faith and family | may 2017

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ” Colossians 3:12
“Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.” Proverbs 14:29
“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.” Isaiah 30:18

As we were sitting at a red light yesterday, my eighteen month old was lamenting (loudly) the two words she knows best: “out” and “no.” So, my three year old turned to her and sharply said, “Be patient, Allie!” While it was funny to me at the time, I started thinking about how often I repeat those words. I tell myself daily to be patient; I pray to God daily for patience; I (clearly) consistently repeat the mantra “be patient” to my children day after day. And yet, I am not sure that the concept of waiting and patience is one that I have truly learned. The Lord, in Scripture, talks about clothing ourselves with patience, which leads to great understanding. He says we are called blessed as we wait for Him. Waiting on God’s timing and exercising the patience Jesus practices is not simply taking a deep breath during a child’s temper tantrum. Patience should not come and go, but we should pray for and practice patience. I believe that this begins by trusting the Lord with all aspects of our lives. This lack of control over our own story (relationships, parenting, careers, finances) will inevitably bring patience as we wait for Him to reveal His will to us or we wait for Him to teach us (through scripture, prayer, relationships) great understanding. This is much more challenging than a daily dose of patience, but leads to far more contentment. Join me as we pray to be clothed in the patience that comes from trusting in God and waiting on His perfect timing. 
 

from the director | may 2017

You may have heard it said that May is the new December. It certainly feels that way in preschool world. Just as December heralds the end of the calendar year, May signals the end of the school year. This month is a flurry of end the year rituals such as our Mother’s Brunch, 4 Day Celebration, and class parties. You probably are experiencing the busyness in your family life as well.  

So...how are you feeling about that?

Maybe you are feeling sad about saying goodbye to a class and teachers you have grown comfortable with. Maybe you are feeling afraid when you think about the next school year, especially if your child is moving on to kindergarten or another school. Maybe a sense of dread is creeping in as you think about hot summer days at home together -“What are we going to do?”

I heard a great quote recently about feelings: 

“Feelings are like children. You don’t want them driving the car, but you also don’t want to stuff them in the trunk, either.” 

In preschool (and parenthood!), learning to manage our feelings appropriately is very important. Instead of minimizing/ignoring them, we need to attend to them. We pay attention to what we’re feeling and recognize when emotion is “hooking” us.  Instead of being overwhelmed/paralyzed by feelings, we look for ways to express them that help us move forward in healthy ways. Wondering what that looks like for you and your child? Check out this month’s Preschool POV for more.

Personally, May makes me melancholy. Goodbyes and the end of school make me feel sad. At the same time, I want you to know that I feel very happy and thankful for another great year. I know I speak for all of our staff when I say we are blessed to be a part of your family’s preschool years. Your children delight us. It has been a gift to spend time with them (and YOU!) this year. 

“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.”
Philippians 1:3 (NLT)

With a grateful heart,

p.o.v. | april 2017

Let’s chat about the “pre” of “preschool.” 

“Pre” reminds us that before formal schooling begins, there are foundational skills young children need to master. These foundational skills (or developmental milestones) are simple age-specific tasks that most children can do at a certain age.  When these skills are mastered in the preschool years, a child is ready for more  complex tasks in kindergarten such as reading or solving a conflict with a school friend.

Many children will master foundational skills naturally when they are given the practice and loving support they need. At the same time, some children have a ‘hiccup” in an aspect of their development (language, motor, attention/focus, behavioral, etc) that makes learning and playing in a group setting a challenge. 

Here’s the exciting news: When a preschool teacher (or a parent or a pediatrician) notices a developmental gap or delay, and it is addressed with specialized intervention, remarkable progress can often be made BEFORE formal schooling begins.  At Weekday School, we consult with developmental specialists to help our teaching staff each year. We wanted to share the knowledge with you as well. Check out our Q&A just for parents below!

Beth Hewitt: How can parents and teachers know if their child’s development is “on time”? When should parents be concerned?  

Robyn Colley (Occupational Therapist):
Great question!  Teachers have the luxury of being able to compare children with others in the class for what is “typical” development.  Parents sometimes have their older child to compare to but that isn’t always accurate.  Parents should rely on their child’s pediatrician, but also on friends, teachers, reputable websites, etc.   We should always keep in mind that there is always a “spectrum” of what is typical.  If your child is showing signs of mastering a skill and is progressing toward that skill then we wait and see.  If your child is not progressing toward a skill, we question why.  That does not mean therapy is a necessity but it is always worth it to explore why a child is not progressing toward a goal or skill.

Shannon Reynolds (Speech-Language Pathologist):
There are developmental expectations for speech just like there are for crawling and walking.  If we look at expectations for sound production (articulation), a child should be understood by an unfamiliar adult (not just parents) at least 50% of the time, 70% by age 3, 90% by age 4, and 100% by age 5.

Beth: So being aware of how well your child is being understood by other people, which also means that you don’t have to speak for them or explain what they are saying, helps a parent get clues about whether their child might benefit from a speech screening. 

Shannon: The goal of an assessment is to determine why speech is not being understood and whether the language skills are at an age-appropriate level.  Sometimes, it’s a developmentally appropriate error that a child should grow out of and no therapy is needed.  Other times, there is a need for the skill to be professionally facilitated.  Once the child is at an age-appropriate level, we send them on their way, and they will probably continue to develop on their own.

Beth: What exactly is occupational therapy and why is it important to assess in the preschool years?  

Robyn: Utilizing both science and art, occupational therapy is a health profession devoted to helping people who have motor and behavior problems learn how to perform purposeful activities.  For a child, purposeful activities include play, school-work, and activities of daily living (ADL’s).  In general, OT improves the functioning of a person’s nervous system, which may be damaged, as in an accident victim, or may be inefficient, as in a child with difficulty achieving success in daily activities.  It is very important to keep up and monitor these skills during the preschool years so that we can monitor kids for the underlying skills that affect attention, learning, and social skills.

Beth Hewitt: What happens in an OT screening? 

Robyn: A screening takes about 15 - 20 minutes. We always make sure your child feels comfortable leaving the room with the therapist. We are going to assess your child’s motor skills, attention, and more. We are looking at norms for your child’s age. We are taking into consideration your child’s teacher’s impressions as well as parent input.

Beth: There is a stigma about “therapy.” And I hear a lot of parents express concerns that therapy at a young age is overkill or detrimental to a child’s self esteem in some way. And then of course, it’s also an expense. So I understand the pushback there. Can you speak into that hesitant/skeptical mindset?  

Shannon: So many parents are scared to talk to me. They are afraid that I’m going to say something is wrong with their child. Most of the kids I see are developing “normally” in every other way, but have a hard time communicating at an age-appropriate level. It’s important to remember that this doesn’t have anything to do with intelligence. It isn’t that something is wrong, it’s just not “on time.” A better way to think about speech therapy is to understand that speech opens doors for children to tell their parents about their school day and talk to their friends when they play together. If this is not happening naturally, it can be very frustrating for a child and prevents them from being able to communicate all the thoughts in their heads. If anything, speech therapy improves a child’s self-esteem.

Robyn: Of course there are opportunities for “overkill” here, however there is one way I look at this-  If the “issue” that is being discussed is getting in the way of a child’s ability to function OR if it is getting in the way of a child’s ability to progress with their attention, motor skills, or social development, it may need to be addressed in therapy.

Beth: What general advice would you give to all parents about how to encourage the development in their children?  

Robyn: PLAY OUTSIDE! Lots of time outside climbing, running, jumping, and exploring. LIMIT ELECTRONICS! Children should explore their environment, near and far, not just play with tools up close. It also limits communication to allow your child to play with phones/ipads throughout the day. We want to be talking with our child in the car, when running errands, at the doctor, etc.  Play I Spy, talk about what you see out of the car window, etc.

Shannon: The first thing I would say is something NOT to do.  Stay away from drilling your child and using flashcards.  Make sure you’re not constantly asking “What’s that?” Instead, engage your child in natural conversation as you move through your day. Ask open ended questions not just yes/no questions. Give your child time to answer you. It takes time for young children to find their own words. Resist the temptation to complete their sentences or answer for them. Engaging in pretend play (with a dollhouse for example) with your child is a fantastic way to encourage language development. Model the things moms and dads and children say to each other. Make up stories about what is happening as you go. If you have a familiar book that you read together, you read one page and let your child “read” the next page. 

from the director | april 2017

Bugs, flowers, tadpoles and baby chicks - spring is a season full of things that fascinate young children. At school we are planting seeds, experiencing  the life cycle of butterflies and learning how things grow. Including the children!  At this time of year, it is so rewarding to watch them gain new skills like riding a trike with their feet on the pedals or making it all the way across the monkey bars. 

Later this month (and early May for 2 Day) you will have the opportunity for a sit-down conference with your child’s teacher to discuss how your child is growing, how we support your child’s growth at school, and what you can do at home.  You are your child’s first and most influential teacher and you always will be. When you send your child to school, you are adding teachers to your “team” but you are still teacher #1. Young children need many opportunities to practice foundational skills over weeks, months, sometimes even years before they can gain proficiency. That’s why it is so critical that you engage in playful learning and positive discipline at home. It helps your child grow and learn.

Also this spring we offer a second opportunity for  basic speech and developmental screenings. Do you understand what these screenings are about? Do you wonder if this is something you should have done for you child? Check out the Preschool POV (point of view) where we address these questions and more. I interviewed our therapists for you!

Easter Sunday is right around the corner. Our church is hosting two worship services at the Dr. Phillips Performing Art Center. We’d love you and your children to join us. You can find all the details here:

Easter 2017 

Easter can be a tricky holiday to talk about with preschoolers. Here are some of my suggestions to guide your discussions at home.

4 Ways to Talk About Easter With Young Children

faith and family | april 2017

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.” Romans 5:3
“As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” James 5: 11

Perseverance seems to be an apt word for this time of year. Kids seem to increase in hyper activity and decrease in patience as summer approaches. We can find ourselves going through the motions as we jump from one obligation to the next. I recently read a great book about the power of perseverance and the hope and joy that comes from enduring tight and tough times. (The book is Hope Heals by Jay and Katherine Wolf – HIGHLY recommend). We often question stress or suffering – pushing away our faith when we come across situations we cannot control or explain. The Bible actually teaches the opposite and it is a valuable lesson, not only for us, but for our children as well. When we moved from Atlanta two years ago, I was pregnant and walking away from relationships I had spent a lifetime creating. I felt abandoned by God, but quickly realized it was only God who could bring compassion and mercy in this time of anxiety and loneliness. The more I leaned into Him, choosing to fix my eyes on Jesus and learn from His character, the more I felt the Lord’s identity take over my own and begin to shape our community here in Orlando. I talk about this to my daughter often. When she gets sad or frustrated, we talk about slowing down and leaning on God’s help. We talk about practicing thankfulness or even just saying Jesus’ name in order to calm down and regroup for whatever task is ahead (this works about 10% of the time with a 3 year old ☺). I pray that you will practice perseverance – choosing God even when times are tight or stressful or tough, so that you too can experience His great compassion and mercy. 
Grace Brown, Faith and Family Coordinator