The weather is getting colder! Here come the coats, hats, mittens, and boots. Well, hopefully, no boots for a while! It is the perfect time to start teaching your child some self-help skills. Yes, you can do it faster than they can, but they need to start learning how to do it on their own! Children become more independent and confident as they learn to do more for themselves. Dressing and grooming skills are learned by early and consistent routines in which children are expected to gradually become more and more independent. Start now! Kids will not learn how to do these tasks unless someone teaches them how and lets them try it and practice it.
Mittens are much easier for children to put on then gloves. Getting those fingers in the right spot can be frustrating for kids and parents. Remember slip-on or velcro boots are much easier than tying.
Zipping
This can be a difficult task. Start the zipper for them. Only zip it up a little bit and let them do the rest! Have your child unzip when they take off their coat. Once they get the feel of how the zipper slides you can starting working on getting the zipper connected. Encourage your child to bring the sides of the coat together at the bottom and “match up” the zipper case. While they are holding the bottom of the jacket with one hand, have them pull the zipper up with the other hand. You may have to hold the coat down for them a few times. Put some Vaseline on the teeth of the zipper, it really does help the sliding process!
Parents need to be:
Patient—it takes a lot of practice.
Praising—everyone loves to hear when they are trying hard or doing the task correctly.
Consistent—don’t make them do it one day and then do it for them another day.
Reasonable—allow for more time and don’t expect them to get it all right away.
Many times parents ask their children questions or imply
they have a choice when really the parent does not want the child to
choose.Be very careful!
*“Do you want to eat lunch now?”I really meant …”It’s time to eat lunch!”
*“Do you want to leave the park?”I really meant….”We are leaving the park in
5minutes” or “We
are leaving the park after 2 more times down the slide.”
*”Are you tired?Do
you want to go to bed?”I really
meant…”Go pick out a book it is time for bed.” or “I will help you put on your
pajamas.It is time for bed.”
*Also do not end sentences with “Ok.”It implies the child can choose.
“It’s time to eat lunch, Ok?”“We are leaving in 5 minutes, Ok?”“It’s time to pick up toys, OK?”
We have an event coming up that you are not going to want to miss!!
The Annual ECFE Halloween Party is just around the corner! On Friday, October 26th from 6-8 PM parents and their children up to kindergarten age are welcome to come to the Central Education Campus gym to have a non-scary night of fun. We will have a fun and engaging storytime, games, a photo spot, and goody bags to take home! Come dressed in your costume and show it off. :)
It is such a fun night that we look forward to every fall. Hope to see you there!
Your child learns from you!
They will repeat and do things you do everyday.
So if you don’t’ want your child to hit, say bad words, or be angry and yell then you need to not do these things either.
Children absorb the words and actions around them.
They will act like you! So be careful and think about your behavior.
Time for me to share another song with you. This week, I am sharing the Hippopotamus Song. It is definitely one of the favorites at ECFE. Here are the words:
Hippopotamus Song
A
hip, a hip, a hippopotamus,
Got
up, got up, got up upon the bus.
And
all the children on the bus said,
“Move
over you’re squishing us!”
A
cow, a cow, a cow got on the bus,
A
cow, a cow, a cow got on the bus.
And
all the children on the bus said,
“Moo-ve
over, moo-ve over!”
A
sheep, a sheep, a sheep got on the bus,
A
sheep, a sheep, a sheep got on the bus.
And
all the children on the bus said,
“Baa-ck
up, baa-ck up!”
A
snake, a snake, a snake got on the bus,
A
snake, a snake, a snake got on the bus.
And
all the children on the bus said,
“Ssss-it
down, ssss-it down!”
Bonus! I did this song last week with the Peek Into Preschool class and videotaped it so you can learn the tune.
The wonderful thing about children is that they have short attention spans and can easily be distracted with a toy, music, or just plain getting their attention on something else. For example, when your child is whining or crying in the car it can be pointless and frustrating to try to reason and talk them out of it. Pop in a music CD and sing along or point out something in the environment. “Look at all the beautiful colors on the trees. I see a big red one! What do you see?” Be enthusiastic and change your tone of voice to exciting and happy! You will be amazed at how many times you can prevent melt downs and power struggles. Distraction can work in many different situations.
Can you believe September is already over? Fall is in full swing and we are told the weather is going to start cooling off at the end of the week. Now that October has started, it has gotten me thinking of Halloween! I am already thinking of what my costume for our ECFE Halloween Party will be. (Mark your calendars, the ECFE Halloween Party will be Friday, October 26th!) So I wanted to share one of my favorite ECFE songs with you! The kids love this one!
5 Little Pumpkins
5 little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, “Oh my it’s getting late!”
The second one said, “There are witches in the air.”
