Read our monthly parenting e-newsletter for the month of August 2020.
This Month’s Hot Topics: Transitions to New School, Child Care Routines
All families will soon be adjusting to new fall routines that include transitioning to the reality of school and study. Whether your children are attending school in-person or learning remotely, here are some things to consider as you prepare for the transition:
- Back to School Planning: Checklists to Guide Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers, from the CDC
- Working and learning from home, from HealthyChildren.org
- Transitioning back to child care (also helpful tips that might be applied to transitioning to kindergarten), from ZERO TO THREE
Returning to Child Care?
As child care programs are allowed to return to pre-pandemic enrollment levels on Aug. 9, you may be considering returning to your child care provider.
For many who were in care prior to child care closing in March to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, that return will be filled with changes. It will be important to help children transition back to a pre-pandemic schedule and ease any anxieties around the changes they may see. Here are a few tips and resources:
- Talk to your pediatrician about health risk concerns
- Ask questions to understand a child care program’s operating plan regarding social distancing, mask wearing, cleaning schedule, hand washing, group size, drop off and pick up procedures and policies, etc.
- Have age-appropriate conversations with your child about what their day will look like and discuss the protocols that are in place at the child care program and the reasons for the changes.
- Practice wearing masks at home
Here are some additional resources.
- Talking With Children About COVID-19 , from the Centers for Disease Control:
- Is It Safe To Send My Child Back to Child Care, from HealthyChildren.org
- Seven Tips for Successful Transition Back to Child Care, from Dayton Children’s and Montgomery County Preschool Promise.
What Is Quality Child Care?
Finding a quality child care setting for your child requires an awareness of best practices and standards that help ensure the safety, growth and education of your child. But where do you start? Download these tips on selecting quality care to learn more about the types of care and what indicates quality care.
Ohio Bold Beginning
Visit boldbeginning.org for resources from the State of Ohio on child care options, parenting tips, resources for a healthy pregnancy, information on eligibility and how to apply for state benefits and more!
Learn Through Play Daily Activities: August
Help children learn through play by using one of the following age-specific monthly calendars that feature daily activities.
- Learn Through Play Calendar: Infant
- Learn Through Play Calendar: Toddler
- Learn Through Play Calendar: Preschool
Give Your Child the Gift of Books!
Enroll your children in the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library to receive a free children’s book every month. All Ohio children from ages 0 to 5 are eligible. Current Imagination Library counties from our service area include: Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Darke, Fayette, Greene, Hamilton, Logan, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Shelby, and Warren. Clermont County is coming soon!
Vroom: Creating Brain-Building Moments
Tap into Vroom resources and check out the tips and activities tailored to your 0- to 5-year-old child. You’ll not only learn to turn everyday activities into brain building opportunities, but you and your child will have lots of fun along the way!
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