Appletree Day Care, Inc

Child Development

Are You Present with Your Children?

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How often are you fully and completely present when you are with your children? One of the greatest gifts we can give to our children is to be fully present with them. Being fully present can often be a big challenge.

When my children were growing up, I worked full time as a counselor, wrote books, traveled on book tours, and pursued my passion as an artist – in addition to spending time with my husband. The only way I could be fully present when I was with my children was to set aside “time alone” with them. “Time alone” was the daily quality time I spent with each of my children, doing whatever they wanted to do. During this time, I did not answer the phone or deal with the many running issues. It was time set aside to be fully present with them, not even thinking about other things.

When you don’t spend quality time being fully present, the message you give to your children is that they are not important. When answering the phone, or getting things done, or thinking about what you have to do tomorrow is more important than being present with your children, they get the message that being with them and knowing them is not very important to you.

When I was growing up, my mother was always busy. She never had the time to be with me. She never wanted to know about my thoughts and feelings or how things were going at school. She never had the time to play with me or hang out with me. While she said that she loved me and that I was important to her, I never felt it. Words don’t cut it when the actions don’t follow.

If it is not important to you to be with your children – talking with them, playing with them, taking a walk, holding them, listening to them, sharing love with them – then they will likely not feel loved by you. No matter how many things you buy them or how often you tell them you love them, if they are not important enough to you to be with them, they will likely not feel loved and cherished by you.

Your children need your focused attention, and when they don’t get it, they may pull for it in various ways. They may chatter on and on, trying to keep your attention. They may act out by fighting with each other, or by not listening to you, or going into resistance regarding chores, homework, hygiene, bedtime, and so on. For many children, even negative attention feels better than no attention. This may create a very negative vicious circle, in that the more they act out, the less you feeling like being with them, but the less you are with them lovingly and attentively, the more they may act out.

Think about how you feel when someone gives you his or her full attention. Doesn’t it feel wonderful? How often does someone look you in the eyes and give you his or her full attention? How often do you feel listened to and heard by someone? Unfortunately, many people are so intent on being listened to and heard that they don’t listen and hear.

The simple act of being fully present with your children will do more for them than you can imagine. You have an opportunity to give your children a great gift – being fully present with them with your love, compassion, empathy, interest, sense of humor, playfulness, and affection. Each day, you have the opportunity, even if it is just for half an hour, to fully cherish them.

They grow up so fast. Don’t miss this opportunity each day.

Easy Ways to Teach Your Children to be Grateful for What They Have

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Here are some easy ways to incorporate instilling the virtue of gratitude in your children. Then, as you go through your day, show them the wonderful events behind the scenes that we most usually take for granted.

  1. Set the Right Example.

Teach them by using the appropriate words at the right times yourself. For example, how many parents do you see saying “Thank You” to their two or three-year-old children? For example, kids learn best, and teaching gratitude is no different than anything else in that respect. “Children Learn What They Live!”

  1. Teach It Through Role-Playing.

You can play games with your children that implement the virtue of gratitude. For example, play the second chair and practice showing them how it feels to be on the receiving end of an unexpected “Thank You!”

  1. Teach by Showing Them How to Be of Service to Others.

Even simple things such as holding a door for an older adult are small ways to show them how others appreciate us and our actions. It is also a way to put a smile and a lift into a stranger’s day, which always creates a good feeling within the person who is doing the kind act.

You would be surprised how often a simple gesture like this can occur in your normal daily activities, in places like grocery stores, doctors’ offices, or shopping trips.

  1. Make a List.

It is an easy way to get them to make lists of what they are thankful for and how each thing makes their life better.

  1. Teach Gratitude While Going Without Things.

Recently my family and I had to deal with a full 24 hours of no power. This outage caused by a storm was an ideal opportunity for me to teach my children what we had to be thankful for that we normally took for granted. Simple things like lights, heat, and watching TV were just a few that quickly came to mind.

  1. Show them How to Be Thankful for the Little Things in Life.

As in the previous example, although most of us would not consider heat and light little things, they are always there for our kids, so they are simple things that they usually don’t pay much attention.

Other simple examples could include; having food to eat all the time, friends to play with, and having plenty of toys and school supplies. Showing them examples of third-world country children who go without these things is a way of teaching them an appreciation for what they have.

  1. Teach them to see the good in someone they don’t like.

You can even use a negative experience to teach them the value of being grateful. When I think of this, immediately what comes to my mind is the Walt Disney movie “PollyAnna,” where she played the “Glad” game and found many things to be grateful for in every situation she encountered. Renting this video, watching and discussing it with them would be a great, gratitude-building quality time family activity.

As you go through your day, show them the wonderful events behind the scenes that we often take for granted. For instance, things like the police, who protect us, the firemen who are there for those who need them, and the clerk at the grocery store doing her job to help us get our food. Simple thank you comments to all of these daily activities is the easiest way to model appreciation that your children will learn and emulate.

How to Keep Your Breast Pump Kit Clean: The Essentials

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Providing breast milk is one of the best things you can do for your baby’s health and development. Pumping your milk is one way to provide breast milk to your baby. However, germs can grow quickly in breast milk or breast milk residue that remains on pump parts. Following these steps can keep your breast pump clean and help protect your baby from these germs. If your baby was born prematurely or has other health concerns, your baby’s health care providers may have more recommendations for pumping breast milk safely.

  1. Wash hands. Wash your hands well with soap and water for 20 seconds.
  2. Assemble. Assemble clean pump kit. Inspect whether the pump kit or tubing has become moldy or soiled during storage. If your tubing is moldy, discard and replace immediately.
  3. Clean if using a shared pump.Clean pump dials, power switch, and countertop with disinfectant wipe.
  1. Store milk safely. Cap milk collection bottle or seal milk collection bag, label with date and time, and immediately place in a refrigerator, freezer, or cooler bag with ice packs.
    If milk collection container will be stored at a hospital or childcare facility, add name to the label
  2. Clean pumping area. Especially if using a shared pump, clean the dials, power switch, and countertop with disinfectant wipes.
     
  3. Take apart and inspect pump kit. Take apart breast pump tubing and separate all parts that come in contact with breast/breast milk (for example, flanges, valves, membranes, connectors, and milk collection bottles).
  4. Rinse pump kit. Rinse breast pump parts that come into contact with breast/breast milk under running water to remove remaining milk
  5. Clean pump kit. As soon as possible after pumping, clean pump parts that come into contact with breast/breast milk in one of the following ways.
    • Clean by hand.
      1. Use a wash basin. Place pump parts in a clean wash basin used only for washing infant feeding equipment. Do not place pump parts directly in the sink, because germs in sinks or drains could contaminate the pump.
      2. Add soap and water. Fill wash basin with hot water and add soap.
      3. Scrub. Scrub items according to pump kit manufacturer’s guidance. If using a brush, use a clean one that is used only to clean infant feeding items.
      4. Rinse. Rinse by holding items under running water, or by submerging in fresh water in a separate basin that is used only for cleaning infant feeding items.
      5. Dry. Allow to air-dry thoroughly. Place pump parts, wash basin, and bottle brush on a clean, unused dish towel or paper towel in an area protected from dirt and dust. Do not use a dish towel to rub or pat items dry because doing so may transfer germs to the items.
    • baby bottles in dishwasher

      Clean in a dishwasher (if recommended by pump kit manufacturer).

      1. Wash. Place disassembled pump parts in dishwasher. Be sure to place small items into a closed-top basket or mesh laundry bag so they don’t end up in the dishwasher filter. If possible, run the dishwasher using hot water and a heated drying cycle (or sanitizing setting); this can help kill more germs.
      2. Remove from dishwasher. Wash your hands with soap and water before removing and storing cleaned items. If items are not completely dry, place items on a clean, unused dish towel or paper towel to air-dry thoroughly before storing. Do not use a dish towel to rub or pat items dry because doing so may transfer germs to the items.
  6. Clean wash basin and bottle brush. If you use a wash basin or bottle brush when cleaning your pump parts, rinse them well and allow them to air-dry after each use. Consider washing them every few days, either in a dishwasher with hot water and a heated drying cycle, if they are dishwasher-safe, or by hand with soap and warm water.

For extra germ removal, sanitize pump parts at least once daily. Sanitizing is especially important if your baby is less than 3 months old, was born prematurely, or has a weakened immune system due to illness or medical treatment (such as chemotherapy for cancer). Daily sanitizing of pump parts may not be necessary for older, healthy babies, if the parts are cleaned carefully after each use. Sanitize all items (even the bottle brush and wash basin!) by using one of the following options.

Note: If you use a dishwasher with hot water and a heating drying cycle (or sanitizing setting) to clean infant feeding items, a separate sanitizing step is not necessary.

  1. Clean first. Pump parts, bottle brushes, and wash basins should be sanitized only after they have been cleaned.
  2. Sanitize. Sanitize the pump kit, bottle brushes, and wash basins using one of the following options. Check manufacturer’s instructions about whether items may be steamed or boiled.
    1. Steam:
      • Use a microwave or plug-in steam system according to the manufacturer’s directions.
    2. Pot of boiling water on stove

      Boil:

      • Place disassembled items that are safe to boil into a pot and cover with water.
      • Put the pot over heat and bring to a boil.
      • Boil for 5 minutes.
      • Remove items with clean tongs.
  3. Allow to air-dry thoroughly. Place sanitized pump parts, wash basin, and bottle brush on a clean, unused dish towel or paper towel in an area protected from dirt and dust. Do not use a dish towel to rub or pat items dry because doing so may transfer germs to the items.

Allow the clean pump parts, bottle brushes, and wash basins to air-dry thoroughly before storing to help prevent germs and mold from growing. Once completely dry, the items should be stored in a clean, protected area to prevent contamination during storage.

  • Wash hands. Wash hands well with soap and water.
  • Reassemble. Put together the clean, dry pump parts.
  • Store safely. Place reassembled pump kit in a clean, protected area such as inside an unused, sealable food storage bag. Store wash basins and bottle brushes in a clean area.
Tips for handling breast pump tubing
  • When used correctly, breast pump tubing does not touch the pumped milk and does not need to be cleaned routinely.
  • Keep a spare set of tubing on hand in case the set you are using gets soiled or damaged.
  • If your tubing has water droplets in it at the end of a pumping session, disconnect the tubing from the flange/pump kit, but leave it attached to the pump. Run the pump for a few more minutes until the tubing is dry.
  • If your tubing has milk or mold in it, throw it away immediately because it is difficult to clean properly. Replace it with a new set of tubing, and check to see if the problem happened because
    • The valves or membranes need to be replaced.
    • The tubing was attached to the pump incorrectly.
  • If the outside of your tubing is soiled, wipe it with a damp cloth or disinfectant wipe.

How to Keep Your Breast Pump Kit Clean – English (Click to Download)

How to Keep Your Breast Pump Kit Clean – Spanish (Click to Download)

Ten Reasons to Read to Your Child

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We all know that learning to read is important, but as parents, what can we do to facilitate this milestone?

Reading to your child has many benefits, one of which is simply having time to snuggle together.

Here are ten reasons to read to your child.

1.When you read to your child, he/she will learn that reading is important to you, therefore reading will become important to him/her.

2.The more your child hears sounds, the better he/she will process these sounds into words. When a child is preschool/kindergarten age, the listening word starts to become the written word.

3.Reading has a calming effect on a restless or fussy child. Who doesn’t want an easy way to calm a fussy child?

4.Reading is a wonderful before bed routine. Studies have shown that a child will thrive in an atmosphere in which routines are present.

5.Reading will help to develop your child’s imagination. Have you ever gotten lost in a good book? Your child can do the same while you are reading to him/her.

6.Reading will foster your child’s ability to listen and pay attention. With all the problems we hear concerning attention spans, this is a great way to avoid that.

7.Reading to a young child will teach him/her the correct way to hold a book and turn the pages.

8.Reading to your child will develop in him/her the desire to become a reader.

9.Teachers will thank you.

10.When a child is read a personalized storybook, he/she will be able to recognize his/her name in print at an early age.

Isn’t it exciting to think that you can have such an effect on your child’s ability to readjust by reading to him/her? You have the power to develop a lifelong joy of reading and learning in your child. WOW! Just read.