In 1986 HUMmingbird Day Care Ministries opened it's doors...

and...


The first PC virus, Brain, starts to spread.

Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates 73 seconds after launch, killing the crew of 7 astronauts, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe...DO YOU REMEMBER WHERE YOU WERE THAT DAY?

Pixar Animation Studios is opened.

Geraldo Rivera opens Al Capone's secret vault on The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault, discovering only a bottle of moonshine.

Hands Across America: At least 5,000,000 people form a human chain from New York City to Long Beach, California, to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness.

The New York Mets defeat the Boston Red Sox in 7 games. This is the second world series title in the Mets franchise. It is also remembered for Game 6, when Bill Buckner lets an easy ground ball hit by Mookie Wilson roll through his legs, letting the Mets win and pull even with the Red Sox in the series.

Mike Tyson wins his first world boxing title by defeating Trevor Berbick in Las Vegas.

After 35 years on the airwaves and holding the title of longest-running non-news program on network television, NBC airs the final episode of daytime drama Search for Tomorrow

In 1986 HUMmingbird Day Care Ministry opens it's doors...

and...

The top movies of the year were...


Top Gun
Crocodile Dundee
Platoon
The Karate Kid, Part II
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Aliens
Ruthless People
The Color of Money
The Money Pit

In 1986 HUMmingbird Day Care Ministries opened it's doors...

and...

Top 20 Songs Of 1986
1. "That's What Friends Are For".....Dionne & Friends

2. "Walk Like An Egyptian".....Bangles
3. "On My Own".....Patti Labelle & Michael McDonald
4. "The Way It Is".....Bruce Hornsby & The Range
5. "You Give Love A Bad Name".....Bon Jovi
6. "Greatest Love Of All".....Whitney Houston
7. "There'll Be Sad Songs".....Billy Ocean
8. "How Will I Know".....Whitney Houston
9. "Kyrie".....Mr. Mister
10. "Kiss".....Prince & The Revolution
11. "The Next Time I Fall".....Peter Cetera & Amy Grant
12. "Burning Heart".....Survivor
13. "Stuck With You".....Huey Lewis & The News
14. "When I Think Of You".....Janet Jackson
15. "Rock Me Amadeus".....Falco
16. "West End Girls".....Pet Shop Boys
17. "Sledgehammer".....Peter Gabriel
18. "Human".....Human League
19. "Sara".....Starship
20. "Higher Love".....Steve Winwood

In 1986 HUMmingbird Day Care Ministry opened it's doors...

...and

The Top TV Shows were...

Magnum, P.I.
Dynasty

Falcon Crest
Hill Street Blues
Cagney and Lacey
Cheers
Fame
Family Ties
Remington Steele
The A-Team
Highway to Heaven
Murder, She Wrote
The Cosby Show
Growing Pains
The Twilight Zone

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

1986 HUMmingbird Day Care Ministries Opened it's doors...

and...

The President was Ronald W. Reagan
Vice President was George Bush
Average Cost of new house $89,430.00
Average Price for new car $9,255.00
1 gallon of gas 89 cents

At HUMmingbird the cost of child care was $75.00

Building Update

We are excited to moving towards our goal of creating a child care facility that encompasses everything that we know about child development.  We are working with the Southridge High School Students to start on the preliminary drawings of the new building so that our vision can be put on paper and shared with others.  We are wanting to secure $300,000 over the next three years.  We will begin our capital campaign next week looking for cash donations from individuals and businesses.  We will also continue with fundraisers to go towards start up materials for the classrooms.

As a non-profit child care program, we can not rely on funds from our customers alone.  Families are struggling to afford the cost of high quality childcare as it is.  Typically when a business needs to upgrade, they pass the cost on to their customers.  However, in our program we have recently grown and we have completed numerous quaflity improvement projects, with only increasing our full time families child care rates one time within the last five years.  This while dealing with the Recession and the increase in minimum wage. 

Our goal is to always provide the highest quality child care, while not overburdening families with a child care program that they love, but can not afford.  With the generosity of Holland United Methodist Church, HUMmingbird has always been able to offer higher quality care at a lower cost because of their contribution to subsidize the cost for the familes.  Now we are gifted an amazing opportuntiy from a community member, Jerry Bleush.  His generous donation is just the start of our journey.  With the support of others in the community, we will once again be able to make this growth and enhancement without adding the additional financial burden on the parents of weekly child care tuition increase.  We need a villiage to help us raise the funds...to help us raise a child in the ways of Christ.

Proverbs 16:7

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Proverbs 16:3

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Community Day Fundraiser

We are once again participating in the Community Days event.  This year the coupons are able to be used on November 11 & 12.  With a $5.00 cash donation, you will receive this coupon booklet.  It's Elder-Beerman's thank you gift for contributing to our organization.  So while you assist us in building the future of our program, you can build a new wardrobe or get a jump start on your Christmas shopping.  There are so many items that you can use these coupons towards, and we have found several items that were regular $20.00 that we were able to get for free!  You can also use more than one coupon at a time, which means you can multiply your savings while helping our program even more.

Infant/Toddler Mealtime Behaviors

Infants and Toddlers give us several clues that they are hungry or if their bellies are full.  It is our job to make sure we are paying attention to these signs so that meal time becomes an enjoyable experience. A one month old may respond to being hungry differently then a six month old.  The following is a list of typical behaviors based on development.

1-4 months:
*Crying
*Turns head towards the bottle, mouthing fists
*Turns head away from bottle and gagging are signs of being full

4-8 months:
*Recognizes the bottle by sight
*Opens mouth for a spoon
*Closing mouth tightly and turning head away are signs of being full

Check back in next week for developmental stages of hunger in children from ages eight months to two years!

Fundraisers and Community Support

I have been working on grants the last couple of weeks.  Researching grants in our area, writing, and attempting to create a budget based on our dream facility.  The possibilities are extremely exciting.  I have already sent in two grants and I will be finishing three others in the next couple of weeks.  Grants are wonderful, but there is no guarantee of financial support.  The individuals providing financial support do not always understand our mission and passion for what we do at HUMmingbird Day Care Ministry.  That is where our families and community members play such an important part of our program.  In the upcoming months we will look to our families and communities for financial support, volunteer time and prayers.  With God all things are possible.  When looking at the budget of our new facility it can at times look overwhelming.  However, we have faith that we will be able to do the work needed through His will. 

We are currently in the process of our Elderbeerman's Fundraiser where we sell coupon booklets for just $5.00 a piece. ( www.communitydayevent.com) We get 100% of the $5.00, and the individual supporting our program receives a $10.00 off coupon and additional savings.  This is a wonderful fundraiser for our program. Also, this week is the Holland Fest.  Once again the proceeds from the 5K will be going to our program as we continue to expand and improve our program.  We will also have a booth at the Fest with the annual Baby Photo contest, Sports Bottles with unlimited refills of Lemonade, and crafts for the children.  We can look to the fall for our first Yankee Candles Fundraiser.  We are looking at a huge financial investment to get the building ready.  Not only is this an investment in the structural respect, but it is as well an investment in the future.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Exciting news here at HUMmingbird Day Care Ministry.  The announcement was made this week that Jerry Blesch is in the process of donating the Dutch Haus Restaurant to Holland United Methodist Church for our use. We have expanded multiple times during the last five years.  As the communities need continues to grow for high quality childcare, we have been able to continue to expand and meet the need.  We were at a juncture where we were simply out of room to meet this growing need.  We are so blessed for the support of Jerry, Betty and their family to find it in their heart to make such a generous donation.  We are blessed beyond words. 

With the new building in the process of being donated, we are planning for big projects.  Perhaps my favorite is the addition of the "Club H" after school program.  We find that the majority of our school agers have attended our program since infancy and we want to celebrate the fact that their tastes and interests are changing.  For this reason, we will be creating a specific room just for our older school agers (2nd grade and up).  In this classroom we will have a variety of items such as games, foosball table, couches and chairs among other things that are of interest to their growing needs.  We understand that although we are in the business of early childhood education, our school agers have unique needs and we want to meet their expectation for a fun and exciting place to spend with their friends.

Staff Retreat

For the last 4 years we have been celebrating the staff and the wonderful job that they do by having a staff retreat.  At the retreat we spend time on various activities and discussion.  This year we were privileged to have the use of OFS's Auditorium and we were able to have Denver Hudson as our speaker.  He shared with us that our tag line and our mission statement actually gave him goosebumps.  The staff and I feel the same way.  The fact that our families entrust us to help care for their children and that we are giving the children in our care the foundation for our future success is amazing.   That's why our tag line of "Your Children, Our Future" was chosen at last year's retreat.

Here are some information about our presentation.

www.relationshipfitnessonline.com/html/about_denver_j_hudson

Update on Paths to Quality

Here's an update on where we stand on Paths to Quality.  We have received our visit from the state for the Voluntary Certification Program.  For us to acquire the VCP's we must pass in the areas of infant and toddler care, health, nutrition, and safety.  We passed all 4 areas in our first visit.  This is quite an accomplishment.  We were able to schedule our first Paths to Quality visit last week when we successful passed Level 1.  I immediately scheduled level 2 visit for September 6th.  At that time we will pass level 2 for Paths to Quality.  Level 2 focuses on the environment in respects to classroom arrangements as well as the staff interactions.   They will also be looking at the staff training and education, which we surpass the requirements in both of these areas. 

The staff at HUMmingbird Day Care Ministry have been working hard to offer the families and the community a high quality child care program.  I am extremely excited that with the passing of the VCP's and Level 1 we can begin having the validation of all of their hard work.  If not for their energy and passion for what they do, our program would not be what it is today.

Once Level 2 is complete we will be required to wait 6 months before applying for level 3.  This is only for financial reasons on the Paths to Quality program's end.  With the financial contribution of $1,000 for level 2 and level 3 they require the wait.  Please understand that although the Paths to Quality sign may not say Level 3 at this time, we are in fact meeting all of these requirements at this time.

Is my child ready for Solid foods??

During the first 4-6 months, a baby requires only breastmilk or infant formula.  Babies' swallowing and digestive systems are not developmentally ready to handle solid foods untill they are between the ages of 4 and 6 months.  During this period the baby's tongue no longer pushes most solid objects out of the mouth.  A baby's weight or age alone does not determine his or her readiness for solid foods.  Each baby develops differently.  Babies begin to show their desire for food by opening their mouths and leaning forward.

Babies are mature enough to begin learning to eat from a spoon when they can:
*hold their necks steady and sit with support
*draw in lower lip as a spoon is removed from their mouths, and
*keep food in their mouths and swallow it rather then push it back out on their chins
*
Babies sow disinterest or fullness by:
*leaning back
*turning away
*pushing the food out of their mouths
*sealing their lips together
*playing with the food
*pushing the bottle or spoon away

Check back next week for more helpful tips about feeding your infant solid foods.

taken from a Guide for Use in the Child Nutrition Programs

Family Life

This website has several excellent articles worthy of a read!
Family Life

The Chronicles of Narnia

If you are no stranger to movies and media, then you couldn't have ignored the Chronicles of Narnia series of movies. Though the movies might be a little scary for a younger audience, these are a beautiful set of movies that help to share about a part of the heart of the gospel message. In The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe we first meet Aslan, the lion who is willing to sacrifice himself for the greater cause.

Movies such as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe open up the floor for you to discuss and explore with your children about who Jesus is and what He did for us.

On the topic of movies, if you ever wonder what the spiritual themes or general content of movies are before you and your family go to see them, check out: http://www.pluggedin.com/ Here you will learn about the content of the movie and will have an inclination of what you're getting into before you take your child to see it.

Max Lucado Stories

From time to time in my classroom, I thoroughly enjoyed sharing with the children books written by the author, Max Lucado. The books are lengthy in words and are geared towards an older set of children, but the illustrations are beautiful and the stories have excellent morals.

You Are Special and You Are Mine are both stories about our loveable hero, Punchinello. He is a Wemmick, that is a wooden creature created and carved by the hands of Eli. In both stories Punchinello has to realize that his identity is based solely in whose he is. Both books serve as allegories mirroring the importance of realizing that it doesn't matter what we have or what others think of us, but that we belong to God and His opinion is the one that matters the most.

Your Child's Spiritual Development

Here is an excellent article on the spiritual development of children broken down by age groups:
Spiritual Development

Responsive Caregiving

Being a Responsive Caregiver requires that one understands that to contribute to a child's sense of trust you must be intoned to their needs and their mode of expressing these needs.  It's important to know that children who feel safe are better able to actively explore their environments.  Sensitive, responsive care in particular, has been connected in research to cognitive, social emotional, and language development in child care settings.  Responsive care is a critical component of our curriculum, especially in the infant and toddler department.  Being sensitively responsive means reading and understanding the communication cues, verbal and nonverbal, of another individual; to do so requires an established relationship with that person.

25 years of excellence

Holland United Methodist Church assessed the growing needs of the community 25 years ago and determined that their was a need for center based program in Dubois County.  Their vision was to provide a program that focused not only on the child's social and education needs, but their spiritual development as well.

Today we continue with that vision.  We are dedicated to the education of the children in our care, while also focusing on their social development.  We are in the business of creating life long learners and the leaders of tomorrow.  We believe that the foundation for your child's future success is established well before they enter the public schools.  It begins with the secure relationships that they have with the staff within the program.  It continues to unfold as the child continues to transition through our program in a group of peers that they have been able to build a relationship with over the years.  Children learn their numbers and their letters, but most importantly they learn to respect the differences of the individuals around them. 

An update for the families of HUMmingbird Day Care Ministry

We will be having our visit from the State for our Voluntary Certification Program on Tuesday, June 28.  The Voluntary Certification is a measurement to allign our program with that of a licensed facility.  Although all of our policy and procedures have been in place for some time, we did have to do some major reconstruction of our physical program in regards to electrical work, plumbing and installing the fire alarm system.  After the use of various resources from fundaising and grants, we are ready for the first step towards achieving future accredidation.  We are so thankful for all of the parents who have volunteered their time and talent as we have made these changes, to ensure that our facility structure would mirror the high quality programming that we have offered the families of our community for years.

Summer fun for School Agers

Our summer program is off to a great start.  It is important that children have the opportunity to spend time with peers doing activities that keep them both physically active and mentally engaged.  Making sure that children have a balance of activities is important to us.  This summer we dropped our child care staff ratio down to a 13 children per adult in the morning hours so that we can focus on age appropriate activities.  The children get to take part in two field trips a week, one afternoon they go swimming with their group, and another time they go to another field trip destination within the surrounding counties.  The children also participate in activities including arts and crafts, science experiments, games and activities, reader's theater/talent show, and special community guests.  The education professionals this summer are making sure that the children have a fabulous summer.

Choosing a Bible for Your Child

Your child will more than likely go through several different Bibles throughout their lives. Understanding that your child goes through several different levels of development through their childhood helps to aid in the understanding of the practicality of this change through Bibles.









It is important to allow your child to select a Bible for themselves (give them developmentally appropriate options, of course), because this allows for ownership and increases the chance that they will be willing to actually use their Bible.


Remember these few hints in selecting a Bible for your children:

Preschool: Choose a Bible storybook, with simple illustrations, that covers key Bible stories and has a small number of simple words per picture. This allows them to see words and letters and recognize that when strung together they have meaning. It helps to familiarize them with this fact.

Beginning Readers: Choose a storybook that contains simple illustrations and more stories than a preschool storybook. It is best if beginning readers have a storybook that takes two pages or more to tell each story. This keeps them interested in the book because they do not consistently have to require an adult to read through the text, but it keeps it in a format that they enjoy to hear through story.

Grade Schoolers: Fewer pictures, more words is the key at this level. Make sure the illustrations are interesting and up-to-date. Simple Bible reference lists and an index are also good features to look for at this age level. At this point your child will be reading on their own more often than not. Don't forgo reading the stories with them, but when they want to discover stories, or reread their favorites, they can.

What every toddler needs to be socially and emotionally successfull

Here are a few simple steps that you can take to make sure you are giving your child a great start in life.

Show your love
*Smile, hug, touch, and play with your child.  This will make them feel secure with themselves and will have a huge impact on their physical, mental, and emotional development.

Care for your child's basic needs
*Make sure you are providing your child with a healthy diet.  Children should be taken to the doctor for regular check ups as well.  Keep him as comfortable as you can by making sure his diapers are clean and by providing a safe environment.

Talk with your child
*Even if you think your child is too young too understand what you are saying, it is still important to talk to them.  Studies have shown that children who are talked to more often as infants have a higher vocabulary and higher IQ scores.

Read to your child
*Reading is extremely important to help build a vocabulary.  The socialization that occurs while reading a book is very important as well.

safety tips for swimming pools

It is getting to be that time of year again, the weather is getting warmer and the pools are getting ready to be opened  so I have listed some safety tips for swimming pool.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 260 children under five years of age drown each year in residential swimming pools and spas. The Commission estimates that another 3,000 children under age five are treated in hospital emergency rooms following submersion accidents each year. Some of these submersion accidents result in permanent brain damage.
Nationally, drowning is the fourth leading cause of death to children under five. In some states such as California, Florida and Arizona, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death to children under five.
 

• Never leave a child unsupervised near a pool.
  
• Instruct babysitters about potential hazards to young children in and around swimming pools and the need for constant supervision.
  
• Completely fence the pool. Install self-closing and self-latching gates. Position latches out of reach of young children. Keep all doors and windows leading to the pool area secure to prevent small children from getting to the pool. Effective barriers and locks are necessary preventive measures, but there is no substitute for supervision.
  
  Do not consider young children "drown proof" because they have had swimming lessons; young children should always be watched carefully while swimming.
  
• Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
  
• Never use a pool with its pool cover partially in place, since children may become entrapped under it. Remove the cover completely.
  
• Place tables and chairs well away from the pool fence to prevent children from climbing into the pool area.
  
• Keep toys away from the pool area because a young child playing with the toys could accidentally fall in the water.
  
• Remove steps to above ground pools when not in use.
  
• Have a telephone at poolside to avoid having to leave children unattended in or near the pool to answer a telephone elsewhere. Keep emergency numbers at the poolside telephone.
  
• Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
  
• Keep rescue equipment by the pool.
  
  Hope everyone has a safe and fun summer!

Teaching Prayer Part 2

We previously discussed the ACTS acronym for prayer last week, and since it had so much to explain, I opted to save some other models for later.

1. ACTS
2. Praying through Scripture: Sometimes it is beneficial to open up to Scripture and pray it into your lives. It is especially easy to do through the book of Psalms. In the plights that the Psalmist lists you can substitute your own, the same can be done for praises and thanks (things you definitely don't want to skip over).
3. Praying together, one by one: This is simply starting off by praying from your heart, and going around the room all doing the same. This one is very important because it allows your child to see that you are comfortable praying with God, and talking with God, and that they can be also.

I pray that you've found these past couple of weeks informative in teaching your children how to pray and the importance of prayer. Though it may seem that bad habits are easier to make than good ones, the repetition of an action breeds habit. Stay tuned for discussion on selecting a Bible for your child to read and how to keep them interested.

Paths to Quality

Although our program participated in Paths to Quality when it was initially introduced in 2005, when the program went state wide, we were no longer eligible because of the change in requirements of Ministries needing all 4 of the Voluntary Certification in regards to children's Health, Safety, Nutrition, and Infant and Toddler Care.  Although we met many of the indicators on the Voluntary Certification, we had to hold off on our quest of participating in this voluntary rating system due to major remodeling projects that would be required.  We did however focus on the aspect of our program that we could, such as classroom environments, staff training and education, curriculum, work sampling and intentional teaching (all of these items that are focused on level 2 and 3 of Paths to Quality).

Our program has expanded and grown since 2005. We recently remodeled the entire program with new flooring and paint.  We have even knocked out a wall to expand our toddler classroom.  We installed a fire alarm system that is monitored 24/7 and replaced all of the lights throughout the program to meet specific foot candle requirements. Now that we have completed over $40,000 in renovations, we are ready to move forward once more with the Paths To Quality program.  We will begin at a level one, but pay close attention, because we will move quickly through the levels.  Our passion and drive to offer the highest quality childcare will ensure that we will be a level 3 soon. 

To find out more about Paths To Quality, visit http://www.in.gov/fssa/2554.htm

What is the RIE philosophy of child development?

Here at HUMmingbird we strongly believe that infants should not be restricted by swings and bouncy seats but should be offered the opportunity to explore their environment freely.  We respect each infant as an individual human being not just as an object.  This is why we practice the RIE philosophy.  So, what is the RIE philosophy you ask?  Check out their website and discover how truly amazing this approach really is!  http://www.rie.org/

Teaching Prayer

Last week, I discussed the benefits of praying with your children. But the question may have crossed your mind, "But how do I teach my child to pray?" The truth is? You teach your children to pray, but simply modeling that prayer is a form of conversation and that the Person they are talking with, hears them and responds through different ways.

1. The ACTS model of prayer
1. A: Adoration. Spend time talking about the attributes of God. Talk about God creating the heavens and the earth and all that is within them. Talk about how God sees everything all at the same time and that it doesn't overwhelm Him. Discuss that God hears every prayer. This way children experience the many things that God is and begin to understand that He's more than just one attribute that we focus on.
2. C: Confession. It is hard to focus on confession during prayer even as adults. But if you begin to cultivate this spirit within your children at an early age, they will begin to see that when they mess up, they can talk to a Forgiving God about what they have done and He will forgive them.
3. T: Thanksgiving. Through thanksgiving we thank God for the people and things that we have. Our response to all that God has given us should, at the very least, inspire our worship and praise, and should very well inspire us to respond by giving back.
4. S: Supplication. This is where we pray for areas where we long for God to work on our lives, and also in the lives of others. After we have entered into a spirit of awe, humility, and thanksgiving, what we find ourselves praying for very well may change from a laundry list, to just a few things. We soon begin to realize that we can rely on God for who He is and that He has our best intentions in mind.

Inclusive Care

Providing Inclusive Care is something that we believe strongly in at HUMmingbird Day Care Ministry.  We believe that all of God’s children are wonderfully made in the image of God.  We value each child that is a part of our program, regardless of the strengths or weaknesses of the child.  Because we treat all children are with respect, we not only benefit the child with the special needs, but we also benefit the children that are typically developing.  When these children observe our interaction with the child with the special needs, they are able to observe a relationship that encourages an acceptance of all individuals regardless of their ability.  This is important for children to experience at an early age.

your children. our future

At our staff retreat in 2010, we worked on creating a tag line for our program.  There were several really great options, but we ultimately decided on “Your Children.  Our Future.”  I believe that our tag line sums up our program very well. 

We care for your children and understand that the role of the parent as the child’s first teacher is critical.  We work closely with the parent, because we know that they are the expert on their child.

And yet, your children, are our future.  It is our responsibility to give them the foundation to be successful in life.  We not only focus on your child’s future academic success, but we also focus on a generation of children that have the social skills to be successful throughout life, in regards to both their social and spiritual development.

SIDS Risk Factors

SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  It is not considered a disease or illness but occurs when an infant dies suddenly and there is not an exact cause.  SIDS is the leading cause of death in the United States for infants between the ages of 1month and 1 year.  Approximately 2,300 infants die per year most commonly affecting infants between the ages of 2-4 months and occurs most frequently during the colder months.

What are the risk factors?
*Tummy Sleeping
    -The risk of SIDS is 12.9 times higher if an infant sleeps on his belly instead of his back.
*Soft items in the sleeping area
    -Always use a swaddle instead of blankets
*Having a parent or caregiver that smokes
*Being born prematurely
    -The lower the birth weight the higher the risk
*Becoming overheated while sleeping
*Sleeping on soft surfaces
*Being born to a mother who abused drugs throughout the pregnancy
*Being born to a mother under the age of 20
*Being a boy
    -Boys are at a slightly higher risk by a ratio of 1.5 to 1

While there is no guaranteed way to prevent SIDS, if you take care of yourself during your pregnancy, always place your infant on his back to sleep with nothing in his bed, and avoid your babies exposure to cigarette smoke, you will greatly reduce the risk.  When looking for childcare, always remember to ask if the caregivers are trained in and practice safe sleep.  But always remember BACK IS BEST!
 

Healthy Tips

Did You Know?

> Over 90% of poison exposures happen at home.
> Common chlorine bleach is the #1 household chemical involved in poisoning.
> Organic pollutants, found in many common cleaners and even air fresheners, have levels 2 to 5 times higher inside your home than out.
> Common cleaners give off fumes that can potentially increase the risk of kids developing asthma, the most common chronic childhood disease.
> 1 in 13 school-aged children have asthma. Rates in children under five have increased more than 160% from 1980–1994 and are even higher now
> If your home is anything like the average U.S. home, you generate more than 20 pounds of household hazardous waste each year (the EPA designates toilet cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, oven cleaners, and bleach as hazardous waste).

Prayer

It is said that, "the family that prays together, stays together". The active choice to pray together as a family allows for their to be open conversation about nearly anything spiritual.

Through prayer you are teaching your child several things:

1. That prayer is an open, constant conversation with God that comes from the heart and does not require eloquence or "churchy" words to be effective.
2. That prayer surrenders self and trades self-will for God's will.
3. That prayer, as a conversation with God, allows a continual stream of trust and relationship to be built with the Master of the Universe.

How beautiful and simple are the prayers of the children here at the center. As we've made the move to allow the older children to "pray from the heart" before meals and during circle time, it is often quite convicting to move to praying for only the things that we really need and for which we are truly thankful. (Children are much more honest without reservation than we as adults tend to be.)

Stay tuned for different methods of teaching and modeling prayer to your children!

Does your child's experience change the structure of their brain?

Brain development is "activity-dependent," meaning that the electrical activity in every circuit—sensory, motor, emotional, cognitive--shapes the way that circuit gets put together.  Every experience--whether it is seeing one's first rainbow, riding a bicycle, reading a book, sharing a joke--excites certain neural circuits and leaves others inactive. Those that are consistently turned on over time will be strengthened, while those that are rarely excited may be dropped away. The elimination of unused neural circuits, also referred to as "pruning," may sound harsh, but it is generally a good thing. It streamlines children's neural processing, making the remaining circuits work more quickly and efficiently. Without synaptic pruning, children wouldn't be able to walk, talk, or even see properly.

The more variety of experiences we offer the children in our programs help build these neural circuits.  This is why we offer children a variety of activities early on that focus on the skills that will build upon one another.  The scaffolding of learning is a critical component of your child's future school success.  Children for example can not write there name, if they are not given the experience of first scribbling, then making lines, followed by forming circles, and followed by the skill of making shapes.  Once children are able to make basic shapes, they are able to use this skill to form letters.  These early skills are critical for your child's development and the experiences they are offered at an early age are important.

Current Activities

Spring is a wonderful time for children to learn.  Around every corner the world around them is changing.  Our goal is to allow the children to experience an outdoor classroom experience when outside playing within nature.  It is important for children to explore the world around them. 

At our child care program, we provide the children a variety of experiences outdoors, including planting a vegetable garden and observing the process of the planted seeds growing into plants that then produce food.  As the children dig in the dirt they also discover what plants need to grow, and uncover a world of insects and worms. 

This year the children are also experimenting with the aesthetics of flowers by working collaboratively to create a rainbow garden.  A recent field trip to the local greenhouse allowed them the opportunity to learn more about flowers and select the colors for the rainbow garden. When children are able to learn through hands on experiences their learning becomes more meaningful and personal, which encourages children to become life long learners.

Children prepare to read long before they enter school.

Early literacy skills (listening, speaking, prereading and prewriting) develop during the first five years of life. These skills evolve when parents and caregivers work together to offer an environment with stimulating activities and conversations. A child's early experiences with books and language are a critical foundation for success in learning to read and write.

The focus of your child's development should be on meaningful interactions with your child. Reading aloud together is the single most important thing a loving parent can do to prepare their child for success in school and in life.

You are the key to your child's success in learning to read and write. When you read to your child, you are aiding in the development of listening and speaking skills. When you go about your everyday tasks and explain them to your child as you do them, you are helping them make sense of the world and stimulating brain growth.

Offer your child plenty of opportunities to talk and always listen to what they have to say. Read to your child and let them "read" to you. No memorization, flashcards, workbooks or drills are necessary with very young children. Use your time reading, talking and playing together. Enjoy your days with each other and help your child build skills that will last a lifetime

Welcome

Welcome to the HUMmingbird Day Care Ministry Blog.  I hope that you find our Blog full of important information, not only in regards to our program specifically, but also with practical information for everyday with your children.  You will find information on Brain Research, Spiritual Development, School Readiness, Infant and Toddler Care, Nutrition Activities for you and your children, and Health and Safety information for children.  Be sure to check frequently, because we will be updating often.