December News from Especially for Children

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The holiday season is upon us once again, and we are looking forward to the excitement of the coming weeks. We will be celebrating several holidays in December and have included a list of them. If you have a tradition that you would like to share with the children, please let the teachers know.

EFC'S ANNUAL HOLIDAY PROGRAM

Please join us for our annual

Holiday Program

Tuesday, December 13

Program starts at 6:45 pm

All ages participate in the program - join us for this festive event.

Your immediate family is welcome. However, due to limited space, we're sorry we won't have room for other relatives.

UPCOMING EVENTS

	STAGES THEATRE FIELD TRIP The Dolphin and Monkey classes will be attending "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" at Stages Theatre in Hopkins on Thursday, December 8. The show starts at 10:00 am and we will be leaving at 9:15 am. The cost will be $8.00 per child. Please contact the office if you are interested in volunteering, as the tickets are limited.
	SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN Santa Claus will be here on Thursday, December 15 around 9:30 am. Santa visits every classroom and enlightens us with stories and songs. He will even spend time with our youngest babies, shaking rattles and building with blocks. We do our best to capture a photo with Santa and your child.

PARENT RESOURCES

HOLIDAY STRESS IN CHILDREN

Here are some helpful tips that we hope will make your Holiday Season more enjoyable, fun and memorable for everyone in your family:

Remember to keep a normal sleeping schedule to ensure that your child doesn't get overly tired.
Keep a regular diet. Limit the amount of sweets and rich foods.
Don't be surprised or disappointed if your child does not want to sit on Santa's lap. Children have been taught to be aware of strangers.
Don't expect a young child to participate in all the rituals during the holiday season. His/her short attention span may only be able handle a few minutes of tree decorating or cookie making.
Make gift giving simple. When so many gifts are opened at once, so much is lost in the excitement of new toys.

Remember to have fun! You are making memories that last a lifetime and traditions that will be passed down from generation to generation.

PARENT REMINDERS

DATES TO REMEMBER

Especially for Children is closing at 5:00 pm on Friday, December 9 for a company-wide staff party.

EFC Will Be CLOSED on the following days:

Monday, December 26, 2016
Monday, January 2, 2017

For your planning purposes, you can view our holiday closure dates in 2017 here .

HOLIDAY ATTENDANCE

We understand many families have plans to travel during the holiday weeks. Please mark an "X" on dates your child(ren) will not be attending in the attendance log in the front entrance.

To appropriately staff for these weeks, we asking parents to confirm days off by Friday, December 16.

*Vacation credit reminder: When you have been enrolled at Especially for Children 6 months or more- you will receive a half weeks' tuition credit if your child is absent five consecutive days. It does include the days that we are closed over the holidays.

Have a happy and safe holiday season!

From all of us at Especially for Children

ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS

THE IMPORTANCE OF FINE MOTOR SKILLS

In a world where technology is not going away and infants and toddlers are learning to "swipe and tap", we don't want to be fooled into the idea that these activities are what children need for the development of fine motor skills. From an early age children need time to play with and experiment with materials that help them develop coordination in their fingers and strengthen their hand muscles. These experiences start in infancy when a child learns to hold a rattle and pick up food to eat. Then children move on to skills like building with blocks, playing with play dough and eventually learning to zip and button, draw and form letters.

There is real concern across the country that children are not getting enough practice with real objects. Many are going to kindergarten lacking the basic fine motor skills needed to hold a pencil and write. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends absolutely no screen time for children under the age of two, and less than an hour a day for preschoolers. Parents should not give their smart phones to babies in car seats or strollers. They should not play videos for infants and toddlers to keep them occupied. They should not take iPads to restaurants. Preschoolers should not have televisions in their bedrooms.

Those are a lot of "children should not..." rules. But at Especially for Children we want you to be assured that we supply our classrooms with time-tested materials to help children practice fine motor skills. From crayons, markers, chalk, paints, pencils and scissors to blocks, Legos, dolls, play dough and finger paint, children have a multitude of materials that allow them to manipulate real objects and interact with people, not screens.

We thought it would be helpful to give you some ideas of activities you can do at home to help your child build fine motor skills. We have posted them on our blog with specific suggestions on how to incorporate them into your daily routines. Here is an example:

Kitchen projects : Making homemade play dough strengthens muscles in the hands and fingers. Roll snakes and balls of all sizes: build with the balls and snakes. Your child can play with play dough at the counter or table while you make dinner. See EFC's favorite play dough recipe on our blog.

Make peanut butter or sugar cookies that require the dough to be rolled into balls and smashed with a fork.

December is often a month with lots of cooking projects, so think ahead to how your child can participate. Not only will you be enjoying the activities together, but you can think about the important fine motor skills you are helping your child to develop. Look on the blog for even more ideas to do at home!