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Reminder you can sign up for CRC events online! Simply click on Calendar item to access the online registration feature! |
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Ways to tell a child "I love You"
Spend a little time each day playing entirely at your child's direction.
Cuddle up under a blanket and watch what he or she wants to watch on TV.
Exchange butterfly kisses or nose-to-nose Eskimo kisses.
Do one of your child's chores for him or her.
Run fingers through hair.
Read books about family love
Send an encouraging note with your child's lunch.
Cook something together.
Talk in the car on the way to school instead of listening to the radio.
Give a foot massage.
Take a long walk together, at your child's pace.
Read the funny pages together.
Find a video game you can play together.
Do a jigsaw puzzle together.
Use magnetic letters to put loving messages on the fridge.
Take pictures of facial expressions showing different emotions, and tape the one of you showing "love" over your child's bed.
Send your child a card in the mail, with stickers or a treat inside.
Stick an encouraging note on your child's mirror as she sleeps.
Set aside a little time each day, maybe before bedtime, to talk about what's going on in your child's life, judgment free. If your child doesn't like to talk, say "Tell me three things that happened today." If it helps, tell three things that happened to you in return.
Find a board game you both enjoy and schedule regular tournaments.
Develop a secret word or gesture that only the two of you know the meaning of.
Kids who don't like to be hugged may be okay with sitting on your lap and being held from behind, particularly if they're watching TV or reading.
Take your child out to lunch every now and then, just the two of you.
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AB1368 (Adams) went into effect January 1, 2010, and requires small family child care programs to have at least one person trained in First Aid and CPR on site at all times. This was already a requirement for large family child care homes, but is now required for small family child care as well. The legislation states that ‘a notice of deficiency shall be issued by the department at the time of a site visit to any licensee who is not in compliance'. We have been told that there will be no grace period so please make sure that all of your staff or family is currently trained in First Aid and CPR! ________________________________________________________ CRC offers low cost CPR and First Aid Training through the Red Cross. April 10 8-4:30 in Spanish May 15 8-4:30 in English We also offer reimbursements if you take CPR and First Aid elsewhere. You can receive up to $100 for courses that meet health and safety requirements. Providers are required to pay a $5 co-pay per training and submit documentation and application by June 15, 2010.
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What Can I do today to get my child ready for Kindergarten and success in school? By Lola Cornish-Nickens, Resource and Referral Program Manager |
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What can I do today to get my child ready for Kindergarten and success in school? These days, there is so much talk about school readiness and educational accountability that parents can get easily overwhelmed. Products are marketed as having educational value and have a high price tag. I’d like to encourage parents to get back to basics. If you really want your child to succeed, you don’t need a bunch of fancy gadgets. What you need is time and energy to devote to your child. Get back to basics, and you will give your child the best gift that they could ever receive! The single most important thing that you can do is talk to your child. Start before he’s even born! Get down on his level, look him in the eyes and talk. Talk about what the two of you are seeing, touching or feeling. Use descriptive language, but don’t make the child feel like you’re lecturing him. Share experiences together and talk about what you’re experiencing. Your voice and speech will be the conduit through which your child will learn language. Read to your child every day. If she doesn’t want to sit through whole stories, just point to the pictures and talk about what you see. Read signs and cereal boxes. Let your child see you reading for pleasure: newspapers, books, magazines. When our children are babies, singing seems to come naturally to parents as we soothe them to sleep with lullabies. Then as the child gets a little older, we tend to lose the desire to sing with them. Don't stop. Singing helps young children to understand rhythm and patterns and is an absolute joy for most kids. Nursery rhymes, silly songs, folk songs, even rock n roll – sing with your child often. Look at what’s going on all around you. Make observations and talk about them. Have you ever taken a walk to the mailbox with a toddler? It’s only twenty feet and it takes an hour! Follow the child’s lead and marvel in every little thing that they discover along with them: a snail slowly sliding down the pavement, grass growing up through a crack in the sidewalk, leaves rushing downstream in the gutter – it’s all magical to your child, so let it be magical to you, too! Spend time in nature! Simple walks, hikes and trips to the park are a great way to start. You could plant something or watch ladybugs or polliwogs. Embrace the sense of wonder that young children have and foster it. It may develop into a lifetime love of learning and seeking new knowledge. Cook and do other chores together. Children get a sense of belonging and self-esteem when they are allowed to help. They can also learn that mistakes are not failures. Spilled milk? No problem, let’s clean it up together. Use these opportunities to explore math and science concepts: sort clothes, follow a recipe, write a shopping list. You may have noticed that none of these things costs you anything but your undivided attention – and that’s what your child really needs in order to be successful! |
CRC WIll be closed on
Monday, February 15, 2010 in observance
of Presidents Day.