• Game systems such as V Tech, Hooked on Phonics, L-MAX and leap pads by Leapster are wonderful educational gifts. They promote learning and still have a”video game appeal” that is non violent and fun. Children can learn to write, count, create art, and even do mathematics. These systems also usually provides age levels on the game boxes to help parents choose whats right for them.
• A wonderful and timeless gift are Legos or building blocks. Legos are great because they provide a sensory experience, enhance fine motor development, and most importantly utilize a child’s imagination skills. Lego’s come in all different styles now (pirate ships, dinosaurs etc) so whatever your nursery schooler is in to can be built! Building blocks are fun and allow for toddlers to understand the concept of logic and to practice patience!
• Classic board games such as Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, and Hungry Hippos can make wonderful gifts. Not only do they promote learning but they allow for parents to have an opportunity to spend quality time with their child. Whether you are playing a logic skill came such as “Memory” or working on your fine motor skills with “Ants In Your Pants,” you both will have hours of fun to look ahead to!
• Another great gift idea that is relatively inexpensive are small caged animals. No I don’t mean the fuzzy animals that poop and smell all the time. A hermit crab or a fish can provide hours of fun with minimal effort. Your child will love looking at his new sea creature and can even learn responsibility while helping to feed the new family pet. This is especially great for toddlers who may become sick frequently or have allergy issues because they are hairless pets that still need care. The great thing about buying goldfish are that even of they pass, they can be easily replaces and require little maintenance.

These ideas can really help your family have a Merry Christmas! Santa’s bag can still be full of fun items that you are certain will be safe for your toddlers and nursery school age kids!

Here are some articles which might make this years search for toddler gifts a bit easier:

The Cool Mom Picks Safer Toy Guide 2007

Toy Hazard Recalls from US Consumer Product Safety Commission

Find toy recalls with – Recalls.gov

In Search of Safety: A Mom’s 8-Step Guide to Toy Selection and Everyday Use

Choosing Safe Toys

Before You Buy A Toy For Your Child – Toy Safety Checklist

Healthy Toys Resource

So your child loves to be social and chats with everyone on the street and you think it’s a wonderful thing…most of the time. There is that uncomfortable moment though where you notice that your 3 year old is giving out all of his personal information. How do we teach our child not to talk to strangers? This is a simple yet difficult topic to cover because we want our children to be social yet we need them to be a bit fearful. Here are a few simple tips that may help:

*Explain to your child what a stranger is. Tell them that a stranger is someone that you don’t know. Let them know that when a grown up is not around they should not talk or take anything from people they don’t know.

*Let your child know that there are nice and not-so-nice people in the world. Its okay to let your child know that not everyone wants to be their friend. As a matter of fact, its imperative that children understand this concept for their safety.

*You are not going to be able to stop a pre schooler from saying what everything, but you can control who they say it to. Use your internal radar! When you are out with your child and see someone approaching to talk to them, if they give off a strange vibe, walk away. Trust your instincts. Just because someone wants to speak or touch your child doesn’t mean they should. You are the best defense against strangers, You can smile and politely walk away,

*Check out John Walsh ’s How do I teach my child not to talk to strangers. It has many useful tips and is pretty kid friendly. Also check out your local book stores and find books! The Big Bad Wolf is a great example of a stranger that your child may understand.

In this scary world we live it is vitally important to protect your child. Help your child stay social but safe!

More info on keeping kids safe:

Kids & Strangers: not-for-profit, family safety DVD project that shows, parents and children how to avoid child molestation

Teaching Children to Avoid "Stranger Danger"

Top Five Ways to Protect Your Children Against Strangers

Strangers and Other Dangers from McGruff

Ask John Walsh: How Do I Teach My Child About Strangers?

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.

Is my child extremely focused or does he have an extremely short attention span. You may want to look at programs that offer different choices all day or a program that is extremely structured. The important thing here is to find a school that seems like the best fit for your child and also makes you feel comfortable. Remember when your child starts school they are in school for a large quantity of time. You need to feel at ease when sending your child to school and finding the best fit will ensure this. Lastly remember, the first school you pick may not be the best fit. Don’t beat yourself up over this. It may take a few tries. Ultimately though when you do find that right school both you and your child will benefit.

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

Do a few informal observations when you are dropping off and picking up your child. Observe how teachers are reacting to other children whose parents are not present. This can often be a clear indicator of how your child is treated when you are not there.

Teach your child about his private areas and explain to him who is allowed to touch these areas (namely him only). Also explain to him what he should do if someone tries to touch him in an uncomfortable way (scream as loud as he can and tell parent and other teachers).

Turn your phone number into a song (i.e. to the tune of “Skip to My Loo”) as a way to teach it to your child. Also teach your child his first and last name, his parents names, and his street address. All preschoolers can learn these basic things as soon as they can talk.Teach your child who a police officer and fireman are and let him meet one at the local stations so he knows who to turn to if he gets lost and is not afraid of them.

Teach your child not to take anything from anyone they don’t know and explain to them why. While this may seem early to teach your child to be afraid of strangers, in the long run it will protect them and give you piece of mind.

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.

When entering the school see how far you can walk without someone noticing you are there. If you can make it into the classroom area or anywhere where children are present, run for the door. Any establishment that allows you to walk near a child is not safe and should be brought to the attention to the board of health.

Look up standard regulations for your state from the Dept. of Health. This will give you an idea of what to look for when approaching a classroom. Check what the state stays the teacher to child ratio should be and find a school that at least meets that ratio or is better than the state reg. Also every Dept of Health site has the basic requirements for Health and safety in the preschool or nursery school environment. Lastly and most importantly the Dept of Health will let you know of any violations the school has received and why.

If you are unable to get in touch with the Dept of Health you should look in the school for the approved license from the Dept some where posted in the center. If their is none than this is not an approved center by the state and you should run for the door ! Also the school must disclose any violations they have received so don’t be afraid to ask!

Find out the hiring policy. Make sure that the employees are screened and fingerprinted. You never know how is being hired and you want to ensure that no staff ember has a criminal past. Also, all employees must have current medical forms on file. Make sure that each staff member is required to have a yearly medical as it is necessary to protect the health of the children. Lastly find out the turn over rate. If a significant amount of teachers are constantly leaving chances are the environment is unstable and faculty is unhappy.

Ultimately, it will take a very long time to find a school you will be happy with but with these few simple tips you may be able to cut some of the time and frustration! Good Luck

1. Find out the school’s hand washing policy. How often are the children required to wash hands and do they use soap. Do they wash hands before every meal or just at certain points in the day? After they use the bathroom? Also, teach your child how to wash their hands correctly. This will save you a few sneezy days.

2. Find out how often the children’s toys are sanitized. This is imperative to germ control because little hands and mouths touching the same toys can often lead to sick city!

3. Teach your child how to cough and sneeze into their elbow and how to properly use tissues. This will help with disease prevention.

4. Find out how strict the school’s health policy is. The school may say its policy is tough but the best people to find this out from is parents who have used the school before. Ask around the neighborhood or the school for a few parents that you could speak to.

5. Keep your child home as you see fit. Sure Suzie can attend school if she just has a runny nose but Should she? Chances are if you keep your child home before any real symptoms appear it could prevent a worse illness and the need for antibiotics. Too many antibiotics at a young age can be very harmful to a child, so stop that runny nose in its tracks!

After the initial introduction have a list of prepared questions that are important to you. While asking these questions pay attention to her interactions with your child. Chances are while you are speaking your child will be playing, interrupting your conversation, or hiding on your lap. In any of these scenarios a great teacher still takes time to interact with your child throughout your conversation. The most important way to tell if your child has a great teacher is through your child.

If your child is verbal listen to what they have to say… more often than not, they will express if they are having a great time, love their teacher, and love school. If your child is not speaking look for the nonverbal cues such as crying when seeing the teacher, body language, or the intense desire not to return to school. This will be different from separation anxiety because its is not presented as the fear of the child not wanting to be away from you, more so it will be discomfort of the child around the teacher… With a loving teacher the most severe cases of separation anxiety can be cured, and your child will love school!!!