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3 Safety Tips For Taking Your Kids For A Ride In A Utility Vehicle

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If you have a utility vehicle that you enjoy riding around in, you might be tempted to take your kids with you for a little fun. However, in the wrong hands or in the wrong environment, utility vehicles can be very dangerous, especially for little ones. So if you’re wanting to drive your kids around in your side-by-side or other utility vehicles, here are three safety tips that you should know before you head out. [Read more…] about 3 Safety Tips For Taking Your Kids For A Ride In A Utility Vehicle

Originally posted on July 6, 2022 @ 4:34 am

How Conversations can Benefit Kids

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The first skill that a child learns at home is talking or his language skills. This is the basic step that most, if not all, parents take when their baby reaches the toddler stage.

A kid develops his language skills properly if the parents talk to him or her in a straight manner. Baby talk is a no-no.

Research has shown that conversing with a child is more powerful than reading bedtime stories in terms of language development. According to health experts in the U.S., engaging kids in a conversation is six times more effective than reading books to them. While these pediatricians do recommend regularly reading fairy tales and bedtime stories as a way to let kids learn to talk and read, they stress that one-on-one conversation between a parent and his child has a greater impact.
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Originally posted on October 11, 2012 @ 7:00 am

Encouraging Toddlers to Go to School

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One of the major challenges a parent faces is encouraging a toddler to go to school. Remember this will be the first time your child will be separated from you for several hours hence, you have to prepare him or her for that by showing a good example.

Many parents have the jitters when their kid enters preschool. They have a lot of questions and apprehensions. But instead of entertaining these emotions, it’s best to focus on the positive. Develop an enthusiasm as you prepare your kid and his school supplies. This will help him or her develop a positive disposition and self confidence.

Talk to your child constantly about what school is all about and the other kids he or she will be meeting there. Be sure to inform your kid that a teacher or his second mother will be there to help them learn many things and that they need not be afraid if mom is not in the classroom.

Teach your child his full name so he or she learns how to say it when asked by the teacher. The kid may not be able to read yet but if you start putting labels in some of his stuff at home, he will slowly recognize it.
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Originally posted on September 6, 2012 @ 5:00 am

Software Products for Monitoring PC Time

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Many parents face a common predicament when it comes to the time spent by their kids in front of the computer. They are in constant search for ways to control the PC time of their child.

While it’s not very easy to discipline a child who has been quite hooked to playing computer games, there’s one tool that parents can use to help them with their issue. The answer is a software that keeps track of computer usage. It allows parents to set which day and hours their child can use the PC at home.
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Originally posted on April 10, 2012 @ 12:45 pm

Ways to Support Kids in their Music Lessons

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Now that summer is here, many parents are again thinking of what activities to provide their small kids. Some are thinking about sports while the others would like their children to be involved in music lessons.

Parents who prefer music lessons are normally those who also have an interest in music or who, as a kid, were also music-oriented. So how can you determine then if your son or daughter likes music?

The first step is to observe your child. A parent should know if his kid likes music when he or she watches a music video attentively or stops, listen and makes actions whenever he or she hears music. For the older kids, they may hum or sing along with a tune that they’ve been hearing over and over again. Or you may just be surprised to hear your kid tell you “I want to learn to play the piano or the guitar, Mom!”
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Originally posted on June 10, 2012 @ 7:22 am

ABCs of Parenting According to Dr. Robyn J.A. Silverman

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ABCs
Being a parent is a tough job – I am sure most of you will agree with me on that. It does have its wonderful moments that cannot be replaced by anything else but the fact remains that there are days which are going to try the most patient person. There are days when the stress will seem to be too much too bear. I ran across a post from Dr. Robyn J.A. Silverman which presents the ABCs of parenting. Now I would be the last person to simplify things to match the alphabet, to be honest – parenting is so much more than ABC – but I really found this list helpful. Allow me to share some of the letters of the alphabet and how they can help parents take on the challenges of their lives.

A- Accept the things you can not change: Single parenting? Step parenting? ADHD parenting? Just dealing with time crunches, making lunches, bunches and bunches of bills? It’s important to recognize that there are some things you can not control, surrender, move on.

B- Breathe: When things get hairy, scary, and you feel like you can barely hold on, take a step back, breathe, and be calm.

C- Count your blessings. Even though you have the weight of the world on you right now and feel far from compassionate for others who have things much worse than you do, there is some value in taking a moment to look at the things that are going right today, such as your child’s tantrum-free morning or how your spouse took out the trash…

All these three things, I find difficult, especially when faced with seemingly insurmountable things. Yet, I realize that they can indeed help me become more efficient and loving at the same time. I hope you see things the same way as well.

Originally posted on March 11, 2008 @ 11:56 am