Choosing a child care program can be confounding, overwhelming, and even frustrating! People in the early childhood education field are uniquely aware of important things that you may not think about when you are making your decision. The following are 7 categories you should ask about while you are looking for care!

• Communication

• Prompt - Did you get the answers you needed promptly?...

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These are the fateful words as a parent, you dread to hear when dropping your child off to a new environment. Separation anxiety is normal in an infant and toddlers development. Don’t panic Mom and Dad, you are not alone! Around the age of 2 is usually when toddlers start to notice a pattern that you may be out of sight for a while but not forever. Older children may still have some anxiety around drop off time, but there are several...

Fun family trips can sometimes be overshadowed by the anxiety of traveling with young children. Many times we as adults stress about the car or plane ride and how it will affect our children and other passengers if our children do not behave in a certain manner. Many people through time have weighed in on this subject with their opinions on both sides of the coin and have compelling arguments. However, what I believe to be correct is what is...

Inhibit The Achievement Gap And Promote School Readiness For Your Youngest Learner!

In a longitudinal study spanning over five decades — 1960 through 2016 — with participation from five universities including Harvard, it was observed that kids who participated in early childhood education programs were...

Kindness is learned, and what better way to teach it than to perform acts of kindness within your family and community! Reinforcing acts of kindness with hugs and high fives makes it even more fun! Kids of all ages can get in on the giving. Here is a list of 24 acts of kindness that you and your family can pick some from (or challenge yourself to do all 24!).

• 1. Write a thank you note to your favorite teacher,...

Kids are generally incredibly resilient. Most kids can weather stress in their lives like pros, and some can learn to adapt to big life changes even better than adults. However, when kids are stressed out, sometimes it’s hard to spot. Without the ability to fully express their feelings, you may see physical, mood, or behavioral changes in children (especially young children) when they need some extra support.

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Today while I was thinking about what to write about for July’s blog, I was browsing through some preschool and early childhood blogs. I realized that so many of the fun and elaborate experiments and projects need some specialized material that you might only be able to get at a craft store or online. But what about a boredom emergency?? Here are a few great ideas for no-prep, fun activities that will bust that boredom!

Note: This letter is from 2020 from our chairman Michael Bundy, and we wanted to re-share his sentiments and hopes for all of us on this year's Juneteenth.

Today, Juneteenth, Finding Me Now expresses hope that the events of the last few weeks will become a seminal moment in our country’s history. May this be a time that profoundly improves the lives of black Americans. May this be a time when white Americans can hear the pain...

Finding Me Now Learning Center is working to keep every child and adult in our building safe.

We also have embraced the “unintended opportunities” to learn and grow that would not be possible without the unusual circumstances we all find ourselves in.

We have concentrated our many efforts in six areas: Concentration on Cleaning, Social Distancing, Health Checks, Family Support, Child Enrichment, and Supporting Our Staff.

As we ring in 2020, many of us make New Year’s resolutions. Has self-care ever crossed your mind? Many working parents probably think they do not spend enough time with their child (ren) so they should not spend time on themselves because this is selfish. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Taking a few hours or a day for yourself can be one of the best things you can do for your kids and family.

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All the gifts are unwrapped and open. Boxes, bows and wrapping paper are everywhere around the room. The kids are happy and enjoying all their Christmas gifts. Or maybe not…

Maybe your teenage son is upset because he didn’t get the “Yeezy” shoes he wanted. Maybe 15 minutes later, your daughter is complaining that she has nothing to do. Or maybe your kids fighting already because someone else got some better and it’s just “not...

Bedtime Routines

How many of you struggle with bedtime in your household? I know for my family; bedtime use to be horrible. Bedtime was a disaster at my house until I finally set some bedtime routines. My boys never had a “bedtime” and it followed them through to high school. They were tired and grouchy all the time.

The key to a good bedtime routine is consistency. Start early. It is much easier to start a good...

Sometimes as adults, we may start to absorb the many distressing news stories that permeate our lives. If we see an epidemic of violence, destructive weather, or world conflicts, we are able to identify how we feel about it and then move on. We may not realize that despite our efforts, our children are also exposed to death and loss in the world, which can cause a lot of fear and confusion. We can help children process their feelings about...

Back to School Success

Summer fun is winding down and the family is getting ready for back to school shopping. The school supply lists are out, there are new clothes and shoes to buy, backpacks to fill up and schedules to get back into. Here are some tips to make your summer to school transition an easy one.

Establish a routine for school days.

• Make it visible someplace where the whole family can see...

Fine Motor Skills are learned when children learn to use smaller muscles. These muscles consist of your hands, fingers, and wrists.

These muscles are used when writing, holding small items, and turning pages. Mastery of find motor skills require precision and coordination. Fine motor skills come after gross motor skills (large muscle skills) do. Big muscles help small muscles develop. The use of small motor isn’t only...

Finding Me Now Learning Center Wellness

A wellness plan is a plan of action geared towards achieving personal wellness. Personal wellness implies many aspects of health and satisfaction. There are many elements to personal wellness, and each must be nurtured, developed, and maintained for optimal overall well-being. A wellness plan should take into account all of these varying parts of wellness: physical, mental,...

One evening after a long day at work I came home, and my three children were sitting on our couch and were on their tablets playing games and watching YouTube videos. I get settled in and start on dinner without interrupting my children on their iPads because they are being totally entertained and I can actually cook dinner and get things done around the house without being interrupted. Win-win for mom! Several hours have passed and I am...

Tis the Season to Give as much as it is to receive!

Christmas time is a wonderful time of year for many people, especially children. What a magical time to receive gifts, see Santa, perform in Christmas pageants and choirs, have parties at school with friends, and gather with family. It’s time off school to celebrate the season enjoy the year. However, for some families this can be a stressful time of year as well. Some families in your...

Winter, Summer, Spring, and Fall if you live in the Midwest you get to experience them all! This upcoming season can be a drag when dealing with runny noses, coughing, germs and anything relating to a cold or flu. Although the flu is not necessarily guaranteed to directly affect you and your child, a common cold always has a way to circle around the block and knock at your door. It is always helpful to educate your children on the...

We know starting your infant in childcare is a very trying time. You have a lot to do to prepare for that first day. Here are a few things that you may not think of!

• As a licensed Child Care Center, we must obey Safe Sleep Practices. Please be sure you are putting your infant in a crib on their back to sleep at home. If you do this at least for naps, this will help their transition into child care.
• If you are breast...

Summer is my favorite time of year! I love everything about it, the warmth of the sun, the longer days, and all the opportunities to just be outside. When I was a child the last day of school could not come soon enough. As the final bell rang all I could think about was how awesome the summer was going to be and what all I was going to do, such as, swim, ride my bike, climb a tree, and spend time with my friends. What I did not know, was that...

Fun family trips can sometimes be overshadowed by the anxiety of traveling with young children. Many times we as adults stress about the car or plane ride and how it will affect our children and other passengers if our children do not behave in a certain manner. Many people through time have weighed in on this subject with their opinions on both sides of the coin and have compelling arguments. However, what I believe to be correct is what is...

Kids love to count and add objects as they receive the shouts of “yay” and clapping from parents, this can easily be seen as the only math achievable by young children. Let’s go beyond the counting and adding. Parents challenge yourselves to get your kids to think like real

mathematicians! Math is everywhere around us and it must be connected to children’s lives. The kitchen is a place that children see everyday and are quite curious...

As parents we only want the best for our children. Only you know what that is. Every child is different and unique, and all children need different things. I want to share with you the benefits of Early Childhood Education so you can decide if it is right for you and your child.

Studies have shown that children who interact with other children early in life learn great social and emotional skills that will carry on with them throughout...

These are the fateful words as a parent, you dread to hear when dropping your child off to a new environment. Separation anxiety is normal in an infant and toddlers development. Don’t panic Mom and Dad, you are not alone! Around the age of 2 is usually when toddlers start to notice a pattern that you may be out of sight for a while but not forever.

Spring is here, and the kids are experiencing cabin fever, I know I am! Think back to when you were a child– what was your favorite part of spring? When I was a child I remember walking outside to play and the sweet pleasant scent of our viburnum bush would grab my sense of smell and confirm spring had arrived. For me that meant the weather was turning warmer and I knew long warm summer days were not far behind.

Most children learn...

Children often imitate adults. This also holds true to eating habits. If an adult they look up to does not eat vegetables or fruit, chances are they will choose not to either. It is more important than ever to start the healthy eating at a young age. When feeding your infant or toddler, offer them all the foods. Let them be the judge of what they like. If you never give your child broccoli, then they will probably never want to try it. It...