Valentine's Day
One of the things I love about Early Childhood is the excitement with which my students greet Valentine's Day. They are thrilled to have the opportunity to express their love to their friends, family and teachers. I have a special song created by a previous speech therapist called "I Love Somebody." We practice this for the first half of the month, putting each child's name at the end of the song. They get such a special smile on their faces when we sing it! During play time, I will hear little voices singing this simple song as they play. Last year, one of my parents told me it was the first time her son had been able to say, "I love you" to her. Before we can love others, however, we must first love ourselves. You, as parents and teachers, can encourage self-esteem by providing an accurate but positive reflection of your child when you talk to him or her. This is a great month to talk about all the little things that make them special to you. They, in turn, will carry this lesson into adulthood. One of the best behaviors we can model for our children is the ability to express gratitude for the people in their lives.