Parents as Teachers
February 2020
Helping Children Cope with their Strong Emotions
There is something to be said about the amount of emotion that can be balled up and expressed by our tiny little children. They can go from laughing hysterically to a major meltdown within a matter of seconds. This can be so incredibly overwhelming when it is happening, for both parents and children alike. Most children under the age of 5 struggle to regulate their emotions without the help of their parent or another loving adult. One of the best ways to help children begin to self-regulate is to talk with them about their emotions. A great way to begin talking about emotions with your child is when you are reading. There are many books available for parents to use to start introducing the vocabulary that relates to different feelings and emotions. Children as young as 6 months enjoy looking at other babies' faces in books. Many of these types of books cover a wide range of emotions on each page. These simple emotions are a great tool for increasing your child's vocabulary and social awareness. When reading to your child you can talk about the facial expressions of the babies and say things like, "Oh that baby looks sad. You were sad the other day when..." This helps your child to start to make the connections in their brain of what it means to be sad, happy, mad, etc. The next step could be providing your child some strategies to use when they feel that emotion. For instance, when you're feeling sad, you can hug a special toy, or get a hug from a parent or loved one. Talk with your parent educator about other strategies you can use to help your child learn their emotions and calm down.
LittleBits Gym for Crawlers and Walkers
Parents, take advantage of this special time with your little one to have some fun at the gym. Join Parents as Teachers at Little Bits Gym in the Meadows.
Most appropriate for ages up to 24 months old.
Location: LittleBits Gym
Address: 21 Meadows Circle Dr., Suite 308, Lake St. Louis, MO 63367
Date: Sunday, February 2, 2020
Time: 3:30-4:30PM
Parent Group: Behavior Strategies
Have you ever thought to yourself, what just happened? How did we get ourselves into such an altercation? How do I figure out WHY these behaviors are occurring? How do I keep my child safe when their body is not safe and they are in crisis? This class focuses on strategies when the original discipline strategies fail and you are in a conflict with the child, such as physical aggression or verbal aggression. Come with questions, as much of this session will be more individualized to help through those tough times.
Please RSVP here.
Where: Barfield Early Childhood Center
BEC 2025 Hanley Rd. Dardenne Prairie, MO 63368
When: Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Time: 5:45-7:00 DINNER available 5:15-5:45
**Dinner and childcare are provided
Stay & Play: Honk, Honk, Beep, Beep
Trains, planes and automobiles get us where we want to go. Come enjoy these transportation based activities designed to help your child get where they need to be!
Please RSVP by Monday, February 10, 2020.
Location: Wentzville School District Berrey Place Center
Address: 1 Campus Drive, Wentzville, MO 63385
Date: Thursday, February 13, 2020
Time: 9:00-10:00am OR 6:00-7:00pm
Music Night with Accel Music Therapy
Come enjoy a wonderful musical experience! This class is designed to supplement learning by having FUN! Your child will interact with you and their peers by singing, dancing, and playing instruments all while learning both musical (singing simple melodies, moving to music, appropriate use of hand held percussion instruments, melodic contour, steady beat, etc) and non-musical skills (taking turns, waiting, following directions, pre-academics, social skills, simple sign language, etc). A variety of live and recorded music will be used as well as visual aids and illustrated children’s books. The teacher for this class will be Melissa Dierenfeldt with Accel Music Therapy LLC. Melissa is a board certified music therapist and music educator with experience working with young children in various early childhood, elementary and special education settings.
This class is geared towards families with children 18 months and up. This class will have limited capacity.
Please RSVP using this link
When: February 24, 2020
Time: 6:00PM-7:00PM
Location: Berrey Place Center
1 Campus Drive, Wentzville, MO 63385
The Board of Education met in December and approved new boundaries for the elementary schools. The WSD newsletter and the WSD website provide additional information regarding the boundaries.
Parent Group: Play and Social Skills
Play is important for all children, and it’s the way they learn best. Through play they can begin to make sense of the world around them, seek opportunities to problem-solve, express their thoughts or feelings, and develop socially, in addition to all areas of development. In this group, we will offer a 2-part class. The first half will focus on sharing information and skills with parents, and in the second half, we will invite our families to come and play at a variety of stations, practicing some of those skills we discussed. Come ready to learn, have fun, and support your child’s play.
Stay & Play: Dr. Seuss
Come celebrate a great author with us as we explore exciting children’s books with hands on activities!
Baby Bunch
Baby Bunch invites those families with kiddos under 2 years of age to come and play together. This month we will focus on dramatic play. We'll enjoy some pretend play while we cook, have a picnic, and take care of baby dolls.
Parents as Teachers
Website: www.wentzville.k12.mo.us/domain/79
Location: 1 Campus Drive
Phone: 636-327-3863
Twitter: @WentzvillePAT