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We've stopped blogging, but have left these archives up for your perusing pleasure.
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We've stopped blogging, but have left these archives up for your perusing pleasure.
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Separation Anxiety - Time for Two’s
March 8, 2018, 02:00 PM
Hello families, Spring is fast
approaching although you wouldn’t be able to tell with the sudden snowfall
occurring recently. The children did
enjoy playing in it on the outdoor deck.
We had shovels and trucks out to play with, as well as spray bottles to
paint the snow. Good times were had by all.
We want the most positive experience for them. There will be tears but never for the entire class as we want them to feel safe and secure. So, we will come find you or call you if your child is really having a difficult time. In most situations, we usually find you to let you know how your child is doing, hopefully we can say he or she is not crying and is engaged in an activity. Either way we believe in communicating with you at all times. We are in this together to help your child succeed in moving forward with separation anxiety. It does get easier as time passes by. Usually the crying gets shorter and they are happy to come to class.
Now, on to a tough topic that we have
been experiencing lately - Separation Anxiety.
I know that this is a heart wrenching stage of parenting and I feel for
you since I have gone through this with my own children. Some families are concerned that their child
is having a difficult time attending class without them or grandparents being
there. This is called separation anxiety
when a child is sad, crying and even angry when they are separated from their
parents. Fortunately, this is all normal
but not to say, easy. Some children
adapt with ease and some have a difficult time.
But, there is nothing to be alarmed about because it is natural for a
child to want to be with the person they are most comfortable with. Having said
that, it is still so hard!
You always have to remember that your
child is only two and is learning to cope with other caregivers that are not
their family members. The fear is very
valid because they may worry about their parents not returning back, who they are
left with and being in a different environment.
Can you imagine how they must be feeling?
As your child’s educators, we are here
to make their transition as least difficult for them by letting them get to
know us, and making their environment as inviting to them as possible. Our goal is to make it a positive experience.
We are building trust with then and making them feel safe. By attending class
consistently and having a routine in place for them helps them know what to
expect. Children do well with consistency.
As a parent, it is hard to say goodbye
to your crying child, but we have found that a quick and short goodbye works
best. We are here to help you and we will gently take your child and help him
or her find an activity that they will enjoy.
This is called redirection, a little trick that we use in our field.
Sometimes it works like a charm and sometimes we have to let a child just go
through their stages of emotions. Every
child is different and may require a different pathway.
We want the most positive experience for them. There will be tears but never for the entire class as we want them to feel safe and secure. So, we will come find you or call you if your child is really having a difficult time. In most situations, we usually find you to let you know how your child is doing, hopefully we can say he or she is not crying and is engaged in an activity. Either way we believe in communicating with you at all times. We are in this together to help your child succeed in moving forward with separation anxiety. It does get easier as time passes by. Usually the crying gets shorter and they are happy to come to class.
Some tips that may help:
~ prepping and talking to your child about what will happen during
class
~ reassuring your child you will return
~ providing your child with a stuff animal,
toy, or photo to comfort them
~ reading story books that are related to
children that go away from home but everything is ok
~ keeping goodbyes short
~ providing consistency
Since September, we have seen many of
your children adapt to their time with us and we are so proud of each of them. We
would like to thank the parents for your patience and trust in us to provide a
safe learning environment for your child.
Until next time, Deanna
Children Creatively Collaborating!
February 14, 2018, 05:30 AM
Last week the weather was very rainy
and we decided to have the two year olds engage in gross motor play inside the
classroom after our circle time component.
We moved some of the furniture aside
and provided tunnels to climb through, bean bags to toss in buckets, and small
hoops to manually maneuver and use for hopping. To give the play some extra atmosphere, we
had “Raffi” music playing in the background.
As the young children began to move
around and interact with the various provided materials, the song “Wheels On
The Bus” began to play. You could
visibly see and hear several of the children engaging in the actions and singing
along to this very loved song. All of a
sudden, Swinton began to turn his yellow hoop side to side like he was driving
a bus…then he pulled a chair over and sat down, just as though he was the bus
driver! Before long many of the other children started to move chairs into rows
and sit as though they were passengers on a bus, as they physically created the
actions to the song they were hearing.
When the song ended, they still sat so we started the song again…and
again…and again!
This situation shows how children
can create a circumstance where they are collectively collaborating and enjoying
an experience all together! Such a
meaningful moment for all of us in this “Time For Two’s” program!!
Sincerely,
Teacher
Lori
Slowly Settling...
January 29, 2018, 06:00 AM
Happy New Year!
We are looking forward to many
chances to encourage your child’s growth and development during this term
together. Please feel free to ask any
questions you may have. We are here to
help and support you in whatever way we can.
As early childhood educators, we are
excited to see many young children returning to our “Time for Two’s” program
once again. Since September we have seen
many of the boys and girls embrace the program environment and routine and
seize the chance to independently be involved in our planned experiences.
However, for some of the children it
has been more challenging to separate from their familiar family members, which
is an understandable and common circumstance for such young ones.
Here at “Time for Two’s” we want to
work with your child to gain their trust and work towards a time when they are
readily seeking to stay on their own and start to discover many new learning
opportunities around them.
Sincerely,
Lori Moore
“Suddenly Settled!”
December 11, 2017, 06:00 AM It
has been truly amazing to see the profound progress of many of the “Time For
Two’s” tots this Fall season. Many have
suddenly settled into the classroom routine and have begun to collaborate with
one another in many wonderful ways, sharing materials and toys as well as
demonstrating care for one another.
As educators, we are anticipating many more interesting adventures with the children returning to our care in the New Year as we continue to learn and develop together.
We
have observed kindness in action as some have retrieved tissues for a friend in
tears, helped pack up a snack bag or passed a desired item to another child
nearby. Their attention span has
steadily increased as we read and sing together at circle time each class.
The
children’s creativity has also been steadily increasing as they work with the
art materials provided for their pleasure.As educators, we are anticipating many more interesting adventures with the children returning to our care in the New Year as we continue to learn and develop together.
May
you all have wonderful holiday times with your family! Make sure to enjoy these precious times with
your little ones…they grow up so fast and time is something we cannot retrieve
once it is gone!
Sincerely,
Teacher Lori Moore