How To Divide Household Responsibilities

Whose job is it to sign up the kids for summer camp? How about to pack their peanut-free lunches every evening? Even in this era of equal marriages and dual-income households, many parents don’t know how to separate household responsibilities.

Some people think laundry's really important, while others value household repairs. Whatever your preference, it should be taken into account when couples figure out who is in charge of what.

Start crediting the thinking work. There’s a lot more work that goes into household responsibilities than meets the eye. In turn, couples don’t realize how much extra mental work the other is taking on. Bringing each party’s burden to a calm, objective conversation can help reduce tension at home.

Divide responsibilities not tasks. If one person is managing the family health care, they should also be responsible for finding doctors, arranging appointments, and even filling out school medical forms. When one person owns a whole area of responsibility, they will develop domain expertise in it, which will make both of your lives more efficient.

Trade places. Once you divide your household responsibilities, take turns trading jobs. This technique helps build a sense of empathy and understanding for your partner and their jobs.

Renegotiate. Life responsibilities can affect the household responsibilities you agreed to. Couples should continue to evaluate the agreed upon terms every few months, and change when necessary.


If you’re looking for a superior nursery school on Long Island, look no further than Miss Sue's Nursery School! To learn more about our curriculum or to schedule a tour to see our program in action, give us a call at 516-938-0894.

5 Love Stories For Kids

What’s even more gross to your kids than bugs? Your epic love story. If you want to find the perfect love-themed read for your children this holiday, try one of these kid-friendly romances. Show them that love doesn’t always have to be “yucky,” even if they find yours to be.

Zombie in Love
If your kids think romance is “gross,” this might just be the perfect book for them. Mortimer is a lonely zombie who tries to get a date for Cupid’s Ball. Mortimer’s romance continues in the sequel, Zombie in Love 2 + 1.

The Tale of Despereaux 
In this book, by Kate DiCamillo, she introduces one of the most unlikely heroes in all of children’s literature - the miniature, floppy-eared mouse, Despereaux. This story is both heartbreaking and inspirational, and his chivalrous love is simply beautiful to read.

Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa
Sometimes, the greatest love stories are between two best friends. This early reader, tells four charming stories about a bond between a girl and her horse. Ultimately, they love each other in a way that only close friends could ever understand.

Princess Hyacinth 
This picture book follows a young princess forced to hide an unusual talent. Princess Hyacinth just can’t stop floating into the air, but when she finally decides to cut loose, a boy in love may be the only thing that can bring her back down to earth.

Shrek!
Steig’s tale of an ugly ogre searching for his even uglier bride is an imaginative classic, inspiring four animated films. Shrek decelerating the disgusting things that he finds attractive about his bride reminds children that everyone, no matter how they look, deserves to be loved.


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 or to schedule an appointment, please give us a call at 516-938-0894.

Figuring Out Food Labels

Nutritional labels can create more questions than answers. And if adults struggle to understand them, there’s a good chance kids do, too. However, food labels are an important part of helping kids learn to make healthy choices. Here’s a valuable infographic from the FDA that can help teach your children how to correctly look before they lunch!

We hope that this infographic helps your little one stay healthy. At Miss Sue's Nursery School, your child's health and safety are our main concerns. Looking for a health conscious nursery school on Long Island? If so, choose Miss Sue's! Call 516-938-0894 today to inquire about enrollment.

Creating A Musical Home Environment

We’ve all had that moment where our favorite song comes on the radio and a huge smile lights up our face. Music makes people happy, it’s calming and soothing, and it helps express our feelings, so why wouldn’t you introduce music to your little one? Bring more music into your homes and childrens’ lives using some of these simple tips:

Actively listen to music. Having music playing in the background of your home is extremely beneficial in helping your kids interact with music regularly. Take it one step further and converse with one another about what you’re hearing and how it makes you both feel.

Sing with your child. Singing with your child is an excellent way for your child to learn basic melodies and rhythms. It doesn’t matter how well you can sing, even humming a tune will suffice. This is also a fun way for you and your child to spend quality time together.

Dance with your child. The ability to find and move to the steady beat of music is fundamental to their future music ability. If your child is experiencing difficulty, don’t be discouraged! According to research, girls often develop this skill around three years old, which is earlier than boys, who may still have trouble finding a beat well into kindergarten.

Make music together. As your child gets older, you can make a big impact in their lives by making music together. If you can play an instrument, consider a duet or writing a song. This will send a strong message to your child about the shared joy of making music.

If you instill the value of music in your child at a young age, they will be grateful when they’re older as they continue to explore the benefits. If you’re looking for a superior nursery school on Long Island that teaches your children the importance of the arts - look no further than Miss Sue's Nursery School! We invite you to visit our school and see our program in action. If you are interested in enrolling your child at Miss Sue's, call 516-938-0894 today.

5 Secrets To Finding Your Child's Talent

Could your child be the next big artist? What about a professional soccer player? Perhaps, but not without your help! We’re not born with certain skill sets, they’re learned and developed over time. In order to unlock your child’s hidden talents, use these five strategies:

Watch out for motivational moments. It’s not easy to practice something deeply - it requires passion, motivation, persistence, and emotional fuel. When a child begins to channel their focus on a particular goal, a tsunami of energy is released. Watch out for what areas trigger their motivation.

Slow practice is productive practice. This technique is common for every talent; from tennis, to chello, to math. When you go slow, you can sense and fix more errors. Remind your children, it’s not about how fast they can do it, it’s how slow they can do it, correctly.

Praise effort, not ability. When you recognize kids’ natural ability, they end up taking fewer risks. But, when we praise their efforts, it has the opposite effect. They become more inclined to go outside their comfort zone, make mistakes, and learn from them.

Encourage imitation. While you should always teach your children to be unique, copying a person’s skill is actually extremely beneficial for learning. Vividly imagining yourself perfecting an area of expertise is a great first step to successfully accomplishing it. Have them practice a dance from one of their favorite artists or write down, verbatim, one of their favorite short stories.

Stand back. The practice required to create a talent can only come from the child. So, no matter how well-meaning you may be, don’t force your child to master a certain skill set. Instead, pay attention to what your child finds interest in and help them use their energy wisely to build off that appeal.

It’s important to let your child tap into their skills at home. And while they’re at school, Miss Sue's’ curriculum is set up to foster that talent while providing your children with the best education available. If you’re looking for a superior nursery school on Long Island, choose Miss Sue's! To learn more about our program, give us a call at 516-938-0894 or visit our website.

How To Connect Your Kids With Art

Did you know that children learn visually before they learn textually? Research has shown that children who are exposed to the arts are more able to think creatively, be original, discover, and innovate. It may seem impossible to try to add one more activity to your child's busy schedule, but a little art-time can go a long way. Here’s how you can try to help your little ones become connected to art and create memories with you at the same time.

Designate a space. Whether you are making art at your dining room table, kitchen counter, or on the floor of your home make sure the space is consistent. Having one location dedicated to creating art builds guidelines for kids and helps keep your home and art supplies organized. Include your little one in decorating the space to make it feel more special to them.

Provide them with supplies. Remember, simplicity is key. Make sure your supplies, projects, and expectations are not complicated. Offering very specific supplies creates a structure for you and your children to work with that won’t make either of you feel overwhelmed. As your kids gain more exposure to art, they will begin to create more complex projects on their own.

Set up a time of day. Any habit requires you to invest some time. Many parents feel overrun during the first several art experiences with young children, but providing consistency helps build their stamina and engagement. Block out some time every week that’s dedicated to art-time. No matter how simple, help them learn about the importance art has in their life.

Follow your children's interest. Your children will be more invested in their art projects if you provide them with something to work on that they have an interest in. Consider giving them a craft based on their favorite story, movie, or animal. Incorporating some of their favorite things will help engage your children and create a connection between them and art.

At Miss Sue's, we encourage children to express themselves through art on a daily basis. We understand how important it is to have a creative outlet. Are you looking for a nursery school that will foster your child's creativity? If so, look no further than Miss Sue's! Call 516-938-0894 to learn more about enrollment.

How To Make Reading Fun

For some kids, reading is almost as hard as tying their shoes or matching their outfits - it can get very frustrating and they may want to give up. If you find your little one struggling with reading, try to incorporate these ideas to help make it more fun!

#1 Read the right books
Nothing is more discouraging for a child than trying to read a book that isn’t suited for their reading level. Be sure your child is reading books that are challenging, but not too difficult to the point where they get fed up. Use this five finger test as a guide.

#2 Let your kids choose
If you haven’t noticed already, your kids love being in charge. Let them take the lead when it comes to story time and have them load up on books that are interesting to them, it will help motivate them.

#3 Think outside the box
Is reading a hardcover book getting a little old? Try listening to an audiobook, it still counts as reading - your kids will continue to build their vocabulary skills and background knowledge on literary devices. Also, don’t forget about reading books on devices such as an iPad or Kindle. Kids are mesmerized by technology which can help make reading enticing.

#4 Create a fun reading area
Work with your child to create a reading area they will want to hang around in. Add posters, rugs, pillows, and lots of lighting. This can also become a safe space for your child whenever they need one.

#5 Bend the rules
Make sure your kids know that breaking the rules is never a good idea, but in this case it may help bring excitement to reading. Switch things up by reading to your little one instead - use your best silly voice to set a fun mood. You can also try extending their bedtime and have your kids stay up late during reading nights.

Keep in mind, at the end of the day, the biggest motivator for children is knowing that their loved ones are rooting for their success!

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 or to schedule an appointment, please give us a call at 516-938-0894.