The #B25 Strong Foundations Social Media Campaign is an effort to spread research-based messages via Facebook and Twitter to increase awareness about the benefits of early childhood policies and investments.
Let’s keep it going way past February!
Who can participate?
Anyone with a desire to help inform early childhood policies.
Click here for a brief “How to” Guide about the campaign.
Sample Tweets and Facebook posts can be found here.
Interesting Research Findings from Early Childhood can be found HERE
February 22, 2012
Check out www.americagetonline.com Google is offering free business websites. Get Your Business Online is designed to make it easy, free and fast for any business to get online.
What you get:
* Free, easy-to-build Intuit website
* Free customized domain name
* Free web hosting for one year
* Free online tools and training
Click on the link above, and then on your state for more information and how to get started.
Even though some state’s pages are not launched yet, you can still get started by clicking on the “create your website now” button.
It’s free, but they do ask for your credit card number to have on file just in case you upgrade. NOTE: If this is your first time creating a website, I recommend starting with the 3 pages they give you for free. You can always upgrade and add on to your site later.
I just went through the process and it took me about 10 minutes to sign-up, select my domain name and choose a template, but if this is totally new to you it may take up to half an hour or so. I was excited to see that they actually have child care templates available. Not all of these services do. Once you have done all that, it’s time to enter in your content and photos. It may take a little while for you to add your pictures and information, and to get it just the way you want it, but you can always work on it over th next few days.
Once you’ve created your website, if your program is currently listed on www.searchingforchildcare.com, don’t forget to send me a link to your new website so I can update your listing.
You can e-mail me at nakalisf@gmail.com
If you are not yet listed, I recommend you list your child care program for free by clicking HERE.
February 21, 2012
Today I want to share some absolutely genius homemade sensory activities and materials with you all.
Fun Clear Bean Bags at Lines Across My Face
Sensory Steps at Living Creatively
Play Tunnel at The Imagination Tree
colorful toilet roll lenses at Teach Preschool
Texture Sequencing Sticks at Cachey Mama’s Classroom
You can find more great Sensory Activities and Materials on my Pinterest Board HERE
February 17, 2012
Marketing your family child care on Craigslist is a strategy that works…
If you do it right.
Providers who have taken my workshops where I show them the tips in this video come back and tell me they started getting calls and e-mails almost immediately. And Craigslist is free!!
Click the link below to watch this video where I will introduce you to Craigslist, give you the secrets to effective postings, and walk you through signing up and creating your ad.
www.familychildcareacademy.com
Don’t forget to download the handout below the video.
I hope this training will be relevant and helpful to you. After you watch the video, if you have any questions or comments, please enter them in the comment section under the video.
If you think other providers would benefit from the information in the video, please feel free to forward the link and / or share the link via Facebook or Twitter!
February 16, 2012
When I was a provider, it seemed there’s was always at least one parent who didn’t want their child to take a nap at child care because they were afraid he or she wouldn’t sleep at night. The opposite is actually true. Children who don’t get enough sleep during the day are harder to put to sleep at night and are less likely to sleep well during the night.
If you have a parent who is concerned that naps are disrupting their toddler’s sleep at night, here is some helpful information that you can share with them from KidsDiscuss.com and Deborah McNelis at Brain Insights (one of my favorite sites).
“Naptime is much more than providing rest for a child … and a break for parents! Children’s developing brains need adequate amounts of sleep for healthy brain development”
“Insufficient sleep in the form of missing a nap taxes the way toddlers express different feelings, and, over time, may shape their developing emotional brains and put them at risk for lifelong, mood-related problems.”
“Just like good nutrition, adequate sleep is a basic need that gives children the best chance of getting what is most important from the people and things they experience each day.”
“Toddlers between 2 and a half and 3 years old who miss only a single daily nap show more anxiety, less joy and interest and a poorer understanding of how to solve problems.”
You can find a great article with recommended amounts of sleep and tips on promoting sleep from Deborah Here
February 15, 2012
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