Nutritious Foods

     There is a direct correlation between a child’s mood (aggressiveness, temper tantrums, easily distracted, etc.), capacity to learn, and what she /he eats for breakfast.  High sugar foods should not be given to children for snack because this sort of food might interfere with children’s concentration.

Your child’s comprehension and concentration skills are one of the main focuses of a Montessori school.   We hope you all understand our nutritional concerns.  We know that it is hard to encourage your children to eat a healthy breakfast, with encouragement and eating with your child, it’ll work.  

     Many children eat breakfast at school and never finish it because they would rather play.  Your child needs healthy food for energy and fuel before they come to school.

     We would really appreciate your help.  Below our some healthy food suggestions for breakfast, lunch, and snack.  Please feel free to share your healthy suggestions with us.

     It’s a fast paced world and we can’t eat nutritionally balanced meals all the time, but we can become more aware of what we eat.

Healthy Food Suggestions

Breakfast Ideas

v    Egg omelet with cheese, turkey, veggies, water or milk, whole grain toast, butter

v    Whole grain tortillas with melted cheese or peanut butter, milk or water

v    Oatmeal or low sugar content cereal, fruit, milk or water

Lunch Ideas

v    Sandwich on wheat or whole grain bread, fruit, vegetable, milk or juice

v    Macaroni and cheese or spaghetti, vegetable, fruit, milk

v    White or brown rice, protein source and vegetables fried in olive oil, fruit, milk or water

Snack Ideas

v    Banana spread with peanut butter

v    Cut-up apples with cheese cubes

v    Whole grain tortilla chips, salsa, fruit

 Be “Just”

While it would be great to always be fair, it’s not very representative of life.  Be just.  It creates a trusting relationship, from which responsible behavior grows (Montessori, Vol.4)

How To Teach Strong Values

Build Self-Esteem

     Good self-esteem gives children the ability to believe they can make the right decisions.  Parents and teachers have a huge impact on building children’s self-esteem.  Below are some positive tips.

Provide Good Examples

     Children act out what they see at home.  Children will have to make their own decisions sometime in life, so they need to see their parents make ethical and moral decisions.  You must remember you have eyes watching your every verbal and nonverbal expression.

Teaching Good Decision-Making Skills

  The stronger your children’s decision-making skills are the better he or she will be at stand up to peer pressure, to see the truth through certain situations, and to make the most logical decision even when someone has to deal with the consequences.

·       Help your child know the consequences before he acts.  This should be done under both positive and negative circumstances.

·       Share how you dealt with difficult situations when you were a child.  Share mistakes and successful decisions.  

 

  Sharing Skills

     Children aren’t the only ones that need to learn how to share.  Many parents find that it would be easier to do a task themselves instead of stopping and showing their child how things work, what something means, and where certain things are located.  Less messes, fewer mistakes, fewer breakages and fewer arguments about whose turn it is.

     Parents would like to avoid the remainders, the grumbles, and the disagreements.  The calling you back to do it again…and again…and again…until it is right.

     Children wouldn’t acquire any new skills, no satisfaction in a job well done, and no feeling of sharing and being involved.  Responsibility is a new skill which, like any other, has to be learned.

A note from Miss Sally:

     We have had another wonderful year!  Once again thank you for sharing your child with us.  Best of luck to the children that will be moving on next fall, and we will see the rest of you in September.  Have a great summer!