Let's face it, it's hard to override the coolness factor of prepackaged Dora the Explorer cheesy crackers and Sponge Bob's sliced packaged apples with caramel dipping sauce, but there are many ways to make healthy lunches "cool" at school. Here are four simple steps for making lunches fun and enjoyable for kids.

1. Get Kids Involved!
Allow children to help make their sandwich, package up leftovers, or put fruit and veggies in their lunchbox. Cutting the fruits/veggies into fun shapes is another great way to make preparing and eating meals fun and cool. If they help prepare their food, they will look forward to eating it later.

2. Provide lots of choices
Everyone likes to have a choice when it comes to meals and children feel extra special when parents trust them to make their own choices. Set out bowls containing various items in each food group. Allow children to pick one thing from each bowl/category. For example, there may be a veggie bowl that contains individual servings of sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes and carrots. The child can pick any one of the three from that category or mix and match! Another option would be to create a "trail mix buffet bar" and allow children to select which items they would like to include in their own personal trail mix snack.

3. Make packaging fun, unique, and colorful!
Allow children to pick out their own cool lunch box and get creative with containers. Remember to keep serving sizes in mind when choosing containers.

4. Don’t give up!
It may take several tries for a kid to acquire a taste for new food that they may have not liked the first time around. Try different variations of packing the same thing, and find which way they like best, like dipping sauces for veggies or spreads on sandwiches.

Here are fun, funky and fresh ideas for making a child's snacks and lunches healthy at home and at school.

Walk on the wild side!
Be creative! It is easy to get into the habit of serving and eating the same dishes because you know kids liked it, but don’t hesitate to switch it up! Cucumbers in a smoothie adds a light, fresh taste, plus added nutrition. Spinach is also a very easy food to throw in smoothies, or cut up in tiny pieces to toss in tomato sauce or in a stir fry if you need to disguise the veggie. Shish Kabobs are also great fun for kids to poke the stick through some veggies of their choice. The possibilities are endless, go explore them!

Wishing you happy and healthy eating,
The Dr. Sears L.E.A.N. Team

Back to Easy & Entertaining Activities

Paper plate shakers:

• Paper plate
• Stapler
• Dry rice or beans

Fold a paper plate in half and staple the sides leaving the top open to pour in the rice or beans.  After you pour the rice or beans, staple the top of the plate and have fun with your shaker.

Toilet or paper towel roll shakers:

• Empty toilet or paper towel roll
• Tape
• Paper
• Scissors
• Dry rice or beans

Make two square shapes out of your paper and securely tape and cover one end to the cardboard roll.  Fill the roll with dry rice or beans and securely tape the other square shape to the other end.  Have fun with your shaker.

Empty water bottle shakers:

• Empty water bottle
• Hot glue gun
• Dry rice or beans

Fill and empty bottle with dry rice or beans and hot glue the cap on.  Have fun with your shaker.

Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar together in a pot.  Mix kool-aid to the water and oil and add to the pot.  Stir all ingredients on medium heat until it forms a ball like texture.  Take off heat and let it cool down for a couple of minutes and then knead until smooth.  Store playdough in a ziplock bag or air tight container.

Cyndi's Bubble Recipe:

• 1/2 cup of dishwashing liquid (Dawn or Joy)
• 2 cups of water
• 2 teaspoons of sugar

Resource provided by:  http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/9-ways-to-make-your-own-backya-86172

Liquid starch slime:

• Clear glue, glitter glue or white glue (Elmer’s washable works best but dollar store is ok too!)
• Liquid starch
• Water
• Measuring cup
• 2 bowls and a spoon
• Food coloring, confetti, glitter (optional)

In one bowl mix ½ cup water and ½ cup of glue (really mix to combine completely).  Now’s the time to add color, glitter or confetti!  In another bowl measure out ½ cup of liquid starch.  Slowly mix the glue/water mixture into the starch with a spoon, make sure to get all glue out of bowl.  Switch to mixing with hangs for a few minutes until you feel it come together.  Put in a clean, dry container or a plate.
Resource provided by:  http://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/liquid-starch-slime-easy-sensory-play-recipe/

Oobleck:

• 1 cup water
• 1.5-2 cups cornstarch
• A few drops of food coloring (optional)

Mix water and cornstarch together. Watch and feel as the oobleck becomes a liquid and solid.  
Resource provided by:  http://www.instructables.com/id/Oobleck/

Ornament and handprint clay (up to 12 small handprints):

• 4 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 ½ cup water

Combine ingredients and knead dough for 15 to 20 minutes. Roll dough out and cut around hand or cut circles out for making hand imprints. Use cookie cutters for ornaments or gift tags. If necessary, slightly dampen pieces to make them stick together.
Make a small hole for the hanger and prick to prevent air bubbles.
Bake at 300ºF about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. You may have to bake considerably longer depending on how thick your items are. They may not feel hard right away but will harden as they cool.
Paint and decorate as desired. Acrylic paints work best and use a varnish to make them shiny.
Resource provided by:  http://www.food.com/recipe/ornament-and-handprint-clay-155960

Back to Easy & Entertaining Activities

How is a parent supposed to know what preschool is the best fit for their child who has only been alive for 2+years? With their interests changing from week-to-week; let alone their personality, it can be one of the most overwhelming school experience you will have to be faced with.  How can you trust a complete stranger to love, protect, understand and educate the most precious thing to you?   At least when choosing a college for your 18 year-old, you have an idea what they are interested in pursuing, understand their strengths and weaknesses, can research which college has the best program for them and for the most part they are independent.

If choosing a preschool was more like choosing a college, I would research preschools around the East Bay that have a thriving program in cars, trucks, boats, airplanes and dirt!  Instead of finding a preschool program that only focuses on vehicles every day of the week, I have to understand how to find the right Preschool Philosophy that would give my son a positive learning experience and would foster his love for learning.  Research now proves that the first 5 years of life is the most crucial for brain development/learning and by having a positive learning experience early on will continue to lead children down a path to become a lifelong learner. 

With so many preschools in the East Bay, where does one start? 

1. Considered what values are important to you and your partner: academics, play-base, parent participation, religion, etc
2. Observe your child’s personality and energy level.  Would they be successful in a structure environment?  Would they learn best through play?  Can they focus better in a busy or quiet environment? 
3. Ask your friends or other parents for recommendations. 
4. Think about the type of questions you would like to ask the preschool.
5. Understand the different types of Preschool Philosophies and choose one that matches you and your child’s educational values.

Now that you have your starting point in your preschool search, here is a “basic” overview of the most common Preschool Philosophies-these are basic overviews of philosophies, please continue to do further research on your own.  Some schools may also incorporate a few of these philosophies within their program: 

• Play-Based/Child-Directed:  Children will have the freedom to engage in activities that interest them within the different interest areas in the classroom.   In a play-based environment, children are learning social skills, turn taking, problem solving, etc while the teachers are taking advantage of teachable moments throughout the day. 
• Developmentally Appropriate:  Children are exposed to materials within their environment that are developmentally and age-appropriate.   Teachers expose children to developmentally appropriate materials/curriculum and has the understanding that every child learns at their own pace.
• Academic-Based:  Children are in a structure environment that is teacher-directed.  The curriculum is often focus in getting children ready for Kindergarten: early reading, writing, math, etc.
• Montessori:  Child-center educational approach within a mixed age-group environment that encourages peer learning, uninterrupted work-time and guided choice of work activity.  Teachers encourage children to initiate their own learning and the development of the whole child: physical, social, emotional and cognitive. 
• Reggio Emilia:  Children are seen as full potential learners who are competent and capable of building their own theories.  The children, parents and teachers are all involved in the curriculum/on-going projects that are based on the child’s interest.  Projects are documented daily using words, art, photographs, etc so that everyone can see the progression of the projects to give it meaning and identity to the children. 
• Project-Based:  Children learn in an interactive process where teachers are there to guide them through real-life experiences within their community/environment.   Children work together on a project for an extended period of time investigating and responding to questions, problems, or challenges that come up along the way.  Children also rely on their peer’s strengthens, weaknesses, interest, backgrounds and experiences in a hands-on learning environment. 
• Waldorf:  Children are seen as creative thinkers and doers.  They learn with a set-routine with predictable structure and usually have the same teacher for multiple years.  The environment is set-up to mimic a nurturing-home where it’s warm and friendly with natural materials.  You will not find any computers or electronic within these environments. 
• High/Scope:  Children are seen as active learners while the teachers are there to participate as partners in their learning.  Teachers emphasize on positive interaction strategies: sharing control with children, focusing on children’s strengths, forming authentic relationships, supporting children’s play ideas and adopting a problem-solving approach to social conflicts.   The heart of High/Scope approach is the “plan-do-review” sequence in which children have to express what their plan is before going to an activity then carrying out their plan and finally reviewing/summarizing what they did to their peers.
• Co-op: In a cooperative program, parent participation is crucial to their child’s learning and preschool experience.  There is usually one teacher who oversees the program, but the parents are the main ones helping out with varies duties throughout the day/school year.
• Religious:  Schools that are sponsored by a church or other religious organizations.  The curriculum and environment is influenced by their religion which can have a heavy or light influence in their daily activities.
• Language Immersion:  Children are immersed and exposed to use a different language throughout the program.  Some schools may be completely immersed in their language while other schools have set times within their daily schedule to immerse the children to learning a new language. 
• Community:  Are not-for-profit preschools. The majority of them are managed by the parents and community members.  The committee makes all major financial, employment, planning and policy making decisions.  Some community-based preschools can also be sponsored and managed by an organization, sometimes with advisory committees comprised of parents and community members. 

Overall, the best advice I can give any parent is to follow your instincts while touring different preschool programs.  There are so many great programs in the East Bay and most likely you will like certain aspects from each school you visit, but the number one thing is to realize that if you have a great feeling about a preschool program then your child will feel the same.  If you are hesitant about a program do not send your child there as your anxiety and emotions will heavily influence their preschool experience.  Also, don’t be afraid to try another preschool if the program doesn't work out for you or your child.  Children are way more resilient than we give them credit for.  Don't over think. They will be fine.

Remember that your child is only a child once so their preschool experience should be filled with positive influences and learning experiences.   

1. Is your school licensed and how long has it been around?

2. What is the program’s philosophy?

3. What is your child to teacher ratio?

4. What is the staff turnover rate and educational background of the teachers?

5. What is your discipline policy?

6. Does the school offer full day and half day options?  Review their school calendar to note holidays observed, teacher work days and other possible school closures.

7. What is included with the monthly tuition (lunch, music classes, language programs, computer classes, etc)?  What other cost are required when enrolling?  Annual fees? How often does their tuition increase and by what percentage?

8. How do the teachers communicate with the parents about the children’s day?  How does the school communicate to the parents?

9. Has there been any recent licensing violations that need to be disclosed to families interested in enrolling?

10. How do you help children transition into your program? 

Being Visually Aware During Your Preschool Tour

1. Does the outside of the school look well-cared for and maintained?

2. What does the school’s security look like?  Do you have to ring a bell to get into the school?  Is the school fenced off so that a child cannot wonder off the property?

3. What does the parking situation look like?  Image it during busy drop-off and pick-up times?

4. Do the teachers look happy to be there?  Are they at the child’s level interacting with them or standing around talking to other teachers?  What are the tones that the teachers are using with the children?

5. Do the children look happy and engaged with plenty of variety in the classrooms or on the playground?

6. Does the kitchen/food prep area look clean?  And does the person prepping the food wear gloves?

7. Check to see if their child to teacher ratio is what they advertised in their program while touring the classrooms.

8. Are the changing tables cleaned and sanitized after each use? Is the bathroom area maintained and have child size toilets/sinks or step stools?

9. Do you see any hazardous cleaning products or materials in arms reach of a child?

10. Most importantly, how do you feel when you walk in?  Go with your first instincts.  If you do not feel comfortable in the environment your child will feel the same.

Give yourself a "parenting check up" every once in a while. Ask yourself these questions:

• Am I present to enjoy the days I create?
• Will I be able to look back and say that I loved being a parent?
• When my kids are grown, will I have the joy of knowing that I was a part of the wonder and excitement of their childhood?

Look at your typical week. Make a "laundry list" of the things you do each day. See if you find tasks that you might:

• Simplify
• Eliminate
• Delegate

Can you simplify dinners with more crock pot recipes? Or eliminate cleaning the house every second by just "letting go" of a perfect house all the time? Have faith that you can find solutions that will find balance in your life. Don't put barriers around the possibilities and solutions that come to mind when you are looking to simplify, eliminate or delegate. Be flexible and aware that something might work beautifully one week but not so great the next week. Don't give up.

Reference: Doe, Mimi. Busy But Balanced. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2003.

Have you ever heard, “give a child a box and it will provide hours of endless fun”?  It’s true!  Open-ended projects give children the opportunity to use their imagination, creativity and keep them interested in an activity for an extended period of time.  What most parents do not realize is that your house is a toy boxes waiting to be explored by your child.  Why not promote learning and exploration with real objects found in your home environment?

There are so many wonderful items in your house that promotes learning and teachable moments.  The key is to be creative and have fun while exploring with your child.  If you are having fun so is your child.  I am a firm believer that the messier your child gets the more fun they have!  So put down your phone, turn on some music and have fun explorer your “toy box” with your child.

Disciplining your child can be hard at times, especially if you are caught in the moment and empty threats just come flying out of your mouth. Empty threats are one of the worst forms of discipline out there because they are fake threats to scare your child into doing something.  These threats are usually things that you have no intentions of ever following through with and only say them for the effect.  “If you don’t clean-up your toys I will throw them all away!”  “If you don’t listen this week, we are going to cancel your birthday party!”  The more you use empty threats to discipline the more you will lose control of the situation because your child will soon realize that you are not going to take anything away from them. 

From my experience working with children, the best advice I can give a parent is to take a deep breath and be in a calm state of mind before starting to discipline.  Remember that following through is what validates your request and earns your child’s respect.  If you are not willing to throw away all of your child’s toys don’t threaten them with it.  Instead you could say, “we are not going to be able to do anything fun today until your toys are put away.”  This encourages your child to look for a positive reason to clean-up their toys because they know something fun is coming their way. 

Another common empty threat that I often hear is the cancellation of a family trip or a party.  Are you really going to cancel your family trip or a birthday party that you have been planning for a few months and already put down a deposit for?  No!  Then don’t threaten your child with it.  Usually children act up when they are excited about an upcoming event like their birthday party or a family vacation. Acknowledge that you notice they are excited but that they still need to listen or they might get privileges taken away like:  not being able to open their birthday presents during their party or maybe sitting out on a few rides when you get to Disneyland. 

Give your child realistic consequences that you are willing to follow through on, even it if means cancelling your plans or rearranging the whole day.  Remember that following through is what validates your request and earns your child’s respect. The more you use empty threats to discipline the more you will lose control of the situation.  Also learn how to share control with your child.  Children who feel like they are in control of their own actions are more incline to do what you ask them to do.  This makes children feel empowered and confident that you trust them enough to make their own decisions.

Just for fun, here are some empty threats that I overheard parents telling their children through the years when I used to work in a preschool.  These left an impression on me because they made me do a double take and secretly asked myself if they really did just say that:

“Ms. Jamie knows Santa Claus so if you hit anyone at school today she will call Santa up and he won’t bring you any presents this Christmas.”

“If you don’t stop crying, you will have to stay in Ms. Jamie’s office....in the dark.”

“We are not going to Disneyland if you don’t listen to your teachers this week.”

“If you don’t leave now then I am going to leave you at school all night.”

Are there any empty threats that ever may you do a double take? Please share.

It takes every ounce of energy you got to walk away from your crying child and trusting that you made the right decision when you signed them up for preschool.  The first good-bye is always the hardest, but it does get easier.  Some children adjust right away in a preschool setting, while others may take up to a month. 

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to saying good-bye.

Prior to the first day of school:

• See if your child’s preschool offers transitional visits prior to them starting school.  These are usually one or two short visits to get familiar with the environment and the teachers
• Get them excited about what they saw in their classroom during their visit.  Talk about the different types of activities that they can do when they go back
• Read books about going to school and let your child know that Mommy’s and Daddy’s will always come back to pick them up
• Pack a comfort item (blanket, small stuff animal, a family picture, etc) that will remind them of home if they are sad
• Plan extra time in the morning for your child’s first day so that you are not rushing out the front door

First day of school:

Do’s

• Be excited while getting ready for school.  Remind them of all the fun things they saw during their transitional visits
• While driving to school let them know when you will be back to pick them up.  Children 2 to 3 years old do not understand the concept of time, but they do understand the concept of routine.  Example, “after you wake up from naptime, I will be back to pick you up”
• Walk them to their classroom and help them find their cubby
• Walk around the classroom and try to engage them in an activity with a child or with a teacher
• Try to make your drop-off short.  The longer you stay the harder it is for you to leave
• Before you leave say good-bye to your child even if they are playing.  Let them know that you are leaving, but that you will be back after “xyz”
• Have your child’s teacher or director give you a call or send pictures to let you know how their morning went

Don’ts

• Do not sneak out of the classroom to avoid saying good-bye.  This will give your child more anxiety during the next drop-off because they will never know when you will be leaving them
• Try not to stay too long and interfere with the classroom’s daily routine
• Do not say good-bye to your child and then come back in the classroom to check on them

If you prolong your departure because your child is telling you not to leave while crying, they will soon realize that the longer they cry the longer you will stay.  Ask your child’s teacher for assistance and have them help you say your good-byes.  It is important to understand that when your child is crying during this time they are also building trust with their teacher.  Respect this bonding time because the faster they build their trust the faster they will adjust into the classroom. 
 
 

As children become more verbal they will undoubtedly start testing their limits and boundaries.  Children absorb information like a sponge and they learn early on what they can and cannot get away with.   Sharing control with your child and knowing how to pick and choose your battles can help when entering the “terrifying” Two’s and Three’s.

Children who feel like they are in control of their own actions are more incline to do what you ask them to do.  This also makes them feel empowered and confident that you trust them enough to make their own decisions.  When your child refuses to listen to a simple request, share control with them and give them two options to choose from that have the same end-results.

Here are a few scenarios to help you get a better idea of giving two options that have the same end-results:

1. Clean-up time: Before asking your child to clean-up their toys, make sure you give them a fair warning prior to them ending their play. For example, “Johnny after you are done building your tower we will need to start cleaning up your blocks”.  If Johnny refuses to clean-up his blocks after he is done building with them you give him your two options:  “Johnny you can clean-up the blocks by yourself or I can come and help you.  What do you choose?”
2. Having your child stay close to you in public:  Running errands can be taxing especially when your child likes to wonder away from you.  To avoid this situation, set your expectations before you enter into the store or run your errands.  For example, “Johnny, mom needs to buy a few things for dinner tonight.  I want you to stay close to me while we are shopping so you can either sit inside the shopping cart or hold my hand.  What do you want to do?”
3. Brushing teeth:  Bedtime routines can often feel drawn out, but the more you stick with a set routine the easier it will be.  Children function better when they know what to expect so if your child brushes their teeth after they bathe try sticking to that schedule.  If your child is refusing to brush their teeth you can say: “Johnny you need to brush your teeth so do you want mommy to help you or daddy to help you tonight?”
   

Sharing control with you child takes patience and sometimes you may need to sit there and repeat yourself over and over again until they answer you.  Remember to pick and choose your battles and set realistic options for your child (stick with only giving two options).  If you child continues to ignore your simple request you can give them another set of options: “if you don’t choose what you want to do, I will choose for you,  do you want me to choose for you or can you choose for yourself?”  Ultimately getting the end-result is the goal so think of creative options that would entice your child to share control. 

Half the battle of potty training is knowing when to start.  Here are some tips and tricks to help ease the stress of potty training.

Signs your child is ready to start potty training:

• Shows interest in the potty
• Has body awareness. Understands when they are wet or has a bowel movement in their diaper
• Can pull pants down and up
• Wakes up dry from bedtime or nap

Prepare your child:

• Talk it up!  Make this potty training event exciting!  Make them feel independent and like a big boy or girl
• Have them pick out their underwear, potty seat and stickers for the potty training chart
• Review your potty training chart so they can understand the process
• Don’t plan any major trips or events for a week or two
• Take the whole weekend to potty train before sending them to school or leaving the house for an extended period of time
• Inform all care takers about your process and be consistent
• Practice washing hands, flushing toilet, putting toilet paper in the potty and pulling down and up pants
• Have them observe you, your partner or older sibling using the potty
• Put a mirror in front of the potty so that they can watch themselves
• Go to the library to find books about potty training
• Come up with a reward system.  When they produce “x-number” of times on the potty they receive a prize.  Examples:  every time they use the toilet and produce they get one piece of candy (m&m) after 5 times they get to visit the toy store and pick out one toy under $10 dollars.

Potty training event:

• First thing in the morning, after nap  or after eating are key times to use the potty
• Put them in clothes that are easy to remove
• Praise them for each step they complete on the potty training chart
• Take them every hour at first and slowly space it out to two hours, three hours, etc
• If they have an accident, don’t shame them!  Be positive and say “It’s okay let’s try again”
• Have them go through the process of changing themselves when they have an accident so they can understand the whole concept of potty training.  They will realize that it will take longer to stop doing/playing with what they were doing then to go to the bathroom in the first place
• After three accidents have them try again the next day.  Don’t put too much pressure in the beginning.  Remember it is supposed to be a positive experience
• Stick with using underwear only.  Try not to use pull-ups as it can be hard for your child to differentiate between underwear and pull-ups
• Review your potty training chart.  Make them feel proud and have them share it with other family members
  
• Be consistent with your process and be ready for lots of accidents
• After a week if they are struggling or having anxiety about it, try it again next month or when they are ready
• Use a diaper during bedtime if they do not wake up dry
• Don’t stress yourself or your child.  Realize that they will get it when they are ready

Have fun and best of luck!