.

Talk is also a good way to help your teen cope with stress. However, it might be more difficult to get them to talk. Again, let them know that they are not alone and you are always available to help them solve even the toughest problems.

Begin to teach your teen coping mechanisms that work for you. For example, limiting distractions so you can focus, or taking a big problem and breaking it down into smaller more easily solved issues.

Remember, if you think your child’s moods, emotions and ability to cope with stress are a bigger problem than they can handle, seek the help of you family doctor. 

Halloween Candy

Now that Halloween is over, you may be wondering what to do with the candy your kids received during all the Halloween festivities.  We’ve searched the web and found the following creative uses for leftover Halloween candy.

Baking

Many candies melt in the heat of the over, leaving you with a yummy treat. Here are some possible recipes:

• Add candy to homemade ice cream
• Bake cookies with peanut butter cups
• Bake Peppermint Patty brownies
• For more ideas check out Thekitchn.com

Use Your Candy for Play

Try using candy for play and learn activities:

• Use candy as building blocks.
• Teach your toddler to sort the candy into sizes, colors and shapes.
• Teach them matching by matching up like candies.
• Count the candy by fives or tens. 

Use Your Candy for Crafts

Store the candy away for a few weeks and then use it to decorate a gingerbread house or save it for advent calendars.

Teach Your Child About Charity

There are many charities that will accept candy donations

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:

·         Tell your child what a stranger is in terms they can understand. For example: anyone you don’t know by name is a stranger. 

·         Explain the tricks that a stranger might do to lore them away: For example: I can’t find my lost puppy can you help me or Your parents are injured and I need to take you to the hospital to see them right away. Role play these tricks to show them how to react in each situation.

Here are a few tips you can tell your child to avoid stranger-danger situations:

·         Tell your child the importance of staying within view and out of isolated areas when they are out of the house.

·         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.

·         Work under the rule that your child should tell you where they are going at all times.

·         Tell your child that they should never talk to strangers unless they are with their mom, dad or guardian.

Teach your child critical information they will need if they get separated from you.

·         They should know their phone number and address at an early age.

·         By the age of three, they should know their own full name and their parent’s full names.

·         By three-and-a-half, they should have their address memorized.

·         By age four, your preschooler should know their phone number.

Trick or Treating Safety Tips

Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids, and to help ensure they have a safe holiday, here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). 


ALL DRESSED UP:

• Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
• Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and Trick-or-Treat bags for greater visibility.
• Because masks can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives. Hats should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over eyes.
• When shopping for costumes, wigs and accessories look for and purchase those with a label clearly indicating they are flame resistant.
• If a sword, cane, or stick is a part of your child's costume, make sure it is not sharp or too long. A child may be easily hurt by these accessories if he stumbles or trips.
• Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries for all children and their escorts.
• Do not use decorative contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from an eye care professional. While the packaging on decorative lenses will often make claims such as “one size fits all,” or “no need to see an eye specialist,” obtaining decorative contact lenses without a prescription is both dangerous and illegal. This can cause pain, inflammation, and serious eye disorders and infections, which may lead to permanent vision loss.
• Teach children how to call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they have an emergency or become lost.

ON THE TRICK-OR-TREAT TRAIL:

• A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.
• If your older children are going alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home.
• Only go to homes with a porch light on and never enter a home or car for a treat.
• Because pedestrian injuries are the most common injuries to children on Halloween, remind Trick-or Treaters:
• Stay in a group and communicate where they will be going.
• Carry a cell phone for quick communication.
• Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.
• If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.
• Never cut across yards or use alleys.
• Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks (as recognized by local custom). Never cross between parked cars or out driveways.
• Don't assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn't mean others will!
• Law enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.

HEALTHY HALLOWEEN:

• A good meal prior to parties and trick-or-treating will discourage youngsters from filling up on Halloween treats.
• Consider purchasing non-food treats for those who visit your home, such as coloring books or pens and pencils.
• Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.
• Try to ration treats for the days following Halloween.

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics

Making Halloween 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!

Teaching Kids About Fire Safety

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

Tips for Reading Aloud to your Child

Reading aloud to your child can give them an important head start in their education. Any time spent reading, helps in your child’s development. However, some tactics can supercharge the benefits of reading aloud. The tone you use, the questions you ask, making predictions, asking questions and discussing the story can significantly increase reading comprehension.

Below are a few tips on supercharging reading aloud.

 • Start by discussing the pictures on the cover

 • Ask your child to predict what the story is about

 • During reading, discuss the pictures and how they help tell the story

 • Have your child recap what the story has been about so far

 • Make sure you stop and explain difficult concepts that your child might not understand

 • Occasionally stop and ask a probing question about the story

 • After Reading, summarize the story

 • Try to draw some connections to the story and your child’s everyday life

 • Reading the book multiple times can help increase their overall comprehension

 Enjoy reading aloud and learning together with your child!

Parent Involvement

It’s a proven fact that children with involved parents or guardians do better in school and are more successful in life. Involvement can come in several forms. You can get involved with your child’s school, get involved in their homework or simply ask them how their day went and take the time to listen.

Why Should I Get Involved?

In this economy the only way for schools to function is with the help of volunteers. Almost all school budgets have been cut with the downturn in the economy. Arts and music programs, athletics, library and classroom resources are all needed in schools and community centers.

Becoming involved in your child’s school, the community or local sports as a coach will help you develop common ground with your child. It gives you a way to talk about a common interest and goals you can work together to achieve.

And the school, organization and your child aren’t the only ones who gain from your time and effort. You get to meet teachers, coaches and other children that your child interacts with every day. You can begin to better understand the challenges and successes your child experience every day. And you help and share in the successes as a volunteer.

Here are just some of the things your child's school, teacher or community center can help you do as a volunteer:

• join the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA

• act as a classroom aide/helper

• volunteer in a school computer lab

• help with fundraising activities such as bake sales or spring fairs

• tutor students

• assist children with special needs

• build sets or sew costumes for theatre and musical productions

• volunteer as a lunchroom or playground monitor

• help the school administrators write grant proposals or press releases

• attend school board meetings

• work as a library aide in the school library

• volunteer to speak in the classroom or at a career day

Find the type of involvement that makes you happy and fulfilled. Find something that suites your schedule and your level of commitment. Don’t forget to find something that interests both you and your child.

Nap Time Tips

Naps are an important part of your child’s life. It’s like a physical and emotional reset switch. When children nap it calms them down and gives their bodies a chance to rest and relax. But, what if your child fights you every time you try to get them to take a nap? Here are some tips for establishing a good nap time routine.

Routines help children understand what to expect in today’s fast paced life. Young children often lack the coping skills to be able to adapt, on the fly, to a changing schedule. Here is an example of a typical morning routine:

• Wake Up
• Breakfast
• Playtime
• Activity (crafts, reading books, ect.)
• Morning Snack
• Outdoor Play
• Lunch
• Playtime

Read a story or play soothing music to signal that it’s time to calm down for nap time

Avoid interaction with your child while they are trying to fall asleep for example cuddling in bed with them. If they start crying, you can check on them, but you don’t speak to them or stay in the room. Hopefully with a consistent routine your little one will fall asleep on his/her own.  

Art and Young Children

At Goddard we often make art the focus of activities and creativity in the classroom. Art can be a great way to introduce and facilitate learning in children. Art offers opportunity for teaching beyond just the art itself. In a trip to the museum or time spent paging through a calendar or an old art history book, you can begin to reinforce the following concepts.

Shapes – it’s fun for you and your child to point out different shapes that can be found hidden in the masterpieces of the great painters.


Colors – shades of colors abound in oil paintings and water colors. Point out and name each color to reinforce the lessons being taught to your preschooler.

Counting – if your child is learning to count, painting and other works of art make for a fun counting activity that will keep your child’s interest.


Observation – play a game of I spy with my little eye with your child using pictures of great masterpieces.

It’s easy to access some of the most cherished artistic masterpieces. You just need to check your local library or bookstore for children’s books on the subject of art. Calendars often feature works by the great masters, so you may already have examples of fine art hanging right in your kitchen.

Of course, the best place to find art is at your local museum, a gallery, or a place with lots of outdoor sculptures. Plan to just stroll through the rooms, letting your child decide which rooms to spend more time in. Pause often to talk about what you see. If possible, try to find a museum that specializes in tours for children. Sometimes they may have exhibits that are especially geared towards the little ones.

Sock Pumpkin Craft

What You Need

• Orange paint
• Green paint
• Black construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Paint brushes (medium size)
• A tube sock or athletic sock
• Stuffing for the sock (crumpled paper will work)
• Rubber bands or green yarn/string

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take your crumpled up paper and stuff the foot section on the sock and tie it off where the foot and tube part meet with a rubber band or green yarn. 
2. Paint the entire foot of the sock (the area below the tied off area) orange and allow it to dry before continuing.
3. While waiting for the paint to dry, cut shapes for a jack-o-lantern face using the black construction paper.
4. Paint top of sock (the remaining white part of the sock) green, this will be the pumpkins stem. Allow it to dry and trim it to the desired stem length. 
5. Take the black paper face pieces and glue them onto the sock to create your sock jack-o-lantern.
6. Use different size socks to create pumpkin families or your very own pumpkin patch.