Greetings!
Happy Fall! We are sad to see the summer go, but we welcome the cooler weather and new school year with open arms. Good luck to all the kindergarteners going to school. We wish you all the best!
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Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Open House and concert with the Bazillions! It was wonderful to be together, make new connections, and enjoy the entertainment! |
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LOOKING AHEAD
Especially For Children will be closed Friday, September 1, for professional development and Monday, September 4, for Labor Day.
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SPECIAL DAYS
The First Day of Fall is September 21! Here’s how we plan to celebrate:
Monday 9/18: Fall sports day – where a jersey from your favorite fall sports team (football, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc.)
Tuesday 9/19: Apple tasting day (preschool only) – our preschoolers will get to try different kinds of apples and let us know which ones they like and which they don’t!
Wednesday 9/20: Favorite hat day
Thursday 9/21: Fall colors day – come to school in red, orange, and/or yellow to celebrate the first day of Fall!
Friday 9/22: EFC family tree day – help us celebrate all our EFC families by adding a leaf to our EFC family tree
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CUBBY CHECK
As we begin this new school year, please take a moment to check your child’s cubby and make sure that your child has weather appropriate clothing that still fits (they grow so fast!)
AUTOMATIC PAYMENT OPTIONS
We provide a convenient payment option through which you can set up autopayments from your bank or credit card. Bank (ACH) payments are processed free of charge while credit card transactions incur a 3% fee. You can request a link to fill out your autopayment information from your director.
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NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
At Especially for Children, our goal is to celebrate and represent all cultures and backgrounds through our regular daily programming as well as in focused exploration. Exploring a variety of cultures increases exposure and understanding among children (and adults). September 15-October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month.
We invite you to review the resources below for ways to celebrate!
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It doesn’t seem to matter whether you have school age kids, the rhythm of the school calendar is ingrained in all of us. September always feels like a time that we are supposed to regroup. It may be arbitrary, but it is hard to escape, so I tend to embrace it and try to think about what I need to refresh in my life each fall.
This year I have one big topic in mind: chores. It seems like that should be a four-letter word. In my mind, I know that engaging my young children in chores is good for everyone. It teaches kids responsibility and how to contribute to the common good, and it takes a small amount of the work off my plate. Except that it doesn’t, because figuring out the right way to approach chores becomes a new chore all its own! We have tried various things since our kids were young like setting and clearing the table or picking up toys, but I always feel that I am lacking a systemic approach. It feels too haphazard and makes me wonder if it is doing them (or me!) any good.
In May, EFC preschool teachers attended a training called “Happy Helpers” that focused on how children’s confidence and behavior improves when they are given genuine and meaningful responsibilities. Teachers walked away from that training with a greater appreciation for how meaningful work helps children build foundational life skills as well as a positive sense of self. I have seen many of them put these principles into practice over the last few months, and I have been really impressed with the results. Which made me wonder, what could we as parents learn that might allow us to foster “Happy Helpers” at home too. Of the many tools and lessons contained in the training, here are a few that stuck with me from one article our trainer shared:
Questions to ask yourself about chores:
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Am I being realistic? If something is too hard, it will cause frustration. If it is too easy, children will feel it is unimportant or not “real.” Tailor jobs to children’s abilities – a two-year-old can set forks and napkins on the table, but probably isn’t ready to wash Grandma’s fine china.
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Do children know what is expected? Directions should be crystal clear so that children know what you are asking of them. Rather than saying “clean up” try “I need you to put all the toys in the bin, the books on the bookshelf, and your clothes in the hamper.”
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Do tasks match kids’ interests and talents? People are more likely to do things they enjoy. Of course, not all chores are fun, but, when possible, try to put your animal-loving child in charge of feeding the dog.
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Do kids have a say? Think about how you might give children control of how or when they complete a task. This creates a sense of buy-in.
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Am I a good chore role model? Try to maintain a positive attitude about your own chores. (This one is a stretch for me…it’s hard to find the joy in washing pots and pans).
Those questions were all helpful to me as I thought about how to revamp our chore approach this fall. But here was the kicker, the one that really stuck with me: complaining, grumbling and tantrums will happen – accept it! The advice was a little more nuanced than that, but essentially the author is encouraging us not to get too bent out of shape by the complaining. They advise us to accept and ignore it – as long as the job gets done. This will be a shift for me, as my tendency is sometimes to continue talking or explaining until I get to some magical point where my 5-year-old understands the cosmic value of responsibility. News flash, that moment rarely comes. So instead, when I revamp this fall’s chore list, I am going to try to focus on the end goal – confidence, responsibility, and a slightly cleaner house – and spend a little less time worrying about the whining it takes to get there.
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TWIN CITIES
FAMILY EVENTS
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We are excited to watch these new plants on our playground grow! |
Especially for Children
3908 Stevens Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55409
Center Director
Alma Guzmán
Center Assistant Director
Rachel McGill
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