Parenting Matters Foundation Presents

eacher
Helping parents do an excellent job as their childs First Teacher
Published by Parenting Matters Foundation for Cape Flattery,
Crescent & Quillayute Valley School District families with funding from
Soroptimist International of the Olympic Rain Forest and United Way
of Clallam County and other community supporters

Around the House

Because your child is more independent at home, safety

precautions must be taken to assure he doesnt get hurt while on his
own. Here a just a few:
Never leave your child unattended near water, even if he knows how
to swim.
Remove cleaning substances, medicines, vitamins,
and toxic houseplants out of the childs reach.
Keep hot food and drink away from your childs reach.
Keep pots on back burners of the stove.
http://www.bornlearning.org

A Blanket and a Book

Whatever the season, you can make

reading fun by bringing along a few favorite
books when you picnic. In nice weather, pack
a few books along with your lunch and visit a
local park. When the weather is not so nice,
spread a blanket out on the floor and have a
reading picnic in the house. Show your child that reading can be
fun any time, anywhere.
Fun Activities for a Pre-Reader, http://parentcenter.babycenter.com

Volume 17, Issue #9

May 2015

Mark Your
Calendar!

Please consider making an

online donation on Tuesday, May
5 to Parenting Matters Foundation
through The Seattle Foundations
Give Big. This one day giving
event encourages people to donate
to charities of their choice all
on one day! Visit http://tinyurl.
com/ns578y6. For any received
donations, we also
receive a portion
of a matching
pool, so your
money goes
farther to help
First Teacher. Any
gift is welcome - $5, $25, $100,
$1,000. If you have questions,
please contact info@firstteacher.
org or 360-681-2250. We
appreciate your support.

Pay Attention to Your Own Stress Level

Dont forget
that Mothers Day is May 10th.
This is a big day.
Moms are so very important,
and we all need to take time
to celebrate them.

Studies show that parents sometimes misinterpret their childs

behavior because the parent is in a bad mood. Is your child doing
bad things or are you just a bit overwhelmed by life?

Think about how you are responding to your child. Are
there ways you would like to change your own
behavior? Do you need to spend some time to
yourself to refuel your energy tank? Dont forget
to take time just for you. It is not only good for
you it is also good for your children and for your
partner.
Heyman, R., How to Say It to Your Kids, Prentice Hall, 2000.

A Toolkit For Parents and Caregivers of Birth to School-Age Children

Copyright 2015 Partnership in Parenting Incorporated

BLOCKF e st
Upd at e

Library
Events
www.nols.org
FORKS BRANCH (374-6402)

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME - 10:30 a.m. Fridays, May 1, 8, 15.

FREE POOL PASSES AVAILABLE NOW - To place a
hold request, use the online catalog to search for Forks
Pool Pass, call the library, or visit any of the four NOLS
libraries.
PARENT LINE SEMINAR - 6:00 p.m. Monday, May 18.

CLALLAM BAY BRANCH (963-2414)

KINDERGARTEN STORYTIME - 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 26. Stories, crafts,

music, and more! For ages 4-6.

This fun math and science

learning time is for children
from 8 months to 8 years.
BLOCKFest is coming to:
Crescent on May 2,
call 360-928-3311
to reserve your spot.
Concerned Citizens Family
First Center on May 16,
call 681-2250.

Feelings

Building
Your Childs Future

Infants and toddlers

grow in every way - physically,
mentally, emotionally, and socially at an astonishing rate.
How your child grows
in all of these areas depends
on the experiences he has.
The total care he receives
in these early years has deep
and lasting effects on every phase
of his development.
What you do as a parent matters.

Ramey, C., and Ramey, S., Right From Birth,

Goddard, 1999.

First Teacher

We welcome your comments

and suggestions.
For more information visit
us at www.firstteacher.org or
contact us by e-mail
at info@firstteacher.org
or call us at (360) 681-2250.
If you know anyone with young children
in our area who is not receiving these
newsletters, have them call 681-2250
to begin receiving First Teacher.
Editor-Cynthia Martin, Ph.D.
First Teacher and Parenting
Matters Foundation is a partner
agency of United Way.

Page 2

Make a mural of interestingly textured papers and hang it near

your babys changing area. Use sandpaper, aluminum foil, tissue
paper, Kleenex, cardboard, cloth and wallpaper
samples. Introduce touch and feel books. Using
all of your babys senses will give her little
mind more things to experience and expand on.
Clow-Martin, E., Baby Games, Stoddart, 2000.

BABYSITTING BLISS

Keep a box of different toys that your child

only plays with when the babysitter comes. It
might make your child a little more eager to see
you leave next time you want to have a date.

Reizner, J., A Book of Family Traditions, Bloomington, 1990.

Rules

Children can live with firm rules. Your 2 1/2 to 4

year old expects you to follow through. Dont confuse
him by forgetting to do that. Make the rules easy to
remember You hit, you sit! (time-out). You bite,
you sit! (time-out). Long explanations dont work.
Keep it brief, and then follow through.
http://www.cyh.com

D a d s a n d D a u g h te rs

According to a long-term study by the University of

Michigan, fathers are much more likely to do math
and science activities with their sons than they
are with their daughters, leading researchers to believe
this is the reason for more males choosing careers
in the fields of science and engineering than females. As a
father, the way you choose to interact with your daughter
has a definite influence on her life choices.

Raise a Scientist, Parents Magazine, December 2007.

Copyright 2015 Partnership in Parenting Incorporated

B abys F irst
S to r i e s

Your infants first stories will take the form

of lullabies and nursery rhymes you sing to her.
She may even begin to recognize those you repeat
often. Her first experiences with actual books will
probably involve chewing on them and tossing
them on the floor. For this reason, first books need
to be made of sturdy material or fabrics that can
survive being chewed on and are not easily torn.

Teaching
Appropriate
Behaviors

Your child will best learn

how to interact with others
in socially acceptable ways
if he is given the chance to
play with other children.
Playing with others will
help him become aware of
his actions and how these
actions affect other people.

Reading and Language: About My Baby, http://www.pbs.org/

Parents seldom realize that just talking

More Than Fun and Games: How Play

Teaches, http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/

to their children and getting them

to talk to you,
is probably the most important thing
they can do for them.
~ Allana Elovson

Time for Everyone

Spend time with your children.

This doesnt mean just being in the room with

them, it means interacting with them. They need
to know you are there for them and that you enjoy
being with them.

Spend time without your children.

Each parent needs to spend time alone and with each other. Get
a babysitter and plan an evening out. Leave the children with the
neighbor and go for a walk. This helps you want to be with them
when you return.

Preschool: A Foundation for Learning

The job of preschool is to prepare your child for later

school learning. Preschool can teach her how to solve
problems, such as offering to share toys so each child may
have a turn and how to think logically, such as when she learns
to group objects by how they are alike or to
recognize patterns. The concepts she learns
in preschool and these early years are the
blocks upon which all her future learning
will be built. Check out preschools in your
community and schedule tours.

Play Rhyming

Introduce your little one

to rhymes. They can be
fun for both of you. Books
are filled with them. Recite
them. Sing songs filled with
rhymes. All of this builds his
skill to learn to read. It all
begins around 2 or 3 and
builds from there. Give him
a fun head-start and you will
see results.
Paulson, L.H. (et. al.) Building Early
Literacy and Language Skills,
Sopris West, 2001.

Learning Milestones: Cognitive Skills, http://parentcenter.babycenter.com

Copyright 2015 Partnership in Parenting Incorporated

Page 3

Dont tell your partner

about the great things
your child did today.

Sometimes it is tough not to tell all

the special new things your child does
during the day; you want to tell your
partner as soon as he comes home.
Dont. Let your toddler tell him. It might take longer but it is so
good for him to do it. He feels important. He improves his language
skills and he learns to remember. He has a chance to tell a story
others are interested in. Hopefully, he hears some positive feedback
from his parents. He ends up feeling great.

Prime Time
for Learning

Research done on the

developing brains of children
shows that, while they will
continue to learn throughout
their lives, the best time for
learning generally occurs
during the first 10 years of
life. Experts agree that the
teaching of music, language,
and other life-long skills
will be easier if it is started
during these early years.

Brain Development, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, https://

www.ces.ncsu.edu/

S PLISH S PLASH

Using water for play and splashing helps

your baby learn about her body. Besides
getting clean, she experiences the
concept of volume with her whole body;
this is a concept that is essential for later
math development. Plus, its fun!

Clow-Martin, E., Baby Games, Stoddart Publishing, 2003.

GROUPING

One of the many lessons in
kindergarten is to understand about
groups. Learning about them can easily begin
now. Talk about grouping all the white socks together or the red
M & Ms together. Then you can have him do groups of 3 or 4
things, like now putting all the yellow Legos into another group.
Be sure to use the term group or grouping. It is like sorting but
he needs to know both names. Like all learning activities at this
age, you want this to be a fun thing to learn.
READY! for Kindergarten Progressive Targets, http://www.readyforkindergarten.
org/

Plant the Seeds of Science

Teach your child to carefully observe the world around her.

This easy science lesson begins by taking the time to stop
and check out nature. Lessons are all around if you take
the time to find them. She will love this science lesson.

Scrapbooks Are
Fun and Helpful

Encourage your child to collect

souvenirs and mementos of places you
visit and activities you do. Encourage
him to use his collection to start a
personal scrapbook. Take plenty of
pictures so that he can have some
for his scrapbook. Place a photo or
memento at the top of each page
and help him write a sentence or
two below each. Its a great way to
preserve memories, as well as practice
language skills.
Preparing Your Child for Kindergarten,
http://www.familycorner.com/

Page 4

Copyright 2015 Partnership in Parenting Incorporated

L etters E very D ay

Visit Your Pediatrician

Before School Begins

If you have a child

who will be entering
kindergarten soon,
talk about letters often.
Make a game about letters.
Go on letter hunts
around the house.
Practice how they sound.

In order to ensure your preschooler is

physically ready to begin Kindergarten, visit
your pediatrician prior to school registration. The doctor
will be able to test her vision and hearing, and make sure
her immunizations are up to date. A healthy child is a better student.
Your Child @ 4, Civitas, http://www.bornlearning.org

Getting Your Baby to Sleep through the Night

Developmental
Tidbits...
Empathy

Here are a few things you can do to help your
baby sleep through the night:
* Follow the same routine each night at
bedtime.
* Keep bedtime calm and quiet.
* Dim the lights even if you get up at night
with her.
*As she gets older and really doesnt need
to be fed as much, try giving her a pacifier
instead of food.
*If she really doesnt need the food, try talking very softly to her or
try rubbing her back to see if she will go to sleep without being fed.

During year ONE, she is

watching you. If she sees
someone smile she will try to
smile. She reacts when she
hears a baby crying.

http://www.babycenter.com

SMELLY

Your newborn has a fully developed

sense of smell. Perfume, coffee beans,
aftershave, vanilla extract, cloves, nutmeg,
fresh bread, cow farms and skunks are all
wonderful new smelling experiences. Help
expand his knowledge of smell by exposing him to a wide variety of
smells and talking about the smells.

At age TWO, he notices others

who are happy, mad, tired, or
sad. He is even learning to name
these emotions.
At age THREE, she not
only notices when her friends
are hurt or upset, she now
shows concern for them. She
shows appropriate feelings for
characters in stories.

http://www.parentingscience.com/newborn-senses.html

Q uit S moking

Secondhand smoke puts delicate babies at risk for a number of

health problems.
Asthma: Your child is more likely to develop asthma if you
smoke.
Pneumonia: Infants exposed to secondhand smoke are more
likely to be hospitalized for pneumonia during their first year of
life.
Secondhand smoke also increases your babys risk for developing
lung cancer in the future.
Your babys risk of sudden infant death
syndrome (SIDS) increases if he is
exposed to cigarette smoke.
None of these risks are discussed to scare
you but they are frightening.
http://www.hap.org/health/a-z.php, http://www.
quitline.com

At age FOUR, he usually acts

kindly and gently with friendly
animals. He now knows not to
destroy plants or flowers.
At age FIVE, she comforts
family members or friends who
are upset. Talk about why a
character reacts as she did in the
story and what shes feeling.

Washington State Early Learning and

Developmental Benchmarks, State of
Washington 2012.

Copyright 2015 Partnership in Parenting Incorporated

Page 5

Always,
Always,
Always

Be a good role
model for your
children and wear a seat belt.
Make it a rule for your young
child and for yourself:

No car seat, No seat belt,

No ride!

Exercise Together

Combine what is good for

you with what is good for your
baby - exercise together. Get
down on the floor with your
crawling baby and do stretches
push-ups, pull ups, run in place,
jumping jacks, and all the
things you need to do, Watch
him get into the play by trying
to do the same things you are
doing. You both need exercise
so why not do it together.
http://www.howdoesshe.com/

Comments, Compliments, and Self-Esteem

Put a new slant on familiar compliments like Youre beautiful.

A child isnt only beautiful by the regular standards. Encourage him to
see that his smile is radiant or he has a great way of talking to people,
or the color of his skin has a quality of beauty about it. Always be
sincere but you want him to feel special and
valued for his strengths and talents. You want
him to know that you notice the special picture
with bright colors that he painted or the extra
effort he put in on a project even though it
didnt turn out the way he wanted. Let him
know that in your book he is a superstar.

Give it some serious thought: List three qualities or talents that your child
has. (Ex: My child can tell a story by looking at the pictures in a book.)
1._____________________________________________________________
2._____________________________________________________________
3._____________________________________________________________
Make sure he knows you think he has these special qualities.

The 5 Minute Cleanup

Get everyone involved. Sometime before dinner,

try the 5 minute cleanup. Set the timer, tell everyone
to get ready, set, go, and then everyone goes around
and puts toys away, picks up newspapers,
cleans up clothes, and gets the house looking better.
It may be the best 5 minutes you will spend.

Your Toddlers Growing Vocabulary

You can turn a simple trip to the grocery store into a language
lesson for your toddler. During your visit, spend some
time in the produce department. Share
the names and colors of various fruits and
vegetables. Turn it into a game by asking if he
can find something yellow. Challenge him to
repeat a tough word like broccoli. Take your time,
make the effort, and shop to learn.

Language and Literacy Learning for Infants and Toddlers, www.zerotothree.org

A Stepparenting Hint

When you combine families,

you need to combine
parenting tasks. Dont just parent
your own children and
let your partner parent his.
You cant develop family unity
if you only interact
with your own.

http://www.supernanny.co.uk

It is one thing

to love our children,

it is another thing
for children to
perceive the depth
of our love for them.
~ Becky A. Bailey, Ph.D.,
I Love You Rituals

Your 4-Year-Old

Four-year-olds expect something to happen at a birthday party,

unlike last year at three. Keep it simple since they rapidly move
on to the next task and arent into anything very
complex. Even Pin the Tail On The Donkey
can be tough for them. Sometimes the other
four-year-olds get very unhappy when they
dont get presents. Considering opening gifts
after the party. Dont be surprised by tears,
fights, and spilling from all. Keep the guest list
to between 6 and 8.
Ames, L. B, and Ilg, F. L., Your Four-Year-Old, Dell, 1989.

Page 6

Copyright 2015 Partnership in Parenting Incorporated

KINDERGARTEN

Kindergarten may be coming up soon for your little

one. This can be an exciting but anxious time for her.
Help get her ready by going to your local library and
checking out books to read with her. There are great
books written just to help children prepare to start
school. As a bonus, kids who read books regularly
before going to school know more words, understand
what they read better and simply do better in school than other children.
Taking the mystery out of her first day will make her more relaxed and
better prepared. Reading lots of books together will give her the best
beginning as she enters kindergarten.
Gianni, L., Kids Having Problems Going Back to School? Read a Book, Daily
Democrat, August 2007.

Encourage Your Toddler to Read Independently

Let your little one practice reading by turning the pages,
looking at the pictures, and talking as she reads.

Neuman, S. B. and Wright, T. S., Reading With Your Young Child, Scholastic, 2007.

LACE LESSONS

Getting his first pair of shoes with laces is exciting for your
4- year-old. But learning how to tie shoe laces isnt easy. Give him
one of your sneakers to practice on since it is bigger and
easier to handle. Put two different colored laces in the
shoe so he can tell where the laces are. Break the task
into small steps and enlist the help of an older sibling
or neighbor to help explain -- sometimes they speak
the language better.
Berry, M., You Can Do It! Parents, 2008.

Dont Forget
to Play

Remember making up stories
of fighting dragons? Remember
deciding what the people in your
stories said instead of copying what
you heard in a recent movie. Its
important your child gets a chance
to make things up and decide how
things in his story will go.

Imaginative play is
disappearing because of toys
and technology that are available
to our children. Watching TV,
playing video games
or taking lessons
wont give your
child the skills
of imagination.
Playing
make-believe
increases his
ability to control
his emotions, resist impulses and
be disciplined. Make-believe makes
kids practice private speech, which
is talking to himself about what
hes going to do and how hes
going to do it.

Encourage games that make
your child think and talk to himself;
it will help him put his emotions
into words.
Spiegel, A., Old Fashioned Play
Builds Serious Skills, http://www.
npr.org

E ncourage
Fixing Lunch
Is a Lesson in Math

your 4-year-old to learn

to print his first name and even
some numbers.

When you cut the sandwich

in half for your 4- or 5-year-old,
be sure to talk about half.
Tell how when we cut a sandwich
in half and now we have
two half sandwiches.
Sounds simple but this is math.
Remember to talk about the
half glass of milk, too.

We have to go now!

When it is time to leave the playground or go to the next store,
give your child a warning. Say, were leaving the park
in 5 minutes. What things do you want to do before
we go? When it is time to leave, be firm. Dont give in
when he starts crying and says he wants to stay.

Let him know that you understand he wants
to stay, but it is time to go. As you leave, talk
about how much fun he had and how youll
come back soon. Talking about transitions may
not always make them go smoothly, but it can
help pave the way for improvement.

Copyright 2015 Partnership in Parenting Incorporated

Page 7

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Keep the Drive Fun

Increase
Your Childs
Vocabulary

You can help your child

learn new words
by adding to what she
says. If she lays her
baby down and says,
Night-night,
you can say,
Yes, your baby is going
to sleep. Night-night,
little baby.
All the words you say
help her learn.

http://www.bornlearning.org

Driving to and from places can be fun or boring for
your toddler. Take advantage of the time and have him
find things. See how many stop signs between his
house and the store. See how many things he can find
that begin with the letter D. Make it a fun drive.

Fruity

Collecting is great way for your child to learn how to classify and
sort, as well as develop math skills by counting the number of items she
has in each category. Most children really enjoy collecting something. It
gives her things to compare and ask questions about.

One collection would be to encourage her to keep a "fruit journal."
Most fruit comes with a sticker telling what variety it is
and sometimes even where it comes from. Help her
save stickers from bananas, apples, mandarins, pears,
and other fruits.

Give her a small scrapbook where she can stick
them and start to identify the different varieties of
each fruit (apples: Granny Smith, Fuji, Golden Delicious, etc.). She
can also identify what each tasted like with her words or symbols.
Perhaps: she can only have the stickers off the fruit
that she EATS!
Hodges, D., 365 TV-Free Activities for Kids, Hinkler, 2002.
Copyright 2015 Partnership in Parenting Incorporated