April News from Especially for Children

APRIL 2019

MENU/CALENDAR | SPANISH NEWSLETTER | PHOTO GALLERY

Greetings!

WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD

Each April, NAEYC dedicates a week to celebrate young children through Week of the Young Child. Each day will represent a different theme and your child can “dress up” accordingly.

Monday, 4/8—Crazy Hair Day
Tuesday, 4/9—Favorite color Day. Dress in your favorite color(s)
Wednesday, 4/10—Wacky Wednesday- Wear your wackiest clothes (backwards, inside out, mismatched - whatever you think is wacky!)
Thursday, 4/11— Favorite Sports Team Day
Friday, 4/12—P.J. and Favorite Stuffed Animal Day

CENTER HAPPENINGS

TEACHER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON

We would like to honor our fantastic teachers with a special luncheon on Tuesday, April 9 . There will be sign-up sheets located at the parent counter if you would like to contribute food for this event. Feel free to drop off your food item in the morning. The teachers look forward to this yearly event and greatly appreciate your thoughtfulness.

PARENT REMINDERS

SCHEDULED HOURS

Often children and family schedules change as the weather gets warmer. At EFC, we schedule our teacher’s hours based on ratios in the classrooms. If you will have a schedule change (whether just for a day or a permanent change) please let your child’s teacher and/or Bri/Kate know so we can schedule accordingly. Also, as a friendly reminder, children’s hours should not exceed 10 hours/day. Thank you!

SPRING

Spring is finally here! As the warmer weather continues please also remember that spring can be unpredictable in Minnesota! Please remember to send the appropriate weather clothing for outdoors. It would also be helpful to have at least one set of extra clothes at school, as sometimes clothing can become wet through the snow pants, boots, etc. We bring the children outside as much as possible to run and play! Thank you for your help with this.

CONFERENCES

EFC will host conferences during May so please watch for the sign-up sheets by your child’s classroom. We look forward to meeting with each family to discuss your child’s progress this year.

EFC CLOSED—IN-SERVICE DAY AND HOLIDAY

EFC will be closed on Friday, May 24, for our Staff In-service Day, as well as Monday, May 27, for Memorial Day.

ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS

TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENCE

It’s the moment many parents dread. Standing in line at a public place, and having your child lean over and ask, loudly, “Mommy, why is she in a wheelchair?” For some of us, this spurs a visible sense of panic. What do I say? Has my child offended this person? Can I just ignore and make it all go away? Why, oh why is this line moving so slowly?

We may have been taught, explicitly and implicitly, that it is “impolite” to talk about differences. In our own childhoods, perhaps we were soothed by adults who responded, “We don’t talk about that,” or “Everyone is the same.” And then the conversation was closed, just like that. While parents and caregivers sending that message may have thought they were doing the right thing – protecting the dignity of the person whose difference we had noticed, or simply avoiding an uncomfortable conversation – the result was to deny an important learning opportunity.

People are different. We are different in many ways – body size, physical ability, race, gender identity, home language, faith tradition, and on and on. When children observe these differences, they do not automatically cast judgment, they simply notice. In their minds, they are trying to make sense of the world: my skin is light and hers is dark; my family goes to a church and his family goes to a mosque; I walk on my legs and she rides in a wheelchair. When they ask adults about these differences, they need help understanding what it all means. If those adults hush them, the message is clear – “there is something wrong/bad about the difference you have noticed, and it is something that should be avoided.”

To the person the child has noticed, silencing the conversation also sends the message “there is something wrong with you, or I am not comfortable with who you are.” That person is aware of her difference, she lives it every day. So having a child point it out is not a surprise. But what might be a very welcome surprise would be to hear a response that acknowledges that difference while also celebrating her personhood. “Yes, she is in a wheelchair because her legs might not work like ours do. But did you know that people in wheelchairs can do jobs just like people who aren’t?” Or, “People in wheelchairs often ride in or drive special cars made just for them – isn’t that cool?” Or perhaps, “You remember Nana has a wheelchair too. Lots of people use wheelchairs to help them move around.”

If you find your child identifying and asking about differences between people, rather than avoiding the conversation, try some of these strategies:

Respond honestly and simply.
Validate their observation and respond with tolerance for others.
Not all strangers will want to engage in a conversation, but if the person seems open to it, encourage your child to talk with him/her directly.

Alli Zomer, Director of Operations

TWIN CITIES

FAMILY EVENTS

Now-4/30 Farm Babies , MN Zoo, Apple Valley

Now-5/12 Wild Kratt's Creature Power! The Exhibit , MN Children's Museum, St. Paul

4/7 Goldy's Gallop Kids Run , TCF Bank Stadium

4/12-5/12 The Most Magnificent Thing , Stages Theatre, Hopkins

4/20 Family Arts Blast , Ordway, Minneapolis

4/20 Earth Day Clean Up , multiple locations throughout Minneapolis

4/27 Get in Gear Half Marathon, 10k and 5k , Minnehaha Park, Minneapolis

Find more local family events

SUMMER PLANS

We are excited about what’s to come at Especially for Children this summer! We plan to spend a lot of time outdoors, taking advantage of the warmer weather months. If you have any summer vacations planned, please fill out this THIS FORM to let Bri and Kate know what dates your child(ren) will be gone. Thank you!

Especially for Children

3370 Coachman Rd.

Eagan, MN 55121

(651) 452-0043

efc11@especiallyforchildren.com

Center Directors:

Bri Dieffenbach and Kate Beck

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