Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Oatmeal and fresh fruit. Lunch: Turkey sandwiches on whole wheat bread, pea pods and banana/pineapple fruit salad. Snack: Cottage cheese and apple slices.

Have a great day.

Happy Monday!

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! It was wonderful to get back into the swing of things .

We started our Monday off with story time. Friends got back into the routine after being home for a long weekend!

As the music was playing, children asked for the circular rings. Friends put them on the floor, around their head, and their arms. We counted them and talked about the colors of each ring.

Zoey spent time in the cube area full of pillows. She loved the feeling of the pillows on her body. While rolling around in the cube, she played with blocks.

P.K. spent time making a train track. He made sure to tell friends “mine” as he played. We’re working on telling our friends “mine” or “no thank you” when we’re playing by our self.

Children gathered on the jungle gym area where we worked on gross motor skills. Laughing and smiling took place as we jumped up and down.

Daniel and P.K. worked on a puzzle together. Each child took a piece and placed it into the correct spot in the puzzle board.

Our littlest friend enjoyed various tummy time activities such as on the boppy and on Ms. Marty’s lap! She has found her tongue and is having a blast exploring it!

Clara clapped her hands as she twirled around while dancing to music. P.K joined in by bouncing up and down.

For breakfast, children had bagels with cinnamon and pears. AM snack was string cheese. Lunch consisted of pasta with pork and black beans, oranges, and cucumbers. PM snack was blueberry muffins and pears.

Hope everyone has a terrific evening!

-Mindy

With Miss Laurie still out enjoying her Thanksgiving time with her family in Georgia, my blog time is short today.  So, with the coming Christmas holiday time nearing and the focus on “naughty or nice”, I wanted to use the blog to share one of my favorite Teacher Tom blogs:

“Spoiled Brats” by Teacher Tom

Whenever I write or talk about treating children as if they are fully formed humans and not just incomplete adults, like I did yesterday, there are some who ask me about (or even accuse me of) “spoiling” the kids. They then go on to tell me horror stories about how permissive parents have let their rotten kids take over their lives, bossing them around, dominating their households, terrorizing their peers, and frustrating their teachers.
It’s hard, I think, for some people to understand the world without a hierarchical framework: someone has to be the boss — if it’s not the parent, it’s the child. When I suggest paying attention to the words we use with children, avoiding thelanguage of command, and instead choosing statements of fact which allow children to practice taking responsibility for their own actions, I understand how some people fear that it will become a slippery slope down which the whole carefully constructed family org chart will slide. I understand how it might seem that if you’re not bossing your child, she will take advantage, gain the upper hand, and assume the scepter. To believe this takes a view of human nature that I’ve not found to be true, but I understand it.
So let me state right here: I’m all for fewer “spoiled” children in the world (although I’d like us to retire that label along with “bully,” “aggressive,” and “shy“).  These children are characterized as self-centered and demanding, inconsiderate of others, see their needs as most important, and will resort to often extreme behavior to get their way. These are not happy children and they tend to grow into unhappy adults who struggle with relationships, have a hard time holding jobs, and are generally miserable to be around.
The common wisdom, it seems, is that these behaviors come from not enough “tough love;” from parents who are afraid of their children, and are too namby-pamby to put their foot down, an approach popularized by such pop-psychology sensations as Dr. Phil. Sadly, this is not what psychologists who actually do research have found. So-called “spoiled” behaviors,” in fact, result from things like not enough proactive attention from parents, not expecting children to do things for themselves, and a lack of clear limits, not a dearth of bossy parents.

Not enough proactive attention
The best parenting advice I ever got was from my mother, who said, “All children want is attention. If you don’t give it to them, they’ll take it.” And indeed children, from the moment they are born, are designed to get attention from the adults around them. From a biological point of view, this makes perfect sense: they are born utterly incapable of keeping themselves alive, except to the degree that they can get adult humans to feed, clothe, and protect them. This instinct doesn’t go away as they get older. When they feel ignored, they correct that problem through tantrums, whining, clinging, and other “spoiled” behaviors. They don’t really care if the attention they get is negative or positive, frankly, they are just biologically driven to get your attention. So for your own sanity (and to avoid “spoiling” your child), I’d suggest proactively giving them the kind of attention you choose, because otherwise they’ll choose it for you and you’re probably not going to like it.
Doing too much for your kids
Awhile back, I met a women who works in the admissions department at the University of Washington here in Seattle. She told me that increasingly freshmen are showing up on campus without such basic life skills as using can openers, cooking on a stovetop, and operating a washing machine. She said the problem is so bad that many universities have had to institute remedial life skills classes. Instead of learning to do things for themselves, “spoiled” kids have turned to mastering the skills required to get things done for them, which will often look a lot like being self-centered, demanding, and even tyrannical. So for your own sanity (and to avoid “spoiling” your child), I’d suggest teaching him to do as much for himself as his age and abilities will allow.
Lack of clear limits
As Goethe wrote, “It is within limitations that he first shows himself the master.” This is where we all agree, and we can all point to examples of parents, who in the sincere interest of teaching their children independence or giving them “freedom,” err on the side of a household in which anything goes. This is not a good environment for children. It tends to make them feel nervous, uncertain, and to generally demonstrate “spoiled” behaviors.
Where we tend to disagree is in how we create those limitations and how we work with those limitations.  I suppose the traditional model is for parents to lay down the law and create a system of punishments for violations. It doesn’t have to be that way. In our school, for instance, all of the rules are made by the children themselves, through a process of consensus. In a decade of doing it this way, the adults have never found the need to dictate rules beyond those the children create, indeed, if anything we find we need to moderate many of their more extreme legislative efforts. Our process is one that many of Woodland Park’s families have adopted in their own homes, keeping a running list of family rules on the refrigerator door to refer to as needed.
Do children break the rules? Of course they do. The adults, however, don’t need to then punish them to do the job of teaching about limitations. Instead our job as adults is to point to the list of rules and say, “You and your friends agreed . . .“
So what do you do if a child keeps breaking a rule?  Certainly there’s a consequence, a punishment.  If we do that, if we resort to punishment we put the focus on the punishment and the punisher, rather than where we want it to be, on the behavior. Instead we do what makes sense, we just keep reminding them until they remember on their own. No one would think of punishing a child for not, say, remembering her A-B-C’s; we would patiently keep working with her until she got it. Why should teaching about limits be any different?
In other words, children aren’t “spoiled” because they haven’t been sufficiently bossed around by adults.

Creating a world of facts, instead of a world of commands
A mistake many of us make (and one of the things that drives critics of this approach crazy) is to mistakenly think that all of this means that everything is open to negotiation, that our child gets to decide such things as when to get dressed, whether or not they go to the doctor, or where the family will eat dinner. In our effort to be super parents, we forget that we adults are fully formed humans as well. Our opinions, needs, and emotions are not made lesser because we seek to honor those of the child, but are rather equal, and to the degree that they diverge from those of our child, must often take precedence.
There are also realities of which we are aware that our children are not: schedules, for instance, courtesy to others, safety. Sometimes we must insist that we know best, but that doesn’t mean we need to use the language of command. Statements of fact are not commands, such as:
     “It’s time to go.”
     “What you said hurt her feelings.”
     “If you do that you might die.”
I statements that convey our opinions or feelings are also statements of fact, such as:
     “I don’t want to be late.”
     “I feel sad when she’s crying.”
     “I don’t want you to die.”
Factual statements about the child’s behavior can also be very powerful, such as:
     “You seem upset that it’s time to go.”
     “You sounded angry when you said that to her.”
     “If you keep doing that you might die and that will probably hurt.”
And factual statements about your own responsibilities are also important, such as:
     “I can’t stay because daddy is expecting us.”
     “I can’t let you say hurtful things to her.”
     “I can’t let you cross the street by yourself.”
Creating a world of facts instead of a world of commands gives children the opportunity to come to their own conclusions about their behavior, to make their own decisions about right and wrong, or to at least understand why this is one of those times when they don’t get what they want. These kinds of experiences lead to a sense of responsibility, empathy, and confidence, characteristics that are the opposite of those that characterize a “spoiled” child.
Everyone’s goal is a child who understands her own emotions, treats others with respect, and knows how to assess her own risks. These are all vital skills to success in life. When we boss our kids into these behaviors, we’re not giving them a chance to learn anything we want them to learn; we’re just forcing them to do something because “I said so.” It’s effective in the moment, but it teaches nothing except, perhaps, obedience — a very dangerous habit in adulthood. When we, on the other hand, help our children see the “facts” surrounding their behaviors and choices, we allow them to actually practice these skills. Of course, they will make mistakes, just the way a carpenter has to hit his thumb a few times before he learns to use a hammer, and it might be frustrating or embarrassing for you as the parent, but experience is the only way anyone ever learns anything.

I know it sounds like a lot of work. It is, indeed, much easier to boss people around. It’s hard to overcome deeply rooted habits of thought.  But it does get easier with practice. And the results are worth it.
That’s how to treat your child with respect without spoiling him.

http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/spoiled-brats.html

For breakfast we had cheerios and apple slices.  For WeeSprouts we had celery.  Lunch was egg noodles with pork, cucumbers and fresh orange slices. 

 

Happy Wednesday!

**Just a reminder, we are closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. Have a happy and safe holiday weekend! We’ll see you back here Monday, November 26th!

Clara worked with puzzles this morning. She pointed to the multiple puzzles that are on the shelf and said, “help!” When she finished the puzzle that she was working on, she did her happy dance!

P.K. joined her and they worked on puzzles with one another.

Smiles and happiness filled our air today. Maybe they knew it was a short week? (more family time)

Friends joined our littlest friend on the floor as they bonded and had some relaxing time.

Emma read her favorite book for quite some time: The Wheels On The Bus!

Jump, Jump, Jump!

High in the air! Reach for the sky!

Emma enjoyed working in the log house using pebbles and sticks. She built an extravagant building with her materials.

We went on a hunt. Through the woods back to Wee Wee Friends we go!

Our littlest friend loved watching the fish swim by her.

For breakfast, children had malto-meal and banana. AM snack was string cheese. Lunch consisted of chicken strips, pears, and green peas. PM snack was goldfish and raisins.

Have a terrific weekend!

-Mindy

On behalf of Tami and the Wee Friends staff, we wish you the happiest Thanksgiving and we thank you for the privilege of sharing each day with your child!

Peppermint Patty: What kind of Thanksgiving dinner is this? Where’s the turkey, Chuck? Don’t you know anything about Thanksgiving dinners? Where’s the mashed potatoes? Where’s the cranberry sauce? Where’s the pumpkin pie? Marcie: Don’t feel bad, Chuck. Peppermint Patty didn’t mean all those things she said. Actually, she really likes you. Charlie Brown: I don’t feel bad for myself, I just feel bad because I’ve ruined everyone’s Thanksgiving. Marcie: But Thanksgiving is more than eating, Chuck. You heard what Linus was saying out there. Those early Pilgrims were thankful for what had happened to them, and we should be thankful, too. We should just be thankful for being together. I think that’s what they mean by ‘Thanksgiving,‘ Charlie Brown.

We had malto-meal and applesauce for breakfast.  For lunch we had chicken strips, biscuits, peas and fresh pear slices.  For snack, we are having graham crackers and cheddar cheese. 

Good Afternoon!

**As we were going through our extra winter clothes this morning, we realized we’re short on Wee Wee Friends clothing. We’re asking that each child have TWO full outfits (pants/shirt) for their extra clothes bin. We would like these by next Monday, November 26th. Thanks so much!**

**Also, we’re getting short on plastic bags for soiled diapers. If anyone has any extra that they can spare, we’d love the donation!

Children gathered this morning and worked with waffle blocks. They made sure to ask for help if they were having trouble but for the most part, friends built different structures without assistance.

Friends attached one to another and made cubes and straight lines.

We got new soft balls that allow friends to squeeze them. The balls allow for a sensorial experience that our friends enjoy!

“Say cheese”, Clara says!

Smiles and great conversation happened throughout the day.

We headed outside where it was quite nice. Even though we didn’t see the sun at all, the temperature was tolerable.

With our group, where one goes the rest follow. Friends like being together which allows for interaction to happen inside as well as outside.

With the hills and steps outside it’s a great gross motor activity to just walk around the yard. The balance aspect is challenging for most of our friends! Walking around with our friends allows us to work on our balance and coordination.

We said, “Wee” as we went down the slide. Clara even put her arms up!

“Wow!”

As we’re strolling around outside, we heard something with our ears. We listened closely and realized that it was the piano in the Wee Friends house! We started shaking and dancing around.

Some smiles, some puzzled faces, and many enjoyable moments occurred outside today!

P.K. said “Come here!” so he could get his friends attention that were across the yard.

They soon followed and played within the group for quite some time.

We walked on the stumps outside that are around the circle area. Our balancing skills were tested and when we fell, we got right back up and continued on!

With all of the playing, P.K. needed a rest break!

We enjoyed stories this afternoon.

Our littlest friend pulled different toys toward her that were attached to her baby jungle gym. Her strength is growing every day.

For breakfast, children had eggs and oranges. AM snack was string cheese. Lunch consisted of hummus on pita, banana, and broccoli. PM snack was graham crackers and hard boiled eggs.

Have a terrific evening!

-Mindy

 

Observe for what the child is interested in.
Wait to give the child a chance to initiate or get involved in an activity.
Listen to what the child is trying to tell you.

Every Tuesday morning, our classroom is divided into two small groups: one goes to swimming and the other stays at school. In a small group setting it is always interesting to spend a little extra time OWLing. It’s this technique that makes up our play-based, child initiated learning environment. After we met as a large group and rehearsed our carols, Elliott asked if we would read Dazzle the Dinosaur by Marcus Pfister. And so began our day.

Wee Sprouts: Celery Sticks. Breakfast: Cheerios and bananas. Lunch: Whole grain flatbread with hummus, bananas and broccoli. Snack: Granola and yogurt.

Happy Monday!

**Just a reminder, Wee Wee Friends will be closed Thursday, November 22nd and Friday, November 23rd in observance of Thanksgiving. Thanks

Eve started off her morning with a counting activity which also incorporated fine motor skills. We counted the number of holes on each tile.

Friends P.K. and Zoey shared a few laughs this morning. P.K. loves to make Zoey laugh .

Our littlest friend enjoyed tummy time on the boppie. She was able to hold her head up for an extended period of time and enjoyed looking around the room.

Our dancers enjoyed dancing this afternoon to music. Clara loves to spin around in a circle while Emma gets a leg workout as she hops up and down.

Our littlest friend grabbed at different toys on her baby jungle gym this afternoon. She laughed and smiled as friends watched.

Daniel showed off his pearly whites as he watched his friends roam around the house.

Some of our Wee Friends came to the door and sang us Christmas songs. We were a very attentive audience for their practice run. A few of us were bouncing up and down as our Wee Friends sang their songs.

Children headed to the kitchen were they were involved in pretend play. Clara made some delicious meals!

P.K. said, “Oops!” as he slid down the slide.

A few friends got together to work on a puzzle. It was a great activity where friends helped one another. We talked about the colors of each piece. Children pointed to the ovals and said the color aloud.

For breakfast, friends had cinnamon toast and raisins. AM snack was string cheese. Lunch consisted of noodles with cream cheese and ham, green peas, and applesauce. PM snack was animal crackers and hard boiled eggs.

Have a great night.

-Mindy

Happy Friday!

Clara started off her day with diapering the babies. She also worked on putting her shoes on. The buckle was the hardest part.

We played peek-a-boo with our friends!

The jungle gym area was full of laughter today.

Eren worked on pushing trains across the floor. They went very far and he went to retrieve them.

Painting was exciting today! Friends laughed as they painted.

They talked with one another as they painted. The conversations were spectacular!

It’s great to see everyone participate in painting! Not only is it a wonderful fine motor activity but a great sensorial one as well.

Friends Eren and Emma sat together as they played with the mailbox. They did a great job sharing throughout their time together.

We headed outside where we played in the GORGEOUS weather! The sun was shining and we were on the go!

Smiles were all around.

Friends played with one another. We even spent time with our Wee Friends!

Zoey’s smile is so infectious. For an eight month old, her sense of humor is great! She loved looking at books today.

Our littlest friend is reaching for toys around her. Her feet were non-stop today!

Our two littlest friends enjoyed some one on one time this afternoon while their older friends were outside .

For breakfast, children had eggs and banana. AM snack was hard boiled eggs. Lunch consisted of soy butter sandwiches, corn, and pears. PM snack was goldfish and raisins.

Have a great weekend!

-Mindy