The Daily Parent

Transitions to and from Child Care: Making Them Less Stressful

The picture in your mind has you enjoying breakfast with your child before heading calmly out to work and to child care.

The reality you face has you running late (again) as your child refuses to put on his shoes and you search for your keys.

There are strategies to make the transition to and from child care easier. Start by looking at what's happening. Then look at your behavior and look at the environment. Finally, look at your child's behavior.

Take a couple of days and don't do anything except look at how transitions are working out.

Starting with the time you get up in the morning, write down what is happening every 15 minutes. Then note what is working and what needs to change. Think about what the chart shows you. What can you do to prevent problems and prepare yourself and your child for transitions?

Parents have found the following strategies helpful in preventing problems:

Give yourself five minutes of quiet before you wake up your child or start your day.
Think about what you know about your child. What will help make the morning more pleasant? The following ideas may work for you:
- Cover your child with an extra blanket five minutes before you wake him up.
- Play calming music.
- Put a glass of orange juice on your child's night stand so she can get sugar into her system right away.
- Turn the light on in the room five minutes before waking your child.
- If your child enjoys tickling, use that as a strategy to wake him or her in the morning. It makes waking up fun!
- Plan to give the slow-to-wake up child three wake up calls.
- Put happy, sad, relaxed, and tense faces on the refrigerator. Have your child point to how he feels in the morning. Point to how you feel. Use this information to give hugs or to be quiet.
Get things ready the night before:
- Put out clothes, shoes, coats, and gloves.
- Set up breakfast.
- Pack backpacks.
- Find your keys.
Create clear and consistent rituals:
- Make a chart with pictures showing what should happen. Instead of nagging your child, point to the chart.
- Follow "Grandma's Rule" about TV and video games. "When you get done with . . . , then you can . . . "
Keep it simple. Use shoes without laces and pants without belts until your child is really good at tying shoes and buckling belts.
Have a distraction bag to use in the car or while your child has to wait. Include small books, action figures, squeeze balls, washable markers and notepads, small dolls, masking tape, stickers, small cars and trucks.

Prepare your child for successful transitions

Children don't have the same sense of time that adults do. Five minutes can seem like nothing or an eternity. Give your child something concrete to measure the time: "After this song is over..." "When the timer goes off..." "After you sing 'Happy Birthday' twice..."
Your child may not have the skills to do what you want. Preschoolers can throw a quilt over a bed, but it's hard for them to tuck in the blankets.
Make sure your child knows how to do what you want. Instead of just saying, "Make sure the bathroom is clean," show your child how you want the bathroom to look. Then have your child show you how to hang up the towel, put the toothbrush away, and wipe the counter.
Show respect. Your child may be involved in what he or she is doing, or may have other plans about how to spend the time. Your child has to do what you need done, and you want it done pleasantly. That doesn't mean your child has to like doing it.
Give your child responsibilities. Teach your child to get dressed, fix breakfast, and tidy up. Compliment your child when things go well.
If you still have a problem, practice doing the tasks together with your assistance, and then leave your child to do them.
Work with your child to plan how to solve on-going problems.

Plan for successful transitions to your child care program

Leave your child with the same caregiver every day.
Tell your caregiver about significant things happening at home that are important to your child.
Plan to arrive at the child care program about the same time every day. That way your child can plan ahead and think about what will be happening when you get there.
Have a good-bye ritual so your child knows you are leaving. Tell your child when you will be back (for example, after nap time and group play.)
Keep your time at the child care program short. A child who knows you are going to leave can't begin to relax until you really do leave.
Trust your child care provider to help your child settle down once you leave.
Leave a picture, a scarf with your scent, or some other "lovey" in your child's cubby so that your child will have it when he or she needs reassurance.

Plan for successful transitions from child care to home

Take a couple of days and don't do anything except chart how the afternoon transition is working out. Think about what the chart shows you. What can you do to prevent problems and prepare yourself and your child for the transition from child care to home?
Take time to relax before you pick up your child.
Try to arrive about the same time every day. Children seem to have an internal alarm clock and know when to expect you.
Find out from your caregiver what happened during your child's day.
Have a simple snack ready for the ride home.
Plan to have time with your child as soon as you get home.
- Some children will need 100 percent of your attention when you get home. They are charged up from being around people all day. They need to talk to unwind. Plan to give them your attention for 10 minutes and listen.
- Other children will need to have time away from everyone after a day of being in a crowd. Give them time to be by themselves when they get home. Plan to give them 10 minutes to talk with you at the end of the day.
Give your child a nutritious snack to hold him or her over until you get dinner ready. (Think of it as part of dinner - one parent calls 5:00 p.m. "the vegetable hour.")
Plan calming activities for your child while you prepare dinner. Let your child help you with dinner, read, play with play-doh, play in water, color, play with a basin of rice, watch fish in a fish tank, snuggle into a beanbag chair, or listen to relaxing music.

TV and computer games can help distract children during transitions, but children may have trouble transitioning from these activities back into your world.

Encourage everyone to get enough sleep, eat well, and exercise.

For More Information

Your Local Library offers a wealth of material on how to choose books that will interest your child while you are busy.

Parent-Caregiver Communication: Making it Work for Your Child

"It was the worst call I ever had to make." - Child Care Director

A director at a child care center had to call the mother of a 2-year-old and tell her that they couldn't find her son. Fortunately for everyone, the 2-year-old was with his mother. The mother was very apologetic. She had forgotten to sign him out when she picked him up. Once you decide on a family child care provider or a child care center, you want to make sure that you and your child care provider understand each other. There are steps you can take to encourage good communication and to minimize problems. It's also a good idea to take time to find out about the program's policies and procedures.

Promote Good Communication

The following are steps you can take to maintain positive communication.

Help your child care provider get to know your child. Prepare an "All About My Child" sheet.
Help your child care provider understand your family. Share information about:
- Who is in your family;
- How you celebrate birthdays and holidays;
- Skills you can share;
- What's happening at home that might affect your child's behavior (e.g., a new sibling, visits from relatives, illnesses, changes in the family).
Follow procedures for signing your child in and out each day.
Keep your emergency contact information up to date. Include information about everyone who is allowed to pick up your child.
Read information from the program.
Attend parent-provider conferences.
Volunteer to help out when you can.
Find out the best way for you and your child's caregiver to share information (e.g., in person, by phone, by email, or by writing in a shared notebook).
Visit occasionally during the day.
Be respectful. Understand that the caregiver has other demands. Ask, "Is this a good time to talk?"

Handle Problems Positively

Common issues are children's behavior, health and safety, concerns about your child's development, following procedures, and fees. The following strategies will help you keep the situation positive:

Remember:
- You have a common goal - you both want the best for your child.
- You are showing your child how adults handle problems.
Ask for a time to talk when you and the provider won't be rushed.
Ask for clarification of the problem.
If you are wrong, apologize.
Restate the problem until you both agree on the description of the problem.
Think about possible solutions and decide on a plan to solve the problem.
Ask about what steps to follow if the plan doesn't work.
Check the success of the plan regularly.
Congratulate yourselves, or revise the plan.

Find Out About The Program's Policies And Procedures

The following are examples of items that can cause conflict if they are not understood. If this information isn't in your contract or parent handbook, make sure you ask the program about them.

Hours

What are the hours of operation?
Are there days the program will be closed? Do you need to find care for your child, or will the program help you find care?
Does the program open late or close early when there is inclement weather? How will you be notified?
Can you contact the program by phone or email if you are going to be late?
If your family child care provider is sick or away, will your provider have a substitute? Will you need to find your own back up care?

Fees

What is the tuition? When are you expected to pay? Are there additional fees?
Are you charged for days your child is absent or you are on vacation?
Are you required to give prior notice in writing when your child leaves the program?

Arrival and departure

What are you expected to do when your child arrives or leaves?
How does the program make sure that only people you have authorized will be permitted to pick up your child?
What are the procedures if you want to visit during the day?

Health

How will you be notified if your child has an accident or injury or becomes ill?
How will the program notify you if a child or staff has head lice or a communicable disease?
Will the program give your child over-thecounter or prescription medication? What about sunscreen, diaper ointment, or insect repellent?
What is the program's policy about food?

Emergencies

Does the program do regular fire drills?
How does the program handle emergencies/ disasters? If necessary, where will your child be evacuated? How will you be notified?

Your child's day

How many adults and how many children are in your child's class?
Is there one caregiver who has the primary responsibility for your child?
How will your child spend the day? What is the daily schedule? Is there a weekly plan of activities that reflects your child's interests and needs?
What should your child wear? Is a change of clothes required?
What are the discipline methods used in the program?
Is there a homework policy for school-age children?

Special events

How does the program handle birthdays and holidays?
What is the program's transportation policy for field trips?

Transitions

How does the program plan to move your child from one age group to another? How will you be notified?
How does the program help you and your child prepare to move to a new program or school?
Is there a dismissal policy?

Communication

When are regular conferences scheduled?
What is the best way for you to share information or ask questions?

Parent Participation

Are you expected to volunteer?

Confidentiality policies

How does the program protect your family's right to privacy and confidentiality regarding all health, behavioral and developmental records, and information concerning your child?

Additional Issues To Consider

Cultural and language differences can sometimes get in the way of communication. Think about whether you need to ask someone else to join the conversation.

If you are divorced or separated, work with your provider to decide how both parents can have the same developmental and behavioral information and program information.

For More Information

NACCRRA, Is this the Right Place for My Child? 38 Indicators of High-Quality Child Care is a user friendly booklet that contains a checklist of 38 questions that parents can ask to evaluate the quality of child care programs. The booklet explains why each question is important and how it relates to the quality of care.
Your Child Care Resource and Referral agency (CCR&R) agency has resources for parents about how to recognize high-quality child care. To find your local CCR&R, go to www.childcareaware.org or call Child Care Aware at 1-800-424-2246.

Outdoor Play Every Day: Children And Nature

When you think about it, for tens of thousands of years children spent much of their childhood playing or working in natural settings. Within the space of two or three decades in Western society, particularly in the United States, that's in danger of ending.
- Richard Louv, 2006

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, uses the term, "nature-deficit disorder" to describe what happens to young people who are disconnected from their natural world. He ties this lack of unstructured outside time to depression, attention disorders, and rises in obesity.

There are many reasons why your child is spending less time outdoors than you did.There are fewer green spaces and natural environments. More homes and child care programs have air conditioning. Television and computers take up more time. Your child is probably involved in several organized activities. The media is constantly telling you that things like the ticks,mosquitoes, polluted water, and strangers make the outside a dangerous place. Your child care provider may have limited outdoor space for outdoor play.

Outdoor Time Is Important

We are learning that it is important for children to spend time outdoors without a planned agenda. Children who regularly spend unstructured time outdoors are more likely to:

Become fitter and leaner
Develop stronger immune systems
Experience fewer symptoms of ADD and ADHD
Play more creatively and have more active imaginations
Learn how to handle challenges and solve problems
Experience how things grow, mature, and die
Develop a sense of wonder and research
Apply science and math principles to real world situations; and
Have greater respect for themselves, for others, and for the environment.

Encourage Your Child's Outdoor Play

From your child's infancy on, plan time every day for unstructured outside play. Keep it simple and fun. Start in your backyard and then move to your neighborhood and beyond. Encourage your child to explore with all the senses: hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, and tasting. After your child is successful with simpler activities, add new and more complex challenges.

Explore in your back yard:

Look for bugs, birds, trees, and wildflowers.
Make mud pies. Peek under rocks. Splash through puddles. Climb trees. Build snow men. Rake leaves and jump in them. Watch the stars and find constellations. Find quiet places to read and reflect.
Plant easy-to-grow vegetables and flowers in a small garden or wooden planter box. Experience seed planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting.
Hang a bird feeder. Get a bird guide and record which birds visit the feeder.
Start a collection of stones, shells, leaves, or bugs.
Mark off a small square of ground. Have your child draw or write about what is in the square. Periodically have your child record what is new or different.

Investigate your neighborhood:

Help your child pack an explorer's kit. Include items such as a magnifying glass, binoculars, plastic bags and containers for collecting, field guides, notebook and pencil, camera, water bottle, snack, sunscreen, bug repellent, band-aids, blanket/tarp for sitting on the ground or building forts, and a cell phone.
Go for a walk. Visit the park. Allow time to run and explore.
Play by the creek. Go sledding. Build sand castles.
Shop at a farmers' market.
Visit a nature center.
Visit local farms and orchards.

Bring nature inside your home

Get nature guides. Learn to identify trees, leaves, birds, wild flowers, and shells.
Sing songs and choose stories for your child that feature plants and animals.
Help your child see how food goes from the garden to the table.

Volunteer

Support more natural settings such as grass and rocks at your local playground.
Work with groups that beautify neighborhoods and protect natural settings.
Join hiking, birding, or gardening clubs.
Help your child care provider create naturalistic outdoor environments. Encourage your provider to allow unstructured outdoor play time.

Keep Your Child Safe Outdoors

There are several things you can do to keep your child safe outdoors.

Dress suitably.

In warm weather, clothing should be lightcolored, lightweight, and absorbent.
In cold weather, clothing should be layered and dry. Check fingers, toes, and ears for normal color and warmth at least every 15 minutes.
Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants tucked into socks for visits to the woods.
Wear boots for playing in water/creeks.

Protect your child and yourself from the sun.

Play in the shade.
Wear hats and protective clothing when playing outdoors between the hours of 10 AM and 2 PM.
Use sunscreen with UVB-ray and UVAray protection of SPF-15 or higher. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before exposure to the sun and every two hours while in the sun. Talk to your doctor before using sunscreen on an infant less than 6 months old.

Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

Treat unknown plants with respect and avoid poisonous plants. MedlinePlus has information about poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac online.

Stay inside during unhealthy weather.

Check with your local weather station about air quality index levels.
Play indoors if the wind chill is at or below 15 degrees F or the heat index is at or above 90 degrees F.

Wash exposed skin when you and your child come inside.

Prevent or treat bug bites.

Wear long sleeve shirts when you are in the woods or in weeds. Tuck pants into socks. Wear sturdy shoes.
Use Insect repellent to repel biting pests such as mosquitoes and ticks. Apply it primarily to clothes and use it sparingly on exposed skin. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has information about use of the insect repellant DEET online.
Check yourself, your child, other family members, and pets every two to three hours for ticks. The Illinois Department of Health has information about prevention and control of common ticks online here.

Protect your child from strangers.

Teach your child to always go out with a buddy.
Have your child check in with you regularly in person or by cell phone.
Practice the "what if" game. "What would you do if someone was following you?... if you were lost?... if someone offered you candy?"
Tell your child about "safe homes" to go to if something doesn't feel right.

For More Information

Your Local Department of Parks and Recreationhas information about local parks, nature centers, classes, and camps.
Your Local Library offers a wealth of material on how to choose books about nature that will interest your child and encourage exploring outside.
Audubon Society, Audubon.org has an education section with ideas for crafts, activities, and trips for families and teachers.
Children and Nature Network, childrenandnature.com has resources about involving children with nature for parents, educators, and health-care providers.
National Association for the Education of Young Children, Beyond the Journal. January 2008. Teaching and Learning about the Natural World offers ideas, practical strategies, and book suggestions about giving children opportunities to explore, appreciate, and value the natural world.
National Wildlife Federation, Green Hour, Green Hour recommends that parents give their kids a "Green Hour" every day - a time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world. The Green Hour website provides parents with information, tools, and inspiration to get children outside to learn, explore, and share.
No Child Left Inside Coalition, NCLB promotes ways to encourage kids to experience nature and learn about the environment. It supports federal funding for outdoor learning activities and high-quality environmental education.

Early Literacy: A Family Matter

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

Likewise, children who don't have early literacy skills do not learn well in kindergarten. Children who do not do well in kindergarten are less likely to read well in third grade. Children who cannot read well in third grade are less likely to graduate from high school. Children who don't graduate from high school earn less money and are more likely to spend time in prison.

All for the want of early literacy skills. Early literacy is what children know about reading and writing before they can actually read or write. Literacy is about connecting spoken language to written words. Today, less than one-third of all third graders can read well enough to learn from reading they do in school.

You're Already Promoting Early Literacy

You and your family are probably already doing many of the things that will help your child with early literacy, reading, and writing. You talk with a high-pitched voice to infants. You count toes. You sing lullabies and tell nursery rhymes. You listen to the sounds of dogs barking. You imitate animal sounds. You name people, animals, and objects that you see everyday. You tell stories. You let your toddler explore hard page books, and you read picture books about trucks and Cinderella and animals and families to your preschooler. You celebrate your child's sense of rhythm and ability to dance. You play with play dough, and you give your child crayons, markers, and paper. You print your child's name on his or her art work. You encourage your child to keep trying when he or she is learning new things that are hard to do.

All these daily activities will help your child be ready for kindergarten and be able to read by third grade. You can involve the whole family in helping make these activities fun and part of your everyday routine. Your child can also learn early literacy skills in a high-quality child care center or family child care home where caregivers use a curriculum based on play and teacher-directed activities to encourage early literacy.

What We Know About Early Literacy Development

With federal funds from the National Institute for Literacy, the National Early Literacy Panel recently examined research about how young children develop skills to become successful readers and writers. The panel found the following skills are important:

alphabet knowledge,
concepts about print,
phonological awareness,
oral language,
writing name/ writing, and
rapid naming of objects and colors or rapid naming of letters and numbers.

How You Can Do More To Encourage Your Child's Early Literacy Development

Make language fun. Have the whole family help. Your child will be motivated to learn reading and writing skills from you and from the people who have a good relationship with your child. After your child is successful with simpler skills, add new and more complex activities. The following activities support the findings from the National Early Learning Panel:

Alphabetic knowledge

What it is: Recognizing upper and lower case letters, knowing the names of letters, knowing the sounds that go with letters, being able to print letters.

How to encourage it:

Sing alphabet songs.
Read alphabet books.
Say the letters of your child's name as you print the letters.
Help your child find the letters on signs, in books, and on the keyboard. Print the letters.
Repeat letter sounds. "M" goes MMMM. "B" goes BBBB.
Play with letters. Use magnetic letters with your preschooler and make simple words on the refrigerator. Play with alphabet blocks and alphabet puzzles.
Draw letters in the sand. Trace letters on sand paper. Make letters with play dough.
Play with same and different sounds (phone ring tones, 2 claps and 3 claps) and pictures (horse, pig, bird, and barn). Later on, this will help your child tell the difference between p, d, b, and q.
Play language games that match letters to letters and letters to sounds.
Encourage drawing and writing in daily activities.

Concepts about print

What it is: Knowing about the printed word and how printed language works.

How to encourage it:

Allow your child to explore books by having plenty of books around.
Talk about books. There is a front and back, an author and an illustrator. We read English from left to right and from top to bottom. Words are made of letters. There are spaces between words. We use upper and lower case letters and punctuation. The picture gives cues about the story.
Point out reading and writing in daily life. You read menus, traffic signs, calendars, notes to family, shopping lists, cereal boxes, and TV schedules. You read and write email, letters, memos, and lists.
Write down a story as your child dictates it to you.

Phonological awareness

What it is: Identifying the different sounds that make words and connecting these sounds with written words.

How to encourage it:

Recite nursery rhymes. Leave out the last word and have your child say the word.
Have someone whisper from different parts of the room and ask your child where the sound is coming from.
Make up silly rhymes by changing the first letter of a word - soda, poda, coda, roda.
Read stories with rhymes or different sounds.
Have your child identify what's missing from a collection - first with objects, then with colors, then letters, then words and numbers.

Oral language

What it is: Listening and talking - your child can understand what you say, and you and other people can understand your child. It includes knowing the names of things.

How to encourage it:

Talk with your child throughout the day. Describe what you are doing. Take turns talking, even with your infant. Add information: "Yes, that's a big, black dog."
Use rhymes, songs, and music to help your child enjoy the sounds of language.
Tell your own stories. Listen to your child tell a story. Have your child retell a story.
Read. Read. Read. It's not too early to start at birth. Snuggle together and read aloud. Find books that interest your child. Talk about the story. Ask questions. Explain the words and use those words throughout the day. Have a book ready to read during times when you have to wait.
Share the reading of the book. Ask your child what is happening. Give feedback: "Yes, it looks like a snake, but it's a caterpillar." Add information: "Caterpillars eat leaves." Ask your child to talk about pictures and ideas in the book and what might happen next. Find letters and words in the book.

Writing name/writing

What it is: Printing names and using print to communicate.

How to encourage it:

Encourage writing. Make paper, markers, crayons, chalk, and fingerpaints available for drawing and writing.
Help your child recognize his or her name. Have your child find individual letters in his or her name in other words.
Help your child print his or her name.

Rapid automatic naming

What it is: Rapid naming of objects, color, letters, and numbers.

How to encourage it:

Prepare cards with pictures of animals, people, toys, and colors. Ask your child to name the picture on the cards. Repeat the game until your child can quickly name the pictures.
Show your child a deck of playing cards or a stack of cards with letters. Ask your child to name numbers and letters. Repeat the game until your child can quickly name the numbers and letters.

Using TV, Videos, DVDs, And Computers To Help With Early Literacy

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages television viewing for children younger than 2 years old. AAP encourages more interactive activities that will promote proper brain development, such as talking, playing, singing, and reading together. Educational programming, videos, DVDs, and computer games will help your child's early literacy development ONLY if you are actively involved with your child while he or she is in front of the screen.

For More Information

Your Local Library offers a wealth of material on how to choose books that will interest your child and encourage early literacy development.
International Reading Association-Reading Resources has teaching tools and materials for parents and teachers.
National Institute for Literacy-Early Childhood finds scientifically-based research about how young children develop skills that will make them successful readers and makes it available in publications for parents, families, and caregivers.
Reach Out and Read provides a guide for parents about developmental milestones of early literacy for children 6 months to 5 years, tips on reading and choosing books, a list of recommended books, and links to other websites.
Reading is Fundamental has resources for parents to help motivate their children's reading by age groups.
Reading Rocketsis national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.
Sesame Workshop has activities for parents to do with their children that are arranged by activity type, children's age, and learning areas.

Got A Cold? Keeping Your Family From Becoming Antibiotic Resistant

The cold is the most common illness in the U.S. Catching a cold is such a fact of life that most people expect they'll get one or two every year. Although colds and flu infections usually are not considered serious illnesses, they are inconvenient and can disrupt our everyday lives. You may miss several work days each year because of colds and other upper respiratory illnesses. You may also miss additional work because you have to stay home with a child with a cold or the flu. The average adult has two to four colds a year; children have as many as 10.

A Cold is a Virus

A cold is an upper respiratory illness that takes place in the lungs, throat, ears, and nose. Other upper respiratory illnesses are flu, bronchitis, some ear infections, sore throats, sinusitis, and pharyngitis. All of these conditions are caused by viruses, which are tiny, invisible germs. They are shared through direct contact with another person, through the air, or by touching surfaces with the virus on it. Colds are typically passed to others by touching doorknobs or other objects with the virus on it, sharing drinks or utensils with someone with a cold, or just being in close contact with someone who has the cold virus.

Viruses get into healthy cells in the body and spread rapidly. Cold viruses are hard to treat because there are more than 200 different kinds, and they are known to change forms quickly. It usually takes 10 days to a few weeks for someone to fully recover from cold symptoms. It can take longer if a cough is present. There are ways to treat the symptoms of a cold, but unfortunately, there isn't a cure. Relief and the eventual end of a cold are a matter of time.

Your child will likely get a cold or flu several times throughout a year. When that happens, you want your child to feel better as soon as possible. A stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, fever, and sometimes a queasy stomach can make life miserable. You may ask your child's doctor for antibiotics to help speed the recovery. Unfortunately, antibiotics do not work on cold or flu viruses.

Viruses and Bacteria Are Different

Most common illnesses are caused by viruses or bacteria. Viruses and bacteria are very different types of germs. A cold or flu virus or other upper respiratory virus usually goes away on its own after several weeks.

Bacteria are living organisms that are everywhere in our environment. They are small, but not as small as viruses, and can be seen through a microscope. Many kinds of bacteria live in our bodies, which is normal and healthy. However, bacteria sometimes grow out of control and can cause infections and diseases. Common bacterial infections are pneumonia, some ear and severe sinus infections, urinary tract infections, skin infections, tuberculosis, tooth and gum infections, pinkeye, malaria, and E. coli infections.

Bacterial infections may get better on their own, but many will spread and get worse. Antibiotics will work on and treat most bacterial infections. It is important that bacterial infections be treated with antibiotics because these types of infections are generally more serious and can be life-threatening.

Use Antibiotics the Right Way

Many people believe antibiotics are a remedy or cure for almost any illness, but that is not true. Antibiotics can work very well in destroying and preventing certain bacteria from growing. However, antibiotics do not work on viruses, including the common cold, flu or typical seasonal related illnesses. Therefore, it is important to not treat these viruses with antibiotics.

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics is a great health concern. Using antibiotics for conditions that they do not treat are making people resistant. Once you take an antibiotic, your body starts to build an immunity - or resistance - to it. After too many doses, the antibiotic simply doesn't work anymore. This can be very dangerous if you develop a serious bacterial infection, such as pneumonia or staph infection (an infection that develops in open wounds), and the common antibiotics to treat it won't work.

When you become resistant to antibiotics, it affects you and others. Some diseases and infections once thought to be under control or wiped-out are now reappearing (and can be spread more easily) due to an increase in antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotics should only be used when they are necessary or when they can be effective. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that upper respiratory illnesses account for 75 percent of all antibiotics prescribed by office-based physicians. In addition, more than 10 million courses of antibiotics are prescribed each year for viral conditions that do not benefit from antibiotics. Unfortunately, sometimes doctors feel pressure from parents who want an antibiotic to help their children who have a sore throat or severe cold to feel better quickly. Only your doctor can determine what kind of infection you or your children have and how to treat it.

Antibiotic resistance is now a leading campaign of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work is a national campaign to reduce the rate of the rise of antibiotic resistance. It helps by making you and your doctor aware of the increased dangers of using antibiotics for upper respiratory and viral infections.

How Not to Become Antibiotic Resistant

The best way to prevent antibiotic resistance is to use antibiotics only when prescribed by your doctor and only when necessary. If a condition will go away on its own without antibiotics, it is recommended to wait it out.

Here are some other recommended practices:

Do not take or give your children antibiotics for the cold, flu, coughs, or ear aches unless your doctor determines the symptoms are due to an infection caused by bacteria.
If you or your child get a cold, treat the symptoms but let the illness run its course. If your child is younger than 7 years old, check with your doctor before giving a cold medicine.
When you or your child take an antibiotic, take the full prescribed dosage. Do not skip doses. Do not stop taking it even when you or your child start to feel better or the symptoms go away.
Throw away any unused portions of the antibiotic when you are done taking the prescribed amounts.
Do not give antibiotics prescribed for you or your child to another person.
Do not demand antibiotics from your doctor when it is determined they will not help.

Getting a cold or flu or having a sore throat or ear infection is no fun. Children get cranky, weepy, and irritable. The best way to help your child feel better with these kinds of viral illnesses is to treat his or her symptoms:

Fever: Give plenty of liquids throughout the day. Ask your doctor if a fever reducer is needed.
Discomfort: Make sure your child is cool and comfortable. Room temperature should not be too hot. Use a humidifier if your child's nose is stuffy.
Sneezing, Coughing, Sore Throat: Have plenty of tissues ready. Give foods that are easy on the throat. Ask your doctor if it is okay to give your child over-the-counter medications for these symptoms.

We can't escape the fact that sooner or later we will come down with the cold or flu. Luckily, for most of us, it won't be serious. But when children get sick, we know it is a big deal for them. The best way to help your child with the cold or flu is to use common sense and know that in a few days the symptoms will get better.

For More Information

Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work Campaign, 800-CDC-INFO, 800-232-4636. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website contains information for parents about what they can do to protect themselves and their children from antibiotic resistance. Information and materials in both English and Spanish.
Parenting Corner, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), gives a brief overview about safe use of antibiotics. The site is full of practical information for parents about common illnesses of children, what to do, and how to access community resources.

Social Competency: Fostering Your Child's Lifelong Success

Studies have shown that the single best predictor of how a child will adjust to life as an adult is how well they get along with others. It's not the I.Q. score, or grades in school, or how a child behaves in school. Social skills are the single best predictor of adult success.

Learning social skills begins at birth. We are born social, with the need to interact. It starts out with children bonding with their parents, then broadens to children playing with siblings and friends, and eventually going to school and becoming part of the larger community. Social competency involves the ability to have positive relationships with people, engage well with others, and it also involves the ability to emotionally handle the "ups" and "downs" in life. Social skills are learned and take time to mature. Social competency grows and changes over a person's lifetime.

Along with children's social developmental, other key developmental growth (social, physical, emotional, language, cognitive) is occurring at the same time. All of these developmental areas are connected and affect one another in some way. For example, as children's language skills increase, so does their ability to express their feelings and to play more cooperatively with others.

What Are Positive Social Skills

Most parents would agree that they want their children to be happy, liked by others and to get along well with others. Being able to feel good about themselves, having positive relationships and being part of different groups involves several developmental skills. All of these qualities are a part of social development and parents will see their children go through different stages and become skillful in how they engage with other people throughout their growth.

How a child behaves in different situations will vary. There are several influences on child's behavior, such as cultural background, family patterns, a child's personality or temperament, and specific events going on in a child's life. To decide how socially-skilled a child is, you need to observe overall patterns of the child's interactions with and reactions to others overtime. You also should know what is going on in a child's life that may also affect their behavior. This observation and assessment needs to happen overtime, and in various situations, not just one observation.

As with all major areas of developmental growth in children, there are typical skills and patterns children show in their social development. With social and emotional skills, sometimes the milestones are harder to detect because a lot of the development is inward (self-awareness, self-regulation). Yet, there are still some visible signs to look for, as your child behaves with others, reacts to people and situations, and handles frustration and changes.

So, what do parents look for or use to determine if their child is developing healthy social skills? When you are looking at your child's social development, ask yourself the following questions:

Does my child show compassion? Empathy?
Does my child cooperate with others?
Does my child voice his needs and stand up for himself?
Does my child show an interest in what is going on around her?
Does my child pick up on social cues?
Does my child know how to become part of a group?
Is my child able to problem-solve as part of a group?
Does my child have a sense of independence?
How does my child handle conflict, rejection or other "negative" feedback?
Is my child responsible?
Does my child show self-control?
Is my child able to soothe himself and calm himself down?

All of these qualities and behaviors are needed to maintain healthy and positive social skills and help children manage their world.

Any difficulties in social skill development is often not seen until children reach school-age. Developing friendships and being accepted by their peers is very important during the school-age years.

Promoting Children's Social Skills

Children's social competency is essential to their successful adjustment as adults. With this knowledge, in what way can parents and caregivers support and encourage children's social development? Parents provide a great deal of guidance in children developing positive social skills. Caregivers who spend a great deal of time with children are also very influential in the social development of the children in their care.

Children learn to connect to others first through their parents and providers; this is the beginning of enjoying the company of others and the lifelong path of developing social competency.

Here are some specific suggestions to engage and foster children's social skills:

Talk to and engage your baby in the "give and take" of conversations
Participate in pretend play with your young children, making suggestions on what to do next to encourage cooperation w Work on projects with your child, such as planting flowers, making jewelry, making a photo collage
Encourage your child to play with other children in the neighborhood if there are no siblings to play with, set up play dates with other parents
Model social skills when you are engaging with others
Include your child in social gatherings with other people (picnics, family gatherings, neighborhood socials)
Have your child in small group activities with other young children (classes, library reading times, playgroups)
Give suggestions to your older child on how to approach other children, to join children's activities, have good social manners
Observe your child's interaction with other children and adults. See how your child is accepted by other children and if your child has any difficulties with friends. Note whether your child has at least two good friends.
Talk to your child care provider or your child's teacher to get feedback on how your child does socially in their program or school.
Note any difficulties your child has socially. Help your child by practicing social interactions, providing opportunities to be with other children of various ages, and with any specific issues that may be of importance to you and your child in relation to his social skills.

These suggestions and more are what parents most likely do naturally. If you suspect your child may be having extra difficulties with 'fitting in' or getting along with other children, ask your child's doctor about it. Most likely your child will go through "ups" and "downs" in her friendships. You'll learn when it is important for you to help your child to get through difficult social situations, and when it is better to step back and allow him to figure out works and what doesn't for him.

You are your child's best role model and coach. As you become more aware of your child's social skills and abilities,you will be better able to foster the strong ones and increase the skills that need more attention. Because social skills are ever-changing, the ways you support your child in her social competency will change as well.

For More Information

TeachersandFamilies.com, Development of Social Skills in Young Children: Guidelines for Parents, web article for parents on promoting social skills in early childhood development.
BabyCenter.com, Developmental milestones: Socialization, article takes you month by month through the typical socialization milestones during baby's first year.
PBS Parents, Child Development Tracker - Social Emotional Development. On this interactive parent website, parents can use a child development tracker which lists all the major developmental domains, including social development. By clicking on the social-emotional development link parents can track a child's social-emotional growth year by year. From age one through early school age. With each age there are supporting activities to help your child's social-emotional development.

Delicious and Nutritious: Helping Children Make Healthy Food Choices

Today, we know and understand the importance of a healthy diet. Even fast food restaurants that once offered only fried and fatty foods, now include healthier selections on their menus, such as fruits, raisins, salads, and milk as well.

Healthy (and not so healthy) eating habits begin in childhood. Parents who serve nutritious foods are also teaching their children to make good food choices now and in the future. Young children who start off eating the "right" foods can avoid long-term health problems, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and obesity later in life. So, what are the right foods and how much of them should children eat?

A Balanced Diet

You may have heard of the food pyramid. The pyramid is a guideline for the types and amounts of food children and adults should have each day as part of a 'healthy' food balance. The food pyramid is divided into six food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat and beans, and oils. The amounts and portion servings are based on your age. The pyramid model has undergone changes over the past few years to include more variety in the amounts and types of foods suggested for a healthy diet. It also takes into account that different cultures have different kinds of foods that are also part of a healthy diet.

Once your child is around 2 years or so, he will be eating from most of the food groups. As he grows older, his food groups and choices will grow. According to Kids Health, a good guideline for what toddlers should eat each day is:

3 servings of grains (a serving is 1/2 slice of bread, or a few tablespoons of rice, pasta, or infant cereal)
2 servings of dairy (a serving is a cup of milk or yogurt, 1-1/2 oz of cheese)
2 servings of protein (a serving is 1-2 tbsp of meat, one egg)
2 servings of fruit (a serving is 2-4 tbsp)
3 servings of vegetables (a serving is 2-4 tbsp cooked)

Don't worry if your toddler doesn't eat the same amount every day, or doesn't eat this much - every child is different. If you do have any concerns, talk to your child's doctor.

Of course as your child grows, she will eat more. Speak with your pediatrician to learn about the recommended amounts of food for your child's age, or find out more from the resources section at the end this issue.

The Nutrient Mix

One of the reasons it's important to follow the food pyramid is because many foods include key nutrients. Four key nutrients your child should eat are:

Protein: found in milk, meat, eggs, and beans - toddlers and preschoolers should eat around .5 grams per pound of body weight;
Fiber: Found in fruits and vegetables - 6-8 grams/day;
Calcium: Found in milk, cheese, leafy green vegetables, fish and other sources - children need 500 mg/day, which is usually fulfilled by eating two servings of dairy; and
Iron: Found in iron-fortified cereals, spinach and other leafy green vegetables, and red meat - toddlers should eat around 7 mg/day.

What about Babies?

For the first year of life, your baby will mostly get the nutrients and calories needed from milk - either breast milk or formula. At about 6 months, you can start feeding him iron-fortified infant cereal, fruits and vegetables in small amounts, but make sure the food is soft and mushy and can be eaten without much chewing.

Once your baby is 9 or 10 months old, you can feed her small amounts of meat and grains. Talk to your pediatrician to find out exactly how much you should feed her. At around age 1, you can transition your baby from breast milk or formula to cow's milk. (Note: some babies are allergic to cow's milk. If your baby seems fussy after drinking cow's milk or shows other symptoms, talk to your doctor.)

Offer these healthy alternatives as snacks
If your child likes...	Try...
Soda	Milk or a fruit juice with no sugar added
Chips	Chopped up veggies or other celery
Candy	Melon slices, kiwi, tangerines, or other fruits Nuts (if your child is older) Cheese

Junk Food

Some foods are nutrient-rich and have the necessary vitamins and materials we need to maintain our health. But "junk foods" such as chips, candy, sweets, and soda are not nutritious. These types of foods (that we all seem to love) are "empty calories." Some of these in a normal diet are okay, occasionally. However, it's a good idea to try to limit your child's consumption of these foods.

Children are Often Picky Eaters

Even if you have the best ideas in mind, your child still might not want eat all the healthy food choices you serve. In fact, most toddlers are "picky eaters" - they don't automatically like new food.

Here are some strategies for how to deal with picky eaters:

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again: Children don't always like foods the first time. In fact, some children may need to try a food 10 or 15 times before they will enjoy it. And, no one likes every food.
Pick the right portion: For a new food, a little bite or two is enough. There's no need to expect your child to dig right into a whole helping of spinach the first time.
Don't bribe them: If you tell your child that she can have a cookie if she finishes the broccoli, it will only reinforce the idea that broccoli is bad, and cookies are good.
Offer a choice: Let your child choose from a selection of healthy foods you have available. For instance, offer her a choice between carrots and corn for her vegetable.
Don't force it: If your child doesn't want to eat the food, don't make him eat it. Sometimes you won't win, and that's okay.
Be a good role model: If your child sees you eating different healthy foods, she will model your behavior. If possible, try to get the family to eat together at mealtimes.

Try these ideas for making mealtimes a bit more creative:
Breakfast	Toast with a Face: Use cream cheese, slices of strawberry, blueberries and other fruits to draw a face on toasted bread. Breakfast Smoothie: Blend low-fat yogurt with fruit to make a tasty, drinkable breakfast.
Lunch	Silly Sandwiches: Use cookie cutters to make sandwiches in fun shapes. Cold-cut Roll Ups: Instead of a sandwich, take lunch meat, cheese slices, and a tortilla and roll them up together.
Dinner	Mini Pizzas: Use the usual ingredients and toppings, but a bagel for the crust. Breakfast for Dinner: Serve waffles or omelets at dinner time.
Snack	Ants on a Log: Celery with peanut butter and raisins. Frozen Juice Popsicles: Freeze no-sugar added natural juice in ice-cube containers, add toothpicks or popsicle sticks.

Spicing it Up: Fun, Nutritious Meals for Your Child

We all have to eat, but there are no rules that say we always have to eat the same things the same way. Experiment with food and make it fun. Have your child help you prepare food. The more involved they are in preparing food, the more likely they will want to eat it. Eating nutritious foods will help your child's overall development - of course physically, but also emotionally and mentally. Good, healthy foods help children to think better, have more energy and sleep better as well. It does the same for adults. We all feel better when we eat better. Your child watches everything you do, so when you eat healthy foods, she will want to as well. Make eating healthy a family tradition. Try eating meals as a family, even if it is only once a day. Having your meals together is not only a good way of sharing food, but it's a good way to build relationships with your children.

For More Information

Learn about the United States' Department of Agriculture's Food Pyramid at http://www.mypyramid.gov/. Children with experience on the internet can also visit http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/kids_game.html for an interactive game on the food pyramid.
KidsHealth provides doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence. Created by The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, KidsHealth provides families with accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use, including nutrition information for young children.
Sesame Street Workshop's Healthy Habits Resource Kit is designed for child care providers to help them integrate nutrition and physical activity into their programs. The Sesame Street Workshop page also features research-based articles and tips on children's nutrition and recipes.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has a section on their parenting corner pages on nutrition for children. A variety of topics is covered from how to feed a difficult child to information on breastfeeding.

Sleep: An Important Part Of Healthy Development

Sleep. It's what all humans need. It is part of the rhythm of life and the life cycle. We know that babies sleep a lot. Babies spend more than half the day sleeping. Even by age two, a toddler spends more time asleep than awake. All in all, nearly 40 percent of childhood is spent sleeping.

Why do we need to sleep? Sleep is a necessary part of healthy brain functioning. The right amount of restful sleep is needed for our overall good health. Sleep has a direct influence on many of the body's functions and helps the body to heal, grow, and stay on track. Recent studies have also linked the risk of obesity to not getting enough sleep. When we get the right amount of sleep, the brain will make chemicals that help control hunger and weight. The amount and quality of sleep we have can affect our safety, how alert we are, as well as our memories, moods, behavior, and learning abilities. Sleep is especially important for children's learning.

How Much Sleep Do Children Need?

Sleep is as important to children's development and well-being as nutrition and physical activity. Making sure children get enough rest is but one of many concerns of parents with young children. However, parents are often not sure how much sleep their children need and how much is enough sleep. Doctors and other experts have recommended the following amounts of sleep for children by age:

Newborns: 11 to 18 hours

Newborns and all infants, sleep on and off for a few hours at time. Babies don't develop a regular awake/sleep pattern until about 6 months of age.

Infants: 14 to 15 hours

From two months to a year, infants' sleeping patterns will change into a regular awake/ sleep pattern with one or two naps throughout the day.

Toddlers: 12 to 14 hours

Most toddlers will be sleeping through the night and only taking one nap during the day.

Preschoolers: 11 to 13 hours

Consistent sleeping patterns should be established by now and toward the last few months of age 5, naps will probably end.

School-Age: 10 to 11 hours

School-age children need adequate sleep to function at their best. Added demands on their time for school, outside activities, and home life, can add to school-age children not getting enough rest.

Healthy Sleeping Practices

Healthy sleep habits are important for everyone. Starting healthy sleeping practices as infants will help them form healthy lifelong patterns.

Parents of newborns will want to follow these healthy sleeping practices for their newborn:

Make your newborn's sleeping area quiet and comfortable: Use a safety-approved crib without any pillows, blankets, or soft items in the crib. Make the room dark and quiet and the temperature comfortable.
Place your newborn on his back: To prevent SIDS, place your newborn on his back to sleep. Side sleeping is not considered completely safe, nor is tummy sleeping.
Encourage more night sleeping: In the evenings, make the environment quiet and less active so babies will start to associate quiet time with going to sleep.
Put your newborn to down to sleep when there are signs of drowsiness: Do not wait until your newborn is asleep to put her to bed. You need to set the stage for your baby to be able to fall asleep on her own. Parents of infants and toddlers up to age three will want to make sure they establish a regular bedtime routine that helps them self-soothe and learn to go to sleep on their own.
Have a regular bedtime schedule: An hour before bedtime, prepare your child by having a quiet environment and doing some soothing activities such as taking a bath or reading a bedtime story.
Place infants and toddlers in bed BEFORE they fall asleep: Your infant or toddler should be drowsy but NOT asleep when going to bed. This helps them to learn to become independent sleepers and know how it feels when they should go to bed.
Create and maintain an enjoyable bedtime routine: A routine could be as simple as a bath and a bedtime story, or listening to music and playing with a favorite toy. Routines will change as your child gets older.
Play when they are awake: Save the louder, more active and moving around activities for when your toddler is awake. It will help him be ready for quiet play near bedtime.
Transition toddlers to their own beds: If your toddler is not used to being in his own bed, take time to make this transition. Make your toddler comfortable and allow him sleep with a favorite toy or object.

Children around three and four years old most likely already follow a bedtime routine. If not, it is not too late to start one. Here are some things to consider for preschoolers and school-age children.

Stick to bedtime routines and consistent sleep schedules: Children like and need consistency in all parts of their lives. A sleep schedule will help regulate your child's quality of sleep. Make sure they are getting the recommended amount of sleep for their age.
Watch out for caffeine in soft drinks (or other drinks): Caffeine in soft drinks, colas, and coffee drinks should not be part of children's diets and can interfere with sleep. You may want to limit your child's sugar intake as well.
Be aware of chronic sleeping problems: Learn the typical sleeping problems of children. If your child isn't getting the agerecommended or enough sleep, talk to your child's doctor. Sleeping problems can last through adulthood unless addressed early.
Keep televisions, computers and other distractions out of your child's room: Sleeping areas should be quiet and relaxing. Having fun toys or activities can be tempting for children to stay up and not want to sleep.

The Big Sleep - Problems

Sixty nine percent of all children under age 10 experience some sleep condition or sleeping problem. Know your child's sleeping patterns. Always tell your child's doctor if anything regularly interferes with your child getting a full night of uninterrupted sleep, or you notice breathing problems when your child sleeps.

Speak with your child's doctor if your child regularly experiences any of these common sleep problems. The doctor can determine if it is serious and what can be done. Many sleep disorders in children can be due to stressespecially insomnia or nightmares.

Insomnia: Trouble with getting to sleep, staying asleep, waking up too early and not getting enough sleep.
Nightmares: We all have them from time to time. But some children have them frequently.
Sleepwalking: Sleepwalking can be a problem for children ages 3 through 7. Not getting enough sleep is often a major cause.
Snoring: Although snoring is natural in some children, check to see that snoring isn't due to enlarged tonsils or adenoids.
Sleep Apnea: Sleep apnea is a condition in which a child may experience pauses or stops in breathing while sleeping, often while snoring. Sleep apnea means nasal passages are often blocked. This should be treated by a doctor right away. Drowsiness during the day and being hyperactive are often signs.
Narcolepsy: Extreme sleepiness, tiredness, uncontrollable urges to sleep during the day even when getting enough sleep at night. A doctor needs to diagnose this condition.
Sleeptalking: Talking, laughing or crying out while sleeping. This is not a serious condition and doesn't need to be treated if your child doesn't wake up.

Sleep is an important part of good health. It plays a role in every part of a child's development - physical, cognitive, social and emotional. However, it is easily overlooked. You may naturally assume your child is getting enough sleep because you are. Children need many more hours of sleep than adults. Without enough sleep, children can be grouchy, teary, accident prone, aggressive or not be able to focus or learn and even fall asleep while at child care or in school.

Make sure your child is getting the recommended amount of sleep. Establishing good sleep practices while she is young will not only benefit you, but it will help her for many years to come.

For More Information

NPR.org, Research News "Study Links Lack of Sleep to Weight Gain in Babies," April 2008.
National Sleep Foundation has information on sleep issues, programs, and initiatives that focus on the importance of sleep to our health, and specific links to children and sleep and statistics on specific disorders and consequences on children not getting enough sleep.
American Association of Pediatrics has the latest on all health and safety related issues for children and families. Web site has guide for parents and providers on safe sleeping habits for infants and the prevention of SIDS.
Sleep for Kids.org has current information for parents and teachers on children's sleeping issues, explains the importance of sleep, and has games and puzzles to teach children the importance of sleep.

Let's Get Physical: Exercising with Your Children

Physical activity is an important part of children's growth and development. Researchers say that toddlers need 30 minutes of structured physical activities everyday, and then an additional 60 minutes of free playtime. Being active at a young age can help children stay fit for life!

Children who are active develop stronger muscles and bones, and are less likely to develop health problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and other conditions later in life. Being active can also help children maintain a stable mood and sleep better.

Being active though is not just for children! Exercise helps adults maintain a healthy weight, and it can also help you stay in a better mood, sleep better, and combat some chronic diseases, such as heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control says adults should participate in moderate physical activity (like walking) for 30 minutes at least five days a week.

As a parent, you can set a good example for your children by exercising regularly. And you can make it a family time activity as well. Exercise with your children! You will all feel better, stay fitter, and spend quality time together.

Outdoor Activities

When the weather is good, go outside with your child. In addition to being active and outdoors in the fresh air, your neighborhood or local park will give your child a chance to see and learn about different things in the environment.

Infants

The Stroller-Walk: One of the easiest ways to exercise with your child outside is to take him for a walk in the stroller. Your infant won't get as much activity from this as you will, but it is worth it so he can take in the outdoor sights, smells and sounds. The faster and longer you walk, the better it is for you. Another great way to walk with your baby is to use a baby carrier or sling.

Sandbox Diggers: If your baby can sit up on his own, take him to a playground that has a sandbox where you can both dig and play around in the sand. Taking some toys such as a truck with an open back and a shovel can make sand play even more fun.

Toddlers

Catch: Rolling or kicking a large ball is a good way to be active for both of you! Toddlers love to run after big balls or play with it rolling back and forth to you.

Gardening: Dig in the dirt with your toddler, either in your own yard or a community garden (call your city or county government to learn if this is available). If this option isn't available, see if your local school has an area that needs some gardening. Your toddler will learn about plants, and the cycle of growth. You can plant flowers, but the digging, carrying plants and all the equipment that go with it are really what works out your arms, legs and more.

Preschoolers

Ball: Balls are great ways to exercise large muscles and get the heart pumping. Try playing soccer with your preschooler. Set up goal areas in whatever outdoor space you can find by using old milk cartons or use cardboard boxes. Kick the ball from one end of your area to the other. Basketball is also another fun sport to play with your child. If you have a hoop, shoot the ball to the hoop. Have your preschooler try. Help her get the ball into the hoop and just have a good time.

Jumping Rope: Jumping rope is great way to help your preschooler exercise and develop coordination. Learn some jump rope rhymes and share them with your child. Not only is jumping role an excellent way for adults to exercise - it burns more calories than any other activity in this newsletter!

Indoor Exercise

You don't have to go outdoors or have a lot of space to help your child get some exercise indoors. A little creativity always helps. You probably won't burn as many calories in indoor activities, but just moving is a start.

Infants

Kicking and Moving: Put your baby on the floor on her back, and hold a soft object (like a stuffed animal) that she can kick. Use facial expressions and noises to tell her to kick the animal. Act excited when she does. Give your baby a rattle or other noisemaker that he can shake. Babies love it when they can make things happen.

Patty-Cake: Your baby might not yet know the words. But, clapping hands and playing patty-cake gives him a chance to get moving.

Toddlers

Move Like Animals: Stand next to your toddler, and call out names of zoo and farm animals. Once you have said the name, your toddler (and you!) should move the way the animal does, and make noises like the animal. It will be fun and help your young one use some energy.

Dancing: From toddler age to grown-ups, everyone can dance. Play your toddler's favorite music or yours - anything with a good beat - and dance together. Don't be afraid to get into the music - the more you move around, the better!

Preschoolers

Clean the House: Make cleaning more than a chore by involving your preschooler. Preschoolers love to help with chores. Though some tasks (using chemicals) may be dangerous for your child, chores such as setting the table, light dusting, picking up toys or sweeping are great opportunities to keep your child active. He'll also get a feeling of responsibility for taking care of the home. Put on some music to make the work more fun.

Stretching Out: Work on your flexibility and help your child learn how to exercise healthfully by stretching together. Some moves you can try are:

Touching your toes
Arm circles
Overhead reach (reach your arm over your body and stretch to one side and the other)
Whatever other stretches you know!

Overall, enjoy yourselves. You don't have to run a marathon to stay in shape - any exercise you can do will be good for you and your child. And, the time you spend together having fun will be great for your relationship.

How Many Calories Do I Burn?
Activity/Calories Burned After 30 Minutes*
Watching TV	34
Office Work	51.5
Stroller Push	129.5 (17 minute mile)
Sandbox Digging	170.4
Catch	85.2
Jumping Rope	340.9
Soccer	238.6
Basketball	272.2
Gardening	136.3
Playing with children/baby	136.3
Cleaning House (light dusting/etc)	85.2
Dancing	153.2
Stretching	85.2
* For a 150-pound adult, from http://www.primusweb.com/cgi-bin/fpc/actcalc.pl

For More Information

Kidnetic was developed by the International Food Information Council (and other groups), and is designed for older children, but features many activities, and computer games that encourage children to get active and learn more about fitness.
KidsHealth provides doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence. Created by The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, KidsHealth provides families with accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use, including healthy activities for young children.
Kids in Action is a booklet produced by the government on fitness specifically for children ages birth through 5. It contains activities for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
The Fitness Jumpsite is a website primarily for adults designed by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It includes a calorie calculator where adults can put in their weight and activity time to show how many calories they've burned.

What Makes It Rain? Science Teaches Children About The World Around Them

When you think of science, what comes to mind? Is it looking under a microscope? Mixing different liquids and finding out what happens? Perhaps it was the class where you actually got to "do" something? There are many different types of science. That's because in its simplest meaning, science is the way you study or learn (or think) about something. Science is all about studying, finding out, and making sense of the "hows", "whats", and "whys" of the world that we live in. For young children, science mixes well with their natural sense of curiosity. Young children learn through their senses - smelling, tasting, touching, hearing and seeing. Science uses all of these senses and it is also fun. Science can help children learn how the light from the sun helps flowers grow, how water becomes ice, and about other things in their environments. More Than Discovering Science has an even more important role for children than just showing them what and how things happen. Science teaches children how to learn. It uses thinking (cognitive) skills, and promotes creativity. By using the imagination, creativity, testing, experimenting, and observing, children get ideas that help them learn basic facts and rules about the world around them. Science is about experimenting - learning by trial and error, not giving up, following steps, and coming up with results. Science uses many math skills as well-guessing, measuring, comparing, organizing, observing. Science helps children come up with their own answers (and ideas) rather than being given them. It's what true learning is all about.

Fun Science Activities For Young Children

*These activities are referenced in For More Information Section.

Toddlers

Activity: Growing sponge grass

You'll need:

Sponges (small ones - buy small ones or take one large sponge and cut it)
Scissors
Container - foam tray, small dish
Water
Grass seed
Small spray or squirt plastic bottles
Sunny area - window or place that gets sunlight

What you and child(ren) do:

Take small sponge or a pieces of sponge
Soak it in water
Place the sponge in the container
Sprinkle the grass seeds on the sponge
Place it in a sunny space
Water it a little every day
Watch as the grass begins to grow!

Skills/Topics/What is being learned:

The sun helps plants grow
Water helps plants to grow
How to observe changes every day
How to grow things
Words used: sun, water, sprinkle, grow, wait and observe

Activity: Making Lemonade

You'll need:

Lemons (at least one for each child)
Knife to cut (for adult use only)
Spoons u Cups u Sugar
Measuring spoons
Drinking water - pitcher or from faucet or wherever you get water

What you and child(ren) do:

Help cut the lemons into quarters or smaller pieces
Squeeze some lemon into cups
Add sugar - using measuring spoons
Add water u Stir and taste u Add a little more sugar and taste again
After adding more sugar, ask how does it taste?

Skills/Topics/What is being learned:

Using the taste sense
How sugar sweetens and changes taste
Measuring
Words used: squeeze, measure, stir, sweet(er), sour, delicious, yucky, perfect

Preschoolers

Activity: Making Fossil Prints

You'll need:

1 box of baking soda
1 cup of cornstarch
Water
Stove
Small cooking pan
Paper towel or cloth
Plate
Spoon
Container with lid (or cover it tightly)
Seashells - different sizes Prepare the mixture a few hours (or day) before doing the activity

What you and child(ren) do:

To prepare clay mixture
- Mix the box of baking soda, cornstarch and 1 and 1/4 cup of water together in a small pot
- Heat the mixture on stove until the mixture thickens
- Remove and put on plate to cool
- Place wet paper towel or cloth over the plate as it cools
- When cool, knead the mixture dough and then store in container with lid on it
For activity

Get a lump of the clay to make a fossil u Press the shell into the clay to leave a print
Carefully remove the shell
Try doing this with several shells of different sizes
Let the fossil dry completely - overnight
Compare the fossils to the shells the next day and match the shells to its imprint

Skills/Topics/What is being learned:

Learning about fossils
Comparing and matching
Words used: fossils, imprint, shell

Activity: Magical Frost

You'll need:

A tin can or metal can (empty coffee can)
Teaspoon
Salt
Ice cubes

What you and child(ren) do:

Put ice cubes into the tin can
Add a teaspoon of salt and stir quickly
Watch frost form on the outside of the can
Touch it, smell it - examine it

Skills/Topics/What is being learned:

What happens to objects when the air around it gets very cold
Words used: watch, frost, temperature

School Age

Activity: Sink or Float?

You'll need:

A tub or container that holds an amount of water (that's deep enough to cover objects placed within it)
A variety of objects to place in water. Choose large objects and small objects - e.g., plastic bottle, spoon, rock, block, wash cloth, toothbrush, ball

What you and child(ren) do:

Fill the tub or container with water - enough to cover objects placed in the water (supervise children with water carefully)
Before placing objects in the water - one by one, have the children guess if the object will sink to the bottom or float on the top of the water
Write down the children's guesses
Do this each with each object you have and record the guesses and what the results were

Skills/Topics/What is being learned:

What determines if an object will float or sink: the size, weight, material
Words used: float, sink, heavy, light. size, material
Questions to ask the children:
- Why do you think some of the objects floated?
- Why do you think some objects sank?
Have the children:
- Make a chart of the things that floated and the things that sank

Activity: Making Volcanoes

You'll need:

Baking soda
Vinegar
Paper Towels
Spoon
A small pitcher or container to pour from
Tub container or sink
Small plastic bottle (You can also do this if you have a sand table or outside in a sandbox - put the plastic bottle in the sand to give it a real volcano look)

What you and child(ren) do:

Place the plastic bottle in the tub or sink. Make sure it can stand on its own.
Pour two spoonfuls of baking soda into the bottle
Pour some vinegar into the small pitcher or container
Pour a little vinegar into the bottle with the baking soda
This will cause a chemical reaction and the vinegar will start the baking soda to bubble over like a volcano
Repeat this process a few times: add a few more spoonfuls of baking soda, then a few pours of vinegar - watch what happens

Skills/Topics/What is being learned:

What can happen when two ingredients are combined
Trial and error
Words used: pour, mix, repeat
Questions to ask the children:
- Before activity: What do you think will happen when you pour the vinegar?
- After activity: Why do you think there are foam and bubbles?

Science is probably one of the easiest and most fun ways to engage children. Children use all of the senses, use their small (and large) motor skills, and think about how things work and why things happen. This is the way young children learn best - by doing. See how many ways you can blend science activities into your child's daily life and help her to understand that learning can be fun.

For More Information

Science Activities. Activities are reprinted (and adapted) with permission from, The Giant Encyclopedia of Preschool Activities for Three-Year-Olds, The Giant Encyclopedia of Preschool Activities for Four-Year-Olds, and The Giant Encyclopedia of Kindergarten Activities. © 2004 by Gryphon House, Inc. Price $34.95/$6.00 shipping each. Available from Gryphon House, Box 207, Beltsville, MD 20704-0207, 1-800-638-0928.
Sesame Street Workshop for Parents. Gives activity ideas by activity type, theme or learning area.
Apples4theTeacher.com. Online interactive science games
PreschoolRock.com. The Preschool Science and Nature site provides ideas for introducing science concepts and discovering the world with your preschooler through experiments, field trips, and activities designed especially for kids with big ideas and little hands