Here is a very timely article from Cheryl Chaves-Torres, a member of our Great Start Collaborative here in Jackson County.
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Cheryl Chaves-Torres Great Start Member |
Happy Thanksgiving! Family and tradition are at the heart of Thanksgiving. What a great opportunity to teach our children and grandchildren both family traditions and the value of thankfulness. The most important way to teach children positive behavior is to model. As you prepare for the holidays express your gratitude out loud to your children. Whether it’s a day off, a great meal, or time with family and friends that you value, let children know what you’re grateful for as an individual and as a family.
The following is a list of books for young children from the Zero to Three website that promote thankfulness:
- Biscuit Is Thankful by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and Pat Schories
- Little Critter: Just So Thankful by Mercer Mayer
- Feeling Thankful by Shelly Rotner
- Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland
- I’m Thankful Each Day by P.K. Hallninan
- Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Jake Swamp
- All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan
Holidays also bring some stress. At the Belly to Baby Expo on November 6th I overheard one of the learning stage presenters share ideas for dealing with holidays. She said that although it’s tempting to let children sleep in or stay up late when they are out of school, it is important to keep their schedule and routine consistent. This will help avoid meltdowns and problem behavior when children get tired from all of the holiday excitement.
After the Expo, I started thinking more about holidays and young children. I found lots of information everywhere including the websites below:
- Zero to Three: www.zerotothree.org
- TRUCE: www.truceteachers.org(Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children’s Entertainment)
- CCFC: www.commercialfreechildhood.org (Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood)
Check out the December Great Start Parent newsletter for more information from me on sharing the holidays with young children and age appropriate toys! Go to http://www.greatstartjackson.org/ to see the latest edition.
Cheryl Chaves-Torres, MA Ed
Early Childhood Education Consultant
Child Care Network/Southeast Great Start RRC-Jackson
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