Answers to Questions About Your Child’s Dental Health

The American Dental Association, along with the ADA Foundation has declared February to be National Children’s Dental Health Month. This month-long national health observance brings together thousands of dedicated dental professionals, healthcare providers, and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers and many others.

Introducing Dr. Crystal Rucker

At The Academy, want to be a resource for our parents to help answer questions about your child’s dental health. We have partnered with Snodgrass King to provide you with accurate and age-relevant information. Dr. Crystal Rucker, a specialist in pediatric dentistry at Snodgrass King, has provided the following pediatric dentistry FAQ.

Dental FAQs for Preschool Parents

What is the earliest you encourage parents to bring their baby in for a dental checkup?

Your child’s first pediatric dentist appointment should occur shortly after the first tooth erupts and no later than the child’s first birthday. Beginning tooth and mouth examinations early may lead to detection of early stages of tooth decay that can be easily treated.

What would you go over or do during such a visit?

There are multiple topics that need to be discussed at the first dental appointment which include:

Proper bottle-feeding and nursing techniques
Proper brushing techniques, which include what toothbrush to use and how; how much toothpaste to use, and what kind of toothpaste to use
Proper flossing techniques and the best types of floss for children
How and when to encourage your child to stop using a pacifier or their thumb or finger for comfort

What are some things parents can do at home to begin a healthy oral hygiene routine?

Read your child books about going to the dentist, for example, Sesame Street’s “Ready, Set, Brush”. You can also prepare your child for what’s to come by starting proper home oral care at an early age. Then they will be used to getting their mouth cleaned and taken care of, and won’t be surprised at the dentist.
Show your child that oral care isn’t scary! Brush and floss your teeth in front of them, and act enthusiastic about it. Then, when you have to go to the dentist, talk about it excitedly. Avoid talking about pain or discomfort and emphasize how healthy their teeth and smile will be afterward. This will help ensure your child that it isn’t a scary place.

What are some good teething tips to offer to parents?

Drooling and pain from baby teething may begin as early as 3-4 months, but teeth won’t come in until 6-8 months or later. Be on the lookout for drooling, irritability, difficulty sleeping, grabbing ears, biting/chewing/sucking, and turning away food (typical baby behavior, right…not quite). Be careful not to blame teething for other symptoms such as diarrhea, runny nose, or a high temperature. If you are noticing these symptoms, and they last longer than 24 hours you should contact your pediatrician.

What You Can Do to Ease The Pain of Teething

Gum Massage: Use wet washcloths, gauze, or clean fingers to massage the gums. It helps the teeth break through the skin and will relieve some of the discomfort your baby is experiencing.
Ice, Ice, Baby: Look for teething rings that you can chill or freeze. You can also wet a baby-sized washcloth and freeze it for your child to gnaw on. Frozen foods such as bananas, carrots, celery, and popsicles work as well. Celery actually has natural pain relieving properties, so frozen it serves double duty!
Catching ZZZ’s Regularly: Try to stay on a regular sleep/ nap schedule. It’s hard for babies to sleep when teeth are breaking through. To keep their sleep schedule regular use pain relievers. Children 6 months and under can only take Infant Tylenol. However, children over the age of 6 months can take Children’s Motrin. Please be sure to follow all package dosing instructions.

What’s to be said of thumb sucking, pacifiers, etc.?

Most children stop thumb and pacifier sucking habits on their own. However, continuing these habits past the age of three can cause dental problems. Young children’s growing bones are sensitive to outside forces and change shape over time as the habit continues. These habits can cause effects such as a crossbite, high palate, open bite, and flared front teeth.

Why is taking care of baby teeth so important?

Even though we lose them, baby teeth are extremely important because they do the following:

Help children chew food easily and properly
Hold space in the jaw for permanent teeth that are growing under the gums
Help children speak clearly
Set the tone for a lifetime full of healthy smiles

What are some ways to clean baby teeth at home?

Initially, parents can use a wet toothbrush or a small cloth to wipe off teeth. This is especially important during nursing and bottle feeding. Parents should brush their child’s teeth with the appropriate amounts of fluoride toothpaste at least 2 times a day. A ‘smear’ or ‘rice-size’ amount is adequate for children less than three years of age. A ‘pea-size’ amount is efficient for children aged three to six. Parents should brush gently all around their child’s baby teeth until he or she is old enough to hold the brush. Parents should continue to supervise and assist with their child’s oral hygiene as he or she grows.

What is the best kind of first toothbrush?

After baby teeth are seen in the mouth, parents can start using a toothbrush to clean them. The best first toothbrush includes the following: a soft brush, a small head, and a large handle.

About Snodgrass King Dental Associates

Since 1987, Snodgrass King has been in the business of changing lives, one smile at a time. With nearly 100 years of combined dental experience, the staff and dentists at SnodgrassKing serve Middle Tennessee with one goal in mind – excellence.

They have highly skilled specialists in Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics, Adult and Cosmetic Dentistry, and Oral Surgery. Their website (www.snodgrassking.com) provides many resources for families from their first visit to the dentist office to safety tips and general oral health. SnodgrassKing has five offices located in Cool Springs, Hermitage, Murfreesboro, Spring Hill, and Mt. Juliet.

For more information on Snodgrass King visit their website at www.snodgrassking.com.

The Gold Sneaker Initiative and Your Child’s Health

The Gold Sneaker Initiative is a voluntary, State of Tennessee program that child care facilities have an opportunity to obtain and use as a resource. The initiative outlines policies that childhood centers can put in place to promote health and wellness in early childhood.

These policies promotes physical activity, nutritious eating, non-smoking facilities, and little-to-no screen time. The Academy adopted these policies years ago, and we were one of the first centers in the state of Tennessee to achieve Gold Sneaker certification.

Being a Gold Sneaker Facility

Becoming a Gold Sneaker facility made a wonderful addition to our program here at The Academy. What it means for your child is that we’ve taken a pledge and put policies in place to ensure your child is starting with healthy habits at an early age.

As a Gold Sneaker facility we:

offer children at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day
limit television and video viewing to 60 minutes per day of educational programs
do not allow children to remain sedentary or passive for more than 60 minutes continuously
ensure physical activity is a positive experience
ensure appropriate feeding patterns, including adequate time for meal consumption
ensure appropriate infant and child feeding patterns, including appropriate portion sizes
promote a positive attitude toward food
maintain a tobacco free campus

Combating the Problem of Childhood Obesity

As a Gold Sneaker facility, The Academy is also helping to combat childhood obesity, a growing problem that may lead to health risks such as:

breathing problems
difficulty controlling asthma
muscle and joint pain
heartburn
low self-esteem from teasing or bullying
severe adult obesity

By encouraging age-appropriate nutrition and physical activity  in young children, the immediate benefit to your child may also have long-term impact on your child’s well being as an adult. Problems caused by childhood obesity can follow children throughout their life spans, and obese children are more likely to become obese adults.

Learn More About the Gold Sneaker Program

For more information and great resource links for parents, please visit https://tn.gov/health/topic/goldsneaker

Academy Director Sara McFall Presents at NAEYC Conference

Sara McFall, Director of The Academy of Cool Springs, was recently honored to be a featured speaker at the 2015 NAEYC conference in Orlando. NAEYC national conferences bring together early childhood educators (teachers, program administrators, students, researchers and teacher educators) to explore the latest research and learn from one another. This year’s event had roughly 8,600 attendees from over 20 different countries!

Throwing a Pinterest Party

Sara’s training was called “Pinterest Party” and featured simple and affordable materials that preschool teachers can use to create homemade enhancements for classroom interest centers. These homemade toys and other unique ideas are a great way for teachers to extend learning for their preschool children.

The kids most often experience richer learning experiences when it comes from something homemade that they can really use in a meaningful way. – Sara McFall

Sara’s creativity, love for children and desire to see other preschool educators be great at what they do made her poster training session a huge success, reaching over 500 attendees. NAEYC is the largest early childhood organization in the country and The Academy family is so proud that one of our own was featured as a presenter at this year’s national conference.

About NAEYC

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.

The association comprises nearly 70,000 individual members of the early childhood community and more than 300 regional Affiliate chapters, all committed to delivering on the promise of high-quality early learning. Together, they work to achieve a collective vision: that all young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring they reach their full potential. (Source: www.naeyc.org)

About The Academy of Cool Springs

The Academy of Cool Springs is one of 5 Academy preschools in Franklin TN. Our award-winning preschools have received the coveted Best of Parenting award for 8 consecutive years. We offer unmatched educational and enrichment programs in state-of-the-art facilities.

5 Reasons Parents Choose The Academy

At The Academy, we believe in providing every child in our program with the highest quality preschool education in an environment that is fun and safe, allowing parents to have peace of mind, knowing their child is receiving the best possible care. In addition to fun activities and a safe environment, we offer additional services and care that set us apart. Here are 5 reasons parents choose to become a part of The Academy family.

1. Community

At The Academy, we consider all of our families to be part of The Academy Family. Whether you’re away at work, dropping your child off, or attending one of our family events, you are an integral part of the fabric of our community.

In order to provide peace of mind, we offer webcams and security procedures that keep parents feeling connected and assured that their child is well cared for. We also offer family friendly activities during and outside of regular care hours. Some of the events we host include Fall is for Your Family, Fitness Fanatics and Green Our Scene. One of the reasons The Academy are the best preschools in Nashville is because we strive for a community of families that promote family togetherness and elevate the role of the parent as paramount in fostering a child’s development.

2. Teachers That Care

The Academy teachers provide the highest quality of care available. They are degreed and/or experienced in early childhood development and are highly trained and well versed in the programming and curriculum we offer. All teachers are CPR and First Aid Certified, certified in Baby Sign Language, and trained in SIDS Prevention. The Academy believes in constantly learning and improving, which is why we offer continued education and training for all of our teachers. We want to provide the best preschools in Nashville by offering the highest level of care and the finest preschool education.

3. State-of-the Art Facilities

The Academy offers state-of-the art learning environments for your children. We provide the best preschools in Nashville by providing an ideal environment for learning and fun. Our facilities are designed with your child in mind. The décor is bright, clean and cheerful and engages the child’s senses, welcoming them to a wonderful day of learning and fun. We offer a breakfast bar, where children can nourish their bodies with delicious and healthy food. They’re able to expand their horizons by utilizing the latest technology in our enrichment classes, encouraging creativity and fun while learning. And of course, the children always look forward to letting loose on our whimsically designed playgrounds at each of our facilities.

4. Programming and Curriculum

Children who attend The Academy receive the best in preschool education. We offer programs that meet and exceed kindergarten readiness standards for the state of Tennessee. Our Curriculum, Frog Street Press, is an award-winning curriculum designed to engage all aspects of learning. We enhance our curriculum with special activities and guests, allowing children to prepare for school with a fun and dynamic approach.

5. Enrichment

While providing the best curriculum and programs available, The Academy also offers Enrichment to all of our children. Enrichment is a supplemental resource, specifically designed each month to complement our academic curriculum and create a streamlined educational experience, opening the minds of children to new experiences and learning adventures. Enrichment is already included in the tuition and available to all children. It focuses on the arts, cultures, movement, and sciences and is provided by outside experts, using a resource called Pre-Scholar Enrichments. Enrichment offers your child the opportunity to expand their learning offering opportunities above and beyond what is expected at the average preschool.

The Academy is committed to offering the best preschools Nashville has to offer through our state-of-the art facilities, our programming and curriculum, our excellent teaching staff, enrichment and our sense of community.

Schedule a Tour

To learn more about our award-winning preschool, childcare and daycare programs contact us at:

Looking for the Best Preschools in Spring Hill TN?

If you are searching for the best preschools in Spring Hill TN or Thompson’s Station then you have to take a look at what The Academy of Heritage Commons has to offer.

The Academy has achieved a 3-star rating (the highest possible) by The Tennessee Star-Quality Child Care Program. This rating is given to facilities that meet the highest possible standards in regards to care for children and The Academy of Heritage Commons is consistently recognized as one of the best preschools in Spring Hill. The Academy has also been voted winner of the coveted Best of Parenting award for 7 consecutive years.

What Makes The Academy One of the Best Preschools in Spring Hill TN

There are many reasons that The Academy of Heritage Commons is considered one of the best preschools in Spring Hill. Here are a few of them.

Our Curriculum (Frog Street Press)
Research demonstrates that children learn best when actively engaged in all aspects of their environment. The Academy embraces this early educational cornerstone by utilizing a nationally recognized, award winning curriculum as its foundation. Our experienced teachers expand upon our curriculum with lots of games and activities. Our goal is to get our children prepared for school and teach them that learning and education is fun.

Teachers That Care
The Academy hires only the finest teaching staff available with the goal of providing the highest quality of child care for our children. We want our families to know that when their children are at The Academy they are not only having fun but are being cared for by teachers who genuinely love what they do and work hard to provide the finest child care available.

Summer Programs
One thing that sets The Academy of Heritage Commons apart if our summer programs. We are one of only two current Academy locations to have the T.A.S.K. program. The T.A.S.K. program provides parents who have children in both preschool and elementary school with one convenient drop-off and pick-up point for all their children. We also offer a Kindergarten Boot Camp in the summers to prepare our Pre-Kindergarten 3 class for the BIG yellow bus, the cafeteria line and much more. (Learn More About Our Summer Progams Here)

Our Goal – Provide the Highest Quality Child Care and Preschool Education

The Academy of Heritage Commons is an educational preschool with a goal of being one of the best preschools in Spring Hill, TN. We accomplish this by providing an unmatched educational and enrichment experience for our children in state-of-the-art facilities.

We want to provide children with the highest quality preschool education in an environment that in a fun and safe environment to provide you the peace of mind that your child is receiving the best possible child care.

Contact The Academy of Heritage Commons

To learn more about our award-winning preschool, child care and day care programs contact us at:

The Academy of Heritage Commons
4615 Thompsons Ridge Road, Thompson’s Station, TN 37179
Phone: (615) 591-4040

4th Annual Superhero Day

The Academy is so excited to be finalizing the plans for the 4^th annual Superhero Day to be held on Saturday, July 25th at The Academy of Indian Lake Village. The event promotes all the things that we teach and believe in. It promotes literacy, encourages “superhero” qualities in children, brings community together, and, in general, generates a lot of fun.

Games, prizes, awesome inflatable, and food will be in plentiful supply. (This year we will be expanding the food offerings by bringing in a shaved ice vendor and other food trucks.) As in the past, each person who attends will receive a free comic book from Comic Collector Live, who helps us sponsor the event.

Meet Your Superhero in Person

And again this year, such superheroes as Spiderman, The Flash, Batman, and Wonder Woman will be in attendance as well as our “real” everyday heroes – our policemen, firemen, and enlisted personnel. Children are encouraged to dress as their favorite heroes too, and parents can, and often do, get into the act too. We guarantee there will be lots of photo and lots of opportunities for the kids to explore their own super powers.

Help Us Promote Literacy

To promote literacy, The Academy asks that attendees bring a new or used book that we will donate to various organizations that support literacy. These organizations distribute the books to children who have limited opportunities to have books. Each person who brings a book is entered in a drawing to win a superhero basket. Baskets are awarded every hour.

All Are Welcome

Each year the Superhero day has grown in attendance, and this year The Academy expects 350 to 500 to attend. So come and bring your kids. Join us as we celebrate literacy, community and creativity! Invite your friends and share this free event. All are welcome.

Mark Your Calendar for July 25th

Superhero Day will be held at:

Location: The Academy of Indian Lake Village, 151 Saundersville Road, Hendersonville, TN 37075
Date: Saturday, July 25
Time: 10:00 am to 3:00 p.m.

The Academy Preschools in Franklin TN

If you are looking for the best preschools in Franklin TN you have to check out all that The Academy has to offer. The Academy has four preschool locations in Franklin, TN. Each location is strategically placed in the busiest parts of Franklin for the convenience of our parents.

Our four current preschools in Franklin include:

Consistently Voted Best Preschools in Franklin TN

For seven years in a row, The Academy has received The Best of Parenting Award. We value this award because it validates that our preschools in Franklin and Nashville are doing things the right. We thank our Academy families for voting us Best of Parenting since 2008. Our goal has always been to provide the best preschools in Franklin and you have helped us set the bar for quality child care.

What Makes Academy Preschools in Franklin TN Different

The goal at The Academy is to give children the highest quality preschool education in a fun and safe environment. This provides parents who need child care in Franklin, TN the peace of mind that their children are receiving the best possible care with the maximum amount of nurturing. The Academy offers parents a choice like no other in educating children from ages 6 weeks to 5 years.

This summer our preschool age children will enjoy an exciting and fun summer educational curriculum with cool special guests, exciting themed menu additions, super fun projects and activities, and creative water play days! It’s called “Discover the Adventures of Summer,” and it promises to be a blast.

Keep Up With Your Child’s Preschool Activities

If you want to keep up with what’s going on, just check out the blog page for your child’s location. The main events of practically each day are chronicled at each Academy preschool location in Franklin. You’ll see photos galore of Lego Day, Square Day, Cinco de Mayo, Shape Scavenger Hunt, and much more.

Featured Preschool: The Academy of Heritage Commons

The Academy of Heritage Commons is an educational preschool providing child care and day care in Spring Hill and Thompson’s Station, TN. If you are searching for summer programs or school age programs in Spring Hill or Thompson’s Station then check out all that The Academy of Heritage Commons has to offer.

Pre-K Programs and More

The Academy of Heritage Commons in Thompson Station, TN, is one of only two Academy locations that have The Academy School Age Program (T.A.S.K.). This program provides parents who have children in both preschool and elementary school with one convenient drop-off and pick-up point for all their children.

Here is how it works:

Parents drop off all their children at The Academy of Heritage Commons.
Preschoolers go straight to their classes at The Academy.
Older children are taken by bus to their schools.
In the afternoon, The Academy picks up the older children from their schools and brings them back to the after-school program called T.A.S.K (The Academy School-age Kids).

The T.A.S.K. Program

While older children are in the T.A.S.K. after-school program, they are encouraged to do their homework, and they will receive help as needed. With an afternoon snack, healthy exercise, fun activities, and most or all of their homework completed, children are able to enjoy their time with their families when they get home. The T.A.S.K program is also available in the summer as a full day and will include two fun and educational weekly field trips.

Summer Programs in Spring Hill and Thompson’s Station

With the summer school break just around the corner, The Academy of Heritage Commons is gearing up for their Summer Program and Kindergarten Boot Camp. The Summer Program will have weekly water days, special guests, family events, dress-up days, cooking projects, summer reading, art fair projects, and lots of nature-exploring activities.

Kindergarten Boot Camp in Spring Hill and Thompson’s Station

Kindergarten Boot Camp, an 8-week class in June and July for children in the Pre-Kindergarten 3 class, will get children ready for the real thing—including the BIG yellow bus and the cafeteria line. Pre-K-ers will learn and rehearse practical skills such as signing in to class, returning a library book, keeping up with a backpack (provided by the Academy—in camo, of course), using a homework folder, and even how to open those pesky ketchup packages at lunch. Kindergarten Boot Camp teaches important, yet often overlooked skills needed to navigate kindergarten with confidence.

Learn More About The Academy of Heritage Commons

The Academy of Heritage commons is one of the Best Preschools Spring Hill TN. To learn more about our award-winning preschool, child care and day care programs contact The Academy at:

The Academy of Heritage Commons
4615 Thompsons Ridge Road, Thompson’s Station, TN 37179
Phone: (615) 591-4040

The Academy’s Day of Play Puts Learning on Display

In the month of April, all of The Academy preschools placed special emphasis on learning through playing on the “Day of Play,” an activity planned as part of the celebration of the Week of the Young Child™. (The National Association for the Education of Young Children, NAEYC, first established the Week of the Young Child™ in 1971 to emphasize the fact that the early childhood years, from birth through 8, lay the foundation for a child’s success in school.)

Celebrating the Day of Play

On the Day of Play, parents came to class to play with their children and to learn how seven different types of play build skills in the areas of emotional, social, cognitive, physical, and language development. Parents joined with teachers in playing with the children in seven possible kinds of play: creative, adventure, physical, constructive, story, make-believe, and musical play. For example, a musical play activity involved creating musical shakers using rice, plastic Easter eggs, spoons, and decorative tape. Constructive play provided building blocks, rulers, calculators, sketch pads, and even real construction plans donated by a local builder.

At The Academy, learning through play is a fundamental tenet of the curriculum. Unlike “work” (such as a worksheet that must be completed), “play” is mostly self-directed, is a process, and does not result in a predicted outcome. It offers children the opportunity to use their creativity while developing their skills. For example, running, jumping, climbing, and skipping help toddlers gain muscle control, balance, and coordination. Pretending and using their imaginations teaches children how to solve problems, adds to their vocabulary, and helps them increase attention span and focus.

Go and Play!

So the next time you’re fixing dinner, and the little ones are under foot, or you’re watching the NBA playoffs, and the children just won’t be quiet, tell them to “Go and play” and don’t feel guilty. Understand that this standard, parental directive really means “Go and learn!” That’s what playing is really all about.

About The Academy

The Academy is one of the top Educational Preschools in Nashville TN with multiple locations in Middle Tennessee providing the highest quality child care with the finest teaching staff available. The Academy boasts state-of-the-art facilities and unmatched educational and enrichment programs.

Featured Preschool: The Academy of Westhaven

The Academy of Westhaven has one of the highest quality child care programs and one of the finest teaching staffs available among preschools in Franklin, TN.

Following in the outstanding traditions and high standards of The Academy Preschools, the Academy of Westhaven offers unmatched educational and enrichment programs in a state-of-the-art facility.

Like each of the four Academy Preschools in Franklin, TN, Westhaven uses the award-winning “Frog Street Press Curriculum.”

Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss from The Academy Preschools in Franklin TN

The Academy of Westhaven, along with the other Academy preschools in Franklin TN, celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday for an entire week in March—reading his books—always a favorite among preschoolers—and snacking on One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (crackers, of course)!

March is also “Bug Month” for The Academy Preschools. Children are learning about insects in some very creative ways, including some gourmet dining on apple lady bugs and ant hills made of Jello and raisins.

Academy Preschools in Franklin TN Promote Family Activities

At The Academy of Westhaven, there are always fun and creative activities that keep the preschoolers engaged and excited about learning. One special type of activity, called a “Buzz” activity, is designed by The Academy to motivate families to do things together.

A current Buzz activity, just in time for spring, is planting a flower with the family. The preschoolers get hands-on experience with little shovels, potting soil, seeds, and starter pots, and then take the pots home to plant with their families.

April’s Emphasis Will Be “Green Our Scene”

Teaching the children about recycling and encouraging their families to recycle is the focus in April for the Academy preschools in Franklin, TN. There’s likely to be a contest between classes to see which class can collect the most recyclables; a prize for the winning class is probably in the works; but it’s certain that there will be some unique art projects made from some of the recyclables collected. So make some space on the refrigerator!