Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

Thanksgiving is a great time to do arts-and-crafts with your little ones! Here are a few ideas our TLC for Kids sitters came up with to keep kids busy on the next day you have inside:

1. Build a Thankful Tree. Talk to your child about what they have to be thankful for by putting up a tree of thanks in your house. On each leaf, write down what your child says he/she is thankful for. Each day your family will be reminded of all the good things they have.

2. Make a turkey with your handprints. The age-old craft of making a turkey with your handprint is a classic favorite. Even though it’s been around for many years, it gives your child the opportunity to practice his/her fine motor skills and it’s a good sensory activity if you let your child dip their hand in paint. You can use one handprint for the turkey’s body and one several handprints around the body for the feathers.

3. Create the Mayflower. We spend a lot of time talking about the delicious Thanksgiving food and what we have to be thankful for, but Thanksgiving is also a good time for a mini history lesson with your kiddos. Find a book about how Thanksgiving came to be and then build the Mayflower with your children.  You can use any materials you have on hand to make a boat!

 

 

 

 

 

Reading Activities for Kids

A lot of the children we spend time with have a stack of their favorite books. Instead of just reading their books, we can enhance the reading experience by planning activities to do that go along with their top picks.

Here are a few ideas:

1.     We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. You can reenact the book with the children by hiding teddy bears around the house. To dramatize the experience, let the kids use binoculars and flashlights to find the different bears. While searching for the bears, encourage conversation and imaginative play by asking the children what sounds they hear and what they see. You can pretend you hear growls and see bear tracks.

 

2.     Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is all about the alphabet. Just reading the book is a great learning activity, but you can make it even more interactive by planning a craft to go with the reading. One activity to do along with the book is simple: all you need is a baking sheet, magnetic letters, and a palm tree (you can create this yourself with construction paper). Tape the palm tree to your baking sheet. Then, with the magnetic letters, you and your kids can mimic the actions in the book.

 

 

3.     The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The Very Hungry Caterpillar gives you lots of opportunities to do color recognition (along with food recognition) and opportunities to practice counting. After you finish reading the book, you can create the very hungry caterpillar with just a few items: play dough, pipe cleaner, and sticky eyes. Look at the picture below to show you how to create the caterpillar. Now you have included sensory play and fine motor skills.

Join the TLC Team for the Autism Awareness Walk

TLC is excited to be a part of this year’s Autism Awareness Walk on Saturday, October 11th.

Please join our TLC for Kids Team as we walk together with families and kids affected by Autism.

We hope to see you on Saturday October 11th! Here is more info on location and schedule of events.

The walk is located in Forest Park and will take place in the morning. Click the link for more info.

Autism Speaks Walk Info

If you are interested in being part of our team, please let us know!  Contact Jessica to register at Jessica@tlcforkids.com

Thanks, TLC

Caring for Sick Kids

January and February are busy with sick jobs.  Our nannies and sitters are often called in to care for sick kids since mom and dad have to go to work.  When doing a sick care job for TLC for Kids  always follow the parent’s guidelines and remember to get permission in writing before giving any medicine.
Here are a couple of extra tips to keep in mind when caring for sick kids.
1.  Always use a digital thermometer.  The most accurate way to take a temperature for a child over the age of one is with orally with a digital thermometer.
2. Don’t treat kids under the age of 12 with a multi-symptom cold medicine.  The best way to treat a cold is by using a humidifier, a saline solution for the nose, and by giving lots of fluids. With parents permission you can give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fevers or achiness.
3. Always use the medicine dispenser that came with the medicine.  Teaspoons used in everyday kitchen ware can vary from set to set.
For more tips on treating sick kids you can watch this video(http://children.webmd.com/sick-kids-8/default.htm) .
Remember to wash your hands, get plenty of rest, and drink lots of water so you can stay healthy!

Safety First When Taking Care of Babies

From time to time we could all use a refresher on safety tips for babies.  Here are some points to remember when caring for babies.

1.  Don’t put anything additional in the crib with the baby. This includes toys, blankets, bottles and sippy cups.

2.  Make sure the car seat is properly installed. Parents and nannies can visit the local fire department for proper installation.  Or, check here for a local certified Child Passenger Instructor.

3.  Keep up to date on all product recalls. The best place for information on recalled items is the Consumer Product Information Commission.

4.  I know it seems obvious but don’t ever leave the baby unattended.

5.  Always properly buckle the baby in car seats, strollers, high chairs, etc.

6. Keep in mind food guidelines for babies.  Nannies and babysitters should ask the parents if the children have any allergies.  Remember children under 1 shouldn’t have cows milk, peanut butter, honey, or strawberries.  If the baby is on able to eat table food always cut the food up in little pieces.
7.  Make sure the house if baby proofed.  Check the outlets in the wall, keep small toys off the floor, and  keep cords from drapes and blinds out of reach.

 

Don't Let Life Get You Off Track

Some days everything goes wrong-your kids are sick, you have to work late and your babysitter has a flat tire.  Yikes! What you need is back-up care.  You can be prepared to handle everything life sends your way and stay cool when things fall apart.
TLC For Kids offers the following services to help you:
Emergency Childcare:  Our emergency service can help from  6:30-8:00 am and 8-9:30 pm.
Tutoring:  TLC tutors are ready to help with test prep, homework and reading.
Party Helping: Having fifteen 8 year olds over for a birthday party and don’t know how you are going to handle it?  Don’t worry.  Our party helpers can help.
Contact us at tlcforkids.com today!