Greetings Peach Room Parents!
This week was filled with a ton of sensory exploration! We were able to enjoy some early morning water table play on the patio just outside our room. This play was a little quieter and offered some peaceful green time where our friends were able to go between our indoor and outdoor environment at their own choosing. Gavin liked watering the plants and bushes. Madison poured water from one container to another and loved going from indoors to outdoors all on her own. Shyli explored the most with using water and a paintbrush on the rocks, sidewalk and door. In our larger outdoor environment our friends continued enjoying the sprinkler. Some of our older friends from the purple room noticed the water runoff down the hill and engineered a path for the water to flow down to our sand pit. This quickly became a mud pit and was by far the most rich sensory experience that all of our friends got to enjoy. Rivkale, Gavin and Shyli were fully engaged and ready to splash, wade and wallow. Maddie observed this play and by Tuesday she was sticking her feet in. This is one of the things I love most about our school- this was child lead and such rich play/work for every age! Thank you for providing the swimsuits and towels and patience with muddy stuff coming home! Your children had a blast and experiences that they wouldn’t be getting in many other places.
We have been observing our butterflies as they grew from caterpillars to chrysalis to butterflies and the sole survivor is ready to take flight. Our friends have diligently gathered food and helped us care for our butterfly. We have been reading and talking about metamorphosis with them as well.
Morah Sydney was with us for a portion of the week as Morah Ora and Leah were home not feeling well. Refuah Shleima Leah and Ella! We hope you’ll be back with us next week!
As we wrap up our school year, next week will be a short but busy week as we practice for graduation performances, complete our projects and release our butterflies! On Monday school will be closed in observance of Shavuos. Thursday morning you are invited to attend our graduation celebration and our school year will come to a close with 12:30 dismissal.
Shabbat Shalom,
Morah Ora and Morah Lindsey
Friday, May 18, 2018
Friday, May 11, 2018
In Appreciation...of SLEEP!
Greetings Peach Room Parents!
You have shown us your appreciation all week by completely spoiling us with beautiful blooms, delicious snacks of all sorts and extra special supplies for our classroom! Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts! Honestly, what means the most to us is your kind words of appreciation that show us that you understand that what we do every day matters. Please know that we appreciate you too! We appreciate that you trust us to spend such a large part of the day with your precious children. We appreciate that you are balancing demanding work, family and social obligations with the daunting task of raising little humans who still need so much of your time and attention before they come to school each morning and when they leave our classroom every afternoon. And when those little humans aren't sleeping at night, that means that you are losing much needed sleep as well! So, I've dedicated this newsletter to sleep issues. Quick Disclaimer: I am not a sleep expert, but I have a child who had many sleep issues that we've resolved over time through much research and a lot of trial and error. Feel free to try any of the suggestions that you feel might work for you and your family, that being said, every child and family is different. And if your child is a stellar sleeper with no issues, Mazal tov! Please feel free to offer your advice and experience to your fellow Peach Room parents!
Sleep problems in the first few years of life are pretty common. In the period between 18-24 months many children develop night terrors or nightmares and sleep regressions. Some experts think this could be related directly to the fact that toddler's burgeoning independence is in direct conflict with their renewed separation anxiety. This is also a time when your child's body and brain are going through an astounding growth spurt. Sleep can be affected by many other variables: teething, what they're eating and drinking (and how much), their activity level (too much or too little), their temperament, any changes in environment or routine, illness, etc.
Let's start with how much sleep your child should be getting. Children 12 months to 3 years need 12-14 hours of sleep total within any given 24 hour period. Ideally, this would include 1 nap that is 1.5 to 2.5 hours in length and night time sleep of about 11 hours. So, then how do we make sure they get this sleep?! Routine, routine, routine. Establish a routine that you can consistently follow and stick to it.
What does your child's bedtime routine look like? Is it rushed and frantic or haphazard depending on whatever plans or activities you had that night? Some kids have a temperament that allows for flexibility and they can fall asleep anywhere. But if they're suddenly experiencing sleep troubles, it may be time to rethink that routine. Does their bedtime fall within the same 30 minute range each night? It sounds counter-intuitive, but the earlier I put my son to sleep, the longer and sounder he tended to sleep as a toddler and preschooler. Suggested ideal bedtime for children 1-3 years is between 6:30-7:15 pm. Does their routine include a nightly bath? Our peaches are active and into everything at school both indoors and outdoors. A warm bath is a great way to end each day. If they're really wound up or having a tough time with sleep, you could try adding 1/2 c. Epsom salt and a few drops of food grade soothing lavender oil to their bathwater. The magnesium from the Epsom salts can be absorbed right through the skin and has a calming effect on the nervous system. Follow bath time with a rubdown of their favorite lotion. Who wouldn't want that? Reading a favorite storybook and/or singing a lullaby each night in their bed with them can become a family ritual that brings them comfort before they fall asleep. You might try keeping the house cooler at night or turning on a fan so they can still snuggle under a special blanket or maybe with a lovey or stuffed animal. You could use an old phone or a sound machine to play nature sounds, music or white noise quietly throughout the night in your child's room to help mask sounds that could startle them awake.
Unfortunately, sleep regressions happen regardless of how wonderful or consistent your bedtime routine may be. The good thing is, they're only temporary! Most regressions typically last 3-4 weeks and tend to flair up at 18 months and again around 2 years. These are the weeks you will feel desperate and do almost anything to get your child to back to sleep. You're only human, try to stick to the routine and if you can't, then try not to make any habits developed out of desperation into permanent sleep solutions. This is where consistency comes in to play. Yes, you want to be sensitive to all they are going through, but if you can keep their routine consistent, they will get through the regression MUCH more quickly and smoothly and you will get back to sleep yourself!
The first thought during a regression is to make sure they are getting enough to eat during the day as they could be waking up hungry. Try offering 3 meals and 3 snacks every day. Don't worry, I'm not suggesting you suddenly offer your toddler a midnight snack- lol. Research shows that to get good sleep you should try to eat before 6 pm or at least 2-4 hours before your intended bedtime. The quality of their food is just as important since we know they are at peak cognitive and physical growth periods. Lots of fruits and veggies, plenty of lean, whole proteins, complex carbs, milk and water. Try to avoid too many processed foods with additives/preservatives, artificial colors and flavors and sugar. Their little bodies have a harder time digesting these things and they can have also aggravate sleep issues. If you suspect food sensitivities, talk to your pediatrician and see about having some testing done. If they often seem to be congested or are snoring during sleep, it could be the result of food allergies and can disrupt sleep by causing sleep apnea (yes- kids can have it too).
A second thought during a regression is that they could be cutting teeth. Those pesky incisors and two year molars are not fun! Time to revisit your go-to teething strategies. Maybe it's an amber teething necklace, clove oil or another homeopathic treatment or good old orajel and ibuprofen.
At two years, your toddler may decide to try skipping naps altogether or suddenly decide they need to have you in the room to fall asleep when they've previously been independent. The temptation is to drop the nap. DON'T STOP OFFERING THE NAP! This is typically just a phase that may last as long as 2-3 weeks. The key again is to be consistent! It's the rare case that a 2 year old is really done with needing their nap. Most children need to nap consistently until 3-4 years of age.
A few of you have asked how we get children to nap at school. Our routine is pretty simple. We eat lunch between 12-12:20 everyday. We turn the lights low and put on calming music during lunch to help signify the transition to the next part of our day. Some of our peaches are ready to nap before they eat very much (for those who do this a lot, we offer a heavier morning snack with some of their lunch foods). Some friends pep back up after eating and take a bit more soothing to calm them down enough to sleep. We make the room dark and cool. We position their cots in the same places every day. We play music and we rub/pat backs and tummies and hair, we cover them up and tell them, "Laila tov." We sit with them until they are asleep. They are usually tired from a busy morning of play and work and an hour of time spent outside in the fresh air. Most are asleep by 12:30-12:45ish. But once in awhile they skip a nap or fight sleep harder after a particularly exciting morning.
I hope that you find any of this information helpful- even just one tidbit! You know your children best, so do what feels right for them and for you! Happy napping!
Wishing you a restful and joyous Shabbat and a very Happy Mother's Day!
Morah Ora and Morah Lindsey
Reminders:
Monday May 21st- no school in observance of Shavuos!
Thursday May 24th- Last Day of School! Graduation Ceremony (1/2 day)
You have shown us your appreciation all week by completely spoiling us with beautiful blooms, delicious snacks of all sorts and extra special supplies for our classroom! Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts! Honestly, what means the most to us is your kind words of appreciation that show us that you understand that what we do every day matters. Please know that we appreciate you too! We appreciate that you trust us to spend such a large part of the day with your precious children. We appreciate that you are balancing demanding work, family and social obligations with the daunting task of raising little humans who still need so much of your time and attention before they come to school each morning and when they leave our classroom every afternoon. And when those little humans aren't sleeping at night, that means that you are losing much needed sleep as well! So, I've dedicated this newsletter to sleep issues. Quick Disclaimer: I am not a sleep expert, but I have a child who had many sleep issues that we've resolved over time through much research and a lot of trial and error. Feel free to try any of the suggestions that you feel might work for you and your family, that being said, every child and family is different. And if your child is a stellar sleeper with no issues, Mazal tov! Please feel free to offer your advice and experience to your fellow Peach Room parents!
Sleep problems in the first few years of life are pretty common. In the period between 18-24 months many children develop night terrors or nightmares and sleep regressions. Some experts think this could be related directly to the fact that toddler's burgeoning independence is in direct conflict with their renewed separation anxiety. This is also a time when your child's body and brain are going through an astounding growth spurt. Sleep can be affected by many other variables: teething, what they're eating and drinking (and how much), their activity level (too much or too little), their temperament, any changes in environment or routine, illness, etc.
Let's start with how much sleep your child should be getting. Children 12 months to 3 years need 12-14 hours of sleep total within any given 24 hour period. Ideally, this would include 1 nap that is 1.5 to 2.5 hours in length and night time sleep of about 11 hours. So, then how do we make sure they get this sleep?! Routine, routine, routine. Establish a routine that you can consistently follow and stick to it.
What does your child's bedtime routine look like? Is it rushed and frantic or haphazard depending on whatever plans or activities you had that night? Some kids have a temperament that allows for flexibility and they can fall asleep anywhere. But if they're suddenly experiencing sleep troubles, it may be time to rethink that routine. Does their bedtime fall within the same 30 minute range each night? It sounds counter-intuitive, but the earlier I put my son to sleep, the longer and sounder he tended to sleep as a toddler and preschooler. Suggested ideal bedtime for children 1-3 years is between 6:30-7:15 pm. Does their routine include a nightly bath? Our peaches are active and into everything at school both indoors and outdoors. A warm bath is a great way to end each day. If they're really wound up or having a tough time with sleep, you could try adding 1/2 c. Epsom salt and a few drops of food grade soothing lavender oil to their bathwater. The magnesium from the Epsom salts can be absorbed right through the skin and has a calming effect on the nervous system. Follow bath time with a rubdown of their favorite lotion. Who wouldn't want that? Reading a favorite storybook and/or singing a lullaby each night in their bed with them can become a family ritual that brings them comfort before they fall asleep. You might try keeping the house cooler at night or turning on a fan so they can still snuggle under a special blanket or maybe with a lovey or stuffed animal. You could use an old phone or a sound machine to play nature sounds, music or white noise quietly throughout the night in your child's room to help mask sounds that could startle them awake.
Unfortunately, sleep regressions happen regardless of how wonderful or consistent your bedtime routine may be. The good thing is, they're only temporary! Most regressions typically last 3-4 weeks and tend to flair up at 18 months and again around 2 years. These are the weeks you will feel desperate and do almost anything to get your child to back to sleep. You're only human, try to stick to the routine and if you can't, then try not to make any habits developed out of desperation into permanent sleep solutions. This is where consistency comes in to play. Yes, you want to be sensitive to all they are going through, but if you can keep their routine consistent, they will get through the regression MUCH more quickly and smoothly and you will get back to sleep yourself!
The first thought during a regression is to make sure they are getting enough to eat during the day as they could be waking up hungry. Try offering 3 meals and 3 snacks every day. Don't worry, I'm not suggesting you suddenly offer your toddler a midnight snack- lol. Research shows that to get good sleep you should try to eat before 6 pm or at least 2-4 hours before your intended bedtime. The quality of their food is just as important since we know they are at peak cognitive and physical growth periods. Lots of fruits and veggies, plenty of lean, whole proteins, complex carbs, milk and water. Try to avoid too many processed foods with additives/preservatives, artificial colors and flavors and sugar. Their little bodies have a harder time digesting these things and they can have also aggravate sleep issues. If you suspect food sensitivities, talk to your pediatrician and see about having some testing done. If they often seem to be congested or are snoring during sleep, it could be the result of food allergies and can disrupt sleep by causing sleep apnea (yes- kids can have it too).
A second thought during a regression is that they could be cutting teeth. Those pesky incisors and two year molars are not fun! Time to revisit your go-to teething strategies. Maybe it's an amber teething necklace, clove oil or another homeopathic treatment or good old orajel and ibuprofen.
At two years, your toddler may decide to try skipping naps altogether or suddenly decide they need to have you in the room to fall asleep when they've previously been independent. The temptation is to drop the nap. DON'T STOP OFFERING THE NAP! This is typically just a phase that may last as long as 2-3 weeks. The key again is to be consistent! It's the rare case that a 2 year old is really done with needing their nap. Most children need to nap consistently until 3-4 years of age.
A few of you have asked how we get children to nap at school. Our routine is pretty simple. We eat lunch between 12-12:20 everyday. We turn the lights low and put on calming music during lunch to help signify the transition to the next part of our day. Some of our peaches are ready to nap before they eat very much (for those who do this a lot, we offer a heavier morning snack with some of their lunch foods). Some friends pep back up after eating and take a bit more soothing to calm them down enough to sleep. We make the room dark and cool. We position their cots in the same places every day. We play music and we rub/pat backs and tummies and hair, we cover them up and tell them, "Laila tov." We sit with them until they are asleep. They are usually tired from a busy morning of play and work and an hour of time spent outside in the fresh air. Most are asleep by 12:30-12:45ish. But once in awhile they skip a nap or fight sleep harder after a particularly exciting morning.
I hope that you find any of this information helpful- even just one tidbit! You know your children best, so do what feels right for them and for you! Happy napping!
Wishing you a restful and joyous Shabbat and a very Happy Mother's Day!
Morah Ora and Morah Lindsey
Reminders:
Monday May 21st- no school in observance of Shavuos!
Thursday May 24th- Last Day of School! Graduation Ceremony (1/2 day)
Friday, May 4, 2018
Welcome Ella and Madison!
Greetings Peach Room Parents!
We officially welcomed Madison and Ella to our class on Tuesday! They will be with us every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Madison had an incredible first week. Refuah Shleimah Ella, we hope you feel better so you can join us again next week. We are so happy to have both girls joining us! Also, we were glad to have Rivkale back with us for the end of the week and feeling much better. Thank you all for bearing with us through the unexpected closure on Tuesday. Our friends were probably very tired when you came to pick them up since it would normally have been their nap time. Thanks again for your patience and understanding.
As we welcomed new friends, I observed tremendous kindness and helpfulness from our older peaches. I watched as they expressed concern when new friends were upset or weren't familiar with where things were kept in our room. Leah was quick to offer them a water or milk bottle, Shyli and Gavin gave pats on the back or head, Rivkale gave hugs and Ronan showed them where we keep lunch boxes. I was humbled by the heart they showed for their new friends.
Conversely, I observed our older peaches looking for some reassurance and extra attention, which is to be expected with any change or transition. I noticed some friends were quicker to express frustration or impatience. Frustration and impatience are perfectly healthy emotions that we all experience, even as adults. This made me think about how we can best support an older toddler who is becoming easily frustrated on a regular basis? Do we swoop in and rescue them? Do we jump into action to appease their demands? Can we stand to see some tears of frustration even through a transition we anticipated or a reasonable request? Or do we give them a moment? Do we wait and watch before automatically intervening? Do we teach them to breathe through that swell of big emotion? What is our goal for their particular stage of development?
Erikson's stages of psychosocial development identify the stage from birth to 18 months as Trust vs. Mistrust. So for our younger friends, it would be 100% appropriate and necessary to respond swiftly to any physical and emotional needs. But around 18 months to 3 years, Erikson identifies this stage of development as Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. This shift can often be difficult for caregivers and parents. In my own experience as a parent, I had difficulty recognizing when my own son was capable as a toddler. He was a high need and intense infant which meant my focus was on meeting his needs to establish trust and security. But by continuing to do things for him that he was capable of doing for himself, because it was faster or because I couldn't tolerate his extreme frustration with simple tasks, I was unintentionally robbing him of valuable problem solving experiences and contributing to some learned helplessness. What he taught me was that building frustration tolerance is a vital skill that can and should be learned by every child. I'm happy to report he caught up in this regard, that's one of the many wonderful things about the resiliency of children. But it took a concerted effort on our part to encourage and assure him and to build his confidence so that he could find joy in learning new things and mastering new skills. In our classroom an example of how we might try to foster this skill would look something like this: Child is sitting down with their shoes and starts to cry or yell out in frustration. Morah might say, "It looks like you're really frustrated right now, if you need some help with your shoes, you can say, "Help!" or "Help please, Morah." Help is given when it is requested. Learning to ask for help is the first step. How many adults struggle with asking for help? I know I do sometimes. Once they have mastered asking for help, the next step is giving them help through verbal cues and minimal physical assistance through each step (scaffolding or building each step in that skill). Think of yourself as a coach. Walk them through the skill step by step, model it, then ask them to try it themselves. Reassure them that they can do it. Offer narration and praise for every bit of progress made. Then exclaim, "Look, you did it!" and watch their face light up. Part of the beauty of Reggio is that it honors how capable children really are. We want to raise problem solvers, so we need to give them as many opportunities as possible to face problems by offering our support and encouragement rather than doing it for them so that they realize they're capable too!
In the classroom this week we continued exploring the big idea of Spring: flowers and bugs, as we celebrated Lag BaOmer Thursday. Morah Ora brought us a surprise on Tuesday...a new bird for our classroom. "Guy", as we have named him, is a finch and our friends have loved watching him as he has been very active. Wednesday we read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and played a game reenacting the story as we practiced our fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills. We observed live caterpillars that will be with us throughout their metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. They've already fattened up quite a bit throughout this week! Another fun fine motor/hand-eye coordination activity that captured our friends attention this week was threading silk flowers through colanders. Then we painted using sunflowers and stamping them onto paper. Some of our friends enjoyed the sensation of the paint on their hands and we extended this provocation into some finger painting. Other friends did not care for the sticky feeling the paint left on their hands and were ready to wash up after they stamped their paint with the flowers.
We are incredibly grateful for our outdoor environment as we had some seriously gorgeous spring weather to enjoy all week! The cooler temperatures did put a damper on our plans for water play this week- it was a bit too cool in the mornings, but we aren't complaining! Next week the forecast looks to be more typical for May in Arizona and we should be back on schedule for some water fun, so please bring your children in their water clothes and sunscreen! On the days we do water play, we will send suits/clothes home to be laundered and worn again the next day.
Thank you for sharing your children with us each week! We so appreciate the trust you place in us!
Shabbat Shalom,
Morah Ora and Morah Lindsey
We officially welcomed Madison and Ella to our class on Tuesday! They will be with us every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Madison had an incredible first week. Refuah Shleimah Ella, we hope you feel better so you can join us again next week. We are so happy to have both girls joining us! Also, we were glad to have Rivkale back with us for the end of the week and feeling much better. Thank you all for bearing with us through the unexpected closure on Tuesday. Our friends were probably very tired when you came to pick them up since it would normally have been their nap time. Thanks again for your patience and understanding.
As we welcomed new friends, I observed tremendous kindness and helpfulness from our older peaches. I watched as they expressed concern when new friends were upset or weren't familiar with where things were kept in our room. Leah was quick to offer them a water or milk bottle, Shyli and Gavin gave pats on the back or head, Rivkale gave hugs and Ronan showed them where we keep lunch boxes. I was humbled by the heart they showed for their new friends.
Conversely, I observed our older peaches looking for some reassurance and extra attention, which is to be expected with any change or transition. I noticed some friends were quicker to express frustration or impatience. Frustration and impatience are perfectly healthy emotions that we all experience, even as adults. This made me think about how we can best support an older toddler who is becoming easily frustrated on a regular basis? Do we swoop in and rescue them? Do we jump into action to appease their demands? Can we stand to see some tears of frustration even through a transition we anticipated or a reasonable request? Or do we give them a moment? Do we wait and watch before automatically intervening? Do we teach them to breathe through that swell of big emotion? What is our goal for their particular stage of development?
Erikson's stages of psychosocial development identify the stage from birth to 18 months as Trust vs. Mistrust. So for our younger friends, it would be 100% appropriate and necessary to respond swiftly to any physical and emotional needs. But around 18 months to 3 years, Erikson identifies this stage of development as Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. This shift can often be difficult for caregivers and parents. In my own experience as a parent, I had difficulty recognizing when my own son was capable as a toddler. He was a high need and intense infant which meant my focus was on meeting his needs to establish trust and security. But by continuing to do things for him that he was capable of doing for himself, because it was faster or because I couldn't tolerate his extreme frustration with simple tasks, I was unintentionally robbing him of valuable problem solving experiences and contributing to some learned helplessness. What he taught me was that building frustration tolerance is a vital skill that can and should be learned by every child. I'm happy to report he caught up in this regard, that's one of the many wonderful things about the resiliency of children. But it took a concerted effort on our part to encourage and assure him and to build his confidence so that he could find joy in learning new things and mastering new skills. In our classroom an example of how we might try to foster this skill would look something like this: Child is sitting down with their shoes and starts to cry or yell out in frustration. Morah might say, "It looks like you're really frustrated right now, if you need some help with your shoes, you can say, "Help!" or "Help please, Morah." Help is given when it is requested. Learning to ask for help is the first step. How many adults struggle with asking for help? I know I do sometimes. Once they have mastered asking for help, the next step is giving them help through verbal cues and minimal physical assistance through each step (scaffolding or building each step in that skill). Think of yourself as a coach. Walk them through the skill step by step, model it, then ask them to try it themselves. Reassure them that they can do it. Offer narration and praise for every bit of progress made. Then exclaim, "Look, you did it!" and watch their face light up. Part of the beauty of Reggio is that it honors how capable children really are. We want to raise problem solvers, so we need to give them as many opportunities as possible to face problems by offering our support and encouragement rather than doing it for them so that they realize they're capable too!
In the classroom this week we continued exploring the big idea of Spring: flowers and bugs, as we celebrated Lag BaOmer Thursday. Morah Ora brought us a surprise on Tuesday...a new bird for our classroom. "Guy", as we have named him, is a finch and our friends have loved watching him as he has been very active. Wednesday we read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and played a game reenacting the story as we practiced our fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills. We observed live caterpillars that will be with us throughout their metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. They've already fattened up quite a bit throughout this week! Another fun fine motor/hand-eye coordination activity that captured our friends attention this week was threading silk flowers through colanders. Then we painted using sunflowers and stamping them onto paper. Some of our friends enjoyed the sensation of the paint on their hands and we extended this provocation into some finger painting. Other friends did not care for the sticky feeling the paint left on their hands and were ready to wash up after they stamped their paint with the flowers.
We are incredibly grateful for our outdoor environment as we had some seriously gorgeous spring weather to enjoy all week! The cooler temperatures did put a damper on our plans for water play this week- it was a bit too cool in the mornings, but we aren't complaining! Next week the forecast looks to be more typical for May in Arizona and we should be back on schedule for some water fun, so please bring your children in their water clothes and sunscreen! On the days we do water play, we will send suits/clothes home to be laundered and worn again the next day.
Thank you for sharing your children with us each week! We so appreciate the trust you place in us!
Shabbat Shalom,
Morah Ora and Morah Lindsey
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)