Archive for July, 2007

Almost all the kids love to play games, so the games are the major part of their lives.

Games play a major role on the development of your child. Choosing the right kid games can be a challenging task for you.

Kid games must include lot of fun to entertain your children, but you also want them to get something from the games.

It is most important to choose the right kid games for your child. Kid games enhance the emotional, physical and intellectual development of children.

There are different types of kid games including computer or video games, outdoor games, board games, card games, etc.

Computer or video games:

You can find a vast number of computer and video games. Among which some are educational games. Some kid games encourage creative thinking, improves hand and eye coordination and puzzle solving.

A good puzzle is a great way to spend time with your kids. It provides good time to think, to stimulate neural pathway development and maintenance.

Outdoor games:

Outdoor games provide a great way to encourage the teamwork and at the same time your child can get exercise. Some of the outdoor games like softball, baseball, wiffleball are good for your child exercise.

The love and happiness that your first child brought into your life is beyond measure. You are expecting another child now.

The thought of sharing mom and dad with new baby can be unsettling for your young child.

Older child feels rejected! When a new baby comes into picture, your old child’s world is destroyed.

Up to now, you had paid all the attention to your young child. Now they feel rejected and jealous because you spend time with new baby.

Child feels insecured! It is natural that young children feel insecured with the arrival of new baby. Anxiety in child develops. You have to think in your child’s point of view and support child in all aspects.

Your child thinks why you left home for several days, why you are staying at the hospital, what you are doing there and when she will come back. And when you return home with new baby, they are upset.

Ignoring older one! Every one concentrates on new baby and ignores him. Anxiety in child increases when he feels neglected. This does not mean to make you feel guilty to have second child. But, you have to reduce anxiety in child and understand his feelings. You should talk to him before the arrival of new child.

Attachment parenting is a strong emotional bond between you and your children during their childhood.

It is also known as secure attachment, is a precursor of secure, empathic relationship in adulthood.

Facts about attachment parenting:

• Attachment parenting describes a parenting approach rooted in attachment theory.
• Attachment theory suggests that an infant has a tendency to seek closeness to another person and feel secure when that person is present.
• In attachment theory, children attach to their parents because they are social beings and attachment is the part of normal child development.
• Attachment parenting is a technique of caring for your infant that conveys the best in both you and your baby.

Dr. Sears’ proposes seven attachment tools which are also called as baby B’s.

Attachment parenting tools:

Birth bonding:

Birth bonding is the way in which you and your baby get started with one anothers’ help. It is a sensitive period for both of you after your baby’s birth, in which you and your baby are exceptionally primed to want to be close to one another.

Breastfeeding:

Home child care is nothing but a traditional day care center. Home child care is a family based center.

It usually manages maximum number of children. Home child care means a private caregiver offers daycare services from their private residence.

You should have seen the home child care centers in your neighborhood or a friend that watches several children.

Many parents find these home child care centers a good choice for toddlers and preschoolers who need less supervision

Points to consider for home child care:

• Home child care centers usually charge less than traditional daycare centers. The cost ranges from $6000 to $8400 per year for each child. The prices are not fixed. It is based on the home child care center. It the center if well furnished with good facilities, it will be expensive.
• Many parents prefer home child care centers because the environment is more comfortable. Many find it as a less sterile environment. The benefit includes more socialization for your children. Some children enjoy the home environment because they have access to a home and backyard to play in.

Are you facing problems with your child behavior?

Time-outs are used to decrease undesirable child behavior.

So, what is exactly a time-out?

Time-out means time out from any rewarding or fun experiences.

Time-out! Select the place for time-out.

The time-out area should be easily accessible and the location should be in such a way that the child can be monitored easily.

If you have shorter periods of time-out such as five to ten minutes, it will be effective rather than longer periods such as half an hour.

Time-out procedure should be real and you have to stick to it. You should explain to your child that he is in time-out period and he should face the situation. You should not allow your child to further discuss about it.

Do not allow your child to talk during the time-out. You should also not communicate with your child in any way. You should not allow your child to play with toys, watch television or play games. If your child is violating time-out, reset the clock for another time-out period.

A better child sleep can be attained from a consistent bed time and routine to prepare for bed.

Up to the third or fourth year you should permit a child sleep for an hour or so before his dinner.

At the expiration of childhood period it may be gradually be discounted.

As you know that during the whole period of childhood more sleep is required than in adult age.

There can be no definite rule in reference to the number of hours of child sleep to be allowed for once.

The chief point to be noted is regularity in the time of going to rest. Don’t permit anything to interfere with this schedule. Allow your child sleep without any disturbances, until he awakes on his own and he will have had sufficient rest.

The amount of child sleep necessary to preserve health varies according to the state of the body and the habits of the individuals. Infants pass two third of the time in a day in sleep.

Child sleeps for twelve or fourteen hours. The schoolboy sleeps generally for ten hours. In youth, they spent eight hours in a day for sleep. At the same time as in advanced age, many do not spend more than four, five, or six hours in sleep.

The two terms, child nutrition and development often go together.

Similar to an adult, every child needs proper amounts of proteins, calories, vitamins and minerals to grow.

The requirement for child nutrition differs from that of an adult.

A 3 year old child needs not more than 1,300 calories daily.

Child nutrition mainly depends on the height, weight, and daily activity level of your child.

Child nutrition that you must include in your child’s diet is:

• Fresh vegetables and fruits
• Dairy products
• Grains
• Liquids
• Portions

Some of the guidelines for child nutrition are:

• Choose the foods that are less salty and less spicy.
• Offer a wide variety of child nutrition foods like green leafy vegetables, legumes, fresh fruits, etc.
• Introduce child nutrition that is rich in calcium. This helps to build and maintain strong bones. Give low fat milk and fat-free products to your child.
• Orange juice and treats made with frozen yogurt and fruits, or milkshakes made with low-fat milk are always welcomed into your child’s diet. They provide needed calcium for your child’s body.
• Encourage your child to eat plenty of cereals.

Toddlers are wonderful little beings but parenting toddlers is the toughest challenge.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the continual demands of your little one, you are not alone.

Your toddler tests your patience. You have to bring out parenting skills present in you.

Each toddler is unique and the key to parenting toddlers is to understand your toddler.

By understanding your toddler’s behavior, you can support and encourage your toddler.

Toddler development! The toddler years are exciting and they experience emotional and physical development.

They stand, talk, walk and explore every corner of the world. They see different items that look interesting. They immediately walk or move to the item to touch or take into their hands

First they walk, then they run and start to climb the stairs also. Soon they experience falling down and getting into unsafe conditions. They climb on cabinets, furniture and out of their crib.

Attention to toddler! The important thing in parenting toddlers is, you have to watch, listen and observe what your toddler is doing. If you understand the needs of the toddler, you can anticipate the needs.

Kid sleep is the most frustrating and annoying part of your day.

You are tired and your kids are also tired.

You want little time to relax before you go to bed.

But, your kids are not ready to sleep.

Your kids do other activities. They won’t stay in bed and ask for a drink or go to bathroom again.

Here are tips to make your kid sleep and your nighttime routine go smoother.

Tips to make your kid sleep:

• Set a regular routine and stick to that routine to make your kid sleep. Keep your kid on that schedule. Make your kid follow that routine so that they will know what to expect each evening. Before putting your kid to sleep, read stories or spend time to cuddle him. This allows your kid to feel secure and loved.
• Don’t allow your child to watch television for more number of hours. If he sits for long hours during the day, he will be active and restless sleep time. Increase your kid’s activities in day time. Don’t allow your kid to involve in high stimulus activities an hour before bed. This prepares your kid to settle down to sleep.

Going to start your little girl potty training?

You should follow a personalized approach when preparing your little girl for potty training.

Some parents simply declare one day “no more diapers” and they do just fine.

Some parents dedicate weeks and weeks in preparation without success.

You have to follow some tricks for girl potty training to attain success.

Tricks for Girl Potty Training:

Let your girl to watch mommy pee. This will take mother’s privacy but it is worth for your little girl. Girls love to imitate people so if mummy makes a trip to the toilet, it seems most exciting thing to them. But, when it is their turn, they resist using the potty.

Before starting girl potty training, take your little girl to the department store to pick out new panties for her. Allow her to pick whatever colors she likes. It will help to use panties rather than diapers.

If you are starting girl potty training if the girl had never seen one in use before, it will be threatening. Make it familiar to them about potty because one day they use diapers and next day if you say to use potty, it will become huge contraception and resist using.