The Childcare Professionals Give Advice on How To Train a Baby to Fall Asleep on Its Own

Does your baby wake up frequently in the night? Are you sleep deprived and longing for just one good night’s sleep? Our childcare professionals at The Academy have some sleep training tips for you. You can usually start this sleep training at four to six months old.

Establishing the Right Bedtime

First, set a bed time based on the time your baby shows signs of sleepiness (yawning, eye rubbing, and fussiness). Note that babies need sufficient exercise throughout the day to ensure they will be tired enough to go to sleep at night. That’s why our award-winning curriculum at The Academy provides sufficient activities for infants in our care.

Childcare Professionals Offer Several Methods To Train a Baby to Fall Asleep

There are several methods you can use. When using any method, before you put the baby in the crib, be sure the baby is not hungry and has a clean diaper. Also make sure the bedroom is dark, quiet, and comfortable temperature-wise.

Here are a few popular methods to try.

The Cry It Out Method (CIO)

The famous “Cry It Out” method often works the fastest. Put your baby to bed, say goodnight, and don’t take the baby out of the bed until morning (or the next scheduled feeding). Leaving the baby in the crib is necessary so they learn to fall asleep without assistance.

The Check and Console Method (C&C)

This method suggests you leave the baby in the crib and then re-enter the room at 5 or 10 minute intervals. Each time, you say a few soothing words to your baby but don’t linger. Increase the time between intervals each night.

The Chair Method

With this method, you put the baby in the crib and sit in a chair next to the crib. Leave the room when the baby falls asleep. If the baby wakes up, return to sit in the chair until the baby falls asleep again. Every few nights move the chair further away from the crib until you’re eventually out of the room.

Visit Us at The Academy and Meet our Childcare Professionals

How Top-Rated Preschools in Spring Hill Encourage a Child’s Natural Gifts

It’s December, and there is a lot of thought being given to gift giving. However, in this blog, we’re going to talk about a different kind of gifts – natural gifts. As one of the top-rated preschools in Spring Hill, we know a thing or two about how to encourage a child’s natural gifts.

Whether we’re talking about natural gifts academics, sports, art, music, or something else, a gift usually needs nurturing. Here are some strategies to do that.

Let Children Discover on their Own

Parents are more likely to see a child’s natural gift if they let the child uncover what is intriguing without direction from adults. A parent’s role can be to expose a child to places and things.

Once a child displays a definite interest, the parent can begin to provide the child with more age-appropriate resources. But give your child time to see if the interest is just fleeting before going all-in. On the other hand, don’t down-play an interest because you think it might be fleeting. All experiences contribute to a child’s learning. And a natural gift that a child loses interest in now could surface again at a later age.

Harness the Power of Books and Mentors

No matter what interests your children, books that relate to that subject can fuel a child’s curiosity. If your child displays a continued interest in something, then you can provide books that are more instructional to help develop the gift.  If you are unable/unqualified to provide more instruction, find a teacher or mentor skilled in the activity.

The Academy Is One of the Top-Rated Preschools in Spring Hill

One way to provide your child with new and interesting opportunities every day is to enroll in The Academy. At The Academy our curriculum covers a wide range of activities. Our activities pique the interest of children and provide a learning atmosphere of fun.  Call us today and find out more.

The Academy Excels at Teaching the Importance of Money

Almost as soon as a child begins to talk, he “wants” things. It might be a balloon at the fair, a toy a friend has, or a candy bar while grocery shopping with Mom.  Therefore, it’s never too early to begin teaching the importance of money to your preschooler.

At The Academy preschools in Nashville, learning about money is just one of the many activities we incorporate in teaching children about numbers. In this blog we discuss some of the things you can do at home to further your child’s understanding of money.

Keep It Simple

Because your preschooler is young and doesn’t understand the complicated world of money, keep it simple. Begin with basic facts about money they’ll grasp.

• Parents work hard for their money.
• Money is not unlimited; therefore there is a budget that you must follow.
• What your child wants may not fit into the family’s budget.

Teaching the Importance of Money through Banking

A bank can be a mysterious place for a child. They see their parents using the ATM machine, and they may think the money coming out of the slot is unlimited.  Use banking activities to instill in them how money works in the real world.

• Buy an attractive piggy bank for your child’s room. Then encourage your child to add loose change and bills to it.
• Open a saving account for your child.
• Have your child deposit a percentage of cash presents for birthdays and Christmas instead of spending it all on toys.
• Buy a toy cash register, fake bills, and coins. Teach your child the concept of how to make change as they “buy” and “sell” items with their family. Of course, young children can’t make exact change, but they will get the idea.

Request Information About The Academy Preschools

To learn more about how to enroll, prices, or scheduling a tour of one of our preschools please click the Request Info link on the side. The Academy is widely considered the best preschools Nashville has to offer. See which one of our locations is closest to you.

One of the Best Preschools in Williamson County Outlines Ways To Help Children Overcome Fears

As one of the best preschools in Williamson County, The Academy knows that feelings of fear are very real to a child. And overcoming these fears, no matter how unreasonable they may seem to adults, is not easy for a child.

Children can have all kinds of fear: fear of the dark, fear of loud noises, fear of dogs, fear of heights, etc. Usually the fear is unwarranted, but sometimes children are actually experiencing a phobia. You should see a doctor if you suspect a phobia.

Exploring Your Child’s Fear

As a first step in helping your child overcome his or her fear, begin by asking some questions about the specific fear. For example, if the child is afraid of loud sounds, you might ask:

• What are some loud sounds that scare you?
• What is scary to you about those sounds?
• Are there any loud sounds that don’t scare you?

The purpose of this exercise is just to let your child know that you are taking him them seriously. You understand his fear (even if the object of the fear doesn’t seem very scary to you).

Facing Fears

Doing things to avoid a child’s fear only suggests that there really is something to be feared. Help your child face a fear in small incremental steps. If your child is afraid of the dark, start by reading a book like Goodnight Moon that allows you to talk about the night and the darkness in positive ways. Then plan a night activity like lying in the grass and staring at the stars at night. Praise your child’s efforts as they may make progress.

The Academy Has the Best Preschools in Williamson County

The votes are in. The Academy has been voted Best of Parenting every year since 2008. Visit us and see why parents are so satisfied with our childcare locations in Williamson County.

Preparing for First Grade

Don’t let preparing for first grade sneak up on you. When it’s time for first grade, both parents and their children are anxious. This is the first step into years of learning, and you as the parent want to ensure your child is ready.

The Academy Students Start Preparing for First Grade Right from the Start

Choosing the right daycare and preschool is one of the most important step for guaranteeing success in later school years. The Academy curriculum starts training children at a very young age to develop the skills for navigating school in the future. Our program is also designed to make education great fun! It inspires a desire in children to learn.

Even after a successful preschool and kindergarten experience, first grade can seem daunting. But preparing for it doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you follow the easy guidelines in the rest of this blog.

Begin with Breakfast

In busy households, breakfast is often skipped. But a healthy breakfast will ensure your child has a good start to his school day.

• Choose easy breakfasts to prepare
• Choose healthy foods your child likes
• Make items the night before or even the weekend before that can be frozen

Sleep is Essential

After a summer of late nights and vacations, it is hard to get your child into a routine for bedtime. But a good night’s sleep will benefit your first grader enormously.

• Know the time your child’s school begins or when the bus will come. This will help you plan for when you need to wake him up.
• Start setting a schedule for going to bed and waking up well before the school year begins.
• Choose quiet activities before bedtime such as reading to help him relax before sleep.

Success in First Grade

Even a first grader needs preparation for beginning school.  He will enjoy buying school supplies such as a new backpack or favorite pencils.  These are things to help your child succeed in school.

• Create a space in the home for him to store his supplies and maybe even do homework.
• Use a planner so both you and your child know the schedule for upcoming events and assignments.

Kindergarten Readiness Skills

The summer before kindergarten is an exciting time for preschoolers! Many of them have been attending preschool classes and are eagerly awaiting their first day of kindergarten.  In this post, we share some activities that will develop kindergarten readiness skills. These activities will help students channel their excitement while keeping their skills sharp.

Engaging Activities for Kindergarten Readiness Skills

Preschoolers may feel anxious about entering kindergarten. Over the summer you can do some fun activities that will ease their fears about kindergarten. These will also help them see that they are indeed ready for school.

• Using School Tools. Make sure your child knows how to hold a pencil, cut with scissors, and use paste.  The kindergarten teachers will be so pleased!
• Recognizing Letters. Have them trace letters, play a game where they hunt for the named letter, or decorate letter outlines.  Although these are fun, they will reinforce their knowledge of letters.
• Identifying Colors and Shapes. Coloring books are a fun way to show they know colors and shapes.  They will enjoy using a variety of  colors to fill in different shapes and objects.
• Identifying Numbers. Call out numbers and ask the child to find the number on a worksheet.  He then can color the number and count out beans or other objects that match that number.
• Writing His Name. Let your child practice writing his name.  He will need to put his name on many papers in kindergarten.

Kindergarten Boot Camp at The Academy

At The Academy, we know how important it is for a child to be ready for kindergarten. The transition from preschool to kindergarten can be a big leap. That is why we instituted “Boot Camp” at The Academy. It’s our summer kindergarten preparation program. This program can ensure that your child possesses the readiness skills that will make the kindergarten year successful. Learn more about boot camp.