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Research has shown that behavior and the emotional well-being of young children improves with structure and a consistent daily routine. Children know what to expect and there are no surprises. Routines provide continuity and children feel safe and trust those involved in their day which promotes emotional stability.

Through routine, parents are able to provide a framework for what they expect from their child. For example, children know that when they get up, they need to go to the bathroom, brush their teeth and get dressed. Compliance with these routines is often better if it is part of the daily routine. Transitions are also easier for the child if they know that they cannot move on to the next activity if their responsibilities are not done.

Parents are also able to communicate their values and beliefs. For example, children learn that when they receive a gift, they say thank you and when entering a building, they hold the door for those coming in or out.

Routines and structure also promote language. A child learns that when they greet a person they say hello, and they say good-bye when they leave. They also learn the names of common objects used throughout the day and the names of familiar places.

Things are going to come up throughout the day that might change the routine, especially during the summer. This is OK but prepare your child for the change by explaining what you are going to do ahead of time. Also, tell them how much time they have before the change is about to occur. If they are taking part in a preferred activity, such as play, let them know that play will be over in say 5 minutes. Set a timer if you need to.

Are you having a hard time finding peers for your child to play with over the summer? I recently came across a pamphlet for a playgroup in the area.

Rene Hackney is a graduate of the doctorate program at GMU. Before graduate school she worked as a preschool teacher at the Country Day School in McLean. Rene also completed an internship at the Developmental Clinic at Children’s National Medical Center. She is now the facilitator of Parenting Playgroups, Inc.

Parenting Playgroups, Inc. offers play groups, parenting classes, teacher trainings and a book club. Listed below are playgroups that meet during the summer months.

Drop-In Play
This program is available year-round, every Friday morning from 9:00am-12:00 noon. No reservations are needed.  Just bring your child and/or siblings to play in a preschool classroom for up to two hours with other children. The play space has a housekeeping area, science shelf, sand table, art area, reading corner, manipulatives, blocks and play-doh. Cost: $8 per single child per hour, $2 per hour for additional siblings over 16 months. Under 16 month siblings are free. Your initial hour in this program is a free trial.

Drop-Off Play
A weekly program for 3 and 4 year olds that is available over the summer on Tuesdays from 1:00-2:30 and Thursdays from 10:45-12:15. The class offers 90 minutes of play, an art project, story, snack and sing-along. Cost: $24 per class.

Location and Contact Information:

6161 Fuller Court
Alexandria, VA 22310
(703) 922-0044
e-mail: rene@parentingplaygroups.com

Directions:

495 South towards Richmond
95 South, exit 57A towards Richmond
Exit 169A towards Franconia
R on Grovedale
L on Fuller Court

Both you and your child need to be ready for toilet training to work. You know when you are ready to let go of the handy diapers, but how do you know if your child is?

Children show interest in potty training between the ages of 2 and 3. Suddenly they seem interested in the toilet or in wearing underwear. They begin to ask your questions about using the toilet or even ask for Bob the Builder underwear when you are shopping at Target. If your child shows interest, is able to ask simple questions, follow directions and stays dry for periods of two hours or longer, they just might be ready!

When you decide that the diapers must go and your child is showing signs that they are ready, you must purchase a few things. Take your child to the store with you. Show the child how excited you are that they want to buy their own underwear and are going to use the toilet. You need to make this experience fun and exciting for the child. Have them pick out any underwear they want, the decorative ones are usually the most desired. Then pick out a potty chair. You can even get some stickers that they can use to decorate the chair. Have your child use your money to pay at the registrar. This will give them a sense of control and confidence.

When you get home, put the underwear away with your child in their “own” drawer. Then, together, put the potty chair in the bathroom. Let them pick a spot where it should go. Decorate the chair and talk to your child about how to sit on the seat. Practice pulling their pants up and down with them. Make sure they participate.

In the beginning, try to schedule potty breaks about every hour, on the hour. Have them sit on the potty chair for a few minutes while you talk, read a book or sing with them. If they do not go, applaud them for trying. When they do go, show your excitement by enthusiastically saying “good job,” possibly giving them a treat and/or a hug. Make a big deal. This is a huge accomplishment!

Your child will need to wear diapers when they sleep for the first several weeks of successful potty training. You can try throwing them away when the child begins to tell you that they need to us the toilet on their own. There will probably be some accidents in the beginning but be patient. Never show the child if you are upset. This will only sway them from using the toilet.

If your child does not have success using the potty chair after a few weeks and are having anxiety, try creating a sticker chart. Every time they go, they get a sticker. After a certain amount of stickers, they get to go to the store and pick out a toy. Another option is to have them roam the house naked. Chances are, they will seek a toilet when they need to go.

Good luck and remember, this is a fun and exciting experience for both you and your child.

It’s the beginning of the summer. Are you and the kids getting restless at home? Take a trip to Frying Pan Park.  Kidwell Farm is Frying Pan Park’s 1930’s working farm. Visitors have a chance to meet animals including horses, chickens, peacocks, sheep, goats, cows and more. You and your family can also take a wagon ride or visit the Kidwell Farm House and see how farm families lived in the 30’s. The park has a Country Store that sells food, books, toys and gifts. There are several events that the farm hosts in the summer months including Dairy day, the Fairfax County 4H Fair and the Frying Pan Park Farm Show. Go check it out and be sure to wear your sunblock!

Hours:

Frying Pan Park: Seven days a week, dawn to dusk

Kidwell Farm: Seven days a week, 9am-5pm

Wagon Rides: Seven days a week, 10am-4pm

Country Store: Monday-Saturday, 10am-4:30pm and Sundays 1pm-4:30pm

Directions:

• 66 West to Fairfax County Parkway north
• Go six miles and turn left on West Ox Road
• Follow West Ox Road for two miles and the entrance is on the right

Address:

Fairfax County Parks
2709 West Ox Road
Herndon, VA 20171
(703) 437-9101

A recent study noted in the American Journal of Epidemiology concludes that there are several potential risk factors that may lead to autism. These include birth before 25 weeks of pregnancy, a low Apgar score, breech birth and a parental history of disorders including schizophrenia and depression.

More and more children are being diagnosed with this disorder, in fact the numbers are skyrocketing. The study states that out of 1000 children born, two to six of them are diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. The authors of the study say that parental psychiatric histories have the highest association with the disorder and increases the chance of the family having a child with autism three to four fold.

According to a study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism is directly related to low birth weight, and babies who are born preterm, especially girls. The study compared data from 565 children with autism who were born between 1986 and 1993 and a control group. In conclusion girls who weighed less than five and a half pounds at birth have an increased risk of developing autism by three and a half times. The findings also concluded that girls who were born seven weeks prematurely had 5.4 times the increased risk of autism.

Signs of autism usually show up in the first two years of life.  Early intervention teaches these children how to play, communicate and care for their needs and is crucial in assisting development.

Hopefully soon we will find a cure.

Credit: Miranda Hitti, WebMD Medical News and PRAVDA.Ru