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How to Resolve Arguments With Your Child

Keep Your Cool

Yes, it can get frustrating when your child debates nearly everything you do or say. However, getting angry, raising your voice, or being defensive won't ease the conflict and may lead to a power struggle, says Annie Fox, author of Teaching Kids to Be Good People: Progressive Parenting for the 21st Century. Or worse, your child may shut down and feel he should never disagree with you or express his feelings. If you notice your emotions starting to rise, give yourself a few minutes to calm down, take a deep breath, and collect your thoughts. Then construct a level-headed way to address the situation at hand.

Make "Yes" Easy

Instead of asking open-ended questions, such as, "What do you want for a snack?" or "When do you want to take your bath?" offer two specific options like, "You can choose either yogurt or fruit" or "You can take your bath now or in 30 minutes. Which would you prefer?" Using this approach will make your child feel as if she has a choice in the matter -- plus, she'll go along with a Mom-approved pick with little or no fuss.

Be Firm

It's important to be firm and consistent when letting your child know that certain things -- like wearing a seat belt, brushing his teeth, and taking prescribed medication -- are nonnegotiable. If your child tries to argue about something that you have already explained is a firm rule, Fox suggests that you simply repeat the original instructions and not get into a debate about it. When an issue isn't as serious but you still don't want the back-and-forth bickering, Dr. Paone recommends using the ACT limit-setting technique: Acknowledge the feeling ("I know you want to go to the park"), Communicate the limit ("but it's too cold to play outside today"), and Target the alternatives ("so you can read a book or we can play a board game together instead").

Encourage Compromise

Although you may feel your child gets enough practice trying to get you to do things her way, helping her practice negotiation skills at home can increase the chance that she will use them with peers, teachers, and other adults in her life, explains Erik A. Fisher, Ph.D., a psychologist and the author of The Art of Empowered Parenting: The Manual You Wish Your Kids Came With. For instance, if she wants to take her favorite toy along on vacation but you're afraid she'll lose or break it, ask her to state her case before you'll agree. Gently guide her by asking her to explain why she wants to take the toy, how she'll keep it safe, and what other solution she can think of to satisfy both of you. As she gets more experience, she'll be able to work through the negotiation process without your lead. So when a classmate proposes hide-and-seek (again!) at recess, your kiddo may be the one to suggest a different game and calmly discuss it until everyone reaches an agreement.

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'My Stomach Hurts': Common Causes and Cures for Tummy Trouble

Constipation and Gas

What it feels like: Cramping and uncomfortable bloating are the usual symptoms.

What's going on: If your child has gone for two or more days without pooping, you can reasonably assume that constipation is causing her stomachache. In fact, constipation causes almost half of all acute abdominal pain in kids, according to a recent study in the Journal of Pediatrics. But even if she does go to the bathroom regularly, she could still be constipated. "Some kids will tell you they have a bowel movement every day, but they're not eliminating everything from their colon properly," says Dan Thomas, MD, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Gas is produced when food (especially sugar) is broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. This is a normal process, but some kids develop more gas than others. If your child is lactose intolerant, eating dairy products will cause painful gas.

What to do: Make sure your child is getting enough fiber and fluid, and watch the "white" foods. "Eating a lot of bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, milk, cheese, apples, and bananas can cause constipation," says pediatrician Laura Jana, MD, coauthor of Food Fights. Whole-grain cereals and pear juice can help ease the symptoms, but check with your pediatrician to see whether your child may also need an over-the-counter stool softener like mineral oil, MiraLax, or GlycoLax. (Don't give your child an adult laxative.) For gas, try to pinpoint the particular foods that cause it, such as beans, carbonated drinks, and fruit drinks. Reading the picture book It Hurts When I Poop! by Howard J. Bennett, MD, can help explain the situation to your child.

Gastroesophageal Reflux

What it feels like: Children can have reflux at any age. Babies spit up frequently, and they're usually fussy during feedings and when lying down. Older kids feel a burning sensation in the chest and mid-abdomen, which may wake them up at night.

What's going on: The muscle that normally shuts off the esophagus doesn't close properly, allowing the harsh acidic contents of the stomach to wash back up. Many babies have some reflux but outgrow it by about 6 months. When it lingers longer, it may be gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which can require medication.

What to do: Talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for heartburn medication. A recent study found that the number of kids ages 4 and under taking drugs for heartburn and other gastrointestinal conditions has increased more than 50 percent since 2002. One reason may be the rise in obesity, which changes the dynamics of the esophageal muscle, says Benjamin Gold, MD, professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, in Atlanta. Reflux can be triggered by certain foods, so it's a good idea to keep track of what your child has been eating, and then make adjustments. Frequent culprits: fatty fast foods, spicy foods, acidic fruits (like oranges), peppermint, chocolate, caffeine, and eating large meals or eating too close to bedtime. Over-the-counter antacids can help provide immediate relief for kids ages 2 and up.

Functional Abdominal Pain

What it feels like: There's recurring pain around the belly button, which is often worse first thing in the morning and when your child goes to bed. The ache may last for hours at a time or come and go over the course of several weeks or longer, and even be severe enough to make him double over in pain.

What's going on: Some kids simply have oversensitive intestines, so that anything from a virus to normal gas can hurt -- and hurt for a while after it's passed. "It's similar to the way that skin that's been burned can remain sensitive for a long time," explains Carlo Di Lorenzo, MD, chief of pediatric gastroenterology at Nationwide Children's Hospital, in Columbus, Ohio. Stress is the other major cause of intermittent abdominal pain. Nerves in the intestines that have a direct connection to the brain cause everyone's tummy to react when they get scared or excited -- but some kids have a heightened brain-intestine connection, making their stomach more responsive to stress. Cathleen Barnhart took her daughter, Maggie, to the pediatrician after the third-grader repeatedly went to the school nurse crying about a stomachache. "I thought that it might be tied to anxiety, and the doctor confirmed it," says Barnhart, of White Plains, New York.

What to do: Be low-key. Kids tend to complain less about their stomachaches when their parents try to distract them from the pain rather than pouring on the sympathy, research has found. Dr. Di Lorenzo doesn't recommend ignoring the pain -- it's definitely real -- but don't reinforce it by letting your child stay home from school. The more school he misses, the more anxious he'll be about going back, and that can start the cycle of pain all over again. Instead, have him lie down for 10 minutes or get him involved in an activity. If you can't distract him and his pain is severe enough to make him cry for more than 20 minutes, call your pediatrician. Treatment can range from fiber supplements and antispasmodic medications to low-dose antidepressants (for kids 10 and up). Cognitive behavioral therapy, visualization, and, most recently, hypnotherapy have been shown to work too: Last year, a Dutch study found that hypnosis reduced pain in 85 percent of children compared with 25 percent of kids in a control group. Barnhart's daughter learned how to manage her stomachaches by riding in the front of the school bus (the bumpy ride made the pain worse), breathing slowly in and out, and having sips of water.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

What it feels like: In addition to general abdominal pain (which frequently occurs at night), a child with IBS usually has bloating and gas. She may also have either diarrhea or constipation.

What's going on: IBS is a cousin of functional abdominal pain. It's more common in adolescents, but some younger kids do get it, particularly if they have a family history of the disease. They tend to have overly sensitive intestines that spasm in response to certain foods and stress. There's no specific test for IBS, but doctors may do some tests to eliminate other possibilities.

What to do: Eating more fiber and less fat can reduce the spasms that cause IBS, and consuming fewer foods and drinks with added fructose (a natural sugar in fruit) and sorbitol can help with diarrhea. Stress-management techniques such as hypnotherapy have been shown to ease IBS symptoms too.

Ulcers

What it feels like: A child has a dull ache that comes and goes, and often occurs in the middle of the night when his stomach is empty. He may also vomit and have bloody stools.

What's going on: Ulcers are relatively rare in American kids, and contrary to popular belief, they're not caused by emotional stress (although it can exacerbate them). Most are caused by the bacteria H. pylori, probably transmitted through food and water. Overuse of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen can also lead to ulcers, but this is only likely in kids who take pain relievers for a chronic illness like arthritis or for a sports-related injury.

What to do: Doctors can often identify H. pylori with a simple breath or stool test, though sometimes they need to do an endoscopy (a tube inserted through the mouth) to confirm that a child has an ulcer. If he does, your doctor will likely prescribe acid-blocking medication and antibiotics. To guard against NSAID-related ulcers, be judicious in handing out pain relievers to young athletes, and alternate NSAIDs with acetaminophen to control fever that lasts more than a few days.

Abdominal Migraines

What it feels like: The pain, generally around the belly button, can be very intense and last for more than an hour, or even several days. A child may also vomit frequently, lose her appetite, and feel nauseous and headachy. Some kids go weeks or months between episodes. Thirteen-year-old Hayden White began having abdominal migraines when he was in the third grade. "The first time, he lost 10 pounds and needed an IV to replace fluids," says his mom, Jill, of Reno, Nevada.

What's going on: Few people have ever heard of abdominal migraines, but they seem to be caused by the same neuro-vascular triggers that cause migraine headaches. Many children who get them have a family history of migraines and end up developing the headaches later in life.

What to do: See your doctor. Kids who get abdominal migraines can sometimes feel them coming on, and may be able to take medication to prevent attacks. Make sure your child gets enough sleep and eats regular meals and snacks, which can also help.

Could It Be Appendicitis?

Adults who have appendicitis tend to have classic symptoms, but kids usually don't, according to a recent review of studies. As a result, they're often misdiagnosed.

The appendix, a small organ attached to the colon, is still a bit of a mystery, although we know it contains infection-fighting cells. Once it becomes inflamed, it needs to come out before it ruptures and spills bacteria into the abdomen. "A child who has a ruptured appendix may need to be in the hospital for several weeks," says David G. Bundy, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Appendicitis can strike kids of all ages, and the appendix usually ruptures in kids under 4.

Call the doctor if your child's tummy ache seems different than usual or if she has a fever. Particularly suspicious: pain that begins around the belly button and moves to the lower right side, along with vomiting (especially greenish vomit) and diarrhea. Try this test at home: Press down on the part of her belly that hurts, then quickly release your hand. If her pain is worse when you take your hand away, she may have an inflamed appendix. Also ask her to jump up and down to see if that hurts.

Home Remedy Checklist

These home remedies are soothing and safe.

Distraction

Warm bath

High-fiber cereal

Herbal tea

Rest

Heating pad or hot-water bottle

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How to find a daycare that cares about your child’s physical literacy

What to ask your childcare provider about physical literacy and physical activity

Do you understand the importance of physical literacy and physical activity for children? Is it important to the other parents who are part of the centre’s community?

Are the ECEs educated to an appropriate standard? (Note: All provinces are different, Ontario being one of the better ones, but some provinces allow teachers to work in daycare with only a 50-hour orientation course.)

Where and how do the children spend their days? (You should expect a rich and stimulating environment that encourages kids to interact with books, in-room toys, and equipment. Avoid daycares that keep kids desk-bound doing worksheets.)

Is there opportunity for meaningful unstructured play so my child can develop both social and physical skills? Are children taught how to handle conflict resolution with their friends?

Are children taught about their emotions and how to name those emotions? Do your ECEs help my child learn how to regulate emotions, as opposed to enforcing compliance?

Is there a quiet place children can go when they get overheated? (Note: We’re referring to physical overheating, not emotional, so don’t confuse this with a time-out or punishment space.)

How much physical activity is done indoors and is there an easily accessible outdoor space? Can young children get there without needing to be in a stroller? Are kids encouraged to be outside in all weather? How do you safely provide very young children with opportunities for physical activity and motor skill development?

How to advocate for physical literacy in your daycare

Already have a child in daycare but feel they’re striking out when it comes to physical literacy? Not to worry. Here are some tips to help you can step up to the plate and advocate for the positive changes you wish to see.

Advocate with knowledge. Understand the current regulations for your area. Ensure your centre is meeting those requirements.

Ask how you can help. It can be as simple as making sure parents bring weather-appropriate clothing, or talking to the other parents to make sure you’re all on same page.

Pass along our fundamental skill development lesson plans created specifically for daycares.

Direct your centre’s staff to our lesson plans that were developed for educators, caregivers, camp leaders, and after-school program leaders who want to deliver physical literacy instruction to children.

Support the professional development of the ECEs. This may require closing centres from time to time but is important for infusing new ideas and methods into your child’s care.

Lobby the government to ensure that the child care centres we are creating can address all needs.

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Simple Craft Projects for Kids

Chalk Pops

With our easy recipe, you can make sidewalk chalk in fun shapes using ice pop or silicone baking molds. First, choose molds you no longer use for food. Spray the insides with plain cooking spray. In a disposable plastic container, mix plaster of paris (we used 1 cup to fill two 3-ounce wells in our mold) with water according to the package directions. Stir in poster or tempera paint, a drip at a time, until the mixture reaches the desired color. Pour the plaster into the mold, then tap the sides to release any large air bubbles. To make more colors, wipe any remaining plaster from your mixing container with a paper towel and start a new batch. Allow the plaster to harden overnight before removing the chalk from the molds.

Jewelry to Dye For

Our modern take on the classic pasta craft is bright, bold, and colorfast.

Getting Started:

First dye the pasta. For each color, pour 5 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol into a ziplock bag. (You can substitute distilled white vinegar for the rubbing alcohol, but the pasta will become a bit more brittle.) Add 15 or so drops of food coloring. Seal the bag and swirl it to combine. Add 1/2 cup pasta, then seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Move the pasta around so that the color is evenly distributed. Let it sit in the bag for 15 minutes, then pour the pasta onto a cookie sheet lined with foil. Use a skewer to spread the pieces into a single layer to dry completely, about an hour.

For the Neckaroni:

Beaded necklace (at top left): Thread pasta (we used rigatoni, ziti, and wagon wheels) onto a cord. Tie the ends together.

Penne-dants (at right): Glue pasta pieces (we used ziti, wagon wheels, ditalini, and a star) together with tacky glue. Let them dry on waxed paper.

If needed, adhere a piece of ditalini to the back to provide a hole for stringing.

For the Earrini:

Straight earrings (at left): String a piece of ditalini onto a 7-inch length of craft wire. Fold the wire in half with the ditalini in the center. String a star onto each wire end, then insert both ends through a piece of ziti. Top with a mini wheel and a ditalini, then twist both ends around an earring wire.

Circular earrings (at bottom left): Loop and twist one end of a 5-inch length of craft wire around an earring wire. Thread stars and ditalini onto the craft wire, bend it into a circle, then loop and twist the end around the earring.

Carton Critters

Got egg cartons? Turn them into these forest-animal finger puppets.

From a cardboard egg carton, cut a section consisting of two cups and the raised post between them. Cut ears or antlers from cereal-box cardboard and glue them to the back rim of the carton. Paint as desired. Glue on googly eyes and a pom-pom nose. To use the puppet, press a finger or two into the back of the nose section.

We coiled strips of newspaper to make a cat, but you can use the technique to form other animals and letters. Go wild!

Cut a sheet of newspaper lengthwise into 5-inch-wide sections. We used 5 1/2 strips to make our cat.

Fold each strip in half lengthwise 3 times to end up with a strip that's roughly 1/2 inch wide. Press the folds flat.

Start coiling by rolling one end of the strip tightly around itself. Add strips to the coil by adhering the overlapping ends with a glue stick. Finish the shape by gluing down the end.

For the eyes and head, start with a larger center circle before coiling.

Make other shapes, such as ears and a tail, as shown.

Arrange the shapes on waxed paper and add tacky glue where the pieces touch. Let the glue dry completely.

Use tacky glue to add folded-paper features, such as feet, a nose, and a mouth.

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5 Reasons We Love Daycare

Single Purpose Organization

Single purpose organization means that daycare center care givers have one focus during their work day; your child. There are no household distractions or unscheduled visitors, rather the day is centered around providing education through play based curriculum, without outside interruptions.

Reliable Resource

Thankfully, daycare centers are always able to provide service for your children – even if and employee has a sick day. Caregivers are always able to fill in for someone who is sick which ensures that your kids will always have a healthy place to learn –  and you don’t miss work.

Licensing and Certification

Daycare centers are licensed, inspected and regulated by each state. Caregivers are certified as well, creating not only a safe environment for your child, but it also guarantees that the educational standards in the daycare are up to date.

Cost Effective

In addition to all of these amazing benefits, daycare centers are cost effective too! One of the most reasonable child care options, daycare centers offer affordable, reliable and educational care.

Multi-Dimensional

Daycare centers often have several age groups of children being cared for. While each group is educated in a way that is age appropriate, group play and meals are often shared across all ages. These social settings allow younger children to model their older peers and the older children to care for younger friends. This social learning time is essential to teaching through example as well as giving children an opportunity to learn and demonstrate empathy.

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4 Travel Games to Keep Your Child Learning

1. A Trip to Remember

If your children like to memorize and recite, memorization games are a fun way to expand their knowledge. They can learn fun facts about your destination or about key spots along your route and talk about each of them as you get nearby.

2. Stick with a Classic

This game is a classic for a reason. If you're going on a road trip, make a list or print out a map of the United States and mark off the plates you see. This can help children remember the names of states as well as their locations.

If you're feeling particularly ambitious, you can come prepared with a list of facts about each state that you can share with your family. And, if you're looking to up the stakes, make it a license plate bingo, awarding a prize to the person who gets all of the states, all of the states beginning with a certain letter, or five states in a row, etc. Or take the easy route (pun intended) and download a Roadtrip Bingo app.

3. Makin' It Real

A great way to make travel educational for kids is to provide them with actual money to budget throughout the trip. Give them a set amount and let them spend it as they choose. It will help teach young travelers the value of money, forms of money, and some very necessary counting skills they'll use for years to come. Allowing them to make their own financial choices will help develop their independence as they head back to school.

4. Scavenger Hunt 2.0

Whether you're in a car, a train, or an airplane, a scavenger hunt can be fun for the whole family. Instead of simply asking your children to find obvious items, compose a list of clues that require them to work through the problems to figure out the next steps. Then, they'll need to use their critical thinking skills to find the items and mark them off their list. If you can coordinate your scavenger hunts with landmarks you're planning to visit along the way, kids can run around checking off their lists while burning off energy that's been bottled up in your tight travel space. An added bonus!

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How the 3-Day Potty Training Method Works

What You'll Need

Pick up a few T-shirts that will cover your kid's private area. Why? Your child will be going commando for three days—at least mine did (and he loved it). The theory is if he knows the diaper isn't there to catch the pee or poop, it should click he needs to get his bare butt to a potty. But if that makes you uncomfortable, Jensen says using undies with no pants is OK, too.

"We do not put pants on the child during the training process because we want to be able to see when they have an accident," she says.

Speaking of Accidents...

"Accidents will happen; that is part of training. Children learn from having those accidents," says Jensen. "The 3-Day Potty Training Method is against punishments during training. You will clean up the accident and simply encourage them to make it to the toilet next time. Praise goes a long way."

Stock Up on Drinks

I'm a rebel, and my kid drank juice when he was 2 and 3, so I bought a bunch of reduced sugar juice boxes. Encourage your kid to drink more than usual. This will obviously cause your kid to have to pee, and that's what you want—that feeling, that urge.

Gentle Reminders Work

If your kid doesn't go after sucking down a juice box, remind him to go. And when he says, "no"—and he will!—tell him to just try. Remember this is training, not game day. You're his coach.

Prizes Are Important

My son doesn't have a sweet tooth, so candy rewards didn't work for us. I did, however, hit up a local dollar store for incentives—stickers, crayons, coloring books and action heroes. He didn't get a prize every time because it's for peeing in the toilet, not on the rug or all over himself.

A Surprising

Potty Training Product

Bath mats have rubber bottoms and can serve as a barrier between an accident and your couch or rug, because you don't want to make a huge deal of an accident. Just clean him up and move on.

But What about Day vs. Night?

"You will be training for both day and night. Training for both at the same time keeps the child from getting confused...If you train for both day and night, you eliminate the crutch or feeling they can just go in their diaper or pull-up," Jensen says. Basically, go big or go home!

Got it? OK, here's how to potty train your kid in three days:

When your child wakes up in the morning, change his soggy diaper and bid farewell. Have your kid throw the diaper out and say "bye-bye."

Change your kid into one of the oversized T-shirts you got and explain there is no diaper to catch the pee-pee or poop, so he has to put it in the potty.

Give your kid breakfast and an extra drink. Afterwards, lead your little one to the potty. It should be a successful trip after all those liquids.

Go on with the day, but remember, no leaving the house for three days. Play, read, color and watch cartoons.

Have a constant sippy cup of water at your kid's reach. Just like crate-training a puppy, walk your child to the potty every 15 minutes, all day long for three days.

Cut off all liquids and snacks after dinner.

Complete one final potty mission before bed.

Wake your kid up halfway through the night to pee. (Yes, set an alarm.)

Repeat for the next two days.

Don't get upset about accidents. They're not a big deal. Don't react.

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Fun Ways to Teach Kids About Healthy Food Choices

Try app-y meals

Fooducate (free; itunes.com) is a mobile pap that lets you scan any food with a bar code to get a quick letter grade for how real and healthy it is. It turns the search for healthy eats into a kid-friendly point-and-shoot video game.

Practice pace

Slowing the pace to at least 30 seconds from start-of-bite to start-of-bite gives the body a chance to send and receive fullness signals after eating just the right amount.

Play "punch buggy" for processed foods

There's a reason manufacturers use kid-friendly characters to sell their stuff: It works! In one study, kids were as likely to choose broccoli as a chocolate bar if there was an Elmo sticker on the broccoli. But you can teach kids to recognize marketing tricks. In my family, we play a new version of the "punch buggy" game. In the original, you tapped a compatriot if you were the first to spot a particular type of car or license plate. In our version, you snap your fingers if you're the first to notice a food ad trying to appeal to kids. Common strategies include the use of cartoon characters and bright colors on the packaging.

Ask "Who's your mama?"

Your fridge and pantry are full of props for playing "Who's your mama?" Take turns choosing food items and asking where they come from. Apples come from trees. Milk comes from cows. Carrots grow in the ground. If it's got a simple family tree, it's real food. But if you choose something that uses ingredients like dextrose, gelatin, calcium carbonate, Blue 1 and Red 40, then the answer is "factory."

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Warm Beginnings and More provides a private space for breast feeding mothers to nurse their child. Please ask your child’s teacher or director.

Benefits of Breastfeeding for Your Baby?

Breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants. It has a nearly perfect mix of vitamins, protein, and fat -- everything your baby needs to grow. And it's all provided in a form more easily digested than infant formula. Breast milk contains antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria. Breastfeeding lowers your baby's risk of having asthma or allergies. Plus, babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months, without any formula, have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea. They also have fewer hospitalizations and trips to the doctor.

Breastfeeding has been linked to higher IQ scores in later childhood in some studies. What's more, the physical closeness, skin-to-skin touching, and eye contact all help your baby bond with you and feel secure. Breastfed infants are more likely to gain the right amount of weight as they grow rather than become overweight children. The AAP says breastfeeding also plays a role in the prevention of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). It's been thought to lower the risk of diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers as well, but more research is needed.

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HAPPY 4th Of July Family and Friends! 

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The Power of Routines

For most of us, our lives involve a series of patterns—routines we perform almost every day, like stopping at the same place each day for coffee on the way to work. This is also very true for babies and toddlers. While we play a part in creating routines in our children’s lives, we may not fully realize the role they play in young children’s development. Routines help babies and toddlers learn self-control. Consistent routines, activities that happen at about the same time and in about the same way each day, provide comfort and a sense of safety to young children. Whether it is time to play, time for a snack, a nap, or a loved one to return, knowing what will happen next gives babies and toddlers security and emotional stability. It helps them learn to trust that caring adults will provide what they need. When children feel this sense of trust and safety, they are free to do their “work,” which is to play, explore, and learn. Routines can bring you and your child closer together and reduce power struggles. Stable routines allow babies and toddlers to anticipate what will happen next.  This gives young children confidence, and also a sense of control, such as when parents say:  “It is bedtime.  Would you like to brush teeth now or after we get your pajamas on?”  Routines can also limit the amount of “no’s” and behavior corrections you need to give a toddler throughout the day, since your child can better predict what should happen next:  “I know you want a cracker.  But it is clean-up time now.  Remember, after clean-up, it is snack-time.”

Routines guide positive behavior and safety. Routines are like instructions—they guide children’s actions toward a specific goal. Routines can be used for many reasons, but two of the most important are ensuring children’s health and safety, and helping children learn positive, responsible behavior.  For example, children wash hands before they have snack, or must hold an adult’s hand when crossing the street.  Here is another example:

Two-year-old George loves to play with his trucks in the afternoon as mom feeds baby Kira. When mom is done, it is time for them to pick up Dad at the bus stop. All the trucks have to be back in the bucket before they go. Mom lets George know when it’s clean-up time by ringing a special bell she has and saying, “Okay, driver, it’s time for the trucks to park in the garage.” One by one, George wheels each truck up a block plank and into the bucket. Each day they do this, and each day George knows he’ll find his trucks where he put them—back in the bucket.  He also knows that after he puts away his trucks, he’ll get to see his dad which always makes him happy. Routines support children’s social skills. As babies grow, they come into contact with more people and begin to learn patterns and routines for social interaction. Greetings, good-byes, and chatting with others are examples of routine interactions that teach social skills. These interactions are also opportunities to help our children develop language skills.

Play-time and mealtime are two routines that are very social times for children and parents alike.  Through talking, taking turns, sharing toys, learning to wait, and helping others during these activities, young children learn important social skills that will help them later on in school.

Routines help children cope with transitions. Depending on your child’s temperament, transitions between activities may be easy or more difficult.  Going from play to lunch, lunch to the store, the store to home…and especially transitioning to bed time, can be challenging.  Routines (like bedtime routines) can help make transitions easier. Some parents use a timer or a “5-minute warning” to prepare their toddlers for a change in activity. Others use a book, song, or special game. Special rituals can also help transition a child from one caregiver to the next, such as this routine:

Each day, Leke and his mother count the steps as they walk up to the child care center. They leave his coat and lunch in his cubby.  Then they go to the toy area where the other children are playing. Leke picks out a toy.  He and his mother exchange “butterfly kisses” and mom waves good-bye. Routines are satisfying for parents, too. Not only do routines and rituals make transitions easier for children—they also help ease adults into parenthood. The early stages of becoming a parent can be overwhelming and sometimes put a strain on marriage. Continuing a ritual from your early marriage years (like an evening out or a special vacation spot) can help. In addition, taking a special ritual from your own childhood (such as a book that was read to you, a special breakfast made for you on Saturdays) can bridge your transition from a couple to a family. Routines are an important opportunity for learning. Daily routines are often thought of as just “maintenance” activities: meal time, running errands, getting ready for bed, taking baths. But these everyday actions are rich opportunities to support your child’s learning and development, while having fun. Routines offer the chance to build self-confidence, curiosity, social skills, self-control, communication skills, and more.

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The following is a typical schedule of your child’s day:

6:00 – 8:00Arrival/Breakfast/Play 8:00 – 9:00Structured academic and play activities 9:00 – 9:30Large Muscle Development/Play ground 9:30 – 11:00Structured academic and play activities 11:00 – 12:00Lunch 12:00 – 2:00Nap time 2:30 – 3:00Mid-afternoon snack 3:00 – 4:30Structured academic and play activities 4:30 – 6:30Late afternoon play/departure

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SUMMER CAMP

Our summer camp program offers continuum of learning for children even during summer breaks. It comes in the form of fun adventures, social exercises, and making acquaintances instead of being holed up at home and playing video games. Memories are made while new friendships are built.

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1. Give notice Get your child on board by encouraging her to help “you” change. When Williams realized she was doing way more for her son than was necessary, she told him, “I’m sorry. I’ve been treating you like a little kid when you are ready to do some big-kid jobs!” She warns against using phrases like “You’re not a baby anymore”; baby can be a sensitive word in this age group.

2. Identify opportunities Make a list of things she could be doing herself. Mine had 13 tasks, including brushing her teeth (gah!). Ask her which duties she feels she’s big enough to take on—it’s likely to increase her willingness to try.

3. Target priorities Tackle one item at a time, so you don’t overwhelm her.

4. Make time If it takes her 10 minutes to brush her own hair, start your morning 10 minutes earlier (and put down the brush!). When she’s not being micromanaged, she may surprise you with her co-operation, and you’ll be a calmer influence when you’re not racing against the clock.

5. Negotiate compromise If she digs in her heels, compromise and inject some fun. For a few days, I took shirt duty, and she did the bottoms. I said that her tree branches (arms) needed their leaves (her shirt) and that she did a great job—and would also be awesome at putting on her own shirt.

6. Forget perfection Accept that she won’t do the task as well as you. If the milk spills, show her how to clean it up without criticism and assure her it happens to everyone.

7. Praise something Instead of pointing out that her shoes are on the wrong feet, say, “You put on your own shoes! Good job!” She’ll discover the discomfort on her own. Give positive follow-up like, “I bet you’ll get them on the right feet tomorrow.”

8. Consider circumstances If kids are tired, sick, stressed or adjusting to a change, it’s not the time to introduce new responsibilities. And don’t be discouraged if they regress, wanting you to do a task after they’ve mastered it. This is normal. Temporarily sharing the load can help them bounce back more quickly than if you scold or criticize them.

Don’t rush in to solve minor issues when they crop up, says psychologist Jeanne Williams. Encourage your child’s problem-solving skills by asking if she can come up with a fix. If she’s stumped, give her time to think before offering up your ideas.

Try to stay relaxed. Like me, you may find more messy beds and puddles of milk, but hearing your child proudly say, “I did it all by myself!” is so worth it.

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3 Simple Ways to Help Your Child Enjoy Learning

Learning can be fun.  More than anyone, your kids need to see the fun in every learning opportunity so that their learning sticks for life. Here are three simple ways to help your kid have fun while learning: - Get your child to share what they like about their day in school. - Listen and interact with your kid’s sharing. - Respect the difference of their learning experience from your own childhood

Warm Beginnings and More  provides an enjoyable learning environment for your kid. Enroll your kid now. Call (281) 385-6673

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5 Reasons Why Your Child Needs to Play

The adage is true: “All work and no play make John a dull boy.” Read along these five crucial reasons why playing is valuable to your child: - Playing helps a child make friends and become sociable. - Playing enables a kid to express feelings of joy and excitement. - Playing, when mixed with learning, makes education fun. - Playing stirs up creativity, curiosity, and imagination - Playing decreases child-related stress and frustration.