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Learn more about ways you can promote a secure relationship with your children, help organize their feelings, support their exploration of the world, read and respond to their cues and much more!

Let’s discuss challenges and successes in navigating the emotional development of children. You will learn more about your child’s emotions as they move through the early years and gain insights into how to talk to children, how to teach children about emotions, and how to support children through their emotions.

This parenting program provides participants with a toolbox of parenting ideas, so they can choose which ones are the best for their family. Triple P can support families to: - raise happy, confident children - manage challenging behaviours - set rules and routines - encourage positive behaviours - increase parenting capacity and confidence. This eight session group provides an in-depth look at parenting strategies and opportunities to practice. Activities Include: - group lessons and discussions - opportunities to practice strategies - one-on-one coaching 4 classroom sessions: May 4 - May 25 3 telephone sessions: flexible dates/times 1 wrap up telephone session: June 22

Positive communication is extremely important, especially with children, for many reasons: Supports language and communication skill development It sets the foundation for children to speak with their caregivers as they grow up Helps build and strengthen relationship by building trust and creating opportunities for bonding Encourages positive behaviours and promotes emotional regulation skill development Communication is often the best place to start when trying to address concerns caregivers have while caring for and raising children. The goal of communicating with another individual, child or not, is for the other person to understand what you are trying to tell them. Here are a few strategies we can use with children to support this: Get their attention: Make sure you are in the same space as your child - You need to be close to your child so they can hear you and so you can make sure you are keeping their attention while speaking with them. This is very important especially for younger children as they are easily distracted by things around them. You should not have to raise your voice and should avoid yelling from across a room to try and get your child’s attention. Use their name and, or, gently put your hand on their shoulder so they know someone is trying to get their attention. Be careful not to startle them if your child may not be aware you are near. Get down on their level and make sure you have eye contact before you start talking or giving them instructions. Use child friendly language: Use simple, clear, and age-appropriate language – this will help ensure your child is able to understand what you are telling them. The language you use with children will expand as they continue to develop their vocabulary. Be direct and specific -- tell your child exactly what you need/want from them. Tell your child what you want them to do rather than telling them what not to do. Children don’t know the other options they have in most situations because they are still learning them so when caregivers tell them to not do something Eg. “please get ready so we can leave for school” versus “please put on your coat and shoes so we can leave for school” Eg. “stop running in the house” versus “we use walking feet when we are inside” Eg. “stop hitting your sibling” versus “we use gentle hands when playing with others” Avoid giving too many or too few instructions at once -- the younger the child is, the less instruction they are able to follow at one time and the more information they need to be able to successfully complete out a task. Make sure you are giving your child enough information to be able to complete the task you are asking them to but not so many that they forget things or get confused. You can split tasks up into smaller chunks for younger children; to do this you will break down a task into its individual steps and give them to your child one at a time: Eg. Asking your child to “get ready for school” versus “put your dirty dishes in the sink and get dressed” For younger children tasks can be broken down even further: “get dressed” versus “put on a shirt” and offering assistance if needed before instructing them to put on the next article of clothing and repeating this process until they are fully dressed. This helps children learn Keep it short and sweet – long explanations can lead to loss of interest and confusion for little ones. Be direct and specific: Clearly state what you want from your child Tell your child what you want them to do rather than what you want them to stop doing Be patient and calm: Plan ahead of time for the activity/task you will be doing with your children Take a few deep breaths before you talk to children Practice self-care

Routines build self-confidence, curiosity, social skills, self-control, communication skills and more . Routines create manageable expectations that allow children to build emotional resilience, such as saying goodbye to parents or carers each morning at drop-off.  Routines give children a sense of security and control over their environment . When life is organized and consistent at home, children feel safe, secure and looked after, especially during stressful times or during difficult stages of development.  Routine can significantly impact a child's cognitive development. Repetitive actions help form neural connections, enabling the brain to process information more efficiently . As children engage in daily activities, they improve their memory, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking skills.  In other words, routines help integrate children's learning with an “organized connection.”   When children are involved in a good routine not only do they feel confident and in control, they also learn to develop positive social skills as well as a sense of satisfaction in being able to do things for themselves.  A regular routine brings comfort and consistency to a child’s life.      Creating a routine can help support a child and caregiver through difficult and often stressful transitions. Creating routines for transitions such as mealtimes, bedtimes, going to the grocery store or even getting ready to get out of the house, especially in the wintertime, can reduce anxiety and stress.  Routines need repetition and consistency to work.     Daily routines look different for every family. The most important aspect is creating a routine that works for you and your family.   When you are beginning to create routines at home, begin with creating small, attainable, and sustainable goals.  Samples of routines: Health Benefits of having routines for the whole family: Manage stress more effectively : Stress can put you at higher risk for heart disease and negatively impact your overall health. An effective routine can help reduce stress, which can lead to better mental health, more time to relax and less anxiety. Sleep better: Routines like your sleep schedule and bedtime habits affect your mental sharpness, emotional well-being and energy. Maintaining consistent times for waking and going to bed can help you get better rest. Eat healthier: Without scheduled time for grocery shopping, it is easier to have an unhealthy diet by ordering fast food or snacks since they are often a convenient option. Taking the time to plan trips to the grocery store gives you the opportunity to think about what healthy foods and meals you can incorporate into your everyday life. Get active: It is easier to exercise regularly when you make time for it. A daily routine can help you stay active, and an exercise schedule or program can help you budget your time. Resource: A “first-then” board is a visual tool that is based on the principle that a child’s motivation to complete a less preferred activity is increased when it is followed by a more preferred activity. Using a first-then board will provide the child with a visual means of introducing routines, new tasks, activities, or events in a manner that the child understands and may be more motivated to complete. This tool assists with creating a structured and predictable environment for children. It helps children to become independent while mastering a routine set at home.  At Norwood Centre our team of qualified Early Childhood Development Subject Matter Experts work to provide tools that caregivers can use to support early childhood development. We hear you! If you have a question or concern, please ask us. We have a variety of Child Development Activities available on our website, find them at norwoodcentre.com/child-development-activities . For short-term one-on-one coaching, please call us at 780-471-3737.

Step 1: Ask yourself, is your child ready? And it is good timing? Readiness:   Do your child show interest in the toilet?  Do they tell you when they have to go or when they are wet?  Are they independent, and able to control the urge to go?  Timing:   Is your child healthy and happy?  Are you in the middle of transition? (Welcoming a new baby, changing places, transition to daycare)  Seasonal aspects? (Is it easier to pull down shorts or snowpants, and layers of clothes!)  Preparation:   Clothing (Loose fit clothes, letting children choose clothes for themselves so that they are motivated not to soil their clothing)  Environment (Is your home setting a prepared space for accidents to happen, do you have toilet training tools)  Preparing yourself (Toilet training takes a lot of time, patience and efforts, are you prepared for it)  Choose reward system (Rewarding children boosts their self-esteem, and child gets motivated) (Trip to their favorite store, stickers, or their favorite snack)  Step 2: Ready for training? Here are the next steps: Introduce your child to the routine. Modelling. Give them plenty to drink. Keep reminding them and encouraging them to use the toilet before and after transitions. Do not confuse them by putting them in diapers for your own comfort’s sake. Activities: Potty training songs, Scavenger hunt for potty training items, make it a science experiment (food coloring, potty seek and find game, potty training race). FAQ: How long does potty training take? Once toilet training starts it can take 3-4 weeks for some children to be mostly dry, but other children may take several months. It is important to be consistent and follow the same toilet routine every day.  What do I do if my child refuses to sit on the toilet? Do not insist on toilet training. If it becomes upsetting or your child refuses to do it, wait for a few weeks and try again. What should I do if my child has an accident? Stay calm. Go to the bathroom and clean up, but do not talk or make cleaning up a fun time. Remind your child of toileting steps. Be patient if they are sick or their usual routine is disrupted. Take a break if necessary. Tips to prevent an accident: make the potty or toilet easily accessible check-in to see if they have to use the toilet encourage them to use the toilet while on outings keep diapers or pullups on at night until they usually stay dry by morning ask them to sit on the toilet before going to bed Tips for boys and girls It may be helpful to teach boys to sit down to pee, at first. Once sitting has been mastered, you may like to have a safe, male family member show your child how to pee while standing. Don't forget to teach your child to wash their hands! At Norwood Centre our team of qualified Early Childhood Development Subject Matter Experts work to provide tools that caregivers can use to support early childhood development. We hear you! If you have a question or concern, please ask us. We have a variety of Child Development Activities available on our website, find them at norwoodcentre.com/child-development-activities . For short-term one-on-one coaching, please call us at 780-471-3737.