Author: Ipsita Mitra

Categories
Nutrition

Tips to Keep Your Child Away from Junk Food

One of the most common concerns of parents is that their child eats a lot of high-calorie, instant or fried foods, along with sweets such as pastries, ice-creams, and chocolates —essentially, junk food.

If you are a parent with the same food worries, here are a few simple tips that you can follow to initiate excellent eating habits in your kid and keep them away from junk food.

Teach them about healthy and junk food right from childhood

Experts say that habits and knowledge imbibed from childhood last for a lifetime. Whenever you start a new food in your child’s diet, inform them why it is good for them. When your child watches someone eating food you would not wish him/her to eat, clarify why that is an unhealthy choice. For instance, you can clarify that carrots are excellent for the eyes, milk is good for bones and teeth and that instant noodles are high in calories but have little nutritional value to assist them to grow stronger.

Be an ideal role model

Kids learn the best by watching. To motivate your child to consume healthily, you need to do the same and stay away from eating junk. If your kid sees you eating nutritious food, he/she will certainly be prompted to eat healthily. For instance, when eating out, choose healthier food options such as a sandwich over a burger. If you desire for noodles, arrange them from scratch instead of using the instant variety.

Focus more on healthy food rather than junk food

There is a strong environmental and psychological influence on eating habits. This indicates that rather than paying attention to the side effects of junk foods, you should pay attention to the advantages of including healthy eats. Positive modelling is shown to be more effective in stopping junk food consumption instead of negative modelling.

Make a conducive family environment

It is not just the parents who influence the eating patterns of the kid. Uncles, grandparents, and aunts play a key role in the food decisions of a child. They are also often known to offer ice-cream, chocolates, and chips to children. Have a conversation with them to get them onboard your plan to limit unhealthy food and endorse the use of fruits and vegetables —greater eating capability is related to more health-endorsing family eating patterns. There must be family food regulations ready.

Take your child shopping with you and buy only healthy foods

Involving your kid in the procedure of grocery shopping, checking food labels with them and buying only healthy foods, endorses the idea of eating well. Refrain shopping for pasta, instant noodles, popcorn or soups. Check food labels with your kid when shopping for grocery and check the list of ingredients. If there are over five to six ingredients mentioned on the label, chances are the food is highly processed, so avoid buying it. This shopping experience will give power to your kid and make him/her more convinced about food options right from a tender age.

When your child is very hungry, food cravings reach their peak and they are more likely to grasp junk food or other high-calorie treats. To avoid eating junk food, it is a superior trick to feed your child at regular intervals to ensure he does not get exceptionally hungry.

Categories
Behaviour and Discipline Parenting and Childcare

Here’s How to Help Your Child Overcome Fears

Fears are a normal part of childhood—and thus are learning to get over them. Few children are scared of the dark while others believe that there are giants under the bed and some shouts when they find an insect on the pavement.

Before you begin to panic that these perplexing fears indicate there is something incorrect with your child, understand that these fears are completely usual part of their growth. Ultimately, learning to handle fear is an essential life lesson. Usually, these fears are not completely sensible but what they are feeling, along with their physiological response to it, is very genuine indeed. 

Take comfort in the fact your kid will grow out of these fears. Here are a few things you can do to make the evolution just that little bit easier for your little one:

Introduce role models

The fears of children are common and for this reason, there is a range of resources out there to help you in teaching your kid how to deal with them. Search for age-appropriate children’s films, toys, and books with characters that help in overcoming fears and being brave.

Be patient

Do not force your child to deal with their fears before they are ready. Keep in mind; while the fear might be puzzling to you, it is still very real to them. Rather, be patient, sympathetic and let them confront their fears at their own pace. You can talk to them through the emotion they are feeling in a comforting and calm manner.

Give them control

Fear can be a direct response to feeling helpless and physically threatened. Children who are frightened of the bathroom, for instance, are worried they will be flushed down; kids who are frightened of the monster under the bed are feeling at risk on their own in the dark.

Offering your child an aspect of control in the management of their panic will help them feel safe and sound. For instance, if they are frightened of burglars in the night, make locking and shutting their bedroom window one of their night-time tasks.

Answer their questions

Even though childhood fears are typically based on exaggerated or imaginary perceptions, that does not mean they are not very real to your kid. Discuss with them about their fears and try and understand where they are coming from.

Motivate your child to ask you any questions they like and do your best to answer them in simple, age-appropriate ways. If you do not know all the answers, research them together online or at the library.

Motivate and applaud

Ignoring your child’s fears or laughing at them will attain nothing optimistic. Ignoring or belittling your kid may compel them to internalise their fear instead of dealing with it and also shatter their belief in you.

Rather, talk to your child about their fears, assure them that you are there for them and persuade them to deal with their fears in their way – and in their time. It is also vital to praise their efforts when they do something out of their comfort zone. It will go a long way towards building their self-confidence and overcoming their fears.

However, if your child’s fears appear like they may be something more severe, consult with a doctor to see if more assistance is needed.

Categories
Behaviour and Discipline Parenting and Childcare

Tips on Teaching Your Kid to Say Sorry

Most child experts’ consent that kids should not be compelled to say “sorry” when they do anything wrongly. But, that does not mean kids should be let off for bad behaviour. Adults should take the opportunity to educate kids about why their behaviour was wrong and learn about good etiquette simultaneously. Forcing a young child to apologise after he hits or bites a friend, may mean just saying a “sorry” statement without making their behaviour change. In such cases, what should parents and providers do?

Teaching your kids etiquettes for saying sorry is harder than it seems. For beginners, your kid needs to let go off his self-esteem and ingest his arrogance to say sorry. Also, your child may not think or consent that his behaviours call for a confession at all. And finally, also if they are eager to say sorry to run away your anger, it is hard to make sure that they mean it.

Why teaching your kids etiquette for saying sorry is important?

Saying sorry is not just a social gesture. It assists your child to identify right from wrong, take liability for his wrongs, modify his errors, clear the air and cure a relationship. For raising an adult who is accountable enough to accept his errors and say sorry, practice the below-mentioned tips with your child.

Teach your kids etiquette when to make an apology

It is hard to teach a small kid what is always incorrect and correct. But it is also vital that you start making them alert of these two concepts in the early hours. To aid them to understand their errors motivate your child to understand – enquire them how they will feel if something similar was done to them.

Explain to your child how to apologise correctly

A good apology is not just saying sorry. Teach your child different “elements” of a good apology:

  • Stand still and straight
  • Make eye contact
  • Motivate your kid to put in language what he did incorrectly so that the listener knows that your kid knows why he/she is disturbed.
  • Conclude with a promise for future behaviour
  • Follow up with a question to ensure that he is forgiven
  • Use the correct tone of voice. For saying sorry you can utter it in diverse tones and assist the child know when it sounds like you does not mean it and when it does.
Be unbiased

Maximum parents fall on two edge – they are either very guilty about their kid’s behaviour or they are too nice, blame their kid and support the other children. But none of these are excellent ideas. Explain to the kids that it does not matter who did it, however, now that there is an issue both kids need to make an apology to one another. If your kid feels awful about it, later on, clarify to him that argument typically happens when more than one person is involved, may not be equal but both add towards it. Thus, it is essential to say sorry even if your child did not begin it.

Though it might be difficult initially, slowly your child will develop a sense of liability and understand the implications of his behaviour and actions. Empathy will grow and you will feel proud to have raised a well-bred child.

Categories
Activities Education and Curriculum Fun Parenting and Childcare

Make Homework Fun and Engaging for Your Child

We all know homework is uninteresting, but there are some easy ways you can make homework more fun for the student. The time for homework can instigate growls from kids and parents. As a guardian, you know it is essential to make sure that your child is advancing academically; however, you also need to know that it can be taxing and a bit tedious too. After looking at the board for hours and bounded by quizzes and books, and taking note of lectures, there is a chance that kids will throw a fit of temper when you enquire them to complete their tasks.

The good news is that there are a few ways by which you can make homework fun for the children.  Few of which are explained below:

Make a creative and fun space

You may have found in your own professional or academic life, working in a distracting or boring space can make progress difficult. It is no diverse for children, so begin them off on the correct track. Prepare a creative, cosy, space for your child to work. Stay away from hectic areas of the home that may be disturbing, and keep TVs and any needless technology far-off. It is vital your child likes the space and feels at ease, so with her input, add some inspirational imagery, colour, and lots of academic essentials, such as pen pencils, markers, and paper. Just as it is typically suggested to only use your bed for sleep and not for work, your child will relate this space with just schoolwork and learning, instead of playtime.

Play an educational game

This tactic can work in a couple of diverse ways. You can turn the actual homework task into a game. For instance, if your student is working on vocabulary words, you can create a matching game or flashcard. If your child is learning concepts of mathematics, you can use small pieces of toffee to assist with the numbers. Division and subtraction units are so much more fun when they can eat a few of those toffees!

If you are not capable to find a way to turn the task into a sport, try playing a brain puzzle before your student begins studying to warm up, for instance, scrabble, chess, bingo, or connect four.

Track progress for rewards

Making a rewarding method to use as positive support can assist make homework appear less like a task. Set up some objectives with your kid’s contribution and match them with suitable rewards for something to look forward to. For instance, for every task completed on time, a star or a ticket is earned and placed on a chart in the homework space. Once the chart is filled, the child can choose a reward, such as getting ice cream, watching an entertaining movie, purchasing new attire, or acquiring a new game. Only ensure your child clearly understands the big picture of what good grades indicate for his future, so you do not fall into an entrap where your child exclusively studies as a way to earn treats.

Work beside your child

While your child is doing homework if the rest of the family is relaxing and having fun, then it can feel isolating for a child. Rather than leaving your child to work alone, join her and complete some work of your own. This can include checking emails, developing a budget, pay bills, or planning a trip, do it next to your child. It not only assist your kid feel that she is not the only one working hard, but it also offers an opportunity to spend time with your kid and be present for any questions she may have.

These are some of the simple ways that parents can follow to make homework fun for your child.

Categories
Dental Care

Tips to Get Your Kids Brush Their Teeth

Once your toddler completes two years, he/she may be prepared to start brushing on their own. The change is not always easy, but with the below-mentioned tips, your toddler will be brushing on their own very soon! 

Demonstrate to them how it is done

Before handing over total responsibility, motivate your child to watch in the mirror as you brush their teeth. Explain briefly what you are doing to keep their attention. 

Offer assistance in brushing

If you are not sure whether their teeth are getting clean completely, offer assistance in brushing. Possibly you brush for them in the morning and they brush on their own at night. Offer your child the ability to be independent while still getting a reminder every night of what brushing should be like.

  • Remember the proverb practice makes perfect!
    It can be useful for your child to rehearse brushing your teeth initially. You can also grasp their hand and brush together the first couple of times.
  • Lead by example.
    Make brushing together a part of your morning and night habits. If they observe you brushing, they will possibly want to demonstrate that they too are adults and can brush their teeth.
Make brushing entertaining!

Oral cleanliness must never be treated as a punishment or a chore. Have enjoyment with it by playing tunes for a couple of minutes rather than utilising a timer,  make a reward system for when your kid brushes two times a day for a certain amount of time, or bring them shopping for a new toothbrush and toothpaste to make brushing more exceptional.

If you have an unwilling toddler who does not like brushing, getting your toddler to brush teeth can be very irritating. Here are a few steps you can follow to support your kid to brush regularly and to teach them etiquette.

  • Allow your toddler to select his toothpaste and brushes. A toothpaste that tastes excellent and bright brush and has his favourite characters on it can motivate him to voluntarily brush his teeth.
  • Make the moment fun by adding peppy music or by humming his favourite tunes.
  • You can also get eye-catching toothbrushes that play songs or battery-powered toothbrushes.
  • You can go a step ahead and permit your child to practice on you. Even better, you can get him a toy and assist him to practice brushing on it.
  • Make a game while brushing. You can make brushing interesting by inventing little fantasy games where your child is defeating the bacteria and germs within his mouth.
  • Stand in front of the mirror and allow your kid to watch himself brush.
  • Award him little rewards for brushing accurately.

Regular practice of these kid-friendly methods can get your kid to make brushing a regular part of his schedule in no time.

General Brushing Tips
  • Motivate your child to brush at least twice a day, morning and night, with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Avoid harder bristles as it may be too abrasive for young children.
  • Replace the toothbrush of your toddler every three to four months or sooner if it is frayed or worn out. It is also better to swap the toothbrush after the flu or cold to avoid germs related to those diseases.

When a toddler has learned a new skill at an early age, he is likely to carry on this behaviour all through adulthood. Teaching proper brushing techniques is vital for developing good oral hygiene habits.

Categories
Parenting and Childcare

Safety Measures to Follow to Keep Your Child Safe from Abuse

Maximum parents fret about how to guard their children in a world that at times seems so risky. As with any other danger, guarding our kids against risk starts with knowing those risks. For example, parents frequently think that keeping a stranger away is sufficient to protect kids from sexual abuse, but most sexual abuse cases are carried out by someone the child trusts and knows such as a step-parent, parent, teacher, coach, sibling or older cousin, babysitter or religious leader.

Here are some simple safety measures to keep your child safe from abuse.

Ensure your kids are well managed.

You must know where your kids are and who is with them. It is best to have more than one child and a minimum of two adults present when you are not present to manage. One adult/child situations should be avoided unless the adult involved has shown to be very reliable.

Parents should be very cautious about leaving young children with teens. Stay away from settings for children such as day-care facilities that do not permit parents to stop by anytime. Also, one of the important safety measures is to keep any kind of internet facility in common spaces of the home so you can keep an eye on your kid’s web browsing. It is very simple to trip upon improper material online by chance.

Understand the warning signals

Adults who demonstrate a strong liking for being with kids over adults, particularly being unaccompanied with kids, should provoke some doubt. Be careful of adults who engage in any actions that look suspicious. In children, the below-mentioned behaviours are indicators of psychological suffering and can signal that a child is being abused:

  1. Sudden changes in temper
  2. Changes in a child’s eagerness to be around a particular adult
  3. Constant crying
  4. Trouble focusing
  5. A sudden commencement of toileting accidents after a history of continence
  6. Aggressive or cruel acts towards others that appear out of temperament for the kid
  7. Low confidence.

One strong pointer of child sexual abuse is strange sexual behaviour. If children are talking about or mimicking adult sexual acts, they have likely either seen or experienced something damaging.

Keep communication lines open between yourself and your kids

Find out what is happening in your kids’ lives and get to know their interests. Your kid is most likely to discuss with you about a serious issue, such as worries about an adult in her life, if you already have repeated, healthy conversations.

Spend some time with your children to find out about what is important to them. For instance, you can ask them about their wishes. Perpetrators often look for children who appear to have a fragile bond with their parents as they are less possibly to tell their guardians about abuse, and as they might be fascinated by an adult who shows them the attention they are missing at the house.

Have faith in your instincts

If there is a hesitation in your mind about the safety of your kid, do not go against your instincts. Even if it will harm anyone’s feelings, even if you cannot put a finger on why you feel insecure about someone, do what you need to keep your children safe. Your parental instincts, if you rely on them, can be a useful tool in protecting your child.

These are some of the simple ways to stay away from child sexual abuse.

Categories
Awareness Parenting and Childcare

Child Safety: Identifying the Common Signs of Sexual Abuse

Signs of child sexual abuse could be emotional and/or physical, with physical symptoms being less common. Emotional signs can vary from “too ideal” behaviour to depression, withdrawal, or unexplained anger. It is vital to remember that some children may show no signs at all. There are also red flag behaviours you can recognize if you know what to look for to assist intervene in the grooming process.

Emotional Signs

Emotional and behavioural changes or signs are more common than physical signs and can include:

  • Depression and anxiety
  • Change in eating habits
  • Sleep disturbances, including night terrors or nightmares
  • Unusual fear of certain places or people; unwillingness to be unaccompanied with a certain person
  • Withdrawal; runaway behaviour
  • Changes in mood include aggressiveness towards pets, parents, friends, siblings, and anger
  • Frequent unexplained or health problems such as stomach aches or headaches
  • Alteration in attitude towards academic or school performance; no interest in sports, friends or other activities
  • Poor confidence; avoidance of relations
  • Self-mutilation or change in body discernment, such as thinking of body or self as bad or dirty; suicidal thoughts
  • Unusual behaviours, for instance, thumb-sucking or bedwetting
  • Abnormal knowledge or sexual behaviours of advanced sexual behaviours and language
  • Too “ideal” behaviour or overly compliant behaviour
Physical Signs of Abuse

The physical signs of sexual abuse are not usual. But, when physical signs are present, they might include bumps, bleeding, bruising and redness, or scabs around the mouth, anus, or genital. Sexually transmitted diseases, urinary tract infections, and penile discharge or abnormal vaginal discharge are also warning signs.

Other indirect physical signs comprise:

  • Headaches
  • Wetting or soiling accidents unrelated to toilet training
  • Chronic stomach pain
  • Chronic or relentless pain during stool movements or while passing urine
  • Sexually transmitted diseases
Symptoms that a person may be harming a child

Keeping children safe can be as hard as numerous perpetrators who abuse children sexually are in positions of trust. Keeping a kid away from the perpetrator may indicate major changes in your own life.

Be cautious of an adult who spends time with kids and exhibits the following behaviours:

  • Does not admire boundaries or listen when anyone tells them “no”
  • Engages in touching a child inappropriately
  • Tries to be a kid’s buddy instead of filling an adult role in the child’s life
  • Does not seem to have age-appropriate relation
  • Discusses with children about their relationships or personal problems
  • Spends time alone with children outside of their role in the child’s life or makes up justifications to be alone with the kid
  • Expresses bizarre curiosity in the sexual development of the child, such as sexualizing normal behaviours or commenting on sexual uniqueness
  • Offers gifts to the kid without reason or occasion
  • Spends a lot of time with your kid
Taking action is not easy, but it is vital

It is not always easy to recognize child sexual abuse—and it can be even more demanding to step in if you believe something is not right. If a child informs you that a particular person makes them feel embarrassing, even if they cannot tell you everything, pay attention.

Consult with somebody who can assist you find out if this is something that must be reported, such as a staff member from your local sexual assault service provider.

Categories
Health Parenting and Childcare Sleeping Habits

Soothing Activities to Help Your Baby Sleep

Some babies sleep much more whilst a few sleep pretty less. For instance, a few sleep through the night and some do not, for a long time. Your little one will have their pattern of sleeping and waking, and it is not likely to be similar to other kids you know. It is not going to fit in with your necessity for sleep. Try to sleep when your baby sleeps. If you are breastfeeding, in the initial weeks your little one is likely to sleep off for short periods during a feed. Continue feeding until you think your baby has completed or until they are completely asleep. This is a perfect opportunity to get a bit of rest yourself.

Soothing activities to help your baby sleep.

Teach your infant that night-time is different from daytime. During the day, play games, open curtains and do not worry too much about daily noises when they sleep.

At night, look out for tired signs and put your baby to bed as soon as they have been fed. You might also find it useful to not talk much and keep your voice low. Keep the dim lights on and do not play with your baby

Babies will show signs when they are getting tired such as frowning, yawning, grimacing, sucking, grizzling, staring, jerky movements, snuggling in, becoming overactive, rubbing eyes, clenching fists, crying or fussiness. Replying early to these tired signs stops your baby from becoming distressed and makes it easier for them to sleep.

Set-up schedule with a newborn

Newborn babies will sleep on and off all through the day and night. It could be useful to have a pattern, but you can always alter the routine to suit your requirements. For instance, you can try feeding your baby just before you go to sleep so that he/she can get sleep for longer hours.

Know how to settle your babies

In the initial six months, you can hold your newborn in your arms till they fall asleep. Utilize mild rocking, rhythmic patting, talking, stroking, or singing softly before placing your baby into the cot. These reiterations signal recreation and sleep.

You can also try placing the baby in the cot awake but drowsy and calm and gently stroke or pat them till they fall asleep, comforting them with mild sounds. If your baby becomes distressed, lift them for a cuddle until quiet or asleep before putting your baby back in the cot. Stay with them till they doze off.

Preparing a bedtime schedule

You might be prepared to start a bedtime schedule when your baby is approximately three months age. Getting them into a soothing, simple bedtime schedule can be useful for everyone and can assist to stop sleeping problems afterwards. Here are some things to try.

  • Changing into nightclothes and a fresh nappy
  • Reading a bedtime story
  • A warm bath before bedtime
  • Putting them to bed
  • Singing a lullaby or having a wind-up musical mobile that you can turn on when you have put your baby to bed
  • Dimming the lights in the room to create a tranquil atmosphere
  • Giving them a cuddle and goodnight kiss

As your child grows older, it can be useful to keep to a similar bedtime habit. Excessive stimulation and excitement just before bedtime can awaken your baby up again. Use some time relaxing and doing some quieter things, such as reading.

Categories
Parenting and Childcare Travel

Tips on How to Manage Jet Lag in Kids

Nothing can be compared to the bad jetlag suffered by kids, from not being able to sleep throughout the night to being ill-tempered and losing their hunger. As adults, we adjust and discover a way to beat it, but small children who follow routines find it very difficult to come around.

Typically parents suffer for days trying to get them back into bed at the right hour. Jet lag is a physical condition in which a person’s internal body clock is interrupted because of travelling among time zones. Jet lag influences patterns of eating, waking up and sleeping.

Here are some tips that you can refer to when managing jet lag in kids:

Think about the age of your child

According to doctors, jet lag may not affect kids from all age groups. Infants who are in the age group of 0 to 2 months have not yet started a diurnal cycle, so jet lag would possibly not influence them. For kids in the age group of 2 to 5 years, time-zone varies begin to cause deterioration. Infants who have learned to sleep through the night already may have more night wakening. Older kids will possibly respond likewise to adults physically but maybe less driven than adults to stay wakeful in attempts to adjust to the schedule.

Prepare kids

Teach kids old enough to be aware of time changes and the consequences of jet lag, and what they can expect to witness. In the days before a trip, parents should make it real for the children by saying things like, “Now we are eating lunch, but at this time in that country, they are getting ready for bed.” Besides, make sure that the kids get ample sleep before departure. Moreover, it is important to keep kids hydrated and this can be done by asking them to drink lots of water before, during and after the flight.

Select the flight carefully

Choose on a flight that will assist the parent to manage the kid’s probable time-regulation issues in the best way possible. Few experienced parents say that it is better to take a flight that leaves evening or late afternoon, as it makes it simpler to rest during the air travel. If it is nighttime, you will have an easier time convincing your kid that it is bedtime.

Get Cozy

Bring travel pillows and cozy blankets to make it simple for kids to get some sleep on the plane. At the same time, do not feel frustrated if no one sleeps much. Do not force the kids to sleep on the plane as it is going to be hard. There are too much thrill and adrenaline on the tour, and the lights are on late.

Make your mind up if a Time Change is Worth it

Think whether it is worth changing your crew over to local time. If you are only spending a few days in a diverse time zone, it may just be simple to keep your kids in your home time zone. Any person staying at their destination for less than a week should not force the practice on the children. Remember that it is an extra effort to work hard on eliminating the jet lag when the habit will be changed again in less than a week.

Jet lag is a strong possibility when traveling through time zones with a kid. Expectation, flexibility, and communication among all players are key to managing the trouble of grumpy kids.