Parenting Info

Helping With Homework

Children are more successful in school when parents take an active interest in homework according to a statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics. When parents show an interest in homework, children learn that what they do is important to their parents. Helping with homework can have many benefits for children. And who knows? Parents might even learn a thing or two!

How to Help

Get to know your child's teacher. Attend school events, such as parent-teacher conferences, to meet your child's teacher. Ask about his or her homework assignments and how you should be involved.
Set up a homework-friendly area. Make sure your child has a well lighted place to complete homework. Place supplies - paper, pencils, glue, scissors - within reach.
Schedule a regular study time. Some children work best in the afternoon, following a snack and play period; others may prefer to wait until after dinner.
Keep the distractions to a minimum. This means no television, no loud music, and no phone calls. Occasionally though a phone call to a classmate about an assignment could prove helpful.
Make sure your child does his own work. Children will not learn if they don't think for themselves and make their own mistakes. Parents can make suggestions and help children with directions. Your child's job is to do the learning.
Get involved in your child's academic career. Ask your child about assignments, quizzes, and tests. Check completed homework and make yourself available for questions and concerns.
Set a good homework example. Does your child see you reading the newspaper, writing letters, or reading a book? Children are more likely to follow their parents' examples than their advice.
Praise their work. Stick a math assignment or art project on the refrigerator. Mention achievements in science to a relative.

If your child has continuing problems with homework, talk with his teacher. It may be the child has difficulty in the classroom that requires evaluation for a learning disorder or attention disorder.

Preparing Your Child for a New Sibling

For parents, the arrival of a baby is a happy event. This is not necessarily true for an older child. While there probably is no way to keep your child from resenting - however slightly - the shift of the spotlight to a newborn, there are ways to help children cope with the future scene stealer. By steadily preparing your child for your newborn's arrival, you can help alleviate fears and let them share in your excitement.

During Pregnancy

The way you explain to a child that a new baby is on the way is a personal choice. The amount of detail a child is able to understand, of course, will depend on her age and development. When to tell a child about the pregnancy is also an individual issue: some parents, for example, announce the news to children right from the start, while others cautiously wait until after the first trimester.

Answers to a child's curious questions about the mechanics of pregnancy are also linked to a child's level of development. Meg Koppel, mother of now 8-month-old Jonah and 6-year-old Tobias, decided to face the issue head-on. "Tobias asked a lot of questions about where the baby came from, how it got inside of me, and so on. We tried to explain, without getting too graphic."

For very young children, the idea of a 9-month wait for a sister or brother may not add up in their heads. Most preschoolers have yet to grasp the concept of time, says Christine Jennings, coordinator of parent education at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. To make the waiting period more understandable to young children, Jennings suggests linking the arrival of a newborn with a season rather than a month.

Your child's age and development should be considered when sharing other information about the future event. Your best bet is to take your cues from your child. If your child shows an interest in learning more about newborns, examining pictures of herself when she was a baby, reading books, or visiting friends with infants can help her to adjust to the upcoming event. Children may also want to accompany you on a visit to the doctor to hear the baby's heartbeat, help you pack your bag for the hospital, or think of potential baby names.

It can be also useful - and startling - to talk to your child about what she expects the baby to be able to do. "Children often feel that a new baby will be an instant playmate, and the fact that they sleep most of the time can be a huge disappointment," Jennings says.

How Play Helps Your Child's Development

From earliest infancy, play is the primary way children learn. Through play, children explore their bodies, their relationships with their parents and peers, and the world around them. An older baby who repeatedly drops a wooden block from his high chair is playing, but he's also an amateur researcher. How did the block sound hitting the floor? Is the sound the same on the carpet? Will mommy pick up the block? Will mommy frown or smile?

In addition to encouraging exploration and relationship development, play also helps children develop more subtle verbal and logical skills. Playing house, for example, reinforces the idea of the future tense and sequential thought, as the child says, "First I'll set the table, then we'll sit down to eat." Children's fantasy games let them explore new situations and model roles they have observed. If parents take an active part in their child's play, play can help build self-esteem. When a parent praises the stunning use of red in a toddler's picture or responds to a baby's cooing, kids learn that what they have to offer is interesting and entertaining to the larger world.

Developmentally Appropriate Play

How do you know if your child's play is on target for his age? One way to check is to compare your child's play to the developmental questions asked by your child's doctor at regular visits. Your child's doctor might ask if your child is playing peek-a-boo, pulling himself up in the crib, or reaching for a bright object when he's on the floor, for example.

Don't panic, however, if your child isn't exactly on schedule. Children develop at different rates. But if your baby hasn't reached a certain milestone - such as rolling over - you might lend a hand in helping your child to the next level of development.

"It may be that you're holding your child too often, or that there is nothing appealing for the baby to roll towards," notes Gail Loeb, Director of Community Outreach and Training at the Hall-Mercer Child and Parent Center at Pennsylvania Hospital. "As your child's favorite playmate, you might get down on the carpet eyeball to eyeball with your baby and play with him, showing him how to roll," says Loeb. "By taking an active part, a parent can help a child progress.

Choosing and Instructing a Babysitter

Entrusting someone to care for your child can be a difficult thing to do. Finding a qualified babysitter requires time and effort, but your reward is assurance that your child is in capable hands.

The recommendations of people you know and trust are your best bet for finding a reliable and capable babysitter. If you're new to the area and don't know how to go about finding a sitter, ask your neighbors or coworkers for recommendations, or inquire at your place of worship.

Interviewing prospective sitters and checking their references will give you peace of mind. You may want to invite the sitter over for a "dry run" while you are at home so you can familiarize her with your household and observe how she interacts with your child.

Babysitter Instructions

Before you walk out the door, give the sitter all the help you can:

Make sure the sitter knows where you will be and how to reach you.
Make sure the sitter knows what to do in an emergency. Provide an emergency phone list that includes neighbors, friends, relatives, and your child's physician. Write your own phone number and address on the list.
Point out where the sitter can find the number for poison control and the bottle of ipecac syrup (used to induce vomiting in some cases when harmful substances have been swallowed; poison control should always be consulted first).
Teach you children how to call for help. What if something happens to your babysitter while she is watching your child?
Show the sitter where you keep the door keys in case a child locks herself inside a room
Let the sitter know of any special problems your child may have, such as an allergy to bee stings, certain foods, or household products. Show her where the first-aid items are kept.
The American Red Cross offers classes for babysitters that teach safety basics and CPR for infants and children. To learn more, contact your local chapter.

Talking with Children

Most children love to talk about themselves, their homes, families, adventures and many other things. One of the most important things to remember when talking with children is to be a good listener. At Head Start, we work hard to assist children in the development of expressive language skills and the ability to expand their social competence through language. Talking with, instead of talking to, children is an important part of our program.

Some suggestions when talking with children to promote effective language skills are:

Speak in a calm, kind voice.
Get down at the child's physical level if possible, that is stoop or sit in a low chair so the child can see your face.
Answer the child's question, do not lecture the child.
Keep you voice and facial expressions pleasant.
Speak in short, meaningful sentences the child is able to understand.

When giving verbal directions to a child, there are some basic rules that should be considered. They are:

Speak directly to the child face-to-face; do not yell across the room

Express your request in a positive way, examples of this are:

"Sit down when you slide" instead of "Don't stand on the slide".
"Use both hands when you climb" instead of "You'll fall if you don't watch out".
"Keep the puzzles on the table" instead of "Don't dump the puzzle pieces on the floor".
"Time to pick up for story time" instead of "Don't you want to listen to a story?".

Fire Prevention in the Home

Fires are likely to start in many places in the home including the kitchen, living room, bedroom and storage areas such as, the attic, basement, workroom or storeroom. Causes of fire include overheated or overloaded electrical wire, cigarette ashes, smoldering ashes in the couch, sparks from the fireplace, unattended outdoor fires and barbecues, appliances in poor repair and unattended cooking in the kitchen.

Every family should have a fire escape plan and practice it at least twice a year. Plan and practice two ways out of each room in your home. If you plan to use windows as your second way out, be sure they open easily and you have what you need to get to the ground safely.

Fire Safety and Protection Tips

Don't play with fire, matches or anything else that will create a flame or heat.
Know how to exit from your house or school in case of fire.
Know how to call the Fire Department and report a fire or any other emergency.
Smoking in bed, in a chair, or on the sofa when tired may cause a fire.
Spraying aerosols while smoking or near a space heater, range or other ignition sources may start a fire.
Using a cigarette lighter after spilling fluid on the hands or clothing may start a fire.
Leaning against a range for warmth or standing too near a heater or fireplace may start a fire.

Play is Learning

The saying that "play is child's work" is the basic premise of the Head Start curriculum. We believe that through play children learn and acquire skills, which are the foundation for both social competence and school readiness. In preparing the classroom setting and activities, the teaching staff prepares to give the children the maximum in opportunities to explore their environment through touching, seeing, smelling, hearing, and sometimes even tasting. Through play children learn:

To use small muscles in their hands
To follow directions
To use their imaginations
New words
To take turns, work together and share
To copy patterns
To play new roles and practice positive behaviors
To concentrate
To understand relationships in size and space
Memory skills
To try new ideas
To count and measure
A sense of control over their world
To solve problems
About their environment
To express themselves creatively
How things are the same and different
New and exciting uses for materials and objects

Dental Health

National children's Dental Health Month

The annual observance of children's dental health began as a one-day event in Cleveland, Ohio on February 3, 1941. In 1981. the program was extended to a month-long celebration know today as National Children's Dental Health Month. Since 1941, the observance has grown from a two-city event into a nationwide program. The American Dental Association produces a program planning kit for its state and local societies and dental alliances to assist them in local promotional efforts.

A Child's Dental Care Begins Before Birth

Teeth begin to form between the third and sixth months of pregnancy. Good health and habits are important for development of the unborn child. Unless a physician recommends otherwise, pregnant women should remember to consume dairy products, which are the best sources for calcium, the main building block for bones and teeth.

The First Dental Visit

The ADA recommends parents take children to the dentist by the child's first birthday. In addition to checking for decay and other possible problems, the dentist will teach you how to properly clean your child's teeth daily, evaluate any adverse habits such as thumb sucking, and identify your child's fluoride needs.

Information You Need When Enrolling Your Child in School

Where will your child attend kindergarten?
Who are the contact people at your new school and what are their phone numbers (Principals, Teachers)?
Is your child enrolled in school for fall?
Does your child have the necessary immunizations needed for kindergarten?
Does the school have your child's records they need from Head Start?

Before Your Child Starts Kindergarten

Visit the school with your child.
Talk with your child about the positives of kindergarten.
Talk with your child about how kindergarten will be the same as or different from Head Start.

What do you need to know about Kindergarten?

How will your child get to school? Does the school provide transportation?
Will your child eat breakfast or lunch at school? Is there a cost for it? Does the school have a free/reduced cost food service?
How can parents become involved in school?
Who do you talk to if you have any concerns or questions about transportation, child's progress, food service, volunteer opportunities?
What is the kindergarten program like? Is it a half day or full day program? What days of the week do the children attend?
What is the daily schedule? Can you get a copy of the school's yearly calendar?
What supplies are needed for your child before starting kindergarten? Do you need to label your child's belongings?

Child Abuse and Neglect

Federal and State Legislation's Definition of Child Abuse and Neglect

Child Abuse and Neglect is, at a minimum:

Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation.
An act or failure to act, which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.

Sexual Abuse is:

The employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in, or assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit conduct or simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.

The rape, and in cases of caretaker or inter-familial relationships, statutory rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children, or incest with children.

Withholding of Medically Indicated Treatment

The failure to respond to the infant's life threatening conditions by withholding treatment (including appropriate nutrition, hydration, and medication) that in the treating physician's or physicians' reasonable medical judgment, would be most likely effective in ameliorating or correcting all such conditions.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is characterized by the infliction of physical injury as a result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, shaking or otherwise harming a child. The parent or caretaker may not have intended to hurt the child; rather the injury may have resulted from over-discipline or physical punishment.

Child Neglect

Child neglect is characterized by failure to provide for the child's basic needs. Neglect can be physical, educational, or emotional.

Physical neglect includes refusal of or delay in seeking health care, abandonment, expulsion from the home or refusal to allow a runaway to return home, and inadequate supervision.
Educational neglect includes the allowance of chronic truancy, failure to enroll a child of mandatory school age in school, and failure to attend to a special educational need.
Emotional neglect includes such actions as marked inattention to the child's needs for affection, refusal of or failure to provide needed psychological care, spouse abuse in the child's presence, and permission of child to use drugs or alcohol.

The assessment of child neglect requires consideration of cultural values and standards of care as well as recognition that the failure to provide the necessities of life may be related to poverty.

Parent Training Materials

See the attachments below.