“Early childhood education begins early, even before birth.”
-Madeleine M. Kunin
It has been an exciting month here at The Children’s Center! Take a look at some of the highlights from this month.
We had an absolute blast at our 2nd Annual Swing for the Future golf fundraiser! Thank you to all our golfers, hole and event sponsors, and to the incredible team at Wexford South Carolina. Congratulations to Mark Anderson, Scott Kirkpatrick, Wayne Hilley, and Scott Saulsbury for taking home first place!
Thank you to everyone who came out and shopped at J.McLaughlin on September 24th. 15% of all sales were donated to The Children’s Center!
Tormenta Academy met us at Jarvis Creek Park this month and taught the kids some soccer skills! We are grateful to be able to provide fun opportunities like this for Children’s Center kids to grow, learn, and play.
We had a visit from students at Hilton Head High School this month! We are so grateful they took the time to volunteer with us, and we hope to see them again soon!
Fall Fun
It’s officially fall! Between the cooler weather and tons of fun fall activities happening in the Lowcountry, we know it will be a wonderful one. Here are some family-friendly activities you may want to check out:
12th Annual Italian Heritage Festival
Fall Festival at Christian Renewal Church
Candy Bounce Back at Oscar Frazier Park
Skidaway Marine Science Day (Includes FREE AQUARIUM ADMISSION!)
Bluffton Self-Help In-Market Shopping
Bluffton Self-Help Drive-Thru Grocery Pick-up
Your Children are Sponges!
It is important to remember that children are incredible imitators and often take in more from their surroundings than we realize. According to author Carrie Shrier of Michigan State University, “Young children are paying attention to the world around them every waking moment. They watch how their parents and caregivers talk, eat, react to situations and interact with others. You are your child’s very first teacher! Infants and toddlers are amazing little students, remembering what their parents and caregivers do and say days and weeks later.”
This information is important for parents. You can set fantastic boundaries and expectations for your child, but without modeling that behavior, you undermine those standards. While difficult, it is important to inventory your behavior and determine if you want your child to copy how you and other caregivers in their world behave. Not only does the way parents and guardians behave affect children under their care, but most kids also interact with peers such as classmates, family members, and others on a regular basis. Poor behavior learned at home can be passed along to other children and create a negative learning environment.
So, what are some ways parents can ensure their children are picking up good habits?
- Be intentional about what you say and do around your child. Refrain from cursing, aggressive or disrespectful behavior with others. Remember, they are learning from you!
- Closely monitor the television shows, movies, and music your child is exposed to. Media is another considerable influence on children. Avoid shows with a lot of violence, inappropriate humor, etc.
- When your child displays negative behavior, take the time to explain to them why that behavior is not appropriate. Additionally, praising positive behavior is a powerful way to encourage good behavior to continue.
To read the article “Young children learn by copying you!” click here.
For more on modeling positive behavior for children, check out this article from Very Well Family.
As always, we want to thank you for your support of The Children’s Center! You are empowering us every single day to equip Lowcountry children to succeed in preschool, Kindergarten, and beyond. We wish you a happy and fun-filled fall!
Staff Spotlight
We would like to welcome our new Development Manager Alli Damas to The Children’s Center team! She is originally from Tennessee but is coming to us from Savannah, GA. When she is not at The Children’s Center, she loves spending time with her husband, her very energetic five-year-old, and twins! We are thrilled to have you on the team, Alli!
Do you want to make a difference? We are looking for full-time and part-time employees! E-mail resumes to info@thechildrenscenter.org.
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