1. The hospital failed to include an instruction manual when you had your baby.

2. You can load up on parenting information to show off to your friends, neighbors, and relatives (especially the know-it-all types!).

3. You can skip going to the fitness center because playing with your child is the best kind of workout you can do for your heart!

4. It provides the rare opportunity to exchange toilet training and teething stories with others who really are interested and don’t just fake it to be polite.

5. You get to bring home original works of art to hang on your refrigerator or to give as gifts to grandparents.

6. You and your child are able to play with all sorts of cool toys and equipment that you don’t have to buy yourself or set up in the middle of your living room.

7. You can meet other fun people like yourself who are sleep deprived, obsessed with “photo op” moments, and are desperately searching for a way to remove finger paint or play-dough from carpet!

8. You can provide loving, experienced staff the opportunity to get to know and spend time with your very own pride and joy.

9. It’s convenient, located in your very own school district, and the price is right.

10. The most important reason why you and your child should come to early childhood classes is:

What better way could you spend your time than building a relationship and memories with your child that will last forever!

                                                                                                                Jill Phillips

                                                                                                       ECFE Parent Educator

Let’s get right to those seven worst mistakes. Can you guess what the worst one could be? According to the authors, it is to “baby your child.” Unless your child is truly a baby (an infant of six months or less), you should allow your child to do for himself. Let your preschool child try to tie his own shoes, pick up toys, put on his own clothes, and wait a few minutes for something he wants rather than immediately give in to him.

The second worst mistake is to “put your marriage last.” As Americans, we are probably the most child-centered of western industrialized nations. This can be a problem because a marriage (or other long-term relationship) is a living thing that needs to be nurtured and cared for or it will die. Find time everyday for your partner to connect and be loving.

The third worst mistake is to “push your child into too many activities.” As a society, we are obsessed with bigger and better. That can mean giving our children many “best” experiences. But how many is too many? The authors suggest asking yourself if your child is balanced. Does your child still have time to play with friends, have family time, sleep well and stay healthy?

The fourth worst mistake is to “ignore your emotional or spiritual life.” The authors’ definition of spirituality is the ability to have a relationship with something beyond ourselves, a feeling that includes a deep sense of connection with creation, as well as awe and wonder about the universe. Being a busy parent can often have us neglecting our connection to our spiritual life. However, if we discover it again, our children will benefit also as we show them an example of a balanced, peaceful life.

The fifth worst mistake is to “be your child’s best friend.” All parents want a good relationship with their children. In a healthy family, a boundary exists between parents and children so that while they are connected to each other in intimate ways, they are also separate. Parents must be in charge.

The sixth worst mistake is to “fail to give your child structure.” The authors’ look at two categories here: self-control (impulse control and delay of gratification) and structure (rules and boundaries). The best way to teach self-control is to have it ourselves and model it for our children. Parents who establish and maintain rules and boundaries give children structure, security and love.

The seventh worst mistake is to “expect your child to fulfill your dreams.” Allow your child to explore who he is and what he wants out of life and love. That journey begins at his birth and continues throughout his life. Your role as a parent is to support, encourage, and love him as he ventures down his own path.  

                                                                                                                                      Jill Phillips

                                                                                                                               ECFE Parent Educator

Recently, Minnesota 2020, a progressive, non-partisan think tank, issued a series of communications on the topic, concluding that:

“The question isn’t whether these services are needed. They clearly are. We must ask: Why is Minnesota compromising its future prosperity by refusing to properly invest in early childhood education? If Minnesota children consistently start behind at Kindergarten, it undermines the state’s long history of K-16 investment that has propelled us above our prairie competitors. The path to a strong, vibrant, nimble future for Minnesota’s economy starts on rubber-tiled floors with miniature plastic chairs and trained educators delivering researched-based lessons that advance cognitive development, not in front of grandma or a neighbor’s television.”

Read their perspective on how the 2010 Legislative Session fared for early childhood here, a featured story here and their in-depth report here.

They also put together a wonderful video summarizing their findings.

For Eveleth-Gilbert, call the ECFE/School Readiness office at 744-7742

For Mountain Iron-Buhl, call Jodie Phaneuf at 735-8271, x 2113

For Virginia, call Robin Licari at 742-3805

—More—

It’s important to give children experiences that involve learning, encouraging them to explore new ideas and master new abilities. For summer fun, encourage bike-riding, rollerblading, swimming, playing in the sand at the beach or a box in the backyard, and playing games outside, such as hide n’ seek or Simon says.

A fun idea for parents and children to try is to go on a nature hunt. What is needed for the hunt is a grocery store paper bag and clear vinyl adhesive paper. Take a walk outside and talk about things you find on the ground. Hand your child the paper bag and encourage him/her to put interesting things in the bag, such as a wildflower or interesting rock. Your sense of wonder is a major part of this activity. Be enthusiastic about your child’s choices! When you return home, invite your child to spread the “treasures” on a newspaper. Talk about them together, using descriptive language. Place a piece of clear adhesive paper down (the sticky side up) and let your child arrange the objects. Then tape her/his work of art to a window so light can shine through.

Some places to visit in the community include: area libraries, YMCA, parks and playgrounds, the zoo, various museums, festivals, fairs, the aquarium, and the many lakes we are blessed with in Minnesota! Give your children a lot of experiences this summer! Discover fun together!  

                                                                                                                           Jill Phillips

                                                                                                                    ECFE Parent Educator

Make a Splash! Read! It’s easy & fun! Sign up in the Virginia Public Library’s Children’s Room, set your goals & read throughout the summer. Programs for preschoolers through teens. Read with Chia! Our favorite reading dog, Chia, will be back this summer to read with you on Friday mornings.  Book a date with Chia in the Children’s Room.  Also read books in July to win free food, free admission, & a free ride at the St. Louis County Fair. Call 748-7525 for more information or check out www.virginia.lib.mn.us.  Remember you can renew your books online or by calling 748-7525.

Virginia Public Library, 215 5th Ave. So, Virginia, MN.

Summer Library Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 am to 6 pm.  Fridays 9 am to 5 pm.  Closed weekends.

Young children need and want to know what to expect at various times during their day. Routines can help toddlers accept transitions more easily, reducing resistance as they switch gears. For example, two-year-old Billy knows naptime follows lunch and; once he awakens, there will be playtime with Mom. This daily routine gives Billy comfort and contentment. The preschool years of rapid growth and learning can be a trying time for children as they navigate their world.

Daily rituals also strengthen the bond between parents and children. Children begin to understand what it is to trust and cooperate. Some daily rituals that encourage this include: reading books together, snuggling under the covers, picking up toys together, singing favorite songs or dancing to music.

Some important things to keep in mind when establishing routines is to offer choices when you can (to enhance independence), set limits like the number of books to read and time to go to bed. Remember to have fun and go with the flow sometimes. Often routines need to be fine-tuned periodically to meet the needs of an ever-changing toddler. When a child moves from crib to a regular bed, the bedtime rituals will change somewhat. While the specifics of a routine may change, the need for one never does. Children never really outgrow the desire for structure and security in their lives.

                                                                                                                                  Jill Phillips

                                                                                                                          ECFE Parent Educator

The weekend was marked by fits and starts of floor sessions, conference committees and leadership meetings. Disagreements and clarifying of positions between all bodies over early enrollment of childless adults from General Assistance Medical Care to Medical Assistance, which would qualify for federal matching funds, was at the crux of the debate. As negotiations continued, the House and Senate passed an Omnibus Supplemental Budget bill late Saturday/early Sunday morning, which included a mix of cuts, K-12 payment shifts, medical surcharges and no tax increases. This set in motion a series of offers and counter-offers by the DFL-controlled legislature and the Republican Governor throughout the day on Sunday.

At nearly 11:45pm, legislative leaders and the governor announced a deal requiring a brief special session, which was called at 12:01am on Monday, to pass the contents of the agreed-upon bill.  The bill was approved by both legislative bodies at 10 AM today and is headed for the Governor’s signature.  In the end, child care fared pretty well, given the challenges of the budget deficit and the legislative-governor politics.  The legislation will take the Basic Sliding Fee underspending, but that is only a one-time move and no permanent cuts were made to child care. In addition, no reductions were made in other early childhood programs.

A successful albeit messy legislative session. We’ll get out a complete legislative wrap up in the coming days!
 
Look for an end-of-session summary the early part of next week. And thank you for all you’ve done this year. Early care and education certainly wouldn’t faired as it has thus far without your support!

What a weekend! You’ve probably read in news reports that the 2010 Legislative Session wrapped up this morning, with a brief special session called in order to complete the work in a timely matter. The good news for early care and education is that there were no permanent cuts made to early childhood programs, most notably to child care assistance. A brief update is below, and we’ll send out a more complete summary soon.
 
Saturday’s session of the Legislature began with the good news that the Governor had signed the Early Childhood Policy bill into law, despite some heavy lobbying to veto the bill by key Republican members. For once, common sense and a commitment to continue to build an effective high quality early care and education system prevailed. See our Omnibus Bill Tracker for a complete summary of the new law.

The House passed the conference committee report 103-30; the Senate did so 57-10 Monday.

Sponsored by Rep. Nora Slawik (DFL-Maplewood) and Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka), HF2760/ SF2505* would direct the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care to make recommendations on three proposals. The council would appoint a task force to study and make recommendations on creating an Office of Early Learning.

The task force would consider a series of objectives related to delivering, measuring and improving quality of early childhood services. If established, an office could streamline oversight of education and child care services now administered by three departments: education, health and human services.

The council would also make recommendations on creating a statewide school readiness report card, and developing a plan to screen and assess 3 year olds and entering kindergarteners for school-readiness.

The conference committee report adopted by both bodies moved proposed screening and assessment plans to 2012.

- Kris Berggren, Session Daily