Bluegrass Behavioral Services for Children

10/02/2025

When you pick up your kiddo from childcare and notice them in unoccupied play, onlooker play, or associative play, it doesn’t mean they’re lonely, being ignored, or that the teacher isn’t engaging them enough.

Just like adults, children don’t always feel like being social or active. Sometimes, they simply want to watch, observe, or explore on their own, and that is perfectly okay. Observing the world around them is a beautiful and important way for them to learn, grow, and understand their environment.

So, what do these types of play mean?

Unoccupied Play:
Watching the world and not playing yet. It’s how kids start to learn.

Solitary Play:
Playing alone with toys. It helps kids focus and use their imagination.

Onlooker Play:
Watching others play without joining in. Kids learn by observing.

Parallel Play:
Playing next to someone but not together. It’s a step toward teamwork.

Associative Play:
Playing near others and sharing toys but not working together.

Cooperative Play:
Playing with others to reach a goal, like building or pretending.

It’s totally okay if kids like one type of play more than another. Every kind of play helps them grow and learn in their own way. ❤️

09/30/2025

Best practices for successful conflict resolution:

Tip #1: Develop Well-Rounded Friendships
One of the best parts of pre-school is making friends, and supporting healthy relationships in the classroom is very important. When kids explore the qualities of friendship, they understand the roles that listening, respect, and kindness play in making and being good friends. Remind them even during conflicts, friends and classmates have feelings and deserve to be treated well.

Tip #2: Build a Feelings Vocabulary
Perhaps the most helpful toolbox we can give children isn’t a pencil case– it’s a feelings vocabulary! Recognizing and naming feelings is a skill that must be taught, and the more students practice, the better equipped they are to manage their feelings and communicate.

Tip #3: Practice Emotion Regulation
Once kids can name their feelings, it’s helpful we show them how to manage them. Regulating angry feelings is an important first step in successful communication and problem solving. Having an "Anger Thermometer" in the classroom can help students keep their actions under control as they sort through strong feelings. Similarly, teaching students to stay calm (possibly in a "Cool-Down Corner") gives them room to breathe as they prepare to work through a challenge.

Tip #4: Teach the Power of Words
Once they escape our lips, words can’t be taken back! An important skill for conflict resolution is to engage in disagreements and problem-solving with considerate and respectful dialogue.

Tip #5: Sort Through Solutions or Agree to Disagree
Allowing students the time and space to come to a solution together is essential in developing their communication skills. Sometimes a problem has no agreed upon solution and when that happens, students can learn to Agree to Disagree. And if after things get heated, you can support genuine reconciliation with instruction on how to apologize and why that is important.

09/27/2025

Emotional regulation is a skill and just like math or reading, it takes time, practice, and support to learn. More often than not, kids need guidance, not punishment.

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09/25/2025

Our daughters are priceless treasures—bringing light, laughter, and love into every corner of our lives.🥰 They remind us of the beauty in small moments, the strength in gentle hearts, and the endless value of family connection.

Today we celebrate not just who they are, but the joy and meaning they bring simply by being ours. ❤️

09/17/2025

Your childcare center has an opportunity to become an influence rather than simply a temporary playground.🧠💡💛Bluegrass Behavioral Services for Children is bridging the gap between existing daycares and behavioral healthcare.

Instead of referring to an outside provider, we are making it possible to incorporate this structure into existing childcare curriculum. If you are interested to learn how you can reach more families in need, call 502.603.0020, send a dm or email opportunity@bluegrassbsc.com ❤️

09/10/2025

When children struggle to succeed in a childcare, preschool or elementary school setting, our unique intensive therapeutic programs can provide daily treatment options for your child.

Amazing changes happen every day for children in our programs! Call today to learn more! 502.603.0020 ❤️

09/09/2025

It can be tempting to lead our kiddos with rules, warnings, and authority. But our children grow stronger and more resilient when they feel seen, heard, and trusted.

Fear may bring short-term obedience, but trust builds lifelong respect. Control may create compliance, but connection creates belonging. ❤️

09/07/2025

Snack time, story time, play time… and life lessons in between. Our preschool educators do so much more than watch little ones...they shape kindness, spark curiosity, and sprinkle love into every day. 🐝

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09/01/2025

When children misbehave, they’re not being “bad” they are showing us where they’re struggling. 💕 Punishment might silence the behavior for a moment, but it doesn’t solve the root cause. When we teach a new skill instead, we give our kids the tools they need to succeed, connect, and grow. 🌱

08/30/2025

Remember when PTO meant vacations and spa days? 😎✈️ Now it means sick days, snow days, school breaks, and maybe one family trip where you come home more tired than when you left. 😂 What a sobering realization!

No longer will it be known as "Paid Time Off;" we now refer to PTO as “Parent Time Obligations," or maybe "Prepare To Overcommit."🤣 This graphic from .therapist hits pretty close to home.😊

08/25/2025

Imagine if your daycare wasn’t just a safe place to play… but also a place where children could receive therapeutic behavioral support without ever leaving the building. 🧩

By bringing therapeutic services into your center, you’re giving families convenience, children early intervention, and your daycare a reputation as a true leader in child development. 🌟 Every child deserves the chance to thrive! 💛🐝

Bluegrass Behavioral Services for Children offers Therapeutic Preschool and Outpatient Services for Children and Families

08/23/2025

Emotional maturity in caregivers is crucial for fostering emotional intelligence in children.💡✅

When engaging with children, prioritize being present, patient, and consistent in enforcing rules and boundaries. Your behavior serves as a model for children's understanding of adult conduct.