Winter Wonderland at Kangaroo Kids

Celebrate the season with Kangaroo Kids!  Get in the holiday spirit! Bring the family to Kangaroo Kids Child Care and Learning Center’s Winter Wonderland on Friday December 12^th from 6:30-8 at 1047 Route 28 in Branchburg.

Come hear a professional singer, Mr. Ray  perform songs from the season, make some holiday crafts,  take your photo with Santa, and join in on our sing-a-long!  There will also be a cookie exchange so bring a plate of your favorite cookies with copies of the recipe.  There will also be a photographer available for professional family photos.  All new this year will be a Gingerbread house display.  If you would like to participate in the Gingerbread Display call or email the school for details and deadlines. 

The event is Free to the public and is appropriate for children under 10 years of age.  Call 908-231-7800, email staff@kangarookidschildcare.com or like Kangaroo Kids Child Care facebook page for the latest details on the event or for further information. 

Raising A Grateful Child

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks!  Today there are many concerns about the ever growing sense of entitlement instead of the sense of community, and hard work ethic of past generations.  So how can you begin to instill in your children as sense of caring and appreciation?

As always the best way to teach children is through role modeling.  Is “thank you,” a regularly used phrase around your house?  Do you as a parent show appreciation for a job well done?  Bedtime is a great time to share stories about what you are thankful for and to ask children about things that occurred during the day that made them feel thankful.  At Kangaroo Kids every family brings in a can or box of food to school before Thanksgiving that is donated to the local food bank.   Even young children can learn to appreciate what they have and to help others that are less fortunate.

Here are some great ideas from Homa Tavangar,  “10 Ways to Raise  Grateful Kid.”

When my favorite uncle first met my daughter, then age three, he enthusiastically hugged her and gave her a toy he'd brought all the way from Uganda. My daughter wouldn't even hold it, let alone say "Thank you." I was mortified.

My daughter is now 17, and looking back, I realize that many factors could have contributed to her behavior: being unprepared for such exuberance, her natural shyness and biology. Kids under seven have difficulty understanding others' feelings and being internally motivated to do the right thing. Nonetheless, parents can actively, gently instill a sense of gratitude.

The matter goes way beyond etiquette. According to research by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, "people who practice gratitude feel considerably happier (25%) than those in a control group; they are more joyful, enthusiastic, interested, and determined."

An attitude of gratitude helps us thrive. Try these steps to instill a mind-set of gratitude in your little ones.

1.      Say "Thank you." When "thank yous" are instilled in our vocabulary at home, a lifelong practice begins, even if it doesn't stick at first. You can gently restate a sentence with polite language inserted, or suggest saying "Thank you" together.

2.      Live it. Set an example and show appreciation by conveying you paid attention to real effort: "Your room looks so nice with the toys in their bins. I'm so happy that you remembered to put them away!"

3.      Teach through role play. If your little one is too shy to say "thank you" in a social setting, they can pretend to teach their stuffed animals or dolls to do so, while you play along.

4.      Create daily or weekly routines. A regular question, "What are you most thankful for today?" can serve as a comforting routine at bedtime or a highlight of a weekly dinner ritual.

5.      Give concrete examples. At dinner, you can play the Rose and Thorn game, where the person whose turn it is to speak holds a rose and tells about one rose (a good thing) and one thorn (a challenging thing). A metaphor like the rose helps children develop gratitude even when things aren't going their way. Keeping the rose in a vase all week serves as another reminder of coping with natural ups and downs. Books like The Giving Tree, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? and Mama Panya's Pancakes offer simple, powerful metaphors of virtues.

6.      Set expectations when shopping. Melanie Etemad of Bryn Mawr, PA shared a useful approach that her husband, a psychiatrist, came up with when their daughter Elyse was just two: "We’d say today is a 'look' day. Just like going to the museum, we enjoy the beautiful things, but we aren't planning to buy anything. ... We also tried to ensure that there were more 'look' days than 'buy' days, specifically to inoculate against the idea of always buying things, knowing that it breeds discontent. Now, at age six, Elyse knows that most of the time when we go out, we are not necessarily planning to buy anything and has the habit to ask if today is a 'look' day or a 'buy' day."

7.      Make giving and volunteering a habit. Set aside toys and clothing in good condition. Deliver the items to a deserving cause together. Talk about the process and why you care. Tap into organizations like Global Giving that offer a virtual marketplace for making a difference.

8.      Create gratitude gift lists. Alongside a holiday or birthday gift wish list, for every item, family members can list something they are grateful for. These are the "priceless" gifts. By generating the list in a beautiful way, you demonstrate how valuable the alternate list is; it can be a keepsake for years to come.

9.      Thank those who serve. Your example of acknowledging those who quietly make a difference in your life, from the bus driver to the person sweeping up the aftermath of a family lunch out, sends a powerful message to your children. Likewise, organizations like Operation Gratitude and Blue Star Families remember those serving in the military. Kathy Roth-Douquet, Founder and Chair of Blue Star Families, says, "In addition to a thank-you letter, we ask the participant to pledge to do some form of community service ... thanks and appreciation is best when it involves action, and a sense of all being in a worthwhile effort together."

10.   Be patient. Kids can't be cajoled into showing appreciation, but your gentle efforts and examples will instill gratitude as a way of life.

Tips on Raising a Grateful Child

Encouraging Creativity

Why is getting messy and creating those lovely works of art that you can't quite give a name to important?  One of the strengths of our country has always been being creative and resourceful.  As we move more and more towards testing and product based projects and worksheet education in young children's programs we are creating rote learners instead of creative thinkers.  If you doubted the value of process based hands on learning and the value of getting messy read this post.  It is a great article by Cindy Rzasa Bess, Ph.D. a Professional Speaker/Trainer, Developmental Psychologist, Education Consultant in her November Newsletter 

Art Smart from the Start

Back when I was a little girl, I always believed that giving my parents a hand made gift was the ultimate expression of love.  I made kiddie-loomed pot holders and clay animals; original paintings worthy of a popsicle stick frame; and, even the ever popular orange juice can converted into a pencil holder.  When we were going through my dad’s things after his passing I was stunned to find a drawer containing fifteen OJ can pencil holders!  He kept everyone!  Apparently my belief about the ultimate expression of love went both ways!  It was a very touching moment for me, to say the least!

Encouraging and supporting the flow of personal creative self-expression in a young child is one of the greatest gifts an adult can give him or her. Providing the chance for a preschooler to dabble in the arts and try new experiences is priceless and precious.  Unleashing his or her inner creativity, which ultimately follows its own path to self-expression, is a precious present.  Acknowledging that he or she is a wonderful and creative individual, capable of making great things that beautify the world is a meaningful message.

Hands-on learning through individual creativity should be highly prized in the education process.  Refraining from demanding conformity from these young hearts and minds is only fair at this tender age.  Imagination should be given a chance to grow, blossom, and flourish before the shackles of compliance are clapped shut.  It is okay for bears to be pink or green; and its fine for bunnies to have five ears.  It is alright for the wheels on the bus to be square; it makes for an interesting ride. Children have a whole lifetime to conform to societal expectations and to eventually admit that bears are black, brown and white.  Why force them to give up their innocent, inventive, and innovative perspective in favor of the old boring one adults share?  Teachers who are in touch with their own inner child know this truth, and do not squelch individual creative self-expression, but instead honor it and give it space to thrive.

Children learn best through doing.  They are by nature curious little beings.  They love to try new things and explore and experience the world, and their place in it. Jean Piaget said that young children construct their own knowledge by interacting with their environment.  They learn by doing solving problems and experiencing their options.  There are so many places in the Early Childhood Classroom where they can explore and experience their creative and inventive self:  The music center, the dramatic play area, the science center and the art center.  Even the block area and the fine motor small building toys allow for the child to create new structures and discover their ability to change the world through their action.  There is nothing greater than seeing the smile of accomplishment as it crosses a child’s face.  They know they have done something valuable and often show you their work with pride, with the accompanying announcement of “I did it!”

How can Artistic Self-expression be included in the ECE classroom?

· Incorporate Visual arts - drawing, painting, sculpting (play dough), making textiles (weaving), creating collages

· Encourage Language Arts - Discuss rhyming and create a group poem, write stories as a class, write a book of tales as a group and add it to the book nook

· Enjoy Performing Arts – Theater (putting on a puppet show, re-enacting a fairy tale);

       Singing (to the group or leading the group in song);

       Dance (music and movement)

Why offer Art?

Creative Art enables:  Self-expression

                                                   Communication of ideas -- without words

                                                   The discovery of one’s self

                                                   Exploration of the physical world and its properties

                                                   Learning to follow directions

                                                   Acquiring new skills, mastering and redefining them

                                                   Thinking “Out of the Box”

                                                   Cooperation and collaboration

                                                   Demonstration of persistence and tenacity

   Expansion of vocabulary

   Extension of experience

But most important of all it says to a child, you do not need someone else to provide toys and produce special things for you, for you are capable of making them yourself to use, play with and enjoy!

Process versus Product Art

Believe it or not there is a place for both in the early childhood classroom.   However the rule of thumb should be Process Art always available, Product Art occasionally incorporated.  Children can benefit from having an activity that requires active listening and following directions.  Examples can be replicated every one in a long while. But, these projects should be done rarely and be used as a means for assessment. Although parents like to see the standard choo-choo train made from colorful pre-cut paper shapes, or the duck made of glued yellow feathers come home, it is not the best way to teach a child about art and the true creative experience.  Real art comes from within.  Children should be encouraged to be the artists that they are within their own being.  Art should not be a method for assessment. Refrain from doing “product art” too often, after all they have a whole life time to bend to society’s will.  This is the time for active, unencumbered fun, and self-expression.

Whenever you work with a child, encourage imagination and creativity wherever you can. Refrain from asking young children to conform to a preconceived idea of who they should be, what they should be doing and encourage freedom of expression in language, in art and in play (Of course, within limits.)  When a child is allowed to produce original work there is a greater process going on.  They are able to define their own area of interest and way of interacting with the materials.  They are able to define and develop their own plan of action and are able to solve problems in unique ways as they happen.

When children are encouraged to be creative in their pursuits they:

· Learn to work through events                     

· Recreate things they know or situations they have encountered

· Make sense of the bigger world                 

· Grasp the importance and value of symbols through representation

· Enhance their self-esteem                           

· Increase motor skill development and refinement

· Become more independent                         

· Develop new cognitive skills and learn new concepts

· Feel more competent                                   

· Develop stronger social skills

· Understand qualities or properties of materials (sticky glue, runny paint, etc.)

Also, when they are encouraged to try new things and create something that comes from their own brain, we are encouraging innovation and invention in later development.  When they are forced to conform to predetermined and preconceived patterns, their own creativity is squelched.

However, children can make their own space ships and cars from simple classroom materials, and these can be constant reminders that they can make significant contributions to their own world.  By making children aware of their potential as creators and producers, we empower them to break free of the consumer role that the business community would gladly have them fill.

Please be respectful of a child’s art work and realize the value it holds for him or her.  There is nothing sadder than to see a child deflate as a teacher writes directly on his or her picture.  If you as an adult really NEED to note it is a picture of a house and of Mommy, do so on a post it note that can be peeled off, rather than on the child’s actual art work.  Just because you are bigger than him or her, doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to “graffiti” his or her work.  Showing respect for a child’s efforts is vital and also considerate. Encourage, acknowledge, and offer the chance to be creative, constructive and productive.

Please also realize that there are many children who are dissuaded from painting and using messy materials in the home.  If they don’t have time in the early childhood setting to discover the different textures and tactile experiences that come with messy art, a whole part of the self-to-be might never come to fruition.  Doing is the key to learning.  Being with the materials is the key to understanding them in relation to the self.

Hopefully when the beautiful masterpieces come home, they are given a prized place for display and are not relegated to the 3” deep with artwork refrigerator museum.   Nothing sends a stronger message to a young child than to see his or her parents frame a piece of artwork and display it prominently in the home.

Kangaroo Kids Teachers Attend State Conference

Kangaroo Kids Child Care and Learning Center teachers attended a statewide conference on Early Childhood Education to learn the latest curriculum, research based knowledge on child development and classroom management tools.  The return back to school with new ideas and techniques to enhance children’s learning opportunities. 

The focus of this year’s conference was on STEM, preparing children for the future. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This educational focus has become a top priority across all sectors of our society. In January 2010, President Obama released $250 million to support the “Educate to Innovate” Campaign to support STEM education. Educators, in public-private partnerships with corporations, foundations and collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top Fund were asked to prioritize programs that offer rigorous courses and to help prepare students for careers in STEM fields.

NAEYC is the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children.  There are nearly 100,000 members worldwide. They advocate for children and provide educational programs throughout the country. The upcoming year’s theme is “Celebrating Our Youngest Learners.”  The National Association for the Education of Young Children conducts an accreditation program where only very high quality programs can earn their torch of excellence.  Kangaroo Kids is one of the few accredited centers in the area and according to NAEYC, “high quality programs provide a safe and nurturing environment while promoting the development of young children.”

For more information about Kangaroo Kids or workshops they conduct call 908-231-7800 or visit their website at www.kangarookidschildcare.com

Staff is Key In A High Quality Child Care Program

Making a decision about which child care or preschool program is best for your child is a crucial decision in your child’s first step in the life long learning process.

 

Staff is Key! Visit the prospective school and Observe the teachers interactions with children.  How are teachers interacting with children? You should see teachers in engaged conversations with children at their eye level, either sitting on the floor or with them in low child size chairs. 

            You should see a lot of eye contact, just as you would in a meaningful interaction between adults.  Another important aspect to observe is if there is active listening and two way conversations occurring on the part of the teacher and child, as opposed to the teacher being pre-occupied or distracted with other events in the room.  Active listening shows an interest in the child and places a value on what the child is saying. 

            Interactions should be warm and friendly, with gently encouraging tone of voice. 

Good teachers are energetic, patient, and enthusiastic about the children, the activity and the environment.  They look for teachable moments, whether it is a butterfly going by or a leave falling or a chance to teach positive social interaction. 

            Ask about the longevity of teachers in the program.  Happy teachers not only provide stability for children but in most cases mean they like their job! Teacher’s should be organized and prepared and give children an opportunity throughout the day to choose activities. 

            Finally you should see happy faces and lots of smiles on the part of the teacher and the child, an enjoyment of life and the experiences they encounter together.  Listen for “Happy” sounds coming from all the classrooms. 

            For more information on this topic or to obtain a copy of a free check list you can use as you visit child care centers, call or visit Kathy Feigley at Kangaroo Kids Child Care and Learning Center, 1047 Route 28 Branchburg, 908-231-7800 or email staff@kangarookidschildcare.com or connect with Kathy on Kangaroo Kids LinkedIn Page or Like Kangaroo Kids Child Care Facebook page.  Watch for more things to look for in quality programs for young children in future posts.  

Happy Grandparents Day!

Intergenerational Experiences Benefit Children and Seniors

An annual event at Kangaroo Kids is Grandparents Tea!  Intergenerational opportunities abound as young and “mature” meet and provide an enriching experience for each other.  All children at Kangaroo Kids invited their grandparents to tea.  They worked together to plant flowers, make crafts and enjoy snacks, and read stories. 

Granddads and Grandmas, Mom Moms and Pop Pops , Nai Nai and Lao ye ,Paati - Tamil and Dada and Mums and Da’s, regardless of their culture the warmth and smiles they shared were glowing throughout the day.  The loving glance and admiring smiles each had for the other generation was priceless. 

In this fast paced and technology driven world this is truly a heart-warming experience to see the two generations bond and to see the love and support the grandparents at Kangaroo Kids had for their grandchildren.    .  

It is physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, healthy for children to have a close relationship with their grandparents, who are at the other end of the age spectrum.   Grandparents can be great role models and influences.  They provide a sense of heritage and family history, as well as being teachers, mentors, while giving unconditional love. 

Grandparents really are “grand” so do everything in your power to foster a strong relationship between your parents and your children.  Regular get togethers are best, but whenever they are not possible, staying connected is made easy through letters, e-mail, Facebook, Skype, and exchanging photos.    If your child’s grandparents live far away visit a nursing home and adopt a local grandparent.  It will help children feel comfortable when they visit their own grandparents and it will put a smile on a seniors face to share the joy and enthusiasm of a child.

 “The grandparent-grandchild bond is second in emotional importance only to the bond between parents and children”, says Arthur Kornhaber, author of the Grandparent Guide and president of the Foundation for Grandparenting  (www.grandparenting.org)

Are You Ready For The First Day of School?

The transition to preschool is often marked with two steps forward, one step back, as your child grows and learns in amazing ways — but at the same time, regresses in some behaviors, too. In Scholastic for Parents, Child psychiatrist Joshua Sparrow, M.D., is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School professor and co-author, with T. Berry Brazelton, of Touchpoints 3 to 6 and a former preschool teacher and gives this advice about how to ease your child's transition.

Starting preschool is a big step for many young children. What are some of the biggest challenges they face?
The most common challenge for most kids is saying goodbye to their parents, or trouble separating. For some children this may be their first time out of the home. Others may have separated before, but are now in a new, possibly more demanding situation.

How can parents help soothe their children's separation anxiety?

First, they can look within for whatever ambivalence they have about leaving their child, because he will pick up on those feelings. If there's any hesitation or discomfort or doubt — which there often is; you hate to leave your child when he's unhappy about it — but if you don't feel good about where you're leaving him, or about the fact that you have to leave him, your child's going to feel, "Well, maybe this isn't really a good place or idea." The first thing you have to do to prepare your child is to prepare yourself.

How else can parents help ease the transition for their preschooler?
There are a number of things you can do to prepare your child. Prior to starting school, take your child to visit the classroom and meet the teacher. If there's a way of having a playdate with one of the other children who will be attending the preschool, that's great, because then the children can welcome each other when they begin school. You could give your child a transitional object, like a favorite blanket or teddy bear they can carry around with them all day; or even a story so the teacher can read it. And give your child lots of reassurance that "Mommy's coming back," or "Daddy's coming back."

To reinforce the idea, you can play a little game in which something disappears from sight but your child rediscovers it. Roll a ball under the couch and say, "Look, we can't see it. Do you think it's still there? Let's go look." When your child finds the ball, you can say, "See, even though we couldn't see the ball it's still there, just like Mommy when she went to work." What you're doing is reinforcing "object permanence," a concept that comes earlier (by the end of the first year) but can be threatened by the emotional challenge that separation presents.

What are some of the ways preschool helps a child grow? By Child psychiatrist Joshua Sparrow
For some children this may be the first time they're going into a group setting where the attention by caregivers will be divided among several children. Learning to share the relationship to the teacher will be a major new gain. Also, the child will be learning to make friends, share, take turns, and hold back on impulses, areas in which they're still making progress. Preschool will present them with more opportunities to practice these skills. They'll also have opportunities to learn about other children's feelings, and to discover the joy of being generous. It's very early, but you'll see examples where the child will say, "Do you want to play with this doll?" That's their little gift, and they're learning the internal pleasure they get out of that.

Also, at this age kids love the daily routine of preschool. They get excited about mastering the schedule — they know when storytime and snack and lunch and nap happen — and they're really thrilled with themselves. Their fantasy play becomes stronger around this age, and there are ways of being more elaborate with their imagination when other children are around. They also benefit from their peers in terms of language acquisition, and even motor development. You may start to see them climb up on a slide more readily, for instance.

It important on the first day of school to make the morning as stress free as possible by picking out clothes the night before and having back packs and supplies ready in a specific place by the door.  Get up a little early so you are not rushing.  Make breakfast time a relaxing time to talk about all the fun the new school year will bring.  If your child is very apprehensive talk about a special thing you will do after school like a visit to the park.  This will help to assure them you will be back.  Partner with your child’s teacher to help ease the transition.  The teacher can give you some tips for drop off and tell you what they will be doing the next day so you have something to discuss on the ride to school on the second day in order to reinforce how much fun your child will have at school.

At Kangaroo Kids we encourage the parents to visit a number of times with their child before leaving the child on their first day of school.  This helps the parent and child to form bonds with the teachers that will help to make the transition on the first day go more smoothly.  A familiarity with the environment and new faces provides a more secure foundation for their first drop off at a new school.  We also encourage parents to send a family photo that may get lots of wet kisses on the first few days. 

What makes a good school?

5 Things to Look for When Choosing a School for your child:

1. Staff is key!  Look for attentive and caring teachers.  You should see lots of smiles and warm, patient interactions.  Ask about the longevity of teachers as consistency provides a secure base for children.

2. Is the facility safe?   Are outlets covered, is there a procedure for security at drop off and pick up times, is the playground fenced, are the teachers backgrounds checked and are teachers’ first aid and CPR certified?

3. Is the school clean?  You may see toys around the room and that is a good sign so children have many opportunities for learning in different environments and with different materials.  What you want to look for are the floors clean, is there a procedure in play for toys that have been in children’s mouths, is the facility cleaned on a regular basis?

4. Ask about the curriculum.  Are lesson plans posted, do teachers assess children, are there a good supply of materials available to children.  Look for hands on activities as opposed to only paper and pencil activities.  Children learn best through real life experiences.

5. Trust your instinct!  You should hear happy sounds, respectful communications, and warm interactions regardless of the room you visit!  

You can email staff@kangarookidschildcare.com for a complete checklist of what to look for when visiting a school. 

Gardening is an Educational Opportunity!

Gardening is a wonderful learning experience for children!!!!  I am amazed at how skillfull, even the two year olds are at caring for their garden at Kangaroo Kids while planting, watering, weeding and harvesting!!  The children are so proud of their accomplishments!!  They have learned about responsibility, pride in a job well done, taking turns, being gentle and not to mention all the aspects of science they are learning!!!

Gardening is a tremendous time to teach literacy as teachers or parents explain the names of plants and the parts that make up their structure.

And we can’t forget math… look at how they creatively used a ruler to measure their harvest and carry the squash to learn about weight and density!!  There was also a wonderful lesson in teamwork as the worked together to carry the plants that were too heavy to carry alone!!!

Get started in your preschools or even at home and grow your own little garden so children can experience wonderful hands on activities in literacy, math, science as well as social skills of team work and responsibility and pride in a job well done!