Playing is more than just a way to have fun; it’s also an essential part of healthy childhood development. As parents, you can adapt any space at home and design a playroom where your kids can explore, get creative, and learn. When designing a playroom, it’s crucial to think about it from a kid’s perspective. Our guide shows you how to create a fun and functional kids playroom that your children will love for many years to come.

Check out this article from Porch.com to learn more
https://porch.com/advice/ultimate-guide-design-fun-functional-kids-playroom-home-2

 

Learning to get dressed on their own builds a child’s confidence and gives them a sense of achievement. And once your child can get dressed independently, it makes your life easier. Unfortunately, the process is not always an easy one and it can be difficult to know if you are pushing too hard or not hard enough. Thankfully, there are ways to help your child gain this bit of independence – without stressing everyone out in the process.

How to Teach a Kid to Get Dressed Alone

https://www.fatherly.com/parenting/teach-kid-get-dressed-alone/

Teaching kids to get dressed on their own is only hard if you try. In other words, allowing your kids to struggle a little bit is a good thing.

When Do Kids Learn to Dress Themselves? The Developmental Progression of Self-Dressing Skills

http://mamaot.com/when-do-kids-learn-to-dress-themselves-developmental-progression-of-self-dressing-skills/

Little kids really CAN do a lot for themselves when given appropriate opportunities, instruction, and expectations!

Why Kids Fight Getting Dressed

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/parenting/why-kids-fight-getting-dressed.html

It is the question almost every parent asks: Why is getting children dressed such a nightmare, and when will the nightmare end?

If you are looking for affordable childcare in the Omaha/Elkhorn area, visit us at premieracademyin.com to learn how to get your child enrolled. 

As the weather grows colder, heading out the door in the morning will involve more than just throwing on a t-shirt and pair of shorts. Jackets, long pants and long-sleeve shirts will soon be followed by winter coats, hats and scarves.

While some toddlers and young children want to do everything themselves, others will show little interest in dressing themselves. While it is tempting – in the interest of time and frustration – to dress your child every morning, it is important that children learn to master this achievement. Doing so will allow them to be more independent and builds their self-confidence.

The skills that children develop when they dress themselves are significant and include fine motor, gross motor and cognitive skills. Manipulating small buttons and zippers helps strengthen fine motor skills. Gross motor skills improve when a child is able to stand on one leg when pulling on a pair of pants and understanding that a shirt goes on before a sweater and socks before shoes helps to build cognitive skills.

When you are in the thick of teaching your child how to dress themselves, it may feel as if they will never be able to do it on their own. However, what follows are some tips that will help you both remain patient as your child reaches this important milestone.

  1. Consider teaching them how to put their pajamas on first. Pajamas are usually easier for children to manipulate because they don’t have a large number of buttons or zippers. Further, parents usually have more patience when they aren’t worried about getting to work or day care on time.
  2. Pass on complicated articles of clothing until a child is older. Clothing with too many zippers or small buttons will only serve to frustrate a child when they are still learning. The same goes for shoes. Start with slip on shoes or Velcro straps until the child is used to getting their shoes on and off. Once they have mastered that that they can move on to learning to tie their shoes.
  3. Get creative when helping your child get dressed. Purchase clothes with characters or fun designs so they know which side goes in front. Tear a sticker in half and put one on each shoe. When their shoes are on correctly, the two halves will make a whole picture.
  4. Let your child practice dressing their stuffed animals or buttoning a shirt they aren’t wearing. Fine motor skills take time to perfect. Putting on clothes, buttoning and zipping all in one sitting is often too much when your child is just learning. Let them master one skill before moving on to the next.

Teaching a child to dress themselves is not easy and takes a tremendous amount of patience on everyone’s part. The more fun you make it, however, the smoother it will go. Be sure to cheer your child on when they master a task. While it may seem like a slow process, one day you will wake up and your child will be dressed and ready to go before you!

If you are looking for affordable childcare in the Omaha/Elkhorn area, visit us at premieracademyin.com to learn how to get your child enrolled. 

Of all the sources of emotional support Americans have relied on during the current pandemic, one of the most popular has been their pets. Psychologists note that the emotional bond between people and their pets is a particularly therapeutic one.

An article in Psychology Today, Is Your Pet a Pandemic Stress Buster, states that pets are a wonderful source of support for a variety of reasons. One of the most significant is the fact that they don’t judge. 

“Your pet won’t judge you for wearing sweatpants 24/7, being grumpy, or having that extra glass of wine.” 

Some other reasons, according to the article, is that the provide a sense of routine and that spending time with them has a calming effect. Companion animals also can reduce loneliness (feelings of social disconnection) and compensate for reduced human social connection.

If you don’t have a family pet but are considering one, you are not alone. A recent survey from TD Ameritrade finds that 33% of Americans have considered fostering or adopting a new pet amid COVID-19. If you have the time and means to take care of a new furry family member, now may be the perfect time to do so. For your own sake, and the sake of your children.

Premier Academy offers affordable childcare in the Omaha/Elkhorn area. To learn more, visit us at premieracademyinc.com.

If you are looking for affordable childcare in the Omaha/Elkhorn area, visit us at premieracademyin.com to learn how to get your child enrolled.