Toilet Learning


At Le Petit Elephant, we are committed to providing your child with a mindful and developmentally-appropriate toilet learning experience. We do not require "potty training" by a certain age, as all children learn to use the toilet in their own time. Here are links to creating a healthy toilet learning experience for your child:

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LPE's List of Recommended Items on Amazon, Hiya and 8 Sheep Organics

* Here is a list of items that LPE recommends: these are items that are organic, non-toxic, BPA-free, phthalate-free, lead-free and overall as natural as possible for your sweet children's safety. LPE's Recommendations List for packing list items can be found on Amazon through this link- https://www.amazon.com/shop/lepetitelephantnurseryandpreschool 


* Here is a link to the very best vitamins and probiotics we have found (and we tried a lot of them!!): hiyahealth.com/MILLIPINTACSI 


*Here is a link to the most amazing magnesium lotion that will help your baby/child sleep deeper and longer: https://www.8sheep.com/?snowball=MILLI27533 discount code: MILLI27533

*please note that we are part of the Local Associates Program with Amazon, Hiya and 8 Sheep which means that a percentage of your purchase comes back to LPE for more supplies/toys/materials for the children! 

Breastfeeding and Tips for Increasing Milk Production


Returning to work can be a stressful time for breastfeeding mothers, but successful pumping is a skill that can be mastered! Some mothers experience a drop in milk production at times, so here are some resources and tips to help keep your production up and help you pump more milk for your baby. As always, please consult with your doctor or health care provider first:


Photography

Like the toys you see at LPE? 


At Le Petit Elephant, we are committed to providing your child with a safe, non-toxic environment. We stock our infant classrooms with high-quality wooden, silicone, organic cotton and wool toys. All toys are free of BPA, parabens, phalates, and other toxins, so that your child can safely play! Here are links to some our most popular infant toys:

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Biting and other Behaviors


Babies around one year to eighteen months often bite, push, grab or hit out of excitement, experimentation or just because they're oblivious to the other person's space without being aware that it hurts the person on the receiving end. There are many respectful and peaceful methods 

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First Foods for Infants


Introducing first foods to your little one is an exciting time! There are many philosophies out there, and at LPE we highly encourage baby led weaning, starting at 6 months and once your child is able to sit in a high chair with assistance. Baby Led Weaning, quite simply, means letting your child feed themselves from the very start of weaning. This is in contrast to feeding children pureed food, and it helps children foster independence in feeding and can lead to more adventurous eating habits! You just hand them the food in a suitably-sized piece and if they like it they eat it and if they don’t they won’t.

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Our Infant Care Philosophy at LPE


At Le Petit Elephant, we are big advocates of healthy and natural options for our classroom environments, and we follow best practices in all realms of child care. In our infant program, we follow many aspects of the RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) philosophy of caregiving, which simply put, outlines the need for treating infants with respect and allowing them to physically develop at their own pace. This means that we do not place infants in any position in which they cannot naturally and independently get themselves into (i.e. tummy time, sitting, standing, walking, etc.). These are all developmental milestones that are best left to a child's independent timeline, as they will all develop these skills in time. You can read more about RIE Parenting in the follow resources:



Copyright Le Petit Elephant Nursery and Preschool. All rights reserved.

Natural Teething Remedies​


Infants begin teething around 3-4 months of age, and you might notice a chance in your child's behavior, sleep patterns, personality, feeding pattern, milk intake, increase in drooling, and increase in mouthing their hands/fingers. They might also develop a low-grade fever, experience diarrhea, and become cranky or fussy. Toddlers getting their 14 month molars, incisors, and 2 year molars might start to exhibit biting or aggressive behaviors while teething. These changes are perfectly natural and normal as your child gets ready to pop out 20 teeth in 2 years!


At LPE, we advocate for natural teething and pain relief remedies whenever possible, and of course you should speak with your doctor or health care practitioner before making the decision that is right for you and your family. We recommend looking into the following:


  • Baltic Amber Teething necklaces: a teething necklace made of pure Baltic Amber; in theory when baby wears it, his body heat triggers the release of a minute amount of oil that contains succinic acid, a naturally-occurring substance in the body. When the oil is absorbed, advocates say, it has an analgesic effect on swollen, sore gums. It can decrease fussiness, drooling, and help your baby sleep better. The most potent beads are ones that are lighter in color and that are raw and unpolished. More info here: Baltic Amber
  • Chewy Knobby Tubes: these are innovative oral motor devices designed to provide a resilient, non-food, chewable surface for easing teething pain. They can clip on to your child's shirt to be available as needed. These can be found on Amazon: Chewy tubes
  • Mesh feeders: ​These are a great way for a child to teethe on something cold without it being plastic. You freeze a piece of fruit, put it in the teether and let the baby gnaw! The coldness of the piece of food helps to soothe and temporarily numb the baby’s gums. ​

​* LPE highly recommend's the amazing Nicole Jackson Photography in Sonoma for your maternity, newborn, 1st Birthday cake smash and family pictures! She is also LPE's official school photographer and we just adore her!

​​​*​​​​​​ infant nursery *  preschool  *  TK  * Kindergarten * 

Resources