Parenting Archives - Pickens County First StepsPickens County First Steps

6 Simple Ways to Help Your Child FEEL Ready for Kindergarten

10:23 pm

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Parenting, School Transition, Uncategorized

Starting kindergarten is a huge step for young children! They will need plenty of patience, encouragement, and support when school begins.

But you may not realize that there are simple and important ways you can prepare children emotionally for this big transition. Summer can be the perfect time to start!

This is the first post in a summer series designed to get rising kindergartners ready for school.

Academic skills matter, but not as much as the foundation for all learning: a child feeling loved and secure. Kids thrive academically, socially, and emotionally when their world feels […]

8 Simple Ways to Build a Strong Foundation for Math

9:59 pm

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Early Education, Palmetto Basics, Parenting

*a post from The Palmetto Basics

“I’m just not a math person.”

We’ve all heard someone say this. Maybe you’ve said it yourself.

As adults, we know our own strengths and weaknesses, and this awareness can lead us to believe that we don’t have what it takes to equip our young children, especially if it’s in an area where we haven’t had success.

That’s why many of us say, “I’m just not a math person!”

But think about this:

Would you refrain from tossing a ball to your child because […]

Narrate life from the beginning! Your child’s brain depends on it.

5:56 pm

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Palmetto Basics, Parenting

A post from The Palmetto Basics

Did you know that children learn language through relationship? They depend on parents and caregivers to talk and engage with them. This is how language develops and how babies begin to learn about the world around them. When it comes to brain development, talking and human interactions are literal superpowers, building a young child’s brain architecture in ways that will last a lifetime.

If this feels like a lot of work, don’t be overwhelmed. A child’s brain will naturally develop through daily exposure to conversation. Everyday life is filled […]

5 Simple (yet powerful) Ways YOU Can Help Parents Maximize Love & Manage Stress!

12:21 pm

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Palmetto Basics, Parenting

(a post from The Palmetto Basics)

It takes a village to raise a child.

We’ve heard this saying so much in recent years that we may have forgotten how true and powerful it is. Loving communities and great childhoods go hand in hand!

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and it’s important to understand how the very first Basic, “Maximize Love and Manage Stress,” is the best way to promote great childhoods and help prevent child abuse within our own homes and communities.

What do we mean by “Maximize Love?” Children thrive when their […]

Real talk about making read-aloud time a positive experience for your child AND for you!

12:15 pm

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Early Education, Literacy, Palmetto Basics, Parenting

(a post from the Palmetto Basics)

Perhaps you already know that it’s never too early to begin reading to your child, that you can begin reading to them from the moment they’re born. Since 80% of a child’s brain development happens during the first three years of life, it’s important that parents and caregivers begin as early as possible!

But this message of reading to babies and very young children may seem impractical. After all, babies can’t yet understand the meaning of words or comprehend a story. Toddlers often can’t sit still […]

3 Simple Ways for Busy Parents to Make Books Part of Everyday Life!

12:32 pm

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Early Education, Literacy, Palmetto Basics, Parenting

(a post from The Palmetto Basics)

It is never too early to begin reading! Stories engage a child’s imagination and expose them to words and ideas. What they learn about people, places, and things can be important building blocks to school readiness and later life success. For both parents and children, times together with books form fond and lasting memories.

Any time that your young child spends with books is time well spent!

But in a fast-paced world where parents and caregivers are juggling so many responsibilities, you may feel that you don’t have the […]