Travel Quick Tips

It's the peak of travel season and many of us are on our way to see family or taking a vacation. Here are some quick tips for easy travelling with children.

• Assemble a travel kit in a small, easy-to-grab bag—this can make unexpected situations like emergent dashes to the rest stop or airplane bathroom, and other daunting places, that much easier to deal with. Include items like potty seat covers, a small pack of wipes, small trash bag, mini first aid kit, child-friendly hand sanitizer, mini coloring book and a few crayons and some age-appropriate snacks.


• If traveling by car, leave room in your itinerary for “zoomie” breaks. It can be difficult for a young child (and parents, too!) to sit in a car for hours on end. Take a 15-minute break now and then at a family-friendly rest stop or park to stretch, run off a little energy or make silly noises.

• Try to maintain some likeness to your child’s typical schedule. A child with a general sense of what to expect and when is generally a happier child!

Your Toddler's Development - Hitting, Kicking & Biting

It is important to understand the reasons behind your child’s developmentally appropriate—yet unacceptable—hitting, kicking or biting behaviors. Try to consider your child’s point of view.

Some frustrations may include:

• She cannot fully verbally express her feelings.

• She does not have fully developed self control.

• She is defending herself from an “attack” from another child, whether it is hair pulling, toy grabbing, etc.

• She is experimenting with cause and her effect on the world.

• She’s tired.

• She’s hungry.

• She’s over stimulated.

• Sometimes, she may not even have a reason.

These are just some scenarios that may prompt your toddler to believe that hitting is a justifiable response to her frustration. And, toddlers may not always realize that hitting or other inappropriate behaviors hurt, or she just may not be able to control herself. As a parent, your job is to safely redirect her away from those behaviors. Here are some ways to do just that:

Respond immediately. Acknowledge your toddler’s feelings and provide a lesson in positive behaviors. Using a firm, nonthreatening voice, tell her, “No! I know you want a turn but we do not hit! Hitting hurts! Use your words.” And then redirect her attention. If your child still feels the need to hit, perhaps provide a “Mad Pillow.” Purchase a silly looking pillow that your toddler is allowed to hit when she feels the need to physically express her frustration. This will allow her to experiment with hitting, though it will typically evoke giggles as soon as it surfaces.

Focus your attention on the victim—even if that’s you! This demonstrates compassion, teaches your child that bad behavior does not gain attention and helps her to understand her actions. Be sure to provide plenty of praise and positive reinforcement when she does use her words to express feelings instead of negative behaviors, and be specific with your praise. (“You shared nicely with your sister. That makes me happy!”)

Don’t allow your child to benefit from negative behaviors. If your toddler used negative behaviors to take a toy from another child, don’t allow her to keep it. If she finds that her approach results in her benefit, she’ll do it again.

Don’t force an apology. Doing so removes value from the apology. Instead, model the appropriate behavior. Tell the victim, “I am sorry that you are hurt.” Use words that describe feelings, “I am sorry that your sister took your toy and made you sad.”

Learning positive behaviors and self-control can take time. In the meantime: Be consistent. Stay calm. Look for teachable moments and opportunities to prevent negative behaviors. And most importantly, always keep a sense of humor—your child won’t be two forever!

Baking Holiday Memories

Bake up some warm holiday memories with your children this season. Put on those aprons, the mess is part of the fun! Older children can crack the eggs and measure wet/dry ingredients, while the younger children participate by pouring the pre-measured ingredients into the mixing bowl (be sure to point out that oil and water don’t mix) and by stirring and creating cut-outs with cookies cutters.

Be sure to encourage creativity and imagination when it is time to decorate! Festively colored frostings, sparkly sanding sugars, pre-cut fondant in holiday shapes (or make your own), gumdrops and more are perfect for little fingers, and make for wonderful holiday cookie decorations. Don’t forget to taste test your creations! Giving and sharing provide a feeling of joy that you can reinforce by having your children deliver a plate of cookies to a neighbor or the local senior center.

Naptime Tips

Consistency is the key when it comes to your child’s naptime. It is an important part of their day, and a regular naptime routine will ensure that your child gets the sleep he/she needs. Below are a few tips that can help make naptime a breeze:

• Choose a regular, daily naptime and stick to it—early afternoon is best.

• Have your child visit the potty before heading off for their nap.

• Naps should occur in the same place your child sleeps at night.

• Choose a calming activity to do for a few minutes before naptime to help your little one wind down, e.g., they can practice a few yoga poses or flip through their favorite book.

• Enter the room with the lights off or dimmed low.

• Play soothing music or sing a soft lullaby to help them fall asleep.

• Provide a “lovey” for naptime snuggling.

Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks

We see our family and friends, eat too much pie, enjoy a few extra days off from school and work, but beyond that… How can we demonstrate to our children the importance of both Thanksgiving and giving thanks?

The first Thanksgiving. First, let’s start by making sure our children know the story of the first Thanksgiving. Pick up a developmentally-appropriate book or find information online. It is important to discuss this story of hardship, friendship and sharing in an age-appropriate way.

A new tradition. Establish a new family tradition revolving around what your family is thankful for. This Thanksgiving, have everyone write or draw what they are most thankful for. Together, decorate a shoebox or journal to everyone’s answers. Make a point of adding to this box or journal throughout the year, and by next Thanksgiving you will have an amazing record of thanks. Add to this year after year—what a great treat it will be for the family to read through each Thanksgiving as your children grow!

Share. What are some of the things your children are most thankful for?

Food Drive Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who donated non-perishable food items to the Monmouth & Ocean County Food Bank. We collected 786 lbs of food - the most ever by The Goddard School of Wall!!

Here is a picture of HALF of what we delivered...

Make Food Fun

If you have a picky eater on your hands, one great way to entice little ones to try new foods is to make eating them fun!

1. Try turning everyday foods into shapes and animals, such as slicing a bagel and arranging it on a plate to look like a slithering snake or using cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into hearts, stars or dinosaurs.

2. Shrink family-size recipes into personal-size versions. Children will feel special having their very own bite-size pizza.

3. Make a face! Use fruit and veggies to spruce up a boring sandwich with eyes, ears and a mouth.

4. Let your child help you prepare the meal. If they have a hand in making it, they’ll be more inspired to taste it.

5. Encourage your child to play with their food! They can build a mountain out of their mashed potatoes or a veggie train out of their peas and carrots, and then have fun eating them up!

Encouraging Good Table Manners

With holiday meals soon to be in full swing, our younger diners may benefit from these simple tips for minding their manners when dining with others.

• If the meal is not buffet style, wait until everyone has been seated and has their food before beginning to eat.

• Place your napkin in your lap before beginning to eat and use it to dab your mouth, when necessary.

• If you have to blow your nose or pick your teeth, excuse yourself to go to another room or restroom.

• Always say “excuse me” should you burp.

• If you don’t think you like something that is being served, try a bit and then move on to the rest of the food on your plate.

• Always eat with utensils unless the food is meant to be eaten with fingers.

• Do not put your elbows on the table. (This rule is okay to break if you’re not actually eating.)

• Chew with your mouth closed and do not talk with your mouth full.

• Always say “thank you” when you are served.

• Politely ask that items out of reach be passed to you. Do not reach over other people’s plates.

• Eat slowly.

Food Drive for The Monmouth & Ocean County Foodbank

Our Food Drive for The Monmouth & Ocean County Foodbank officially starts today! We’re collecting non-perishable food items in each classroom and in the main entrance of the annex building.

The class (in the main building) that has the most donations will receive a pizza & ice cream party on November 23^rd!

The Food Drive is November 1st - November 18th.

Thank you!

TIPS FOR A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Halloween is a happy, fun-filled holiday for families and provides inspiration for children to express creativity and manners! Parents balance this enthusiastic learning opportunity, however, by providing safe and dependable environments – both at home and “on the trick-or-treat road.”


Pumpkin Decorating

Encourage your children to participate in pumpkin decorating activities.

• A child-friendly and safe alternative to pumpkin carving is to provide children with markers or paint to decorate their pumpkins.

• Use child-drawn outlines to carve the family pumpkins. This is a ‘parent-only’ activity and should be conducted on a flat, stable surface.

• Children can help remove the pumpkin insides using their hands or scoops. Clean up the messes as you go – slimy pumpkin insides can cause slipping hazards.

• Use small, battery-operated lights designed for carved pumpkins in lieu of candles.

• Families who choose to illuminate their pumpkins with candles should use votives or tea-light candles.

• Candlelit pumpkins should never be left unattended and should be placed on sturdy surfaces, away from flammable objects.


Costumes

Children should let their imaginations go – this is the ultimate creative activity! Resist ‘buying’ a boxed costume for your children (and don’t be afraid that you’ll have to roll out grandma’s sewing machine). In order to make costumes safe, consider the following:

• Costumes, masks, beards, wigs and other accessories should be flame resistant.

• Masks may obstruct vision and could restrict breathing. Consider applying face paint or cosmetics instead.

• Ensure masks fit securely and have eyeholes large enough to allow full vision.
• Avoid hats that could slide over children’s eyes.

• Knives, swords or similar costume accessories should not be sharp or rigid; rather they should be made of soft, flexible materials.

• Avoid loose, baggy or long costumes to prevent tripping.

• Children should wear sturdy, fitted footwear - oversized shoes and mother’s high heels are not ideal for safe walking.

• Trim costumes and trick-or-treat bags with reflective tape to make them visible to motorists.


Treats!

Before the ‘treats,’ plan an easy and filling dinner. Pasta with veggies or macaroni and cheese with a salad will fill tummies before the evening takes off.

You’ll remember this one, “Do not eat any candy until you bring it home and we have thoroughly inspected it.” Times haven’t changed much – same credo for your children!

• All treats should be carefully examined by adults for evidence of tampering. Any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items should be discarded.

Interested in making the evening more memorable and less scrutinized for the children in your neighborhood? Be a role model:

• Avoid distributing treats considered choking hazards (e.g., gum, peanuts, hard candies and small toys).

• Non-food giveaways such as coloring books, notepads, stickers, crayons and toothbrushes are all good ‘candy’ alternatives.


Trick-or-Treating

Trick-or-Treating is a two-way street. Neighbors are responsible for each others’ children and parents are responsible for their own children.


Your Children’s Safety:

• Young children should always be accompanied by parents or other responsible adults.

• All children and escorts should carry flashlights with fresh batteries.

• Only homes with outside lights ‘on’ should be visited.

• If you allow older children to go trick-or-treating with a group of friends, discuss safety precautions and agree upon a specific time when they should return home.

• Remind children to stay on sidewalks and not to cross through yards or between parked cars, to only approach well-lit homes and to never enter a home or car for a treat.


Your Neighborhood’s Safety:

• Prepare your home to receive trick-or-treaters. Clear your lawn, sidewalk, steps and porch of obstacles or potential tripping hazards.

• Sweep wet leaves away from stairs and walkways to prevent slipping.

• Candlelit pumpkins should be kept away from areas where costumes could brush against flames.

• Pets should be restrained to keep children from being jumped upon or bitten.


After-Party
Host a post-‘treating’ event at your home. Invite neighbors (parents and children) and serve hot chocolate and dessert. This is a wonderful opportunity to socialize and build memories!

Additional Resources: The American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org), National Safety Council (www.nsc.org) and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov)

From the Mouths of Babes

The first time your preschooler blurted out “bad words” or other unacceptable language you were probably pretty surprised—and may have even laughed out loud. We may wonder: what happened to our eager-to-please, angelic sweethearts? As our little ones grow bigger, their curiosity to test and push boundaries grows bigger, too. As parents, we know that rude language and other maddening behavior will quickly lose its charm and humor. Instances like this provide the perfect time to lay the foundation for better behavior. Here are a few simple steps to curb the rudeness.

Establish the rules. Let your child know that “bad words” or rude behavior are unacceptable and will not be used again—and that they will have consequences if they are.

Pre-determine the consequence. Decide in advance on a consequence that you will use if this rude behavior should happen again. Choose something that has a fairly immediate effect such as, “No more playing outside right now,” or “Snack time is over,” as opposed to something you would be more likely to rescind such as, “You are not going to Grammy’s house next week.”

React with confidence. Next time your child speaks impolitely, respond with certainty. Calmly, but firmly, say, “We do not use that sort of language. For that reason, you will not be riding your bike this afternoon.”

Follow through. Do not negotiate or justify the consequences of rude behavior. It is important to set consistent limits by following through with your decision. If you cave in or offer multiple chances, your child may believe that what is acceptable and what is not is up for discussion.

Reward the good stuff. Recognize when your child uses “nice” language. Provide lots of praise, love, affection and positive feedback when they behave well.

Gather ‘Round Our Table

For most parents, getting the family to the dinner table—and keeping them there—takes some creativity. Here are a few secrets to help your little ones (and bigger ones) stay put, eat something other than mac-n-cheese and even look forward to family meals together.

Cut yourself some slack. The goal is to keep your family mealtime a positive, happy experience. Think about lowering your expectations for what a "sit-down" meal with little ones and bigger ones means. Real life can be hectic—balancing work, soccer, piano lessons, play dates—and getting the whole family to the table at the same time can be so challenging that many families just give up. Most of us believe that family dinner is important—we simply lack the patience, energy or tools to pull it off. And then we feel guilty.

Why not make dinnertime fun instead of a chore? Include an unexpected ingredient such as purple carrots or star fruit, serve the kids’ juice in fancy glasses—or enjoy pancakes, eggs and OJ instead of your usual dinner fare. Have a picnic: pack up a basket, spread out a blanket on the living room floor, move a couple potted plants over and enjoy dinner in “the park.” Is your fridge full of leftovers? Dish them up, put out some soft taco shells and let your family enjoy making their own “wacky wrap” creations.

Make it a group effort and give everyone a responsibility. Your spouse could get the salad together while your daughter sets the table. Let your youngest supervise from his booster seat while your son takes the drink orders. Your 10-year-old can feed the baby while you get the rest of dinner on the table. This is the perfect opportunity to provide your children with a valuable sense of involvement. Ask your family for their own ideas and allow them to choose the side dishes for the week. Remember that while some of their requests may be a bit off the wall, they are (generally) doable.

Start a tradition of “Family Happy Hour.” Before you start preparing dinner, serve healthy appetizers such as chopped veggies with hummus or baked whole grain tortilla chips with mango salsa while listening to a fun playlist. These healthy options take the edge off their hunger, and you may find your children happier and more willing to try new foods when you do sit down together.

Dinner is not your only option. Sometimes the demands of real life can get in the way of this important commitment—so, we need to be flexible. Family mealtime is about connecting with your family—if dinner is impossible, why not connect over lunch or a snack? And, take advantage of some shortcut ideas. On the weekend, why not prepare a few meals in advance so that everything is ready to be heated when you get home from a long day at work? Learn to make some compromises—crock pots can be wonderful, and not every meal needs to be Coq au vin!

Family dinner is a good idea. “Mealtime is often the only time in the whole day when everybody's in the same room having a conversation," says William Doherty, Ph.D., author of The Intentional Family (Addison Wesley Longman, 1997), "so it's where the family's culture gets created." Family dinner helps demonstrate to our children that they are important enough for us to spend this valuable time with. And we often hear experts say that consistent family mealtime improves nutrition, table manners, communication skills, family relationships and bonding.

COOKING WITH CHILDREN

Sharing the kitchen with your child can not only create a lifetime of happy memories, but can also instill valuable life lessons from a young age. Through baking, cooking and even cleaning up, children can develop and express their creativity and independence; explore new foods; learn about nutrition; enhance their math, reading and science skills; and, most importantly, spend valuable quality time with mom, dad and siblings.

Below are a few tips to help make kitchen time with your little one fun, safe and memorable:

1. Always stress cleanliness and safety in the kitchen.
• Wash hands before, after and as-needed during the process.

• Provide your child with a sturdy, non-slip step stool to stand on so they are at your level.

• Use kid-friendly wood or plastic utensils.

• Let them choose their own apron or buy a plain one that they can personalize with fabric markers. Covering up will help cut down on the cleanup afterward.

• Keep sharp knives, graters and other dangerous tools/appliances away from small hands.

• Explain that only mom and dad can use the stove, oven and other electrical appliances.

• Supervise your child closely. Stay in the room until the cooking is complete. If you need to leave for some reason, take them with you.

2. Include your child in the preparation.
• Decide together what to make.

• Read the recipe together thoroughly and gather all ingredients before beginning. Take them shopping with you for the ingredients and/or have them help select what you need from the cupboard.

3. Start out easy.
• When first introducing your child to the joy of baking, use simple recipes with basic ingredients and uncomplicated instructions.

• Box mixes are a great way to get started. They usually ask for only two or three added ingredients and provide easy-to-follow, detailed instructions right on the box.

• As your child learns more about the cooking and baking process, feel free to introduce more complex recipes.

4. Let them do it.
• This is a great learning opportunity for your little one, so let them measure and pour ingredients into the bowl. It’s not only a good math lesson, but also bolsters their confidence.

5. Taste and praise!
• Learning to cook and bake should be a fun experience for your child, so always be enthusiastic about tasting their masterpiece and praise the effort and the outcome, no matter what. They’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment and be excited for their next cooking adventure!

Parent-Teacher Communication

Establishing a strong, open line of communication between parents and teachers is an essential part of any child’s education. Doing so allows parents to always remain apprised of their child’s progress and, should a problem arise, allows for easy discussion on ways to address and remedy the situation.

Never hesitate to get the lines of communication flowing. As your child’s teacher greets each new student on the first day of school, take advantage of the situation to introduce yourself as well. Ask how and when would be the best time to contact them if you have questions or just want to check in on your child’s progress.

Try to communicate with your child’s teacher regularly. Frequent chats help build your parent-teacher relationship and allow for a constant flow of feedback so you both can better understand and address your child’s needs.

Becoming involved in school events and/or parent-teacher organizations offers another great forum for developing parent-teacher communication. Make an effort to attend open houses, social events and/or join the school’s PTO.

Once the lines of communication are established, you and your child’s teacher can work together throughout the school year to monitor and guide your child’s educational goals.

FITNESS AND CHILDREN

What counts as exercise for youngsters? Anything that involves moving!

Children exercise all the time without even knowing it. Running, jumping, dancing, touching their toes, crawling, playing sports or outdoor games; all of these are forms of exercise. Exercise can also be a great way for families to spend quality time together. Research has shown that families who regularly eat dinner together are happier and their children have more self-confidence; this also applies to families who participate in activities together. Going hiking or playing games together is a good way to exercise.

Keeping children’s muscles and bones healthy is especially important because they are growing. A healthy combination of diet and exercise in childhood generally leads to adults with healthier lifestyles. Although children should never be told to “watch their weight,” parents should ensure that that their children are eating well-balanced diets rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits and lean protein.

An added benefit of exercise? Children who play sports and are physically active develop higher self-esteem and do better in school.


Ten ‘Family Fitness’ Suggestions:

Wash the car

Take the dog for a walk

Plant a garden

Go on a nature hike

Fly a kite

Throw a Frisbee

Play Ring-Around-the-Rosie

Build a sandcastle

Swing, see-saw or slide at the park

Dance your sillies out!

Balancing Breakfast: Quick, Creative Tips for Busy Families

Though we’ve heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day—especially for children—it is often a casualty of morning mayhem. Start your child’s day off with a nutritious and energy-boosting breakfast. Children (grown-ups too!) who consistently eat balanced breakfasts have more energy, better diets, perform better and are less likely to be anxious or irritable.

We’re busy with our daily routines and sometimes it seems difficult to find healthy foods that children enjoy. Serving up a balanced breakfast is actually easier than it seems!

Trying these nutritious breakfast tips and easy ideas can help make mornings cheerier, keep tummies fuller and help provide lots of energy.

• Cutting foods into fun shapes with seasonal, animal or other cookie cutters is a quick way to turn a boring breakfast into a tummy pleaser.

• Whip up a mixed fruit smoothie using crushed ice, yogurt, fresh or canned fruit and add brightly colored frozen juice concentrate. Garnish with an orange wedge. This can be made the night before to save time in the morning.

• Toast a whole grain toaster waffle, top with low-fat berry cream cheese. Create a flower or other fun design on top using sliced strawberries and peaches.

• Spread peanut butter in a whole wheat tortilla. Add raisins and banana slices, roll up tightly and slice to create yummy pinwheels.

• Serve up a ‘breakfast sundae’ by layering low-fat yogurt with fresh fruit and crunchy granola cereal in a fun, see-through container. Top with a cherry or grape and use colored cereal bits for “sprinkles.”

• Turn an ordinary bowl of whole grain cereal with milk into something more exciting by topping with sliced star fruit, pomegranate seeds or other unexpected bright fruit.

• Scramble egg whites with low-fat cheese and diced, colorful veggies. Add tomatoes for eyes, a baby carrot for a nose, a slice of turkey bacon for the mouth—even broccoli for hair!

Create a ‘breakfast pizza’ using a whole wheat English muffin. Spread the English muffin with low-fat flavored cream cheese and top with diced fruits or veggies.

Welcome Back to School!

Welcome back to school everyone!  We spent our first week back at The Goddard School of Wall getting to know our new teachers and classrooms. Mr. Scott the Music Man visited us on Tuesday and we were so excited to have him back! We sang, danced, jumped and clapped away. All of the students had a blast! It was a rainy week, so all of our classrooms in the main building also spent some time in the exploration room. On Thursday, the Lobsters class had fun with play doh and the Whales class made a huge welcome sign to hang up in their classroom. On Friday, the Dolphins class painted school bus name cards to decorate their classroom walls and we had our first delicious pizza day of the school year.

Grandparents

Grandparent’s Day is this Sunday, September 11th!

Grandparents

By Kyle D. Pruett M.D.

Love and time…need we say more? How about wise historian, mentor, confidant, elder, counselor, spiritual guide, financier, playmate or parental antidote? These are all roles that grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren. And grandparents are a growing force! The number and percentage of the population that grandparents account for has grown dramatically in the last 15 years - from 58 million to 78 million.

Here are a few ways that you can help foster a healthy relationship between your parents and your children:

 • When planning a visit, talk about how you can help and what you should bring to help things go smoothly. Discuss recent routines and help your parents childproof their house - more to keep your child safe than to protect the crystal. This communication provokes less defensiveness in grandparents, and helps them be a part of the solution from the start.


• Relax some rules, but don’t compromise your core values. For instance, sweets seem to be a generational prerogative, but television monitoring should continue according to your child’s habits and your beliefs.


• Children and grandparents are so close because they share something in common - you!  They can share stories, secrets, etc. that allow children the experience of close relationships with a loving family member who is not wholly responsible for their future happiness, homework or well being.


• Spoiling is not a helpful approach to grandparenting and most of them know it. Positive expectant attention is best. Interestingly, today’s grandparents are so busy, I think this is less of a problem these days.


• Enjoy the relationship your children are developing with your parents. 
When misunderstandings or problems occur (and they are bound to), it’s better to figure out a way to talk about them than to avoid each other. That is too steep a price for your children. We all want this relationship to work because the benefits are forever.

Kyle D. Pruett, M.D. is an advisor for The Goddard School®.  Dr. Pruett is an authority on child development who has been practicing child and family psychiatry for over twenty-five years.  He is a clinical professor of child psychiatry at Yale University’s Child Study Center

Survival Tips for Returning to Work

The Goddard School of Wall school year starts next week. We know that many of our parents may be returning to work after a summer off or maternity/paternity leave.

Going back to work can be tough, but here are a few survival tips to get you through.

It’s the moment of truth. You are getting ready to go back to work. Maybe your maternity/paternity leave has come to an end or you took time off from your career to be a stay-at-home parent. In these economic times, you may have even been home due to unexpected circumstances. No matter the reason, juggling parenthood while reentering the workforce can be quite the challenge-- just getting out the door in the morning can be a logistical nightmare! Here are some survival tips for the savvy parent.

Before You Go Back

A week before you go back to work, wake up at the new time and practice getting everybody ready. Do you need to get yourself ready before the rest of your household wakes? How long do you need? What can your children do while you are getting yourself ready? Will they play in a pack-n-play, feed themselves cereal, take care of their own potty needs or have cuddle time with your spouse? Make it a team effort and brainstorm with your spouse. Get specific about who will pack lunches, feed the children, pour the milk, give the vitamins, etc. Decide whether you will take turns or divvy up the responsibilities. Make sure you each have time to take care of your own needs, too. Hashing all of this out upfront and writing up a schedule will help you to figure out realistically how long it actually takes to get everybody ready in the morning, and then work your timeline backwards from when you’re due at work. Changing diapers, potty time, breakfast, getting dressed and tooth brushing may take a lot longer than you think! And be sure to leave plenty of extra time for traffic or the occasional extra-long good-bye with your child.

Start the Night Before

Pack up everything you and your child need for the next day before you go to bed: diaper bag, lunches, laptop bag, permission slips and bottles. Have the coffeemaker set to have that much needed java brewed and ready. If you weren’t a list maker before you had children, there is no better time than now to start! Jot down even the smallest of details and necessities that need to be packed or prepared. Sticky notes are a working parent’s best friend. Put a small bin in the fridge for each member of your family who packs breakfast, lunch or bottles and label with names. Fill each bin with all lunch box items so in the morning you can just transfer the contents of each into a thermal bag with ice packs, etc. If something can’t be pre-packed, jot down a note and stick it in the bin so you know at a glance what is missing in the morning mayhem. Choose outfits the night before—if you are super savvy, you might even check the weather and select your children’s outfits for the whole week!

Back to the Grind

You may be shocked at how busy you will be when you go back to work. Plan time before or after work to spend with your children so you don’t feel like you are missing the details. Ease up on the idea of keeping the house clean 24/7. Your children won’t remember if the house was always sparkling clean or not, but they will remember the quality of the time they spent with you. Maximize your lunch breaks: go on a quick walk to boost your energy levels and be sure to pack healthful snacks. You may find it energizing to be back at work—you may be filled with new ideas, and be excited to spend your day with grown-ups! Don’t feel bad about leaving the office as soon as your workday officially ends--parenthood has taught you to be decidedly efficient, and to get more accomplished in less time. And, be sure to get as much sleep as possible--no matter how prepared and organized you are, going back to work and still maintaining a productive household can be exhausting!


You Deserve a Reward!

After all of the planning, organizing and hard work it takes to go back to the grind while also creating a happy and healthy work-life balance, treat yourself! Plan that rewarding lunchtime mani/pedi, a happy hour with your BFF or schedule some Saturday morning cuddle time with the little ones. You deserve it, and it will help reenergize you so you can do it all again next week.

Flying Into The Future

We’ve been “Flying Into the Future” all week, with daily themes about space, planets, the moon and astronauts. On Monday, Storyteller Ken Kaplan visited us.  All of our campers enjoyed singing along to his songs and stories. Our school age campers had a very creative morning on Tuesday. They created their own TVs out of cardboard boxes and lots of art supplies! The TVs came out brilliantly. Wednesday’s theme was Astronauts & Aliens! Our campers made outer space artwork and talked about what they would find in space!  We had a spaceship bounce house on Thursday that we all enjoyed bouncing around in! Amazing Athletes visited us on Friday and we had a great time bowling!