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.