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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER NEWSLETTER 2009
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Greetings!
We hope your child enjoyed the fun activities that he/she took part in to promote Canada's Summer Active Program.
In July, everyone participated in the Wee Are Special Olympics, racing with eggs on spoons, singing songs, making Olympic torches and cheering each other as they played. In August, every day was a mysterious adventure of fitness activities from Simon says, timed jumping jacks, and marching on the spot, just to name a few. We are looking forward to the Terry Fox walk on September 25th.
As fall is a time for change, we have devoted this issue to children and change.
ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR CHILD TO GROW UP?
Most of us have our own thoughts on when a child should be ready for his next step towards independence. It is so difficult NOT to compare our children to the neighbours' children or nieces and nephews but we must remember and celebrate each child's uniqueness in his personality, development and interests. Your child goes through many firsts in a short period of time: first day of school, moving from car seat to booster seat, from crib to big bed. Preparing your child for changes and providing time for the transition will give your child confidence to take the leap. This newsletter focuses on a number of "rites of passage" that your child will go through at different ages and stages. Take the time to plan ahead and encourage and praise your child for every effort and small step he takes towards independence.
We are very excited for our 9th Provider Professional Development Day scheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2009. This is a day that Wee Watch Providers from all across Ontario come together and spend a day networking, finding new ideas to implement in their program and get the pat on the back for a job well done. This year Providers will be "Playing that Funky Music", learning about "Learning Styles" and having a "Voice Makeover". Sincerely,
Leslie Wilson |
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DATES WEE WATCH |
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Labour Day (stat holiday)
September 7
Grandparents Day
September 13
Rosh Hashanah
September 19
Edi-Al-Fitr
September 21
Autumn Equinox
September 22
Together Wee Can - Terry Fox "Walk for a Cure"
September 25
Yom Kippur
September 28
Thanksgiving Day (stat holiday)
October 12
Diwali
October 17
Together Wee Can - "Jump for Gold"
October 20
Provider P.D. Day
October 24
Halloween
October 31
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 TOGETHER WEE CAN |
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Wee Watch has a wonderful opportunity to bring all of our homes across Ontario together to participate in activities on certain days, weeks and months. These "Together Wee Can" events are exclusive to Wee Watch. All activities are carefully chosen for their importance to children and their families. These events provide a great learning opportunity that meets the needs of children of all ages and ultimately strengthens our Wee Watch community.
September 25, 2009 - Wee Watch "Walk For a Cure"
Providers and children will be joining together to raise awareness in their community about Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope. Before venturing out, Wee Watch Providers and children will be busy making their "Walk for a Cure" signs to carry with them on their walk around the neighbourhood.
October 20, 2009 - Wee Watch "Jump for Gold"
Providers and children alike will be getting their heart pumping by participating in heart healthy activities for the Heart and Stroke Foundation's "Jump for Gold". Whether they are jumping, skipping, crawling, or making a tasty fruit smoothie, the children will learn the value of staying active.
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Our exclusive "Wee Learn Program" is designed to meet the specific learning needs of each of our children enrolled. The Wee Learn Program provides the flexibility for each child to participate at his own pace and is designed to allow each child from the youngest Wee Beginner to the oldest Wee Mentor to learn as they play. As there is a mix of individual and group activities in the homes, the children are also given lots of opportunities to develop their social skills as well.
Your Provider is given resources that include age appropriate activities addressing areas of language, cognitive, math/science, fine motor and gross motor development. These resources include a Calendar of theme related activities, an Activity Handbook full of easy homemade activities for each age group, website activity pages to further build on fine motor, math and language skills they have already been working on in their Play and Learn booklets.
Each month, take a look at the progress your child is making in his Play and Learn booklet. These booklets are a great keepsake and give you an opportunity to see the skills such as cognitive, math, fine motor skills your child is working on each and every day.
Please click on the link below to find out what's in store for your child as he gains more independence:
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WEE BEGINNERS - IS YOUR CHILD READY TO THROW AWAY THE BOTTLE? |
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 You may be holding off on weaning your child from the bottle as it can be difficult for both you and your child. Don't wait too long to start the process. Not only does using a cup enhance eye-hand coordination, but he also needs to start getting nourishment from solid food and drinking full bottles of milk may be getting in the way of this much needed nourishment.
Typically children are willing to be weaned between 9 and 18 months.
While you need to make the transition gradually, there are also some other developmental factors that you need to take into consideration:
· Can he sit on his own?
· Can he eat from a spoon?
· Does he show interest in solid food?
· Are his meals and snack times consistent?
Tips for success:
1. Make sure there are no distractions - like renovations, visitors, moving, etc.
2. Use the bottle only for feedings. Don't let your baby use the bottle as a security object or toy.
3. Decide what type of cup you want to use, whether you want to use an open top cup, sippy cup or cup with built in straw. At the beginning, your child may treat a cup more like a toy, so you may want to go for a non-spillable sippy cup. Keep in mind that while it is great to have the non-spill devices, sometimes it makes it difficult for the child to get his drink out of his cup.
4. Use the cup only when your child is in the highchair. Children should not be allowed to walk around while drinking.
5. Don't force the cup -- if your child isn't interested, try again later. Remember that whatever is in the cup isn't replacing the nutrition your child is getting elsewhere at this point, so it's not a necessity.
6. At age 9 to 12 months, substitute a sippy cup for a bottle at one feeding during the day. Choose a feeding when the child usually drinks just a little, rather than a major mealtime. Gradually introduce the cup at another feeding, slowly decreasing the number of bottles the child receives.
7. Switch beverages. Some babies will drink water or juice - but not breast milk or formula - from a sippy. Sometimes it's a matter of association. Once he gets the hang of the cup, he will be more willing to drink whatever is in the cup.
8. Make it fun. Let him pick out his cup. Let him pack the bottles away. The more exciting you make it for him, the easier the transition will be. Praise him when he uses a cup. Encourage it.
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WEE EXPLORERS - IS YOUR CHILD READY FOR POTTY-TRAINING? |
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 Like learning to sit up, crawl and walk, potty training is a skill that your child must learn. Before mastering this skill, there are certain other skills and abilities that must be in place before learning can begin. Most children begin to show these signs between 18 and 24 months, although some may be ready earlier or later than that.
Instead of using age as a readiness indicator, look for other signs that your child may be ready to start heading for the potty:
· follows simple instructions
· can walk and sit
· understands words about the toileting process
· controls the muscles responsible for elimination
· expresses a need to go verbally
· keeps a diaper dry for 2 hours or more
· shows an interest in using the potty or wearing underpants
· recognizes when she is in the process of urinating or voiding
· is able to sit and engage in an activity for several minutes
· has regular, soft, formed bowel movements
· can pull her pants up and down
Tips for Success:
1. Make sure there are no distractions that will hinder the potty-training process such as traveling, new arrival of a sibling, moving, changing from crib to bed.
2. There are benefits to each type of potty option. Whichever you choose, buy a potty or seat for every bathroom in the house.
3. Use words to express the act of using the toilet ("pee," "poop," and "potty").
4. Get a potty chair your child can practice sitting on, with clothes on or not.
5. Don't make your child sit on the toilet against his or her will.
6. Establish a routine. Have your child sit on the potty within 15 to 30 minutes after meals to take advantage of the body's natural tendency to have a bowel movement after eating.
7. Be alert. Catch her in the act. Children often give clear cues that they need to use the bathroom - their faces turn red, and they may grunt or squat.
8. Remove a bowel movement from your child's diaper, put it in the toilet, and tell your child that poop goes in the potty.
9. Make sure your child's wardrobe is adaptable to potty training and easy for her to undress herself.
10. Offer your child small rewards, such as stickers, every time your child goes in the potty. Let her pick out her own underwear.
11. Make sure everyone that cares for your child is following the same routine so there is less confusion for your child.
12. Above all, be sure to praise all attempts to use the toilet, even if nothing happens.
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WEE BUILDERS - IS YOUR CHILD READY FOR ORGANIZED SPORTS? |
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 Many parents decide in the preschool years to enroll their child in organized sports, not only to keep their child away from the TV but to develop skills and other interests. But is a 3 year old ready to play organized sports? Is your child likely to spend more time picking dandelions than working on her kicking or social skills? Just because your child is coordinated or fast doesn't necessarily mean she's emotionally or mentally ready for a team sport.
Before considering a team sport, ask yourself some basic questions:
· Is my child ready to follow rules and attend regular practices?
· Can she accept coaching from another adult?
· Is she ready for competition?
· Can she stay focused for an entire game?
· Can she follow 2-3 step directions?
· Can she play well with others?
· Has she shown an interest in the sport?
Tips for Success:
1. Find programs that emphasize free play while helping children practice basic coordination.
2. Consider individual sports like gymnastics, swimming, dance, taekwando and golf. Individual sports allow the children to develop their skills at their own pace without the pressure on the sidelines from coaches and parents.
3. Let your child work on the general motor skills like throwing, kicking, catching at home in the comfort of her own backyard. Kicking to a parent who is just as uncoordinated, is less stressful than the structured rules and win or lose competitiveness of organized sports.
4. Develop balancing and coordination through obstacle courses, climbing on equipment.
5. If you do decide to go the organized sports root, check into the coaching staff. Many times coaches are volunteers. While they may have good intentions, they may not have a realistic expectation of what a 3 year old's abilities are and attention span would be.
Motor skills, maturity level, social readiness and ability to understand directions are important factors for deciding if your child is ready to try any activity. You may opt to wait until your child reaches age 5 or 6 before involving them in organized sports.
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WEE LEARNERS - IS YOUR CHILD READY FOR A TWO-WHEELER? |
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 One of the many tasks parents must undertake is teaching their children to ride bicycles. Bicycling is a great form of exercise and a fun activity the family can enjoy together so it is worth the time and effort to assist your child in mastering a bicycle.
Keep in mind that there are basic skills that your child needs in order to go from a tricycle or bike with training wheels to a two-wheeler:
- Pedaling
- Balancing
- Steering
Children who can stand or hop on one foot and who can catch and kick a ball are ready to ride a bike. These skills develop between ages four and nine. Before you decide to throw away the tricycle or take off the training wheels make sure your child wants to take on this new adventure. You also must consider your readiness in the process.....are you ready to jog around the block holding on to a wobbly rider?
Tips for Success:
1. When purchasing a bike, include your child in the process. Make sure it is the correct size for your child. Don't buy a bike that is too big hoping your child will grow into it. Your child must be able to climb on and off a bike well.
2. When buying a bicycle helmet, look for the CSA approved sticker. The helmet should fit comfortably but be snug enough so that it does not move.
Training-Wheel Method:
3. Training wheels should be adjusted incorrectly. The bike should always have a little bit of lean.
4. Gradually raise the training wheels, without telling your child. As your child relies less and less on the training wheels, you know that he can safely take the training wheels off.
Running from Behind Method:
5. It is important not to hold onto the bike itself, as your child needs to learn to feel the balance.
6. It is equally important not to hold onto the handlebars as this makes it difficult for your child to balance and steer on his own.
7. Hold your child by the shoulders, so that as he leans to the side, he will feel the side pressure, and can learn to reduce it by turning into the lean.
8. Make sure you practice on a flat space such as an empty parking lot, without hills and obstacles.
It is important not to push too hard. Allow your child to learn at his or her natural pace, and it is more likely that cycling will become a fun family activity for all of you. The process may take a few years for your child to be a confident bicycle rider.
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WEE EXPERTS - IS YOUR CHILD READY TO READ? |
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 Long before children can read books they need to master certain pre-literacy skills before they can make sense of the words on a page.
· Print Motivation: Children who enjoy books and being read to will want to learn how to read for themselves.
· Print Awareness: Being familiar with printed material
· Familiarity with Print and Books: It's important for your child to know that people read words, not pictures, and that the words she sees in print are related to the words she speaks and hears.
· Letter Knowledge: Knowing the names and sounds of letters.
· Letter Recognition: The more letters your child is able to instantly recognize and name, the quicker she'll be able to focus her attention on other tasks such as the sounds associated with each letter.
· Vocabulary: The more words children know, the better able they are to recognize words and understand what they read.
· Phonological Awareness (sound out words): Being aware of the smaller sounds that make up words helps children sound out written words as they begin to read.
· Narrative Skills: Being able to tell or retell stories develops comprehension skills that will help children understand what they read.
Tips for Success:
1. Ask your child to recognize print in everyday life, on cereal boxes, street signs, and more.
2. Play "I Spy" with your child, "spying" words that begin with various consonants.
3. Have your child choose a consonant (e.g., the letter t). Write the letter on pieces of paper and, with your child, place the paper on objects around the house that start with that letter sound.
4. Play with word patterns by building a "rhyming tower." Place a block on a table. Choose a word such as cat, and ask your child to think of words that rhyme (sound the same, like mat or hat). Take turns. Each time one of you comes up with a rhyming word, add a block to your "rhyming tower".
5. When you read with your child, choose a word and have her snap her fingers every time you read it.
6. Encourage your child to spell, read and eat her words, using alphabet pasta or cereal.
7. Before you read a book with your child, look at its cover together. Ask your child to predict what the story is about.
8. Pattern books are another great early writing and reading activity. Again, children draw the pictures and use patterns like: Blue is for the Sky. Blue is for the Bluejay. Blue is for blueberries. Or I like books: I like to run. I like to jump. I like to play.
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WEE MENTORS - IS YOUR CHILD READY FOR HOMEWORK? |
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 Homework is an inevitable part of growing up. Whether your child likes it or not, homework assists your child in reinforcing what he has learned in school, assists in developing time management skills and good work habits and enables parents to become actively involved in children's learning. But this can only be achieved if parents keep a positive attitude towards homework. The first step is to be prepared for what to expect:
· Grade 1 - 5 to 10 minutes most nights
· Grade 2 - 10 to 20 minutes
· Grade 3 - 15 to 25 minutes
· Grade 4 - 20 to 40 minutes
· Grade 5 - 25 to 50 minutes
Tips for Success:
1. Set Up a Study Area - Your child needs a homework routine including a quiet place to do homework. Is it best to do homework at the kitchen table where you can supervise or does your child want the independence of doing homework at his own desk?
2. Make Materials Available - Everything your child needs for homework should be within easy reach. It may be a dictionary or pencil crayons, a globe or map of Canada.
3. Remove the Distractions - Turn off the TV, log off the computer, turn the radio down.
4. Offer Guidance - Children will sometimes need your help, but avoid doing the work yourself. If there is an upcoming project, help your child in planning ahead and working on small portions each night.
5. Use a Planner - Your child needs to learn about scheduling time for homework around other activities such as music or swimming lessons. It is also a good practice to get used to writing down homework for one class first before having to keep track of homework in various subjects. Even if there is no homework to make a note of, there should be a reminder to give any forms or announcements from school to you each night.
6. Be a Role Model - Bring some work home from the office or pay bills at the table. Children model their behaviours on yours.
7. Watch Frustration Levels - Take a short breather every 20 minutes.
8. Keep in Contact with Your Child's Teacher Regularly - Even if your child seems to be doing fine, it is important to stay in contact with your child's teacher. Discuss any concerns you have and ask for her suggestions. If homework is getting too hard for your child, seek help.
9. OFFER PRAISE.
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PLAY IT SAFE! STAY ALERT FOR BACK TO SCHOOL |
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As the school year begins, drivers need to be extra-alert for children in their vicinity. Going back to school can be an exciting time for children, and younger children are often so caught up in the moment that they don't judge traffic situations accurately. A heightened sense of awareness and a thorough understanding of the following measures - particularly during morning and afternoon drive times - will help to ensure that children stay out of harm's way.
1. Stay alert. Many pick up spots are not located on streets with sidewalks. Children often stray from the side of the road or curb onto oncoming traffic while waiting to be picked up and when getting on and off the school bus.
2. Be aware of school zones and follow posted speed limits. Slower speeds will give you more time to react to surprises.
3. Respect and obey school crossing guards.
4. Be patient and watch for parents picking up or dropping children off at the school parking lot.
5. Pay attention to the red flashing lights on a school bus and the children that are getting off the bus. Once the lights have stopped flashing, proceed with caution and watch for children along the side of the road.
6. If you are driving in an unfamiliar area, look for helpful clues that indicate a school is in the vicinity. CAA school safety patrols, crossing guards, bicycles and playgrounds are all pretty good indications that a school and children are nearby.
7. Avoid distractions such as cell phones, eating, drinking or map-reading, which can divert your attention from the road.
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About Us
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Use this area to provide your subscribers information about your organization.
Wee Watch
105 Main Street
Unionville, Ontario L3R 2G1
Wee Watch
905-479-4274
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