A Simple ‘Make It Fun’ Example

Just last week, I happened to think of a day from years ago. I hung a Junk-Food Crabbie in the cupboard where I store snacks. This is just a simple color printed picture of Junk-Food like you can download from the For Kids section. All I did was cut it out in an oval shape around Junk-Food and tape it to the inside cupboard door. That’s it!

Still today, years later, almost every time I open that cupboard door, one of the kids comments about Junk-Food being there. We take the opportunity to say, “Ha! Ha! Junk-Food, we are beating you today!”

This is just one really simple example of how to lay the groundwork for making learning to Beat The Crabbies! fun. If you have any ‘make it fun’ examples to share with us, we would love to hear about them.



“Wacky Week” – What It Is

This week is our annual Wacky Week at preschool. Here’s the quick layout:

Monday – Pajama Day

Tuesday – Beach Day

Wednesday – Wacky Wednesday

Thursday – Costume Day

Friday – Choice

Pajama, Beach and Costume Days are just what their names imply. On Wacky Wednesday we just dress up crazy with socks over shoes, upside-down t-shirts, etc. On Choice Friday we pick one that was missed by some of the preschoolers who don’t come every day, or we repeat one that was a big hit, or we make up a new one that just seems fun!

Wacky Week is two very important things wrapped up together:

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The Ice-Cold Crabbie Is On His Way OUT!

Be sure to check out today's Wacky Week post (coming soon) for ideas on how to keep The Crabbies at bay during extended cold and other bad weather days.

Tidbits from a Sleep Specialist’s Presentation

Obviously, if you’re dealing with serious sleep issues, an appointment with a professional is in order. Relative to Beat the Too-Tired Crabbies, we’ll just hit what we see as highlights put into our own words.

1) Some aspects of sleep are genetically determined:

• Total sleep needed

       As a guide, the average combined hours of night-time sleep plus naps are:
       Infant (0-12 months) - 14-18 hours
       Toddler (13-36 months) - 13 hours
       Preschooler (3-6 years) - 12 hours
       School-age (6-12 years) - 10-11 hours

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Too-Tired Crabbies Love Weekends!

I have learned that Mondays are the days to stop the Too-Tired Crabbies in their tracks!

Do not make the mistake of thinking your child does not appear to be affected by the lack of sleep over the weekend! This is where Too-Tired is tricky!! Too-Tired kids tend to be mellow on Mondays and wild on Tuesday!

Solution?

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