Court has once again been rescheduled. Court is now set for Aug.2. We will be closed on June 10th also. I will use that as one of our 10 personal days. Ashley is having her 8th grade graduation. Sorry this is in the day. I thought it would be an evening event.

This free slideshow design created with Smilebox

April

* Preschool for April is :  Black-n-White, K,L,Square,Diamond,9,10, "Welcoming Spring","Easter","Earth Day"

*Please send large refill of wipes for April

*Please make sure your child's cubby has extra clothes.

*Weather Permitting we will try to head outside everyday to either the backyard, Jackolyn Park, or for a walk. We will head out as soon as we are done with preschool on M,W,F and on Tuesday's and Thursday's we will head out around  9:15ish. If you are not going to be here that day or be here later than those times please call or text us.

*Softball will be starting this month. I have yet to get a schedule of practices or games, but we will need everyone picked up promptly at 5:30 so we can get to the girls events on time. Daycare closes at 5:30 unless other arrangments have been made.

*Happy Birthday in March to Nicholas, Kaden, and Addison! Happy Birthday in April to Hayden!

*Daycare is closed April 6th.

*Thanks Lisa and Holly for coming and helping at the St.Patricks Day Parade! We had a great time. We could'nt have went without your help.

Easter is almost here.....

Thursday we will be dying Easter eggs with the kids. We will take their shirts off for this activity. We will be starting our eggs at 9:00. We will start early so that we can get outside because it's supposed to be super nice on Thursday. :)  Friday we will have an Easter egg hunt.  We will start our Easter egg hunt at 9:30! We will be doing eggs and candy. If anyone else wishes to bring treats or anything else, feel free to do so.  Hope the Easter Bunny finds his way to everyone's house, and everyone has a great holiday!

Reminder: On Wednesday we will be going to the St.Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade starts at 1:00. We will eat lunch and leave our house at 12:15. Make sure to wear your green! We will need to have 1 child bring a carseat. We are short just 1.

We will be going outside now that it’s nice everyday if possible. Please make sure whatever your child is wearing is able to get dirty. Please also make sure to let us know if you are not going to be here by 9:00 so we can plan our morning accordingly.

Daycare will be closed on March 29th due to court. If that changes, I will let you know A.S.A.P.

Daycare will be closed on April 6th per contract.

Spring looks like it may finally start to arrive. We will be trying to go outside as much as possible. We will play in the backyard and go for walks. We are working really hard on walking with a rope so that when summer comes we can walk to the splash-pad. The kids have really enjoyed being able to get outside. We have too! Please make sure that your child has all their winter gear here. You can leave it on their hooks for the week if that's easier. Their snowpants will keep them dry and their boots also. Please also make sure that your child's cubbie has extra clothes. In case of an accident or wet clothes.
On March 17th we would like to go to the St. Patrick's Day Parade! Please let us know if your child will be here that day or not. Any parents that would like to drive and help that would be great. Currently I have Braydin's parents helping. In past years we have went and the kids love it. If the weather ends up being nasty that day we will not go. Everyone will be in proper car seats. If you have one of our carseats, we will need it for this outing.
Daycare will be closed on March 29th for court. If this changes I will let you know A.S.A.P. Reminder also.... Daycare will also be closed on April 6th 2010 per contract.
Please remember to send wipes in for the month of March. Everyone should send wipes weather they are potty-trained or not.
Preschool this month we will be working on Yellow,Green,Star,Clover,8,9,I,J,St.Patrick's Day, and Easter. If you ever have any old ribbon, fancy paper, or any craft stuff you don't want please donate it to us.
Hope everyone like the new hooks. The kids have enjoyed them. We are awaiting Braydin and Nicholas's pics. Hopefully they will be here soon.

If your schedule changes, please please let us know by the end of the week for the following week. It plays a big part in our day, when we don't know who's coming and when. It limits when we go on walks, Wasted cups made in the a.m., wasted preschool worksheets, etc. Please write your schedule down, email, text or facebook it. All work.

Also... If anyone misses either one of us at pick-up due to getting kids from school, and would like to talk to either one of us, feel free to call or whatever. Since we do pick-up we miss each other sometimes. I don't ever want anyone to feel like they can't talk to both of us. We will always stay in our ratio if someone is gone for any other reason. One thing nice about having 2 providers is that when in low numbers we are able to take care of our kids also without having to cancel work. Lately... The way everyone's schedules have worked we have been in low low ratio.
It's so exciting that spring is almost here! We will be working hard while you are away at work learning, growing, and decorating our room with lots of "Fresh Spring" stuff. The days of shorts and sandals are just around the corner.

If anyone likes to shop ahead of season and is buying summer shoes, we really like sandals with straps.(not flip-flops) They are easy to get on and off(especially when you are putting on several shoes), they are waterproof, and they eliminate the sock hunt. :)

In April softball will start for our girls. They have evening practices starting between 5:30 and 5:45. It will be pertinent that we are able to leave the house right at 5:30 when daycare closes. If you are not here at that time, we will need to take your child with us and have you pick-up at the ball field. You will be able to reach us on the cell.

Hope everyone has a GREAT WEEK!

DAYCARE WILL BE CLOSED ON MARCH 29th.

Daycare will be closed on March 29th for Court. As before this could always change. If it does I will let everyone know A.S.A.P. Hopefully we will be able to just be done with this. This March it will be a year since this all started. Thanks for your patience in this situation.

Valentines Day 2010

Make a Smilebox photobook

Biting Our Friends :(

Biting has reared it's ugly head again. We will do everything we can to prevent bites... With that said, it only takes a sec. for someone to unexpectedly bite. (As a few of you have seen) When we know that someone is biting we will shadow them and keep them with us. We will also be using Time-Outs away from the activities of their friends. Just wanted to share some info on Biting.
When children bite someone while at childcare, it is a serious problem. Parents often become upset or angry. They at times blame childcare providers for the biting, stating they should watch the children more closely so the children cannot bite others. The truth is, children can bite someone even under close adult supervision. Another problem that arises from childhood biting is the spread of biting. Once a child has been bitten, they too learn to bite. Because of this, a child who has been bitten may in turn bite another child. In this way, biting is “contagious”. Once there is more than one child biting at a childcare, it becomes quite difficult for a childcare provider to get the children to stop biting. Things become even worse when a child is bruised, has broken skin, or is in some way injured as a result of being bitten. When this happens, parents become angry and can make things difficult for the childcare provider. It is not uncommon for parents to remove their children from the childcare as a result of biting incidents.

It can be very stressful for childcare providers when having a child removed from their care under such circumstances. Stress occurs for several reasons.

· Childcare providers are typically very attached to the children they care for. Because of this, childcare providers feel bad when children they care for are taken from their care.

· Childcare providers count on the income they receive from taking care of children. Having a child abruptly removed from childcare imposes a financial hardship on childcare providers.
Biting another child is one of the more unacceptable, aggressive behaviors in our society. The parent of the child who has been bitten is usually upset and worried about the risk of infection. If biting happens in a day care setting, the other parents may want the biter to be expelled. If it happens in someone else's home, the child is often told never to return. Adults tend to forget that some biting behavior in a group of toddlers is to be expected.

Causes

Children usually discover biting by chance when they are about 1 year old and teething. Most children first learn to bite by biting their parents in a playful manner. It is important to try to interrupt this primitive behavior at this early stage. The biting often continues because the parents initially think it is cute and the child considers it a game to get attention.

Later, children may bite when they are frustrated and want something from another child. At an age when children have minimal verbal skills, biting becomes a primitive form of communication. Only after a child is 2 or 3 years old does biting become a deliberate way to express anger and intimidate others.

Recommendations

Establish a rule: "We never bite people."
Give your child a reason for the rule, namely that biting hurts.

Other reasons (that won't interest a young child) are that bites can lead to infection or scarring.

Suggest a safe alternative behavior.
Tell your child that if he wants something he should come to you and ask for help or point to it. He should not bite the person who has it. If your child bites when he is angry, tell him, "If you are mad, come to me and tell me before you bite anyone."

If your child is at the chewing age (usually less than 18 months), help him choose a toy that he can bite rather than tell him that he cannot bite anything. A firm toy or teething ring will do. Encourage him to carry his "chewy" with him for a few days.

Interrupt biting with a sharp "No."
Be sure to use an unfriendly voice and look your child straight in the eye. Try to interrupt her when she looks as if she might bite someone before she actually does it. Especially close supervision of your child may be necessary until you are sure he/she will no longer bite people.

Give your child a time-out when he/she bites people.
Send him/her to a boring place for approximately one minute per year of age.

If he/she tries to bite you while you are holding him/her, say "No." Always put him/her down immediately and walk away (a form of time-out). If time-out does not work, take away a favorite toy for the rest of the day.

Never bite your child for biting someone else.
Biting back will make your child upset that you hurt him/her and may teach him/her that it is okay to bite if you're bigger. Also, do not wash your child's mouth out with soap, pinch or pop his/her cheek, or slap his/her mouth. In fact, if your child tends to be aggressive, avoid physical punishment in general (for example, spanking).

Also eliminate "love-bites" because your child will not understand how they are different from painful biting.

Praise your child for not biting.
Praise your child especially when he/she is in situations in which he used to bite or when he is with children whom he/she used to bite. Remind your child gently not to bite before you embark on a high-risk visit. Then if he/she doesn't bite, praise him afterward for good behavior.

Biting in child care settings.
Biting behavior is common in child care settings. The preceding approach should be used by day care staff to eliminate the behavior in their setting. Provide careful supervision and quickly place the biting child in time-out, even when he/she acts like he/she might bite someone. In general biting is harmless since most bites by younger children don't puncture the skin. Calling the parent at work is pointless since the problem should be dealt with immediately by whomever witnesses it.

Prevention

The best time to stop biting behavior from becoming a habit is when the biting first starts. Be sure that no one laughs when your child bites and that no one, including older siblings, treats biting as a game. Also never give in to your child's demands because of biting. Make sure that day care providers understand your approach and are willing to follow it.What to Do About Biting?
ParentLink, 4-H/Youth Development, University of Missouri-Columbia

Many young children go through a biting phase that is troubling to parents. Time usually solves the problem, although there are things parents can do to help prevent and solve this problem.

1. Why does my child bite?

Biting happens for many reasons with different children in a variety of circumstances. Here are a few reasons why children bite:

Exploration: Children learn by touching, smelling, hearing, and tasting. Biting is another way to explore the world.
Cause and effect: Children at this age are exploring what happens when they do something; that curiosity includes biting. They may not realize that biting can hurt others.
Attention: Children may bite to get attention. Biting is quick way to become the center of attention, even if it is negative attention.
Imitation: Children may see other children biting and decide to try it themselves.
Independence: Children at this age are trying hard to be independent. Biting can be a quick way to get a toy you want, or example, or to make another child leave.
Frustration: Growing up can be stressful, especially for young children who don’t have control of their bodies yet and have not yet learned to find the words to express their feelings. At times, children may resort to hitting, pushing, or biting when they don’t have the ability to talk about their frustration.
Stress: A child’s world can be stressful. Biting can be a way to express feelings and relieve tension that results from stressful events such as a divorce, death of a pet, or starting a new preschool.
Self-defense: Some children bite because other children have bitten or shown aggression toward them.

2. Is biting common in children?

Many children between the ages of 14 months and 3 years go through a biting phase that usually disappears when they can express their needs and feelings through words. Parents who stay calm, respond appropriately, and encourage children to express themselves with words instead of biting can help guide children through this phase.

3. What can I do to stop my child from biting?

Determining when and why children bite can also help solve the problem. For instance, does the biting usually occur when a child is tired or hungry? Does the child always bite the same person? Does the biting usually occur at daycare when children want the same toy?

If biting occurs when two young children want the same toy, buying a second toy may help until children are old enough to learn to share. Children who are biting one another can be redirected to separate activities until this phase passes.

If biting occurs with a major change in a child’s life, such as starting a new preschool, he or she may need extra love and attention during this time.

Watch for signs of rising frustration in your child and take action to prevent conflicts such as biting from happening. Young children can be distracted and redirected to other activities to prevent biting incidents.

4. Will biting behavior just go away if I ignore it?

Children will move through this phase as they develop more effective social skills, but parents can help by responding appropriately and teaching their children better ways to express their feelings using words. Close supervision during this time period in order to be able to act quickly to resolve problems will also help children work through the biting phase.

5. How can my child care provider and I help solve my child’s biting problem?

Parents and day care providers can work together as a team to problem solve and respond with consistency to your child’s biting. Team members can work together to identify possible reasons for your child’s biting and respond appropriately. Communicating together and comparing observations at home and at daycare can help you solve this problem together.

6. Are there ways I can prevent my child from biting?

Parents can encourage children to express themselves in words. The more they can put their feelings into words (“I’m mad. I want the truck.” “I’m sad. I can’t find my bear.”), the less apt children will be to bite.

Parents can help children understand that people experience a wide array of feelings, and there are many ways to express those feelings. Share your feelings—frustration, joy, sadness, fear, envy, contentment, pride—in words with your children so they will model this behavior. Talk to your children about their feelings and help them put feelings into words.

Help children see that there are many ways to express feelings both in words and in other ways. For instance, if they feel sad or lonely, children can hug a stuffed animal or cuddle with a pet. If children feel frustrated, they can express their emotions through drawing pictures or throwing frisbees in the park. Children can also learn that music expresses a variety of feelings.

Another effective way to prevent biting and other behaviors is to praise children for beginning to learn to share and interact with other children. When children show signs of learning social skills such as saying “Thank you,” showing patience, sharing with other children, or indicating they are aware of other people’s needs, be sure to tell them you are proud of them.

7. My child’s biting of other children has become severe; so far nothing seems to work. What do I do?

A child with a severe biting problem may need to be removed from social situations involving other children for awhile. Your child may also need to be closely observed by an adult who can step in to prevent biting when necessary and help guide your child to learn more appropriate ways to cope with frustration such as using words to express feelings or choosing another activity. If your child continues biting beyond the age of three, professional help may be needed.

8. My grandmother tells me I should just bite my child if he bites me. Should I do this?

Never hit or bite a child for biting. This communicates that biting is an acceptable way to work out problems, even if it hurts others.

If a biting incident occurs, stay calm and respond quickly. Give the child who was been bitten your attention first, tend to the wound, and reassure him or her. Then turn your attention to your child, who did the biting. Calmly and firmly tell your child that he or she is not allowed to bite and that biting hurts. “Emma is crying because her hand hurts where you bit her.”

As both children are likely be upset by the incident, give each a comforting hug and then redirect them to a quiet activity so that both have time to calm down. Wait a few minutes and then talk with your child about what caused his or her frustration and how he might express his feelings differently in the future. A hug will reassure a young child you still love him while biting is not acceptable.

Since I had the "flu" or whatever last weekend through the week, just gonna make last week and this week 1 post.
Our Valentine's Party yesterday was a huge success! Everyone enjoyed passing out their cards and treats to their friends. Of course everyone loved the candy and treats. By the afternoon, I think they were sugared out! We also celebrated Braydin's Birthday in the afternoon! Happy Birthday Braydin! We will finish up our Valentine's Treats today!
As spring starts to approach, remember to have their winter gear hear if the temps. are going to be above 32, so we are able to go outside. The kids are really needing some fresh air. By the time Feb. rolls around the kids are all going stir crazy! The jump house helps some, but not all the way!
Please be careful not to hang bags on your childs hook. They are not that strong and will break. You may put the bag on the floor next to their hook or we can put it in the closet upstairs.

BUSY DAYS....

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Sunday January 31st

Its so hard to believe that January is already over! Here's to a new month, a new start at everyone being healthy in Feb.  We can't wait for spring to come so we can open the house up and air it out.

On Feb. 11th we will be having our Valentine's Party. We will be creating mailboxes for everyone. We will try to incorporate as much red and pink with hearts as possible. Feel free to send Valentines for all your friends.   RILEY  HAYDEN LANDON ROWEN KAYDEN BRAYDIN RILEY                  
                       AVA TAITUMN KADEN NICHOLAS

Preschool for February will include Groundhog"s Day, Valentine's Day, & President's Day Color will be Pink and Red review for Valentine's. Shape is Heart. Letters are G & H. We are also going to be working on body parts and animal sounds.

Please send a large refill pkg. of wipes for the month. Please send them even if your child is potty trained.

If anyone has an extra pillow at home that they could send in, that would be great. The kids are all wanting pillows at nap and I only have a few pillows.

Ask your child about feeding the birds. They worked really hard on making  heart bird feeders. Then we put bird seed on the snow and called for the birds. They loved it!

If you have any "daycare" clothes please send them in. Also make sure that your child's cubby has extra clothes and underwear.

I am so excited for the kids to come in the morning. We got a new jump house with tax $. We had one but when we blew it up here at the CR house it never really stayed tight, so it needed to be replaced. The kids will have such a good time, but we will no doubt have many little squabbles over it :) I'm so excited for them to see it! Taking turns should be interesting :)

January 18-22

I know everyone enjoys reading this blog. I hope that too many of you are not disappointed that I don't write on it much. The day is so busy with activities, and then before you know it, it's the end of the day. Then either Melissa or I end up telling the parents everything that we would have said on the blog. My New Year's resolution is to write a weekly update on the blog. I have not decided on if I should write it at the end of the week, or the beginning. I am going to try to do the end of the week and see how that works . This way you don't have to look everyday if there is a new update.  If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns on anything involving your child, please feel free to talk to us.
So... As everyone knows we have some RSV in the house.  Some kids had fevers, others had the terrible cough, along with runny noses. We regularly rotate the toys and clean them with sanitizer.  After this round we have spent lots of time bleaching everything that has been played with. The main concern with RSV is to watch their breathing closely so that they don't have difficulties.  Most end up needing to have nebulizer treatments. If your child needs a neb. you are more than welcome to just bring in the tubing and meds with their names on it. We have several neb. machines. Remember that children need to be fever free  without a fever reducing med.for 24hrs. before returning to childcare. They also need to be able to participate in normal daily activities. Even if they are fever free they may still not be feeling well enough to play with their friends.  They still may need 1 on 1 care. I know it's not fun having a sick kid,(ours is too) but it's part of having alittle one.  Soon spring will be here... and the healthy months will be back! Yeah...
The kids are really getting used to doing preschool. If they see me getting things ready, they can't wait to start. We are working on "The days of the week" song.  Sunday, Monday,Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.....(clap) Zoom we start again.  Our big boys are working really hard on writing their names. Getting ready for Kindergarden :)  We will continue with Purple, Blue, Triangles, E,F,  and winter fun for the rest of January.  We will also start working on some Valentines decorations.
We will have a Valentines party on Feb. 12th. We will start working on our mailboxes in the beginning of Feb. You may send your child's Valentines at any time. I will make a list of names in the beginning of the month for everyone.
We have gotten to enjoy some time outside lately.Thanks to everyone for having their winter gear here. The kids have loved getting out and playing. We will continue to go out on days were the temp is above freezing. We will still need boots if the snow melts for the mud. Not that I think the snow is leaving anytime soon. :)
Please teach your child not to go outside our doors without you. It's a good habit to start now. There is always alot of traffic coming in and out of our driveway, and little ones are not always easy to see. We would hate to have anyone hurt while we were talking and they were outside.

Effective Febuary 8th we will not be doing evening childcare. We are exhausted from working so much. It's also taking away from our family time. We end up not being able to ever leave in the evening to do anything b/c we have to wait for parents. Sometimes we are late to things that start right after work, including  school events. We are watching kids from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm. Please be here for your child by 5:30p.m. If you are going to be late for any reason, please call.  If you are needing some random night, please ask us in advance. We can work something out. If you do not tell us till that day, we may not be able to help. We are a large family that have several things going on in the evenings. It's not fair to tell my kids we have to miss something of theirs, because of poor planning. Everyone is excited to get off work, go home, and spend time with their kids, we are too... Thanks for understanding!

Please also keep us updated of your weekly schedule. Please provide this to us a.s.a.p. You can text me, email, facebook, or call. We like to know our numbers so we can plan appropriatly for preschool, cups, breakfast, and so on.

Hard to believe January is almost over. We are getting so excited for spring to be here. Hope everyone had a great short sick week and here's for a great healthy weekend and better start to next week!

Playing in the snow...

NEW EMAIL heather52263@hotmail.com

heatherdeppe@southslope.net is no longer a working email. The email that I use is heather522563@hotmail.com

Thursday January 14th 2010

Yeah... The weather is finally warm enough to go outside. The kids really got the hang of playing in the snow today. No one wanted to come in even if their boots fell off. Make sure that if the temp is going to be above 32 degrees that your child has their snow gear here. If your child is to ill to go outside they will stay in with one of us and the babies.

Some people have requested the words to the songs we sing.

5 little monkeys...
5 little monkeys swinging from a tree, teasing Mr. alligator "can't catch me no you can't catch me"
along comes Mr. alligator as sneaky as can be and.... SNAP that monkey out of that tree...

4 little monkeys swinging from a tree, teasing Mr. alligator "can't catch me no you can't catch me"

along comes Mr. alligator as sneaky as can be and.... SNAP that monkey out of that tree...

3 little monkeys swinging from a tree, teasing Mr. alligator "can't catch me no you can't catch me"

along comes Mr. alligator as sneaky as can be and.... SNAP that monkey out of that tree...

2 little monkeys swinging from a tree, teasing Mr. alligator "can't catch me no you can't catch me"

along comes Mr. alligator as sneaky as can be and.... SNAP that monkey out of that tree...

1little monkey swinging from a tree, teasing Mr. alligator "can't catch me no you can't catch me"

along comes Mr. alligator as sneaky as can be and.... SNAP that monkey out of that tree...

No more monkeys teasing Mr. alligator :(

Clap...

Yeah...

If your happy and you know it clap your hands (clap)

If your happy and you know it clap your hands (clap)

If your happy and you know and your will surely show it...

If your happy and you know it clap your hands (clap)

If your happy and you know it stomp your feet (stomp)

If your happy and you know it stomp your feet (stomp)
If your happy and you know it and your face will surely show it...
If your happy and you know it stomp your feet (stomp)

If your happy and you know it shout HOORAY (Raise hand high)
If your happy and you know it shout HOORAY (Raise hand high)
If your happy and you know it and your face will surely show it....
If your happy and you know it shout HOORAY (Raise hand high)

If your happy and you know it do all three... (do all 3 actions)
If your happy and you know it do all three...(do all 3 actions)
If your happy and you know it and your face will surely show it...
If your happy and you know it do all three...(do all three actions)

Thanks to everyone for bringing wipes. It really helps us out . We use them for lots of things besides bottoms. :) We use so many wipes, when the month is done I buy a box of 12 pkgs. and all yours put together. :)

Remember  Daycare will be closed next Friday.

Everyone is ready for spring to come. We have been trying to get very creative with what we play inside to have a variety. We have been playing parachute, riding bikes, doing exercises, dancing, playing charades, play-doh, and bean tables. Even the babies enjoy watching us play these. These warm days to come next week are exciting. You can really tell they need to get outside.

Please let us know if your child will be late or not coming. Please keep us updated of schedules. It allows us to plan accordingly to how many copies we make, how much breakfast, and so on.

If you ever have any questions or concerns, please talk to us about it. We want to provide you and your child with the best care possible. Open communication is essential in this process.
It's hard to believe we have been in CR for 6 months now. In August I hated CR and wanted nothing more to move my family back to NL, Now I can say without a doubt in my mind that we enjoy all our new families here in CR and it's feeling like home. :)

DAYCARE WILL BE CLOSED ON JANUARY 22 OPEN JANUARY 29

Sorry for the mix-up. Daycare will be closed on January 22 and open January 29. Once again,sorry for the wrong date. I hope it will not cause to much of a problem.


Preschool will be limited to crafts this week and no worksheets. Our printer crashed, and Canon is sending us a new one tonight UPS. It should be here by Monday they thought.

Thanks for everyone who has brought wipes

Thanks to everyone that recommend us to their friends. We are now full! :) It is way exciting to have another provider:)