Children are often drawn to animals, and having a relationship with an animal teaches responsibility, love, and compassion. Join Alexandra Dutton as she speaks with OFS Bayview program director Jackie Buhl and Laura Hislop from Jessica's Haven, a small dog rescue center. They share why it is important for everyone, but especially children, to connect with animals, and most importantly, how to do so safely!

Learn more about Jessica's Haven: https://jessicashaven.com/

We often say: children can control only three things, and one of them is eating. (Can you guess the other two?). Join Judy Haus as she talks with author and educator Emilie Dupont about how to make mealtimes less stressful and more enjoyable. When we understand the children's development and how it impacts how they may approach food, we may be able to avoid the power struggle!

Emilie's book is full of great tips: Meaningful Mealtimes: Practical Strategies for All Young Eaters

This is also another article Emilie penned on the same topic:

https://blog.brookespublishing.com/9-practices-for-enriching-mealtimes-in-early-learning-settings/?fbclid=IwY2xjawHGDl5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQFxaJe3osLG48gUEh81LO-QFp4B9a4yJ-qg8ugtWlGW0hgUAMD0fqmy5Q_aem_LhzZEc17ndkbhstGOfYdOQ

When are young children ready for competitive sports? Are sports good for children? Alexandra Dutton, Lafayette program director, talks with longtime baseball coach Monte Stott about parent involvement in children's sports, appropriate expectations, and why sports matter. You'll be surprised at what makes a child's experience a good one!

Relationships with our children are supposed to be easy -- right? Join Dorothy Stewart, Executive Director and Owner of Old Firehouse Schools and Alexandra Dutton, Program Director, talk with Aki Raymer of Parenting Paths. They discuss how building relationships with our children will actually decrease many power struggles and how understanding our own limitations and boundaries can help our children learn about theirs.

Aki will be doing a parent workshop at our Bayview campus in San Rafael on Nov. 7th at 7 p.m. Register for that workshop here: https://forms.gle/1q8SZkSqonHvQHW57

You can learn more about Parenting Paths here: https://www.parentingpaths.com/

OFS Lafayette Program Director Alexandra Dutton talks with teacher Rachel Turtledove about something we have to think about much too often: when, if, and how to talk about difficult news events with young children. Whether we are worried about a recent school shooting or a fire that's burning too close to home, we are sending signals to our children about their world. Join them to hear about how to talk about these events in developmentally appropriate ways.

Much of our advice comes from the helpful websites Common Sense Media and National Association of School Psychologists. For more resources, please check them out.

(Apologies for the sound quality -- we are competing with our AC!)

When your child is 2, are they supposed to play well with others? What does it really mean when a 4 year old says to their friend, "You can't come to my birthday party!" Alexandra Dutton talks with Michele Bailey and Maylis Treuil, two veteran OFS teachers, about social skills and friendships from age 1-5. They explain the motivations behind children's behavior with peers and why friendships are a delicate balance at these young ages.

Join hosts Alexandra Dutton and Rachel Turtledove for a wonderful discussion with Todd Sarner, MFT, about how to deepen your relationship with your child. Todd shares ways to connect with a child after a separation (like being apart all day with work and school) as well as why some children will seemingly reject you or your overtures of support and love. His strategies focus on Attachment Theory, which is at the heart of Old Firehouse Schools. Together they share some of the day-to-day struggles parents may have about connecting with children, setting boundaries, and understanding their child's shifting needs.

To learn more about Todd's work, visit: https://transformativeparenting.com/

https://www.youtube.com/transformativeparenting

Other useful books/websites mentioned:

https://www.simplicityparenting.com/

https://neufeldinstitute.org/resources/hold-on-to-your-kids-book/

Dorothy and Alex return to a topic from our first podcast: Anti-Bias Education. They talk with Shaquam Edwards, who is part of the early education faculty at the College of Marin. She discusses the role families can play in exploring culture, diversity, and equity. She shares activities families can do together to learn about each other, as well as developmentally appropriate ways to build bridges to learning about other cultures, celebrations, and traditions.

Books mentioned:

Anti-Bias Education by Louise Derman-Sparks

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/books/anti-bias-education

You Can't Celebrate That by Nadia Jaboneta

https://www.redleafpress.org/You-Cant-Celebrate-That-Navigating-the-Deep-Waters-of-Social-Justice-Teaching-P2497.aspx

Nature has always been a part of the educational experience at OFS, but our newest campus, OFS Bayview, will take that to a new level! Director Alexandra Dutton is joined by Laura Hislop of St. Luke's, where the Bayview campus is located. Together they talk with Dr. Dorothy Stewart and Bayview director Jackie Buhl about their vision to combine attachment and nature into curriculum that is sure to inspire any preschooler.

Music plays an important role in all of our lives, and this is especially true for young children. Alexandra Dutton, Judy Haus, and Liza Pevzner discuss ways that music increases language development, memory skills, and motor skills for children. If you aren't a music lover or someone who is comfortable singing, listen to hear ways you can incorporate more music into your life with your child.

Some of the songs mentioned:

Miss Katie sings:

https://youtu.be/1R8pmh8I6FU?feature=shared

Snoop Dogg:

https://youtu.be/1XYoduQMAjU?si=7J0bQFfD5vOGOo7-