Fayette Early Learning Academy

🌟 BIG NEWS FROM FAYETTE EARLY LEARNING ACADEMY! 🌟
We are thrilled to announce that Ms. Joi Hall has joined FELA as our new Director!

A little about our amazing new leader:
✨ Holds a Master’s in Higher Education (Administration & Leadership) from Kaplan University and a Bachelor’s in English from Clark Atlanta University
✨ Brings over 15 years of dedicated early childhood education experience
✨ Most recently served as Site Director at Our House Early Learning Center, maintaining excellence in NAEYC, Quality Rated, Bright from the Start, and Head Start standards
✨ Former Director at Living Faith Christian Academy, Assistant Director & Curriculum Specialist at SOECA Preparatory (where she even created a COVID-19 Guidance Manual!), and held key leadership and teaching roles at Sheltering Arms, Marist School, and Hands on Atlanta
✨ Certified ECE Director with multiple Bright from the Start credentials in child safety, family strengthening, and developmental screenings

Ms. Joi’s passion for creating safe, nurturing, and enriching environments and building strong community partnerships is the perfect match for FELA’s mission.

Please join us in giving Ms. Joi the warmest FELA welcome! We can’t wait for you to meet her and see all the wonderful things ahead for our children and families. 💙

The turkey may not taste how you expected.
The house may not look as clean as you want.
Your kids will probably mess up the kitchen or living room with toys.
You may run out of time and end up buying the cake you planned to make.
Your headspace may not be where you hoped it would be—
maybe you’re dealing with loss, financial stress, or relationship strain.
But try not to stress about the taste of the stuffing
or your child’s already-stained shirt.
Because no Thanksgiving Day is perfect.
So instead of beating yourself up for what you didn’t do right,
listen to the laughter around you,
look for the smiles,
and enjoy those special people at your table.

"💪Proprioception is our muscle and joint sense, it tells us where your body is in space. Proprioceptive input is any activity that provides deep pressure to your muscles and joints and/or provides resistance through pushing and pulling activities.
🌟Proprioceptive input is very calming and regulating, it gives a sense of control to recognize your body sensations. These activities are useful to implement throughout the day to encourage a regulated nervous system.
➡️Many of these activities are also referred to as “heavy work”.
🗣Every child will respond to these activities differently, try them out and see which ones work best for your child. Don’t forget to join in, these are great for you too!
Here they are:
1. 🌮Blanket Roll-So many variations can be made with this. Roll your child up tightly in a blanket pretend they are a taco, burrito, caterpillar, present, etc.
2. 🌉Pillow Crawls-Lay some pillows across the floor and have your child crawl across pretending you are crossing a bridge
3. 🦀Animal Walks-Pretend to be various animals (bear, crab, frog, rabbit, dog, alligator, etc.)
4. 🧺Laundry Basket Push-Push a laundry basket across the floor filled with clothes, stuffed animals, toys, or a sibling!
5. 👩🏼‍🍳Baking-Mix, roll, scoop, etc., when baking
6. 🧼Cleaning-Give your child a spray bottle with vinegar and clean the windows, surfaces, or appliances (for younger children just use water)
7. 🥖Kneading Dough-Play with play-doh, make bread, tortillas, or pizza doh
8. 🧹Mopping/Sweeping/Vacuuming-so much good heavy work here!
9. ✨Pillow Squishes-Have your child lie on the floor and give them pillow squishes on the body. Then see if they can crawl out.
10. 🦵Rolling Pin Body Rolls-Roll a rolling pin on each other's body. To make it softer you can duct tape a towel around it.
11. 🏃🏽‍♀️Pillow Crashing-Jump and crash into a pile of pillows
12. 🥨Smoothie & Crunchy/Chewy Snacks-Drink a smoothie with a straw or eat a crunchy or chewy snack."

CHRISTMAS PUPPY CHOW - Perfect for holiday parties or gifting!
🎄 9 cups Rice Chex
🎄 3 cups confectioners sugar
🎄 ¾ cup peanut butter
🎄 1½ cups chocolate chips
🎄 ⅓ cup butter
🎄 ½ tsp vanilla
🎄 M&Ms
Full recipe 👇

A little crunch makes ALL the difference 😍 These Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies are sweet, salty and perfectly chocolate-coated. The ultimate bite-sized treat! 🥜🍫💥
Recipe 👇

For many families, Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy a delicious meal and reconnect with loved ones, but for parents of children with Thanksgiving food allergies, the holiday can bring unique challenges. Large family gatherings, shared kitchens, buffet-style meals, and unfamiliar ingredients can make it difficult to ensure every dish is safe for children with food sensitivities.

Families supported by trusted professionals in any pediatric healthcare McKinney clinic often look for guidance on how to approach these situations confidently, reduce risk, and help their children enjoy the holiday safely. With the right preparation and communication, Thanksgiving can still be a fun and inclusive event for everyone.

Assorted Nuts in a Bowl

Common Thanksgiving Foods That Trigger Allergies

Many traditional Thanksgiving dishes contain some of the top food allergens that affect children. Turkey itself is rarely an allergen, but the preparation can introduce risks when ingredients like butter, dairy-based rubs, seasonings, or shared utensils are involved. Stuffing may include wheat, nuts, eggs, or shellfish depending on regional variations. Sides such as mashed potatoes often contain milk, butter, or cheese. Green bean casseroles may use canned cream soups that include soy or dairy, and pies frequently contain nuts, eggs, and milk.

Families receiving care from McKinney pediatrics experts may already be familiar with the common allergen list, but Thanksgiving expands the number of dishes with hidden or unexpected ingredients. Additionally, potluck-style holidays can make food origins and preparation methods unclear, increasing the need for parents to remain cautious, ask questions, and verify how dishes are made.

How to Talk to Hosts or Family Members About Your Child’s Allergies
One of the most effective ways to prevent issues during holiday gatherings is open communication with hosts. Parents can share a list of their child’s allergens ahead of time and ask about planned dishes to make sure they align with safety needs. Some families choose to bring their own safe meals, while others collaborate with the host to adapt a few recipes. It may help to explain cross-contact risks and why even small traces of allergens can cause reactions.

Pediatrics doctors advocate for children’s needs and reinforce through guidance. When speaking with family members who may not fully understand allergies, providing clear examples and calmly explaining health concerns can build greater understanding and cooperation. The goal is not to cause stress or inconvenience, but to keep children safe and included at the holiday table.

Female Shopper Checking Food Labelling

Parents must be vigilant about reviewing ingredient labels before offering dishes to their child. During Thanksgiving, recipes tend to rely on combination foods like soups, broths, gravies, sauces, and premade baking mixes that can contain allergens not immediately obvious. Adults managing Thanksgiving food allergies should watch for hidden dairy in butter-based flavorings, soy in canned soup, eggs in breading or dessert crusts, and nuts in toppings or pie fillings.

Terms like “natural flavorings” or “spices” can also mask allergen sources. If labels are unclear, contacting the manufacturer or avoiding the product entirely may be safest. Families can also ask the cook to confirm ingredients and preparation methods if the product was opened before arrival. Thanksgiving is a time of many shared dishes, so increasing vigilance helps reduce surprises.

Preparing Safe Alternative Dishes for Allergic Children
A proactive way to help children enjoy their Thanksgiving meal is to prepare substitutes that mirror the traditional foods without the allergens. This may include mashed potatoes made with plant-based ingredients, nut-free breads, dairy-free casseroles, or pies created with allergy-safe crusts and fillings. Some parents prepare entire plates at home and bring them to the gathering, while others contribute an allergy-friendly dish for everyone to share.

Pediatrician McKinney TX experts provide guidance on age-appropriate portion sizes, nutrition support, and ways to help young children feel included. Eating together with the family at the same table helps maintain a sense of normalcy and reduces feelings of restriction or exclusion. When substitutes are visually similar to the standard versions, children feel like they are celebrating right alongside everyone else.

Food allergy test

Strategies to Prevent Cross-Contamination in Busy Kitchens
Even when an allergen-free meal is prepared, shared cooking spaces present risks. During Thanksgiving food allergies planning, families can request dedicated utensils, separate cookware, and isolated preparation spaces. Color-coded tools, disposable plates, and pre-portioned containers can help keep ingredients separate. In larger gatherings, it may be best to set aside a safe serving area while the rest of the meal is plated elsewhere. When buffet tables are used, parents may serve their allergic child first before other utensils begin circulating.

For hosts unfamiliar with preventing cross-contact, offering simple instructions can make a big difference. These precautions help lower accidental exposures without placing a heavy burden on the host.

Recognizing Early Signs of an Allergic Reaction During the Meal
Even with strong preparation, parents should remain attentive to how their child is feeling while eating. Early symptoms may include tingling, swelling of the lips or mouth, itchy skin, stomach discomfort, coughing, or behavioral changes such as sudden quietness or anxiety. Children often rely on adults to recognize these signs quickly.

The best McKinney clinic can monitor reactions and know when to intervene. If early symptoms appear, parents should stop eating immediately and assess the situation. Having a plan in place ensures that adults do not panic and children receive reassurance and support.

What to Pack in an Allergy Emergency Kit for Holiday Gatherings
An emergency kit is a vital tool for parents, especially during holiday events away from home. A typical kit may include an epinephrine auto-injector, antihistamines, a copy of the child’s allergy action plan, wet wipes for cleaning surfaces, safe snacks, and physician contact information. Families managing Thanksgiving food allergies benefit from reviewing the plan before the event to make sure medications are not expired and instructions are up to date.

Storing the kit in an easily accessible location ensures that any adult present can respond quickly if needed. For older children and teens, reviewing how and when to ask for help empowers them to take responsibility for their own safety as they mature.

In conclusion, families navigating Thanksgiving food allergies can enjoy the holiday with preparation, awareness, and confidence. From reading labels to communicating clearly with hosts, every thoughtful step supports the safety and comfort of children.

Remember these strategies and stay attentive throughout the celebration. Children with Thanksgiving food allergies can look forward to a joyful event filled with connection, gratitude, and support if, hand-in-hand with a trusted pediatrician, you are on top of their healthcare and safety.

Winter STEM: Snowstorm in a Jar🌨️✨

We had great success with the November STEM activities, so I’m turning it into a series! Here’s how to create a Snowstorm in a Jar.

There are a few ways to do this, and I’ll share at least two methods, along with other winter STEM activities to spark kids’ curiosity and excitement for learning. These activities are perfect for schools and homeschooling families.

🧷Safety Tips:
Always supervise kids during the activity.
Use non-toxic, child-safe materials.
Remind kids not to taste or drink anything.
Break Alka-Seltzer into small pieces yourself.
Clean up spills to avoid slipping.

Flu Complications: Risk Factors, Symptoms and Prevention

It's that time of year: flu season! The influenza virus causes a host of symptoms including high fever, headache, body ache, nasal congestion, cough, sore throat and vomiting. While these symptoms can be severe and long-lasting, the bigger (and sometimes life-threatening) problem with the flu are the complications that arise during the infection.

Some people have a higher risk of developing flu-related complications. This includes children under two years of age, the elderly, people with chronic medical conditions like asthma and heart disease and those with weakened immune systems.

So, what sort of complications are we talking about?

Pneumonia and Other Bacterial Infections
The immune system uses a lot of energy and resources in its long-lasting fight with the flu. This allows our normal mouth bacteria to go unchecked and provides opportunity for them to migrate down into the lungs and up into the ears and sinuses. While ear and sinus infections are easily treated with antibiotics, pneumonia presents more of a problem. In fact, most flu-related deaths are caused by this very serious complication.

Signs of pneumonia include fever that lasts more than three days, fever that goes away for a couple days and then returns, worsening cough or difficulty breathing. Anyone with the flu who develops these symptoms should be seen by a medical provider right away.

Bacteria from pneumonia can spread to the blood and cause a very dangerous condition called sepsis. Urinary tract infections (UTI) are also common with flu, especially in girls. Peeing rinses the bladder of skin bacteria that has made its way inside. Influenza zaps energy and appetite, so those with the flu drink and p*e less, which can lead to a UTI. More reason to seek help when fever does not go away or returns!

Vomiting and Dehydration
Vomiting does not always occur with the flu, but when it does, dehydration can happen in a hurry. There are good medications to stop vomiting, but they are only available by prescription. Anyone who vomits more than a few times or who is not making urine at regular intervals needs to be evaluated by a medical provider. If dehydration is present, intravenous (IV) fluids might be needed.

Nervous System Problems
This is a rare complication of the flu, but one that is extremely serious. Sometimes the antibodies our immune system uses to fight the flu begin attacking other parts of the body. When antibodies attack nerves, progressive weakness called Guillain-Barré Syndrome can occur. Signals from the brain and spinal cord are not able to reach muscles, including those that keep us breathing.

Anyone who develops severe weakness, difficulty walking or difficulty breathing should seek emergency medical help right away.

Preventing Flu Complications
If these complications of the flu sound scary, that's because they are! This is why doctors and nurses are passionate about their patients getting flu shots. The flu vaccine may not be 100% effective in preventing flu illness, but it does a very good job of preventing flu hospitalizations and death. If you haven’t had a flu vaccine, it's not too late to get one. The flu will be around the rest of the winter and it can make you sick more than once each season.

Those at high risk for flu complications (see above) should visit their medical provider at the first sign of high fever during flu season in order to potentially save a trip to the Emergency Department or Urgent Care. Antiviral medication can decrease the risk of complications, but it must be started within a day or two of fever onset to have the best chance of working.

Looking for an easy Thanksgiving side everyone loves? ❤️ This Cranberry Fluff is creamy, fruity and perfectly sweet - a fun, delicious and festive addition to your holiday table!
Recipe 👇

What are your kids most expensive? 4/hot ticket items?

#immadelight #momsoftiktok #christmas #fblifestyle #meme #momlife #funny #relatable

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Click on the link above to see if you qualify for childcare assistance.
Those who receive SNAP and/or Medicaid, are strongly encouraged to apply.