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JULY/AUGUST NEWSLETTER
2010 |
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| Dates Wee Watch | | July 2010
July 1st: Canada Day
July 5 - Together Wee Can
July 23: "Have a Ball"
August 2010
August 2: Civic Holiday
August 3 Together Wee Can
- 20: "Scavenger Hunt"
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| Greetings! | |
Picnics are a wonderful summer pasttime. Thoughts of sunshine, yummy food, games, green grass and laughter are associated with this seasonal treat. Laying out a large blanket, spreading out an assortment of fun finger foods and snacks, and playing games will create lasting memories for both you and your children.
Children especially love picnics because of the freedom from table manners! Where else can a child get up from a meal, run and kick a soccer ball, come back for another bite before grabbing the Frisbee?
I hope you take the opportunity to enjoy a picnic or two this summer. It is a wonderful break from your daily routine and creates fond memories of time spent together. With a picnic, a meal just isn't another meal - it becomes a special occasion!
Spreadable Cheese
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon seasoning salt
1 cucumber, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Mix ingredients together and store in a plastic container for a picnic. You can omit onions or cucumbers or add different vegetables such as chopped peppers or chopped radishes if desired. Chill several hours before the picnic and keep cool at the picnic. Serve with crackers or vegetables cut into sticks.
Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Leslie Wilson |
| TOGETHER WEE CAN |
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.
In April, children and Providers celebrated Earth Day's 40th Anniversary by using found materials to create very unique Recycled Puppets. Children are incredibly creative when given various materials and the freedom to use their imagination.
During Safe Kids Canada Week in May, Providers and children played games and worked on activities that expanded on any personal experiences they may have had with community helpers. Children enjoyed putting bandages on the "boo boo's" of their favorite stuffed animals, and played "Bandaid Matchup".
JULY 2010 "ACTIVE HEALTHY KIDS CANADA - HAVE A BALL" July 5 - 23
During the month of July, Providers will have a variety of activities planned to encourage your child to participate in the Active Healthy Kids Canada - Have a Ball event. From "Sing a Long Ball Song" to "Umbrella Basketball", we have given your Provider ideas for games that can be played inside or out each day. Look for your child's "We Had a Ball in July" certificate at the end of the month.
AUGUST 2010 "SCAVENGER HUNT" August 3 -20
Scavenger Hunts are so much fun! This event will not only keep your child happily hunting, but will also have them using their thinking skills as well! Throughout the month, children will use a list of riddles to find hidden objects. Once the object is found, they might take a picture, draw the object, or use pictures from magazine to complete the Scavenger Hunt. Children will receive a Scavenger Hunt certificate listing the objects they helped to find. Happy Hunting!
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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 our FUNdamental theme related activities, an Activity Handbook full of easy homemade activities for each age group and 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.
Spending time together gives you an opportunity to see how your child is using skills that he has learned at home and at day care. Each day your child is progressing through stages of development and continually working on new skills and mastering others.
We are pleased to provide your child with his/her very own portfolio "My Wee Watch Work". Look for opportunities to praise your child in new accomplishments and milestones achieved, however small they may be. Your child will be proud to show you the activities, crafts, Play and Learns and worksheets in his/her portfolio.
Your Provider and agency staff continue to assist your child in reaching goals by participating in the Wee Learn Program. Please click on the stages below to find new ideas to do at home to assist your child in reaching his milestones.
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 WEE BEGINNERS | Babies take their cues from parents and family members, or any person that is the primary caretaker. Parents or caretakers, by their words, gestures and actions, boost an infant's evolving sense of self. The only way an infant can express his wants is with expressions, crying or making other sounds. When the caretaker responds to his needs appropriately, the infant develops feelings of trust, love, and security.
Besides responding to their wants, self-esteem can also be built in the following ways:
· Talking and singing to them
· Smiling and laughing with them
· Giving toys that can be easily played with on their own
· Letting them safely explore their surroundings
· Establishing a routine
· Being patient and flexible with them
Babies that have a good sense of confidence instilled in them at home will carry that sense with them as they venture into the outside world, and become confident toddlers that are able to adapt to different social situations, and find it easier to make friends and learn new tasks.
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| WEE EXPLORERS | | Teaching a toddler how to help with chores may seem like it's a chore in itself, but giving them the smallest of responsibilities will not only lay the groundwork for future good habits, but also build a sense of worth and pride within themselves.
It is important to assign simple, one-step jobs that are age appropriate. Children at this age are unable to break down large tasks. Instead of "clean your room", a more specific task could be "put your clothes in the basket". At this age, any task that takes longer that a minute to explain is probably too difficult. When your toddler tries a task on her own for the first time, don't jump in too quickly to lend a hand. This may give the impression that she's incapable. Try offering a suggestion like "you're doing a great job! When I sort laundry I put the brown socks in the dark pile because they're a dark colour".
Children also love being "helpers". You'll find children at this age quite willing - even excited - to be asked to help with a household chore. Getting to spend time with you is one of the biggest incentives for children to do chores. Don't send them off to do it on their own until they are older and more experienced. Even staying close by to chat will encourage them to stay on task, and they'll appreciate your company.
Be sure to tell your child that she is doing a great job and how much you appreciate her help. Be patient and don't expect perfection. It may take a few months for her to get the hang of helping with chores.
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| WEE BUILDERS | We praise children when we feel they have done a good job, and also to encourage them to develop good values and self esteem. The problem with praise is that it focuses on the end result, not the quality of the process and can result in children becoming "approval junkies". (For example, "that is a beautiful painting" rather than "I can tell that you worked really hard and had fun painting this picture. Well done.") Constant praise can create a dependence on our evaluations and what is good or bad.
Learning to praise children can be a big step for parents especially if we have come from families where there was very little praise given. That's why it is important to know the difference between praise and encouragement.
Praise: - can imply a judgment - words such as "good", "pretty", "nice" can mean that a child could also be "bad", "ugly" or "mean".
- is often inaccurate - praise that is not descriptive can convey to the child that we are not paying attention.
- emphasizes external validation instead of internal feelings of achievement - children accustomed to praise can lose touch with feelings of accomplishment.
- can lead to competition - when children rely on validation for their accomplishments, they may become competitive in an attempt to win more recognition.
Ways to encourage:
- share your observations - comment on what you are seeing the children do, instead of commenting on what they have done when finished.
- Use descriptive language and ask questions - "Tell me about....", "How did it feel when...", "I see that....",
- Use body language - this shows we are paying attention and excited about what they are doing. - Reflect the child's excitement - this supports and validates feelings.
These wonderful Raffi songs are filled with words of encouragement that children will love to sing and dance to:
Simple Gifts One Light One Sun All I Really Need The World We Love A Lot Like Me and You The Sharing Song Baby Beluga Thanks Alot |
| WEE LEARNERS | |
Separation anxiety is defined as "a distress reaction to the absence of the parent or caregiver". It is a natural and common part of development and should not be viewed as a behavioural problem. It is most often seen at around a year old, but can become more apparent as a child starts school or daycare.
The child is simply trying to understand the situation and can become fearful that the parent or caregiver is not going to return and they will be abandoned.
Children can show separation in different ways. Many children will be tearful and distressed as the parent leaves. It is recommended that the parent make the separation as quickly as possible. Often tears stop within a very short time. They haven't forgotten about you, but have been distracted by the skill and experience of the teacher. Other children will show no signs of anxiety as the parent leaves, but will be distressed when they return. This is a reaction to the overwhelming sense of relief that the parent has come back, and is related to their fear of separation.
It is important to reassure your child that you are not abandoning them and will return at the end of the day. This may sound a little drastic, but this may be the only fear they have. If time allows, a trial period of leaving your child for short periods of time with someone trusted may alleviate some anxiety before the first day of school.
The following is a list of children's books addressing separation anxiety:
The Good-Bye Book - Judith Viorst
The Kissing Hand - Audrey Penn
Even if I Spill My Milk? - Anita Grossnickle Hines
Benjamin Comes Back - Amy Brandt
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| WEE EXPERTS | |
It is important for a child to love him or herself from the inside out, and have confidence that allows him to shine and be proud of who he is regardless of society's obsession with how we look on the outside.
Here are some ways to build a child's self-love:
- Love yourself - What do your children hear when you stand in front of a mirror? Are you positive or negative about what you see? Remember that children are listening and learning from you.
- Separate the action from the behaviour - Remember that when a child behaves badly, she is not "bad". Instead of saying "Your weren't a good girl today", try "When you don't share it makes me feel disappointed".
- Don't label - It is our responsibility as adults not to call children names or use demeaning comments such as "don't be such a baby", or "you're so lazy". These types of comments damage a child's self esteem and may develop into a self fulfilling prophecy (if a child is believes he is lazy because that is what he is being told, then he may not feel there is any point in proving his parents wrong).
- Display works of achievement - This is a great way to help your child feel proud of his accomplishments and feel encouraged to do more.
- Get your child involved in helping others - Helping others makes us feel good, and this will translate into pride.
MIRROR CRAFT
Each child will need: a small mirror ( 2-3 inches in diameter), lump of air-dry nontoxic coloured clay.
Allow children to mould clay into a ball shape. They may choose to mix colours together. Push one edge of the mirror into the clay so the mirror stands on it's own. Let the children decorate the clay (stones, holes, sequins, buttons etc.) Let dry. Now they have their own personalized mirror.
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| WEE MENTORS | Some issues are difficult to talk about with our children, but we must realize and accept that they are already hearing about these issues from peers, TV, movies, and magazines. If adults don't begin to talk to children early - and often - they will get their facts from somewhere else that may not be accurate or follow our own personal values and moral principles. If you have children of varied ages, you will want to save certain discussions for when the two of you are alone.
Start early - Children are hearing about tough issues that they might not be old enough to understand. When young children want information, they will turn to their parents for answers. This is a wonderful opportunity to talk with your child about these issues and open the lines of communication between you. As they get older, it will be friends that they discuss these issues with. You want your child to feel comfortable coming to you for clarification.
Initiate conversations - Your child may be unsure or nervous about asking questions or discussing an issue. It is important to be aware of opportunities to begin the conversation for her. For example, you may want to discuss a topic that was covered on a TV show or the news to open up a window for discussion.
Create an open environment - It's ok if you don't know the answer to a child's question, but don't dismiss it. Instead of "I don't know, now finish your lunch" try "That's an interesting question. After lunch let's look it up". Make sure you follow through with it.
Communicate values - Research shows that children want and need moral guidance from their parents, so don't hesitate to make your beliefs clear.
Listen and be patient - If your child asks you a question, try asking him what he thinks the answer is. This gives you a chance to listen and get an idea of how to adjust your answer based on what he already knows. It also builds self esteem by encouraging him to think about things and express his feelings in a safe environment. Patience is important as it may take awhile for your child to get the story out. Try to resist the impulse to finish a child's thought or sentence.
Talk, and then talk again - Young children can only take in small amounts of information at a time. Some issues may require you to let some time pass then bring up the topic again asking "Do you remember our conversation last week?" This will allow you to clear up any misconceptions or missing facts.
For more information on how to talk to your children, contact your local Health Department.
Taken in part from:
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| PLAY IT SAFE | High Chair Safety
Each year, thousands of children sustain injuries associated with high chairs. The majority of these injuries result from improper - or lack of - strap use, and when children are not closely supervised. Other injuries occur when the chair tips if the child is able to push off from a wall, or rocks it back and forth.
Follow these safety tips to prevent high chair injuries:
- Supervise the children at all times when they are in the high chair.
- Ensure the high chair has a wide base for stability.
- The chair should have a safety strap between the child's legs, and a waist belt. These should always be secured. Some high chairs have a post between the child's legs to prevent the child from slipping.
- The tray should never be used as a restraining device in place of the straps.
- Take the child out of the chair before making adjustments to the straps or tray.
- The child should never stand on the high chair or tray.
- Don't allow older children to climb onto the high chair.
- Place the high chair away from walls, windows, furniture, blind cords, appliances or countertops with items that they could pull onto themselves. Sources: www.drspock.com |
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