Hands on Mom live events are now approved training hours for Tennessee DHS-licensed child care providers!

Hands-On Mom brings affordable educational programs for child care providers and parents to your location.

Early childhood expert Amy Croker, MAT, and child language specialist Heather Gillum, PhD, CCC-SLP, bring their experience as professionals and as parents to these lively, interactive presentations on child development. 

Ages and Stages is a one-hour program that provides a broad overview of development for ages two to five years.  This presentation highlights developmental milestones and play-based teaching techniques. Guidance on early identification of developmental differences and making appropriate referrals is also shared. Participants will receive a list of developmentally-appropriate toys, many of which can be made from inexpensive items. Cost: $180.

 From Coos to Kindergarten: Developing Language and Literacy is a one-hour program spotlighting the development of oral language and the foundations for learning to read.  Strategies for building these skills in children from birth to age six years will be shared. Participants will receive a list of exceptional books for young children. Cost: $180.   

 

Schedule both programs for $300 (that is a discount of $60!).

·         

•  Day and evening scheduling is available.
• Pricing includes promotional posters and flyers, program handouts, and certificates of attendance
• A deposit of $80, payable by check or credit card, is required to hold the reservation; balance due within five business days of the scheduled programs
• These programs are approved to fulfill training hour requirements for State of Tennessee DHS-licensed child care providers in the areas of Health and Child Development. Certificates will be provided on request.

Call (615) 473-7596 or email heathergillum@gmail.com

for information and scheduling.

Local Pumpkin Patches, Apple Orchards and Festivals, etc.to Enjoy this Season

Who can resist getting out and enjoying the gorgeous fall weather and all the fun festivities that come with it?

Check out http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/TNpmiddle.php to find a pumpkin patch, corn maze, hayride or apple orchard near you.

There is nothing like watching your kids run around a pumpkin patch or chase them through a corn maze that will put you in the Fall spirit. It brings out the kid in you and creates wonderful family memories.

Other local activites to take advantage of this time of year:

• Frist Family Festival Day @ Sunday, October 21st, 2012 - It's Free! 1:00–5:30 p.m.
• Brentwood United Methodist Day School Fall Festival, Friday, Oct. 26th 4-7 pm
• Pumpkinfest, Downtown Franklin, Saturday, Oct. 27th http://www.historicfranklin.com/events/pumpkinfest
• Cheekwood Scarecrows, Pumpkins and Trains until Oct. 31st http://cheekwood.org/Public_Programs/Cheekwood_Harvest.aspx

Fun Fall Activities to get us Moving!

Need some ideas to get you motivated and moving with your kids?

Here are our favorite physical activties for the Fall:

• Leaf hunt or nature walk
• Pumpkin Patch or Apple Picking
• Carve or paint pumpkins outside
• Local Festivals or fair: walk from booth to booth, let the kids enjoy the bounce activites or petting zoos
• Farmers Market:  pick fresh produce and take it home to cook. Talk about the importance of eating healthy.
• Parks and/or Playgrounds: try to encourage your child to try something new such as the hanging on the monkey bars or pumping those legs on the swings.
• Have a picnic and then play chase...once your food settles of course.  
• Backyard BBQ with Games-Hula Hoops and Hop Scotch are favorites at our house.
• Ride bikes or stroll the neighborhood-try to go a different route every time.
• Walk your dog-they need exercise too!
• If you are stuck inside? Play hide and go seek, have a pillow fight or build a fort.

Let's get moving!

 

 

 

"The Leaves are dancing all around, all around,

The Leaves are dancing all around, all around,

Red, Yellow, Orange, falling to the ground,

The Leaves are dancing all around, all around!"

 

 

This fun song is sung quite a bit at our house around the Fall season. We sing it when we are getting stir crazy, and put dance moves with it, we sing it on our way to school and we sing it on walks to collect cool fall leaves.

 

 

 

 

The common theme is being active! Encourage activity. Kids learn from example so if you are active, then they are more likely to want to be active.

 

So get out and enjoy this gorgeous fall weather with your kids, your dog or your hubby.  

 

Research shows that kids who are more active are more likely to be academically motivated, alert, and successful. And physical competence builds self-esteem at every age.

 

So as parents, how can we not only keep ourselves motivated to exercise, but also encourage our kids to be more active?

 

At www.kidshealth.org, they have made it easy for us with a list of age-appropriate activities and ways we can easily incorporate exercise in our daily routine.  Check it out and then get moving with your family!

 

http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/staying_fit/active_kids.html#

 



Upcoming Parenting Events from Daystar Ministries

Daystar Counseling in Nashville is best known by the books by two of their staff: Raising Girls by Sissy Goff and Nurturing Boys by Dave Thomas.

Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, TN is bringing these experts to campus for two special nights.

Wednesday, Oct. 17, 6:30-9pm: David Thomas presents Nurturing Boys

Wednesday, Oct. 24, 6:30-9pm: Sissy Goff presents Raising Girls

For information and registration ($25 for each session), visit www.battlegroundacademy.org and go through the "Parents" header to "School Event Registration."

You won't want to miss these engaging, insightful programs on the emotional and intellectual development of boys and girls.

Click here for more information about Daystar Counseling.

More on Parent Involvement

Don't just take it from us--parent involvement in school is a big deal. Here's a link to a great report from the State of Michigan on the importance of home-school connections. It's never to early to start putting these tips into practice.

Preparing for Parent-Teacher Conferences

The words “Parent-Teacher Conference” have struck fear in my mind since I was old enough to understand that the very reason for a day off from school was for MY parents to talk to MY teacher about ME in my absence. The nerve!

Now that I am a parent, I appreciate these meetings for what they are: an unsolicited opportunity for two-way sharing between teacher and parent. Smoldering issues (as opposed to big burning questions that warrant an after-school phone call) that otherwise might not be discussed are brought to light. Talking in person gives both sides the benefit of reading the body language and hearing the tone of voice that is masked by email correspondence. This is a golden opportunity for collaboration, not to be wasted.

Time is of the essence, as conferences are typically scheduled back-to-back in 20 or 30-minute intervals. Do your homework to make the most of this limited time. Here are some suggestions:

1. If you are attending this meeting with your spouse, get on the same page. Don’t waste time in the meeting figuring out what you want to discuss. Establish goals before the meeting.
2. Choose two or three priorities and write them down in order of importance. Bring the list with you and share it with the teacher when you sit down. This communicates both your concerns and their rank. The teacher may want to jump right in to addressing your concerns, or may have other things to discuss first. Go with the flow.
3. But watch the clock. Once half of the allotted time has passed, it is fine to politely interject that you would like to discuss your concerns if they have not already been covered. Equal time is a reasonable expectation.
4. Be specific. If you are concerned about something, name it and claim it. If you want something, ask for it specifically. If you are unclear on something, get clarification. This is much easier to do in person than after the fact via phone call or email.
5. Make notes during the meeting. Be especially careful to document anything anyone in the meeting (including yourself) has promised to do.

In the end, if you are dissatisfied with your conference, you have several options. One is to say, at the end of the meeting, that you would like another meeting with more time. This would also give you the opportunity to invite additional people (such as the principal) to join you. If you feel that another meeting with the teacher will not resolve your specific concerns, it is okay to move up the chain of command and meet with a director, dean, or principal. Either way, provide a list of your concerns prior to the next meeting so that everyone will come to the table prepared to discuss those issues.

Finally, try to keep things positive. Intentionally or not, teachers’ perceptions of parents do shape how they treat the children, for better or worse. Focus on collaboration for the good of your child and the best possible school year.