Teaching your child to ride a bike can be either a fun or a frustrating experience, depending on how you approach tackling the task. If you know that you have a problem with patience, you may want to leave the job to someone else. On the other hand, the time spent bonding with your child during bike riding lessons can be a lot of fun, and will definitely create memories that will last a lifetime. Check out these tips to make the lessons less stressful.
Confirm that your child is ready to ride – Remember that kids develop differently. Your 3 year old may be ready to ride, while your 5 year old would rather keep both feet planted firmly on the ground. Don’t push your child into riding. Kids will let you know when they are ready.
Check out different methods of learning to ride – Check with your local bike shop for lessons or tips they might have available. Finding a method that works for you and your child will make the experience better for both of you.
Get the right size bike for your child – Whether you are getting a tricycle, bicycle or unicycle, make sure you get the proper size. Your best bet is to go to a bike shop and let the experts size things up for you.
Get the correct size helmet – Helmets protect your kids from head injuries in the event that they fall. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to get the correct size helmet for your child. If you are using a previously owned helmet, make sure that it is in good shape and has no damage. Wearing the helmet correctly is just as important as getting the right size.
Training wheels or not – Some kids do very well with training wheels, while others do not. If your child wants to try to learn without them, give it a try and see how it goes before you automatically rule it out.
Find a good practicespot – You will want to find a large, flat space that is smooth and free of traffic. Either a concrete or asphalt area is good. A large driveway, an empty parking lot or an empty basketball or tennis court will work nicely.
Tires need to be inflated properly – When the tires are inflated correctly your child will have a smooth, even ride and will be better able to coast effortlessly.
Learning without pedals – Taking off the pedals and letting your youngster get the feel of the bike is a good way to start the learning process. Put the seat down to a level where your child can still sit, but has her feet flat on the ground. Take off the pedals and let your child scoot around using her feet to push off and keep balance. Once she is comfortable with scooting around, she can practice turning and coasting.
Learning with pedals – When your child is comfortable with scooting around on the bike, put the pedals back on and teach her about starting and stopping. It may take a few tries at first, but soon she will get the hang of it.
Go over rules of the road – Impress upon your child the importance of following the rules of the road. Review the rules from time to time so that your child will know you are serious about safety matters.
Teaching your child to ride a bike is one of the most rewarding things you will do. Once a child learns to ride, it is a skill they will never forget. You’ve given them a gift that will last a lifetime. Family bike rides will provide bonding time, exercise and precious memories.
Women aren’t the only ones with a proverbial biological clock.
Despite many misconceptions and misperceptions, men are affected by infertility at almost the same rate as women. Not only that, as men age, their sperm is impacted—affecting the length of time it takes to get pregnant, the mother’s health during pregnancy, chances of miscarriage, and even health of the baby.
Only recently have any large-scale studies focused entirely on the impact of older fathers. One of the most recent and largest studies analyzed more than 40.5 million births at the Stanford University School of Medicine, concluding that “more than 12 percent of births to fathers aged 45 years or older with adverse outcomes might have been prevented were the fathers younger.”
The Stanford researchers also found that men over age 40-45:
· Take five times as long to impregnate their partner compared with men under 25;
· Are 14 percent more likely than men in their 20s and 30s to have children born prematurely with a low birth weight;
· As the fathers’ ages increased, their babies were more likely to need help with breathing and require neonatal intensive care;
· Have a higher chance of the mother getting gestational diabetes;
· Have a higher chance of the mother miscarrying, and;
· Have a higher chance of children being born with birth defects, autism and mental health disorders like bipolar and schizophrenia.
We are learning more and more about the impact of older fathers as the rate of births to men 40 and over continues to rise. Since the 1970s, the birth rate to men over 40 has doubled to about 9 percent as of 2015.
Biological Clock
While women are born with their lifetime supply of eggs, men start making sperm at puberty and continue this for the rest of their lives. As women age, declining egg quantity and quality puts them at increasing risk for infertility, miscarriages and having children with health problems due to chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down’s syndrome.
While women are technically considered fertile until menopause, their monthly odds of pregnancy decline from 20 percent at age 30 to 5 percent at age 40…until it eventually hits zero. These same ages see a miscarriage rate rise from 10 percent to 33 percent and continue to rise with her age.
Because sperm production doesn’t end, it was long believed that men would remain fertile their entire lives, without age having a significant impact on length of time to conceive or the mother and child’s health.
Causes of Male Infertility
About 12 percent of women in the U.S. between the ages of 15 to 44 have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term, with the cause equally divided between men and women at about 40 percent. In about 33 percent of couples with infertility, both a male and female cause is found.
The most common causes of male infertility include abnormal sperm production, function or delivery. Other causes include overexposure to certain pesticides or chemicals; significant alcohol, tobacco or marijuana use, and; the use of particular medications like anabolic steroids, antihypertensives and some types of antibiotics. Additionally, radiation and chemotherapy treatments for cancer can cause infertility by significantly impairing sperm production.
Can Men Optimize Their Fertility?
There are ways for men to protect and maximize their fertility:
Body weight. Higher body weight is linked with decreasing both sperm count and motility.
Diet. Choose plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants, especially vitamin C, vitamin E and CoQ10, to improve sperm quantity and quality.
Manage stress. Stress can cause lower sperm function and sexual performance anxiety – think stage fright! If you are experiencing stress with difficulty conceiving – and who isn’t? – reach out to your partner and/or a counselor for health coping strategies and stress-reduction techniques.
Exercise. Moderate physical activity can have positive or neutral effects on sperm, but intensive exercise can reduce sperm function. So, remember there’s a sweet spot with exercise intensity.
Don’t smoke. Men who smoke cigarettes inhale passive smoke are more likely to have impaired sperm and higher rates of genetically damaged sperm.
Limit alcohol. While there is debate on alcohol’s effect on sperm, prolonged abuse can cause impotence.
Talk to your doctor about medications. Many medications impact fertility, including calcium channel blockers (reduce fertilization), testosterone and anabolic steroids.
Avoid exposure to toxins. Exposure to environmental toxins, especially phthalates (used in many plastics and hundreds of products) may reduce sperm function.
Stay cool. Increased temperature to the scrotum can impair sperm production. Wear loose-fitting underwear, avoid saunas and hot tubs and limit scrotum exposure to warm objects (such as laptops.)
About the Author
Mark P. Trolice, M.D., is a Board-certified OB/GYN and reproductive endocrinologist who founded and directs Fertility CARE-The IVF Center in Winter Park, Fla. He also is associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando.
Parents of all kinds worry about their neighborhood. They don’t want crime to influx their local community and cause harm to those that they care about. However the leading reason why parents want their local area to be safe is for the sake of their children.
If your kids go to the local school the last thing you want for them is to be caught in the middle between criminals and the police.
There’s no knowing what could happen and that’s why parents with children in a bad neighborhood tend to move out altogether. But it’s not just crime that is an issue in neighborhoods, but the lack of activities for children to do.
Boredom creates mischief sometimes and for some kids without any direction or hobbies, doing risky and bad things just becomes a form of entertainment. Mental health is also a big issue in local communities as people that you might know and are friends with, could have episodes where they do things out of character such as start arguments or fights.
All of these things and more, lead many parents to try and be a force for good in their neighborhood and surroundings communities. Here are a few ways you could become this kind of person.
Community activity leader
Most likely you have heard of local community centers. These are places where children can go to play games and get various forms of help from other kids and adults.
The typical community center will have games like foosball, video game consoles and plenty of extra activities that involve going outside the center. Going out into the world to go do various activities at sporting centers is also a common thing. Kids that have never touched a bow and arrow before, can be taught the basics of archery. Of course the usual games in the park like football, basketball, tennis and many others can be learned as well.
The person who is providing these activities to children is often known as the community activity leader. A figurehead in the community, they are trusted by parents to take care of their kids while they’re out doing fun things that they cannot do at home.
How can you become this person, or at least help and work alongside the community activity leader? Going to your local authorities and volunteering is one way. Another way is to sign up as an adult volunteer at the community center itself.
Going up and speaking to the leader or a member of the community board at local meetings is a great way to mingle and see what opportunities are on offer. However, many universities also offer places for volunteers who want to help their local students with extracurricular.
Many students need to earn credits to further their education and that often means engaging in things like sport or helping the local community. University student groups often go out into the local neighborhoods to help the poor as well.
Working with the next generation
Most of the time local communities send their children all to the same schools. This means that the next generation of those communities are essentially in one place at once during at least 6-8 hours in the day. You can help these children deal with their issues, which they could not feel comfortable speaking to their friends about. A child social worker is a role that is becoming more and more accessible.
You have the opportunity to become an apprentice of a company that will teach you the ropes on the job. There will of course be written work to complete which will ultimately evaluate your competence and intelligence for the role you want.
There’s also a chance to learn about child psychology at many after-hours or night schools. Open universities also have courses for those that want to work in this field which you can take during the afternoon and evening hours.
What will your job entail if you were to pass and become certified? Well, you would be part of a school faculty. As a support staff, you work with children that have a pattern of misbehaving. Often times children don’t misbehave purely for the sake of it. Usually it’s a sign of frustration and it’s your job to find out what is causing that shift in mood. Some kids just have a general lack of focus.
This could be due to mental health conditions which again, you need to test and evaluate by asking certain questions and playing cognitive skills-based games with them. This way children with problems at home, with their skills and intelligence as well as mental health concerns can be treated as individuals.
Your end result is to find the best care and quality of life for them while they are at school and if need be, even at home.
Rolling the beat
If you have paid attention to any of the modern police force initiatives, you will know that there is a desperate need for members of the communities to come forth and join. Quite evidently, some communities see the police as a cause of friction and sometimes see them as people who are not on their side.
This is why more and more law enforcement officials are encouraging local police departments to try as best they can to hire members of local communities as police officers. When people in communities that have prevalent violence and many disturbances due to anti-social behaviour see familiar faces wearing the badge, they are less likely to see them as the enemy.
A much better grasp of the situation can be had and dialogue can occur when a friend and local of the community is part of the police force that patrols the neighborhood.
How could you get your qualifications to actually become a police officer? Taking a course in criminology is definitely one of the best ways to get your foot in the door. You’ll learn about police psychology which shows you how to think like and the opposite to criminals.
Mental health and justice is a key topic for the modern police officer and local communities. The more people can understand certain conditions and what that could mean for the behavior of individuals that are afflicted by them, the better relations can be forged between the police and the public.
However you’ll also be taught the psychology of crime and why certain crimes are trending as well as how criminals approach their misdeeds. Quantitative methodologies in criminology is the area where you learn complex problem solving which helps in investigations and on the scene questioning to victims, suspects and witnesses.
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The local watch
Working with police departments you can become a part of the the local watch. So much crime at night can be stopped just by local members keeping an eye out for each other. This would simply involve being in contact with each other at all hours of the evening and night.
How local watches work is by local members working with the local authorities and government. This would mean that you get some funding if you need it, and you will have a relationship with law enforcement that is beyond just the general sense.
What local watches do is meet every couple of weeks to discuss what they might have seen or any kinds of trends they are seeing evolve in their communities. Of course this involves how crime is spreading or being kept at bay in the area, what kind of preventative measures can be taken, how best to inform local people, and what kind of help or assistance they need.
Volunteering at the local police station or going to a town hall meeting with the local government are the best ways to get in on this kinds of program. However it’s not just as easy as turning up, but you will need to show proof of residence as well as being competent with some menial tasks.
There’s usually a hierarchy so that there is a chain of command and more responsibility is taken by those that are more competent or simply just more available. The first task you will be given is to talk about how you keep your own home secure, and what kind of advice you would give to someone who has now prior knowledge of how to do this. Then another task might be to make a week-long report of the things you see that might be suspicious or just details of each day and night in general.
This is to prove that you have a keen eye and can be of good use to the local neighborhood watch team. It’s a great way to just get involved with the community care at ground level and help to keep your children safe at night. Neighborhoods with excellent watches are less likely to be targeted by criminals in future.
Parents should actively work with local authorities to help make their neighborhoods a safer place of their children. However you can go multiple steps further and become a police officer with great training and skills to be a true force for good.
Raising a kid is never easy; coping as a single mom is even harder. Looking after a kid alone without support can be emotionally exhausting, and single mothers are often overwhelmed by daily stressors, some to the extent of resenting their child. Parenting for single moms comes with a set of emotional challenges that can take a toll on their mental wellbeing. If left unattended, these issues could drive someone to depression, PTSD or anxiety disorders. Here are eight challenges single moms face and how to handle them.
Inadequate Self Care
When a father is not involved in bringing up a child, the mother is compelled to be a superwoman. After a long day at work, she is confronted by a pile of mommy duties at home, leaving little to no time for self-care. This implies that a spa day in a month is a pipe dream and fixing exercise time in her schedule is nearly impossible. In such circumstances, it would help to fix some me-time in the busy schedule forcefully; an hour a week is sufficient. During this time, a mom could write a journal or take a walk in a bid to reconnect with whom they were before they became parents.
Conflict with Baby Daddy
Dealing with separation or divorce is stressful enough without having to handle constant conflicts with the child’s father. Constant confrontations with an ex-lover are extremely unhealthy, and it could ultimately erode a mother’s mental health. Such conflicts are brought about by sensitive matters like finances and parenting methods. It’s not unusual to find a single mom facing constant manipulation and bullying from her ex, not to mention a violation of the divorce agreement. This includes withholding child support. Such challenges can be overcome through positive thinking. For instance, the mother can choose to view the father’s input in the child’s upbringing as useful ideas rather than fight triggers.
Financial Insecurity
Economic hardships and poverty can easily trigger stress and anxiety. As a consequence of loss of a partner or divorce, single moms often find themselves economically vulnerable. Even when working full time, minimum wages and multiple bills leave them below poverty levels. The ultimate solution to this challenge is living within one’s means. A mom should constantly remind herself that her priority is purchasing necessities like food. She ought to create a budget for the entire month, which will allow her to keep track of her income and spending. Also, exercising regularly will go a long way in making her feel less stressed.
Sleep Deprivation
A single mom is often plagued with multiple responsibilities, including housekeeping, laundry, studying and night shifts, which undermine her chances to get sufficient sleep. Despite their responsibilities in providing the necessities for their children, sleep time should never be compromised. Lack of enough sleep has seen many people dozing off at work, not to mention poor job presentation, lowered quality life, and emotional distress. Stress is a major cause of sleeplessness at night, which is where essential oils come in handy. Moms can use a device to disperse essences like lavender in the bedroom, which boasts fundamental relaxing effects for both the body and mind.
An Abusive Past
In modern society, the rate of domestic abuse and violence has reached insufferable levels. A big number of moms are forced to leave their abusive marriage, and while this gives them peace, psychological trauma remains. The worst part is that most victims have no one to turn to; some have no idea where to start when looking for help. Without resources and support, a big number of single moms end up carrying a heavy emotional burden, which ultimately causes depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among other mental health challenges. It, therefore, helps to consult with a psychiatrist or join a support group after a breakup, which is especially true if the reasons for separation or divorce were violence related.
Stigma and Judgment
Poor judgments towards a single mother is not a strange phenomenon. This often emanates from fellow parents in a stable relationship, coworkers or even the child’s teacher. The daily assault in the form of negative comments and assumptions regarding their moral character and parenting skills is unfair and demoralizing. For those facing this challenge, they should connect with other single moms on social platforms in addition to practicing self-care.
Loneliness
This often occurs when the kids are away with the other parent. Getting used to the idea of being without the kids for a day or two is often a daunting task. Most single moms have experienced extreme emptiness like the air has been sucked out of the home when the children go visiting their dad for an entire weekend. The best solution for this situation is planning out the free time; a mom shouldn’t give herself a chance to get bored. She could, for instance, schedule night outs with friends singing karaoke or even go to dinner with a boyfriend.
Lack of Emotional Support
When a woman converts to single motherhood whether by choice or due to other compelling circumstances, her close friends and family might drift away. Her friends may find it hard adjusting to the reality of her new status, feel awkward and terminate the friendship. Others might choose the ex-husband’s side, which could serve a blow to her self-esteem.
Once a single mom is excluded from the community in which she previously thrived so well, she may end up feeling hopeless and alienated. The best thing to do when the old friends leave is to reach out for new ones. This includes joining book clubs, single mom support groups and church fellowships among other activities.
Finally
Single motherhood will often trigger a set of challenges that detrimentally affect one’s mental health. For a single mom, each day comes with multiple responsibilities and stressors, and finding consistent emotional support is not always easy. Even those whose family members are willing to offer a helping hand will often find such assistance inadequate. From dealing with baby daddy drama to handling financial insecurities, single moms don’t seem to catch a break.
Every single mom should be comforted by the fact that countless other mothers are grappling with the same issues. Thus they should not shy from seeking professional help. It’s also imperative to surround oneself with compassionate friends, family members and support groups in a bid to get creative solutions to everyday challenges. From the overwhelming responsibilities coupled with the stressors these mothers face on a daily basis, it’s evident that single moms are the modern day superheroes.
Target’s allual “Car Seat Trade-in Event” started Monday and runs through May 4, 2019.
Customers with old car seats they no longer need can bring them to almost any Target location and receive a 20% off coupon.
The coupon is valid for a new car seat, car seat base, travel system, stroller or select baby home gear.
All types of car seats are accepted including if they are expired or damaged.
The coupons can be used in-store and online and will be eligible through May 11, 2019.
According to the company’s website, materials from the old car seats will be taken and recycled by Target’s partner, Waste Management. They will be turned into new products such as “pallets, plastic buckets and construction materials such as steel beams and carpet padding.”
Posh parents are foregoing the traditional Easter baskets filled with candy, plastic toys, and bubbles and opting for baskets with more expensive items inside.
One New York City mom, Laura Rolston, told local station CBS that she is having her son Christopher’s picture taken with the Easter Bunny at Roosevelt Field Mall and then giving him a basket of clothes and more elaborate gifts.
“Stuffed animals and bath toys and stuff like that,” the Patchogue resident told the station. “Little clothing for him. It’s definitely a little more than when I was a kid. I’m a new parent and I’m excited and I don’t mind spoiling my little boy a bit.”
It’s part of a new trend to make Easter baskets that rival the best birthday and Christmas presents — complete with clothing, toys, and even electronics.
Some parents say the extravagant and gift filled Easter basket are a result of parents’ tried to steer their kids away from eating so much candy. Still, others say it’s gone too far.
“We hear that these baskets, parents are putting them online and saying, ‘Look at my basket, my basket is bigger and better than the other basket’ and again, at the end of the day, it should be about tradition, should be about a holiday, shouldn’t be about who has the biggest, better, most awesome, expensive basket,” Lyss Stern of the DivaMoms.com blog told a local Fox station.
“We hear that these baskets, parents are putting them online and saying, ‘Look at my basket, my basket is bigger and better than the other basket’ and again, at the end of the day, it should be about tradition, should be about a holiday, shouldn’t be about who has the biggest, better, most awesome, expensive basket,” Stern told MyFoxZone.
The last thing a financially struggling parent wants to see is their child’s teeth coming in crooked. After groceries, school clothes, car payments and the rent or mortgage, there may not be much left to pay for a trip to the orthodontist so the child can be fitted with braces.
But for those determined to help their child improve their smile, there are ways to work around those financial difficulties.
“Sometimes you must be creative, but many families who want to give their children orthodontic care can do so with a little planning and budgeting,” says Dr. Ana Castilla, an orthodontist and author of The Smile of Your Life: Everything You Need to Know for Your Orthodontic Journey (dranacastilla.com).
Dr. Castilla knows from personal experience what it’s like to be a child who needs and wants braces, but whose parents can’t afford them. She had to wait until she was an adult and could pay for them herself.
She says one of the first mistakes parents make is waiting until they think they can afford orthodontic treatment before taking their child in for an evaluation. However, waiting can only make the situation worse as many issues can be corrected easier and less expensively with early treatment.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends children be seen by an orthodontist no later than age 7. Dr. Castilla encourages all parents to take advantage of free consultations offered by most orthodontists so they can become aware of any issues with their children’s teeth. She also has several recommendations for ways to work orthodontic treatment into the budget:
Flexible financing. “Most orthodontic practices offer zero-interest in-house financing but not all of them are equally flexible in their payment plans,” says Dr. Castilla. She says parents should ask if they offer “extended financing.” This type of financing is longer than the length of treatment. For example, the treatment may last only 24 months, but the last payment may not be due for 36 months.
Insurance. You are not required to have insurance to get orthodontic treatment. However, Dr. Castilla says if you do have insurance, be sure to read the policy. “You need to be your own advocate and learn the rules of your coverage,” she says. Many parents rely on an employer promises instead of reading the policy. “Just because your employer says you have coverage for braces, that doesn’t mean you are fully covered – or even covered at all,” says Dr. Castilla. There are many factors that affect coverage such as age limitations, waiting periods, and insurance payment schedules.
Combine insurance policies if possible. If you and another member of your household have two or more separate insurance policies, there is a chance that both insurances can help pay for treatment. Your employer’s human resources department should be able to help you maximize your benefits.
Use flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts. “Many employers offer these accounts to their employees to help them manage their health expenses,” says Dr. Castilla. Employees can contribute tax-free dollars for payment of qualified medical expenses, such as orthodontics.
Use third-party financing companies (medical credit cards). This is not the No. 1 option that Dr. Castilla recommends because of high interest rates. “I would only consider this option if you cannot find an orthodontist that offers extended financing near you,” she says. “Make sure you read the fine print.”
“I hated my teeth as a child, but I kept it to myself because I knew my parents could not afford braces for me,” Dr. Castilla says. “When I was finally able as an adult to fix my smile, I realized what a negative impact my old smile had on my self esteem. That’s why I want to help as many parents as possible afford a bright smile for their kids.”
Easter brings images of bunnies, jelly beans, crosses and spring to mind! Most families do the traditional Easter basket, egg hunt and church routine, but this Easter shake things up a bit by thinking outside of the box and incorporating a few more meaningful activities into your Easter traditions.
Natural egg dyes – Did you know that you can dye your eggs without chemicals? Annie’s Eats provides a list of different colors that you can easily create at home by using food to provide the color. You can find recipes for grey-blue, blue, yellow, pink and lavender.
Egg dying techniques – Why not make egg dying an artistic process? Spoonful has various techniques to use for your egg dying experience, including using tin foil, string, bubble wrap, thumbprints and tissue paper.
Easter egg hunts – Egg hunts are a traditional Easter activity for most Christian families. A lot of towns or churches will host an egg hunt, but if they don’t you should consider arranging one for your neighborhood or family! You can use real eggs (make sure they are hard-boiled first!) or use plastic eggs filled with various items, such as money, candy or other small trinkets.
Tissue paper egg art – Egg art is an easy way to decorate your house for Easter. This simple project requires some poster board, tissue paper, a pencil and a bit of glue. Have your child cut out an egg shape from poster board, draw a design on the egg with pencil, and then, using small squares of tissue paper, the eraser end of the pencil and a bit of glue, fill in the spaces with the tissue paper to create your Easter egg!
Stained glass crosses – You can easily create a stained glass cross to hang in your window with your child using tissue paper and clear contact paper. Cut the tissue paper into small shapes (have your child help, if it’s age appropriate) and cut out a sheet of contact paper. Draw a cross on the non-sticky side of the contact paper, remove the paper, and have your child fill in the cross with the tissue paper shapes. Once they are done, place another sheet of contact paper over the tissue paper and then cut inside the lines of the cross you drew on the first sheet of contact paper. Hang your creation in the window for the entire family to enjoy!
The jelly bean story – The jelly bean story is a great way to represent what Jesus gave his people and why Easter is celebrated. There is a short story to print out to go along with the project and each jelly bean color represents different things, such as the sun, grace or sorrow.
Envelope bunnies – Envelope bunnies are a great way to welcome guests to your home during the Easter season. Have your children help create them and then fill them with treats!
Egg chickens – Egg chickens are a cute way to spruce up a hard-boiled egg for a centerpiece at your table! You can create other animals too, so let your imaginations go wild!
Egg relay races – If you live in a climate that makes it possible to head outside on Easter day, consider doing some active outdoor activities with the kids. Who doesn’t love an egg relay race? You can place the eggs (hard-boiled!) on spoons and run with them (if they fall, you have to stop and pick it up). You can also pass off the egg to each other or pass the eggs down the line using only your elbows! The possibilities are endless, and the entire family can get involved!
Egg bocce ball – Use your leftover hard-boiled eggs to play a game of egg bocce ball. You’ll need one white egg (the pallino) and each player will need two of the same colors of eggs to play. Roll the pallino in the grass and have players take turns trying to roll their eggs as close to the pallino as possible. The closest egg wins!
Children live in an adult world that requires patience, and has strict rules. They don’t always want to play along with the structure that is required for their parents to have a good and successful day.
Tantrums are inevitable at times. But parents can arm themselves with some awareness tactics in advance to head off any problems in advance.
Here are 6 ways to get your child to cooperate
1. Help map out the day as best you can for your child. Often, parents have an idea of what the day will be like, but fail to communicate those plans to their child. When possible, help her envision your day by communicating it with her either that morning or the night before. Younger children will need this to be repeated, so it can help to recap it a few times. It is true that plans might change, but changes will be easier if she knew what the plan was in the first place.
2. Give warnings when time is coming close for transitions to take place. Children tend to live entirely in the present, so they are usually completely engrossed in the activity they are involved in at any given moment. This is obvious for younger children, but is also true of older children. By giving your child warnings when you need to leave in 10 minutes, your child can begin to finish with what she has started. Timers can be a big help for these warnings for both you and your child. A timer can not only keep you on track to follow through with the time you allotted, but will also give your child an auditory clue to listen for.
3. Provide your child with choices so that she feels in control of the situation to some degree. It is very difficult for your child to be at the mercy of the adults in her life. Often times, the errands or activities she is being forced to participate in are not activities she would choose to do. You can ease this frustration by making small parts of the day her choice. Small children do well with two or three choices. “Do you want to wear the blue boots, the red shoes or the purple clogs?” Older children can help you decide where you will go first or what music you will listen to along the way. Simple choices can make the difference between a cranky child who drags her feet and a cooperative child who does what is asked of her. Giving teens the choice can relieve some of the pressure too. “The garbage needs to go out before 6AM tomorrow. Do you want to do it before you go to bed or early in the morning” You may know the most common sense option is to do it now and get it over with. But giving your child the option can ease the tension often felt by parents and teens.
4. Create excitement for the thing you are trying to get your child to cooperate in doing. You might be so caught up in completing your to-do list that you forget to enjoy the process. You are motivated to get the tasks complete because you can see the outcome. Your child could not care less about that outcome, she just wants to have fun. So if you want her to cooperate with you, you will need to bring a little fun to the to-do list. If you are running errands, build a little fun break into every other stop. If you are in the car for a long time, find some games to play, such as I-Spy or 20 questions. Help keep her mind going and you will find she is much more compliant.
5. Make sure all her physical needs are met before asking her to do something you know she will be resistant about. Is your child hungry, thirsty, tired, overstimulated, cold/hot or sick? It is hard for adults to operate when they have these needs. Your child will be understandably cranky when she needs food or has simply had too much. Take a break and don’t expect your child to do too much.
6. Make sure your child has enough time for play in her day. Parents today have a tendency to overschedule their children, filling their time with sports, art and other activities. The thought is that an active mind is a healthy mind. To a degree, this is true. However, if the mind of a child is not given the opportunity to think creatively and freely, it will begin to shut down. This is when children become easily agitated, inflexible and unsatisfied. To ensure that you have a more cooperative and helpful child, make sure that your child is given enough time for free play both with you and by herself.
Parents dream of a child who gets her shoes on the first time they ask or takes the garbage out when it needs to go out. Though it may not be possible for your child to do this with 100% accuracy, it is possible to improve her cooperation level.
This week is Holy Week for Catholics and Christians that are preparing for Easter.
EHow assembled an excellent summary of the week that can be used for helping parents explain the holiday to their children.
It is instructional also for non-Catholics as well who may want to understand or explain the holiday for themselves or their children too.
Palm Sunday
When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on his donkey, there were many followers who wanted to see him. People crowded around him and called his name. Many called out “King” or “Savior.”
Worshipers knelt down and waved palm fronds as Jesus passed by. Children and grownups wanted to hear him speak to them. They wanted to touch him. Sick people wanted their Savior to make them well. Another name for this day is Fig Sunday.
Holy Monday and Tuesday
Some people believe that on the Monday of Holy Week, Jesus freed the animals being sold and killed. The freeing of the many sheep and oxen has been compared to the slaves being set free. Tuesday is the day that the Pharisees got together and made a plan to gang up on Jesus and kill him. Holy Monday and Tuesday are not major days for celebration, but the events did lead up to Jesus’ death.
Spy Wednesday
Judas had been Jesus’ good friend, but he got jealous that so many people loved Jesus. Judas got together with the Pharisees and said he would play a trick on Jesus and kill him.
Today, many people go to church on Ash Wednesday to remember this day. A priest will put ashes from burned palm fronds on a person’s forehead in the shape of a cross and say a prayer.
Holy Thursday
The Last Supper was on this day. Jesus sat down to eat with 12 other people. Those people were the disciples. His friend Judas was there that night. Jesus shared his bread and wine with everyone. He told the disciples that it was more important to serve someone else than to be served.
He lovingly washed the feet of his disciples. After the meal was over, Jesus wanted to be alone to pray. Guards appeared a short time later and he was arrested.
Good Friday
Jesus was forced to make a huge cross and drag it up a hill all by himself. He had a crown on his head made of a branch of thorns. He was nailed to the cross by his hands and feet. One of the ways Good Friday is celebrated is by fasting, which means not eating at all. It is a day to mourn the death of Jesus, but also to celebrate that he gave his life for everyone.
Holy Saturday or Black Sabbath
After Jesus died, he was put in a tomb. The tomb was like a cave. The guards rolled a big rock in front of the opening to make sure that no one could get in or out. They knew that Jesus was dead, but they still wanted to close off the opening just to make sure he didn’t get out. Some of the ways to commemorate this day are meditating, praying, and lighting candles in church.
