Have you ever heard the term “crossing the midline?” Don’t worry you’re not alone, and it’s completely normal not have before this blog!

Even as an ECE teacher I did not know much about crossing the midline until I dove deeper into milestones and pre-skills to help children with fine motor, or hand eye coordination. So what exactly what is crossing the midline and why is it important to our little ones? Crossing the midline happens when your child moves their hand or foot across the “middle line” to work on the opposite side of their body. Before crossing the midline happens, a child will typically use only one side of their body at a time. I always think of an imaginary line that is drawn down the middle of your child.

Now think about the pre-skills that you work on with your infant to walk. How does a baby cross their midline when rolling over from back to belly? Crossing the midline is a foundational skill that leads to more complex and necessary skills in children. When children can, they are using both sides of their brain to coordinate smooth, controlled, complex movements. It is important to combine movement patterns that cross the body for daily tasks such as reading, writing, and then also tying shoelaces pulling up their pants etc. When children start crossing the midline regularly it helps them train their brain to work together since both the right and left hemisphere are being engaged.

One key way to see if your child can cross the midline is have them draw a line from one side of the paper to the other. Do they switch hands midway through drawing the line or, do they continue to draw the line with their dominate hand the whole way through? Do they always use their left hand for left sided tasks and right hand for right hand tasks?

Do not worry if your little one is not crossing the midline as soon as you get done reading this blog, there are lots of fun activities and games to play to help your little build up their midline progression.

Here are 5 fun but simple games/activities you can play to help your little one with midline crossing:

1) Color matching bean bag toss. Make a pile of one color of bean bags on the left and one-color pile on the right. Then get matching buckets but put the left color bucket across the child on the right and vis versus for the left. Tell your child they can only use their left hand to throw the pile to the color bucket for the left pile and Right for the right pile. This will have them cross their body from left to right.

2) Yoga- Most yoga poses have your body stretch from left to right helping your child master balance and crossing the body.

3) Using the infinity loop is another great way to encourage children to cross their midline. They can trace or draw it on their own. Make sure the student is standing directly in front of the blackboard/dry erase board or sitting directly in front of the piece of paper.

4) Water painting with adult paintbrushes or rollers. Let your kiddo “paint” the side of the house using adult rollers this is a fun way to get them to cross the midline.

5) Wash the car, windows, or counters using only their dominate hand and reaching across to get the wholes surface area.

If you have more questions about midlines, stop by my classroom! This is a very cool kid-ism that you may not have thought about before!

Ms. Michaela
Lead Preschool Teacher
Social Emotional Coordinator

The beginning of the new school year is approaching soon. During this time, parents start to imagine all of the things that accompany loading their little ones onto a school bus and sending them off to their first day of school. While the thought of this day may be exciting, it can also be difficult for both kids and parents as they face this new transition to an unfamiliar environment and routine. So how can you help your little one get ready for the adjustment to school? What things can you do to get your child geared up for this exciting new journey?

School can be a big adjustment for children, especially for those attending for the first time. There may be a mixture of excitement and anxiety, and many first days even start with tears. As parents, we can offer some support and guidance to our kids to make this transition smoother. Here are a few tips that may help. 

Prepare your child mentally and emotionally

In order to help prevent your child from becoming overwhelmed by the thought of attending school, it’s a good idea to start talking about what school will be like. You can prepare your little one both emotionally and mentally by discussing the things your little one should expect and the school’s rules and expectations. Explain why your child will be expected to follow directions, work together with peers, and so on.

Also, don’t forget to talk about the fun parts of school! As you discuss the changes that come with starting school, be sure to also highlight the types of things that make school exciting. For example, tell children about all of the opportunities they will have to play with their classmates, participate in fun learning games and activities, play in the playground, and more!

Visit the preschool ahead of time

Your child’s new school will become their new home for a long time, so it’s a good idea to get a feel for the new environment as soon as you can. Find out if you can arrange to visit the preschool together so your little one can see what school looks like. Meet the teachers, take a tour of the classrooms, and see if you can explore the surroundings. Also, find out if your child can have an opportunity to play and run around the playground, too!

Encourage independence

You don’t have to wait until children begin school before you teach them about self-sufficiency and independence. You can encourage them by giving them some freedom and space to explore the world around them and give guidance when necessary. Let your child attempt to complete tasks alone, like putting away toys or setting the table for dinner. Also, teach children how to do the things they’ll need to do by themselves once school starts, like getting dressed, putting on shoes, brushing their teeth, and opening their lunch boxes. The more your child is able to practice performing daily tasks independently, the more comfortable and confident they will feel when school starts. The earlier you begin this process, the easier it’ll become. 

More importantly, kids need to be reminded that being independent does not always mean doing things all by themselves and accepting help from others when needed. There will be times when a task needs extra hands and that it’s okay to ask for help.  

Create a routine

Following a daily routine is another important aspect of school readiness. Once your child is familiar with the routine and understands what to expect each day, transitioning to school will become easier. 

Start by creating a simple routine for your little one at home. This should include a morning routine and an evening routine. For example, make sure your child sticks to a consistent bedtime every night. There should be a schedule for daily activities and meals throughout the day. This will help ensure that the structured routine at school doesn’t overwhelm or surprise your little one.

Facilitate playdates

Developing social skills is an important aspect of childhood. It’s vital that young kids are equipped with these skills in order to help them succeed in school and in life. Give your little one ample opportunities to socialize. Set up playdates so children can interact with peers. Transitioning to school is easier and more fun when kids learn how to get along with peers and establish friendships!

Adjusting to school isn’t always an easy process, but with your guidance and support, you can help your little one embrace the start of this new journey with positivity, excitement, and openness to new learning, knowledge, and experiences. 

Are you looking for a quality preschool for your child? Visit Young Scholars Academy!

 

Recently, my family and I started celebrating Fridays with family fun night! This is a chance for all of us to spend time together doing something enjoyable at home! Life gets busy, so its nice to slow down and plan to have a night off together as a family. I wanted to share some of our ideas as it may be something neat to implement into your home in your own way.

First rule of family night, order the pizza! We like to try new pizzas around town and compare them! It’s actually a great way to start some entertaining conversations! My kids then like to pretend they are chefs and describe how that particular pizza was made. It’s a fun way for us to have a special dinner to look forward to each week. We have also had nights where we make our own pizzas! There are a ton of easy recipes on-line that we have tried and we also really like buying the Pillsbury pizza crust as an easy option. You then just add your sauce and toppings. This is such a fun activity to do with your child!

We then usually do a fun activity together or go get a special treat. Playing board games is always a big hit. Crafting or making something as a family together, even baking dessert together itself is an enjoyable time. Sometimes its just a simple bike ride/walk before the bedtime shenanigans. Playing with chalk outside is also a great activity. Our next big activity that we want to do is pretend we are all on Nailed It, Or Failed It and each make our own recreation just like on the show!! Just doing something that y’all love together.

Ms. Whitney
Curriculum Coordinator
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

To the parents that are all burnt out, this one’s for you!

You’re doing your best and often worried you’re still not cutting it…especially when you drop the ball on school events the day of!

We’ve all been there. Give yourself a break! You’re only one person raising another human or more than likely multiple humans; you’re outnumbered easily.

Here’s the secret though. You are the best! Why? Because you’re worried about this in the first place.

So here are 5 ways to show you’ve got your s*** together even when you secretly don’t…

#1 pick out everyone’s clothes for the week while putting away laundry. Pull out your handy dandy phone, peek at the week’s weather report and any emails reminding you of events to dress for.

#2 Set alarms on your phone and use that notepad app! It’ll be a lifesaver when you’re in the middle of the store wondering why you’re really there…pull out that phone. The “3am You” that remembers all will have a nice list waiting for you.

#3 Have that drink! Even if it is only Tuesday night. Celebrate the fact that you got everyone through the 1st two days, now slide through the rest like a champ.

#4 Stick to the bedtime schedule when you can, but when you can’t it’s fine. Life will continue to go on. Promise.

And #5 when it all becomes too much just let it go. That’s right, just let it go.

You’re doing great Mommys and Daddys! Give yourself the credit and a little more grace.

Ms. Brooke
Literacy Coordinator
Curriculum Coordinator
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Parenting is one of the toughest jobs out there. You have to be constantly on your toes, ready for anything. You need to have a natural instinct, an almost sixth sense, that tells you what your child needs at any given moment. With so many decisions to make and rules to follow, it’s not surprising that some mistakes are inevitably made along the way. While nobody can parent their kids without running into snafus and bumps along the way, there are some parenting mistakes that can have long-term negative consequences.

We all make mistakes from time to time. Luckily, many common parenting mistakes can be easily avoided. Read on and learn about which blunders you can steer clear of to be a more effective parent.

Trying to raise a perfect child

Instead of focusing on raising a healthy and happy child, some parents are too obsessed with their children being “perfect”. This is one of the most common mistakes many parents make.

This practice is unhealthy, as it often leads to rigid parenting. Expecting perfection from children can result in them feeling frustrated. It can also create feelings of inadequacy, as well as confusion about what constitutes “perfect.” Putting unrealistic expectations on our kids teaches them that they should continue to place the same amount of pressure on themselves when they get older. 

Instead, remember not to be too hard on your child. Avoid forcing kids to behave in a certain manner all the time. Not only does expecting perfection negatively impact a child’s self-image, but it will also weaken your bond with your little one.

Comparing your child with others

Making comparisons between your child and other children can be detrimental to your child. You may find yourself constantly comparing the accomplishments of your own child to those of other kids, but this is not good for children’s self-esteem or confidence. When kids are compared to others, it can cause them to view themselves in a harshly negative light because they believe they are expected to measure up in one area or another. Comparing your child’s performance with the rest of the kids in class won’t improve your child’s grades. If there’s a challenge that needs to be addressed, it’s more effective to sit with your child and discuss the problem. 

Overpraising

While it’s important that parents recognize kids’ good behavior, overdoing it is not so helpful. Showering your child with excessive praise can even be counterproductive in some cases, especially when rewards are offered each time your child does something good. Also, overpraising can make kids feel pressured to live up to unrealistic expectations.

For instance, if we constantly tell our kids, “You are so smart,” or, “You’re so clever,” they may grow up with a fear of making mistakes or falling short of expectations. 

The key here is to find a healthy balance between praising your kids and letting them know it isn’t always just about the results, but also the effort. 

Being overprotective

It’s natural for parents to be protective of their children. However, there’s also such a thing as being overprotective. When parents shield their children from everything in life, they deprive them of invaluable opportunities for growth and learning. To ensure that children learn important life skills, parents need to allow their children to make mistakes. It is only by making some poor choices and learning how to fix those errors at an early age that kids can grow into successful adults.

Using punishment as a means for imposing discipline

Part of our job as parents is making sure our kids are held accountable for their actions. However, punishments are not the best way to impose discipline. In fact, using punishment can do more harm than good.

Kids who are constantly punished will only comply with their parents’ instructions out of fear. Punishments also create a dent in the connection between you and your child, while leaving him or her feeling resentful. There are other and better ways to encourage positive behaviors from our kids than resorting to punishment. 

Ignoring your child’s feelings

Discounting your child’s emotions is actually considered to be a form of emotional neglect. One of the worst things parents can do is disregard or minimize their children’s feelings. Ignoring or downplaying your child’s anxieties now can lead to a lifetime of anxiety, according to new research. If your little one is upset about something, no matter how small it may seem to you, don’t dismiss your child. And more importantly, don’t belittle or insult your child for having these feelings or crying. Let children know you understand why they’re upset. Empathize with them and work with them to address the issue. 

There’s no such thing as a perfect parent, but by avoiding these common mistakes, we can avoid some of the negative and long-term consequences that can impact our children. 

For more parenting tips and resources, feel free to visit Young Scholars Academy.