February News from Especially for Children

FEBRUARY 2020

PHOTO GALLERY | MENU/CALENDAR | SPANISH NEWSLETTER

Greetings!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EFC!!

In February 2020 Especially for Children has been in business for 44 years!! After an overnight decision in 1976, Priscilla & Steve Williams took over two nursery school locations (Brooklyn Park & South Minneapolis) and named them Especially for Children. The company would eventually expand to a current total of 8 centers in the Metro area. Our other locations include Bloomington, Circle Pines, Edinborough, Eagan, Eden Prairie, and Inver Grove Heights.

We are incredibly proud of the impact we have had on so many children and families over the years. We would like to thank you for entrusting us with your most valuable assets (your children!), and for partnering with us on your parenting journey.

CENTER HAPPENINGS

PARENTS-DESIGN-A-VALENTINE

Parents—it is homework time!! This year, we’d like all parents to design a Valentine for your child/ren to be hung up in the EFC classrooms during the month of February! This is your chance to be creative and have fun! Please decorate a 9x12 or a 12x12 sheet of construction paper with poems, snapshots, glitter or whatever else you want. We hope to see some creative artwork. Please bring us your artwork no later than Monday, February 10 ! Have fun!

I LOVE TO READ MONTH - CELEBRATION OF BOOKS

We are excited about books at EFC and love to share in the joys of reading with the children! The week of February 17-21 we will be enjoying our favorite books with fun days.

Monday-Silly Reading Day

Read in a silly spot in your classroom while wearing silly socks to school!

Tuesday Cozy Reading Day

Bring in a book you’d like to curl up with as you wear your PJs to school!

Wednesday-Flashlight Reading Day

Bring a flashlight to read a favorite book in the dark!

Thursday-Funny Book Day

Bring in your joke books while enjoying crazy hair! We will be laughing all day long

Friday-Dress Your Best/Favorite Book Day

Bring your favorite book to read while looking your best!

Your child may participate in any or all the “fun days”, but participation is optional. If you choose to bring in a book to share, please be sure to label it with your child’s/family’s name. Thank you!

PARENT REMINDERS

TAX STATEMENTS

2019 tax statements were emailed out in January. If you did not receive yours, please let me know so I can get you another.

STAR WELLNESS

February in Minnesota usually means we need some fresh ideas for indoor activities. Here are a few to help keep children and parents active on those cold days:

Freeze dance: Put on some energizing music and encourage kids to do their best dance moves. They must pause when you stop the music, only resuming dancing when you turn it back on.
Scavenger hunt: Write a list of items and read them to your children one at a time (or let older kids carry their own list) so they can look throughout the house for the objects in question. Things like puzzle pieces, utensils, crayons, or books with specific pictures on the cover are some ideas to start. Up the ante by giving hints instead of a list, giving tips like “Find something that comes in pairs (socks or shoes) or “Find something that is round and edible” (apple or orange).

ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS

SCARY NEWS

by Alli Zomer

A typical morning at our house: we load up the bags, head out to the car, forget a bag, rush back inside, then finally settle into the car heading to school. Just about the time we back out of the driveway, the debate begins. My son (almost 5) wants to listen to “talking” (aka the news) while my daughter (2) wants to listen to music. Until recently, I usually sided with my son. I am kind of a news junkie, and I like to know what is happening around the country and around the world. But more and more these days, I find myself turning the dial to music. There just seem to be too many complicated and potentially scary stories – and I don’t always feel prepared to explain them to an inquisitive preschooler. I strive to be direct with my children even when the topic is thorny, yet it can be challenging to balance my desire to be open and honest with a desire to protect my kids from fear and worry.

National Public Radio recently took on this very topic, asking child development experts what advice they have for talking to young children about unsettling topics. Their insights hit home for me.

Control the Exposure: This was my key challenge in the car – my kids were hearing things at the same time I was, so I didn’t have any time to prepare myself. Controlling the exposure is not about always keeping kids in the dark, but instead it is about not letting the radio or TV be the first messenger. Young children can’t fully comprehend news that is intended for an adult audience, so we as adults are encouraged to listen/read/watch first, then we can decide what to share with them, and how to share it in a way they can grasp.
Talk about it: Once children are aware of something, either because we chose to share it with them, or they heard/saw it somewhere, we can focus on understanding how it is affecting them. Asking them “What have you heard” allows us to make sure they understand what is really happening, which usually means we will need to clarify a misunderstanding or debunk a myth. Asking them “how are you feeling” allows us to know what is going on inside. Maybe they are feeling scared, or maybe they are feeling confused. And as we talk about their feelings, we can take an opportunity to explore empathy – if they are feeling scared, we can help them understand that other people feel scared sometimes too.
Avoid labels like “bad guys”: Labels can be helpful sometimes. We use them to help children sort and classify (think blue vs green, hot vs cold, big vs small). But in the realm of news, there are many shades of gray. So the experts encourage us to avoid labels like “bad guys” which oversimplify complicated issues. Instead, we can choose to focus on the action or circumstance rather than the person. When the inevitable “why?” floats up to me from the back seat, I find myself responding with some variation on “Because that person made a bad choice” or “Maybe they did that because they were feeling hurt, or sick, or afraid.”
We don’t always need the answer: This is one that has taken me time to embrace as a parent. When my children first started asking questions, I wanted to be able to give them the right answer. I thought that was my job. But I have come to realize, whether it is a question about space or a question about current events, I don’t always have the answer. And that is ok. It is just as valuable for my children to understand that the world is complicated and sometimes even adults don’t know it all.
Look for the helpers: Finally, as seems to be the case a lot lately, Fred Rogers had the answer. On his show he shared advice his own mother gave him, “When something scary is happening, look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." What a profound yet simple message. So the next time my son asks about the wildfires in Australia, rather than focus on the devastation, I will try to share stories of the incredible people who are fighting the fire, protecting animals and rebuilding the homes of their neighbors.