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KIDS and ART OF PATIENCE

KIDS and ART OF PATIENCE Teach the Kids the lost art of patience: Kids learn everything and anything from the parents and other elders at home. If we are displaying impatience, they learn that too. I met a 21 month old recently. Her mom told me that she bites mom when she doesnot respond to her immediately. Biting comes to them naturally, similar to their mouthing everything when babies are very young. Mom says her husband is impatient and so the baby girl learnt it. Refusing or atleast holding off on indulgences will help your child develop self- discipline and allow him to place a higher value on the things he receives. Thanks to the tablets and cell phones, the apps get downloaded pretty fast and kids get to watch whatever they like within seconds of recalling, they are just not ready to wait when it comes to real life things. They expect the same speed everywhere. The main reason kids will continue a tantrum is because parents can be manipulated. Don't engage the behaviour and it will stop eventually. They try tantrum tricks in public where parents tend to give them everything they ask for just to keep quiet. Instead of giving in, take your child to a far, calm place and keep quiet, the child will eventually settle calmly and might try it one more time, but if you are steadfast, they will not repeat it. Whenever there is an oppurtunity, display patience. When you take them to shopping, tell them you are not buying a new dress for yourselves as the old jeans you have still looks new and that you can wait few more days. Gradually, this observation will encourage them to behave similarly.   - Prathyusha More articles from this author.... http://teluguone.com/vanitha/content/swallowed-a-chewing-gum-76- 26171.html#.Ut3_Hfu6Zkg http://teluguone.com/vanitha/content/trashing-kids-art-work-76- 26151.html#.Ut3_Kfu6Zkg  

Interact with your newborn

Interact with your newborn You can't play with the child just yet, but they do get bored like we do. Try taking them for a walk to the park once a day, talking to them, putting pictures in the room where they spend most of their time, listening to music, or taking them in the car. Remember that your baby is just a baby and is not ready for rough play, do not shake your baby and be as gentle as possible instead. In the beginning, the most important thing you can do is to bond with your baby. This means you should stroke your baby, cradle your baby, give the baby some skin-to-skin contact, or even consider giving your baby an infant massage.Mainly babies love vocal sounds, and it's never too early to start talking, babbling, singing with your baby. Play some music for the baby while you're bonding, or play with toys that make noise.Some babies are more sensitive to touch and light than others, so if your baby doesn't seem to be responding well to your attempts at bonding, then you can take it easier with the noise and lights until your baby gets used to it.

NO SODA

NO SODA Soda sometimes is not bad!!! Some parents feel this, some Grandparents say so, but Soda is a big No No for anyone, definitely not for Children. Even one Soda a day may negatively affect kids' behaviour, found a new University study of close to 3000 5-year olds. And the children who drank four or more carbonated drinks a day were twice as likely to destroy others' belongings and get into fights. Its not clear exactly what it is about Soda that may be associated with behaviour, but study author points to the fact that many sodas contain synthetic food coloring which have been linked to Hyperactivity, and some contain Caffeine, which can make anyone jittery.   - Prathyusha   More articles from this author.... http://teluguone.com/vanitha/content/all-about-baby-crawling-76- 26256.html#.UtoirvvQtQA http://teluguone.com/vanitha/content/caring-for-sibblings-76-26110.html

My Baby Gifted

My Baby Gifted Of course we all think our babies are special and they all are, in their individual ways. But how do you know if yours is really exceptional truly gifted child, one whose talents and needs are, well, just a little more special and unique than an average child.It's hard to measure a baby's intellectual gifts, but if you suspect that you have a young genius in your midst, consider the following questions. Is he always ahead of the game: Does he do everything early, meeting developmental milestones well before his peers? And not just in a single area, such as crawling or walking, but across the board sitting, smiling, talking, fine motor skills. Does he have a very good memory: Most babies this age show few signs of recall, but gifted children may demonstrate a surprising ability to remember where they left a favorite book, for example, or which shoes are yours and which are your partner's. Is he a good problem solver: Gifted babies may show off their creativity and originality by tackling a challenge in a surprising way, such as through sign language, pretend play, or tools (scooping a toy out of a narrow-necked jar with a spoon). They may also exhibit an unusual ability to focus and concentrate. Does he make connections: Can he take knowledge he's learned in one situation and apply it to another? For example, he might point to the refrigerator at a friend's house when he wants milk, even if it is a different color and shape than the one at home. Is he particularly perceptive: Does he notice changes in his surroundings (a new piece of furniture), your appearance (a new haircut), or even your mood (why does Mommy seem sad?)? Does he have trouble sleeping: In a gifted baby, this could mean he has a hard time dialing down on the stimulation so he can get some z's. If your baby does show many of these signs, he may well be gifted. On the other hand, he may merely be precocious, meaning that he's learning new skills and reaching developmental milestones earlier than other babies. However, if your child does indeed turn out to be gifted, it's a blessing that will bring some challenges along with it, but for now what he needs most is lots of love, playtime, talking, and reading just like all babies do!

NO BONES ABOUT IT

NO BONES ABOUT IT   A 7 month old baby starts crawling all around the house, here and there, everywhere. New parents are concerned about the kneecaps of the child. And when they learn to walk and run, kids tip over and fall, it hurts the parents more. It may not hurt the child more than hurting the head or other parts of the body. Because a newborn's kneecap is made entirely of cartilage. Through a process called Ossification, the cartilage slowly converts to bone. During early years, a kneecap won't even show up on the X-ray. It usually takes anywhere between 3 to 5 years after birth for kneecaps to develop into real bones.    Children who are just learning how to walk often start by walking on the toes or ball of the foot, which is referred to as Toe Walking. it is typically outgrown, but some kids continue the practice beyond toddler years simply out of habit. According to Specialists, as long as the child's growth and development is normal, then toe walking shouldn't be a major concern on its own.       - Prathyusha Talluri

Swallowed a Chewing Gum

Swallowed a Chewing Gum Despite what your parents have told you in your childhood, that piece you accidentally swallowed won't stay in your stomach for seven years. Like any food, it will probably pass through your system within two days. Your body can't digest gum, but that doesn't make it dangerous, the fluids in your body will flush it out. Swallowing it is like gulping anything else you eat. That is, unless you're ingesting a giant ball of gum at once or gulping numerous pieces a day, in which case the gum will form a mass and get stuck in the stomach,colon or intestines, we don't tend to do that anyways. Although rare, this complication occurs most often in young children. So, Parents save gum-chewing for kids who are old enough to understand they have to spit it out, usually after age 5 or 6.   - Prathyusha More articles from this author..... http://teluguone.com/vanitha/content/trashing-kids-art-work-76- 26151.html#.Us-Q0_vQtQA http://teluguone.com/vanitha/content/ways-to-build-confidence-in-your-child-76 -26072.html#.Us-Q4fvQtQA

TRASHING THEIR ART WORK

TRASHING THEIR ART WORK? Your kid's first art work is special to you. And i know that piece will stay longer and sometimes forever in your storewell along with your valuables. But what about the other paintings and junk drawings...are you going to keep them all, or can you take the liberty to trash them? It is always better to ask the child and them think of throwing them away. We never know the child might be emotionally attached to a certain painting, he/she might have made an art piece after visiting a zoo or a holiday tour and got inspired or if its a piece of sweet memory. You should not be sitting feeling bad. Ask today, they might say yes to thrashing the papers, sometimes they might request to keep them but if you ask them after a month, that piece might not be on their priority list so the child might agree to throw it away. Some children however, want to keep all their paintings and papers forever. Now, you have to tel them clearly that all this junk cant be stored at home. Thats when the child has to prioritize which one stays. Parents should also teach the children to safeguard only the valuable stuff and let go of the junk instead of piling up things for mommy to organise and worry about.   - Prathyusha Talluri

Tips For Kids Health

Tips For Kids Health The good news is that you don't need a degree in nutrition to raise healthy kids. Following some basic guidelines can help you encourage your kids to eat right and maintain a healthy weight. Here are 10 key rules to live by: 1. Parents control the supply lines: You decide which foods to buy and when to serve them. Though kids will pester their parents for less nutritious foods, adults should be in charge when deciding which foods are regularly stocked in the house.They'll eat what's available in the cupboard and fridge at home. 2.From the foods you offer: Kids get to choose what they will eat or whether to eat at all.Schedule regular meal and snack times. From the selections you offer, let them choose what to eat and how much of it they want. This may seem like a little too much freedom. But if you follow step 1, your kids will be choosing only from the foods you buy and serve. 3.Quit the "clean-plate club": Let kids stop eating when they feel they've had enough. Lots of parents grew up under the clean-plate rule, but that approach doesn't help kids listen to their own bodies when they feel full. When kids notice and respond to feelings of fullness, they're less likely to overeat. 4.Start them young: Food preferences are developed early in life, so offer variety. Likes and dislikes begin forming even when kids are babies. You may need to serve a new food on several different occasions for a child to accept it. Don't force a child to eat, but offer a few bites. 5. Rewrite the kids' menu: Who says kids only want to eat pizza, burgers, and macaroni and cheese? When eating out, let your kids try new foods and they might surprise you with their willingness to experiment. 6. Drink calories count: Soda and other sweetened drinks add extra calories and get in the way of good nutrition. Water and milk are the best drinks for kids. Juice is fine when it's 100%, but kids don't need much of it — 4 to 6 ounces a day is enough for pre-schoolers. 7.Put sweets in their place: Occasional sweets are fine, but don't turn dessert into the main reason for eating dinner. When dessert is the prize for eating dinner, kids naturally place more value on the cupcake than the broccoli. 8. Food is not love: Find better ways to say "I love you." When foods are used to reward kids and show affection, they may start using food to cope with stress or other emotions. Offer hugs, praise, and attention instead of food treats. 9. Kids do as you do: Be a role model and eat healthy yourself. When trying to teach good eating habits, try to set the best example possible. Choose nutritious snacks, eat at the table, and don't skip meals. 10. Limit TV and computer time: When you do, you'll avoid mindless snacking and encourage activity. Research has shown that kids who cut down on TV- watching also reduced their percentage of body fat. When TV and computer time are limited, they'll find more active things to do. And limiting "screen time" means you'll have more time to be active together.

SIBLING WORRIES

SIBLING WORRIES The second one was born recently and your first is already having insecurity issues? Parents have to start prepping up the older kids of the new arrival much before the delivery. Always encouraging the child of being a responsible as a big one is good. Never neglect the first one just because you are tired or irate. In that case, let your partner take care of the elder one without him/her knowing that you cant handle them now. Buy them a small baby doll and let them get attached to it as they do to a sibling. Once, the li'l one arrives, it will be easier. they will be able to relate and feel comfortable even with a young one around. Assign small and easy chores to the elder one, like holding the towel while you are giving the baby a bath, getting you the diapers, watching the baby in a swing/ craddle while you are cooking. Keep an eye however, the elder ones can be skillfully naughty. They might be good at handling their baby dolls, so they might think they can lift the real baby too. Make it clear to them that the real baby is Mom's or Dad's responsibility to carry. Praise them everytime they help with the baby. Once in a while, handover the bay to your spouse and you spend some good time with the elder one.   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author..... BABY WALKERS CONFIDENCE ISSUES

BABY WALKERS

BABY WALKERS Parents are afraid if their li'l babies might fall while still learning to walk and they put them in a walker, but walkers actually dont encourage babies to start walking on thier own. Babies who generally have been in walkers are afraid to start walking on their own, without any support, they are so used to taking the help of these walking aids. Walkers can be used but only after the baby has learnt to take initial steps. Walkers should be used to support an already walking child but not to stop babies from walking and tipping over. Walkers are a hazard when there are staircases at home, when there are door stoppers in between, where the rooms are at different levels. Once babies learn to walk, they learn to run too, walkers with wheels allow babies to speed up. They reach things they cant, walkers allow them to be naughty too. This is not to scare the parents, but supervision is always necessary when these baby gears are used. Dont put the baby in a walker and relax.   - Prathyusha Talluri   More articles from this author..... BETTER NAPS Joy Of Pregnancy

CONFIDENCE ISSUES

CONFIDENCE ISSUES A Child's love is pure. They love immensely and depend so much on parents. They chant the names of their friends daily. Its important that parents watch what a child does and whom they make friends with. But, over watching, and warning the child on everything he/she does is not good. It forces the child to loose self-confidence, they depend on parents even after growing up. The words "NO, YOU CAN'T DO IT, DON'T DO IT" are not good always. Parents have to teach children to help their selves and to be careful while doing things. Encouraging a child to do a job and being available to offer help is a good start, slowly the child learns to do it on his/her own and knows that parents always and only come when its time to help. A child also looses confidence in a person when parents are not spending time with the child, when parents are not beside them to soothe a painful situation and share happiness with the child. Teaching a child to trust others and also being careful of over-dependency on anyone is very important. This way, they make friends easily and are careful of not being bullied or hurt in relationships.   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author..... SHOPPING WITH KIDS MILESTONES

SHOPPING WITH KIDS

SHOPPING WITH KIDS You need your toddler to sit in the cart, but he's too busy pulling items off the shelf or trying to climb out of the seat. And when you reprimand him/her, a meltdown follows soon! One of the key ways to avoid a tantrum is to first limit the number of errands you run with your child in a day. "If you've been there a long time or it is one of a series of errands you're running, then you're probably asking for trouble." So if you need to do the grocery shopping, try to make that your one big errand of the day and only once. Before you go in, remind your child of the rules and what is expected of him in the store. Let him know he's going to be secured in the cart (letting him sit in the back or stand on the cart is dangerous) or expected to hold your hand as you walk through the store. You can try to make the experience more fun by involving your child in the shopping: asking him which cereal/fruit he would like, if he would like to hold the cereal/fruits, etc. For each privilege he gets (for example, choosing his own cereal) link it to his wonderful behavior right now. And if he begins to tantrum? "Look away and ignore until the tantrum is over". "Don't worry about what other people in the store think--they're just happy it isn't their child at that moment!".   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author..... MILESTONES BETTER NAPS

MILESTONES

MILESTONES Milestones are to be remembered!! They are sweet memories, achievements, good turning points in ones life. Such are milestones in every child's life. However, they are definitely not yet ready to achieve rewards but only if they cross a milestone are they considered to be growing well and healthy..some babies skip these but ultimately everything settles for good!! 3-6 Months: Babies observe our facial expressions. its important that we exhibit positive, happy expressions as babies tend to mimic ours. This same observation improves and helps thier concentrating ability in the future. 9-12 Months: Babies observe the different colors and shapes. Use household cardboard boxes or plasticware to stack up and help the child crash those down using his/her hand. This simple game improves their eye-hand coordination and teaches cause-effect relationship. 1+ Years: Present a soft toy or any child-friendly toy to the child and try to use it as a puppet. Talk to the child and help them learn to answer simple questions like "what is your name? what is your Dad's/ Mom's name? " It helps the child think and answer questions and improves language skills as they are ready to learn your language, infact any language. But dont use more than 2 languages at home, its so confusing. Specially Mom should use only one language always, the moment the child notices Mom is talking in a different language frequently, the child's brain is confused. 2+ Years: Taking the child to the zoo, educational-science exhibitions meant for li'l ones is exciting at this stage. They identify the famous animals. Read books to them, show animals, fruits, vegetables that we come across regularly. It is helpful to promote early education. Thier fresh brain captures things fast, so make sure they are not exposed to Cruel, Voilent TV Shows, this point is not meant for children of 2+yrs age but for children of any age. 3+ Years: Children learn to reciprocate and reproduce your actions. Teaching them to sing a good song, a lengthy rhyme is helpful in pronouncing long words. Even if you cant play any instrument, play one in your music system or encourage the child to play one just by giving a drum to the child. This improves concentration and hearing ability.   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author..... BETTER NAPS SLEEP WELL  

BETTER NAPS

BETTER NAPS Newborn-hood comes with a free sleep package...Babies sleep and sleep...by 3 months, parents have to plan of setting up a nap schedule. Putting the baby to nap at the same time everyday will set his/her internal clock to be sleepy at those moments, wherever they are. If the baby wakes up at 6 am everyday, put him/her back to sleep at 8 am. Repeat for nap no.3, 4. If they fight sleep, check in on them every 5,10,15 minutes. Dont pick them up but stand beside and speak in a slow, soothing tone or sing a lullaby. Then leave the room so they can help themselves to sleep. It helps to have a naptime routine ---sing a lullaby, read a book. And be sure to keep the room dark and reasonably quiet. The moment it is nap time, close the curtains, turn off the lights, take the story book and the baby will soon know that after an array of all these things, sleep comes and automatically, everyday. Repeating these things everytime, in addition to changing the dress or giving him/her a warm bath at night makes the baby learn that it is not a naptime but sleep time at night and that they can sleep longer until morning. By the end of 5 months age, they will learn to sleep around 8pm, make sure to follow your routine else they will take a nap at 8pm and wake up afresh at 10pm when you are ready for bed....   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author..... SLEEP WELL ENOUGH EXERCISE

SLEEP WELL

SLEEP WELL There is no one single answer when asked how much sleep do babies really need. Some babies snooze longer at night; others love their daytime naps. Here are some guidelines on the total number of hours they need to sleep. AGE                    DAILY AMOUNT OF SLEEP              NO.OF DAY TIME NAPS   NEWBORN                     10 to 18 Hours                       Round the clock naps                                                                                    that last 2 to 4 hours                                                                                3 MONTHS                          15 Hours                           2 to 4 naps, 30to 2 minutes   hours each                                                                      6 MONTHS                           14 Hours                          2 to 3 naps, 45 to 2                         minutes                                                                             hours each                                                            1 YEAR OLD                      13 to 14 Hours                    2 naps, 1 to 1.5 each                        hours   Based on the table above, a baby can sleep the maximum time, splitting the time between daytime naps and sleep at night. Consulting the pediatrician if the child sleeps too less or too much than the hours mentioned as per their age is suggested for the well-being of the child. Some babies tend to sleep more if one of the parents has the habit or if any medication is being taken.   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author..... PLAY TIME Are you friendly ?

Connecting with baby before birth

Joy Of Pregnancy Connecting with Baby Before Birth   Teluguone Provides Expert Tips On Bonding With Your Baby Before and After Birth  

ENOUGH EXERCISE

ENOUGH EXERCISE Not just elders, even kids need to exercise. Infact, there is a minimum daily required time for every kid based on their age, a new European study has pinpointed. Pediatricians usually recommended 60 minutes of exercise for every kid, but this study has added few more minutes. The researchers tracked how active 3000 kids in the 2 to 9 yrs group were, then they estimated thier risk for heart disease based on factors like blood-sugar levels and body mass index. Result: Exercise time needs to increase as kids reach school age, and boys need more time than girls do. Fortunately, any physical activity like going for a walk, climbing the playground equipment, jogging, playing activity games that need physical movement will fit the bill. BOYS: 2-6 yrs 73 minutes 6-9 yrs 85 minutes GIRLS: 2-6 yrs 58 minutes 6-9 yrs 66 minutes   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author.... Its OK to be Bored FRESH ART IDEAS  

Its OK to be Bored

Its OK to be Bored Step off the hectic, hyper-parenting wheel sometimes! Too much of organizing the child's calender with School, Co-Curricular activites, and music/ games coaching during the weekends...dont you feel its getting too busy? Organised activities are good for nourishment but the kids are not learning to entertain themselves. Suddenly someday when you are busy with your work or ill, and you cant take them to their friends' place or tuitions, they keep nagging "I am Bored" every 5 minutes. They have to know how to entertain themselves. And that is why, letting the kids be bored is good sometimes. There are so many kids in most of the neighborhoods but you never see them playing outside these days, as they are all running from one activity to the other, through the week. There is no one found if you want to set up a playdate for your children. It takes courage to accept that everything's going to be just fine if you dont enroll your kids for piano, basketball, math classes, and chess etc. Specialists say "Kids dont have to experience everything before age 8. Leave them something to discover on their own. and hanging around the house is wonderful--we dont have to protect our children from boredom. Infact, kids will figure out something to do when left to entertain themselves and discover new games or new hobbies/ special interests of their own"   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author..... FRESH ART IDEAS PLAY TIME

FRESH ART IDEAS

FRESH ART IDEAS Go beyond crayons and markers!! Encouraging kids to use natural materials helps them enjoy the process of making art. You dont draw with them or set any standards, let them loose, on their own, however, do the kid-proofing much before hand, because you know how messy the walls and floor can get. Present natural objects such as leaves, shells, dry fruits, grains, pine cones. Let them choose and arrange the objects on a canvas or a drawing chart in their own imaginary ways of various patters and designs. You will be surprised. Shaving Cream: Spray shaving cream unless too expensive, with Dad's permission! onto a foil board or tray and add a few drops of food color. Let the child wear gloves and blend colors, make designs in the foam....watch to not let the child swallow it. One Children's Museum in USA follows this technique. PrintMaking: Collect everyday objects like bottle caps, wood pieces, cotton balls, ear buds, leaves, vegetable slices, sponges, cork, marker caps and let children between ages 2-4 and up dip them in washable, non-toxic water colors to print their canvas. Clay towers: Get non-toxic clay, either colorful or mud clay, and encourage kids to make sculptures on thier own.   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author..... PLAY TIME Are you friendly ?

PLAY TIME

PLAY TIME Tummy time for Infants: New Moms know that floor time helps babies develop their neck and tummy muscles, as well as visual and motor skills. Its also the perfect time to watch your new little bundle of joy discover the world around them. Put them on a clean, soft floor once you know they can handle their neck. Get down on a Toddlers' level: The Toddler years are a great time to play sorting games that introduce basic math skills. You could also build towers out of building blocks to help tune fine motor skills, or just a Peekaboo with your kids to help them learn how to take appropriate risks and still feel safe. Dance party for School-age Kids: Older kids still benefit from one-on-one time, so transform the living room into a dance floor and get their friends and the whole family moving with a dance party. Whether you break loose with children's songs or rock out to top 40 hits, you'll be teaching your kids the importance of physical activity in a fun environment.   - Prathyusha Talluri More articles from this author..... YOUR ATTITUDE COUNTS Are you friendly ?