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Separation Anxiety - Time for Two’s

Hello families, Spring is fast approaching although you wouldn’t be able to tell with the sudden snowfall occurring recently.  The children did enjoy playing in it on the outdoor deck.  We had shovels and trucks out to play with, as well as spray bottles to paint the snow. Good times were had by all.

Now, on to a tough topic that we have been experiencing lately - Separation Anxiety.  I know that this is a heart wrenching stage of parenting and I feel for you since I have gone through this with my own children.   Some families are concerned that their child is having a difficult time attending class without them or grandparents being there.  This is called separation anxiety when a child is sad, crying and even angry when they are separated from their parents.  Fortunately, this is all normal but not to say, easy.  Some children adapt with ease and some have a difficult time.  But, there is nothing to be alarmed about because it is natural for a child to want to be with the person they are most comfortable with. Having said that, it is still so hard!

 

You always have to remember that your child is only two and is learning to cope with other caregivers that are not their family members.  The fear is very valid because they may worry about their parents not returning back, who they are left with and being in a different environment.  Can you imagine how they must be feeling? 

As your child’s educators, we are here to make their transition as least difficult for them by letting them get to know us, and making their environment as inviting to them as possible.  Our goal is to make it a positive experience. We are building trust with then and making them feel safe. By attending class consistently and having a routine in place for them helps them know what to expect. Children do well with consistency.

As a parent, it is hard to say goodbye to your crying child, but we have found that a quick and short goodbye works best. We are here to help you and we will gently take your child and help him or her find an activity that they will enjoy.  This is called redirection, a little trick that we use in our field. Sometimes it works like a charm and sometimes we have to let a child just go through their stages of emotions.  Every child is different and may require a different pathway.

We want the most positive experience for them.  There will be tears but never for the entire class as we want them to feel safe and secure. So, we will come find you or call you if your child is really having a difficult time.  In most situations, we usually find you to let you know how your child is doing, hopefully we can say he or she is not crying and is engaged in an activity. Either way we believe in communicating with you at all times.  We are in this together to help your child succeed in moving forward with separation anxiety.  It does get easier as time passes by.  Usually the crying gets shorter and they are happy to come to class.

Some tips that may help:

~ prepping and talking to your child about what will happen during class

~ reassuring your child you will return

~ providing your child with a stuff animal, toy, or photo to comfort them

~ reading story books that are related to children that go away from home but everything is ok

~ keeping goodbyes short

~ providing consistency

Since September, we have seen many of your children adapt to their time with us and we are so proud of each of them. We would like to thank the parents for your patience and trust in us to provide a safe learning environment for your child.

Until next time, Deanna

 

 

 

 

Children Creatively Collaborating!

Last week the weather was very rainy and we decided to have the two year olds engage in gross motor play inside the classroom after our circle time component.

We moved some of the furniture aside and provided tunnels to climb through, bean bags to toss in buckets, and small hoops to manually maneuver and use for hopping.   To give the play some extra atmosphere, we had “Raffi” music playing in the background.

As the young children began to move around and interact with the various provided materials, the song “Wheels On The Bus” began to play.  You could visibly see and hear several of the children engaging in the actions and singing along to this very loved song.  All of a sudden, Swinton began to turn his yellow hoop side to side like he was driving a bus…then he pulled a chair over and sat down, just as though he was the bus driver! Before long many of the other children started to move chairs into rows and sit as though they were passengers on a bus, as they physically created the actions to the song they were hearing.  When the song ended, they still sat so we started the song again…and again…and again!

This situation shows how children can create a circumstance where they are collectively collaborating and enjoying an experience all together!  Such a meaningful moment for all of us in this “Time For Two’s” program!!

 

 

Sincerely,

Teacher Lori

Slowly Settling...

Happy New Year!

As early childhood educators, we are excited to see many young children returning to our “Time for Two’s” program once again.  Since September we have seen many of the boys and girls embrace the program environment and routine and seize the chance to independently be involved in our planned experiences.

However, for some of the children it has been more challenging to separate from their familiar family members, which is an understandable and common circumstance for such young ones.

Here at “Time for Two’s” we want to work with your child to gain their trust and work towards a time when they are readily seeking to stay on their own and start to discover many new learning opportunities around them.

 

We are looking forward to many chances to encourage your child’s growth and development during this term together.  Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.  We are here to help and support you in whatever way we can.

Sincerely,

Lori Moore

 

 

 

 

“Suddenly Settled!”

It has been truly amazing to see the profound progress of many of the “Time For Two’s” tots this Fall season.  Many have suddenly settled into the classroom routine and have begun to collaborate with one another in many wonderful ways, sharing materials and toys as well as demonstrating care for one another.

We have observed kindness in action as some have retrieved tissues for a friend in tears, helped pack up a snack bag or passed a desired item to another child nearby.  Their attention span has steadily increased as we read and sing together at circle time each class. 

The children’s creativity has also been steadily increasing as they work with the art materials provided for their pleasure.

As educators, we are anticipating many more interesting adventures with the children returning to our care in the New Year as we continue to learn and develop together.

May you all have wonderful holiday times with your family!  Make sure to enjoy these precious times with your little ones…they grow up so fast and time is something we cannot retrieve once it is gone!

 

 

 

Sincerely,

Teacher Lori Moore

Painting with Wheels

The other day, teacher Brianna covered the art table with paper, added paint and some rolling trucks.  It was set up for art and play at the same time.  Then, teacher Mackenzie drew some roads, and parking areas for the trucks to drive on. It was then up to the children to add in the rest.  It was the first activity that Jasper and Ramsey went to.  These boys are usually drawn to the toy activities first but not today.  It really drew them in and they began to paint by wheeling around the paper.  It was very exciting to see their curiosity as they noticed the tracks that they were creating.  The art table quickly became full as Sofie, Joanne and Carter joined in.

 

We took the chairs out from the table so the children could move around freely with their cars and use up all the spaces on the paper.  They liked to go back and forth and create heavy lines and then they liked to use another colour right over top. The blue and orange paint was the most popular as it covered most of the paper. The children definitely got a good arm work out as they went around the table rolling their trucks and taking small pit stops to load up on more paint.

This art activity created a great chance for the children to use their gross motor skills and sensory skills.  It also provided a way to discover mixing colours all by pushing wheels across the table.  The children also created the art piece together as a group and that involved sharing space, tools, and taking turns. This type of interaction provides them with social skills.

 

This activity was very engaging and it helps children develop their creative thinking all by using a toy that they are familiar with but for a different purpose. It helps children to learn with an open mind.

Until next time,

Deanna

Water and Gourds

Hello families,

Can you believe that we are nearly at the beginning of November?!  We have already been together for 2 months.  The children have been exploring many activities this month as you can see by our board out front.

Recently, we coloured some water and added some natural objects, like gourds and chestnuts, then added some ladles and bowls.  Who would think such a simple activity would keep our children stimulated for so long.  The children all took turns at the sensory table to stir, pour, feel and splash the water around.  Some children would pour water into bowls, some would collect items in the water and some were content with just having their hands in there.  Children at this age are very sensory driven especially to touch which is why we try to provide activities that will involve using their hands to explore.

 

Why is this sort of play important?  It aids in developing fine and gross motor skills that deals with exercising our small and large muscle groups.  These muscle groups are important to build because it helps in coordination and the ability to perform more intricate skills like picking up small objects, writing, buttoning and zipping.  Through this process it will then provide a foundation to more complex tasks.  It also, provides the children to learn about using all their senses through examining, looking, touching and building new ways of discovering the world around them.

 

A simple activity that looks inviting, colourful and fun for the children have so many benefits even though it looks like simple play, they are actually developing cognitive growth, language development, social behaviour and much, much more.

Until next time, Deanna