Don Earl Parent Blog

November: Emotional Development “Children are developing their social and emotional skills in early childhood. This influences their mental health and wellbeing, now and in the future.”-Kids Matter Interactions with adults and caregivers impact the emotional development of small children. Emotional development entails the understanding of feelings and emotions and how to handle them. Children who grasp a variety of emotions and how to handle them are more likely to stay calm and grow into confident, curious learners. Adult interactions with children and their emotions play a large role in this process. Visit the link below to view the chart of examples on how to interact positively with your child when it comes to expressing emotions. https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/early-childhood/blog/emotional-development-early-childhood Developing a strong emotional skill set have shown to have an impact on social interactions and performance in school. Emotions impact our attention, mem...

Having a set of boundaries and limits in the home provide young children with a sense of safety. Young children may not voice this but they actually crave expectations and stability. Understanding how to create age appropriate boundaries will help you to be successful with following through with them. First, children who feel loved and valued are more likely to accept corrections. I know it is hard with busy schedules and multiple children in the same house but carving out one on one time with be very beneficial to being successful with setting boundaries and limits. Setting boundaries and limits help preschool age children to practice self-control. Children this age are egocentric so this can be challenging but understanding that we do not always get what we want when we want it can be difficult for young children. Sometimes we have to say no to children but try giving an explanation. For example, If you child asks to go to the park today but it is raining; instead of simply respon...

Setting Home Rules/Expectations Having a set of home rules/expectations for children helps to create a safe and trusting environment. Rules and expectations should be simple, clear, and placed somewhere in the house that can be seen on a regular basis. Try engaging your child in the process of coming up with the list of home rules. Involving children in the process of coming up with the rules/expectations makes them feel more responsible; therefore, more likely to follow them.  Keep in mind your child’s age and ability level.  You want to set them up for success not failure. Some examples of rules/expectations at home might be: We brush our teeth before bed. We pick up our toys when we are done playing. Put dirty clothes in the hamper or laundry basket. During meal time we stay safe in our seat. It is important to be consistent with the rules/expectations. If your child responds negatively to one of the house rules/expectations simply remind them of why yo...

LITERACY IN PRESCHOOL Reading to your children is a simple and well known way to promote reading success later in life! The ability to read and write is called “literacy.” For infants, the sound of your voice and holding them in your lap helps build relationships. Toddlers may want you to read the same book over and over. Preschoolers enjoy books about anything and everything! Don’t forget you can read poems, magazines, newspapers, and even signs in the environment! Children also benefit from seeing adults read. Following are some more ideas and activities to promote Early Literacy! http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/stages-milestones/language-and-literacy-development-3-5-year-olds http://www.getreadytoread.org/early-learning-childhood-basics/early-childhood/tips-for-parents-of-preschoolers https://www.edutopia.org/blog/parent-involvement-in-early-literacy-erika-burton DID YOU KNOW? Early literacy is a mix of experiences that involves all five senses. Ea...

SIBLING RIVALRY Jealousy, competition and fighting among brothers and sisters is often referred to as sibling rivalry. Almost all families with more than one child experience it. Conflicts can begin as soon as the second child is born.  Unfortunately, it can last a lifetime! Here are some ideas and suggestions to help you make it through the more stressful times: http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/sibling-rivalry.html http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/parenting/discipline-behavior/bothersome-behaviors/sibling-rivalry/20-tips-stop-quibbling http://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/teaching-tolerance/parenting-siblings-of-children-with-disabilities/ http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/specneed.htm http://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/six-parenting-mistakes-that-fuel-sibling-rivalry DID YOU KNOW? NATIONAL SIBLINGS DAY IS APRIL 10 FUN FACT: Studies show that  siblings between the ages of 2 and 4 clash 6.3 times per hour . That frequency...

SLEEP AND BEDTIME ROUTINE A good night’s sleep is necessary for a child’s well-being, adults too! Not getting enough zzz’s can affect behavior, ability to attend, and mood. Getting your child to sleep is not always an easy task. The resources below will inform you about the benefits of a good rest and also list some ideas on how to get one! http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/sleep-preschool.html http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/child-sleep/art-20044338 http://www.sleepforkids.org/html/tp.html http://www.sleepeducation.org/news/2012/10/29/sleep-problems-may-affect-children's-behavior DID YOU KNOW? Children tend to fall asleep faster and sleep longer when they go to bed before 9 p.m. FUN FACT: lack of sleep affects behavior. In addition, keeping all electronics out of the bedroom will help children to get a good night’s sleep.

Stress Management Stress is a normal reaction to challenges and changes and an inevitable part of all of our lives – even our kids! Some stress can be a good thing, but overwhelming stress can be damaging to your health and have negative effects on parenting skills. It’s good to have some tricks up your sleeve for trying times! https://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/parenting-stress/ http://www.parenting-ed.org/handouts/stress_management.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJiUUbxyZ78 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJiUUbxyZ78 FUN FACT: Parents who are more sensitive to their infants’ needs and respond quickly to emotional cues tend to raise children who are better at regulating their own emotions. Successfully managing your own stress is vital to being responsive to your children! DID YOU KNOW? There are free programs available for parents that provide counseling, resource linkage and hands on training to help ensure healthy children and healthy families. For m...

Socially and emotionally competent children are skilled at managing their emotions and behavior, cooperating with others, forming positive relationships, and making responsible…decisions. (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2007) Current research in early childhood education supports that children need to be taught social skills and appropriate behavior, just like they are taught letters and numbers. Click on the links below to know what to expect as your child grows and how to help them grow socially and emotionally. http://www.parents.com/kids/development/social/improving-kids-social-skills/ https://www.zerotothree.org/early-development/social-and-emotional-development http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/family.html FUN FACT: Social interaction increases the speed and accuracy of learning in all ages, including babies. DID YOU KNOW? At Don Earl, we implement a curriculum called Second Step to help students learn appropriate social skills. S...