Register for Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) today!
The Voluntary Prekindergarten Program – or VPK – is a free prekindergarten program for 4- and 5-year-olds who reside in Florida and were born on or before September 1 of each program year.
Jacksonville residents can now recycle more items than ever, and there’s no need to pre-sort or remove labels from bottles and cans. Set out recycling no later than 6 a.m. on collection day and no earlier than 5 p.m. the day prior.
The Holidays are here and it’s the time to have fun and share good memories with your family. Below are some fun holiday games and activities that you can play with your kids. Playing with kids is a great way to bond and create lasting memories as well as help them develop their creativity.
This holiday season, try a new holiday game to play with your family and share the laughter and love.
Saying Goodbye to Family and Hello to School
Your child may be starting childcare at a new provider or starting child care for the first time. You may be preparing your child for their first day of VPK or kindergarten, or even first grade. Starting care can be challenging for you and your child if they have difficulty separating from you. Anything new can be scary for your child, and the fact that you will not be there to help them adjust to their new surroundings may make it scary for you, too.
Transitioning from Home to School
Home–to-school worries regarding transitions may be caused by your child not understanding that she will be safe and have fun in her new environment. She may worry that she has never been away from you and fears being without you. Separation anxiety is common in young children and parents as well.
Before the first day at a new school or with a new teacher, ask the school staff or program director what they do at the beginning of the year to help make the first day go smoothly. Find out the name of your child’s teacher and other adults who may be supervising your child.
Talk to your child about what she can expect. Let her know that you will always come back for her. Remind her that you love her, have never left her, and you will continue to be there as you always have.
Establish Routines
A routine is when you complete specific tasks regularly. Children thrive with routines because it creates structure. A child must have the routine and tasks explained and see it modeled by you to follow the routine regularly.
A few weeks before the first day, tell your child that “We’re going to practice getting ready for school!” Make sure to sound excited and happy about it. Choose two shirts, two pairs of pants, and two pairs of socks and set them out. Ask your child, “Would you like this shirt or that one? These pants or those?” Offering your child a choice gives them a sense of control and will make them more cooperative with the getting dressed process.
Establishing cooperation as part of your morning routine will make your life easier. Remember to praise your child for getting dressed and being so cooperative. Praise reinforces the desired behavior and increases your child’s confidence.
Once everyone is dressed, it’s time to grab your bags and go. Get buckled into the car and drive to the school. Park and explain that this is the part where you would typically walk your child to her class and kiss her goodbye.
Keep It Positive
Tell her that she will get to do fun activities, make new friends, and play outside, and at the end of the day, you’ll be there to pick her up. She’ll probably want to get out and play on the playground, but let her know she’ll have to wait until the “big day” when school starts. On the drive home, you might assure your child that you were nervous about your first day, but it turned out well for you.
You may not wish to make the “practice run” to school every day before the big day, but it’s best to practice getting dressed each morning. Make sure that you are up with lunches packed and dressed by the time you will typically need to get out the door.
Enlist Support
Encourage family members to show their support. Tell them to ask your child if she is excited about school. Have them remind her that she will get to play and make new friends. Bring up the topic at dinner time, when the family is together and can share their experiences.
What to Do On the First Day of School
When the big day arrives, be sure to get up a little earlier to allow extra time to offer reassurance. Follow the routine you have established, offering choices in clothing and getting dressed. Write a love note to tuck in her lunch. Small children may wish to bring a comfort item such as a stuffed animal or blanket on the first day. Just be sure to check with the care provider or teacher about their policy about this.
When it’s time to leave, remind her again that she will get to play and make new friends. Let her know that the teacher or care provider is there to help her if she needs anything. Remind her that you will be back at the end of the day right on time to get her. Keep your voice and energy upbeat and excited for her!
Dealing With Your Sadness
While you may be excited for your child, sending them to care or school for the first time may bring you sadness. This is only natural. Children pick up on how we’re feeling, and if you let your fear and despair come through, it will only add to your child’s nervousness. Remind yourself that your child’s care provider or teacher works with children because she loves them and has been doing this work for years. Make sure to reach out to friends who you can talk to about how you’re feeling. Friends with children will no doubt identify with you.
Celebrate
This is an exciting time for both you and your child. Your child is gaining independence, and you are acquiring a bit of autonomy. Don’t be afraid to talk to your child’s care provider or teacher about your concerns. She is there to support you. Enjoy this new time in your life. One day you will look back on it as one of your fondest memories.
Choosing an early learning program for your child is one of the most important and difficult decisions you will ever make. This article will provide information about quality programs so you can find the best match for you and your child.
History is often reduced to a handful of memorable moments and events. In Black history, those events often include courageous stories like those of The Underground Railroad and historic moments like the famous “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But these are only a few of the significant and important events to know and remember.
Read the continued post of Matching Your Children and their Child Care Setting.
- Tall with Your Child. Use trips to the grocery store, dinnertime chats, and driving in the car as a time to introduce new words and talk about the world around us.
- Exchange Stories. Tell a great story, and have your child tell you one back! It’s a great way to build oral language and learn new words.
- Have fun with Rhymes. Sing rhyming songs, read rhyming books, and say tongue twisters with your child. This helps them lean1 new sounds in words.
- Talk About Letters. Help your child learn the names of the letters and the sounds the letters make. Turn it into a game! For example, you could say, “I’m thinking of a letter and it makes the sound sssssss.
- KeepBooKs Present. Your child will be more likely to pick up a book and read if they are out in the open and easy to find. Keep them readily available in the kitchen, car, and other locations where your child spends time.
- Read Every Day & Ask Questions. Reading together for 20 minutes each day, and talking about what you are reading helps children understand what they are reading.
- Take Advantage Of Available Help. Select books your child is most interested in reading. Talk with your child’s teacher or a local librarian to find the best books for your child. Visit the library for books, events, and programs like reading clubs.
- Be Creative with Writing. Writing grocery lists and notes or letters helps children connect spoken words to written words.
- Introduce Reading Apps. Your child can practice reading on your phone or tablet at home or on-the-go.
- Keep Reading. Creating a plan to spend quality time reading during school breaks and over the summer can help prevent children from falling behind and ensure they return to school ready to learn.
Although the program doesn’t start until August, they can register now to avoid the last minute rush for certificates. Don’t wait until summer! To be eligible, a child must be 4 on or before September 1, 2019 (birthdate from 9/2/2014 through 9/1/2015).
UNLIKE OTHER TO-DO LISTS, THIS ONE WILL BE FUN TO GET THROUGH. 1. Grow a flower. Guess the color it will turn out to be. Measure its progress. 2. Watch fireworks. Fire? In the sky? That makes beautiful shapes in pretty colors?! Before you’re old enough to understand the science of the thing, a fireworks display can seem like a miracle. & more…
Many kids love Halloween for the costumes, parties and of course candy. However, Halloween doesn’t need to be so focused on the candy. Introducing your child to new Halloween games is a great way to develop their imagination, playful spirit and bring more memories to the holiday.
Parks Place is proud to have books and literature available for our families to check out and discover the fun of reading. We have a wide array of books to enjoy with your little one. The process is really easy to do. Simply sign in the sign in sheet and check out the book. Parks’ Place uses the honor system for families to bring back the books.
Toilet Mastery – How do I teach my child?
Age 2 is a good time to start
Watch for readiness signs:
Child stays dry for as long as 2-3 hours.
Child seems to understand the general idea and is able to let you know when he or she has the urge to urinate or have a BM.
Child is interested in learning.
Child can manage clothing and potty chair.
Read more in the full article.
Sean Covey’s book, Seven Habits of Happy Kids is a great way to introduce your little one to good life principals while guiding them to make good decisions and lead happy lives.
Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Enrollment
Florida VPK, Florida’s FREE Pre-K Program for Children turning 4 years old on or before September 1!
Grow Up Great Children’s’ Closet New Location Gateway to Heaven Christian Church 7700 N. Pearl St. Jacksonville, 32208
First Time Home Buyers Information Session
Tired of Renting? Fire Your Landlord.
Need Credit Counseling?
Come out and get insider tips on how you can own your own home.
Thursday, January 18th at 6:00 pm at Parks’ Place
- Zero down home loans available.
- Up to 15K grants available.
- Free credit report available to everybody who attends.
Please join us for a first time home buyers seminar.
Come out and get insider tips from guest speaker Willie Smith with Hampton Group Funding, Inc.
Tosha Martinez Realtor
Parks’ Place Daycare and Learning Center proudly partners with ShiningStars.
ShiningStars follows a unique yearly curriculum that focuses on a new objective each month to encourage clear, confident, expressive communication.
FAMILY TRAVEL HAS CHANGED A LOT SINCE YOU WERE A KID. TRAVELING WITH KIDS-YES EVEN BABIES-HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER THAN IT IS TODAY. JOIN THE RANKS OF FAMILIES HIDING THE ROAD MORE OFTEN BY FOLLOWING THIS NEW, GAME-CHANGING ADVICE.
RULE 1: yes, you can
No, really, you can take small humans 011 a trip without it being equal parts stress and fun.
Traveling with young kids is becoming the norm, not the exception. It’s harder to raise eyebrows on planes, in restaurants, and at the hotel pool. Why? Because in recent years, the travel industry has been catering to young families like never before, and so you’d have to try really hard to wind up in a place where yours were the only kiddos in sight. Rather than treating children as an “add-on,” resorts today are all about the kids. Airlines offer families with young children priority boarding and stroller checking; rental car companies issue car seats.
RULE 2: take advantage of technology
Most of us remember dreading those long rides to get to our family’s vacation destination. But back then, options to make the hours pass were limited to counting license plates and putting gum in your sister’s hair. No more. Tech that keeps kids entertained on the road abounds such as the next-generation scavenger hunt: geocaching. This trending hoppy can be tried out at a rest stop along your driving route. Use your phone and a geocache app to find hidden treasures nearby. You can geocache virtually anywhere these days. Young children love to follow the app to find a surprise. The rule is that if you take something, you leave something. So make sure to bring along a few trinkets for the next family to find.
Rule 3: The more, the merrier
We don’t mean vacationing with your in-laws (though you could; see Rule 4). A growing trend is vacationing with your friends and their kids. With families and their kids. With families spread out over larger distances than in previous generations, friends with kids the same age have taken over as a support system. More young parents are deciding to travel as a group. It’s more fun for the kids, who have built-in playmates they already know, and for you as well, especially if you have a baby or toddler. Think about it: You and your bambino will have company at the kiddie pool for once, while your spouse takes the older kids to the diving board.
Rule 4: rethink what it means to “go home”
Visiting grandparents is a top reason for taking a family trip, and now it no longer means piling into your old bedroom with your own kids and feeling obliged to eat your favorite childhood pancakes – Every. Single. Morning. If you believe that home is the people you love, not necessarily a physical place, then this is the year to suggest going somewhere awesome as the annual family visit. Grandparents who don’t see their grandchildren that often may be only too happy to share a special experience with them. Private homes and resort rental services, such as Airbnb HomeAway and Vacatia, now make it possible to find comfy accommodation for a large group that, well, feel like a home.
Rule 5: Be spontaneous
Online booking has changed the travel game. Vacations no longer have to be planned months out. Now it’s simple to jump on a great hotel deal or a rock-bottom fare, gram the kids and go. The ease of comparing prices instantaneously can make it possible for those with a tight budget to take a trip that they thought was out of their reach. It also make much easier to take advantage of low-season travel dates. Many schools are closed on random days that apply only in that district, such as teacher development days. If you have school-age kids, you don’t need to be restricted to the pricey (and crowded) summer and spring break time frames. Unexpected day off from school a week from Friday? Grab your phone and make it an impromptu long weekend.
Rule 6 Mix Business with Pleasure
Work-family balance is a priority for most working parents. If you travel frequently for business, it can sometimes be hard not to feel guilty, or at least a little sad, about spending precious time away from your family. But like so much else in 2017, it’s time to rethink the business trip. It doesn’t have to be an either-or proposition. Why not bring your partner and kids along? If you all fit in one room, there’s no additional cost to your employer. While you’re out during the day, they can enjoy the local
attractions. No, it’s not a dream family vacation, but it’s a great way to grab quality time with your kids in a way that fits your life now.
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The year prior to kindergarten you should already be laying a foundation for your child’s transition to kindergarten.
All parents want their children to succeed in school, but not all parents know how to help their children be successful students.
When we speak of kindergarten transitions we are referring to one of the most significant changes a child will experience in their life.
Your child’s education is precious and is a gift that will last a laugh time. Get involved when they are young, it makes all the difference in the world.
