Dealing with Separation Anxiety

Many parents dread the idea of dropping their child off at school because their child has separation anxiety.  Here are some simple steps you can take that may help make your drop off routine a little easier for you and your little one.  Click here to read the article.

Bad Words

The walls have ears. This is particularly true when you have a toddler. Everything said around the house and outside of the house can be heard by your toddler. And, every once in a while, even though you try to shield their tiny ears from harsh words, they hear a curse or other not so nice word. So it’s not stretch that one day your toddler will say a curse not knowing the meaning behind it.

It’s really a factor of did they know the meaning behind the word or were they just trying out a new word. In most cases, children under three don’t understand if a word is a curse and thus not appropriate to say. The best way to deal with this situation might be to simply ignore it. Chances are they won’t say it again.

If your child is three or older, they might not know the meaning of the word but chances are that they know that it’s inappropriate to say. In this case, you should explain to your child that the language is not acceptable. It also might be tempting to laugh or make a joke out of the offensive language but, this could send the wrong message to your child and reinforce the bad habit.

Here are a few steps to help your child understand the consequences of bad words.

• Explain how harsh or bad words can make others feel and how others might perceive them.
• Ask your child if they understand the meaning behind the word. Ask them what they were feeling when they said the word. This will give you some context around what they meant and what the feeling they were trying to express.
• Show them that there are alternatives to expressing themselves with bad words and negativity.

Most young children grow out of it with a little help and guidance form their families.

Celebrating the New Year with Kids

With the New Year just a few days away, you can plan a fun New Years bash with your kids that’s fun and educational. Kids can feel left out of New Year’s celebrations because they can’t make the late night. 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, so plan your party around the world clock and ring in the New Year like you are in another part of the world. This is a great teaching moment to learn about other places in the world and maybe reinforce geography. Another option is ring in the New Year at noon.

Pick activities that the whole family can participate in, make sure you take lots of pictures. Have them make a scrapbook, or make cards welcoming in the new year. Even have them help bake a cake for the birthday of the New Year.

Another activity is to help each other think of resolutions. Make posters or collages that represent the resolutions as motivation for sticking to them. This can help your child learn how to follow through with something they say they want to do.
A great family craft would be to make a family time capsule filled with photos from the last year, letters from each family member and pictures drawn by the kids. Save it for the next New Year's Eve party.

Make noisemakers by filling a toilet paper roll with rice or dry beans. Cover both ends with paper and decorate the tube. Shake it as the ball drops to welcome the new year.

Whatever you decide to do have a safe and wonderful New Year from your friends at the Goddard School.