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Independence looks different at every age, and can be a very scary stage of parenting for parents! However, teaching your child decision-making skills and letting them begin to take control of their daily routines and choices can greatly benefit their growth. Here are a few age-appropriate ways to start introducing your child to independence:

Ask for their opinion

Whether it’s choosing between an apple or orange in their lunch box, or between a dress or leggings for school, allowing your child to give input during their daily routine gives them experience making decisions for themselves.

Make lists

Tackling “big kid” tasks can be overwhelming for your child at first, but making physical lists for them to refer to can be helpful. Try creating a list for your child of their nightly routine (brush teeth, put on pajamas, etc.) and encourage them to go down the list all by themselves without you reminding them. It won’t be perfect right away, but with time your child will start to learn their own routines and be able to check off every task without help!

Praise small victories

Tying their own shoes in the morning might feel inconsequential after you’ve packed their lunch, brushed their hair, and picked out their outfit, but it’s still an accomplishment! Your child will react better to positivity after small steps toward independence than negativity about all the tasks they weren’t able to do independently.

Practice patience

Independence won’t be accomplished overnight, and it can be difficult and frustrating to stand back and let your child take on tasks that you may be able to do faster and more effectively. However, the extra time and effort that your child needs to complete small tasks is what helps them learn and grow. Even if it means getting up 10 minutes earlier than normal to allow extra time for your child to get ready on their own, that patience pays off as your child develops independence.

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.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, now’s the perfect time to find ways to give back to your community and teach your child the importance of gratitude! This time of year is often full of family traditions, delicious meals, and quality time spent with one another. However, Thanksgiving is also the perfect opportunity to create new yearly traditions of practicing gratitude and thankfulness with your child!

Donate Old Clothes

As you know, children outgrow their clothes scarily fast in their younger years, likely leaving you with lots of clothing that you no longer need. Instead of throwing away these clothes, try finding a local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or homeless shelter to donate your gently used clothing to – it’s a great way to de-clutter and give to those in need!

Practice Daily Gratefulness

A simple way to practice daily thankfulness is to ask your child to write down one thing they’re grateful for each day of the week. It can be anything from friends, to family, to food, to their favorite stuffed animal. Collect all of these gratitude notes and make them into a paper garland or journal for safekeeping!

Make Thanksgiving Cards

Making Thanksgiving cards with your child is a great activity to encourage gratitude. Let your child decorate their cards however they’d like and encourage them to write a little note inside for someone whom they’re grateful for this year. Even better, make homemade cards to donate to local hospitals or retirement homes!

Bake Treats to Give Away

Baking together is a great bonding activity for you and your child, and they’ll love the opportunity to stir some batter or roll cookie dough into balls! Try baking a few batches of cookies to give away to your child’s favorite teacher, bus driver, or school custodian

Research shows that gratefulness is a learned trait in children, and experts suggest that kids as young as four can begin understanding gratitude and the act of being grateful for things and people in their lives. No matter how old your child is, it’s never too early to start teaching them the wonders of thankfulness and showing appreciation for the important people in their life! 

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.

Acorns and chestnuts are ready this time of year for craft projects for kids. If you can’t find the nuts around the neighborhood, a nut gathering trip to the park or forest trail is a great autumn activity. Once you gathered them, you’ll need to get rid of any unwanted stowaways – bugs.

The first way to get rid of insects is to bake the acorns or chestnuts. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºF and place the nuts on a baking sheet with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Be sure to let the nuts cool before starting your project. Another method is to soak the nuts in a mix of a half cup of vinegar and one cup warm water for 30 minutes. Once they are done, set them newspaper or paper towels, and let them dry.

Painting Acorns & Chestnuts

While chestnuts and acorns can make a lovely fall display, painting them can brighten the season. Your kids can make bright and colorful decorations simply using acrylic craft paints and a paint brush. The color choice is up to you, so have fun! If you don’t want brush strokes to show, brush with the grain of the nut. When using acorns, you don’t need to remove my caps before painting. One coat of paint will let the grain of the acorn or chestnut show, but if you want a more opaque look use two coats of paint.

Acorn & Chestnut Jewelry

You can use painted or unpainted nuts to make necklaces or bracelets. Using an awl, pierce holes in the acorns or chestnuts (or mix and match them). The it’s easy to string them together with twine or elastic to complete the jewelry. You can even add beads for a pop of color!

A Family of Acorn & Chestnut

Another fun project is to make and acorn and chestnut family. You can stack the nuts in various heights to make mom, dad, and the kids with glue. Just like the jewelry, you can use them unpainted or paint clothing on them. If you want shoes, cut the nuts in half with the flat bottom to stand on. For bonus fun, don’t forget to try making the family pet!

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.

No matter how old your child is, the beginning of the school year can be an exciting – and sometimes stressful – adventure! Whether your child is attending school in-person or participating in virtual learning this year, here are a few tips to make this school year safe, fun, and productive!

Establish a Routine

The first few weeks of a new school year can be some of the most stressful as children phase out of their summer schedules and get used to a new routine of school, daycare, or afterschool programs. Establishing routines for children such as when they go to sleep and wake up in the morning, designated play time, and specific mealtimes help give your child a sense of stability when they know exactly what to expect each day.

Set Aside Time for Play

Playtime is crucial to children’s physical and mental well-being. Being given time and space to develop their imagination, engage in active outdoor activities, and take a break from the daily stressors in their lives can improve children’s overall happiness and productivity. Pediatricians recommend a minimum of one hour of play each day for children, so try to set aside some time each day to allow your child to relax, unwind, and have fun!

Encourage Open Communication

Starting the school year can be scary, especially if your child is starting at a new school or daycare center! You can help your child ease into the school year by encouraging daily conversations about their day, what they learned, and how they’re feeling. Encouraging your child to openly talk to you about their experiences can help ease their own anxieties about school, and alert you to any concerns they might have!

Foster Healthy Eating Habits

We know your child’s health is a top priority, and it can sometimes be challenging to maintain healthy eating habits if your child is spending more time away from home at school. However, making sure your child is eating plenty of fruits and veggies, whole grains, and protein is a great way to ensure they stay energized throughout the school day! Try to offer a variety of options in their packed lunch or after-school snack and look over the lunchroom choices at school to help your child choose healthier options whenever possible!

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

Don’t let the heat stop your summer fun! There are plenty of ways to keep you and your child protected even as temperatures rise. Here are a few tips for playing safe in the sun this summer:

Hydrate!

Making sure your child is well-hydrated is very important, especially when the weather gets hot! Make sure your child drinks plenty of water throughout the day, especially if they’ve spent time running outside or swimming. It’s a good idea to pack plenty of reusable water bottles for any summer activity, so that you can refill them as often as necessary! 

Sun Protection

Wearing sunscreen is the best way to keep your child safe from the heat this summer! Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, apply 15 minutes before exposure, and reapply often, especially if your child has been swimming or sweating. And remember, the sun can reach any uncovered patch of skin, so don’t forget to apply sunscreen on your child’s face, ears, and tops of feet! If you know you’ll be walking or playing for long periods of time, bring along a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses for extra protection against UV rays!

Stay in the Shade

While your child may want to play in the sun all day, it’s smart to spend some time in the shade occasionally, especially during mid-day when the sun’s rays are strongest. 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM is considered prime time for UV rays, so try to plan your lunch break or nap time during these hours to give you and your child a break from constant sun exposure!

Beat Heat Exhaustion

Do you notice your child feeling fatigued or sluggish after spending time in the sun? Children often experience heat exhaustion after playing outside in the heat for too long, and their bodies can’t cool down fast enough. If this happens, be sure to bring your child indoors or to a shady spot to rest, recover, and hydrate!

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.

There are plenty of ways to help your kids enjoy their summer vacation even when the rain keeps them indoors! Whether it’s creating a fun art project or baking goodies together, here are a few ideas for fun indoor summer activities to beat the rainy day blues.

Homemade Play Dough

Not only is play dough great for texture and sensory play with young children, but it’s also easy to make at home and reasonably mess-free! The recipe below is simple to make, and uses ingredients you likely already have around your house. Make it more exciting for your kids by playing around with adding food coloring or letting them shape the dough with popsicle sticks or cookie cutters!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of flour
• ½ cup of salt
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Boiling water

Simply mix all of the dry ingredients together, add your choice of cooking oil, and gradually add in boiling water until the dough is your desired consistency. Wait for the dough to cool, and see what your child can create!

Create A Time Capsule

If you want to make sure your child has a summer they won’t forget, customize your own time capsules with them! Have them write letters to their future selves and write lists about their favorite color, sports team, or movie. Combine these with a few photos in a Tupperware container or can, and let your child decorate the outside with stickers, paint, or sparkles. Keep it for safekeeping (or bury it in your backyard) and help them open it again in a few years!

Make Healthy Fruit Popsicles

Just because it’s rainy doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with a go-to summer sweet. Try your hand at a healthier version by combining cut fresh fruit with your choice of juice or punch, pour into molds, insert popsicle sticks, and freeze for at least 6 hours!

Build a Blanket Fort

What better way to spend a rainy day than curled up in a blanket fort? Use sheets or throw blankets to build your fort, fill with pillows, and grab a few snacks to enjoy your child’s favorite movie!

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.

With summer’s warm weather, children are happy to spend time outside. Why not make this summer’s activities artistic? The following are fun activities that will help inspire kids creativity.

Sidewalk or Driveway Art

Once only used for hopscotch, sidewalk chalk is now used to create art that decorates the front of many homes. This thick, colorful chalk usually comes in a bucket for easy storage with many colors. While it’s not permanent (except for the photos you take) these pieces of artwork can be a child’s favorite character, animal, flowers, joyful words, or abstract expressions.

Painting with Water Pistols

If your kids want to paint but aren’t keen on a brush you can always use a water pistol for outdoor summer art. All you need is tempura paint thinned with water, a large canvas of poster board, easel, and of course a water pistol. This fun activity helps develop preschoolers’ motor skills and is a creative way to paint for older kids.

Rocking the Art

When you take art outside, you can also use what you find outside as part of the artwork. Take a nature walk or stroll the beach to find small and medium-sized rocks. These stone canvases can be used to paint on faces or other favorite subjects. Children can also use the stones, rocks and pebbles to create the artwork in patterns or to depict animals and scenes.

Start a Shutterbug

It’s the perfect time to inspire budding photographers when you’re on your walks, trips or creating outdoor art, Photography is art so hand over the camera and be in awe of what the kids will notice!  Some of my favorite vacation pics are the ones that the kids have taken over the years — not to mention, there’s actually a chance that you’ll be in one of the pictures 😉

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

It’s spring, and everyone is ready to get outside. A garden is a perfect way to enjoy the outdoors and benefit from growing fresh fruits and vegetables. Now eating what you grow isn’t the only reward from having a garden. You and your children benefit from moderate exercise, learning about nature, developing patience, building confidence, and quality time together. Of course, you’ll want to help the kids feel a part of the garden. Here are some tips:

A garden plot just for them

To reinforce their feeling they are a part of the garden, give each child a section that is theirs. To avoid issues, be sure it’s a manageable size and border the space to identify which plot belongs to them. Establishing each garden section gives you time to work with your kids to define each area and help them prepare any ground too hard for them to work up alone.

Make it their garden area

Once the individual plots are set, let your kids personalize them. From colorful stakes to gnomes, there are a ton of garden décor to let kids decorate their plots to reflect their personality.

Their own tools

Working with adult-size tools can be awkward and unsafe for children. Be sure to get them their own gardening tools that fit smaller hands. Better yet, take them with you to select their own tools. This will give them more of a sense of ownership and responsibility for the garden. Plus, they can have the fun of choosing their favorite color or design!

Let them select the seeds

With the plot bordered and tilled, it’s time to choose the veggies to plant. Help them with their selection, explain the plants that are easier to tend, when they are ready to harvest, and what they taste like if your child hasn’t tried them. A research visit to the produce section or farmer’s market might not be a bad idea.

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