Monday, November 2, 2009

The playway news November \ December 2009

Hello, parents and playwayers…

Welcome!

We warmly welcome little Yousuf, Ruwanya and Ayan to our play circle. We are delighted to have you at the playway.
Rushen, who was so popular among everyone had to say goodbye to his play mates, as he returns to Kandy with his parents. We miss him.

Do you bribe (please do not even use this word in front of your child) your children?

It is not a good idea to bribe your children out of a meltdown, as that means it becomes something that works for them! It would be like me saying to you, "If you scream, kick and cry as loud as you can and embarrass me as much as you can, I will buy you that Prada handbag"!

It is very important—no matter how embarrassing or how long the tantrum lasts—that you do not give your children what they want! (What they demand by having tantrums).
Take a few steps away and tell your kid (calmly), "OK, if you are behaving this way, we will talk when you are done," and just ignore the people staring at you. (I know it is hard!) If the tantrum continues, you can periodically check in and just remind the child "let me know when you are done." BUT be watchful from a distance.

Here are ten tips for parents who want to find an alternative to “bribery” By Elena Neitlich:

(Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?10-Parenting-Tips-to-Stop-Bribing-Your-Children&id=633296)

1. Immediately respond to the incident making sure that the child realizes that her behavior is unacceptable. Little kids need to be educated about right and wrong.

2. Use words the child will understand to explain that you are upset. Don’t assume she knows why you are unhappy. “Tammy, pulling the folded clothes out of the laundry basket is not okay. Mommy worked hard to fold those clothes. We have discussed this before. I am giving you a three minute time-out.”

3. Follow-through, act immediately, and do what you say you are going to do. Do not make idle threats.

4. Ask the child to apologize.

5. Reward the child with a huge hug and kiss and thank him for completing the time-out. Then let it go. It is not fair to your child to dwell on an incident after he has completed the time-out, or you have taken away a toy or privilege.

6. Do not feel guilty that you had to reprimand your child. It is your obligation to your child to teach her proper behavior. If you are calm and choose an appropriate consequence then you are being a great parent.

7. Be on the lookout for good behavior. How refreshing it is for kids to have their positive behavior recognized… especially when they weren’t expecting it to be noticed.

8. Keep a tally of all of the good behavior over the course of the day and reward with an extra story at bedtime, an extra fun craft project, or a “tickle extravaganza.” But most importantly, let the child know how proud you are of him or her and how much you love him/her.

9. Talk your children up! Say, “I have the most wonderful kids! I love to be with them!” Kids do hear you when you talk about them, loud and clear. Make sure that the majority of what they hear makes them feel warm and nurtured, loved, respected and cherished.

10. Children want limits set. They feel out of control if you don’t make the boundaries clear, and that scares them. Children want you to be the parent. One of the most wonderful gifts that you can give to your kids is to teach them how to behave properly.
Guiding children through the tough stages of childhood creates parenting opportunities for teaching lessons in manners and good behavior. By promoting peace, quiet and good behavior in the home, parents create a fertile environment that encourages growth and development.

Our Current Theme: Toys, Toys

The theme for the months of November and December is “Toys, Toys”. This topic of enquiry encourages the children, parents and teachers to understand the varying range of toys available and how they can contribute towards the development of a child.
The central idea of the theme is to explore what makes an object a ‘toy’ – what are the qualities of a good, age appropriate toy? We will investigate how safe and stimulating they are, how interesting they are and what makes them so. The children are encouraged to build their own toys at the playway using recycled materials.

the playway will invite various toy makers and the children will join them in making easy toys. If time permits, we may even visit a toy factory in January!
Moreover, Language, number, science, PSE, PE, rhythm & music and art & craft will be introduced through “Toys, Toys”.

Birthdays - Happy, Happy Birthday

Hope you all will have a great BIG day. May all your little birthday dreams come true!


Nov 23 Raisa will be 3
Dec Vasilisa will be 2
Dec Thenuk will be 4
Dec Ruwanya will be 2

Flash Back
01 Oct, Children’s and Elders’ Day
Children and their grandparents enjoyed the event throughout that day. A very special thank you goes out to the grandparents who made sure they will attend the event amidst their busy schedules and who came from far away destinations. And a very warm heartiest thank you goes out to Mrs. Chandrica Rodrigo, Jaana’s grandmother for her presentation.

Deewali at the playway
Deewali was celebrated with Mrs. Sharmini Pushparaj, Adhithri’s mum and Yoga’s great enthusiasm. Children came dressed appropriately to join Adhithri and her mum. Mrs Pushparaj brought sweets, garlands and sparkles and lit bright lamps giving a true spirit of Deewali while Yoga did a beautiful decoration at the entrance of the playway. Thank you, Mrs. Pushparaj and Yoga for making it a memorable day for the children.

Thank you, Rex!
Tharinda Rex Liyanwela, from Grade 12 at the British School joined the playway team for three days. He also conducted the PE lessons during this time, which the children greatly enjoyed.
Car Wash

A real life experience with a real car and shampoo brightened up the children on the 28th October when they were allowed to scrub and rub and rinse my car at the playway. The children enjoyed the experience. Hope daddies and mummies will give your children hands on experience with such real life situations in the future. Don’t you think it is very enterprising too?

Dress me like a Veggie

Thank you, mummies and daddies for being so creative. The children looked so cute when they appeared in the costumes. They were so proud to be their favourite veggie too. The event was so colourful, meaningful and fun filled when we all had a carefree time on stage. Please save the costumes for an event we want to have at the closing day for Christmas.


Dates for Your Diary

Monday, 2 Nov Poya & All souls’ Day -Holiday
Wednesday, 4 Nov Cookery day- Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Friday, 6 Nov Field Trip to Viharamahadevi Park
Monday, 9 Nov Bring your Favourite toy to school
Wednesday,18 Nov Let’s make a KITE with Mr. Indika
Saturday, 21 Nov Ramadhan Gifts –the children at the orphanage visit RC (tentative)
Wednesday, 25 Nov watch how we make soft toys with Mrs. Fernando
Monday, 30 Nov Bikes and Cars Day
Tuesday,1 Dec Poya Holiday
Thu-Fri, 3-4 Dec Parents meet Teachers
Friday, 11 Dec Santa arrives @ the playway Christmas Party, end of play for the calendar year
Tuesday, 12 January Play begins for the new calendar year


How to protect yourself and others…
from Pandemic Influenza 2009 (Influenza AH1N1)


Wash hands regularly with soap and water.
Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth regularly.
Cover your mouth with a disposable tissue or handkerchief when sneezing or coughing.
Dispose of used tissues properly and immediately.
If you have flu-like symptoms, stay home from work, school or crowded places.
If you have flu-like symptoms visit a qualified doctor.
Flu-like symptoms include,

fever
headache
body pains
sore throat
cough
runny nose
vomiting*
diarrhea*

*only sometimes

The only way to stop the spread of the pandemic is to spread the awareness.

Have a Nice November …

Neelika Edirisinghe
Director, the playway nursery