Having a child begin preschool for the first time can be a scary prospect. Especially if you are relatively new to the parenting world, you may be getting a bit nervous as August approaches, wondering how to prepare your child for preschool. The good news is that many kids adapt quite easily to a school environment – they love getting outside the house to play with other children and truly enjoy the learning process. Some kids may take longer to come out of their shells, but in the end most children wind up their first year of preschool with several more playmates, a healthy sense of independence, and a serious crush on their teachers. That said, changing from home to the structured atmosphere of a preschool will be hard for both you and your child at first. Simply knowing how to prepare your child for preschool can help you avoid tears and fights and encourage a smooth, pleasant period of transition. You Are Your Child’s First Teacher: Remember this! A child’s success in the school environment is irrevocably entwined with the amount of support and education they are receiving at home. A child raised in a loving environment is more likely to adapt easily to new situations, respect teachers and peers, and open themselves up to learning. Your baby’s preschool teacher will impart important information and broaden his mind, but in the end, it is you he is watching most closely. Parents are setting the example he will follow. If you show enthusiasm for reading, he will too. If you take advantage of everyday opportunities to learn new things, he or she will also develop a healthy, lifelong curiosity that will serve him well throughout his academic journey. Preschool Activities: If you are concerned about your child’s academic readiness for preschool, there are several … [Read more...]
Surviving the Terrible Twos
Has your normally sweet and loving toddler become wild-eyed, tearful, and uncontrollable overnight? Do you suddenly feel like you’re raising an irritable chimpanzee? If so, you may be in dire need of some tips on surviving the terrible twos. For some reason, most kids between eighteen months and three years of age undergo a period of temporary insanity. It is inevitable! They will throw the cracker they just begged for in your face. They will take off their clothes while kicking and screaming on the kitchen floor. There is nothing you as a parent can do about that but sit back, buckle up, and try to enjoy the crazy ride. While you can’t change their irrational behavior, you can make the difficult toddler years easier for you and your child. Surviving the terrible twos is possible. All that’s required is acceptance of things you cannot change, willingness to learn a few stress-diffusing techniques, and a few good ideas about how to occupy the long hours. Coping With the Terrible Twos: When your toddler has been inexplicably weeping for half-an-hour, the natural instinct is to yell, cajole, bully, or simply indulge in your own sob-fest. Unfortunately, the relief gained from these forms of emotional expression is only temporary. Rather than pulling your hair out, try these simple ways to calm down: Leave the room. Step out, get some fresh air, remove yourself from the situation long enough to collect your thoughts. Five minutes of alone time is usually enough to slow your heart rate and compose yourself. Do ten jumping jacks to rid your body of aggressive energy. You will be able to make better decisions after dealing with that pesky adrenaline rush. Before acting or reacting to overwhelming behavior shut your eyes and count backwards from twenty. Distracting … [Read more...]
Summer Ideas for Children
Summertime is fun time for kids as they have lots of time on their hands for play. Parents must come up with cool summer ideas for children to fill their off school days. Whether you plan indoor educational summer activities or outdoor games, it should be exciting enough to capture their attention and fun-filled enough for them to enjoy. Here are a variety of several activities to consider. These great ideas will help you entertain the little ones in the summer. Summer Activities for Preschoolers Preschoolers are at their most inquisitive stage. The best summer activities for toddlers are colorful and fascinating. Simple arts and crafts will be perfect indoor activities while exploration and discovery themed events are ideal for outdoor adventures. Swimming Lessons Leaf Collection Sandbox Parties Animal Formation with Colored Play Doh Learn to Make Pancakes Picnics at the Park Scavenger Hunts Fun Summer Games for Kids Let kids enjoy the best of summer weather by preparing fun outdoor games. Incorporate learning with age-appropriate and interactive games. Why not encourage children to stay away from computers and gadgets? Encourage them to enjoy challenging and fun-filled physical games outdoors. This can help manage early weight problems and keep the youngsters fit. If you have kids of various ages, make sure that the game will entertain all ages. You can also invite neighbors and friends with kids of the same age brackets. Backyard Obstacle Course Balloon Volleyball Sponge Tag Relay Races Hopscotch Water Balloon Toss Hide and Seek Best Indoor Crafts for Kids You also need to prepare for those rainy days. With all the free time, kids can work on special projects, crafts and learn to make their favorite food. You can assign … [Read more...]
Popular Car Games for Children
Summertime is probably the best time to think about car games for the kids. Yes, it is the time for outdoor games - dodge ball, pool parties and ice cream eating contests. But what activity defines summer the most? Road trips! And don’t forget to come up with popular car games for children when traveling. Kids undoubtedly enjoy a visit to grandma’s house in the countryside or a day trip to the beach. Even a simple excursion to the nearest national park is exciting! But as much as the destination is the highlight of the trip, you can make the journey just as enjoyable. So put away the cell phone and iPad! Here are five traveling games that will guarantee hours of fun for kids (and kids-at-heart) and make the trip more memorable than, say, your Candy Crush Saga game. The Alphabet Game The mother of all car games for children! This one gave birth to countless variations. One variation of this very popular car game involves one player thinking of a grocery item - thus, it's alternately being called “The Grocery Game” - starting with the letter A. The other players will take turns naming other items starting with B, C and so on. A mental battle of wit and creativity will ensue. Another version relies more on luck than creativity - and by luck we mean license plates of other cars and road signs. The mechanics are the same but, instead of grocery items, the player has to look out for license plates or bill board signs starting with the letter A. He or she needs to shout the word spotted and move on to the next letter. The first player to reach “Z” wins. Twenty Questions This is another staple of travelling games surpassed by the Alphabet Game probably by only a small margin. Have a word written on a piece of sticky note. The word could be any object … [Read more...]
Educational Entertainment for Children
As we are living in the digital age, parents continuously are thinking about which educational entertainment for children is best for their youngsters. Right now, just about everyone, adults, teenagers, and children, love to use high-tech devices. People are clamoring for the latest models of televisions, cameras, and other gadgets and most kids are passionate about playing games on their mobile devices. Although certain mobile games can help kids learn, they still can’t compare to the benefits of physically active educational games. Four Reasons to Teach Your Kids about Being More Active Compared to mobile games and apps, physically active games like hide-and-seek and tag offer more benefits: They develop interpersonal skills—perhaps the biggest problem with mobile and video games is that they isolate children. Sure, video games at home can be played by two people and some online games are actually played by thousands and even millions at a time. However, meeting and talking online is different from interacting face to face. Kids who persistently play video games can be shy, timid, and may not be able to express themselves easily. Contrary, kids who more frequently play physical games can be more vocal, confident, and generally more outgoing. They improve bonds—active play can make children competitive and they also cultivate bonds between the players. When participating in activities with your kids, as well as when they interact with each other, their connection deepens. They improve health—active play is not only great for teaching youth good behavior and values; it is also a great form of exercise, which undoubtedly helps improve health. They are absolutely free—the best thing about active games is that they are free. They can be played anywhere and … [Read more...]
