Shiloh Lundahl, LMSW is a bilingual therapist who specializes in working with individuals and families. He has worked in several residential treatment facitilities working with youth and adults who abuse drugs or alcohol as well as teaching parenting and life skills classes.

To learn more about the services Shiloh Lundahl, LMSW provides, visit : http://www.parentarizona.com/

Our best wishes to the team of Parentarizona.com

Keeping room neat and clean is a habit that must be imbibed by the kids from an early age. It is also a good learning experience for the child. Tell him in an effective way how keeping his room tidy and neat will help him in finding his stuff more easily. It will help him in finding his books, toys and clothes more readily. Parents also need to lead by example by keeping things tidy all over the house in a consistent fashion.

Indicate your child that keeping his room neat is sign of his maturity. If he does it well, he will show signs of increasing levels of responsibility. Don’t forget to compliment him for this habit. Keep rewarding him with small gestures like a small pat, hug or peck if he manages to keep thing clean in his room.

The process must begin with demonstration. Show child the way about how to go for cleanliness. Things like opening window shades, putting away toys, making the bed etc should be taught first. Slowly, you can add other tasks like cleaning bathroom or mopping floor etc. Parents should remember this is a skill that must be imparted to kid at an early age and in the best possible fashion.

If parenting is a blissful feeling then it is also a stressful experience. Once you bring the babies home, the stress increases manifold and you start wondering whether you will be able to handle this huge responsibility. The problem intensifies when there is no outside support. If your extended family members are residing nearby then that acts as some comfort else you are just on your own.

First thing you need to tell yourself that your twins make your family complete. You need to set a routine and schedule for everything. Remember, you need to enjoy your time with the babies before they grow into toddlers. This realisation will reduce your stress level considerably. Having a set schedule will make things easier for you. Parents also need to realise that for proper care of twins they need to feel fresh as well. Activities like bathing babies can be done alternatively. If both parents combine together in the process, it can save lot of time and energy. Also, doing chores together will help in building better sense of bonding between parents and twins.

Having twins is definitely a wonderful gift but to be able to take adequate care of both babies, parents need to have a structured lifestyle. Try to relish this experience, reduce your stress and say thanks to almighty for this wonderful twin gift.

Some of the basic reasons behind temper and tantrums shown by kids are boredom, frustration, hunger and exhaustion. A toddler can easily get frustrated for N number of things. It could be as simple as not being able to switch on the light or television. Boredom is again natural to kids as they can’t sit still in one position. They need to keep moving and if their movement is restricted they start feeling bored and irritated.

Toddlers need to eat more frequently than an adult and that explains why hunger is most often the prime reason behind child’s tantrums. Parents must keep in mind when was the last time the child had snacks. So before your toddler starts throwing tantrums you must be aware of his eating cycle and when he might start feeling hungry again.

Sleep is another important issue here. A child needs to have his siesta and many a times temper tantrums emerge when child is devoided of a good sleep. Try to establish a sleeping routine for kid. Parents must also use different distraction method when child starts demanding for unreasonable things. To end with, tantrums are a normal part of growing up phase of the kid and it cannot be completely avoided. But yes, with little bit of effort and attention you can always minimise it.

Parents should lead by example. Just conveying message to your kid will not suffice. A child needs to see you practicing what you preach. So if you are teaching your kid about the best method of approaching a stranger or a sales person in a store, you need to show it first by saying it yourself. Children are quick learner and they get the drift while watching from close quarters. Manners are learned naturally and if the kid finds you inconsistent with your behaviour he might embarrass you by mentioning it.

If your child is not showing enough mannerism you need to take things in control and tell them properly how best to do what they are doing. Though, peer interaction can also affect how a child behaves. But these things are always easy to correct when kid is younger. As he grows older he will make a habit of undesirable manners and then it becomes tough to handle. So the best time to start teaching manners to child is now only.

Parents should consult school administration in regards to such issues. The problem of bullying has been taken seriously in many schools and many educational institutions are taking strong measure to curb this menace. Some of the common steps being taken by schools are establishing anti-bullying rules and procedures, mediation between victims and bullies, stern monitoring and classroom discussion etc. Check whether, your kid’s school has implemented any such program and also offer your suggestions.

You should also focus on your kid and see what makes him vulnerable to bully attack. Make sure he has good group of friends and he stays in a group because bullies usually don’t pester a kid who is walking in a group. Encourage your child all the time to voice his objections and stand tall. No point being a silent victim all the time. Build self-confidence in the kid and he will be able to tackle any adverse situation. Teach him to look people in the eye and remain firm. Make him join a self-defense class where he will be equipped with required defense mechanism.

Children today are thriving on the virtual world. Most of them have more friends in the virtual world than the real world. They are hooked to playing video games, love isolation but at the same time are actively socializing virtually, prefer chatting than talking on the phone, communicate effectively but at the same time find it difficult to express emotions etc.

A mother of an eight year old daughter revealed that her child’s life is shaped up by technologies and high tech gadgets. She knows nothing other than a world that is full of e-books, Skype video chats, and games on the iPhone! All these facts reveal that parents need to put certain restrictions on the technology usage patterns by their kids. Try and not expose your kids to such addictive gadgets at such an early age. It is important that your child learns to play cricket (for instance) than press buttons and makes runs!

The sharing instinct comes when your child starts maturing. Every child matures at his or her own speed. All that parents can do is bringing them up in an environment that encourages and influences such behavior. You need to showcase desirable actions to your children so that they can learn to live in harmony.

Many parents start calling their little one selfish in front of others. They pretend to not talk with their child until they share their things. Don’t force the child with such desperate measures. Parents need to accept the fact that there are some things that your children may not be willing to share. Give them their time. They may even start sharing when they see other children doing the same. However, if your child falls under the category where she is possessive about her things but will want and easily take away other kids’ things, then you need to make your child respect other kids’ possessions too. You need to show your child that you can share too. Also praise your child every time he shares his things.

Children, now a day are very comfortable with usage of internet. They often surf internet for their projects or in search of new online games. But there is a distinct possibility of child visiting unsuitable websites and becoming prey to dangerous predators. Parents need to ask themselves questions like whether children are protected from such dangers. Whether child is at risk while using computer? Parents need to keep a tab on what children are viewing and who they are interacting with on internet.

Parents also need to be aware of different online chat rooms where doubtful adults join the group under the disguise of a teenager and try to manipulate a kid’s unsuspecting mind. Children will have no clue who they are dealing with actually and this might prove dangerous in the long run. Parents should keep checking such things and ask children about their online friends and their activities. Parents should be patient and tackle such issues with utmost patience. Parents should tell children not to share their personal details including address, phone number and not to meet them as well. Parents should also use special programs that take care of doubtful websites visited by children. They can always use inbuilt parent control program to safeguard interests of kids.

To begin with, it has been noted that events that have triggered suicides are: failure in academics, relationship failure, child abuse, raging and peer pressure, family disturbance and being diagnosed with some illness.

Many parents are totally in shock when they realize that their child has suicidal tendencies. Rather than getting upset over the fact, it is an alarm for most parents that something is not right with your kids. You need to identify that problem. Parents need to know the answer to following questions: Is my child happy? How is his nature? Is he the kind of person who is apprehensive and anxious? Is he a rebel? His academic performance? His thoughts, actions and behavior patterns in general?

Having answered these questions, there are some questions that parents need to ask themselves: How do we behave with our kids? Do they fear us? Are we spending quality time with our kids? Do we love them enough and show them that as well? Do we get angry on our kids?

Parents should talk openly with their children about their feelings.

Listen carefully to them and don’t try to interrupt and solve their problems. Avoid judging them on their opinions. Most parents give sermons and preach their kids. Avoid that. Nobody’s is a perfectionist neither is anybody’s life perfect. Teach your child to be strong. Also, avoid keeping your child alone especially during pressure building times like exams. Take professional help if you think your child has suicidal tendencies.