It’s finally starting to feel like spring! We are now able to open the windows and let the fresh air roll in with the warm sunshine! Well, until you and your children start coughing because you realize its time to deep clean the windows and the dust bunnies are in full force-haha! Seriously!

Spring cleaning can be such a great feeling to get rid of the old single socks, clean those dust bunnies, and tidy up the house from top to bottom. This can feel very overwhelming! Trying to take this on without help from your kiddos in my opinion is a ‘no-go’. Now that my kids are a bit older they will be included in taking on the spring cleaning tasks!

In our classroom, we expect these preschoolers to start cleaning up after themselves. When they dump an entire box of Legos out onto the floor, I am not the one picking them up. They take on the responsibility of cleaning up after their own messes. This gives them the control, the responsibility, the fine motor practice. If I just clean it up for them, all of these important opportunities are taken away instantly. We hope that this practice of cleaning up after themselves transfers over into their home life as well.

No age is too young!

Yes, even your one year old can help! Give them a damp rag and let them go to town! They can help you clean the walls, floor, and windows with just a wet rag! Doing this along with you as you really get the grime helps build so many important skills and gives them a chance to start helping out. As your child gets older, give them more appropriate age related tasks.

My three year old will help clean up any toys or messy spills that he creates; we get him to participate a little better if we make it fun. He likes to sing the ‘clean up’ song (by Daniel Tiger) while he picks up his toys. He also likes to race his sister while they pick up. Making small games or just singing a simple song makes a huge difference at this age.

For older kiddos, have them start to actually take on responsibility of regularly cleaning. Specifically for this spring cleaning time, I am on a huge purging kick. I gave my 6 year old specific tasks that I could have easily done for her, but by her doing them she gets to take on some responsibility which turns into taking pride in her hard work.

Some tasks I gave her this year were:

• getting rid of 10 stuffed animals
• trying on all her questionable fitting clothes, and getting rid of those that were too small
• helping organize the playroom

I gave her easy goals to meet and let her go to work. In the end, she was really proud to help with these tasks and so far has kept things put away as she had cleaned. She’s proud of her hard work and so am I.

I have attached a chart of age appropriate cleaning tasks for children that I found online. I find it helpful to visually see the breakdown by ages. So don’t take on all the stress of spring cleaning! Let your children help with some of the tasks they are able to do and let them take pride in keeping a clean and happy home!

Summer vacation is one of the most exciting times school kids look forward to every year. This is their chance to break away from all the studying and homework, projects and assignments. It also means more time for playing and having fun. As a parent, you want your child to make the most of their vacation. So if you’re looking for excellent summer childcare, you may want to send your child to a summer camp. Summer camps are more than just having fun, sing alongs, playing, and building a campfire. They provide plenty of opportunities for kids to develop skills. Summer camps also teach children how to build meaningful relationships, how to be independent and other valuable traits. If you would like your child to have an awesome and productive summer, here are some tips to help you choose the best summer camp program for them.

Set your child’s expectations

Before you start looking, talk to your child and discuss the idea of summer camp. Ask them about the things they want to do this summer. Do they have specific activities they want to try? Whom do they want to spend their summer with? Are there new things they would like to accomplish or learn? The answers you get from your child could be your basis for choosing the right summer program for them. If they want to focus on sports or swimming, or they want to develop their skills in arts and crafts, you can find the summer camp program that features these activities.

Do your research

Look into a variety of summer programs before making a final decision. Be sure that the program encourages new learning and development. Find out how the summer program will contribute to your child’s future studies and career. You can use the internet as one of your resources. Check individual child care/summer camp websites and go through the list of programs they provide. See what is included in the tuition. Also, seek recommendations from your friends and family. Speak to other parents about their experiences with various summer camps. They can share an insight into how a camp usually works, the activities and their focus program. They can also share if the experience was helpful for their child or not.

Visit the camp

Before registering your child for a camp, it would be best to visit the camp and ensure the quality of instruction and the surroundings. Talk to the people who facilitate the summer camp program. Ask specific questions about the philosophies of their program, their unique features, rewards system as well as the rules. When you visit the camp, observe the interaction between the kids and their counselors. Notice how the activities take place in the camps day to day. Also, make sure that the general environment of the camp is engaging and safe for your child.

Evaluate the staff running the summer program

One of the top things parents look into is the ratio of counselors to campers. While this is an important thing to consider, there are other things about the staff you should find out. The skills and experience of the counselors are something that should be taken into consideration. Take time to find out if the staff has gone through the necessary training and if they have the experience in handling such summer programs. Ask how long they have been with the camp. Dig into how skillful and effective they are when it comes to achieving the goals the program has in place. How is their relationship with the campers? Are they capable of facilitating the activities in such a way that the children learn what they’re supposed to learn and develop the skills they are supposed to develop? Counselors play a significant role in making a summer camp program successful. So make sure you also look into this area during your search.

Summer camps are an excellent way for your child to have fun and be productive at the same time over their vacation. Follow these tips and you’re on your way to sending your child to a summer camp program that will make their summer really worthwhile.

Children and parents alike enjoy the upcoming season of summer. Ahhh, glorious sunny days, warm weather, and no school. Taking special time with family becomes a priority, as it should!

However, learning shouldn’t fall behind in the process. Let’s discuss some shocking stats!

On average, students lose 2 months of reading skills over the summer. Children are at risk of losing more than just academic knowledge during the summer.

• 2.6 months of math skills are lost.
• Physical fitness levels also take a hit.
• 6 weeks of the beginning of school is spent relearning things from the previous year!

(CLICK HERE to read more for yourself!)
With this in mind please consider the academic part of your child’s life. Many things can be done during the summer to incorporate family fun with continued education.

Reading:
Take trips to the library. If you are going on a trip encourage them to read and learn about the area you will be visiting. Have a summer reading challenge program with a cool reward to receive when the goal is meet.

Math:
Involve the children in the grocery shopping. Give them a budget. Have them make a list to shop for a couple meals then let them work it out. While driving in the car play counting games. Assign car colors to the children and see who can find the most of their color.

Technology:
Tablets can be useful for more than games. Ask them questions about trips you are making, or even random ideas and have them look for the answers.

Children work so hard during the school year. Much of what they learn is retained through repetition. That practice goes away for many during the summer.  It can be hard and hurt their self esteem to go back to school the next year and they realize they have forgotten things they worked so hard to achieve. The best suggestion we have is to use activities as a learning purpose. Keep in mind these stats as we all head into the summer with full steam!

Learning can be a fun way to keep connected to your children!
–Ms. Dotty G.
NAEYC Coordinator
Lead Jr. Kindergarten Teacher

Raising kids isn’t easy…especially in a society that often seems so self-absorbed. (selfies, anyone?)

So how can parents help kids see beyond their own immediate interests and concerns?

By involving their children in opportunities to volunteer their time and energies towards helping others.

While volunteering benefits those on the receiving end – both the individuals and organizations served – it’s hard to quantify how much volunteering benefits the “giver” just as much…if not more.

When you give your child opportunities to help others through volunteering you’re also helping them learn:

Empathy

When looking for opportunities to volunteer, the closer your child can be to the end result (e.g. handing the sandwich to a homeless person not just making the sandwich) the more concrete their understanding will be of what they’re doing.

Which also leads to more engagement in the volunteering process.

Confidence

Children gain confidence when they see their own contributions make a difference in someone else’s life. Their success then encourages them to look for other ways they can contribute to their communities, building leadership skills they will take with them throughout their lives.

Cooperation

Social situations are the best way for children to learn social skills, and volunteering is no exception.

When a diverse range of individuals meet through volunteering, they have a common goal in mind, however different people will often approach the same task in a different way, which can potentially lead to conflict.

Children who witness – and participate in – the process of deliberation among the volunteers learn how important collaboration with others is to achieve the desired end result…helping individuals in need.

Compassion

As children take part in volunteering efforts they learn more about the world around them. As they observe and compare their own lives with that of others they develop compassion for others.

Application of knowledge and skills

In school, children rarely get the opportunity to see how the topics they’re learning can be applied in the real world. However, when volunteering, they learn how organizing tasks and understanding basic concepts (e.g. counting change) play a vital role in a successful venture.

Volunteering can also help kids visualize what they might want to do one day. For example, a child who volunteers at the local hospital or nursing home might be inspired to become a physician or nurse.

Making connections with their family and others

Busy families often have such frazzled schedules with work, school and extra-curricular activities, it often leaves both parents and kids feeling disconnected. When parents and their children are working together as volunteers for their community they have a chance to have fun and to grow closer as a family.

Responsibility

Ever notice how your kids will jump at the chance to help out their friends’ parents when they’re visiting them, but you have to nag to get them to do the same thing at home?

You’re not the only one!

You can put this tendency to good use…when someone is counting on your kid to be there as a volunteer, they’re much more engaged and desirous of doing what they’ve said they would do, which reinforces all the “responsibility” talk they’ve been getting from you!

Possibilities

If you’d like to get your family involved in volunteering efforts, but aren’t sure where to begin, here’s some ideas to get you started.:

Reach out to local hospitals, churches or charities to see if they have any needs

Contact a volunteer clearinghouse, (e.g. VolunteerMatch) which matches volunteers with organizations in need of volunteers.

Check with the bulletin board at the local library to look for any advertisements. You could also put up an ad yourself, notifying your openness to volunteering opportunities.

Check with the park service or whomever is in charge of cleaning up parks in the area…they’d love to have your help and it’s something even the smallest child can take part in.

Handy with tools? If you have older kids you could volunteer for housing repair and renovation projects (e.g. Habitat for Humanity) for low-income residents. 

A community food bank or soup kitchen, nursing home or food delivery service to the elderly are good choices too – they don’t take a lot of time out of your week, but they’re very fulfilling ways to volunteer your time and energy…and lots of fun for the kids too!

Finally, remember to be flexible. Not all hours or locations will fit your schedule. If one volunteer opportunity doesn’t suit your needs, keep looking…you’ll be glad you did!