The Importance of Responding to the Emotional Needs of Children

I Think I can, I Think I can…..

Your toddler may venture a few feet from your lap and then run back to make sure you are still there.  Your preschooler may enjoy spending a few hours at a friend’s house but staying overnight might be too much independence and you get a late night call to pick him up.  On the other hand, your eight year old might enjoy a little space from you and relish the opportunity to sleepover at a friend’s house.  All of these activities are risks for children, and in order for them to take risks they need to feel they can return to security and predictability when they need it.  Knowing your child’s strengths and capabilities will make it easier to provide the right balance between too much risk-taking and just enough.

Offer Encouragement – when your child is trying to take that first step, tie her shoes or ride a bike you can offer to help at the right time.  Encourage your child to ask for help when something is too difficult and offer assistance without taking over the whole task.  Moving from “I think I can” to “I can” is a process that allows children to blossom.

Practice Critical Thinking – Help your child understand cause and effect by accepting that they will make mistakes once in a while.   Let them pour too much cereal in the bowl to find out there is no room for the milk and then talk about what happened.  Critical thinking skills are necessary for independent children.

Be Patient – Children learn by doing.  It’s always easier to do things yourself, but it’s better for your child if you don’t.  She may make a mess or it might not be like you would do it, but your child will feel a sense of mastery and gain confidence if she does it herself.

Give Choices and Guidelines – When your child has the power to choose, it gives him practice at making decisions and eventually leads to self-sufficiency.  Offer many choices throughout the day.  “Would you like orange juice or a banana with your breakfast?” “What book would you like to read before bedtime?”  “Do you want to wear the red shirt or the blue shirt?” 

The key to encouraging independence is providing opportunities for developing self-reliance skills, while at the same time providing security that your child can always count on.

INFANT ACTIVITY (clipart of baby doing one of the actions)

WE CAN

Encourage your baby to do the actions with you.  Talk about all the wonderful things she can do with her body.

We can jump, jump, jump,

We can clap, clap, clap,

We can hop, hop, hop,

We can kick, kick, kick.

TODDLER ACTIVITY

MATCHING MITTENS

Gather all the mittens and gloves you have in your family and lay them out on the floor.  Socks work great too if you don’t have mittens. Demonstrate how to find matching mittens and set them aside.  Let your child try matching them and be sure and give positive reinforcement for all attempts.  Talk about colors, textures, size and shape.

PRESCHOOL ACTIVITY

Valentine Mice

Provide paper hearts for your child.  Help him fold the heart in half and add a nose and whiskers to the tapered end with black marker or crayon.  Glue string or yarn on the inside of the fold and let it hang out for the tail.  You can help your child write a message on the inside of the mouse.

SCHOOL-AGE ACTIVITY

Heart Mosaic

Provide lots of different colors and textures of paper. Colorful magazines work great.  Your child can tear small pieces and sort into piles with the same colors.  She can draw several heart shapes on a large piece of paper or poster board and glue the colored pieces of paper on to the hearts.  She can add a message or poem and use her masterpiece as a door decoration or a greeting card.

RAISING A HAPPY CHILD

At the end of the day there is one thing that we all want for our children – we just want them to be happy.  Researchers note that happy people tend to have some key characteristics in common like a good sense of humor, close family ties, good friends, a gift for empathizing with others and a conviction that their life has meaning.  You may be wondering what you can do to make sure your child has the key characteristics. Part of the answer is to accept your child for who he is, not who  you think he should be, be attentive to his needs, take his fears seriously, listen when he speaks to you and above all, make sure he knows you love him unconditionally.

Here are some concrete ways that you can try to instill the characteristics that will make your child a happy camper.

Tap into tradition – family routines and traditions lend meaning to a child’s life and the predictability of these routines makes a child feel safe.

Say it with a song – it will lift a child’s spirits and ease stress.

Be community minded – it will help your child feel a part of the larger whole and helping others makes you feel good.

Curb your cynicism – children need to believe that the world is a good place and that people are basically decent.

Encourage your child’s passions – being truly absorbed in a challenging task is a quick route to happiness if it is meaningful to your child.

Raise a nature kid – appreciation of the natural world engages all the senses and helps stimulate the recognition of a just and purposeful existence.  The inherent order we see in nature gives rise to a similar feeling in your child.

Own a pet - your child can learn crucial lessons about empathy, loyalty, and attachment from the animals they love.  The pet in turn makes your child feel valued and competent.

Make your house a home – keeping things in place in your home gives your child a feeling of peace and contentment as long as it is comfortable and pleasant.

Dine together – eat healthy foods under pleasant, unhurried conditions.

Enjoy physical activity - physical affection relieves stress and elevates mood.  In addition, when your child is active feel-good brain chemicals are released. Children who are physically fit have a more positive body image.  It’s fun for children to run, jump, swim, ride bikes and play especially when you join in.  After all, isn’t having fun the most basic definition of happiness?

ASK THE EXPERT (Jody Martin)

How can I minimize power struggles with my daughter?  It takes us forever to get ready in the morning.  We are always late everywhere we go. Signed Frustrated and Frazzled

No matter how compliant a child, there will be times when she does not want to put on her socks or when she refuses to pick up her toys.  As young children develop, they begin to understand that they can make their own decisions.  And occasionally they make a power play at an inconvenient time.

While a power play can be frustrating for you, it is a healthy part of your child’s social/emotional development.  These incidents help her develop a stronger sense of self and the capability to set her own limits.

In many instances, trying to force your child to do what she has said she will not do escalates the situation into a full-blown power struggle. Try offering assistance instead.  For example, you might say, “You can put on your socks by yourself or I can help you this morning.”  Or, “I could help you put away your toys.  Would you like that?”

Or offer choices.  “OK, you don’t want to wear these socks today.  Would you rather wear blue ones or green ones?”  “Let’s see.  Which would be easier to start with:  putting the blocks in this tub or putting the cars back in their case?”

So hang in there, power plays are simply a part of growing up.  They offer opportunities for your child to develop self-esteem and self-control.

Sincerely,

Jody Martin

Director of Education and Training
Crème de la Crème

Please feel free to visit Crème de la Crème Pre School at CremeDeLaCreme.com or call 800 374 5715 to set up a tour today!

Other Crème de la Crème pre schools, childcares and daycares can be found in:

Greenwood Village CO, Buckhead Atlanta GA, Nesbit Ferry Alpharetta GA, Marietta East Cobb GA,  Haynes Bridge Alpharetta GA, Peachtree Corners Norcross GA, Sugarloaf Duluth GA, Warrenville IL, Westmont IL, Glenview IL, Romeoville IL, South Barrington IL, Lincoln Park Chicago IL, Leawood KS, Mt. Laurel NJ, Bridgewater NJ, Mason OH, Allen TX, Colleyville TX, Coppell TX, Frisco TX, Plano TX, Sterling VA and Woodbridge VA.

[MUST READ] HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY MEET THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN?

Meeting the emotional needs of children is one of the most important gifts we can give our children, yet it is one of the most under recognized problems facing families today. At Crème de la Crème, we believe it is important for teachers to understand the importance of meeting the five critical needs of children, but we also wanted to help parents recognize and satisfy the critical emotional needs as well. For this reason, Jody Martin, Vice President of Education and Training for Crème de la Crème has been providing parenting seminars outlining these five critical needs.  She has been presenting in various Creme markets this last fall and will continue to do so in early 2011.

The seminar provides powerful and practical concepts and tools to enable parents to interact with children and with each other in emotionally healthy ways.  Ultimately, when children see this role modeled by their parents and caregivers, they will tend to interact with each other in the same ways. This is so very important because emotional health provides a foundation for success in school, work, marriage, and life in general!

At Crème de la Crème, we understand that children and adults need to feel respected, important, accepted, included, and secure. As children experience what it’s like to have these five critical emotional needs met, they are more likely to become self-confident, independent, responsible, caring, civic-minded individuals.

We believe that parents and teachers should work individually and together to meet the emotional needs of children at home and at school. Consequently, we have specific curriculum that supports social/emotional learning and is an integral part of our philosophy.  In addition, through these parenting seminars, we offer information from Dr. Newmark’s book to share with parents.

INFANT ACTIVITY

Touchy Feely

Babies learn about objects in their world by touching them, feeling them, and doing things with them.  Babies need to interact with things in their world to understand them.  Put a cup, spoon and a rattle on the table.  Sit with your baby in your lap and pick up the cup and pretend to drink from it and say something like “Oh this is so good.”  Now offer the cup to your baby and encourage her to pretend to drink from it.  Continue this game with the spoon and rattle and any other items you choose.

TODDLER ACTIVITY

I Can Do It!

Create a book of actions that your child can do or can strive to do. For example, riding in a car, playing with toys, brushing teeth, holding a spoon to eat or a cup to drink, reading a book, taking a bath, etc.   Cut out magazine pictures of young children involved in typical activities and glue onto cardboard.  Punch holes in the pages and fasten together with yarn to make a book. Read the book with your child pointing out all the things he can do.

PRESCHOOL ACTIVITY

Self Portrait

Provide paper, crayons, markers, pictures and books of different careers.  Encourage your child to create a self-portrait of what she would like to be when she grows up.  You will need a mirror for your child to see her own features.  Keep this in the baby book to refer to many years later.

SCHOOL-AGE ACTIVITY

Mealtime Meeting

Mealtime can be an important family time to reconnect after being away from each other during the day.  Your child can learn about what you did all day and share important events in his life too.  Make sure there are no distractions.  Ask open ended questions like “What was your favorite part of the day or activity you participated in?”  If you ask if your child had a good day you might get a one word answer like yes or no. According to research, children who eat evening meals with their family are more likely to do well in school.

PAGE 3 (Infants 46 and MM 208)

FIVE CRITICAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN

The five critical emotional needs outlined below are excerpted from Dr. Newmark’s book How to Raise Emotionally Healthy Children.  For more information about the book and the nonprofit organization The Children’s Project, please visit www.emotionallyhealthychildren.org.

Need to Feel Respected

Children need to feel respected.  For that to happen, they need to be treated in a courteous, thoughtful, attentive and civil manner – as individuals, deserving the same treatment as others.  One of the best ways for children to learn about respect is to feel what it’s like to be treated respectfully and to observe their parents and other adults treating each other the same way.

Need to Feel Important

When a child feels like they have value and power, and are useful, they feel like they are somebody and then they feel important. Let your child make choices and problem solve the things she can.  Ask her opinions, give her status and recognition, and have patience with mistakes when it takes a little longer or is not done as well as you could have done it yourself.  If your child does not feel important then she might develop a sense of value in negative ways to get attention, to feel like she is somebody.

Need to Feel Accepted

Children have a need to fell accepted as individuals in their own right, with their own uniqueness, and not treated as mere reflections of their parents.  They should have the right to their own feelings, opinions, ideas, concerns, wants and needs.  Paying attention and discussing these feelings, even when you do not like or disagree with what you are hearing, strengthens the relationship.

Need to Feel Included

Children need to feel brought in, to be made to feel a part of things, to feel connected to other people, to have a sense of community.  Family activities offer a way to become closer and also to have fun, learn, and contribute to others.

Need to Feel Secure

Security means creating a positive environment where people care for each other and show it; where people express themselves and others listen; where differences are accepted and conflicts are resolved constructively; where enough structure exists for children to feel safe and protected; and where children have opportunities to actively participate in their own evolution and that of the family (e.g., planning, decision-making, problem-solving and family activities).
PAGE 4

Pete’s Column

Dear Crème de la Crème  Families:

As the New Year begins, I feel it is good time to reflect and review Crème de la Crème ’s commitment to early childhood education.  We understand that the most important years of your child’s development is during their time with us.  We take our role of preparing your child for school and beyond very seriously.

Our curriculum supports the needs of the total child and his or her physical, intellectual, communication, social and emotional development.   We focus on self-confidence and problem solving as well as values, virtues, manners and etiquette.

To expand upon the focus of social/emotional development that we introduced last fall with the new PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) program, Crème de la Crème  has been offering parenting seminars in our markets nationwide. So far over 200 parents have attended the seminars and received the book How to Raise Emotionally Healthy Children by Dr. Gerald Newmark.  The participants were presented with information regarding the five critical emotional needs that all children (and adults) have and participated in exercises addressing these needs.  One parent said “This is information that everyone should know and use on a daily basis not only with their children but in all other relationships including family and work colleagues.”

We know you are your child’s first teacher and we want to continue to provide the best of the best curriculum for your child and resources for you. We look forward to partnering with you in your child’s growth and development in the New Year.

Ask the Expert

How do I know whether my child has high or low self-esteem?

Dear Parent,

Self-esteem is how you think and feel about yourself.  As children grow and develop, they form opinions about themselves through the words and actions of other people.  Children with high self-esteem feel good about themselves, helping them keep a positive attitude toward different circumstances.  Low self-esteem can cause a child to feel insecure, fearful, and anxious.  As a parent or caretaker, you play an important role in helping your child develop the self-confidence needed to succeed in many aspects of his life.

A child showing signs of low self-esteem will avoid new and unfamiliar experiences and situations; blame others for their own mistakes; is easily influenced or frustrated; puts down his own abilities; and is defensive and easily hurt by criticism.

On the other hand, a child with high self-esteem will approach new situations and challenges eagerly; is proud of achievements and is confident about appearance.  In addition, this child learns from his own mistakes and accepts helpful criticism.

You can help your child build a strong sense of confidence by helping him recognize and appreciate his uniqueness, acknowledging and encouraging his efforts, allowing him to make decisions and act independently even if he makes mistakes and by using positive and encouraging language.  Of course, being a model of self-confidence through your own words, actions, and attitude will go a long way as well.

By providing a loving and caring environment, parents and caregivers can positively shape a child’s self-image.

Please feel free to visit Crème de la Crème Pre School at CremeDeLaCreme.com or call 800 374 5715 to set up a tour today!

Other Crème de la Crème pre schools, childcares and daycares can be found in:

Greenwood Village CO, Buckhead Atlanta GA, Nesbit Ferry Alpharetta GA, Marietta East Cobb GA,  Haynes Bridge Alpharetta GA, Peachtree Corners Norcross GA, Sugarloaf Duluth GA, Warrenville IL, Westmont IL, Glenview IL, Romeoville IL, South Barrington IL, Lincoln Park Chicago IL, Leawood KS, Mt. Laurel NJ, Bridgewater NJ, Mason OH, Allen TX, Colleyville TX, Coppell TX, Frisco TX, Plano TX, Sterling VA and Woodbridge VA.

Essential Tips on How to Build Children’s self-esteem

PATHS PROGRAM RECIEVES HIGHEST POSSIBLE RATING!

Promoting alternative thinking strategies is the objective of this premier social and emotional learning program that was developed and refined through nearly 30 years of research.  The PATHS program used by Creme De La Creme pre schools children 3 years and older is the only universal classroom-based social and emotional learning curriculum to achieve the highest possible rating from the elite Blueprints Project of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, University of Colorado.

Scientific research has determined that children experience and react to strong emotions before developing the cognitive abilities to verbalize them.  The PATHS program’s practical, effective strategies teach children how to label their feelings and apply self-control strategies leading to significant improvements in coping skills, classroom behavior, and verbal fluency.

In rigorous clinical studies, the PATHS program has been shown to:

• Reduce aggressive behavior by 32%
• Increase self-control in students by 36%
• Increase vocabulary for emotions by 68%
• Increase scores on cognitive skills tests by 20%
• Significantly improve students’ ability to tolerate frustration plus their ability and willingness to use effective conflict-resolution strategies

The PATHS program covers the following five domains of social and emotional development:  self-control, emotional understanding, positive self-esteem, relationships and interpersonal problem-solving skills.   Certain elements are continually reintroduced throughout the year to integrate the various domains.  To ensure continual reinforcement of key skills from the PATHS program, supplemental activities and a variety of at-home activities will be available for parents and children to do together.

Directors and Team Members at Creme De La Creme pre schools have commented that by using the PATHS program in their classrooms it saves them significant instructional time that used to be spent on students conflicts, tantrums and other classroom disruptions.  They have noticed that the children are making great strides in solving small problems on their own, exhibiting self-control by using the Turtle calm-down techniques when angry or upset, and encouraging their friends to do the same.

PATHS ACTIVITIES

Complimenting Your Child

The PATHS curriculum is designed to build children’s self-esteem and encourage children to support and respect others.  Your child is learning the meaning of the word “compliment.”  Children who hear compliments from their teachers and parents know they are valued and respected.  You can teach your child about compliments by using them at home.  There are four types of compliments that we will address this year:

The way you look – “Wow, you look very pretty or handsome today!”

Things you have – “I like the new hat that you are wearing.”

Things you do well – “You really cleaned up your toys quickly.”

The way you are – “I like the way you petted the dog gently.”

How To Do Turtle

If your child is having a hard time with something and you see him or her starting to get upset, remind him or her to do Turtle.  Follow these three steps for doing Turtle:

1.         Tell yourself to STOP!

2.         Take a deep breath.

3.         Say the problem and how you feel.  (For example, “I feel angry because my sister is not sharing her toys.”

You can model doing Turtle for your child.  Your child learns best from you.  In addition, be sure to read the Twiggle Learns to Do Turtle book provided by your child’s teacher.

POSITIVE GUIDANCE AND DISCIPLINE

Every parent and caregiver struggles at one time or another with how to set limits on children’s behavior.  The goal of positive discipline is to teach children to develop safe, socially responsible behavior that promotes self-respect and respect for the feelings and property of others.

Remember that discipline and punishment are not the same.  Discipline is guidance and teaching that promotes positive behavior.  Punishment is a penalty imposed in reaction to unacceptable behavior.  Positive discipline is more effective than punishment because desirable behaviors that last a lifetime must come from within the child rather than be imposed by external force.

When guiding your child, always make sure she understands that she is accepted and loved, but the behavior is not.  Keep rules simple and specific and avoid power struggles especially with 2 to 4 year olds.  Save using “no” for when you really need it so that it does not get overused.  You can rephrase your sentence to convey the message for example, if your child asks for a cookie too close to meal time you can say “Yes, you may have a cookie right after we finish dinner.”  Try to give a warning first, and then follow through.  “The next time you throw sand, you will have to leave the sandbox.”

Since children prefer positive attention rather than negative attention, you can set the stage for success and encourage desirable behavior through the following positive techniques:

• Make sure your expectations for your child are developmentally appropriate for his or her age.
• Model desirable behavior.  Your child will learn from your example.
• Be consistent.  Your child needs to know what the rules are, and that he can trust the rules not to change.
• A child-proof and appropriate environment can reduce behavior problems.
• Provide age-appropriate materials and a safe place where your child can use them.
• Maintain a balance between quiet and active play.
• Empower your child by providing choices and decision-making opportunities whenever possible.
• Acknowledge your child’s feelings, especially when you must set a limit on behavior.
• Establish regular routines for busy times like meals, getting ready in the morning, and going to bed.  Children need structure.

*Taken from the Children’s Home Society of California’s brochure on Positive Discipline.

ASK THE EXPERT

My child is new at Creme De La Creme pre schools and I hope that she will make lots of new friends.  How can I help?

Dear Parent,

Children today are beginning earlier in social situations, and they are spending more time with peers than they used to.  Recent studies have found that some friendships formed in the early years of childhood are second only to family relationships in importance. 

You are already off to a good start with helping your child make friends. Enrollment in Creme De La Creme pre schools offers your child social experiences that might not be available to her with siblings or other adults in her life.  With many friends her own age, she will encounter lots of opportunities to negotiate and compromise.  She will be encouraged to express her opinions and ideas, as well as to respect others. In addition, she will develop social competence in three main areas:  initiating interactions, maintaining on-going relationships, and solving conflicts with other children. 

Another way you can help your child make friends is to allow her to play with a friend outside of school which often gives the two children a level of comfort with each other that carries over to their time at school. In the early years, you need not be too concerned if your child frequently changes best friends; a friendship may only last for an afternoon of play, but the interaction with and acceptance by peers will have long-term effects on your child’s life.

Please feel free to visit Crème de la Crème Pre School at CremeDeLaCreme.com or call 800 374 5715 to set up a tour today!

Other Crème de la Crème pre schools, childcares and daycares can be found in:

Greenwood Village CO, Buckhead Atlanta GA, Nesbit Ferry Alpharetta GA, Marietta East Cobb GA,  Haynes Bridge Alpharetta GA, Peachtree Corners Norcross GA, Sugarloaf Duluth GA, Warrenville IL, Westmont IL, Glenview IL, Romeoville IL, South Barrington IL, Lincoln Park Chicago IL, Leawood KS, Mt. Laurel NJ, Bridgewater NJ, Mason OH, Allen TX, Colleyville TX, Coppell TX, Frisco TX, Plano TX, Sterling VA and Woodbridge VA.

Ways on How to Increase Self-Control in Students | CHILDCARE

PATHS PROGRAM RECIEVES HIGHEST POSSIBLE RATING!

Promoting alternative thinking strategies is the objective of this premier social and emotional learning program that was developed and refined through nearly 30 years of research.  The PATHS program used by Creme De La Creme pre schools children 3 years and older is the only universal classroom-based social and emotional learning curriculum to achieve the highest possible rating from the elite Blueprints Project of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, University of Colorado.

Scientific research has determined that children experience and react to strong emotions before developing the cognitive abilities to verbalize them.  The PATHS program’s practical, effective strategies teach children how to label their feelings and apply self-control strategies leading to significant improvements in coping skills, classroom behavior, and verbal fluency.

In rigorous clinical studies, the PATHS program has been shown to:

• Reduce aggressive behavior by 32%
• Increase self-control in students by 36%
• Increase vocabulary for emotions by 68%
• Increase scores on cognitive skills tests by 20%
• Significantly improve students’ ability to tolerate frustration plus their ability and willingness to use effective conflict-resolution strategies

The PATHS program covers the following five domains of social and emotional development:  self-control, emotional understanding, positive self-esteem, relationships and interpersonal problem-solving skills.   Certain elements are continually reintroduced throughout the year to integrate the various domains.  To ensure continual reinforcement of key skills from the PATHS program, supplemental activities and a variety of at-home activities will be available for parents and children to do together.

Directors and Team Members at Creme De La Creme pre schools have commented that by using the PATHS program in their classrooms it saves them significant instructional time that used to be spent on students conflicts, tantrums and other classroom disruptions.  They have noticed that the children are making great strides in solving small problems on their own, exhibiting self-control by using the Turtle calm-down techniques when angry or upset, and encouraging their friends to do the same.

PATHS ACTIVITIES

Complimenting Your Child

The PATHS curriculum is designed to build children’s self-esteem and encourage children to support and respect others.  Your child is learning the meaning of the word “compliment.”  Children who hear compliments from their teachers and parents know they are valued and respected.  You can teach your child about compliments by using them at home.  There are four types of compliments that we will address this year:

The way you look – “Wow, you look very pretty or handsome today!”

Things you have – “I like the new hat that you are wearing.”

Things you do well – “You really cleaned up your toys quickly.”

The way you are – “I like the way you petted the dog gently.”

How To Do Turtle

If your child is having a hard time with something and you see him or her starting to get upset, remind him or her to do Turtle.  Follow these three steps for doing Turtle:

1.         Tell yourself to STOP!

2.         Take a deep breath.

3.         Say the problem and how you feel.  (For example, “I feel angry because my sister is not sharing her toys.”

You can model doing Turtle for your child.  Your child learns best from you.  In addition, be sure to read the Twiggle Learns to Do Turtle book provided by your child’s teacher.

POSITIVE GUIDANCE AND DISCIPLINE

Every parent and caregiver struggles at one time or another with how to set limits on children’s behavior.  The goal of positive discipline is to teach children to develop safe, socially responsible behavior that promotes self-respect and respect for the feelings and property of others.

Remember that discipline and punishment are not the same.  Discipline is guidance and teaching that promotes positive behavior.  Punishment is a penalty imposed in reaction to unacceptable behavior.  Positive discipline is more effective than punishment because desirable behaviors that last a lifetime must come from within the child rather than be imposed by external force.

When guiding your child, always make sure she understands that she is accepted and loved, but the behavior is not.  Keep rules simple and specific and avoid power struggles especially with 2 to 4 year olds.  Save using “no” for when you really need it so that it does not get overused.  You can rephrase your sentence to convey the message for example, if your child asks for a cookie too close to meal time you can say “Yes, you may have a cookie right after we finish dinner.”  Try to give a warning first, and then follow through.  “The next time you throw sand, you will have to leave the sandbox.”

Since children prefer positive attention rather than negative attention, you can set the stage for success and encourage desirable behavior through the following positive techniques:

• Make sure your expectations for your child are developmentally appropriate for his or her age.
• Model desirable behavior.  Your child will learn from your example.
• Be consistent.  Your child needs to know what the rules are, and that he can trust the rules not to change.
• A child-proof and appropriate environment can reduce behavior problems.
• Provide age-appropriate materials and a safe place where your child can use them.
• Maintain a balance between quiet and active play.
• Empower your child by providing choices and decision-making opportunities whenever possible.
• Acknowledge your child’s feelings, especially when you must set a limit on behavior.
• Establish regular routines for busy times like meals, getting ready in the morning, and going to bed.  Children need structure.

*Taken from the Children’s Home Society of California’s brochure on Positive Discipline.

ASK THE EXPERT

My child is new at Creme De La Creme pre schools and I hope that she will make lots of new friends.  How can I help?

Dear Parent,

Children today are beginning earlier in social situations, and they are spending more time with peers than they used to.  Recent studies have found that some friendships formed in the early years of childhood are second only to family relationships in importance. 

You are already off to a good start with helping your child make friends. Enrollment in Creme De La Creme pre schools offers your child social experiences that might not be available to her with siblings or other adults in her life.  With many friends her own age, she will encounter lots of opportunities to negotiate and compromise.  She will be encouraged to express her opinions and ideas, as well as to respect others. In addition, she will develop social competence in three main areas:  initiating interactions, maintaining on-going relationships, and solving conflicts with other children. 

Another way you can help your child make friends is to allow her to play with a friend outside of school which often gives the two children a level of comfort with each other that carries over to their time at school. In the early years, you need not be too concerned if your child frequently changes best friends; a friendship may only last for an afternoon of play, but the interaction with and acceptance by peers will have long-term effects on your child’s life.

Please feel free to visit Crème de la Crème Pre School at CremeDeLaCreme.com or call 800 374 5715 to set up a tour today!

Other Crème de la Crème pre schools, childcares and daycares can be found in:

Greenwood Village CO, Buckhead Atlanta GA, Nesbit Ferry Alpharetta GA, Marietta East Cobb GA,  Haynes Bridge Alpharetta GA, Peachtree Corners Norcross GA, Sugarloaf Duluth GA, Warrenville IL, Westmont IL, Glenview IL, Romeoville IL, South Barrington IL, Lincoln Park Chicago IL, Leawood KS, Mt. Laurel NJ, Bridgewater NJ, Mason OH, Allen TX, Colleyville TX, Coppell TX, Frisco TX, Plano TX, Sterling VA and Woodbridge VA.