Preschoolers Archives - Character Ink

Littles Love Learning

Donna — Wed, 23 May 2018 00:00:34 +0000

I recently did a Wondering Wednesday video episode about Creating a Love for Learning in Littles. I raised seven children who all loved learning, reading, and their organized daily routines as young children. They looked forward to story time, “school” time, family field trips, and more. There were so many things that came to play to cause this love for learning in our young children that I thought I would put some tips and links all together here in a blog post.

So….if you are serious about helping your toddlers and preschoolers love books, learning, simple things, routine, and more, check out the links below!

Wondering Wednesday Video—“Creating a Love for Learning in Littles”

In this video, Donna gives specific tips on book baskets, activity tubs, reducing technology (and using it well), and more.

Room Time Activities Resource List

In this document, Donna details great products to use with toddlers and preschoolers—for Room Time activities and for to you do with your littles.

Timberdoodle

Great place to get age-appropriate “school kits.” Don’t let the homeschool kits aspect scare you. These are amazing kits of the best of the best put together for toddlers and preschoolers!

Creating a Love for Learning in Your Home

In this audio, Donna talks about love for learning in older children.

Turning High Need Preschoolers Into Darling Angels

In this audio, Donna talks about common preschool behavior problems and ways to handle them.

Preparing Your Preschooler to Learn to Read

In this audio, Donna teaches some strategies and habits that will help preschoolers be prepared to learn to read when the time comes.

Tips for Avoiding the Terrible Twos

In this video, Donna talks about strategies to use with your pre-two year old to avoid those “terrible twos” that people always talk about.

What to Do With a Wonderful One Year Old

In this audio series (two part), Donna talks about the amazing days of one year olds.

Jonathan’s Journal Blog Series

In this blog series, Donna uses her unpublished children’s book, Jonathan’s Journal, to detail a wonderful day it the life of a preschooler—teaching parents every hour of the day!

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[Podcast Rerun] Room Time With Toddlers & Preschoolers

Donna — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 14:00:29 +0000

Welcome to another episode of Wondering Wednesday! We have been recording our Kelowna, BC convention sessions for you for upcoming Wondering Wednesday sessions, but we are swamped with preparations, so we will have those for you in coming weeks!

In the meantime, spring is the perfect time to start collecting activities, toys, and books for room time with your littles, so this week’s WW is a re-run of the podcast about Room Time.

Here are the details:

“Donna Reish, writer, speaker, and teacher at Character Ink Press and Raising Kids With Character blog and seminar, brings this Wondering Wednesday podcast about utilizing room time with toddlers and preschoolers. In this episode, Donna describes the benefits of room time, how to begin this daily, potential problems and solutions, and ideas for activities to use for room time. She also explains the importance of utilizing this opportunity to increase focusing skills, Independence, creativity, resourcefulness, and attentiveness.”

Love me some littles! Teach them to obey and be content—and you will enjoy this age so much more!

Love and hope,
Donna

Download the podcast notes here.

Listen to previous podcasts here.

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Age Appropriate Chores for Preschoolers

Donna — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 15:00:00 +0000

For complete printable lists of chores your preschooler can do on his own (and another list on chores he can do with help!), click on the links below!

Pin these Chores for Preschoolers on Pinterest!

Click here for colorful, printable chore lists for toddlers through tweens.

If you want more chores, efficiency, and organization help, check out the podcast episodes listed here.

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Podcast Notes for “How to Utilize Room Time With Toddlers & Preschoolers”

Donna — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 16:53:27 +0000

“Soon it was time for Jakie to play in his play pen, so Josiah and I got to play together. Next thing I knew, we were in trouble! Mommy came into the room and said that it looked like a tornado went through. We did it again! We got too many things out at one time. We had stuff all over the living room: Legos, cars and trucks, Duplo people, books, and stuffed animals. It took us FOREVER to clean it up—even with Kara’s help. Josiah and I had to each do an extra fifteen minute chore with Mommy because we forgot the rule about getting out too many things at one time. “

What Is Room Time?

Concentrated time of play and activity for young children in which they learn focusing skills, independence, problem solving, initiative, resourcefulness, deference and more.

Benefits of Room Time

1) Increase in Focusing Skills—studies show children who watch television over independent activities and/or what large amounts of television have more trouble with concentration, impulsiveness, and restlessness

2) Builds many preschool skills naturally

3) Provides small amount of time for Mom to get something done

General How To’s

1) Set up a closet or area off limits normally in which you house the room time activities

2) Build the child’s curiosity each day or week by describing what he can do that day/letting him peek in the closet/hiding (but showing!) new things you got for room time, etc. (Be sure he never sees it as punishment.)

3) Tell him ahead of time you will be starting it next week or whenever (if it is new to him…and especially if playing alone is new to him)

4) Choose second most time-intensive time of day for Mom (when she is needed elsewhere second to the most)

5) Set a timer or have some other mechanism in place so he knows when it ends (make it super short at first)

6) Give him a five minute warning for clean up

7) Have him clean up

Room Time Activities Suggestions

• Closet or several tubs somewhere

• Not something he normally gets to play with

• Something you have already done with him/that he has mastered and can do alone easily

• Nothing too difficult or that he would need help for (he should grow into those things)

• Age appropriate/size appropriate

• Non electronics

• Imagination-driven

SIGN UP for Character Ink Press/Raising Kids With Character newsletter and receive an annotated list of suggested activities for room time for preschoolers and toddlers in our December 2015 Freebie Friday!

Potential Problems and Solutions

• Bored—children often get bored with “regular” things when they have too many thrills (electronics, etc.) Don’t let room time take the place of those (or he could resent it), but try to reduce the thrills in other ways/at other times

• Bored—try to really tap into your child’s interests and get activities geared towards those

• Won’t stay in room time—at first let him come out or call out one time, but then he can’t unless it is an emergency (don’t make it so long that he feels trapped and feels like he has to come out)

• Can’t fill the entire time—if you are increasing time and want him to play longer, try switching toys halfway through, helping him play or come up with activities/suggestions and then leave again

Podcast: How to Utilize Room Time With Toddlers & Preschoolers

Donna — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 16:46:42 +0000

Donna Reish, writer, speaker, and teacher at Character Ink Press and Raising Kids With Character blog and seminar, brings this Wondering Wednesday podcast about utilizing room time with toddlers and preschoolers. In this episode, Donna describes the benefits of room time, how to begin this daily, potential problems and solutions, and ideas for activities to use for room time. She also explains the importance of utilizing this opportunity to increase focusing skills, Independence, creativity, resourcefulness, and attentiveness.

Download the podcast notes here.

Listen to previous podcasts here.

Sign up for our newsletters to receive a nine-page booklet of a list of toys and activities to use with your toddler or preschooler during room time!

Do you have a question you would like answered in an upcoming podcast episode? Email me here! -Donna

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Podcast Handout for “Solving Common Preschool Behavior Problems”

Donna — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 14:30:20 +0000

Download the blog post as a PDF here!

Two Most Important Points for Daily Occurrence Problems

(1) ALWAYS move from gray to black and white

(2) ALWAYS make it their choice to disobey or do something to make them take ownership of the behaviors

Beyond Structure and Routine—Solutions to Common Preschool Problems During the Day

(1) Napping/Bed/No Quiet Time

(2) Fighting

a. All together to solve it

b. Use conflict resolution if not too common fighting; if fighting is too common, don’t try to solve every issue; they just need to learn to stop and submit at first with frequent fighting

c. Use exact same wording all the time: “This is your fight warning. Go put a frown face on the fight chart.” (Have them do this, not you!!! You want them to take ownership of their fighting.)

d. Tell them, “This is your second fight warning. If you have to put a third frown face on the chart, remember, you will lose _____________.” (Make it the same thing all the time for a while. Maybe even have them help you decide in a family meeting.)

e. Then do what needs done for that scenario: (1) Put toy away; (2) Send to separate rooms; etc.

f. If third fight warning is used (or whatever number you decide for each child based on age, current level of fighting, etc.), have child put his frown face on the chart and do another physical action that makes him take possession of his actions, such as get the “three fights=no electronics tomorrow popsicle stick and move it to his jar” or “three fights=no tv or movie tonight sticky note and stick it on his frowny face chart.” Important note: Make the punishment something that you can enforce when Dad is home to help you or home to help you prepare for it.

(3) Whining

a. Use signal words: “I will not listen to you right now with that voice. You may go to the bedroom and come back with a normal voice if you want.” (Don’t let them stay their and try to change it or sort of change it—physical action for real change (not just sort of).

b. When they come back, if they have the right voice, tell them that is great. (Praise the correct voice even if the answer to the question is no.) If they come back with the same voice (or whining is a super common occurrence that cannot be changed with moving away and coming back only), create a whining chart. If he comes back with the same voice, say, “I still cannot hear you. You are choosing to get a frown on the Whining Chart. Go put your frowny face on the chart.”

c. If the answer is no, and they start whining again, give them a chance to stop (“This is your chance to accept what I said and stop whining.”), and if they do not, have them put another frown face on the chart and/or do some steps below for the problem of Asking for Things Over and Over.

d. If you are using the Whining Chart (not the same time as the Fighting Chart (!), determine ahead of time with the child and/or with Dad and the child how many frowns until consequences (based on how bad the whining is, how old the child is, etc.). Once that is reached, do one of the Consequences Actions (where he physically moves the written consequence to himself). Again, make the consequence losing something important either when Dad is home or the next day after Dad has a chance to support you in it.

(4) Asking for Things Over and Over

a. Similar to whining but even if voice is normal but child will not stop mentioning something or asking for something.

b. Never say “We’ll see.” If you don’t know the answer, create a definite time it will be solved: “Dad and I will talk tonight and give you an answer at bedtime.”

c. If you have the final answer, use signal words that he knows: “I’m going to give you my final answer. What do you need to do with my final answer?” He should say, “Accept it and not ask again.”

d. If he asks again after final answer signal words are used, you could use something similar to Fighting Chart or Whining Chart depending on age.

e. If child is older, you could simply give one chance: “You asked that earlier. And I gave my final answer. You are getting a forgiveness for asking again. What do you need to do with this final answer?” He should say, “Accept it and not ask again.” If he does ask again, he should go physically get a consequence immediately.

Note: Even though you are not fulfilling the consequence immediately, he should always go get the consequence immediately. Reasons:

1) Linked immediately to the behavior.

2) Made ahead of time so never a shock to him

3) Decided with him and/or Dad ahead of time (isn’t just Mom saying this is going to happen)

4) Physical action of getting the consequence stick or post it note or index card means that he is putting the consequence on himself; he made the choice, knew ahead of time, and decided to get the consequence anyway.

Listen to the podcast here!

Links From Blog and Podcasts:

1) Podcast Episode: What to Do With a Kindergartener

2) Podcast Episode: Five Homeschooling Problems and Solutions

3) Podcast Episode: How to Prepare a Child to Learn to Read

4) Blog Post: Expectations for a Five Year Old

5) Podcast Episode: Toddler Trouble

6) Podcast Episode: Story Time With Littles and Very Young Preschoolers

7) Podcast Episode: When to Give Your Child a Mulligan

8) Blog Post: How Can I Start Character Training With My Toddler?

9) Blog Post: Q Is for Quit Fighting (Behavior Absolutes in Your Family)

10) Blog Post: Morning Routines for Littles

11) Blog Post: Character Training for Toddlers and Preschoolers—Boundaries, Simple Tastes, and More

12) Podcast Episode: Children and Chores

13) Podcast Episode: How to Get Children On Board With Family Work

14) Blog Post: Room, Groom, Dress, and Mess

My favorite tools to use with preschoolers:

(affiliate links 🙂 )

(1) Audios for younger children (olders enjoy too, but these can be used with two to three year olds also):

a. The Pond audio stories
b. Patch the Pirate (look for audio story ones, not just music ones)
c. Jungle Jam audio stories
d. Your Story Hour Bible stories (others are a little bit harder to comprehend/older themes)
e. Adventures in Odyssey audio stories/radio dramas for four to six year olds and up (start with Bible ones as others can be scary/have mysteries, etc.) Use Audios not videos to start with!
f. Best first chapter books on audios, the Boxcar Children

(2) Wake up clocks for children

a. Pre-made
b. Do-It-Yourself

(3) Tools and equipment for chores

a. Safety knives
b. Safety scissors
c. Children’s cleaning tools
d. Children’s garden tools
e. Boogie Boards

Download the blog post as a PDF here!

The post Podcast Handout for “Solving Common Preschool Behavior Problems” appeared first on Character Ink.

Podcast: Solving Common Preschool Behavior Problems

Donna — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 14:30:42 +0000

In this podcast episode, Donna Reish (author of “Raising Kids With Character Parenting Seminar” and over forty curriculum books and blogger {Character Ink and Language Lady}) answers a reader’s questions about solving common preschool behavior problems. This episode is a sequel to last week’s handling of preschoolers who are unusually high need during the day, uncooperative, and somewhat bored. As usual, Donna begins with two opening thoughts: (1) Taking behaviors (and your handling of them!) from gray to black and white and (2) Helping children learn to take responsibility for their behaviors.

Click here to listen to “Turning “Unusually” High-Need Preschoolers Into the Darling Angels They Were Meant to Be”

Click here to download the printable handout.

Subscribe to our Wondering Wednesday podcasts in iTunes.

Click here to see our previous podcasts!

My favorite tools to use with preschoolers:

(affiliate links 🙂 )

(1) Audios for younger children (olders enjoy too, but these can be used with two to three year olds also):

(2) Wake up clocks for children

a. Pre-made
b. Do-It-Yourself

(3) Tools and equipment for chores

a. Safety knives
b. Safety scissors
c. Children’s cleaning tools
d. Children’s garden tools
e. Boogie Boards

Click on the images below to see full lists of chores you can teach your Toddler, Preschooler, and Pre K/Kindergartner!

The post Podcast: Solving Common Preschool Behavior Problems appeared first on Character Ink.

Podcast Handout for “Turning Unusually High-Need Preschoolers Into the Darling Angels They Were Meant to Be

Donna — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 14:35:43 +0000

Opening Thoughts

(1) “Unusually” because preschoolers are high need by nature (and we wouldn’t want it any other way!)

(2) Preschool indicates ages three to five (or even six in some cases)*

(3) Behavior Absolutes—set in place first and foremost for ALL of the time (don’t just work on during the day)

*I have tons of toddler information (see links list) and even some kindergarten/pre-reading things (also see links!). Don’t disregard the toddler info as being too immature or the kindergarten material as being only for the future.

Listen to the podcast here, and click here to see links of my favorite tools to use with preschoolers, as well as ‘Age Appropriate Chore Charts’!

Start the Day Out Right

(1) Teach getting up after child asks only. Other options: (a) Call for someone to start an audio story. (b) Call for Mom to come give books/toys and set timer. (c) Clock on wall that shows when child can get up. (See links here.)

a. Something about kids running wild—gets them started on wrong foot
b. Not good for Mom either! 🙂

(2) Littles need Mom first thing (do not assign to olders when they first get up)

(3) Never too young to start in morning chore sessions (see podcast and blog post links as well as Age-Appropriate Chores charts)

(4) Consistency in sleep and eating and schedule blocks is key at these ags—predictability in schedule helps littles more than we think it does (but you will see results!)

(5) Start audios early—age two or so. If not, will become so tech-dependent that he will not enjoy them, will not make “pictures in his head” as well, etc.

More Structure=More Peace

(1) Days are long to littles—breaks in action, differing activities, etc., help this age a lot

(2) Think in terms of blocks of time of day (not necessarily rigid time schedules)—and even call them names

a. Morning routine
b. Morning reading
c. Content reading
d. Bible time
e. Morning chore session
f. Play time
g. Room time
h. Listen time
i. Lunch chore time
j. Lunch time
k. Story time
l. Free time

(3) When not “free” all the time, children play better, are more creative, do not waste time as much, plan their schedule/time, etc.

(4) Stage some things for them

(5) Not full access to electronics (they don’t know what is best for them; sometimes they do not even know what it is that they want)

(6) Involve child in olders’ day as much as possible

(7) Use alone time to teach focusing skills

Blog Posts and Podcasts

Listen to the podcast here!

The post Podcast Handout for “Turning Unusually High-Need Preschoolers Into the Darling Angels They Were Meant to Be appeared first on Character Ink.

Podcast: Turning “Unusually” High-Need Preschoolers Into the Darling Angels They Were Meant to Be

Donna — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 19:35:19 +0000

In this podcast episode, Donna Reish (author of “Raising Kids With Character Parenting Seminar” and over forty curriculum books and blogger {Character Ink and Language Lady}) answers a reader’s questions about preschoolers who are unusually high need during the day, uncooperative, and somewhat bored. As usual, Donna begins with opening thought about behavior absolutes and setting the stage for successful days. She then delves into structuring a child’s day to ward off some of the problems before they begin (schedules in terms of time blocks, involving the preschooler, teaching him, teaching focusing skills, etc.). Finally, she tackles three “biggies” with this age: fighting, whining, and not accepting Mom’s answers.

Click here to download the printable handout.

Subscribe to our Wondering Wednesday podcasts in iTunes.

Click here to see our previous podcasts!

My favorite tools to use with preschoolers:

(affiliate links 🙂 )

(1) Audios for younger children (olders enjoy too, but these can be used with two to three year olds also):

(2) Wake up clocks for children

a. Pre-made
b. Do-It-Yourself

(3) Tools and equipment for chores

a. Safety knives
b. Safety scissors
c. Children’s cleaning tools
d. Children’s garden tools
e. Boogie Boards

Click on the images below to see full lists of chores you can teach your Toddler, Preschooler, and Pre K/Kindergartner!

The post Podcast: Turning “Unusually” High-Need Preschoolers Into the Darling Angels They Were Meant to Be appeared first on Character Ink.

Podcast Notes: “How Do I Know When to Give Chances and When to Take Action: When to Give Our Kids a Mulligan”

Donna — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 05:00:05 +0000

Listen to the podcast here!

Grace-Based Parenting

1. Good thing!
2. Allows kids four freedoms

a. Freedom to be different
b. Freedom to be vulnerable
c. Freedom to be open
d. Freedom to make mistakes

3. Giving kids grace doesn’t mean there are not
consequences or that we do not correct our kids
4. Means that our relationship is never at risk due to their behavior
5. Means our love never changes based on the freedoms we give them (above)

Problem Isn’t With Grace-Based Parenting; Problem With People’s Interpretation of It

1. Misunderstanding it—thinking it means anything goes or hands off parenting
2. Misusing it—just like we mishandle God’s grace towards us, we mishandle the grace we give our kids

Bottom Line in Grace-Based Parenting (and Raising Kids With Character!): Treat our children the same way that God treats us

Definition Mulligan: an informal golf terms that means giving an extra stroke after a poor shot that is not counted against the golfer

Walleyball-–played in racquetball court; smaller court than volleyball; walls to hit it off of and walls/ceiling to be “out”

Mulligans in Our Walleyball Game

1. Younger Niece; small; had trouble with serves
2. Sister: frozen shoulder surgery
3. Daughter: inexperienced player

No Mulligans

1. Me: High school (albeit not great!) volleyball player
2. Daughter-in-law: high school and college volleyball player
3. Son: seventeen year old hot dogging it
4. Teen/college guys and husbands

What to Do With Kids’ Behaviors

1. Grace?
2. Training?
3. Mercy?
4. Responsibility?

Mulligans in Life

1. Niece—smaller; give to child who is struggling or weak
2. Sister—injured; give to child who is injured but not forever
3. Daughter—inexperienced; give to a chld who is in training

No Mulligans in Life?

1. Strong people
2. Those who are in need of “reality training” (hot dogging it)
3. Those who are already well trained in area

Print this post here!

Listen to the podcast here!

The post Podcast Notes: “How Do I Know When to Give Chances and When to Take Action: When to Give Our Kids a Mulligan” appeared first on Character Ink.