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As a parent, the idea of leaving your child in a new environment with new people can feel overwhelming at first. However, Childcare is a staple in many families’ lives as a means of promoting healthy work/life balance and providing working parents with a safe, dependable space for their child to learn and play. Let’s look at five key benefits of Childcare:

Educational Building Blocks

For many children, Childcare is a crucial precursor to school! Childcare programs offer diverse educational activities and programs that help children to learn, grow, and develop. Early exposure to numbers, letters, reading, and peer relationships not only aids in cognitive development, but also prepares your child for the structure and expectations of school classrooms.

Socialization

Building social relationships is a major benefit of enrolling your child into a trusted Childcare program. Being able to play and interact with other children from a young age helps teach crucial relationship skills like sharing, communicating, and cooperating. A bonus is that these socialization skills carry over into your home life as well!

Structure

Children thrive best when introduced to structure and routine early in life, and Childcare programs are great for creating a consistent and stable environment for kids! Following a regular routine of activities, play, snacks, and sleep can help manage children’s behavior and pave the way for the stricter structure of formal schooling.

Exposure

One of the key benefits of Childcare is that your child is introduced to a diverse array of other children from different backgrounds. Being exposed to different lifestyles, cultures, and communities can be extremely beneficial for children’s development, as it teaches them how to celebrate differences and learn new skills in inclusivity and respect.

Parental Peace of Mind

While Childcare programs offer a vast number of benefits to children, they also benefit parents! Choosing a trusted and reputable Childcare center allows you, as a parent, to handle your daily responsibilities and errands with peace of mind that your child is safe, engaged, happy, and healthy!

Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland childcare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.

In the hustle and bustle of your everyday lives as the holidays approach, it’s normal to overlook the importance of practicing thankfulness with your children. However, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to help cultivate gratitude in your home and the lives of your children!

At its core, thankfulness is about kindness. Teaching children the importance of being kind to themselves and others, and modeling that behavior in the home, is instrumental to their development into good, helpful, and friendly adults later in life! Research shows that children who learn how to be kind early in life have a better sense of belonging with their peers and report higher rates of happiness and mental health overall. Practicing thankfulness is a great way to put kindness into action this season. Here’s a few ideas for you and your children:

Hands-On Activities

Children often learn best by seeing and doing, and that’s why hands-on activities are a great way to engage with your child and promote gratitude. You could ask your child who in their life they’re grateful for, and make homemade cards, notes, or crafts to give to those people as a show of appreciation. Teachers, friends, or family members are a good place to start.

Engage in the Community

Around Thanksgiving, many families engage with their larger community and find new and fun ways to give back – make sure your children are part of this process! Donating old clothes together, baking treats to donate to local shelters, or volunteering as a family are all fantastic ways to help your child learn the importance of gratitude and giving back.

Reflection Time

Moments of sitting in silence are usually few and far between with young children, but incorporating reflection, even at a young age, can help develop your child’s understanding of gratitude and thankfulness. Easy ways to incorporate reflection into your daily routine can be asking them what they’re thankful for that day at the dinner table, or encouraging your children to let their peers know when they appreciate something they did for them. These practices help children to take others’ feelings into account and express their own feelings in healthy and positive ways.

Model Thankfulness

Children often learn by example and mirror the behaviors they see in their homes and those closest to them. That’s why modeling thankfulness can go great lengths in encouraging this type of behavior in your children! Acknowledge your child when you see them do something kind for someone else, and practice gratitude in front of your child when someone does something kind for you!

Gratefulness is a learned trait, but practicing gratitude in front of, and with, your child, helps to promote thankfulness in their everyday lives. No matter the age of your child, it’s never too early to highlight the importance of kindness towards, and appreciation for, the important people in their lives, as well as the community they live in!

While autumn brings beautiful changing colors and fun fall festivities, it’s also peak flu season! As the air gets chillier, it’s important to incorporate healthy habits into your little one’s life to ensure they stay safe and healthy all season.

Diet

During this season, children are more prone than ever to come down with a cold. Utilizing a healthy diet with lots of fruits, veggies, and protein is a good preventative measure to make sure they’re getting all the vitamins and minerals they need to strengthen their immune systems.

Hydration

Drinking plenty of water is important all year long but can be particularly crucial during the colder months. This is another key way to boost your little one’s immune system and fight any sniffles that may come on throughout the season.

Physical Activity

While the weather may be chillier, having your child enjoy the outdoors is essential to promoting healthy physical activity that is essential to not only children’s health, but also their mental well-being!

Allergies

This time of year is well-known for triggering seasonal allergies, and it’s important to keep an eye out for any allergy symptoms in your little one. Yearly physicals or doctor check-ups are a great time to discuss potential symptoms and any preventative actions you can take to minimize the effects of allergy season on your child.

Handwashing

The importance of frequent handwashing should never be understated, especially if your little one is spending a lot of time with other children at childcare! Enforcing handwashing in your own home is a great way to make hygiene practices a daily habit for your child before and after meals, using the bathroom, or playing outside.

Communication with Your Childcare Center

Sometimes a little cold here and there is inevitable, and nothing to worry about. However, it’s important to maintain open and honest communication with your childcare provider and let them know if your child is feeling under the weather – the more time they have to rest and heal, the faster they’ll feel better!

Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland childcare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.

As a parent of one or more little ones, you probably know all too well the power of a good night’s sleep (and how hard the next day is when you don’t get a restful night of sleep!). However, promoting healthy sleep schedules with your young children is often a marathon, not a sprint. Creating sleep habits take time, but here are a few ideas for sleepytime success with little ones:

Limit Screen Time

Research shows us that too much screen time can make it difficult to fall asleep at night, especially for younger children. Phones, tablets, and TVs emit blue light that can keep children awake much longer than normal, so it can be helpful to establish a 30 minute to 1 hour period before bedtime that’s screen-free to promote healthier sleep.

Consistent Bedtime

Getting a good night’s sleep is so much easier when our bodies are trained to feel tired at certain times of the day. Creating a consistent and age-appropriate bedtime, and sticking with it (even on weekends), can help your child fall into a healthy routine of falling asleep on time.

Follow a Bedtime Routine

Equally as important as setting a consistent bedtime is creating a predictable bedtime routine that your child can rely on. A traditional bedtime routine might include changing into pajamas, brushing teeth, turning out lights, or reading a bedtime story. Following this routine daily can help promote consistent sleep schedules with children.

Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Often, children struggle to fall asleep if they are restless or have built-up energy they haven’t been able to release yet. Promoting play, games, and other activities throughout the day helps to ensure children begin to feel tired at appropriate times and are much more likely to both fall asleep and sleep through the night. Additionally, avoiding caffeinated or sugary foods late in the afternoon or evening can help make sure your child isn’t too hyper right before bedtime.

Getting a full night’s sleep sets your child up to be happier, more energetic, and more social throughout the day. Every child is different with unique sleep needs, so it’s important to be patient as you work through any sleep struggles your family may be experiencing!  If your child struggles with falling asleep, or often wakes up in the middle of the night, try these strategies for promoting more consistent sleep patterns that refresh rather than drain your child.

Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland childcare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.

Reading and literacy can have a profound effect on your children’s intelligence and sense of self, from helping to expand their vocabulary, to improving their speech skills, to engaging their creativity. The good news is that you can promote literacy with your child at any age!

Reading Aloud

For your littlest ones, reading independently may not be an option. However, reading aloud has been proven to have a huge impact on the way that your child processes information, develops visual imagery skills, and processes information! Setting aside 30 minutes a day to read aloud to your child, or even playing an audiobook in the car, can help promote literacy even in children under 5-years-old!

Family Reading Time

Many children who grow up to be avid readers spent their childhood with role models who promoted reading. Setting aside some time to read together as a family, whether separately or aloud to your children, helps incorporate literacy as a daily habit rather than homework or a chore!

Open a Library Account

Once your child is old enough, opening a library account and giving them their own library card is a great way to promote literacy! This way, your child can engage with the types of reading they enjoy most, and your family can take daytrips to the local library to pick up their new favorites!

Offer Different Options

Not every child will enjoy reading to the same extent, but offering different options means that you’re sure to find something that peaks your child’s interest! Audiobooks, comics, graphic novels, and magazines are a great way to help promote literacy with your child and cater to their unique learning needs.

Literacy and reading are massively important for your child’s cognitive and language development, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also be fun for them! Promoting literacy can also mean finding new and creative ways to engage your child with reading and speaking and learning – find out what works best for you and your family!

Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland childcare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.

While your child’s summer is likely packed with beach days, family vacations, playdates, and picnics, it’s only natural that you also want some time spent at home relaxing! Whether there’s bad weather, you or your child are feeling a little burnt out, or it’s simply too hot outside, here are a few ideas for engaging indoor activities to try with your child this summer:

Arts and Crafts

Getting crafty with your children is always a hit and is a low-key way to spend a summer day indoors. From finger painting, to coloring pages, to Papier Mache – the options are endless! Nearing the end of the summer and want to recap on all the fun adventures you had? Make a collage of pictures and memories from all the activities you did!

Read-a-thon

No matter what age your child is, reading is a prime way to spend a summer day indoors. If they’re old enough to read independently, set aside some time to get a few chapters in, or even take a little field trip to the local public library to pick out a couple new books. If your child isn’t reading quite yet, let them choose a book and spend some time reading aloud to them!

Movie Night

Having a cozy night in with a good movie is the perfect way to have some indoor fun. Pop some popcorn, lay out some snacks, and bring lots of blankets for you and your child to watch their favorite movie!

Indoor Camping

Camping doesn’t have to be an ordeal – try setting up an indoor campsite with a tent (or even a blanket fort) with much less effort or stress! Roast s’mores over the stovetop and cuddle up with sleeping bags and flashlights for the full camping experience.

Sweet Treats

Just because you’re not outside in the hot sun doesn’t mean you can’t cool off with a sweet treat! For example, popsicles are an easy and delicious treat to make with your kids in the summer – use your favorite yogurt, fruit, or juice to make these yummy and healthy snacks. If your child is a little older, summer is a great time to teach them other skills in the kitchen like cooking or baking too!

Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland childcare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.

For many children, transitioning to summer vacation after 9 months of school or childcare is the best part of their year! However, this transition can be a little difficult at first for parents. Juggling different forms of childcare, setting aside time for family day trips or vacations, and having to adjust your daily life can feel a little overwhelming at times. Here’s a few tips for making the transition to summer vacation as seamless as possible:

Maintain a Routine

While school or childcare might not be your daily routine anymore, there’s always the opportunity to create new routines with your child(ren)! Creating structure with bedtimes, snack times, meals, outside play, etc. can help both you and your little ones get into the flow of summer vacation more easily.

Summer Wishlist

Sometimes one of the most stressful things about summer vacation is the sheer number of things on your to-do list for you and your children! It can be helpful to create a “wish list” with the top 10 things you want to do or accomplish (vacation spots, household projects, road trips, etc.). This can help provide some structure and give yourself ideas of how to organize your summer vacation.

Create Balance

It’s important to always balance summer activities with downtime to just stay home and relax. This isn’t just beneficial to you as a parent, but also to your child! Going to countless activities all day every day can be tiring for anyone, no matter their age, and allowing for some downtime every day can give you and your child some time to recuperate.

Invest in Learning

Just because your child is out of school doesn’t mean they have to stop learning! Doing educational lessons or crafts, visiting museums, or practicing skill sets your child learned during school can help keep them engaged and excited about learning.

Arrange Playdates

While your child is likely excited for summer vacation, they might also be sad about not seeing their friends as frequently as during the school year. Arranging playdates every so often helps your child keep in touch with friends and gives them something to always look forward to!

Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland childcare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.

Every parent knows the familiar feeling of fear and uncertainty when they drop their child off at childcare for the very first time – Will they be safe? Will they make friends? Will they have fun? Will they miss me? These fears are completely normal and, for the most part, will be resolved once you get into a childcare routine and see how your child thrives! But what about children who have separation anxiety and are having trouble being away from you all day?

Try out a few of these ideas to face separation anxiety:

Start preparing early

Separation anxiety often stems from fear of the unknown or a break in a pre-established routine. Both you and your child might experience this! That’s why it can be helpful to start preparing for childcare early. Get your child (and yourself) in the habit of packing a lunch every day, getting up at a certain time, or even driving by the childcare center. This helps ease the first day nerves a little bit and makes the transition much easier.

Make goodbyes into a “see you later”

As a child, having a parent say goodbye can be frightening at first, and they may not immediately understand that you will be coming back for them later! Try to make your goodbye routine as cheerful as possible to help put your child’s fears at rest. Tell them that you’ll see them later, and maybe even mention your plans for that evening like what you’ll have for dinner or the movie you’ll watch. This provides peace of mind that their time at childcare is temporary, not permanent.

Hype up childcare

Children are surprisingly good at reading their parent’s body language, and they likely will pick up if you are nervous or stressed about dropping them off at childcare! It can be helpful to hype up your child’s childcare routine to give them something to be excited about – talk about the playground they’ll have access to, the fun crafts they’ll do, etc. This can turn those nerves to anticipation and help ease any anxiety they might be facing.

Show interest in their day

It might take several days, or even weeks, to completely move past separation anxiety, so it’s important to have a plan in place to ease this transition as much as possible! Investing in your child’s childcare experience by asking about their day, what they did, how they liked their teachers, etc. can help to establish childcare as a normal part of their routine.

Separation anxiety is normal for every child and parent starting their childcare journey. The good news is that it won’t last forever, and with these handy tips you can help to ensure both you and your little one are as prepared for the childcare experience as possible!

Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland childcare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.