Ever noticed how kids will keep pestering you just when you are intent on doing something. The more engrossed you are, the more they will bug you. You just want an hour to enjoy your game and they want to play it for you. It can be annoying!
Truth is they just want to be part of what you’re doing. If you are having fun, they want to have fun with you. If you enjoy cooking, they will try and enjoy it too. They love helping you decorate for christmas. They’ll even try to help wrap presents.
Of course there are times that you have to say no but before you tell them they can’t why not check if there is someway they can take part. For example, you’re busy in the kitchen getting dinner ready and you don’t really want them around your knives. How about just having them peel the veggies or wash the potatoes.
If you’re painting, why not give your kid a paintbrush too and assign him his own corner to color? He may not do as big a space as you and his corner may not be as even but that is easily taken care of.
Do you love word games, the crosswords maybe? Get a book of word puzzles that the two of you can do together. Invite him to bring his puzzles to where you sit and you can sit companionably together as you each solve your games.
These may seem like small things for them to do but the effect on them is huge. Kids love to “help out”. Let them and watch as they amaze you with what they can do.
Sorting and Nesting Toys: Toddlers love to sort, stack, unsort, unstack, and basically reorganize their lives. Sorting and nesting toys are great fun for those who are trying out their early problem-solving skills.
Climbing Gym: A tiny gym can give your toddler a safe place to climb, hide, slide, and practice all her emerging motor skills – over and over again. But these sets can also be pricey and are quickly outgrown.
Balls: Any ball that’s easy to grasp will be a hit with this group – underinflated beach balls, vinyl balls, cloth balls. Stay away from foam balls that could end up as a mouthful. This is the age at which you can introduce your child to “catch.” Start slowly – she’ll begin to get the back-and-forth rhythm with some practice.
Washable Crayons and Paper: Let the scribbling begin! Hand your toddler no more than a couple of crayons at a time – you don’t want to overwhelm her – and tape the paper to the floor so she can make her mark without dragging the paper along with her.
Ride-On Vehicles: This mode of self-locomotion may be even more popular than walking. Many small ride-on toys have models with handles for an adult to push when the child gets tired. Avoid the electronic versions – they’re expensive and take away from the fun of getting around under your own power.
Tool Bench or Toy Kitchen: Junior fix-it kids or aspiring chefs will get hours of play out of plastic or wooden models scaled to their size. Sets like these give a child a chance to emulate the things he sees adults doing, and they’ll continue to hold his interest for several months as his play gets more sophisticated.
Picture Books: Your toddler will enjoy more advanced picture books showing familiar objects and activities. She may also start to take pride in her own library and the chance to pick out a favorite for you to read.
Chances are your toddler is really taking off these days – and as you chase his little body down the street, you may miss the days before he learned to use her legs so well. “Active” is an apt way to describe him now, and him likes any toy or game that allows him to throw his whole self into it – balls, swings, and tiny climbing sets, to name a few.
His hands are becoming more coordinated, too, and he can now use toy sorters more efficiently, build even greater block towers, and scribble a drawing. His play involves lots of experimentation, like “What happens if I drop this ball?” or “What happens if pull this lever?” He’s very interested in the consequences of her actions, and because his memory isn’t well developed she won’t tire of repetition. Toddlers also like to try out what they see adults doing, so look for toys that imitate daily life.
Large Building Bricks: These light cardboard bricks are big enough to stack up into a fort or wall, or any other way your toddler wants. But the most satisfying part of the process continues to be the finale – when the walls come tumbling down.
Push and Pull Toys: Heavily weighted push toys can give your beginner something to lean into as she motors around your home. Wagons can be ideal. Pull toys are for slightly advanced walkers who can look behind them as they move forward. Give them something to look at: Pull toys that flap, bobble, squeak, or in any other way make a scene are favorites.
Some times our kid’s need a little helping hand in remembering what we ask them to do. If you are a parent of a child who is old enough to start helping out around the house…You will know what I mean.
Some children just do not comprehend and know how to complete tasks from start to finish. So they ask mom or dad over and over how to do whatever it is they are attempting to do.
I thought I would take a moment and list a few things that might be great to put on a child’s list of To Do’s and To Not Do’s. Making a list and posting it in words your child can read will not only help you save all the questions. It will also help you to encourage your child to read.
Toddlers Ages 3 to 5
1. Pick up your toys.
2. Put your toys where they belong.
3. Put your dirty clothes in the hamper.
4. When you are done playing put your things
away.
Kindergartners Ages 5 to 6
1. Pick up your things in your room.
2. Put everything where it should go.
3. Put your dirty clothes in the hamper.
4. Set out your clothes for the next morning.
5. Try and make your bed.
6. Help set the table.
Children Ages 6 to 10
1. Clean your room.
2. Make your bed.
3. Put toys away and other play items.
4. Put dirty clothes in the hamper
5. Help fold and put clean clothes away.
6. Help set the table.
7. Learn to pick up around the front room.
8. Learn to vacuum.
9. Learn to dust and clean surfaces in bathroom.
Children Ages 10 to 12
1. Clean your room.
2. Make your bed.
3. Put belongings away after play or use.
4. Put dirty clothes in hamper.
5. Help fold and put clean clothes away.
6. Set the table and wash dishes.
7. Learn to clean and vacuum front room.
8. Clean the bathroom.
9. Take care of personal belongings.
10. Put your bike away or any outside items.
11. Feed and take care of a pet.
12. Take out the trash.
13. Help around the house.
14. Be willing to learn new things.
Teenagers 13 and up
1. Do all of the above listed things.
2. Help mow the lawn and pick up around the yard.
3. Do extra chores for added allowances.
4. Baby sit as you grow more responsible.
5. Clean the house.
6. Learn to cook a little.
7. Learn to do laundry.
8. Learn the value of money.
9. Do some volunteer work.
Now Don’ts For All Ages.
1. Do not break house rules.
2. Do not talk to strangers.
3. Do not go any place alone or without
your parents permission.
4. Do not disrespect other people.
5. Do not talk back to teachers, parents or
people with authority.
6. Do not leave your bike or belongings in
places they do not belong.
7. Do not go places by your self.
8. Do not leave your mess for others to clean up.
9. Do not hit, kick or bite.
10. Follow all of your parents DO NOT Rules.
I am sure you get the basic idea of what you want your child to do and to not do. Just make up a list and post it on the door. You may want to add a how to clean your room list. It is always helpful to use simple words that the kids understand and can relate too. You may want to show them where the dirty clothes go.
Just a few ideas to help make life a little easier and more pleasant on the home front.
Does your kid prefer to flop in front of his PS2 with a bag of crisps or take a football and a bag of fruit to the park? Chances are your family falls somewhere between these two extremes, but with concern growing about childhood obesity and the associated increase in the incidence of type II diabetes, high cholesterol readings and later heart disease in our children, the time to introduce healthier lifestyle choices is now.
‘Parents need to recognise the importance of forming good habits in childhood, which will lead to a balanced and enjoyable diet later in life,’ advises Sarah Schenker, a dietitian with the British Nutrition Foundation. ‘Eating a wide variety of foods is the most important thing,’ she adds, ‘and a gentle, consistent approach usually results in a broader eating range.’ Here are some questions to ask yourself.
1. How does your child eat?
2. What would you pack for a picnic or school lunch?
3. How often does your child have sweets?
4. What does your child drink?
5. What do your child’s after-school activities most often include?
6. How much walking do you do as a family?
The new school year is upon us, and it’s every parent’s mealtime (and lunchbox) crusade – getting your kids to eat healthier. Well, its mine at least. Easy(ish) when they’re young and they pretty much eat anything you put in front of them. Not so easy when school starts and they discover a whole new world – like their classmate’s lunch boxes filled with no-no’s like soda and Doritos.
When my 3 kids were babies I started them all of with what I think is the Bible of healthy-baby-eating, The Super Baby Food Book. Well, I admit that it got to a lesser degree with #2, but with #3 came the the advent of commercial organic baby food, which made things a lot easier. Whether you are a DIY Mom like Ruth of the Super Baby Book (who also makes her own Play Dough, mind you), or prefer to buy from the organic aisle at the supermarket, know that giving your kids a healthy diet now means setting up their foundations for a healthy life. Now isn’t that a worthwhile mission?
Here are my tips on how to help you get started (and hopefully keep going!):
1. Teach Them About Health
My Mom did this for my sister and I (she was and still is what you would call a “health nut”), and I have to say that it stuck. Explain to your kids WHY certain foods are good or bad for you and you’ll be surprised how well they’ll respond. I try and use language they understand like: “…healthy food like fruit and vegetables helps you get bigger and stronger, but also makes your “soldiers” strong to fight bad germs so you don’t get sick“. There are a few kids shows now which touch on this, as well as books. Read/watch and talk about it with them and be prepared to answer their questions.
2. Vegetarian Meals= Budget meals
Yes, its true! Add a vegetarian meal or two to your weekly menu and see how much you can save. It’s a known fact that fresh produce is significantly cheaper than meats (which are some of the costliest food items in stores), so by serving say, a vegetarian lasagna rather than the “al forno” with beef, you not only give your kids a veggie-filled nutritious meal, you also save on the weekly budget (yipee!), plus it’s good for the planet. Why? read about vegatarianism and the environment here.
3. Make it Fun!
My kids and I like to play quick games like guessing which food is “healthy or not”. For example, what’s better? french fries or apple slices with cinnamon? (Okay, so my husband doesn’t join in and prefers to roll his eyes- but WE enjoy it!). The winner gets a small prize like stickers. You can also make healthy food attractive and fun by using a cookie cutter to make shapes and adding “faces” (raisins and sliced red pepper make easy instant characters). Brit Mom turned kid-food guru, Anabel Karmel is a total wiz at this and I love her cookbooks.
4. Go Organic
Finding organic food is really easy these days, and the health benefits are huge. Would you prefer to feed your kids things without harmful chemicals and pesticides? With more nutrients and vitamins? I would. It’s a really simple choice, and really worth the extra effort.
5. Plan Ahead and Cook More, Mom!
I really believe that planning ahead, being organized and cooking yourself is the key to healthier eating. Look online for new healthy recipes to try (you can get the kids to help choose here), add more fruit and veg to your meals, and take a few minutes every Sunday to plan healthy weekly menus- this really helps keep me in budget too!
Since I have three kids below 8, and given that my husband and actually enjoy taking them traveling (yes, we’re crazy), packing is something I take very seriously. Of course, unless you are Bree or Martha, you are bound to forget some things, so the best advice I can give you is START EARLY, keep the list handy in a place at home where you can tick through it as you go along.
Packing For Babies and Toddlers
Hand Carry - I suggest you purchase a bag that is the right size for you to carry, and not too bulky that it won’t be allowed in an airplane or will give you a backache for the rest of your trip. Pockets and compartments are all good, and even better if there’s is an insulated bit. Backpacks are a good choice!
The Top 14 Essentials For The Carry-On Bag
1. Snacks – “o” shaped cereal, biscuits/cracker (I like organic/low sugar kinds), cheese, fruit pieces, small cartons of juice (not for airplanes).
2. Change of clothes and a cardigan or jacket – 2 outfits
3. Disposable diapers – 3
4. Baby wipes
5. Burp cloth – handy for mopping up any mess on baby
6. Sun hat for hot weather or bonnet/cap for cold
7. Blanket – handy for naps or to lay on a floor to crawl/sit on or as a cover-up for breastfeeding.
9. Formula in container and pre-boiled water in a bottle.
10. Water in a sippy cup or bottle
11. 2 small toys/books/ teether.
12. Band-aids and antiseptic wipes/cream
13. 2 Pacifiers
14. 2 Bibs
15. Baby fork and spoon
16. 2/3 Plastic bags – to dispose diapers, for dirty clothes.
* Don’t forget any medications if your child is taking them and always keep it in the carry-on bag! Ditto with anything else your child can’t do without, like a favourite stuffed toy or “lovie”. Heaven forbid your luggage gets lost and poor teddy is never seen again!
* If going on a long haul flight/train journey, pack enough diapers and an extra outfit for an overnight stay, just in case. Most airports have drugstore/pharmacies now, but it’s still better to have your own stash of necessities.
In The Suitcase
*Some of these things depend on the age of your baby.
1. 2 outfits for every day of the trip
2. 2 pairs of shoes, 4 pairs of socks
3. Bibs
4. Summer essentials: sun hat, sunblock, swim suit or trunks, swim diapers, mosquito repellent
Or Winter essentials: warm clothes, mittens, boots, etc.
5. Toys and books (only bring favorites, new ones can be bought at destination)
6. Toiletries: Dove soap (I use it on both baby’s hair and body), baby powder, baby toothbrush, hairbrush or comb
7. Medicine Kit: antibacterial cream for wounds, small rubbing alcohol, band-aids, thermometer, nasal drops, water replacement powder, antihistamine, paracetamol, Lacticare , Cetaphil cream
8. Diapers – 3 diapers per day, plus 3
9. Formula (I buy enough for the trip, just in case I can’t get the brand we use)
10. Baby food/ snacks – I always bring a small supply of food I know he likes, just in case. Baby jars, instant oatmeal, organic macaroni cheese etc.
11. Baby monitor and universal adaptor – it can be cumbersome to pack, but I’m always glad I did.
12. DVDs – Just a few of your baby’s faves as most places have DVD machines now, even computers. Alternatively, an iPod loaded with the vids works too.
13. Ziplock/ plastic bags
*Stroller – An absolute essential! If travelling by air, don’t check it in, take it all the way to the gate. It’s also handy for hanging duty free shopping and the hand-carry bag!
*Website tip: This site does customized packing lists. Good for grownups.
“He has PNEUMONIA”. It’s a very very scary thing to hear from your pediatrician, and it is just what she told me last Friday when I took baby Wills for a check-up. The thing with being a mother-of-three is that you fancy yourself a pro, even when it comes to health matters. So when little Wills started coughing on Monday and developed a fever which continued throughout the week, I didn’t even call or text Dr. J. Yes, I gave the normal meds and used the puffer for the cough, but only when his fever still spiked after the 72 hour grace period, did I rush him to get checked.
Luckily, she’s also a pediatric pulmonary specialist, and when she listened to his chest, she immediately said “Momma! it’s not good“. I put on her stethoscope and heard some crackling noises, which apparently meant that the infection had gone to his lungs, which meant pneumonia.
Pneumonia is a frightening word to us parents, but it simply means an inflammation in the lungs and can be treated easily, at home. While it certainly isn’t a disease to take lightly, babies, toddlers and the elderly are the most susceptible to the disease, and it is particularly bad in developing countries where antibiotics and treatments aren’t readily available.
How did he get such a nasty bug? Who knows? Nat probably brought it back from big school and did have a mild cough for a few days. But what was important was that Dr.J said that it wasn’t too bad a case (no need for an x-ray or worse, confinement at the hospital), and she was sure he’s be fine in a week if he started taking antibiotics today.
Now, just three days since taking his first dose of clarithromycin, he’s almost back to his useful sunny self. The bad news? I think Mom’s caught it.
Little Wills is now 14 months (where does time go?) and toddles about the house like the full-fledged toddler he is. With his cherubic golden curls, sunny personality (he screams with delight when he gets excited) and amusing “toughness” (if you take the object of his fascination away he gets angry!), he’s a joy to have around and wherever he goes people can’t help but smile.
It’s his 2nd Easter now, the last one he was a newborn and hardly noticed, but this year his eyes (and hands) are darting around the house, mostly at the Easter decorations that we just put up yesterday. As we are a family big on holidays (it makes life more enjoyable), we have 4 Fun Easter Activities lined up for some quality time with the children.
1. Bake an Easter Bunny Cake – This recipe from Betty Crocker is the cutest and will get the kids excited and hopping around like bunnies for sure. It uses a cake mix and ready-made-frosting so it suits Moms who don’t have the time. If I’m feeling energetic by Saturday, I’ll do it from scratch – time consuming, but a much healthier option!
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Dogs like many creatures have an inert ability to learn and getting them started early is key to avoiding problems in adult life. Being nice to have around kids, they teach them the fundamentals of responsibility that can go both ways with dog training. Simple routines that the animal can remember gives them character and takes away some of the mischievousness they possess in adult life.
Dogscan be taught many a unique skills and they often learn so much they can amaze many with that ability. Your kids can also learn with a little encouragement that their dog is a responsibility, getting to share the load of care and upkeep of the pet. Dogs live an average of 10 to 12 years depending on the breed and for a good relationship, one that is manageable to the family and home is best. Breeds that tend to love kids grow protective of their young masters as well as the rest of the family. Being social, getting them to move around is good for it develops good social behavior essential for a well mannered canine. In the end your family will have a pet that loves you all with the bond getting stronger each passing year as you both grow in love.
