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Issue #21August 2019
WigglesWATERMELO N
a dn
Newsletter for Dakota County Child Care Providers
Using Food to Reward and MotivateSweet treats can be easily used to reward children in the classroom: “Great job! Pick a candy.” That same candy can be used as an effective way to motivate an entire classroom: “Shhhhh! It’s quiet time. We get cookies after our nap.” Sound familiar? It’s okay if it does! No matter who you are, you’ve most likely experienced or used food as an incentive for good behavior or a reward for a job well done in the classroom. Read on for some tips.
Potential impacts of using food to reward and motivateWhat may seem like an easy choice for a situation in the short term can have a big impact on a child’s life later on. Using food as rewards or motivation in the classroom can contribute to the development of strong associations between food and emotions. This may cause a child to develop a habit of emotional eating. Rewarding oneself sweets for a job well done can also become a habit. As a child gets older and has more control over their food choices, these habits may become harmful.
Another consideration is the possibility of disrupting a child's natural ability to regulate their appetite. Children are born with a wonderful sense of what they need to eat and when. When children are presented with food as a motivator, this interferes with that natural regulation. This can lead to a habit of eating when they’re not hungry, leading to excessive weight gain.
As a childcare provider, you are a major contributing factor in a child’s development. With such responsibility, it is important to model healthy eating habits and teach children how to relate to food in a healthy way.
Using sweet treats can seem like the easiest and most effective way for a teacher/caretaker to reward children or gain control over a situation, especially considering the limited time and budget child care providers and teachers are operating under.
But what if the way we use food to motivate, persuade, comfort, reward, or even discipline children can have a significant impact on their health later on?
August 2019
Fun and Fancy Whipped Sweet Potatoes
• 3 1/8 cups: Sweet potatoes, fresh, peeled, cut into quarters
• 1 tablespoon: Milk, 1% (low-fat) • 1 tablespoon: Margarine, trans-fat free• 1/4 teaspoon: Salt, table• 1/4 teaspoon: Black pepper, ground
Ingredients:
1
2
3
Directions:
If using fun foods to motivate isn’t an option anymore, what is?There are many other types of motivators! As a childcare provider, remember that the children in your classrooms look up to you and are eager to please. Sincere praise and acknowledgement of a child’s success is a healthy, valuable reward. Aside from praise, there are numerous motivators to reward individual children or the classroom as a whole for good performance.
Individual:
Pick his/her favorite song for the class to listen to Pick something out of the treasure box (fun pens, pencils, stickers, erasers, etc.)Let a child take a classroom stuffed animal home for a night Be the line leader
Decorate the classroom or home spaceExtra outdoors time (as schedule allows)Free feet (let kids take off their shoes & learn in their socks!)Stickers (a classic!)Lunch outsideDance partyFunky hair dayPajama day
Ask your class what rewards they
would best like to earn!
Place sweet potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well. Heat to 140°F for at least 15 seconds.
In a medium bowl, immediately combine drained sweet potatoes, milk, margarine, salt, and pepper.
Using an electric mixer, mix on medium speed until potatoes are smooth and fluffy.
Sweet potatoes brighten a plate while providing plenty of energy, vitamins, and minerals to help a child grow! The natural sweetness of sweet potatoes will leave kids satisfied.
Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP ) Recipe:Fun and Fancy Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Serve 1/4 cup; for measurements to serve 25 and 50 visit: https://whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/quantity/child-nutrition-cnp/whipped-sweet-potatoes
Thank you all for tuning into the final edition of the Watermelon and Wiggles Newsletter, we’ve been happy to support your journey
as a child care provider.
Dakota County is committed to supporting your work. If you have any questions, please
feel free to contact Fartun Ahmed at: [email protected]
Find additional resources on page 3 for child care providers to use
moving forward!
Classroom:
August 2019
Dakota County Public Health [email protected] / www.dakotacounty.us
Licensing regulations and training: For information on trainings around the area regarding CPR, first aid, child passenger restraint and more, visit Dakota County:
• Dakota County Childcare Provider • Dakota County training resources
More training resources and licensing regulations:
• MN Department of Human Services• Child Care Aware of Minnesota (supports the child
care providers’ professional growth and programming) • Think Small (over 1,000 trainings a year, held in
English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish at locations around the Metro Area)
• Develop (offers professional development and quality improvement tools to support early learning and school-age care)
• The Center for Inclusive Childcare (offers free relationship-based professional development including support, training, modeling, and resources to child care programs)
Breastfeeding:Minnesota Department of Health (MDH):• Breastfeeding information for child care providers
(brush up on why breastfeeding matters to mom, baby, your site, and the community)
• Become a Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care site (designated by MDH)
The Public Health Law Center:• Resources (related to child care and breastfeeding)• Best practices and legal requirements for
breastfeeding (specifically written for the child care provider audience)
Need to speak to someone directly about breastfeeding and child care programs? Email: [email protected].
Dakota County Public Health Department
• Breastfeeding Community Resources
Healthy Eating:• The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
(federal program that provides reimbursements for nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children in childcare centers. To particiapte, contact your state agency for eligibility)
• Thirty on Thursdays trainings (Team Nutrition brings you short monthly CACFP webinars)
• No-cost nutrition education kits (features MyPlate)• MDH Early Care Nutrition (food safety information
and other ideas for role modeling healthy eating at your center, and recommendations for food and drink 6-24 months)
• Dakota County Women, Infant and Children (WIC) (helps eligible pregnant women, new mothers, babies and children up to age 5 stay healthy)
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) (program for families who may experience difficulty getting enough food)
• Healthy Kids, Healthy Future (supports early education providers in helping children get a healthy start to life and continues the work of Let’s Move! Child Care)
Physical Activity:• Try out some new outdoor activity ideas• Dive into resources for screen-free play • Stock up on some indoor physical activity ideas
for winter• Print a free ‘Get Moving Today’ calendar
for physical activity ideas• Where Can We Go to Play booklet (affordable ideas
for family fun in Dakota County, also in Spanish)
You can still browse previous additions of the Watermelon and Wiggles newsletters. Reread or print your favorite newsletters and discover newsletters you’ve never read before.
Resources:
