April, May & June 2016
Early Head Start
Family
Connections Make Summer Safe For Children
Heat Illness - Our bodies create a tremendous amount of heat. Normally, they’re cooled through sweating and by heat radiating through the skin. But in very hot weather, high humidity, and other conditions, this natural cooling system may begin to fail, letting heat in the body build to dangerous levels.The can cause heat illness, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke.
to Choose & Use Sunscreen - With all the sunscreens available these days (organic or mineral? water-resistant or sweat-resistant? lotion or spray?), choosing the right one for your kids can be tricky. Look for SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 or higher to prevent sunburn. Choose a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays (usually labeled as a “broad-spectrum” sunscreen). Sunscreen sprays are convenient but should be used with Summer is a great time for kids to enjoy different indoor and outdoor caution. Sprays are easy to breathe in, which can irritate the lungs. activities. Before you round up your family and head for the beach, park, or When going outside with babies younger than 6 months, dress your other destinations, read up on ways to make your days in the sun safe as baby in lightweight clothes that cover arms and legs — and don’t well as fun. Here are some important issues that come along with warmer forget a hat.
temperatures:
How
Water Safety - Pools, lakes, ponds, and beaches mean summer
Dehydration - Under normal conditions, we all lose some body water fun and cool relief from hot weather. But water also can be danger-
every day. It’s important that children drink often during hot weather. If ous for kids if adults don’t take the proper precautions. Nearly 1,000 your child has fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, or is sweating a lot on a hot day kids die each year by drowning, with most incidents happening in or during intense physical activity, watch for signs of dehydration, which home swimming pools. It is the second leading cause of accidental can include: few or no tears when crying, eyes that look sunken into the death for people between the ages of 5 and 24. Children must have head, soft spot (fontanelle) on top of baby’s head that looks sunken, lack constant supervision around water — whether the water is in a of urine or wet diapers for 6 to 8 hours in an infant (or only a very small bathtub, a wading pool, an ornamental fish pond, a swimming pool, a spa, the beach, or a lake. amount of dark yellow urine); dry, cool skin; lethargy or irritability.
Look Before You Lock! Facts show that parents of young children often suffer from
exhaustion due to lack of sleep, hormone changes, stress, & changes in their normal routine. Any one of these changes can cause your memory to fail at a time you least expect it. Even the very best parent or caregiver can overlook a sleeping baby in a car; and in the end, the result can be injury or even death. Think it can’t happen to you? Think again... Acknowledge the risks and devise a system to remind you to check the backseat of your car at every stop. All information on this page is referenced from Centers for Disease Control and KidsHealth. This information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. www.grecs.org; (251)473-1060
Turning “No” Into “Yes”
It’s no surprise that one of the first words many infants and toddlers say is “no.” As children develop and become more curious, “no” is a word they hear very often. Sometimes you can stop your child from doing something you don’t want her to do without saying “no.” Instead of using the “no” command, try redirecting her behavior and offer her a different activity. Here are some ways to redirect your child’s behavior:
Tell or show your child a better choice. If your child is about to knock down his brother’s tower, you might say, “Miguel, look! I see more blocks over there. Do you want to build your own tower?” A gesture - without words is sometimes enough, especially if you use it consistently. Encourage your child whenever she chooses positive behavior. Praise your child for making this choice. “That was so kind of you.You let your friend have a turn feeding your baby doll.”
www.grecs.org; (251)473-1060
Quick Starters for Redirecting Behaviors Use some of these quick starter statements to verbally redirect challenging behaviors.
“Let’s practice inside voices.” “Let’s use gentle hands.” “Let’s listen to our friend’s words.” “Let’s go do...” “Can we try...” “Wow, look at...”
Key Steps in Redirecting Behavior • Minimize attention to the challenging behavior. • Provide a clear description of the behavior expected from the child (e.g., “You can ask for a turn nicely,” or “We play with the trucks by driving them on the carpet.”) • Provide positive attention and/or feedback (e.g., “That’s playing with the trucks safely, Miguel! I see you are driving them on the carpet.”), or access to the desired material as soon as it is available.
YOU Are Your Child’s First Teacher Believe it or not, preparing a child for school starts the day you bring them home from the hospital. The term “school readiness” has become a hot topic in recent years. Fortunately, the best things you can do for your child to prepare them for school are also the simplest and most natural. His brain is wired to learn and you, as parents, can be an active part of his development by these simple, daily habits.
TOUCH - Caress those tiny toes. Cuddle him in your arms. Even before your baby’s sense of smell or taste develops, he knows touch. Touch is the most important thing in their young lives.
TALK - Explain the world. Show him colors and shapes. Tell him he’s loved.
READ - It can be Dr. Seuss or your shopping
list. Tell him a story, and show him the words and the pictures.
PLAY - Play peekaboo or hide-and-seek or tag. Make up your own games. Have fun.
Of all the gifts he’ll get during his life — the stuffed teddy bears, the Tonka trucks, the books, the blankets — this one: Touching, Talking, Reading, and Playing, is perhaps the most important and it doesn’t cost a thing.
Daddy, Daddy listen to me, I can say my ABCs. I can count as far as 10, I have lots of new friends. That was 5 years ago, From my baby, just turned 4. She’s 9 now & in 4th grade, She still remembers the friends she made. Head Start is more than just a school, It’s more than just a learning tool. The lessons that are learned there, The children use them everywhere. Red light, green light, stop and go, Talk to strangers? No! No! No! Be patient, be still, stand in line, Sometimes things just take time. Head Start is more than just a school, It’s more than just a learning tool. More than just a place to play, To eat, to nap, to spend the day. More than just a babysitter, More than just a daycare center. More than just a place to come, When Mom or Dad is not at home. What does Head Start mean to me? It is so plain, the blind could see. It’s more than just a learning tool, It’s more than just a school. It makes children out of babies, It makes little men and little ladies. Always in my family’s heart, Will be a place called Head Start. ~ Kenneth Etheredge, father
www.grecs.org; (251)473-1060
Upcoming Monthly Themes:
April - Sea Creatures May - Jungle / Zoo June - Summer / Beach
Goodwill Easter Seals Nina Nicks Joseph CDC Lighthouse Academy Small Wonders CDC Starlight Learning Center Dearborn YMCA Soaring Eagles
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www.grecs.org; (251)473-1060