Keyword: Family Life
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Supporting Children Through Challenging Family Situations
This list contains resources for educators and families to support young children experiencing changes like divorce, the death of a love one, and parental incarceration.
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Working with Interpreters
This list provides early childhood educators and administrators resources on collaborating with interpreters in order to communicate with families who speak a language other than English.
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Community Resources for Illinois Families
This list provides information about community resources for families in Illinois.
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Too Much Tech: Screen Time and Families
This podcast features Dr. Emma Mercier, associate professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Mercier shares guidance and tips for families of young children in using technology at home.
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Supporting Children Who Experience Community Violence
This list provides resources on how to support children and families affected by community violence.
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Refugee Families
n and their families.
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Teaching Your Child to Problem Solve
Families juggle so many tasks every day. Often one of these tasks is supervising young children as they play and solve problems that come up when they try to play alone (e.g., “she’s not sharing” or “he hit me”). In fact, doing this can often prolong or make completing other tasks, such as laundry and…
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LGBTQ+ for Educators
This resource list contains content to support early childhood educators learning about, and supporting, LGBTQ+ families and children.
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Helping Children with Big Feelings
Big feelings such as frustration or being upset can lead to strong reactions in adults and children. For children who have little control over their environment, these feelings can occur for reasons adults see as inconsequential or silly. Regardless of what causes a meltdown, teaching, modeling, and supporting them to calm down in that big…
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Supporting Siblings of Children with Disabilities
Parents and caregivers of a child with a disability may be concerned about the well-being of their other children. Parents often struggle with having time and attention to give to all their children when one child requires a lot of time and attention.
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Families, Social-Emotional Learning, and the Pandemic
In this podcast, we speak with Kelly Russell, the program director of CU Early, which serves infants, toddlers, and expectant parents in Champaign, Urbana, and Mahomet. We explore how the pandemic has changed service delivery for home visits, developmental screenings, and support groups. We also delve into the changing social and emotional needs of families…
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Parenting During a Pandemic
On this podcast, we are joined by Christy Lee, mother to four children, two with Down syndrome. Christy shares with us some tips for parenting during the pandemic on topics such as schooling, shopping, and home life.
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Helping Young Children Understand Changing Holiday Traditions
It is very likely that our wintertime or holiday traditions will look different this year. Now that we are several months into the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve all gotten somewhat accustomed to canceled events, changes in expectations, and disappointments.
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COVID-19 Parenting Pep Talk: Make Time for Connection
Before the COVID-19 situation, many of us, myself included, were used to taking our young children to childcare or preschool on working days. Now, we may be working from home or different hours, and we may have lost many of our predictable daily routines. In addition, many family, friends, and coworkers are no longer part…
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COVID-19 Parenting Pep Talk: (Re)focus on Positive Guidance
In spring 2020, our world was turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Illinois, our stay-at-home order has caused drastic changes in daily routines for everyone. With schools, many childcare centers, and most other places closed to stop the spread of COVID-19, we have found our daily routines profoundly changed.
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Helping Young Children With Disabilities During a Trying Time: Adding Structure and Routine
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, you may be a parent or caregiver of a young child with special needs who was previously attending a child care center, preschool program, or receiving other services. You may now be caring for your child at home with few outside supports—and this can feel overwhelming. We know young children thrive…
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Keep Young Children Learning at Home During Trying Times
Many families with young children are seeking resources about learning at home with young children as the COVID-19 situation evolves in our communities. This is a trying time for programs and families as they work together to keep young children safe, healthy, and learning.
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Learning at Home During Trying Times
Many families with young children are seeking resources about learning at home with young children as the COVID 19 situation evolves in our communities. This resource list provides information from the Illinois Early Learning Project and other reliable sources to help during this time.
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Positive Guidance for Young Children: Take a Break and Calm Down
Young children are learning to manage their behavior and feelings. At times, they may be “out of control” and need an adult to help them calm down and learn how to express their emotions in appropriate ways.
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Positive Guidance for Young Children: Plan Ahead
Young children are curious and actively explore the world.
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Positive Guidance for Young Children: Be Consistent
Young children are learning to manage their behaviors and feelings. They may need many reminders of what appropriate behavior looks like. Clear directions from adults in a calm, firm tone of voice help children know what to do.
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Rights of Families Experiencing Homelessness
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Resource Directory for Illinois Families with Young Children Experiencing Homelessness and Housing Insecurity
This resource directory provides contact information, descriptions of programs, state agencies, and non-profit organizations in Illinois that provide support for families of young children experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Families may wish to begin searching for resources in their local community using these links: Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)IDHS provides a listing of state…
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Drumming in the Kitchen
Infants depend on caregivers’ responses that encourage them to explore the world. In this video, we see 9-month-old Amy explore the sounds that she can make when she is banging pots with a large spoon.
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Keep Young Children Safe in the Car
Car accidents are the leading cause of death for young children in the United States. Remember these key rules to keep children safe:
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Advocacy, Communication Important at Each Step of the Journey
Everyone tries to prepare soon-to-be parents for the day they bring life into the world, but no one can truly explain the array of emotions felt when it actually happens.
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Diverse Families and the Transition to Kindergarten
This podcast is an interview Dr. Sarai Coba-Rodriguez, an assistant professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In her research, she uses a family resilience perspective to learn about school readiness and family involvement among low-income Latino and African American families, including their beliefs and practices that promote young children’s successful…
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Household Safety: Poisons and Other Hazards
This list contains a variety of resources associated with keeping your home safe for young children.
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Get Them to School Every Day
Preschool is the ideal time to stress the importance of consistent on-time attendance and encourage strong attendance habits.
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Going to Kindergarten?
Getting required health checks, practicing key skills, and visiting your new school can help your child make a smooth transition.
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Try and Try Again (audio)
This podcast, based on a blog written by Dr. Rebecca Swartz, provides information about how adults can help young children develop persistence to try and try again when they encounter everyday challenges. To see the main text of the podcast, you can read the original blog post. Related IEL Resources Blog: Try and Try Again
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Toddlers and Tantrums
This list contains a variety of resources associated with toddlers and tantrums.
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Children’s Play – More than Fun and Games
This list contains a variety of resources which can aid teachers, parents, and caregiver in providing a diverse selection of play options for children which promote skill development.
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Sibling Relationships
This list contains a variety of resources associated with sibling relationships for young children.
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Family Mealtimes: Benefits for Child Well-Being
This list contains a variety of resources associated with how family mealtimes enhance a child’s well-being.
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Helping Young Children Resolve Conflicts
This list contains a variety of resources associated with helping young children resolve conflicts.
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When Children Are Homeless or Housing Insecure: How Preschool Teachers and Caregivers Can Help
This list contains a variety of resources associated with how teachers and caregivers can help children who are homeless or who have insecure housing arrangements.
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Helping Children Develop “Impulse Control”
Excitement, joy, anger, frustration, and disappointment are all part of growing up.
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Papa and Wayne: A Simple Game With Baby
In this video we see a spontaneous playful interaction between 6-month-old Wayne and his grandfather (Papa). Many families play games like this, which are important both to children’s sense of belonging and their ability to communicate with others.
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Making Pizza Together
Preparing meals is part of the “real work” of family life. Preschoolers can help their parents fix simple foods. The whole family can benefit when parents involve preschoolers in cooking activities. Doing this kind of “real work” together gives family members something meaningful to talk about. It also gives children a chance to learn life…
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Feeding Baby Brother His Carrots
Several aspects of family life are shown in this video clip: arranging family time, supporting sibling relationships, and communicating with other family members.
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Birthdays, Holidays, and Family Gatherings
How can you make these holidays and birthday celebrations meaningful and stress-free for your child, especially when he becomes the center of attention at gatherings?
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When Children Mourn
Though you cannot shield children from grief, you can help guide and comfort them.
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Helping Siblings Get Along
Brotherhood and sisterhood can begin at home!
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Time to Play, Time to Dream: Unscheduling Your Child
Would you be surprised to find your child’s day is as hectic as your own?
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Making the Holidays Memorable and Meaningful
Here are some ways to focus on the meaning of every holiday season.
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Young Children’s Mental Health: What Is Essential?
Caregivers, teachers, and family members all have roles to play in fostering young children’s mental health.
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Manners and Preschoolers
Try encouraging good manners! Using good manners is a way to show respect for the feelings of others and to make personal interactions pleasant.
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Read with Your Toddler!
Making reading a part of family life will help your child be ready to do well in school.
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Summer Family Time Can Help Build Heritage Language Skills
In the summer, families may attend neighborhood block parties, go to the pool, or visit together at community festivals. Sharing these special events with extended family members provides opportunities to engage young DLLs in conversations and introduce new words in their heritage language.