Cherished Cherubs Child Care Services
12345 Smith Road K0G 1T0 Kemptville, ON, Canada

Oh MY! Can you imagine this walking by the window during the daycare day? http://www.foxcarolina.com//goose-creek-police-warn-reside

Happy Mother's Day to all the women who do those "mom things" for the people in their lives. :-)

Today we're saying it to remember Lois. cbc.sh/Q8Gq8mi

My lovely assistant has made homemade bagels for snack...nomnomnom :-)

Parenting Tip 101 from the Tiny Tots. Need an extra pair of hands? Child won't hold still when you are dressing them? No problem!! Just hang them up for easy dressing!

Truly one of the weirdest/grossest and slowest to prepare sensory activities. :-)

From ChildCareExchange.com yesterday, a story about disappearing childcare choices that sounds remarkably like Ontario. "Fertile, Minnesota, is a small town (with less than 1,000 residents), but what happened there last year is a microcosm of what is happening in many cities and states. Last year, First Children's Finance, as part of a rural child care initiative, Greater Than Minnesota, was exploring with the Early Childhood Initiative in Fertile, how to meet the growing d...emand for child care in the region through starting a child care center. While this research was going on, the local school district unveiled a low cost Monday-through-Thursday Pre-K program for four-year-olds. While this was heralded as good news for children and families, the result was that 2 of the 12 existing family child care programs in the community were forced to close and the viability of starting a child care center was put into question." Source: Heidi Hagel-Braid, First Children's Finance

The proposed regulations to go along with the new child care legislation. Comments are due by early May.

This is always a great day - spaces are still available, wonderful program resources and an "energy boost" for caregivers.

I have a partially filled box of old cell phones I would like to ship away, looking for a few more cell phones or digital cameras to recycle as a fundraiser for North Grenville Needs a Splash Pad.

Happy St. Patty's Day - the weather was wild and the food was GREEN. :-) AM Snack: Kiwis and Cheerios Lunch: Green Fettuccini and Alfredo, Pork Roast, Peas and Broccoli PM Snack: Honeydew Melon and special cupcakes (Thank-you Angela!)

Wear some GREEN tomorrow!

Thoughts on risk taking, so important in our "helicopter" society. In the introduction of her article, "The Role of Risk in Play and Learning," in the Community Playthings online magazine, Collage, Joan Almon observes... "Real play means taking risks physical, social, and even cognitive. Children are constantly trying out new things and learning a great deal in the process. They love to move from adventure to adventure. They face the risk of mistakes and even of injuri...es, but that does not deter children. They embrace life, play, and risk with gusto, and they are prepared for a certain amount of bumps and bruises while growing up. Even a broken bone doesn't slow them down for long. Fortunately, they heal fast. "Although no one wants to see a child injured, creating an environment that is overly safe creates a different kind of danger for them. Growing up in a risk-averse society, such as we currently have, means children are not able to practice risk-assessment, which enables them to match their skills with the demands of the environment. As a result, many children have become very timid and are reluctant to take risks. At the opposite extreme, many have difficulty reading the situations they face and take foolhardy risks, repeatedly landing in trouble."

This weekend brought to you by re-certification. :-)

YIPPEEEEEEEEEE for sunshine and milder temperatures!

I was just talking with someone last night about this very subject. http://www.cochranetimes.com//learning-opportunities-of-na

Yes I made them run, and dig, and roll around in the snow! Some pretty tired kids barely made it through lunch. :-)

I have posted things on this topic before. We do not force children to share here, and this article describes why. http://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com//its-ok-not-to-s

Gong Hey Fat Choy! We talked a little about Chinese New Year today, and did some painting with lucky RED paint!

Did you and your baby enjoy the sling? Wear your sling safely by keeping your baby visible and kissable. http://bit.ly/hcdnssling Get a safety checklist here: http://bit.ly/hcdnsslingpin

Im Telling! Is tattle tailing your pet peeve? Then, read this! When a child tattles, she is saying, I dont know how to handle this! When a child tattles, it... is our time to teach! Tattling falls into three categories: safety, intrusion and revenge. Safety Examples: Billy cut his knee. Ryan and Tori are fighting. Lilly is talking to that man. Whenever there is an issue of SAFETY, let the child know, It is my job to keep everyone safe. I will take care of it. OR It is my job to keep everyone safe. I will help right now. Intrusion Examples: She took my ball/pencil/turn/etc. They wont let me play. That is my seat/book/idea. Whenever there is an issue of INTRUSION teach the child to be assertive: 1. Ask the child telling, Did you like it? (This is done to assess the assertiveness of the tattler and help the tattler focus on her own feelings.) 2. The child will usually respond, No. Assess the energy in your childs response. Was the, No, passive, assertive or aggressive? 3. If you get an ASSERTIVE REPSONSE from the child, say, Go tell _____, I dont like it when you push me. Then have your child practice the Power of Attention by telling the other child what she wants him TO DO. I want you to _____. Example: I dont like it when you push me. I want you to ask me to move. 4. If you get a PASSIVE OR AGGRESSIVE RESONSE from a child, teach the words to say AND the tone of voice to use. Practice with the child. Then go accompany and assist the child through the process in number 3. Revenge The REVENGE category of tattling refers a child who is telling you something that is happening around her not to her. Sometimes the motivation is helpful. The child thinks it is important to let the adult know what someone else is doing. Other times, the motivation is hurtful. The child IS NOT hurtful but the motivation is. The child is telling to get the other child in trouble. Usually, this is because the tattler feels upset and does not know how to express her anger directly. Again, this is a time to teach! Whenever there is an issue of REVENGE teach the child to be helpful: Ask the child telling, Are you telling me to be helpful or hurtful? (This is done to help the tattler focus on her own motivation. The adults intention is key at this step.) If the child responds HELPUL: Child: Helpful. Adult: How is telling me about ______ being helpful? Child: He/she is supposed to _________. Adult: So you wanted _______. You could do or say ________. HELPFL Example: Child: Aaron is not cleaning up. Adult: Are you telling me to be helpful or hurtful? Child: Helpful. Adult: How is telling me about Aaron not cleaning up being helpful? Child: He is supposed to help clean up. Adult: So you wanted Aaron to do his part. You can tell Aaron, Please help clean up. Child tells Aaron and adults follows-up with: You told Aaron it was time to clean up so he could do his part. That was helpful! If the child responds HURTFUL: Child: Hurtful. Adult: What could you do that is helpful? Child: I dont know. Adult: So you wanted _______. You could do or say ________. Follow-up phrase: You _______ so _________. That was helpful! HURTFUL Example: Child: Aaron is not cleaning up. Adult: Are you telling me to be helpful or hurtful? Child: Hurtful. Adult: So you wanted Aaron to do his part. You can tell Aaron, Please help clean up. Child tells Aaron and adults follows-up with: You told Aaron it was time to clean up so he could do his part. That was helpful! As always, we wish you well! #iheartcd #consciousdiscipline

To our friends in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan: Here's to a restful #FamilyDay! How will you be spending it?

Happy Family Day - enjoy! http://www.centralfrontenac.com/images/2015_Family%20Day.jpg

Great post from childcareexchange.com recently on the topic of "fad research" and early childhood development. In her article, "Primed for Learning: The Young Child's Mind," an article in the Beginnings Workshop Book: Curriculum, Brain Research, Math, Science, Karen Stephens offers this caution: "I've waded through an explosion of brain research literature. Some of it was beyond my technical needs. A neuroscientist, I'm not! But I plodded on to find a gold mine of knowledge.... "When hearing implications of brain studies, be a wise and thoughtful consumer. Inaccurate or misapplied information can harm children rather than help them. Don't accept everything you hear as absolute, final fact. For instance, actively learning to play music builds brain power; passively listening to music does not. Brain research is an emerging field, still in its infancy. New revelations, classifications, and implications surface regularly. Be moderately ske ptical. Don't succumb to fads that supposedly stem from research. Follow your intuition and common sense. "Pay closest attention to information that triggers your 'aha!' response. When brain research rings true, you'll feel it. After all, the human species has evolved to ensure survival of our young. How wonderful that science now bears out that many instinctual parenting and caregiving responses are indeed the best ones!"

Happy Valentine's Day!

Your Child Report Tip of the Day: With the new report you receive a link for the daily report, instead of an e-mail containing all the details of the day each day. If you click on the link today, and you see nothing, go to the dates at the top of the page and select the date of the daily report you would like to see. For example, you could select a day from last week, or last month.

Forgive yourself parents if you have done these things - we are all just learning! http://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com//unhelpful-thing

A recent article from childcareexchange.com that I think is worth sharing. Although "officially" in Ontario we are not promoting the need for kindergarten children to read, in practice this is not always true. There is still a lot of pressure for this from some educators, and even parents. "The Common Core State Standards call for kindergartners to learn how to read, but a new report by early childhood experts says that forcing some kids to read before they are ready coul...d be harmful," declared the Washington Post. The Post article continued... "Two organizations that advocate for early childhood education Defending the Early Years and Alliance for Childhood issued the report titled 'Reading in Kindergarten: Little to Gain and Much to Lose.' It says there is no evidence to support a widespread belief in the United States that children must read in prekindergarten or kindergarten to become strong readers and achieve academic success." Some of the findings cited by the authors Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Geralyn Bywater McLaughlin, and Joan Wolfsheimer Almon: Many children are not developmentally ready to read in kindergarten, yet the Common Core State Standards require them to do just that. This is leading to inappropriate classroom practices. No research documents long-term gains from learning to read in kindergarten. Research shows greater gains from play-based programs than from preschools and kindergartens with a more academic focus. Active, play-based experiences in language-rich environments help children develop their ideas about symbols, oral language and the printed word all vital components of reading. In play-based kindergartens and preschools, teachers intentionally design language and literacy experiences, which help prepare children to become fluent readers.

Lunchtime commentary from the "rumour starter". :-) Upon seeing me grating cheese over the eggs, "We ARE having cheese for lunch...penguins are juicy!" Oh my!

From childcareexchange.com today, some great thoughts on how we encourage kids to be lifelong learners. In her article, "The Secrets of Raising Smart Kids," in Scientific American (Winter 2015), Carol Dweck makes these points: "Many people assume that superior intelligence or ability is a key to success. But more than three decades of research shows that an overemphasis on intellect or talent and the implication that such traits are innate or fixed leaves people vulner...able to failure, fearful of challenges, and unmotivated to learn. "Teaching people to have a 'growth mind-set,' which encourages a focus on 'process' rather than on intelligence or talent, produces high achievers in school and life. "Parents and teachers can engender a growth mind-set in children by praising them for their persistence or strategies (rather than for their intelligence), by telling success stories that emphasize hard work and love of learning, and by teaching them about the brain as a learning machine."

Don't forget your pj's tomorrow for Groundhog Day!

From childcareexchange.com today... "Studies have shown that doodling can free up short- and long-term memory, improve content retention, and increase attention span. It can also produce creative insight, because when the mind starts to engage with visual language, you get neurological access that you dont have when you're in a linguistic mode.... Most of us use reading, writing, and talking to brainstorm, but the human mind is very habit forming.... To break that habit, you have to think in an unfamiliar medium a visual medium."