Fun Things To Do With Kids Over Holiday Break

With the kids home from school this week parents will be looking for activities to do with the kids.

Here a few ideas:

Cooking– Involve your child in the holiday cooking. Under supervision, letting them help you in the kitchen can be a great learning experience. Reinforce counting and measuring as they help you measure the ingredients. Let them help pour the ingredients into 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. Education.com has some 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. It will just cost you 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.

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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 TreeNever 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 FireplaceIt 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

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Ways to Introduce Your Kids to Foreign Languages

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. We found some successful ways to help your young one to learn a new language.Click here to read the article.

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A Big-Kid Bed for Your Toddler

Parents struggle to figure out the right time to move their toddler from a crib to a big kid bed. Toddlers struggle with how to deal with this new freedom. We found some advice to make the tradition easier for everyone. Click here to read the article.




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Stopping Tantrums

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 of 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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7 Tips for Teaching Children Gratitude

With the holiday season almost here, some families like to focus on teaching their children to be thankful. The question is how do we teach our children to be thankful and to help other? Here are 7 tips for teaching kids children gratitude. Click here to read the article



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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 a 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.

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Kids and 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 downtime (naps and quiet 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 quiet time to cuddle during the day. Find a quiet 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 take a big problem and break 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 your family doctor.


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Combat Toy Room Clutter

With the holidays sneaking up quickly some parents start to purge the toys their children don’t play with anymore to make room for the new ones coming in. The hardest part is trying to organize the toys and figure out where to put everything while making the room accessible for the kids. Here are a few tips to help combat the toy room clutter. Click here to read the article.

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What to do with all that Halloween Candy

Wow, Halloween is almost here, you may be wondering what to do with the candy your kids will receive 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 oven, leaving you with a yummy treat. Here are some possible recipes:

Add candy to homemade ice cream
Bake cookies with peanut butter cups or M&M’s
Bake Peppermint Patty Brownies


Use Your Candy for Play
Try using candy for play and learning 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.




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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? Click here to read the whole article.

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Trick or Treating Safety Tips

Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids, and to help ensure they have a safe holiday, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) put together a comprehensive list of safety tips. Here are a few highlights. To read the full list click on this link American Academy of Pediatrics.

Costume:
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.


Walking at Night

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.

Healthy Food:

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 homes, 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.

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Dealing with Bullies

We don’t want to think about it, but at some point, your child may run into a bully. You can’t always be there to help, but you can teach your child about how to cope with bullying and the importance informing a parent or another adult if bullying occurs. Click here to read the tips.

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7 Ways to Keep Cool with Preschoolers

Your child may be well adjusted and easy going in school, but when you bring them home after a long day of school, the transition may not be so easy. We found 7 tips to help you and your child to have a smooth transition between school and home. Click here to read the tips

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Reading Consistently to Your Kids

Good reading habits are a big factor in your child’s academic success. It’s very important to start off on the right foot by reading consistently with your kids each week, even during the summer. Here are some tips you can use to encourage your child to be a good reader.

1. Build time for reading into your daily routine

Reading with your child is a good way to let them know that you think reading is important. It can also help parents judge the reading level of a child. If you are reading to your children on a regular basis you will be the first to recognize their areas for improvement

2. Make reading fun

Kids are much more likely to enjoy reading when they perceive it as fun. Here are some tips to keep reading fun.

· Pick books that they will enjoy

· Try using props to help tell the story. This works great with young children.

· Switch up the surroundings. Try reading all around the house and when that gets boring, try reading at the library or in the park.

· Make reading interactive. Ask questions or tell them about your experiences that relate to the story.

3. Read by example
Let your child see you reading on a regular basis. Tell them what you are reading. Show them that reading is important, interesting and enjoyable. Let them use your tablet or eReader. Support their reading habit as much as possible. Money spent now on books will be paid back later in success in school.

Have fun reading!

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Nap time Tips

We know that nap time is important for babies. To get the most benefits out of sleep, it’s also important to reduce stress leading up to nap time. We found some common ways you can help reduce stress and promote peaceful napping. Click here to read the article.

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Communicating With Teachers

Open communication with teachers is an important guiding principle at the Goddard School. With the new school year underway, you might be wondering how to best communicate with their child’s teachers to keep the lines of communication open so everyone has a wonderful school year. Here are a few tips to cultivate a strong relationship with your child’s teacher:


Take time to touch base with your child’s teacher on a regular basis. Find time before and after school to have quick conversations with your child. These quick conversations can be a great supplement to parent/teacher conferences. But be conscious not to cut into your teachers daily planning and preparation time.

Spend time in your child’s classroom if possible. Many schools advocate parent participation through reading to children and helping out with class activities. Not only does this help your teacher out, it is a great way to experience how your child and teacher interact.

If your child’s teacher comes to you with a problem or if you have to address a concern with your child’s teacher, try the following:

Listen to the teacher's point of view

Express your concerns calmly and productively

Avoid assigning blame

Collaborate to determine the proper solution to the problem

It is important that you and your child’s teacher work as a team. Working as a team offers consistency at home and at school and results in stronger, quicker solutions.

The main thing to remember is that working together to find out the best way to help your child will help to foster a positive and nurturing learning environment and set the stage for a great school year.

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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.

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Packing Healthy Lunches

It’s that time of year again and the kids are going back to school. Many parents struggle with what to pack in their child’s lunch. Here are a few healthy lunch ideas that hopefully will keep you and your little ones happy.

•Cold-cut roll ups (lean, low-fat turkey, ham, or roast beef with low-fat cheese on whole wheat tortillas)

•Single portion-sized cups of unsweetened applesauce or fruit without added sugar

•Trail mix made with cereals, nuts, pretzels, dried fruit or raisins, and a few chocolate morsels

•Low-fat cheese spread on whole wheat crackers

•Veggie sticks with low-fat dip or dressing

•Baked chips or pretzels are a better choice than high-fat potato chips or cheese snacks

•Whole grain bagels topped with cream cheese-vegetable spread

•Air-popped popcorn flavored with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese

•Low-fat cheese cubes and seedless grapes make a delicious side dish for sandwiches or wraps

•Cold strips of grilled chicken with honey mustard dip

•Dried cranberries or cherries are a sweet alternative to raisins

•Cold pizza (shredded mozzarella cheese with pizza sauce on a flour tortilla, whole wheat pita, English muffin, or mini pizza shell)

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When Your Child is Left Out

We all remember how it felt the first time we were left out of something. It may have been a birthday party, or not being picked for a game. SheKnow.com talks about this issue and whether it is intentional or not, that it happens to all children. Click here to read the article.

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