So your toddler is at pre school and you are wondering what exactly are they teaching. Also, is my child keeping up with the with the other children? Here are a few all important tips on what your child should be learning:
continue reading "What Should My Child Be Learning At Day Care?"

Parents, we love the kids nap time. Its our break time, rest time, or time to get things done, but you may have noticed that its getting increasingly difficult to put your pre schooler to sleep! Here are a few tips to let you know if your child is ready to end nap time:

Does your child have trouble falling asleep at a consistent bedtime if he takes a nap? If your child is going to bed later and later when he takes a nap, then chances are he no longer needs a nap.

continue reading "Toddlers & Naps: When To Stop"

Being a parent of a child with a low immune system or a child who frequently gets ill can be difficult. Here are a few tips from a mom whose child sometimes misses weeks of school at a time:
1. Be in contact with your child’s nursery school teacher. Let them know exactly whats going on so that they have an understanding of just how sick your child really is. This makes them more aware of your child and his contact with germs and also makes them more understanding.
2. Get your child’s work at home. This way they are caught up and not feeling left behind the other children. If your not sure what you should be doing or how to teach, then speak to the teacher. They will guide you and show you the basic steps on how to help your child at home.
continue reading "Coping & Caring For Chronically Ill Children & Sending Them To Nursery School"

So your boss tells you yo have to meet the next deadline and your pre-schooler has started coughing.. .what should you do? 9 times out of 10 a nursery school will have a sick policy in place (fever free four 24 hours or can not be at nursery school vomiting), but more often than not sick toddlers end up at preschool. Parents think that because the child just has a cough or a slight runny nose they are “well enough” to go to nursery school or day care.

Here are a few tips:

continue reading "Toddler Too Sick for Nursery School? Signs for the Working Mom"

Children often become ill after using the sandbox at the park! Squirrels and various other animals that may have disease often use these convenient dry places to release feces and urine. When your child touches this sand these germs are then transferred to your child resulting in a wide range of aliments from a simple cold to something more such as a bacterial infection. Sandboxes at the park can also carry illness from other children, and as the sand is often not changed your child can pick up common childhood illnesses leaving you to wonder where they would have picked it up…

continue reading "Stay Away from the Sandbox & Petting Zoo!"

So you maybe having panic attacks and be feeling like you want to take your child home and keep him there for another year…. my advice is don’t.

Children need to learn to be social and how to interact without their parents. The best thing that you can do is talk to your child about school and all the fun things bout it. Make sure you learn all of the teachers names and explain to him the schedule of the day. When you drop off your child do it quickly walk them over to the designated area (or hand them to a teacher if they are crying) give a quick kiss and say goodbye. Do not sneak around the corner or look in from a window because if your child spots you it means you don’t trust the teachers in the school (so he won’t either) and it makes you emotional which can definitely affect your child.

continue reading "My Child Will Not Stop Crying & it’s the First Week of School!"

You have read all your articles on sibling rivalry, on what to do to prepare your child for the new arrival, and how to have your new baby and older child meet when suddenly the new baby is here and all hell breaks loose. Suddenly your perfect little angel either begins to use disruptive behavior, or sometimes even worse, they want to help so much you are afraid your baby might break in two. Where are the articles based on reality? Take it from a mother who knows. No matter what you do, all the preparation, all the talking, your child will react. Remember that little person used to be the king of the castle, and no king likes to share their thrown. Your mission as mom and dad is to make them understand that they still are the king in your eyes and that there is a thrown for them as well as one for the new baby!

continue reading "When Your Pre Schooler Meets Your New Baby…"

So you swear that you have a little genius and you want him to stay ahead of the class. You begin to wonder, what can I do to teach him at home.

The most important thing I must emphasize is to never NEVER force a child to learn academically. Learning needs to be fun and interesting. Forcing a child who is not ready or willing, will create resentment and cause many problems in life. Remember learning comes in many ways, and children are using learning skills when they are trying to socialize and assimilating to the school experience. These are all valid skills and should not be ignored. If your little genius is ready, then how will you know?

continue reading "How to Teach Reading and Writing to Your Preschooler at Home"

So you have created this perfect sanctuary for your child yet every night you seem to be fighting him for the covers in your bedroom every night! Here a re few tips to help your precious angel stay in his bedroom and help you get a decent nights sleep!

Get in to a bed time routine! Whatever your routine (i.e. put on pj’s, brush teeth, read stories, and off to bed) establish it and stick to it as much as possible. Once your nursery schooler understands that this staying in his bed is part of the routine he may stay there.

continue reading "How to Get Your Pre Schooler to Sleep in Their Own Room!"

So you are worried because the only vegetable our child will eat are French fries and you are convinced that he will soon turn into a French fry at the rate he wants to eat them. In this ever increasing world of obesity eating your vegetables is extremely important part of your child’s diet. Here are a few simple ideas that may help with your picky eaters!

Try a different vegetable every day and prepare it in different ways. Remember vegetables can be served, raw, baked, steamed, grilled, in salad, in juice form, stir-fried and broiled. Try a wide variety and in different ways until you find the vegetables that your child will like and in the style they will like to eat them in.

continue reading "How to Get Your Pre Schooler to Eat Their Vegetables!"

So you have found this program that you think you want your child to be a part of but have this nagging feeling of is this program right for him? The best way to ensure this is to observe your child and ask the following questions: Does my child like large groups of children when we go to playgroups or birthday parties, or does he do better in smaller intimate play groups?

Is my child artistic? Does this program do a lot of art? Does my child love to read? Does this program have a lot of story time? Does my child love to build, or work with trains? You get the point, think of your child’s interest and match it to what the program offers. A child who loves art and creativity may not do as well in a school that focuses mostly on academic skills.

continue reading "Is This Day Care or Nursery Program Right for My Child?"

In this day and age when sending your child to school there are a few simple steps that you as a parent can do to help ensure the safety of your child: Ask if there are back round checks performed for each staff member and how often medicals are required.

Find out when the Board of Health last visited the site and find out if any violations were found, and how they were rectified.

continue reading "How to Keep Your Pre-Schooler Safe:"

There are a few telltale signs to detect if a preschool is terrible from the first time you set foot in the door. Here are a few preliminary tips that will help you avoid those horrendous schools without investing too much time and energy:

When entering a school to find out information, always walk in during class times and unannounced. When parents call in teachers know to expect some one and often act on their best behavior. Also Directors will ensure that all their best people are present, and that they are fully staffed during scheduled tour dates. The class will always look extremely clean on a tour date and will not gibe a realistic picture of the classroom environment. Even if the school doesn’t allow you to tour right at that moment walking in and being observant for even a few seconds will give you a lasting impression.

continue reading "How to Detect a Bad Preschool or Child Care Facility"