Is it time yet?
You will notice a shift in this blog. I am on sabbatical for a while and travelling to Alaska from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. My intention is to relate my new Alaskan experiences to my life as an early childhood educator.
How does a child relate to time?
Day one has been a travel day. This is a new experience in distant and time. I have lost all sense of time traveling through time zones, sleep deprived. Young children have no concept of time. Yesterday, today and tomorrow have no meaning for young children other than it is not “right now”. It is common for many parents of preschoolers to withhold any travel, birthday or special event information from their children. Often information spilled too soon for the young child can cause stress for all parties involved! When no sense of time is involved, the nagging of, ”is it time” and “are we there yet” and at this time of year, waiting for Santa can be an exercise in frustration for parents.
Which leads me to the practice of preparing your young child for a known upcoming change. Can you prepare and reassure your child ahead of time? I will answer this by stating that I have known about this trip for several months and yet I am a bundle of nerves about the unknown. Am I prepared, yes, have I been reassured, yes, am I excited, yes, do I still have fears, a resounding, yes! I am an adult I can do my own research, dig into my knowledge of change, and manage my stress after years of practice. I have empathy for the young child whose life is full of the unknown with no sense of time.
Some children handle change with what looks to be ease. We all have different constitutions and capacities for processing what is happening. Involve young children in any preparations that are age appropriate at the time when you think your child can handle the news. For some children more lead time will help, with others it will not help. Remember you know best how your child will react.
Runny Noses, Coughs & Colds
Can you believe that the simple act of hand washing can keep your child healthier this winter? I was reading an article by Dr. Marz of Bass River Pediatrics where he says that young children entering preschool for the first time will spend the next 18 months or so experiencing the entire inventory of cough, cold, runny noses and viruses in the area. If you relocate the pattern continues with “new” local bugs. In fact this is a normal pattern. Your child’s immune system is not sub optimal.
Many of us take hand washing for granted as a way of staying healthy and perhaps focus on good food, sleep and exercise which are all important to our good health. Pair this with hand washing and your child’s health might improve.
What is proper hand washing? Soap and water are integral to good hand washing. Using soap and running water, hands should be rubbed vigorously together for 10 seconds, be sure to include the back of the hand, wrists, between the fingers and under the fingernails. Dry thoroughly with a paper towel and repeat as necessary throughout the day!
Great news, young children love washing their hands. Here is a fun poem to wash to!
Little fingers like to play
In mud and paint and sand all day.
To get those fingers squeaky clean,
Wash the fronts and backs
And in between!
We used finger paint and made our handprints on a separate piece of paper and then sprinkled on a bit of corn meal “dirt” and then recited this poem. It is now hanging on the wall to remind us to wash often.
We also have fun with this poem, as we teach the children to put their coughs or sneezes into their “wings” or elbows.
If you need to cough or sneeze,
Put it in your elbow please.
Throw your tissue in the can,
Now it’s time to wash your hands!!
May these little tidbits keep you healthier this winter!
Promoting Wellness & Independence for Pre-schoolers
How do routines promote wellness and independence for your nursery school aged child?
There are many ways to promote well being while allowing for independence for your pre-schooler. Let’s look at a few basics.
Your young child can begin taking care of him/herself. This does not mean that he/she should do this alone! A family member should be modeling good self care. The most important and easiest way to promote wellness within your family is proper hand washing using soap and running water. Although hand sanitizer will do in a pinch, soap and water is the preferred method of cleaning. This simple task will keep everyone healthier.
Children thrive when given schedule and routine. There are many fun ways to invite your child to participate in healthy daily routines. Let’s look at cooking and housekeeping chores. Preparing nutritious foods is a favorite task of many pre-schoolers. Young children can wash, mix, and stir. Make sure that the cooking task you give your little one is age appropriate with a bit of a challenge. Use family dinners as a time to provide opportunities for practicing using utensils, non-sippy cups and good manners.
Cleaning up can be fun. How about playing a sorting game or getting the task completed before the music ends? Putting things away in familiar places help children to be self sufficient. Folding laundry provides many lessons in dressing for the weather. As the temperature changes so should the clothing in your child’s bureau/closet. Clothing battles can easily be won when you having a selection of seasonally appropriate clothing that your child can choose and put on him/herself. It is a good policy to choose your battles keeping in mind that some things are “must do’s” and are never left up to the child’s choice. Establish this for yourself and your child early. Remember there is no negotiating “must do’s”.
In keeping well make sure that your pre-schooler has the opportunity for gross motor movement/exercise every day. Climbing, running, jumping, catching, lifting, balancing and reaching. This can be accomplished either at a playground or dancing to music in your living room! Just like adults children should move enough to raise their heart rates.
Young children need routine bedtimes. Allow your child to wind down un-stimulated by electronics before bed to assure a good night’s sleep. After getting into pajamas, washing up, tooth brushing and flossing is another important self care routine that you can do together.
Whatever healthy routines you establish keep with them until your child’s next developmental stage. You will recognize when this happens as your routine will need change, sometimes this is dramatic, as in it just no longer works, but often there is just a subtle shift. Flow with it, remembering the basic well being issues discussed above.
Be Well!