7 Amazingly Easy Tips to Help You and Your Child with the "Winter Blues!" as shared by Little Angels Preschool & Daycare Ypsilanti

Have you or your child been feeling sluggish, irritable, or extra anxious?


Are you or your child struggling with concentrating on regular tasks?

Does your whole household have trouble waking up in the morning? 

It’s very possible that Seasonal Affective Disorder is the culprit!  This winter has been especially ruthless!  Between the snow, bitter cold temperatures, and gray skies, it’s no wonder we’re all feeling a bit down.

Studies show that approximately six percent of Americans suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) with an additional 14 percent of people with a milder form of SAD, generally called “the winter blues.”  While children under the age of nine are less likely to get SAD, they may experience what many people call “cabin fever.”  Ultimately, if you’re concerned about the state of your child’s mental, or emotional health it’s always best to consult with your pediatrician for guidance! 

What causes SAD?

Experts aren’t 100% sure, but they believe it may be caused by a lack of sunlight.   A lack of light may affect the brain chemical serotonin that affects your mood.   Anyone can get SAD, but it’s more common in women between the ages of 15 and 55, who live in geographical areas where winter days are short.  Most suffer symptoms from October through the end of April.

Symptoms of SAD

You feel sad, moody, anxious, or grumpy.
You may cry more often.
You lose interest in your day-to-day activities, and hobbies.
You eat more, especially carbohydrates, like breads, pasta, and cookies.
You gain weight.
You feel more tired during the day and sleep more than usual. 

Here are a few tips to help during a minor case of the winter blues!

1. When the weather permits, bundle up and get outside for at least 15 minutes for some sunlight therapy.  If it’s too cold, find an indoor location that has large windows with sunshine spilling in: a greenhouse, a sun porch, an indoor pool, or play area with numerous skylights.
2. If you’re stuck at home, tackle a family project together.  This could be projects like cleaning out closets, or putting together a family scrapbook.  Once you complete the chore, reward everyone with a movie night or a dance party in your pajamas!
3. Keep your family hydrated with water.  This will combat fatigue, ease headaches, and can also help decrease food cravings.
4. Help release energy by playing a game like indoor tag, or use a game system ( X-Box or Wii.)  If you’re limited on space, we once heard of a woman who liked to hula hoop while standing on top of her bed.  This works well because there is enough space to move the hoop without hitting anything.  This also challenges your muscles more while you try to stay balanced.  Not only is the physical activity great for increasing your happy endorphins, but there’s sure to be laughter involved too, which is always therapeutic!
5. Listen to relaxing music, and read a book before bed.  Try using a white noise machine to promote relaxation and help with noise distractions.
6. Have an indoor picnic.  Spread out a blanket, pack a picnic, and pretend you’re outside.  Look at family pictures from a summer vacation or event.  You could even stage a family photo with funny props and costumes to remember your mini indoor vacation from winter.
7. Try some aromatherapy in a bath or by placing potpourri around your home.  Citrus, Peppermint, Lavender, and Rosemary help reduce stress relief, anxiety, and fatigue.   

As one of the best Preschool Daycare Ypsilanti has to offer, we understand that being stuck indoors during the winter can be challenge to everyone, especially children.  We hope our suggestions above may help re-charge your batteries and get you excited for spring.  

Contact us today to schedule a tour, or check out our photo gallery to see all of the wonderful things we have to offer you and your child.  http://preschooldaycareypsilanti.com/

We'd also love to hear what you do to fight the "winter blues".  Please leave a comment below! Thank you! 

Cold Weather Safety Reminders from Little Angels Preschool Daycare Ypsilanti

Does your child enjoy outdoor winter activities such as sledding, skiing, ice skating, building a snowman, or building a snow fort? 

While it’s great to have fun, it’s also important to stay warm in cold temperatures. Cold can mean your child risks frostbite  and hypothermia.

Here are some cold weather safety tips 

to help keep your children safe from 

frostbite and hypothermia:

• Wear appropriate clothing (i.e. layers, fleece, wool) 
• Bring children inside periodically to warm up 
• Make sure boots are not too tight 
• Have them wear a hat and/or ski mask to cover extremities (i.e. ears, nose) 
• Keep their clothes dry 
• Offer them a hot beverage after they come inside

If frostbite or hypothermia does occur, seek medical attention immediately! If the affected area is not treated in a timely manner your child may lose a limb … or worse!

At Little Angels Preschool & Daycare Ypsilanti, we’re dedicated to our students’ health and well-being. We want to ensure the safety of our students and families. So, before you bundle up to make snow angels, learn ways to prevent your child from getting nipped by Jack Frost!

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Little Angels Preschool & Daycare's Tips for Teaching Children Gratitude!

Does your child beg or whine for toys?

Does he or she get upset if “Santa” doesn’t bring all of the toys on his/her list?

Do you cringe when your child doesn’t show appreciation when someone gives them a gift? Or worse, he/she says something like, “It’s another stupid, ugly sweater from Grandma!”

The holidays are a perfect time to teach your child about gratitude!  Showing gratitude is more than just good manners; there are many benefits.  In fact, recent studies have shown that children who express gratitude have higher grades, better self esteem, more positive relationships, and were all around healthier. Considered a pioneer in gratitude studies, Jeffrey Froh, PsyD with Hofstra University, conducted a survey with more than 1,200 kids between the ages of 8 and 18. The children who were more grateful for what they already had were more generous and less materialistic.  

Toddlers are generally very egocentric … they think the world revolves around them!  However, children can begin to understand the concept of gratitude between the ages of 15 and 18 months.  By the time children are two or three they may appreciate specific objects, pets, and people.  By age four, they can not only be thankful for objects such as toys, but for also feelings like love and kindness. 

Where can you begin?  Froh points out that “The first step in changing kids’ behavior is being a good role model.”  Even something simple like saying “Thank you” will reinforce positive behavior.  Below are a few more tips.   

·          Discuss or write down what you’re grateful for on a regular basis.  Try sharing what everyone is grateful for during a family meal or during evening prayers. 

·          Get into the habit of writing thank you notes when your receive gifts or favors.  If your child is too young to write, have them dictate to you what they want to say and include a picture they drew or colored. 

·          Practice giving to others who may be less fortunate.  Take the whole family to volunteer at a homeless shelter, or give gently used toys and clothes to a charity.  A less daunting task could be to make soup or shovel the sidewalk for a sick neighbor.  

·          Have your children help with household chores.  They may appreciate you more once they help clear dirty dishes from the table, feed the animals, or help rake leaves.  They will also understand that keeping a nice home takes time and energy and should be a family effort.

At Little Angels Preschool & Daycare we’re “Changing the world, one child at a time!”  Our teachers focus their lessons on experience-based learning, which addresses the individual growth, potential and strengths of your child. Contact us to schedule a tour of our center!

http://preschooldaycareypsilanti.com/articles/articles/preschool_daycare_ypsilanti

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Little Angels Preschool & Daycare Offers Tips on Displaying Your Child's Artwork.

As a parent of a young child, do you receive “works of art” by the hundred during the year?

Do you struggle with displaying or storing his or her projects in your home or office?

Does your child get upset if one of his or her creations is thrown out or mysteriously disappears?

Your child’s  “art” could come in a variety of forms:  a small scribble on notebook paper, a sculpture made out of clay, a hodge-podge of objects all glued together and more.  If you try to keep everything your child makes you will quickly run out of space!  Below are a few ways to archive and display their work, and help you and your child let go of some items. 

Take photos of each piece and store on a digital photo frame or on your computer.  You could print out smaller photos of the artwork and create a scrapbook or collage to display.  You could also use a service like Shutterfly and create a bound book of their favorite drawings, poems, stories etc.  This could be done at the end of each school year to keep track of the growth of your child.  Imagine all of the items you can display during their graduation! 

If they are proud of a special drawing turn it into a: t-shirt, pillow case, coffee mug, puzzle, magnet, or any other object that can be displayed for years to come.  There are companies that can take a drawing and turn it into a stuffed animal or a piece of jewelry.

Houzz.com offers a few ideas on displaying children’s artwork. 

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2183700/list/Guest-Picks--20-Ways-To-Display-Kids--Art

We’re also following this great board on Pinterest.  Check it out!

http://www.pinterest.com/hellobee/displaying-children-s-art/

S. Jhoanna Robledo, with realsimple.com, offer’s advice on how to help your child sort their artwork.  She suggests making four piles. 

1.  To be framed

2.  To be stored

3.  To be mailed

4.  To disappear

She recommends that parents sort through their items to demonstrate to their child that there are things to keep, and things to periodically let go of. 

Read more  http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/family/kids-parenting/sorting-storing-childs-artwork-10000000688382/

However you decide to store or display your child’s artwork, remember to show your appreciation when they give you a piece of their art.  Your pride will encourage their creativity and foster their self esteem.  In addition, once your child is grown you may want to have a box of keepsakes to help you remember their earlier years. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed our blog.  Please feel free to comment below and share how you display or store your child’s artwork. 

If you are interested in Little Angels Preschool & Daycare, contact us to schedule a tour!

http://preschooldaycareypsilanti.com/articles/articles/preschool_daycare_ypsilanti

 

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Pinterest  http://www.pinterest.com/littleangelspd/

 

 

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Halloween Safety with Little Angels Preschool Daycare Ypsilanti

Halloween can be a fun and exciting holiday.  Children and many adults enjoy dressing in costume, eating sweet snacks, and even participating in spooky activities like a haunted walk.  Luckily many communities, businesses, churches, and schools now have daytime Halloween programs that provide a safer environment for trick-or-treating. 

In fact, Little Angels Preschool & Daycare’s Trunk-or-Treat is on Halloween, Thursday, October 31 at 3:00 p.m.  Parents – Please let us know if you’re coming to hand out candy and to see all of the adorable costumes!   

Remember we also close early on that day.  So you’ll need to make arrangements to pick up your child by 4:00 p.m.

However, if you're taking your little one out for a nighttime activity or to a local neighborhood for Trick-or-treat, it’s important to follow these tips to keep your trick-or-treaters safe.

·          Remind children to walk, not run, and to stay with you or the adult who is supervising them. 

·          Use sidewalks and crosswalks as often as you can.  Try to avoid walking in between cars or using alleyways for shortcuts. 

·          Tell the children that all candy must be inspected by you before they eat any.  It’s best to avoid any homemadetreats.  

·          Add reflective tape or stickers to costumes and candy bags/buckets. 

·          Make sure that their costume fits well and remove trip hazards.  If their costume has long sleeves they could be dangerous around flames, not to mention get extra messy around food and drinks!

·          Be sure they wear safe, sturdy shoes to prevent slips and falls. 

·          Try to avoid masks and apply makeup instead.  This will allow them to see clearly. If they must wear a mask, check to make sure they can breathe easily and that the eyeholes are large enough to allow full vision.  Most masks can be trimmed to accommodate the wearer. Grease paint could be applied near the eyes to blend their skin into the mask better.

·          Accessories should be foam or soft.  Hard plastic knives and swords can still hurt. 

·          Costumes should be flame-resistant.  If they’re also covered in hairspray or spray-on hair color, it may be wise to tell them to completely avoid any open flames. 

·          Provide them with a glow stick or flashlight to carry.  It will help them see better when walking and help others see them. 

·          At the end of the evening, make sure that they wash off all of their makeup to avoid irritation of the eyes or skin. 

Are you still deciding on what costume to make? 

We’ve added some fun ideas to our Pinterest Page.

http://www.pinterest.com/littleangelspd/dress-up-for-little-angels-preschool-daycare-ypsil/

Local Trick-or-Treat Schedule

For October 31, 2013

Ann Arbor  5-8 p.m.

Ypsilanti 6-8 p.m.

Saline 6-8 p.m.

Dexter 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Chelsea 4-6 p.m.

Have a safe, and happy Halloween! 

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Little Angels Preschool & Daycare Preschoolers and Staff Bake Cookies and Get Connected to the Elderly

Little Angels Preschool & Daycare will celebrate National Senior Citizens Day on August, 21, 2013.  The preschoolers will bake dozens of cookies and deliver them to the Ypsilanti Senior Home and to the CHS Group.  CHS, which shares space in the same building that is home to LAPD, assists the elderly and people living with Alzheimer’s, Autism, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and other challenging health issues.  

Celebrate National Senior Citizen’s Day along with Little Angels Preschool & Daycare. 

See the press release for this event. 

http://www.prlog.org/12184786-little-angels-preschool-daycare-ypsilanti-deliver-sweet-treats-to-michigan-seniors.html

There are several volunteer and school-based programs throughout the country that encourage interaction between children and the elderly or “inter-generational connections.”  This concept appears to be successful in many ways.  Elders have extra time to spend mentoring and passing their wisdom onto the children.  Children learn social responsibility and compassion for elders.  Children also reciprocate by bringing an immense amount of joy to the elders.  Thereby, reducing the elder’s depression, loneliness and boredom.

One such program is The Grace Living Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The Grace Living Center houses two classrooms with 60 kindergarten and pre-kindergarten students with 170 elders.  The “grandmas” and “grandpas” mentor the children with their academic and social development through reading, dramatic play, crafts and more.  There have been proven results of higher competency in reading and vocabulary. Children also learn more about aging including illness, physical limitations such as mobility, eyesight loss, hearing loss and ultimately even death. 

There are many ways to encourage your child’s “inter-generational connections.”  Spend time with grandparents, elderly family members or neighbors.  The elders can teach your child skills such as fishing, knitting, cooking, story telling etc.  Your child may help elders learn about technology perhaps with e-mail, Facebook, games, cameras, iPods or iPads.

If your child doesn’t have an elderly relative or neighbor close by, here are several alternative suggestions:

• Volunteer at an assisted living home.

• Read to the elderly and allow the elderly to read to your child.

• Serve and/or deliver Meals on Wheels.

• Volunteer with a pet therapy program that takes pets to assisted living homes.

• Be a pen pal to an elderly person.  Everyone loves getting mail!

• Do crafts together.  It will help fine motor skills in children and the elders!

We all can learn a great deal from our elders.  Listen to their life stories: happy moments, times of struggle, proud accomplishments, regrettable mistakes and so much more. 

 

Read more about The Grace Living Center posted by Lisa Morehouse

http://www.edutopia.org/grace-learning-center-prekindergarten-community

How to Help Develop Your Child’s Love For Reading. Preschool Daycare Ypsilanti

Are you trying to help develop your child’s mind and get them prepared for school? 

One of the best ways to instill the importance of education is to teach them to enjoy reading.  Reading is not only a way to increase knowledge, it’s also a great form of entertainment.  And don’t kids and adults both love doing fun things?   

Start early by reading to them with age-appropriate books.  They’re never too young to start.  You can even read to babies.  Many infant books also have noise and different textures added to further stimulate your child. 

Choose good books that are age-appropriate so they’ll enjoy them.  Try to choose books about topics they’ve shown interest in or that they can relate to.  Once they begin to enjoy reading, then open them up to new ideas, genres and topics.

When your child is old enough, enroll them in a library program.  They often have coordinating games, crafts and speakers that go along with the stories. 

Set up a special reading area in the house.  It could be under a blanket fort or a spot with a comfy chair and lamp.  Encourage them to decorate with pictures of their favorite book characters. 

Set aside family time for reading.  You can all read the same book or enjoy your individual materials.  It may be best to make it a routine, like after dinner or bath time.  It is also important for them to see you reading and hear you talk about the book you’re reading.    

Reading doesn’t have to be just books or the iPad.  Try sharing newspaper articles, magazines and blogs.  Tons of games also require reading like board games, crossword puzzles, coloring books, word searches and more. 

Never make reading a punishment.  Nothing will make them dread it more than being forced to read!

Make colorful bookmarks with your child and track their progress with reading charts to help celebrate each chapter read.  You may also want to reward them with something positive, perhaps with a new book they have been wanting or watching a movie made from a book they’ve previously read. 

At Little Angels Preschool Ypsilanti | Daycare Ypsilanti we incorporate reading into our daily routine.  Please contact us if you need suggestions on appropriate books for your child’s age and ability. 

www.littleangelsypsilanti.com         734-998-0233       littleangelspsd@yahoo.com