I was presented with an interesting article the other day:
How Childcare Boosts Social Capital

It is nice to see that someone has committed to a study on relationships that working parents, working moms specifically, form through their daily interactions at their child(ren)’s child care center. As administrators, we watch these bonds form between moms. Casual, “hello’s,” followed by quick conversations such as, “have you ever experienced this with your child?” To more, in depth conversations around family history, vacation plans and even, “do you want to get together for a play date?”

These bonds working moms form with other working moms are quite important for a few different reasons. First, it’s nice to know that other women are experiencing the same things they are – rushed mornings getting the children out the door, making sure they remembered to pack everything needed for school, the dreaded “turn-around” when they realize they forgot that “can’t-live-without” teddy, the normal stresses from work, thinking about what’s for dinner, and the list could go on. Having other moms commiserate with these daily grinds is comforting. Upon dropping off their children they think, “I’m glad it’s not just me!” Other times they might even think “Wow! And I thought I had it bad!” leaving with a little more bounce in their step on the way to work.

Another reason these bonds are important is that lasting friendships can develop. The moms might find that even though their children aren’t necessarily in the same class or may not even really play with each other, they can get together outside of their children for a girl’s night out. These outings provide an outlet for moms to discuss in more detail their daily tribulations providing a much needed stress release helpful to all those surrounding them.

Yet another reason these interactions are important is that a sense of “family” develops. For many working parents extended family members are scattered all across the country, even the world. Finding alternative care when a child is sick or someone to pick up a child when working late can be quite stressful. The extended family that emanates between these moms can be quite the lifesaving tool in so many ways.

If you have a child in a family or center-based child care setting, take a few moments to chat with another parent. You just might be amazed by all the benefits of childcare that can be reaped.

- Sarah

Do Not Discourage Self Play

Many specialists in early childhood development point out to the disturbing trend in the decline of self-initiated, lone-participating play time, such time where no outside influence is directing the manner of play or even teaching the ‘how’ of specific play. Teachers in early childhood educational settings have been reporting a tendency for many children to only participate in “group” play. This may inhibit the ability for a child to freely explore different and new behaviors from active to quiet or a combination of the two. Children initiating self-play like running on a school track will discover how this activity affects them both physically and mentally. Also, quiet activity like listening to music or flipping pages through a picture book will also present sounds and sights that need interpretation – on some level. Furthermore, staring at the pedal car and attempting to move it uses cognitive and physical skills combined.

Playing in the Moment

The distinctive difference between play engaged by young children and that exhibited by much older children is that toddlers not only live in the moment, they also play in the moment. The choice for play is directed by limited experience as well as environmental influences. Once a child reaches pre-school age, play takes on a completely different social aspect to its activity. Often objects used in toddler play can represent two different “concepts.” Also, a toddler’s attention span is not at all developed and other stimulation can easily act as a distraction compelling the child to go in a different direction of play. It’s almost like a Joycian “streams of consciousness effect; where a child may begin playing quietly interacting with a book and then the next moment decides to start barking like a dog. Toddlers rarely play by the rules. Older children develop a need to be interested in what other children are doing when at play. Toddlers, by nature of being in a naturally segregated point in life, usually tend to initiate solo play, even if occupying space in a room full of other same age children.

Toddlers Exhibit Different Play

Toddler play can be categorized into three separate kinds: practice, symbolic and rules-based.

• Practice Play – is seen in the early years involving repetitive actions and movements. This is where the famous “Peek-a-Boo” found its origin. The repetitive action hiding behind a blanket or pair of hands is a form of practice play.
• Symbolic Play – involves a child recreating during play sessions actions and objects observed throughout their environment, Here is where a sense of being independent develops where a child realizes they are separate entities from parents, siblings, caregivers and other people sharing their universe.
• Rules-based – play begins when children are involved in activity that can only be performed in a certain manner to arrive at a particular result such as putting that square peg in the square space. Remember calling to your toddler to press the button for the “moo” sound? Children through rules-based play learn to associate activity with specific outcomes.

Different Stages of Child Play

There are distinct stages of child play that explain how children interact with one another. The three stages are:

• Solitary Independent Play – shows how a child will interact with objects within their immediate interest zone, playing alone even if there are other children present.
• Parallel Play – occurs when two children play sitting next to each other with similar toys watching how the other interacts with the object but never sharing it.
• Associative Play – involves children interacting with one another yet not necessarily having any organization to this activity or even a common goal for its purpose.
• Cooperative Play – is the most sophisticated form. Children “cooperate” with one another in the creation of the play atmosphere where each child involved accepting an assigned role in the activity.

Young toddlers first involved in group activities such as a pre-school classroom setting are mostly involved in associative or parallel play. Older, more experienced, pre-schoolers will emerge through a cooperative stage before going on to kindergarten. Solitary Independent play is typically evident with home-bound toddlers.

Play possesses an important role in childhood development. It also paves the road for children to greet a more social-skills demanding world.

The change from Summer to School can be difficult for children as they move from a more relaxed schedule to one that requires an earlier bedtime in order to get up earlier, a quicker pace before heading off to school or a whole list of other changes that inevitably take place during this time of year. Here are a few ideas to help your child prepare for the start of the school year:

• Talk to your child – If there will be a change in your child’s schedule let them know ahead of time. If they will be getting to school earlier or later let them know so they can expect the change. Children need to feel in control and knowing there will be a change can reduce the amount of anxiety a child may feel.
• Start your routine – Don’t wait until the day before to begin the new routine. Try to start a few weeks ahead of time so everyone gets on schedule helping to make the first day / week less stressful.
• Be excited – If parents demonstrate a positive attitude about the upcoming school year children tend to become excited as well. Let children know that they will have a lot of fun, make new friends and learn new things.
• Meet your child’s teacher – If at all possible schedule a time to meet your child’s teacher and allow your child to go with you. Knowing their teacher’s name and seeing his/her face will be helpful come that first day of school!
• Be prepared – Try to get school supplies, lunches (if needed), clothes and any other items that must make their way to the car ready the night before. Eliminating the mad rush in the morning starts everyone’s day on a positive note!

For more read the following article: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-07-27/features/sfe-sfp-school-anxiety_1_child-first-day-anxiety

Most of your children ready for potty-training spend a considerable amount of time at Creative Years, so it becomes as much our responsibility to initiate and continue the process of training as it is for you as parents. We are not experts on the art of potty training, but we are “experienced” in the methods that have proved effective in a childcare setting. Below is an outline of the process we use here and have found to be the most successful.

Talk with Your Child’s Teachers

When you feel that your child is ready to be trained, please discuss it with one of your child’s teachers. We prefer to train only one new child each week, which helps us to create a positive training schedule for all.

No More Diapers (and/or Pull-ups)!

Potty training should begin on the Saturday morning before the Monday agreed upon by teacher and parent. This simply involves removing your child’s diapers and begin the use of regular underwear for the entire weekend (with the exception of naptime and bedtime). The child should be brought to school Monday morning in regular underwear. It often helps to make a big deal about your child getting to wear “big boy/girl” underwear. Allow your child to go to the store with you to buy some special pairs.

Frequent Visits to the Bathroom

Begin by bringing your child to the bathroom every 30 to 45 minutes. Hopefully you will avoid accidents and at the same time make the child familiar and comfortable with the toilet. This will probably seem like the longest and most torturous two days of your life, but it does get better! I suggest that you select a weekend that both mom AND dad are home and one in which you do not have plans that will take you away from the house.

Below is a list of other suggestions that may make this time a little easier:

• Reward your child for any success on the toilet. Leave a small container of your child’s favorite treat (M&M’s, raisins, gumdrops, etc.) in the bathroom where the child can see. If you prefer your child does not have sweets, stickers are always a big hit too!
• Do not leave your child on the toilet for long periods of time. If your child does not go in 10 minutes, chances are slim that he/she will go during this outing. Prolonging this time on the toilet is frustrating for both child and parent. Do not become frustrated if your child has an accident immediately after an uneventful outing on the toilet. This is very common and is your child’s way of showing independence. Just change your child’s soiled clothing and continue the process.
• Disrupting the training process by putting diapers on your child at certain times because it might be more convenient is very detrimental to the training process. This lack of consistency will only confuse the child and becomes a hindrance in training. We will not potty train a child who is wearing diapers at home or comes to school in diapers during the training process.
• Even with all of the preparation and energy that you might put forth, some children are not ready to be potty trained and you cannot force a child to be potty trained. If it does not work the first time around, do not push training; the time is not right.
• Even if you are not actively ready to begin to train your child it helps to talk about it; let them become familiar and “unafraid” of the toilet. Let them spend time on the toilet and let them wear training pants on different occasions.
• Do not get frustrated! It really helps to have both parents involved even if it is just for moral support. You will never be so happy to put diapers on your child as you will be that first night! Try not to overreact or reprimand your child for accidents. Save this energy for praises when your child successfully uses the toilet. When your child does have an accident, calmly change the child and continue with the process. An accident should bring no positive or negative reaction from the parent, but a successful outing on the toilet should bring as much positive reinforcement that a parent can muster.
• Communicate with teachers in the beginning on a daily basis. We will certainly fill you in every night, but we also want to know your progress at home.

Now that you have read how “simple” it is to potty train your child I’m sure you are anxious to begin! If we can be of any help to you (perhaps with a shoulder to cry on) please do not hesitate to ask any questions or voice any concerns you may have. We are here to help.

Together we can make your child’s potty training a positive experience for all.

Good Luck!

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to speak with us at any time.

Children and Music: Let Them Learn, Let Them Play

Both learning an instrument and listening to music has been proven to:

• Develop and improve on your kids’ concentration levels. Learning an instrument teaches them discipline and to follow direction. Simply listening will allow them to focus on certain melodies and sounds, and the steady beat.
• Learning an instrument will increase dexterity and coordination, as well as muscle memory and sometimes posture.
• Self confidence is boosted if they can sing along to the music in front of the family, or play an instrument in front of an audience.

If musical training is what you would like to pursue with your child, here is a great article by Laura Yeh.

Do You Play An Instrument

“Some kids will become accomplished musicians, feeling passionate about the act of making music and performing. Others will enjoy a casual musical experience, playing their instrument just for the joy, relaxation and creativity of it. Either way, parents who share their love of music with their children give them a lifelong gift.”

It is never too early to teach your kids the importance of chores. Recognizing chores as an important activity will lead to a sense of accomplishment, responsibility, gratification, and a clean house.

A clever way to get your kids to engage in this activity is to lose the title all together. “Chores” sounds like grunt labor. “What a chore! This is horrible!” Create a positive aspect surrounding them. Make the activity a daily routine, and don’t make too much of a big deal out of it- don’t make it seem like a chore.

Chores and Children: What They Can Do

Tasks like folding laundry, sweeping, putting away toys (very important), feeding the pets and sorting the recycling can be rewarding for everyone. Make a game out of it, or a challenge.

• Teach your toddler to arrange their toys back in the toy bin or shelf in certain orders, like color, size and shape
• Folding laundry can teach your children about colors, shapes, halves, quarters, and neatness
• Explain that feeding the pets will help them grow strong and stay healthy
• Go green! If your child understands recycling, it is a great platform for him/her to understand the world.
• Cleaning the bathroom and kitchen will teach them about germs and bacteria, and ways to stay healthy by avoiding them.

Of course, if your kids are unwilling to participate in these activities, there are plenty of ways to encourage them.

• Draw up a chart and check off finished tasks. Once all tasks are performed, give them a treat.
• Depending on age, this would be a great chance to teach them about earning and saving money. Create an allowance based on the number of tasks performed.
• Create an incentive program for tasks completed without being asked.
• If you have more than one child, rotate responsibilities, allowing the youngest to take responsibility for what is usually the oldest’s tasks. Giving them a sense of maturity and moving forward.

Most toddlers are erratic eaters, or so it seems. If they eat a whole mess of fruits one day, they may avoid them the next day. It’s not that they don’t enjoy your efforts; they just know they don’t want the apples today. If given the opportunity, and only one choice, they will gorge on that by choice.

Toddlers will naturally eat what they need. A great way to ensure they get a bit of everything is to offer them the choice of what they eat. Set up a tray of little bite sized nibbles for noshing. Granted, some may wind up on the floor, ceiling or the dog, but you will have a baby with a balanced diet. Here are a few components of the noshing tray:

• carrot sticks, cooked and cooled
• cottage cheese
• fruit juice sweetened jellies
• cheese sticks
• sliced hard boiled egg
• sliced apples/pears
• discs of banana
• simple yogurt
• peanut butter and honey (consult a pediatrician)

Another effective idea is to make a smoothie for the kiddo. They may prefer to sip their lunch once in a while. Here are a few combinations:

• carrot sticks, apples and parsley, all steamed lightly, and thinned with apple juice
• bananas, blueberries and plain yogurt
• butternut squash, pears and watered down orange juice
• peas, apples and spinach, all steamed. Thin with water or chicken stock

While every child’s tastes are different, it is up to us as parents to reinforce healthy eating, with foods high in nutrients. Try to keep an eye on caloric intake as well, and watch the portion sizes. Most kids will stop eating when they are full. And don’t forget to wash the yogurt off the dog

While a heaping bowl of chunky chicken noodle soup may sound great, some under the weather kids may not agree. Along with your pediatrician’s advice, you can keep the kids nourished with this simple chicken broth. They can sip it from a cup or slurp it from a bowl. There are no chunks of anything, no noodles or carrots or dumplings. Save that soup for when they are feeling better. In fact, this chicken broth recipe makes the perfect base for your chicken noodle soup!

• 1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds, cut in to quarters. Or 3 pounds chicken thighs
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 onion
• 2 ribs celery
• 1 small leek
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 6 whole peppercorns
• 2 quarts cold water

Place all ingredients in a 4 qt stockpot. If the water isn’t covering, add as much as you need for the ingredients to be submerged.

Bring this to a boil over high heat; once it is boiling, lower the heat to low, skim off any impurities and allow to simmer for 45 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer, saving the liquid gold and discarding the other bits. It may seem like a lot of waste, but all of the nutrients and flavor are now in the broth.

Freeze in ice cube trays for single servings (about three cubes worth). Reheat on the stovetop, pour in a tablespoon of good olive oil and let your kids (and you) enjoy!

If generations of grandmas have been prescribing this, it has to be good!

First off, it is cold. Children under 5 or 6 may seriously dislike bundling up, but let them know it is good for them. Reward them with a day of sledding and snowman building.

Layering is important. There are outdoor clothing companies that specialize in winter clothing systems that keep the kids warm, and most importantly, dry. Moisture wicking undergarments, fleece and outer shells are all designed to keep the heat in, and moisture out. They usually make gloves, socks and hats to accompany the undergarments, fleeces, shells and snow pants.

Once you have convinced them to bundle up, get out side! Bring water, juices and snacks if you are planning a trek to the local park for some sledding. They need to stay hydrated and energized. And while sledding is great fun, there are some other creative activities out there:

• Build a snow figure. It doesn’t have to be the traditional “Frosty The Snowman” theme. Get creative with sculpting animals, cars, buildings, and anything else that comes to your imagination. If you want to recreate Michelangelo’s David, go right ahead.
• Kids like forts. Build a snow fort, or an igloo. Build two opposing walls and have a snowball battle.
• If you live near wooded areas, go for a hike and look for animal tracks. While you’re at it, watch for birds
• Stamp out your children’s names in the snow

Activities in snow generally burn more calories, so watch for their energy levels. This is where the snacks and juice come in. After a few hours in a foot of snow, the kids will be tuckered out. Keep them warm all the way home and get them out of their wet winter gear as soon as possible and in to warm pajamas or house clothes. Make some cocoa and warm milk and watch them drift off in to dreamland. These activities will keep your family healthy and happy all winter long.

Adria, incidentally, is an alumni of Creative Years and one of our 1996 graduates! An award-winning dancer and choreographer, Adria also represented New England as Miss Dance of 2008 for Dance Masters of America. She is beginning her third year at UMass Lowell where she is studying Exercise Physiology.

Jaclyn is also an award-winning dancer and choreographer, She just about grew up at the dance studio and has also been involved with dance instruction. She was the 2010 salutatorian at Londonderry High School and will entering Columbia University.

Included in the day’s events will be dance instruction for dance styles such as jazz, ballet, modern, tumble and yes, HIP HOP!

For more summer dance information contact Melissa Hoffman Dance Center.