Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
Snowball Hunt
The Goddard School® located in Charlotte, NC recommends trying new activities with your child!
Bring the ‘snow’ and fun indoors.
Let your children work on their fine motor skills!
Materials
12 cotton balls per child
1 marker
1 egg carton per child
Instructions
- Label each egg carton cup 1 through 12.
- Hide the cotton balls around the room (12 cotton balls per child).
- Have the children walk around the room, looking for the hidden ‘snowballs’.
- Encourage each child to put the ‘snowballs’ in order when they find them (1 through 12).
Once all the ‘snowballs’ have been found, count them together!
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Choosing a Preschool, Fun activities, Learning through Play, The Goddard School
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
Build a “Snowman”!
Whether you live in the snowy northeast or sunny southwest, you and your child can build (and eat!) your own yummy snowman!
Ingredients (for one snowman):
3 Thick slices of banana
1 Pretzel stick (broken in half)
1 Apple wedge
Several mini chocolate chips or small raisins
On a plate, line up the banana pieces to build the body of your snowman. Add one half of the pretzel stick to each side of the second banana slice for arms. Place the mini chocolate chips or raisins for eyes, a nose and buttons, then top off your snowman with an apple wedge hat!
Get creative with other pieces of fruits and veggies and decorate your snowman with a scarf, mittens and even boots!
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
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Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
by Dr Pruett
In thirty plus years of working with infants, toddlers, preschoolers (and their parents) and with four children and four grandchildren of my own, I’ve seen thousands of pacifiers come and go. It can be hard to keep perspective when it’s your child who is drooling away on his pacifier. So many parents feel guilty about pacifier use as though it reveals them to be insufficient caretakers or giving in to the demands of the child. I confess readily that I, too, have searched in wee hours to find the nearest all-night convenience store, hoping against hope to find the required make/model of the ‘peacekeeper.’
So here’s the deal: pacifiers have their place. Once your infant is gaining weight and nursing reliably, a little non-nutritive sucking can be a good thing if your particular child is interested in it (most are). We’ve raised both kinds of children, so it’s worth waiting to find out if yours is interested, rather than giving a pacifier to a baby who doesn’t want it. It should be a joint decision between baby and parents. However, babies who suck at night seem to have a lower risk of SIDS and tend to sleep more regularly for a bit longer as their sleep habits mature, so it might be worth encouraging, even if your child doesn’t take to it immediately.
Trouble with pacifiers doesn’t usually start until children start to walk. They start dropping the pacifier in the most disgusting places. If they also start to talk soon after, the cork effect seems troubling to parents. One of our early talkers would remove it to fire off a few sentences and then re-plug herself so quickly we had to turn our attention away to keep from laughing.
So when should the child stop? Most pediatricians in the U.S. (standards vary globally) will encourage stopping by age two. I don’t believe that long-term pacifier use slows speech development. However, my dental colleagues have stronger science backing up their concerns that ‘extended pacifier use (heavy use beyond 20-24 months)’ leads to crossbites and open bites. When back teeth close during chewing and front teeth don’t, a child has an ‘open bite,’ which can sometimes self-correct. When the upper palate and arch narrow through extensive pacifier use, self-correction is rare and your dental co-pay will get your attention.
If you’re worried that you’re approaching or in the ‘danger-zone’ of extended use, talk to your pediatrician about strategies for weaning your child from the pacifier – you’ll need the pediatrician to support your own resolve since fatigue so regularly erodes parental judgement. Strategies can range from helpful children’s books on pacifier farewells, outright bribery (goods and services in exchange for pacifier pitching), the invocation of magical forces (pacifier fairies) or promoting the joys of giving pacifiers to babies when you are not one anymore (passing down pacifiers). The earlier you start, the easier the process, but prepare for some tears and stress. As you’ve heard in this blog before, manageable stress ending in mastery is emotional nutrition and feels really good – eventually.
To learn more about the Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 5 Star Child Care Centers, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Choosing a Preschool, Learning through Play, Pacifier, Thumbsucking
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Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
by Kyle D. Pruett, M.D.
Mothers and fathers care for their children in very unique ways. Children can recognize the differences between mother and father care, which actually enhances their development. This article focuses on the critical role fathers play in a child’s development.
Newborns can differentiate between mom’s voice and touch and dad’s voice and touch. Although mom may have gotten a head start on the bonding process with the baby, dads have their chance, too. By six weeks old an infant can distinguish a father’s voice from a mother’s, and while a quiet baby may pay more attention to mom’s voice, an upset baby will calm more readily to his father’s handling. Mothers usually are very consistent in the way that they handle their children, often picking them up in the same manner, saying the same thing before they handle them, for example, at bath or bedtime. Dads rarely approach the baby with such consistency. Each time they pick up the baby, they usually do so in a different manner than before, but this helps the baby recognize that it is dad who is holding him.
Time with dad is typically less structured and more play-oriented than with mom. Most of mother’s time with her children is dedicated to care-giving tasks or educational play, while dad’s time is less structured and full of impromptu play. Where mom uses toys, dad tends to use his body. Dads are typically more physical with the kids and they love it. Physical play helps to stimulate both physical and brain development. Dads also have a tendency to make any situation educational, even if they don’t realize it themselves, so that a father’s tasks around the house might be an adventure for the child.
Fathers challenge their children to learn. Obviously, both mom and dad want to help their child learn in any way they can, but they do this differently also. For example, when teaching a frustrated child, a mother tends to assist her in finding the answer; whereas, a father is more likely to guide the child through the frustration and challenge her longer to find the answer on her own. Fathers also encourage more exploration and boundary pushing than moms do. A father’s way of teaching his child persistence in the face of adversity results in positive academic and social performance in the long run. Certainly, one style is not better than the other, and children absolutely benefit from both.
THE ROLE OF FATHERS
Recent research about the role of fathers and their approach to parenting include the following:
- Fathers tend stylistically to encourage problem-solving skills by letting their kids struggle with frustration a little longer before stepping in to help. (Of course, there is a huge personal variation here, as there is in mothers.)
- Fathers permit a little more emotional autonomy during learning sequences with their young children, supporting and encouraging but without the same emphasis on intimacy that is more typical among mothers.
- Fathers tend to mix play with learning a little more successfully, from the child’s point of view, allowing longer work periods.
- Fathers’ more functional (‘do it because it needs to be done,’ rather than ‘do it because it will go better between us if you do’) approach to academic work builds in the child a larger range of problem-solving skills over time that probably contributes to more lasting self-esteem.
Kyle D. Pruett, M.D., is an advisor forTheGoddardSchool®. 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 atYaleUniversity’sChildStudyCenter.
To learn more about The Goddard School in Charlotte, NC click here
Tags: 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5-star Preschools, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Development, Choosing a Preschool, The Goddard School
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
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.
- 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.
For more information on why The Goddard School located in Charlotte is the place for fun and learning, please contact Susan Monbarren at 704-544-1998.
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. Goddard was recently recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as the “#1 Childcare Franchise” for the eighth consecutive year (January 2009) and Franchise Times magazine as one of the Top 200 Franchise Systems (in worldwide sales) for the second consecutive year (October 2008).
To learn more about The Goddard School click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5-star Preschools, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers in Ballantyne, Child Development, Learning through Play, Literacy, The Goddard School, The Goddard School-Ballantyne, The Goddard Schoolol
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Thursday, September 8th, 2011
Getting Your Child Back into the Routine of Things
The Goddard School® located in Charlotte gives advice and tips to parents on how to prepare their children for the coming school year
Charlotte, NC – Back-to-school season is here and Charlotte-area children are probably getting excited about shopping for new clothes and being able to see their school friends. And, while education is an essential part of growing up, Susan Monbarren of The Goddard School located in Charlotte, says other factors like waking up earlier in the morning, brushing teeth and packing a school lunch are also important, as it helps develop an organized lifestyle and further a child’s growth.
“It is so important for children to get into the routine of going to sleep at a reasonable time, knowing what daily morning chores they need to accomplish each day and other things of the like,” Monbarren said. “In addition, the school year is great because it allows children to be around their peers more often throughout the day, and this promotes social stability. We encourage parents to get the ball rolling and start implementing these routines – even before the school year begins.”
Routine establishes many aspects of healthy living, good habits and good behavior that even the slightest structure can make a huge difference in a child’s day-to-day life, Monbarren said. Monbarren suggests parents, with young children, ask themselves the following questions:
- Do you post a list of nighttime and morning to-dos on your child’s bedroom door or on the kitchen refrigerator as daily guidelines for your children?
- Do you read a bedtime story to your child each night?
- Do you have a designated area in your child’s room or elsewhere in the home for your child to store his or her coat and school book bag?
- Does your child have a bedtime on school nights and on weekends?
- Do you wake up your child in the morning? Or, does your child have an alarm clock in his or her room to wake up on time?
If you have answered “no” to most of these questions, it might be time to implement more routine chores. Monbarren suggests the following ideas that could help parents save time and institute organizational skills for their kids:
- 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.
“Just like we practice at The Goddard School, regular schedules create a day with structure. The repetition of routines encourages your child’s memory development, and the consistency helps him or her adjust to a regular schedule,” Monbarren said.
The Goddard School located in Charlotte offers a year-round program for children from six weeks to six-years-old. Children are encouraged to develop at their own pace in a warm environment supported by a team of dedicated teachers. The Goddard School FLEX Learning Program™ is based on a unique learning continuum that encompasses developmental guidelines, formative assessments and child-focused lesson plans that are delivered in a creative and fun environment with a child-centered approach to meet each child’s individual needs.
For more information on why The Goddard School located in Charlotte is the place for fun and learning, please contact Susan Monbarren at 704-544-1998.
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. Goddard was recently recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as the “#1 Childcare Franchise” for the eighth consecutive year (January 2009) and Franchise Times magazine as one of the Top 200 Franchise Systems (in worldwide sales) for the second consecutive year (October 2008).
To learn more about The Goddard School click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, 5-star Preschools, Add new tag, Back To School, boredom, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Child Care Centers in Ballantyne, Child Development, Choosing a Preschool, Goddard School, Learning through Play, New School, The Goddard School, The Goddard School-Ballantyne, The Goddard Schoolol
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Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
First Time Parenting
By Dr. Kyle Pruett
Becoming a parent is like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. There are countless surprises in the event itself, even if you are in the minority of parents who were able to thoughtfully plan whether and when this should happen to you. Parenting is an important job we feel must be done well, which makes it all the more uncomfortable to feel so clueless about what’s happening to you, your marriage and your body. Moms are supposed to ’just know’ what to do, and fathers are supposed to ‘just know’ how to help them. Neither of these maxims helps much because they are mostly wrong and arcane. And if you are an adult when you become a parent, you are accustomed to knowing what to do as you work your way through your daily life – it’s probably been a while since you felt this inept, sacrificed this much sleep, effort and confidence and all for what – a few gassy smiles and some drool?
A few noteworthy first timer tips:
- The ‘sensory surprise’ is my phrase for what catches many moms and dads off guard early on; holding the naked baby next to your skin (which is a very good thing to do) is calming and soothing for both you and the baby. Who knew? This touching, smelling, caressing stuff helps us find each other as sensory beings in this way too verbal world. This is especially true for dads who have been in the cheap seats for the physical/sensory aspects of the gestation.
- The ‘vocal surprise’ follows. When was the last time you found yourself singing or humming to anyone who would listen? Babies listen intently and seem to have an appetite for the human voice when it’s playing with sounds as in rhythmic speech, singing or cooing. Don’t hold back. This is the vocal equivalent of skin-to-skin cuddling and is just as enriching for both of you.
- The next ‘surprise’ for the first timer might be the magical effect of swaddling on a fussy baby. Firmly but tenderly securing the babies arms and legs in the swaddling blanket keeps the baby warm and secure and is an important thing to learn how to do well. It seems to automatically comfort most babies and makes you feel like you know what you’re doing – especially important for first-time dads.
- Two-thirds of his/her early life will be devoted to sleep, lumped into three-or four-hour segments at first. Sleeping through the night will come, but stomach capacities of the newborn aren’t initially adequate to this task. So get yourself informed about what to expect, problem-solving with your nurse/pediatrician ahead of time. Sleep issues are among the thorniest for first timers, so listen to the seasoned pros about whether to sweat or not.
- First time parents are often accompanied by first time grandparents. Here are a few tips for the first time grandparent:
- Ask permission before rattling off advice. Egos are a little raw just now, so make sure you aren’t overstepping family boundaries.
- Support the parents, both of them. Show them your tricks only if asked; this child is theirs, not yours.
- Don’t expect much attention or entertainment when helping out.
- When you help, help them both. Helping your child’s partner is helping your child raise your grandchild.
To learn more about The Goddard School click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, 5-star Preschools, Add new tag, Back To School, Biting, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Child Care Centers in Ballantyne, Child Care Centers in Charlotte, Goddard School, The Goddard School, The Goddard School-Ballantyne, The Goddard Schoolol
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Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
COOL SUMMER GAMES
Try these water activities with your children and keep them ‘cool’ in the hot July weather!
Water Works
This game is played like Musical Chairs. Play music while children run, skip and jump through a water sprinkler. After a short amount of time, stop the music. The child in the sprinkler when the music stops is in charge of controlling the music in the next round!
Frozen Toes
Fill a wading pool with cool water and ice cubes. Give each child a bucket. Ask the children to transfer as many ice cubes as they can from the pool to their bucket – using their feet! The child with the most ice cubes is the winner!
*Safety First: A parent or guardian should always be present when children are engaged in water play. Parents should use their discretion regarding age-appropriate games for their children.
To learn more about The Goddard School click here
Tags: 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, 5-star Preschools, Add new tag, Back To School, Biting, boredom, car, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Child Development, Child Vacations, Controlling Worrying in children, Goddard School, Goddard Schools, Literacy, The Goddard School, The Goddard School-Ballantyne
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by Kyle D. Pruett, M.D
Brain research tells us that, of the 100 billion (!) nerve cells we are born with, the ones we are most likely to keep longest are the ones that are used regularly in our interaction with the world around us. This does NOT mean that we can increase our child’s intellectual or developmental competence through so-called ‘brain stimulation’ videos or surround-sound cribs. Infants and toddlers enjoy learning first and best the things they learn in their relationships with the people that care for them.
Some things to keep in mind for the development of theirs:
- Children can distinguish the voice of their father from their mother at birth – and their handling styles at six weeks.
- The most useful kind of stimulation is the kind babies can manage, learn from, and interact with. Vocalizations like the coos and giggles they initiate should be returned in kind – matching volume, pitch, and rhythm if you can. Be alert because they’ll often throw in a variation. The same is true for older children who sing and initiate games like peek-a-boo or patty cake. Tapes or videos are no match for the joy and value of ‘live.’
- Want to encourage a positive self-image? For babies, tender and frequent touch makes them feel treasured, and for toddlers and preschoolers, install a (safe) full-length mirror on the back of a door and provide dress-up or ‘pretend’ clothes and just watch them feel special.
- Keep your eyes and ears open for emerging motor skills, interests, words, emotions, and feelings. When such competencies are new, they are both adorable and vulnerable. Remember not to overwhelm children by requesting a ‘show’ of their new tricks. This can be over-stimulating and cause quite the opposite effect – anxiety about new abilities instead of confidence. Let children practice and enjoy their new skill.
HOW you are as a parent with your children matters far more than any particular thing you may ever DO with them. Development is not a race; it is a process that unfolds uniquely in each child. Rushing development erodes children’s belief in, and joy of, their own emerging abilities, replacing joy with frustration and discouragement – too high a price in my book.
Suggested resource: www.zerotothree.org
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.
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, Back To School, boredom, car, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Child Care Centers in Ballantyne, Goddard School, Literacy, Role of Fathers, The Goddard School-Ballantyne, Thumbsucking, Traveling Children, water Play, Worrying in Children
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A great way to start the gardening experience is to help children see what happens when a seed is given the proper amount of light and water. Using beans and a few simple supplies, they can watch as the beans sprout roots and grow, grow, grow!
Supplies needed:
Bean seeds (any type will work)
Paper towels
Clear container (jar, cup or plastic bag)
Spray bottle filled with water
Fold a paper towel and place inside the clear container.
- Moisten the paper towel until just damp with water.
- Place a few beans on the paper towel and mist lightly with water.
- Place the container in a sunny location.
- Mist lightly with water each day and watch the roots grow!
As an added activity, have your little one keep a “seed sprout journal” in which they draw pictures of their sprout as it grows. On top of experiencing science and nature, they’ll also enhance their creative and fine motor skills as they draw!
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, Add new tag, Back To School, Biting, car, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers in Ballantyne, Child Care Centers in Charlotte, Child Vacations, Choosing a Preschool, Learning through Play, New Place, Pacifier, Phonics, Role of Fathers, Saving Money, Sleeping, Staying Cool, Summer Games, Sun Protection, The Goddard School-Ballantyne, Traveling Children, Worrying in Children
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