Terry Aizen – Director Kornmehl

Concerts

All three groups have been practising for their concerts in three weeks’ time. They are all very excited to share this special time with their mums and dads.

The Seashells concert is on Wednesday 6 December at 9.30 am in the Pre-school. This is for parents only. Morning tea will be served after the concert and the morning will conclude at 10.30 am.

The Dolphins and Starfish will have their concert and graduation on Thursday 7 December at 6.00 pm in the Lehrer Family Building (MPH). Parents and older siblings are invited to join us to celebrate this special time together.

Dinner will be served for the children after the concert and light snacks for the parents. The evening will conclude at 7.30 pm.

National Recycling Week

Starting this week, all three groups are working on a variety of recycling projects. Parents have been invited to join us in the mornings at drop-off to work collaboratively with their child to make something out of recycled materials. Each group will be extending the children’s interests in the classroom and focusing on a different topic. This project will run for several weeks. It provides a lovely opportunity for parents and children to work together within our Pre-school environment.

The Dolphins are making a Chanukiah using recycled materials. The Seashells are focusing on either making something to do with the fire station eg. fire truck, fire man, fire engine or something related to the Zoo such as a zoo enclosure with animals inside. Alternatively, parents could just make an animal of their choice. The Starfish are making things related to our current project on the farm. The children have already started to build a farmyard.

Parent/teacher interviews

The Starfish have their parent/teacher meetings starting next week from Monday 20 November to Friday 25 November. The Dolphins will be one week later – Monday 27 November to Friday 1 December. These meetings allow time to bring closure to a very busy year for your children and we value this important time to reflect and chat to parents.

Bush School family picnic

We invite all Kornmehl families to join us down at Centennial Park on Monday 11 December for our final Bush School experience of the year. This will take place from drop off until about 11 am. Please bring snacks and drinks and experience the wonders of nature with your children.

Thank you to our volunteers 

We thanked all our wonderful parents and grandparents on Thursday afternoon. Parents and grandparents have all helped us during the year with so many tasks, big and small. Without their input and support our days would not run as smoothly. We value the opportunity to work collaboratively with parents and grandparents on various aspects of our program. These include fundraising events, social events, baking, shopping, cutting up fruit, laundry roster, reading to the children, accompanying us on excursions, gardening and even sharing a special talent.

A big thanks to Gail Stein, Sharon Miller and Lissa Prosser for running our Parent Club so capably during 2017. Your support and input have been invaluable and very much appreciated by us all.

We also made special mention of two amazing grandparents who have unconditionally supported our Bush School program over the past four years. We extended our sincere thanks to Susan Sweller and Ros Shammay for their enthusiasm, knowledge and support in accompanying the children and teachers from all three groups on their excursions.

How often do you hug your children?

We all live busy, stressful lives and have endless concerns as parents, but it is clear that one of the most important things we need to do is to stop and give our kids a big loving squeeze. Research over the past decade highlights the link between affection in childhood and health and happiness in the future. 

According to Child Trends – the leading not-for-profit research organisation in the United States focused on improving the lives and prospects of children, youth, and their families, science supports the idea that warmth and affection expressed by parents to their children results in life-long positive outcomes for those children. Higher self-esteem, improved academic performance, better parent-child communication, and fewer psychological and behaviour problems have been linked to this type of affection. On the other hand, children who do not have affectionate parents tend to have lower self-esteem and to feel more alienated, hostile, aggressive and anti-social.

There have been a number of recent studies that highlight the relationship between parental affection and children’s happiness and success. Researchers have indicated that the hormone oxytocin is a chemical in the brain that is released during times when a person feels love and connection. It has been shown to help parents bond with their children, adding a sense of trust and support between them. This bond most likely helps our brain produce and use oxytocin, causing a child to feel more positive emotions.

A 2013 study from UCLA found that unconditional love and affection from a parent can make children emotionally happier and less anxious. This happens because their brain actually changes as a result of the affection. On the other hand, the negative impact of childhood abuse and lack of affection impacts children both mentally and physically. This can lead to all kinds of health and emotional problems throughout their lives. What’s really fascinating is that scientists think parental affection can actually protect individuals against the harmful effects of childhood stress.

In 2015, a study out of the University of Notre Dame showed that children who receive affection from their parents were happier as adults. More than 600 adults were surveyed about how they were raised, including how much physical affection they had. The adults who reported receiving more affection in childhood displayed less depression and anxiety and were more compassionate overall. Those who reported less affection struggled with mental health, tended to be more upset in social situations, and were less able to relate to other people’s perspectives.

Researchers have also studied the benefits of skin-to-skin contact for infants. This special interaction between mother and baby, in particular, helps calm babies so they cry less and sleep more. It has also been shown to boost brain development. According to an article in Scientific American, children who lived in a deprived environment like an orphanage had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol than those who lived with their parents. Scientists believe that the lack of physical contact in the orphanages is a major factor in these physical changes. 

Numerous studies on the effects of massage show the positive benefits it offers to reduce anxiety in children. Massage is also a good way for parents to connect to their children, both physically and emotionally. Starting in infancy, a parent can begin to massage their child, which can create a strong bond. Studies have shown children and adults who receive massage experience less anxiety during academic stress, hospital stays, and other stressful events.

So, how can you bring more hugs into your family’s day?

From the moment you bring your baby home from the hospital, be sure to hold, touch, and rock them in your arms. Spend many precious moments caressing your baby so that their skin can touch your skin. As they get older, be playful by doing fun activities like dancing together or creating silly games like pretending to be a hugging or kissing monster.

Make sure hugging is part of your daily routine. In the recent Trolls movie, the Trolls wore watches with alarm clocks that would go off every hour for hug time. If that’s what it takes, then set yourself an alarm, or make sure to give your kids a hug during certain times of the day, such as before they leave for school, when they get home from school, and before bedtime.

Another interesting idea is to use affection while disciplining your child. As you talk to them about what they did wrong, put your hand on their shoulder and give them a hug at the end of the conversation to ensure them that, even if you are not pleased with their behaviour, you still love them. If your children hit their sister or brother, hug them and explain how hugging feels better than hitting.

Finally, be careful not to go overboard and smother your kids. Respect their individual comfort level, and be aware that this will change as they go through different stages.

www.gottman.com/blog/how-a-parents-affection-shapes-a-childs-happiness-for-life/

Happy birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Nadav Mermelshtayn (4) and Joshua Jacobson (4). We also wish a very happy birthday to Terry Aizen who celebrated her birthday this week.