8 Great Sick-Day Activities

When your child is home from school because they are not feeling well, you may struggle with ways to keep them entertained while the get better.  Scholastic.com offers 8 great sick day activites. From reading stories together to doing a simple craft.  Click here to read the article. 

Why Read To Babies

New moms and dads often are told that they should read to babies, even if they are less than six months old. But if they can’t understand what you’re reading, how does it help your baby? Here are some ways reading to your baby can be beneficial.

• It gradually introduces concepts such as stories, numbers, letters, colors, and shapes that are critical for your child’s development.

• Your baby might not understand but by reading to them you are teaching them to listen.

• Reading can also teach your baby the concept of communication through using sounds before they can speak.

Here are some tips on what types of books work best based on your baby’s age.

• Newborns – books with bright colors and shapes

• 4 and 6 months – books made of cloth and soft materials they can grab onto

• 6 and 12 months – the more pictures the better, your baby is starting to focus

You can’t read too much to your baby so go crazy. Take every opportunity to pull out a book, at the doctor’s office, at the market and in the mall. This will keep your child’s attention and teach them that reading is fun anywhere and anytime. Teach your kids good reading habits and they will keep them for life.

Helping Kids Control Tattletale Behavior

Almost every kid can be a tattletale, but some do it more than others. As parents, it can make us a little crazy when our kids are telling on their siblings every 5 minutes. Scholastic Magazine offers some great advice on helping your child to control tattletale behavior. Click here to read the article

Great Outdoors

Being outside is important for children and this is a great time of year to be outside, with plenty of sunlight and mild temperatures.

The outdoors is a great place for young children to master newly developed physical skills and movement. With today’s busy schedules it’s sometimes difficult to find the time to get outside with your kids. But, considering the important role that activity plays in the physical, social, and emotional development of our children, it’s worth finding the time.

Physical Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children

Childhood obesity is a concerning trend in children. Children who play outside are more likely to maintain a healthy weight because they get the chance to burn off extra calories. They also view play with friends as “play” not exercise, this makes burning off the calories fun. Outdoor play is also important for children because it builds muscles, strengthens bones, conditions the lungs, and improves overall health.

Sunlight helps the body make vitamin D that it needs for the development of healthy bones, and it helps reduce the future risk of conditions such as heart disease, and high blood pressure. But, remember to apply sunscreen on your children before sending them outdoors to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

Parents also receive an added benefit from outside play. Children have the chance to use up all that extra energy that can make them restless around the house. This can lead to better sleep, improved behavior and better concentration.

The benefits of outdoor play for children are endless. Playing outside makes kids happier, by providing a number of physical, social, and emotional developmental perks. 

Dealing With Your Toddler's Sleep Disturbances

A young child waking up in the middle of the night can be hard on the parent and the child.   This article gives some great tips on how to deal with young children waking up in the middle of the night. Click here to read the article.

Benefits of Teaching a Second Language to Young Children

You may think that your toddler is still working on their language skills and that attempting to teach them an additional language would be a waste, but many preschoolers are able to learn a second language. Children can often learn a second language quicker than adults because they aren’t concerned with grammar rules. They learn naturally through play and their brains are more open to absorbing new languages.

What are the benefits of learning a second language?

• Statistics show that students who study a second language perform better academically in verbal skills, logic and math.
• Students gain respect and understanding of family history and diversity.
• They will also become more accepting of differences in people, and more curious about they way they speak and where they are from.

Students will also have a better understanding of the English language. For example, since English has origins in other languages, students can more easily make sense of new vocabulary words.

At The Goddard School Ashburn, we offer Spanish and American Sign Language to our children. We feel that it is very important for children to learn a second language at an early age.

Preschool Bullying: Steps to Stop Child Aggression

With so much talk in the news about bullying, I found this article about preschool bullying and the effect on young children. Click here to read the article

The Benefits of Eating Meals Together

Dining together as a family has become rare in today’s hectic life.  School activities and career demands can make dining together impossible. But, if you can squeeze out time twice a week to sit down together for dinner or any meal, you and your family can benefit in several ways. Eating meals together can help:

• Maintain lines of communication
• Build stronger relationships
• You share the events of the day
• Reduce teen rates of addiction and depression
• Show children how they are the priority in their parent’s lives
• You find out more about your children’s likes and dislikes, which help start meaningful conversations
• Parents guide children toward positive activities and behaviors
• Children get higher grades on average

Sitting down for every family meal simply isn’t possible today, but trying to sit down together a few nights a week can help your children even when you’re not there.

When Children Are Afraid of the Dark

Kids often become afraid of the dark and it is tough to figure out what to do to comfort them.  Here are a few tips to help to take the fear out of sleeping in the dark. Click here to read more.