Swimming pools provide heat relief, fun, and leisure, especially during the hot summer months. Whether it’s vigorous water games or a relaxing float, these backyard pools universally take the crown as the go-to zone for don’t-break-the-wallet, family-friendly entertainment. But while swimming pools offer memorable moments, they also demand vigilant caution, mainly because of the ever-present […]
Youth
The Do’s & Don’ts of Preschoolers Interacting with Strangers, Part 1
Though you may not like to even think about the idea of your child or the children in your care being lost or abducted, this terrifying situation is still a possibility. In the year 2017 alone, there were 27,000 cases where the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children worked with police to recover missing […]
How to Recognize and Reduce Bullying in Your Dance Studio, Part 1
Bullying is a huge problem in virtually all different walks of life. In settings such as a school classroom or sports team where large numbers of young people are grouped together, it tends to rear its ugly head on a regular basis. As teens and kids get even more interconnected online, the problem seems to […]
Partnering with Parents To Help Kids Get Good Rest at Home
No matter how intentional you are about fostering the right atmosphere for rest time at your daycare facility, there’s only so much you can do on your own: you really need to partner with parents to ensure that the children that are part of your daycare family are getting quality sleep at home. Be Willing […]
How to Make New Kids Feel Comfortable in Your Child Care Center, Part 1
Entering a new child care center can feel a bit overwhelming for a young child. Whether they’ve never been away from home before or they’re transitioning from another child care facility, they’ll be experiencing a whole host of adjustments. Even moving from one classroom within the same child care center to another can cause some […]
Nuts & Bolts of Priority Enrollment for Your Gymnastics Center
The cloud-based platform used by Jackrabbit Class management software can be an asset to your gymnastics center in a variety of ways. One of the most significant benefits comes in the form of online registration. In addition to ensuring accuracy and saving time for you, your gymnastics center staff members, and your students’ parents, many […]
What Today’s Families Look for in a Swim School, Part 3
Running a successful swim school in today’s competitive market involves a lot of different factors. As we mentioned in our first and second articles, maintaining attractive, user-friendly and clean facilities is critical to attracting and retaining students. Offering quick, easy online enrollment, registration and billing options is another key element. But none of those secondary […]
What Today’s Families Look for in a Swim School, Part 2
When it comes to attracting students to your swim school, the look of your facilities can either serve as a help or a hindrance. We’ve already mentioned (see Part 1) the importance of making sure your pool area has attractive landscaping, plenty of shade and comfortable seating. Another point we raised was using bright, fun […]
What Today’s Families Look for in a Swim School, Part 1
Perhaps you remember a time when the only factor a parent would think about when choosing a swim school was how close it was to home. Nowadays, distance is just one of many considerations parents have, and it’s not always even very high up on their list of priorities. In fact, today’s parents are often […]
Teaching Children to Develop a Sense of Humor Encourages Healthy Growth, Part 2
Throughout the world, it has long been believed that laughter is like good medicine for the soul. In our first article in this mini series, we took a look at some of the reasons why developing a sense of humor is extremely valuable. Child care center directors and educators should seek creative ways to instill […]
Teaching Children to Develop a Sense of Humor Encourages Healthy Growth, Part 1
When we’re going through a stressful time, a little bit of humor can help lift our spirits. It can add a bit of sunshine to the dreariest of days. That’s why learning how to incorporate and appreciate humorous situations in your workplace is so important, especially if you run a child care center. Children thrive […]
Distinguishing Between Harmless & Harmful Teasing
Teasing involves poking fun at a person in a playful manner. It can be done with nicknames, jokes, or lighthearted insults. Many people consider teasing to be nothing more than innocent banter. Of course, you’ve probably heard the old adage, “Sticks and stones will break my bones but names can never hurt me,” countless times. […]
The Do’s & Don’ts of Preschoolers Interacting with Strangers, Part 2
Giving kids the tools they need to safely interact with strangers is crucial in today’s world. The first installment of this two-part series covered teaching young children to memorize contact information and knowing whom to talk to and what to say when they get lost. This second article will pinpoint how kids can recognize red […]
Faith-Based Groups Demonstrate Faith in Action on Our Volunteer Trips
Bridges to Community (www.bridgestocommunity.org) is not affiliated with any denominational or sectarian church or faith-based organization. Instead, we come alongside both secular and faith-based groups to provide them with a means of making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need. Faith-based groups frequently send their members on our volunteer trips to the […]
Overview of a Week-Long College Service Trip Adventure
All across the United States, many college students look forward to spring break. Bridges to Community’s Alternative Break Trips give students the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from enriching cross-cultural experiences and make a lasting impact on an entire needy community in Nicaragua or Dominican Republic. Though there’s no way to completely describe all of the […]