Toddler Play - Encouraging Social Development

Encouraging social development starts early. Those toddler years are a great place to start and here are a few pointers in making it a great experience for everyone.

Play Dates

Toddlers and young preschoolers benefit from short play dates with friends or neighbors of the same or similar ages. An hour or 90 minutes is great for the youngest children and can increase over time. You want everyone to end the play date feeling good and wanting more, not frustrated or over tired. Having a light, healthy snack to share is nice along with one planned activity. The rest of the time can be free play. If you are hosting the play date be sure to talk about it prior to the child's guest arriving. Consider limiting the number of toys to be shared and be sure there is enough for everyone. Remember this is practice in social behavior - plan for success.

Mixed Age Interaction

While play with children of the same or similar ages is beneficial, so are opportunities to interact in a mixed age groups. Older children become leaders and helpers for the younger ones. Younger children can learn a lot from older children. Keep groups small so there is plenty of physical space - toddlers need room - and there is enough for everyone to do. Older children can take on the role of planning activities and helping little ones. This is a real character builder for everyone. Again, don't make these dates too long.

Taking Turns

The art of taking turns requires plenty of practice. It can start with the child taking turns with the nanny or parent during play time. Then move onto practice during play dates and mixed group time. Expectations need to be set and gentle reminders given frequently. Sharing one toy can be very hard for some children, but having similar toys that can be exchanged and played with cooperatively makes for happier play time. Taking turns really is a practice based skill - this can go well one day and not so well another, keep at it and make it fun.

Emotional Identification

Toddlers and young preschoolers are a bundle of emotions. Labeling emotions can help children identify what they are feeling and communicate with others. As the adults, it's up to us to label the feelings and explain that everyone has these same feelings. Talking about ways to deal with feelings is also part of the package. While not every toddler can verbalize, they do understand what you are saying and are taking in large quantities of information. They are filing away everything so that they can use this information later. Be patient, consistent and clear.

Imaginative Play

The use of dramatic or imaginative play is a wonderful way for young children to explore all kinds of knowledge parts they are trying to label. Imaginative play acts out what they are learning, observing and feeling. It allows the child to have control over the process of understanding in a way that is unique. Allowing for time each day for this type of play - both indoors and outside - encourages greater understanding of the world around them. Adult should wait to be asked to participate. Sometimes the child wants adult interaction and other times they prefer to play on their own allowing you the time to observe them in their work place - at play.

Time for Self

All children need time to play on their own. Even siblings need some time for themselves. This is the time they don't need to share or try to get along, they can just be. As always an adult being available to them in close proximity is important for them, but we don't need to hover or direct this personal play time.

Breakfast & Lunch Ideas for Back to School

Breakfast and lunch ideas for the back to school crowd. For more information and other ideas you can visit www.familyfun.go.com. Enjoy!

 

Bake a make-ahead breakfast

Don't have time for a sit-down meal in the morning? Bake and freeze a batch of our scrumptious make-ahead muffins. Besides banana and chocolate chips, our recipe uses whole wheat flour and has a larger yield than many (18 muffins). When the morning routine has slowed to a crawl, kids can quickly microwave a muffin to go.

Spiff up sandwiches

Make your next PB&J a cut above the rest by using Puzzle Bites Crustless Sandwich Cutter (Mom Invented, $4), a slicer that trims away crusts and turns your child's sandwich into an edible puzzle

Pack breakfast for lunch

When Ann Smith of Monroeton, Pennsylvania, runs out of time or ideas, she throws together a quick bagged breakfast for her son David's lunch. The package is simple: a plastic spoon, a lidded storage bowl filled with healthy cereal, and a banana or resealable sandwich bag filled with berries or dried fruit. "My son buys milk to pour over his meal, and voilà! He's got a three-food-group lunch," says Ann. David claims to be the envy of the lunch table.

Dip into something different

Switch your child's usual sandwich for a delicious lunch alternative like Apricot Yogurt Dip or Very Veggie Dip.

Top 10 Organizing Tips for Nannies

The post comes via the Twin Cities Professional Nannies newsletter - August edition.

Top 10 Organizing Tips for Nannies

Organizing the home for your charges.

By Lorie Marrero, Creator of the Clutter Diet®

© June 2008 Stephanie Felzenberg, Be the Best Nanny, www.BestNannyNewsletter.com

Organizing is part of every nanny’s job. To organize the home successfully always keep the family you work for, and the children you care for, in mind.

1. Communicate first about organizing anything for your employer.
Some people are very particular about how they want things done, and even if you think an area is messy, they may know exactly where things are and like it that way. After you’ve discussed this issue and understood how they like things, you can feel free to pursue these kinds of projects independently.
 
2. If your role gets you involved in organizing any paperwork for the family, be very careful about throwing anything away.
There can be legal and financial reasons to keep certain papers, even if they are very old or don’t look important. If you are not sure, create a box or pile of “probable trash” to have them review it before throwing it out. You also need to shred anything you are throwing away that could be damaging to your employer’s identity, finances, or reputation.

3. Organize from a “kids’ eye view.”

What are their favorite toys? You want to put those at a level that is easy for them to reach so they won’t have to climb for them or get frustrated.

4. Consider safety always, especially if you have multiple charges of varying ages.

You will want to organize spaces considering the choking and poison hazards of the younger children, yet make it easy for older children to reach things they need as well.

5. If you help the family with their laundry, ask your employer if you can use the “dot system” to help you identify clothing.

It’s often difficult to sort and put away laundry for siblings of the same gender. Use a permanent laundry marker to make a single dot on the tags of the oldest child’s clothing, then the next oldest child gets two dots on their tags. The younger child from there gets three dots, and so on. When clothes get handed down, you just add another dot to know which clothes belong to whom.

6. Discuss with your employer a system of managing hand-me downs and out-of-season clothing.

Kids grow fast, and you need to know where to put the clothes that are outgrown or out

of season when you identify them. Does your employer want to save them for other
children? Give them away for donation? Or possibly give them to a friend? We recommend storing hand-me-downs in clear containers by gender and a range of size (like 0-6 months, or sizes 4-6).

7. Consider clear containers versus baskets or opaque containers.

Sometimes storing things inside clear containers is perfect so you can see items inside the boxes before opening them. Other times, it’s advantageous to hide the items you are storing. If you’re not sure, ask your employer his or her opinion, since some people like everything to match and to camouflage their storage. Other people are “out of sight, out of mind!”

8. Use a label maker to establish homes for items you have organized.

Particularly when many people are sharing a space, this makes the organizing work official and keeps the space organized longer.

9. Label with pictures and words together to help with reading skills.

You can label toys containers with both a picture of the toy and a written label, so this associates the words with the toys and helps with learning to read. If your employer’s household is bilingual or just trying to learn another language, you can also label items in both languages to help everyone learn more.

10. Many children are overwhelmed by too many choices.

More messes get made because kids dump out everything to find what they want. Many of your charges may be blessed with an abundance of toys and belongings, but this blessing may actually be a curse and may cause confusion. Ask your employer if it’s okay to start rotating some toys in and out on a regular basis and store ½ to 2/3 of them away to simplify choices and cleanup.

DON'T MISS THE PICNIC!

Annual Nanny and Child Picnic

Hosted by Nannies from the Heartland and Twin Cities Professional Nannies

When:    Tuesday, August 7

Where:  Veteran’s Memorial Park, Richfield   6335 Portland Ave.

Time:     10:30 AM to 1:00 PM

RSVP:   763-550-0219 by Friday, August 3

(Let us know number and ages of children coming so we can plan for them.)

Events:  Check-in at the main picnic shelter about 10:30 AM

              Play at playground from 10:30 to 11:15 AM

              11:15 AM children’s games & prizes (main shelter area)  

    Lunch together

Bring: Picnic lunch for you and the children

Provided: Bottled water will be provided to all

Options:  Enjoy Mini-Golf* opens at 11 AM

               City Pool*: Wading pool opens at 11

                                Main pool opens at noon

                *per person fees apply for golf and swimming

Discovery: The Child's Science

Children are born explorers. At times they appear driven to take apart, to dissect, to dig to totally become involved with every aspect of an object. How can we encourage this drive to discover? As adults in the child's life we have a unique opportunity to encourage exploration through play and exposure to diverse environments.

Tools of the Trade

Providing children tools that foster discovery is one way we can nurture their curiosity. Imagine what an inquisitive four year old could do with acrylic tubing, funnels, magnifying lenses, magnets, PVC pipes and fittings, mirrors, prisms, eyedroppers, tweezers, straws and the list goes on. Experimenting with air, water and sound are just a few of the things that come to mind. Building and construction supplies are gateways for imagination, but so is the thrill of taking something apart. Preschoolers (and older) are especially interested in how something is constructed. To take apart an old telephone (not a cell phone) or VCR is like opening a whole new world to them. With appropriate adult supervision and encouragement these kinds of activities not only develop the children's cognitive thinking and small motor skills, but are a real bonding experience for you and the child.

Environments that Nurture

There is nothing like exploring the outdoor world for sparking teachable moments. Nature walks with child sized binoculars open the world of the small and the distant. A foray into the garden with digging tools, magnifying glasses and clear jars sets up interest in soil, rocks and insects. We can all probably remember the first time we discovered the science of "wormology." Enjoying this first time experience with the children in your life is like going back in time.

Seize the Moment
Children often initiate those teachable moments. When an opportunity arises, grab it. Stopping to look closer at an ant hill is time well spent. Answering the fifteenth question about wind is worth it. Follow up with a trip to the library for more about those favorite subjects.

Whether you set the stage for discover by having a time or place set aside for a special activity, or seize the moment with a spontaneous investigation, you'll be supporting the developing creative mind of the child. Have fun and dig in!

Summer Boredom Busters

Summer is here and with it comes lots of fun, interesting activities that can keep any age busy. After 22 years as a nanny, I’m no longer surprised that the boredom blues hit at some point during the summer. Although this seems less of an issue when children are toddlers or preschoolers it is still a bump to get over. Here are some ideas for you that are kid tested, nanny and parent approved.

Balanced Schedule – Over scheduling can be an issue in itself producing an over tired or stressed out child. This is true of adults as well – if you’re over tired at the end of the day because too much was planned maybe it’s time to rethink the schedule. Sometimes older children’s view of summer vacation means lying around and “vegging out.” Too much free time can lead to listlessness and irritability. Get them involved in making plans, let them help with research, guide them by scheduling days for activities and days that are devoted to free time at home. So the key is having a balance of activities and downtime. Be sensitive to the needs of each child in scheduling activities.

Read All About It – Incorporating reading into your summer schedule can be a blast if you make it fun! Reading is great at any time and with all ages, but to make summer reading special, consider highlighting it each day.  Here is an idea that’s been successful for me to encourage and develop reading skills. Make a summer reading tree, a visual representation of reading progress. Each book read is recorded onto a paper leaf and attached to the tree branch. Information on the paper leaf includes the name of the book, author, child’s comments and their name. Even the youngest child can be involved – infants listen to books being read, toddlers chose their own books and attach leaves, preschoolers add reading sight words, early readers share the reading with an adult and school age children add reading independently. Follow up activities add to the reading adventure by planning craft or art projects, science, cooking, drama, and physical movement that all echo the book’s themes.

Neighborhood Summer Camp – This is an option for children of all ages and can be an alternative to a traditional camp program. Neighborhood camp can be planned for a few hours, a couple of days or longer. The camp can be centered at one home or several neighborhood homes. I’ve hosted a neighborhood camp over several years - I planned activities and set the schedule. Neighbors helped with gathering supplies and assisting in supervising children. We spent the majority of the time outdoors with access to shade and refreshments, and had a rainy day plan ready just in case. We had different themes each year, offered a variety of schedules over the years and shifted activities depending on the number and age range of the children. It was always a blast!!

Mixing things up throughout the summer helps to get over the boredom blues. Involve the children in plans and make a summer calendar together. Balance active and quiet activities each day, leave room for special outings and days to just chill out at home. Take photos of the summer activities and use them in projects with the children. Even serving meals and snacks outdoors (even breakfast) can shake things up.

Coping with Difficult Times

We felt this previously posted article about coping with difficult times could be helpful to nannies and families in light of the shootings in the Colorado movie theater this past weekend.

Difficult times for children can include personal issues but also world situations. They hear about earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, flooding, protests, government transitions, terrorist attacks and more. Whether these are close to home or on the evening news, our children feel the loss and pain of these tragedies. Children are trying to cope on different levels and they are looking to the adults in their lives for stability, security and perspective.

Keep lines of communication open and be ready to listen. Hear their concerns, fears, observations and questions. While we may want to downplay their fears and concerns we should respect their feelings. Answer questions honestly and clearly while providing support and reassurance. You may need to ask some leading questions to help them verbalize. “Tell me more about that” is great statement to encourage sharing. Children who are showing distress but not talking about it may need your gentle guidance to conversation.

It is appropriate to let children know your feelings about these tragedies so they realize that their feelings are normal. Share your coping strategies with them. What do you do to address your fears? Help them see that society has changed to address uncertainty and make their lives safer. For example, talk about tightened airport security, review what your child's school has done to improve safety and security, and help them to see that they have a role to play in their own neighborhood and community. If you are in an area that is not prone to some types of natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes, let them know that the risks are low. If you are in a higher risk area, remind them about how your community is prepared.

Children may want to learn more about situations and how they can help. Participate with them in this endeavor. You may discover ways to take action that will help process concerns and refocus toward a positive outcome. We know how it feels if we are able to make a difference in the lives of others and children also appreciate being able to participate in a constructive way.

We all hear and see the news reports, multiple repeat stories, as well as reviews of disasters or tragedies. It is hard enough for us, as adults, to manage all the exposure. Children really struggle with too much information, so limiting exposure is important. When children are young we can do this quite easily, but for school age children this can be difficult. Maintaining regular routines and normal expectations while considering others allows children to feel supported and secure on a daily basis.