Photo: www.dadgear.com

On Fridays, we list the links we love and point to the hot topics at our favorite sites.

College may seem so way off in the future, you can’t even begin to think about saving for it. But, maybe it’s time to sock away some higher education funds, says ParentDish.

Yep, kids are expensive, and Divine Caroline dishes out the dirt on the true cost of having a baby.

Need some family adventure? Lil Sugar offers a few tips for camping with kids.

Need a daddy diaper bag? Babies.com makes a few suggestions.

Time to slash the sugar, Mom and Dad! Do it for your kiddos!

Enjoy this simple preschool lesson plan all about rabbits. The activities below will introduce children to rabbits through fun facts, activities, books, songs, and a game. This lesson plan works well in conjunction with a daycare center unit theme about animals.

All about Ducks
Here are some fun facts about ducks for kids:

• Ducks are aquatic birds
• Ducks have feathers that are waterproof and keep them warm
• The duck’s mouth is called a bill
• Ducks quack
• Females are known as duck and males as drake

Duck Science Activity

In this science activity, the children will study the life cycle of a duck. Discuss the life cycle of a duck Read A New Duck: My First Look at the Life Cycle of a Bird by Pamela Hickman [Kids Can Press, 1999]. Create simple flashcards with each a picture of each basic stage in a duck’s life cycle. With the class, put the flashcards in the correct order. Next mix the flash cards up children encourage the children to sequence the cards correctly on their own.

Preschool Duck Song
Teach the children “Five little Ducks”
“Five Little Ducks”

“Five little ducks paddling to shore,
One paddled away, then there were four;
Four little ducks paddling towards me,
One paddled away, then there were three:
Three little ducks paddling towards you,
One paddled away, then there were two:
Two little ducks paddling in the sun,
One paddled away, then there was one:
It paddled away then there was none”.

Preschool Duck Game Duck, Duck, Goose!
The classic game of duck, duck, goose is always a children’s favorite.

Have the children sit in a circle facing each other. Select one child to be “it” and walk around the circle. As he walks around, he will lightly tap each child’s head and decide whether they are a duck or a goose. There can only be one goose. Once a child is called “goose” she will chase “it” around the circle. “It” must make it to the goose’s original spot before he is tagged. If the goose cannot accomplish this, the goose becomes the new “it” and the process repeats. If the goose does tag “it”, “it” must sit in the center of the circle. The goose still becomes it for the next round. The child sitting in the middle must stay there until another child is tagged.

Recommended Preschool Books about Ducks

Here are some great books about ducks to share with children

• The Little Duck by Judy Dunn [Random House, 1976]
• One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root and Jane Chapman [Candlewick, 2003]
• 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle [HarperCollins, 2005]
• Duck at the Door by Jackie Urbanovic [HarperCollins, 2007]
• Five Little Ducks by Penny Ives [Child’s Play Intl, Ltd] (Includes 2 track CD)

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• Spring Lesson Plan for Preschoolers Spring is a marvelous season. The birds are chirping,…

When summer vacation begins to get old, what kids are missing is an intellectual life — no kidding.

Learning is what kids do best, so learning should always be part of a child’s day. Make it a big part — a parent-provider initiated time that really sweeps them off their feet.

Leave boring and mind deadening “reader to workbook” copy approaches in the dust. Do a summer hands on, go and do, think and write project instead. This is the way parents and providers can help children form ideas and keep them. That’s the whole point to learning.

Let’s invent a method: Let’s use three admirable figures parents can teach kids to relate to: Tom (To) Sawyer, Stephen (Step) Hawking, and John Updike (Up). These people are models for thinking and doing, and we could call this the “To Step Up” mode of learning.

To Step Up and away from a passive leaden lead copying to an active and productive learning leadership.

To Step Up means lots of doing, and no one better signifies doing to kids than Tom Sawyer. He’s a tough, durable figure both girls and boys can relate to.

Doing means risk taking and lots of trials and efforts, with any project. Stephen Hawking is a tireless and heroic researcher and experimenter. He is an idea man children should “step up” to know about and emulate. He makes dreams come true and so can they. Small dreams for young people grow into whole worlds of thought.

And John Updike’s expressive and creative writing about ordinary life causes the everyday world in his wonderful hands to become quite extraordinary. Children should learn to express themselves well about their own work.

To Step Up activities might involve making an in-depth study and collection of stamps, rocks, shells or wild flowers. Growing crystals or a vegetable garden requires research and doing too. So does hatching birds, butterflies or pollywogs. Putting a salt water aquarium together also requires research and thought. Even putting together a 1000 piece puzzle takes a kind of stick to it skill that requires sophistication of mind and will. There is also the play to learn and perform.

Our To Step Up method translates well into the arts. Helping to direct a play takes a lot of enthusiasm, and drama is fun or kids, but it takes research, and trial and effort. Watching and studying plays, reading and working out a play takes experimenting and practice — just like Stephen Hawking’s science. When the play is worked out. It’s time to perform it using the Tom Sawyer part. A gutsy, get in there and have fun approach which never fails.

Finally, no matter what you do, the UP part means writing about experiences so the memory is kept forever. Writing about something means you really understand what you did. It should be clear and concise. Children should keep a summer journal no matter what they do across the summer.

The main focus on summer vacation for children should be learning to really read for information, doing something real and worthwhile, and learning to write well about their experiences. Even doing one major project every summer from age three through fifteen means twelve great learning treks. By sixteen kids have car keys and they are more interested in other projects like finding the cutest girl or boy.

I thought these were wonderful.

Daycare forms, Photo by nerdcoregirl

Each daycare business has its own individual enrollment procedures. All daycare providers , however, should require standard childcare enrollment forms in order to protect the children in their care as well as their daycare employees. There are a few simple enrollment daycare forms that all daycare businesses must implement:

Registration Form
The registration should contain the following information:

• Child and parents’ names
• Emergency contact information
• Adults authorized to pick up the child
• Immunization information
• Injuries, allergies, and medications
• Concerns about the child’s development
• Authorization to obtain a Public Health Nurse, Physician and or Ambulance in the event of an emergency for the child

Social Resume:
A social resume should detail specific personal information about the infant that is probably not included in the enrollment form.

Infant Resume
The infant social resume should include:

• Infant’s nicknames
• Names of  the infant’s brothers and sisters and their birthdates
• Languages spoken in the home
• Pets in the home
• Breast feeding information, solid food preferences,  feeding schedules, and food sensitivities
• Infant’s sleep routine
• Diapering details such as types of diapers used and diapering routines
• Information about social and emotional development to include the infant’s temperament, fears,  and favorite activities

Toddler and Preschooler Resume
The toddler and preschooler resume should include:

• Child’s nicknames
• Names of  the child’s brothers and sisters and their birthdates
• Languages spoken in the home
• Pets in the home
• Feeding facts such as the child’s appetite, favorite foods, food sensitivities, and typical feeding schedule
• Self care information: Is the child potty trained? Can the child dress himself?
• The child’s sleep routine
• Information about social and emotional development to include the child’s temperament, fears, favorite activities, how he or she plays with others, how the child shows feelings, and how the child is normal disciplined.

Health Information Forms
The health information form should never take the place of immunization records. The health information form should include statements about:

• The child’s general state of health
• Any allergies or medical conditions
• Immunization status (Are the child’s immunizations up to date?)
• Common childhood diseases the child has had
• Ailments to which the child is prone
• Any speech, hearing, or visual problems
• Any surgeries or prosthetic limbs
• Anything about the health of the child that the provider should be aware of.

All of these daycare forms can be downloaded and printed for free at supportingproviders.com

No related posts.

How can I celebrate the successes of parenthood? Many parents do not take the time to celebrate the things that they are doing right as parents.  This is important, because everyone needs to be recognized.  Take a few minutes to look in the mirror and reflect on how far you have come with your children.  And, thank yourself for a job well done, because no one benefits from well-raised children as much as the parents.
How can I become comfortable using a babysitter? First-time parents particularly become uncomfortable at the mention of the word. However, everyone needs an occasional break from parenthood and babysitters are often necessary to make it happen!  Ask for recommendations from friends and neighbors and even your church, and feel confident knowing that if someone else is willing to entrust their children’s welfare to a babysitter – you can too.  Start small, using a new babysitter for an hour while you run to the grocery store. Increase the time that you will be away gradually and watch how your children interact with the sitter.  Over time, you will become more comfortable leaving your children with a babysitter.
How do I decide whether to let my child sleep with me? The decision of whether or not to allow a child into the parental bed for night-time sleeping is a completely individual decision. Just know that once you begin to allow your child into your bed, they will be much less inclined to fall asleep on their own.  Therefore, decide early whether you are willing to sleep with your child every night.  Some parents have discovered that infants in the parental bed make nighttime feedings easier.  However, others have determined that putting the infant’s bassinet near the parents’ bed has the same effect.
What are some ways I can make my child’s room enjoyable for me? Many new parents forget that they will be spending a lot of time in their infant’s room.  Therefore, decorate the room for your tastes and with a décor that is welcoming to you.  If you place a comfortable rocker with soft pillows and a warm blanket in the room, you will find it a lot more enjoyable than if it contains only a crib and dresser.  Realize that you will spend time in this room when changing your baby, putting him or her to sleep and even when he or she is sick.
How can I teach my child to be a good sport? Nobody likes a sore loser.  The best way to teach a child to be a good sport is to practice good sportsmanship yourself.  If you are overly competitive, your child will pick up on this and emulate your behavior. If your child is going to play organized sports, be realistic about your expectations and never yell or scream at an official that you think was unfair to your child. Be consistent. If you see your child do something that is not sportsmanlike – correct the behavior and discuss it with your child after the game or activity has ended.

Good news for job-hunters: the national unemployment level has dropped slightly as the economy continues to pull itself out of recession. However, the situation isn’t moving fast enough for many families. The news has been filled with stories of people losing unemployment benefits. This throws jobless parents who are already struggling into a bigger tailspin.

Moms are either the primary breadwinner or co-breadwinner in most families. Nowadays, most households need two working parents to cover all the bills. What would happen to your family if you lost your job? How long could you stay unemployed and still make ends meet?

Right now, nearly half of all unemployed job-seekers have been without work for 27 weeks or more (that’s over six months). Over 2 million of them just lost their unemployment benefits and won’t receive any more assistance unless Congress moves to help these families. By the end of the month, that number will shoot up to 3 million.

Parents caught in these unfortunate situations are having trouble finding work—even jobs that are part-time are scarce in many areas of the country. They’ve dipped into their savings (or used it up entirely), cashed in retirement accounts, and moved to make ends meet. I read about one hardworking father who spent 36 years employed. Now, he’s been out of work for 18 months and drained his savings to pay for health care coverage for his 13-year-old daughter who has diabetes. His older daughter is about to head off to college, but he doesn’t know how he and his wife will pay tuition.

Home life for many families has shifted to reflect our topsy-turvy economy. You see more stories often of parents forced to adjust to the challenges they face. For example, this woman had been a stay-at-home mom for 9 years, went back to teaching after her husband lost his job in 2008. He hasn’t been able to find work since. That’s a huge change that affects careers, child care, and more.

While most families can’t prepare for 18 months (or more) of unemployment, it is possible to build an emergency fund that will protect your family, pay for your rent or mortgage, and also cover what’s probably your second-highest monthly expense: child care. The secret is simple—start saving.

Experts differ on how much you should save (and the right answer is really whatever you’re most comfortable with), but the general consensus is that families should have anywhere from $1,000-5,000 stashed into a savings account. Jean Chatzky says you should have anywhere from 3-6 months of living expenses saved and set aside, just in case. The Wall Street Journal’s Complete Personal Finance Guidebook says a minimum of three months’ salary is a good starting point and even suggests keeping several hundred dollars in cash stashed in your home (keep it in a safe, not under a mattress!).

Even though we live in tough times, most experts believe many Americans haven’t saved enough for an emergency. But careful planning and preparation can help pull your family through a job-loss situation. If you don’t have an emergency savings account now, I highly recommend starting one!

If the unexpected happened and you lost your job, how long could you stay unemployed? What would you do to make sure your kids’ care arrangements stayed consistent?

Bullying in Preschool, Photo by Clarity

Bullying is an issue in many daycare center and preschool environments. One aspect of daycare jobs includes keeping children safe and behavioral issues in check.   In a part 3 of this interview, Shannon Spence, owner of Tutor Doctor of Denver, describes the problem of bullies in daycare centers and explains how parents can handle the situation.

OwnADaycare: What can a concerned parent do about bullying?

Shannon Spence: As a parent, sometimes it’s hard to determine if your child is overreacting to a normal preschool situation or whether the situation has gotten out of control.  Let’s face it young children are impulsive and active so classroom battles are an everyday occurrence.  Allowing children to deal with conflicts is an important learning tool at this age so talk through scenarios with your child and give them suggestions on how to handle them.

If however, your child is complaining of stomachaches, seems anxious about school, says they don’t like school anymore or repeatedly complains about a certain child that is being “mean” to them then some more investigation is needed.   A good first step is to visit the classroom.  Child care providers should have an open door policy and encourage parents to observe and volunteer in the classroom.  Spending some time in the classroom is a good opportunity to see your child in the school environment.  You can see for yourself and better understand if your child is being oversensitive or if in fact there are some issues.

Clearly if your child comes home with an unknown bruise, bite mark or other physical signs of bullying, a parent needs to talk with the teachers as soon as possible.  Speaking with the teachers during pick up or drop off is difficult so schedule a formal meeting with them.  If the bullying continues and the parent is not getting support from the teacher then they need to bring it to the attention of the school’s administrator.

Most preschools and daycare facilities have a “three strikes, you’re out” policy.  So if a child is repeatedly inflicting harm on other children careful consideration should be taken to possibly remove them from the school.  If this does not happen and the bullying continues then you may have to remove your child from the school and look for another program.  Remember you are the only advocate your child has so if you feel that they are being bullied or taken advantage of you need to do everything in your power to protect them.

Shannon Spence is a former preschool teacher, mother of two and owns and runs a local Tutor Doctor business, with her husband Rob.  She has seen bullying first hand in the preschool environment and has some insight into how to deal with the situation.

No related posts.

Good Morning! A simple week! We are going to look at the Hawaiian luau. We will learn the hula and a couple of hula songs. We will do some Hawaiian crafts and then on Thursday, we will have a luau at school. The kids should love this. Anyone know where I can get local poi?

On Tuesday and Wednesday we will be swimming at Newburgh Pool. Hope it doesn’t rain us out!

On Friday, we will be going to Scales Lake.

Both days a picnic.

The children are really swimming well now. It’s a pleasure to watch them.

Have a great week!

Photo: mikebaird, Flickr

Somehow, it seems, summer is flying right by. And I’m afraid that, before we know it, we’ll be trekking back to school to meet the teachers and starting another whole school year once again — which will, somehow, fly right by, too.

So, it seems about time to ask: How’s your summer shaping up? I’ll go first: Ours is going quite well. Piano lessons, swimming, beaching, boating, movie-going, and more fills our days. There are also late nights, and late mornings, and a really relaxed feel to our days off. It’s not all fun and games, though. You might agree. There’s bickering and fighting and begging and, yes, the dreaded “what can I do now?” boredom! It’s really quite frustrating at times, and if you want the whole scoop, you can read all about my summer stresses right here. Then, please, weigh in on summer at your house!

Photo: mikebaird, Flickr

Somehow, it seems, summer is flying right by. And I’m afraid that, before we know it, we’ll be trekking back to school to meet the teachers and starting another whole school year once again — which will, somehow, fly right by, too.

So, it seems about time to ask: How’s your summer shaping up? I’ll go first: Ours is going quite well. Piano lessons, swimming, beaching, boating, movie-going, and more fills our days. There are also late nights, and late mornings, and a really relaxed feel to our days off. It’s not all fun and games, though. You might agree. There’s bickering and fighting and begging and, yes, the dreaded “what can I do now?” boredom! It’s really quite frustrating at times, and if you want the whole scoop, you can read all about my summer stresses right here. Then, please, weigh in on summer at your house!

Fresh Fruit Bars

With all the wonderful fresh fruit out, it’s always hard to decide what to do with it. We make jam, jelly, add it to muffins, cake, pancakes, waffles, and melt it down for sauces and creams.

One of the things we forget is the bar cookie. Bar cookies are easy to make and last a good week. They can be very nutritious and are delicious.

The recipe is easy:

In a food processor, put 2 sticks of butter; 1/3 cup sugar; 2 egg yolks; 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour; 1 cup coconut; chopped nuts if desired.

Spin this until crumbly. Take 2/3rds of this crumble mixture and put it in the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan. Add a layer of fresh fruit. Combos are nice. Peaches, blueberries, blackberries, apricots, even melon makes a nice bar.

Sprinkle the rest of the mix on top of the fresh fruit and bake at 350 degrees until your crumble is golden brown. Cool, cut into bars and enjoy.

I love this house. It’s a dream palace. You can see the whole thing at HERE

Just a little dreamscape to think about when the day gets long.

Bullying in Daycare, Photo by Clarity

Bullying is an issue in many daycare center and preschool environments. One aspect of daycare jobs includes keeping children safe and behavioral issues in check.   In a 3-part interview, Shannon Spence, owner of Tutor Doctor of Denver, describes the problem of bullies in daycare centers and explains how educators and parents can handle the situation.

OwnADaycare: What can child care providers do about bullying?

Shannon Spence: Child care providers need to have their finger on the pulse of the classroom.  Anticipating a negative situation before it occurs and redirecting the children can cut the bully off at the pass.  Gentle and positive reminders such as, “Thank you Johnny for waiting your turn to use that truck”, help to guide the bully into making a better decision.  Classroom rules like, “We keep our friends safe, we keep ourselves safe and we keep our things safe” are easy for little ones to remember and yet open the door to a lot of great discussion and role playing during large group time.  Pointing out natural, or logical, consequences and giving children choices can also help.

If a teacher sees that aggressive behavior is escalating the simple act of explaining the consequence may be enough to stop the behavior. A comment from the teacher like: “Thank you Johnny for keeping your hands to yourself.  I know that you will make a good choice so that you can continue to play in this center”, lets the child know they have a choice and this is what will happen if they decide to make a bad one.  The consequence is much more effective when the child knows that they brought it on themselves.  Bullies often times act out for attention so a simple hug or caring gesture can sometimes pull them out of a slump.  It’s important to give them positive attention as much as possible.  Recognizing their good behavior and praising them for it will help to build their self esteem and reinforce that behavior.

It’s sometimes hard to feel warm and fuzzy about a child who is constantly acting out but try to catch them at a quiet moment and invite them to sit on your lap to read a story.  It’s amazing how this simple act can change your feelings toward the child while letting them know that they have a friend in you.  Earning their trust can go a long way in also earning their respect so that when a situation occurs they are more likely to respond to you in a positive manner.  Socialization is ongoing at the preschool level so providers need to take charge of their classroom, set good examples and constantly remind children of their expectations.  By doing this you’re showing the children that bullying is not okay and will not be tolerated.

Using the above mentioned techniques daily in your classroom can help to keep bullying behavior at bay.  But as we all know, we don’t have eyes in the back of our heads (even though some children think we do!) so we can’t catch everything.  When bullying does occur, discuss the situation with the children involved.  Let the bully know that it was not okay to treat another child that way and discuss how they could have handled the situation differently.

Discussion and clarification of classroom rules can be helpful.  Giving the bully some “renewal time” puts a “time-out” in more of a positive light and allows them to gather themselves and think about what just happened.  Sometimes external factors (such as discipline or lack-there-of in the home environment) can undermine a teacher’s effort in the classroom and present them with situations that are beyond their control.  If a situation is severe or happens repeatedly the schools administrator needs to get involved and the child’s parents informed.

Shannon Spence is a former preschool teacher, mother of two and owns and runs a local Tutor Doctor business, with her husband Rob.  She has seen bullying first hand in the preschool environment and has some insight into how to deal with the situation.

No related posts.

Photo: woodleywonderworks, Flickr

On Fridays, we list the links we love and point to the hot topics at our favorite sites.

Do you hate your hubby now that baby has arrived? Hey, it happens.

More helpful answers to all things babies — at Babies.com!

The best summer gift you can give your kids is boredom. Are you delivering?

You may be cutting corners when it comes to finances, but be sure you don’t skimp on these four things!

You might also be trying to cut down on the pounds. Here, some tips for banishing the post-baby bulge.

Photo: woodleywonderworks, Flickr

On Fridays, we list the links we love and point to the hot topics at our favorite sites.

Do you hate your hubby now that baby has arrived? Hey, it happens.

More helpful answers to all things babies — at Babies.com!

The best summer gift you can give your kids is boredom. Are you delivering?

You may be cutting corners when it comes to finances, but be sure you don’t skimp on these four things!

You might also be trying to cut down on the pounds. Here, some tips for banishing the post-baby bulge.

At Care.com, we love food and we "care about cooking"–no pun intended. When our stomachs are happy, we're happy, and that makes for one big happy family. We're collecting the best recipes from the Care.com community for our first ever Happy Family e-Cookbook.

If you want us to include your favorite dish, just share the recipe with us: send an email to cookbook[at]care.com.

We'd love it if you included a picture of you and your family cooking along with any stories you have about that particular recipe. Maybe it's from your great-great-grandmother? Is it something your children concocted on their own? Whatever your story is, we'd love to hear it!

We'll publish our favorite recipes, pictures, and stories in the Happy Family e-Cookbook, which you can download later this summer.

Check out this fun video clip to learn more.

This was apparently written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista , CA . He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to ‘explain God.’ I wonder if any of us could have done as well?

[ ... And he had such an assignment, in California , and someone published it, I guess miracles do happen ! ... ] I can say that; it’s my home state.

And…that’s why I believe in God.’