How Important is Story Time in the Evening?

Parents intuitively know that children benefit from being read to, but how important actually is story time?

Studies have proven that reading to children benefits them immediately and in the future! Children who are read to have:

  • Better language skills – Quality literature improves language understanding, grammar, and sentence structure
  • Increased vocabulary – Quality literature exposes children to a wide vocabulary and better understanding of words
  • Improved literacy – Research shows a strong connection between reading aloud to children and advanced literacy skills. 
  • Emotional bonding with parents – positive connections are made between a parent and the child during read-aloud

Here are a few suggestions for finding time slots for reading to your child. Be sure to read to the end to learn the best time of day to read to your child!

Early Morning Reading

If your child is an early-morning cuddler, take advantage of this time to read with your child! Cozy up with a blanket, some books, and something to drink or eat. This will quickly become one of your favorite parts of the day and cherished memories.

Even if your child is bouncing off the walls early in the morning, you can still have early morning reading. It can even be an excellent way to teach your child self-regulation. Children want to engage with you when they first wake up and may be willing to snuggle up with a good book. 

Mid-Morning Reading

By mid-morning, babies are ready for their first nap of the day. Taking just a few minutes to read to them before naptime signals that it’s time to sleep. 

Young children may have burned through their breakfast energy and are looking for something to do or eat. Children turn to their parents frequently for engagement, ideas for activities, and to regulate their emotions. If your child turns mischievous, so it can be easy to turn to technology or snacks to get over the mid-morning hump.

Taking a few minutes to read will give them the emotional regulation their bodies are craving, and you may be surprised that they aren’t as needy for technology or snacks as you previously thought. Often after reading, children are regulated and ready to choose their next activity with cheerfulness and independence. 

Before Nap Time

Babies, toddlers, and young children should have regular naps. Often, children of these ages will take a nap in the early afternoon. This is another perfect time to sneak in some reading!

As your child starts to slow down, choose quieter activities, or zone out, initiate some reading time. Take the child to a cozy spot such as their bed or a rocking chair, and read one to three books. This further relaxes your child, gives them a visual timeline of when it’s time to nap (“This is our last book!”), and helps them fall asleep faster. 

After Nap Time

If your kid is grouchy, sleepy, or whiney after waking up from a nap, cuddling with a book might be the perfect solution. A healthy snack or drink also helps gently raise blood sugar and mood so they are cheerful after reading together. 

Before Bed 

What’s the best time to read to your kids? Right before bed!

Science is now showing that reading before bed is the best time to read with your child. In one study, reading at bedtime significantly lengthened children’s total nighttime sleep duration. That’s music to every parent’s ears!

At bedtime, kids are sleepy enough to be relaxed but are still alert as they fight sleep. Reading with your child before bed establishes a routine that promotes bonding and gets them into a sleepy state of mind to fall asleep–and stay asleep!

Bright Start Louisville offers exceptional childcare to children six weeks to 12 years old. We’re proud to offer a fun and educational preschool program that prepares your child for kindergarten per state educational standards.

If you’re looking for excellent childcare that gives your child a head start in life, contact Bright Start Louisville today!

What’s Next

What Is Quality Literature in Kids Books? (Plus Age-Appropriate Book Guide)

What Is Quality Literature in Kids Books? (Plus Age-Appropriate Book Guide)

You may have heard about the importance of reading to your child, but what books are best? Can you read any book that interests your child, or should you pick one that is of higher quality?

Quality literature expands your child’s world! Through well-written stories, their imaginations are inspired and they pick up important educational concepts like sentence structure and vocabulary. Watching stories unfold helps children develop social and emotional skills. 

What Makes Literature of High Quality?

What exactly is quality literature? It’s not just Shakespeare or old poets!

A book would be considered quality literature if it includes all (or most) of the following:

  • Well-written, interesting stories: Some stories are too simple, don’t make much sense, or don’t provide a positive message. 
  • Age-appropriate words: Most of the words should be understandable to a child, but quality literature will stretch a child’s vocabulary just a little bit.
  • An overall positive message or conflict is resolved: Quality literature often has role models, teaches life lessons or positive character quality, or has inspiring themes. Conflict resolution is also important.
  • Illustrations are detailed: Interesting illustrations draw children back to the book because they want to look at the pictures. Detailed illustrations allow you to discuss the pictures, which further expose your child to language understanding. 
  • Has won an award: Outstanding books are awarded every year. Some popular awards are the Randolph Caldecott Medal, Coretta Scott King Book Awards, and Pura Belpré Award.

In summary, if you (or your child!) want to read the book more than once, it’s likely quality literature. 

What’s not quality literature? Here are a few things to avoid when choosing books:

  • Trending animated characters: Children may want to read books with their favorite movie or TV character over and over, but it’s not because the literature is quality. 
  • Graphic novels: While not all graphic novels are bad, these can be a crutch that keeps children from making the transition from picture books to chapter books. The plot lines are often shallow and too much like a cartoon. 

Finding Quality Literature

It’s easy to find quality literature for story time! While you should purchase some of your favorite books, you can find most books through your local library.

Type in “quality literature + age of your child” into a search bar for thousands of options for quality books. You can then request your favorite titles from the library.

You can also ask your librarian for suggestions. They will know of classic books as well as new award winners and recent releases. 

Here are some age-appropriate quality literature books for young children.

Infant

  • Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, by Mem Fox.
  • Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
  • I Am a Bunny, by Ole Risom
  • Mommies Say Shhh! by Patricia Polacco.
  • Peekaboo Bedtime, by Rachel Isadora. 
  • Pat the Bunny, by Dorothy Kunhardt
  • My Farm Friends, by Wendell Minor. 
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
  • Moo, Baa, La la la, by Sandra Boynton
  • Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin Jr
  • Goodnight, Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown
  • The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter
  • The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats

Toddler 

  • Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton
  • Corduroy, by Don Freeman
  • The Little Red Caboose, by Little Golden Books
  • Llama, Llama, Red Pajama, by Anna Dewdney
  • Little Blue Truck, by Alice Shertle

Pre-K

  • Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans
  • The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf
  • Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss
  • Are You My Mother?, by P.D. Eastman
  • Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey
  • Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey

Go a Little Deeper

As you read a book with your child, ask age-appropriate and thought-provoking questions or commentary before turning the page. 

For instance, if a picture has animals in it, tell your baby or toddler what sound it makes. If your child is older, ask them what sound it makes. You can also tell young children about colors, shapes, and numbers, as well as spatial concepts like up and down, in and out, and over and under. 

Older children can also make social and emotional connections through stories. If a picture shows a character who is sad, happy, or surprised, ask them why they might feel that way. Or if there is conflict in the story, ask your child what should happen to make things right. 

Technology Can’t Replace the Parent

If you want your child to experience the benefits of reading but don’t have the time to sit down with your child, you might turn to audiobooks or children’s podcasts. Your library may also have children’s books that read the book aloud to your child. 

While these are better than iPads or television shows, podcasts and audiobooks aren’t the same as reading with your child. This is because the emotional bonding over books is lacking; a stranger is reading to your child.

This doesn’t mean that you can never let your child listen to a podcast or audiobook, but if you want your child to fall in love with reading, it’s vital to take the time to read with your child. 

Bright Start Louisville offers exceptional childcare to children six weeks to 12 years old. We’re proud to offer a fun and educational preschool program that prepares your child for kindergarten per state educational standards.

If you’re looking for excellent childcare that gives your child a head start in life, contact Bright Start Louisville today!

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Fun Arts and Crafts Activities for Young Children

Fun Arts and Crafts Activities for Young Children

When you have limited time with your children, you want to make every minute count. One of the best bonding activities you can do with your children is working together on fun arts and crafts! 

Arts and crafts are also a great way to help children with their fine motor skills with coloring, cutting, and gluing.

When the project is done, your child has something to feel proud of, play with later, and remember the quality time they spent with you.

These arts and crafts activities use materials that are likely already around your house, but a trip to the dollar or craft store is also a fun bonding experience. Here are some easy and fun arts and crafts activities. 

Paper Squishies

Children love stuffed animals, and this craft lets you personalize your own squishy toy! Simply draw or print the front of an animal on one paper and the back of the animal on another paper. Color these however you choose, and then cut them out. Cover with tape, tape both sides together, stuff with a plastic bag, and tape the bottom closed. 

Materials:

  • 2x colored paper sheets
  • White paper
  • Black marker
  • Transparent tape
  • Glue stick
  • Scissors
  • Small plastic bag

Follow the assembly instructions here

Pom Pom Shooter

This fun toy is simple to create but provides hours of entertainment for young ones. Just tape a deflated balloon to the inside of a toilet paper roll and use the balloon as a slingshot to fire colorful pom poms. 

Materials:

  • Paper Cups or toilet paper rolls
  • Balloons, 12” 
  • Pom Poms, Assorted (for firing)
  • Duct Tape (or heavy-duty tape)
  • Construction/Scrapbook Paper
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Craft Knife/scissors

Find the instructions for this craft here.

There are unlimited games you can play with these pom-pom shooters! Try to get the pom poms in cups, shoot homemade targets, or play Nerf-like games with them. 

Different colored pom poms create a unique opportunity to practice color identification, patterns (alternate two or three colors), and color sorting (getting only one color into a specific cup)

Paper Chain Octopus

Children love to cut and glue just about anything, so this is the perfect project for little artists! 

Cut a cardstock or construction paper circle (or, for more fun, paint a paper plate!) to make the octopus’s head. Color eyes, and a smile, and decorate the octopus head however you’d like. Then, cut out strips of cardstock or construction paper and use glue to create four paper chains for octopus tentacles. Find the full instructions and template here!

Materials:

  • Colored cardstock or construction paper
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Markers

Coffee Filter Butterflies

These coffee filter butterflies let you utilize everyday items and transform them into beautiful, cherished artwork!

Start by coloring a design on the coffee filters with washable markers. Then drip water onto the coffee filters with water (be sure not to oversaturate the filters or you will lose the design). Wait for the coffee filters to dry, then pinch them in the middle and secure them in place by twisting a pipe cleaner around the center. Find the full instructions here!

Materials

  • Pipe cleaners
  • Coffee filters
  • Washable markers
  • Paintbrush
  • Water

“Stained Glass” Suncatchers

Hanging artwork in the window feels extra special to young children, so these “stained glass” suncatchers are the perfect bonding craft to do with your child!

Cut out a shape from clear plastic, such as from an empty plastic food or fruit container or a lamination page. Using black glue, draw a stained glass design on the plastic. Wait until the glue is dry, and then color with colored Sharpies. Hang in the window with double-sided tape. You can find the instructions here.

Materials:

  • black glue (white Elmer’s glue + black acrylic paint)
  • clear plastic (from an empty plastic container, a plastic folder, or an empty laminated pouch)
  • sharpies (the more colors the better!)
  • Double-sided tape

Creating keepsake crafts shouldn’t break the bank, and the focus should be on building a relationship with your child. These simple crafts will help boost your child’s confidence, practice their fine motor skills, and grow your relationship.

Bright Start Louisville offers exceptional childcare to children six weeks to 12 years old. We’re proud to offer a fun and educational preschool program that prepares your child for kindergarten per state educational standards.

If you’re looking for excellent childcare that gives your child a head start in life, contact Bright Start Louisville today!

What’s Next

Tricks for Getting a Child to Nap Every Day

Tricks for Getting a Child to Nap Every Day

Every parent can agree one of the biggest struggles in parenting is getting your child to nap. Even children who normally sleep well will eventually struggle to nap. Missing a nap can make a child overtired, which only perpetuates the sleeping problem. 

So how can you make it easier for your child to nap every day? Keep reading for age-specific tips!

Why Do Children Need Naps?

Babies and young children are learning something new all day, every day! Humans of all ages process new information and store memories during sleep. Because young children are constantly experiencing and learning new things, they need extra sleep to integrate and remember them. 

The brains and bodies of young children literally grow during sleep! So if you want your kid to be strong and smart, adequate sleep is vital.

How Much Sleep Does My Child Need?

Babies, toddlers, and young children all benefit from naps throughout the day. How many naps or how long they nap for depends on their age. 

  • Newborns (0 to 3 months) need 14 to 17 hours of sleep per day. They take about four to six naps a day for about 30 minutes to two hours at a time.
  • Babies (4 to 12 months) need 12 to 16 hours of sleep per day. Babies sleep for longer stretches at night. At 6 months, babies usually drop to two naps: one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
  • Toddlers (1 to 2 years) need 11 to 14 hours of sleep per day. Before the 18-month mark, toddlers still take two naps. However, around 18 months they transition to one longer, afternoon nap.
  • Preschoolers: (3 to 5 years) need 10 to 13 hours hours of sleep per day. Some children stop napping between 3 and 4 years old, but others will still nap regularly until age 5.
  • School-aged children (6 to 12 years) need 9 to 12 hours of sleep per day. By the age of 6, children no longer need to take a nap, getting all their sleep at night.

Tips for Helping Your Child Nap

While every child is different, some general principles will help every child nap, no matter their age.

Keep Your Child From Getting Overtired

While you might think that an exhausted child will sleep longer, this is simply not true. Exhausted, overtired children are in overdrive and will use this cranky energy to fight sleep. If your child isn’t getting the recommended hours of sleep (listed in the section above), then it’s likely that they’re fighting sleep because they’re overtired.

You can overcome overtiredness by setting firm boundaries on bedtime and nap time. It takes consistency, but setting a firm bedtime and nap time every day will help your child regain their lost sleep and settle into an ideal routine.

Catch Them When They’re Tired

Taking advantage of when children are naturally sleepy will make it much easier to get them to nap. Observe when your child starts slowing down: choosing quieter toys, reading books, zoning out, or being easily irritable. 

Babies and toddlers who take morning and afternoon naps will generally need a nap about two hours after waking up. Children this age should take a 1.5-2-hour nap in the morning and afternoon. 

Toddlers and young children who only take an afternoon nap generally do best with their nap about a half hour to an hour after their midday meal. This is because the short-term energy from their food has worn off. Children this age can take a nap from 1-3 hours, depending on how many hours they sleep at night. 

Stick With a Routine

It’s tempting to not require your child to nap every day, but there are a few problems with inconsistency. 

First, your child will slowly build up a sleep deficit that will result in them being overtired. Additionally, children thrive on consistency. If they know they get out of napping when they resist, then they will. 

An added benefit of consistency is the parents and caregivers have predictable times throughout the day to rest or accomplish tasks.

Use Sleepytime Tech

There are plenty of excellent assistive tech devices that can help your child sleep. For instance, a simple noise machine that plays soothing sounds like the ocean, rain, or other white noise can help lull your child to sleep. Another smart device is to invest in a clock (like this one) that glows when nap time is over. 

As children get older and transition away from sleeping every day, they may benefit from listening to a story in their bed. If they fall asleep, then they are tired enough, and if not, they at least get some rest.

Getting your child to nap can be a challenge! But the most important thing is to be consistent with a daily routine to avoid sleep deficits and tantrums.

Bright Start Louisville offers exceptional childcare to children six weeks to 12 years old. We’re proud to offer a fun and educational preschool program that prepares your child for kindergarten per state educational standards.

If you’re looking for excellent childcare that gives your child a head start in life, contact Bright Start Louisville today!

What’s Next

Is Full-Time or Part-Time Daycare Best?

Is Full-Time or Part-Time Daycare Best?

Many working parents rely on daycare to return to their jobs. While daycare is a blessing for many parents, it is not a replacement for parental care. So what is the balance between childcare and parental care?

How many days–and hours during the day–is best for children to be in daycare?

The answer to this question is largely based on the child’s age. Let’s look at some of the factors to consider when finding the ideal schedule for your child.

Infants

Infants under one year are still forming a parental-child bond. Infants shouldn’t be away from their parents or relatives all day, every day. Only a few hours every day or a few times a week is best.

It might take juggling work schedules with your partner or relative to accommodate this need. Luckily, since the pandemic, many occupations let parents of young children work from home. Arrange for a few hours in the office and the rest of your work day at home, or align your work schedule with your partner or relatives so they can watch your baby for a few hours during your work day. 

Even though it might be inconvenient to only have your infant in daycare for a few hours, it’s a decision you won’t regret in future years.

Toddlers

Although toddlers (aged one to three years) like to assert their growing independence, they need about the same amount of care and attention from their parents as infants. 

Try to have your child in daycare for only 20-25 hours per week. This may require some creativity, but this is attainable for many families with the help of your partner, friends, and relatives.

Pre-K and Kindergarten

Children four years and older have a greater capacity to be away from their parents. By this age, children will hopefully feel secure in their relationships with their parents. Their social skills and classroom friendships are stronger and usually allow them to not be anxious away from their parents.

Additionally, children must begin to acclimate to the length of school days. So while you may need to take it slowly as you lengthen the hours your child is in daycare, it is appropriate to have your child in daycare for a full-time schedule.  

Is It Okay for My Child to Spend More Time in Daycare Than the Recommended Amount?

A variety of factors come into play when answering this question. 

  • Family’s needs: Some children will be in daycare for longer because the parents have to pay the bills. Parents in this situation need to give themselves grace and rest assured that there are still opportunities to bond with their children.
  • Child’s personality: Some children have a higher need for peer interaction with others. If your child is a social butterfly, they may do very well with a full-time daycare schedule, even at a young age. 
  • Sibling enrollment: Children who have siblings enrolled in the same daycare may feel more secure and therefore able to tolerate a full-time schedule better than a child without any siblings enrolled.

Full-Time vs. Part-Time at Bright Start Louisville

The advantage to full-time enrollment is it is a much more structured routine for your child. They know exactly where they will be and what to expect. With part-time enrollment, your child may be confused about when or how long they will be at daycare and who will be dropping off or picking them up. This may be upsetting for some children.

On the other hand, children enrolled in daycare full-time may miss out on important parental or family bonding opportunities. Children enrolled part-time will have more time with parents, family, and close friends and may experience greater family stability.

We offer full and part-time schedules at Bright Start Louisville so you can find the best fit for your child’s and family’s needs. If you opt for a part-time schedule, we can be flexible on drop-off and pick-up times. 

Bright Start Louisville offers exceptional childcare to children six weeks to 12 years old. We’re proud to offer a fun and educational preschool program that prepares your child for kindergarten per state educational standards.

If you’re looking for excellent childcare that gives your child a head start in life, contact Bright Start Louisville today!

What’s Next

Learn the Best Age to Send a Child to Daycare

Learn the Best Age to Send a Child to Daycare

There are many opinions on what age is best for a child to begin attending daycare. Some parents and pediatricians believe sending a child to daycare earlier is best so there’s less separation anxiety. Others believe that waiting until the child is older allows for proper parental bonding.

There are a dozen other factors to consider, as well, such as the child’s immune system, social tendencies, and the parent’s work schedule. Some parents must go back to work six weeks after delivering a baby, while others can wait a few years and easily resume their occupation. 

While there’s no right or wrong answer, most pediatricians recommend children attend daycare beginning around one year old. 

The Best Age to Start Daycare

Many pediatricians recommend children start daycare around age one. There are several reasons for this:

A More Developed Immune System

Babies younger than one year have a developing immune system and could be sick frequently. Children who are exposed to illnesses early and often develop immunity faster than isolated children, but letting your child’s immune system mature could help them fight off infections. 

A Better Parental Attachment

12 months is the sweet spot for enrolling your child in daycare because it allows parental-child bonding but the child isn’t old enough to experience severe separation anxiety during drop-off. 

Better Behavior

One study noted that children enrolled in daycare at 12 months behaved better than their peers who stayed home. Children at 12 months are growing socially and when enrolled in daycare, have ample opportunity to learn important social skills, such as sharing toys, playing with friends, and communicating with baby sign language. Babies who don’t have regular peer interaction miss out on opportunities to grow and integrate these social skills.

The Earliest Age to Start Daycare

Studies show there are benefits to enrolling a child younger than 12 months. Children enrolled at six months have better cognitive and social skills than peers who stay at home.

Bright Start Louisville enrolls infants as young as six weeks. We ensure we care for these precious little ones and give them the love and attention they need to grow and thrive. 

The Worst Age to Enroll in Daycare

Knowing the best age to start daycare begs the question: is there a bad age to enroll in daycare?

While there’s never a bad time to enroll in daycare, children aged three and four have the hardest time transitioning to daycare. This is especially true if they’ve exclusively stayed home with a parent and not had other regular babysitters.  

When children are used to spending all their time with their parents, such a drastic change in routine can cause a lot of anxiety, hyperactivity, and behavioral issues in children. 

But this doesn’t mean enrolling your three-or-four-year-old will be disastrous! At Bright Start Louisville, we have compassionate teachers who will help your child quickly acclimate to a daycare setting. We have an excellent early preschool curriculum that lets your child get a head start on kindergarten skills.

Age Doesn’t Matter–As Long As Care is Quality

While there is much debate about the best time to enroll a child in daycare, experts agree that daycare is beneficial for children of every age as long as the daycare provides quality care. A daycare that provides predictable routines, age-appropriate education, nutritional meals, and creative playtime gives your child everything they need to grow. 

Bright Start Louisville provides outstanding care to children enrolled in our program. It doesn’t matter what age your child begins daycare, at Bright Start Louisville, they will be cared for by kind and compassionate teachers who want to see them reach their highest potential. Children in our program receive age-appropriate education that grows their fine and gross motor skills, social skills, and early educational knowledge. 

Bright Start Louisville offers exceptional childcare to children six weeks to 12 years old. We’re proud to offer a fun and educational preschool program that prepares your child for kindergarten per state educational standards.

If you’re looking for excellent childcare that gives your child a head start in life, contact Bright Start Louisville today!

What’s Next

It Takes This Long for a Toddler to Like Daycare