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Here are links to previous  newsletters:

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Here are links to previous  newsletters:

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August Newsletter:
https://padlet.com/makenzie_morse/tlpc6mhbg3soudxe

September Newsletter:
https://padlet.com/richajo/aukmz20vuad55rgh

October Newsletter:
https://padlet.com/leydani/hjw4x91239tppylo

November Newsletter:
https://padlet.com/baertia/eq4wkrdjsk22fvbr

December Newsletter:
https://padlet.com/baertia/lnv4rgmk7dp15f3x

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As your preschooler prepares for kindergarten, parents often wonder about school readiness skills. School readiness skills encompass more than pre-academic skills and also include critical social-emotional skills, such as self-control. When asked about school readiness skills, many teachers say children who succeed in kindergarten know when and how to control their impulses. They can follow through when a task is difficult and listen to directions for a few minutes. These skills are linked to self-control. Families can help children learn self-control at home.

For more information and activities for this topic, please click on the link below:

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When asked about school readiness skills, many teachers say children who succeed in kindergarten know when and how to control their impulses. Here are a few ways families can help children learn self-control.

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Did you know that the United Way can connect you to a variety of services?

More information available at:  https://www.uwgc.org/211

View their database of service providers in the United Way of Greater Cincinnati service area at www.referweb.net/uwgc.

DIAL 211 or 513-721-7900 | TTY: 513-762-7250 | EMAIL: uw211@uwgc.org

The United Way is here to help – 24 hours a day, seven days a week – wherever life takes you. Dial 211 to speak to a trained professional who can connect you to essential community services. There's 411 for information and 911 for emergencies, but you can call 211 when you need help and don't know where to turn.

Serving Hamilton, Clermont, and Brown Counties in Ohio; Boone, Kenton, Campbell and Grant in Kentucky.

Not a crisis hotline | In case of emergency, please dial 911

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ASCCs are contacting families during remote learning to check in. If you have questions or need social supports, let them know. They are a great resource and are happy to assist. They will also share Parent Meeting information. These meetings are virtual and include various topics, this is a great way to connect with other preschool families. Please join.
In looking forward to the 2021-22sy ASCCs will be reaching out to discuss your Pre-K and kindergarten enrollment plans (more information to follow).
Preschool Openings
Early Childhood has a few preschool seats available for the current school year.  If you know of a family  interested in enrolling a preschooler, guide them to call one of the Hubs to discuss enrollment opportunities.
* Rising Stars on Vine - 363-0240 option 1
* LEAP Academy - 363-0240 option 2
* Carthage 363-0240 option 3
* Rising Stars Cheviot Westwood 363-1575
Magnet updates:
Families interested in applying for  Magnet Schools for the 2021-22 sy, must apply online at  https://dashboard.cps-k12.org/magnetlottery/.  The lottery closes on March 5, 2021, ECE will begin contacting families in April.

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With many families now spending more time at home together, the pressure to find activities to do with your children is high.  A free and rewarding activity to share with children is conversation.  Preschoolers have much to say and are learning to express their ideas.  A great way to help to support language development is conversation.  Conversations build language and social language skills including:

Listening skills

Turn taking

Responding to questions

Asking questions

Learning non-verbal communication (facial expressions, gestures, body language)

Our idea of conversation may often be limited to more complex interactions between adults which can make conversation with preschoolers seem difficult.  Adjust your expectations when conversing with preschoolers.  Because many preschoolers are still learning to express themselves, they may give one word responses or none at all.  Lots of practice and parent modeling of conversation skills are important.  Consider these tips and don’t give up.  Conversations with preschoolers can be lots of fun!

Ask questions related to a child’s interests

Ask older siblings the question first to allow for sibling models

Accept and respond to any response your child offers and build upon it

Include simple conversations as part of a routine (e.g. dinner time, bedtime, bath time)

Check out this link for ideas for simple questions to ask as conversation starters.

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Dinner time with young children can be anything - but relaxing. Sit down! Eat your food! Stop licking the table! Okay the last one might just be at my house, but you get my point. The concept of family dinner is a good one - but the reality isn't as pretty.

In a desperate attempt to make my 3, 5, and 11 year old talk to us at dinner - I made a conversation jar and loaded it with questions I found around the web. To my surprise - the kids loved it. I mean loved it.

They argued whose turn it was to pull a question - even though two of the three can't really read. The amount of time my kids sat at the table moved from single to double digits! What was even more surprising - was that my three year old got in on the conversation. She offered hilarious answers to questions she didn't fully understand. When she did understand the question - the answers were even better.

I thought - wouldn't it be great if there was a list of questions that were specifically designed for young kids. I loved the concept, but craved questions that were geared more towards little people.

So a list grew in my head. Eventually the list made it onto my computer and finally into this article. Some questions are very straight forward and some might need a little more explaining for the youngest at your table. Some questions will bring laughter and others might bring insight into those little, mysterious minds.

If you are up to a project - cut these questions out and put them in a jar - otherwise just bookmark the page and come back for new questions each night.

50 Dinner Questions to Get those Little Ones Laughing and Talking:

1. If you could go into any TV show - what show would want to visit?

2. If you could only eat one fruit forever - what fruit would it be?

3. What are three words you would uses to describe yourself?

4. What do you think your are good at?

5. If you had to pick only one - would you want to be a great singer or a great dancer?

6. If you went to another planet - what would you bring with you?

7. If you were a teacher what rules would you make?

8. If you could make your whole house out of food - what food would you use?

9. If you could have one super power what would it be?

10. If you could be an animal what would you be?

11. If you could paint the whole world - what color would you use?

12. Who is the nicest person you know?

13. If you could be anyone when you grew up - who would you want to be?

14. If you could be your favorite cartoon character - who would you be?

15. Which is better - being invisible or being able to fly?

16. What's one rule you wish your mom and dad didn't have?

17. If we could only have one holiday - which one would you pick?

18. If you could go anywhere in the world - where would you go?

19. What do you like the most about your sister/brother/mother/father?

20. If your pets could talk - what would they say?

21. If you could only have one wish - what would it be?

22. If you could read someone's mind - whose mind would you want to read?

23. If you were invisible - where would you want to go?

24. If you could play with only one thing your whole life - what would you pick?

25. If you could only read or listen to one book - what would you pick?

26. If you could have any job in the world - what would it be?

27. If you had to have no arms or no legs - which would you pick?

28. What scares you the most?

29. If you could turn someone nice - who would it be?

30. If you could be great at something - what would you want to be great at?

31. If you could be any age - what age would you want to be?

32. If you could make the laws - what is one law you would definitely create?

33. If you could only be one age for the rest of your life - what age would you want to be?

34. If you could make up any holiday - what would it be called?

35. If you could live anywhere - where would you live?

36. If you could make any animal talk - what would it be?

37. If you had to change places with your mom or dad - who would you pick to be?

38. If you could only have Christmas or your Birthday each year - which one would you pick?

39. What is your most favorite memory so far?

40. How many kids do you think you'll have when you grow up?

41. Which is better to be - funny or honest?

42. If you could make one improvement to the world - what would it be?

43. If you had to teach someone something -what could you teach?

44. What's your funniest face?

45. Who can go the whole dinner without blinking?

46. Who is the funniest person at the table?

47. What relative do you love seeing the most?

48. If you could make three family rules - what would they be?

49. If you had to rename yourself -what name would you give yourself?

50. If you had to live with a cartoon character - who would you pick?

I hope you and your kids have fun with these questions!

Hopefully it will be a jump start to some interesting conversations - or at the very least a brief interlude from the moans and groans of why they have to eat your very disgusting dinner. As my husband would say, their first world problems!

For more parenting articles - follow Anxious Toddlers Pinterest boards:
Visit Anxious Toddlers's profile on Pinterest.

Other family dinner ideas:

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Family Dinner: 50 Conversation Starters for Young Kids

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Dinner time with young children can be anything - but relaxing. Sit down! Eat your food! Stop licking the table! Okay the last one might just be at my house, but you get my point. The concept of family dinner is a good one - but the reality isn't as pretty.

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What Doesn't Belong:

Play this fun thinking game.  Gather four things and make sure that 3 of them are similar or the same, such as three bananas.  Add a fourth item such as a stuffed animal.  Ask your child to tell you which one doesn't belong or which one is different.  Then ask him/her to tell you how they know it is different or why they think it is different.  You can make the game more challenging by gathering three things that belong in the same category such as soap, shampoo and toilet paper (all bathroom items) and adding a screwdriver.  Again ask your child which one doesn't belong and why.

Simon Says!

One of the things we assess in preschool is the ability to follow multi-step directions.  Here are some examples of 3-, 4-, and 5-step directions that will work perfectly with Simon Says:

3-steps

Stand up, go get a spoon, and turn in a circle.

Touch your head, put the ball in the bucket, and take a bite of a cookie.

Do 1 jumping jack, knock on the table 3 times and sit down, .

4-steps

Tap your knees, get your favorite book, clap your hands, and lay on the floor.

Say your name, turn in a circle, bounce the ball once, and sit down.

5-steps

Put the pillow on the bed, turn in a circle, hop on one foot, lay down on the bed, and clap your hands.

Touch your toes, roll the ball to me, take a bite of cookie, touch your head, and sit down.

Can you draw that?!

Give your child either a blank piece of paper, or a paper with a design already on it. Come up with a few simple directions.

Draw a blue circle in the middle of the page

Make a stick figure above the circle

Color the dog’s face PINK

This game also targets skills such as: Colors, Shapes and Basic Concepts.

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Now that the cold weather is here, it's time to make sure you keep your children and family warm and safe this winter.  The following three websites have information about what you can do to keep your family safe.

At Home or on the Road, Here's Your Cold Weather Safety Checklist

https://www.safekids.org/blog/home-or-road-heres-your-cold-weather-safety-checklist

Winter Safety Tips

https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/tools-resources/seasonal-safety/winter

Tips to Keep Kids Warm All Winter

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Winter-Safety.aspx