Manners Every Child Should Know

As your child grows up, there are a few things you should teach them: to look both ways before crossing the street, always show people respect, and that manners matter. Children should learn, from a young age, that a bit of consideration and kindness can go a long way, and that they should always use their manners when interacting with friends, classmates, teachers, and the like.

If you’re not sure where to start, these are some of the manners every child should know.

Please

At the very base of all manners is using the word “please.” Whether they’d like a snack or would like to spend some more time on the playground, your child should always say “please” when asking for something.

Thank You

Right after “please,” “thank you” is the next manner your child should learn. Rather than simply walk away after being given something, your child should know to say thank you.

Excuse Me

This one can be a little bit tough to teach young children who like running around everywhere with their friends, but the words “excuse me” can make playtime a bit more civil. Instead of pushing their way to the playground slide, your child can say “excuse me” to politely ask the other children to move.

Don’t Interrupt

Snowballing from “excuse me” is the courtesy of not interrupting. While many children are taught not to interrupt adults, we think this should apply across the board. Teach your child that, if someone is speaking, they shouldn’t interrupt what they’re saying. Instead, they should wait until the person is done talking to comment or respond.

At Miss Sue’s Nursery School, our prime educational goal is the development of the whole child — socially, emotionally, physically and educationally. A multi-sensory, holistic approach to learning is provided through play, art, music, and physical activities. To learn moreabout the school and give your child the best pre-k experience, give us a call at 516-938-0894.

The Best and Worst Halloween Candy for Kids

Every Halloween, children of all ages jump at the chance to dress us in their favorite costumes and go door to door for some sweet treats. The thing is, much to parents’ (and dentists’) dismay, all that candy isn’t exactly good for kids’ teeth or energy levels.

But not to worry! While you’d probably prefer your child munch on carrots rather than candy, you can pick out the better options from their trick-or-treat buckets.

Chocolate

Everyone loves a good piece of chocolate! Plain chocolate, such as a classic Hershey’s bar, is one of the best options to let your child snack on around Halloween time because it washes off your teeth more easily than most other candies. Plus, if your child prefers dark chocolate over milk chocolate, that’s even better since dark chocolate has less sugar.

Dissolving Candies

Powdery candies that dissolve quickly in your child’s mouth aren’t too bad because they don’t spend too much time near your child’s teeth. However, the downside to these candies is that they are typically pure sugar — hence why they dissolve so quickly — and that much sugar is never good for your child’s teeth.

Sour Candy

While your child may spit these out after a minute or two because the sour taste is too much for their little taste buds, sour candies can do harm to their teeth quickly. Sour candies are more acidic than sweet ones, and that acid can wear down tooth enamel.

Hard Candy

Not only can hard candy crack your child’s teeth, but it also spends a lot more time in your child’s mouth since they will typically suck on the candy until it breaks down. That gives all the sugar in the candy plenty of time to coat your child’s teeth.

Sticky Candy

Taffy, caramels, and other sticky candies are the worst candies your child could munch on. These candies stick to every surface on your child’s teeth and allow all the sugar to collect bacteria and form cavities on your child’s teeth.

At Miss Sue’s Nursery School, our prime educational goal is the development of the whole child — socially, emotionally, physically and educationally. A multi-sensory, holistic approach to learning is provided through play, art, music and physical activities. To learn more about the school and give your child the best pre-k experience, give us a call at 516-938-0894.

Easy DIY Halloween Costumes for Kids

It’s officially October, so you know what that means, Parents. Time to start helping your child decide what they want to dress up as for Halloween. While this is an exciting time of the year, it can also be expensive — some of those store-bought Halloween costumes can cost an arm and a leg!

But not to worry! There are plenty of unique, easy DIY Halloween costumes that you can make for your child at a fraction of the cost that they are sure to love!

Easy DIY Halloween Costumes for Kids

A Garden Fairy

All you need for this sprightly costume is tulle, a few fake flowers, a bit of ribbon, some wings and a flower crown. Craft a classic tutu that is long enough for your child to wear as a dress, and hot glue or sew some ribbon to create straps at the top of it. Use garlands of fake flowers to fashion a crown, strap on the wings, and let your little fairy float their way through treat-or-treating.

A Superhero

This is one of the easiest costumes you can make! Grab a paper eye mask and a cape, and you have yourself a superhero! You can also use fabric paint to write your child’s first initial on a plain t-shirt so they’re really their own hero.

A Chimney Sweep

Dress up your child in black slacks, a white shirt, suspenders, and a newsboy cap and create a chimney broom using a lightweight PVC pipe and extra long pipe cleaners. Add a red bow tie and use a bit of makeup to add some “soot” to your little one’s face, and they’ll be ready to start singing “Chim Chim Cher-ree!”

A Hot Air Balloon

Help your child look ready to travel the skies with only a few household items. Take a round, lightweight laundry basket and cut a hole in the bottom so your child can stick his or her legs through. Use some string or ribbon to create straps to keep the basket up, and tie a large balloon to the basket. It’s as simple as that!

At Miss Sue’s Nursery School, our prime educational goal is the development of the whole child — socially, emotionally, physically and educationally. A multi-sensory, holistic approach to learning is provided through play, art, music and physical activities. To learn more about the school and give your child the best pre-k experience, give us a call at 516-938-0894.