New Year’s Eve Fun With the Kids

Plan a New Year’s bash with your kids that is fun and educational. Kids can feel left out of New Year’s celebrations because they can’t stay up until midnight. But with a little planning, your kids can have a New Year’s bash that they will remember for years to come.

It’s Always Midnight Somewhere – Plan your party by the world clock and ring in the New Year when the clock strikes 12 somewhere else. This is also a great way to teach geography and world cultures. Another option is ringing in the New Year at noon.

Imitate the Ball Drop – Buy a pinata so you can imitate the Times Square ball drop. At midnight, let the kids crack it open to get the candy. Or, try a balloon drop. Put a bunch of balloons in a large trash bag and then release them at your faux midnight.

Toast – Use plastic, fancy glasses with sparkling cider

Think Up Resolutions- Help your child stick to their resolutions by writing them down or making posters to remind them.

Make Noisemakers - Fill toilet paper roll with rice or dry beans. Cover both ends with paper and decorate the tube. Shake it as the ball drops to welcome the New Year.

Happy New Year!

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Fun Things To Do With Kids Over Holiday Break

With the kids home from school this week parents will be looking for activities to do with the kids.

Here a few ideas:

Cooking– Involve your child in the holiday cooking. Under supervision, letting them help you in the kitchen can be a great learning experience. Reinforce counting and measuring as they help you measure the ingredients. Let them help pour the ingredients into a bowl to practice coordination and fine motor skills.

Science Experiments – You can do some really interesting home science experiments with household items. Teach them about static electricity by rubbing your feet on the carpet and touching each other to see if a static shock develops. Mix some baking soda, vinegar, and raisins and see if you can get raisins to dance. Education.com has some interesting science experiments you can do at home. Just use your best judgment to determine what’s safe for you and your child.

Pen Pals– Teach your child how to send a good old-fashioned letter. Let them create their own holiday cards and send them to relatives or even classmates. Your child’s friends will be excited to get mail and your child will have fun creating their own holiday cards. It will just cost you some stamps.

The holidays are a special time for children. Take the time off to slow down, spend quality time with the family and enjoy the special moments.

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DIY Giving: 8 Gifts Kids Can Make Themselves

Children like to make gifts for those important in their lives too. With the holidays fast
approaching, Education.com offers some great ideas on gift ideas kids can make. Click here to check them out.




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A Season for Sharing in Fire Safety

Each year fires occurring during the holiday season claim the lives of over 400 people, injure 1,650 more, and cause over $990 million in damage. According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), there are simple life-saving steps you can take to ensure a safe and happy holiday. By following some of the outlined precautionary tips, individuals can greatly reduce their chances of becoming a holiday fire casualty.


Selecting a Tree for the Holiday
Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.


Caring for Your Tree
Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.


Disposing of Your TreeNever put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service.


Maintain Your Holiday Lights
Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory.


Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets
Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires - they should not be warm to the touch.

Do Not Leave Holiday Lights on unattended


Holiday Decorations

Use Only Nonflammable Decorations
All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant and placed away from heat vents.

Never Put Wrapping Paper in a FireplaceIt can result in a very large fire, throwing off dangerous sparks and embers and may result in a chimney fire.


Artificial Christmas Trees
If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant.


Avoid Using Lit Candles
If you do use them, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never leave the house with candles burning.


Never Put Lit Candles on a Tree
Do not go near a Christmas tree with an open flame - candles, lighters or matches.


Finally, as in every season, have working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home, test them monthly and keep them clean and equipped with fresh batteries at all times. Know when and how to call for help. And remember to practice your home escape plan.


Source: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/holiday-seasonal/holiday.shtm

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Creating a Reader-Friendly Home

We all have heard about the importance of reading to our children. It’s best for parents and guardians to read lots of different books to build your preschoolers vocabulary. It is also important to try to have set times to read together. Before bed works well, as do other "down" times in the day, like first thing in the morning or after meals. Click here for more reading tips.


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Car Seat Safety

With so much information about car seat safety, many parents wonder and worry if they are keeping their child as safe as they should be. Below are guidelines set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA).

* Select a car seat based on your child's age, height, and weight.

* Keep your child in a car seat for the maximum age, as long as your child

fits the seat's height and weight requirements.

* All children under 13 should ride in the back seat.

Birth – 12 months

Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat.

There are different types of rear-facing car seats: Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

1 – 3 years

Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

4 – 7 years

Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

8 – 12 years

Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it’s safer there.

Many local stores and organizations offer safety checks were certified technicians are available to check your car seat installation for free. Click HERE to find your nearest inspection station.

Source: http://www.nhtsa.gov

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Ways to Introduce Your Kids to Foreign Languages

December is learn a foreign language month, so now is a perfect time to teach your child a second language. Because the brain of a young child is in language hyper-drive learning mode, they can learn a foreign language much faster and much more effectively than a teen or adult. We found some successful ways to help your young one to learn a new language.Click here to read the article.

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Learning Through Games With Toddlers

When your toddler is around 3 years old you may want to start thinking about using board games to help them learn and grow. When we were growing up, board games were all the rage. But as handheld technology started to rule the world, the board game fell by the wayside.

You may be asking why you should dust off the old board games in the attic. Board and card games have a lot to teach your children. Not only can they teach them about success and disappointment, they can teach valuable cognitive and social skills through hands-on experience. And many children learn more effectively through hands-on experience.

Here are some of the benefits of playing board games:

• Learning to follow rules 
• Being honest 
• Focusing on a single task 
• Social Skills 
• Taking turns 
• Sharing 
• Learning to count 
• Matching 
• Learning colors, numbers, and letters 

A few examples of games that incorporate these skills:

• Candyland 
• Chutes and Ladders 
• Sorry 
• Trouble 

There are so many board games that you can choose from. Not all the games above may be appropriate for younger children. Make sure that you check the age rating to verify that the game is appropriate for your child and be very wary of small pieces particularly around the younger players.

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A Big-Kid Bed for Your Toddler

Parents struggle to figure out the right time to move their toddler from a crib to a big kid bed. Toddlers struggle with how to deal with this new freedom. We found some advice to make the tradition easier for everyone. Click here to read the article.




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Stopping Tantrums

This time of year brings out the best in our children, their schedules are off because of all the fun and exciting activities associated with the holidays. Parents often try to squeeze in a few more errands before nap time and this can lead to the dreaded public tantrum. Anyone who has ever been a parent or guardian has most likely had to endure the public tantrum. Instead of losing your cool, and your mind, try taking a deep breath, smile at an understanding adult nearby, and then see if one of these tips will work:

1. Distract

Distract your child with something. This a great way to help children calm down. Put a video on, listen to music, read a story, watch television, go outside, or watch animals outside your window. This is often not easy to do, but if you find a distraction that works it might be enough to settle them down.

2. Provide Incentive

A goal of good behavior can do wonders. Something along the lines of, if you stop fussing until we get to the car, I'll let you watch your favorite video tonight”. The child's favorite things are truly wonderful motivators to use. However, be sure to use this tactic sparingly so they don't expect a treat every time they show good or bad behavior.


3. Pick Your Battles

Sometimes you need to step in and stop the tantrum, other times if they are not hurting themselves, or anyone, or anything around them, let your toddler express their feelings. Let them get their anger out and then explain the consequences of their actions.


4. Keeping Your Cool

Do not overwhelm a child that really just needs some peace and calm to settle down. Your child mirrors your response to their tantrum. If you respond by yelling at your child this might just increase the tension and raise the level of your child’s tantrum or make it last longer. Try a calming hug and some kind words instead. Your child may just want to know that you understand their feelings or frustration.

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7 Tips for Teaching Children Gratitude

With the holiday season almost here, some families like to focus on teaching their children to be thankful. The question is how do we teach our children to be thankful and to help other? Here are 7 tips for teaching kids children gratitude. Click here to read the article



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Table Manners

Every family has a different outlook on manners. How a child should act at the dinner table depends on what you as a parent think is appropriate. It is hard enough just getting kids to sit down for more than five minutes to eat dinner. But, if you want to reinforce good table manners with your children, here are a few tips.


Eating with a fork - around the age of 3, you can begin explaining the difference between finger foods, like hot dogs or a soft pretzel, and foods you eat with a fork, like a steak or spaghetti.


Switching from the shirt to the napkin – also around age 3, you can start to remind your children to use their napkin instead of their shirt sleeve. This not only reinforces good table manners, it will also save you money on stain remover and new clothes.


Please and thank you – if you are trying to reinforce the use of please and thank you with your children, the table is a good place to start. Have your kids practice these skills when asking for or receiving food. When eating at a restaurant, you can also reinforce the importance of thanking others outside of the family when they do something nice for us.


Eating slowly – it’s not only good manners, it is good for your health. Eating more slowly and chewing thoroughly is helpful for overall digestive health, it reinforces good manners and it will give you more time to talk and get to know what’s going on in your child’s life.

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Sibling Spats

Most siblings fight, but some days it seems like they are quarreling over everything. What can a parent do? Here are some suggestions on how to stop sibling fights. Click here to read the article.

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Dealing with Bullies

Schools, the press, and society are starting to improve our countries response to bullying. But, bullying still occurs every day. As parents and guardians, we want to protect our little ones but we cannot be there all the time. What steps can you take to help prepare your child to deal with bullies? Here are a few tips:

Tell your child to avoid the bully as much as possible. Stay away from him/her on the playground.

Have your child practice standing and walking with confidence. Bullies usually pick on people who are smaller and physically weaker than they are, or who they feel will not retaliate

Don't let a bully make your child feel bad. Teach your child that when someone says something bad about them to think about something positive about yourself.

Don't reward the bully with tears. The bully wants to hurt your feelings, so act like his name-calling and taunts don't hurt.

Teach your child to use humor when dealing with a bully. Throwing a joke back at bullies taunting, can help diffuse the situation.

Most importantly, make sure your child is comfortable keeping the lines of communication open with you.

If you think the bullying has gotten out of control, contact your child’s school for help.

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Kids and Stress

As adults, we deal with stress every day and we learn coping skills that allow us to deal with stress effectively. Even though you may think kids have nothing to be stressed about, they do. Your child’s personality often has a lot to do with how well they deal with their stress. Here are some different situations that can cause stress for your child and some tactics to help them cope.

Babies

What can cause your baby stress? An overload of sensory information or a lack of downtime (naps and quiet time with mommy or daddy) can lead to stress in your baby. To help your baby cope, make sure that they are getting enough sleep. If your baby isn’t a great at taking naps, take some quiet time to cuddle during the day. Find a quiet place and put on some soothing music or maybe read a book to your baby. This will help them reset their senses and reduce their stress levels.


Kids

What can cause stress in school-aged kids? School work and exams, activities such as sports, and problems with friends such as cliques, can all cause your child stress. In addition, children often pick up on major stresses their parents are going through, no matter how good we think we are at hiding problems from our children.


One way to help your school-aged child to deal with their stress is by talking to them. Let them know that stress is a normal part of everyday life. Ask them about their problems. Tell them that you are always available to help them with their problems. Real issues can arise when your child feels alone and unable to seek help for their problems.


Tweens/Teens
This is a time of life when major stress often hits children. Stresses can be caused by relationships, school work, and overall pressure to succeed academically, socially, and in activities. Throw hormones in with stress and you get rapidly changing moods and emotional outbursts or, what’s also known as the typical teenager.

Talk is also a good way to help your teen cope with stress. However, it might be more difficult to get them to talk. Again, let them know that they are not alone and you are always available to help them solve even the toughest problems.

Begin to teach your teen coping mechanisms that work for you. For example, limiting distractions so you can focus, or take a big problem and break it down into smaller more easily solved issues.

Remember, if you think your child’s moods, emotions and ability to cope with stress are a bigger problem than they can handle, seek the help of your family doctor.


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How to Help With Peer Problems

Your child may come home saying they had no one to play with, or no one likes them. You may not be sure what to do. We found some great tips to help your child cope with peer problems. Click here to read the article.



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Combat Toy Room Clutter

With the holidays sneaking up quickly some parents start to purge the toys their children don’t play with anymore to make room for the new ones coming in. The hardest part is trying to organize the toys and figure out where to put everything while making the room accessible for the kids. Here are a few tips to help combat the toy room clutter. Click here to read the article.

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What to do with all that Halloween Candy

Wow, Halloween is almost here, you may be wondering what to do with the candy your kids will receive during all the Halloween festivities.  We’ve searched the web and found the following creative uses for leftover Halloween candy.

Baking
Many candies melt in the heat of the oven, leaving you with a yummy treat. Here are some possible recipes:

Add candy to homemade ice cream
Bake cookies with peanut butter cups or M&M’s
Bake Peppermint Patty Brownies


Use Your Candy for Play
Try using candy for play and learning activities:

Use candy as building blocks.
Teach your toddler to sort the candy into sizes, colors, and shapes.
Teach them matching by matching up like candies.
Count the candy by fives or tens.



Use Your Candy for Crafts
Store the candy away for a few weeks and then use it to decorate a gingerbread house or save it for advent calendars.


Teach Your Child About Charity
There are many charities that will accept candy donations.




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Stranger Danger

Strangers, it’s a scary word. To parents, it represents one of our biggest fears. We worry a lot about a stranger harming our children. To continue with Goddard’s theme this month about safety, we are focusing on strangers this week. How do you strike the balance between raising a friendly child vs. raising a cautious child? Click here to read the whole article.

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Trick or Treating Safety Tips

Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids, and to help ensure they have a safe holiday, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) put together a comprehensive list of safety tips. Here are a few highlights. To read the full list click on this link American Academy of Pediatrics.

Costume:
Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.

Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and Trick-or-Treat bags for greater visibility.

Because masks can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives. Hats should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over eyes.


Walking at Night

A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.

If your older children are going alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home.

Only go to homes with a porch light on and never enter a home or car for a treat.

Healthy Food:

A good meal prior to parties and trick-or-treating will discourage youngsters from filling up on Halloween treats.

Consider purchasing non-food treats for those who visit your homes, such as coloring books or pens and pencils.

Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.

Try to ration treats for the days following Halloween.

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Dealing with Bullies

We don’t want to think about it, but at some point, your child may run into a bully. You can’t always be there to help, but you can teach your child about how to cope with bullying and the importance informing a parent or another adult if bullying occurs. Click here to read the tips.

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Making Halloween Less Scary

You probably never think of it as a parent but Halloween can be a scary for some kids. In fact, it can be downright frightening. Skeletons, mummies, bats, and vampires can really take the fun out this great tradition and stop your child from participating in trick or treating and other events.

Try to take the fright out of this Halloween night with some of these quick tips:

• If you feel that your child is developing fear about the scary parts of Halloween, talk to them about it. Explain that other kids are in those costumes. Maybe even have a sibling dress up ahead of time to show them what’s underneath the scary costumes and faces.

• Let your child choose their own costume. Make sure that it is appropriate for their age. Try choosing a costume that is not scary or only a little scary, like a pirate or ghost. Make sure your child is comfortable in their costume.

• Avoid the haunted mansions or hayride. Enjoy the traditional non-scary Halloween events such as fall fairs, pumpkin patch, or hayride instead. Also, consider trick or treating during the daytime. Many malls have daytime events for the smaller children.

You can’t always protect your child from scary and gory decorations, but you can try to minimize exposure to them. Talk through your child’s fears so they feel comfortable and can enjoy the season!


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7 Ways to Keep Cool with Preschoolers

Your child may be well adjusted and easy going in school, but when you bring them home after a long day of school, the transition may not be so easy. We found 7 tips to help you and your child to have a smooth transition between school and home. Click here to read the tips

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Teaching Kids About Fire Safety

October is Fire Prevention Month and Goddard Ashburn is reviewing fire safety with the kids at school, but you can help at home too.

Here are a few tips for teaching fire safety to kids.

• Practice fire drills at home – rehearse different emergency scenarios with your family. This can avoid wasting valuable time when you’re dealing with an emergency in your home.

• Talk about escape routes for each room of your home.

• Designate a meeting place outside your home that is a safe distance away

• Test your plan

It’s always good to introduce scary topics to your children through games. Here are a few games that teach valuable safety lessons.

Feel Your Way to Safety – have your kids close their eyes and feel their way out of the home. This can also help your kids get some exercise. Just make sure you watch your kids closely so they don’t fall and get hurt.

Stop, Drop and Roll – press your fire alarm test button or simply say go and have your kids see how fast they can stop, drop and roll.

Teach your kids about fire safety

Explain what smoke detectors, escape ladders and fire extinguishers are – explain to your kids how they work, why they are installed in the house and what they will do when you use them.

Explain that getting out of the house is most important in a fire. And once you’re out, stay out.

These rules can go a long way to protecting and even saving the lives of your family.

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Reading Consistently to Your Kids

Good reading habits are a big factor in your child’s academic success. It’s very important to start off on the right foot by reading consistently with your kids each week, even during the summer. Here are some tips you can use to encourage your child to be a good reader.

1. Build time for reading into your daily routine

Reading with your child is a good way to let them know that you think reading is important. It can also help parents judge the reading level of a child. If you are reading to your children on a regular basis you will be the first to recognize their areas for improvement

2. Make reading fun

Kids are much more likely to enjoy reading when they perceive it as fun. Here are some tips to keep reading fun.

· Pick books that they will enjoy

· Try using props to help tell the story. This works great with young children.

· Switch up the surroundings. Try reading all around the house and when that gets boring, try reading at the library or in the park.

· Make reading interactive. Ask questions or tell them about your experiences that relate to the story.

3. Read by example
Let your child see you reading on a regular basis. Tell them what you are reading. Show them that reading is important, interesting and enjoyable. Let them use your tablet or eReader. Support their reading habit as much as possible. Money spent now on books will be paid back later in success in school.

Have fun reading!

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Nap time Tips

We know that nap time is important for babies. To get the most benefits out of sleep, it’s also important to reduce stress leading up to nap time. We found some common ways you can help reduce stress and promote peaceful napping. Click here to read the article.

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Storytime Strategies to Boost Early Literacy

We found 7 storytime strategies you can use when reading to your little one to help boost their early literacy. By sneaking in some of these strategies you can help to build literacy in your toddler. Click here to read the article.




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Surviving Errands with the Kids in Tow

Between work, kids and school it’s hard to get errands done and even harder when your kids are whining, crying, and throwing temper tantrums in the process. Here are a few tips to take some of the stress out of running errands.

•Explain the game plan – tell the kids exactly where you’re going on your errands and how long it should take.

•Set the rules – tell them what is, and is not acceptable behavior and that you’re shopping for others, not for them. This will help to alleviate the “mommy or daddy can I get” questions.

•Tell them what’s expected - no running, inside voice, stay with the parents.

•Review car etiquette – no yelling in the car, buckle your seatbelt, no throwing anything in the car.

•Keep your kids busy – play I, spy, when you are going through the store. Let them help push the cart. Have them help you find items you are looking for like a scavenger hunt. Sing some songs if your car ride is longer than expected, or you are stuck in traffic.

•Give time off for good behavior – reward your children with a play date or something they like to do if they are good during the errands. Just make sure you are not bribing them but rewarding them to reinforce proper behavior.

With these tips, you might get done all of your errands and actually get some time for yourself.

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Why Kids Are Little Copycats

You may wonder why your child is mimicking you. It may make you a little crazy and you may even lose your patience a little bit. We found an article that can help you embrace your little copycat. Click here to read the article.




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Family Activities that Won’t Break the Bank

With today’s economic environment, parents are looking for ways to entertain the kids that won’t break the bank. In a world that’s very hectic, it’s good to slow down with simple, low-cost activities. Here are a few ideas:


A national treasure – your local park

You remember parks, right? They are the big open spaces we often fly by in the car on the way to the movies or the mall. Parks offer an almost unlimited amount of play and learn opportunities for your children. From hiking to biking to simply walking through the woods, being out on a wooded path is simply majestic. It’s a great way to remind yourself and your kids that there is a great big world out there to see and explore, full of wonder.


Backyard and neighborhood play

We are all busy and we often forget about our neighbors. If your neighbor has kids around the same age as yours, make an effort to connect with them. Set up activities that all the kids can do together. Try a neighborhood treasure hunt. Pick a theme for your kids to spot during your hunt, for instance, who can find the most trucks in your neighborhood or how many pumpkins are in your town.


Another national treasure – your local library

Have you been to your local library lately? They aren’t the stuffy, quiet, boring places you remember. They have adapted to the times. They have become the center of learning and social activity in the community (particularly for younger children). They offer family game nights, Lego clubs, family movies and more. If you haven’t made a weekly trip to your library a regular part of your family’s activities calendar, you should.


Check your local family blogs and community calendars

So many activities going on in your community that you are unaware of. Search the web once a week for parades, fairs, swap meets, craft and car shows. Soon you’ll have a list of favorite sites and blogs to go to for information on a regular basis and you’ll never be bored again.


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5 Learning Opportunities for Your Baby

Experts say that babies learn best when you challenge them and offer them new opportunities. We found an article with 5 opportunities to help your little one to be challenged. Click here to read the whole story.


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Communicating With Teachers

Open communication with teachers is an important guiding principle at the Goddard School. With the new school year underway, you might be wondering how to best communicate with their child’s teachers to keep the lines of communication open so everyone has a wonderful school year. Here are a few tips to cultivate a strong relationship with your child’s teacher:


Take time to touch base with your child’s teacher on a regular basis. Find time before and after school to have quick conversations with your child. These quick conversations can be a great supplement to parent/teacher conferences. But be conscious not to cut into your teachers daily planning and preparation time.

Spend time in your child’s classroom if possible. Many schools advocate parent participation through reading to children and helping out with class activities. Not only does this help your teacher out, it is a great way to experience how your child and teacher interact.

If your child’s teacher comes to you with a problem or if you have to address a concern with your child’s teacher, try the following:

Listen to the teacher's point of view

Express your concerns calmly and productively

Avoid assigning blame

Collaborate to determine the proper solution to the problem

It is important that you and your child’s teacher work as a team. Working as a team offers consistency at home and at school and results in stronger, quicker solutions.

The main thing to remember is that working together to find out the best way to help your child will help to foster a positive and nurturing learning environment and set the stage for a great school year.

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Dealing with Separation Anxiety

Many parents dread the idea of dropping their child off at school because their child has separation anxiety. Here are some simple steps you can take that may help make your drop off routine a little easier for you and your little one. Click here to read the article.

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Packing Healthy Lunches

It’s that time of year again and the kids are going back to school. Many parents struggle with what to pack in their child’s lunch. Here are a few healthy lunch ideas that hopefully will keep you and your little ones happy.

•Cold-cut roll ups (lean, low-fat turkey, ham, or roast beef with low-fat cheese on whole wheat tortillas)

•Single portion-sized cups of unsweetened applesauce or fruit without added sugar

•Trail mix made with cereals, nuts, pretzels, dried fruit or raisins, and a few chocolate morsels

•Low-fat cheese spread on whole wheat crackers

•Veggie sticks with low-fat dip or dressing

•Baked chips or pretzels are a better choice than high-fat potato chips or cheese snacks

•Whole grain bagels topped with cream cheese-vegetable spread

•Air-popped popcorn flavored with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese

•Low-fat cheese cubes and seedless grapes make a delicious side dish for sandwiches or wraps

•Cold strips of grilled chicken with honey mustard dip

•Dried cranberries or cherries are a sweet alternative to raisins

•Cold pizza (shredded mozzarella cheese with pizza sauce on a flour tortilla, whole wheat pita, English muffin, or mini pizza shell)

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When Your Child is Left Out

We all remember how it felt the first time we were left out of something. It may have been a birthday party, or not being picked for a game. SheKnow.com talks about this issue and whether it is intentional or not, that it happens to all children. Click here to read the article.

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Learning Rules

Rules are an important life skill. At home, at school and then at work, rules are a fact of life. So starting early to begin to teach and reinforce the importance of your children following rules is a good idea. You might be asking yourself, how early can I start to teach this skill? Well, studies have shown that kids start to understand the difference between right and wrong as early as one year old. And, since rules are based on right and wrong you can start with some very basic rules at this age.


• Young babies need one-word reinforcement. Use the words no and yes to reinforce good from bad. As your child gets older, begin to introduce the consequence behind the rule. No, don’t do that, because you will get hurt.

• Be specific about rules as your baby develops. For example, no don’t color in that picture book. Rules aren't always black and white; it’s ok to color in a coloring book but not in a picture book.

• Like teaching any skill, it is important to be consistent with rules. It may be a pain to always be the enforcer but if kids know rules can be bent or broken they will try to bend them and break them.


Your child looks to you and other adults to provide structure to their lives. Rules can actually provide comfort, support, and boundaries to your child. This can help them become confident teens and well-adjusted adults.

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Easy ways to get your kids to eat more fruits and vegetables

It’s a tough battle to get kids to eat their fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins, have strong antioxidant properties, and can reduce the risk of obesity and some cancers. The article below suggests easy and sneaky ways to get fruits and vegetables into your child’s diet. Click here to read the whole story.

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Back to School Routine

It’s back to school time again! Between all the back to school shopping and taking in the last little bit of summer relaxation, you may want to start getting the kids back into their school-year routine. This way, when the first day of school arrives, your kids meet the day refreshed and mentally prepared.

Sleep Schedule – begin getting the kids to bed at their regular school year bedtime. And, don’t let them sleep in too late. Wake them up a little earlier each day so that the first day of school isn’t a shock to their system.

Back to Chores – if you are like many parents, school-year responsibilities such as chores have fallen by the wayside during summer. Start to ease back into the chores and other responsibilities. This will begin to get the kids into a mindset to accept new responsibilities at home and at school.

Organization – Have your kids begin to gather up book bags and other items around the house that will be needed for the school year. Also, have them go school shopping with you to help select their supplies. When you get home, have your child organize all that’s needed for the first day of school into one place. Getting your child involved in organizing things for the upcoming school year will show them the importance of organizational skills. Hopefully, some of this organization will rub off on their lockers and desks at school.

Good luck on your school-year prep.


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Tooth Care for Preschoolers

Caring for teeth is important and so is establishing a routine when brushing your little one's teeth. Establishing good habits will help lead to good oral hygiene that will continue through adulthood. Click here to read a great article on dental care tips for kids.

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Signs Your Little One Is Ready for Kindergarten

Parents that have never sent a child to Kindergarten before often wonder if their child is truly ready. Here are some simple ways to judge their preparedness. But don’t worry if your child lags behind in one or two skills. They should catch up quickly in this very formative first year of school.

Social Skills

Have you observed your child working in peer groups?

Can your child successfully follow directions?


These are both foundation skills for kindergarten success. They’ll be working in groups frequently and using social skills to interact and to complete activities. From the very first day, they will need to listen and follow directions just to understand the room rules and routines.

If you’re worried your child needs development in any of these skills it’s not too late to make progress before school. Tell your child what appropriate behavior is when working in groups. Have your child focus on following directions and try a reward system for successfully following directions.

Motor Skills

Does your child have developed motor skills (i.e. can they cut with scissors, can they hold a pencil correctly)?

Some children are late bloomers when it comes to motor skills. Every child this age colors outside of the lines sometimes, but if your child cannot stay in the lines that could be a sign of late development. Your child should be able to write basic letters and numbers. If your child cannot complete this task, their motor skills may require attention. Resolving these issues may just take some extra practice at home, however, if you think your child has a more serious issue consult your kindergarten teacher, that’s what they are there for.

Independent Thinking

Is your child comfortable with independence?

Some children shy away from speaking for themselves or acting on their own. If this is your child, don’t worry. You can work on this skill by giving your child the opportunity to speak and act independently. Allow them to begin to make some simple decisions on their own for example, what to eat for lunch, and what to wear etc. They will begin to understand those decisions and working independently is needed in life.

Not all children are the same. Success in kindergarten will look different for everyone.

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When Toddlers Hit

It’s not uncommon for a toddler to get physical out of frustration. As parents and caregivers, we need to help them to learn how to deal with their feelings. Here is a great article on how to deal with hitting and biting. Click here to read the article.

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Does Your Child Have Trouble Sleeping?

Parents sometimes envy the deep, restful sleep that their children enjoy. However, not all children are peaceful sleepers. Some children wake up in the middle of the night for no reason and have trouble falling back to sleep, others wake due to storms or bad dreams. Here are some reasons kids have sleepless nights and some steps you can take to reduce them.

Scary Dreams – It’s normal for children to occasionally wake due to thunderstorms, or a scary dream. If your child is frequently waking due to scary dreams, you might want to begin to ask some questions to understand the nature of their fear. In some instances, siblings are telling scary stories or your child might be watching a scary TV show without your knowledge. You also could discover monsters are living under the bed or in the closet. A night light can be an easy cure for monsters and all other types of imaginary creatures. A quick check under their bed each night can help to banish all monsters for good and make you a hero to your child. The good news is that as your child ages, monsters like all other fairy tales will begin to disappear.

Bathroom Breaks – Children have small bladders which can trigger your child’s natural instinct to wake up prior to wetting the bed. Install a night light in your child’s bathroom. This can avoid the shock of bright lights, which can further awaken your child. Also, if your child wakes, don’t talk to them if you are assisting them with the bathroom. Engaging in conversation will further stimulate your child’s senses which can prevent them from falling back to sleep.

Too Much Energy – make sure your child is getting enough exercise and eating properly. Lack of exercise can lead to boundless energy at bedtime and trouble winding down. Try getting your child involved with a sport or exercise program. You can also cut out dessert and reduce sugary snacks in your child’s diet.If you are concerned those sleepless nights are a result of a medical issue, or if you need help with your child’s diet and nutrition contact your pediatrician.


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Water Safety

Summer and hot weather mean trips to the family’s favorite swimming hole. It also means taking the proper precautions for water safety. Here is a great article with lots of information and tips to help you and your family stay safe at the pool, lake, and beach. Click here to read the article.

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Traveling with Kids

Traveling with children can present challenges, that’s why planning is important. To help you get prepared, here are some tips and ideas to reduce the stress and make the trip more enjoyable for the whole family.


1. When possible, travel at night or get a very early morning start to your trip and let the kids sleep. But be cautious, because it's easy to get tired.

2. If you plan to travel during the day try stopping about every 90 minutes. By planning ahead, and using travel planning websites, you can find kid-friendly places such as parks with playgrounds, historic monuments to give the kids a 15-minute break and work off some energy.

3. 1,000 bottles of root beer on the wall or B-I-N-G-O can really help to pass the time and create some happy or sad memories depending on how good of a singer you are.

4. Create a goodie-bag. Toys, games, bubbles, coloring books can all help pass the time during a long trip. Bring toys you can use during your small stops, like footballs, frisbees or soccer balls, which will encourage running off energy.

5. Have your children do quiet activities, such as creating postcards or writing a paper, or a journal to document where you’re going or where you have been on your trip. They can also practice the lost art of letter writing to friends they miss at home.

6. Of course, if you need to, you can always fall back on the handheld games, CD and portable DVD players with earphones.

Let each child pack their own box or backpack of activities that way, you can make sure they will like what they brought and it will keep their things organized and accessible.


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School Friendships: Stay Connected Over Summer Break

Summer can be relaxing, but it can also be pretty busy with family vacations, day trips, and spending time with an aunt or grandparents. Young children sometimes have a hard time understanding that their schedule has changed and why they are not seeing their best buddy all the time. Here is a great article on maintaining friendships over summer break. Click here to read the article.


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Recognizing Good Behavior

It’s common for parents to focus on bad behavior more than good. At the point when your child is misbehaving is when you’ll reprimand them. Good behavior can often go unnoticed because it can be as simple as sitting quietly or doing chores. These are things parents are likely to miss and thus miss the opportunity to praise and reinforce the good. Here are some ways you can remember to recognize good behavior.


Systematize Praise – Set up some time each week to think about what your child did well, or keep a list of the good behavior when it occurs. Then, when you have the opportunity, let your child know what you noticed they did well during the week. If your child needs to work on certain behaviors, set up a behavior chart. Give them stickers for when they are good. After a week of good behavior, reward them with something they like.

Stay On The Positive Side – Instead of telling your child what you don’t want them to do, tell them what behavior you want. For example, You didn't clean up your room or you didn't put your clothes in the laundry basket. Try telling them why you need them to do these tasks. Let them know that by pitching in they are helping the whole family.

Be Specific With Your Praise – Don’t just tell your child good job. Tell them exactly what they did that was good. For example, cleaning up your room today really helped me out and allowed me to help your sister/brother with their homework. The more specific the praise the more your child will respond to the positive encouragement.


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Inside the Preschooler's Brain

As parents of preschoolers, we often wonder what they are thinking. Greatschools.com offers some insight into what a preschooler’s think and why they do the things they do. Click here to read the whole article.



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Summer Learning

Summer is fun, but your child starts to forget what they learned as soon as classes end. You can help exercise your child’s brain by taking time out of your summer schedule for some skill building.

Reading – 30 minutes a day of reading will keep your child’s mind sharp and their reading skills even sharper. Relax the reading rules and let them read something fun and out of the normal. Let them stretch their skills by reading up a level or let them read down if they just want to get through reading time and back outside to play. Just keep them in the habit of reading so it’s not a shock to their brain when school starts.

Indoors and Air Conditioning on Hot Summer Days – the museums are air conditioned and not so crowded during the summer. It makes summer a great time to visit. Avoid the crowds, keep cool and exercise your child’s brain.

Pick a Number/Any Number –to practice math skills establish a number of the day and do activities around that number. If the number is five let them have five pieces of candy for the day. Challenge them to run around the yard five times or throw an imaginary party for five guests.

Study Nature – it’s summertime and being outdoors is what summer is all about. Take a nature walk. Let your children spot animals and look them up on the computer when you get home to find out all about them. Let them pick flowers or capture butterflies or fireflies. Get a book from the library that tells all about the animals or plants you saw on your walk.

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Treating Poison Ivy

The spring and summer months are great for getting the kids outside to play and burn off some energy. One of the issue you may run into is poison ivy. Here is a great article that offers some advice on what to watch out for and how to treat poison ivy. Click here to read the article.

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Wetting the Bed – Normal or Not?

Even the best potty trained child can have a nighttime accident. Nearly half of all children still wet the bed at age 3. Even at age 5 doctors consider bed-wetting normal, as one in five kids still wet the bed. (Source: WebMD). So when is the right time to be concerned about bed wetting? Generally, if your child still can’t stay dry overnight by age 6, it might be time to consult your pediatrician.

Reasons

There are many causes of bed wetting. Generally, bed-wetting is caused when a child's normal, under-developed bladder gets full. It can also be caused by your child;s body not sending signals to the brain to wake from sleep when they have to go to the bathroom.

Stress such as a new sibling, a death of a close family member, a change in school or other events can sometimes lead to bed wetting. This could be the body’s reaction to stress, or a call out for attention.

A Few Quick Tips To Help

· Limit liquids before bed

· Have your child visit the potty several times before bedtime

· Don’t punish your child for the accident

· Have them participate in cleaning up but not as a punishment

· Use positive encouragement and rewards for staying dry at night

If you suspect that your child has a urinary tract infection, diabetes, or some other medical problem relates to their bed wetting, take them to your pediatrician.

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Pool Safety

Now that the heat of the summer has arrived, families are heading to pools more often. Pool safety is an important part of this summer ritual. Family Education.com offers some tips to help keep your family safe while at the pool. Click here to read the article.


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Fourth of July Fun With Kids

Fourth of July will be here later this week and you want to make it a fun event for the whole family. Below are a few tips on making it an exciting time for the kids.

Head to your local library and pick out some books to read to the kids about Independence Day.

Teach the kids some patriotic songs like "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "America the Beautiful" and "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Crafts are always a great hit. Have them make an American flag or a paper chain of red, white and blue construction paper. Make fireworks on black construction paper.

Everyone loves a Fourth of July Parade. If you don’t have a parade in your town let your children decorate their bikes and make their own parade. Even better, get kids from the neighborhood involved. You just might start a tradition.

Everyone loves dessert. With some whipped topping, strawberries, and blueberries they can create a sweet treat everyone can enjoy.

When the sun goes down attend a fireworks display or, have them look for fireworks off in the distance. End the night with a fun game of flashlight tag.




Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!



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7 Ways to Stop the Summer Slide

To continue with our theme from last week about kids losing knowledge during summer break, I found an article from Scholastic that gives you 7 ways to sneak in some learning over summer break. Click here to read the article.


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Keeping the Kids Hydrated

With summer vacation starting and the temperatures rising, your kids will be spending more time outdoors. It’s very important to make certain they do not get dehydrated.

In general, kids are even more susceptible to dehydration than adults. This is mainly because children don't cool down as efficiently. Here are some precautions you can take to make summer more fun and safe and to help avoid dehydration.

Proper Fluid Intake

Preparing Before They Play – As a general rule, children should be taking in about 5 ounces of fluids for every 20 minutes of strenuous play.
Keep Them Hydrated During The Day – The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children drink six glasses of water on an average day.

Now you’re probably asking yourself what drinks provide the best hydration.
Water

All natural
No additives or sugar
Best for routine hydration

Sports Drinks

Great tasting
More appealing to children
Can increase a number of fluids children will take in
Can be high in carbohydrates and calories
Replace electrolytes lost through sweating
Limit their use to strenuous play and sporting events

Popsicles
·         Great tasting
·         Cool
·         High water content
·         Great alternative for hydration particularly with smaller children

Heat Exhaustion: If your child shows signs of heat exhaustion (fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, and dizziness), get them medical attention as soon as possible.

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Managing Your Toddler's 5 a.m. Wake-up Call

It’s the weekend and your toddler has decided to wake up before 6 am. What is a parent to do? Do you keep them up later at night? This article offers some great suggestions on how to deal with you early riser. Click here to read the article.

 

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Reading During Summer Break

School’s Out For the Summer!!! It’s a proven fact that kids that read over the summer retain more knowledge from the past school year allowing them to be better prepared to start the next school year. But parents sometimes have a difficult time getting their kids to read. Here are a few simple tips on how to get your children excited about summer reading.

Provide them as much incentive as possible to read. Some stores like Pottery Barn Kids and Barnes & Noble offer rewards for summer readers.

Read together – to make things more interesting try playing out the characters. Use funny voices, be animated and try to make the story come to life. Have your child do the same while reading to you.

Keep it fun - don’t correct your child for every mistake they make while reading. Instead, give them lots of positive encouragement just for reading during the summer.

Make going to the library a summer event. Let your child search through and pick out the books that interest them and that they want to read. The library often has summer activities that can help reinforce that libraries and reading can be fun.

Many children get hooked on reading through reading a series of books. Think of all of the kids who have become great readers through Harry Potter and other series books. If your child gets intrigued by certain characters, they may get hooked on the next book in the series and become a reader for life.

Enjoy your summer reading!

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Teaching Your Preschooler to Dress Himself

One of the most important skills your preschooler needs to learn is dressing them self By creating a positive environment and giving them choices your little one will be a pro in a short amount of time. Click here to read the whole article.


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Easy Summer Games

Here are some easy games for when you’re on a limited budget and your kids are bored.

Green Bowling
Find a volleyball, basketball or soccer ball and set up a bowling ally in your backyard. For bowling pins, here is where the green comes in, go to the recycling bin and find discarded plastic bottles to use as pins. Have your children keep score. This will reinforce counting and basic math skills during the long summer break from school.

Pickpocket Tag
Use some old shirts or cut up some cloth and tell each child to tuck it into their back pocket. Have the kids play tag by pulling the cloth out of each other's;. pockets. The child with the most pieces of fabric wins. You can also add to the fun by having the kids dribble soccer balls while playing tag for an additional challenge.

Cold Potato
Here is a tricky spin on the old game hot potato. Instead of a ball or an actual potato, fill up a balloon with water. Have your children get into a circle and pass the balloon from one to another. On a hot summer day, when the water balloon pops, your children will just love cooling off.

Walk Don’t Run
This is another way to take what’s in the recycling bin and use it for summer fun. Set up a course with old plastic bottles from the recycling bin. Let the children take a long look at the course. Then, blindfold them and let them walk through the course without going outside of the boundaries. Just make sure you follow each child so they don’t fall and get hurt.

Other Options

Flashlight Tag

Red Lights Green Light

Kickball


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Your Child’s Learning Style

Understanding how your child learns can help you understand the best way to reinforce new concepts at home. Scholastic.com offers a quiz to help parents figure out their child’s learning style. Click here to read the article.

 

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Kids Allowance

It’s important to start teaching your kids financial responsibility at a young age. An allowance is a good way to begin to teach basic concepts like how to earn and save money and the basic concept of investing.

Not only does an allowance help kids understand the concepts above, it can also teach responsibility, counting skills, and independence.

When and if to start instituting an allowance with your child is an individual decision but here are some basic guidelines you may want to follow:

Consider Age

You don’t have to wait until your child can count or understand the concept of money. Non-monetary rewards like TV time or working toward a toy they really want can work just as well. However, they should be able to understand why and what they are working for, otherwise setting goals and rewards will be meaningless.

Start Small

A great rule of thumb is small rewards for small tasks. If the task is too big or the reward takes too long to achieve your child will lose interest. Household chores are good to start; helping Dad take out the trash or cleaning up their room can make your work easier too.

Clarify the Rules

Make it crystal clear what it takes for your child to earn their reward. Make the rules clear to avoid potential conflict and disappointment later.

Once your child has a nest egg built up, try borrowing money from them one or twice a year and pay them interest on your loan. Borrowing can teach them the basic concept of investing and returns.

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Optimism and Motivation: Keys to your Child’s Success

Optimism can help your child cope with the challenges of life. Sometimes it is hard to be optimistic about things. Education.com offers some ways to nurtures your child's optimism. Click here to read the article.



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Toddler Teeth

Toddlers usually feel two ways about brushing their teeth. They are either excited to be a big girl or boy, or they are uncooperative. It’s important to help your young one develop good oral hygiene. Here are some tips on handling common teeth brushing problems.

Start with good habits early – when your baby's first tooth pops out, you can begin to brush their teeth.

Take advantage of your child’s curiosity – if your child wants to brush their own teeth, and you feel they have the ability to brush their own teeth, let them. However, you should supervise the process up until your child is school-aged.

Let Your Child Express Their Independence– let them have fun picking out the toothpaste and the brush they want. This is just another way to get them interested.

Be Creative – there have been a lot of changes in toothbrush technology since we were kids. A toothbrush can now play music, speak to your child, and they are shaped as your child’s favorite character. Take advantage of these gimmicks to increase your child’s interest in teeth brushing.

If you have a real dental question you should always contact your friendly pediatric dentist.


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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 resolving the conflict.

3. Teach your child to walk away – in many cases, this is the best way to resolve a conflict. If your child has a 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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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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