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Greetings!
NQACC has been lovingly providing care for children in the Queen Anne community and beyond for the last 40 years, a wonderful blessing not only to those many families, but to the many teachers, staff members, and volunteers that have helped it last this long. Thank you to each of you that are part of our community and have helped us grow to 40 years old!
Christmas Program:
We will be celebrating this 40th birthday as part of our Christmas Program this year. Please mark your calendar for December 10 at 7:00 p.m. Parents, please bring your child to the center no later than 6:45 p.m. and make it as normal a drop off as possible. Once you drop your child off in their classroom, please make your way to the church sanctuary. Music and a slide show will be playing for your enjoyment until the program begins. After the program, please stay for a cookie and punch reception in the Fine Center.
Are you looking for a simple way to wish the teachers a Merry Christmas?
Our Christmas Party will be on December 15 during the teacher's lunch break. We are looking for a few parents that might be interested in helping with this years party. There is a sign up sheet in the Parent Center. If you are more interested in helping with decorating, setting up, cleaning up, game prizes, etc please contact me directly. |
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| Kid Quotes |
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Laughter is definitely the best medicine. Here are some fun things we've been hearing around the center.
"My shoes are supersonic." -Green Monkey Room
"His corner pumpkin looks like a rockstar." -Green Monkey Room
One day when the purple bunny room was learning about owls, they played a game where when the lights were turned off the kids would pretend they were owls. Later that day at rest time...when the lights went out...the teachers heard several "who-who...who-who's" through out the room.
"I had a Big Weekend!" Orange Giraffe Room |
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| Great Christmas Book |
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Bob and 6 more Christmas Stories
by Sandra Boynton
Sandra Boynton is a wonderful author of toddler/pre-school age board books. Her use of language is amazing and her books fun to read. "Bob" is like a Christmas party in a book, full of action and merriment. I highly recommend this book become part of your Christmas tradition as it has become part of mine in reading it to my grandson. It ends with a beautiful lullaby, "you are my present...my wish come true," which one always loves to communication to children dear to us. |
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| Nutrition Tips |
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Some Seattle Pacific University Students that are studing nutrition came to our recent staff meeting and shared some very interesting tips and things to keep in mind when feeding Toddlers and Pre-schoolers. They created a wonderful hand out - (a few are available in our parent center)
Some interesting things I learned...
1/2 cup serving is = to 1 small computer mouse
1 ounce of cheese = 2 stacked dominos
2 Tblsp = 1 golf ball
Check out the hand out - they did a great job!
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TIMEOUT: THE PENALTY BOX?
By Mary Ann Abbott, North Seattle Parent Consultant
I saw a cartoon recently with two hockey players in the penalty box. Both players were banged up and had ripped clothes and wounds on their faces and arms. The one player commented to the other: "This isn't new for me. I got lots of timeouts as a kid, too." The scene brought a smile to me as I remembered children I have seen in timeout. Apparently, this "grown-up" was still working on self-regulation. Admittedly, hockey playing is a challenge for self-regulation, but I also wondered if timeouts had made any difference in his learning new behaviors.
The penalty box? Is this how young children think of timeout? Last week, I asked a child what she thought of timeout. "It's bad!" she said. Is this a common definition? For many families, timeout is a place of punishment, a kind of penalty box where the offender sits and thinks about how she's misbehaved. Then, upon release, it is hoped
positive behavior will occur.
Author Roslyn Duffy of Positive Discipline for Preschoolers has referred to timeout as a "black hole where children disappear." Young children may not know exactly what timeout is - it may even scare some - but most children know they don't want to go there! Some children rebel and make a fuss about staying in a timeout. That fussing becomes a frustration for parents who believe they are correcting a behavior in a positive way.
Using timeout as a punishment gained popularity as parents and educators realized the damaging effects of spanking and other physical punishments. Timeout has seemed to be a softened substitute. Starting at about 2 ½ years of age, the usual time is one minute per chronological year. It's the adult's hope that when the child experiences the negative aspects of being isolated, with no privileges, the "pain" will be remembered and then pave the way to future cooperation and following the rules. Release from the penalty box!
Timeout is often used for minor offenses: "If you hit, you sit." It's also been used as the ULTIMATE consequence for a serious disobedience: "Since you took candy from mommy's purse and lied about it, you'll need to go to a timeout." For many adults, it's a threat which gets results, so it is a popular tool: "If you destroy your brother's lego creation one more time, you are going to timeout!"
Sometimes, timeout is doled out angrily, when a parent is frustrated and worn out from a hassle: "How many times have I told you not to run to the car ahead of me? You'll be in timeout when we get home!" The child feels the parent's anger, sees the frustration and disgust, and then experiences separation and isolation. Usually, a parent is not proud of this approach, but a parent "needs some kind of tool to get the child back on the straight and narrow."
Roslyn Duffy addresses many of these issues in her "positive" timeout approach.
Her ideas emphasize that "when the adult is correcting a misbehavior or helping a child
learn more appropriate responses, it should be with reasonable limits and have follow- through with dignity and respect.
1.She suggests that "timeout should be a time for the child and the adult to cool off." It breaks the cycle and allows emotions to subside. Sometimes it is the parents who need the cooling off time! This time sets the stage for a conversation about how the child can change her behavior and follow the guidelines the next time.
2. Attitude is important. "The adult should try to be firm and kind," maybe even matter-of-fact. It'd also be helpful to have discussed in advance how timeouts work in the family: where it will be, how long, why it'll be used, what can be done in timeout, what's expected when timeout is over, etc.
3. "Timeout is a place to feel better." Continuing to feel bad, bad, bad, (the penalty!) while experiencing timeout does not motivate the child to try again, to cooperate the next time. There needs to be a reconstruction piece.
4."Timeout can be available to a child for as little or as much time as she decides." This may be a little dramatic, but the essence is giving the child some "say" about her readiness to come back to the situation. Giving a child this small token of power sometimes solidifies a child's desire to do better, to be part of the solution.
These ideas may seem a little lofty to some parents who really want results. It's true -- the penalty/punishment timeout does get results. But, using just the penalty timeout emphasizes the negative and may not produce the desired character building for the long haul. It may be really important for a child to think of timeout as a cooling time in which she problem-solves about how to respond the next time.
Considering these ideas can give educators and parents new insights for responding to individual children. None of us wants a child to feel that she is "bad" and that a penalty box is the only answer. |
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What Matters Most-The Soul of Parenting
Jan Pendergrass, Pastor for Children and Families at First Free Methodist
Just after I graduated college and got married (20-some years ago!), I was teaching Language Arts at a public high school in Whittier, Ca. Surprisingly, the poetry unit wasn't always received with great enthusiasm... not everyone appreciates the art of words! But I remember telling the students they didn't have to like it; they needed to respect it.
Isn't that true about people in our lives as well? It's hard to "like" everyone, but as adults we know that we should at least try to respect others and understand where they are coming from. Even greater is the command from God to love others... easier said than done!
This is why I enjoy the You Tube clip called, "I don't like you Mommy!" In it a darling little guy explains to his mom that he only likes her when she gives him a cookie. If you're like me, you forget how cute he is and suddenly find him a little annoying and hope that mom will give him a talkin'-to! But how she handles it is fascinating. She simply says back to him, "Well, ok. But I love you."
To that the little boy, with the most darling expression says, as if there's no doubt in his mind, "I love you too, but I don't like you all the time." I hope you'll look it up and watch it! What an expressive and insightful little guy!
So how do we teach children to love others even when they don't like them? Again, that's easier said than done. But doing it ourselves is the answer. We must model it for them by showing respect for everyone- especially those we don't like- as we drive, shop, and go about out every-day lives.
We can also show children how we can love people we don't even know by adding those who are in need to our Christmas lists. If you'd like to participate in FFMC's Giving Tree tradition, you can pick up an ornament for either the Queen Anne Helpline or Union Gospel Mission. The trees will be outside of the gym or up by the Sanctuary entrance. Gifts need to be returned by Sunday, December 13th, and all presents should be unwrapped and attached to their ornament. Merry Christmas to all! |
We are approaching a busy time of the year for almost everyone, Christmas plans, parties, shopping, and so much more are on everyone's minds. While we all get joyously caught up in the season, we need to remember a few things to provide the best care for all of our children...
1) Please let the office know of your attendence plans for the holiday weeks.
2) Please call and let us know if your child is home ill.
3) Please do not drop your child off after 10:30 a.m. or pick up before 2:00 p.m.
4) Please remember that the child care closes at 6:00 p.m. and there is a late pick up fee of $1.00 per minute payable to the teacher that has stayed at work to provide care for your child after child care hours.
5) Tuition payments are due on the 10th of the month, unless you have made arrangments otherwise with Sandy.
Sincerely,
Royale Lockhart
North Queen Anne Child Care
206-281-2919 |
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Our Teachers will be displaying their Christmas Wishing Trees again this year. In recognition of our current economy we would like to suggest looking for the items at Value Village, GoodWill, or even gently used toys your child has out grown. Many of the teachers are especially interested in building their "dress-up clothes" collection, which can easily be done with old Halloween Costumes.
All of our teachers greatly appreciate your thoughtfullness and consideration during this time of year.
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