Preschool Confidence- How Can We Be So Sure?

“Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein

Nationally, there is a focus on how best we can ensure our children are prepared for the future through education. Research shows that this process begins in the womb. As parents, that can put a lot of pressure on us to provide the ideal learning opportunities for our children from the moment we fall in love with them. I believe that sometimes that drive to prepare our children academically can cause us to miss the greatest opportunity for doing just that. We are so excited for our little ones to learn that we forget to encourage the very thing that will help them learn best- play!

As we sort and stack the sweet little graduation caps, tassels and gowns for our preschool class of 2015, I cannot resist thinking about the fact that they are just 13 years away from becoming the high school graduating class of 2028. Fortunately, I’m confident that as a preschool, we have partnered with their parents as they prepared them to be wildly successful! I’m also excited that we will have the opportunity to watch many of these little ones grow as they continue on in our After-School and Summer Programs. Some of our students that have grown up in Sioux Falls have even sent us high school graduation invites or stopped in to show us just how successful they are! Some of our graduates are even LSS employees now. This is such a blessing.

I imagine you are wondering how I can be so confident that our preschool has prepared students to be successful. What follows is a small list of the reasons that I believe LSS provides the type of preschool experience to our students that will help them grow and learn so I have collected some quotes from around the world to support my belief.

Happy (and Safe) Halloween!

Costumes should be safe! Avoid masks that impede vision. Avoid hard accessories like plastic swords or broomsticks that could poke your child or others. Be sure shoes and costumes aren’t a tripping hazard.

Always check treats and candy to be sure they are safe.

Never let them go alone. Walk with your child. If you think they are old enough to go without an adult, be sure they are with friends you trust. Teach them about crosswalks and talk about where they are allowed to go.

Don’t forget the lights! Be sure that children are walking with bright lights so that others can see them and they can see where they are going. Be sure candles in jack-o-lanterns and luminaries are flameless or out of reach of children.

You are the best judge of what is safe for your child. Don’t be afraid to say “no” to your child even if all of their friends are doing something. Keep your child safe.

Safe Families and Safe Kids

This week is National Fire Prevention Week. Keep your family safe with tips and activities from Sparky The Fire Dog. In short, Sparky says:

1. Plan two ways out!

2. Have working smoke alarms!

3. Choose an outside meeting place!

4. Practice your escape.

October is also a month filled with memories for me. Six years ago I had the unique experience of being blessed by a miracle. When we were expecting our youngest daughter we were nearly the victims of carbon monoxide poisoning. Our furnace had an issue that went unnoticed and our carbon monoxide detectors did not work. By the grace of God and the help of great medical staff we are still around to tell others to be safe. Tragically, it seems that every year around this time local news contains the story of lives lost to carbon monoxide when we all start our furnaces up for the year. My hope is that this can be prevented.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has good tips to keep everyone safe. Some things you need to know:

1. CO (Carbon Monoxide) is a colorless and odorless gas.

2. Have working CO Alarms

3. The symptoms of CO poisoning often mimic the flu and include: headache, fatigue, difficulty breathing, nausea, dizziness and confusion.

4. If you suspect poisoning go immediately to a physician or call 911.