Tips to Prepare your Children for the New School Year

Prepare your back to school essentials well in time

It’s August, summer is finally coming to an end and the new school year is right around the corner. Time for  parents and students all over the country to start their back to school preparations. Whether your children look forward to this event or they dread the regimented school days ahead, one thing is for sure – back to school entails another big transition. Help your kids cope with the biggest adjustments and make those first weeks of school easier for them with the following tips:

Start talking about the upcoming school year

Before summer break ends, find opportunities to talk to your child about the upcoming school year. Instead of allowing them to dwell on the post-holiday blues, get them excited about going back to school. Think of the things your child will love about school. It could be spending time  with friends, having time to play with other kids, or about a subject they are interested in? Highlight these topics during your conversation so that they’ll have something to look forward to.

Help your child get familiar with the school

If your child is starting school for the first time, it would be good to get them familiar with it first. Take them to the school so they can get a feel of the school’s setting and the environment. If you can, visit  the school grounds, buildings and playground and take time to check out the classrooms, library and other areas. Allow your child to play in the playground and explore the grounds of their new school. Doing this will help them see what school is like and help eliminate their fear of the unknown.

Organize school supplies in advance

There are plenty of things to organize before school starts. There are  uniforms, books, stationery, and a lot more. Start organizing as early as possible. Not only will it reduce the back-to-school related stress, but it will also help your child look forward to heading back to school. It is good to get them involved in the process, too. Take them shopping with you and let them choose their own school supplies. The more new things kids get , the more excited they will feel about school.

Introduce new routines

Introduce new routines to your child before the school year starts. Move bedtime up a bit earlier if they have been staying up late during the summer months. Get them on the right routine based on their class schedule at school. Doing this will make the transition a lot easier and help ensure that their first weeks in school won’t be too overwhelming.

Go to the school for orientation programs

Going back to school can be fun for kids

Many schools conduct orientation sessions before the new school year begins. If this is something that’s being offered in your child’s school, take advantage of this program and join in. However, if the school does not have this, ask when you can drop by the school so your child can meet their new teacher. Taking a few minutes to introduce your child to the new teacher will help them feel comfortable before the school year officially starts.

Facilitate your child’s meeting with the teacher and other kids

It would help to make your little student feel more comfortable in their new school and classroom, if they felt connected with their teacher and the other kids.  If possible, make some arrangements for your child to meet the teacher and other kids in advance. Once they meet, the learning process becomes easier. This way, they will have new peers to play with once school starts, getting them more excited and reducing their back to school jitters.

Getting ready for a new school year can be daunting and overwhelming. But, whether they are starting school for the first time or heading back after the summer break, you can always refer to these tips to make the transition easier for your children.

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7 Things a Daycare Can Teach your Child

Day care teaches kids social skills

A high-quality day care is an excellent place to provide young kids a safe and secure middle ground between home and school. It is where little ones experience tremendous learning while mom and dad are working.  While leaving your child in a day care for the first time may be hard, it’s important to note that this step offers a big advantage to both parents and children. Read on below to learn some of the most valuable things that a daycare can teach your little one.

Social skills

Young children who spend most of their time at home only experience interactions within their family, mostly their parents. Because of this, group interactions may not come easy in the later years. When you send a child to a daycare, they will be given plenty of opportunities to interact with peers in their age group. They learn how to socialize in a safe and secure environment with adult supervision to make sure that kids get along. They learn how to play, share stories and work together. This gives them a good foundation to prepare them for school in the near future.

Building friendships

Young kids don’t have to wait long before they start making friends because they can start as early as daycare. The children they meet in the day care could be the friends they will keep for a lifetime. Not only do young kids learn how to make friends, but they also learn how to make themselves heard in group. And this is essential for their social and emotional development.

Cognitive and language development

The decision to send your child to a daycare may not be the easiest decision at the moment. But it offers huge advantages as far as your child’s development is concerned. Studies have shown that children who attend childcare centers are more likely to have better academic results compared to those who didn’t attend. Daycare is a place where a tremendous amount of learning happens. It is where young kids learn fundamentals of the alphabet and counting. This is where they learn topics such as basic shapes and colors, which all help them in their future learning.

Dealing with separation anxiety

Some children aren’t away from their parents and family until kindergarten. This often results in sudden and difficult separation issues once school starts. Because of this, going to school becomes a much harder ordeal for both parents and children. By sending little ones to a day care, they are gradually being introduced to a new environment away from home, from their family and parents. This is an effective way to help them learn that being away from mom and dad isn’t scary at all.

Independence

According to experts, young children who learn to separate from mom and dad early on are the ones who usually find it easy to transition to preschool and kindergarten. In a daycare, they are taught to do simple tasks by themselves under the caring supervision of the daycare staff.  Daycare provides plenty of opportunities for children to learn how to be independent and how to trust other adults outside their family.

Confidence

Day care activities help kids become confident

At home, young kids are guided by their parents at literally everything they do. They rely upon their parents on practically anything they need. In daycare, children learn to develop confidence in themselves by getting the opportunities to solve problems and perform simple tasks on their own. With the help of an adult nearby, their skills and abilities are being tested which boosts their confidence.

Discipline

Daycare is a place where a child first learns how to adjust to a structured environment. They are given proper schedules for meals, napping, learning and playing. This is where they learn the concept of time and sequence as they finish one activity before moving on to the next when it’s time.

Bringing your child to daycare is not that easy, regardless of their age. However, with the skills and knowledge they will learn and develop, sending your little one to a daycare will  be worth it. And if you’re looking for the best daycare in Tampa that will suit the needs of your child, Creative Learning Academy is the best place to go.

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Celebrate National Picnic Month by Going on a Picnic with the Family

Picnics are a great way to spend time with family

Everybody celebrates Independence Day in July. But, what many people don’t know is that we also celebrate National Picnic Month in July, too! Going for a picnic is an excellent time to embrace nature and breathe in fresh air. It is also a great opportunity to bond with friends, family and loved ones. While a picnic is understood as a simple excursion with meals eaten outdoors, there are some interesting facts about the origin of picnic that not many of us are aware of.

•  The word picnic was taken from the French word “pique nique” which refers to an outdoor meal. The first picnics took place in the Middle Ages when the members of the upper class society would “dine out” or eat their meals outdoors during a hunt.
• The first recorded use of “picnic”, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, was in a letter written by Lord Chesterfield to his son in Berlin in 1748. The word picnic here was used in the sense of a social gathering.
• In the early 1800’s, picnic was already being used to refer to a social meal eaten outdoors.

The lovely, warm weather of July gives us another reason to celebrate National Picnic Month.  If you are looking for ideas on how you can celebrate this national holiday, here are some ideas to help you get started.

• Get outside for a BBQ party! Prepare your favorite meats and side dishes like coleslaw and potato salad. Enjoy family bonding time while you grill your BBQ to perfection and dig into the sumptuous outdoor meal together!
•  Have a traditional picnic. Fill a straw picnic basket with your favorite foods and drinks. Find that perfect spot in a park and don’t forget to bring the plaid blanket. Bring some board games or just savor the moment as you celebrate the open air.
• Play some outdoor games. After eating, it’s a perfect time to play some outdoor games. You can throw a Frisbee and play ball games where everybody can join in.

For fun and exciting activities like picnics, safety and health should remain a top priority. Avoid foodborne illnesses and make the most of the National Picnic Month by taking note of the following tips.

Be conscious of the food temperature and time.

Have everything ready when going on a picnic

Protect your food from getting spoiled by keeping hot food hot and cold food cold especially when you’re traveling or during your outdoor gatherings.  Bring plenty of ice.

Use a food thermometer.
Make sure that your food is safely cooked by using a food thermometer. Before removing meats, especially whole cuts, from the heat source, measure the internal temperature and make sure that they are cooked to 145 degrees F. Let them sit and allow 3 minute rest time before consuming.

Choose healthy foods for your picnic.
Picnics are all about enjoying delicious foods. But delicious doesn’t have to be unhealthy. You can certainly pack satisfying, yet healthy meals for your picnics. For example, you can add a twist to your traditional sandwiches and vary your bread choices. Try using tortillas, flat breads and whole grain products. Then experiment with fillings instead of sticking to the same old ham and cheese. Incorporate oven roasted vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplants to make it healthier.

Bring more non perishable foods.Limit the number of your perishable foods and bring more non-perishable foods. Aside from your salads and sandwiches, you can bring pretzels, oatmeal cookies, or baked potato chips. Other snacks like nuts and sunflower seeds are also excellent food choices.

Keep it clean.
Avoid food contamination by keeping everything clean and sanitary – from the food handling to preparation and packing. Don’t forget to wash your hands before and after handling food. Make sure that all utensils are clean. Don’t use the same utensils for raw and cooked food to avoid transfer of harmful bacteria.  Also bring paper towels, disposable cloths and clean water for cleaning hands and surfaces before and after eating at your picnic venue.

July is a perfect time to take vacations and spend more time outdoors. Make the most of the beautiful weather and celebrate National Picnic Month with your family!

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