Making Your Baby’s Clothes Last!

As any mother with a young child will tell you, babies grow very quickly. So for new mothers, making the most out of baby clothes is of the utmost importance. So what do you do when those onesies just don't quite snap anymore? How do you get an extra month out of those jeans that are a little too short for the winter months?

The great thing about onesies, is that they're a very workable cotton fabric, and there really isn't any hemming necessary to turn a couple of onesies that fit at five months into a couple of shirts that fit at eight months. Simply cut them off right at the leg holes, and gently pull the material around the edges so that it rolls a tiny bit. This way there are no exposed threads for baby to pull at or chew on. The same can apply to footsie pajamas. By simply snipping off the feet, you can easily get another month's wear out of the sleepwear.

Adding extra buttons to overalls or snappy shirts makes them naturally grow with your child. Perhaps one of the best investments a new mother can make is in a mid-priced sewing machine. This makes alterations and additions a breeze, and gives you a new hobby for when baby naps (Just make sure there is enough wall between you and the crib so that the whirring of the machine doesn't make undue stress for you!)

Things like adding extra material to the bottom of a dress or skirt can be done in just minutes, as can letting out the hem of a pair of jeans or overalls. Buying clothes initially that are mid-priced and made of a cotton material with a lot of elastic and snaps makes transitions that much easier. Shoes are always going to be a problem, but buying a canvas sneaker in the spring can convert into a mule for summer wear, as long as the baby is not walking yet. Socks without built in heels is key—that way the baby can grow a little bit longer in the socks. Also, even though socks with ducks and elephants are cute, sticking to a plain color can help extend the life of individual socks if one gets lost. In the summer a grey or white sock is less likely to irritate a sweaty baby's sensitive skin because they don’t contain dyes.

Think of ways that you would extend the life of your own clothes. T-shirts that come three to a pack can easily be downgraded to rags or dust cloths. Jeans and pants that have become worn or are too short can be cut and hemmed for summer shorts. Sweaters can become blankies. Things like first outfits and special occasion’s clothes can be put into a special chest to pass on to your child for when they have children of their own. For the most part, making baby clothes last, laundering aside, is about ingenuity and personality. Learn the basics of stitching and hemming and let the designer in you shine through!

Source: Kirsten Hawkins (ArticleDashboard.com)

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10 Parenting Tips To Stop Bribing Your Child

Picture this scenario: A harried mom in a grocery store asks her two young boys to stop fighting. They continue…getting even more boisterous. After asking for the “umpteenth” time and having them ignore her, she starts to raise her voice, but stops herself, she knows she shouldn’t yell at them…additionally the kids won’t respond to yelling anyway. She reaches the end of her rope, is at her whit’s end, wants immediate results, so, “bribes the children.” Sound familiar?

Bribery gets immediate results. The behavior the parent is trying to curb stops… but to what future consequence.

In the long run “bribes” don’t work. Bribing children can have the opposite of the intended effect. Behavior can become more and more outrageous in the hopes of attaining better and better prizes. It goes to follow, if a small tussle in the grocery store is rewarded with a pack of gum, what will an out and out brawl get, a cell phone? Bribing creates a situation where the tail is wagging the dog. The child’s behavior begins to dictate the culture of the family. The family is happy when the child behaves well and in turmoil when the child misbehaves. The child gains power and the parents lose power.

It is more effective and healthier to tell the child that he or she will face a consequence if the unacceptable behavior continues and then follow-through with that consequence. “If you continue to do “X” behavior, we will not go to the park,” (or whatever fun thing the child is looking forward to in the near future). By giving a consequence that the child can actually experience, the child feels the consequence and in turn thinks twice before repeating the offense. Giving a consequence assures that the parent never attacks the essence of the child, which can be damaging to their psyche, just the behavioral offense.

Following through is a crucial step of this learning process. The child must know that the parent means what she says and always follows through.

On the other hand, when the child behaves, praise, praise, and praise! Let him know that it is marvelous and wonderful when he listens. For example a successful trip to the grocery store should be complimented.

Consistency, follow-through and praise are essential in promoting and reinforcing good behavior and creating peace in the family.Consistency, follow-through, and praise sound easy enough. Then why do parents so easily fall into the “bribery” trap?

One reason parents bribe is because raising kids and running a household are incredibly challenging and taxing. When half-way through folding a load of laundry the child reaches over and tosses the folded clothes across the room or when traveling up and down the aisles of the supermarket and the child starts grabbing food out of the cart and pitching it onto the floor, a parent can feel pushed to the brink. The mundane work has to be completed, it is understandable that parents bribe the child to quickly nix the bad behavior and finish the one of many task on their long daily list.

It is definitely tempting to bribe children to stop the disruptive behavior with a new toy or a snack. However, rewarding the negative behavior with a bribe ultimately leads the child back to that same unacceptable behavior, the next time with a vengeance.

It is really important to be your child’s advocate. Think about the tools your child needs to be equipped for teen years and adulthood. As hard as it is not to appease in the moment, consider the child’s future interests. The goal of a parent is to help mold a fantastic person and give the necessary tools a child needs to have a great life.

Here are ten tips for parents who want to find an alternative to “bribery”:

1. Immediately respond to the incident making sure that the child realizes that her behavior is unacceptable. Little kids need to be educated about right and wrong.

2. Use words the child will understand to explain that you are upset. Don’t assume she knows why you are unhappy. “Tammy, pulling the folded clothes out of the laundry basket is not okay. Mommy worked hard to fold those clothes. We have discussed this before. I am giving you a three minute time-out.”

3. Follow-through, act immediately, and do what you say you are going to do. Do not make idle threats.

4. Ask the child to apologize.

5. Reward the child with a huge hug and kiss and thank him for completing the time-out. Then let it go. It is not fair to your child to dwell on an incident after he has completed the time-out, or you have taken away a toy or privilege.

6. Do not feel guilty that you had to reprimand your child. It is your obligation to your child to teach her proper behavior. If you are calm and choose an appropriate consequence then you are being a great parent.

7. Be on the look out for good behavior. How refreshing it is for kids to have their positive behavior recognized…especially when they weren’t expecting it to be noticed.

8. Keep a tally of all of the good behavior over the course of the day and reward with an extra story at bedtime, an extra fun craft project, or a “tickle extravaganza.” But most importantly, let the child know how proud you are of him or her and how much you love him/her.

9. Talk your children up! Say, “I have the most wonderful kids! I love to be with them!” Kids do hear you when you talk about them, loud and clear. Make sure that the majority of what they hear makes them feel warm and nurtured, loved, respected and cherished.

10. Children want limits set. They feel out of control if you don’t make the boundaries clear, and that scares them. Children want you to be the parent. One of the most wonderful gifts that you can give to your kids is to teach them how to behave properly.

Guiding children through the tough stages of childhood creates parenting opportunities for teaching lessons in manners and good behavior. By promoting peace, quiet and good behavior in the home, parents create a fertile environment that encourages growth and development.

Source: ArticleDashboard.com

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Raising Teenagers-signs Of Stress

Raising teenagers successfully is no easy job. Recognizing signs of stress of your teen is another daunting task. There are many sources of stress parents need to identify and take note of. One of the most common sources of day-to-day stress for teenagers are problems with peers such as having quarrels with friends, being bullied, breaking up with boyfriend or girlfriend and dating problems. Having issues or difficulties with parents at home or not doing well in school is another major source of stress without a doubt. Involved in too many activities or projects and having to meet high expectations can usually create stress upon teens. Change of environment such as moving to a new community or school has enormous effect on teens as well.

Ask yourself:

Does your teenager have tension or migraine headaches?

Does your teenager have constipation or diarrhea frequently?

Is your teenager experiencing any dizziness or dizzy spells?

Does your teen have trouble thinking clearly?

Is your teenager eating more excessively or have a loss of appetite?

Is your teenager experiencing sleep disturbances, insomnia?

Does your teenager feel ‘out of control’?

Has our teenager been forgetful?

Is your teenager over reacting to small problems?

Has your teen shown more moodiness than normal?

Has your teen been involved in risk taking behaviors? Such as drinking, smoking, sexual activity, etc.

Is your teenager having problems with chest pain?

Does your teenager complain about shortness of breath?

Does your teen have back, shoulder or neck pain?

Signs of stress are not necessarily easy to detect. Very often they are confused or dismissed with changing behaviors most teens exhibit during the adolescent years. Raising teenagers successfully during this turbulent time requires parents’ early detection of signs and symptoms that stress brings on.

Do not hesitate to ask for professional help if you think the issue at stake requires further attention or medical treatment. Establishing an open communication line with your teen and encourage your teen to talk about what he or she is going through is the first and foremost to offer help to your teen. Your teen may not want advice; but do not be discouraged if he or she rejects your effort and shows irritation. These are normal reactions to stress. Most importantly, let your child know you are always available for them whenever he or she needs you. Keep in mind, building an open and positive relationship with your teens is the first step towards raising teenagers successfully and survive living with teenagers in one piece.

Source: jacq (ArticleDashboard.com)

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How To The Optimistic Child: Raise Your Children To Be Optimists

The benefits of optimism have been proven many times over by research. Optimists enjoy better health and increased longevity over pessimists, experience less stress, and achieve more in life. While much of our personality traits are inborn, you can influence your child’s tendency toward optimistic or pessimistic thinking: optimism can be taught! Here are some ways you can help instill this valuable trait and raise the optimistic child:

Here's How:

1. Help Them Experience Success: Children develop self-esteem and optimism by experiencing success, even in the face of some challenges. So, starting young, let your child do things for themselves (with you in a supporting role rather than doing for them), and acknowledge their success. For example, even if it takes more work on your part, allow small children to take on household responsibilities like sorting socks, putting their toys away, etc., and acknowledge their efforts.

2. Give Credit For Success: When your child faces a success, help them see how they contributed to it, and label those actions as strengths. For example, “You did well on your test. You’re really smart!” or “You’re a hard worker to have been so prepared!” You don’t need to tell them something’s great when it isn’t (children can sense false praise), but giving them credit for their own accomplishments builds self-efficacy and contributes to optimism.

3. Look For Future Success: When dealing with successes, focus on what traits in the child made the success possible, and examine other successes that can come from these traits. Going back to the example of the high test score, you may mention that the strong work ethic and intelligence that went into the successful test can help them reach other goals. You might explore what some of their goals for the future could be, whether it’s to be an astronaut or to do well in college.

4. Don’t Praise Indiscriminately: Optimism researcher Martin Seligman believes that telling a child that everything they do is great—rather than helping them experience real successes and persist in the face of reasonable obstacles—puts the child at a disadvantage, creating an overly strong self-focus and actually making them more vulnerable to depression! So validate that success, but do acknowledge when their efforts aren’t successful as well. Children learn to see through empty praise.

5. Validate, But Question: When your child faces failure or negative situations, validate your child’s feelings, but ask questions that can cause them to see things more optimistically. For example, if another child doesn’t want to play with them, talk about their hurt feelings and let them express themselves. Then ask what other friends they may want to play with. This helps them process (rather than deny) their emotions, but puts the situation in perspective.

6. Remember Success in the Face of Failure: When things go wrong, acknowledge your child’s feelings, but also help them focus on other successes they’ve had, look at how things can go better in the future or under different circumstances, and move on. For example, “I see you feel disappointed in your score. Maybe you’re having an ‘off’ day. You usually do better, and I’m sure you’ll do great next time.” And then get involved in another activity, or practice for future success.

7. Look For “Opportunities To Improve”: One tenet of optimistic thinking that parents may take issue with is where optimists downplay their responsibility where failure is concerned. While it does instill optimism to look at external circumstances that may have contributed to things going awry, it’s okay to also assess what your child can personally do in the future to do better next time. Just approach it as ‘looking for opportunities to improve’ rather than a self-blame session for your child.

8. Look For The Bright Side: Help your child see that there is good and bad in every situation, and make a game of looking for the silver linings in seemingly negative situations. For example, if your child can’t play outside because it’s raining, look at the positives of indoor play, or project what success may come from having extra time to study. Even a broken leg can bring the fun of having friends sign the cast! The game can get silly, and that’s okay, but it’s a good practice to get into.

9. Don’t Use Negative Labels: Correct unacceptable behavior, but don’t label your child with negative labels—ever! Children tend to live up—or down—to our expectations, so if you say, “Jack’s our whiner,” or “Lucy’s our shy child,” what may have been a passing phase becomes a more permanent identity. This is much more damaging to a child’s self-concept than some parents realize, and it perpetuates the very behavior you find so objectionable!

10. Make an Example of Yourself: Children watch us and see us as constant examples, whether we like it or not. The good news about this is that we can teach by doing. Practice optimistic thinking yourself. When you achieve success, don’t downplay it with false modesty, but give yourself credit for a job well done. When things go wrong, don’t catastrophize; put things in perspective.


Source: Elizabeth Scott (About.com)

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How to Raise an Independent Child

It's never too early to teach your children to be independent while being a supportive parent.

It is somehow flattering when your child relies on you for everything from washing her hands to tying her shoes, but doing too much can backfire. "You have to let your child try and possibly fail because a healthy part of growing up is falling down." says Dianne Ehrensaft, Ph. D., author of Spoiling Childhood: How Well-Meaning Parents Are Giving Children Too Much- But Not What They Need." Here are her strategies for raising self-sufficient children.

Refrain from Pampering

If you're juggling a career and family, you may tend to overindulge your children., but giving in to their every whim will make them overly dependent on you. "Parenting by guilt on't work anymore."

Assign chores

By the time children are four years old, they should be responsible for certain tasks , such as picking up their toys and folding the napkins at the dinner table. "Responsibility builds confidence."

Don't take over

Encourage children to try things on their own. "It's fine to do activities with them, but make sure they are not watching from the sidelines," Ehrensaft says. "The goal is to build independent thinking."

Source: Winona Sy (GOMESTIC)

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Teaching Discipline - Discipline Techniques For Teaching Self Control And Acceptable Behaviors

The reason for teaching discipline to children is to help them learn how to respect others and to express their needs and feelings in a socially acceptable manner. Providing discipline to your children as they are growing up helps them to become responsible adults. For any discipline method to be effective, it has to be appropriate for the child's stage of development. A child, no matter what their age, isn't able to complete a task that they are not developmentally ready to perform. Children of all ages need to receive a lot of praise, hugs, and smiles as positive reinforcement for doing the right things. A hug or a thank you is much more meaningful than a piece of candy or a toy.

Physical punishment is not an effective way of teaching discipline to your children. Hitting a child only teaches them that it's okay to hit others when they are upset or angry. The best way to teach discipline is to practice what you teach and lead by example. Your children learn more by your actions rather than your words. If your current discipline method doesn't seem to be working, try something different. The methods that worked when your children were toddlers, probably will not work when they are in elementary school. It is essential to remember that your role as a parent is to help your children to develop into adulthood, and their short term behavior is not nearly as important as how they will behave when they are 20 or 30. Your discipline should focus on correcting inappropriate behaviors and teaching them the acceptable behaviors.

Children need to learn discipline because it is not something that comes to them naturally. Parents have a responsibility to teach discipline to their children. Teaching discipline to your children takes a lot of patience and time. As children start learning self-control and socially acceptable behaviors, disciplining will become easier. It is important that children be taught discipline. They do not come out of the womb with it. Parents need to teach it to them along life's patch. Teaching of discipline takes time and repetition but it gets less frustrating as children learn behavior control on their own. The best part is that the teaching of discipline does not have to do damage to either the kids or the parents. Discipline is creating limits and boundaries and redirecting inappropriate behavior. However, discipline is also positive reinforcement, encouragement, guidance and enhancing self esteem. Discipline also encourages children to think for themselves.

Always remember that teaching discipline to your children will help them to grow up to be happy, responsible and well respected adults. No one has ever said that raising children is easy, but as children begin to learn self-control and acceptable behaviors, the discipline does become easier. It is important to invest in your children's emotional well being when they are young and you will be proud of the wonderful adults you have raised.


Source: Elaine Richey (ArticleDashboard.com)

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Parenting Advice – How You Can Be The Best

“Raising up kids is no kidding” they say. Parenting is one of the biggest challenges which one faces. Are you having trouble parenting? Searching for good parenting tips or parenting advice books or articles? Don’t feel embarrassed or prejudiced in learning about better parenting. Parenting is an art similar to the job of an earthen pot maker, where your child is like wet soil, it is you who give them shape and mould them into individuals they are today. The more skillfully you do your job, better is the outcome. To get more idea read on.

First and the foremost parenting tip that you would ever get is “always practice what you preach” .you are the first ideal for your children, they watch you since birth and simply follow your ways. They would stop following and respecting you the moment they realize your preaching is just verbose and you don’t apply it practically yourself. For being your kid’s best teacher, first fasten up your belts. You need to apply lots of commonsense and practical attitude in dealing with their affairs. Praise your child more often for the good work they do, howsoever small it may be. In Today’s competitive world your child’s upbringing plays a major deciding factor for his/her survival and excelling in these testing times.

Remember how beautifully your parents raised you up. parenting is something that comes instinctively that’s true, but with changing times and changing lifestyle it has become more challenging. Don’t you find yourself helpless at times with some problem related to your child? At times you have to be strict with them and give them tough punishments for their betterment, but things don’t turn out the way you expected. May be your ways and means to deal with them are not proper. Parent’s frustration makes an upward swing when children do not agree with you or understand your real motives; they start their own line of thinking and understanding things, all this resulting in clashes and affecting the atmosphere at home. In such hot moments it is more of parents’ responsibility to sit back and think coolly where things are going wrong. After all the person you are dealing is your own child. Wouldn’t you like to deal with him or her in the best possible manner?

Raising boys or Raising girls is not an easy task, both are equally responsible and complex jobs. The problem is you know what’s best for your child but you don’t know how to make your child understand the same. We can guide you through practical parenting workshops, give you parenting advice, tried and tested methods and parental tips to solve your problem. Simple solutions to what appear like a tough problem are what we provide.

We teach how to grow a healthy and conducive relation with your child. Regarding parenting coaching I can only say “you have full idea about what are the ingredients that make a perfect cookie; we simply help you bake it”.

Source: Barry Lee (ArticleDashboard.com)

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Raising A Confident Child

Children develop self confidence not because parents tell them they're great, but because of their own achievements and personal beliefs. Encouragement and praise are always good methods, but unless a child believes themselves to be able, they will not have enough self confidence to enable them to fulfill their potential and live happy, healthy lives. For this reason it is good for children to achieve small things, regularly. Things like cleaning teeth, brushing hair and tying shoe laces are the typical skills a child will develop. It is the result of these small things that will enable a child to enjoy their skills and form their own positive judgments on themselves. Once a child gains their own sense of ability they can then and only then start to live a confident and fulfilled life. A child’s own strength is the necessary power to enable them to grow and succeed. The most perfect parent can praise and encourage, which ofcourse will set the foundations for self belief but it will not always hold with a child through to adulthood. Unless they themselves find the power within them to fuel their own confidence it will not inhabit their values.

Building self confidence must start in the child’s early development. When they learn the art of walking, clapping and making noises as a toddler, they instantly get praise and appreciate their new skills. To enable these milestones to develop and improve they require this praise and appreciation to gain self confidence to try new things. The most confident children are those who get the opportunities to practice and master their skills. So it is extremely important that the confidence building starts at this early stage.
Where confidence is concerned it is important that children learn that mistakes can happen. With an effective boost from us and more importantly themselves, they will learn they can achieve if they just try again, work harder and believe they can succeed. The in-built temperament of a child will obviously affect their confidence levels. Some children may have a more difficult time developing positive self image because of their temperament. Every child is unique, but it is important that they understand that they all have a special quality because they are unique. Some are harder than others to inspire but we must make sure we try.

It is important to understand that no matter how hard we try, as adults we can’t always supervise and physically guide a child all day every day. So it is important they are given the chance to believe in themselves and live with confidence and self belief. This can be achieved, reinforced and inspired in many ways. The most effective way I find is throughout a child’s own personal time, through their entertainment, play and creative times. This is when they are free of issues and absorbed in their own thought and imaginations. With this in mind, the most beneficial forms of inspiring confidence and belief in self worth is through their love of books, TV programmes, toys, special characters. If a child can see their favorite characters living confident and cheerful lives they to will subconsciously re-create these attitudes within themselves- because they themselves believe it- and not as an act they have been informed to portray.

A child’s confidence can only shine through if they are demonstrated these acts of confidence from a source they are happy to copy. A parent can be confident but a child may not be able to relate topics of confidence from them to re-enact in their own lives. With issues and life worries being very different for a child to that of an adult, it is important that they see a child behaving confidently. Friends, other children and pupils at school can show these assets, but it would be much more beneficial if they had a character that they could refer back to, that they can follow and constantly rely upon at the times when they most need the boost. This I believe to be within the books our children read. If a character in a book is confident, able, willing to try and dreams to succeed. A child can relate to the character and take in the attitudes and values of that character. The most perfect character would be one that had an interactive website which could be enjoyed and be influential on a regular basis. A character that had an on-going diary or blog would be beneficial. This will help the child to develop, maintain and be equipped with continuous thoughts and demonstrations of living life confidently and happily. This article is just a little food for thought, I encourage any readers to search the internet for children’s books that infuse values for self belief and inspire finding special personal inner strengths to help raise a confident child.


Source: Kaley1 (ArticleDashboard.com)

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5 Tips On Raising Your Newborn Child

Having a baby is one of the most beautiful things that could happen in a parent’s life. Yet, it is also challenging. Raising your newborn child is not easy. It takes a lot of effort and patience to nurture your child until he or she reaches the stage of complete development. Though some of the time this task is can be quite challenging, the joys certainly outweigh any negatives. Here are some suggestions for successful baby nurturing:

1.Feeding

Breast milk is recommended for the first year of a newborn’s life. This is to give the baby the optimum sustenance to grow and progress. Generally speaking, the newborn child should be breastfed about 8 to 10 times a day during the baby’s first few weeks. As a parent, it is necessary that you know when your baby is getting the proper nourishment needed. Some indications that your baby is feeding well is when he or she is having four or more wet diapers a day or having a bowel movements 3 times or more a day.

2.Sleep

Don’t be surprised if your newborn child spends the majority of their time sleeping. It is common for infants to sleep most of the time, around 12 to 20 hours a day. When putting your baby to rest, it is advised by most doctors that you put your baby on his/her back, on a firm mattress. During cold weather, it is best that you dress your baby with warm pajamas to keep him warm rather than using a bedspread.

3. Bowel movements

Determining if your newborn child is having a bowel movement is easy. It is usually apparent when he starts to become quite hard to please, his face turns red, and he starts to cry and tends to move his legs. It is natural for newborn babies to pass a lot of gas so don’t be surprised if this happens often. If your baby is breastfeeding, it is quite normal that he will pass stools a couple of times a day. On the other hand, babies that are formula fed do not pass stools quite as frequently. Should you ever see any signs of blood in the stool of your baby, immediately give your baby’s physician a call.

4. Dressing your newborn

Providing your baby with the proper clothing is very important. Keep in mind that you should use clothing that is comfortable and appropriate. During cold season, you should clothe your baby with knit caps and booties. Though parents often want their baby to look fashionable, it is better not to overdress your newborn. Babies struggle to regulate their body temperature and therefore rely on layers of clothing to stay the right temperature.

5. Baby’s day out

Taking your newborn child can be fun. However, you need to consider when and where you can take your baby. Limit outings to nice days. It is important to keep your baby away from people with colds or any other form of illness. Also, avoid direct sunlight for this may harm your baby’s skin. In addition, avoid taking your baby to crowded places while your baby is only a couple of months old.To sum it up, proper nurturing of your newborn child is a rewarding experience. You’re not only able to personally attend to your child’s needs, but you also get to enjoy quality time where you and your baby can bond together.


Source: Alison Palmer (ArticleDashboard.com)

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What's the best way to discipline a toddler?

Think of discipline as a form of teaching, not a form of punishment. Your child needs to learn how to get along with others and stay safe. He's an eager student, but the most important lessons — sharing, patience, cooperation, caution — will take a few years to sink in. As his main teacher, it's your job to reinforce the lessons with consistency, patience, and compassion.

Consistency is especially important for toddlers. If Mom's computer was off-limits yesterday, it should be off-limits today. And don't worry about repeating yourself. A toddler may need to hear something literally a hundred times before he gets the message.

When he does misbehave, he doesn't need a lecture. Give him a firm "no," perhaps with a quick explanation such as "you could get hurt" or "that's not a toy." Then redirect him to a more desirable activity. Toddlers have short attention spans, so he'll probably be happy to move on.

Time-outs can be helpful, but few children understand the concept until they're at least 3 years old. For a younger child, time-outs are confusing and frustrating. If your child is old enough to understand time-outs, use them sparingly and limit them to three minutes or less — just long enough for your child to get control of himself. Put him in a "naughty chair" instead of sending him to his room — you don't want him to associate his room with punishment. Consider sitting with him. He'll probably calm down faster, and you could use the break, too.

No matter how badly your child is behaving, hitting shouldn't be an option. Spanks and slaps teach children to be afraid of their parents. And even though you would never intend to hurt your child, it's easy to lose control when you're angry. If you feel like hitting your child, give yourself a time-out until the feeling passes.

Discipline doesn't always have to be negative. Praise your child when you "catch" him being good, like sharing a toy with a friend or picking up a mess. He'll learn that he doesn't have to misbehave to get your attention.

Finally, make it as easy as possible for your child to do the right thing. Try to avoid putting him in situations he can't handle. For example, don't take him on long shopping trips when he's tired and hungry. And don't surround him with things he's not allowed to touch. If his world is cluttered with temptations, you'll spend all day saying "no." Try to maximize his opportunities to play and explore but minimize his chances to get into trouble.


Source: Sandy Bailey (babycenter)

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10 Tips for Raising Children of Character

It is one of those essential facts of life that raising good children—children of character—demands time and attention. While having children may be “doing what comes naturally,” being a good parent is much more complicated. Here are ten tips to help your children built their sturdy characters;

1.Put parenting first. This is hard to do in the world with so many competing demands. Good parents consciously plan and devote time to parenting. They make developing their children’s character their top priority.

2. Review how you spend the hours and days of your week. Think about the amount of time your children spend with you. Plan how you can weave your children into your social life and knit yourself into their lives.

3. Be a good example. Face it: human beings learn primarily through modeling. In fact, you can’t avoid being an example to your children, whether good or bad. Being a good example, then, is probably your most important job.

4. Develop an ear and an eye for what your children are absorbing. Children are like sponges. Much of what they take in has to do with moral values and character. Books, songs, TV, the Internet, and films are continually delivering messages—moral and immoral—to our children. As parents we must control the flow of ideas and images that are influencing our children.

5. Use the language of character. Children cannot develop a moral compass unless people around them use the clear, sharp language of right and wrong.

6. Punish with a loving heart. Today, punishment has a bad reputation. The results are guilt-ridden parents and self-indulgent, out-of-control children. Children need limits. They will ignore these limits on occasion. Reasonable punishment is one of the ways human beings have always learned. Children must understand what punishment is for and know that its source is parental love.

7. Learn to listen to your children. It is easy for us to tune out the talk of our children. One of the greatest things we can do for them is to take them seriously and set aside time to listen.

8. Get deeply involved in your child’s school life. School is the main event in the lives of our children. Their experience there is a mixed bag of triumphs and disappointments. How they deal with them will influence the course of their lives. Helping our children become good students is another name for helping them acquire strong character.

9. Make a big deal out of the family meal. One of the most dangerous trends in America is the dying of the family meal. The dinner table is not only a place of sustenance and family business but also a place for the teaching and passing on of our values. Manners and rules are subtly absorbed over the table. Family mealtime should communicate and sustain ideals that children will draw on throughout their lives.

10. Do not reduce character education to words alone. We gain virtue through practice. Parents should help children by promoting moral action through self-discipline, good work habits, kind and considerate behavior to others, and community service. The bottom line in character development is behavior--their behavior.

As parents, we want our children to be the architects of their own character crafting, while we accept the responsibility to be architects of the environment—physical and moral. We need to create an environment in which our children can develop habits of honesty, generosity, and a sense of justice. For most of us, the greatest opportunity we personally have to deepen our own character is through the daily blood, sweat and tears of struggling to be good parents.

Source: Dr. Kevin Ryan (CAEC)

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Practical Ways To Raising A Smart Toddler

Toddlers between one and three have been proven to be the most important years of a child's life. This toddler stage is what molds children into what they become in their later years. Research shows that it is during these formative and very impressionable years that a child is most explorative and is always experimenting. This is how they learn and begin to form opinions of the world around them, and play is perhaps the most important window to this experience. Therefore in order to provide a toddler with a wholesome and varied experience, a lot of thought needs to be given to the kind of playthings that toddlers have access to.

Learning starts at home; parents are the child's first teachers. As parents we are responsible for our child developments, so we should provide them the best educational toys we can find. In this way, they could play while they learn or they could learn while they play. Raising a smart child is not that easy, but it could be fun when you know how to apply creativity in your own smart ways.

Around the world, most parents use educational toys as an effective tool of learning while having a lot of fun. Since these kinds of toys vary from different styles, colors and shapes of learning, children tend to enjoy playing the toys constantly. Learning starts from playing, so parents should be pickier in choosing the right toys for their child.

Rocking toddler toys are most children's favorite toddler toy. Children in the age group of 1 to 6 years adore this kind of toy and it is a must for any child's play pen. These toys are generally made of wood and this makes them extremely durable, sturdy and can be handed down from generation to generation. Apart from the fact that rocking toddler toys make for endless hours of fun and imaginative and pretend play they do play an important role in the growth of your child. A rocking toy is great to help your child improve and perfect his or her balance and coordination.

Riding toys give toddlers a sense of movement and it allows them to imitate the adults around them. Apart from this riding toddler toys provide toddler with exercise and helps them improve skills like balance and coordination. There are basically two types of riding toys: the motorized or battery operated kinds and the pedaling kind. For toddlers between the age 1 and 3, the pedaling kind would make the most sense. It might be a bit of a challenge to get a pedaling toddler toy for a 1 year old, but it is not entirely impossible. Pedaling toys today come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The tricycle is probably the most common of them all, followed by the toy car. Today you will even find pedal fire trucks, tractors, planes and golf carts.

Push and pull toddler toys are equally important in a child's play area. While these toys might seem simple they do help the toddler develop skills like walking and pushing. Ideally push toys need to be lightweight so that the toddler can handle it with ease. Between the ages of one and three all toddlers start expressing their creativity and the best way to help them get started is by encouraging them. A large variety of non toxic art materials are now available in the form of modeling clay and crayons. Paper, markers and paint can be introduced at a later stage. Playing blocks are also very basic type of play that helps in the development of a child in numerous ways.

Source: ksanjitha (Parent Support Site Article Directory)

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Raising Children

Raising children is the most important job in the world. Raising children is a wonderful and challenging life experience. Here's the problem: people assume that raising children is only the job of the women, men do not take child raising seriously in our culture. If raising children is so hard, why do people still want to have kids? Downgrading the importance of raising children is the greatest evil of our times. It is time to face it, raising children is the responsibility of parents. Raising children is a never-ending job. Raising children is much harder than it looks, but with patience and hope, children can mature into very emotionally-secure adults.

Child care is a partnership. Child care is a necessary part of life for many families. First-time parents explore and document the care and development of a human baby. Do you feel comfortable with someone else taking care of your child? Taking care of yourself is a vital part of keeping your child safe. No job is more important to you than taking care of your own child. I don't think that the care of children should be gender specific.

Parents play a very important role in when raising children in a safe and loving home homes. Parents recognize and deal with their children's most challenging traits in a positive manner. Parents earning low or moderate incomes are under extreme pressure to meet the costs of raising children and overall household expenses. All parents face challenges in raising children. Parents decide to accept the responsibility of raising children. Therefore, workshop models for teaching parents how to cope with the stress associated with raising children has been developed.

Good child care provides parents with an extended family to help share in the challenges and joys of raising children. Creating a stable family environment and raising children should be a joy. It recognizes the critical role that the family plays in American society and in raising children. Poor family values and poor communication skills with children is what leads children to rebel. Siblings can cause many joys and frustrations in any family. It is difficult to balance this philosophy with a family life that places value on raising children. Raising children is not an easy task.

Raising children is at heart a practice that engages and embodies a rich variety of developed and undeveloped theories. The smartest advice on raising children is to enjoy them while they are still on your side. Like all parents, they have found that raising children is both challenging and unpredictable. It seems to me that raising children is a catch-22 when it comes to finances.


Source: Melissa Fishman (streetdirectory.com)

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