Tips To Get Your Child To Stop Using A Pacifier
June 30, 2009
Limit the time you allow your child to use a pacifier.
Use it only for sleep time and comfort until about 12 months old and then plan to give it up.
Never use punishment or humiliation to force your child to give up using a pacifier.
Involve your child in the decision to stop using it by giving him the choice of throwing it away, putting it away or leaving it under the pillow for the ‘tooth fairy’.
Start a reward chart to mark your child’s progress.
Praise your child when your child has given up the pacifier and tell her you are proud that she is growing up.
Allow your child to express his feelings and if your child is upset or angry, give him special cuddles to help him cope.
If your child asks for the pacifier again (and she probably will), don’t give in. Remind her that the pacifier is gone and that she is grown up now.
Limit the time you allow your child to use a pacifier.
Use it only for sleep time and comfort until about 12 months old and then plan to give it up.
Super Nanny - A Users Guide to Watching Super Nanny
June 29, 2009
There are many things to like about the television show Super Nanny that has captured the public interest in recent weeks.
First, the nanny character is very likeable, if a little scary at times. She has that old-fashioned school-teacher demeanour that says, ‘Listen up. I know best and I am in charge here.’ Many of the families featured need someone who takes charge.
Second, if you are a parent, how can you not get involved in a show that gets you into the challenges of child rearing in such a nitty gritty, warts n’all way that doesn’t involve you? Okay, it is voyeuristic but it is doesn’t relate to you, does it???!!! Importantly, this program has got people talking about raising kids, which is fantastic.
Third, while I don’t agree with every technique presented the program gives good, solid advice and strategies about some common challenges many parents face. Importantly, it helps parenting become a happy experience again for many people as it is the little challenges that we face that can make the job so difficult.
Following is a user’s guide for watching Super Nanny to help you be discerning about what you see and to encourage you think about some of the principles that may be behind (or should be behind) the strategies presented.
How To Develop Your Babys Brain
June 28, 2009
Have you ever wondered why toys for babies tend to have so many bells, whistles and lights? Or why they have so many different textures, and materials and colors? It’s almost as if we want to provide young babies with a whole world of stimulation and we can’t quite get it to them fast enough.
Play gyms or activity gyms as they are sometimes called tend to be a firm favorite with babies from newborn up to about 12 months. These play gyms and activity nests mostly come in the form of comfortable, quilted or softly padded playmats, sometimes raised at the edges with a space in the middle for baby (like a ring doughnut). And these play gyms can be either brightly colored or in soft, pastel shades. But don’t be fooled by thinking they are just snug and comfy resting places for babies to fall asleep in! These activity gyms can provide a plethora of visual, audio and tactile stimulation for fast developing young inquisitive minds.
Awesome Dads Top Ten Ways To Be The Foundation of Your Family
June 28, 2009
Part of the responsibility of being a father is to establish a strong foundation for the family. Just like a building foundation, much of this work goes unseen and rarely gets acknowledged, yet the strength and integrity of the entire structure relies on it. The following intentions, although not always perfectly fulfilled, give us guidance in our mission.
Grounded in Reality
While my children may put me on a pedestal, I have my feet firmly on the ground and acknowledge my own strengths and weaknesses.
Demonstrative Love
I take the time to know and understand the best way to communicate my love to each and every child. My children see my love for my wife clearly expressed.
Mutual Respect.
By honoring and never ridiculing the thoughts, emotions and actions of my family, each member clearly experiences and understands my great respect for them.
Consistently Predictable.
My family is comforted and anchored by my predictability. My deepest values are consistently
demonstrated in my speech and behavior.
Predictable Spontaneity.
My family knows that I am extremely curious and love to explore and learn. My spontaneity is
Teaching Your Children with Coupons
June 27, 2009
Coupons can be a great tool in educating your child about saving money, being frugal, and shopping smart. Who doesn’t want their children to grow up knowing how to save easily on every purchase? With coupon clipping you’ll show them money saving skills they can use throughout their life!
Teaching your child with coupons can start at an early age. Pointing all of the inserts of the coupons in your Sunday paper can be a great way to teach children the colors. It is also a good way to read to your children, and the time spent will show them the value that coupons can bring to their life.
As your child grows, you can let them take a more active role in using the coupons you collect together. Letting them in on helping to manage your coupon folder will show them the importance of time and money management. Go through and get rid of old coupons together, pointing to a calendar to let them learn about time and expiration. Show them that organization and thinking ahead of a purchase will help them save money. These savings can be applied throughout their life, so it’s important to get them playing an active role in your coupon management.
Dinner Table Drama
June 26, 2009
It has been a long day. Home from work, you put together a nice, healthy dinner for the entire family to enjoy. Gathering the family around the table, you sit down to eat and within a minute, a voice pipes up, "I don’t like anything." Encouraging, you say, "I’ve made some of your favorite foods and even put a couple new things on the table that I’m sure you will like if you just try. I really think if you will take one bite, you’ll love it." The response, "No, I don’t want to eat because I don’t like it."
If you think about the way in which food is perceived by adults and children, it is very different. For example, adults often use food for comfort or to celebrate a special occasion while children view food as food ? a way to make a hungry tummy stop hurting. Therefore, if you have a child who begins to show signs of being a picky eater, remember that his or her body at that particular time may not need much food. When this situation first begins, offer encouragement but never force your child to clean his or her plate. In most cases, not making a big deal is the best course of action.
How To Prepare Great Homeschool Lesson Plans
June 25, 2009
How To Prepare Great Homeschool Lesson Plans
by: L. D. Mairet
A key factor to preparing great homeschool lesson plans is realizing that all lesson plans are not “set in stone”. Meaning that you do not have to follow a lesson plan word by word. A lesson plan should be used as a guide to help in your teachings.
Another key factor in preparing great homeschool lesson plans is realizing that yes, sometimes, your lesson plans may fail. It is what you learn from that failure that helps you to prepare future excellent homeschool lesson plans. If something doesn’t work for your child, analyze it, find other ways to teach the same objective.
Get your child involved in lesson planning time with you! Set a time to go over next weeks lesson plans with your child. Tell your child what objectives you need to meet next week in each core subject area. Find out what your child wants to learn about in that area. Ask them to help pick and choose the activities that they will be learning. Not only is this great for you because your child helps while you are preparing lesson plans, but it is good for your child as well because they feel empowered over their education. Your child will be more interested in school time by helping prepare lesson plans with you.
Baby Shower Planning and Hosting
June 24, 2009
Planning and organization are crucial to hosting a successful baby shower. Below are some important topics to consider when planning:
1) Who will host the shower?
The person that plans and hosts the shower can be anyone, but is usually someone who is close to the new or expecting mother. Normally, a close friend or family member will do all the preparations, but sometimes the new mother will help as well, particularly with the guest list. Sometimes a small group of friends can plan the event together.
In the event of a surprise baby shower, planning must occur more carefully and invitations should be sent out in secret. In this circumstance, people who are not as close to the new mother will be involved in acquiring supplies and getting the word out.
2) Who should be invited?
Be sure to invite all the mother’s friends and family to the event. If planning a surprise party, make sure that everyone you tell helps spread the word. A close friend or family member may know most of the mother’s friends, but it can also be helpful to ask co-workers and other friends to make sure that no one is left out.
The Mystery of Picky Eaters
June 23, 2009
If you were to ask 100 parents why they think their children are picky eaters, chances are you would get 90 different answers. Although we know some children are picky eaters for no apparent reason, most are hard to please when it comes to food for two reasons ? they are naturally fussy about tastes and textures or they have a learned behavior about food.
If you have a picky eater in your house, you are NOT alone! In fact, this is a very common complaint among parents. In addition to being frustrating, parents also worry that their child is not getting the appropriate nutrients needed for their growing bodies. With picky eaters, you typically see one of two things happening. First, you will find the child who simply has no interest in trying anything unfamiliar and second, you have the child who has no interest in trying foods he or she is familiar with, which is extremely challenging.
Cloning; is it for you?
June 23, 2009
What would it be like to have a clone? What would it be like to be a clone? If you end up cloning yourself you just might have the opportunity to find out what you might do in those shoes, but it takes about 16 years of times on the investment side until the new clone is viable enough and taught enough to perform up to your required ability to propel your goals.
