London Bridges Falling Down

Our little ones learn best by watching others around them. Several weeks ago the older children played movement games like London Bridges Falling Down and Ring Around the Roses. We helped each other learn how to sing and play. How adorable that we captured on film the little ones initiating and playing on their own. Holding hands, they played together nicely, trying to recite the words and sing along! We have the cutest kiddos!

Living Love and Logic Tip #57

Need Attention

Johnny had a need. Not many things in life sent him messages that said, "You're important" or "There is something special about you."

At school, Johnny felt the need to test and see if anybody found him to be important or special. He craved being noticed. As a result, he acted out a lot. He sought attention from fellow students and teachers in negative ways and gave adults fits.

Many of Johhny's teachers showed frustration. But Mrs. DeJesus was different. She would wander up to Johnny when he wasn't asking for attention, smile and notice something about him - that he liked basketball or that he was getting taller. She didn't take a lot of time or embarrass him in front of the class. She just scooted by his desk, noticed something unique about him and quickly moved on.

In spite of himself, Johnny found that he was drawn to Mrs. D. He always wanted to share news with her or find ways to please her. A strange thing happened in Mrs. DeJesus's class: the more she noticed Johnny, the less he messed around trying to be noticed. She met his need, but she did it on her terms.

Effective adults see unmet needs that are barriers to kids' success. Then, they plan healthy ways to help those needs get met.

 

 

To learn more about proactive techniques that can be used with your little one visit the Love and Logic website HERE!

Learning to Tie Shoes!

 

New skills always take practice and patience. All children are ready at different times to learn how to tie their shoes. There are "tricks", songs, videos, etc. all available to help our little ones learn in their own way. The student below uses determination to figure it out! While they are learning such a complex small motor skill it is important for us to encourage, teach and have patience with them!

 For some it takes longer to grasp than others!

 

Nevada Preschool State Standards addressed:

Physical Development

6.PK.1
Demonstrate skills in eye-hand coordination (e.g., stacking, sorting, lacing toys, stringing beads,
reproducing basic patterns, complete six-piece puzzle, Legos and peg-boards).

6.PK.2
Demonstrate the muscle strength, dexterity, and control needed to manipulate items (e.g., scissors, writing utensil, paint brushes, play dough, buttons/snaps, etc.).

LIVING LOVE AND LOGIC Tip #56

The Logic Won't Happen Without the LoveWeekly Tip from the Love and Logic^® Experts

The Logic Won't Happen Without The Love!

How do we help our kids develop the type of cause-effect logic that leads to good decision-making? Is it by showing them how tough we are, or is it by showing them how much we love them as they experience the tough consequences of their poor decisions?

Our anger allows kids to blame us for the consequences

of their poor decisions.

Our loving empathy forces them to blame themselves

for these consequences.

If we're forgetting our sincere empathy, it will increase the odds that they'll lack the logical, commonsense reasoning required to stay safe in today's complex world.

Some reminders…

• Lock in the empathy first!
  
  Before describing consequences, do your best to establish a sincere love connection with your child. Whenever appropriate, pair your words (e.g. "This is so sad.") with caring eye contact and touch.
  
  This also applies to setting limits. Before saying, "You may have that toy when you can afford it," take a moment to show your love.

To see additional reminders and for more information click HERE!

Learning With Blue Jeans

Every child enjoys tearing and ripping things! So when learning about the letter J this week, students loved the hands on activity of pulling at and ripping old jeans. Some students had  to work together and some were able to do it alone! Students used their small motor skills, determination and strength to tear small pieces of jean material to later glue inside the letters Jj.

 

Anything that uses small motor skills such as pinching, is a great pre-writing skill. It helps with the pencil grasp and prepares students for writing skills. Of course it was a great time to also review the color blue. Wow, what fun we have!

Positive Feedback

Do you give positive feedback often to the amazing staff at HO4K? The kids at HO4K are the luckiest around and it is because of the hard work  of Ms JoAnn and Ms Mary! Below is just one parents comments!

 

 

"Love it…thank you for taking such wonderful care of our babies…and for your love and support over the years! We appreciate you so much. I have often been asked (especially returning to work so early) how I could ever leave my babies at a “daycare place” so young. I feel so happy and so confident when I explain to them what a wonderful place and what wonderful people they get to be with each and every day, and that it has never felt like a “daycare”…but more like family!

Thank you for all you do…"

 

We all echo the above... "THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!"

 

A Sweet New Addition

 

We are excited to have a 6 week old sibling join us part time! Ms Mary, is the "baby whisper" and is thrilled, along with Ms JoAnn, to snuggle and cuddle this adorable new addition! We just love the diversity of ages at HO4K!

Love and Logic Class

HANDS ON FOR KIDS

 

 

Invites You To:

“Becoming a Love and Logic Parent”® / Provider

With JoAnn Worthen Nelson, National Independent Facilitator

Two time Nominee and Recipient SNAEYC Early Childhood Outstanding Professional of the Year

Learn How To:

* Give Children Skills to Resist Tattling, Being Bossy, Hurting Others & Whining

* Teach responsibility without creating anger and resentment

End exhausting hassles over:

* Cleaning-up, Meals, Power struggles, Chores, Bed Time Routines and Rivalry with Siblings & Friends

 

Learn What to Do When:

* Kids Drain Your Energy, Time-Out Doesn’t Work,

* Kids Won’t Listen and Talk Back

Discover How To:

* Get places on time without stress, Avoid Temper Tantrums…no matter where you are,

* Discipline without anger, Gain cooperation at home & school

Works For All Ages ! ! !

For enrollment return form below to: To RSVP Contact: JoAnn W. Nelson by Text: 275-6218 Cell: 775-557-8580 or email: JoAnn@handson4kids.com

(also for more information go to: www.LoveandLogic.com)

3 WEEK COURSE

9 hours Approved by the NV Registry

DATE: Thurs. Oct 4, 11 & 18, 2012

LOCATION: Temple Beth Sholom

10700 Haven Wood Lane, LV NV 89135

TIME: 5:00 – 8:00 pm

COST: $90 per person or $170 for two

Optional Parent Handbook available at discounted price of $15. at the door

Space is Limited – Mail Today to: HO4K, 1008 Santa Helena Ave., Hend., NV 89002

1- Enroll today to avoid cancellation of class. Registration must be received 2 days prior to scheduled class

2- Sign in begins ½ hour prior to the start of class

3- There are no refunds - substitutions okay

4- Nv Registry requires attendance to all 3 weeks for teachers/providers to receive certificate, no partial credit given

5- Please, no children, - nursing babies ok

Please print clearly

Check / Money Order payable to: Hands-On-4-Kids

Parent Coaching

 

Do you or someone you know need personal Parent Coaching 911? New rates are now available. Contact me for more information.

What is Parent Coaching? Just like it sounds.....I coach parents to help improve parenting techniques by applying easy and fun to use tools from Love and Logic (R). Parenting remedies for when kids cook up the unexpected. We've all been in situations where we find ourselves asking "Oh great, what do I do now?" How would it feel if you never had these fears again If this sounds good to you....let me come to your home for lots of giggles and plenty of easy to use strategies to help you handle the unexpected. Guaranteed to lower your stress level and make life fun again. The great news is that it works on kids of all ages----toddlers to teens and even adult children!

 

 

Living Love and Logic Tip #55

Who is Shaping Your Kids Behavior?

 

What if you could hire, at a minimal charge, a young celebrity to come into your home, sit down with your young ones, and spend several hours preaching the undesirable behaviors that appear in many of the popular TV shows? And what if you could afford for these celebrities to come every day to help convince your kids that these behaviors are good and moral? Would you do it?

Repetition and modeling is one of the most powerful tools used to shape behavior. Is this who you want shaping the behavior and attitudes of your children?

Could this be happening already? The TV serves that same purpose in many homes. The messages pushed by the shows favored by teens and preteens have changed in the last fifteen years.

If this has snuck up on you, check out what TV programming is teaching your youngsters about narcissistic, immoral, and violent behavior, and then decide for yourself if you want this drummed into your child's head.

Laura Lauder reminds us that the viewing audience has more power than we realize…no viewing audience + no program = no dollars to support the stations. The viewing audience has all the control. She reminds us that we can help end objectionable TV/media. Here's what can be done:

1. TURN OFF THE OFFENSIVE PROGRAMS.
2. Contact the advertisers and tell them you object to the content of the shows and you are requesting that they not support such programming.
3. Contact the television stations and tell them you object to such programming and that you will not support the advertisers of that station.

Some parents use TV as a babysitter. There is a high price to pay for hiring the wrong sitter.

To learn more about Love and Logic click HERE!

 

Water Play

 

Really? Could the kids at HO4K get any luckier? The kids love to get wet and to play in the water on the warm days. It is always fun to watch as they invent new games, use their imaginations and practice their social skills. Little or big, we find ways to splash and have fun together.

 

Students came up with the idea to wash the outside toys and make a "car wash" for cleaning! What a great time splashing and cleaning we had. It is always more fun to "clean" when it involves dramatic play, imagination and getting wet! Needless to say, the toys are clean and so are the kiddos!

 

 

WHOA! Look how he can balance 3 cups full of water while helping to clean! What a great helper!

 

Students came up with the idea to wash the outside toys and make a "car wash" for cleaning! What a great time splashing and cleaning we had. It is always more fun to "clean" when it involves dramatic play, imagination and getting wet! Needless to say, the toys are clean and so are the kiddos!

Who Has Rhythm?

 

When children have guided play time with instruments, they naturally start to create rhythmic patterns. The student above experimented with loud, soft, fast and hard movements. This created different sounds. She also was able to copy patterns using her instrument. What fun we have dancing and exploring with movement and music!

 

 

Our little ones also love to "play" the musical instruments. They are learning how to cooperatively share and take turns while creating music together. Above they are using hand-eye coordination and their motor skills to practice playing the instruments. As they continue to develop these skills, it is music to our ears!

 

Some of the Nevada Preschool State Standards addressed through these activities would be: Music and Movement1.PK.3aRecognize and select a variety of simple songs, finger plays, musical games, and musical activities alone and with others.
2.PK.1
Play and identify a variety of musical instruments.
2.PK.2Participate in a rhythm instrument band.
2.PK.4

Accompany simple music with rhythminstruments or clapping.

3.PK.1
Improvise simple songs and rhythmic patterns using voice, body or instrument.

LIVING LOVE AND LOGIC TIP #54

I'll never forget the first time I tried to use a Love and Logic "technique" on my wife. We were having a bit of marital tension that had evolved into a small argument. I can't remember what the spat was all about…probably because I was doing such a lousy job listening in the first place. I do remember going through my mental menu of techniques, considering which would be best to use on her.

Out of my mouth came a rather mechanical and insincere version of, "I love you too much to argue."

She wasn't impressed! In fact, she banned me from ever using "Love and Logic" on her again.

Is it true that the condition of our heart determines the impact of our actions? At the precise time of this incident, was my heart filled with sincere love and empathy, or was this squelched by my desire to control my wife?

Is it possible that many of the interpersonal frustrations we experience in life boil down to our attempts to control others with techniques, instead of building sincere relationships? Is it also possible that focusing on techniques enables some of us to insulate ourselves from the messy yet extremely rewarding intimacy achieved through such relationships?

There's nothing wrong with techniques or skills, as long as they're used within the context of love.

 

DON'T FORGET YOU CAN ACCESS MORE LOVE AND LOGIC INFORMATION BY CLICKING HERE!

Welcome to many new friends!

 We always feel so lucky when new kiddos join us at HO4K's! We are even more lucky, because we have several incredibly sweet and smart new additions! Please make sure to welcome our new friends and their families next time you stop by!

 

 

Horticulturist

 

 

Further learning of the letter H, this week students were horticulturists! We have been observing our cotton plants and are excited to see growth! Students are careful to take care of the plant, making sure that it stays protected and is nourished with the things that it needs to flourish! We cant wait to continue to monitor the growth and cotton produced by our plant. What will the kids make with the cotton when it grows? We cant wait!

 

 

Are you a horticulturist with silk plants? Students continue to practice and learn about plants, using even silk ones in play! Here the children are talking about the different parts of a plant and discovering together. Even our little ones are intrigued with plants.

 

Living Love and Logic Tip #53

Shaping Self-Concept, one of the most popular Love and Logic audios, teaches a very special type of love. It's the type that allows our kids to struggle…lets them work through their trials…and guides them toward independence instead of insecurity.

This love can be expressed daily by:

• Allowing kids to wrestle with tying their shoes…instead of automatically jumping in and doing it for them.

• Letting them dress themselves…even if the clothes they choose don't match.

• Teaching them how to talk to their teachers about problems at school…rather than always doing it for them.

• Expecting that they speak up and order meals for themselves…instead of ordering for them.

• Having them call the insurance company and arrange for their own car insurance…instead of doing it all for them.

• Letting them do most of the work required to fill out their college applications…rather than preparing all of the paperwork for them.

• Remembering that the more things they learn to do for themselves, the stronger and more confident they will become!

In Shaping Self-Concept you'll hear even more tips for helping your kids develop the type of unselfish and humble confidence required to enjoy success in life. You'll also hear how this confidence dramatically increases a child's motivation to do well in school.

Isn't it ironic that our kids have to face some tough times in order to live confident, joyful lives?

 

 

 

 

Learning the letter H

 

At HO4K's we try to provide real-life examples and experiences when learning. This week when covering the letter H, students learned about different "homes". We talked about the type of home we live in and explored some other homes around us. One such home that students loved learning about was a motor home!

 

 

We talked about some of the advantages to living in a "moving" home that can go anywhere and some of the things that might be more difficult! Taking your bathroom with you everywhere is definitely a drawback! But having a kitchen might be nice. Students talked about the positives and negatives of different styles of living and have a real appreciation for their own houses.

 

Students enjoyed learning about how the motor home drives and took turns pretending to be the "captain"! We still need to be safe and learn the proper procedures.

 

We do think that a motor home is the perfect way to travel, but we all agreed that our homes are the best way of living!

 

 

Such Hard Workers

Children have the amazing ability early on to explore and play using their imaginations! Research has shown that dramatic play can affect a child's learning and ultimately impacts their success later in school. This form of "play" provides opportunities for students to imitate, combine both spoken language with imagination, and pretend to be someone or something else. Often, children pretend or act out "real life" situations, and change things from reality to their own perception of the situation.

 

 

 The students above are "car workers". They are changing tires and fixing the cars that are broken. Together, they learn how to manipulate the tires, remove them, rotate and replace them. The cars are fixed, washed and ready to play with again!

 

 

Part of dramatic play is assuming roles or positions of others. Students initiated "grocery store" play. They organized it so that there was a cashier, a helper and a customer. One student even declared, "how bout we wait in line, that's what we do in real stores."

 Students learned to take turns participating in the various roles and worked together to organize this form of play.

 

 

Learning the role of a consumer and understanding that money is needed in exchange for goods and/or services, is one of the Nevada Preschool Standards that is explored over and over again through this type of organized dramatic play! Students also demonstrate the roles of different jobs in the community and appreciate the work as they imagine themselves assuming that role.

Some of the other skills enhanced through dramatic play can be, cooperation, communication and problem solving skills. Not only is it fun to pretend and play, but it is a great educational and life learning experience!

Living Love and Logic Tip #52

You Mean it is Okay to Rescue?
Weekly Tip from the Love and Logic^® Experts

 

She was riddled with guilt as she told me about the "awful" deed she'd done.

Her son headed off to school, forgetting an important assignment on the kitchen counter. Knowing he needed it, she {gulp} drove a few blocks and delivered the paper.

She finished her tale of terror and awaited a merciless scolding. Instead, I asked a few questions:

1. Is he basically a responsible kid?
   "Oh, yes. He helps out with his younger siblings and does chores without complaining."
   
2. Was he grateful you did this for him?
   "He thanked me over and over when he got home. He didn't realize he'd left it there."
   
3. Does he expect things like this from you often?
   "No, he really doesn't. I don't remind him or have to nag him nearly as much as some of my friends with their kids."

Then, I dropped the bomb: Sounds like you did the right thing.

She replied, "But, I thought it was bad to rescue. Don't you say kids need to learn from their mistakes?"

To learn the response click HERE!

Bodies Big and Small!

 

We are always moving and shaking! Children, big and small love to rock and row in our little boat. It takes group coordination and skill to move together and get the boat rocking! What fun! We can even flip over the boat and have our toddlers practice walking and climbing up and down.

 

Sometimes our bodies need a little help being able to move! Students know Sarah and were thrilled to visit with her and her service dog. After observing and petting him, we learned more about how he will help Sarah. This dog is so special because he will help Sarah brace to stand up, pick up items dropped, pull her in her wheelchair and so much more!

 

It has been a great experience spending time this summer with Sarah and her kiddos. We have loved the extra smiling faces and the opportunities to learn from Sarah.