The Mom I Want to Be

Hard-plastic drinking cups (clear cocktail variety works best)

Markers

Towels

Hammer

Nail

Aluminum foil

Cookie sheet

Yarn

Small branches or wood sticks in a variety of shapes

 
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Ask your child to predict what will happen when you put the plastic cups in the oven and what he thinks they will look like.  Then ask him to use the markers to color several of the cups any way he wishes. After he is finished decorating, turn each cup upside down and place a towel over it.  Using a hammer and nail, gently tap a small crack in the bottom of each cup.  This will form a hole for stringing the cups after they melt in the oven. Cover the cookie sheet with aluminum foil, and place the cups on it upside down.  Put the sheet in the oven and observe closely until the cups melt (should take a few minutes).  Remove the tray and allow it to cool (about 10 minutes). Your child can string colorful pieces of yarn through the holes and then choose a branch or stick to hang the cups from.  If he chooses, he can also add other items, such as small bells, large paper clips, or screws.  Hang the wind chime outdoors or in a doorway inside.

 

Developing Skills:

Science, including observation and prediction

Creative expression

One way to recycle

Read the book “What Makes a Rainbow?” by Betty Ann Schwartz.  Each page highlights a different color of the rainbow. It is a “magic ribbon book.” As you turn each page another color of the rainbow magically appears and on the final pages you get to see a complete ribbon rainbow. Then construct your own ribbon rainbow.

 

Pencil

Bits of Ribbon in Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet and Indigo

Glue

Cardstock

 

Draw a basic rainbow shape lightly with pencil to provide your child a guide.  Have your child glue the ribbon on. 

 

 

Beautiful!

Children start school with different degrees of social and emotional maturity. These qualities take time and practice to learn. Give your child opportunities at home to begin to develop the following positive qualities.

— Confidence: Children must feel good about themselves and believe they can succeed. Confident children are more willing to attempt new tasks—and try again if they don’t succeed the first time.

— Independence: Children must learn to do things for themselves.

— Motivation: Children must want to learn.

— Curiosity: Children are naturally curious and must remain so to get the most out of learning opportunities.

— Persistence: Children must learn to finish what they start.

— Cooperation: Children must be able to get along with others and learn to share and take turns.

— Self-control: Children must learn that there are good and bad ways to express anger. They must understand that some behaviors, such as hitting and biting, are not acceptable.

— Empathy: Children must have an interest in others and understand how others feel.

          

Here are some things that you can do to help your child develop these qualities.

— Show your child that you care about him and that you are dependable. Children who feel loved are more likely to be confident. Your child must believe that, no matter what, someone will look out for him. Give your baby or toddler plenty of attention, encouragement, hugs and lap time.

— Set a good example. Children imitate what they see others do and what they hear others say. When you exercise and eat nourishing food, your child is more likely to do so as well. When you treat others with respect, your child probably will, too. If you share things with others, your child also will learn to be thoughtful of others’ feelings.

— Provide opportunities for repetition. It takes practice for a child to crawl, pronounce new words or drink from a cup. Your child doesn’t get bored when she repeats things. Instead, by repeating things until she learns them, your child builds the confidence she needs to try new things.

— Use appropriate discipline. All children need to have limits set for them. Children whose parents give them firm but loving discipline generally develop better social skills and do better in school than do children whose parents set too few or too many limits. Here are some ideas.

— Direct your child’s activities, but don’t be too bossy.

— Give reasons when you ask your child to do something. Say, for example, “Please move your truck from the stairs so no one falls over it”—not, “Move it because I said so.”

— Listen to your children to find out how he feels and whether he needs special support.

— Show love and respect when you are angry with your child. Criticize your child’s behavior but not the child. Say, for example, “I love you, but it’s not okay for you to draw pictures on the walls. I get angry when you do that.”

— Help your child make choices and work out problems. You might ask your 4-year-old, for example, “What can we do to keep your brother from knocking over your blocks?”

— Be positive and encouraging. Praise your child for a job well done. Smiles and encouragement go much further to shape good behavior than harsh punishment.

— Let your child do many things by herself. Young children need to be watched closely. However, they learn to be independent and to develop confidence by doing tasks such as dressing themselves and putting their toys away. It’s important to let your child make choices, rather than deciding everything for her.

— Encourage your child to play with other children and to be with adults who are not family members. Preschoolers need social opportunities to learn to see the point of view of others. Young children are more likely to get along with teachers and classmates if they have had experiences with different adults and children.

— Show a positive attitude toward learning and toward school. Children come into this world with a powerful need to discover and to explore. If your child is to keep her curiosity, you need to encourage it. Showing enthusiasm for what your child does (“You’ve drawn a great picture!”) helps to make her proud of her achievements.

Children also become excited about starting school when their parents show excitement about this big step. As your child gets ready to enter kindergarten, talk to him about school. Talk about the exciting things that he will do in kindergarten, such as making art projects, singing and playing games. Be enthusiastic as you describe all the important things that he will learn from his teacher—how to read, how to how to count and how to measure and weigh things.

 

File Folder

Season Printables

Marker

Zip-top Baggie

 

 

Print out the season and clothing cards.  If desired, laminate them to increase their lifespan.  Divide file folder into 4 sections with your marker, and glue down one season per quadrant.  Provide the cards to your kids and have them place them in the proper season.  Some pictures could work for multiple seasons, so have them explain why they think they picture belongs in that one.

 

File Folder

Fruit Printables

Marker

Zip-top Baggie

 

Print out the fruit pictures.  If desired, laminate them to increase their lifespan.  Glue the whole fruits to the file folder, and place the half fruits in the baggie. Name the fruits. Encourage our child to match the half fruits to its whole.

 

 

Plastic-foam trays, at least one-inch deep

Plastic fork

Potting soil

Grass seed

Spray bottle for misting

Seashells, walnut shells, eggshells, small twigs, pebbles, and other interesting natural items

 

Using a pencil, help your child poke a few holes in the bottom of the tray for drainage. Together, fill the tray with a half- to one-inch of potting soil, sprinkle the soil with grass seed, and use the plastic fork to gently rake the seeds into the soil. Let your child mist the soil with plenty of water. Place the tray near a sunny window. Help your child remember to water his garden every day with the spray bottle.  When the grass reaches about a half inch, bring out the stones, twigs, and shells. Encourage your child to use these materials to decorate his “garden.” Invite him to use whatever other materials he’d like. Ask your child to talk about items he’s using. Perhaps a twig represents a forest, a seashell filled with water is a pond, or a walnut shell is a nest. Encourage him to add to or change his garden as he chooses.

 

 

a wooden board (I got mine from Michaels & it is sanded with beveled edges for about $2)

black spray paint

pony tail holders

lots of push pins

graph paper

pen/pencil

hammer

 

 

Spray paint the board and let dry.  Using a pencil, mark off a grid template, about 1.5” apart on your graph paper.  Lay the paper on the board.  If desired you can tape it down to secure it.  Using a push pin, press into the points of your grid pattern, deep enough to score the wood.  Remove graph paper and insert pushpins into all the holes, using the hammer to ensure a firm grip.  Now your child can use the pony tail holders to make shapes on her new geo board!