Posts Tagged ‘Cedar Park childcare’

« Older Entries

Love & Logic Parenting Course

Friday, January 13th, 2012

The Goddard School of Cedar Park begins the “Love & Logic” parenting course begins Thursday, 1/19 (6:30-8:30pm) for non-enrolled, as well as enrolled, families.   Call us at 512-258-5292 to attend the first free 2 hour session or CLICK HERE for more details and registration.  It provides many great ideas for positive communications with your child, such as the tips below.Family - Mom Daughter A

Children should begin to learn to respect limits from a young age. Most boundaries for children are set for health and safety reasons and are a very important and necessary developmental tool. Children are corrected every day, which can lead them to simply “tune out” any perceived negativity or become uncooperative. Regardless of their age, most people respond better to positively communicated direction. This is especially true for children. For example, “Grandma is worried about us getting stains on her couch. Let’s enjoy our snack in her kitchen instead,” will generate more cooperation than “No food or drinks in Grandma’s living room.”

Try telling your child what they can do instead of what they can’t. Practice the positive alternatives below to avoid overusing the word “no” while maintaining reasonable limits.

•     “Maybe later” can work to delay a request such as snacks or sweets before mealtime.

•    “Not today” communicates that the timing is wrong but leaves the possibility open.

•    “When we’ve done (this), then we can do (that).” This method is good for transition times and to help toddlers establish event routines. For example, “When all of your toys are put away, we can go play at the park.”

•    “I’ll think about it” replaces an automatic “no” by allowing yourself the time to think about your determination. Parents tend to make better decisions when they take the time to think about the request and their response.

•    “Sure, did you bring your allowance?” This technique allows you to communicate that they may have the requested item if they can pay for it themselves.

•    “Yes (with qualifier).” This strategy grants conditional permission. For example, “Yes, you may play the game after we eat dinner.”

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Parenting | No Comments »

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

Raising a Generous Child

Saturday, September 24th, 2011
Dalton-0155.jpg

Image by Lee & Ayu via Flickr

At Goddard School of Cedar Park, many parents enroll in our 2 or 3 day part time program specifically for the purpose of positive socialization for their child.  Our curriculum incorporates many opportunities for a child to learn cooperation and sharing.  Here are some ideas on how to raise a generous child.

The ability to give unselfishly to others is not a quality people are born with. Experiences we have and the values we are taught form the basis for the choices we tend to make in our lives regarding generosity. Similar to other behavioral and physical growth stages, researchers have found that children’s moral behaviors also evolve in developmental phases.

Usually young children up to about five years of age are a bit self-absorbed and fairly unaware of other’s feelings. They tend to believe that they should have whatever it is that they want. At around four-and-a-half to five-and-a-half years of age, children like to please adults and are more willing to be coached.

As a child’s moral reasoning develops, parents can model generous behaviors and discuss the importance of generosity. Children will more easily grasp a value such as generosity if they have early and frequent real-life exposure to it. Setting examples and reinforcing good manners at this stage will go a long way.

Don’t despair if your little one seems quite selfish. It’s almost as nature intends for us to learn to love ourselves before we can love others. Remember that a child’s behavior and train of thought will go through various transitions and eventually even a self-centered preschooler can become a warm and generous individual.

By giving your children many opportunities to experience the wonderful feeling of giving to others, they will likely grow up to be generous adults.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Back to School, Part 2

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

This is part 2 of “Back-to-school season.” If you have answered “no” to most of these questions in the previous blog post, it might be time to implement more routine chores. Aggen, owner of Goddard School of Cedar Park, suggests the following ideas that could help parents save time and institute organizational skills for their kids:Teacher & Girl
• Be sure to discuss the highlights and events that happened at school with your child each day.
• Help your child prepare for school the night before, including assisting your child in selecting clothes to wear for school. After a while, he or she will be able to do this without your assistance.
• Designate a time each night that your child should go to sleep. Children need 9 to 11 hours of sleep each night, depending on their age.
• Choose an area in the home, such as by the front door, to store your child’s school bag and any supplies he or she may need for school (e.g., art projects, thank-you notes/gifts for teachers).
• Have a daily to-do list posted in an area your child will see each day.

About The Goddard School
The Goddard School (www.goddardschools.com) is a nationwide franchise of Goddard Systems, Inc. headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. With over 330 franchised schools nationwide and 42,000 children enrolled, Goddard is the fastest growing preschool in the United States. You can subscribe to our monthly events newsletter via the option under “School Information.”

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Parenting | No Comments »

Positive Parenting Tips

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

The Goddard School supports positive parenting techniques and we hope you enjoy the guest article below!  Many of our own teachers are “Love and Logic” graduates via the workshops offered to enrolled and non-enrolled parents at our school.

When children whine and argue it is tempting to say, “Stop!,”  “Quit whining!,” or “Calm down!” However, the next time your child has a meltdown, try repeating, “I will be happy to listen when your voice is calm like mine,” or, “I will be happy to help when your voice is calm like mine,” in a non-emotional voice.  Parents report that if they are calm and consistent, it doesn’t take long for their children to learn that the adult is not going to get hooked into the argument.  And, the child learns to calm down quickly!

Shockingly diverse kindergarten group in Paris
Image via Wikipedia

After facilitating a Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun!™ introduction session, I received an email from a mother that attended and tried this technique.  Shawn wrote, “I have already started using some of the tools and they are not only working to give some power back to the kids, to problem solve and make better choices, but more important for us all is that I FEEL CALMER!  Thank you for this taste of sanity.  Ahhh…”

If you could use a “taste of sanity,” please join us for this five week course that focuses on children from birth through age six.  We explore easy-to-use skills to help parents raise respectful, responsible kids and lower our parenting stress.

This program holds a 30-year track record of success and is designed to help parents in FIVE key areas:
•    Preserve and enhance the child’s self-concept.
•    Teach children how to own and solve the problems they create.
•    Share the control and decision-making.
•    Offer empathy, then consequences.
•    Build the adult-child relationship.
As a stay-at-home mom, I have the opportunity to put these principals into practice everyday.  My husband and I have found that the Love and Logic techniques allow us to spend less time handling behavior, giving us more time to enjoy our children.

And as a facilitator of this course, I have the opportunity to see parents come back to class each week more relaxed and more confident.  My own experiences as well as their success stories inspire me to spread the word about Love and Logic.

The Goddard School of Cedar Park, located at 1905 El Salido Parkway, is hosting the Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun!™ course on Tuesday evening, October 19th from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.  Childcare is available.  To register, visit www.highfiveparenting.com or contact Laura at 512.784.5231 or highfiveparenting@gmail.com.

Don’t miss this opportunity to make parenting less stressful!

Laura Baker
Independent Facilitator
Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun!™

Enhanced by Zemanta

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Parenting | 4 Comments »

Sun Safety for the Family

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Infants & Teacher with Bubbles A

At The Goddard School of Cedar Park, we’re asked about summer sun safety tips.  Here are some good ones and  enjoy you summer!

Babies under 6 months:
The two main recommendations from the AAP to prevent sunburn are to avoid sun exposure, and dress infants in lightweight long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and brimmed hats that shade the neck to prevent sunburn. However, when adequate clothing and shade are not available, parents can apply a minimal amount of sunscreen with at least 15 SPF (sun protection factor) to small areas, such as the infant’s face and the back of the hands. If an infant gets sunburn, apply cold compresses to the affected area.

For All Other Children:

  • The first, and best, line of defense against the sun is covering up. Wear a hat with a three-inch brim or a bill facing forward, sunglasses (look for sunglasses that block 99-100% of ultraviolet rays), and cotton clothing with a tight weave.
  • Stay in the shade whenever possible, and limit sun exposure during the peak intensity hours – between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
  • On both sunny and cloudy days use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater that protects against UVB and UVA rays.
  • Be sure to apply enough sunscreen – about one ounce per sitting for a young adult.
  • Reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after swimming or sweating.
  • Use extra caution near water and sand (and even snow!) as they reflect UV rays and may result in sunburn more quickly.

Source: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/archives/tanning.htm

Enhanced by Zemanta

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Family Vacations

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

In these economic times, travel may not be a viable choice.  As spring recess is approaching in Texas,  Goddard School has some suggestions that may be helpful.

Stay-cations may not only provide a more frugal family vacation, they may also provide an opportunity to create and experience a higher level of bonding with your children.

Upsides to stay-cations include nominal packing as well as minimal airplane or car ride entertainment.   Stay-cations, however, provide the challenge of getting into vacation mode when the remnants of your day-to-day life are all around – planning ahead is the key.

Fun, frugal stay-cations include:

  • Go on nature walks, hikes and bike rides.  Collect rocks to paint.
  • Organize day trips to zoos and/or museums.  Create a family scrapbook to commemorate your experiences.
  • Choose a miniature golf outing and enjoy a little healthy competition.
  • Plan a family mini-spa day.  Prepare a healthy lunch from your vegetable garden.
  • Go camping in your own backyard.  Don’t forget flashlight tag and S’moresPlan and prepare yummy goodies and enjoy a picnic together in a local park.
  • Rainy day stay-cations are fun too!

o Play board games
o Assemble jigsaw puzzles
o Watch family movies

Find out what we’re doing that’s educational and fun each month with the Goddard School monthly events newsletter SUBSCRIBE HERE

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Parenting | 3 Comments »

Ready – Set – Grow!

Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Part of a parterre in an English garden. Photo...
Image via Wikipedia

Gardening is part of our curriculum at The Goddard School.  Following up on our last post about gardening with preschool children, here are some more tips!

Children are fascinated by nature and the simple pleasures of smelling flowers, picking vegetables and studying insects. Gardening provides family fun, teaches patience and responsibility and builds self-esteem.

Pique your child’s curiosity:

  • Plant things your children like to eat – such as veggies they like on a pizza or in a salad or create your own salsa using tomatoes you’ve grown.
  • Make a scarecrow to deter pests or plant daisies and petunias to attract butterflies.

Be sure to plan special time for gardening, but keep sessions brief. Frequent activity changes, such as planting, watering, mulching, weeding and harvesting will help keep children engaged. Allow plenty of time for catching toads, gathering bouquets of dandelions and planting the seeds from yesterday’s snack of fresh watermelon.

Find out what our preschool is doing that’s educational and fun each month with the Goddard School monthly events newsletter SUBSCRIBE HERE

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Tags: , ,
Posted in General | 1 Comment »

Gardening with Your Child

Monday, March 8th, 2010
Brian Farrell with helper plants at Our Commun...
Image via Wikipedia

At The Goddard School, we have garden beds to incorporate into some of our science and nature curriculum.  As our summer camp is approaching, here are some ideas for home gardening with your child!

If you want your child to grow up to be a gardener, it’s important to remember to share gardening experiences with them throughout their childhood. These include frequent, pleasurable occurrences, designs that include messy, colorful plots and great memories of working together in the garden. Each child’s capabilities and attention span will vary so it’s important to adjust your expectations. The goal is to teach your children to respect and enjoy gardening as well as experience a feeling of “I did it myself” at harvest time.

The Composting Council of Canada developed the following good reasons to foster a lifelong love of gardening in children.
1. Health:  Growing your own vegetables makes it easier to get enough servings each day.
2. Exercise: Digging, turning, spreading compost, mulching, hoeing, excavating rocks – all burn calories, help build muscles and strengthen hearts and lungs.
3. Save Money: Even a small vegetable patch can reduce your expenses.
4. Education:  Gardening is terrific for providing hands-on lessons in botany, zoology, weather, hydrology, as well as cycles of life, death and physical decay.
5. Waste Reduction and Recycling: Compost piles transform kitchen scraps, leaves and yard waste into rich soil amendments. Gardeners can reuse of all kinds of cans, cartoons, meat trays and more.
6. Stress Relief: Planting seeds and tending plants can restore balance and perspective.
7. Togetherness: Use vegetables grown together to make delicious meals together and donate abundance to people who need it.
8. Helps Improve Reading and Math Skills:  Children can make plant markers, read seed packets and even help pay for nursery plants.
9. Memory Building: Provides great memories for the years to come.
10. Satisfaction: The more time you spend with your children in the garden, the more they will feel the garden is truly theirs and the more eager they will be to take care of it.

Visit our website @ http://www.goddardschool.com//Schools/Cedar-Park-TX/Schools.gspx and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General | 7 Comments »

Playing with Your Child

Friday, March 5th, 2010

The importance of play is key to a child’s development at  The Goddard School.  Here are some great thoughts on this topic by Dr. Pruett.

Excerpt from Me, Myself and I
By Dr. Kyle Pruett

The best way to know what your child thinks about his world before he can tell you directly in words is through playing with him.  It is right there, in their play sequences and manipulations that we see and hear what they understand and think about the world we share.

Remember, however, that this is his play, not yours.  You are a partner and a facilitator, occasionally a “go-fer,” but you are not playwright, producer or director.

Fall - Mother Daughter

  • When you play make-believe with your child using simple dress-up (hats alone are great), narrate her play: “And now you get on your hat.”  Describe what you think she is feeling: “Don’t you feel fancy (snazzy, cool…)?”  And listen for when you are not quite on track: “So, then what?”  Children often love to have you with them in these imaginary explorations of role and role-play and usually will do their best to keep you from getting lost along the way.
  • Use reflecting surfaces (mirrors, windows) as you play peek-a-boo with your child’s image and then yours, or add a little face paint or make-up as he explores what happens to his face as he, or you, add a dot here or a line there.  It helps him define who he is by enjoying the reflection of his face and feelings back and forth between you.  Doing this together just feels different and better and usually more important.
  • Sit together in the dark with a flashlight and give your child a sense that he has some control over what appears, reappears, and disappears into the darkness.  Narrate the experience with him, and match his level of emotional interest, as you share the job of turning the flashlight on and off together.  Sara, at 22 months, loved this game and called it the “good-bye light game.”  She seemed to be sorting out the comings and goings of important things and people as the lights went off and on.

There are countless other ideas available from books and magazines.  Borrow, invent, and reinvent games just for the two of you.

Find out what we’re doing that’s educational and fun each month with the Goddard School monthly events newsletter SUBSCRIBE HERE

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Play and your child

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

At The Goddard School, first time parents sometimes ask about the best way to bond and interact with their child.  Here are some insights from Dr. Pruett, MD.

Find ways to involve your children in the richness of your ‘grown-up’ life.  Be creative and patient because the results are worth your effort!
best preschool
For young children, play is a lot more than entertainment. It is central to their development.  A wonderful way to play with and teach children is to bring them into your world, where ‘real-life’ happens.  Children love to do ‘grown-up’ things and to imitate you.  And when they contribute, they see themselves as players and get a well-earned self-esteem boost!

Children also learn about important values and concepts from watching you.  They see the result of practice and perseverance, and they come to know that learning is a lifelong process. They see that everyone, even a grown-up, can make mistakes and can learn from them.

There are two easy and enjoyable ways for your children to play in the grown-up world: you can let them help with your chores and you can include them in your favorite pastimes.

Work as play:  Include your children in your household routine.  There are countless safe ways for children to help with meals, laundry, shopping or cleaning.  They can help mix recipe ingredients, pick fruit at the grocery store, water the garden or pack their lunch.  These activities are fun learning experiences, especially if you are teaching informally along the way.  The chores may take a little longer as they learn the ropes, make mistakes, and work at a snail’s pace, but the value for their learning and their self-regard are more than worth the extra time.

Hobbies and pastimes:  Share your interests with your children.  This is one of the most intriguing, emotionally rich forms of learning that children can receive.  Teach your children about your avocations, and keep up with your piano, chess, painting, hiking or gardening.   Your enthusiasm for your hobbies will be infectious and offer many ways for your children to learn and develop skills.

Kyle D. Pruett, M.D., is an advisor for The Goddard School®.  Dr. Pruett is an authority on child development who has been practicing child and family psychiatry for over twenty-five years.  He is a clinical professor of child psychiatry at Yale University’s Child Study Center.

Visit our website @ http://www.goddardschool.com//Schools/Cedar-Park-TX/Schools.gspx.  You  can find out what we’re doing that’s educational and fun each month with the Goddard School monthly events SUBSCRIBE HERE

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Parenting | 6 Comments »

« Older Entries