Events & Updates - Young Scholars Academy

August is National Eye Exam Month: 5 Ways Eye Health Affects Your Child’s Performance in School

August 22, 2017 by Admin Leave a Comment

August is National Eye Exam Month, it is also the month most kids get ready to go back to school. With both things in mind, getting a comprehensive eye exam should be on your back-to-school checklist.

As a child’s body grows, their eyes go through changes. Sometimes, these changes are gradual. So gradual, that the child gets used to the change without noticing it. Your child may not have any problems with blurry vision or headaches. An annual back to school eye exam will ensure your child’s health, development and school performance. In the spirit of National Eye Exam Month. Here is how eye health affects your child.

School Performance

pediatric vision test — Take your child for an eye test before school opens

The most obvious reason to have an annual exam is to ensure your child can do well in school. If your child cannot see at a distance, they will miss out on critical information presented on a board or screen. For kids who cannot see things close up, reading and written assignments become a challenge.

You may only detect a problem when your child’s grades start to slip. Having an annual exam will detect eye issues before school even starts. It should become a normal part of your back-to-school routine.

Eye Problems Cause Other Problems

Children who have eye problems often have other physical symptoms. Eye strain can trigger headaches. They may start out as mild but if the vision problems get worse, the headaches will get worse as well. This can interfere with the child’s school performance, sleep patterns and other daily tasks. Tired eyes are another physical symptom. As the child squints to clarify their vision, the muscles around the eyes will grow tired. This only adds to the problem by causing blurry vision and eye irritation.

Intellectual and Social Development Suffers

If left untreated, eye problems can start to affect more than the physical part of your child’s life. Their intellectual development will start to slow down as school work becomes more of a problem. Your child will start performing below their potential. This can snowball if not treated.
Social development can also suffer with eye problems. Kids use their eyes to pick up on non-verbal social cues. If the kids cannot pick up those social cues, they may experience embarrassing social situations. For some kids, it may cause social withdrawal.

Frustration with Learning

Children can experience intense frustration if they cannot keep up with their peers. It can severely hinder the child’s desire to learn new things. This can cause major problems in both the short and long-term. Short-term the child may start refusing to complete homework, assignments or tests. They may leave reading and writing assignments undone. Long-term, the child may develop the mindset that, if learning is so hard, why do it? It only causes frustration. That kind of mindset is very difficult to change once it’s learned.

Some Eye Problems are More Serious than Others

Near and farsightedness are serious issues for anyone. However, they are not the only eye problems that your child may experience:

Amblyopia is often referred to as “lazy eye” It occurs when poor vision develops in only one eye. The stronger eye overcompensates and the other eye gets weaker.
Strabismus refers to misaligned eyes. Some misalignments are quite noticeable, with one eye being strongly turned away from the other. Some misalignments are more subtle and may be harder to detect.
Ptosis happens when the eyelid droops over the eye, blocking part or all the vision in the effected eye.
Cataracts can occur in children as well as older adults.
Blocked Tear Ducts can cause eyes to be constantly teary or have a chronic infection.
Chalazion appears as a lump on the eyelid. It’s caused by a blocked oil gland.

Schedule Your Child’s Eye Exam Today

To avoid all these issues, you need to get your child in for a pediatric vision test. All it takes is a quick call to set the appointment. The back to school vision exam will only take a few minutes and is time well spent. If the children’s eye doctor says everything is fine, you can let them go to school without worry. If there is a problem, you can get it treated immediately. That way, your child won’t have to deal with the side effects and can concentrate on doing well in school. And that’s a great way to celebrate National Eye Exam Month.

Work Week Time Involvement

August 15, 2017 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

We all have our moments where we don’t want to be bothered as soon as we come home from a long day. We just want a couple minutes to ourselves to wash away the people who gave us attitude, and who used the toilet paper without refilling it. At the same time, we then feel guilty for not spending that time with our kids.

We get so caught up in our world thinking that we are tired for working FOR our kids to have nice lives, but then we become absent at home. So how do you find balance?

There are those that say you will never find balance, that life is always going to raise you up then knock you down and the cycle will endlessly repeat itself. But there are things you can do to help transition from employee to dad/mom.

Talk to your kids! Ask them “Would you like to hear about my day?” on the car ride home, I can almost guarantee that they will not understand, of course but they will listen to you. You are then able to release all the negative energy you had from the day and not think about it because you just spilled your guts to a 2-year-old. Even if you must over talk them, just do it.

All the kiddos need is your involvement, they want to see you happy and kids can feed off our vibes.
It is a tricky line to find, to be engaged with our children and their lives, yes nobody said it was easy. Being an engaged parent has many benefits for a child such as, increasing feelings of love and acceptance, building self-confidence, and providing guidance and opportunities to grow.
Think about your kids’ day too!

Be random. Take your kiddo out not only when he\she has a awesome day at school; what about a date with your little one because their having a rough day? Give them random kisses and hugs (which never get old to them!).

Make the effort. Obviously we can’t be around our kiddos 24/7. But of all the ways to be involved, trying is CRUCIAL. If it’s taking 10 minutes to kick around a ball in the background, it could turn into something and a memory that your child will remember. It just takes one step!

~Ms. Tenesha
Safety & Health Coordinator

5 Alternatives to “Time Out”

August 12, 2017 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

Time Out alternatives | Young Scholars Academy — Need alternatives to Time Out”? We have ’em!

Do you sometimes feel like “time out” just isn’t working? You keep putting your child in time out, and she keeps doing the same thing over and over.

Wondering what you can do instead of “time out” to teach your child the differences between right and wrong? There are alternatives!

Here are some you can utilize during your next meltdown!

Describing Feelings. Sometimes just helping her describe her feelings helps. Children act out and do things they shouldn’t because they are frustrated and unable to describe what they are feeling. Acknowledging their feelings and giving them a name for their feelings can help them to feel less frustrated. Instead of jumping in and telling them they need to apologize and yelling at them that they can’t do that, stop and acknowledge that they are frustrated, angry or sad and explain to them that it is okay to feel that way that they just can’t behave in that way. This helps them to understand their feelings.

Express Feelings in a New Way. Teaching her a different way to express her feelings is another way to help her. Once you’ve helped your child describe her feelings it’s time to help her deal with them in a more constructive manner. If your child is hitting because she is angry that someone has taken her toy away, acknowledge that she is angry and give an alternative to hitting you or someone else. Tell her, “I know you are angry that your toy was taken away from you, but I can’t let you hit someone. Try hitting this pillow instead.” Make sure you let your child know that you still love them and that she hasn’t lost your approval. There are more acceptable ways to express your anger than hitting someone.

Tune into Feelings. Teaching a child to tune into their feelings instead of just offering praise when they do something good is another alternative to time out. Prevent the behavior before it begins. “How did it feel when you helped pick up your toys?” This helps her to start thinking about her feelings and stay in touch with those feelings. If children are more in touch with their feelings they are less likely to act out.

Stay and Listen. Stay and listen to them when they are really upset. When a child is very upset they are not going to understand or listen to reasons they shouldn’t behave a certain way. They are not going to understand why they are in time out. They just know that they are upset. Let them know that you are there. Rub their back, if they don’t mind the touch, and just sit and listen to them. Do not push them and expect them to get over it quickly, just sit with them until they are calm. This will let them know that you are there for them no matter what and that you love them always. It also lets them know that you can handle their emotions.

Redirection. Redirection is also a great way to keep them from doing something that they shouldn’t be doing. If your child is doing something unsafe you certainly want to teach them that it is unsafe but making a big scene isn’t going to get the message across that it isn’t okay. For example if your child is climbing near the stove you can calmly tell them, “You’re a great climber, but you can get a big boo-boo if you climb there.” Then you can take them to a safe place to practice climbing like the couch or a pile of pillows. “If you want to climb here is a safe place to do that.”

Many times children misbehave because they don’t understand their feelings or ways to express those feelings. Helping them understand their feelings and way to express them safely is a great alternative to time outs and prevents the bad behavior in the long run.

So I encourage you to try out the new tactics and just see how they do!
Thanks for reading, hope this helps!

-Ms. Cheryl
Literacy Leader
Totally Awesome Toddler Teacher

Separation Anxiety & the 1st day of School

August 9, 2017 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

You can ease separation anxiety! — You can help ease your child’s separation anxiety!

It’s coming, the first day of the school year. Maybe this is your little’s first day of first grade, or second grade, or even the BIG first day of kindergarten. Either way, it’s the first day of another chapter in your lives. Change evokes nervous behavior (and possible separation anxiety) in anyone, including our children, and it’s our job as parents to be ready to help our kids through that process.

The first day of a new school, or a sudden change to daily life, has the possibility to spark a phase of separation anxiety within young children. We’ve all seen it, especially as parents or as early educators, the heart-tugging drop-offs or the behavioral adaptations that take place as a result. But the GOOD news in that perceived chaos, is that it is in fact, a phase.

Separation anxiety is a completely normal part of early development. In fact, many experts in the field of child development state that separation anxiety can come and go all the way until your kid is twelve years old. But once again, it is a completely NORMAL process for young minds to go through.

So what exactly is separation anxiety? Technically, this form of anxiety happens when children are separated from attachment figures for long periods of time. This can include being away from parents, grandparents, and even siblings.

Why does it happen? The short answer is: your child is learning how to cope with change. Usually, separation anxiety happens when a sudden life change occurs. While the first day of school definitely counts as a sudden change, so does an addition to the family, a loss of someone close, or moving, for example.

Here are some common signs of separation anxiety:

• Crying and/or tantrums – This tends to be a staple in those hard drop offs. Children, especially young children, have a hard time expressing their frustration, fear, or sadness and thus a tantrum ensues.
• “Clinginess” – You may notice your child has to be with you at ALL times, including when you go number two in the bathroom, and this is a possible sign of separation anxiety. This is different than wanting/needing one on one time with attachment figures, separation anxiety presents an EXTREME version of this.
• Regressing – This includes a behavioral or physical “step backwards”. A developmental example of regressing would be potty training. Say your son was doing great with potty training, in fact he has been accident free for a month! But since then your family has moved states and now, he has a couple accidents a day. This would be a sign of normal regression.

So how can we help our children with the coping process of change, and help minimize the possible separation anxiety?

1. Set the example- Once again, separation anxiety occurs as a means of coping with change. Children learn best by example and you have the ability to set a positive example on how to handle the change in a positive way.
2. Have conversations- Simply talking to your child and putting words to his feelings can help him express his anxiety in a healthy way.
3. Routine- If drop off seems to be a rough adjustment for your little one, try setting a routine to help him process what is coming and help grasp a sense of security. A great example is singing his favorite song beforehand.
4. Breathe- A lot easier said than done, right? But take some deep breaths and know that this is all a part of healthy development. Reach out for help if you need it and know that this too shall pass.

Most importantly, enjoy the time. Elementary school is going to fly by, so cherish those walks to the school bus or the walk to the front door. Thanks for the read!

-Ms. Caitlin
Wellness Coordinator

Nap Time Survival Checklist

August 7, 2017 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

Going from several nap times a day to maybe one per day can be a rough transition for the sanity of both parents and kids!

Nap time is a necessity for young children!

As parents, we get in the habit of having our child take 2-3 naps a day. Then one day you realize your little one is no longer in need of that much nap time per day. But this transition toward fewer naps is hard on their bodies. We know that kids actually do need this time to rest!

Here are some things parents can do to help during this transition:

1. Make sure your child is going to bed at a decent time. Putting a child to bed at 11 pm at night is not going to help the one-nap-a-day situation. Your child’s body needs a certain number of hours of sleep per day. Take in account when your family must wake up and count backward. Here is a link to see the recommended number of hours your child needs based on their age.

2. Create a cool, dark, and quiet designated nap time area. Your child is not going to catch Zzzzs in a mess of a room, where the light is shining through the windows.

a. Make your child’s nap space free of distractions. If your child is napping in their own room, get the toys out of there! I feel that having most toys out of children’s rooms is a great solution to ensure happy dreams. Leave the books though! Books can be a great tool in helping with children relax and transition to sleepy mode. Include one story in their nap routine, it can be helpful to buffer between wake and sleep mode.

b. Get some of the light blocking curtains to make their room darker. There is even window tinting treatments you can put on your windows to help block light. Using one or both will help keep their room darker.

c. Get a fan if your child’s room gets too toasty mid-day. This can also double as white noise which can be soothing.

3. Pick out some calming music if you think that could be helpful for your little one. I like to use a sound machine that has different noises. There are many out there you can purchase to fit your child’s specific needs. You could even set up an iPod with a sleep playlist with relaxing tunes.

4. IMPORTANT! Set up a nap time routine.
• Nap time should occur around the same time every day. Children will get used to the schedule, which will help regulate both bedtime and nap time schedules.
• Get the room nap ready: windows closed, fan on, and music ready.
• Read one story while the child is in bed. This allows their body and mind to become relaxed and calm.
• Say your good nights, and offer plenty of hugs and kisses. Sometimes a song and rubbing their head/back is what they need to get relaxed and in that sleepy mode.

5. Next, shut the door and go take a nap yourself! (Ha ha!) Get caught up on a book, do things around the house, take a shower. Take the time for yourself.

Sometimes there are kiddos who refuse to nap; if you feel your child still needs to nap then be firm with that. If they get up, put them back to bed. Talk to them about meeting their bodies needs, and recharging for the day. If they still refuse every day, put in place a rest time. They still need to be in their room; quiet, resting, and recharging.

This little checklist can help in the survival of the nap time preschool years. Be sure to keep the routine of nap time the best that you can each day. Let your child know of their daily schedule. It will help prepare them for when nap time comes.

-Ms. Whitney
Curriculum Instruction Coordinator