Toddle Towne

by

From Ms Peggy – DECEMBER

Visions of sugarplums          

     More than 100 years ago, my great grandmother excitedly recorded in her diary that she had found oyster crackers to purchase as a surprise for the Christmas stockings.  She was delighted as she anticipated the pleasure of her children when they discovered this special treat.  Today’s children would certainly not consider oyster crackers a memorable holiday surprise! 

      Expectations of both children and their parents have multiplied since my great grandmother’s time.  Children expect to have every toy advertised and parents take it as their responsibility to see that their children have a perfect life.  Children are exposed, through TV, to an array of toys that my great grandmother could not have imagined.  Parents, wanting to make the holidays a perfect time, free of any disappointment or frustration, buy for their children every toy they request.  They shop until they are exhausted, do without themselves, and overspend their budget so badly that they must spend the rest of the year worrying about how to pay the bills.   If they cannot find or afford a requested toy they worry that they have ruined their child’s life forever.  This Christmas attitude does not make children happy.   It makes them greedy and prevents them from learning to deal appropriately with the disappointments and frustrations that are inevitable in life.   It makes parents so tired and stressed that they can’t enjoy their children. The holidays become a time of lost tempers, harsh words, stress, and worry.  

      It is important for parents to remember that it is part of their job to say “no” when children have unrealistic expectations.  As adults, we are lucky if we get even a small percentage of the material things we want and yet we try to give our children everything they ask for.  Is it wise or loving to raise our children with unrealistic expectations for the adult world? This holiday, instead of focusing upon extravagant gifts and flawless decorations, concentrate on spending time working together as a family.  Children would really rather have family times than perfection. If the children really can’t help in some part of the preparations, then talking with them and including them in the planning makes them feel a part of things.  As adults, they will recall times spent together not Hokey Pokey Elmo or Kasey the Kinderbot. Make sure that these memories are filled with hugs and laughter, not worries and harsh words. 

          When WRAPPING PRESENTS, choosing the correct size box or paper can be a real challenge to the youngsters. Give them scraps of paper or the Sunday funnies, blunt scissors, and lots of tape, and they can wrap the gifts for home exchange or they can wrap and decorate an empty box for grandma … grandmas like anything!

     If you are BAKING COOKIES, give them a small amount of dough to roll and cut out.  A soup can with the label torn off makes an extra rolling pin.  The results aren’t important, it’s the process that counts.  Let them do it their way.  If you have other kitchen work and need to keep them occupied, a squirt of shaving cream or dishwashing soap on a cookie sheet on a newspaper-covered floor will keep them busy for a long time.  The results are very washable.

     When it is time to DECORATE THE TREE, if you really can’t stand junior grade creativity, cut off a branch, stick it in a flowerpot of sand and let them do it all themselves.  They can make decorations, or use old or unbreakable ones.

    I would like to wish each Toddle Towne family a very individual Season’s Greetings.  Thank you for being a part of our lives.  I hope that your holiday celebration is a very special time for you and your family and that you build memories that will last for a lifetime!

by

Giving Thanks!

With the Thanksgiving holiday this month the TTLC Board of Directors would like to “give thanks” for a staff of 22 dedicated, well trained, and experienced employees.  Staff turn-over is an important issue in early childhood education.  A stable staff is one of the highest indicators of quality care.  A local survey revealed that the average length of employment in child care centers is 3 months with almost 1/2 of all center positions experiencing turn-over each year!  Because we have directors with from  29 – 40 years of experience and our 22 teachers range from 1-27 years of experience, we have been able to incorporate new  teachers with fresh ideas into our staff.  Fifty five percent of the staff have over 3 years of employment with us.  Our average length of employment at TTLC is 8 years 9 months.

The education of employees is another important indicator of a quality center.  TTLC requires an educational background related to the care and education of young children: 3 staff have a BS, 8 staff have an AAS, 4 have been awarded CDA certification (a proficiency based credential which requires extensive non-credit training and evaluation by an outside observer).  Ninety four percent of our staff have college classes in child development.  All staff members complete at least 20 hours of non-credit inservice training each year, all have CPR training and certification, 9 have Food Preparation and Sanitation certification.

This is a fine staff but equally important is the leadership provided by the Executive Director.  With 34 years of experience at TTLC, an AAS in Early Childhood Education, and a B. S. in Business, she provides the training and motivation necessary to enable the staff to operate at their best.

Our Curriculum Consultant with 51 years experience at TTLC, a B.S. in Early Childhood Education, an M.S. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, and additional hours towards an Ed. D. provides a learning program geared to individual children.

Please join the board in thanking the staff for the quality of care they provide for your children!

Since you bring your children back to the center day after day, we must assume you are pleased with the services you receive, but please join the board in expressing to the staff your appreciation for the quality of care they provide for your children!  How do you do this?  Say it!  Tell the teacher, tell her boss, tell a friend.  Compliments motivate people to work even harder.  Smile it!  Even when you are busy and the day has gone all wrong, a smile or a shared laugh will make both you and the teacher feel better.  Write It!  A quick note or a card for no particular reason will let the teacher know you are interested and appreciative.  Show it!  Actions always speak louder than words, do the little things that will make a teacher’s life easier:  label coats and other belongings; if a sibling accompanies you to the center watch them and insist that they follow all rules; see that your child puts away toys before leaving; stick to the school rules and don’t ask for special privileges; drop off and pick up children at the scheduled time, don’t be late; turn off Power Rangers and encourage productive play at home.

Oh, and by the way, “Thanks for being such great parents!”

TTLC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

by

In the Kitchen: November

Having the family over for Thanksgiving? There are lots of things that children can do to help. Even very young children have perfected some skills which will come in handy. Kids can put things in a container, like napkins on a plate, potatoes in the pan, or mints in the dish. They can scrub things like vegetables, the tub, or the refrigerator door. They are good at tearing things into little pieces like bread for stuffing, or lettuce for a salad. They can stir anything that isn’t hot. The secret is to “let them help” not to “make them work.” A little bragging to grandma will make them beam with pride, and a few years from now when they really can be a big help, they will think working in the kitchen with you is fun.

by

From Ms Peggy – AUGUST

Why Do They Do It?

Are there any parents who have not wrung their hands, pulled out their hair, and exclaimed, “What makes my child behave like this?”.  Rudolf Driekurs, a noted psychiatrist and child theorist had an answer to that question. He suggested that children, based upon misconceptions they have about themselves, behave in specific ways to obtain specific results.  Children, being smarter than adults, usually achieve their goals.  We give them just what they want, reinforcing and perpetuating the very behavior we think we are getting rid of.  With Driekurs’ help, parents can recognize a child’s goals and deal more productively with the misbehavior.

When a child nags, interrupts or demands things or assistance, his goal is attention. He is expressing his belief that he belongs only when he is being noticed or “helped”.  An automatic parental response is to get angry and scold or to maintain peace by giving in.  Instead of this response which reinforces and encourages the misbehavior, ignore the inappropriate behavior and make sure that you make a positive effort to look for and praise behavior which is pleasant and useful.  If you find it is difficult not to respond, go in the bathroom and shut the door until they go away!

In an effort to gain power a child may talk back, disagree, or argue especially in embarrassingly public places where she feels certain of winning.  This behavior expresses the belief that she is valuable only when in control or proving that no one can boss her.  This challenge to our parental authority makes arguing back or exerting our power the most natural response.  It also accommodates the child’s desire for a power-showdown.  A parent must firmly and calmly state the rule and remain in control of themselves and the situation.  Helping the child to find and verbalize other options for solving the problem and then allowing her to choose from the solutions provides a face-saving alternative.

A child exhibits a desire for revenge of real or imagined hurts when he is physically aggressive towards other children and their possessions.  He is expressing a belief that he is unlovable or that he belongs only when he is hurting others as he feels he has been hurt.  He seems to beg for punishment, pushing until the parent gives in and uses force.  It is important to avoid retaliating with force because it validates his view that hurting gives power.  A reminder that “I won’t let anyone hurt you and I won’t let you hurt anyone else.” may be effective.  An effort, no matter how difficult, should be made to find lovable traits in the child and to focus on them in unconflicted moments.

The child who gives up, cries, and refuses to try is expressing the belief that she is worthless and unlovable and can belong only when others feel sorry for her. She wants validation of her incompetence, agreement that she is worthless and that nothing should be expected of her.  This is an exasperating situation and parents often resort to ridicule and shaming in an effort to get the child to be more responsible and thereby unintentionally reinforce more of the same kind of behavior.  Try instead to recognize and praise one or two things that the child does do well.  Set up situations where the child is motivated to achieve.  “You may  watch TV when your socks are on.”  No discussion.  No help, scolding, or pleading, just a situation where nothing else happens until the child achieves.

When looked at from Driekurs’ perspective, a child’s misbehavior becomes more understandable and manageable.  Parents can look at it objectively and not as a personal attack.  Relax!  You now have a plan for positive action.

MsPeggy

by

Quality Time Tips – AUGUST

Scrub-a-dub
Combine water play with some constructive accomplishments. You and the kids put on your bathing suits, get out scrub brushes, soap, and the hose. Work together to scrub down the patio furniture, the kitchen table, and chairs, or whatever needs to be cleaned. When everybody is tired and the worst of the dirt is off the furniture, rinse it and put on a coat of wax. Yes, you could do it faster and neater alone, but the object is to spend constructive time having fun with your children.

Heavenly Fireworks
We all watched the fireworks in July, but August brings natural fireworks. If your family stays up late around August 11 – 13, you can view the Perseid Meteor Shower. An average of 65 meteors will light up the sky each hour as they move towards the Earth. Viewing will start after dark, but the best show is after midnight. On any clear summer night, look for the big and little dipper.