In the previous part, we tried to understand why toddlers throw tantrum. This part, we try to deal with it. Each recommended solution is related to part 1.
Tips to Tackle Toddlers Tantrum
They can be difficult but manageable. You know your child’s character so use preventive steps to avoid tantrums instead. Read more »
Cinderella 
Bedtime stories are all time favorite of young children. They are great for bedtime. They are great for leisure time. They are simply kids companion.
There are many reasons why we should have bedtime stories and some are listed below:
1. Bonding. When you read to your child, both of you are of close proximity – physically and psychologically. Your child will feel loved because of your companion.
2. Moral values. While there are amusing, bedtime stories
3. Good night sleep. Children can have a hard day too. Reading a story book before bedtime simply eases sleep and encourage sweet dreams. We surely never emphasis them on the scary monsters and trolls.
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4. Learn to read and spell. Story books have high accuracy of proper usage of English language. Children are sure to pick up good command of grammar and spelling which improves their language easily.
5. Encourage writing. Do not be surprise that you child may be inspired to be an author later in life. They learn by good examples from authors in writing stories and definitely improves a child’s composition skills.
6. Friendly and soothing images. More often than not, bedtime stories offer better images than the TV and internet. They are child friendly and you need not worry about children being exposed violent images.
7. Encourage children thinking and imagination. Alice in Wonderland
8. Learn to love books at young age. When children learn to love books, it becomes part of them. Their engagement becomes their hobby.
9. Encourage sibling sharing. Older children who can express themselves well can tell stories to younger sibling. They share. They bond. They rival lesser.
10. Learning and accepting villain in reality. While most bedtime stories places emphasis on good characters, children will also learn about the existence of villain in the reality world. The big bad wolf, the witch and the pirates are somehow important in the peak of the storyline. Children will also learn that the story always concludes with villain receiving retribution. Which is important for them to know that it should happen in reality too.
So you have all the reasons to grab a bedtime story book today! Good night. Sweet dreams.
Is your dinner table constantly having meal wars and power struggle when your little picky eater is around? Relax. Almost every child grow up that way – including yourself if you check with grandma.
Why Are There Picky Eaters?
1. As a parent, we care too much and have expectation as to the quantity and quality of food our child takes. If intake falls short, we get upset.
2. Babies take cereal, adult take chicken chop. How about kids? They do not have wide variety of ‘transitional food’ except for fries that we constantly disallow and hot dog and burger that you can not possibly serve every single meal.
3. More often than not, what is served on the table are adult food – beef are probably to tough for the 20 delicate teeth, they just had chicken yesterday and asparagus taste so ewwy and green. So, in terms of texture, taste and preference, they did not suit children well enough.
Given the situation, here are the solutions to what we label our kids as picky eaters:
1. Serve different food for a change.
If you have 10-15minutes, google for some recipes site and expose all variety of food images to your child. He may probably spot something he likes and there you go – a new food idea!
2. Taking part.
I know you would not want any disturbance when you are busy cooking in the kitchen, but why not get your child involve in shopping for your ingredients. Or show the sweet corn you bought and let him spread butter on it. Chances are, he will eat it!
3. Educate your child about nutrition.
If your child is mature enough to understand, show him or her the food and its nutrition. Explain about the different groups of food and their functions. For e.g. You need lots of vegetables and fruits because they contain fiber that can prevent constipation.
4. Be patient when it comes to new food.
It is unusual that a child will try new food when he or she sees it for the first time. A child may need to be exposed with a new food for at least 10 times before he or she develops trust and wants to try it. So, be patient.
5. Do not provide alternatives
If your child does not take what is served, you need not get leave the table and get busy in the kitchen and start cooking all over again. Although offering the ketchup sauce can increase some appetite!
6. Serve when hungry
7. Don’t waste time decorating
At the end of the day, take it as a passing phase. Your child will eat and no matter what, your child is unlikely to be malnourished. So, relax and enjoy your meal but do not worry too much about picky eaters!
Jealousy. Shouting. Pushing and common use of ‘That’s not fair!?’ phrase by any child.
We all know the signs of Sibling Rivalry. It happens almost in any family even for ourselves when we were young!
It is a tough parenting subject that needs to be monitored. More often than not, jealousy starts with older child when a new one arrives. Older sibling does not get sole attention anymore and felt left out.
If you are expecting a second child, the good news is you can carry out gift exchange when they meet for the first time at the hospital. Prepare gift beforehand. The exercise is more for the older sibling to feel joy and to easily accept a newborn at home. Explain to older sibling that you have to spend time caring for newborn but still love him or her VERY MUCH!
Thereafter, always encourage love, care and share between kids. It is easier said than done but takes a lot of patience to carry out. Do note that it is not the children but YOU who will play the major role to avoid sibling rivalry from going out of hand.
However, if your kids are older and have been in rivalry for some time, the situation can still be dealt with. Although tougher.
What Should Parents Do To Avoid Sibling Rivalry:
Having said and implementing all the above, sibling rivalry may still occur. After all, kids will be kids. But it is just a passing phase and they will learn to love and treasure each other more as they grow.
Being a stay at home mother, I’m very fortunate to have ample time with my kids.
As a parent, there are countless ways to show your love and I wish to share these with you so as to make every child a happier child. They barely cost you any money, what children need is your time and attention. Here are 30 ways to show ‘I Love You’ to your child:
Children must first learn the function of money before learning to spend and save money. Children can understand the simple concept of how money works when they are as young as 3. More often than not, a child sees a mother pays money and get something in return at a shop.
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This understanding can be enhanced by repeated incidents and role play at home. Try showing your child using some money to get something in return.
When a child can understand this simple concept, you may educate him / her about ways to use money – which is to spend or save. This is the time to instill right values and behavior. You may educate a child about ‘How to Spend Wisely’. More often than not, a child will adopt the same spending habit as a parent if they are taught from young.
Children may thought there is a money dispensal machine whereby their parents simply key in few numbers and they can get as much money as they want!
Explain to your child where does money come from. Tell them daddy and mummy has to work to earn a certain amount of money each month. This portion of money needed to be shared for entire household and careful money management is needed before we run out of money.
Some reasons on educating why a child should save:
1. For daily lives (e.g. food and clothing)
2. For health care
3. For education
Educate your child that these are priorities which comes before toys and leisure.
In regards to how to save - you may want to start off with a coin box or piggy bank at home. Occasionally offer small amount for your child to drop into the coin box. Eventually, when the coin box is full, open a joint bank account with your child.
To reward you child for the good saving habit, you may get her balloon! This in turn would encourage her to continue saving money.
Sometimes, we don’t have to teach our children in order for them to learn. The power of learning comes from observation. This may be surprising but a child can actually make sense of your action even before they babble the first words.
Have you ever wonder why your child is a mirror image of you?
Children learn by being exposed to people, environment and things. And if you often portray a particular behavior, he / she will follow as the saying goes ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do!’ Amusing but true!
Do not be surprise that a child may start climbing at the window after watching Spiderman 2. He /she may even talk the way you do to him / her – be it polite or rude.
So what are we as parent or caregivers should do? It is easily said than done – Set Good Examples!
You may want to start this today (especially in front of your child):
1. Have a habit of greeting someone
2. Use simple magical words like ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’. Speak politely.
3. Mind your body language
If you survived the above without feeling drowned, it is time for you to start cultivating this family culture around the house as younger siblings can learn from older siblings and your spouse too.
As a golden rule of thumb – The More You Give, The More You’ll Receive.
If you haven’t started your preschool kid on household chores, you do NOT want to delay any further.
Sounds tedious as it may seems, but household chores need not be back straining for any kid. In fact, here’s what a preschooler is capable of doing:
1. Make her own bed
2. Hang her own clothes
3. Keeping or arranging toys and CDs
4. Wiping a spill or puddle
5. Putting her own dish, bowl and cup up for washing
6. Listing down the groceries
7. Putting away the newspapers and magazines
8. Turning of the TV and radio
9. Replace an empty tissue box
10. Folding clothes like handkerchief, socks, shorts and T-shirts
Also, you do not want to expect the job to be done as if it was completed by the iRobot. What you can expect is to put your child into practicing doing household chores and having the responsibility of taking care of the home.
As a parent or caregiver, you need to encourage a preschoolers of doing household chores and praise him or her for doing a good job (even if it doesn’t looked really good!). This in turn would boost the child’s' energy and to do even more challenging household chores.
The common mistake parents can make is to provide monetary reward when a child completes the household chores. The objective is to instill the idea of doing household chores is being responsible and being part of the family and avoid monetary reward altogether. If monetary reward is provided in return of doing housework, it becomes an expectation for a child.
Household chores will stop when the money do too!
Best of luck and I’m sure your hard work pays off!
