COMMUNITY ARTICLE
Rituals & Traditions by Tonya Van Winkle, Child Development Center Director
FineExhibit Arts DECEMBER 15
10 AM - 2 PM Crossroads Hallway between Community Bank and IT&T
Come see how talented our young people are as you browse the Youth & Teen Center Local Fine Arts Exhibit. Artwork in four age divisions and teen categories will be on display. Artwork will be judged by local officials and winners will be forwarded for judging at the regional level. Open to youth ages 6-18 years old.
For me, it seems that the month of December always brings about a time to look back on all of the traditions and rituals that are so important to my family. Whether it’s the store- bought birthday cake or the holiday pajamas opened on Christmas Eve, these events have become an integral part of our lives. Living in Japan, we have the amazing opportunity to learn about traditions and rituals of different holidays as well. However, traditions do not have to center around a holiday or a special event in a child’s life.
CYP §253-5549/4803
Here at the Child Development Center (CDC), we have many parents who engage in “I Love You” rituals when they drop off their children. For example, parents give their child a hug and a fist bump each day when they are dropping them off. These simple acts help to reassure the child that the parent will be back and empower the child to have more control in this situation. It sounds silly, but these “I Love You” rituals have prevented many meltdowns. These rituals are research-based and are a part of the Conscious Discipline teaching series that the teachers utilize at the CDC to address challenging behavior and instill positive classroom management strategies. If you would like to learn more about this teaching series, Please call § 253-5584 for more information.
M C C S I WA K U N I . C O M |
DECEMBER 2016
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