Young Scholars Academy

Where Children Develop a Love of Learning

 5815 Tutt Center Point - Colorado Springs, CO 80922
 (719) 522-9099
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Autism Awareness Month

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You may have noticed that this year we’re celebrating autism a little bit differently, and maybe you’re wondering why! There has been a big push recently to switch up the way autism is viewed, and for good reason. When Autism Awareness month started back in the 1970’s, its intention was to do just that; raise awareness. Autism Speaks was founded in 2005 and became the frontrunner for all advocacy and the official color and symbol of autism became blue and a puzzle piece.

The shift from awareness to acceptance comes from acknowledging that autism is a natural condition. Accepting the beautiful differences, capabilities and ways of thinking is far more important than simply becoming aware of the condition and acknowledging that it exists, or even researching treatments and cures. While autistic children and adults can face some severe challenges, it’s important to note that just because their brains operate in a different way, there isn’t anything “wrong” that needs to be fixed. Highlighting the strengths and amazing qualities that come with neurodivergence of this kind is far more supportive.

The color and symbols surrounding autism have become quite controversial. Depending upon who you connect with, you may get a different opinion about red versus blue and infinity symbol versus puzzle piece. This comes from overall trauma caused by organizations aiming toward curing autism and harmful therapies and thought process that came with it.

In an effort to overshadow the negativity, the Light It Up Red Instead campaign was created. Red was chosen because it represents love, ambition, and respect.

The switch from puzzle pieces to an infinity symbol moves away from the negative campaigns labeling autism as a disease and a burden. The infinity symbol represents all neurodivergence and the entire spectrum, viewing the autism spectrum as a result of natural variations in the human brain rather than a “disease” to be cured.

While not all autistic children and adults feel strongly either way, it’s important to listen to those that are a part of the autistic community. The goals of autism acceptance are a greater acceptance of autistic behaviors, improving quality of life rather than masking behaviors or mimicking neurological individuals to fit in, equal employment opportunities, access to resources and support, and a shift away from trying treat or cure autism. Moving away from the negativity from the past helps get one step closer.

Ms. Amy
Parent Connection Coordinator
Infant Nursery Supervisor

Can We Share Something Personal?

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Can I share a story with you all that you might not know about?

Can I share just a small piece of the Young Scholars story.

Young Scholars Academy was officially labeled in 2000 with its original founders Jane and Geoff Germano. Geoff was a Lt. Colonel in the United States Air Force and Jane a college graduate with a background in teaching. These two had the crazy idea to start a childcare program since children of their own were not doable.

In 2001, Jenn Winters (my mom) came with all 3 of us kids in tow into Young Scholars and as you guessed it, the rest is history. Jenn moved up from a teacher’s aide to classroom teacher, to assistant Director, and then Director. I remember getting ice cream money from Mr. Geoff and trying to protest in front of Ms. Jane’s office about how I didn’t like the afternoon snack or the planned field trips for summer. (I know, the nerve.)

The Germanos & Winters worked side by side to grow the business and eventually even built the freestanding building we’re in now, we used to be in a strip mall! Can you believe that? We moved into this building in 2008- recession year, great idea, right?

(For those of you who are history nerds, our old location is now an appliance store off Austin Bluffs!)
Here’s the thing and why today is such a big piece is YSA history.

10 years ago today one of Young Scholars original founders Mr. Geoff passed away. He had been fighting medical issues for years and was finally able to live in peace. I was just a teenager, but I remember the day vividly.
Jane was devastated, he was gone too soon.

Jenn was stressed and sad. The recession was still very clearly impacting small businesses. I remember during those days she would come home and say she needed 20 minutes before she could “mom.” Looking back on it now I also see why she was mad I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer.

I went to work at 16 and finished high school online. The family was stressed, and I was that kid that just had to help even if it was working as a teacher’s aide in one of the classrooms.

With the passing of Mr. Geoff taking, its toll, I remember Jane asking my mom to lunch one day. Jane wanted to close Young Scholars for good. The finances were an array, the stress was too much and obviously, Jane struggled to run a business she had originally founded with her husband. She talked about severance packages, how she planned to do it, and the timeframe.

Jenn begged. Begged for the opportunity and freedom to turn things around. After buying in and becoming an official partner of the company a fire had been lit under her.

I quickly finished high school online and got my group leader status as quickly as I could finish the classes. I had to come in and help keep the family business alive. Then the rest of my family followed, my dad quit his job of 20 years to help, my siblings also came and worked when their schedules allowed it. It took all of us to keep the doors open. There was a long road ahead.

The only way we could stay afloat was to get more children and we had the opportunity to do so with army childcare (Child Care Aware.) However, we could only accept this program and the grants that came along with it if we were NAEYC accredited. (National Association of The Education of Young Children) say that ten times fast. Jenn requested a meeting with the rep many times, and she was turned down. Turned down, dismissed until one day we weren’t. (Thanks Ms. Judy!)

Now we still had to get accredited, and we did, like scored 98% overall on our accreditation visit. That’s major, props to 2014-year-old us!

The fire that was lit went far beyond making a paycheck. Not only did Young Scholars keep their doors open, but we’re also actually able to impact families and this community. All of this happened because Geoff took a chance on a little teacher’s aide with a couple of kids.

I like to think that he looks down and smiles at the impact one idea has had on a community. I don’t know about you all but I just can’t imagine a life without Young Scholars in it.

I wonder what these kids would be like if they didn’t grow up here. Would they be a little less spicy? Possibly (ha) but I absolutely love that this is their home. Would their lights have been dimmed if there weren’t given the opportunity to fully shine? I love that they feel so comfortable being who they were meant to be.

I’m bawling and can’t believe it’s been ten years. Cheers to you, thank you so much for changing the lives of so many families.

Ms. Jordan
Young Scholars Academy “Lifer” (seriously, I’ve been here since I was 4!)

Why It’s Important to Set Limits with Kids and 8 Tips to Do It

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Our goal as parents is to raise happy, successful children. However, sometimes giving our children too much is not good for them. Because of this, it is important to set limits with our children to help them become responsible and well-adjusted adults.

Limits are guidelines for expected behavior both inside and outside the home. Setting limits can help kids develop self-control, take responsibility for their choices, and prevent them from feeling entitled.

Why it’s important to set limits

Putting reasonable limits in place is beneficial for kids because:

  • Limits teach children about self-control and taking responsibility
  • Limits set boundaries and teach kids about which behaviors are appropriate
  • Limits help prevent children from developing a sense of entitlement
  • Limits can help enrich children’s interpersonal relationships
  • Limits teach kids self-discipline

In order to learn which behaviors are acceptable and appropriate, we as adults need to establish clear expectations. Follow these tips to help you set limits with your little one:

8 Tips For Setting Limits With Kids

Establish rules and limits early on

The earlier you establish your family’s rules and limits, the easier it will be for your child to follow them. With young children, you may want to set simple rules, such as “Stay near me,” or “Keep your hands and feet to yourself.” As kids grow, you can add more specific rules, such as “No hitting,” “No screaming,” or, “No leaving the house without permission.”

Be consistent

If you make a rule one day but don’t enforce it the next, this will be confusing. Your child won’t know what to expect. Try to be as consistent as possible with your rules, as well as the consequences that may come if a rule is broken.
playdates

Explain the reasoning behind your rules

Explain to your child why following rules is important. When you set a limit on how much TV children can watch, explain that too much TV can be bad for their eyes and overall health. If you have rules regarding how many unhealthy snacks or desserts children can eat, explain that eating too many sweets can harm their health. Your child will follow rules more consistently if they understand the rationale behind them.

Be firm and fair

It’s important to set rules and expectations that are realistic, and enforce them in a way that is fair and consistent. For example, if you don’t want children to watch TV for more than an hour a day, decide which hours of the day during which TV will be allowed. Be sure to enforce the rule consistently, even on weekends.

Use positive reinforcement while setting limits

Praise your children when they follow the rules you’ve set. By associating positive behavior with desired outcomes, they are more likely to follow the rules going forward. You may also wish to reward good behavior occasionally. The rewards do not have to be material. In addition, they can include things like extra time to play a favorite game, or getting to choose the meal for the week.

Make sure limits aren’t too restrictive

It’s important to establish firm yet achievable limits for your child. If the limits you set are too restrictive, children are more likely to become frustrated and angry. This will only make it harder for them to follow the rules.

As an example, if you set a limit that children can only talk to people they know, they may become frustrated or confused if they are not allowed to speak to the cashier at the store. Examine your rules and make sure they are attainable and fit each situation.

Be prepared to adjust your limits as your child gets older

As children mature, their abilities and needs will change, and so will the limits that you establish. Be prepared to adjust your expectations and rules as kids grow, and learn about their own actions and choices.

Be patient with your child

It takes time for children to learn and follow rules. Try to avoid becoming frustrated if your little one doesn’t always comply right away. Try to be patient, and keep reinforcing limits. Children are likely to get the hang of it as long as you’re consistent with your expectations.

It can be challenging to set limits for children. Some kids may be resistant at times. It’s important, however, to set limits for the good of our kids’ development and well-being. With a little patience, you’ll be able to successfully establish expectations and raise children who are happy, well-adjusted, and responsible individuals.

At Young Scholars Academy, we aim to create an engaging learning environment for children. Our program is filled with meaningful and fun activities that create wonderful memories. If you enroll your kids with us, they will remember their time at Young Scholars Academy with happiness throughout the years! Learn more about us by visiting our website.

 

Supporting Independence

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One thing that children have in common on their journey to adulthood is the constant strive to become independent. Starting from infants when they are grabbing the spoon at feeding time, through the “I want to do it,” into those teenage years where they know what is best. It can become quite a power struggle between parent and child. Especially when there are time restraints, and they are taking thirty minutes or more getting dressed. Power struggles led to stress which makes feelings run high and deep. So, take a breath and consider that children gaining independence eventually help relieve daily pressures and help your child be a strong adult. There are many things you can do encourage independence and self-help skills.

Setting routines and expectations or those times helps children to e prepared and to transition their thinking to what they need to be doing. In the morning tell them it is time to get ready for school and tell them how much time they must be ready. Give them a countdown such as ten more minutes, then five more minutes. Be sure they are aware of the tasks that required to be ready such as put your shoes on, have your backpack ready. Older children can prepare their own sack lunch, prepare pets for the time you will be away or even help with a younger sibling.

Let your child make choices. Children should be able to get dressed themselves even at age three! Let them pick out their own clothes and just give them a time frame to be finished. Some children will pick out the most outrageous and miss matching outfits, but it is a terrific way to give them a chance to express themselves. Different colored socks, wearing stripes and polka dots together means a lot when they can say “I did it myself.” They can also choice and prepare their own snacks. Putting cheese and crackers on a plate, poring ranch or their carrot sticks can be a simple and easy start.

supporting independenceGiving your children chores and letting them help in daily housekeeping can be great way of establishing responsibility and independence. Children can pick up and organize their own room, take out the trash, set the table or take care of a pet. When children help, they gain confidence and knowledge that they are capable of doing things that are important. Giving them the opportunity to choose that their cars can go in a red bucket while dress up can go in blue basket gives them a chance to think and make decisions for themselves. When they can decide they are more willing to complete a chore.

One of the best ways to encourage independence is or children to strengthen their critical thinking skills through problem solving. When a child loose a toy under the couch the first thing they do is ask for help. Instead of reaching under the couch to get it for them walk them through scenarios that enables them to get it themselves. “Have you tried to extend your reach?” “Try using a broom or a clothes hanger.” When they spill their drink on the table try letting them clean it up before you jump into the rescue. The mess may get bigger at first but given the opportunity they will figure it out for themselves.

In the beginning stepping aside to give children more choices and opportunities to do thins themselves may feel frustrating but eventually as they accomplish the simple tasks, they will gain skills that will allow them to complete more complex actions. Life becomes so much simpler when power struggles evaporate and growing up becomes more like teamwork and family.

Ms. Dotty
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
NAEYC Coordinator

Emotional Parenting

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I have decided nothing will make you more of an emotional mess than becoming a parent. From pride, joy to sadness and anxiety. We all know that time marches on, but as a parent sometimes we wish we could just freeze it for a moment. The emotional roller coaster that is parenting is in fact, never ending.

I used to say I wouldn’t be that parent that got my heart strings pulled and got emotional over every little milestone. Turns out, I am SO “THAT” parent! Even though I am THAT parent there are still a few things that I didn’t expect to get emotional about that I figured I would share for those who can relate.

1) Hearing that my children are kind humans.emotional parenting

As a parent we all question and pray that our children are kind, and that this world doesn’t steal their kind hearts or break them to become bitter. So, every time I hear that my children are kind it makes me think that just maybe I am on the right path in this parenting thing. But more than thinking I may be okay at this parenting job it makes me get filled with prideful tears and a smile that won’t go away for the whole day.

2) Milestones that we know are going to happen.

These milestones can be a baby’s first steps, sleeping through the night, transitioning into their cribs, first foods first words, preschool spirit days, Kindergarten graduation, and even losing their first tooth. Honestly the list is never ending. I know these things are all going to happen, but it tugs and makes this mama’s heart a mess. It makes it very clear that time marches on and it will not be slowing down for anyone.

3) The first “I got this, or I can do it myself, or I don’t need any help.”

Don’t get me wrong I love independence and hope that each of my children leave my home feeling like they can take on anything and everything. However, I also hope they know that parents are their first cheerleaders and remember that when they do fall, we will be the first ones cheering them on to get up and try again because “they got this.”

4) Leaving the nest.

The closest I have come to this is my children going to public school. I was emotional mess sending them off to school like I wasn’t going to see them at the end of the day so I can’t imagine how I will feel when they go off into the world on their own. I am sure they are excited and will do great and that is all we can hope for as parents. However, doesn’t mean we are not emotional about even though we know they will crush it.

Being a parent is probably one of the hardest jobs out there and the emotional roller coaster will never stop even when our little ones are adults because to us parents, they will always be our babies. Appreciate the in the moment opportunities and try to slow down yourself to recognize the moments themselves.

Thank you.
Ms. Michaela
Lead Preschool Teacher
Social Emotional Coordinator