Protecting your Family from Ticks

 

Now that the warmer weather is here to stay, you and your family will be spending much more time outdoors. One of the dangers of being outdoors is ticks. The website Parent Squad offers tips on protecting your family from ticks this season. Click here for tips:

 

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Resolve Kid Conflicts

 

Arguments between siblings and other children are part of your child’s development. It’s difficult to see your young child yelling at another, but it’s essential for your child to experience conflict so that they can begin to develop problem solving skills.
 

You can help your child learn critical problem solving skills through these tips:

 

1. Step in as a mediator – when a conflict happens help the children think through a proper solution. If they are arguing over a book, teach them how to share or have them split equal time using the book. Ask the children to come up with a few of their own solutions to the problem. If you let them feel like part of the problem solving process they will be more likely to abide by the solution.

 

2. Teach communication skills – let your child speak about why they are angry. This can help children become less frustrated because they are given the opportunity to express themselves. Once your child expresses their concerns they will become calmer and more open to resolve conflict.

 

3. Teach your child to walk away – in many cases this is the best way to resolve a conflict. If your child has difficult time backing down from conflict then distract them so their attention is turned away from the conflict.

 

4. Give your child room – as your child gets older they need time to resolve conflicts on their own. It’s tempting to jump in and solve every conflict for them but, your child needs time to figure it out on their own.
 

Soon your children will be resolving conflicts on their own every day with your help.

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Age by Age Guide to Lying

Kids sometimes lie, but when do you begin to teach your children not to lie?  Parents magazine offers a great guide on when to take a strong lead on a no-lying policy. Click here to read the article.

 

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Grocery Shopping with the Kids

Parents often find it difficult to grocery shop with kids in tow. But a little planning can help turn grocery shopping into a well oiled machine. Here are some simple tips to planning a better trip to the grocery store.


The Time of Day Matters – you're just adding fuel to the fire if your choose to market with a passel of kids during prime marketing hours. Avoid weekends unless you are going early. Otherwise go when the crowds are working, during the week or find a good, low traffic time that fits into your schedule.


Be Prepared – it’s not just the Boy Scout motto, you need to be prepared to deal with your child’s needs, moods and short attention span. Come prepared with snacks and drinks, toys without small pieces, and maybe even a video game or two.


Plan Meals – this can be good for a variety of reasons. If you can plan out a majority of your meals, you will know exactly which aisle you need to visit. This can reduce the amount of “I want” requests you get from your kids during a typical trip. This will also reduce the time it takes to browse the aisles for meal ideas; getting you to your car more quickly.


Make a List & Check it Twice –the power of the list is well documented. List all the ingredients and household items you’ll need from the market. If you really want to take this to the extreme, you can order the items on your list to correspond to the aisles you will travel in the market. Many grocery stores have online maps showing you what’s in each aisle.

Become a Coupon Diva – since you already have your meals planned and your list of purchases, check your newspaper circular or look online for the latest coupons. Using coupons doesn’t take any more time in the market but it can really have an impact on the family budget.





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10 Ways to Improve Reading Skills

The site, Family Education, offers 10 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Reading Skills. It’s important that parents find creative ways to encourage and improve their child’s reading skills. Family Education offers some great suggestions and some clues on what to look for when reading with your kids. Click here to read the article.

 

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The Importance of Play at Preschool

Preschool is the time to prepare your child for elementary school. You may wonder how play fits into the preschool setting, but even though a preschool day is jammed packed, it’s important to make time for play.


Up until the age of 2, children tend to play by themselves with little interaction with others. But after age 2, right around preschool age, children’s play becomes more sophisticated and interactive.

Around 2½ to 3 years, preschoolers start to seek out other kids with similar interests and they begin to interact with them. And as language skills continue to develop you begin to see elements of cooperative play.

Between 4 and 5 years, preschoolers begin to actively seek out seek kids with similar interests and the level of play becomes even more elaborate. Children create creative play scenes, they take turns, and they begin to work together toward mutual goals.

For younger children 2 to 4 years old, you can begin to facilitate play at home by setting up a space for your child and a friend and helping them find the words to express their questions or needs. As children get older play becomes natural and they need less help to socialize.

Ask about play when choosing a preschool

When you tour potential preschools for your child ask for their philosophy about play. Preschoolers need opportunities to play, prepared spaces for them to explore and responsive teachers to support their learning. Such a setting prepares children not only to become students who will work with others cooperatively and approach learning with excitement.


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Host a Drama-Free Playdate

Kids love to have playdates, but sometime playdates can bring some drama. Kids have a hard time seeing their friends playing with their favorite toy or understand to compromise on what game to play next. Parents.com offers some great suggestions on how to have a drama free playdate.  Click here to read the whole article.

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The Perfect Bike

It’s spring and your child may be ready for their first bike. Here are a few tips on selecting the right bike.

Check the recommended ages for each bike when you’re shopping. Getting the wrong size bike can make learning to ride a difficult experience. One rule of thumb for selecting the right size is to make sure your child can sit on the seat with their feet flat on the ground.

Go to the bike store – many bike stores have specially trained sales people who can help you select the right size bike for your child.

Every child is different and only you know when yours is ready to ride a two-wheeler. However, an average 6 year old should have the motor skills needed to balance and ride a bike.

If your child still isn't ready for their own bike, try a tag-along. This is a small bicycle that attaches to your bike. Instead of a front wheel, it has a connector that attaches to the seat post of another bike. It looks like a tandem bicycle, but it is more portable, can easily fit on a bike rack and provides your child with the independence for pedaling, balancing and stopping.

Safety is the first rule of riding a bike. Make sure your child is wearing their helmet and other safety equipment. Adult supervision is important in making sure young riders stay safe.

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