Letter from the Director!

Dear Families,

It is almost unbelievable that we have been apart for 6 weeks! Many of us may be longing for the day where things start looking ‘normal’ again. I know I cannot wait to see our children running, jumping, and playing again here at the center. I miss each of them so much!

During this pandemic, many of our daily routines have changed. Many of you are now working at home while taking care of your children. Your children, who were once used to attending childcare and interacting with other children similar in age, are now at home learning to play independently as parents continue to work attending virtual meetings. This doesn’t mean your child’s development is on the back burner. This simply means your child is learning in an ever-changing way. Did you know that experiences change our brains? Our children’s brains, although developing over time, can be molded intentionally by their experiences. This is great news as we continue through this pandemic! Let’s continue our discussion on No-Drama Discipline and learn together how our child’s brain can be molded intentionally by these new experiences we are facing today.

Last month we started discussing the three “Brain C’s” and how they can help us as parents discipline effectively. We first discussed how our children’s brains are under construction and always ‘changing’. With this, we now know to adjust our expectations when it comes to our children’s behaviors. This month we are going to learn that our child’s brain is also ‘changeable’. The brain develops over time but is changeable! It can be molded intentionally by experiences. In No-Drama Discipline, the writers show us that the brain is plastic, or moldable. This simply means the physical architecture of the brain changes based on what happens to us. So, what does that have to do with being home during this pandemic and discipline? Scientists have shown that repeated experiences change the brain, so it is important that we be intentional about the experiences we give our children, especially when teaching them how to behave appropriately. Think about how you are communicating daily with your children. How are you helping them reflect on their behaviors (both positive and negative)? What are you teaching them about relationships—about respect, trust, and effort? Keep in mind that everything they see, hear, feel, touch or even smell is impacting their brain development. Knowing this will help us be more intentional when responding to behaviors. How we respond can impact their changing brains. Repeated experiences wire the brains, so responding with understanding and love will wire their brains for success.

Remember, the goal of disciplining our children is to be responsive not reactive and to help build lifelong skills of resiliency and self-control.

Lisa Frye

Site Director

Ivy Academy Downtown