Milestone or Modern Convenience? – Part I: Overuse of the Sippy Cup & Pacifier

Ahhh! A great read on the sippy cup debate at Early Intervention Strategies for Success.s
Here is Part 1:

Overuse of Sippy Cups and Pacifiers - Part 1!

“Roll the Ball” – Deceptively Easy, Delightfully Fun!

Playing with balls are a favorite activity for most young children.  Try some of the activities in this post from Pre K & K Sharing to develop your child's motor and language skills:

Roll The Ball!

Tummy Time Ideas For When You Can’t Use The Floor

Click on the link to find some great tips to get in some tummy time when you cannot use the floor!  Having a good dose of tummy time is very important for an infant's development.

Tummy time ideas for when you can't use the floor

25 Delicious Recipes for Brown Bananas!

It happens in every household the bananas do not get eaten and they turn brown.  The typical options are to make banana bread, cake or toss them out.  Unfortunately I toss more out than I bake.  Check out this post which offers many recipes that require ripe bananas,  Have your little one help stir, measure or eat them and enjoy!

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Preparing Your Young Child for School: Emotional Readiness

By Emily Darling-Funk, MA, Ionia County Community Mental Health

We all experience BIG emotions of all kinds, and you can help your child learn these skills, even from birth! Studies indicate that children who can regulate themselves emotionally (calm themselves down when they are upset, for example) have improved success with higher level cognitive functions needed for learning (Blair, 2002, p. 121).  Some examBy Emily Darling-Funk, MA, Ionia County Community Mental Healthples would be:

• Infants need lots of rocking, holding, and physical touch to begin developing skills of emotional regulation.
• Parents can respond warmly and stay in control, even when your child loses control. This helps children feel safe.
• Helping your child name his/her emotions helps them feel understood and makes it easier for them to calm down.
• You can provide your child with a nurturing environment where he/she knows what to expect and when, like a daily routine. This helps children feel in control of themselves and their environment, and prepares them for the routines they will learn when in school.

It’s never too early to begin readying your children for this exciting time in their lives. More information about readying your young children for school can be found at www.zerotothree.org

Reference

Blair, C. (2002). Integrating Cognition and Emotion in a Neurobiological Conceptualization of Children’s Function at School Entry. American Psychologist, 57, 111-127.

Stop Trying to Make Kids "Ready" for Kindergarten

In 1975, when I entered kindergarten, no one worried about whether I was “ready.” They were just happy if I did not cry when my mom dropped me off and that I took a nap. So when did kindergarten become the make it or break it year regarding a child’s successful evolution into a functioning adult?  Today, as approximately 4 million children in the United States enter kindergarten, their “readiness” is a hot and contested topic for parents, teachers, administrators, and even politicians. What is readiness for kindergarten?  

To find out please read the article in it's entirety by following the link here.

Kindergarten and the Big Divide

It is 1984. I’m six-years-old. I’m immersed in a bout of pretend play with my friends, Cheryl and Robin. I’m the princess and Robin is the queen. Poor Cheryl has to play the boy. She is the King. Our play area backs up to wooded lot and we are allowed in them as long as we can still see the teachers. We play for a full hour before it is time to go back inside. In the classroom again, we are fully energized and excited to sing, “Little Bunny Foo Foo” in chorus with our teacher. Next, we’ll listen to a story and maybe learn a letter of the alphabet.

This memory comes from the past -- just over 30 years ago. When I think of Kindergarten, this is what I recall: plenty of storytelling, hours of playtime, cooking in the classroom, singing songs, and learning my alphabet - all of them happy memories. Fast-forward 30 years, and my oldest daughter is entering kindergarten. Only she is five-years-old, one year younger than I was when I had these memorable experiences. And kindergarten has drastically changed.

Read the rest at Balanced and Barefoot.