Dear Parent,

As part of our licensing requirements, we are to monitor and educate the children and families in our care about nutrition and healthy foods. Well-balanced meals provide the nourishment children need to grow, think, fight infection, and fuel their bodies. We’d like to provide a brief handout as a reminder regarding our school nutritional guidelines and some ideas for healthy lunches.

Please follow the following Plate Model when packing your child’s lunch for school. It is important to include at least one source of protein and one source of vegetables in each lunch. Please attempt to prepare fresh meals to the best of your ability and refrain from using highly processed/pre-packaged foods.

Please do not pack products with excessive added sugars such as candy, cookies/donuts with sugar coating, juices/sodas or other products with high added sugar content.

RECIPES/IDEAS: (PLEASE REMEMBER TO REPLACE ANY NUT PRODUCTS WITH SUNFLOWER SEED BUTTER OR ANOTHER NON-NUT...

Infants

Creating a Montessori environment doesn’t have to wait until your children are older. This is a great time to begin this transition. You can slowly adapt as your baby grows. Create an environment that allows them to explore freely as they begin to become mobile.

• Cover electrical outlets and remove objects that can hurt your baby.
• Use baby gates to delineate their play spaces and keep them safe.
• Make their bedroom child-friendly by placing a mattress on the floor and age-appropriate toys within reach. This encourages them to move from sleeping to playing without your assistance once they're able to crawl and eventually walk.
• Once your baby can sit, try using a small table and chairs for mealtimes, snack time and activity time, rather than using a highchair.

Tasks for Two- and Three-Year Olds

Yes, even toddlers and young preschoolers can delight in doing many activities around the house. Letting your children participate in the daily management of the household will...