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Importance of family for a child

It is undoubted that the biggest support that your child requires is from the family. This is where the child feels his or her comfort zone. It is a matter of safety and security that the child feels. It is the family and the environment that shapes the child. Here, children get their share of love, support, learning, dealing with emotions etc. Hence in growing years of your child, ensure that he gets proper support from his or her family. Family support helps a child as it makes him grow in self confidence and improves and builds his personality. Family also helps the child to learn things that he would never otherwise learn even in school. Indian values like tolerance and respect are taught only at home. Children who do not get adequate family support are not only shy and introvert, but sometimes, it even has effect on the child’s psyche.

Some children may reach a stage where they become a loner. These children also become or in their communication skills. Hence a healthy family support should be ensured to your child. This family support is like a banyan tree. It will help your child grow and since the roots of this tree and spread deep inside the soil, it will make sure that the child stays grounded. Another point which most Indian families lack at is the let out of emotions that is often not provided. Children just grow up in a strict environment. Though there is a lot of drama and over usage of emotions, there is no real let out of emotions.

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Activity classes

Kinder garten kids are a bundle of energy. Often parents feel that the child is unable to sit in a place or is constantly upbeat about something. This is the excess energy that is stored in their body which is waiting to be channelsied. Tapping the potential or honing a skill requires to be done by parents. Ideally the right time should be from the age of four onwards.

 School going kids are generally independent about their toilet habits and are also able to communicate their apprehensions. Introduce them to a skill like drawing or coloring class. The intention is not to make an artist of the child but to allow him or her to access information and understand learning by a process. The expert guidance of the teacher helps them to focus and improve their skill.

 For over active kids there are many sports associations and social clubs that coach young children in sports. Understand your child’s physical attributes and coping skills. Initially this seems a chore in initiating the child to go on to do a sport. Children often show lack of interest or a ‘tummy ache’ if they are reluctant. Compulsively nothing can be done but show them pictures of the sport like skating or football and then will slowly start taking interest in the same.

 The biggest part about activity class and other things is that the parent must be able to strike a balance about the same. Wandering freely in a park or going for a birthday party is equally important for a child’s growth. Urban areas also have the restriction of city life demands which gets mundane. I often invite my child’s friends over for a clay molding activity which also helps us moms bond together.

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Selecting Right Toys For Toddler

Your toddler must be very fond of toys and why not, children just love toys. The role of toys is very important in the development of a child. It is not only essential for recreational purposes but also for learning and development. The future development of a child very well depends upon how has been treated in his formative years. Parents must ensure their child is getting best possible opportunities for learning and progressing purposes. While we are focussing on learning, toys come into the picture. The importance of toys has been established in aspects like sensory skills, social and motor development of the child. From that perspective, it becomes important for parents to choose right kind of toys for the toddler, considering its future implications.

The first rule is to get hold of simple and solid toys. The reason is children love to break toys by throwing away or banging them or using them against the walls. In such light, what’s the point of purchasing a delicate or sophisticated toy? Parents must be quite alert while purchasing toys. There are factors like loose parts, sharp edged toys or toxic paints harmful for babies etc that should be considered while parents decide to buy toys. The logic is quite understandable because of child’s habit of putting everything in his mouth.

A baby develops his first taste of social skills while he plays with ball. Point to be noted here is, while a baby throws ball to someone the latter throws it back and in the process there is development of social skills. Toys with buttons, levers, push buttons must be givn preference because toddler will learn to do something on his own. Take for example, toy telephone which is quite useful in sowing the seed of conversational skills. Similarly, parents should opt for storybooks, building blocks and push-pull toys.

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Handling Aggressive Child

Parents would love to see their children grow up as confident and strong-willed. Those attributes will just ensure that child will be able to have a good life based on these virtues. And if the future of child seems promising what else can the parents ask for? But it is easier said than done. It is the duty and responsibility of the parents to instil such virtues in the kid and that is no easy task. It will be stressful and difficult but when did someone say parenting is an easy job?

Quite a good number of children love to cause unrest and problems to their parents. They don’t do it intentionally but they are just like that and they can’t help it. They could be doing it because of their attention-seeking nature or for some other psychological reasons. While dealing with such children, parents need to be very patient. If the child is strong willed, it can have negative connotations as well like they will argue fiercely and will be very stubborn. In such conditions, parents need to retain their calm and handle situation in a peaceful manner. No point in spanking the kid. This will make him even more stubborn.

Remember, child is doing all these because he is seeking attention. Even negative attention has ‘attention at its end. Handle this habit of his in a tenderly and disciplined manner. Allowing yourself to yell, shout and get angry at the kid will further worsen the situation. Check out for the right opportunities while you can explain the kid in the best possible way. Don’t give in to his negative reinforcement demands. Indulge in some positive praise whenever child behaves correctly or when you feel he is trying to rectify his mistakes.

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Being Happy for mothers…

Everyone is looking for happiness around. But happiness is not the goal of life it is the way of life. It is a result of doing what you like. It is about relating to people honestly. Happiness is about being oneself. Making your own decisions, doing what you want because that is what gives you happiness; it is about being independent and allowing yourself to be free. It is about seeking the best in the world and seeking the best in our self.

It is so easy to do the opposite – to cling to others, to fall prey to other’s expectations, to control people, to blame them, to play with relationships, to tease, and to live on the fringe of other’s lives. If you are not your own, then you are never going to be happy. If ever you feel that sense where you are forced to be someone else, solve the situation but do not pretend. Life has a meaning attached to it and if that meaning dies, there is nothing that is left to your life.

Hence it is necessary that you motivate your own life. Motivation is one of the strongest key that drives you to be your own self and it is this sense of awareness and independence that helps one to do what brings happiness to us. There are so many people who say that they want to be happy but they do not lay emphasis on their own self. Hence, self love is one of the strongest loves.

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Malnutrition in children

Does your child’s malnutrition worry you all the time? Do you the causes of under nutrition in children? Let’s get acquainted with some of the major reasons. Its usually recommended that children should be given more of fruits than juices as juices contain more of sugar and less of vitamins.
Parents who worry about their children becoming obese and give them a low fat diet when they are under 2 years of age also risk their children becoming skinny. Fats are an important constituent of every diet for storing energy, protecting or insulating the body and absorbing fat-soluble vitamins. So, adequate fat products should be given to every child but in limits.
Make sure your child does not skip breakfast. It can directly affect the calorie count in their body. If your child is physically very active, give him more energizing foods like carbohydrates.

Grains supply carbohydrates, the chief source of energy at least 6-11 servings per day. Fruit and vegetables supply vitamins and minerals, a good source of fiber which helps reduce cholesterol for healthy skin, hair and vision. Milk provides calcium for bone growth and maintenance. Make your child consume a cup of milk or 2 ounces of cheese around 2 3 times a day. Cook them meat and for vegetarians, make them have peanut butter. Do not limit fat foods and sweets as they supply extra calories.
Eating patterns usually change during childhood. Include only healthy foods in your child’s diet. Being thin or slim is different from being underweight and it is alright to have a slight built. Just maintain a balanced diet according to your child’s activity and growth. However, malnourished may be a symbol of nutritional, health, or emotional problems. So, deal with it with a fun diet and let your kid grow up well.

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Consistent Parenting

The virtue of consistency has been emphasised all over the place. We all know how important a role it plays in our social life and in aspects like success, relationship and attitude. It is no longer different in parenting. For right development of a child, parents need to ensure that they are being consistent in their behaviour. A child needs consistent behavioural pattern form his parents from adolescence to youth. There can be serious repercussions if parents fail to provide consistent behaviour.

A child’s mind is very open to different messages received by him from his surroundings. From their experience they learn to derive what and whom to trust and whom not to. Child’s mind needs to be very consistent if he has to retain his ability to process the messages on a consistent basis. That’ where parents role come in picture. If parents are consistent in their behaviour then child will be assured of understanding on a regular basis. It will also help in better bonding between child and parents. The more consistent parents are in their behaviour, more secure child feels. It has been observed that babies who have consistent parents experience less anxiety. They just know that they can rely on his parents.

Parents need to keep regular routines with their children. That way, they will have less chaos and even lesser arguments with the kid as and when he starts with important things of his life like school, sports, social interactions. Children will be less motivated to go against their parents and they will know what behaviour is expected of them. It also helps in proper establishment of cause and effects relationship. Lack of inconsistent behaviour can cause several problems.

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Gifts for New borns

Giving the perfect and the most suitable gift has always been a problem for many of us and this holds true in case of new borns as well. However, I feel the best bet is garments i.e. new born suits. However, the issue arises when you are looking for that ‘something different’, ‘something unique’ stuff that will make the parents of the new born feel really special.

Here are some of the unique gifts that you can gift to a new born baby girl or a baby boy:

There are a lot of customized gifts that are available in the market today. If you can get a picture of the new one then its great as you can make toys, necklaces, pendent, shoes with the baby’s picture on it. Also, you are always safe with clothes and toiletries such as frocks, baby toiletries set, baby shoes, chocolate set, baby soap and shampoo set etc.

You can also gift items that are knit such as a hand-knitted shawl or a a hand-knitted sweater or cardigans, mittens, booties etc.

In India, many families believe in gifting silver utensils such as a small bowl and spoon, a small glass, a chain, a coin or spoon with birth details embossed etc.   You can also go one step further and gift birthstone set in silver.

Also, gifting toys is also quite a safe idea but know which toy sets one should usually gift: safe baby toys from Lego, musical toys etc. Avoid gifting furry toys as the fur may harm the baby.

If you have a group of people to pool in for the gift then you can also gift furniture items like baby table and chair, a cot, a high chair for feeding etc.

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Fancy dress

Regular dressing for our child itself seems a great job and the intention is to do it well. There are so many opportunities to dress the child in the latest dresses and use accessories to accentuate their innocence. Fancy dress is a great occasion for parents to get into creative thinking and use skills that portray the message well.

 Understanding the theme for fancy dress is very important. If it’s the first time to dress your child then comfort plays an important part. An uncomfortable child will be reluctant to go on stage and it is quite a downer for the child. Usually parents are very enthusiastic during the competition. Any competition is incomplete without the spirit. Loads of fun, applause, appreciation and memories clicked via fotos are a wonderful way to capture the precious moment.

 In case the topic is general, then understand your child’s favorite theme like a vegetable or a toy. The ideas can be translated into a chart board, card board, color sketches and easy hangings around the neck to convey the theme. This is usually acceptable for the child too. It is strange, that kids tend to be more creative and suggest various themes or ideas as they grow.

 Under 5 age groups can be also dressed in apt ready pick up dresses available in shops on hire basis. Rehearsals at home will be important to mend seams and loose dresses. This will also boost the confidence of the child and rehearsing the dialogues with dramatic expressions will also be a nice idea.

 For your child’s birthday party, it would be wonderful to arrange a general fancy dress theme with small gifts awarded to all participants. The mantra is about enjoying.

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School Uniforms – Perspective

It is dream of every parent to see his kid joining a good school and excel in academics. Right from the time when child is born, his growing up process has a lot to do with his education. And as far as education and other aspects of personality are concerned, school plays a very vital role in child’s life. This is where; he learns not only the words printed in the books but also learns to interact with others of his age. He remains on his own for the duration he is in school and no doubt, this is the biggest learning ground for the kid. School is the temple of knowledge and here a child learns to taste numerous hitherto unseen aspects of life. The topic of school has also been a major topic of discussion all over the world as regards to its effect on children. Right from educationalists, psychologists, philosophers and behaviour analysts, they all have their own views about different effects of school on kids. One such issue within the periphery of school is dress code. This has definitely been a heated topic.

There are several benefits of having a dress code or school uniform. One of the reasons championed quite often is concentration level of students more focussed on education rather than wardrobe. They will not be really concerned with different dress combinations. Having a dress code is also instrumental in taking school environment more seriously and not getting distracted with other trivialities. Factors like violence and social conflict also gets decreased because of proper dress code.

On the downside, dress code curbs self expression of a child. It also goes against the spirit of individuality. All in all, it’s a mixed bag considering the pros and cons of school uniforms.

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