Surviving the Holidays...Bah hum bug?

Let me set the stage for you:  Your family arrives at grandma's house for the big holiday celebration.  Dinner is being served at 1:30 pm (right during your little one's naptime and 90 minutes after their usually scheduled lunch).  You already have a bad feeling about the whole entire thing.  Your family is dressed in their holiday best and ready to celebrate with 50 of your closest relatives.  As you wait for the food preparation to be complete, Junior begins rubbing his eyes and fussing.  You know he's hungry and sleepy.  Dinner is still 30 minutes away!  You're starting to realize that a nuclear meltdown is imminent and you're looking for a place to hide, preferably under the table and in the fetal position...

Happy Holidays?!!  Sometimes (READ:  most of the time), this time of year is hard on families of small children.  If you've attended any ECFE classes, you've likely learned that your child's routine is your friend.  Your very best friend.  Children thrive on predictability.  They feel safest when they know what is coming next and what to expect from those around them.  They feel the best physically when they are getting adequate sleep at night and for naps during the day.  When a child is hungry, it's difficult for them to focus on anything else (whereas adults can stave off hunger if they know they're about to feast).  New surroundings can send some children into a bit of a tailspin, and unfamiliar people, even relatives, may make your child feel uncomfortable (think about that long lost great aunt that wants to smooch the cute baby's face...).

So, what can you do to make this time of year easier for your family?  There are strategies that may ease the pain of your child's change in routine.  While you may not be able to control all aspects of your child's schedule, you may be able to try some things that make life a little bit easier for your child and for you:

• Check with the host/hostess to see if you can plan meal time during the part of the day that makes the most sense for the children attending the party.  Some parents may prefer to feed their children ahead of time and then have the adults eat during naptime so that they can enjoy an adults' only meal.  Other families may want everyone together at mealtime, so eating at a time when children are hungry and ready to eat may work best.
• As much as possible, stick to your child's sleep schedule.  If you can create a cozy nap environment in someone else's house, your child can sneak away and get the rest that he or she is accustomed to during the day.  Sound machines or fans work magic in noisy houses.  If you can get home by bedtime in the evening, your child will feel better and you may get a few evening hours to finish wrapping or to enjoy a movie with your significant other.
• Limit the amount of together time.  Some children are overwhelmed by extended time with family and friends.  If you can honor their need for alone time by building it in to a busy schedule, your child may be more ready to face friendly faces the next day.
• SNACKS!  Having a bag of child-friendly snacks at the ready is great in a pinch when the turkey isn't quite finished cooking yet.  Think high-protein, energy-producing snacks.
• ACTIVITIES!  While you're packing the snack bag, throw in some toys, books, and activities that will interest your little one, especially if you're going to a house where children don't live.  That long lost great aunt will love nothing more than to read to your child while you connect with relatives.
• While suits, ties, and dresses, are SUPER adorable on small children, consider throwing a pair of jammies or comfortable clothes in your bag that they can change into.  You know how you feel after eating a big meal and your clothes become uncomfortable?  Your child feels the same way.
• For children over two, letting them in on the plan so they know what to expect can help them feel ready.  Even allowing them to help choose what to take along can help them have some control over their time. 
• Bring along any transitional objects that help your child feel safe.  Blankets, stuffed animals, pacifiers, etc. help them feel like they're at home.  It is also how your child self-soothes.  Giving them the tools they need to feel good is a gift to them and to you.
• Try not to work on big life events at the same time as a holiday (like starting potty training).  Putting too much on your plate for an already busy time of year may be a recipe for disaster.

As you all know, controlling every outcome for your child is impossible.  Hopefully, though, the above tips will relieve some pressure so you can enjoy this festive time of year.  Coming together with family and friends is a wonderful experience for your children.  If you are prepared to help them navigate these busy times, the holiday experience will be wonderful for you, too.  At the very least, it may keep you out of the fetal position.

For another great blog from author Mary Sheedy Kurcinka titled "Extrovert and Introverts:  Holiday Cheer", click here.

Next up in January:  Coming down off of the holidays and a Guest Blogger!

From all of us at ECFE, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season!

LEAP Together!

Through a partnership with ACCESS (an English Learner Program in South Washington County Schools), Community Education has brought back an exciting program for families!  LEAP is an acronym for Literacy Education And Parenting and combines the amazing language learning services of ACCESS with Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE).  Through this program, adults have the opportunity to benefit from two hours of classroom time including language learning and parent education.  So far, it's been a great success!

While parents are in their own classroom, their children spend time with a licensed early childhood educator and highly trained paraprofessionals.  They do fun classroom projects, valuable child-directed play, fun activities geared toward children from birth to five years of age, and enjoy time in the large motor room.  Some of our littlest learners take a nap, too!  After the parents return from their time of education and connecting, they have parent-child interaction time in the early childhood classroom, playing and learning with their children.

Other benefits of this program include transportation provided by the school district four afternoons per week to our Central Park location.  Classes run every afternoon, Monday through Thursday, from 1:15 to 3:45 pm so that parents can take advantage of afternoon preschool programming onsite if they so desire.  The feedback has been wonderful and we are thrilled to be meeting the needs of our local population. 

We all know that being a parent is challenging.  Imagine navigating the school and community environment with limited language skills!  In the LEAP program, parents and their children don't need to feel alone.  They have the care and support from educators and other parents in the same spot, even if they don't share the same language (there are TEN languages represented in this class)!  We are proud of this new and improved program.

Click here to view our winter/spring catalog for class registration and more information.  And if you'd like to get involved as a volunteer, more information can be found here!  Thanks in advance for supporting these families as they LEAP Together!



PLAY TIME!

 

WORKING HARD IN PARENTING

 

THE WHOLE GROUP

 

SNUGGLING WITH MS. CATIE

THANK YOU IN ALL CLASS LANGUAGES!!!

Sneak Peek: Online Parent Education

Many of you are anxiously awaiting our ECFE second semester catalog of classes!  Today we're giving you a sneak peek into a brand new class beginning in January, 2017.  Whether we like it or not, technology is here to stay.  Everyday, more and more daily tasks are streamlined into an online format...banking, shopping, reading the newspaper, and all types of education.  There are online K-12 schools, online higher education schools, and now there is ONLINE PARENT EDUCATION!  For the first time in our Early Childhood history in South Washington County, we are offering two online sessions for parents and if it goes well, you will see more in our catalogs next year.

Our topic will be temperament.  This course will allow you to gain an in-depth understanding of what temperament is and how to use specific strategies that grow your relationship with your unique child.  Whether he or she is flexible, cautious, or spirited, you should walk away with a new appreciation for their temperament style.  We will also examine the idea of "goodness of fit"...how your temperament meshes with your child's temperament.  Are there fireworks between you and your kiddo?  Maybe you're a lot alike.  Do you have a hard time understanding why your child acts like they do?  Maybe you're not alike at all.  There may be some strategies that you haven't tried that will make a big difference in your parenting.

In this online format, you will participate in a "chat" once per week for 45 minutes with a licensed parent educator.  The class is six weeks long.  There will be additional resources available online that will lead you to research, light articles, and videos that offer additional insight.  The beauty of this format is that the learner can go as deeply as they desire in any of the concepts throughout each week.  You will also gain a group of classmates that are looking to learn the same way you are and will offer a new perspective during chats and weekly discussion.  Finally, you will have your choice of lunch time parent education (perfect for a lunch break at work) or bedtime parent education (after the kids are tucked into bed at night).  The best part about this new format is that we can reach parents that may not otherwise have access to parent education and the class will be available 24 hours a day.

If you are looking for a new, relevant, and innovative approach to parent education, be on the lookout for more information about our online classes in our next catalog.  It's coming soon and will be posted here as soon as it hits the website.  Hope to "see" you there!

Product or Process: What is UP with the ART my child brings home?

I know you've all thought this before.

You walk into your child's ECFE classroom to find the art table loaded up with paper, glue, pinecones, feathers, pom pom balls, confetti, pipe cleaners, daubers, markers, paint, crayons, toilet paper tubes, tinfoil, and other assorted items that don't seem to fit together.  Your child's teacher explains how much fun this activity will be and all you can imagine is how in the world you're going to get it to hang on the fridge. This leaves you longing for the days of handprint apples and footprint snowmen.

I would like to introduce you to Process Art.

According to Dictionary.com, process art can be defined as "a style of art which focuses on the creative process and created mainly as a record of that process; an artwork produced in this way".  In layman's terms, when your child creates art with the goal of experiencing the process, rather than producing a specific product, there are no constraints on their creativity.  What they create displays the process that they chose and how THEY envisioned the end result.  It's open-ended and child directed.  There are no instructions given to the child, no example to follow, and no "right way" to complete the task.  For adults, it can be challenging to not want to fix what your child creates or instruct them on how to do it.  The key to remember is that when your child gets to control the process of creating art, they practice skill development that can lead to mastery, they get to flex their creativity muscles, and they get a sense of accomplishment like nothing else.  Process art grows each developmental domain and gives a window into your child's developing mind.  Plus, it's so much fun for them.

Here in South Washington County ECFE, you will experience process art in every early childhood classroom.  Our teachers are committed to helping your child develop in wonderful and unique ways.  We are going to look at two examples to see what we can learn!

First of all, in one of our preschool classrooms, the children were given paper, red paint, and a paint brush.  Pretty simple, right?  Ms. Ann's goal was to allow the children to make whatever they wanted and then to study the results.  It was interesting and fun to see what each child came up with.  Some covered the entire paper with paint while others made a few swipes and were done.  None of them were given instructions, but each one produced their own creation.  The paintings were then hung on the wall for display in the classroom:

In Ms. Catie's classroom, there was another unique painting experience offered to the children.  They were given the chance to put on a firefighter hat equipped with a paintbrush taped on both sides.  Children were given only the one instruction that they should paint with their heads.  They dipped the brushes in the paint and created a painting at the easle.  Notice Ms. Catie's encouraging words, too:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_RpOCDcMHz-MlktMGlScWZMTndmaVJBUDdZOExiY2UyYmQw/view?usp=sharing


Even adults get in on the fun of process art!  At the Guggenheim Museum in New York, NY, process art is everywhere.  The creative process is at it's best when the artist isn't confined to a set of rules or directions.

So the next time that you leave your child's ECFE class with a toilet paper tube creation that you have no idea what to do with, remember the process that he or she experienced while creating it.  They learned that they were capable, creative, flexible, and unique.  They felt good about the work and their self-esteem grew when you talked with them about how hard they worked to create it.  They thought is was neat when you asked them about the materials that they chose to use and why.  Most importantly, they want to do art again tomorrow.  What a gift.

To learn more about what the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) says about encouraging process art, click here.

Fantasy or Reality? What Halloween Means for Little Ones

Fall is well underway.  We know this because there is a chill in the air, the trees are filled with bright and vibrant colored leaves that are falling all around us, and children everywhere are anticipating the candy haul that they are about to make in the next week or so. 

Halloween.  Not every family chooses to celebrate the holiday of costumes, candy, and spooky things, but there's no doubt that the images of this holiday are all around us.  It's impossible to miss the decorations on neighbors' houses, in the grocery stores, and on television.  So you may wonder, what does all of this mean for children?  It's worth thoughtful consideration for parents.

Think for a minute about all of the costumed trick or treaters that arrive at your door every year at this time.  Many of the costumes are happy, fun, or comical.  Certainly, they're cute!  Others can be very scary, though.  If your young child happens to see the scarier images, their fearful reaction may surprise you.  According to an article from parenting.com on imagination vs. reality,  once kids have the memory and experience to understand that things aren't always as they appear, usually by age 5, costume transformations aren't as frightening. This means if your child is younger than 5, they may look at that costumed friend and think they're not imaginary, but real.  This brings about real fear.

After the age of about 3 (give or take), children can also develop typical childhood fears.  Images around them can trigger fear which may lead to sleepless nights, fear of something under the bed or in the closet, and general anxiety.  What can we do as parents to help our children through this developmentally typical phase?  Here are some suggestions:

• Consider reducing the amount of time in front of television screens.  Images that aren't scary to adults may be very frightening for your child and increase the likelihood of fear and anxiety.
• Talk about and honor your child's fear, even if it seems irrational to you.  Encouraging your child to share how they feel and validating them by saying something like "I can tell that's scary for you" helps them know that their feelings matter and they're safe with you.
• Play dress-up!  If you and your child spend some time playing with hats, masks, and other items, it can help your child understand the difference between fantasy and reality sooner.  Let them watch you take a mask on and off and have fun with it.
• Empower your child to be bigger than their fears.  Consider giving them a spray bottle of water with a label on it like "Monster Spray" that they can spray around their room before bed. This simple idea can shift the power back in the child's hands. 
• Look for fun ways to celebrate with friends in a non-scary environment.  ECFE is hosting the Monster Mash on Saturday, October 29th, 2016 at Woodbury High School from 10 am to noon.  There will be family friendly music, activities, games, and bounce houses available to you and your children ages birth to five.  Tickets are available here.  We'd love to see you (in your non-scary costumes) there!

This is not meant to discourage you from celebrating Halloween.  It can be a fun and exciting time of year for families.  The key is to be aware of the sites and sounds around your little ones, step into their shoes to feel what they feel, and make your plans accordingly. 

One more program note:  because we try to remain sensitive to all families and their experiences, we do not celebrate Halloween in our regularly scheduled ECFE classes.  We ask that treats and costumes remain at home. 

All of us at ECFE wish you a safe and Happy Halloween!

The "DPC"...huh?!!



If you're new to ECFE in South Washington County and not familiar with our Cottage Grove location, you may hear parents or teachers in your classes talking about the "DPC".  Quietly you may be thinking to yourself... "What in the world is the DPC?"  "Where is this DPC?"  "Why do I keep hearing about the DPC???" But being new often causes us to keep our questions to ourselves as not to look like we may not know or understand what people are talking about. 

 

Well, your trusty blogger is here to help.  The letters DPC refer to the District Program Center.  It's the large building right next to Applebee's in Cottage Grove (just off of Highway 61 and Jamaica) that houses our ECFE programming.  It. Is. Awesome.  We wanted to take a minute to tell you about this fantastic facility, share the recent updates that took place, and give you a visual tour through pictures of what you will find there.  In doing so, we hope to inspire you to try a class in this great location!

 

If you aren't new to ECFE and just haven't been to the DPC in a while, you are in for some nice surprises!  During our summer break from classes, the old flooring in several of our classrooms was replaced with a fresh, new look.  Along with that came new circle time rugs, fresh paint in some areas, and lots of new learning materials and supplies.  A thorough inventory was taken of our teaching materials and old items were discarded or donated.  When our staff arrived back to work in August, we were met with a beautiful and inviting place to welcome families. 

 

What isn't new to the DPC is our awesome paraprofessionals and teachers.  You have always been able to find the same quality early childhood and parent education programming at all three of our sites in District 833.  That won't ever change.  We are ready, waiting, and excited to serve your family!

 

So head on down to 8400 E. Point Douglas Road in Cottage Grove and discover this early learning gem.  We still have some space in our classes and we'd love to meet you at the DPC!  Until then, take a look at the pictures below.  See you soon!

 

One of our beautiful classrooms



 

 

This is our large motor room...great fun for little ones.  Not pictured is the climbing wall that is loved by many!

 



 

 

 

Our outdoor playground.  This is used and enjoyed nearly year 'round. The flooring under the play structure is soft, safe, and comfortable.

 

 

 

Our entry way that welcomes you just beyond a new secured entrance.  A great place to find resources!

 

 

 

More playtime in the sandbox...

 

...and on the motorcycle! 

 

COME ON DOWN!!!

Sour Patch Kids

You know that delicious candy that is sour on the outside and sweet on the inside?  Well, I heard this phrase used in one of the toddler classes this week.  A mom was describing her toddler and shared the term "Sour Patch Kids" in reference to a recent "meltdown".  "She's kind of like a sour patch kid...a little bit sour on the outside at first, but then sweet in the middle".  First I laughed out loud, then realized how insanely accurate this phrase is!  Isn't it difficult when we can't predict what we're going to get from our kiddos?  In one moment, they're sour.  In the next moment, sweet.  Talk about mixed messages.  I have a headache just thinking about it.

I think the phrase resonated with me so much because it perfectly describes what professionals in the field of Family Education call "Emotional Intelligence"...also called "EQ" (think IQ for feelings). According to the website Psychology Today , the following is the definition of Emotional Intelligence:

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. It is generally said to include three skills: 

1. Emotional awareness, including the ability to identify your own emotions and those of others;
2. The ability to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problems solving;
3. The ability to manage emotions, including the ability to regulate your own emotions, and the ability to cheer up or calm down another person.

Just as our children are developing physically and cognitively, they're also developing socially and emotionally.  Our job as their parents is to help our children become aware of their emotions so they can identify them, use them in healthy ways like problem solving, and regulate them.  It sounds exhausting, doesn't it? 

Just to add fuel to the fire, if you've been around ECFE for any length of time, you've heard ALL about temperament.  Maybe you could teach the topic by now.  One of the nine traits of temperament is "INTENSITY" and it's in all caps for a reason!  Intense children...wait for it...may need extra help sorting through and making sense of their feelings.   The strength of their emotional response is stronger (and maybe louder) than their less intense counterparts.  If their parent is at all intense, that only adds to the fun of the feelings party.  See?  Sour Patch Kids. 

By now, if you can relate to this at all, you're wondering what in the world you are supposed to do with this information.  Thankfully, there are some things that you can do to transform the sour into sweet.  You can observe your child's behavior and name their feelings for them.  Feelings can be very confusing for a young child and giving a name to the strong reaction that they're having can be helpful to them.  Become a "soft place to land" for them.  Help them to feel safe with you, no matter the strength of their reaction.  Offer hugs and reassurance.  Accept that this lovingly, sour, sweet, gift is yours and their intensity will serve them well later in life if you can help them make sense of feelings now.  They may need to stand up for a friend who's being bullied at school or make their voice heard in a tough discussion at work.  When that happens, intensity is a strength!  (If you would like to read a great parenting article on this topic, click here.)

In the meantime, give yourself a break, talk with a friend who also has a sour patch kid, and know that as they grow their Emotional Intelligence, the outbursts will happen less frequently.  In the middle, your child is sweet, loving, kind, and working hard on understanding feelings.

Also, come to ECFE.  We LOVE Sour Patch Kids!

Parent and Child Separation: Surviving and Thriving in ECFE Classes

Greetings!

Your ECFE Teachers and Paraprofessionals have been hard at work the last couple of weeks preparing for your arrival in our Fall 2016 classes!  We have been attending professional development sessions, setting goals for the academic year, writing lesson plans, and preparing classroom space.  We are more than excited to meet all of you and get the year started!

Many of our families are returning after a long summer of missing the social interaction that comes at ECFE.  They are checking off the days until classes start, anxiously awaiting the chance to meet new friends and reconnect with old ones, and are feeling more than ready to separate from their children.  Other families may be coming to ECFE for the very first time, feeling a little bit anxious about joining a class with teachers they haven't met yet where separation is encouraged.  They may be thinking "I'm leaving my child with WHO?!!!"

Every parents' comfort level with separation is different.  We all fall somewhere on a spectrum between 1 and 10 with 1 being "I really don't want to separate...I hope it's not for too long" and 10 being "SIGN ME UP!!!!!!  Do we really have to go back at all?"  There really isn't a right or wrong way to feel.  It's very typical to not want to leave your baby or child and to feel uneasy about being apart, especially if you've never separated before.  It's also more than ok to DESIRE to separate from your child.  You aren't a "bad parent" if you enjoy your time connecting with other parents apart from your children, discussing pertinent topics, while NOT doing the laundry, NOT cleaning a potty, and NOT viewing the latest temper tantrum. 

This post is intended to explain where our program stands on separating classes, offer helpful information about what to expect when you come to class, and to ease your mind about this complex issue.  Separating from your child can pave the way for many benefits in your life and the life of your child.

The following is how we view the dance of separation here in District 833 ECFE:

"It is our intent not to let any child stay in distress when separating.  Staff will work with you and your child to help the separations and time apart go smoothly. Your input is greatly valued and appreciated.  We understand that every child is unique and when a child experiences difficulty in separating, it is typically related to a developmental stage or their unique temperament. It is our intention is to meet their unique needs in this new learning opportunity.  Separation is a learning opportunity for children where they begin to develop trusting relationships with other caring adults.  We want to support every child and caregiver through this new experience."

This means that our staff will connect with you to help ease any concerns you may have.  We will do our very best to gather information from you about your child to understand his or her unique needs and utilize strategies that allow for smooth transitions.  We view every child as a unique and treasured gift.  We are honored that you are choosing to trust us to provide the best care and educational opportunities for your little one.  We do not take this responsibility lightly.

These are the things that you can expect during the first week of classes:

• Most (if not all) of the classes for our youngest friends (think infants and toddlers) will not separate at all the first week.  The first week of class is an opportunity for you and your child to explore the space, become comfortable with our staff, and get to know your classmates. 
• You will be given a separation questionnaire to fill out and bring back the second week.  This will give you an opportunity to teach us all about your child, his or her unique needs, and their experience with past separation.  These questionnaires are extremely helpful for your child's teacher and paraprofessionals to offer you and your child the best possible experience with ECFE.
• Soothing transitional objects are not only welcomed but ENCOURAGED in our classrooms.  If your child has a pacifier, a special blanket, or a stuffed animal, please plan on bringing it to class.  These items often ease the transition of separation.  You may also bring a sippy cup labeled with your child's name if you'd like.
• We will begin separating during the second week of classes, but will work with you to develop a plan for separation that you are comfortable with. 
• When it's time to separate, you will be asked to say goodbye to your child.  This can be sad for parents because the child may cry, but it helps them build trust that you always return.  If they turn around and you've disappeared, they may fear that you could disappear at anytime.  Our goal is to increase trust between child and parent through separation. 
• If a child is inconsolable after a few minutes...max of 10 minutes, the parent will be called back and will stay in the classroom for the rest of the day, no matter the age of the child.
• You will receive much more information on separation during your first class!  Some classes separate for the first part of class and some separate for the last part of class.  You will walk away after the first week with all the tools you need for healthy separation. 
• Additionally, some classes may separate right away the first week, but that is usually practiced in classes older than toddlers.  Your teachers will communicate with you what you can expect.

We can't wait to meet you and your child!  Please feel free to direct any questions you may have to your child's teacher or in the comment section of this blog.

Thanks!

Welcome Back!

With our new 2016-17 school year upon us, we are thrilled to welcome families to our updated family blog. Thank you for joining the conversation! We will begin by talking a little bit about what you can expect when you come here, what our goal is in offering blog posts, and ways that you can interact with us electronically.

What can you expect from this blog?

• A new blog will be posted approximately every other week.
• Posts will include a variety of content including ECFE program highlights, current research on child, parent, and family development, staff introductions, video links, and other fun information.
• Ways to respond to current events and how to communicate with your child about them.
• An interactive experience...please, please, please leave thoughts and questions in the comment section.  This is YOUR blog!  If you have young children, we want to hear about your experiences, questions, ideas, and concerns. 

Why offer a blog?

• Our goal is to connect with families in many different formats.  Because our program includes parent education, this is a great way to offer information to you...especially when it's 400 degrees below zero and you don't feel like leaving home (we do live in Minnesota, after all). 
• We live in a digital age!  Your favorite format for learning may be online and that's a great thing.  We would like to meet you there.
• This will be a trusted place to get information on parenting.  Think about Google for a minute.  How many hits do you get when you google "toilet training"?  Probably MILLIONS!  Which one do you click on?  Who is a trusted source for information?  We can help you weed through all of that and get you what you need at your fingertips. 

How can you join in the fun?

• It's as simple as creating an account and a profile.  Once you've done that, you can leave comments below the post.  Feel free to start a discussion thread with other blog readers or with the site administrator.
• Bookmark the site, subscribe to our feed, and visit often!
• Share the blog on the social media site of your choice.  ECFE is on Facebook, but if you want to share anywhere, share away!  The more the merrier (and the livelier the discussion).

Pertinent Program Info:

• Three's Preschool begins on Thursday, September 8th.  You will be contacted by your child's teacher to schedule a Meet & Greet before then.
• ECFE classes start the week of  Monday, September 12th. 
• Our new Family Literacy class begins the week of Monday, September 19th.  If you are enrolled in the class, you will be contacted soon with more information.
• Stay tuned for our next blog post all about how we handle separation in our ECFE classes.

We are looking forward to sharing this space with you.  Again, WELCOME BACK!!!

Executive Functioning Skills - What's All The Fuss?

By Susan McGarthwaite, Licensed Parent Educator

Have you heard about Executive Functioning skills?  Hopefully?  But if not, let's talk about why you should care about these important skills and why these skills have the potential to determine how well your child succeeds in their relationships, in their academic performance, and in their future work.  Pretty important stuff, right?

So let's take a look at what is meant by executive function skills.  But first, we have to understand a little about brain development.

Executive function skills develop in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.  The prefrontal cortex is often referred to as the CEO, or the manager of the brain.  It's that part of the brain that manages our attention, our emotions, and our behavior in order to reach our goals.  We can also think of the prefrontal cortex as our "thinking brain."  Whereas the development of this part of the brain begins in infancy, it really starts to come "on line" at approximately preschool age and does not fully mature until our early 20s!

So what are these executive function skills?  Basically they include, inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and focus and attention.  These skills help us remember the information we need to complete a task, filter distractions, resist inappropriate or non-productive impulses, and sustain attention during a particular activity.  We use them to asses our progress along the way, and adjust the plan if necessary, while managing frustrations so we don't act on them.  So as I said, important skills to have!  These skills provide critical supports for learning and development.

Our kids are not born with executive function skills, but with the potential to develop them.  This is where parents come in.  Parents play an important role in supporting the development of these skills.  It's a slow process that begins in infancy and continues into early adulthood.

In the next several posts, I'll break down each of the skills - inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, working memory, and focus and attention - and give some suggestions on what parents can do to promote the development of these skills.

For more information on executive functioning, check out this short video Executive Functions:  Skills For Life and Learning.

Inside Out and Why All Emotions Matter

By Susan McGarthwaite, Parent Educator

Have you seen the movie Inside Out?  If you have, great!  If not, put the kids to bed and watch it.  Common Sense Media recommends the movie for children 6 and up so it may not be appropriate for those under 6. 

Why am I suggesting you see this particular movie?  Because ultimately, Inside Out has important messages about needing to feel -- and express -- all of your emotions, whether happy or sad.

Throughout my 25 years as a parent educator, when I've asked parents what they want/hope/desire for their children, inevitably parents will respond they want their children to be happy:)  And, of course, we all want our children to be happy, but we also need our children, for their emotional health, to experience all emotions, including sadness:(  When children are allowed to experience sadness, frustration, fear, etc. they learn how to cope and how to manage these emotions.  They learn that all emotions are important to their healthy development.  So yes, let your kids experience their emotions, but don't forget to teach them how to express these emotions - appropriately.

Developing these important self-regulation skills are great indicators of future academic and relationship success.  John Gottman in his book The Heart of Parenting discusses the importance of being an emotional coach to our children.  Gottmans offers 5 Steps to Emotional Coaching:

1.  Become aware of your child's and your own emotions.
2.  Recognize the emotion as an opportunity for intimacy and teaching.
3.  Listen empathetically, validating the child's feelings.
4.  Help the child find words to label the emotion s/he is having.
5.  Set limits while exploring strategies to solve the problem at hand.

So, back to Inside Out.  Watching this movie, you will experience a roller coaster of emotions.  But in the end, you will understand the important role emotions play in our children's healthy development;)

Welcome!

Welcome families to our new blog!  Yeah, we know what you're thinking!  Another blog on parenting!  Why do I need to read another blog on parenting?  Good question.  As an early childhood and family education program, we wanted to share with our families the reasons behind some of our philosophies on parenting and child development, and why we are so adamant about these philosophies.  Such as, why we encourage limiting screen time for children (and, you too parents), why we want you to talk, read, sing (a lot!) to your kids, why we are always
pushing tummy time for infants and getting kids out of containers (e.g., infant seats) and letting them MOVE, and why we harp on parents about the importance of teaching kids self-regulation skills (this is a BIGGY!)

In upcoming posts, we'll share the research behind these philosophies on parenting and child development and offer strategies that will support you in your role as your child's first and most important teacher.  We're hoping this blog will offer you information, as well as support, that will help you be the best parent you can be!