Some children only lose their cool every now and then. But others seem to have a more difficult time when things don’t go their way. Kids who tend to have strong reactions by nature will need more guidance from parents to help cope with their tempers.

Managing  outbursts can be hard  for kids and helping them learn to do so is a rough job for the parents who care about them. Try to be patient and have a good perspective and know that these skills take time to progress and that most children can improve with the right coaching and guidance.

My perspective is that teachers, friends, and other family members can only do so much to help that particular child who has many outbursts and or other anger issues. I feel as though the parents play a key role in how the child can handle his or her emotions through showing their own children the “right way” to cope with stress.

A Parent’s Role:

Managing kids can be very difficult. Some days keeping the peace while keeping calm seems impossible. But whether you’re reacting to random temper flare-ups or constant instances of outbursts, dealing with your own anger and feelings when things get intense will make it easier to teach kiddos to do the same.

To help a temper tantrum  first things first, just be an ally for your little one. Both of you are on the same team to fix this temper which can lead them into trouble.

While your own patience may be wearing thin by angry outbursts, arguing, and talking back, it’s during these times that you need your patience the most. Of course you feel frustrated, but what counts is how you handle the whole situation.

Reacting to your little one’s meltdowns with yelling and anger of your own will only teach them to do the same. I also read in an article that this reaction can cause an increase with the child’s negative behaviors. But keeping calm and working through a difficult situation lets you show and teach the correct ways to handle anger and frustration.

So what’s the best way for you to grab hold of the situation? With your own self-control intact. Teaching by example is your most useful tool. Parents need to try and remember to speak firmly but also in a calm manner. You want to make your point clear to them and have a tone of voice with no anger, putdowns, blame or harsh criticisms. But of course that is way easier said than done!! The important thing is to try and remember to teach your kids how to handle their anger! By yelling or threatening them you just model and ingrain in their little minds the exact behavior that you do not want them to do!

What You Can Do

Controlling feelings and managing behavior are skills that grow and develop over time during childhood. Just like any other skills, your kids need to practice and learn with your help!

Let your child know what to expect when they wont stop yelling. For example, “If you don’t calm down, you need to go to your room until you’re able to stop screaming.”    Kids who have tempers that are pretty routine could lack self control to deal with their anger and frustration need more help managing their feelings. These steps can help……..

• Help kids put it into words
• Listen and respond
• Create clear ground rules and stick to them

By helping your child calm down and reminding them to put their feelings into words, this will help them reflect to see what really is the problem. If they are too angry it might be a good idea to have them take a time out to clam down or just remind the of the rules and expectations you have for them. For example, ask if they can put into words why they are so mad and also remind your child not to yell, whine, or sulk when talking. Offer your little ones help when they respond. Actively listen and repeat what they just said to you. This helps them know that you are validating how they are feeling. When you set clear expectations all the time you will find that your kids will know what is acceptable to you. Your child will get the message if you make clear, simple statements about what’s off limits and explain what you want him or her to do. You might say: “There’s no yelling in this house.” Try and have discussions about this before they have temper tantrums.

Some strategies for kids who are coping with a tantrum should learn how to take a break from the situation. Having a “Time Out” isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Remind your kids that it’s ok to avoid a situation that’s making them mad and take time to walk away. Finding a way to get the anger out such as jumping jacks, walks, or drawing what is making them upset will help them with their feelings.

Thankfully  really angry outbursts don’t happen too often for most kids. With little ones who often have trouble or are strong willed really need to get their energy out. When children have enough sleep and get the amount of exercise in, it will lessen the irritability of the child! Try to be flexible as a parent and also recognize their success!! Be sure to comment on how well your little one handles a situation. Children react to positive reinforcement!

Anybody knows that following sensible advice can be rough when emotions are running high! Just try and be positive , that is what I am ALWAYS  saying to everyone around me!  Most importantly, give your kids the responsibility for getting under control, but be there to help guide them!

Taming Temper Tantrums Arizona Child Care & Learning Centers -

Materials:

• scrap paper (about 5-8 different papers)
• Scissors
• popsicle sticks
• green paint
• paint brush
• tape
• two pieces of construction paper for card and flower holder

Set those aside to dry! Next take your scrap paper and just cut out free handed circles of various sizes.

Great!! Now just place the flowers in the holder and stand up! You now have a homemade flower vase!  
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

Mother’s Day Blossoms Arizona Child Care & Learning Centers -

The latest article she sent me was on the effect of print referencing with preschoolers. What is print referencing? “Print references is a strategy implemented within the context of adult-child shared storybook reading interactions, and specifically refers to the use of verbal and nonverbal cues to encourage children’s attention to and interactions with print.” Basically print referencing is paying attention to and pointing out the basics of print while reading the story. It is such an easy task to implement during shared story times whether you are a teacher or a parent!

A question strolling through your mind may be, “do I have to point out EVERY. SINGLE. WORD?”  The answer is NO. You want story time to still be enjoyable and relaxing, not just for the child, but for you too! So, what exactly can you do then? While researching this concept I stumbled across one blogging mom, Teach Mama. She has some great ideas! I have meshed our ideas together for you

• Ever notice when your little one reads a story they tend to start in the middle and flop around to different pages with no rhyme or reason? While I encourage letting your child look at the illustrations because they ARE an important aspect of picture books it is important for them to know where to start!
  • Point out the title of the book and the author & illustrator!-”This is the title of the book. The title is the name of the story. The author, or writer of the book is…and this is his/her name. The illustrator drew all the pictures and his/her name is…”
  • Point out the page order-Let them know you read this page first and then turn the page like this.
  • Point out text direction–We read top to bottom, left to right! These are important elements of any story. “We start reading this word, and then we move to this word”
  • Point at the words as you read them! This is arguably one of the most important ones. If you point at a word while reading it, it will help your child with reading comprehension & word recognition. The article I posted above states, “If you’re getting kids to pay attention to letters and words, it makes sense that they will do better at word recognition and spelling.” I agree 100%! And pointing out a few words is such a low maintenance way to encourage learning during a story time.
    • A book with large words that are easy to see is Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis

{I love all of her stories, but occasionally her words look a little too “fancy” and may be confusing for a little one if you’re pointing them out-use your discernment }

• Those are the basics of reading a story, but what concepts can you teach during shared story times?
  • Work on letter recognition. “Can you find the letter M on this page?”
  • Teach the concept of a word. “All these letters make up a word, how many words are on this page?”
  • Read captions or subtitles in the illustrations. “The caption here tells us more about the picture…this word here is an onomatopoeia, which means it’s a word that is spelled the way it sounds, like ‘poof!’ or ‘oink’”
    • A book with great onomatopeias is I Saw an Ant on the Track by Joshua Prince

That sounds like a lot for one story time because it is! Don’t feel like you need to do all of these techniques every time you sit down to share a story. You don’t! Just by applying a couple of these techniques during a story time is sufficient and can improve literacy tremendously. Try to do it often, but don’t feel like it is necessary to cram all this into one story. Green Eggs and Ham only lasts so long, you know? During your next shared story time try this out! Let us know what you think and if you have any family favorites your read. We would love to hear!

Print Referencing & Your Preschooler Arizona Child Care & Learning Centers -

I feel that this is such relevant topic in preschools, at home, and at school! Back in 2011, our former director Olivia blogged about biting. She touched on why kids do it and what to do when your child bites! As an infant room teacher and a neighbor to the toddler’s room I have witnessed and helped the injured of those who get bit!  

However, it is a very common situation that happens amongst toddlers! I feel as though this is such an important topic because parents are so concerned about their child’s behavior when he or she shows signs of biting. I am reposting this blog by our own Miss Olivia because I think we should all take a look at what is going on developmentally and why it is ok if your toddler does this. Also there are some useful strategies that can help parents and teachers, like myself , eliminate the chances of toddlers biting.

“Between the ages of 14 months and 3 years old, many children go through a biting phase. This phase usually disappears when they can express their needs and feelings through words.

Until then, understand that biting is an emotional and stressful experience for all the involved parties, and keep calm.

If you are advised that your child has bitten another child, or has been bitten, make sure you work together as a team with your child\’s teachersto problem solve and respond with consistency to your child’s biting, dealing with the situation as quickly and effectively as you can. Communicating together and comparing observations at home and at daycare can help you solve this problem together.

Once the motivation for biting is realized, try applying some of the solutions listed below!

• If biting occurs because of teething, provide a wide range of chewable toys and teething rings for your child to bite on. Offer cold, soothing foods such as frozen fruit in a teething feeder to satisfy your child’s urge to bite.

• Help your child understand the difference between things that are okay to bite and those that are not okay to bite.

• If biting occurs with a major change in a child’s life, such as starting a new preschool, he or she may need extra love and attention during this time. In group situations try and get in to the habit of maintaining contact with your child by answering their questions and showing enthusiasm when they want to show you a particular toy or drawing etc.

• Parents can encourage children to express themselves in words. The more they can put their feelings into words (“I’m mad. I want the truck.” “I’m sad. I can’t find my bear.”), the less apt children will be to bite.

• Parents can help children understand that people experience a wide array of feelings, and there are many ways to express those feelings. Share your feelings—frustration, joy, sadness, fear, envy, contentment, pride—in words with your children so they will model this behavior. Talk to your children about their feelings and help them put feelings into words.

• Help them to find acceptable ways to express their feelings. For instance, if they feel sad or lonely, children can hug a stuffed animal or cuddle with a pet. If children feel frustrated, they can express their emotions through drawing pictures, hitting a pillow, or throwing balls on the playground. Children can also learn that music expresses a variety of feelings.

• Watch for signs of rising frustration in your child and take action to prevent conflicts such as biting from happening. Young children can be distracted and redirected to other activities to prevent biting incidents.

• Encourage the use of words and teach children to practice saying ‘no’ when they have their toy taken or when they are frustrated by something.

• Another effective way to prevent biting and other behaviors is to praise children for beginning to learn to share and interact with other children. When children show signs of learning social skills, such as saying “Thank you,” showing patience, sharing with other children, or indicating they are aware of other people’s needs, be sure to tell them you are proud of them.

• Younger/smaller children often feel overwhelmed in groups or when they are surrounded by older children and may bite as a way of gaining some control of the situation. Be mindful of this and make sure the younger children in the group have their needs met so they don’t feel the urge to bite. Explain to the older children in the group how the younger children might be feeling and encourage them to play equal. If necessary make separate play places for older and younger children to ensure everyone enjoys their playtime.

When children do bite

• Act calmly, maintain a quiet and controlled voice, remove the biting child from the situation and say very firmly ‘No biting! Biting hurts’.

• Take care of the child who has been bitten first, calm the child with cuddles and kind words and clean the bite area.

• Once the victim is feeling better approach the child who did the biting and explain the effect of the biting. Encourage the biter to apologize to the victim and comfort them with cuddling and/or gentle strokes.

• If the biter is old enough ask them to suggest ways they could avoid biting in the future and give them strategies for dealing with stressful or frustrating situations.

Click on these links to find out why children bite, find out about Scottsdale Learning Centers’ biting policies, or to contact us directly for more information.”

Ouch!! Why is my toddler biting? Arizona Child Care & Learning Centers -

I am going to show you how to make homemade puzzles, which could be made in several ways! You could print a picture of your child, have him or her draw a picture, paint a picture, color a picture- you name it!! Once you have the picture you’d like, you can cut it into a puzzle which your child can put together! In this post I am going to show you one way, but again, it isn’t the only way! I drew out the puzzle pieces first on the paper then created the picture. You can always draw the puzzle pieces after the picture is created…either way works great!

Materials:
* Paper (I used a piece of computer paper)
* Crayons (or any coloring utensils)
* Pen
* Scissors
* Ruler

How To:
First take your piece of paper (again it is any kind of paper you would like) and draw the puzzle onto your paper. *Using the ruler and pen helps you make a more even puzzle.

Once the puzzle is drawn, take your crayons and draw ANY picture you would like! Having your little one create the picture would be even better. It makes them feel more like they made it!

Looking Good!! Next take the scissors or have your little one take his or her safety scissors and cut along the puzzle lines (just make sure you are supervising )

Once the puzzle is all cut out, your little one will be ready to put together the puzzle! Just mix up the pieces before they start!

Super fun and super easy!!

Puzzling Fun! Arizona Child Care & Learning Centers -

One of the fluency games was called roll, read, repeat. For her 3rd graders they would roll the dice, read the phrase that went along with the corresponding number, and repeat! How do you use this game for the kiddos that don’t quite read yet? Rather than having phrases on the board, have letters! Your little kiddo can roll the dice and say the letter sound or a word that starts with the letter that goes along with the corresponding number. If your little one has begun sight words, this is a great game to test his or her skills while having fun doing so! {bonus} Roll, read, repeat is also great for number recognition and beginning addition skills!

The other game to check out is “say it like a…” This game you use a spinner and have a stack of cards, in Mrs. Bainbridge’s case the cards have different phrases on them, in our case, letters or sight words will do! The spinner has different pictures on it and the kiddos have to read the word, or whatever you would like them to, as the character the spinner lands on. For example, the spinner could land on a picture of a pirate & the little kiddo would have to say a word like a pirate would, hence the name of the game A lot of fun for the kiddos and fun for you too because, let’s face it, they are changing their voices and being so silly! It’s the little things you know

{please excuse my homemade games!} Spinners aren’t always available so I make-shifted a spinner using a brass fastener, popsicle stick, and masking tape! Things that we teachers typically have lying around. The same goes for my dice from the Roll, Read, Repeat…didn’t really have extra dice lying around so I fashioned some for the time being using cube shaped beads, masking tape, and a sharpie. Not as aesthetically pleasing, but it will do for now

Before you know it your little one will be reading so well and will be having so much fun along the way!

Fluency Fun for Your Preschooler Arizona Child Care & Learning Centers -

The Benefits of Sensory Play

“We know that young children are oriented toward sensory experiences. From birth, children have learned about the world by touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, and hearing. Sensory play also contributes in crucial ways to brain development. Think of it as “food for the brain.” Stimulating the senses sends signals to children’s brains that help to strengthen neural pathways important for all types of learning. For example, as children explore sensory materials, they develop their sense of touch, which lays the foundation for learning other skills, such as identifying objects by touch, and using fine-motor muscles. The materials children work with at the sand and water table have many sensory attributes — they may be warm or cool, wet or dry, rough or smooth, hard or soft, textured or slimy. Discovering and differentiating these characteristics is a first step in classification, or sorting — an important part of preschoolers’ science learning and discovery.”

(http://www.highscope.org/file/NewsandInformation/Extensions/ExtVol25No5_low.pdf)

I found this awesome explanation on why it is so important to implement sensory in your child’s life daily. It could be as simple as sorting out colors of beads or even picking out the colors of their socks. I am going to show you a simple way for their eye-hand coordination. We are simply stringing beads!

Materials:
* Beads of any size- just need a hole in the center to string
* A roll of thin string or thread enough to make a necklace
* Plastic needle (Walmart)
* Scissors

Any children under the age of 4 need to have a parent around at ALL times….sneaky kids WILL stick the beads where they should not be!

First take your string and cut off about 2 Feet of string. Pull ONE end through the small hole of the plastic needle.

Tie the opposite end into a knot. I would tie it a few times to make the knot bigger.(Some string won’t require you to add the plastic needle because it won’t shred every time a bead goes on)

The bigger the hole in the center of the bead the bigger the knot needs to be so the beads don’t let loose.
Next simply start stringing the beads onto the string. You can create a fun pattern if desired or just add at any random selection. Depending on the age of your child you can start practicing patterns, count the beads as they  are being strung, etc. Make it fun and age appropriate!

The end result will look like this….

Stringing Beads Arizona Child Care & Learning Centers -

It was just opening day and I of course went to cheer on my Diamondbacks. I LOVE OPENING DAY! And let me just say, I love opening night even more! Had you been with me that night there would have been no way for you to miss that. My poor friends had to endure me saying every few minutes, “IT’S BASEBALL! Guys, it’s opening day.”   Hot dogs, fireworks, & the 7th inning stretch singing “God Bless America” and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”-what’s not to like?

To share the love of baseball I made a list of some great picture books that illustrate the wonderful sport. Books your boys and your sweet girls will enjoy!

Here is a short list of baseball books that will be sure to get you and your little ones as excited as I am about baseball season:

Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team written by Audrey Vernick & illustrated by Steven Salerno. The Acerra family had sixteen children, including twelve ball-playing boys. It was the 1930s, and many families had lots of kids. But only one had enough to field a baseball team . . . with three on the bench! The Acerras were the longest-playing all-brother team in baseball history. They loved the game, but more importantly, they cared for and supported each other and stayed together as a team. Nothing life threw their way could stop them.

ABCs of Baseball written by Peter Golenbock & illustrated by Dan Andreasen. America’s favorite past-time from A to Z. From young to old, new to tried-and-true, here is the baseball book for every fan. With one or more baseball-related terms for each letter arranged in alphabetic order, accompanied by a stirring illustration, this gorgeous compendium celebrates America’s game.

Mama Played Baseball written by David A. Adler & illustrated by Chris O’Leary. Amy’s dad is away, fighting in World War II, and her mama must take a job. But it’s no ordinary job—Amy’s mother becomes a baseball player in the first professional women’s league! Amy cheers louder than anyone at all of the home games. And while Mama’s team travels, Amy works on a secret project—a surprise for her dad when he is finally back home.

H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet written by Brad Herzog & illustrated by Melanie Rose. A-Z for America’s favorite sport!

There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived written and illustrated by Matt Tavares. Ted Williams lived a life of dedication and passion. He was an ordinary kid who wanted one thing: to hit a baseball better than anyone else. So he practiced his swing every chance he got. He did fingertip push-ups. He ate a lot of food. He practiced his swing again. And then practiced it some more. From his days playing ball in North Park as a kid to his unmatched .406 season in 1941 to his heroic tours of duty as a fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, the story of Teddy Ballgame is the story of an American hero.

Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit written and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. Randy Riley loves two things: science and baseball. When it comes to the solar system, the constellations, and all things robot, Randy is a genius. But on the baseball diamond? Not so much. He tries . . . but whiffs every time. Then, one night, Randy sees something shocking through his Space Boy telescope: it’s a fireball, and it’s headed right for his town! Randy does the math, summons all of his science smarts, and devises a plan that will save the day in a spectacular way.

A Picture Book of Jackie Robinson written by David A. Adler & illustrated by Robert Casilla.  Athletic prowess is only one component of the man. Robinson was also a model for those pursuing their dreams due to his courageous triumphs in the face of racial hatred and prejudice.

These are just a few of the many picture books about baseball, but they are a great few!

I hope these books get you excited about baseball season!

Home Run Picture Books Arizona Child Care & Learning Centers -

Last time I blogged, I talked about coping with childhood stress. One of the strategies that I touched upon was journaling. Children, like adults, have thoughts and feelings going through their minds constantly. Just like an adult, children need an outlet to let these thoughts develop. Keeping a journal is a wonderful and effective method for conveying thoughts and venting feelings.

Nurturing your child’s feelings by urging him or her to keep a journal is a great way to help expand and foster his or her ideas. Giving something to your child that he or she can have control over what goes in the journal gives your child a sense of purpose and importance. Not only will it give your child something to be proud of, but it is a great activity for you and your child to engage in over the weekend!

For starters, picking a simple notebook and decorating the cover is a very important step. If they like the book they are writing in, they are more prone to write in it! This is an inexpensive project that can be done with materials you have lying around the house. You can staple some papers together, get a notebook, or gather construction paper and punch 3 holes in it and make the seam with a pretty ribbon or tie it with a string. Next, is simply letting your child decorate the book however they want using jewels,markers, crayons, paint or even stickers. Make sure to help them by creating lines in the journal for them to practice their writing if the lines aren’t already there.

Secondly, make sure to tell your child that they are free to write anything they wish in their journal and that you will not look in it. Journal writing is not a way to snoop and find out about your child’s secrets, it is so he or she can draw(for the ones that are not writing yet) or write about his or her own experiences. This is a great way for children to look through a clearer lens. {but, of course, if your child would like to share, encourage that as well!}

When do you encourage your child’s journaling? A particularly good time to suggest is when he or she is upset about a problem or an event that has taken place that has affected him or her. By having this journal it can help to clarify the situation your child is having worries with. If nothing else, journal writing will basically help your child organize thoughts and feelings without anyone criticizing.

Furthermore, keeping a journal will positively help a child polish their writing abilities  which will be essential for the rest of his or her life!

Here are some samples of a child’s journal and how they express themselves in it:

http://www.wate.com/global/story.asp?s+1309258 

Children and Journaling Arizona Child Care & Learning Centers -

 I. LOVE. THE. MAGIC. TREE. HOUSE. 

But really, these books are GREAT! Remember my post, Chapter Books and Preschoolers, from a couple weeks ago? It isn’t always easy to find chapter books that work well for you AND for your preschoolers. The way Osborne writes is appealing and easy for preschoolers to understand and what she writes about, in my opinion, is totally age appropriate. I have picked up a few picture books that aren’t bad, just aren’t what I would want to read to the kiddos in my class. These ones I love to read and I know that the kids love them too!

We just read Afternoon on the Amazon in Room 11 and the kids loved it! We of course reviewed our who, what, when, where each time we read a different chapter. We finished this book in a couple days which is why I LOVE these books. They aren’t too long and the kids really enjoy seeing what happens with Jack and Annie. Have you read these books yet? YOU SHOULD!

And what else is great about this series is you can really start at any book and not be too lost..each story is a different adventure, and while there are some continuing smaller stories throughout some of the books, the overall story is always different!

There are about 50 fun, adventure filled, books in this series!

If you do find these stories great for you and your kiddos, bonus! There is a Passport to Adventure reading tour this Spring and it is coming to Phoenix April 20th!

The Magic Tree House Arizona Child Care & Learning Centers -