Circle of Friends, Making a Circle of Friends.

Our friends are making a project called "A Circle of Friends" Each child is making "Friends" that for their creation.

Rainbow Art

Friends in the Junior group are using sponge brushes with water colors.

Friendship Bracelets

Our Pre-K group is cutting colored plastic straws into small beads to string on pipe cleaners.

Motor Skills Activity

Our friends are busy writing with chalk on patio and erasing what they made with soapy water and plastic scrubbers!

When One Activity Carries Over Into Another...

What happens when you make putty from glue, starch and food color and mix it with water and plastic insects? Fun! and science... This is our Junior, or Pre-K group mixing and creating.

Fun with the "Junior" Group!

Felt tip markers and paper plate shakers filled with beans!

Snack Time

Fun at snack time! Carrots, broccoli, and celery with dip...

Great Ideas Grow on Trees!

Miss Carmen had a great idea for fun with our friends! She and friends collected small pinecones from our trees and painted them with glitter paint and small brushes!

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Water Table

Even our very small friends enjoy water. As Fall slowly finds us, we are trying to find as much time with water while it is still warm.

Water Colors with friends

Any activities which include water can be soothing. We are working together which builds social skills and vocabulary. We are learning about science as we mix colors and take them from a solid to a liquid with water.

Everyone looks like they're having such fun!

"Senior" Group Activities

Here are our friends in the "Senior" or Pre-K group working on a kitchen utensil memory game, leadership reading (children reading to each other), and Little bears counting game.

Collage Project with Miss Carmen!

Here is the "Junior" group with Miss Carmen working with pens, glue and collage materials.

Looking for Stuff to do with the Kids?

Click here for a list of activities and events in the community.Be sure to scroll down for more info...

Curriculum for July

To view what we are doing every day in July click here. Our themes for this month are "Ants on the go" and "Around the Campfire"

Biting

Biting
Biting is a behavior that is not uncommon among young children. The reasons why children bite other people differ from child to child. It is quite natural for children around one year of age to bite their parents or anyone else who happens to be within reach. Most often in this age group, children bite to reduce the pressure on their sensitive gums due to teething.
True biting, not due to teething, can become a problem with children between 18 and 30 months of age. Children at this age are often unaware of the pain that biting causes to other children and to adults.
Although it is common for children to bite others while playing, this type of behavior warrants immediate action. Not only is biting extremely painful for children who are bitten, but it often leads to more fighting within the play group. Biters also run the risk of becoming unpopular with their playmates.
Young children often bite in response to frustration, anger, or excitement. Thus, it is important for parents and caretakers to be aware of what situations lead to biting behaviors. Such knowledge may help parents better understand the causes of biting behavior.
What Can Be Done?
Biting is not something that has to be endured until children are old enough to "know better." There are many steps that can be taken to both prevent and solve biting problems.

Prevention
*Set Limits. To prevent biting from occurring, parents and caretakers should set limits before young children play together. Rules should be simple, like taking turns and sharing. Parents and caretakers should consistently enforce these rules.
*Catch children being good. Parents and caretakers should compliment children for getting along. Complimenting children will serve as a reward for good behavior. It will provide recognition to children who behave instead of to those who misbehave.
*Supervise play closely. Parents and caretakers should pay attention to what is going on in the play group. They should intervene before conflicts get out of hand. Structuring play periods may cut down on the opportunities that lead to biting.
*Watch what you teach. Parents and caretakers who use yelling, spanking, or any aggressive behavior as a form of discipline for children run the risk of teaching children that aggressive behavior is acceptable in certain situations, especially in solving conflicts. Adults who hit, yell, and/or throw things when they are mad are teaching their children to be aggressive when they are mad.

WIntervention
*Identify times when biting occurs. Parents and caretakers should observe times and situations when children resort to biting. They should use this information to change or avoid these situations. For example, if children bite whenever they play in a large play group, steps should be taken to limit the number of children in the group. Or, if children bite whenever they are with a specific playmate, steps should be taken to separate the two children during play time. If a pattern to the biting behavior is detected, the situations that lead to the biting behavior, if possible, should be avoided. It may be necessary for parents and caretakers to simplify play times, to make play groups smaller, and to make play periods shorter.
*Use brief time outs. Parents and caretakers should use a brief reprimand, such as, "No biting. Biting hurts. Time out." They should then place the children who bite in time-out. These children should be allowed to return to the play group after they are quiet and under control. Parents or caretakers should then provide positive attention, showing children who bite that there are better ways to communicate and be noticed.
*Provide alternatives to biting. Parents and caretakers should tell children what they can do instead of biting. For example, "Instead of biting when you're mad, just walk away." Or, "Instead of biting when you're mad, ask the teacher for help." Children should then be asked to repeat the alternatives back.
*Focus attention on the child who was bitten. Parents and caretakers should give all the toys, fuss, and attention to the bitten child. If children bite for attention, or to get a reaction from adults, they will soon learn that there are better ways to be noticed. If, for example, one child bites another in a dispute over a toy, the toy should be given to the bitten child. This will teach biters that biting will not bring about the desired result.
*Seek professional help for persistent biting. If biting continues to be a chronic problem despite repeated attempts to intervene, professional help may be necessary to clarify the reasons for biting and to eliminate the behavior.

What Not To Do
Biting should not be ignored in the hope that it will quickly go away. In most cases, it will not. No matter how frustrated parents become in their attempts to eliminate biting in children, biting children back to teach them a lesson is NEVER recommended. If this sends any message at all it is that adults hurt people, too. In most cases, very young children are unlikely to make any connection between the hurt they feel from being bitten, and the hurt they have caused by biting.

Things To Remember
In most cases biters cease biting as their language skills increase. As language skills improve, children become able to use words to express frustration and anger. This usually occurs around the age of three. With firmness and consistency in confronting and dealing with biting behavior, most biters get the message and quickly stop biting.
Finally, a bite that breaks the skin can cause an infection. If the skin is broken, it is important to wash the injury thoroughly with soap and water, and then apply a sterile dressing and secure it with adhesive tape. A doctor should look at the wound as soon as possible.

--Courtesy of Child Care Provider: Laura Valdez Laura’s Day Care & Preschool Lic. #60487 www.laurasdaycare. com E-mail: lauravaldez@ laurasdaycare. com E-mail: lauravaldez07@ comcast.net

Lots of Tools to Create Bubbles

At the sensory table we have liquid bubble mix with lots of different types of things to make bubbles with; bubble wands, pipe cleaners, the inside of plastic toy boats, even sunglasses with th lenses popped out. Anything that has a center you can blow through can be used as a bubble maker. Parents who wish to try this a home can make bubbles with this homemade recipe:
Basic Bubble Mix. 1/2 gallon of water; 3/4 cup of joy liquid dish detergent; 1/4 cup of glycerin. Mix and let sit for at least 1 day. Store in a sealed container.

Cirlces

Our shape for this week is the circle. Our friends are dipping the tops of pencils into red paint to create little circles on their paper!

Bubbles, Bubbles. Our theme for the next 2 weeks...

Bubbles. Lots of jobs use bubbles. We can find them at the car wash. Here our friends have volunteered to wash the rocking horses with soapy sponges! Such hard workers...

Click the title (its a link) to view other activities that we have planned for the next two months with, what else, BUBBLES!

Bubbles, Bubbles: lots of jobs use bubbles...

Our friends are exploring bubbles while washing dishes. Lots of people use bubbles in their jobs. Dishwasher is one job that uses them.

Click the title to see what we are doing for the next 2 weeks!!

New Play Structure!

Tapioca with soil -A Frog Pond Simulation

Here are a couple of friends who were very busy last week coloring and glueing in the warm summer morning. Below is our new play structure that my husband just built (right before we put the playground bark in around it). We are hoping that after the summer we will have obtained our license for a larger child care (we only have a license for a small child care at this time). Alot of effort and time has gone into what it takes to be cleared by the fire department in preparation for the change. Though we will hopefully have the license in the fall, chances are good that I will still remain a small child care until next spring, unless I can find a great assistant. :)

Families and Friends can click here to view what we are doing every day for the next two weeks.
This is also great for stay home parents who would like to have some planned activities to do with their children.

My apologies for not posting for a while... More pic's of our activities to come shortly!
Thanks. I hope everyone had a great Father's Day and is staying cool in the heat...

When Parents Disagree - By Patty Hone

When Parents Disagree by: Patty Hone
Moms and dads, are there times you think that parenting would be easier if you didn't have to make family decisions? Having a partner that is not in agreement with your parenting ideas or discipline approaches is more than just frustrating. It can be a cause of division in even the best of relationships.

Furthermore, how you handle your disagreements will have a direct impact on your relationship with your partner and with your children. It would be great if every couple agreed on everything but that is an unlikely event. One partner may have been raised in a relaxed environment; another may have been raised in a very strict home.

What is acceptable by one partner may be appalling to another. It is important to discuss with your partner what your parenting objectives are. Decide what values are important to both of you. You will find that some things are more important to you than to your partner and vice versa.

Here are some steps you can do to work towards resolving parenting disagreements.
1. Discuss your parenting objectives. What is important to both of you? Sit down with your partner and decide what values are most important. Also what areas are not as important?
2. Talk about where your children are developmentally and what they are capable of understanding. Sometimes the reasons for parenting disputes are because one partner thinks that a child is capable of understanding something and the other disagrees. Knowing what your child's cognitive level is will help you to make better decisions. Do not compare your child to other children. You can use examples based on what they are capable of doing and not doing. For instance, if you ask them to get something out of their toy box, do they understand and go get it? If not expecting your child to be able to understand certain things may be unreasonable. 3. Find out what both of your parenting strengths and weaknesses are. Many times both parents want the same things for their kids. Compliment your partner on his/her strengths. Don't just point out your partner's flaws.
4. The majority of parenting disagreements are over discipline methods and when it is appropriate to discipline. One parent may think that spanking is the best method and the other may prefer time outs or something else. One of the most effective ways to resolve this issue is to talk about it. Find out the reasons why your partner feels the way he/she does. There are pros and cons to every form of parenting. Talk about why your partner thinks his/her discipline style is the better method. Sometimes talking about it will help you to see each other's point of view. 5. If the discussion gets heated, agree to disagree. Fighting about how to parent is only going to make the situation worse. Walk away, take a break and discuss it when you are not angry.
6. Plan ahead. Discuss problem situations you are having with your children. For instance, if you are having a problem with your child having temper tantrums, discuss how you think this should be handled. If you have a plan in action, it will be easier for both of you to follow each other's wishes.
7. Pick your battles. Some things you may never agree on. You don't have to agree on everything. Find the issues that are most important to you and work on resolving those first.
8. Do not argue about parenting in front of your children. This is easier said than done. The best way to handle a situation you don't agree with is not to interrupt but to wait till later and then discuss how you think it could have been handled differently.
9. Work on role modeling communication. If your children see that you communicate and problem solve together, they will grow up to do the same. Children often repeat patterns of their own parents. Look at your relationship and evaluate how you communicate. Is this the way you would like your children to communicate with their future partner?
10. Parenting and relationships are a growing process. The more you communicate the better parent/partner you will be. Learn from each other and listen to each other. Build on your parenting strengths and tackle your parenting weaknesses a little at a time. It won't happen over night but if you continue to discuss things with your partner calmly and positively you will become better parenting partners.

About The AuthorPatty Hone is a wife and mommy to three kids. She is also the owner of Justmommies.com. Justmommies is an online community for mommies to make friends and find support. Please visit Justmommies at http://www.justmommies.com. email@justmommies.com

How to Help Your Child When a Pet Dies.

Parents are often concerned about adopting a pet knowing that a pet's life span is shorter than humans. Will our children understand if this pet dies? Psychologists generally agree, however, that if parents help a child handle the loss of a pet well, the experience can aid them in coping with future deaths - both human and animal.

1.Be truthful with your child. Explain what has happened to the pet. If your child is too young to fully understand the concept of death, this is an excellent opportunity to tell him your views and explain the process of death. Children think that death is a temporary thing, so you will need to explain that the pet will not be coming back. Older children will need help in coming to terms with their feelings about death, as well as the loss of a beloved pet.

2.Help your child express their feelings. We all go through the same emotions when the death of someone we love occurs whether that someone is human or animal. First we may deny the death or just pretend that it doesn't matter to us. Then we will feel anger toward others or toward our lost one. We will try to analyze what could have been done differently so they would not have died. Parents need to help children vocalize their feelings and not try to deny their feelings. We should just know that each stage is a necessary step in the grieving process.

3.Acknowledge the power of grief. Grief over a pet's passing can be as powerful for adults and children as the grief over losing a close human companion. If we are accepting and understanding of this grief, it will be resolved more easily. We can offer our perspective about life and death, and the sense that these feelings change with time.

4.Don't automatically replace the pet. When we go out and substitute another kitten or puppy for the deceased one, we don't give our child the chance to deal with the reality of loss. Replacing a pet can also encourage denial. In a sense, we are saying "See, Snowball didn't really die. Here she is in another form." Let your child ask for a new pet rather than taking it for granted that they want a new one.

5.Reassure your child that she's not at fault. Children may feel responsible for occurrences in their lives because they view the world egocentrically. They need to hear that the anger they may have had toward a pet, or the wishes they had that the pet would leave them alone, had absolutely nothing to do with its death.

6.Celebrate your pet's life. Instead of ignoring your pet's passing or having a mournful funeral, create a ceremony with your child that eulogizes the special qualities that your pet brought into your lives. Have your child help structure the event and express his feelings about his companion, if he wishes. Memorial services can bring closure to a sad event, and when we join with others in saying good-bye to a companion, we feel supported. We also get a sense that death is part of the ongoing process of life.

We Have 1 Preschool Opening (Ages 2-5).

Click on title to go directly to our official website for more details.
Click on image to enlarge. ;)

Diaper Rash

Diaper Rash. There are a few different causes that I am aware of, and there are some very effective ways of treating these rashes. I am not a doctor however, and when in doubt always check with your pediatrician. The following information is from my experience working with children.

The rashes are ususally big red blochy areas on the buttocks and surrounding areas. (if the rash has small red dots seek medical assistance right away, it could be a yeast infection, impetigo or worse).

One cause of diaper rash is food alergy. Highly acidic foods that are notorious for causing rashes are strawberries, tomatoes, oranges and juices. Not all children will have a reaction to these foods, but if there is a reaction, diet is a good place look first.

Another cause is teething. Some children develop symptoms such as rash in the diaper area, runny nose and fussiness. Again not all children will display all or any of these symptoms.

The best care for a diaper rash is to keep the area as clean and dry as possible. Here are some suggestions.

1. Change the child as often as possible. We change every hour to hour and a half (or when needed).


2. After changing, let the area "air: out (fan or keep diaper off for a minute).


3. Apply an ointment which forms a barrier between the child's skin and wetness (Creamy Desitin works best in my opinion (some do not like the smell and if you use the regular, instead of creamy, it will not glide on as easily -- that can really be traumatic to a child with a rash!). Some others: A&D ointment, or Boardeaux's Butt Paste is great; it forms a barrier and smells like cinnamon. Some even use a powder over the paste. I have found this works well, (but is not necessary if you use the cream).


4. Another very helpful treatment (and I like using this for children who have chronic rashes), is filling a sanitary spray bottle with warm water and apple cider vingegar or white vinegar (one teaspoon per 16oz.) and spraying the affected area; wiping with a clean cloth or paper towel (instead of wipes).


5. If it is suspected that the diet may be the cause, temporarily change the child's diet to "trusted" (foods the child has a history of not being alergic to), and bland foods with low acidity). Gradually reintroduce new foods one at a time and look for reactions.

I will keep adding to this post as I find more information. Please feel free to add comments and your experiences.

Valentine Project Slideshow!

Our friends are using pink crepe strips, tempura paint and paper plates to construct a valentine treat holder.

Water Table Activities...

In The Housekeeping Area...

The Letter "O"

Our friends are glueing pasta to the letter "O"

This is a great fine motor activity, and builds vocabulary and social skills as they work together.