1.  Provide a wide selection of age-appropriate books. Don’t limit books to your child’s play space. Consider making some available in their bedroom, on the lower shelf of a “grown-up” book shelf, on the coffee table, etc. Be sure to place the books within their reach.

2.  Be sure your child has a cozy reading spot. Consider making an area in the family room or playroom with a comfy cushion or child-sized chair, stuffed animals and a big basket of books to choose from!

3. Consider serving snacks or meals that relate to the stories your child enjoys. Add just a drop or two of green food coloring into scrambled eggs and you could serve green eggs and ham for breakfast!

4.  Read to your child at every stage. Some parents begin reading to their child before they are even born!

5.  It’s never too late to start a reading routine with your child. Set a goal of reading at least one book per day with your child–even on the busiest of days!

6.  Include a bedtime story as part of your everyday routine. But…

7.  Don’t limit reading to bedtime. Cuddle up and enjoy giggling with your child over a funny book.

8.  If your child has a tough time sitting still for story time, encourage her to color or manipulate play dough while you read the story.

9.  Point to the words as you read. This helps children start to associate sounds with letters.

10.  Ask your child questions as you read. “How do you think that made her feel?” “What color do you think he will choose?” Be sure to also answer your child’s questions as you go along.

Throughout 2011, bullying has been on the rise at all levels of education. In an effort to combat this growing problem, the nation’s leading preschool, The Goddard School^®, is reaching out with a renewed vigor to help families discover the benefits of playful learning in early childhood education and how it can help prevent bullying. With their proprietary FLEX™ Learning Program, designed to build children’s self-confidence through play, The Goddard School hopes to break the cycle of bullying and halt a national trend.

According to Dr. Kyle Pruett, child psychiatrist, published author and advisor to The Goddard School, the success and enjoyment that preschool children experience through playful learning contributes to the development of self-confidence. Confidence, along with strong parenting and learning to interact in a social group, are important factors in helping children manage bullying.

“Confidence comes from competence, and there’s no better way for a child to discover competence than through play-based learning,” said Pruett. “When children learn through play, they become independent thinkers capable of solving problems themselves instead of seeking help from parents or teachers. That’s a huge self-confidence booster.”

“The children in our schools are the leaders of tomorrow,” added Sue Adair, Director of Education at Goddard Systems, Inc., parent company of The Goddard School. “Our teachers nurture each child’s self-confidence and foster their lifelong love of learning by incorporating teacher-planned and child-directed learning activities into each day. When children enjoy learning, they gain not only knowledge of the task or concept but a sense of personal accomplishment that prepares them for a successful journey through life.”

“Goddard Schools across the nation are hosting the Goddard Community Games on February 11, and all of the families are invited,” added Adair.  “There will be a variety of activities for children and their parents, and the focus will be on learning about playing well with others and accepting each other’s differences.”

Visit The Goddard School online at www.goddardschool.com/games.

Parents intend to delight – and delight in – their preschool child’s playful participation in this fall ritual. But less is more when it comes to keeping a preschooler comfortable and entertained. Here are some guidelines:

Age

Halloween is really meant for school-age kids and adults who have no trouble telling fantasy from reality and whom are way past being afraid of the dark and of scary masks. The preschooler is less likely to laugh and more likely to anxiously ask the mask-wearer a question – cute, but neither funny nor entertaining.

Length

Tying Halloween into dinner plans often stretches the evening out beyond your preschooler’s stamina, making all the other strange stuff inherent to the event harder to manage and understand. Plan to stick to your routine, and celebrate well before bedtime so your preschooler has a chance to settle down.

Sweets

Candy is the antithesis of your normal bedtime snack, giving your child a sugar rush. So, keep them away from the candy bowl. You may want to reconsider having them stay home to ‘help hand out the treats,’ tempting though it may be to have them ‘safe’ with you at your own front door.

Scariness

Because the preschool mind is just mastering the difference between reality and fantasy, things that slip back and forth over the edge of that distinction – like Halloween itself – aren’t very comfortable training grounds for this kind of learning. Older children can see the joy in being scared because they understand the difference. A preschooler is not quite ready for this kind of ‘fun.’

For your young ones, then, I suggest you make it a dress-up party without the gore, leave the trick or treating to the grade school professionals, check your favorite parents magazine/Web site for some simple games to play with peers and get them to bed at a reasonable time. Giving them and yourself a few more years to get ready for the delightful weirdness will be deeply appreciated by them and you.

• Involve your children in making lunches. After dinner, gather in the kitchen to prepare sandwiches or leftovers and snacks for the next day’s lunches. If they’ve helped make their lunch, children are more likely to eat and enjoy it.

• Make a weekday lunch calendar and ask your children to help decide what they will have for lunch each day. This will also make grocery shopping for the week that much easier!

• Consider using divided lunch containers. With separate sections available for each food group, they’ll help you easily put together healthy, balanced lunches.

• Prepare a variety of fruits and veggies and place a serving of each in separate containers in the fridge. When packing lunches, have each child choose one item from each group and place in their lunch bag with a sandwich and drink.

• Prepare large meals like pasta or stew over the weekend and then divide into single-serve portions to pack for lunches throughout the week.

Pssst! Here’s a hint—try whispering! A whisper can prompt your child to feel that something “secret” or “super special” is about to be said—and that’s something most preschoolers can’t resist!

How do you gain your child’s attention?

Prepare your child in advance by listing each step. Instead of asking, “Are you ready to go home?” use a happy but firm tone to say, “First, we’re going to walk to the car. Remember to hold my hand. Next, I will help you climb into your seat. Then, I will need your help buckling the seat belt.”

Allow your child feel as if they have some control of their world. Instead of, “What do you want to wear to today?” try, “Would you like to wear the blue shirt or the orange shirt?” Instead of, “What do you want for breakfast?” try, “Would you like oatmeal or eggs for breakfast?”

Reward good behavior. When your child has cooperated, let them know how pleased you are. “Great job! Thank you for helping me buckle you in! It’s so important to wear your seat belt. Now I will get in and buckle my seat belt just like you!” and, “Great choice! Oatmeal is really yummy and will help keep your tummy full until snack time!”

Choose your battles. While it is critical to not give in on some things (seat belt use, holding hands when crossing a street, etc.), sometimes you have to pick your battles. If your child refuses to get dressed, sometimes you just need to call it a pajama day—easy to do on a day off! If she refuses her meat and veggies at dinner time, don’t make it a big issue. She’ll eat when she is hungry. Just continue to put healthy, well-balanced choices on her plate or tray at each meal and eventually she’ll try them.

How do you guide your child toward good behavior?

• To rinse suds from soapy hair, ask your preschooler lay down in the tub and “swish like a fish!” Or, use a small watering can to “water” your little flower as she looks up at the “sky” to avoid soap in the eyes.

• Remove, dry and store the toys your tot has tired of and repurpose household items into fun new tub toys. The sippy cup your child has outgrown, measuring cups or spoons all make for great entertainment in the tub—watch as your child “pretends” these items into sea creatures or experiments to see whether they sink or float.

• Consider replacing the “baby towels” with “big kid” towels. Many are available with ears, fins or antennae, encouraging your “baby beluga” to dry off and swim into his pjs, or your “bunny” to hop over for a bedtime story. And, don’t forget bath time “puppets”—these little terrycloth helpers can make soaping up a blast!

Just what is the magic behind the tattered blankie, soft pup-pup or fuzzy little froggy? These lovies help our toddlers to control their insecurities or frustrations. Many children select a lovey that is soft, comforting and calming for them to rub, cuddle or hug when mommy or daddy may not be readily available. Some may pick a lovey that reminds them of mommy or daddy. And, some may choose a lovey that seems completely odd to parents, but makes perfect sense to them in their unique and magical toddler world.

But, once your little one has become smitten—you know, the “won’t leave the house without it” kind of smitten—consider picking up a “stunt double.” If your lovey is machine washable, switch them out each week so they wear evenly. Set limits as to when the lovey can accompany your child to reduce the chance of it getting lost: “It is ok for Pup-pup to come to School, but he must stay in the cubby except during naptime,” or “Froggy can ride with us to the supermarket, but must wait in the car while we shop.”

• Babies can begin to learn about being gentle and soft while petting a furry pet. Little ones who are a bit too rough can practice petting a stuffed animal first—it’s important to consider the safety of our children and our pets!

• Toddlers can learn to brush a bunny, cat or dog.

• Toddlers and preschoolers can use measuring cups to fill food bowls.

• Preschoolers can practice learning how to tell time when given the responsibility of announcing “feeding time” of any type of pet—fluffy or scaly.

• Older children may practice taking the dog for a walk in your fenced in yard or hold the leash while you walk with them.

How do your children help with your pet?

Are your preschoolers turning their noses up at the same old snacks? Transform ordinary snacks into the talk of the playground.

• Substitute multigrain crackers for bread, and create layers of turkey, tomato and cheese for the snack that really stacks up!
• Use cookie cutters to add the wow factor to everyday cheese slices, bread, pineapple, wholegrain waffles, cucumber and more!
• Try whole wheat or flavored tortillas instead of bread. Simply spread on a little peanut butter, cream cheese or low-fat yogurt, add diced fruits or veggies, roll it up, and viola– your little ones will be raving.