We are pleased to announce that we now have two brand new security cameras for the hallway outside of the expansion classrooms. The cameras will help the teachers be able to monitor the hallway better; it's just a bit of extra security that we feel may be helpful.

With the weather changing, please keep in mind that you should be switching out your child's extra clothes for weather appropriate attire.

Start a compost bucket

After the kids help you cook dinner, they can use some of the peels and other food items to throw in the bucket for compost. If they've been tasked with cutting the grass or cleaning up tree leaves, they can throw those in the bucket, too. And, if they're not too squeamish, you can shop for worms to help create the compost with them. (And learn a little bit about nature, too!)

Sort out recycling

This can be done as the week goes by or one day out of the week. Have your kids separate paper, plastic, and aluminum into their respective bins. They can even add more fun by stomping on the cans to flatten them. For the little ones, try color coding the respective bins to help them sort more easily.

Water plants with leftover water from washing dishes

If your household hand washes dishes, instead of letting the water run or draining it after washing dishes, have the kids use the leftovers to water house plants or garden. Teach them ways they can save water.

Cleaning with natural and reusable products

Instead of wiping down counters with a paper towel, have them use a cloth towel (or even one of their old T-shirts). Next time you're at the store with the kids, pick up natural sponges and washable mops for your floor.

Have them hang laundry with you

The summer is the perfect time to hang your clothes out to dry in the sun. Have your kids help - not only is it great bonding time, it'll get done faster with more people!

Don't just let your kids lounge around this summer - get them going, get them productive! Helping them to be involved in a greener house while they're young will get them having greener habits when they get older.

Complimentary of:

http://tinygreenbubble.com/livegreen/item/1853-5-eco-friendly-summer-vacation-chores-for-your-kids

While potty independence is a very exciting time for parents, it is important that we do not rush children into the process.  Learning to use the potty is like learning any other new skill; it takes a lot of patience, practice, and positive encouragement.   Below, you will find helpful hints and tips to prepare your child for potty success.

Reasons why your child may not be showing interest in using the potty:

·         Your child may not be neurologically and cognitively mature enough to use the potty on their own.  On average a child reaches these mature stages between 2 and 2.5.

·         Your child may not completely understand what the potty is for

·         Your child is more interested in playing and doesn't want to take time away from toys to go potty.  In their mind it's more fun to continue to play so a diaper is very convenient to them.

·         Your child may not have the gross/fine motor skills to use the potty correctly.

·         Your child may be scared of the potty.  An adult potty is very scary to them.  All they see is a big bowl for them to fall into.

Myths about potty training:

1.       Myth: We can train a child to use the potty hence the term "potty training"

Revised belief: Potty education is the child's opportunity to learn and grow.  Our job is to look for signs of readiness, and then set the child up for success, but we cannot make a child use the toilet any more than we can make a child walk, talk or climb to  the top of the slide.  Like any skill, a child has to learn, and it is our job to teach them.  Simply sitting a child on the toilet and expecting them to go will not work (for most children). 

2.       Myth: Child-oriented potty training will result in rebellious behavior

Revised belief: Allowing a child to determine when they are ready to use the potty has no correlation to behavior issues.  In a study that was conducted by researchers from the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, children who refused to use the potty did not have more behavior problems than children who were toilet trained.  Rather than being correlated to rebellious behavior, child-oriented potty training has been associated with successful toileting outcomes.

3.       Myth: Pressuring your child to use the potty by shaming them will increase the process because they don't want to be embarrassed.

Revised belief: Avoid shaming and humiliation.  Early childhood is characterized by a search for independence that must be balanced by a developing sense of shame and doubt.  Embarrassment combined with parental disapproval increases a child's sense of doubt and shame.  Shaming and humiliation may serve to compound potential medical problems with a loss of self-esteem.

Tips and signs for potty readiness:

·         Can your child tell you what the potty is for?

·         Does your child have the motor skills (fine/gross) to get themselves on and off of the toilet? Is he/she able to dress themselves?

·         Do they have the ability to stay dry for at least two hours while in a diaper?

·         Does your child show an interest in modeling and pleasing you?

·         Give them a potty as a gift for birthday, Christmas, or any special occasion.  If your family celebrates Christmas and participates in "Santa", it is a good idea to give the potty as a gift from Santa.

·         Children learn best through inquiry and being the "teacher".  If your child has the opportunity to teach about the potty, they are more willing to use it.  Potty training dolls are available if willing to purchase one.

IMPORTANT: your child does not need to possess all of these signs in order to be ready for the potty.  Above are a few guidelines to follow to recognize readiness.

Key concepts to remember:

·         Always stay consistent during the potty training process. 

·         Make sure the parents and teachers are on the same page.  The child should be experiencing the same training at home and at school.

·         You cannot make your child use the potty because it is a learned skill.  It is our responsibility to teach them how to use the potty.  Setting a child up for success is essential to learning the potty.  You can set your child up for success by recognizing signs of readiness.

·         Use words of encouragement as opposed to fanfare.

American Academy of Pediatrics. (1989). Toilet Training: A parent's guide: Elk Grove age village, IL; American Academy of Pediatrics

Congratulations to July's Employee of the Month, Jennifer Didier. Jennifer has been with Little Green Tree House since January of 2011 and currently works in the Holly, Infant room. Jennifer went to Loyola University for her undergraduate degree of Business Administration in Finance and Economics and got her masters in teaching from National-Louis University.

When asked what makes Jennifer a unique teacher, she responded that she views herself as a, "lifelong learner and [she] knows that [her] greatest teachers are [her] students."  Jennifer shows her dedication to teaching by creating more than one lesson plan at a time to ensure that each age group has a lesson plan that is favored toward their "range of needs and abilities."  Jennifer commented that her inspiration for teaching comes from the students. She said that she also loves "being a part of the developmental milestones," that her children go through. In the last month alone, three of her children have started walking!

Jennifer makes her children her priority, which she demonstrates on a daily basis and is what makes her an excellent asset to the LGTH staff!

The following are segments from a blog written by a woman who blogs by the name of "The Green Mama." Read on for some interesting facts that might make you think twice before selecting your sunscreen this summer.

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It's enough to drive parents crazy: "Slather your kids in sunscreen!" we are told. Yet, we are learning that the majority of popular sunscreens might NOT provide protection from the worst of the skin cancers and might actually increase our children's chances of getting some cancers.

The Green Mama's advice on sun safety

The information is scary and the science inconclusive, but here is some good advice that even your mother will agree with.

1. Look up your sunscreen on the EWG's cosmetic database. If it isn't safe, chuck it. Choose a better sunscreen that protects against UVA rays and doesn't contain any of the above ingredients to watch for.  Europe has better sunscreen available.)
2. Invest in a sun hat, consider sun protective bathing suits, and try out protective clothing.
3. Eat your sunscreen. Foods high in carotenoids provide natural sun protection.  These include many fruits and vegetables, especially leafy dark greens and those that are yellow-orange like apricots, carrots, and yams. Other good sources include eggs, spirulina, and algae. The red pigment found in salmon, trout, and shrimp is another potent carotenoid.
4. Get your Vitamin D. You would have to spend about 15 minutes between the hours of 10 and 2, with 85% of your body exposed for optimal Vitamin D absorption (for a fair skinned person, much more for a dark skinned person). Foods high in Vitamin D include "intestines, organ meats, skin and fat from certain land animals, as well as shellfish, oily fish and insects." To get Vitamin D from the animal they must have be exposed to sunlight or in the case of fish have been fed on phytoplankton. Most modern diets don't include a lot of intentional insect eating (fortunately) or a lot of animal flesh actually exposed to sunlight (unfortunately). Most people will not get enough Vitamin D from sun or diet. (You can ask your doctor to test your Vitamin D levels.) A good cod liver oil is one of the most absorbable forms of Vitamin D supplementation.  
5. Beware of sunscreens labeled over 50 SPF. Most of these are disingenuous at best and are possibly loaded with more of the most hazardous ingredients. It is better to use an SPF between 15 and 30 and reapply frequently and generously.
6. Do not apply sunscreen to infants under 6 months of age. Their skin is super absorbent and even subtle exposures to their developing organs can have lasting effects AND fair-skinned babies do not have melanin proteins for sun protection. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you avoid using sunscreen on children younger than 6 months.

Ingredients to watch for in sunscreen:

1.       In the U.S. and Canada sunscreens are regulated as drugs. This means it has taken longer for both of the countries to approve some of the newer chemicals thought to be safer and provide more UVA protection. This also means that they are not required to list all of the ingredients on their labels in either country. 

2.       Fragrance or Parfums are considered trade secrets so even in Canada where ingredients are supposed to be listed, dozens of chemicals-including suspected neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors-can be hidden behind these seemingly innocuous terms.

3.       High SPF factors. High SPF ratings were found by the FDA to be "inherently misleading." These high-SPF products often contain more of the above offending ingredients and can encourage people to stay in the sun longer without providing any additional protection.

4.       Nanoparticles. Micronized or nanoscale particles of minerals are often found in titanium or zinc based sunscreens. These tiny particles are easily absorbed into the body and blood.

5.       Oxybenzone. Found in almost all sunscreens, oxybenzone is an allergen, potential endocrine disruptor. It is easily absorbed through the skin, particularly in children, and can interphere with hormone development.

6.       Parabens. Parabens, such as methyl paraben and butyl paraben, are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that mimic the female hormone estrogen and are linked with reproductive disorders in boys and possibly cancers in women.

7.       Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) has mostly been phased-out of sunscreens because of high incidence of allergic reactions in response to its use. 

8.       Retinol or retinyl palmitate. Found in many name-brand sunscreens, this type of Vitamin A is photocarcinogenic and might actually speed the development of skin tumors and lesions.

According to the EWG sunscreens known to contain ingredients possibly linked to cancer, birth defects, hormone disruption include: Panama Jack, Origins, No-Ad, Neutrogena, L'Oreal, Hawaiian Tropic, Coppertone, Bareminerals, Banana Boat, Aveeno. These supposedly "green" companies didn't have a single recommended sunscreen: Avalon Organics, Aubrey Organics, Beauty without Cruelty, Burt's Bees, EcoLips, The Body Shop, Zia Natural. 

For more from The Green Mama go thegreenmama.com