Guide Archives - Page 23 of 23

The Art of Giving Back

November 13, 2013/in Guide, Make/by Shine

The holidays are an exciting and overwhelming time for children. Candy, cookies, parties, presents. That’s why during this season we at Shine feel compelled to share with our families the importance of giving back and teaching children how to strike that balance between selfish and selfless. However, introducing children to public service in a meaningful way can be daunting. We value community building, especially for those in need. Through our Lighthouse Project, our experienced educators introduce kids to the idea of charity in a safe and age-appropriate manner. Children have fun but also learn the value of giving back.

Art of Giving Back You don’t need to go far to participate in some easy ways to give back to your community. Even very busy families and children can use some of the ideas below to create charitable opportunities at home (and have fun too)!

Decorate a piggy bank and use it to collect charity. We love the idea of ordering plain piggy banks and having children decorate them with acrylic paints and rhinestones. We use these special banks to collect money for charity. When the bank is full, take the money out, count it together and donate it to a charity of your choice. Read more

Hello Halloween, Goodbye Candy

October 23, 2013/in Celebrate, Guide/by Shine

We’re one week away from Halloween and most children’s dreams, to get obscene amounts of candy, can be a parent’s nightmare. We at Shine love the holiday and the creativity it brings out in children – one of my 3 year-old students is set on being an orange dinosaur, another, not even 3, a musketeer. We encourage families to dress-up together, go trick-or-treating, and allow children to eat a lot of candy. But how do we deal with the sugar-mania that follows such a frenzy? What do we do with the leftover candy? Halloween can actually be a great time to teach children about good oral health habits. In this week’s article, Dr. Shirley Molina, a pediatric dentist at Dental Associates for Kids Only, gives some advice on how how to handle the post-Halloween candy crash and what to do with the pounds of leftover candy. We’re big fans of buy-back programs. Whatever you do, make sure to have fun and let your children really get in the spirit, candy and all!

Continue to shine your Halloween light –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

With Halloween right around the corner, parents may start to wonder Hello Halloween, Goodbye Candy what the dentist thinks of the holiday. As a pediatric dentist, I love children and their happiness is paramount. I believe children should dress up as their favorite characters and walk their neighborhood with friends and family. Children should happily fill their bags with candy as they declare “Trick or Treat!”

Once back at home, their parents should check all their candy to make sure it’s safe to eat. After getting the green light, I recommend the kids eat as much candy as they like, of all varieties, up until their bellies ache if they wish. After all, Halloween is the one day when kids get to be kids – dressed up, running around and eating candy to their hearts’ desire. Read more

Halloween Tricks and Treats

October 14, 2013/in Celebrate, Fun, Guide, Make, Party/by Shine

Halloween can be a lot of fun for older children – creepy costumes, spooky stories and copious amounts of candy! But for younger children the holiday can be frightening, over-stimulating and difficult to process. Toddlers and pre-school aged children are not always capable of differentiating the real from the imaginary and Halloween can blur those lines even further. We would never think of taking our 2 year-olds to a haunted house. And how do we explain all the blood, gore and evil the holiday celebrates?

At Shine, we use the creative angle Halloween provides and really get children involved on a level to which they can relate. Here are some of my favorite tips to make Halloween fun for young children while reinforcing important skills, family bonding and the joy the season has to offer. Read more

Preventing Preschool Bullying

October 2, 2013/in Guide, Learn, Read/by Shine

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. While most of us assume bullying occurs with older children, the unfortunate truth is that it can happen as early as preschool or kindergarten. As someone who was on the receiving end of bullying as child, I know firsthand how terrifying and lonely it can feel. One of the most important things we can do to make sure our children are not being bullied is to stay involved. Ask your child questions about school, communicate with the teachers and stay attuned to changes in your child’s behavior. Bullying can create a shift in attitude and if you are aware of changes you might be able to help solve the problem before bullying has long-term effects. This month, Roxanne Taylor, M.Ed. School Counseling, shares some more information on early childhood bullying and suggests some books to help younger children identify their feelings about being bullied.

Continue to stand up to bullying and shine your light –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

In the second week of the new school year, a teacher friend of mine called to tell me about a problem she was having with two of her students. She said that a boy went up to another boy who recently had his hair shaved very short and said, “Your haircut is f&$%ing ugly.” As a school counselor, I’ve heard kids use a lot of insults on one another, but what surprised me the most about this incident is that my friend teaches kindergarten.

Quick and Healthy Afterschool Snacks

September 25, 2013/in Guide, Taste/by Shine

Back to school usually means less time for everyone. Whether you’re rushing out the door in the morning or running to after-school activities in the afternoon, time is a commodity and preparing meals and snacks can sometimes feel like a chore. The quickest and easiest snack isn’t always the healthiest. At Shine, we prefer to give children whole foods as opposed to anything in a bag or out of a box. Penny Tylor, a RN and BSN, shares some of her favorite quick and healthy snacks. For more ideas, our cooking classes not only teaches children about making healthy eating choices but also provides families with easy, delicious and fun recipes. To set up a mobile cooking class, contact us at info@shinenyc.net.

Continue to shine your light –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

School is out for the day. Less than one second after your kids walk through the door you hear it: “I’m hungry!” Sure, it might be easy to quickly hand them some graham crackers, cereal, or a few slices of cheese, but why not try some snacks that are creative and fun?

One of my favorite afterschool snacks begins with a brown rice cake. Then you spread some natural no sugar added peanut butter (you can substitute sunflower seed butter if your kids are allergic to peanuts) and drizzle some agave nectar or honey on top. Decorate with dried cranberries or raisins and serve!

Gearing Up for Admissions Season

July 17, 2013/in Guide/by Shine

Having grown up in the rolling hills of Western New York and then with the tropical palms of South Florida, I went to great public schools. I was never aware of the pressures of private school admissions until after moving to NYC and becoming an educator. At Shine, we have families asking all the time for guidance navigating the process. Through our Family Coaching programs we have been able to assist many children and their parents through this stressful process. But as we continue to grow it is important to expand our services for our families. I am thrilled to announce that beginning this fall, Shine will be working exclusively with Advantage Development.

Advantage Development provides expert child development and admissions guidance, based on the latest research and years of working with schools and families. Whether it is a one-hour consultation on infant language or a relationship for the full admissions season, they are here to help you nurture your child to their full potential. The first 5 years of life establishes the foundations of cognitive development that will influence your child throughout his or her life, making the educational and parenting decisions at these ages especially important. They are your advantage in zero to five development and admissions.

Here Kristin provides a few tips on the school admissions process. For more information on Advantage Development or to set up a consultation with Kristin, contact info@shinenyc.net or call 212.414.5427.

Continue to shine your light –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

Gearing Up for Admissions Season For those families seeking admission to private schools for the 2014-2015 academic year, the summer is the time to start your preparation. Read more

Globalizing Your Toddler

April 3, 2013/in Guide, Learn/by Shine

I just got back from spending spring break in Colombia. I love traveling Latin America for so many reasons and return at least once a year. I also like to think of myself as someone who speaks Spanish. The truth is, I am not fooling anybody. My Spanish continues to embarrass me, especially after the years I took it in school and in refresher classes afterwards. I truly wish I had started at a much younger age. As Sara Farzam, founder and director of Bilingual Birdies, explains in this week’s piece, children 5 and under are at the most critical ages for language acquisition. We now know that success with foreign languages comes from starting early and in age-appropriate ways. Music, art, food, books… these are some of the best things in life and also some of the best ways to incorporate foreign language at home. In doing so, we are ensuring that we help to develop truly global citizens.

Continue to shine your light –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

Pablo el pato only speaks Spanish, so we need to all greet him by saying, “Hola Pablo!”

This is how the kids in a downtown Brooklyn preschool greet their favorite cuddly puppet every Tuesday morning. They are learning Spanish with Bilingual Birdies and Pablo el pato, or Pablo the duck, is representative of far more than just a bread-eating feathered friend. He is a symbol of the changing face of America. The parents of these children have signed them up for a program which promises to teach the under five population about cross-cultural awareness, compassion, and curiosity through a foreign language and live music curriculum. Bilingual Birdies offers classes in Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Hebrew. CDs of educational music are provided for parents to play at home, which reinforces their ability to learn a language when they aren’t in class. Read more

Holiday Photo Tips from Bellamy Blue

November 7, 2012/in Guide/by Shine

In a time when people take their iPhones on vacation or don’t have any prints in their apartment because everything’s “on the computer and too difficult to print or order,” it’s nice to remind ourselves that there is something special about taking a classic photograph.

Having an iPhone, I already understand the allure of the camera. It takes great photos, provides cool filters, and easily sends my photo wherever and to whomever with one touch. But it just isn’t the same as what a true photographer can do with a real camera.

The holidays are a great time to do professional family photos. Just don’t be pressured into thinking you need to make them seasonal or holiday themed. Make them authentic. And if you’re to busy to round up the gang now pick a time of the year that feels good for your family and commit to doing photos at least every year or two. They are memories you will cherish long after your technology is replaced. Here Belamy Blue gives some tips on holiday photos.

Continue to shine your light –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

Are you looking to spice things up with your family’s holiday snaps this year? Would you like your holiday card photos to really stand out? Try out some of our tips and see how far your creativity takes you!

1. Decide on your look or theme.

Wear complementary colors and outfits that are cohesive in tone and style but not “matchy-matchy” (e.g. festive attire, jeans in the park, or a pajama party). Try capturing some candid photos. They truly capture a moment in time and have so much more energy than a forced pose. We love to shoot like a fly on the wall, capturing “lifestyle” moments of families playing, laughing, and enjoying sweet moments.

Need inspiration? Here are some ideal holiday photo-ops: Read more