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Early Childhood Education

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2013

Let the children play. Outdoor play: when benefits outweigh the risks. These three intrepid 3 year old master builders solved the problem of how to make a tower of milk crates tall enough to reach the sandpit shade cloth by cleverly creating a system of steps: They were justifiably proud of themselves when they reached the top: And when you've reached the top?

You might as well jump! As we walked up to the sandpit to see what these little guys were up too, we asked ourselves "should we be worried about this? " As teachers it can be tricky to give kids the opportunity to overcome risks and challenges through outdoor and adventurous activities when we live and work in a fear based society. While we don't want children to come to harm, our fears can lead us to overreact to risky play. So as we approach the sandpit, we are: assessing the hazards involved considering what we know about these children and their capabilities trusting the children's ability to make their own decisions about a particular risk relinquishing control So what did we do?

And the boys? Solid Food For Infants: Many Babies Fed Solids Too Early (STUDY) By: Rachael Rettner, MyHealthNewsDaily Staff Writer Published: 03/25/2013 07:50 AM EDT on MyHealthNewsDaily More than a third of U.S. mothers start feeding their infants solid food too soon, a new study finds. In the study, 40 percent of mothers said they gave their infants solid foods before the age of 4 months, which is earlier than recommended. About 24 percent of mothers who breastfed, and 53 percent of mothers who formula-fed, gave their babies solid food too early. At the time the study was conducted (between 2005 and 2007), the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended infants start solid foods no earlier than 4 months.

Currently, the AAP recommends waiting until 6 months. Until that time, the AAP recommends breast milk as the sole food for infants (along with necessarily vitamin supplements). The study surveyed 1,334 women before they gave birth, and nearly every month during the first year of the baby's life. The How To Mom: how to fix your child's attitude. I didn't really give much thought to my parenting philosophy until my oldest daughter was about 3. She was stubborn, and hated to be "controlled" which just made me want to try even harder to control her. It was power struggle city. Over ev.ry.thing. Getting her in the carseat, diaper changes, getting dressed, not acting like a lunatic at the store. It was non-stop. Which is one of the reasons it took forever for her to be potty trained. Try as you might, you cannot force a child to pee.

After finding Dr Laura Markham, my world changed. Since then, our relationship has naturally ebbed and flowed. And guess what I learned (this will blow your mind):She was irritating, because I was irritated with her. Do you see what I'm saying? As parents, when we're in that "funk" with our kids, when they're not listening, disobedient, acting out, we want to DEMAND that they change their behavior. Let that sink in... Write a list of 3 things you like about your child. Cut back on how busy you are. And. September 11th: What Really Matters | Gems of Delight. I remember the panic rising up from my belly the moment I realized, the moment it really sank in, what had just happened.

The bells on the tower at Boston College started ringing – slowly, methodically, again and again. And somehow, everyone – students, professors, staff – knew something was wrong. Something big. Something horrible. Something we still didn’t quite understand – in our own hearts, in our country. As if in slow motion, the bells beckoned us to gather – hundreds of us – in the Center Square. Then the panic. What mattered was connection and love. Twelve years later, isn’t this still what matters most? We never know when will be our last breath. Wake up in this very moment. Everyday moments of waking up. Each and every day there is an opportunity for us to wake up. Everyday Resurrection By Lisa A. There comes a moment when you know that you can no longer keep digging in the past searching for the magical golden “why” that you think will finally heal that one tender wound.

Do templates kill creativity? Mats Anderson posted this image together with the following words "barns egen kreativitet och skaparlust eller likriktning och mallar? Studiebesök på en förskola i Bologna" (children's own creativity and desire to create or regimentation and templates? A study visit to a preschool in Bologna - (part of a Reggio Emilia study trip)) - this was posted on a Swedish Reggio Emilia group, to stimulate thoughts... It certainly got me thinking... I am no fan of templates - I would much rather encourage the children to create from scratch - in much the same way I would much prefer to provide home-made food cooked from scratch than prefabricated food... BUT, instead of thinking as an adult about children's creativity and what they need from my adult view - I decided to go back to my own childhood, to root around in my own memories and how templates influenced my creativity - are templates the opposite of creativity?

I never thought I would ever write something positive about using templates... Why Punishment Doesn't Teach Your Child Accountability. "Dr. Laura....How do you hold a child accountable for her behavior without punishment? " "I recently read a quote from a Finnish education minister: "There's no word for accountability in Finnish...Accountability is something that is left when responsibility has been subtracted. " - Teacher Tom What does it mean, to hold our child accountable for her behavior? My definition would be that our child assumes responsibility for her actions, including making amends and avoiding a repeat, whether the authority figure is present or not.

So, really, it isn't about "holding our child accountable. " What we want is for our child to step into responsibility, to hold HERSELF accountable. Once someone takes responsibility, we don't have to "hold her accountable. " Essentially, we're talking about raising a moral child who wants to do the right thing. Many of the studies referred to above are detailed in Kohn's book, Unconditional Parenting, and more are being published every day. Connect or Disconnect Words. Learnings of Nature in Early Childhood.

Learning for Life

Marc Armitage. Tom Hobson. Janet Lansbury - Elevating Childcare™ Magda Gerber. Lisa Sunbury. Community Playthings UK.