by Lana Burske, Director of FPC’s Weekday Preschool Center
Every April in the United States one week is set aside to celebrate the young child, age birth through age 8, and recognize our responsibility to their health, education, welfare, and future.
During this Week of the Young Child, however, instead of gathering in large groups to enjoy special activities that bring awareness to the needs of young children, we must celebrate in our homes, online in virtual gatherings, and in brand new ways during this time of social isolation.
We’ve seen how much social distancing is affecting our school-age children, but our little ones are deeply affected by these changes, too.
Early brain development
Social development is critical in the early childhood years, and that is a difficult task when they cannot attend preschool. Research shows that the brain of a young child develops more rapidly during the first 5 years than at any other time, and the shape of a child’s future depends on positive development and interactions during this time.
During this isolation time, young children either have a real advantage by being home with their families and playing and learning in a loving environment, or they have a real disadvantage by not having access to enough food, less brain stimulation, little interaction with their family members, or even abuse.
Week of the Young Child is a time to recognize the importance of childhood, the vulnerability of young children, and the responsibilities we have to them to ensure each child has what he or she needs to thrive.
Theme days!
This year, FPC’s Weekday Preschool Center will continue to celebrate with our usual themes, like Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, and Family Friday, but with a little different twist.
Each day represents one thing very important to early childhood education and overall health, but this year, instead of doing fun things together, we will have a special post from our teachers each day for a “Spirit Week” like no other. Families can celebrate at home and online!
We hope to give families some fun activity ideas for each day plus bring awareness to the needs of all young children, our own and those in our community.
Helping other kids
This year we are supporting BackPack Beginnings, a non-profit organization committed to making sure no child is hungry – even preschool children!
The Weekday Preschool has a few volunteers who take backpacks of food to a Head Start program in Greensboro each week. With schools are closed right now, our volunteers continuie to make deliveries or work in the organization’s warehouse.
If you would like to support BackPack Beginnings, especially during these very difficult times, you can visit https://backpackbeginnings.org/donate/. We want to give families who are able an opportunity to give back to the community to help young children in Greensboro, especially the most vulnerable children who:
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- Are hungry
- Do not have formal early childhood education
- Live in abusive homes
- Live in poverty
- Live in fear
- Do not receive proper medical care
- No longer receive special services for their specific needs
- Do not have a church family and are not exposed to the love of our powerful God
- Do not have a home
- Have families living in isolation right now
- Have families include Essential Workers
- Are vulnerable for reasons we do not know
A time to ….
The Week of the Young Child is a time to celebrate, be silly, and have fun together while recognizing the importance of early childhood and early education.
It is also a time to acknowledge the harsh reality of in which many young children live in our community.
A time to help make a difference.
A time to persuade our government to stand up for the rights of children and pass laws that protect them, keep them safe, and provide for their early learning.
A time to hold our little ones close and love them fiercely.
A time to play and recognize that play is a child’s work.
To see what the Weekday Preschool is doing every day for Week of the Young Child, follow the Weekday Preschool on Facebook.
Make a post of how you are celebrating the young children in your life this week on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using #woyc20!.
You can also visit NAEYC.org for more information on this special week in our country and learn more about how important these early years are. The National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest organization in the world supporting early childhood research, awareness of the needs of young children and forming legislation that protects them.
