Is your child a picky eater? Check out these tips for coping with a picky eater and helping them try new foods.

 

Coping with picky eating:

-Let them pick out the produce.

This will help give them a sense of control over the foods they eat.

 

-Let them help you prepare meals.

 

By helping you prepare the meals they will see exactly what goes into their food, and will be more excited to eat!

 

-Offer choices. (i.e. Broccoli or cauliflower)

 

This can help them feel less stressed out by being forced to eat.

 

– Enjoy family meals together.

Your picky eater is far more likely to try new foods if they see their parents and siblings eating it as well.

 

-The whole family gets the same foods.

Give everyone the same foods. Don’t make a separate meal for your picky eater.

 

 

Helping your picky eater try new foods:

– Start with small portions.

Don’t put a mound of new food on your picky eaters plate and expect them to eat it. Start small.

 

 

-Only give one new food at a time.

By only introducing one new food at a time, your picky eater will feel less overwhelmed.

 

 

-Be a good role model.

 

If you want your picky eater to try something new, set a good example. Try the new food with them and let them know what you think of it!

 

 

-Introduce the new foods at the start of the meal.

Encourage your picky eater to try their new food first. This will help them with knowing that once they try it they have a familiar favorite food to eat after.

 

-Sometimes, it takes time!

Don’t expect your picky eater to instantly like a new food. Sometimes you have to introduce the new foods several times before they like it! Remember your taste buds change every few years!

Looking for something new and exciting to do with your preschooler? Our students LOVE this Dinosaur Hunt Game!

What you will need:

-You will need to print off and color 10 of the attached dinosaurs (or really any dinosaur you child likes)

-Label the Dinosaurs 1-10

– The Rhyme also attached to this post!

 

How to play:

Simply hide the different numbered Dinosaurs around your home. Once they are hidden read the rhyme aloud to your child have them look for the correct numbered Dinosaur.

Dino Hunt!

 

Learning sight words is such an important first step in literacy.  Sight words are truly some of the first words a child will learn how to read. But how can you help your pre-ker with sight words?

 

1. Have them listen for and repeat sight words.

This is especially fun to do while reading a story!

 

2. Repetition

Seeing and practicing the same word over and over is one of the best ways for a child to truly learn their sight words.

 

3. Sight Words in context

 

Seeing the sight words being used in a sentence so they have a meaning can also be extremely helpful for young learners.

 

4. Music

There are so many songs out there for sight words! Some of our favorites are the color songs by frog street press! (Yes, colors are sight words!)

 

 

5. Games

Play games with your child to help with recognition and repetition. Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHnfRZ-D0Aw for a fun game!

With everyone at home right now (social distancing is a real thing ya’ll!) now is the perfect time to help your child develop a love of reading! Check out these 9 helpful tips on reading for preschool parents!

1. Read together everyday!

While this one is kind of no brainer, it still needs to be said! Make sure you and your little one are reading together everyday!

2. Give everything a name.

By giving everything a name children begin to associate letters and words with their meaning. It can be as simple as pointing out different things in your community such as a STOP sign, or labeling the items in your home.

3. Say how much you enjoy reading.

Kids love to do what they see their parents and older siblings do! So if you express how much you enjoy reading, they are more likely to enjoy it as well.

 

4. Read with fun in your voice.

Use silly and different voices for the characters in the book. By doing so your child’s attention will be held for a lot longer than if you just read in a monotone voice.

 

5. Know when to stop.

Is your child just not into the story? Don’t force them to sit and listen if they are having trouble. Take a break and try again with a different book.

 

6. Be interactive

Use puppets, ask questions, have your child predict what will come next. Just make sure you engage your child in the story!

 

7. Read it again, and again, and again….

Read the same stories again and again! Yes, your child will eventually memorize it BUT that’s a good thing! (That’s the first steps to reading!)

 

8. Talk about writing too!

Help your child make the connection that letters make words, and words make sentences.

 

9. Point print out everywhere.

Print is literally all around us! Point out different signs will out with your child and see if they can identify them.

 

*Cough* *Sneeze* *Picks Nose*…Let’s face it children can carry lots of germs around with them! That is why it is so important to help children learn good healthy practices. 

1. Cough & Sneeze into elbow instead of hands.

 

Teach your child to 1 make sure they cover their mouths when they cough and sneeze and 2 use their elbow instead of their hands.

 

2. Keep their hands out of their noses and mouth. 

 

Help remind your child that their hands don’t belong in their mouth or noses.

 

3. Blow their noses.

 

 

Children don’t just know how to blow their nose. They must be taught. Work with your child on how to properly blow their noses.

 

 

4. Hand washing. 

 

Ensure children have proper hand washing techniques. 

They need to:

1. Wet hands

2. Get soap

3. Scrub the tops, palms, inbetween fingers, under nails, and around.

4. It should take them no less than 20 seconds to wash their hands. (Sing happy birthday 2x)