If you have a toddler who will enter a structured child care program for the first time, he or she may experience some separation anxiety. If so, that’s perfectly normal. Fortunately, there are ways to make this transition easier.

For example, it can help if you can ease your child into the program. If it works for your family, you could start out by having your toddler go to the child care center three days a week, rather than immediately into full-time care. As your toddler gets used to the program, then you can increase attendance.

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Online bullying, also called cyberbullying, is defined by a United States government site as occurring on “digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets . . . through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content.” It typically includes “sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else,” including “personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation.”

Children are signing up for social media accounts by the age of 12 and most kids have a smartphone by age 10. 

This type of harassment can be especially challenging because digital devices can be used to communicate 24/7. With this  continual access to technology, it can be difficult for people being bullied to find relief. And until the information is reported and removed, it’s typically permanently in the public eye. Because parents and teachers may not actually see it taking place, it can be harder for a trusted adult to realize what’s happening. Here’s more information about online harassment. 

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Summer break is here, and your children are probably celebrating, picturing months of sunny weather and fun activities, of sleeping in later, and enjoying days without the stress of homework. And, while there is nothing wrong with celebrating, it’s important to keep your children on a summer schedule—and this post will share how and why.

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Summer can be the ideal season for family fun, and the good news is that it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. In fact, many of the best summer activities for your children are either free or low-cost. Here are four ideas to consider.

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Step Up to Quality (SUTQ) is a rating and improvement system overseen by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. This system recognizes and promotes learning and development programs that exceed licensed health and safety regulations using a five-star quality rating.

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South Side Pride is a community collaborative working to sustain a healthy and safe community for fifth- through eighth-grade students and their families in South Elyria. Seven community organizations have partnered to provide services both in school and during those crucial out-of-school time hours. These partners include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County, Catholic Charities, Elyria City School District, Elyria Parks and Recreation, Elyria Public Library, Horizon Education Centers, the LCADA Way and United Way of Greater Lorain County.

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Although it may be hard to imagine your preschooler as an adult, that day will come — and when it does, you’ll want him or her to make the right choices and manage his or her daily life. And the way you make that happen, an expert quoted in Parenting.com says, is to slowly let go of the things you do for young children, “while keeping the safety net of family rules and limits firmly in place.” The article also notes that, yes, it can take both “wisdom and guts” to know how to make this happen.

When you keep doing tasks for your child rather than teaching him or her how to do them, you’re sending a message that you don’t have confidence in his or her abilities. As an expert quoted in TodaysParent.com says, this can lead to a child who “lacks independence, self-esteem and problem-solving skills and who can’t — or won’t — do age-appropriate tasks.”

To help, here are three ways to encourage independence in young children.

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Two sentences found in an article on SafeSearchKids.com clearly state the main goal and challenges associated with creating an environment of safe online activity for children.

• Here’s the goal: “Internet safety should be the first priority of any parent or guardian when seeking protection of children online.”
• And the challenge: “It certainly can be a balance to juggle freedom on the internet with a safe level of online restrictions.”

For young children, you can manage online activity with one main rule: internet use is only allowed in the presence of a trusted adult. Beyond that, what internet safety strategies can you use to protect your children?

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There are numerous benefits of summer camp, including these: 

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We’re excited to announce the opening of our newest center at Triskett Station in Cleveland for children ages 18 months to 12 years old.

Unlike our Market Square center, this location is in the Rapid RTA parking lot, making it convenient for working parents to drop off and pick up their children. 

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