Category: Parent Tips

A time for Gratitude

11/30/2018

I apologize for the gap in posting time, the past few months have been quite a journey for our community. We went from Rosh Hashana, to Simchat Torah, celebrating with one another, but missing almost a month of school. As soon as we got back into the groove, the Tree of Life shooting happened and we were turned upside down as we tried to deal with a lot of questions, emotions and feelings. And then suddenly it was November and we had a Thanksgiving program to put together and another week out of classes. Don’t blink, because by the time you finish reading this, it’s probably going to be December and the winter holidays will be upon us.

One topic that always seems to come up around this time of year is gratitude and how can we help our children be grateful and thankful. This is especially timely since many of us celebrate gift giving holidays in the winter time, and children (and adults too) can get caught up in the ‘more stuff’ mindset. How can you help your child during these times and throughout the year?

Model thankfulness and appreciativeness. Make sure your child is hearing you say your thank you’s when someone gives you something. Let them know when you notice they've done something (Wow! You put away the shoes for me. I appreciate that so much, now I have a little extra time to spend with you!). These little people want to be like us!
Share the things you’re thankful and grateful for. It’s not just for the Thanksgiving table! Every night at our house we ask a question that can’t be answered with a yes/no. Some questions you could ask: What’s something good that happened to you today? What are you thankful for today? What did you do nice for someone today? If they have a negative response, help them to find the positive to go along with it.
Talk about others. No, not that way. Talk about the people that might not have everything that you do and how you can help them. Set aside some time for G'milut Chasidim. G'milut Chasidim is the ways that we can perform acts of loving kindness by giving your self or your time, with out expecting anything in return. I know some people that keep kits in their cars that they can give to people that they see that are homeless. Visit an elderly neighbor who hasn't been feeling well. There are many places that your children can donate their unwanted toys to. Talk about the people in their daily lives and all the things that they do for us, from their busdriver to the trashman to the police officer, and do something nice for them.
Set expectations for the ‘stuff’. I’ve known families that clean out their toys/clothes/books right before the holidays. Yes, it’s making room for more, but it’s also teaching about giving and sharing. Talk about shopping trips ahead of time and how it might just be a “look” trip. One of the bloggers that I follow fights the “I wants” by letting her child hold the item that they want and snapping a picture of them with it, creating a photographic wishlist. Often, she said, her kid forgets about it completely!

Here are some resources so that you can read more about gratitude and young children:
10 Ways to Raise a Grateful Kid
Nurturing Gratitude
8 Ways to Teach Kids Gratitude

Here are some groups and organizations that you can help out with donations:
Foster Love (I only linked their donation page, but they have a bag drive going on through December 15)
Play it Forward Pittsburgh (They are collecting donations now and through December 12. They encourage entire families, including children, to volunteer!)
North Hills Community Outreach (They have a variety of programs and volunteer opportunities)

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Back to School Tips

9/3/2018

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When my kids and I went for a walk yesterday we crunched through some fallen leaves. The grocery store is filled with mums and pumpkins, the air is getting cooler (or it was for a few days there), and the back to school sales are over...all signs that fall is coming. Along with fall come some very big transitions for children, namely going to school and heading off without mom and dad, some for the first time. It can be a hard time for them, and us parents too. With the first day of classes at Temple Ohav Shalom Center for Early Learning happening in a few days, I wanted to share some strategies to make your child’s (and your) transition a little easier.

Talk about it. Let your child know how they’re going to ride in the car, and talk about what they might see along the way. For instance, my daughter loves looking for the Star of David on the sign in the driveway. Discuss what they might do during the day. If you can, don’t let on how nervous you are; they’re smart little cookies and will pick up on your nervousness and they they’ll likely be nervous too.
Have a routine. Routines let us know what to expect. You’ll also be able to use it when talking about going to school. For example: “When we get to school, we’re going to hang your backpack up, wash your hands, and read two stories. After that, I have to go, but you’ll be able to read another story with Ms. Shelley.” This will help your children know that after that second story they will have to say goodbye for a little bit.
Know that the teachers have this. We care for your kids, almost just as much as you do. We don’t want to see them sad all day long, and will do whatever it takes to try to help them, whether it’s distracting with play dough, singing silly songs, or holding them for a while. Once I cheered a very sad kid up by mentioning, randomly, that I had to go to Target. That stopped the tears, and every day for a few weeks, we had to talk about Target, as part of his morning routine. We aren’t going to let children cry for hours, and chances are, they’re going to be okay by the time you reach the entryway. Just, please, don’t peek your head back in the window to check, as that often upsets children more.
Take some time for yourself! Are you using this time to get work done? Enjoy being able to do it without requests for milk and Thomas blaring in the background. Suddenly have 3 hours by yourself? Go grab a cup of coffee (not familiar with the area? Let us know, we can direct you to some good coffee shops,) get the grocery shopping done, go home and relax, go for a run...just take advantage of having some you time, something us parents don’t get too often. On Wednesday and Thursday, we will have coffee and snacks in the multipurpose room. Come down, get to know fellow parents, and if you want one of us to run up and check on your child, we will.

We’ve got this, parents! We are excited to get to know you and your children and are looking forward to a great year of learning, exploring, and having fun.

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A time for Gratitude

Back to School Tips

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8400 Thompson run road
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A time for Gratitude

Back to School Tips

Archives

Categories

8400 Thompson run roadAllison park, pa 15101

connect with us

8400 Thompson run road
Allison park, pa 15101