Have an Elmo “Fire Safety” Day!!

Today is Elmo’s birthday and he is officially 3 ½ again.  If you happen to be a parent with a child under the age of 5 and your child has “Elmo Fever,” here are 4 ways to experience Elmo and learn about Fire Safety.

1. Watch Elmo Visits the Firehouse.  If you have a preschooler, now is a great time to start talking about fire safety and what to do if you see a fire. 
2. Call a fire station to schedule a visit.  If you are a childcare provider, you can call and schedule a group visit with all of your children.  If you are a parent, you can call to see if they do individual tours.  October is “Fire Prevention Month” so if you are thinking about a visit in October, now is the best time to call.  Remember before your visit to talk to your children about what they may want to ask the firemen, and what to do if there is an emergency during the visit.         
3. Go online and play the Elmo Game called “Elmo’s Fire Safety.”  You can find it at the Sesame Street website. 
4. Paint your own Elmo firehouse.  If you have a local wholesale store nearby, or even an appliance store, see if you can get a large cardboard box.  Also get some red paint from your local art supply store.  Cut out a few windows, get one of mommy or daddy’s old t-shirts to make a smock, and let them go to town painting their own firehouse.  After the firehouse is painted, you can enjoy a small bowl of Goldfish® crackers named Dorothy.

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2/1/11 Openings

Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin – St. Paul Lutheran Preschool will hold an open house on Thursday, Feb. 3rd from 6-7:30 PM for the 2011-2012 school year. Call 920-467-6733 or visit http://www.stpaulfalls.com/preschool.asp for more information.

Sandy, UT – Playful Pandas Preschool is now accepting enrollment for the 2011-2012 school year. Classes will start September 2011. Please call Miss Aimee @ 801-783-0386 or visit http://playfulpandaspreschool.webs.com/.

Mayflower, AR – Mayflower Pre-K pre-registration for the 2011-2012 school year will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 17th. For more information, contact Sheryl Dycus at 501-470-0387 Ext. 1

Saint Louis, MO – Kids Kompany Daycare is now enrolling. They have two convenient locations @ 2727 S. Compton Avenue (314-776-5437) and 3553 Delor Street (314-353-7882). Call for details!!

Eden Prairie, MN – Ace Daycare and Learning Center has opened their doors and is planning an open house! For more details, please call 952-942-5027.

Charlotte Court House, VA – Charlotte County Public Schools Pre-Kindergarten registration for the 2011-2012 school year began today and will conclude on April 1. Information or registration forms may be obtained by calling the Early Learning Center at (434) 542-4463

Oneida, NY – The Oneida City School District and Madison-Oneida BOCES will host a district-wide pre-K registration for the 2011-12 school year. For information, call 315-363-5910

Point Pleasant, WV – The Mason County West Virginia Pre-K Program is now offering preschool services. Registration begins on February 11th. For more information, please contact John Lehew with Mason County Schools @ 304-675-4540.

Fayette County, GA – The Fayette County Public School System is taking registrations for state funded pre-kindergarten classes through Mar. 3 from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. The lottery drawing is March 4th. For more information about the state funded pre-k program, contact Clarice Howard, 770-486-0149 or Jane Price, 770-460-3990, ext. 186.

North Haven, CT – Community Services Day Care Center is now accepting applications for upcoming openings. They are state licensed, and NAEYC accredited. Openings are limited, please call Lauren Montano at 203-239-7366 for more information or an application.

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Inspire your preschoolers heart with art!

Inspire Your Heart with Art Day celebrates art and the effect it can have on your heart.  Today is a great day to take your preschool child to a local art museum and let them experience art for themselves.  Ask them to look at the artwork and think about what the artist was trying to say and how the art makes them feel.  I'm going to take Benjamin to the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art.   

If art museums in your area are hard to come by, see if you can find an art store that sells art supplies.  You and your child can create your own art and talk about how their “artwork” makes you feel.  One popular art store where they say "creativity happens" is Michaels. 

Another idea is to take a trip to your local library to find a book that will inspire your child.  Some great books are:

• A Blue Butterfly: A Story about Claude Monet by Bijou Le Tord
• Art Dog by Thatcher Hurd
• Bijou, Bonbon and Beau: The Kittens Who Danced for Degas by Joan Sweeny
• Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt
• Degas and the Little Dancer by Laurence Anholt
• Early Childhood Themes Using Art Masterpieces by Sandra Fisher
• First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos by MaryAnn Faubion Kohl
• Henri Matisse: Drawing with Scissors by Jane O'Connor
• I Spy Colors in Art by Lucy Micklethwait
• I Spy Shapes in Art by Lucy Micklethwait
• Katie and the Mona Lisa by James Mayhew
• Katie and the Sunflowers by James Mayhew
• Katie Meets the Impressionists by James Mayhew
• Leonardo and the Flying Boy by Laurence Anholt
• Linnea in Monet's Garden by Cristina Bjork, Lena Anderson, and Joan Sandin
• Picasso and the Girl with the Ponytail by Laurence Anholt
• When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden
• Young at Art: Teaching Toddlers Self-Expression, Problem-Solving Skills, and an Appreciation for Art by Susan Striker

If your library doesn’t have thrilling book collection, you can go online to find works of art.  Monet, Picasso, and Da Vinci are very popular artists.  You can Goggle their names or the names of other artists to find images that will help you get started.  You can even find art printables!

Enjoy!

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Daycare Openings 1/30/11

Arroyo Grande, CA – Beach Babies Daycare is opening February 1st. They still have openings for all ages. Please call 805-474-5813 for more information!! 

 

Jefferson, GA – Corner-Stone Church Preschool Registration and Open House is February 1st from 9AM -12PM at Corner-Stone Church. If you have any questions, please call Kimberly Rewis @ 678-524-6986 or visit http://www.corner-stone.org.

 

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Enjoy National Croissant Day with your preschooler!

Today is National Croissant Day.  A croissant is a buttery flaky pastry or bread that is named for its crescent shape.  Rumor has it the very first croissant was created in 1683 in Vienna. At the time, Austria was under siege by the Turkish Empire. The Turks were unsuccessful in their attempts to enter Vienna by force, so they decided to dig an underground tunnel to get into the city. Vienna bakers, who typically stay up all night working underground heard the tunneling operation and gave the alarm.  The Turkish Army had to retreat.

The bakers were thanked and honored for their help in protecting their city from the Turks. In celebration, they also decided to bake their bread in the shape of a crescent moon which is the same symbol found on the Turkish flag. To celebrate National Croissant Day with your kids, enjoy a croissant recipe! 

Turkey Croissant Sandwiches

4 croissants
1 large ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced
8 or more thin slices of turkey (or chicken or ham)
1 cup alfalfa sprouts, rinsed and drained
A smear of mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice each croissant horizontally and lay it out on a plate. Spread a thin layer of mustard on each of the cut sides. Arrange a layer of avocado slices, then the turkey and finally the alfalfa sprouts on one side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with the top halves.  Repeat with each croissant.  Enjoy!


Preschooler Pizza Croissants

1 package Pillsbury® Crescent Rolls
1 cup pizza sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup sliced pepperoni
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Roll out the 8 Pillsbury® Crescent Rolls on a flat work surface. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over the 8 triangles, covering liberally. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Add pepperoni pieces on top of the cheese. Roll croissants from larger side to smaller. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 14-17 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned. Serve with pizza sauce.  Enjoy!

5 ways to keep your toddlers teeth healthy

Brush your teeth
Clean and Floss
Show those cavities
Who’s the boss!

Or

Brush, brush, brush your teeth (Remember Row, Row, Row your boat?)

Brush, brush, brush your teeth

At least two times a day

Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning

Fighting tooth decay!

Brush, brush, brush your teeth.

Brush them everyday.

Up and down, and round and round.

Scrub those germs away.

Those were two little rhymes that I would sing with Benjamin when it came time to brush his teeth.  He has been free of cavities so far, but a few weeks ago while on Twitter I decided to get some expert advice from a pediatrician.  I asked for 5 suggestions only, and Dr. Chris Bowman of Advanced Dentistry of Charlotte in Charlotte, NC had these quick recommendations.  He was able to give them to me in two tweets.  That’s pretty impressive.    

1. Brush their teeth twice a day - According to the American Dental Association, teeth should be brushed twice a day.  Brushing your toddler’s teeth helps to remove plaque which can cause tooth decay and eventually lead to gum disease.
2. Make brushing fun with music or rhymes like the one above – This makes brushing fun, and keeps children engaged. 
3. Xylitol gum and or mints -   In 1963, scientists discovered that the natural sweetener Xylitol slows down the adhesion of the oral bacterium Streptococcus mutans.  So worry not.  A piece of Xylitol gum or a mint from time to time can actually help.
4. Give them low sugar juice - Juice contains large amounts of several sugars which can harm developing teeth.  Remember babies should have no more than 2 oz. of juice a day while toddlers and adults should have no more than 4 oz. of juice a day.
5. Avoid constant use of sippy cups – Sippy cups can cause cavities if children drink sugary drinks from them all day.  When toddlers drink from sippy cups, they bathe their six upper front teeth in whatever sweet drink happens to be in the cup.  The best thing to do is only give them their sippy cup at mealtime.    

On a final note, don’t forget to take your son or daughter to the dentist shortly after their first tooth appears or before their first birthday, and every 6 months after.

Daycare Centers Say Dealing with Drunk Parents is Difficult

Daycare Centers Say Dealing with Drunk Parents is Difficult - KDAF

I wonder how this situation would have played out if the child was enrolled at a home daycare? Typically larger corporate daycare centers have strict policies and operations manuals that tell them exactly what to do in most situations. However, what would happen if this were a home daycare provider that didn't have a set policy but instead had to use common sense?

If I had to guess, I think one of the following would happen:

1. The provider would offer some food or non alcoholic beverage to the parent to encourage them to stay, then slip away and call the authorities
2. The provider would offer some food or non alcoholic beverage to the parent to encourage them to stay and allow them to "sober up"
3. The provider would offer to keep the child longer for free to give the parent "time to relax"
4. The provider would refuse to release the child and dial 911 right in front of the parent

I personally know providers that would do any of the above. Some of my feistier acquaintances would choose #4. I wonder how often this happens in home daycare settings, and what the typical outcome is.

And by the way, when is dealing with a drunk parent not difficult?