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Makes Living Fun

Entertaining Kids For Free – Good Weather

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Entertaining Kids For FreeA trip to the mall is always met with applause by children in a typical 20th century household.And why not!? There are entertainment zones that have rides, bouncing castles, toy trains, simulating games and the works! It is a perfect place for your child to be entertained. This scenario is a far cry from our childhood, when there were no theme parks or malls that had such great entertainment
system just for kids. But do you also know that such entertainment does not stimulate or nurture your child’s imagination. This is only spoon-fed visual entertainment, with little or no room for imagination that is very important for any child’s development.

The best entertainment is free entertainment that is provided by nature. Free entertainment stimulates their minds more and tires them out if they enjoy it. If they are simply distracted by rides and toys they switch off and then lack enough imagination to entertain their own.

A fantastic way to do this is to plan a Park Walk Activity when the weather is nice. All you need is a picnic basket with nibbles and a couple of sealable plastic bags. This activity is great for getting your child to take an active interest in nature. Find a good park near your house that has enough trees, shrubs, flowers and shade to rest. Start early so that you can wrap up by the time it gets sunny. Start your walk and see how many different things you can find. There is no need to rush the kids. Let them take it all in at their own space. Let it be a leisure walk rather than an activity that has a start and a finish. You could simply guide your children by picking out leaves or flowers that you like and carefully putting them inside the re-sealable plastic bag. Tell them you want to take it home and put it in your room. Your kids are sure to follow your suit. Make sure you don’t pick too many. One of each will be fine.

When you do this more than once, you will notice your children brining back bags full of moss from the trees, different twigs, berries and nuts, various leaves and flowers, small stones and feathers.

Whatever you can find you can collect. Let your child get interested in the surroundings and discover new things on their own.

A picnic basket is great to break up the walk when you feel your child has walked enough for one time.

When you get home get a large piece of paper and some glue and see what scenes you can make from what you have collected. Younger children will enjoy sticking things on randomly and maybe doing a bit of colouring around it as well. Older children could try and make a picture out of the things they have in the bag.

Nursery admissions: Trial Time For Parents

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brilIt is that time of the year again when one can see queues and queues of anxious parents waiting to obtain admission forms of the reputed schools for their wards. The time when parents wanting the best for their wards are busy making the rounds of numerous schools, discussing with parents of school-going children, searching the Internet, basically doing everything in their hands to get their wards in one of the best schools in their area. So here are some of the pointers that parents need to keep in mind while joining in the race to get your ward admitted to a reputed school.

Top six schools in your area:

These days lots of schools have cropped up, all bearing either the ‘world school’ or ‘international school’ tags, thus confusing first time parents of ready-to-go-to school kid. However, the trick here is to get the school brochure, go through it thoroughly and speak to other parents in your area about the education system – whether it is based on CBSE, ICSE or International Baccalaureate (IB). So the first and foremost step should be identifying the top six schools in your area, and then fill out the forms. If I had my way when my son Prince A started schooling I would have skipped the top three schools and gone for the fourth one. Why? Because I feel that the fourth school would have had better teacher-student ratio, which sadly is not the case with top most schools – 44 to 45 students to 1 teacher is not a good ratio (at least not in my terms). But unfortunately I didn’t get my way, as the in-laws wanted him to attend a particular school.

Things to look out for in schools:

Your kid will be beginning a new chapter in his or her life and the school you choose now will make an impact on his or her personality, so look out for these things before filling the forms. Check out for – (a) teacher-student ratio: it should be in the range of 20-25 students to 1 teacher and one ayah in the class, (b) education system the school follows: whether it is CBSE, ICSE or IB. (c) school’s status: whether it is up to higher secondary level or is it senior secondary level or is it just a primary school, (d) transportation: another thing you need to keep in mind, as most schools don’t have buses for nursery level kids. It happened with us – my son travelled in a school bus till he was in nursery and then suddenly before his summer vacations we got a notice from his school saying that school buses will be discontinued after the holidays and parents are requested to make necessary arrangements. Hence do check out for these points, especially the (a) and (c) points because less number of students per class means more attention to each child, and schools with senior secondary level means you don’t have to change schools on your kid’s graduating from from primary school to junior one.

Talk to other parents:

We all are social animals and talking often solves many problems, eases our worries and clears our niggling doubts if any. So talk as much as you can with other parents who have been through this before. Listen to and learn from their struggles and the mistakes (if any) they made so that they you may avoid them. Talk to other parents about the school’s homework policy, teacher-student ratio, transportation and any other thing you may feel is vital for your kid.

Talk to teachers:

Speak to teachers; not necessarily of the schools you chose for your ward but any teacher who will tell you everything you want to know about the school. Yes, teachers from other schools know everything about different schools because they keep meeting and interacting with each other during teachers’ programmes that schools keep organising time to time.

Talk to students:

It may seem awkward but just like when applying for a job in a new company one talks to its employees, so is the case in schools. Students will always give a correct picture of various activities in school, hence don’t hesitate in talking to students.

Fill up more than one form:

Once you have checked all the things and are satisfied about everything, you are ready to fill the forms. Remember to fill more than one form and keep a look out for the dates when the admission list of the school will be out. These days most of the schools update their list on the school website so do keep checking it for the list.

Re-published with permission from the blog of ParentEdge, a bi-monthly parenting magazine that aims to expose parents to global trends in learning and partner with them in the intellectual enrichment of their children. This blog was written by Swati Nitin Gupta who is a journalist with extensive experience in writing for newspapers, tabloids, magazines and online media in India as well as in the Middle East. 

What is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and How To Prevent It

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Sudden Infant Death SyndromeSudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is sudden death, of an apparently healthy child, during sleep. The child is usually under the age of one. A diagnosis of SIDS can only be applied after adequate post mortem investigations reveal no other causes.

Thus, it is a diagnosis by elimination. SIDS can be defined as a sudden death during sleep for no apparent reason.The reasons for occurrence of SIDS are still obscure and medical studies are still figuring out the exact cause of SIDS.

Meanwhile, studies have suggested that SIDS can be prevented by observing a few simple rules at home until the child completes 1 year.
Knowing where the risks are can help you to eliminate them and thereby reduce the risk of SIDS by up to 75%. Use these guidelines to help provide a safe sleep environment for your baby.

• Put your baby to sleep on his back:

Contrary to the old wives tale, that putting an infant to sleep on its stomach will ensure proper

sleep, medical evidence now points to the fact that it can lead to SIDS in 3 out of 5 cases.

• Use a firm Mattress with a fitted sheet:

Do not put baby to sleep (even for a nap) on soft surfaces such as water beds, sofa cushions,

sheepskins or sleeping bags:

• Remove all soft things from the crib or the sleep area.

These include fluffy blankets, soft pillows and duvets. The risk with these items is when they

crumple under a baby’s nose and mouth leaving them no space to breathe.

• Keep baby’s face uncovered:

Make sure that baby’s face stays uncovered and that blankets cannot shuffle up during the

night. It is better to use warm sleep wear on a cold day rather than blankets. If you do use a

blanket make sure that you place baby at the foot of the crib (with his feet to the bottom) and the

blanket firmly tucked under the mattress and does not reach higher than the baby’s chest.

• Do not smoke:

Do not smoke during pregnancy and do not allow others to smoke round your baby.

• Sleep near to your baby:

It is suggested that you should keep baby in the parent’s bedroom until 6 months old. It is

usually not indicated or intended that you share a bed with your infant. It is hard to follow the

SIDS prevention rules in an adult bed. The mattress is usually too soft and the pillows provide addition risks.

• If you use a pacifier for sleep or nap times do not reinsert it once the baby is asleep. Try to take it away as soon as the baby sleeps. If the baby wakes up frequently due to this, now is a good time to form a habit of letting her sleep without the pacifier.

• Do not over clothe the baby. Keep only a couple of layers of clothes on her back at the maximum to avoid heating.The room should be at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult. Do not use too many clothes or blankets.

• Make sure everyone knows these prevention tips:

Some of this advice is new (especially back to sleep) and older carers may not know about it.

It is important that everyone who looks after you baby is aware of the steps to keep your baby safe.

Child Discipline: What Really Works?

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Child DisciplineThe only things more distasteful than an undisciplined child, is the process of disciplining itself. Some parents start with disciplining at an early stage and some start later, only when the tantrums become too much to bear. The key here is to start early.

It is important that they understand that you are in charge, not them. But this can be a tricky undertaking. Disciplining without hurting a child’s fragile sense of pride is the key here.Spanking a child was considered as an okay thing for parents to do about a couple of decades back. Today, in the light of new medical evidence, spanking is shown to have negative impact on a child’s psyche. Parents are looking for alternative methods of discipline and avoiding the dreaded spanking.

Set the rules early and be consistent:

By the time your baby is 4 years old, you should have already laid down basic rules, no more than 4 or 5. These rules should cater to bigger problems like No hitting, always saying please and thank you, washing hands before eating, etc. Don’t fight smaller battles if you wish to win the bigger ones. The most important part of setting the rules is to stand by them. Go over the rules with your child whenever they break one.

Positive reinforcement:

Praising good behaviour is more likely to beget good behaviour than scolding whenever a rule is broken. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t scold them when a rule is broken. Just don’t forget to praise the child when a rule is kept by him or her.Saying “no” firmly: Saying a no should always be done firmly. Never use an angry tone, no matter how angry you are at that point in time. Whenever you have to say no to a child, explain why they can’t do or get something that they want. But explain only once. Use a firm tone and stand your ground. The first few times will be difficult, but the message will get across soon.

Giving choices:

Sometimes a child breaks a rule or does something he or she was not supposed to do simply because they can’t think of something else to do or they don’t know another way to do the same thing. Help your child by giving him choices. For example, if you are resting and your child is playing too loudly, tell him you are unable to sleep because of the noise. Then you can give him the choice of sitting with you and reading a book or going to play in their room until you come to get him.

There are many other alternatives; here is a list to take a look at:

* * The Top 10 Tips for Disciplining Toddlers by Clare Albright

* * Positive Discipline For Toddlers and Preschoolers by Meg Berger, M.Ed.

* * Help! I Can’t Control My Four Year-Old and Don’t Want to Resort to Spanking! at http://

Parenthood.com

6 Awesome Parenting Resources Found Online

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bril3

Good parenting is all about trial and error. Nobody is born with all the super mom or super dad skills. All of us want to be the best parent we can be, but we sometimes we may doubt our actions and approaches. After all it is the most precious living being that is in question. Whenever in doubt, consult the internet. This seems to be a norm these days. But where should you go for parenting advice and tips online? There are hundreds of parenting websites. Which ones offer the best parenting resources?

Take a look at these sites for valuable parenting tips.

1.Baby Center, one of the most reliable online resources, has excellent sections on parenting. It is filled with information on parenting issues right from pregnancy to teenage. Particularly useful is their Expert Advice and FAQ’s section, where you can ask questions or look at existing questions asked by parents. These are answered by a panel of paediatricians from the world over. http://www.babycenter.com

2.Raising responsible and aware children is what every caregiver wants for themselves and their children in the long run. But that goal is often lost in fighting the day to day battles of potty training, discipline and many other issues. RIE, founded by Magda Gerber, follows the basic principles of raising infants and children with respect that you would give any adult. Their website www.rie.org is abundant with how to give babies and children more independence and respect.

3.Raising a toddler seems like a cake walk until you have pre-teens and teens to handle. A great online resource for this age group is http://centerforparentingeducation.org. This website offers free online courses on parenting. Now, you may not need their certification, but their methods and advice is definitely worth a shot. Some popular courses include “Setting the stage for discipline that works”, You’re so mean, I hate you! Taming the anger tantrum” and many more. Also worthwhile is browsing through their article library for commonly asked questions.

4.Handy tips and ideas for planning your kids’ birthday parties, tiffin recipes, craft ideas, project assistance and adventure based learning, are available on http://www.pbs.org/parents. The entire PBS network is abundant with parenting resources. Educational videos form a part of their network as well. This is a great resource for all those day to day help that moms need to reference ever so often.

5.Parents, who are either working from home or are employed full time struggle to find a balance between work and home, especially children. www.indiaparenting.com is a forum where you will find articles to help you strike that precarious balance and is also a buzzing forum for parents to actively discuss their issues.

6.And, finally, for those times when you need a lighter moment, there’s http://www.parentinghumor.com, a well written website, dedicated to the lighter side of parenting.
Remember that you’re not alone. All parents need advice sometimes.

There are thousands of parenting resources online. From parenting workshops to parenting forums, there’s a wealth of information available for parents with children of any age.

 

 

5 ways For New Parents To Get More Sleep

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bril2The joy of a new baby is something so special that only new parents experience. However, lack of sleep is collateral damage. New parents notoriously get very little sleep, if any at all. Fortunately, there are some strategies and tips to help new parents get snatch snippets of sleep once the new baby arrives. Of course, with a baby you will never get an over abundance of sleep, but these tips will help you to at least get enough sleep to keep your sanity intact.

The key here is to be prepared before you get to that phase. Forewarned is forearmed. This adage is true for all new parents.

Tip #1 Take Turns:

A new born baby has no sense of day or night. Irregular feeding time, potty and pee are a never ending cycle that keeps new mothers awake all night. For the first few days, time the baby’s waking and then takes turns waking up. There is no point in the father waking up to a crying infant who only needs to be fed. Similarly there is no need for a mother to wake up when the baby needs a change of diaper. Generally, taking turns is really the best option and will help everyone get just a little more sleep.

Tip #2 Nap With the Baby:

If you are the only one caring for the baby, then when the baby goes to sleep, you should take a nap as well. This will allow you to get some rest. So, whether the baby naps in the morning, afternoon, or early evening you should also get a little rest because you never know when the baby might wake up. Don’t be tempted to do chores in this time. The laundry basket may overflow, the dishes may need doing, or the house may look generally like a hurricane just hit it. Don’t bother about these things in the first three months. Just remember, this will pass when the baby regulates her sleeping pattern naturally.

Tip #3 Accept Help:

When you have a new baby, there are plenty of people willing to help, be it parents, siblings, friends, and other family members. So, when you really need to get some sleep, just accept some of the help that is being offered. Having your mom or mom-in-law care for the baby for just a couple of hours will allow you to get some much needed sleep. If enlisting the help of a part time help is feasible, get it immediately. This will allow you to rest when the baby is napping.

Tip #4 Keep the Baby in the Nursery:

The baby should sleep in the nursery and not with the parents. Although there is another school of thought that promotes co-sleeping. Many times it is tempting to allow the baby to sleep with the parents, but this may form a habit that is difficult to break in the later years of the baby’s life. After the baby is six months old, you can slowly start the transition of making the baby sleep in the nursery. A video or an audio monitor is a must in these cases.

Tip #5 Feed the Baby Before You Sleep:

If your baby typically wakes up just before your sleep time, it is safe to wake the baby up for a feed and then put her back to sleep. This way she won’t interrupt your sleep immediately and hopfully sleep for longer. This is a long shot, but worth a try. All the best!

5 Reasons To Send Your Kids To A Summer Camp This Summer

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Summer CampsA summer camp is one that generally begins in April or May and continues through June. This type of recreation is popular among children in the age group of 1.5 yrs old to 18 year old. It gives them the opportunity to experience new things, meet new people and embark on a journey of independence. With that being said, the following are 5 popular reasons to enrol your child in a kid summer camp.

Independence:

Children get their first taste of independence in a summer camp. Away from home for the first time, this time can be scary, but new friends and fun activities help to make the transition easier. For the older kids, this is an important step toward college or school preparation, which often requires that the child leave home for a few months at a time.

Responsibility:

Summer camp inculcates responsibility in a child away from home for the first time. Subsequent summer camps only reinforce this virtue. Typical responsibilities in a summer camp include the organization and safe keeping of their personal items. Away from home, they will be personally responsible for maintaining their living quarters and personal items. In addition, they will be required to pack their belongings at the end of their stay with no motherly help from anyone. An ideal way to teach children to be responsible is by first hand experience.

Teamwork:

Sibling rivalry, group conflicts, resolution of those conflicts and negotiation are all part of growing up and learning about team work. One of the most important experiences at a summer camp is that of learning to work together as a team. The activities which form a part of a summer camp imbibe this virtue in children. Any games that are played here require team-effort and a competitive spirit. Much like in adulthood where teamwork is essential to everyday life, children will learn the valuable lessons of working with their peers toward achieving a common goal.

Friendship:

Summer camp is also fun time, where new ties and friendship is made. Learning to make friends and how to be a good friend is an important life lesson that is not only important at a summer camp, but also in every day life. Situations are always presented when individuals are placed amongst new faces in school, the workforce, families, etc. Therefore, it is important for children to learn the value of friendship and how it can make every day a little brighter.

Experiences:

Travelling to new places, embarking on an exciting journey and exploring the wilderness are all apart of what makes a summer camp so special. Usually all summer camps have activities that expose them to nature. The loving and fascinating ways of nature is not something that a child experiences in day to day life. Summer camp teaches them to take a moment and experience the wonders of nature. A true love for nature, when built at an early age remains a life long habit and a true friend. There are a lot of life lessons and other take-away’s from a summer camp. Every child develops some special characteristics that were not prominent thus far in his personality. He learns about the importance of having a family and comes to respect familial ties.

When To Say No To Your Children

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Saying NoFor a majority of the parents out there, saying no to your little ones can be a hard task. Even as they get older, saying no to their wants can be difficult. Many parents avoid saying no to their children because they don’t want to be considered unfair, mean or a bad parent. Some parents believe that children should have what they want as we only live once and we should be enjoying life to the fullest. Today, not all parents are able to keep up with the demand of their children. The cost of living is always going up as with the luxuries that we all want and need. We have all these new and advanced toys that come with a high price tag.

It is important that you keep your ground with your children and set boundaries. There will be many times that you are going to have to say no to your child’s wants. Giving in to your child is not always a bad thing as long as you keep it under control. It is okay to say yes, but don’t say yes every single time. Saying no will help your child realize later in life that you don’t always get what you want. Be up front and honest with your child and let them know that you can’t always afford to buy them everything they want.

When telling your child no when they want something, make sure to let them down in an easy way. Again, be sure to be honest and explain to them why you are saying no. Tell them no in a nice and polite voice. Don’t scream or raise your voice unless your child gives you reason to raise your voice. Once you say no, stick to your grounds. Don’t back away and change your mind. Keeping your ground will give your child a feeling of security which is needed. Keeping calm will rub off good behavior on your children. After letting your child down, offer them something in exchange. Offer them to make their favorite dinner, go to the park, watch a movie, etc.

Image Source: [freedigitalphotos.net]

 

When They Are Bored, What Then?

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Bored ChildIf you live with children, you have probably heard the phrases “I’m bored” or “What Can I Do, I’m Bored?” a few dozen times, if not more. You will definitely hear it quite often if you have a large family with more than one child. Even when they have someone to play with, they are going to think they are bored at one time or another. If you are busy and can’t entertain them, designate them to clean their room. Tell them they can do some extra chores. Sometimes this will get them off your back. They will either complain about having to clean and walk off or throw you off and want to help you clean. If they are that bored, then you might get some extra help for the day.

If you want to entertain them, there are some things you might be able to do just in your city or town. How expensive it will be to entertain them is going to vary depending on where and what you do. What you do also depends on the age of your children.

A roller rink is an option if you have one where you live. Usually they are affordable and kids love them. If you don’t want to chaperone and they are old enough to drop off, make sure you give them money for admission, skate rental, change for a locker and money for something to drink if they have been fed. The older children usually think the roller rink is the place to go, especially when other school kids are there too!

If they don’t want to skate, depending on their age, they will probably want to go see a movie. Make sure you feed them before though, movie theatre food can be expensive if you are treating multiple children. This usually is one place you can’t go wrong, unless there are too many people there and you can’t find a seat.

Other ideas would be to look online for events in your area. Depending on where you live, your city might have some sort of local website that is updated with events. You also could go on a picnic to the park, take a trip to the mall for some window shopping, go fishing, take a class, etc. There are many things you can do when your children are bored, just have to find what works best for you and your pocketbook.

Image Source: [freedigitalphotos.net]

Tips To Help Teach Your Children Their Numbers

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ID-100170690If you have a toddler, they are probably trying to learn how to count. If they are not trying to learn to count, they are definitely learning how to say different numbers. Most will learn at around three that they are three years old. They might not know what it means, but they remember the number. You will want to help them want to learn numbers so it comes easy to them once they start going off to school. Remember, you are your child’s first teacher. Below are some creative ideas to help teach your child count numbers.

Read books on counting. There are many of these books in your local bookstore, libraries, EBay, etc. These are fun and a majority of the books you find will have great images to go along with the book to keep your child’s interest. Kids love books so stock up! If you are really creative, you can make a counting book with your child.

Use flashcards. You can either buy some cute expensive cards with pretty pictures, some cheap flash cards with just numbers or just make your own. Flash cards have been used for years. They work! You can also go to a school supply store and get some writing tablets that allow your child to trace numbers and also the alphabet.
When asking “How Many?” start with small numbers. Even very young toddlers will start memorizing the numbers one, two, or three. So spend a lot of time counting up to three objects at first. Eventually, your child will be able to say he or she has 2 hands, 2 feet, etc.

Another option would be blocks, depending on their age. Small children love blocks. Many of the small wooden blocks that you can buy at the toy store will have numbers painted on them.

Find something that both you and your child will enjoy doing. There are many different ways you can help your child learn their numbers, just picking out the method is going to be the fun part.

Image Source: [freedigitalphotos.net]