From Daycare to School – How to Prepare Your Child for the Transition after Summer Vacation

It’s that time of year – in fact, I’ll bet if you listen closely, you can hear the whine from children all around “Oh no, it’s time to go back to school!”

If your child has been in daycare or a preschool type setting over the summer, the transition to regular school may not be as bad as if they weren’t, but there is still some preparation that needs to be done before the first bells ring this fall.

Children who have been in daycare or preschool over the summer months will have some idea of what a setting with other children is like on a daily basis. However, these settings tend to be on a much less strict schedule than a regular school day. Helping your child adjust for “big boy or big girl” school isn’t difficult if you know the steps to take.

Things to know before the first day:

• Take the time to talk to your child and begin explaining some of the things they can expect on the first day of school and even beyond. Don’t frighten them! School years are supposed to be the best time of their life, don’t get them on the wrong foot. Share some of your favorite school memories.
• Go to the school for a visit. If your child is starting elementary school, start by taking a trip to the playground and then setting up a visit to the classroom. Help him/her find the classroom, restroom, lunchroom and principal’s office.
• Let your child ask questions and answer them as openly and honestly as you can.
• Remind your child of all of the friends he/she will make when they go to school and also remind him/her that many of the children from preschool or the daycare will likely be in the same school and classroom.

Finally, remember that the school your child attends is a part of your community and easy to get involved with. Sign up to be a classroom parent for your child’s class or join the PTA. Your child will likely find the daycare to school transition that much easier if you are involved. 

In the summertime, it’s second-nature to apply tons of sunscreen on our children to protect their skin from the harmful effects of the sun. But many times, as much attention as we give to their skin, we often overlook another area that can be damaged by the sun – their eyes.

 We put sunglasses on to shield our eyes and our children should have the same protection. This protects them now and also helps to prevent them from developing common eye problems later on in life. Keep in mind that UV rays are radiation and radiation is damaging to the eyes just as much as it can damage anything else. Here is just a partial list of those common eye problems that you should be aware of:

•          Over-exposure to the sun’s UV radiation can cause the cells of the eye – inside and out – to divide abnormally. This abnormal division can cause tumors – both malignant and benign.
•          “Surfer’s Eye” is common in coastal regions and is caused by sun exposure. This affects the cornea which can affect your ability to focus clearly.
•          Overexposure to the sun also effects the lens of the eye as well as the retina which can lead to macular degeneration and cataracts later on.

A good rule of thumb to help protect your children’s eyes is to put sunglasses on them if they are going to spend any extended amount of time in the sun. It’s never too early to start this practice. You’ll want to use standard tinted glasses not the colored lenses that are popular with kids.

If you have younger children who are having a hard time wearing the sunglasses, a large hat with a wide brim or visor is the next best thing. You can also try attaching an elastic band to the sunglasses to help hold them in place.

Sunglasses, sunscreen and your children should be a common routine in the summer!

Keeping Kids Entertained During the Summer Months

Every parent at least once in their lives has heard those two dreaded words every child mutters: "I'm Bored!" Even the child who is most excited about the end of the school year will not get through the summer break without mumbling that phrase at least once. So what as parents are we to do to keep our kids stimulated and entertained over the summer months?

There are plenty of activities you can do once the initial fun phase of summer wears off. Here is just a brief list of ideas to help keep the summer doldrums from setting in:

• Plant a mobile garden – maybe in a wheelbarrow or other container that can be moved around. Plant vegetable plants, flowers or even start an herb garden that your children can be responsible for.
• Draw in butterflies by planting wildflowers around your lawn. Not only will it beautify your landscaping it will also decrease the need for mowing.
• Have a picnic with your child’s favorite teddy bear or doll. This can be something as simple as fruit and juice or tea and cookies. Plan to make this a weekly event – and even play dress up for a “formal” lunch!
• Kids love bubbles! Adults love bubbles! There’s just something magical about them that no one can explain so take a trip to the dollar store and pick up a large container and some wands that make some really unique bubble shapes. Spend a late afternoon/early evening blowing bubbles and chasing them with your kids.
• Don’t forget your local library. There are always reading programs in the summer and other special programs that you can involve your children with.
• Build a treasure box with your child. Find an old shoe box or other suitable container and let them decorate with crayons, paper cutouts and other craft items and then they can fill up their box with “treasures” they find.

You can do a lot of things that keep your kids entertained without spending a ton of money in the process. Spend times with your children doing some of these activities or add your own idea to the list!

Helping Your Child Get Ready for the First Day of Kindergarten

We’ve given birth and nurtured our children and watched them begin to grow into wonderful little people in awe of the world and all their surroundings. Now it’s time to prepare for them for the first big step in their lives – preparing for the first day of kindergarten.

Getting ready is probably the most difficult part. You have likely already been working to instill good, healthy habits into your child’s life but it’s even more important as they prepare to enter school to instill healthy habits like getting enough sleep – at least 10-12 hours per night and eating right – a healthy breakfast and lunch will help your child get through the day.

Once your child is in school on a full-time basis, it’s common to think that after school activities are all part of the process. We want our children to be well-rounded and involved and in our quest for making this happen, we tend to get our children wrapped up in many after school activities. Children can become as burnt out as adults can so it’s important to fight the urge to let them get involved with everything and keep these after school activities to a minimum.

The next step in helping your child adjust to school is to help them foster independence. Allowing your child (within reason of course) to pick their outfit and dress themselves will help give them both independence and confidence. Keep in mind that this doesn’t include tying their shoes. It is not uncommon for children not to learn to tie their shoes until their kindergarten year.

You also want to address things like making sure your child understands the importance of putting away things when they are done using or playing with them, putting the lids back on paints and markers and putting the crayons back in the box when they are finished.

Finally, make sure you have the “potty” talk before your child heads off to the classroom. Make sure they are able to take care of themselves after using the potty and don’t forget to stress the importance of washing their hands when they are finished.

Talking over these few tips will help your child be better prepared for their school day – take the time to make it a positive one! 

Crafts for Remembering Summer Vacations

Summer vacation is always a fun time for you and your family. Why not hold onto those memories a little longer and make them last a lifetime with a few simple crafts to capture those memories.

One simple idea is a “beautiful places” key chain. With just a few simple items, you can create a keychain keepsake.

You’ll need a few metal caps, pictures of the places you visited, a key chain accessory, duct tape, glue and yarn. Carefully cut the picture to fit the shape and size of the caps you are using and glue them to the inside of the cap. Cut pieces of yarn to match the number of caps you’ve made. Cut a small piece of duct tape and attach the yarn to the back of the cap. Cut a longer piece of yarn and pull it through the loop you’ve just attached to the back of your cap and knot it. Do this for all of the caps but be sure to leave enough space into between the caps.

Attach your keychain accessory to the end and you’re all finished.  

Another fun summer vacation project is a travel timeline. This can actually be done during the trip itself and will not only make the trip more enjoyable but will also limit the number of times you hear “Are we there yet??” All you need for this craft is a line of string or yarn, a hole punch, some drawing paper, crayons, colored pencils or markers and a few paper clips. See? No mess! Before you leave for your trip, install the string in your car like a clothes line. Have your child or children draw pictures or write short stories about each milestone of the trip. When they are finished, hang on the string with a paper clip. A good first picture to start with is of your own vehicle with everyone inside smiling and excited for the trip!

Finally, try an easy treasure chest. Get a box with a lid and long sheet of paper folded accordion-style. Glue the first sheet of the paper into the lid and the last sheet into the bottom of the box. On each page, glue or draw a picture from summer vacation and then tuck it neatly away in the box to be enjoyed through the years.