As 2021 begins to unfold, many schools are beginning to transition back to in-person learning, which is great news for everyone. Of course, the highest priority remains keeping students, teachers, and staff as healthy as possible, especially since vaccines may likely not be available to students this school year. Thus far, in-person learning does not seem to increase the spread of the novel coronavirus. Wondering how you can do your part as parents to keep your kids healthy as they transition back to in-person learning? Here are some tips for you: Make sure your child is up to date on […]
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Helping Children Identify and Express Feelings
Children experience many of the same emotions that impact adults, but as they get older, they are in a continuous process of learning how to understand and properly manage them. Identifying which emotion they are experiencing is the first step, and only then can they begin to express them in a healthy way. Through these efforts, a child’s emotional intelligence can truly blossom. (It’s also important to note that an adult’s reaction to a child’s expression of the emotions they’re feeling impacts how their emotional intelligence develops. Validating (rather than dismissing) a child’s feelings while they’re growing is crucial.) The […]
Making the Holidays Fun for Kids During COVID-19
The holidays are fast approaching, and as COVID cases rise in the U.S., there is an urgent need to rethink how we gather in groups (and perhaps get a little creative). That said, we believe there’s a unique opportunity to “pivot” and still make things fun, easy, and most of all, safe for children and your family during the holiday season. Here are some of our favorite ideas! Make a gratitude journal or chain. Talk about gratitude with your children and emphasize the importance of remembering how powerful it is to think about things we’re grateful for on a regular […]
How to Keep Children Active and Healthy
As a follow-up to September’s blog post on Childhood Obesity, we wanted to expand on ways you can keep your child active and healthy. With busy schedules and growing demands as children get older, it becomes more and more difficult to stay active, but its importance need not be understated. Being physically active every day is crucial for children to avoid health problems, while also managing bodyweight and building a strong body and mind. Of course, there are several ways to stay active. Here are a few of our favorite tips to cultivating an active lifestyle in children: Perhaps most […]
5 Ways to Deal With Bullying
When it comes to bullying, early care providers have a key role in teaching children how not to bully and how to respond when they feel they are being bullied. […]
Identifying Warning Signs of Childhood Depression and Anxiety
Is My Child Anxious and/or Depressive? Although it’s more common to associate depression and anxiety with adults, the truth is that it can impact anyone of any age, including children. Due to everything that has occurred with COVID-19 and the number of ways it’s challenged and impacted our lives, it’s more important than ever to lend a watchful eye over your own children or young kids in your life who may be showing warning signs of anxiety and depression. Here are some tips to be better equipped at identifying key signals. Who is Primarily Affected? According to the Anxiety and […]
Child Trafficking Awareness and Education
Human trafficking, including child trafficking, is far more prominent in all parts of the world and an unfortunate reality for millions of men, women and children. As organizations continue to build awareness, we’ve sought to provide an educational series on what child trafficking is, ways to identify it, and how you can get involved. What is Human Trafficking? Trafficking of children falls into the category of human trafficking (or trafficking in persons) and is a human rights violation and form of modern-day slavery. Although exact numbers are difficult to obtain, the International Labour Organization estimates some 21 million men, women […]
Creating a Healthy Environment for Your Child
Creating a healthy environment for your child takes work, discipline, and consistency. Children are sponges and as such, fully respond to and navigate their world based on the influence of their parents. Of course, needs differ depending on each child, and thus, parenting styles will as well. Of the numerous reasons to actively cultivate a healthy environment for your child, one of the best ones is to ensure their current enjoyment and future success. Children while inevitably grow in various directions and develop their own interests, and with ample love and support from their parental figures, they can truly thrive […]
Communicate, Collaborate, Coordinate and Cherish: The Four Keys to A Solid Parent/Child Relationship During COVID-19
Due to COVID-19, many parents have been scrambling to fill the role of teacher and create curriculum on the fly while balancing new work from home duties. But it is in these times that there’s a unique opportunity to step more fully into an approach that works for everyone: that of communicating, collaborating, coordinating and cherishing. And it is through this approach that everyone benefits. While each family is presented with unique challenges and circumstances right now, these general guidelines are intended to be helpful in any way you see fit. Communicate As a family unit, it’s crucial as parents […]
Creating a Sense of Belonging for Children
When children feel a sense of belonging, they develop confidence and self-identity. A Sense of Identity Experiencing belonging–knowing where and with whom you belong –is integral to human existence. Children belong first to a family, a cultural group, a neighborhood and a wider community. Belonging acknowledges children’s interdependence with others and the basis of relationships in defining identities. In early childhood, and throughout life, relationships are crucial to a sense of belonging. Belonging is central to being and becoming in that it shapes who children are and who they can become. A child learns and develops a sense of identity […]