Host a Drama-Free Play-date

Kids love to have play-dates, but sometime play-dates 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 play-date. Click here to read the whole article.



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Helping Toddlers Learn Rules

Rules are an important part of our social structure. Kids think that rules are set primarily by parents but as they become school-aged they realize that rules are a necessary part of life. But how and when is the best time to begin setting rules for your child?

Believe it or not, by the time your child reaches their first birthday they can begin to tell the difference between right and wrong. And this is an important milestone that can be used to introduce simple rules into your child’s life.

Here are some suggestions on how to introduce rules to your child:

Be consistent – kids thrive on consistency. Don’t waiver on your rules and apply them on a regular basis.

Concise – keep rules simple and brief. Don’t set complex rules with conditions like “if, then” statements. This just makes the concept of rules more difficult.

As an example: a child understands that coloring on the wall is not acceptable. If you begin to explain that coloring on a wall painted with chalkboard paint is acceptable this may lead to confusion.

Be Specific – provide enough details to make the concept real for your child. Stop and don’t do that are too vague and may lead to confusion.



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5 Ways to Make Every Kid Feel Special

Each child is different and deserves some special one-on-one time to make them feel extra special. SheKnows.com offers 5 tips to make your kids feel a little extra special. Click here to read the tips.

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Independence

Children are always striving for more independence. As your toddler moves from preschool to elementary school they are going to want, and need more responsibility and more independence. But as parents, you might be apprehensive about how to give them enough freedom without giving them too much.

Here are a few ways that your child can get more responsibility around the house that will help build their confidence and teach responsibility.

Organizing Their Belongings
Kids are always making messes. Now is a great time to teach your child how to take care of their belongings. Have them organize their clothes, books and other belongings into plastics bins. When they come home from school make sure that they put their stuff away and praise them for their organization and responsibility.

Getting Ready for School
Give your child the responsibility to collect their books, pack their book bag and prepare their lunch. Buy pre-packaged fruit, help them make a sandwich, and pour their drink. They can feel proud when they open their lunch at school knowing that they packed it themselves.

Help Set the Table
If you’re lucky enough to still eat dinner together as a family, then you might get your child to set the table, especially if paper plates are involved. This teaches children valuable life skills and pride in the fact that they can contribute to the family’s dinner.

It’s difficult to judge how much responsibility is best for your child. Just make sure that you provide the proper supervision and make certain the task isn’t too difficult for them to handle.

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Hone Your Kid's Fine Motor Skills: 7 Hands-On Tip

Education.com offers 7 ideas on how to help develop your child’s fine motor skills. Many of these tips are simple and fun to do with the kids. Click here to read more




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Making Time For Your Family

 Today’s parents have a lot to balance; work, school, kids’ schedules, doctor's’ appointments, shopping, cleaning, making dinner and more. It’s hard to find time to spend quality time with the kids. That means you need to put the smartphone down too.

Meal Time: One of the easiest ways is to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner with your kids at least 2 -3 times a week. Talk to your kids about their day, what’s going on in school or even make plans on how to spend time together in the future.

Reading Together: For younger kids, it means you read a story to them for older kids have them read to you or read a chapter from your favorite book or a great article that you saw in the paper today

Family Games: Whether it’s old fashioned board games or even video games that the whole family can play, games are a great way to spend time together with your kids.

Movie Night: Make some fun treats, get out the pillows and blankets and cuddle up with your kids to watch the latest hit movie on DVD. Make it a monthly event and give each kid a chance to pick their favorite movie.

There are many easy ways to spend time with your kids, make time on your to-do list to get it done





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Money Math in 3 Easy Steps

Understanding the concept of money is sometimes difficult for kids. Scholastic.com offers 3 great tips to help your kids understand money and set them on the path to independence. Click here to read the article





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Dealing With a “Strong-Willed” Child

Determined children can test the limits of patience. But you can’t keep a strong-willed child in their room all day. Here are a few tips that can help you deal with your strong-willed child.

1. You have set rules in your home for a reason. Stick to the rules you have established, because if you don’t, the strong-willed child will continue to break the rules.

2. Patience is a virtue when it comes to a strong-willed child. As much as you need to be clear and stick to your decisions, realize that a strong-willed child will not change overnight. Structure, patience and time are all critical factors to long-term success.

3. Show that your decisions are final. A strong-willed child will often take debate, to a whole higher level. The debate can easily turn into a tantrum. Make “no” final, and explain what the consequences will be for breaking the rules.

4. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Try to have a little time away from your strong-willed child during the day. Preschool programs and other caregivers can give you the break you need to regain perspective, particularly on days when your patience has been stretched to its limits.

Strong-willed children require parents to have a deeper level of caring and understanding. You will learn to appreciate the strong-will in your child as they power through the challenges of life. Look at your child’s strong will and independence as a strength that can be honed with your help.


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