Potty training is incredibly individualized, and each child might have completely different experiences. For some, it will be quick and easy. Others, though, might require lots of time, try your patience and have many accidents. Be prepared for either scenario!

Potty training often occurs somewhere between 18 months and 3 years old for most children. A little before or after is no big deal! What’s helpful to remember is that for your child to have success, certain skills and development need to occur before potty…]]> 2019-04-04T12:35:00+00:00 http://ifnotyouwho.org/community/blog-read-more/does-your-child-prefer-1-parent-over-the-other Is your child choosing one parent over the other? Does she only want Mom to put her to bed? Or, may only Dad pour their milk? Most children will go through a phase (probably more than once) of preferring one parent to the other, and possibly even excluding one parent or caregiver. While this can be quite hurtful for the parent who is being excluded, it is helpful to know this, too, is a phase and will pass. Preferring one parent or adult to another, is actually considered healthy development and common among children of all ages.

Preferring one parent to the other can typically be attributed to the attachment process. The attachment phase begins at birth and continues throughout our lives and it is an important process for your child to learn. The purpose of attachment is to find one person who provides the child with ultimate support and trust. While your child is learning the attachment process, along they way there might be some exclusions of a parent or caregiver. The exclusion of a parent may fluctuate back and forth between parents at different times depending on the child’s…]]> 2016-01-21T15:18:00+00:00 http://ifnotyouwho.org/community/blog-read-more/technology-hindering-children’s-fine-motor-development Does technology consume your child’s play time? Unfortunately, many of us are guilty of using I-Pad and I-Phone Applications (apps), video, and computer games as well as hand held “learning” games to keep our children occupied at certain times, and simply quiet during other times!  Now, we are not saying children shouldn’t use technology. In fact, we know plenty of applications and computer games that are quite educational and definitely can have a place in your child’s play time. The question that adults need to answer- is my child’s play time comprised of just different forms of technology?

Living in an ever-changing world with new technology being developed every day, we need to remember the importance of play time. Coloring, painting and Play-doh were just some of the ways many of us spent our time as children. Each of these childhood pastimes challenged and developed our fine motor skills, much more than, we’ll say, the I-Pad!

A recent study looked at handwriting, and the effects it has on one’s success. For many, writing…]]> 2015-10-05T19:37:00+00:00 http://ifnotyouwho.org/community/blog-read-more/building-responsibility-in-preschoolers How do you divide the chores and household responsibilities in your home? Maybe you have a “chore wheel”, or perhaps the chores rotate daily to fend off boredom, or maybe, just maybe, Mom and Dad do all the work. Children beginning at two years old are capable of handling responsibilities and should begin having some age appropriate ones around the house. Responsibilities help children in a variety of ways. They develop social and emotional skills, gain a sense of involvement and self worth in the family, and they start to build a strong work ethic, confidence, organizational skills and time management. Children given appropriate responsibilities will develop social and emotional skills; have a sense of involvement and self worth in the family. Longer term becoming responsible contributes to developing a strong work ethic, confidence and organizational skills while learning time management. Children two to five years of age will have different skill levels and tasks they are capable of completing. Here is a simple list of ideas that might help you and your child…]]> 2015-09-16T00:57:00+00:00 http://ifnotyouwho.org/community/blog-read-more/teaching-preschoolers-empathy Kids say the darndest things! We have all experienced the pure innocence and honesty of a child. “ Mommy, your teeth look yellow” or  “Daddy, your nose is big.” Maybe you’ve experienced what’s even more humiliating ... your child’s sharing their innocent, honest and totally inappropriate thoughts to a stranger. Or, maybe your child isn’t the “verbal” type and these examples don’t sound familiar. Lucky you! But, what about their grabbing toys away from other children and not noticing the other child is now crying. How about hitting their baby brother or sister and feeling little to no remorse? You can’t help but wonder what happened to your sweet innocent baby, and why some of their behaviors resemble, well, a little monster.

No, the behaviors described above or similar ones that might be found in your home, do not make these children monsters. In fact, children aged three to five years old, simply are not developmentally capable of understanding empathy.  However, with the help and leadership from parents…]]> 2015-09-16T00:46:00+00:00 http://ifnotyouwho.org/community/blog-read-more/help-children-beat-the-heat Is your family feeling the summer heat? With a lot of the United States sweltering in summer heat, it’s important for adults to be knowledgeable of the impact heat can have on children. It’s also important to be educated and prepared on how to deal with possible problems that may occur due to intense heat.

When heat and humidity reach abnormally high numbers for an area, often heat advisories will be put in effect by local meteorologists. Usually you’ll hear them ask everyone to pay extra attention to the elderly, young children and people who have pre-existing health conditions. So why are young, healthy children at greater risk during very hot weather?

One reason is that children have a difficult time regulating their body temperature. They also have a hard time recognizing when they are too hot or too cold. Try helping them pay close attention to how their body is feeling. When they are red faced and sweaty, talk to them about ways to cool down, same for when they have goose-bumps. We urge you to take some time to teach them how to make the appropriate changes…]]> 2015-07-22T20:31:00+00:00 http://ifnotyouwho.org/community/blog-read-more/teaching-a-child-vs-letting-them-explore There are many times when it is easier and faster for adults to jump in and help a child get something done, even during play time. Showing children where a puzzle piece fits, how to dress a doll properly, or how to make noise with a musical instrument, might seem helpful to most, but can showing children how to use toys actually be harmful?

While there are very important and specific times that an adult should direct and educate a child on how to do something, there are also times where it is important for a child to explore and even struggle with something in order to figure things out on their own.  Deciding when the right times are to teach versus explore is a controversial topic among parents and educators. 

An interesting research project was done recently that takes a look at this question. The research explained that when children are shown how to use a toy, they typically will only use that toy in the way it was shown to them, instead of letting them explore the different possibilities and options that a particular toy allows.  To read more about this study go…]]> 2015-05-26T15:46:00+00:00 http://ifnotyouwho.org/community/blog-read-more/does-your-preschooler-have-manners Wouldn't it be nice if good manners came naturally to children? Unfortunately, they do not! Good manners need to be taught, explained and reinforced over and over. While it is never too early for adults to role model positive behavior, there are a variety of areas in our lives that can include good manners. When to teach your child how to behave in these situations and using their manners, will vary depending on their age and development.

“Please”, “Thank you” and “Excuse me” are simple phrases to start role modeling and teaching your young child manners. However, there are many different and important areas of life, where good manners are not only expected but necessary for success.
    
    •    Table Etiquette
    •    Telephone Skills
    •    Respect for other people and things
    •    Good Sportsmanship
    •    Playing…]]> 2015-01-05T05:37:00+00:00 http://ifnotyouwho.org/community/blog-read-more/complete-kindergarten-readiness-checklist As promised in last weeks blog, here is an extensive list of kindergarten readiness skills that we compiled here at INYW?. We compiled this list by looking at different states kindergarten readiness entrance skills and other countries lists of skills for kindergarteners.  This is probably a more extensive list than your state's requirements. However, we thought it might he helpful to see different skills 5 year olds are expected to know before entering kindergarten. As always, if you have any questions, ideas or concerns, please feel free to contact us! 

1. Language, Literacy and Reading

Say/sing ABC ‘s and can point to correct letters
Looks at books and magazines with proper orientation (right side up) and turns   pages from front to back,  pretends to read
Understands concepts of a book - first page, last page, that printed letters make   up words that convey a message, looks at pictures to help with meaning
Knows that reading moves left to right and top to bottom
Can differentiate…]]> 2014-08-29T19:23:00+00:00 http://ifnotyouwho.org/community/blog-read-more/trash-to-treasure-playtime-doesn’t-have-to-be-expensive Sometimes as we struggle to keep kids busy and entertained we too easily look towards new toys and technology as the answer. Knowing which gadgets and toys are the best at keeping a child happy and educationally entertained can be both time consuming and eye popping in costs. The good news is you and your child (or classroom) have plenty of educationally fun activities right under your nose; you just need to know where to look!

Providing children with “open-ended materials” enables them to be creative, use their imagination, allows for longer periods of “playtime” and encourages opportunities to engage with other children. Open-ended materials are just that, open-ended! They are materials that may be used for a variety of purposes don’t include complicated instructions or rules. Paper, blocks, art supplies, play-doh and art supplies are examples of “open-ended” materials. 

These materials are often inexpensive and can be found within your home. Below are different ideas that use items many would consider trash. However, if you give…]]> 2014-06-30T20:36:00+00:00