When looking for things to do in town have you ever checked out what the library has to offer? Did you know there are many programs from infants and up for all levels of children. When looking for events that are child focused one of the first places I check in the Pikes Peak Library website. You may be surprised to find multiple events and programs going on throughout the week, even during the summer!

While my preschooler and I do fun educational things at home, its always nice to use the library facilities to explore things further. Every month the library puts out a children’s program bulletin and calendar. I like to look over that and have my preschooler pick out things that he would like to attend. They hold programs in the mornings and some in the evenings, so you are bound to find something to do within the week that meets your child’s age level and schedule.

I also like to just take him there on our own time to generate a deeper love for books and to establish a connection to how the library works and why it’s an important part of our community. All the libraries in town have their own uniqueness, we have been to almost all the ones in town. My preschoolers favorite is Library 21C, I believe it’s because there is SO much to do there, he gets sad to leave. On our last visit, he really enjoyed putting on a puppet show with me. We had a good time pretending and playing with the puppets. It gave us on opportunity to create a fun memory and just be silly while we spent time at the library. There are also many other opportunities to play, explore technology, and enjoy a multitude of other hands on learning adventures.

I also tried to explain to him (yes, even at the age of 4) how the library works, how to search and locate a book, and how to take extra special care of the books because we are just borrowing them. That last part is a little hard sometimes to understand. He loves books and it’s hard to comprehend that we didn’t buy them, they are not his to keep forever, but that the books are so special that we share them and allow other little kids enjoy the stories too.

So, when you are trying to find activities for your child to do please take time to check out our local libraries. They really have a lot to offer. So much learning and hands on quality time with your child surrounded by an endless amount of information and imagination. It’s a wonderful resource for families and the library is a great place to start, at any age, a love for learning at the library.

Ms. Whitney
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Curriculum Coordinator

In today’s age of modern technology, the internet, and other electronic devices, kids are less often seen running around the neighborhood, playing at the playground and being active with other kids. Instead, they are often seen glued to the couches thumbing through smartphones and playing video games. While there’s nothing wrong with using technology for entertainment, it’s one of the reasons why promoting an active lifestyle among children is increasingly challenging. As a parent, you have an important role to play in your child’s healthy growth and development. Follow these tips for raising healthy and active kids. 

 

Let them choose

Instead of being the one deciding for your little one, allow them to choose the kind of activities they will enjoy. Give them a wide range of options to choose from when it comes to games, toys, and even facilities. Also ask them if they want to get involved in sports or if they want to enjoy the outdoors like the beach or park. When kids are given options, the more likely they are to participate. So, take time to discuss these things with them and ask what they will enjoy the most. They are more likely to continue it once they’ve developed a liking for it.

 

Provide active toys

How much of your children’s toys are comprised of active toys and how many are comprised of electronic devices? It won’t make sense to spoil a child with all the latest gadgets while trying to raise them to become healthy and active kids. If you want to encourage more physical activity for your child, take a look at the number of gadgets they’ve been using. Does your child have access to jump ropes, different types of balls, badminton racket, or a bike perhaps? 

 

Make it a daily habit

Raising healthy and active kids isn’t something that parents can achieve overnight. It’s a continuous and long process. Therefore, if you want them to embrace an active lifestyle, help them establish the habit. Active play should be part of their daily routine and any form or physical activity will do. What’s important is it’s done consistently and regularly. 

 

Set a good example

Promoting a healthy and active lifestyle should start with parents. Have you recently evaluated your own habits? If you want to raise an active child, are you practicing what you preach and being a good example for them? How much time do you spend each day on physical activities? Does your child see you engage in sports or healthy activities like walking or basic exercises? Or do they see you always glued on the couch watching your favorite series on Netflix?

 

Make it a family affair

Whatever routine and activities you do together as a family largely influences the habits your child develops as they grow older. Make an active lifestyle more fun and enjoyable by making it a family affair. Plan out family activities that your children will enjoy. For example, you can plan out a trip to the beach or go hiking. Achieve a healthy lifestyle and do it together as a family. Not only is it going to help you raise active kids but it surely is an excellent way to connect and strengthen your bond. 

 

Limit screen time

 

Because addiction to electronic devices can hamper your goal of raising an active child, be sure to limit their screen time. While it’s convenient to allow them to get engrossed in playing video games, especially when you have too many things on your plate, you must be aware of the impact it makes on their overall growth and development. Set a screen time schedule and make rules around using electronics. This will allow them more time to engage in active play.

 

Raising active kids can be extra challenging nowadays as there are more and more distractions surrounding our children. But you can always use these tips as it’s never too late to start!

 

Here at Young Scholars Academy, we are with you in your goal of raising healthy and well-rounded children. Please feel free to give us a call for more information.

 

While a positive parenting solution won’t work overnight, it might be helpful in beginning the process of improving your child’s behavior.

As parents, there are times that we become overwhelmed with everything on our plates. In these times, the attitudes of our children may pose the threat of increasing our stress levels even more.

Here are 7 positive parenting solutions to get you started.

HAVE ONE-ON-ONE TIME WITH YOUR KIDS ON A DAILY BASIS

One of the best things that you can do as a responsible parent is to work with your child on their behavior. Spending time with your child individually each day can do wonders. When you set aside time to give your child your undivided attention, it allows for an emotional connection that is vital to their well-being. Many kids who do not receive adequate attention seek attention instead in negative ways.

One of the best positive parenting solution is aiming for at least 10-15 minutes of alone time with each child per day and you’re sure to notice improvements.

FOLLOW A PROPER SLEEP ROUTINE EVERY DAY

A proper sleep routine is at the top of our list of positive parenting solutions. When you feel exhausted and cranky from a lack of sleep, you become irritable and may begin to get headaches. The next thing you know, you are completely drained and are unable to function properly. Well, this also applies to kids. When children do not receive an adequate amount of sleep, their bodies do not function at their best and they are likely to become both unruly and irritated. Remember that a well-rested kid is a well-behaved kid and as a result of sleeping well, they are likely to perform better in school.

CREATE ROUTINES AND FOLLOW THEM

Creating simple routines and sticking to them is a good way to encourage kids to behave in a positive manner.. With using a routine, kids are motivated to follow the set tasks and they feel good once they’ve accomplished a thing or two from the checklist that you’ve created. When children are inclined to focus on a routine, their minds are functioning better as they excel in performing the tasks. An easy way to create a routine is to begin by having your kids complete simple tasks on a daily basis.

ALLOW YOUR KIDS TO BE PROBLEM SOLVERS

When parents meddle in a kids’ fight, more often than not, it results in there being a clear loser and a clear winner. This technique will not end the fight but may actually worsen it and inadvertently spark sibling rivalry. Thus, it is important to allow children the space to solve problems on their own. A positive parenting solution includes offering tips, but never choosing sides. Allow your children to resolve conflicts at their own pace so that they can get accustomed to doing so whenever they experience discord.

ESTABLISH FAMILY RULES AS A FAMILY

Most kids despise being given chores and following rules. Instead of being a dictator, allow your children to take part in creating the family rules. Set aside a time where you can discuss what needs to be done at home and get them to include their input on what rules they think are important and what household chores they would personally like to do. This way, the house rules are a team effort and your children will be willing to follow such rules, especially since they are somewhat in-charge of them.

IF YOU CAN, AVOID SAYING “NO”

Saying “NO” almost all of the time will likely irritate your kids. Whenever children receive the answer “NO”, , it leads to resentment and that’s the last thing that you want to happen when working on improving your child’s behavior. Instead of saying “NO”, try to find opportunities to say “YES” whenever possible. You can try a variety of answers that may offer a different alternative to your child’s ask instead!

SET A GOOD EXAMPLE

The golden rule of a positive parenting solution is still setting a good example. When you set a good example and have the right attitude, your kids will automatically follow suit.

A child’s misbehavior is often caused by the many factors surrounding them. In order to correct these behaviors, you must first find the cause(s) and then implement appropriate strategies to help. It all boils down to responsible parenting.

Find these parenting tips helpful? Let us be instruments in helping you achieve a better way of parenting. Visit our website https://youngscholarsacademycolorado.com/ to gain access to more parenting tips.

Finding new ways to engage your preschooler at home is ever ongoing. Playing the same games over and over can become boring for your little one. What about allowing them to create and design on their own in what is called a “Maker Space”. A Makers Space gives kids an opportunity to create and design with their own imagination using simple materials. These are sometimes found in libraries and children museums, but they are really so easy to create in your home.

Maybe you have a craft basket or drawer at home where you have art supplies for your child. This is a great extension of that type of creativity. A Maker Space contains materials that allow your child to build and design what ever they can imagine. Giving your preschooler some basic materials and letting them freely build will keep them engaged and busy for a good amount of time. For a younger kiddo, simply giving them tape, kid safety scissors, and random materials that you could recycle is enough to get them busy creating.

I gave my preschooler tape, scissors, some aluminum foil, markers, and some random recyclables. He went to town! I told him to build something, whatever he could think up. He was so excited to do so and really took his time to think and deign up a creation. I did not give him any instructions or guidance. I just let him explore with different materials and create on his own. During his building he would ask me questions about what he was doing and talk out loud to himself when he was going from step-to-step. It was fun to see him trying to fix things that were not holding and try different options. This is such a good activity for preschoolers to experience problem solving and expand their fine motor skills.

As your preschooler gets older and if they become really interested in this type of activity, you could expand it by making challenges. For instance, find a small Lego man and give your preschooler a goal. This will really challenge their creativity. You could try to have your kiddo create a boat that floats for their Lego man, a plane that flies, or a house that they could fit inside. The activities are endless! Adding in different tools to your Maker Space is something that we will be doing as well. Each time we pull out our Maker Space box, I will add a new material in (Q-tips, glue sticks, wooden popsicles, broken toy parts, paper clips). The list here is endless too. Adding in random household items is so easy to do in order to expand the tools in your child’s Maker Space items.

It is also important to designate a space for the project to be stored. Most of the time my preschooler likes to continue to build upon his design. Along with the basket of tools we have set aside for the Maker Space, we have a designated shelf for his project to be stored. I would hate for something to get accidentally tossed or broken, so I eliminated that with having a shelf that he knows where his creation can be stored and we can keep it safe.

Adding in a Maker Space type of box/area in your home is such an easy way to culture creativity for your child. It expands on just the paper and crayons type of art activities that we already do at home. Fun conversations and enjoyment had by your preschooler will get you all excited to have a Maker Space in your home where your kiddo can produce creativity, design fun projects, and grow their imagination.

Ms. Whitney
Lead Prekindergarten Teacher
Curriculum Coordinator

Stereotypes of expectations between girls and boys in the academic world have been around for eons. Just saying the title opens many feelings and opinions. Have you ever heard that girls don’t need to do math, boys don’t need to sit and read? How does society’s viewpoints affect our children?

Math based careers such as engineering and scientist are generally looked at as careers for boys. The myth: boys are better at math than girls. In the July 25 issue of Science (Vol. 321, No. 5888), Janet Hyde, PhD, a psychology and women’s studies professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her colleagues, dismissed the perceived gender gap in math performance by analyzing math test scores from 7 million students, grades two through 11. The team collected standardized math assessments from 10 states and analyzed the scores for male and female students. They found no difference in average performance. If those are the facts, then why do we see boys dominating these fields over girls?

The answer is simply due to the antiquated views of society. Girls aren’t told that they can do it. They aren’t encouraged to work at it. If math starts getting difficult, they are given the excuse: well you are a girl it’s okay to give up. Girls aren’t pushed to keep trying. The result is girls telling themselves that math isn’t for them because of their gender. They quit because they want to fit in to what society tells them is normal. Buck the system ladies, study math!

Growing up I was always the reader while my brother avoided books like the plague. It seemed normal. Boys are supposed to be active while girls are quiet and studious. Girls generally start out being more interested in books than boys. But instead of encouraging the boys to keep trying it is dismissed and pushed aside. The result: is by twelfth grade, more than twice as many girls as boys (5% versus 2%) scored as “advanced” in reading on the 2015 NAEP.

Again, the answer is simply due to the antiquated views of society. Boys are led to believe that they should be outside playing in the mud with cars over chilling out and reading a book. Because learning to read and enjoying reading doesn’t begin with the same enthusiasm with boys doesn’t mean it should be to the side. Some of the most interesting men in the world read books. So, gentlemen, pick up a book!

As I investigated this subject, I find that the way society views the skills girls and boys should and shouldn’t have undermines their confidence in those subjects. When these skills start to be challenging, we are told to let them go. Excuses are made. The ability of children should never be underestimated or determined by their gender. They need to be encouraged and guided on how to work through any frustration when learning a new skill or developing old ones. They can do anything if they are allowed to believe that they can!

Let’s change the world little ones!

-Ms. Dotty
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
NAEYC- Coordinator