Things to Consider

Help your child be safe and healthy. Create a bedtime ritual that is relaxed and considerate of your child's need for sleep. Provide healthy snacks that include protein and leafy green veggies! Make time every day to listen to the stories your child tells about her/his life and you will be amazed by the increasing wisdom your child is developing as they grow!

Give Choices That Are Real

Help your child become thoughtful while becoming independent. Provide intentional and meaningful choices to your child to help her gain a level of competency while constructing new understanding of the world. This is how children learn best.
A couple of helpful suggestions--give "real" choices, but ones you can live with.
Don't paint yourself in a corner by offering choices you can not follow through with.

And the biggest pitfall...failure to follow through with supporting the choice after your child has considered the options and actually made a choice.

Growing resilient kids!

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots; the other wings" (Hodding Carter, l907-97, American Journalist).

Roots and wings--what strong metaphors for helping us understand the urgency of our work with our children--dedicating our hearts and minds to supporting children in our schools in ways we don't typically think of as "academic." We don't generally see "resiliency" listed on report cards or other tools of assessment, yet resiliency may be the most critical attribute of all! It ought to be central to our focus. Lately it seems educators and policy makers care more about a child's ability to finish a story, or hold a pencil correctly, than a child's emotional strength to deal with challenges. Resiliency is the capacity to spring back and successfully adapt in the face of adversity (and challenge). It is the ability to cope. It is the ability to develop social competence despite exposure to stress.

You can help children become resilient by building strong and authentic relationships with them. This is where they learn about trust. As children explore who they are and where they are going with support and freedom, they become energetic and socially responsive. They develop a sense of independence. They develop tolerance of frustration and can become cooperative players.

Model this for your child by recognizing your own strengths and by building connections with one another based upon integrity and authenticity. Make a commitment to growing your compassion and empathy and watch your child grow beautiful wings and deep roots.

Healthy Lunch Box Choices

Parents are often concerned about what their children eat or don't eat at school. Here are some ideas to inspire those who make the lunches and for those who must live with the lunches. We'd love to include your ideas too.

Yogurt and things to add to it
Raisins and other dried fruit
Celery sticks with sunflower seed butter and raisins
Hard boiled eggs
Veggies and dips
Fresh salads with hunks of cheese
Leftovers
Cold pasta with veggies
Rolled tortillas with sunflower seed butter and molasses
Turkey rolls with cheese
Apple boats (apples filled with sunflower seed butter or cheese and raisins)
California Rolls and sushi
Cold pizza slices

Please note: Although nuts are a wonderful and healthy choice for your child, we ask that you not included nuts, nut butters or items with nuts as an ingredient. We have a "no nut" policy in affect to help protect children with severe nut allergies who are attending our school.