Hand Sanitizer Can Be Dangerous for Preschoolers

It has become quite common for hand sanitizers to be used by both adults and children. People carry them in purses and bags. Schools often require a small bottle of hand sanitizer as part of the list of school supplies a child must bring to school. However, there is a potential danger that involves hand sanitizers and young children that parents need to be aware of. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of microbes on them in most situations. They only suggest … Continue reading

When Your Child Doesn’t Want to go to Preschool

Your child has been happily attending preschool for a while now. He or she always comes home with a smile and a story about something fun that happened that day. Now, suddenly, your child has started to resist going to preschool. What happened? Here is a quick checklist for parents who are baffled by their child’s declaration of “I don’t want to go to preschool!” Keep in mind that it is totally normal for a child to decided that he or she no longer wants to attend preschool. There are days when you don’t particularly want to go to work, … Continue reading

Pushing for Publicly-Funded Preschool

If you missed President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address five months ago, you may be wondering why his recent trip to Illinois attracted so many leaders in the world of early education. Obama spent much of his trip to Fort Knox College on Wednesday reiterating the importance of his proposal to give American children a publicly-funded preschool education. The president unveiled his goal of providing quality early education for 4 year olds in his State of the Union address earlier this year and he is not backing down on his commitment. “If you think education is expensive, wait … Continue reading

iPad App for Preschoolers: Mibblio

At a Glance App:  Mibblio   Cost: FREE, includes one free Mibblet (additional Mibblets are $1.99) Wheels on the Bus$1.99 On Top of Spaghetti$1.99 Old MacDonald$1.99 Monkey Jamboree$1.99 Mashed Potato Monster Gang$1.99 Millie and Her Curling, Whirling Hair$1.99 Superhero Vacation$1.99 Sunny Side Up$1.99 Wibblesmacks$1.99   Age Recommendation: 3 to 8   Theme: Interactive musical/storybook   Uses: Children are fully engaged in reading, singing, and playing music to develop a sense of curiosity and fun about reading and music.   Synopsis: Mibblio is the first musically interactive storybook app of its kind. Inside Mibblio is a world of beautiful mibblets — … Continue reading

Using Play Doh to Teach Preschool Lessons

Play Doh is one of my favorite preschool activity toys and art mediums. Mashing the dough can creating people, ice cream cones, pizza, and animals, is as much fun for me as the kids.  I am not sure what came first, the lessons I developed using Play Doh or my desire to play and the need to make it count as part of my lesson plan.  Nonetheless, I have come up with a way to play and learn.  Now, when my husband comes home and finds Play Doh mashed in the carpet its all good. In all seriousness, using a … Continue reading

What Do Kids Do At Home Based Preschool?

One thing that is often on the mind of parents of toddlers is preschool. After all, once a toddler is no longer a toddler, he becomes part of the “preschoolers” age group whether or not he actually attends preschool. I am not sure why that is, and this morning when I was talking with my husband about it he agreed that it seems a bit odd to define an entire age group by something that not every child does. Perhaps the reason that it seems odd to us is that our soon – to – be preschooler is unlikely to … Continue reading

Preschool Is On My Mind Again

As Dylan’s third birthday approaches, I am thinking more and more about preschool. The current theme of my preschool – related thoughts has shifted from “which preschool” to “whether or not he will attend preschool”. We still have plenty of time to research and weigh our options, because if we decide that Dylan will attend preschool he would not start until January. There are still two preschools in our area that I plan to visit with Dylan, one is right in town and the other is about a half hour away. One is Montessori, and the other is Waldorf. Of … Continue reading

Is it ADHD, or Typical Preschooler Behavior?

ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is something that many parents have at least a vague awareness of. How can a parent tell between typical preschooler behaviors and symptoms of ADHD in a child so young? There are a few tips that can help parents to tell one from the other. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of ADHD must appear before the child is seven years old in order for that child to be diagnosed with the disorder. That means that an attentive parent, who has reason to think that her child could have ADHD, needs to be very … Continue reading

Are We Reliant on Techology to Parent?

When I first got my iPhone I was amazed at all the apps for children. There are hundreds of thousands of games and educational apps for children as young as three. I thought it seemed illogical to have a cell phone with so many apps for a child too young to have a cell phone. Now, I realize these apps are also on the iPad but again how many children need an iPad? Before I go on I must say that I recognize that the educational apps on the iPhone and iPad can greatly benefit children with learning disabilities. My … Continue reading

Preschool Picks: Ten Games in One

It is around the time when planning for the next preschool year begins. I love to choose items and curriculum for my preschooler. Perhaps it is because I am such a kid at heart. Preschool is a wonderful time of exploration and teaching through games. One of the questions I receive most is about products, curriculum, and games that I recommend for the preschool years. In this next series on Preschool Picks, I will share the best I have used and come across. The first item I want to share is My Very First Educational Play Zoo by HABA. Last … Continue reading