Penelope Leach is a British psychologist who writes extensively on parenting issues from a child development perspective. She once said, "For a small child there is no division between playing and learning; between the things he or she does 'just for fun' and things that are 'educational.' The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play." "Learning through play" is a term used in education and psychology. It describes how children use play to learn the world around them. Children through play can cultivate various skills like cognitive, social and behavioral. They can also gain self-confidence needed to engage in new experiences and environments.
Here is a video of my son, Zach playing and enjoying the slide.
What is co-sleeping? Co-sleeping or bed sharing is a common practice
in many non-Western cultures. However, some parents find it impractical
to sleep with their children because of certain factors like night shift
work and insufficient room space. Some even describe this practice
unsafe. On the other hand, medical research shows that co-sleeping is
actually much safer for the little ones than sleeping alone. Following
are some of the advantages of co-sleeping:
Promotes Independence
Some
parents are afraid to co-sleep with their children because they think
that this practice will make their little ones more clingy and reliant.
On the other hand, research reveals that the opposite is true. Those who
sleep with their parents develop independence earlier because they are
not experiencing separation anxiety. Dr. Jay Gordon also explained that
when a child routinely goes to sleep with an adult present, it is very
rare to see thumb sucking or attachment to transitional or security
objects.
Effortlessness Nursing
Certainly, it is easier for a
mother to nurse the baby when the two are sharing bed. According to one
study, mothers who share their bed with their infants are able to
breastfeed twice as much as mothers who do not co-sleep with their
little ones. Breast milk is very beneficial to children because it is
complete nourishment. Mothers are encouraged to breastfeed more
frequently especially if the infants have low weight. Surely, it is
easier to simply roll-over and pop out a breast to feed the baby than to
get out of bed and nurse the baby in another room.
King With Mommy And Daddy
Encourages Close Family Ties
Children
who co-sleep with their parents develop close bonds with the family.
Bed sharing provides more hours for the family members to connect and
share nurturing moments together. Aside from promoting rapport,
co-sleeping babies grow up with higher self-esteem. They also have less
emotional problems and they are more comfortable with affection. Other
studies suggest that children who share bed with their parents are less
prone to developing psychiatric problems.
Co-sleeping has many
advantages. Some of the benefits of sharing bed with children are
described above. However, it is important to know that co-sleeping is
not for everyone. Families who have other children like toddlers should
not share bed with infants and newborns because toddlers are too young
to be aware of the baby's presence. Furthermore, parents who smoke
should avoid this sleeping practice because of the possibility of SIDS
is higher. Lastly, those who are under the influence of drugs should
never co-sleep with their little ones because they may unintentionally
harm their little children.
My little princess on her way to her first ballet class. She was so excited, I can see the gleam in her eyes. For weeks, she kept on asking me when her first class is going to be. Finally, her big day arrived. She was very graceful in the dance floor. I am so proud of my little darling.
If you have children who are into ballet. I found this website really helpful. http://www.ballettipsandtricks.com/. This site offer practical dancing tips for teachers, parents and ballet students. I found out that stretching is really important before and after dancing ballet because it helps improve flexibility, reduces risk of injury and it reduces soreness of muscless.
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1. More flexibility. A few dancers are “noodles”. They can twist themselves into pretzels. They don’t need more flexibility. Most of us are not like that. Most of us need to stretch to get the freedom of good turnout. We need to stretch to get the soaring arabesques and the effortless extensions that are so beautiful.
2. Fewer injuries. Have you ever kicked your leg up with too much force and pulled your hamstring muscle? Or maybe you fell and pulled something. Dancers who are flexible are less likely to get these types of injuries because their muscles can handle the unexpected stretch.
3. Less sore. When you work a muscle hard or in a new way, it will often be sore for a couple of days. For example, it you lift your leg to the front and hold it until it trembles, your thigh muscles (quadraceps) are probably going to be sore. If you stretch them out right away, you increase the flow of blood to the overworked muscle and it will not be as sore.
If you need more information about ballet, I also recommend reading this book by Sandra Noll Hammond. Ballet Basics is a well-illustrated introduction to the fundamentals of ballet technique. The text also provides an overview of the history of ballet and introduces students to the world of ballet.
Here's a quick preview of my daughter's ballet class..
I have a
toddler and a preschooler. At times, putting them to bed to sleep can come as a
challenge. If you want to stay sane and avoid bedtime fights, following are
healthy ways to put your bed to sleep.
Be
Consistent With Bedtime Schedule
Bedtime should be set the same time each night. According to the National Sleep
Foundation, infants and toddlers should have an average of twelve to fourteen hours
of sleep daily, this includes afternoon naps and night time rests. With regular
bedtime schedule, children can anticipate bedtime and they usually get the
required hours of rest that they need for their age. Furthermore, when children
have consistent bedtime and predictable bedtime routine, they feel safer and
they are likely to be good sleepers.
Limit
Play Before Bedtime
Today, children are living in a high-tech world. Little children as young as three
know how the computer and television work. The problem with computer and
television, they are not appropriate activities before bedtime because it
stimulates the child's brain activity. My
son likes to play with my Ipod and his daddy's Galaxy S2. He can get too
absorbed with his games that he lose track of time.
It is easier to put a child to bed if parents have set time boundaries
for play. One or two hours before bed time, limit screen time. This includes
watching television and playing video and computer games. When your child tries
to negotiate for more time, be calm and restate that it is time to put away his
toys and it is almost time to sleep. If he refuses to listen, give the game
console a "time-out." Unplug the game and put it away where you feel
is appropriate. Never place the game console inside your
toddler's room. Children can be tempted to play unsupervised.
Take
Care Of Your Child’s Needs
Before bedtime, I always give my children a warm shower. I choose clothes
that are comfy and airy. Taking care of the child's physical needs first will make him sleep comfortably
at night.
Putting a
child to sleep may not be easy. Follow the three ways above and you will
certainly have a restful child. It is not an overnight process. But with consistency
and patience, it can be achieved.
I will leave
you with this quote from H. Jackson Brown, Jr. 'Always kiss your children
goodnight, even if they're already asleep.'
Watch The Video Below on How To Teach Your Child To Sleep in Their Own Bed
This is a follow on Zach's learning to swim post. In this video he is actually walking. His grandpa is so proud. I AM SO PROUD!
Simple Reminders Do not leave your children unattended. Though they have floaties or safety swimming gears, you still need to be with them to supervise. Just like grandpa supervising Zach.
According to happyswimmers.com, " A good instructor will gently bring the child outside his comfort zone each lesson, but not so far as to invoke fear. The gradual path is most often the most successful in this arena.
Also. have fun. Enjoy the moment and your child's achievement. Your child is growing up so fast and without you knowing it, he will be a better swimmer than you.
Infants and toddlers are learning at tremendous speed. Most people do not understand that when a child is born, only 25 percent of the brain in developed, and the rest develop within the first year. The words spoken to children can build a bank of vocabulary which is the core for other learning. On the other hand, it is suggested that parents read aloud to their children. Following are some of the most important benefits of reading aloud to kids.
It Increases Child's Listening And Attending Abilities
Observe your child as you start to express the words from the book. As you catch your child's attention, your child will look at you and observe how your mouth moves as you speak. Although, children have short attention span, they are curious beings. They will observe how you speak each word from the book. To check if your child is listening, you can ask your child to repeat back words. Just be patient especially with small kids. If they are still unable to repeat back words, you can just ask them easy questions about the story and they can reply with a simple Yes or No.
Reading Aloud Expands The Childs' Vocabulary
Read more to your child, if you want to improve your child's vocabulary. Reading can improve your child's terms through exposure to words. When you read, take time to pause and to define strange words. If you are reading a story book about Snow white, you can pause and try to define the words from the book. If you are talking about the word apples, show him or her pictures of the fruit or you can even play up eating an apple. Be careful to define the terms that are easy for your child to understand.
Reading Aloud Improves Your Child's Creativity And Imagination
Be imaginative when reading a book to your child. Do not be afraid to extend your arms and to make the funniest faces. You can even play pretend. Say, you are reading Rapunzel and you are describing how long Rapunzel's hair is, you can make a wig from a comfy blanket nearby and try to comb your long hair using long strokes. You can even ask your children to pull your pretend hair and you can play being hurt.
Reading is indeed very important. It provides wonderful opportunities for you and your child to bond and to instill in him or her values and life principles. When reading to your child, try to pick out books that are age appropriate for your little one. Pick a book with arts and illustrations to help your little one understand the words better. Be creative and do not be afraid to bring out the actor or actress in you.
Children picture books are fun and exciting. Visit the links and read different children reading articles and helpful parenting tips today.
The importance of reading aloud: Tips for reading to children Video
According to research, children who do household chores are given the opportunity to learn about caring and responsibility, organization and consideration for others. Indeed, parents have a major role to play in bringing up a can do child. A positive and responsible child is highly competitive and energetic, positive and secure, where any tasks and responsibilities given to him, he can carry it out with confidence and belief to self. If you're a parent or a guardian and you wish to bring up a child with a can do attitude, following are good tips:
Encourage Independence
Encourage children to be independent by allowing them to accomplish things on their own. This will make kids more positive and assured of themselves. Also, independence will enhance their problem-solving skills and train them to make good choices.
Give Positive Reaction
Offer warm and positive remarks to your kids' questions or tasks. Kids are greatly affected by how their parents approve or disapprove of their actions and speech. Not only will positive responses help you raise a confident and well-mannered but it will make you a better parent and a happy person.
List Strengths And Weaknesses
Psychologists are keen observers of different behaviors. You may want to make a list of the strengths and weaknesses of your kids. The list will serve as a guide to direct your children's focus on improving certain skill or behavior. You may plan to give activities or tasks to drill your children to increase mastery of a certain behavior.
By No Means Compare
Do not commit the SIN of comparing your child to a sibling or to other kids. Your child is Special and acts, talks and thinks in a very special way. Identify where your child is good at and encourage the child to be the BEST at what he's good at.
Emphasize On RESPONSIBILITY
Responsibility makes the child part of how things are done in the household. When a child becomes liable, the child is transformed into a dependable child who boosts self-confidence.
Raising responsible and dependable kids help parents of big households. It saves a lot of time and resources when children can be relied on to do certain tasks. Not only will this help in the maintenance of the home, but it will develop important life skills for your kids.
