CareLuLu

D id you know that your child’s best learning happens through their everyday routines, experiences, and conversations? In fact, researchers found that the amount of language children hear in the first three years of their life plays an important role in their future learning abilities. The power of simply talking with your child can make all the difference.

Families that have children in child care often ask me how they can create opportunities for developing their child’s communication skills when they aren’t with their child all day.  I share that their daily routines provide ample opportunities to enhance their child’s communication skills, as well as provide meaningful interactions with their child.

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In many places across the U.S., winter is in full force. Don’t let the snow keep you and your little ones indoors. The winter wonderland outside your front door is the perfect play environment for rumbustious little rascals. You can add some structure to your playtime with these three great snow day activities.

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Happy New Year! 2013 has been an exciting year, but nothing compared to what 2014 will bring! From the entire CareLuLu team, we wish you lots of joy and happiness with your little ones, as well as good health and success!

Best Wishes and Happy Holidays to You from the CareLuLu Family!

photo by Big Bash Photo

The holidays are a time for the old familiar family traditions. But if you are looking to shake things up a bit, and expose your children to a more global outlook this season, here are some fun and easy traditions from around the world that are easy to integrate into your merriment.

More than milk and cookies.
One of the easiest ways to get kids excited about new cultures and traditions is with food. And there are as many different dishes from around the world associated with this time of year as there are elves in Santa’s workshop.  In Mexico, it is traditional to celebrate Christmas Eve with delicious tamales. In the UK, Santa doesn’t get milk and cookies, it’s sherry and mince pies that warm his late night sleigh ride (makes sense no!?).

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As a working parent you probably rely on child care for your children. But don’t you sometimes wish your kids could do more extra-curricular activities? Getting your kids to day care and yourself to and from work seems hard enough, let alone planning for any additional evening enrichment. Luckily, we have some tips for how to strike a balance:

1. Look for child care that already offers enrichment activities.
Some daycares incorporate enrichment activities like dance, music, sports and technology into their program whereby kids can enjoy an activity without leaving the child care facilities. Be sure to ask when you are interviewing child care providers if these and other services are available. Most child care providers offer some sort of extracurricular activities as part of the curriculum. Others, however, might offer these classes at an additional cost because they invite outside companies to lead these special classes.

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As much as we try to protect our children, studies show that more than half of children will experience bullying at some point in their lives. Bullying can take place as early as preschool. To protect your child, learn to recognize signs of bullying and the steps you can undertake to prevent your child from being bullied again.

Recognize the signs of a bullied preschooler:

• Sudden unexplained fear of going to preschool
• Being withdrawn or depressed
• Coming home with unexplained injuries
• Complaining about another child (or other children) doing or saying mean things
• Avoiding eye contact when asked about preschool and seeming embarrassed or ashamed
• Complaining of headaches and/or stomachaches when they are not sick
• Being clingy and whiny when dropped off at preschool

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‘T

is the season! No not that one…cold and flu season.  And cough, and runny nose, and all manner of bugs and viruses that like to strike as soon as the weather turns chilly!

For kids in day care, this means that your little one may seem to be home sick more often than they are at school. As soon as the thermometer reads a temperature, odds are your facility has strict rules keeping your little one from attending.

If your kid is anything like mine however, one tablespoon of Tylenol and, though still under the weather, they are very much themselves and in need of entertainment. Here are five ideas on how to keep your patient happy and healthy while they ride out their latest winter bug!

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F

ew things are as important as the food we eat. It’s our body’s fuel to grow, heal and get stronger. While a nutritionally balanced diet is always important, it’s even more so for a pregnant or nursing woman. After all, those same nutrients are now helping you grow and feed a developing baby. Talk about work.

If you have found yourself overwhelmed on keeping up with what foods you should or should not be eating, don’t worry you’re not alone. The good news is that no matter your dietary restrictions, whether they be from personal choices (vegan, vegetarian, etc.), food allergies (peanuts, soy, dairy, etc.) or illnesses like Crohn’s Disease or Diabetes, these five simple tips will help you get on the right path.

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H

elp your little ones understand the meaning behind Thanksgiving with this fun and super easy craft project. Your kids will create a Thankful Turkey and be able to list the things they are thankful for. Before your family digs into your Thanksgiving feast, pass the Thankful Turkey or Turkeys (if there are multiple) around the table and ask everyone to share at least one thing they are thankful for. This is a great activity to bring your family together and share the meaning of Thanksgiving.

Supplies needed for each Thankful Turkey:

• 1 large pinecone
• 3 sheets of different colored construction paper (1 yellow and any other colors)
• 2 large googly eyes
• 1 red pipe cleaner
• Different colored markers
• Scissors (child proof)
• Tacky glue

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