Find info on your childrens health » Habit

The Whys of Whining

admin — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:34:16 +0000

The Whys of Whining
“Moooooooooooom!”
It’s irritating, it’s frustrating and it gets on your last nerve. Though it’s obnoxious and unacceptable, it’s actually an effective for your child to get your attention. It’s whining. But, like other bad habits, you can nip it in the bud early with a few simple strategies to teach your child there are other appropriate, effective forms of communicating with you.
First, try limiting the situations that trigger it. Avoid extra errands when the kids are hungry. Don’t let them get involved in a frustrating game or project prior to bedtime. Pay attention when your child is talking, as sometimes whining is a reaction when a child feels you aren’t giving them your full attention. Praise them for not whining and talking in a normal and understandable voice that allows you to fully understand what they are saying to you.
When the whining begins, don’t overreact. Keep your response simple, calm and neutral. Ask your child to repeat the request in a normal tone. When giving in seems inevitable, don’t delay. If you must finish the grocery shopping so you can put dinner on the table, for instance, and your child starts whining for a snack, offer something healthy right away.
Once a limit has been set, parents should follow through. It’s imperative that both parents are on board with this limit and fully follow through when the whining rule has been violated.
If you have an older child that’s developing a whining habit, suggest they come up with a solution to their perceived boredom or other voiced problem. If you suggest possible alternatives, it might just prolong the child’s whining.
Sometimes whining can be the result of trauma and trouble in their life. A divorce, serious family illness or problems at school may be at the root. Additional positive attention and quality one-on-one time may be just the medicine your child needs at a time like this. Your pediatrician can also suggest alternatives to curb whining should the positive attention and disciplinary actions be ineffective.

The Positive Influence of Being Involved in your Child’s Education

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 07:46:26 +0000

The Positive Influence of Being Involved in your Child’s Education
It has been shown many times over in research studies that a parent who is involved in their child’s education has a positive impact. It’s reflected in improved grades and test scores, strong attendance, a higher rate of homework completion, higher graduation rates, improved attitudes and behaviors in the child, as well as the child being more likely to become involved in positive extra-curricular activities. Send out the message early in your child’s education that your home is an involved and active supporter of their learning.
Probably the most important element of a positive learning environment at home is structure. But what is too little or too much? If we’re too lenient or expect too little, your child may become disorganized or unmotivated. If we’re too rigid and strict, it can cause undue pressure or cause your child to feel unable to deliver on your expectations.
So what’s the best way to meet in the middle and create a positive learning environment for your child at home?
Help your child develop a work area where they can study and focus without being interrupted. Children usually do better when they have a private study area away from interruption. If your child prefers doing their work at the kitchen table, make sure other family members understand the kitchen is off-limits during study time. Make sure your child has plenty of supplies and reference materials available and that the area has plenty of light. Regardless of its location, ensure the area is quiet and that your child can study and work uninterrupted.
Agree on a regular time for studying. To help your child make homework a habit, schedule a set time each day for homework. Perhaps breaking study time up into smaller increments would work better for your child than one solid period. Work with your child to find out what works best for them. In addition, be sure your child has a sufficient break between the time they arrive home from school before they sit down to work in order to ‘decompress’ from their school day.
Help your child develop a method of keeping track of homework assignments. This can be a difficult chore for some students. Developing a successful way of keeping track of assignments then scratching them off as completed helps them develop a productive method for accomplishing tasks later in life.
Develop a positive line of communication with your child’s teacher. Teachers are usually very willing and excited to work with an involved parent to help the child’s overall success in school. Whether it’s notes sent back and forth in your child’s backpack or an e-mail correspondence, make sure your teacher knows your open for suggestions as how to better assist them in the homework and study process at home.

Thumb Sucking – A Common Problem For Children

admin — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:01:38 +0000

Thumb sucking is a very common problem faced by many children. Many infants develop this habit even before they are born. It provides a level of comfort to the child. It helps the child to settle down as sucking denotes the idea of nutrition. Many a times mother’ milk is more than enough to get through this phase of thumb sucking. Thumb sucking can be a very serious problem if not nipped in the butt at the right time. It becomes a habit which continues in your adolescent age. It turns into an addiction which is hard to let go. If this habit continues at the age of five or six it may prove to be very serious. The child can develop problem with teeth as well as fingers.

Thumb sucking is a safety net for the children. Sucking the thumb is very reassuring to the kids. It is being used most of times when the kids are bored, scared, and sick as well as during bed time. Nagging them and scarring them at a tender age of two won’t help. When the child reaches an understandable age, the parents should use all the tactics to avoid the escalation of this habit. A toy or a finger puppet can be used to keep the child engaged. By involving the child in various activities you can keep the child focused and busy. Watching TV cannot be termed as an activity.

Due to the continuous thumb sucking the front teeth level is raised. This has to be treated by putting on the braces. This behavior can be easily changed by the initiative taken by the parents and doctors. Keeping the child active is a very important process of discarding this habit. It becomes very important to use and imply different methods and techniques to get rid of this habit. This act is usually given up when they do something interesting and comfortable.

Home Remedy

Applying lemon juice on your childs finger may help to discard this habit once and for all.

You can also apply bitter gourd on the thumb which is not likeable by many adults.

A Band-Aid wrapped in castor oil and baking soda may also help to get rid of this habit.

Tying socks on your child’s hand may also work.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Teach Your Children About Money

admin — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 09:11:07 +0000

I firmly believe that if we’d been taught more about investing and basic money management in high school (and younger!) my generation wouldn’t have some of the financial troubles that they do. I was lucky enough to have parents who taught me those lessons at home, but many of my friends weren’t so lucky. I don’t think much has changed for our own children. The schools just don’t have the time or resources to focus on basic money skills so it’s up to us as parents to educate our children.
We have to teach by example. If our children see us spending money on credit cards they think that the little plastic card is all you need to get your hearts desire. We need to show them that the little plastic card produces a bill each month that must be paid. Pay it in full so they can learn the habit early.

Some people are hesitant (or refuse) to involve their children in their financial affairs. Up to a certain age I would agree. But at some point you need to involve your children at least a little bit so they can learn the process of money management and it will help keep you accountable for your actions. Having to explain your frivolous purchases to your children can quickly alter your own habits.

Your ultimate goal is for your children to be better off than you are. If you dont teach them about how to manage money they could easily become worse off in their adult years. Dont burden them with ignorance. If you dont feel qualified to show them proper money handling skills then enlist the help of qualified professionals or family members who are skilled with money. The goal is not perfection. Its basic education and hopefully preventing the already catastrophic credit card debt from spilling over into the next generation.

My favorite example of teaching money management within the home was setup by the Dilley family. They had sextuplets several years ago and learned a way to teach their children good behavior and money management at the same time. The kids earn Dilley Dollars for doing their chores and good behavior. The dollars are redeemable for video game time or can be converted to real money (50 cents real money for every Dilley Dollar) which can spent on real things. The kids are taught to save some of it and they learn to appreciate what it takes to make money in this world.

Whatever system you come up with, stick with it. Make your children accountable for their own spending habits and be accountable to them for your decisions. Admit your mistakes and do your best to lead them down the right financial path. Stick with the consequences of poor judgment. Of course you are the parent and make the final decisions, but the more you can involve them in the money processes of your household the better off theyll be when they step into the real world on their own.

The Family that Eats Together Stays Healthy Together

admin — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 05:23:27 +0000

The Family that Eats Together Stays Healthy Together
Recent studies have shown that not only do children like to sit down at the dinner table and eat a meal with their parents, but they are more likely to eat a well-balanced, nutritious meal when they do. But with the hectic lives we seem to lead these days, getting the family all together in the same place at the same time can be a difficult chore. Between work schedules, after-school activities, errands, and the like, it seems we have less and less time. But with a few simple ideas and some planning, meal time can be an enjoyable and treasured family time.
Designate no less than one night per week to have a sit-down meal with your family. Sunday nights are usually a good choice for this because you have more time to relax and the weekend chores have been completed.
Involve your children in the meal planning and preparation. This gives them a strong sense of self and the foundation for a lifetime of healthy meal planning and preparation.
Make sure the television is off, and make it a rule that all phone calls go to voice mail or the answering machine during the meal. Take this time to visit with one another and enjoy one another’s company. This is a great time to reconnect and find out what events happened this week. Take your time eating, and teach your children how to do the same in the process. Eating slowly is a healthy habit. Don’t jump up and start clearing dishes and putting things away until everyone is done eating and talking.
On those days that you can’t sit down as a family, try to make a habit of sitting down and chatting with them while they are eating, instead of rushing around catching up on the chores. This shows them you’re interested and that you care and want to be and involved and important part of their every day life.

Sharing Books with Children

admin — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:05:41 +0000

One of my first memories of childhood is that of my mother reading Dr. Seuss books to me in a big brown recliner in our living room. That memory brings with it sounds and smells and a general feeling of safety and comfort that never fades, even after all these years. Naturally, one of the first memories I have of my own first born child is sitting in a big chair and reading Little Golden Books to him.

Sharing books and reading with my children is as natural as giving them baths and making their breakfast. Its just something I do everyday, and its one of the most pleasurable moments of my day. I love to hold my two year old in my lap while we snuggle up and look through his ever growing library of books. His favorite books change weekly as his interests broaden. Books open up the world to him and his imagination is bubbling over with new ideas every day.

More than just telling a story, books help children better understand their own ideas and feelings and often calm an upset toddler when nothing else will work. They see and hear about other kids like them and others from around the world who are different. Weve all seen little kids acting out the stories they hear. As a child I spent many afternoons pretending to be the characters from my favorite books. Just recently my son was playing Dr.Dan. The Bandage Man, a current favorite Little Golden Book.

Although reading with children is so very rewarding for both adult and child, little kids need time to look at books alone. This allows them the opportunity to look at the pictures and develop the habit of reading even though they cant yet read. In my Family Child Care, I have different libraries available in different rooms in my home. The kids have labeled these areas libraries themselves, and will often rotate the books from room to room and act out going to the library daily. Imagine my surprise when I first witnessed a three year old taking the younger kids to the library.

Because books are a very user-friendly activity and require no prep or cleanup other than returning them to the library, parents can and should use any opportunity to share books with their young children. Long car or plane trips, waiting rooms, in shopping carts, you name it, you can hand a child a book and make just about any transition or otherwise boring activity exciting. Books and reading can be both a group or individual activity, and many children who are normally shy in a group setting will sit in the reading circle and share story-time while making new friends.

By sharing books with your young child, you are planting a precious memory that will last a lifetime for both parent and child. They in turn will continue the tradition with their own children and remember those special times. A world of experiences and ideas are waiting for you to introduce to them.

Tactics for Tackling a Toddler’s Temper Tantrum

admin — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:29:26 +0000

Tactics for Tackling a Toddler’s Temper Tantrum
Even the best behaved toddler has an occasional temper tantrum. A tantrum can range from whining and crying to screaming, kicking, hitting, and breath holding. They’re equally common in boys and girls and usually occur from age 1 to age 3. Some children may experience regular tantrums, whereas for other children, tantrums may be rare. Some kids are more prone to throwing a temper tantrum than others.
Toddlers are trying to master the world and when they aren’t able to accomplish a task, they often use one of the only tools at their disposal for venting frustration – a tantrum. There are several basic causes of tantrums that are familiar to parents everywhere: The child is seeking attention or is tired, hungry, or uncomfortable. In addition, tantrums are often the result of children’s frustration with the world. Frustration is an unavoidable part of kids’ lives as they learn how people, objects, and their own bodies work.
Tantrums are common during the second year of life, a time when children are acquiring language. Toddlers generally understand more than they can express. As language skills improve, tantrums tend to decrease.
Keep off-limits objects out of sight and out of reach, which will make struggles less likely to develop over them. Distract your child. Take advantage of your little one’s short attention span by offering a replacement for the coveted object or beginning a new activity to replace the frustrating or forbidden one. And choose your battles: consider the request carefully when your child wants something. Is it outrageous? Maybe it isn’t. Accommodate when possible to avoid an outburst.
Make sure your child isn’t acting up simply because he or she isn’t getting enough attention. To a child, negative attention (a parent’s response to a tantrum) is better than no attention at all. Try to establish a habit of catching your child being good (”time in”), which means rewarding your little one with attention and praise for positive behavior. This will teach them that acting appropriately makes mommy and daddy happy and proud, and they’ll be anxious to do it again and again.
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Reading activities

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 05:25:03 +0000

In a world that is slowly but surely turning away from books and getting
glued to monitors or television screens, the importance of developing a
passion for reading cannot be overlooked. Reading is a habit and should be
established when the child is relatively young. What can you do to foster
this habit?

Enroll your child for reading classes:
There are many well structured after school reading classes that aim to
draw the children to books. They help kids with diction, idioms and
phrases. For young children, these classes can be fun with animated
characters and pictures. Illustrated picture books, rhymes, silly songs
and pretend stories all attract the young child. Use creativity to capture
the child’s vivid imagination.

Pique your child’s interest:
If your child has a favorite character, pick a series of books that
features this character. For my son, it was Spiderman. Thanks to friendly
neighborhood spidey, my son latched on to comics fairly early in his
childhood.

Build a home-library:
A skill like reading cannot be learnt in isolation. Do not leave all the
hard work to the after school program. Pick up books that you think your
child will like. The Internet is also a rich resource of reading games
that will attract little children to the fine art of reading.

Protect Your Baby – Talc Is Extremely Dangerous

admin — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 08:13:13 +0000

Before using body powder on you or your baby, consider that not all body powder products are baby-safe. Body powders as well as baby powders, having talc as main ingredient may do more harm to you and your baby than good.

1. Talc Is Like Abestos!

Talc is a rock that is mined and processed by crushing and grinding, drying the grinded materials, and then milling them. Through processing, a number of trace minerals are eliminated, but some minute fibers that are comparable to ABESTOS are not separated. Talc, as it is cheap and widely available, is the main ingredient of most baby powders, perfumed body powders and medicated body powders. You put yourself and your baby at risk when you inhale these products. Body powder is used after bath to keep skin smelling good or to relieve irritated skin. Plenty of individuals are still unaware of the inextricable connection between talc and asbestos. In fact, these two chemicals are very much alike.

2. Talc Causes Cancer!

Particles of talc can cause lung and ovarian tumors. Studies have clearly shown that constant and repeated use of powder in the females genital area lead to cancer! Talc is able to move inside the reproductive system becomes lodged along the ovary lining. Studies show that talc particles are found in the ovarian tumor and researchers say that women with ovarian tumors have the habit of using talcum powder on their genital area.

3. Powder Inhalation Causes Deaths!

Since the early 1980s, records prove that several infants die each year due to accidental baby powder inhalation. Talc is a household hazard. It is used on babies to prevent diaper rash and to absorb moisture in the skin, keeping babies fresh. Evidently, dusting with baby powder endangers your infants lungs as there is great possibility of inhaling the product. It is dangerous to expose your baby to this carcinogen. Swelling and irritation of the lungs may occur when the powder is inhaled, and therefore may lead to breathing difficulties. Also, if talc gets in contact with babys rash or broken skin, inflammatory reaction may take place and that could be very uncomfortable.

4. Use A Substitute!

- Instead of powder, use petroleum jelly on babies bottoms every diaper change. It is very effective in preventing diaper rash, because it provides the skin with a film, keeping wetness off the skin.
- Use medicated ointments to treat rashes on babies and on your skin.
- Ask your pediatrician about other options and products that you can safely use as a baby powder substitute.
- Cornstarch mixed with baking soda is a great and safer alternative, to keep you and your baby fresh. It is much coarser than body or baby powder, and you can also add fragrance in it, if you want to smell good after applying it.

5. Products Worth Checking Into

- Neways body and baby powder
- Natural body powder
- Dermaglow Natural body and baby powder
- Lady Emilys Talc-free body powder
- Johnsons cornstarch baby powder
- Burts bee dusting body powder
- PuriSorb. Very mild, good for all types of skin and formulated with chitosan, aloe vera, tapioca starch, and vitamin E.

6. Guidelines

- Check and read the label. The product MUST be talc-free.
- Check the date on the container and make sure that the product is fresh. Powder that is stored too long can breed bacteria and contaminate your or your babys skin.
- Dont apply baby powder directly from the container. Pour it first on your palm and gently pat it unto babys bottom. Keep powder away from babys face.
- Likewise, be gentle in applying body powder to yourself. Never dust it on your face and neck directly, to avoid inhaling it, as this can lead to throat irritation.
- Dont use body powder on both your and your baby girls genital area, as well as to areas surrounding it.
- Avoid putting powder on babys skin creases, as the powder cakes can build up and encourage bacteria growth and can cause fungal infection.
- If you have sensitive skin, an unscented body powder will be best for you.
- During diaper change, never let your baby play with the powder; it can accidentally spill on his face, causing him to choke, or that he will inhale too much powder and lead to serious lung complication.

SLEEP DURING INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD.

admin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:09:23 +0000

During infancy.
—————

For three or four weeks after birth the infant sleeps more or less, day and night, only waking to satisfy the demands of hunger; at the expiration of this time, however, each interval of wakefulness grows longer, so that it sleeps less frequently, but for longer periods at a time.

This disposition to repose in the early weeks of the infant’s life must not be interfered with; but this period having expired, great care is necessary to induce regularity in its hours of sleep, otherwise too much will be taken in the day-time, and restless and disturbed nights will follow. The child should be brought into the habit of sleeping in the middle of the day, before its dinner, and for about two hours, more or less. If put to rest at a later period of the day, it will invariably cause a bad night.

At first the infant should sleep with its parent. The low temperature of its body, and its small power of generating heat, render this necessary. If it should happen, however, that the child has disturbed and restless nights, it must immediately be removed to the bed and care of another female, to be brought to its mother at an early hour in the morning, for the purpose of being nursed. This is necessary for the preservation of the mother’s health, which through sleepless nights would of course be soon deranged, and the infant would also suffer from the influence which such deranged health would have upon the milk.

When a month or six weeks has elapsed, the child, if healthy, may sleep alone in a cradle or cot, care being taken that it has a sufficiency of clothing, that the room in which it is placed is sufficiently warm, viz. 60 degrees, and the position of the cot itself is not such as to be exposed to currents of cold air. It is essentially necessary to attend to these points, since the faculty of producing heat, and consequently the power of maintaining the temperature, is less during sleep than at any other time, and therefore exposure to cold is especially injurious. It is but too frequently the case that inflammation of some internal organ will occur under such circumstances, without the true source of the disease ever being suspected. Here, however, a frequent error must be guarded against, that of covering up the infant in its cot with too much clothing throwing over its face the muslin handkerchief and, last of all, drawing the drapery of the bed closely together. The object is to keep the infant sufficiently warm with pure air; it therefore ought to have free access to its mouth, and the atmosphere of the whole room should be kept sufficiently warm to allow the child to breathe it freely: in winter, therefore, there must always be a fire in the nursery.

The child up to two years old, at least, should sleep upon a feather bed, for the reasons referred to above. The pillow, however, after the sixth month, should be made of horsehair; for at this time teething commences, and it is highly important that the head should be kept cool.

During childhood.
—————-

Up to the third or fourth year the child should be permitted to sleep for an hour or so before its dinner. After this time it may gradually be discontinued; but it must be recollected, that during the whole period of childhood more sleep is required than in adult age. The child, therefore, should be put to rest every evening between seven and eight; and if it be in health it will sleep soundly until the following morning. No definite rule, however, can be laid down in reference to the number of hours of sleep to be allowed; for one will require more or less than another.Regularity as to the time of going to rest is the chief point to attend to; permit nothing to interfere with it, and then only let the child sleep without disturbance, until it awakes of its own accord on the following morning, and it will have had sufficient rest.

The amount of sleep necessary to preserve health varies according to the state of the body, and the habits of the individual. Infants pass much the greater portion of their time in sleep. Children sleep twelve or fourteen hours. The schoolboy generally ten. In youth, a third part of the twenty-four hours is spent in sleep. Whilst, in advanced age, many do not spend more than four, five, or six hours in sleep.

It is a cruel thing for a mother to sacrifice her child’s health that she may indulge her own vanity, and yet how often is this done in reference to sleep. An evening party is to assemble, and the little child is kept up for hours beyond its stated time for retiring to rest, that it may be exhibited, fondled, and admired. Its usual portion of sleep is thus abridged, and, from the previous excitement, what little he does obtain, is broken and unrefreshing, and he rises on the morrow wearied and exhausted.

Once awake, it should not be permitted to lie longer in bed, but should be encouraged to arise immediately. This is the way to bring about the habit of early rising, which prevents many serious evils to which parents are not sufficiently alive, promotes both mental and corporeal health, and of all habits is said to be the most conducive to longevity.

A child should never be suddenly aroused from sleep; it excites the brain, quickens the action of the heart, and, if often repeated, serious consequences would result. The change of sleeping to waking should always be gradual.

The bed on which the child now sleeps should be a mattress: at this age a feather bed is always injurious to children; for the body, sinking deep into the bed, is completely buried in feathers, and the unnatural degree of warmth thus produced relaxes and weakens the system, particularly the skin, and renders the child unusually susceptible to the impressions of cold. Then, instead of the bed being made up in the morning as soon as vacated, and while still saturated with the nocturnal exhalations from the body, the bed-clothes should be thrown over the backs of chairs, the mattress shaken well up, and the window thrown open for several hours, so that the apartment shall be thoroughly ventilated. It is also indispensably requisite not to allow the child to sleep with persons in bad health, or who are far advanced in life; if possible, it should sleep alone.

Find info on your childrens health » Habit

The Whys of Whining

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The Positive Influence of Being Involved in your Child’s Education

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Thumb Sucking – A Common Problem For Children

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Teach Your Children About Money

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The Family that Eats Together Stays Healthy Together

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Sharing Books with Children

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Tactics for Tackling a Toddler’s Temper Tantrum

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Reading activities

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Protect Your Baby – Talc Is Extremely Dangerous

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SLEEP DURING INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD.

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