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E-Newsletter

February 2004

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Hello Newsletter Subsribers!

Welcome to this month's issue of the Better Kid Care E-Newsletter - A newsletter for those caring for children.

Notable Quote: "Children need love, especially when they do not deserve it.." - Harold Hulbert

In this issue:

Feature Article

Creating Peaceful Environments for Young Children

By Christine Belinda

Children have the opportunity to hear and see many unsettling, often violent images through television, newspapers, radio, and video games. Unfortunately, exposure to violence may even come from their homes.

As caregivers to young children, we can make a conscious decision to create and support peaceful environments. Young children need to feel safe and well cared for. Take some time to carefully think about what your children are exposed to. Also think about how you would create a peaceful environment.

The following are suggestions on creating and supporting peaceful environments.

  • Offer a welcoming environment. Always greet children by name and welcome them with a warm greeting at eye level. The children can help make a welcome sign to hang up in the room. Display photographs of the children and their families. Display the children's work. Have a special place for each child to put their belongings.
    Include beautiful and calming items to the environment. Try hanging a soft wind chime, playing soothing music, or displaying a beautiful item from nature such as a sea shell or an interesting stick or leaf.
  • Create "living ideas" together as a group. Have the children, along with the adults, come up with rules or "living ideas" for the environment. State the rules in a positive manner: "We walk." vs. "No running;" "We use kind words" vs. "No yelling." This is an important time for both children and adults to create limits. Make sure to write the rules down and display them in the room for all to see and be reminded of.
  • Create routines, schedules, and responsibilities. Have a consistent routine or schedule to help children know what to expect during the day. Children find comfort in routine. It should be everyone's responsibility to care for each other and to care for their environment. Talk about ideas and ways to help: "We all help clean up;" "We take turns with our toys."
  • Create a sense of "group." Children need to feel part of a group or family. Have group times such as circle time, snack time, and meeting time, where children become familiar with one another. Sing songs with everyone's name. Create small group projects, such as painting a mural together. Display a group photograph, or group projects, such as a block building that four friends worked on together.
  • Support conflict resolution and problem solving. Even at an early age, children can learn to start problem solving and resolving conflicts. Model choices of words to encourage sharing and turn taking, such as, "Tim is using the car. Did you want to ask him for a turn?" or "Tell Sally you are using the car, but you will give it to her as soon as you are finished." Role playing is important in practicing problem solving. Offer the children problems to try and solve using puppets or small animal (or people) figures. Guiding and offering peaceful solutions to children during conflict is one of the most important skills we can offer them in violent times.
  • Be a peaceful role model. You are the model in the environment. What you do and say sends powerful messages. Be positive. Know your children's abilities and have clear expectations. Know that children's ideas are different from those of adults. Support and respect each child and help others do so.
Resources used for this article:
Teaching Young Children in Violent Times: Building a Peaceable Classroom, second edition by Diane E. Levin, Ph.D., Co-published by NAEYC and Educators for Social Responsiblity
Klein, Amy, Creating Peaceful Enviornmental Designs for the Classroom. Retrieved November 24, 2003 from http://www.earlychildhood.com

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Health and Safety Tips

Obesity: A Growing Problem Among Children

By Christine Belinda

The number of overweight children has risen drastically over the last several years. Obese children face a growing list of health consequences such as high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, higher incidence of asthma attacks, and problems related to low self-esteem.

As caregivers to young children, we need to look at our programs and see if we are modeling healthy practices. Here are some suggestions:

  • Offer several choices of physical activities daily.
  • Encourage participation in preparing food and snacks. Children can learn good choices by helping to prepare healthful snacks and realizing what makes them healthy and strong.
  • Be a good role model. Move and play with the children! Eat healthy!
  • Encourage water as a choice of beverage.
  • Decrease time spent watching TV or playing electronic games.
  • Boost children's self-esteem. Have daily reflection time for children to see all their positive achievements of the day as well as hearing your praises!

Resource: Better Kid Care Satellite Workshop, December 11, 2003: "Active Play: Fighting Obesity and Diabetes and Keeping Children Healthy"

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Distance Education Highlights

Children and Television

By Sheila Milnes

Have you ever wondered if it is a good idea to include television watching in your child care program? The following organizations have published recommendations for young children and television watching. (click links below to view publications)

The American Academy of Pediatrics

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

American Psychological Association

National PTA

There are some good things children can learn from watching television. There are also things on television that are harmful for children to watch. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children age two and up watch no more than one to two hours of quality programming each day. Quality programs are educational, appropriate for the ages of the children, and nonviolent. They will not contain adult material or material that frightens the children.

Young children learn best through hands-on activities, such as free play and open-ended art projects that let children make choices. Learning from television and video watching is passive learning, and it's not ideal for young children. In quality child care--family homes, group homes, and child care centers--the daily schedule should include television only now and then so that the children have plenty of time for active learning.

This is a selection from the Better Kid Care Web-based lesson, Children and Television. If you would like to read this lesson in its entirety, click the title link.

This unit is available as a one-hour Web-based training only. If you are interested in completing this unit for Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, PA Pathways training credits complete the registration form.

Click here for a complete listing of all our Distance Education Lessons (includes mail-based and Web-based)

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Turn the Page

Reading To ChildrenGreat Books to Read with Children

Reading aloud with children is a wonderful activity. Children of all ages love to be read to. Support the love of reading for children in your care by trying the following books:

Guess How Much I Love You? by Sam McBratney (published by Candlewick Press, ISBN-076360013x). A father rabbit and his child try to show each other how much they love each other. Each loves the other more (if that's possible!). You will be full of love after reading this story!

The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown (published by HarperFestival, ISBN-0061974292). Mother Rabbit loves her child more than anything. She will find and follow little bunny wherever he goes. The text and illustrations flow like poetry and finding the mother hidden in the illustrations is fun!

If you enjoy these two stories, you may also like:

I Love You So Much! by C. Norac (published by Doubleday Books, ISBN 0385757131)

Mama, Do You Love Me? by B. Josse (published by Chronicle Books, ISBN 0811821315)

Valentines Day, by Anne Rockwell (published by HarperCollins, ISBN 0060277947)

Contact your local children's library to find out more books on love. Reading with children creates lifelong readers. Enjoy your time reading with children!

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Upcoming Satellite Training

Join with many other caregivers at live satellite training workshops offered in Pennsylvania and across the states. To participate in these workshops, visit the Satellite Workshop link.

March 18, 2004 (11:00 AM - 2:00 PM ET)
HOT TOPICS FOR CENTER DIRECTORS: The Nuts and Bolts of Operating a Successful Center

Center Directors repeatedly say some of the hardest parts of their jobs involve writing job descriptions, setting fees and wage scales, developing or updating the center's policy manual and dealing with the financial aspects of operating a quality center. Several experienced directors will address these topics, share their experiences, offer tips and answer faxed or phoned-in questions from center directors.

April 22, 2004 (7:00 - 9:00 PM ET)
The Art and Science of Playing with Young Children

Children's play can be even better with a little adult help. Learn when to step in and when to stand back. Find out what can you say and do to help make play more valuable for children.

May 27, 2004 (7:00 - 9:00 PM ET)
Dealing with Anger - The Children's and Yours

Everyone gets angry at times. How that anger is handled is the key. Learn ways to help the children and yourself to work through angry times without hurting others.

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Better Kid Care Resources

New Staff Orientation - The New Staff Orientation curriculum is now available to child care centers in Pennsylvania. This curriculum is specifically designed for new staff members in child care centers. Included are a thirty-page workbook and thirty units on seven video tapes. Each video unit has a numbered page in the workbook. The easy-to-understand information is reinforced with activities and assignments. Units are designed to be used during naptime or other small blocks of time as staff/child ratios permit. Meets the Keystone STARS Performance Standards.

Click the link for more information about New Staff Orientation and to preview the materials on your computer.

Better Kid Care Kit - Do you provide care for children in your home? Have you signed up to receive a Better Kid Care Kit yet? Complete our online registration form and receive material in the mail.

Ask the Experts - Do you have a question you would like to ask a child care professional about a child you are caring for, or about something related to caring for children? You can e-mail your questions to betterkidcare@psu.edu and receive an answer by return e-mail from one of our child care professionals.

Additional Child Care Information -- PA Pathways Professional Development for Child Caregivers has information, training, and educational opportunities for child care providers across Pennsylvania. Visit PA Pathways or call toll-free 800-492-5107.

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Upcoming March E-Newsletter:

Look for information on celebrating our differences and books that highlight diversity.

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