Tag Archives: kids

Hats, Mittens, and Boots! Oh my!

It’s that time of year again, and over the past few years, I’ve learned a few things about outerwear for toddlers and young children. Living in the northeast, it’s just part of taking care of children here.

1. Label it. Kids lose things, and we all tend to purchase similar items.

2. Avoid Velcro. It’s wonderful for so many things, but not for boots and mittens. Once it gets caked with snow, you’re done, the boots won’t close and neither will the mittens.

3. Boots with liners are helpful. Boots will get wet, filled with snow, and just plain stinky. Having removable liners will make it so much easier to dry out the boots and make them last longer. Just in case it’s too late, stuff newspaper into the wet boots and change it often. It works!

4. Look for more flexible mittens, and mittens with an elastic cuff. If a mitten is too thick or stiff, the kids will take it off more quickly. Kids want to stay warm, but they also want to pick things up and use their hands. They will choose to be cold.

5. Hats are just super fun! Get your kids wearing their hats in October and thru April so when it’s really cold, they’ll be ready.

I hope these hints are helpful! Let me know if you have any thoughts on outerwear for kids!

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Fake it!

So I’ve decided that a great way to beat the blues when you are with young children is to just fake it till you make it.

Before I figured this out, I did a couple of things: owned those feelings, shared those feelings, and took some deep breaths. You see, I was given sad news just before my work day started. I had to continue with my day, and luckily, we were able to splash in some mud puddles. The kids noticed that I was sad, and so I just said, “yes I feel sad” and guess what? They gave me hugs. After that, they went back to their mud puddle. Deep breathing and watching the splashes were just what I needed to clear my head.

The rest of the day, I tried to just be in the moment and enjoy. At times that it was more difficult, I chose to fake it. It worked, I faked being myself until I just felt like myself.

But seriously, mud puddles are like magic!

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Poop

There are days when it feels like all I do is change poopy diapers. But did you know that you can discern a lot about a child by their elimination habits. Temperament tends to coincide with bowel movements. For example, a slow-to-warm-up or fearful young child may be irregular or infrequent with elimination. These children also tend to hold their waste in stressful situations or transitions. Children with an easy-going or flexible temperament will be more regular and predictable in their bowel movements.

Of course, this is not a hard and fast rule, but it sure seems to be the case for many of the children I’ve worked with over the years. (And some adults too!)

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Who am I?

Though this is my first blog post, I’m no stranger to sharing my opinion. I am an early educator who has worked with young children, children of many ages, since I was a teenager. I was a camp counselor, a nanny, a baby sitter, an after-school staff, a pre-school teacher, and now a family child care provider in my home. And of course, I’m a mom. That is my biggest role, and it’s one of the reasons I decided to leave my job at a center. My child is learning so much from my program. I love that he is bonding with the kids, but I also love being available when he needs me. I also think it’s important that he see me as more than just his mom. 

Over the years, I’ve learned so much, and cultivated values and ideas that I hope to share with all of you.

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