And all of these wonderful things help children learn so much.

When you take time to make time for your children, everything that happens is helping them learn. 

Casual conversations help children learn strategies to communicate; I talk and you wait and listen, then you talk and I wait and listen, we stand or sit together, look at each other & pay attention only to each other and say things that make sense to our topic… while this seems so easy and “standard” to us, it is a critical and often difficult skill for young children.  They learn it and become good at it through high opportunity to practice.  And that good model and practice depends on you.

Seeing you as a play partner helps children know that what they are good at makes you proud.  This establishes lifelong connections and support of a healthy relationship.  It teaches children to take care of their bodies through learned safety practices and to keep their bodies strong through exercise and healthy habits; climbing, swinging and running is pure exercise – and your kids are good at it!  Take a bag of grapes and bottles of water to the playground as snacks; honestly children will love it when it becomes the standard instead of candy and sugar drinks.

Including children in family and neighborhood get-togethers establishes children in what is often referred to as “their pack.”  There is no question that we are Better Together (B.Bos).  Success in society-and life- relies on the ability to establish and maintain supportive and positive relationships.  Children recognize this very early.  As they grow, establish their role (which changes as their skills develop) in the group, invite their participation, ask for their ideas and celebrate all of the ways that life is better when your children are with you.  This teaches them responsibility, follow through and, most importantly, that who they are and what they think is influential, worthwhile and good!

Laugh with your child.  Really laugh with your child.  Children are funny and find great joy in what we used to find great joy in, but now are too busy to “see”.  It is my experience that babies are just waiting for you to smile and clap; this is great fun and makes them laugh.  Toddlers think it is a riot if you make up silly words and sing them; they know the words are wrong (but not really why) and this makes them laugh.  Preschoolers just plain think you’re funny because they like you, and school agers laugh at silly jokes and stories. 

At all ages, your child wants and needs you to laugh with them. It is good for them, it is better for you.

“Uncle Bryan is hilarious!  Did you hear him laughing so hard?!” C.J.S. age 7, an adoring nephew.

And I think about all the ways children learn about mothers in the world and that special lady that they call their own.
This is a little song being sung in a preschool classroom that has created special pictures of children with their moms and their favorite animal with its mom. It is adorable.

“Be kind to your web-footed friends, A duck may be somebody’s mother.” Silly childhood song

Really – mothers come in all shapes and sizes. The smallest lady bugs, the grizzliest bears and the scaliest lizards all have mothers. And each one protects and cares for her babies in a special way.
Mothers are revered in sonnets and songs. They are immortalized in poem and prose. They are central in drama and dance. Mothers are celebrated on special days and every day.
During this beautiful springtime month of May, enjoy being a mom, a grandma, a special woman in a child’s life and an important part of their family.
Read stories and talk about being a mom with your child. Snuggle up with your little one and read these beautiful books about mothers; The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, I Love You Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt Copy Me, Copy Cub by Richard Edwards and I Will Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. Take some time and really relax for a few minutes with your baby in your arms, your toddler on your lap, your preschooler warm and wrapped up on the couch or your school ager sitting so close that you are breathing in unison. Childhood goes very quickly.
Children celebrate mothers in many ways; with beautiful painted portraits and handmade cards, by planting flowers and decorating pots. There will be set tables and delicious desserts that mom loves. Children will be on their best behavior (at least for a while), and proudly present handmade jewelry and key chains – which are the very best gifts. Cookouts and fancy brunch will be part of special days, every family will tell mom, in absolute certainty, that she is the best mom ever!
And each mom will love it because as children grow and change, a mother’s love does not.

“When you were small and just a touch away, I covered you with blankets against the cold night air. But now that you are tall and out of reach, I fold my hands and cover you with prayer.” Dona Maddux Cooper

Happy Mother’s Day

Most adults have learned about what the 1970's were like in terms of unrest and activism and understand that this was the catalyst for a national effort to celebrate and protect the earth.  Adults also can comprehend past climate changes and weather patterns.

And even though the Weather Channel has a staggering amount of viewers, young children haven’t learned an Earth Day history and have very limited ability to compare climate changes.  Even though our children don’t have the same understanding as adults about Earth Day, there are many ways that we can teach our children to love and protect the earth!

Pay attention as a family; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  Talk about history – this was the tag line for a very successful and sustaining Earth Day campaign in the 1990s. If you Google reduce, reuse, recycle for kids there are many sites that provide information and activities for all age groups.  But it starts at home with adults that model responsible actions and provide language that directs and supports children’s progress in taking care of themselves, their family, their neighborhood and their world.  Help children sort in recycling bins, think about what they use & discard and find crafts to turn a coffee can into a flower pot!

Clean up; while we find yard work another task that needs to be done, children love it!  With an eye for safety – spend a few hours this week picking up litter that has collected in trees, bushes and lawns over the winter.  Grab rakes, a bag or basket and pick-up sticks and twigs. Get a garden plot ready for seeds.  Put out the bird feeders when you check on trees that are budding in spring.  Squirt the driveway and sweep the curb.  Young children need child-size gloves and tools while they help clean up “their” earth.

Get involved; schools, neighborhoods, communities and cities celebrate Earth Day.  Find out what is going on in your community and get involved as a family.  Young children get involved with songs, words and movement.  Read books about the Earth; land, water and air.  Try It’s Earth Day Little Critter by Mercer Mayer and Earth Day – Hooray! By Stuart Murphy as an introduction for children.  Don’t be afraid to make up a little song & dance in celebration of this beautiful world that we live in! Join celebrations and activities.

“Kids and Earth Day are a natural combination -- with their sense of wonder and excitement about the natural environment, as well as their boundless energy. Earth Day is the perfect time to get them involved in games, the arts, music, crafts and anything else that celebrates their world outside.“                    Publisher: Extended Notes Beyond the Classroom

What does this mean?

We have 5 senses: sight, taste, touch, smell and hearing.  We are born with these senses and they become fine-tuned in an incredibly short time in our lives.  At birth, babies’ unclear vision line is about 12 inches, becoming more and more focused; typically they achieve 20/20 vision by 2 years old. (www.about.com) Their senses of touch, smell and taste are influenced not only by their world at birth, but in utero (Origins by Annie Paul).  Hearing is also a significant sense that is one of our windows to the world. “The inner ear is fully developed by the time a mother is about 20 weeks pregnant, and babies are born with fully developed hearing – so your baby is ready to listen and learn from the get-go.” (www.babycenter.com)  Hearing is the gateway to language.

Children learn with and through their whole body.  Children learn best when we invite them to use every bit of their bodies from head to toe!  Young children have amazing muscle development. Starting from their trunk and moving through extremities, in very quick time children literally stretch and expand their muscles to provide them with balance, locomotion and reach.  Within 18 months, babies go from lying flat on their backs to walking.  They are born with clenched fists that they hold tight to their chests. Within a year they are sitting in high chairs feeding themselves cheerios and holding a spoon for their yogurt. (www.cdc.gov/milestones) Movement allows children access to the world.                                                                                      

What does this mean?

The more you talk about the way things smell, look and sound, the more your child learns.  Talk, talk, talk to your children. “Oral language is a key indicator of school success” (Read to Succeed Buffalo.)  Sing songs, tell stories and read. Listen to bells, drums, barking and horns – identify each one.  Invite children into the kitchen when you cook and offer the smells of cinnamon, garlic, oranges and lavender.  Have a taste test: peach jelly tastes different than grape – help children discover their favorites.  Soft blankets feel, look and smell different than stones which are different than corduroy which is different than snow.  Young children don’t know this.  Teach them.

To support your child’s growth, development and learning provide, advocate for and participate in active, big body games like chase, kick ball, jumping, climbing and soccer.  Go to the playground.  Start a family exercise club.  Pay attention to balance, coordination and strength.  As children grow, match their toys to their abilities; sidewalk chalk becomes fine markers, big bouncy balls become ping pong balls and bend-and-stretch exercises progress to jumping jacks and yoga. Bouncing baby dance steps gracefully become ballet.  Make sure you are a dance partner; all of this seems to happen overnight.

“Don’t blink. Life goes faster than you think.”  songwriter Kenny Chesney

Well, you do have that chance every day.  That “chance” is sitting down and eating together as a family. This seemingly small, and what used to be the unquestioned act of every family, is so important that experts are now advocating for it in the medical and educational arenas.

The American Academy of Pediatrics calls child obesity a national epidemic. Empty calories, high snacks, drive through dinners and grab & go everything along with stagnant, indoor, “single setting” play (i.e. video and computer games) is taking its toll on children and families.

“Today the average family's schedules and the convenience of restaurant meals have decreased the time people spend preparing and eating food together… [which] affects immediate and long-term {physical and mental} health.” S. Berger & R. Robertson Healthy Children Healthy Lives: The Wellness Guide.

I think that because it seems impossible, we make it impossible.  And because it really is easier to go through a drive through than prep, cook then clean dinner foods, or feed children, then adults at different times – we do.  Conversation with families about mealtime always leads to balance; balancing schedules, balancing convenience with guilt, balancing attention and balancing time demands. 

So try a balance.

If you truly don’t have a family meal together at all, start slowly and work your way up. Weekend mornings are a great place to start.  Get children to help.  Serve fruit, cereal, toast and eggs.  Put the baby in the highchair and sit at the table in pjs.  Add a lunch of sandwiches, chocolate milk and pretzels once weekend breakfast becomes established.  Summer’s coming….this is the perfect time for grilling and paper plates.  Important note: No television – table, food & family only.

The week is much busier and can be tricky because of work, school and sport schedules.  But not impossible!  Plan ahead (I know, easier said than done, but not impossible!)  Shop, plan for, then cook food that has multiple uses i.e. crock pot chicken on Monday is pulled chicken sandwiches on Tuesday.  There are many, many recipes for family friendly foods that can be cooked and served throughout the week.  The table doesn’t have to be fancy, it just needs to be yours. Important note: Everyone eats at the same time.

What is the benefit of at least the balance of meals shared together as a family?  Memories that will last a life time.  Memories of conversations, unexpected pleasure and excitement, memories of shared stories, the trials and tribulations of growing up.  Memories of games played and the true sense of connection and responsibility to the people we love the most.

It’s worth a try.

“There is something about a shared meal--not some holiday blowout, not once in a while but regularly, reliably--that anchors a family”  Nancy Gibbs The Magic of the Family Meal

The weather outside tells us differently.

I’m going with the calendar.

Spring!  Get ready for ---

Gardens:  dig out or buy some rubber boots for the whole family so you can step into dirt, stones and mulch.  Talk about last year and recall the rows and patterns of color in your garden.  Make a list of favorite colors and see if you can find seeds / flowers that match.  Show your children catalogues of seeds, vegetables and flowers.  Pick out the plants that you will grow when the weather is warm and sunny.  Cut out the pictures and make a Spring Collage to keep in the house before the real garden happens.  Seeds need shelter, rich soil, water, sunshine and you – design a growing chart.  All children love books about the beautiful space of a garden.                                                                                                 

Some favorites: Isabella’s Garden - Glenda Millard

The Carrot Seed - Ruth Krauss

Planting a Rainbow - Louis Ehlert

The Vegetable Alphabet Book - Jerry Pallotta

New Baby Animals:  listen and watch for little baby animals born in the spring.  Spring is literally a season of new birth.  Trees stretch their branches toward the sun showing off their springtime buds and robin’s nests and bunny burrows have little eggs and little ears growing each day!  This is the perfect time to teach children about their true responsibility to nurture and protect the earth as it begins again each year.  Take a trip to the zoo, fill a bird feeder at a window, and read stories all about baby animals. 

Some favorites: I Love Baby Animals - David Chuka

Peter Rabbit Stories - Beatrix Potter

An Animal Counting Book - Janet Shulmann

Animals in Spring - Martha Rustad

Changes in Weather:  snow clouds often become rainy, storm clouds in the spring, thunder and lightning can be very exciting!  When rain falls many things happen; gushy mud puddles appear, grass springs to life, clothes change to match warm, wet weather and families start thinking about picnics and outdoor parties. Warm spring wind invites sweatshirts and kites. Clear, bright days inspire us to fill buckets with sudsy water, clean out the garage and break out the sidewalk chalk. Read about the weather!                     

Some favorites: Little Critter: Just a Big Storm - Mercer Mayer

Clouds - Anne Rockwell

Down Comes the Rain - Franklyn Branley

Maisy’s Wonderful Weather Book - Lucy Cousins

“What is spring like? It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine...”

Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

*Books contain wonderful stories and songs that become beloved in a family.

*Cuddle up and read with children, they know they are loved and that you hold reading as a priority.

*Reading is fun; children can make different animal sounds and hear silly words.  Who doesn’t love that?

*Every time you read to your child, they hear your lovely voice which stays with them forever.

*The letters, words, and pictures you point to and the stories you read have meaning.

*Children are excited and love to find out that things come in different colors, sizes, and shape.

*More than anything we want our children to say “I love books & one day I will love to read on my own.”

Exchange Everyday (an early childhood professional journal) recently published a list of “families’ best loved children’s books.”  The titles are considered children’s classics.  These books are wonderful, if you haven’t read them to your children yet – today is a great day to start!

1.            The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

2.            There’s an Alligator under My Bed by Mercer Mayer

3.            Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

4.            Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

5.            Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

6.            The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch

7.            The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

8.            Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

9.            The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

10.          The Very Lazy Ladybug by Isobel Finn

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents."

— Emilie Buchwald

Elbows become “wellbows” for sneezing, winter hats, mittens, snowsuits and boots are being sorted and washed…again, and again. 

Ahhhh, another season preparing to fight the flu:

• Dress for the weather.
• Rest and sleep.
• Eat plenty of good foods and drink plenty of water.
• Get a flu vaccine.  

 Prevent the spread of germs by:

• Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue away after use.
• Washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing.  If water is not available, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way!
• Change toothbrushes.  Use small tubes of toothpaste – (big ones last through coughs and colds & kids scrape their toothbrushes.)

I know, even when you try your hardest to avoid colds and flu, sometimes a little one ends up on the couch wrapped in a blanket and feeling yucky. 

Now what:

• Make sure you are taking care of yourself so that you can take care of them.  

• Change pillow cases.

• A favorite movie or music can be restful and make the time go by.

• Paper and crayons – a new coloring book or game to perk up for is welcome.

• Tea and Toast, hot soup, and snicker doodles always made my children better. 

The CDC has free downloadable resources available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/freeresources/print.htm

    I am also reminded of the well – worn adage: “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”  How about “What goes around, comes around” and “Be careful what you wish for.  You just might get it.”  I think this is meant as good fun, but sometimes New Year’s requires a lot of thought and reflection.  Too much?   Really, what do you want to get rid of in this coming year?  What do you want to replace it with and what do you want to keep the same?  Hmmmm…

Some ideas:

What to get rid of:

∞Guilt that your family and home are not magazine ready every day.  Just so you know – no one’s is.  

 ∞Constant dread that you could be a better parent or partner.  Take a breath and really look at your children and family.  They adore you just the way you are. 

So should you.                                                                                          

∞Your running shoes.  Not the ones you exercise with to keep strong and healthy.  The running shoes that you think you have to wear so that you can be on the treadmill taking you to every party, every event, every thing that sometimes takes you away from your children and home.

What to replace it with:

∞Fancy pants. If you are feeling that you, the family or your home are looking “tired”, try some fancy pants!  Buy a new lipstick, switch the curtains in bedrooms with each other, rearrange furniture, use the good china on Wednesdays and splurge on bathroom scented soaps & lotions.  Be nice to yourself.                                                                                                                                                                     

∞A calm breath.  We tell and teach our children to relax and take a breath when they are feeling stressed or overwhelmed.  Often we don’t follow our own advice.  This works, we know it does.  Try it. 

∞Dedicated time.  There are 24 hours in the day – I know that’s not enough but that is what it is.  Children literally grow and change before your eyes.  Make each second, minute and hour count.  Read, play, cook, snuggle and fill each of their moments with you. If the well runs dry.  Don’t let it on your watch. 

What to keep the same:

∞Consistent and successful routines for your children and family. Even if you are the one who has to take a shower at night, or are the last one in the morning.  It’s not worth it to try to re-organize the morning routine.  It might sound like a good idea in the middle of the winter to shake up the ship. It's not.                                                                                                                                                                

∞A child’s security lovie. Don’t be tempted to replace it with a shiny, new Christmas blanket.  It’s not the same.                                                                                                                                                                      

∞French toast sticks & chicken nuggets in the freezer for weekday dinners.  Add fruit and vegetables to your dinner to set the model and wait for the cue from your 5 year old that they will try it too.   

∞The unwavering, unfailing, undeniable and unconditional love you have for each of your children and all of your family.  It really is all that matters.

Wishing you peace, harmony, happiness and love during 2013. 

Happy New Year. 

~Kate

In a world that is often loaded with the things of Christmas that we touch, ride, shake and eat we can lose sight of the most important gifts we give to those that we hold the dearest.  Gifts that you can’t put in a box with a bow.  Gifts that your children won’t ask for by name, or unwrap under a tree on Christmas morning.  But will celebrate their whole life.

 They are the gifts of love:

Peace. Give your children the gift of a peaceful home.  A home that is their soft landing in a world that gets harder each year.  A peaceful, calm place to lay their heads to dream about their life that they love.  This is the way they will learn to find peace within themselves.

Hope.  When you look at the world through your child’s eyes, you see hope.  Yes, hope for the toy they absolutely want or hope for the invitation to a prized event, but hope is so much more.  Hope is confidence.  It is optimism and assurance.  It is a gift that supports them when they try out for a team or meet a new friend for the first time.   

Faith.  Whatever you believe, your children will believe.  They will absolutely follow in your footsteps.  Faith in the world, faith in themselves, faith in a supreme being; it doesn’t really matter what we call this.  It just matters that it is.  Watch them when they listen to you.  They believe you – they have faith in you.

Joy.  Fill your house with laughter every day of the year.  Teach your children to find joy in quiet, small, ordinary parts of their life as well as in the “big deals”.  This is what will keep them rich in the moments that are most meaningful.

Merry Christmas – I hope your holiday is filled with the gifts of love.   

       “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."

The Conductor Polar Express

My 7 year old granddaughter was part of this visit.  In her bath of Barbie Bubbles with a princess washcloth, seemingly out of nowhere, she asked me if I heard about the “children who got shot in their school.”  I said yes that I did.  She asked me if it made me sad and I said that it really did make me very sad, did it make her sad?  She said yes then said “But it wasn’t in Buffalo.”  She led the conversation. She said that there was a gun in the school and a man was shooting children in their classrooms.  She told me that teachers were shot.  She told me that the school was in lock-down.  She told me that police and firemen came to the school to help everyone.  She said that the other kids got to go home early.   She told me that everyone was super sad.

Each part of her conversation was very short declarative sentences.  After every sentence she said   “But it wasn’t in Buffalo.”  She was removing herself from each part of the Connecticut school shooting.  Literally telling herself that she was o.k.

Adults are heartbroken; we have watched television reports all weekend and talked with each other about this unthinkable tragedy. Our children listen.  They recognize worry, sadness and disbelief.  They watch adults and pay close attention.  They are sensitive to anything that connects them to this focus – and anything that is clearly different.

Experts have given advice to families all weekend about how to talk to your children about Friday’s trauma.  You can access articles in all major newspapers; many schools are informing families of resources as well.  Everyone has re-established security as their #1 focus for children.

If there is conversation about Friday – let it be started and led by your child.  They will guide you, steer you to what is important to them to know about and ways for you to help them feel safe – ways that you both can say that you are very sad but you are safe where you are.  Be in awe of your children; at very young ages, they establish systems of sifting through overwhelming amounts of information and emotions to fine tune what they need to know and what we can do to help them stay grounded.

I know that we will hold our children tighter today.

With a very heavy heart, my thoughts and prayers are will the angels and heroes of Newtown, Connecticut.

This is all very exciting and it is a rite of passage for families with young children to continue and establish traditions that will be treasured. It is also exhausting.

When we add holiday shopping, baking, television specials, visiting and parties to our daily routines, we often subtract rest and sleep time.  As adults we sometimes struggle to maintain an even balance and manage our time, even though we have skills and abilities to prioritize and find “shortcuts” to our holiday commitments.  Our children don’t have these skills. They are just learning to figure it out.

So what is something that we can we do to maximize the joy and minimize the stress of holidays?  Keep children’s sleep patterns as routine as possible! It will make everyone’s life easier and happier during this most wonderful time of the year.

Some sleep tips:

• Establish a routine for bed time. You can set children’s “biological clocks” for the time you established.It helps to include a wind-down such as a warm bath and favorite bedtime story.
• Although it seems impossible, children can learn to stay in and sleep in their own bed.  It takes a while.
• Keep children’s bedtime books with you on evening visits so they can hold on to them on the car ride home. This is a concrete clue to sleep.  Make car rides quiet and cozy for kids.
• Make sure comfy PJ’s are part of the routine.  If visiting with family, take these with you and change little ones before the car ride home.
• Keep sweet and salty snacks to a minimum after dinner.  Before bed snacks should be light and nutritious.

The National Sleep Foundation (www.sleepfoundation.org) recommends the following:

Infants Birth – 24 months ~ 16 hours of sleep a day
Toddlers 1-3 years old ~ 12 – 14 hours of sleep
Preschool 3-5 years old ~ 11-13 hours
School Age children 5-12 years old ~ 10-11 hours
Age 12 – adults ~ 8-9 hours 

"Sleep is not something to be left for when you've run out of other, more interesting, things to do.  Sleep is a functional activity of the brain, during which well-defined processes occur.  These include the restoration and repair of brain tissue and the reinforcement of learning and memory.  Not getting enough sleep has the negative effects on these processes.”   Dennis Rosen

Data and research provide clear evidence of astounding skill development through play.  Just by singing little songs, sitting on the floor with your baby while shaking rattles and toys, playing "This Little Piggy" or rolling trains across a track stimulates your child’s brain.

Play with your children every day.  Never underestimate the power of play to build relationships, establish friendship skills and open the door to fantastic new worlds. Play helps your child feel confident in themselves, their abilities and their world!

Simple baby games are really brain games! And they are not just for babies – toddlers love them too!

Peek-a-Boo teaches manipulation skills: you pull your hands back and you control the game.

Where’s Suzie? Pleasantly calling baby’s name from around the room teaches concentration and localization of sound.  When baby “finds” you, celebrate!   Immediate success encourages continued confidence in their developing senses. This is the beginning of the classic Hide & Seek children love.

Pictures of Family & picture books teach discrimination and recognition.  Durable, clear “sleeves” allow children easy view and safe handling. A game of high conversation, labeling, hand over hand pointing with exaggerated attention to picture details and page turning are critical reading skills.

Uh-Oh, Where did it go?  Classic game of hiding a favorite toy behind your back or under a blanket teaches memory, concentration and perseverance.  This is a game that should be repeated over and over.  It is the next step of peek-a-boo.  Help children hide a toy on you & you find it.

Dump & Fill - This is children's favorite game!  Let children have many containers to dump & fill.  This teaches spatial awareness, weight, volume and density; science skills. Children enjoy the simple experience of transferring objects from one space to another. Lightweight containers work best.

Watching your child play will give you information on her language skills, her abilities to coordinate her body and muscle movement and her control of emotions.  The body shows what the mind is thinking.  Out of many blocks in the bin, children will dig for the exact one needed to finish the train track: shape, size, purpose and form are being considered.  When playing running games outside, children teach themselves to look first: motor planning, assessment of barriers and estimated time is being considered.  A frustrated yell from a toddler over a doll that won’t fit in the shopping cart lets you know that she needs the supportive model of words and actions to fix the baby for continued play.

Children's games are hardly games. Children are never more serious than when they play. MONTAIGNE, Essays

I taught my classroom children and my personal children a classic Thanksgiving poem that you fill in the blanks.   It’s not hard but does ask children and adults to think about what they are thankful for on this special day.   I’d like to share it;

There are many things I am thankful for, I can find them near and far.

There are many things I am thankful for, let me tell you what they are.

I am thankful for__________.

I am thankful for__________.

I am thankful for__________. 

And I’m thankful to be me.

You can put a simple tune to it or not.  You can “round robin” with your family.  You can make as many stanzas as you want.  The important part is that you really say out loud what you are thankful for.

Helping children find the language to express what they like and are thankful for goes a long way in building character.  Finding language and actions to recognize what is positive and supportive to their life will be the model of words and behaviors that will build their character.

This little Thanksgiving poem starts out with little ones saying they are thankful for a favorite toy; this is followed by McDonalds to get Happy Meals.  Older children will start with a favorite superhero or Princess followed by more food.  As children age, their “blanks” are filled with friend’s names, a video game and many times specific food. Family pets will be listed ahead of people. Children will listen to each other’s list.  They will listen to yours (make sure their names are on your list!)

Listen to the change that happens when children really learn how to reflect on the many parts of their life that bring them health, happiness and confidence.  The spaces are now filled with family, friends, what is important to their world, what makes them happy, what keeps them safe.                                                       

Keep the poem as part of each Thanksgiving. Watch your children grow. And always listen to the last line, when you, your children and your family say out loud that they are thankful to be who they are.  This is the best part.

“How wonderful it would be if we could help our children and grandchildren to learn Thanksgiving at an early age. Thankful children want to give, they radiate happiness; they draw people.”

John Templeton

If you are hosting a “play day” or attending one – here are some easy, fun ways to make it a great day!

Remember: the easier, the better.  Outside is best.   Kids just like to run & have fun.

Bag of Balls & Hoops Games 

Lay hula hoops on the ground; jump in and out with and without holding bouncy balls.  Play big body games: sit, roll, throw, race, dance in hoops, line hoops up to hop in & out of, use hula hoops as targets for ball throw, simple throw and catch…  These games can be made challenging and more exciting for older kids. And they don’t even have to play an organized game with these toys.   These games are inexpensive, played outdoors, include all children, invites big body and big voices that are fun!  No hoola hoops?  Just “block off” small areas in the yard.

Lacy Leaves

Give children a bag or bucket to collect fall leaves. All leaves are welcome, no matter what shape they are in – keep it a child’s choice!  

Back in the house, spread a sheet or large piece of paper on a table or on the ground. 

• Children can dump leaves, sort by color, shape, size and make a glued collage.
• Cut paper strips and glue on leaves for a fall hat!
• With an adult, iron between wax paper and string for window decorations.
• Make leaf people - glue a leaf to paper as a “body” create face, arms, legs, hat…
• Trace leaves or crumple and use as sprinkles!

Acorn & Pinecone Parade

Glue paper to empty coffee cans or plastic containers (keep lids).  Decorate cans.  Collect acorns or small heavy sticks.  Put them in the decorated can, cover and shake.  Collect pinecones, drizzle with glue and glitter or paint.  When dry, tie bright yarn or ribbon around the middle of pinecones.  Find a larger, heavier stick for a horizontal banner pole. Tie pinecones so they hang down when 2 children hold pole between them.  This creates a pinecone parade banner to lead the acorn band!

Snacks are Essential to a Successful Playdate! (remember to accommodate allergies or food restrictions)

Take into account children’s age for safe snacking.  Again, the easier and simpler the better.

Some super snacks:  

• sliced apples with caramel dip
• bite sized graham crackers & mini marshmallows
• snack mix of mini pretzels
• raisins & cinnamon toast crunch cereal
• fruit salad & Ritz crackers

“Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile.” William C. Bryant

Families end summers and start September in a whirlwind! In hot August days, we stop summer schedules; complete sports team tournaments, school shop, jam in those promised sleep-overs and parties and, at times, literally close up a summer house or cottage.  It’s a lot.

The beautiful days of September come before we know it and with those days, most of us and all of our children begin….again.  September brings new schedules, routines and commitments.  Sleep is different, time is stretched, responsibilities change, and now add in homework, dance lessons and football practice. It’s a lot. 

Mid October is the perfect time to “take the temperature” of these new beginnings by looking at ways to tell that your child’s change (and yours) has not only been accepted, but is successful:

• Mornings are relatively calmer (it will probably be mid-June before they are actually calm).  You know this because no one is shouting, sneakers match and have laces and the bus driver is not staring at the front of your home.  School agers have backpacks on their shoulders that contain completed homework, lunch boxes are secured and coats are on – success!

• You are no longer crying in the car while dropping off your little one at the day care center that they always go to.  The difference is that now they are in a different room.  A room that they began with shouting “no” at in the hallway and cried and begged for their teacher from last year.  Now instead of dragging them in and peeling them off your arm, they are excited to see their friends and look forward to the Magic Mirror Game on the shelf.  You even get a good-bye kiss – success!

• Dinner time is still a challenge, but is getting better.  Everyone coming into the house at the same time is bound to create consternation, but it’s getting better.  Organizing homework time and practice/lesson driving can feel like a test, but it’s better.  You have set up: Monday is pizza, Tuesday - hamburgers, Wednesday - mac & cheese, Thursday - soup & salad, Friday - baked chicken.  Weekends have a life of their own.  You are a hero because every day there is fresh fruit, yogurt and even dessert listed as Diners’ Choice on the family kitchen calendar – success!

“I knew I could!  I knew I could!  I knew I could!”  

The Little Engine That Could, Watty Piper

Before you race home from work to dress up Sponge Bob, Count Dracula or your ninja warrior, consider the following…. Even though you have already agreed to Tangled, a Disney princess or a snaggle tooth witch, keep reading….

I hope this list of Halloween Considerations helps:

• The younger the child, the more they need to stay home and be a Halloween Treater rather than go out and be a Halloween Trickster.  Halloween has little or no meaning to a baby or young toddler.  They are often confused, cranky and frightened by the costumes, chaos and craziness that is typical for Halloween night or a big party.  Save this holiday until they are old enough to know what’s going on.
• Less is Best.  No matter what the chosen costume, the fewer the pieces the better.  The added mask, jewelry, capes and weapons (don’t allow weapons) only leads to tears & trouble.  Use make up, hair spray & bright colored clothing children already have.  Be creative!!
• It’s dark at the end of October. Stay in your neighborhood and go with children if they trick or treat to front doors.   Only go to homes with lights on, preferably to neighbors children know.  Find a place on a costume for your child to wear reflective tape.  Have them carry a treat “bag” that won’t break or can be easily dropped.   Be mindful of tripping hazards – long costumes, belts made of rope, capes…stairs at houses, gates, dragging teat bags.
• Children should wear their own sneakers or boots in the neighborhood.  Carry a flashlight with you while you walk with your child.  Keep pace with the older, excited runners.

• Caution children against eating candy before it is brought home and you look it over.

• Consider attending one of the many options of afternoon parties and Halloween gatherings offered by your child’s school, neighborhood church or youth group.  This is a great alternative to an often windy, cold & dark Halloween night.

"Witches, black cats and ghosts give a fright to puppies and angels on Halloween night!"

Children's verse 

READ!
books, signs, mail, invitations, recipes, schedules, notes, advertisements, labels, single letters, cereal boxes, everything!
Every day – read with your child.
Every day – let your child read to you.
Every day – point out all of the letters and words you see everywhere.
Every day – use rhyme sounds, play word games, listen for sounds then match letters for those sounds.

WRITE!
letters, names, numbers, words, lines, curves, shapes, objects, invitations, in journals, lists, cards...
Encourage your child to use and enjoy all writing tools: crayons, markers, pencils, brushes, chalk…
Support finger and hand strength with scissors, glue, stings, beads, snaps, stickers, buttons…
Encourage your child to draw, trace, stencil, design, color, connect dots, outline…

COUNT!
toys, backyard balls, sidewalk blocks, stairs, cars that go by, family toes, sticks, people, buttons, pages in a book, plates, letters...
Let your child help set the table.
Look at and talk about numbers on the clock.
Point out numbers in books, on t.v., at sporting events and in games.
Sing number / counting songs and make up rhymes with numbers – count out loud!

“A child educated only at school is an uneducated child.” George Santayana

This new site is http://families.naeyc.org/.

NAEYC is a long established national accrediting body that is dedicated to research and guides that support early development and learning. NAEYC is considered the authority on best practices for infants through school age childcare programs; NAEYC accredited childcare centers as well as higher education institutes; n.c.a.t.e. (national council for accreditation of teacher education).

The national academy has established an extensive library and website www.naeyc.org that is easily accessible and filled with just what you are looking for when it comes to finding out what is the best for your child! http://families.naeyc.org/ is the newest addition for you.

Each month an authority on families / children will be highlighted and/or interviewed. Currently T. Berry Brazelto, M.D. and Joshua Sparrow are featured. Want to find out more about Building Fine Motor Skills with Children, what are recommended best books for Infants and Toddlers, enjoying music at home with children, development and learning or families today? How about potty training and dealing with tantrums? These are all titles and sections of http://families.naeyc.org/!

And there is so much more! You can also sign up for a free family newsletter right on the site.
I have the site as a favorite on my computer and have signed up for the newsletter. As the Education Director of EduKids, long recognized as excellent childcare and NAEYC accredited programs, I know you will agree that http://families.naeyc.org/ is terrific.

Check it out!

If any of these “Common Mistakes” look familiar, just do the opposite!!   You will see positive results, you will develop skills rather than react to behaviors and you will lose the guilt – which too often leads to overcompensating and starting at “square one” again and again and again...

Common Discipline Mistakes Made by Adults:

• Giving in to tantrums or whining.
• Bribing or threatening children to get them to behave.
• No consideration of what your child is truly able to do - expectations are too high.
• Comparing the misbehavior of one child to the appropriate behavior of another.
• Making threats the adults will not carry out.
• Making promises the adult cannot keep.
• Offering choices where none exist.
• Trying to shame or embarrass a child into desired behavior.
• Failing to recognize appropriate behavior.
• Rewarding inappropriate behavior.
• Forcing children to compete for rewards.
• Failing to actively listen to a child’s side of the story.
• “Punishment” that does not fit the “crime”.
• Calling a child names.
• Never expecting the best.

Consider why you respond to challenging behavior in negative ways.  Once you consider what happened to you and how you responded to your child, you will change. And it will work. I guarantee it.

“A quick fix is never a cure.” M.F. Barrett

-Kate Dust, EduKids Education Director

It’s been hot!  Even those of us who love the heat and the sunny days of summer have been hot. Heat requires us to be extra attentive to our little ones to be sure that while they enjoy this beautiful weather, they are not getting too much sun and become overheated. Infants are at a higher risk than adults from heat reactions.   Infants and children cannot regulate their body heat as well as adults. Young children are often lost in the moment of play, are in and out of cars and do not have the capacity to tell us when they are hot, thirsty or need a break.

We need to be vigilant when they are outdoors playing!   Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school age children and teenagers should be hydrated at all times.  It is common practice for adults to carry water bottles with them wherever they go.  Children learn to do this at an early age as well – good! Fresh, clean water is always recommended as the ideal thirst quencher and the healthiest way to keep hydrated.  Don’t forget fresh water for pets too!

Some common sense ways to beat the heat:

• Keep cool water available at all times.  55 – 60% of body weight is water.  Water evaporates from the skin through sweat.  Water needs to be replaced to maintain a healthy body. Kidsafe suggests a  fluid intake of 8 to 12 cups per day. Cool water is preferred as it is absorbed more readily than warm, hot or ice water. Caffeinated beverages actually speed up the loss of body fluid. Remember that 100% fruit popsicles are a good treat full of fluid to refresh those little bodies!  A good indicator that a baby has enough fluid is 6-8 wet diapers within a 24 hour period.  Be sure little ones are using the potty.
• Stay in the shade and keep skin covered in light, loose clothing.   Provide a wide-brimmed hat, or a ‘foreign legion’ style cap with flaps, to protect children’s face, neck and ears. Adults should wear hats too!  Napping babies and little ones should always sleep in shade.
• Sunscreen should go on before anyone leaves the house. 

  • UPF 15-24 = Good Protection.
  • UPF 24-39 = Very Good Protection.
  • UPF 40-50 = Excellent Protection.
  • UPF 50+ Highest rating products, and highly recommended for maximum protection.(Kidsafe)  Reapply sunscreen throughout the day, especially after water play or active play!  Adult supervision is recommended for application.

• Solid foods and snacks can help keep children cool and hydrated;  melons, tomatoes, celery, all fresh fruits and vegetables, well chilled salads,  and juice pops are all good choices for hot days.  Be careful of dairy, yogurt and or dairy products (i.e. mayonnaise, cream salad dressings and dips, soft cheese…) these spoil quickly.  Keep a cooler or small ice snack bag in the car or your picnic bag.

Keep skin cool & wet with water play, swimming, splashing & sprays.  Remember that standing water reflects sun rays so sunglasses are a good idea.  Keep shoes nearby; sand, concrete and blacktop is hot!  Metal is hot to the touch and can cause burns.  House fans are a good way to keep cool under adult supervision.

Enjoy this hot weather while it is here, it will be snowing again before you know it!

-Kate Dust, EduKids Education Director

It’s “kick off the summer” party season!  The Fourth of July celebration along with summer graduation parties & family reunions are often grand picnics and parties with lots of people, including young children, in an outside space.   This space often includes grills, bonfires, sparklers & other fire-works, and lots of food & beverages.  Community parades are exciting, neighborhood pool parties are in full swing and there is music and festivity everywhere.

While this is a lot of fun and often a family tradition, outdoor parties –including the one on July 4th – require parents to be on high alert. 

Here is a checklist for those big summer parties that we all love!

• Pack a bag for each child.  Include diapers, lots of wipes, antiseptic wipes, at least one change of clothes including socks & shoes, an extra sunhat, ponytail holders & barrettes, sunglasses, a pair of long pants and a hooded sweatshirt.  Bring sunscreen and lip balm even on cool or cloudy days and always bring an insect repellent approved for children.  If beach or swimming is part of the party add swimsuit, watershoes or sandals, a towel, t-shirt or cover up, children’s after sun body lotion, floaties, even more diapers or underpants and favorite beach or pool toys. 
• New food or picnic food can be tricky!  This is not the place to insist that young Joey try potato salad or barbecue beef.  Bring a cooler with food and drinks that your children like, you approve of and that will make your day a happy one.  Be sure that a baby’s food and drink stay at the right temperature and that you bring bottles, cups, bowls, utensils and bibs. Do you have a high chair that folds or a toddler seat to strap on a chair?  Everyone won’t know about food allergies or restrictions – be vigilant!
• Keep a young child’s eating and sleeping schedule as consistent as possible.
• Bring your child’s blanket and favorite lovie to provide some calm and rest in a busy day.
• Pack a small pack&play for baby and umbrella stroller.  Keep shade a priority.
• A child’s canvas chair and a picnic blanket (or sheet) can be lifesavers.
• Leave a small first aid kit in your car that includes sterile gauze, bandages, Neosporin, antiseptic wipes and a tweezers.  Tape emergency phone numbers and any medical info onto the inside of the cover.

Most importantly keep you children in sight and with you!! Warn them against open fire, grills and fireworks.  Be prepared for startled or crying children (no matter how old they are) at a firework display.

HAVE FUN!

“If ants are such busy workers, how come they find time to go to all the summer picnics?" Marie Dressler

-Kate Dust, EduKids Education Director

Superheroes are a fact of life.  They have many different names and belong to multiple generations.

I watched Superman (the real life actor) on television and my cousin Mark and I battled enemies and avoided kryptonite every day. Batman, Robin and all of their arch enemies came into my living room, were prized action figures and were some of the first books I learned to read.

My son and his sisters were huge He-Man and She-Ra fans and used superpowers to battle Skeletor who lived in Castle Grey Skull.  He-Man saved the world by identifying evil and collecting energy to bring about good.  Hours of childhood were spent using imagination and emerging skills to organize play scenes, select needed materials & supporting toys and to manage the role play of multiple characters.   Star Wars then came into our lives and Luke Skywalker and the Jedi were added to favorite movies, books and play "must-haves".

My grandchildren have a collection of superheroes that all have amazing powers!  While Superman, Batman and Robin are in the cross generation classic mix of “good guys”, there are now many more!  Spiderman emerges as an early favorite quickly followed by a host of colorful, amazingly strong and incredible versatile characters with indestructible and very entertaining magical super powers.  

And there are common themes;

Children actively play their roles.  With great energy and enthusiasm, little children take on their favorite superhero persona.  They change their voices to mimic their hero.  Children lose themselves in magical worlds of imagination where anything and everything is possible.  Not only possible, but believable and necessary!  It is important to suspend reality and embrace opportunity.

There is a clear difference between good and evil.  There is no question who is good and who is not.  Language, visuals, actions and deeds all identify the superhero as good and arch enemies as bad.  Play choices reflect the needed conflict for the play scene with roles, dialogue and actions matching what “side” a character is on.  Children choose and create the conflict & the resolution.

Children are small and they have the chance to be big.  Larger than life characters envelop the child to offer a chance to be tall, strong and able to leap tall buildings, fly through the air, have arms made of steel, the ability to run at lightning speed and swim, breathe & talk underwater.  You can change shape to be as big as a mountain or as small as a mouse.

Mostly children are offered the chance to be the hero; a chance to save the day.

And what’s wrong with saving the day?

“This looks like a job for Superman!” Clark Kent

-Kate Dust, EduKids Education Director

Dear Dad,

I am watching you every day.

I watch you in the morning when everyone is together and you smile and talk with us as we all get ready.  It helps me know that my day will be good. 

I watch you cut the grass and squirt the hose and plant gardens with mom.  I love it when you let me have a turn to help you.  It makes me feel grown up and I know that you trust me.  I try really hard to do what you do.

I watch you cheering for me in the bleachers during my t-ball games.  I see you smiling and clapping for me when I finish my recital.  I look for you on the picnic bench when I am at the top of the playground climber and I know you are always proud of me.

I watch you buckle the baby in her car seat and make sure that I have everything I need.  I see you worry sometimes but I know that you can fix anything.

I watch you cook hot dogs and make sure that I have no skin left on mine and I know that you think I am very important.

I watch you take care of the dog and fix the window and make every free throw, and I think you can do anything!

I watch you when you are reading my favorite story with me.  I watch you find all of the puzzle pieces we need.  I watch you build the highest block tower, and think you are the smartest man in the world.

I watch you hold hands with mom and smile at her when you think I am not looking, and I know that you love her.  This makes me feel safe.

I watch you make friends and take care of them.  I watch you play and sing and laugh.  I watch you sit quietly and listen when I talk to you, and think you are the best dad ever.

I watch you watch me and I know that you love me more than anything in the whole world.

And I love you,

Your little one

Happy Father’s Day

This time of the year often brings with it formal end-of-the-year teacher conferences.  This can be exciting as well as stressful. 

• Typically exciting for new parents with very young children or families that have not had any issues throughout the school year. 
• Typically stressful for families whose children have struggled throughout the school year and / or there has not been a supportive connection built between the school and home.

Either way, formal teacher-parent conferences are a fact of life in most childcare and school settings.

Here are some ways to make conferences a positive experience:

• Go to the conference at the time you were given or that you signed up for.  Creating scheduled time for each family in a classroom and throughout a childcare center or school is very tricky. 
• Stay at your child’s conference for the allotted time.  If you feel that you want or will need more time than you are scheduled for, call the teacher as soon as possible to reschedule for another day.
• Listen.  The teacher spends many hours with your child in a setting that is far different from home.  Expectations, responsibilities & activities in a group setting of 20 are not the same as in a family of 4.  A teacher will see and will share sides of your child that you don’t have a chance to be part of. 
• Ask questions.  Come prepared with any questions you have regarding class closing plans, summer skill work or opportunities, recommendations for preparing your child for next year, available support needed…  if the school follows state mandates, uses specific assessment tools or has a published curriculum or accreditation base, find out about it or ask where you can look for more information.
• Stay focused.  Your teacher will talk about your child only.  Do not comment on or ask for comments or information about any other child / children or families in the classroom.  Confidentiality policies are critical.
• Say so.  If you have a concern about your child’s learning, social skills, abilities in the classroom or center or school settings, say so.  Your child’s teacher is your best resource.  
• Find out.  This is a good time to find out about volunteer efforts needed for the center or school, ways that you can get involved in your child’s education and any program projects coming up.
• Be pleasant!   Teachers love their children and have entered teaching because they are caring and dedicated professionals.  Your child has been surrounded by interesting lessons, exciting activities, knowledgeable school teams and focused individuals that strive each day to bring your child the best.

Children never come alone. Behind the home is the school, and the school the home.

-Kate Dust, EduKids Education Director

Summer is a great time to concentrate on potty training!  Bathing suits, shorts, sundresses and casual play lend themselves to quick trips to the potty, easy clothes to handle and lots of chances for success!  If you have an older toddler or a 3-year-old still in diapers or pull-ups, now is their time to shine!

Here is some information and standard tried and true tips for potty training:

Typically, children in good health have potty success by the time they are 3 or are in their third year.  Potty success delays are typically due to illness, inconsistent adult support and/or mixed messages and life’s busy schedule that makes it “easier” to continue diapers or pull-ups even after children are ready, willing and able to use the potty with success.  The cost of these products is astronomical over the long run; a family’s time is worth so much more.

• Once started, don’t go back on forward potty progress.  It has been my experience and my training that mixed messages don’t work.  When children start to wear underpants, diapers are gone. Children, at this point, know that cloth underpants are to keep dry as best they can.  Pull-ups, while parents find these convenient for bedtime and older toddler play, are diapers in the shape of underpants.  It was ok to soil a diaper but now children know that they should keep underpants dry – and they want to!  So what should they do? Pull-ups send mix messages.
• Daytime potty success precedes nighttime success.  Many children will have nighttime / sleep accidents long after they use the potty with complete daytime success.  Everything takes time.Set up success – have a potty chair or potty seat in your home bathroom if you think your child will use it and keep it clean.  Keep toilet paper in easy reach.  Teach children to wipe carefully and wash their hands after using the potty.  Childcare and schools typically do not allow potty chairs from home.  Work on bathroom toilet success.
• Routines are helpful.  At wake up time, after snacks and meals and before bed are critical times to set up for a visit to the potty. Make this a fact of life.  Watch your child for their body timing.
• Eliminate drinks and cereal with milk before bedtime.
• Girls typically potty train faster than boys.  Urinating is successful ahead of bowel movements.
• Help your child in all ways.  Celebrate effort as well as achievement.  Be patient.  Never scold or belittle a child when accidents occur (and accidents always occur!)   Always work with your childcare center or babysitter and make sure the same message is being sent.
• Buy underpants that your child wants. Cinderella or Spiderman can be very motivating!
• Expect the unexpected.  Have extra everything in your car, at grandmas and at childcare.

“One day you're a superstar because you pooped in the toilet like a big boy,and the next day you're sitting in the principal's office because you said the word "poopy" in class” Dav Pilkey, Captain Underpants

-Kate Dust, EduKids Education Director

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed annually on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers. By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Wikipedia

Celebrate America – Celebrate Americans.  Remembering fallen heroes is important and many young children and families know true heroes who are serving now and who have served in American armed forces. Families have suffered the loss of loved ones in the military and remember their heroes always.  We are grateful every day for their strength and courage.

Memorial Day is a hard concept for little children.  They learn about America slowly and start to learn about soldiers first personally then through general information and shared ideas. This knowledge and respect starts with understanding the country that they live in.

How do we start celebrating Memorial Day with young children?

Fly the American flag.  Talk about the flag, touch it and notice the colors, count the stars and stripes.  Make American flags with children; paint or color red stripes on a white field, paint or color a blue corner field, put star stickers on and staple or tape this on a stick or pole.

Memorial Day is the unofficial and accepted start of summer. Have a picnic and provide a hand-made flag for each person that comes. 

Wear Red, White & Blue!  There are many options for red, white & blue clothing.  Be a visible reminder of our country’s colors.  Children start very early to connect visual images to ideas both concrete and abstract.  At your Memorial Day picnic provide an American badge for each person; cut circles of white, paint or color red stripes and blue stars.  Attach a safety-pin.  Let children string beads of red, white and blue for an American necklace.  Decorate caps with fabric paint.

Decorate with red, white & blue.  Balloons, streamers and tablecloths make a statement.  Inexpensive paper products go a long way to help children connect the colors of the flag to a celebration of family.  As they grow up, children will associate this time with America.

Serve red, white & blue.  Jello molds offer a refreshing chance to let children help and talk about the colors.  A fruit salad of strawberries, raspberries, blue berries and concord grapes topped off with whipped cream is delightful.  Serve a flag cake; cake topped with cool whip, strawberry stripes and a field of blueberries creates a delicious summer dessert.

Teach children the Pledge of Allegiance.  Sing and listen to patriotic songs.  Be a role model and create opportunities for children to be involved in the responsibilities of citizenship.

"Children are one-third of America’s population and all of its future"  Ronald Reagan

-Kate Dust, EduKids Education Director

I came across this poem and wanted to share it with you.  In the crazy days that often make up our weeks, months, seasons and years, too often we literally don’t slow down to notice that everything is changing.  Each day is different than the last.  Too often it is only looking back that we realized that we should have been looking in each moment.

To My Grown-Up Son

My hands were busy through the day

I didn’t have much time to play

the little games you asked me to,

I didn’t have much time for just me & you.

I’d wash your clothes, I’d shop and cook,

but when you’d bring your picture book

and ask me please to share your fun,

I’d say, “A little later, son.”

I’d tuck you in all safe at night

And hear your prayers, turn out the light,

then tiptoe softly to the door…

I wish I had stayed just a minute more.

For life is short and the years rush past…

A little boy grows up too fast.

No longer is he at your side,

His precious secrets to confide.

The picture books are put away,

There are no longer games to play,

no good-night kiss, no prayers to hear,

That all belongs to a different year.

My hands once too busy now are still.

The days are longer and harder to fill.

I wish I could go back and do

The little things you asked me to.

Author Unknown

attributed to Eleanor Newbern

Kiss your kids.

-Kate Dust, EduKids Education Director

This is a great day!

If you are celebrating Mother’s Day because you have a child or children – sometimes don’t you just look at them and think I can't believe they are mine? 

In the middle of mayhem that is often part of healthy family living, if you can catch your breath and open your eyes, you will hear laughter mixed with shouting and see hands being held along with stingy, closed fists – it can stop you in your tracks as you wonder how did I get so lucky?                                                            

Now going out to dinner is often McDonald’s Play Place, fancy jewelry is a shiny “Sponge Bob” sticker on your blouse and your newest perfume smells surprisingly like baby spit up on your sweater-and you think who wouldn’t want to be me?                                                                                                                            

Days are hectic, nights are sleepless, money is stretched and each day is a new adventure & challenge and you wouldn’t change a thing.

If you are celebrating today with your mom, grandma or any other lady that holds a dear, permanent and honored place in your heart it is the perfect time to consider How can my life be like hers?

 As days go by you find yourself wondering out loud When did my mom get here? Suddenly you are making decisions she would make and actually hearing her words come out of your mouth!

You look in the mirror and see your mom’s smile.  You increasingly notice more & more people telling you how much you remind them of your mother and it is then that you think This is the highest compliment I can have.

 You study her handwriting, you share coffee and conversation, you ask for her opinion and guidance, you can’t wait to tell your mom about the new restaurant you were just at and it’s her hand that you still hold and words that you cherish.

Take time today and take time tomorrow and take time for all of your life to honor your mother.  She is the reason for your dreams.  She is the one that always knew that you would be who you are today.  She is the voice of celebration and the station of calm in your life.  Your mother is the heart that beats for you.

I have had the very real blessing of being the daughter and daughter in law of the most loving, respectful and intelligent women on earth.  They have taught me to fill my life with wonder and possibilities, to never question my value and influence and to always hold my family close to my heart and forever in my prayers.  I hope you are so lucky.

Happy Mother’s Day

-Kate Dust, EduKids Education Director

I know that Sunday May 13, 2012 is officially Mother’s Day.  I know this because it is stamped on everyone’s calendar.  Well, I don’t think that is enough for moms.   I am going to offer Hallmark and all calendar companies a variety of stamps that they can put on the other 364 days of the calendar.  This is what the stamps will say: Moms Rule, Kiss Mom Today, Mom is the Best & Thank you Mom!  They can spread the word of great moms throughout the year!

Help your children get ready for Mother’s Day next week.

• Make special cards with fancy paper (old wallpaper, wrapping paper, scrapbook paper) and pretty writing.  There is nothing more personal and beloved than a homemade card from a child.  Grandmas, aunts, and special friends all have been known to keep a special box with children’s little “love letters”.  Include a special photo.  No matter how old the child is, be sure that it is their handiwork on the card.
• If you are planning a meal as part of the celebration, place mats are a huge hit!  Let children draw a picture (crayons are best) of special moms, grandmas and any other celebrant on plain paper (poster board paper cut into place mat size works well).  Be sure to write some special words and decorations on the mat.  Everyone will have a special place of honor. And, of course, children are part of the cooking team!
• Flowers are a classic mother’s day gift.  Children can plant seeds or small seedlings in selected pots – make this personal.  Do you have a tea drinker?  Plant in a pretty cup.  How about an artist? Use a small paint can.  A gardener loves pretty watering cans and a little canister is a clever pot for a baker.  Put small stones at the bottom of a pot that does not have holes.  Frame a picture of your child busy with this project for a lovely keepsake with this gift.
• What mom doesn’t love jewelry?  Store bought necklaces and bracelets don’t even come close to the beauty of homemade bangles. Be creative!  Jewelry can be made in Aunt Laura’s favorite color, in pattern designs, to match grandmas’ eyes or in grab & go colors just because they are beautiful.  String beads on yarn, ribbon or colored rope.  Presentation is important!  Wrap this special gift in bright tissue paper and put into a pretty bag.  Don’t forget a card! **Be careful of bead size when young children are working on this project and no matter how old they are, adult supervision is best.
• No need to leave the house for a spa day!  Make a plan for a restful, indulgent day for special ladies on Mother’s Day.  Breakfast prep, serve & clean, paint mom’s nails, some special bubble bath and “silly servants” can read to mom, tell stories and jokes all day and insist on quiet, personal time for the ladies children love. Post a Delightful Day Schedule on the fridge. Mom & grandmas are “off duty!”
• Show this column to dad.

“In preparation for Mother’s Day I have been thinking about my mom – what would she like? What would she need?  After much thought…all mothers, including Mother Earth, need a rest!” Environmentalist Simran Shethi

-Kate Dust, EduKids Education Director