Handling Classroom TransitionsAs young children transition to the next classroom at Premier Academy there can be some anxiety for both the child and the parents. Separation anxiety is a normal reaction. Leaving the familiar faces of teachers and entering into a new environment can be difficult for anyone.

Sometimes the pain of separation seems to hurt us more than our children. Most children quickly adapt to a new classroom, especially if it is in the same quality daycare with familiar friends.

Here are some tips to help transitions and separations:

  • Know your child, and realize that each child’s response is different.
    We all want our children to take to their quality childcare caregivers with eager enthusiasm, but children’s responses to transition and separation depend upon their age, temperament, and experience.
  • Be positive.
    Our children have amazing intuitive skills. They sense our anxiety and hesitation. As the first day for transition draws near, begin talking to your child about what to expect and about any concerns or fears they might have. Present Premier Academyas a place where he’ll learn new things and make friends.
  • Establish a drop-off ritual.
    Developing a quick, simple way to say “good-bye” and reassuring our children that we will return will help separation go more smoothly. Sneaking out creates a sense of mistrust.
  • Tune-in to your child’s behavior.
    During times of change, our children may have behavior regressions, delayed reactions or even outbursts at pick-up time. It’s all normal. We can reassure them with positive comments, physical affection, and love.
  • Make a connection between home and school.
    Little things from home may make our children feel more comfortable: a blanket, a stuffed animal, or for infants, a scarf with mommy’s smell. Photographs also help. Try laminating a favorite picture or compile a little photo album.
  • Contact Premier Academy to see how the day is going.
    If our children are upset when we leave them, we can feel uneasy or guilty. Just knowing they are okay can help us settle down and have a good day.

Adapting to transition and overcoming separation anxiety may take time for some of us, both young and old. Transition times are learning times for our children and parents. Remember that becoming comfortable in a new classroom is an ongoing process, not just a single event. We are committed to being the best daycare and making sure all of our children and parents feel comfortable during drop-off and pick-up. Your children learn through consistent experience that each goodbye, as hard as it may be, is followed by your happy return.

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Building Healthy Parent-Teacher RelationshipsTeachers are often surprised to find out that parents in professional careers can be insecure or uncomfortable when it comes to talking about their child. Even parents with post-graduate education in child development often have feelings of anxiety and insecurity when communicating with teachers about their own children. So how can parents develop a positive parent-teacher relationship in order to work together for the success of your child? Here at Premier Academy it is our goal to make sure each and every parent feels comfortable communicating with our teachers and management.  This is the very definition of providing you quality childcare.

Tips to Build Positive Parent-Teacher Relationships

  • Accept that there is no right way to raise children. Children are complicated, and sharing love and responsibility for the same human being can be difficult.
  • Relax and don’t “sweat the small stuff.” Many of the small issues are far less important than the big issue: a positive relationship between the family andPremier Academy daycare.
  • Realize that some good teachers relate well to children and feel less confident communicating with parents and adults.
  • Build a relationship with your child’s teacher by introducing yourself, participating in the classroom if you have time (or showing your support any way you can), and initiating regular contact.
  • Take advantage of the opportunity to have a parent-teacher conference. Give some thought to what you want to discuss with your child’s teacher. If you want to discuss specific information, let the teacher know ahead of time so that he or she can be prepared.
  • Understand that we often worry about what our children learn while many teachers are more concerned with how they learn. We may tend to focus on the products of our children’s work, while these good teachers often focus on the process of how the children learn.
  • Practice good parent-teacher communication by addressing any important issues or concerns as they arise. Good teachers at quality daycare want to know what we are thinking and feeling, and waiting can make the situation worse.
  • Respect teachers by not confronting them in front of the children. Set up a mutually convenient time to talk.
  • Control your annoyance or anger. Sometimes, we get angry before we really know the facts about what is happening. Assume the teacher’s goodwill and shared interest in the child’s success.
  • Always try to show teacher appreciation for the efforts of your child’s teacher. We probably wouldn’t last long caring for eight to ten toddlers or twenty to thirty second graders (or pleasing families with different cultures, backgrounds, and views who are all passionately concerned about their child’s experience).

Remember, Premier Academy welcomes healthy parent-teacher communication because it gives us a better understanding of our students. Parents have the right to expect updates from their children’s teachers and timely notification of academic issues or other problems. Good communication is the key to a successful parent-teacher relationship. Parents and teachers share responsibility for the education and socialization of children. We can help to prevent and resolve the differences that may arise by using constructive communication, respect, grace, and a good sense of humor.

With the child as the motivation for positive parent-teacher conversations, “dialogues develop out of a growing trust, a mutuality of concern, an appreciation of contrasting perspectives, and a deep empathy,” explains sociologist Sara Lawrence Lightfoot.

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Reading to Children: Tips for Making Storytime MemorableReading is a perfect way to spend quality time with your children. While helping children to develop essential literacy and reading skills, stories spark children’s imaginations and create memories that last a lifetime. Here are a few simple tips from Barefoot Books for making storytime a memorable and enjoyable experience for families.

  • Ask your child for book suggestions. Even the youngest of children have preferences in books. Find out your child’s favorite books for storytime and then suggest some of your own from when you were a child. Don’t forget about classic tales and adventures, such as myths and legends about knights and castles. You can also choose to read bilingual stories or stories from around the world as a way for children to experience different languages and cultures.
  • Consider your child’s attention span or your family’s schedule. When reading to children, it’s not always necessary to read an entire book. Reading one chapter a night at bedtime or even a few pages at a time will keep your child engaged and excited for the next storytime with you. It also helps build suspense and recall.
  • Consider different times of the day to read to your child. Reading time doesn’t always have to be at bedtime. Some families enjoy reading with their children early in the morning as a special way to start the day. Premier Academy promises to provide quality childcare in Omaha and Elkhorn by helping to foster a love of reading in your child all throughout the day.
  • Keep your child engaged in reading. Ask questions along the way to help promote speech development and comprehension. Point out words that might be new to their vocabulary and talk about how the words are used and what they mean. Are there far-off lands that are featured in the book? Find them on a map together. At Premier Academy we incorporate books into our weekly theme and curriculum daily. We ask questions that evoke emotion and reflective inquiry, such as, “What would you do in this situation?” “Why do you think the character behaved in that way?” “Have you ever encountered a similar situation?” “Who does the character remind you of?” “How does the character feel?”
  • Read aloud together with your child. If you have an experienced reader, rather than reading to your child, try reading with him or her. Ask him or her to read a page aloud and then you read a page. Sharing the story in this way will help you discover new things about each other and elicit dialogue.
  • Be creative during storytime. Use your personality to bring children’s books to life. Using different voices for each character or acting out parts of the story can make story time even more memorable and enjoyable for you and your child.
  • Find different places to read to children. Under the trees in the evening with a blanket and flashlight; swaying on a hammock; cuddled up on a favorite couch; at the breakfast table; sitting on the front step watching the world go by…a place to read can be just as unique as the stories themselves.
  • Continue engaging with books after the last page. Look for creative ways to extend the learning of the book. Some ways to do this may be to do a family craft together based on the illustrations or theme in the story; listen to music that is in some way related to the story; research recipes from where the story is located and cook them together; act out the story with your child; write a sequel to the story together, etc.
  • Keep a children’s storytime journal together. It’s never too early to begin teaching children to write. Note the book or story shared, the date, the reactions of other family members. Younger children may wish to draw a picture representing the book. Older children can help complete the journal entry. The journal will become a beautiful memento to look back on the books shared during storytimes together.
  • Take pictures of your family reading. There are few things sweeter than pictures of family members curled up listening to stories together. You can use these pictures to illustrate the passage of time as family members grow, tastes in books evolve, or the books become longer as the children grow older.

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Teaching Children the Meaning of ThanksgivingThanksgiving is a special holiday: a whole day focused on spending time with loved ones and being thankful, without much of the commercialism that has crept into many other holidays. But before you pull up to the table to enjoy your delicious Thanksgiving feast, consider the opportunities this day presents to teach children about the important values of Thanksgiving, such as thankfulness, gratitude, and family.

Here are a few tips to teach and model important Thanksgiving lessons during the holiday:

  • Talk about why we celebrate Thanksgiving. Connect your celebration to the original story of the fall harvest celebration that brought together struggling, starving Pilgrims and generous Native Americans. Here at Premier Academy, we spend the week talking about the origins of Thanksgiving and what we are all thankful for!
  • Turn the television off during family time. Yes, there are the parades, football games, and specials, but try to keep most of Thanksgiving about the conversation and time spent with loved ones.
  • Talk about family traditions and tell stories. If your celebration involves multiple generations or multiple families, talk about traditions, “the good old days,” and your own childhood. Stories teach children about life and history.
  • Put aside differences. Families can be wonderful and enjoyable, but tension and stress are often a part of family get-togethers. Vow to put aside differences on Thanksgiving and focus on the aspects of your family for which you are grateful. While easier said than done, this provides an excellent model for children as they learn about relationships and family.
  • Talk about your Thanksgiving feast. Talk to children about where food comes from and how it was prepared. Everyone can share what their favorite food is and why.
  • Be thankful. Focus on the things you are thankful for; ask everyone at the table to say what they are thankful for or make a list of what your family is thankful for. To take this gratitude lesson to the next level, you could perhaps even hang poster board on the wall and ask everyone to write things they are thankful for throughout the day. Here at Premier Academy we are thankful for all of our families and children who make providing you quality childcare, such a joy!
  • Share & donate. Thanksgiving is a celebration of sharing and abundance. Develop a tradition of sharing with those who have less and involve children in contributing to a food shelter or other charities. This can help children to be thankful for what they have and learn the importance of helping others.
  • Create something for Thanksgiving together. Whether you’re cooking with your children or creating a craft, involving kids in the preparation or an activity is a great way to celebrate and enjoy family time. Don’t worry if the potatoes have a lump or two; the memory-making experience is worth it.
  • Have fun. Sometimes children spend long hours at the kid’s table while grown-ups talk and talk. Be sure fun family activities and enjoying one another is a top priority on Thanksgiving. Maybe you can start a new tradition like going outside and playing a family game of football, or even creating a Thanksgiving Trivia activity.

Here are a few fun facts to get you started:

>A ripe cranberry will bounce.
>All turkeys and chickens have wishbones.
>Canadians celebrate their own Thanksgiving every October.
>Abraham Lincoln declared a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863.
>The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in 1924.

From our family at Premier Academy to yours, however you spend your day, we hope you have a safe, healthy and delicious Thanksgiving with family, friends, and neighbors.

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Importance of School ReadinessWe here at Premier Academy know the importance of school readiness. The first five years are critical to a child’s lifelong development. Early experiences influence brain development, establishing the neural connections that provide the foundation for language, reasoning, problem solving, social skills, behavior, and emotional intelligence – characteristics that often determine how well a child will do in school and in life.

Because early childhood is an important stage of any kid’s life, today’s parents share high expectations for early achievement, including school readiness. 90% of parents surveyed cited academic preparedness as the most important factor in their child’s preschool experience. They want to ensure that their children enter school ready to meet or exceed academic expectations and with a demonstrable ability to apply their newly developing skills in reading, writing and math.

Teacher Perspectives on School Readiness

In a recent study, elementary school teachers shared their views on what they believe to be the most important school readiness factors for any child to succeed in a public or private school setting.

Teachers were unified in their feeling that children should enter their first years of school with an ability to comprehend broader language and math concepts, as well as to be prepared for the social and emotional demands of school. In fact, 96% of teachers surveyed indicated they believe that social and emotional preparedness are the most important outcomes of a child’s preschool experience in order for them to be poised for academic success in the elementary years.

  • Teachers agree that key indicators of the children’s social and emotional readiness for kindergarten and first grade are readiness to accept new responsibilities and greater independence; a strong enthusiasm for learning; an ability to make new friends; and the ability to respect others. At Premier Academy, we focus on making sure your child has the emotional and social maturity required to succeed in Kindergarten and beyond.
  • 96% believe the child’s pre-K experience played a critical role in the child’s preparedness for school.

Common Myths about What School Readiness Means for Your Child

There’s no reason for most parents to be anxious about school readiness. Children who come from homes where adults read, spend engaged time with their children, value literacy, and/or have some social interactions with other children in child care, playdates or groups, or preschool are usually well prepared for kindergarten.
But there are some common myths of which to be aware.

  • Myth #1 – Learning the ABCs is crucial to school readiness.
    The Truth: While important, learning the ABCs is a memorization skill. It’s more important that children recognize letters and identify their sounds to prepare for school.
  • Myth #2 – Children need to count to 50 before going to grade school.
    The Truth: Again while it is important that children understand the order of numbers, when it comes to school readiness, it is far more important to understand the idea of 1-to-1 correspondence (each number counted corresponds to an object, person, etc.) and understanding quantity.
  • Myth #3 – The more teacher-directed the learning, the better.
    The Truth: Children internalize concepts more fully when they are actively engaged in exploration and learning versus being told by someone else. Teachers should be there to guide learning.
  • Myth #4 – The more a program looks like the school we remember as a child the more children will learn.
    The Truth: Young child learn best in an environment that allows them to make choices; to select their own materials for at least part of the day; and empowers them to try new things with a teacher who guides the learning.
  • Myth #5 – Children need quiet to learn.
    The Truth: Children need a language-rich environment where adults provide responsive language interactions and where vocabulary is regularly introduced.
  • Myth #6 – Learning to write is all about letter formation.
    The Truth: While letter formation is one part, even more important is understanding the idea of recording one’s ideas on paper. When a child makes some scribbles and says “This is my daddy,” write your child’s words on the picture and she will begin to make connections between spoken and written words.

Learning some “school skills” like lining up and raising hands before transitioning to school will certainly help make the transition to formal schooling easier; however, the best way to prepare your kids to enter school is giving them the chance to fully explore and experiment in an environment with caring adults who guide, support, and extend their learning. We can offer you all of that and more at Premier Academy.

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Tips for a Smooth Morning Routine for DaycareWhy do mornings seem so difficult? For parents, especially working parents that use child care in Omaha Nebraska, there is typically so much to do in a short period of time. We here at Premier Academy agree. “Morning is the time in which temperamental differences may be most evident – the child who is slow to get going clashes with the mother or father who is fast paced. Or the child who is crabby clashes with the parent who is also crabby,” say authors Ellen Galinsky and Judy David in their book The Preschool Years: Family Strategies That Work – from Experts and Parents. Mornings also provide the perfect opportunity for children to assert their individuality. With the clock ticking for work and meetings, this is prime time for power struggles.

Whether your children are going back to school or struggling with a new morning routine, getting ready for school or daycare doesn’t have to be a struggle. The Canadian Child Care Federation offers these tips for discovering how to get ready for school in a way that works for your family.

Tips for a Smooth Morning Routine for School or Daycare

Leave room for unhurried moments. Make sure everybody has enough sleep and rises early enough to avoid rushing. Give yourselves time for some unhurried moments together before you have to leave the house.

Complete chores the night before. To make the morning routine less stressful, do things the night before. After dinner, for example, prepare lunch boxes and leave them in the fridge overnight. And after you clear away the dinner things, set the breakfast table for the next morning. Ask family members to bath/shower/wash hair the night before, if possible. Gather permission forms, lunch money, or notebooks. Encourage your children to help with chores that are suitable for them.

Offer encouragement. If a small child is prone to dawdling, you may have to offer frequent gentle reminders. When you are busy in the kitchen and the child’s room is on another level, have her dress nearby where you can supervise while you work.

Give yourself more time. Add 10 or 15 extra minutes to your usual schedule. If the child is ready on time, spend it reading, talking, or doing some other activity together, making sure you give him your undivided attention during this period.

Set reasonable expectations. Expect your children to do what they are capable of, for example washing and dressing themselves if they are old enough. This may be an unreasonable expectation for a younger child. Set one task at a time to make expectations seem more attainable.

Have a family meeting. When children are old enough to join in a family discussion, sit down together, perhaps the night before, to go over your morning routine and discuss the best morning routine for the entire family.

Get out the door. If a child has not been cooperative, use the extra 10-15 minutes to get him ready with as little fuss as possible. Do not scold or chat; just do what is necessary to leave on time.

Spend time together. Promise and follow through to spend time together after you pick your child up from child care if the morning routine goes smoothly. Don’t forget to recognize your children’s good effort using encouragement on days when everything works well and your family starts the day on time!

Dealing with Resistance to a Daycare or School Morning Routine

Children may resist morning routines by arguing about breakfast food, debating about what clothes to wear, or playing when they should be getting ready to leave. Children often seek our attention in the morning, especially when we are rushing.

Our children soon learn that when they resist, argue, or stall, they get our attention. These morning difficulties may arise even when we give our children plenty of attention at other times. What can you do to spur on the uncooperative child and give him a sense of power and control?

Encourage and remind, but try not to nag. Let them experience the consequences of procrastinating. This may mean missing breakfast or forgetting their homework.

Establish an agreement that the TV doesn’t go on in the morning until the chores are done, if at all.

Create a morning routine chart with your child, and involve your child by asking, “What’s next on the routine chart?” They can help cut out pictures and design the chart. Have stickers for your child to place on the steps she completes.

Use an alarm clock in children’s rooms. This will ensure that you wake them up at the same time each morning and you haven’t gotten lost looking over your emails. This will help prepare toddlers for elementary school as well.

Ask children whether they would like your help getting ready for school.

Avoid lectures. Instead, asking “what” and “how” questions – such as “what happens when you don’t get dressed in the morning?” and “How do you feel about missing the school bus?” – will entice conversation with our children. These questions help children think for themselves, whereas our lectures may make them stop listening.

Talk about times when you have procrastinated, what happened as a result, and how you felt about it. These conversations can be used as teachable moments for your kids.

Plan ahead, and give your child enough time to succeed on his own. Remember to give reminders and establish clear expectations regarding his morning routine.

Let your child know that you need her help and say, “I would appreciate you getting dressed so we can get to school before circle time.” This invites cooperation instead of defiance.

Many of us charge off with our to-do lists in hand, thinking that when everything is done (which it never is) we can enjoy life. But what we do every day is life. Our ability to step in time with our children amid the everyday stuff, such as getting out of the house in the morning, takes some organization and a lot of patience. Using these tips for establishing a morning routine can help you get it done.

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Toilet Training in Child CareWe face many challenges as parents, but toilet learning may feel like one of the more daunting ones. And now that your child seems old enough to begin toilet learning, you also wonder how toilet learning works in child care. Relax. Like every other aspect of child care, you and your child’s teacher will work as partners in the process of toilet learning. Toilet learning while in a child care or daycare setting may be easier than it is at home. At daycare, your toddler sees other children visiting the bathroom, which can create a powerful incentive and example. Teachers are usually very experienced in toilet learning and can offer you a lot of support. Many schools have toddler-sized toilets and sinks, which can make the process much less intimidating. Ask for the teacher’s insights, and try not to compare your child to other children in the center. Soon, your days of changing diapers will be over and your toddler will seem oh-so grown up.

Tips for Toilet Learning at Daycare or Child Care

  • Get on the same page. Talk with your child’s teachers about the approach they use. They can help you watch for signs of readiness.   These signs may include staying dry for lengths of time, expressing an interest in using the toilet, and being able to pull clothes up and down. You and your child’s teachers will work together to develop a plan for toilet learning. Share your own philosophy and any concerns you have. Mutually agree on how you’ll handle toilet learning and make sure that you consistently follow the plan during the evenings and weekends.
  • Communicate, communicate, communicate. An essential part of Premier Academy’s toddler care toilet training plan involves clear communication with our parents! We want to let you know what is working for us and we welcome any suggestions from you about what works best for your child. Let your child’s teacher know when your child last went potty when you drop off in the morning. Ask for the same information when you pick your child up at the end of the day, and read the Daily Experience Sheet for detailed information. Find out about the times your child uses the bathroom at school and try to duplicate this schedule at home.
  • Come prepared. Accidents are bound to happen during the first few weeks of toilet learning, so make sure your toddler is prepared to cope with potty accidents. Be sure to send your child to daycare with plenty of clean clothes. Skip the onesies, blue jeans, or overalls, and opt for soft, loose pants with an elastic waistband. These clothes help your child be more independent, and they also simplify the inevitable changes. Send your child in shoes that come off easily and don’t forget extra socks.
  • Expect setbacks. Toilet learning is a major developmental milestone in toddler care and it’s very common for children to make progress and then regress. Try not to get discouraged or express frustration to your toddler. Make sure that your child is really ready before you start toilet learning. The age of readiness varies from child to child, but most kids are ready to toilet learn between 20 and 30 months. Take it slow and use a relaxed, positive approach. Talk with your child’s teacher if you have questions or just need some extra support.
  • Push the fruits and veggies. What does nutrition have to do with toilet learning? Constipation is a common problem when children don’t eat enough fiber. Children sometimes develop a fear of toileting if they’ve experienced painful stools. Eating fruits and vegetables helps keep their digestive system regulated.
  • Accommodate special needs. A child with developmental or physical delays may need extra support to toilet learn. Talk with your child’s teacher about ways to help, which might include delaying toilet learning, using a visual chart, or practicing the steps of pulling down pants or washing hands prior to starting toilet learning.

As you go through the toilet learning process, try to keep perspective. Some children are very motivated and learn to use the toilet quickly. Others need more time before they completely master this developmental task. Remember that both you and your child are doing the best you can. Before long, your child will be diaper-free and ready for the next adventure.

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Teaching Your Child Healthy Eating HabitsIt’s never too early to teach your children healthy eating habits! Premier Academy is here to help. As we know, children often times shy away from the raw veggie tray and the fruit salad bowl, preferring a grab-and-go bag of chips or high-sugar cereal instead. But healthy eating isn’t all about broccoli and peas. It’s about habits and routines.

Here are a few ways to help your child get a healthy start on eating habits:

  • Remember that eating habits are established early and often are resistant to change.
    This is an important area of your child’s development, and you should not hesitate to speak with your pediatrician if you have questions or concerns about health, growth, or weight. Premier Academy is committed to working with parents to make sure all of our child’s dietary and health needs are met.
  • Make dinnertime together a priority (no matter how difficult).
    The family dinner is an endangered institution, but it is a hugely valuable routine that is critical in establishing lifelong patterns and creating a connection to family memories. This can be a time for interesting discussions that also build language skills. Children at Premier Academy are welcome to socialize with their friends and teachers during lunch time. Posing a daily question, such as, “The best thing about my day so far…” can become a family ritual to which everyone looks forward.
  • Involve your children in the meal preparations.
    Children often love to help by washing veggies, peeling carrots, breaking lettuce, or helping to set the table.
  • At mealtime, have age-appropriate table expectations.

Allow children to serve themselves when possible. At Premier Academy we encourage building confidence and independence. Encourage small portions, but let them know that they can have second helpings. Model serving portions that aren’t too hefty. Resist the temptation to make your child “clean their plate” as this can result in patterns of overeating. Allowing children to stop eating when they are no longer hungry can prevent this pattern.

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Teaching Your Children About FriendshipWe here at Premiere Academy are big believers in fostering social and emotional development in preschoolers. Social-emotional development affects every aspect of a child’s life, including personal relationships, academic growth, and self-esteem. When children feel good about themselves and have the skills to interact successfully with others, their capacity to achieve skyrockets.

Social-emotional development often occurs organically, as parents and teachers at preschool  model positive relationships. But social skills can also be taught, just like any other skill. During the preschool years, children can learn the basics of emotional literacy, social interactions, and problem-solving. In this article, we offer tips for you on fostering social-emotional development for your preschooler at home.

Foster Emotional Literacy in Children

According to Vanderbilt University’s Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning, children who have a strong foundation of emotional literacy tend to have more positive relationships with others, feel happier, and even do better academically. One critical aspect of emotional literacy is being able to identify emotional responses.

Help your child identify and articulate how she’s feeling, first by labeling her feelings yourself. “You’re crying and your face is red. I can tell you feel really mad right now. Do you want to tell me about it?” Give your child permission to express negative emotions and offer reassurance. Intense feelings of anger and sadness can feel frightening to a child. Help your child understand that these negative emotions are a normal part of life and that you’ll help her handle them along the path to emotional maturity.

Build Your Preschooler’s Social Confidence

Children vary widely in their social readiness. Some children are naturally social, effortlessly interacting with others. Other children may seem shy, anxious, or even aggressive in social situations. Differences in temperament usually account for these variations, but a little education can go a long way in your child’s social development, building confidence and increasing the chances for social success. Teach your child how to say hello, look someone in the eye, or ask to play, just as you would teach your child how to wash his hands or put on his coat. Use playdates to help build your child’s social skills. Give your child the words to say and model how to initiate a social interaction, e.g., “Tap your friend on the shoulder and say, ’Can I play with you?’”

Manage a Preschooler’s Challenging Behavior

Your children’s cognitive, emotional, and verbal skills are still maturing. Developing the impulse control to consistently share, take turns, and express negative emotions appropriately takes a long time. Your patient response will help your preschooler in her path to social-emotional maturity. Wondering how to help? First, be proactive. Set clear limits about acceptable behavior. Use positive language and tell your child what to do, e.g., “You can’t hit your brother. You can say, ‘please stop,’ or you can come get me for help.” Pay attention to cues that your child needs extra support and step in before a blow-up occurs, especially when your child is hungry, tired, bored, or overstimulated.

Use meltdowns, hitting, or other challenging behaviors as learning opportunities. First, calmly and quietly help your child regain control. Later, you can talk with your child about what happened. Listen with empathy and then discuss possible solutions and approaches for next time. Allow your child to experience natural consequences. For example, if your child breaks another child’s toy, she should help fix it. A loving, but firm, response to inappropriate behavior teaches your child that you are in control even when she isn’t and that you will keep her safe until she can keep herself safe.

We believe that healthy social-emotional growth for preschool and pre-k is just as important as cognitive or academic growth. Our curriculum provides teachers with research-based tools for fostering strong emotional development while creating more peaceful, caring classrooms.

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Family Fitness IdeasIf we didn’t know it before, we know it now – being physically active and focusing on fitness is an important life priority beginning in early childhood to build healthy habits. At Premier Academy we provide quality childcare in Omaha and Elkhorn, Nebraska, and we believe that not only does regular exercise and physical activity increase physical and cardiovascular health, it can improve sleep, reduce stress, increase attention and learning, and minimize illness. Because the habits and preferences children develop early in life will shape their choices and behaviors for years to come, it is critical to establish good physical activity habits now.

But knowing the importance of exercise & healthy habits and doing something about it are two different things. The average family has more commitments than time to meet them, from homework to basketball practice to piano lessons. It often seems impossible to fit one more thing into the schedule, no matter how good it is for you. Premier Academy is here to help by making exercise and promoting a healthy lifestyle a part of our curriculum!

One way to fit fitness into the schedule is to turn it into a family activity. Not only is daily physical activity a healthy goal for everyone in the family, it provides us with an opportunity to spend time together and offers an excellent model for young children as they see the adults in their family having fun with fitness right alongside them.

Here are a few ideas for family physical activities that everyone can participate in:

Take a Walk

A daily (or a few times a week) walk is a perfect way to reflect on the day and learn about what’s going on in each other’s lives. Finding ways to go on fun nature walks or allotting twenty minutes after dinner for a walk around your neighborhood will not only help you and your family members re-energize a bit before tackling homework, but it will improve heart health and digestion.

Healthy Habits & Hobbies

Many of us have a list of things we plan to do when our children get older. But why wait? Dreaming of picking up your tennis racquet again someday; why not make it into a family fitness activity and take lessons together? Want to learn karate or taekwondo; what about a family class? Excited about a salsa dancing or a rumba class? Teach the kids a few moves and dance around the living room. With a few modifications, many adult fitness activities can become fun for the whole family.

Keep Physical Activities Simple

Getting more physical activity doesn’t always have to be a planned event. Ask everyone in the family to be on the lookout for simple ways to be more active. Try parking your car further from the door at the shopping mall, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking to the corner store instead of driving. Get creative and involve everyone.

Outdoor Fitness Fun

Depending on the season here in Omaha, there are many fun outdoor family activities to enjoy together. From riding bikes to kite flying and from gardening to building snowmen (or women), getting outside can be invigorating for everyone and can provide a few moments or all day opportunities for physical activity to boost family fitness. We are focused on making Premier Academy the best childcare in Omaha and Elkhorn Nebraska and part of our commitment is making sure our children receive plenty of outdoor fitness fun throughout the day!  When the weather isn’t cooperating, Premier Academy is equipped with indoor gyms so the fun never stops!

Family Challenges & Competitions

Sometimes a little family competition can be motivating. Ask everyone to set a physical activity goal: maybe learning to skip, jumping rope ten times without missing, or seeing who can keep a hula hoop going longest. Keep track of progress on a poster board in a central location. Or, use the Family Activity Log on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s We Can! website.

Fit for a Cause

It seems like there is a walk-a-thon or 5K opportunity every weekend here in Omaha, NE. Participate in a good cause and turn it into a family fitness activity. Involve the whole family in choosing a cause, training for the event, and then participating. The rewards will be many as your whole family contributes to a cause you are committed to, as well as participates in an event with others who are enjoying a physical activity.

Minimize Screen Time

Take a look at how often your child is in front of a screen. From video games to computers and television, it adds up. While not all screen activities are bad, they are, for the most part, sedentary. Set boundaries between kids and screens by helping children maintain healthy technology usage. Think about ways to minimize screen time like eliminating screens from your child’s bedroom, challenging children to be active during commercials (how many jumping jacks can you do during a commercial break?), and limiting TV on weekend days when children have many alternate active options.

Here at Premier Academy we make sure your child has at least one hour of physical activity each day! We offer a large outdoor play space and an indoor gym; so rain or shine, your little one is always active!

Regardless of what you do, it’s important to make family fitness enjoyable. Having fun together as a family is as important as the physical activity itself.