5 Rules for Teaching Your Kids Respect

If you've been searching for a truly powerful way to teach communication skills to your kids, now is the time to make it happen. The family meeting shows your children how. Look inside for 5 important rules.
Let's pretend your kids, Jack and Jessica, bring up the problem Jack's having with the bully next door. As a family, gather around the table to discuss it .The family meeting rules will help you.

First Rule - Listen with Respect:

Children are taught to listen without interrupting. They must repeat what the speaker says before they offer their thoughts.
Let's say your Jack is afraid of the neighbor boy. He's big. He's loud, and he makes fun of Jack in front of all the other children. He calls Jack “shrimp” and “fatso.” Jack runs home in tears while all the kids laugh at him, except Jessica. She runs home to be with Jack.
Imagine Jack actually listening to Jessica's ideas about the bully. Jack will even prove it by repeating her thoughts.

Second Rule - Speak with Respect:

Jack and Jessica will get the practice they need to share their thoughts clearly and with few words. They must avoid hogging the spotlight too.
Can you see Jessica, your chatterbox, give a brief explanation of her thoughts? As parents, you guide your children to listen, take turns, and follow President Franklin Roosevelt's advice, “Be sincere, be brief; be seated.”
Consider pointing to a sign which says: “Listen! Repeat! Be brief!” You'll never need to nag when they break the communication rules. You'll just point to the sign.

Third Rule - Discuss Issues Respectfully:

Let's say the bully teases Jack every day. The bully's behavior and Jack's response are the issues.
Give every family member a turn to express what they know about the bully. Find out what they think needs to be done. You'll learn important information.
Watch Jessica as she silently looks at Jack while all the members listen to him speak. You've taught her to be respectful by letting him finish his thoughts.

Fourth Rule - Vote for the Best Solutions:

Each member offers respectful solutions. This keeps each member feeling involved and caring. Discuss each person's idea. Vote for the best solutions.

Fifth Rule - Offer respectful commitments:

Each member shares a specific promise to make the bully situation better. They're respectful because they''re sincere. The commitments are written down to review the next week.

Conclusion ~ Communication Skills, Respect, and Family Meetings:

How do the above rules teach your children respectful communication skills? Kids keep quiet while another member speaks. They learn to listen. They briefly repeat in their own words what the member before them said. Then they take their turn to speak. They express themselves with few words. How respectful is that?
Of course, you will need to decide whether to step in or let the children handle the problem. Maybe you'll talk with the bully or with his parents. Maybe the school authorities will need to help. It's your decision.
Can you see how the family meeting teaches your children family unity too? They'll feel bonded within the family and protective of each other. They won't want their sibling bullied by another kid. The family meeting promotes their love. It teaches them to become confident communicators too.

The Anger Scale: Teach Your Kids Now or You'll Be Sorry

The Anger Scale Can Help Your Kids Reduce Rage ~
When Daniel heard he couldn't go on the Hammer at the amusement park, his eyes bulged and he shouted, “That's not fair!”
“The sign where you got the ticket says you have to be at least 4 feet 10 inches tall to ride. I'm sorry,” said the ticket taker.
Hearing that, Daniel began kicking at the man and screaming, “You're a fat pig!”
As Daniel's dad struggled with him, the security guard came over and said they'd have to leave the park if the parents couldn't get their son under control. Because Daniel never did get under control, the whole family had to leave.

The Problem with Excessive Anger:

Excessive anger leads to rage. Rage can keep your child out of activities; hurt his reputation, his social skills, and his life.
How Rage Hurts Your Child:

1. Angry kids are avoided by classmates.
2. Children who rage gain a bad reputation.
3. Kids who rage risk becoming abusive adults.
4. Children who rage harbor ugly thoughts, feelings, and behaviors throughout their lives.
5. Kids who rage lessen the possibility for their own future happiness.
Tantrums can hurt you too:

1. Your kid's rage can deafen your reasonable mind and get you boiling.
2. If you respond to a tantrum with a tantrum, you reduce yourself to your child's level.
3. Your rage makes you look foolish and fuels more blow-ups from your child.
How the Anger Scale Can Help You:
Use it on yourself at a time when you're not angry. Look back at the last time you lost control. Practice changing your anger in that situation to mere frustration. When you make the change, you'll know how to help your child.
Never give yourself permission to be out of control by saying, “I couldn't help it.”

The Anger Scale ~ How to Teach Kids Now

When your child is in an even mood, ask him if he's willing to learn how to control his anger. If he says “Yes,” ask him to list the ways his anger hurts him, like:

1. I get in trouble.
2. I get too mad.
3. I don't have friends.
4. I don't get to do things I want to do.
5. Everybody thinks I'm bad.
Tell him you have a method that will help him. Show him this Anger Scale.

The Anger Scale:

Draw a “zero to ten point” scale. At the zero end of the scale, write “No Anger.” From numbers four to seven write “Frustration.” At the numbers eight to ten, write “Anger/Rage.”
0----1-----2------3------4--------5-------6--------7-------8------9-----10

No Anger = 0
Frustration = 4-7
Anger/Rage = 8-10

In situations where we don't get what we want, feeling frustrated (4-7) is normal.
Feeling No anger isn't realistic.
Rage that expresses out-of-control thoughts, feelings, and behaviors isn't normal or realistic either.
Frustration falls in the middle of two extremes. With frustration we are able to reason and think of better ways to handle disappointments.

Parenting Exercise for Changing Rage to Frustration in Kids:

Tell him the goal is to bring his anger down from the 8-10 range to the 4-7 range. Ask him to vividly imagine the last time he had a temper tantrum. Make sure he feels the anger he had at that time.
Ask, “Where is your anger on the Anger Scale right now?” (It should be high.) Say to your child, “Think about what happened that made you feel so angry. Close your eyes. Feel the anger. Then bring that angry feeling down to the 4-7 range.” Wait a bit to give your child time to do it. Then say, “When you've reached the frustration range, open your eyes.”
Ask your child, “Where is your number on the anger scale now?” (It should have moved downward.)
Then ask, “How did you do it?”
Some kids may say, “I don't know.” If so, say, “Guess.”
Typically, your child brought the number down by changing his thoughts because extreme negative feelings come from extreme negative thoughts. Tell your child to use this special scale whenever his anger feelings are getting out of control.

Conclusion for the Anger Scale ~ Teach Your Kids Now

The Anger Scale teaches how to visualize rage and bring it down to a reasonable level. When your child is consistently able to bring it down to frustration, he'll have a better reputation, he like himself better, and have a real chance for a happy life. So use the Anger Scale now. You won't be sorry later. In fact, you'll be glad you did.

Build Character and Motivate Kids with 3 Little Rhymes!

Raising motivated kids with character-building rhymes can be powerful. Why? Positive rhymes motivate but negative thoughts irritate.
Today you'll receive 3 motivational rhymes, 3 brainstorming one-liners, and how to teach self-talk rhyming to your children.

Your Child's Lead Ball and Chain

Imagine your child carrying a lead ball and chain into school, relationships, and chores. Negative thoughts are that ball and chain if your child thinks:

1. I hate school.
2. I hate those kids.
3. I hate chores
Children learn to try simple tasks, give up on hard ones, and complain. Such a ball-and-chain attitude becomes a habit and poisons their young minds. No parent wants this for their children. What can be done? Keep reading.

How Self-Talk Rhymes Build Character

Positive 2-line poems help your children keep trying. These rhymes become the seeds that grow into strong “can-do” minds. They become the self-talk in your child's daily thinking and they build character.
I taught this rhyme to my granddaughter:

“Hip, hip, hooray,
I tried today!”
Now she automatically says it aloud and gives me a high 5 whenever she tries something difficult. It tickles me inside to see her enthusiasm.

3 Self-Talk Rhymes that Motivate and Build Character

1. Some kids complain about homework. They don't realize that successful kids don't like it either. The difference is that positive thinkers don't give up. If you have a complainer, consider turning him around by often repeating aloud this self-talk rhyme:

Doing homework can be fun,
When I've tried and when I'm done.
This rhyme paints a positive picture of effort and completion. It could help unlock that ball and chain that complainers often drag throughout their lives.
2. Some children fight with siblings, neighbor kids, and classmates. They lack social skills and use fighting to get their way. Here's a rhyme that when repeated often, might help them loosen their ball and chain:

I don't argue and I don't fight,
Getting along is what feels right.

This poem creates positive feelings and motivates kids to get along. With it you can discuss ideas for making friends.
3. Other children hate chores and drag their feet like a ball and chain. They hope their parents will do the work for them. Sometimes their work is so sloppy that parents take over. This poem, when repeated often, could help:

When I put away my toys,
It makes for tidy girls and boys.
This rhyme promotes organizational skills when parents point out that being tidy helps finding toys later.

The Motivational Key for Building Character

When kids repeat positive rhymes, those rhymes become the thoughts that mold their attitudes throughout their lives. The key is the repetition inside their heads. It shapes their character too.
Your Parenting Action Step At dinner give your family a one-liner to rhyme. Explain that the second line must be positive and easy to say and remember. Members can work together in creating the rhyme. Post the rhyme on the refrigerator
. For the next several dinners ask:

1. Who used the rhyme?
2. What was the situation?
3. Has everyone had time to speak.
From then on, repeat the rhyme aloud whenever you need it so your children hear you. This will encourage them to keep using it for themselves.

3 One-Liners for Family Members to Rhyme

1. Say “Excuse me, Thank you, and Please,”
2. My body and mind are very strong,
3. When I go to bed and rest,
Have fun as your family comes up with the second line for each.

Conclusion for Self-Talk Rhymes that Motivate Kids

Teach this fun method to your children. You'll be building character in their thoughtful minds and loving hearts. And remember:

Building character is fine,
When you teach a self-talk rhyme!

Video Games and Your Kids: A Review by Carrie Lauth

 Like many parents, I'm concerned about my kids not spending too much time in front of a screen. Whether that be television, computer, or video games. One reason for this is because I have seen how screen time interferes with other, more important activities like reading, spending time with family, helping around the house, etc.

It seems that boys in particular have a hard time accepting limits around gaming. Since I have two sons, I didn't want any part of the constant fighting over the video game system between themselves and refusing to accept boundaries and limits that I see in other families. I've also observed kids missing sleep and even social interaction with peers because of spending too much in an artificial world, with detrimental effects.

Video Games and Your Kids gathers current research, science and data about why parents should be concerned about their kids spending excessive time playing video (and computer) games. Rather than being the greatest invention since the baby wipe, video games aren't always just harmless fun.

For one, video games are highly addictive. In fact they are designed to be so - marketers call it the "sticky factor". The longer the child plays, the better in their estimation.

Secondly, video games have negative effects on the body and the brain - not only do video games contribute to a sedentary lifestyle but they also retrain the brain and the way it thinks. This has deleterious effects on how a child learns and their ability to learn outside the game.

Parents sometimes believe that video and computer games are "educational" but the evidence does not support that assessment. In fact, some studies point to the opposite effect and have shown a correlation between computer games and decreased vocabulary.

Video games can also lead to a reduced attention span and reduced ability to deal appropriately in social situations. Video games can also lead to eye and vision problems, headaches, sleeping difficulties, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Kids who spend a lot of time gaming even develop poor posture and shallow breathing.

Interestingly, the authors aren't totally opposed to video games but remind parents that they must be very careful about their use. This book is helpful to a parent as it gives us research to back up those gut feelings we have. Allowing a child to have unrestricted access to video games is a bad thing. It also gives you some pointers from these experts on how to spot video game addiction and how to get help for your child - and even yourself or a spouse if you are the ones with a problem.

Carrie Lauth is a homeschooling, work at home Mom of 4 and the mom behind http://www.naturalmomstalkradio.com/blog. Read more of her opinions on parenting books and other products at http://www.naturalmomstalkradio.com/blog/reviews

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

3 Highest Appraised Positive Parenting Tips That Are Certain To Deliver You An Easy Home Life!

Are you currently struggling to balance your family responsibilities along with all of your other chores? If this causes you to bear expression difficulties with your children, the next 3 positive parenting tips should greatly aid your dealings.

Only a few fast beliefs just before we move on. We see that being a guardian could be the most difficult event in the world. That's not in doubt. These, or just about any instructions or support you obtain from this post or it's links, have this exact issue in mind!

The very first positive parenting tip to keep in mind is in the case if a juvenile does not conduct himself or herself in a manner that you think is respectful, you must question yourself, are you currently delivering a model of your attitude that you are demanding of them? It is one event that is imperative, not to mention you can not underestimate this.
If you get quite busy in life, at intervals it's no trouble to fail to remember to do this. We just need to call to mind that it is unfair to expect our kids to act one way, while we act in a way that is inappropriate.

An additional, nevertheless every bit as critical a factor to bear in mind is really an extension of the first tip. If you desire your children to respond in a responsible way, you should always set a proper example, as we just pointed out. However, this really is very much easier uttered than actually done. It might be difficult to keep in mind to do all this only because we so often are so per-occupied with our every single day lives, that we don't see that you'll uncover small ones who're constantly watching us!

One of your best ways to get this done is to be clearly sure you stop for a minute just before you over-react. This way, you will be able to train yourself to be absolutely sure that you simply get the time to double-check whatever you will say or do. It is so crucial to complete this due to the fact, just about each event we say and of course do, will of course be repeated back again.

The final positive parenting tip we would like to deliver you today, is about parents' occasional inclinations to come down sternly on their kids. This is actually a topic which should be presented into many posts. However, in regards to the purposes of this succinct article, we want to present this little bit of advice.

If you are going to say something harshly, hostile, or in an extremely lecturing way in regards to the little ones, ask yourself this one single question. Would you say this specific event to your quite finest friend? When the reply is no, then do not say it to your youngsters. So, in a similar way which you simply stop just before you say, not to mention do anything you do not desire your sons or daughters to say and of course do, it should be a great technique to perform which each time you see yourself beginning to speak out severely in the direction of one of your kids.

Healthy Parenting Skills Are Worth Learning

You'll know all too well that parenting is a difficult job if you have children. But still, there are certain measures parents can take to help ease the many difficult and trying times. Becoming educated on the best ways of handling certain situations is the first key step to take. Whilst we do understand that each and every child has an individual personality, the behavior exhibited by any child isn't new. However, the new thing is your behavior and how you respond effectively. This article will offer some very useful tips on how to sort the issues in a positive way.

Children and adults alike will run into a similar difficulty which has to do with recognizing who they are and being okay with that. Children that grow up need to have strong and structured parents that give them a pathway or road map to follow as they get older. We want to raise our children in a way that allows them to feel loved and accepted, not criticized and judged. Unfortunately, there seems to be too little of that in this world. So you can give your child a most wonderful gift by simply letting him or her feel they are accepted. Love and recognition are powerful tools that you can use as a parent to help mold your children in the best possible manner. Children raised in this manner will have a more outgoing personality that will allow them to make friends much more easily. Peer pressure is something every child comes across and is exposed to, and the effects of it cause many different issues for parents. A big part of this all depends on your child's personality and what kind of relationship you have with him or her. Open communication can be very good for assisting your child. Knowing what is going on in your child's life is important, otherwise you will have no idea of what's wrong or how you can support them. During the teen years your child will start learning how to become independent, so the job of handling peer pressure becomes a lot harder. So, naturally the opinions of peers is very powerful.

Childhood obesity can result in difficult parenting situations if the child is enduring ridicule and harassment at school. Children can be immensely cruel to each other when they want to be, and this can result in a scarred adulthood. From the beginning you should try to stop your child from getting obese, as this is the ideal situation. This means that you need to ensure your child appreciates the situation and understands why it isn't healthy at all. But parents must be responsible role models by setting good examples for their children. It is difficult to counsel your child about obesity if you are also overweight.

So let's face it, some parenting problems will be a lot more difficult to deal with than others. But the good news is there are very many areas of support and education available. Getting a referral for a professional from the doctor may be something you should do if the situation warrants it. Parents must fully appreciate the fact that they're not doing everything alone, there is good quality information out there.

Choosing children's sun protection clothes

   by Kids And Outdoors

Sun-protection is so important for our youngsters to be able to guard them from melanoma in adult life. The significant source of skin cancer is an excessive amount sun and exposure to it is drastically decreased with some type of UV protection.

Since most dangerous skin cancers are preventable with the help of Ultra-violet protection gear or sun block lotion, there is no excuse to cause the children unnecessary danger through sun burn. UV protective clothing will be lab tested and may give a coverage to at least UPF 50 or higher.

Motivation – 10 Parenting Mistakes You Must Avoid with Your Kids

By Jean Tracy, MSS

Motivation is difficult when your kids won't try. Some parents get so frustrated that they try unpleasant methods which crush motivation and discourage character. Inside you'll learn 10 parenting mistakes you must avoid.

1. Praise Kids Only for Their Successes.

Parents who praise kids only for their successes:

• Create anxious perfectionistic kids
• Discourage kids from trying unless they have a guarantee of success
• Lessen kids' ability to handle setbacks

Parenting: You Don't Have to Be An Expert to Guide Your Children's Character

By Jean Tracy, MSS

If you want your children to become a people of character with a crystal clear conscience and free of emotional pain, keep reading. Find out how conversations help your kids build character.

Kids Don't Respect Parents Who Lack Character

If children hear their parents say one thing but hear them gossip, yell, see them drink too much, or act the opposite of their good advice, kids won't take their good advice seriously. They won't respect their parents but they might walk in their same footsteps.

Character Building: How Parents Choose Self-Esteem over Outbursts

By Jean Tracy, MSS
If you're a parent and you'd like to choose self-esteem over outbursts, it can be done. Self-esteem builds character. Outbursts tear it down. Keep reading to find easy ways to build self-esteem.
“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; and the other is wings.”
~ Hodding Carter

Choose Words that Promote Self-Esteem in Your Child

5 Parenting Mistakes: How Kids Learn to Disrespect You

By Jean Tracy, MSS

Did you know kids learn to disrespect parents who are too kind? If you already treat your child like a princess, you know what I mean.Let's learn the mistakes and then the solutions leading to character.
I remember a young teen in my family counseling practice, who told me what she thought of her mother.
“I hate that..." She used the “B” word. Then she muttered, “She's such a wimp.”
Her mother complained, "I don't know why she treats me like this. Since she was little, I've given her everything she wants. BINGO!

Parents, Here Are 5 Mistakes You Must Avoid:

Benefits Of Children Getting Enough Sleep

Everyone believes sleeping is essential, however it is among the first things we take off our ‘to do’ checklist. You will have to reconsider making sleep a priority given it affects a great number of parts of your life. Additionally you want to lead by example for your children. A child getting the right amount of rest is essential for healthy development.

10 Ways to Keep Your Child's Brain and Body Healthy

Raising children isn’t easy. As parents, we are expected to do a lot of things for our children to insure their safety and wellness. Sometimes, it’s tough to know what is right for them, and what isn’t. After all, they have technology available to them that we never had. They also have a lot more distractions than we did. They are consumed with stuff! These things in life don’t always scream "hey, this is really going to hurt them later on down the road!"

So what are the essentials in life, in order to raise a happy and healthy child? I wanted to make a list of the most important things to remember, since life is so busy. I wanted to show parents that simple is best, sometimes, and raising a child in this day and age doesn’t have to be so difficult.

Here is a list of ten things we need to do with our children, to make sure that they will be well- adjusted, and to give them the best chance at life, when they become adults.

Requisites About Being a Parent

I am just absolutely sure every family has heard the expression, " it certainly is not easy to be a mom or dad". Nearly no person at any rate is eligible so as to be a mother or father once individuals first grow to be one. Merely via trial and error do people turn out to be superior parents and raise ones own children perfectly. To bring up youngsters very well, one wants to contemplate several factors that contribute when it comes to the development of your little one, even to the point of the games and toys kids play with.

How to Help Your Child Achieve Better in School

"If you want it seriously enough, you'll soon find a way to get it". A common saying that is easy to understand but how easy is it to actually do what it says?

One of the problems young parents face is that of helping their young kids achieve well in school. Many parents are aware that their children would need a little extra help but some of these parents are either not educated enough themselves, are too busy, or have not got the resources to give their children that extra push.

Helping Your Baby Through The Teething Process

When a baby begins to go through the teething process it can be very painful for them and very frustrating for you as a parent trying to provide some relief.

Most babies usually start teething around the age of 6 months. Typically, the two lower front teeth will come in first, followed by the two top front teeth.

The Four Parenting Styles

The following article offers some insight to those involved in the wonderful world known as Parenting.

There are just as many parenting styles as there are a number of parents. Experts believe the parenting styles fall into 4 different and identifiable styles: authoritarian, indulgent, authoritative, and uninvolved.
Let's examine this more closely. The first parenting style is that of the authoritarian parent. These parents are like army commanders. They prefer to issue commands and orders to their children and fully expect their children to carry out their orders without questioning them. Authoritarians do not welcome nor appreciate any feedback from their children. They live by set and defined rules in a structured environment.. These children as we now know, are generally considered to have an unhappy nature about them. Boys generally exhibit hostile behaviour when dealing with frustration, whereas girls tend to give up easily when faced with difficult situations. Both the boys and girls however, tend to perform better in school due to their disciplined upbringing.

Essential Abilities You Need To Have As A Parent

 Parenting isn't easy and there are some very important skills that you either already have or need to develop as you go along. May parents just raise their kids the same way that they themselves were raised and this is not something that always yields the best results. In this article we are going to look at some of the most important skills that each parent needs to have.

Summer's Coming: What Are You Going To Do With Your Kids?

The weather is warming up quickly. Summer camp registration is well underway. Before you know it, the pool will be open and it will be time for the beach, picnics and barbeques. It won't be long before your kids come home from school shouting, "School's out for summer!!"

Maths Tuitions - The Best Solution for Kids Who Are Struggling With Maths

Classes conducted in the school are not always enough to help your kids get through in their exams. This is especially true with maths, as many kids find it hard to keep up with the ongoing maths lessons in the class. However, there is no point in blaming the teacher, who is faced with the task of tending several students during the short period of the class. Hence, maths tuition can be the only solution, particularly if the child is struggling even with the elementary concepts.

Electrical Safety for Kids

If you're going to learn about electrical safety for kids, you should know the dangers of damaged or faulty electrical cords. Have you ever wondered why appliances have cords with a rubbery coating?

The rubber coating is actually an insulating layer that keeps the electricity trapped inside. An insulator is like the opposite of a conductor. A conductor lets electricity travel through it, whereas an insulator doesn't.
An appliance cord has both a conductor and an insulator. The conductor is on the inside, letting electricity from your wall socket reach the appliance. The insulator is on the outside, trapping the electricity within the cord and protecting you from electrical shocks.

Tips on How to Keep Kids Safe

Baby-proofing one's house is a huge ordeal, but many people do not go beyond what the book says and consider other dangers as well. In reality there are lots of issues both in and outside the home that offer risks most parents are not willing to take if they find out about them. Even simple tasks like getting in and outside of the car can be dangerous if using products improperly, and knowing about the issues helps people change to avoid huge mistakes.

Advice for a Healthful Baby

It is never too early to keep your baby’s heart healthy, and there are numerous little things that you can do just that. Probably the most critical things you should do is fill your pediatrician in on any heart problem history the family may have. You know that smoking may be bad for you lungs and heart, so naturally you don’t smoke around your baby.

Best Advice For Breastfeeding in Public

The advice on breastfeeding seems to flow thick and fast. Please forgive the pun. Some advice is often quite prescriptive; particularly to new mothers in the beginning, from well intentioned and busy midwives. Often the best advice comes from other Mums who have been there recently and learnt from their experience. Forums such as ‘mumsnet’ are often invaluable sources of frank and honest advice. If you read just some of the posts, the main thread of advice that comes through is; relax, take the prescriptive advice with a pinch of salt, let baby take the lead a bit and don’t get stress about it! After all, the alternative is far from the end of the world!

How to Help Your Anxious Child

How long will child anxiety last? When my daughter started having anxiety and then panic, I kept hoping it would last just a few weeks...then months...then a year. I am a psychologist so I knew what was happening but as a dad my expectations were all over the place like any parent. Having your expectations way off can make this journey more excruciating than it is already.

Real Food, Real Kids, Real Love: 10 (surprising!) ways to raise a healthy eater

Almost nothing troubles us more than what our kids will (or won't!) eat.

Whether you fear you are raising a carb-junkie, picky eater, or veggie-phobe, the root of that parental fear is all the same: that somehow, we can CONTROL our kids' tastes if only we have the right advice and food on hand. So then we invest: in advice books, cookbooks, kitchen gadgets (slap chop, anyone?), and most notably in our time, stress, and energy. We kill ourselves in the kitchen, guilt ourselves over 'failures', and chide our partners and relatives for undermining our carefully thought out-efforts. Sound familiar?

The truth is, all kids are different. Just like they mature and grow at different rates, so do their palates.

Understanding why your baby is crying

Often times, when a baby is crying they are trying to communicate their needs, which requires your assistance. It can be frustrating as a parent trying to identify what the baby's needs are. The majority of times, a baby cries because the diaper needs to be changed. Outside of this, it may be more difficult to understand what other factors can be at play. However, pay attention to the little signs your baby is giving. Doing so will make your job as parent much smoother.

4 Ways Of Keep Your Baby Healthy

I am sure being a new parent you have heard all type of advice on how to take care of your baby, some wanted and some not. Everyone has advice on what to do whenever your child is well, but here are some ways to keep baby from getting sick.

As new parent you ought to be prepared to take your baby to pediatrician frequently. Many doctors want to see the baby monthly for the first six months and then once every 8 weeks until the baby is a year old. This allows the doctor to monitor the baby's growth and one of the best ways to keep your baby healthy. During these visits vaccines could be given. It is important that you keep the doctors schedule of appointments. These visits will significantly help to keep your baby healthy for a lifetime.

Keeping your baby's environment as clean as possible is the second thing you can do to keep your baby healthy. Observe a baby for some time and you will see that they're always rubbing their eyes and nose, and in addition they put their hands in their mouths frequently. So it is very important that before anyone touches the baby their hands need to be clean.

Dust can take the time a baby's delicate lungs, so you should keep the baby's room as clean and as dust free as possible. You should also be mindful with what you clean the nursery. Some household products may be harmful to baby's lungs. In the event you still can smell the cleanser once you are done cleaning, that is a good indication that you should not use that in the nursery. There are various steam cleaners that allow you to clean and eliminate bacteria but not use chemicals that could be harmful to baby. Something else to keep in mind is that stuffed toys are cute, but they also accumulate a lot of dust. Therefore keep plush toys to a minimum and keep them washed and clean.

Day care is a must for many babies and toddlers, so ensure that you ask about the centers cleaning and sick policies. Some questions you might ask might be – how frequently are the toys cleaned, is there diaper changing stations, and do employees wash their hands immediately after changing each diaper. Additionally, you will want to find out the policy about sick children. It really is difficult to miss work, but you do not want to bring a unwell child to daycare and expose the rest of the children to the illness.

One of the best ways to continue to keep baby healthy is feed him properly. Breast milk is packed with nutrients to help improve your baby's immune system. But don't worry if you're formula feeding, just seek out formula that is DHA and ARA fortified. When baby moves to solid, plant based foods provide nutrients that guide improve the immune system. You also need to include protein in baby's eating plan. Keep away from giving little ones snacks which are full of sugar since they can break down the baby's immune system.

And the final thing you can do to assist baby's immune system is to reduce baby's stress. Yes babies have stress. It's stressful to a baby when they are hungry, when their diaper needs changed or just daily learning and growing. Little ones cry to inform you they need something and crying is stressful for a baby, just as it is when you cry. Picking up baby to comfort him and discover what's wrong is a good thing. Don't get worried about spoiling him if you pick him up whenever he cries.

Babies also detect your stress. I realize that it's impossible to get rid of all the stress of everyday life. However you are able to change how you handle that stress. Find a way to eliminate the stress before spending some time with your infant. Both you and he will be more healthy for your effort.

Prevent Childhood Obesity - Is It Possible?

We are all quite aware of the growing concern of obesity in our children today. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in our society, and we've all heard the various statistics regarding this growing trend. But what really are the childhood obesity facts and what are we prepared to do about them?

Plain and simple these are your childhood obesity facts: our children are consistently eating too much of the wrong foods, and have become the most inactive generation in the history of our society. This is not a genetic problem (which is not to say that there are some adults and children that have a genetic and hormonal predisposition to obesity), this is for the most part a behavioural problem, and behaviours can be changed.

Think about it, is it really necessary for our children to be ingesting the vast quantity of refined sugars, processed foods, and hydrogenated fats that they do every day. Foods and beverages that are consumed in such large quantities that their bodies cannot process and eliminate at the rate that these foods are consumed. And because our children are not 'moving' any more, the results are inevitable: skyrocketing obesity rates, an alarming incidence of type 2 diabetes in children, a significant increase in childhood behavioural problems, with low self-esteem and a rise in depression rates.

These are your childhood obesity facts! The question has to asked, why are we allowing this to happen?

It certainly is not because of a lack of education or knowledge about what the proper foods are and what constitutes a balanced diet: complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, whole grains), adequate proteins, and the right amount of good fats. And we all have an idea of the benefits of exercise both from a physiological and psychological level. We may not know the specifics but we know the generalities. The information and knowledge is at our fingertips, more available and accessible to us than at any time in our history.

Our problem lies in our habits and behaviours. How can we prevent childhood obesity? Change our behaviours. It sounds so simple, yet why don't we? Because changing our habits, changing our behaviour is the most difficult thing we do in our lives. We resist change, we are creatures of habit, with the same thoughts, and the same patterns of behaviour day after day. This leads to complacency and comfortable laziness, and we pass this on to our children.

Yet we must change for our children's sake. All change begins with awareness. Once we become aware of our behaviours and the consequences of them, we can begin to make conscious choices to change our behaviour and the behaviour of our children. And yes it is a greater challenge in our society today than in past times. It is so much easier to grab a quick dinner from a fast food chain and spend hours interacting with friends on some social media network.

But if we are to change these childhood obesity facts, conscious choices must be made for our children. Behaviours can change, and when they do, the results will change, and the growing trend toward childhood obesity will change as well. Change begins with a decision to change, and that choice is ours.

The Importance of Play in a Child's Life

It’s true that education is like a building block for a child’s future. All parents dream for a better career for their child’s life. Everybody wants their child to be doctor, engineer and wants to see them in high posts. In this cut throat competition children get pressurize with their activities to the extent that they don’t get spare time for their own entertainment. Teachers also keep the child busy during the holidays by giving them assignments and homework. Earlier children used to play with their siblings. So, the children easily got a play environment at the home. However, now the time spent by children in playing was very less as compared to the past two decades. Parents should understand that play is an important activity and they should not deprive their child from this opportunity.

Enhancing Your Kids’ Cognition Through Music

Cognition is defined as the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and the senses. By this definition, we can say that cognition plays an important role in how each one of us learn concepts and apply what we learn in real life. Not only do we limit learning in concepts rather it encompasses life’s lessons and important values. Because of this, concerned parties, including parents have ventured this arena and experimented on how to impart important lessons to others especially their children so as to reach their maximum potential.

And it doesn’t come as a surprise to learn that one of the most enjoyable activities of humankind actually helps in the development of essential cognitive systems. This activity is music making and/or music training. Listening to music passively helps in the brain development but recent research puts more weight in making music or playing musical instruments as boosters of cognitive development. The activities included here are composing music, reading music, analyzing, arranging, notating, and creating music. Accordingly, compelling evidence supports the hypothesis that these activities, collectively known as musical arts, may provide a positive, significant and lasting benefit to learners.

The essential cognitive systems developed in making music include reasoning, creativity, thinking, decision-making and problem solving. Neural firing patterns are activated and synchronized resulting to orchestrate and connect multiple brain sites. This results in the increase of the brain’s efficiency and effectiveness. Many research literature and academic articles are available explaining more about Music and the Brain.

Happy And Well-Adjusted Children – Three Essential Tips For Parents

Helping your teenager adjust to this stage of life is a valuable experience for the entire family. There is really nothing quite like the degree to which the entire family dynamic can change during these years. This can be a laborious task to overcome for all concerned. Unexpectedly, out of the blue your teen stands before you as if a stranger. At some point you begin wondering whether your judgment is questionable given the reaction from you child. Every day chats may take a fall. Listen to your heart – things aren’t as bad as they might seem.

        There are many possible outcomes and adverse impacts that an inconsistent atmosphere can have on a child’s mind. Anxiety will definitely rear its ugly head within your children if you are not consistent. You will end up with perplexed and troubled children if you rule your home unpredictably.
By being unpredictable, you will cause your kids to be nervous and confused every moment of the day. The child that suffers from stress and anxiety will begin to show those feelings through behavioral problems.
A child that is subjected to derogatory comments from anyone is being harmed on a psychological level. Such comments can last a lifetime, and be very damaging, especially when it is made by one of the parents. A child is totally dependent on the parents for learning everything, including how to be accepted, and how to love. Children grow up with self-esteem until it is taken away from them, usually by parents. Negative behaviors by parents affect their children, no matter who they are directed at, and the children may never get over it. A parent is supposed to be the protector of the child, but in many cases the parents behaviors cause fear in the child.

        Children need to be uplifted, so make your remarks positive. When you try to understand your children, and encourage them, they will respect you forever. If a person wants to be a good parent, then they need to give their children enough support so that they won’t think there is something wrong with them every time they make a mistake. The way to learn is to make mistakes, and then learn by your mistakes, that is what growing up is. We all have our natural talents and abilities, but very often a child will try something for which they are not the best talented at doing. Parents who have been giving their children positive encouragement, while they have been growing, will have the best chance of impacting them.
Being a healthy parent is defined by some positive, common sense guidelines that you must complete. Because of this there’s a high chance that you will make some mistakes in your judgment, but providing you learn from it it’s not a problem.