Teach Children to Respect by Treating them with Respect
In order to teach your child to treat others with respect and dignity, they must also be treated that way. And childhood is a time for children to learn about the world, including how to get along with others. Parents play an essential role in teaching children how to form healthy relationships and grow into socially adept individuals. This social competence allows children to be cooperative and generous, express their feelings, and empathize with others.
Celebrate your Child’s Uniqueness
Just like a snowflake or a fingerprint, every child is unique in their own special way. Every child has a unique way of feeling, thinking, and interacting with others. Some children are shy, while others are outgoing; some are active, while others are calm; some are fretful, while others are easy-going. As a loving and nurturing parent, it’s your job to encourage them to embrace their uniqueness and celebrate their individual qualities.
Allow your child to express themselves through their interests. They may find a creative outlet in theatre, dancing or art, or they may be exceptionally talented in the sciences. Encourage them to embrace what they like to do, what interests them, and what makes them happy. Help them realize that they don’t need to worry about being ‘like everyone else.’
The Importance of a Regular Routine to your Child
Regular schedules provide the day with a structure that orders a young child’s world. Although predictability can be tiresome for adults, children thrive on repetition and routine. Schedules begin from the first days of life. Babies, especially, need regular sleep and meal programs and even routines leading up to those activities.
As they get older, when a child knows what is going to happen and who is going to be there, it allows them to think and feel more independently, and feel more safe and secure. A disrupted routine can set a child off and cause them to feel insecure and irritable.
Rainy Day Activities for Preschoolers
Rainy days can present quite a challenge for parents and caregivers of preschoolers. If you have a small room or home, it can be even more of a challenge. If you need some ideas for activities for your preschooler(s), read on. You can make a rainy day into a fun day!
Easy Chore Ideas for Elementary School Kids
Are you wanting to implement more chores into your kids’ time at home? Many parents today are looking for ways to teach their kids to be responsible, and chores are a great place to start. Here are some suggestions for chores – and how to introduce them – that can be done by elementary school-age kids.
Easy Ways to Raise Responsible Kids – A Guide for Parents
Every parent wants to know that they have equipped their child for the real world. It is a big responsibility but one that is well worth the effort. And that is what we are talking about here – responsibility. We want to teach our children to one day become contributing members of society.
How would you define responsibility? When it comes to our kids, some might include the following:
- Learning to do what is right
- Taking care of themselves
- Making good decisions
- Lending a helping hand
- Learning to be financially savvy
- Making a difference with their lives
Yes, it is a tall order, but not one that has to be learned overnight. In fact, teaching kids to be responsible will take several years. You’ve got at least eighteen. So, relax and take the time to do it right.
Teach Your Children Well . . . By Reading to Them
A recent study by the Department of Education that was reaported in Science Daily reported that 44% of Fourth Graders in the United States are reading below the basic mastery level for their age group. In California, 59% are reading below mastery.
For those who have been following my columns, you know that I did not learn to swim until I was 26-years-old. The consequences of not learning to read are more immediate and much graver for chilren. Studies show that the following problems are highly correlated with poor reading: poor grades, easily frustrated, difficulty completing assignments, low self-esteem, behavioral problems, increased physical illness, more likely to not like school, more likely to be shy in front of groups of people, failing to develop full potential.
Benefits of Family Meals
It is well known that family meals are important and beneficial. But with new studies, family meals are becoming more recognized for their vital impact on children and the family. Family meals, in particular, have a major influence on children nutrition, education, and communication.
Better Nutrition, Less Chance of doing Drugs and Alcohol, and Better Eating Habits
According to Pediatrics 2011, children and adolescents who have family meals 3 or more times per week are more likely to have a normal weight and eat healthier than those who had less than 3 family meals.
Overweight- decreased by 12%
Eating unhealthy foods- decreased by 20%
Disordered eating (such as anorexia nervosa)- decreased 35%
Eating healthy foods- increase 24%
Plugging In and Quality Time with Kids
How many times have you been annoyed when the people around you are talking on their cell phones too loudly or texting during a movie or performance. Well, imagine how our children feel when we are taking time away from them while we are too busy with our phones, iPads or laptops.
It’s not unusual to see a parent pushing a swing at the park and talking on the phone. I have also seen families at restaurants sitting silently while each one is either texting or checking for messages. Imagine the message this is giving a child . ”I am more concerned about my life than yours”?
Bridging the Communication Gap Between Parents & Children
When did talking to kids become so hard?
It shouldn’t take a Ph.D. in Human Relations and ten years of college debate-team experience to communicate with your kids, but sometimes your kids may make it feel that way. Blame social media, Multiple Electronic Screen Disorder, or the way we parent, but the point is that the social landscape of childhood has changed, leaving us to cross a communication territory that seems more complicated than the territory we crossed when we were children. But in reality, the pathway from parent question to child answer has never been straight.
