The Academy Preschools Help Children Navigate Stress

The holidays that are fast upon us are often filled with joy, but for preschool and daycare-aged children, they can also bring new stress. From Halloween costumes to Thanksgiving gatherings and December celebrations, kids may feel overwhelmed. During holidays, routines shift and emotions can run high. They may need extra support at preschool and at home. The Academy Preschools know just how to help children navigate stress during holidays.

The Academy Preschools Know How to Celebrate

At our daycare, we focus on making holidays fun and manageable for young children, blending learning with celebration. Celebrations at this age are less about perfection and more about connection.

Young children rely on predictability to feel safe. So, we keep classroom celebrations simple and familiar. When routines change and expectations grow, stress can show up as clinginess, tantrums, or fatigue. Recognizing these signs early allows us as caregivers to respond with patience and reassurance.

Some Tips for Parents

Understanding the challenges of holidays for our little ones helps us guide them through the holiday seasons with care. Together, we can help your child embrace the magic of the season with confidence and joy.

Halloween: Excitement and Anxiety

Costumes, candy, and decorations are thrilling, but also confusing. Scary costumes, loud parties or too much sugar can lead to meltdowns. Parents can ease stress by choosing comfortable costumes, practicing at home, and keeping trick-or-treating short and sweet.

Thanksgiving: Big Crowds and Big Feelings

Large family gatherings can overwhelm preschoolers. Strange foods, busy kitchens, and new faces may spark anxiety. Preparing your child ahead of time helps. Explain who they’ll see, what foods will be there, and where they can take a break. Offering a familiar snack alongside the turkey can also give comfort.

Christmas and Hanukkah: Too Much, Too Fast

December holidays bring bright lights, gifts, and nonstop activity. For young children, this sudden burst of change can be overstimulating. Skipped naps, late nights, and too many sweets often add up to cranky moods. Parents can help by protecting core routines like bedtime and snack time.

The Academy Seasonal Programs

The Academy is not just for kids…it’s for your WHOLE family. In addition to the October through December holidays, we celebrate with other family-oriented seasonal programs. Learn more about our seasonal programs.

Franklin’s Premiere Daycare Teaches with Music and Movement

As Franklin’s premiere daycare center, The Academy uses many tools for teaching preschoolers. And we are always seeking innovative ways to enhance the learning process. Among the most compelling new learning discoveries is the impact that music and movement have on cognitive development.

The Cognitive Benefits of Music

Without a doubt, music enriches classroom experiences. But it also plays a pivotal role in sharpening cognitive skills, improving memory, and fostering creativity.

Studies show that children exposed to music exhibit superior language skills, better memory retention, and heightened spatial-temporal reasoning. The act of listening to or performing music engages multiple areas of the brain, forging new neural connections and strengthening existing ones.

The Power of Movement in Learning

Kinesthetic learning—learning through movement—is particularly effective for young children, helping them to internalize new concepts through hands-on experiences.

Activities such as dance, sports, or simple classroom exercises are very valuable. Movement improves physical health and boosts concentration, memory, and executive function. A child who jumps while counting, for instance, is more likely to remember numbers and sequences because their body is actively involved in the learning process.

Synergy Between Music and Movement

When  you combine music and movement, their cognitive benefits are amplified. In our classrooms, we incorporate singing with actions or rhythmic clapping to create multisensory learning experiences. This aids retention and recall.

Dance is another good example of the synergy between music and movement. It marries rhythm and physical coordination, challenging the brain to process tempo, melody, and spatial awareness simultaneously.

Learn More about Franklin’s Premiere Daycare

The Academy has five locations in Franklin, TN. Additionally, The Academy has twelve more locations scattered across Nashville, Brentwood, Spring Hill, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, Mt. Juliet, and Nolensville.

All of our locations provide children the highest quality preschool education in a fun and safe environment. You can have peace of mind that your child is receiving the best possible care.

The Best Daycare Near You: How We Handle Challenging Behavior

Managing challenging behaviors in a classroom of preschoolers is a nuanced and essential part of fostering a positive and nurturing learning environment. The Academy,  the best daycare facility near you, knows behavioral challenges are normal during young children’s development.

Undeveloped social and emotional skills can cause occasional conflicts. At our daycare center, we embrace these moments as opportunities for growth and learning, employing thoughtful strategies to guide children toward positive behavior and healthy conflict resolution.

Understanding the Roots of Challenging Behavior

Challenging behaviors may stem from frustration, anxiety, or unmet needs. Our daycare center trains staff to observe and identify triggers for behavioral challenges, whether they involve difficulty sharing, trouble with transitions, or sensitivity to sensory stimuli. By understanding the root causes, we can tailor our approach to meet each child’s unique needs.

Strategies for Managing Conflict and Promoting Positive Behavior

1. Social-Emotional Learning

One of our central strategies is integrating social-emotional learning into daily activities and curriculum. We teach preschoolers to identify and express their emotions, understand empathy, and practice kindness toward peers. Simple activities, such as storytelling or role-playing, encourage children to navigate social interactions constructively.

2. Setting Clear Expectations

Consistency and clarity are key. Our classrooms establish clear rules and routines that are reinforced regularly. When children understand what is expected of them, they feel secure and are more likely to follow guidelines.

3. Positive Reinforcement

Rather than focusing solely on correcting negative behavior, we emphasize positive reinforcement. Acknowledging and celebrating moments of kindness, cooperation, and patience encourages children to repeat these behaviors.

4. Conflict Resolution Techniques

We teach preschoolers age-appropriate conflict resolution techniques, such as using words to express their feelings, taking turns, or seeking help from a teacher when needed. These tools empower children to handle disagreements independently and with confidence.

The Best Daycare Near You Is One of Our 17 Locations

The Academy has locations throughout Middle Tennessee. Find the location nearest you.

Academy Kindergarten Bootcamp-Transitioning from Daycare to Kindergarten

As summer approaches, many parents start to contemplate their child’s readiness for kindergarten. The transition from daycare to kindergarten is a significant milestone in a child’s life, marking the beginning of formal education. It is crucial to ensure that children are ready to embrace this new chapter in their educational journey. The Academy Kindergarten Bootcamp prepares children for their next big step.

Importance of The Academy Kindergarten Bootcamp

The gap between preschool and kindergarten is significant, as children encounter new expectations and social dynamics. Our summer program addresses this gap by providing tailored activities that promote academic readiness and social-emotional development. Our summer readiness program enhances children’s foundational skills in a fun and engaging way. This makes the transition smoother and less intimidating.

Our Pre-K Program Focuses on Learning Skills

Our summer program focuses on several key areas to ensure that children are ready for the academic and social demands of kindergarten. Key skill areas include:

• Literacy and Language Development
  During the bootcamp, activities such as story time, phonics games, and letter puzzles help develop early literacy skills. Fun activities, like singing alphabet songs or engaging in storytelling crafts, make this learning enjoyable and memorable.
• Mathematics Readiness
  Bootcamp participants may explore counting through games, measure objects with non-standard units, and engage in fun group activities that encourage pattern recognition and number sense. These early math experiences teach children to see numbers in their everyday lives.
• Social Skills and Teamwork
  Our summer provide children with ample opportunities to interact with their peers, fostering essential social skills. Through structured group activities, such as cooperative games and team projects, children learn to communicate effectively, share, and resolve conflicts.

The Academy Kindergarten Bootcamp Also Stresses Routine and Structure

A key aspect of transitioning to kindergarten is understanding and adapting to a structured routine. Summer bootcamps often mimic the daily schedule of a kindergarten classroom, helping children become accustomed to organized activities, quiet times, and transitions between tasks. This familiarity can significantly ease anxiety when they start kindergarten.

The Academy Kindergarten Bootcamp Program Fills Up Quickly! Enroll Now.

The Role of Play in Preschools – Understanding STEM Concepts

Play is an essential part of childhood, and its role in education—particularly in STEM learning—is invaluable. Educators recognize the role of play in preschools for understanding mathematical and scientific concepts. This approach is particularly effective in fostering their natural curiosity and enthusiasm for discovery.

The Academy Curriculum Relies Heavily on Hands-on Play

Play is a fundamental aspect of childhood, serving as a vital avenue through which preschoolers explore, experiment, and make sense of the world around them. The Academy embraces this early educational cornerstone by utilizing a nationally recognized, award-winning curriculum.

Building Foundations through Exploration

Play-based learning enables children to explore their surroundings freely, encouraging them to ask questions and seek answers. This lays the groundwork for scientific thinking.

For instance, when preschoolers engage in activities like building with blocks or playing with water, they are experimenting with principles of physics such as gravity, balance, and buoyancy. These play activities help them understand complex concepts through hands-on experience, making abstract ideas more concrete and accessible.

Encouraging Creativity and Innovation

Creativity is a key aspect of play that significantly enhances STEM learning. When children are given the freedom to explore and experiment during play, they are more likely to come up with innovative solutions to problems.

Activities like role-playing, constructing models, and engaging in imaginative games stimulate creative thinking and allow preschoolers to approach scientific and mathematical challenges with an open mind. This creativity fosters a deeper appreciation for STEM subjects, encouraging a lifelong interest in these fields.

Learn More About the Role of Play in Preschools at One of Our Many Locations

With over 17 locations, we’re pretty sure we have a location near you. Call us today to schedule a tour of one of our locations. See how play-based learning is integrated in our curriculum in a fun and safe environment

Preschool Separation Anxiety Symptoms– How to Manage Them

At The Academy, we are trained to manage, what we call, preschool separation anxiety. This is a common and natural phase in a young child’s development. It typically occurs at the ages of six months to three years—just when a child may be entering preschool.

Signs and Symptoms of Preschool Separation Anxiety

This condition shows itself when a child experiences distress and fear when separated from their parents. If your child is experiencing separation anxiety, this is what you may experience when you drop off your child at preschool:

• Your child cries or has a tantrum when you try to leave
• Your child clings to you

What we see after you leave may include these behaviors:

• Refusal to participate in activities
• Complaints of physical ailments such as stomachaches or headaches
• Difficulty sleeping taking a nap

The Academy’s Approach to Preschool Separation Anxiety

Our staff is trained to manage separation anxiety with patience, empathy, and consistency. By providing a supportive environment and using effective strategies, we help your child navigate this challenging phase.

To learn more about enrollment, pricing, or scheduling a tour of one of our area preschools please you our convenient request form.

Strategies for Managing Separation Anxiety for Parents

For parents, managing separation anxiety involves a combination of reassurance, gradual separation, and fostering independence. Here are some strategies that can help:

Establish a Routine

A predictable routine can provide a sense of security for young children. Knowing what to expect each day, including when separations will occur, can reduce anxiety. Consistent goodbyes and reunions help children understand that separations are temporary and that their parents will return.

Gradual Departures

Accustom your child to short separations, such as leaving your child with a friend or sitter for an hour. Gradually increase the separation time so that your child becomes more comfortable. This practice helps build trust and confidence in the child that you will return.

Positive Reinforcement

Praise and reward the child for handling separations well. Positive reinforcement encourages them to manage their anxiety and fosters a sense of achievement.