Family Tips Archives - Page 30 of 38 -

Starting Preschool Tips

March 31, 2016 by Young Scholars Academy 1 Comment

For a little one starting preschool, there can be a lot of nerves. In many cases, the first day of preschool is the first time that your little one has been under the supervision of a stranger. This can create separation anxiety.

It can be hard for parents too. Your child’s nerves can induce nerves in you, the parent. You may worry about whether your little one will have separation anxiety, creating a circle of jitters that can be hard to break once started. To help both you and your child deal with the big day, here are some tips for starting preschool.

Get to Know Your Preschool Teacher/Provider

Starting Preschool Tips — Start preschool with smiles, not tears!

Even a little bit of knowledge can help to calm your nerves. This is why it is so important to get to know who is going to be taking care of your children. Make sure you thoroughly research the child care facility your child will be attending. Get to know the staff and ask about their history and training. Most childcare professionals are naturally approachable and would be happy to open up to you. You will be surprised how this can help reduce your concerns.

Now that you are reasonably calm, you can better help your child negotiate any nerves that might come up.

Arrange a Playdate

To help make the first day more familiar for your child, arrange a playdate for your child and another child in the classroom. Even better, enroll your child in a preschool program one of their friends attends.

For children, the playdate exposes them to new children from their class and makes the first day a little more familiar because they already have a buddy –or even a group of buddies- in the class now. This can cut down on the separation anxiety.

Make the whole process fun

Take your child shopping for school supplies and let them pick out a new backpack and their favorite school supplies. While shopping, you can talk to your little one about your first preschool experience and all the fun things they can expect to learn and experience.

Don’t make goodbye too long

This one can be really hard, especially if your little one is upset and bawling as you try to leave on the first day. Your natural instinct is to comfort them. Definitely do this, but don’t drag it out too long. Most children who have fits of tears snap out of it when their parents actually leave. If you stick around too long, you are reinforcing the idea that separation anxiety will only be alleviated by your presence, when the opposite should be the case. And a good childcare provider knows exactly how to get children to calm down by directing their attention to something else.

Starting Preschool at Young Scholars Academy

Young Scholars Academy in Colorado Springs is committed to making the transition for you and your child into preschool life and learning a fun and positive experience. Our professional and caring staff will help your child calm the nerves that can come with such a new experience. Young Scholars Academy encourages parental involvement in all our programs and we welcome you to engage your child’s learning to help ease the anxiety that you both may experience. Come check out our programs and contact us today! We look forward to hearing from you!

Ideas For Busy Parents For Creative And Healthy School Lunches

January 26, 2016 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

There is a wealth of information available about the importance of good nutrition in brain functioning. Growing kids, in particular, need to have a balance of complex carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats and of course, all the vitamins and minerals their little body needs.

The good news is that kids that bring their own lunches and snacks to school don’t have to end up with the same old thing every day. There are a lot of simple, quick, and easy ways to make really interesting, tasty and healthy foods your kids will love.

Go Insulated

One of the best things to invest in is an insulated lunch bag. These will be very helpful in keeping cold foods cool, especially when paired with an ice-pack. By placing the ice-pack in a zip-lock bag, you can prevent any problems with leaks and still keep fresh fruits, vegetables, dips, cheeses and meats at the right temperature.

Healthy Lunches and Snacks

For some healthy yet simple to make lunch options besides traditional sandwiches consider the following:

• Turkey or chicken or cheese wraps using lettuce, thin strips of red or yellow peppers, and a bit of salsa rather than mayonnaise.
• Pasta salad with mixed vegetables, cheese, diced hard boiled eggs or even diced ham. Use an Italian dressing for something different or a ranch dressing for a more traditional taste.
• Whole grain crackers with cheese, meat and your kid’s favorite pickles. Each can be packaged separately, and the child can make his or her own “stackers” for some fun finger food.
• Fresh cut vegetables with a dip made of ranch dressing or plain yogurt with fresh or dried herbs. Try some unique vegetable options such as colored bell peppers, purple or orange cauliflower, fennel and sugar peas for variety.
• Cube up fresh fruit and provide a creamy dip. This can be made with vanilla yogurt or any other flavor your child enjoys. Remember, fruit and vegetables should be paired with a protein for energy.
• Homemade trail mix can include dried fruits, berries and nuts depending on your child’s preferences and what the school allows.
• Mini-pretzels with a side of salsa for dipping are a great snack and healthier that chips or sugary treats.

Be sure to check with the school regarding any issues with children having peanuts or other types of nuts or foods in the school. Providing a good selection of different items for the child in the lunch is always a good option, as is having your child help you in choosing what they would like to have.

Relationship Issues For The New Kids At School

January 21, 2016 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

tips for new kids on the block — It’s tough being the new kid on the block

As adults, we sometimes forget how difficult it is for a child to go to a new school. They have to go by themselves to a new school, a new classroom, and to have to try to form a whole new group of friends.

For many children there is a lot of anxiety and stress around the first few days and weeks at a new school. This discomfort can be a lot more pronounced if the child is naturally more introverted and shy or has difficulty in starting conversations.

Parents can help their children as the “new kid” by working with the child on how to strike up a conversation, what to look for in a friend, and how to meet new peers and adults in the school. At the same time, parents of kids familiar with the school and with an already established peer group can also talk to their kids about how to include new students in a way that is welcoming and inviting.

New Kids

To help with children going to a new school, or when they are in a school where they know only a few people, parents can help by:

• Brainstorming a list of important qualities to look for in a friend
• Develop a list of conversation starter topics that the child is comfortable with and that are interesting to other kids
• Learn about the neighborhood and the school together by doing some online research. This will help the child feel more comfortable about the school itself as well as local areas.
• Go to the school and spend some time on the playground, ideally with other kids around, so your child gets to know a few recognizable faces
• It is also important to encourage your kids to stay connected to their existing friends. They can write letters, send emails, or make phone calls to keep that connection and to help them feel in a group.

Returning Children

For parents of kids returning to the same school, helping them to understand the challenges for the “new kids” can help them to come up with ways to make newcomers feel welcome.

The same activities, including brainstorming what a new person to the school would need to know, can help parents and kids develop some concrete ways to help new children adjust to the school. Encouraging kids to introduce themselves, start conversations and be helpful is a gift a parent can give that will help their child have positive interactions with others for life.

Thank you for reading!

Get Involved in Mentoring

January 4, 2016 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

Mentoring is one of the oldest teaching methods in the world. Mentoring is really a personal coaching strategy where someone that has a specific skill or subject matter expertise works with another person to impart their knowledge in a very personal and connected way.

With January being National Mentoring Month, it is time for everyone to get busy in helping each other to learn something new or to master a skill they are having challenges with.

The Benefits of Mentoring
The great thing about mentoring is that it is a one-on-one learning method. When you first sat down with your kids and read them a story and they followed along with their fingers and said a word they recognized you were being a highly effective mentor.

Since mentoring is one-on-one the feedback is immediate and proactive. The learner doesn’t struggle through multiple mistakes; they are gently, positively and proactively supported so that they learn how to do the specific task or skill correctly the first time.

However, the benefits of mentoring go beyond just learning math, reading, the alphabet or how to print. It is about feeling the connection of learning and life, and also for the learning to gain self-confidence as they try to learn and master new skills.

If you stop and think about it mentoring is happening every day with your children. When you teach them how to make cookies or how to use a new computer you are being a mentor. Kids that have this type of support are much more willing to try new things, to challenge themselves and to feel wonderful about the accomplishments that they achieve, even if they have a few difficulties along the way.

Get Involved
Talk to your child’s teachers about volunteering to come in and mentor a child. This is a wonderful way to not only help your own child see how you value school and education, but to also give to a child or small group of children that may not have an active parent in their life.

In addition, encourage your child to use mentoring services offered by the school. Many schools have a “big buddy” system where children in higher grades come in and read or do basic math with a “little buddy” which is an excellent way to allow students to experience the benefits of mentoring in a very personal way.

Thank you for reading!

Kid Friendly New Year’s Goals

January 3, 2016 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

One annual tradition in families around the world is to set goals, or resolutions, on New Year’s Eve. If you and your family celebrate this tradition it is a great opportunity to start to talk to your children about how to set goal that are going to help them to achieve their personal objectives in life.

Goal setting is really a very complex endeavor and one that needs to be scaled down to an appropriate level for a child. Most children, even those that just starting school, can grasp the concept of having a goal and then developing a plan to achieve that goal when they focus in on one specific focus area.

Talking About Goals

A great option to help kids with goal setting is for parents, grandparents and other family members to talk about their own goals with children. This can be done in fun ways through drawing your goals or writing a story about your goals and why they are important to you.
It is critical to choose concrete, measurable goals so that children understand that these are not just wishes or dreams, they are attainable changes that they can control. Wishes and dreams are important too, but they are different than goals.

Making Family Goals Together

Moms, Dads and other family members that interact with the children can all come together and make group goals. Group goals for families are a real bonding experience and can highlight how a family works to support each other throughout the year.

Often family New Year’s goals focus on helping each other, spending more time together, or perhaps everyone agreeing to help out at a local charity or community organization.

The key is for parents to model goal setting in their own lives and talk to children about how goals help to provide measurable milestones and accomplishments in life. Kids should be encouraged to set goals that are meaningful to them and not necessarily the same goals that the parents may have for the child.

A great exercise is to then have the family share their goals and everyone else gives one way that they will help their family member achieve his or her goal. This is a positive and relationship building exercise that is a great way to start off a new year in any household.

Thank you for reading!- Happy New Year!