Sick Daze

If you want a laugh and you have had a sick kid you have to read this article.


Sick Daze by Jason Good

Sleep On It

On March 10, we roll the clocks forward, but it can take a week or two for a kid's body to adjust to the time change.  Some tips for staying on track:

Go gradual
Starting the Thursday before the change, move your child's bedtime earlier by 15 minutes each day.  That way, the time difference won't feel so drastic when Saturday night arrives.

Be a schedule stickler
If your kid's bedtime is 7:30 pm, to help her set her internal clock don't allow her to stay up for the extra hour or let her snooze later on the weekend than she does on weekdays.

Parents magazine

Setting Boundaries, Picking your Battles and Balancing Between the Two

One of the most difficult issues that parents and preschool teachers face is the balance between "picking your battles," and "setting consistent boundaries."  It is a daily struggle for the teachers; deciding how to react in any given situation.   We are weighing in each interaction with the children whether this is gong to be a learning moment, or whether it is necessary to interfere.  Obviously, no boundaries are very dangerous for children.  Taken the other direction, setting limits for the purpose of controlling the child is equally dangerous.  It not only fosters resentment between you and the child, but it also inspires rebellion from the child in the way of power struggles, temper tantrums, etc.

Picking your battles is a term heard on a daily basis from parents and teachers.  It generally means not pushing the child on every little thing, for the honorable purpose of not controlling their lives too much and letting them make some decisions and mistakes.  The danger here is that when things become too inconsistent, and the child does not know what their clear boundary is, they feel very unsafe and tend to test the limits further, just to make sure that someone will stop them and keep them in a safe place.  Children realize when you follow through and say no in an appropriate situation, that you are helping them remain safe and they will always know what to expect from you.

Setting boundaries is a necessary part of raising children.  In life, there are rules we have to follow, laws to keep our citizens safe, societal norms that allow all of our different personalities to co-exist.  Without those boundaries, if we were left to act solely upon our feelings and instincts, most of us would have been fired from our jobs, would have lost many loved ones, chaos would ensue, and would be left wondering why?  It is important that for our children of a very young age, we begin to show them what the world is really like,  It is our duty to teach them, and sometimes that means saying no, seeing them cry, and making sure afterword when the storm has cleared, why the answer was no.

All of us, teachers and parents, are shaping the way our children will see the world,  Early childhood is the time to teach them to respect authority, and how to respectfully challenge it.  Early childhood is the time to teach them that their feelings matter, but do not stop the world from turning.  As parents and teachers we need to always ask ourselves what our motivation is.  We should try to make our actions and words mean something....teach something...even if it's not easy or convenient.

by Leah Rosenthal-Kambic

February Newsletter

Dear Parents,

We have had a great first month of 2013.  I hope you are all enjoying the pictures of your children that are updated almost daily.  If not, please go to peeweepreschool.com and click on parent connection and then click on your child's teacher link.  Pictures are password protected and I will be happy to give you your child's class password if you don't have it.  

Pee Wee will be closed Monday February 18th for Presidents Day.  This is a paid holiday as noted in your contract.

Please note that our front curb is a no parking zone.  We have had many complaints about parents leaving their cars to drop off or pick up a child. This causes unsafe conditions for anyone who is driving in the parking lot or trying to cross the parking lot. 

If your child naps and you have purchased a rollee pollee you need to have it here every week on your child’s first day of attendance.  We have had quite a few go home for cleaning and have not been returned.  Please make sure that you have it here each week. Thank you.

For those of you that are paying by check I have a request.  Please make sure that when you sign the check your signature is not going below the signature line.  Our bank has informed us that if their computer can not read the marker line at the bottom of the check due to any interference then we get charged a fee for processing. Please be aware that folding a check can also cause interference.  I am trying to keep costs down and would appreciate your help in this matter.

Pre-K parents:  If your child will be 5 by October 1st 2013, they are eligible for Kindergarten in the 2013-2014 school year. 

All Paradise Unified School District schools will have an orientation meeting on Thursday February 7th at 6:30 at the school sites and enrollment begins on Monday February 11th at 9:00am.  If you have any questions about which school you need to go to please call me and i will help you figure it out.

Children’s Community Charter has their information meeting on Wednesday

February 6th and their lottery will be March 1st. 

Achieve Charter School will have applications available on February 1st and their lottery will be March 4th. 

If you have any questions about the process PLEASE speak with me.  I know kindergarten can be a very confusing and a frustrating process and I would like to help any way I can to ease your mind.

Please make sure to send a jacket with your child each day.  We will be going outside as much as possible!

Happy Valentines Day,

Kim

Tame Your Tattletale

To fix the problem in your house, start by having a conversation with your child about the difference between tattling and telling. Explain that tattling is when you're trying to get someone in trouble, while telling is informing an adult when someone could get hurt or something might get broken.  Here are a few examples and how to handle them.

"Max won't give me a turn"
What he means "I need help solving a problem." If that's the case, call over both kids and problem-solve together, without taking sides or getting into the details of who did what first.

"Lucy is throwing snowballs."
What she means "I'm very proud of myself for following all my parents' rules."  A child who is constantly pointing out the bad behavior of other children at play dates or school may simply be seeking attention and praise for her own actions.  Help her express her feelings of frustration about the rule breaking.  Then focus her back on her own behavior by saying something like, "I'm sure her mom will talk to her about her behavior, and I'm pleased that you followed the rules."

"Jack said a bad word"
What he means "I want to get my brother in trouble."  You may want to call over the offender and take action immediately. Don't. That's exactly what the tattler wants yo to do, and it will just encourage his behavior.  Say, "I will worry about your brother.   That's not your job," and refuse to talk about it further.  This approach takes the power out of tattling.  If the conduct was particularly egregious, have a discussion with the troublemaker when the tattler is out of earshot.

"They won't play with me."
What she means "I don't know how to make friends."  This common complaint often means your kid isn't sure how to join a group of children who are already playing together.  Ask her, "What are the kids doing? How can you join the game?  Ask if you can play."

by Michelle Crouch, Parents Magazine

Bye-Bye Dinner Drama

With your busy schedule, sitting down to dinner as a family is hard enough-and having a picky eater can make it even harder.  Start a conversation about how good nutrition will give them an advantage intellectually and physically at school.  It might take a while, but the message will eventually hit home.

Mix It Up.  Mix the foods they love with new tastes.  For example, serve chicken nuggets with a new vegetable. Even if some of the green stuff gets ignored, you'll at least have the peace of mind knowing they've eaten the nuggets.

Appetizing Appearance.  The way food looks means a lot to kids.  To make the experience enjoyable, try cutting their food into fun shapes and designs and experiment with dips.

If your child is particularly adventurous with eating one day, keep the encouragement coming.  Tell them that you are proud that they've tried something new.
excerpt from Parenting Magazine

The Fight Against Cavities

Early tooth decay is now the most common childhood disease. Rates are rising because of what, and how often kids are eating.  They're consuming more processed carbohydrates like pretzels and crackers, as well as more sweets, juice and soda, than in the past.  The bacteria that feed on sugar erode the structure of teeth by depleting calcium.  Once an area without calcium becomes big enough, the surface of the tooth collapses and your child has a cavity.

Many parents are surprised to learn that kids need help brushing their teeth until at least age 6.  Young children simply don't have the manual dexterity to do the job well.  They tend to brush the same teeth in the front over and over again, but don't get to the back teeth or the inside surfaces.

If your child has reached the "I want to do it myself" stage, let him watch you brush and mimic you.  Finish the job after he takes his turn.  Instilling good dental-health habits now will serve your child well later, when you'll have less control over his/her diet.
excerpt by Jan Sheehan,  Parents Magazine