Parenting

Making Bath Time A Lot Easier With Your Kids

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Every child needs a bath time, but some of them seem to want to do anything else. Even if they might do just fine when they’re in the bath, getting them in there can be a real headache. Then, there are those who just hate it from start to finish and need to be coaxed through it. You can’t let your child go unwashed, so here are a few tips that can help make bath time a little more manageable all around. Link – Pixabay License Never leave your child alone This isn’t a tip for how you can make bath time more enjoyable, but rather a crucial element of safety that a distressing number of parents have yet to get the memo on. The risk of accidents happening during bath time increases exponentially for every second that you’re away from the bath. A child can slip under the water in seconds and, as such, need constant supervision. Of course, if they’re especially young, such as infants or toddlers, you should keep a hand on them all the way throughout. If they’re slightly older and can sit up just fine for long stretches, you still need to be in there. You want to keep them from putting their faces in the water for even a little as well, as inhaled bathwater can be a big risk, too. Bring some bath toys with you One of the reasons that a lot of kids don’t like bath time is that, simply put, it’s a boring time for them. They have to sit there in the water while you wash them. Splashing around can be fun but a lot of children can feel under stimulated while going through the rituals. Of course, the single best way to deal with this particular complaint is to bring some toys with you. Check out some of the best bath toys available for children and pick out those that you think are most likely to delight your child and keep them busy throughout bath time. When choosing toys, you want to make sure that they’re designed to be water-friendly. They should be made from plastic and have no holes or creases that mold, bacteria, or fungus can grow in. Play some music for them Aside from toys, music can be great for keeping your child placated during bath time. It’s all about keeping them sensorily occupied, leaving you free to make sure that they’re washed. There are plenty of bathtime music playlists that you can find to play music specific to the occasion. A lot of these playlists last roughly twenty minutes, which should be enough to help carry you throughout the entire bathtime as well. Of course, a little variety over different occasions can help keep it stimulating, too. Link – Pixabay License Let there be bubbles If you want bath time to feel a little extra special, then what better way than to add some bubbles to the mix? They’re fun, they’re playful, and they can leave the bath smelling extra nice, as well, which can make more of a pleasing sensory experience for your child. When you’re choosing any products for a bubble bath, make sure that you choose child-friendly products that aren’t likely to end in tears. You can even choose products like Gro-to, which not only whips up a foam of bubbles in the bath but better wash and cares for your child’s skin at the same time. That way, you’re getting some real benefit out of those bubbles, not just fun. A fun alternative If you want to make bath time a little more exciting but you want some variation from those bubble baths, then you might also want to try out a bath bomb. These can excellent for children who don’t like the sensation of water or might be a little scared every time they get into the bath. While they don’t have the fun bubble element of a bubble bath, bath bombs can make the water look mysterious and fun. The little ball-shaped fizzers dissolve into the water in a way that’s fun to watch, changing its color and bringing to light a range of new and pleasing smells. Of course, you want to make sure that you specifically choose bath bombs for kids to make sure that the ingredients within them are particularly friendly to their young and sensitive skin. Keep the bath water out of their eyes A very common complaint by children is that they hate getting bath water in their eyes. Even if there’s nothing in it that will make it irritable, a lot of kids just hate the experience so much that the thought of it can make bath time a lot less appealing to them. As such, there are plenty of ways to help with that. You can invest in a bath-time visor that they can wear when getting their hair washed, or you can get them a pair of bath-friendly goggles to keep their peepers covered throughout. Link – Pixabay License Reward them for getting through it When your child is old enough to start understanding the concept of being rewarded for doing something good, then incentives are a lot more likely to work for them. You might want to start with the idea of a star chart as seen at Raising Children, where they get a good start every time they do something good or stick it through a part of their daily routine that they don’t like as much, such as their bath time. You can have a prize at the end of it, whether it’s a specific toy, treat, or whatever else is likely to excite them, but it’s the visual motivation tool that’s surprisingly effective at incentivizing the kind of behavior you want. There’s no guarantee that your child will start to love bath time with the tips above, but they can at least help you make it a little more inviting and fun so that they’re … Read more

Learning with Noggin – Free Start

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How To Talk To Kids About Crime

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Bringing kids into the world comes with a level of responsibility for parents. Not only do we have to talk to them about the challenges of life, but we also have to reveal its darker sides, namely, crime.  Kids’ TV and school don’t usually bring up subjects like these, so it’s up to parents to broach them with their kids. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do, but it’s necessary. After all, kids need to know the truth about the society we inhabit.  In this post, we take a look at how to talk to kids about crime. Here’s what you need to say as a parent.  Tell Them That Your Family Is Safe If you have young children and something terrible happens, tell them that your family is safe. Make sure that they know they’re protected and that bad things are happening “out there” but not inside the home.  Children under the age of 6 really can’t process crime or other terrible events so it is best to protect them from them. Exposure could lead to trauma and other problems in their lives in the future. If you do have to say anything because they ask, let them know that it’s not worth worrying about. Kids will often just follow your lead.  Wait And See If your children are a little older, you might want to try the wait-and-see approach. The idea here is to avoid assuming that they’re processing things they’ve seen in any particular way. If something is affecting a child, they will usually come forward and tell you about it soon after. If something is troubling them, there should be obvious signs that there is a problem.  For parents, the trick is to simply wait until whatever trauma is inside expresses itself. If there is an issue, you can provide comfort and offer to take your child to counseling.  Be Direct For older kids, the best policy is to be honest and direct. Once they get past the age of 8 or so, they begin to have a better understanding of the world. They learn to expect bad things and for things to go wrong.  If they see an ARS 28-662: Hit and Run, just tell them what it is. You don’t have to go into extreme detail, but you should alert them to the risks associated with such crimes. Often, children can handle the truth and process it (though it will make them grow up a little). However, if they appear traumatized, counseling or getting help from the local school is always an option.  Explain The Context The next step is to explain the context. Kids shouldn’t go away believing that crime is something that happens to them every day. Tell them that most people are trustworthy and law-abiding. Let them know that not all crimes affect them. If they’ve seen something horrific, work through the emotions with them. Find ways to help your kids distance themselves from the events they’ve witnessed. Make sure that they continue to focus on their regular lives, such as school work, clubs, and hobbies. Try to avoid giving them time to ruminate.  Discuss How The News Portrays Events You should also cover the topic of media sensationalism with your kids. Point out how news companies regularly hype up stories to make them appear worse than they actually are. Remind them that newscasters have a job and that’s to sell more stories. If they always give people good news, they’ll go out of business.  Get Them Talking If you have teens who’ve witnessed a crime but aren’t able to process it, try to get them talking about it. Usually, they’ll push back against this idea, but it can help them tremendously.  Avoid lecturing them or telling them your opinions. Instead, just give them an opportunity to say how they feel about something. Keep the conversation light and short. Point out when they are just repeating what the news media is saying so that they can tell the difference between their own thoughts and that of the TV and social media feeds.  Be Hopeful Lastly, as an adult, you have enough experience of life to offer your child some hope when crimes happen. Even though they can be devastating, it helps to tell kids that it’s not all bad. They really can go back to their normal lives and continue with them. Bad things are always going to happen, but they rarely keep happening over and over. Life eventually returns to normal. 

Free Magical Santa Videos For Kids

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Establishing Rules and Boundaries With Your Teenagers

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As a parent, managing a healthy relationship with a teenager can be difficult. This is a hormonal time for our little ones and they are likely to experience mood swings and ups and downs. This is also a time where they will test rules and boundaries, lashing out for more freedom and independence as they begin to feel more grown up and want to spend more time with their peers than at home with their families. It is really important that you set clear rules and boundaries with teenagers in order to keep them safe during this transitional time and to make sure that they grow into well rounded adults. Here are some top tips on this subject matter that should benefit everyone involved! Make Reasons Clear Many kids will rebel against rules when they can’t see the reason for them being in place. If a rule is meaningless or purposeless, they are much more likely to rebel against it, as they won’t see a problem with breaking it. It’s pointless setting pointless rules, solely for the sake of trying to control your teen. Instead, you need to make sure that your rules make sense, serve a purpose that benefits everyone and that this is clear to everyone involved. You’ll find that your teen is much more likely to respect a rule that they can understand. Make Consequences Clear It is also important that you make the consequences of breaking rules or boundaries clear to your teen. This will ensure that they are fully aware of what will happen if they ignore or break the rules that are laid out. Of course, consequences should be fair and realistic. You shouldn’t ground your child for a year for coming home five minutes late once, or not doing their homework. They should be severe enough that they pose a threat, but not so severe that they can’t be maintained. Your child can’t complain about facing a punishment that they knew they would face if they chose to break the rules regardless. Curfews If your teen is going to spend time with friends, outside of the home, you should make sure to set a clear curfew. This is the time that they need to return home by. Setting a curfew can make sure that your kid spends time with their peers, at the same time as making sure they don’t disappear off into the night or come home too late. This can help to make sure they get plenty of rest, time to do their homework and anything else that needs to be completed before the next day ahead at school. Agreeing a curfew can cause teens and parents to butt heads, but you should find a fair compromise and balance. Many families find that location sharing also comes in useful when it comes to letting their teens spend time out of the house, unsupervised by them or other parents. Location sharing can give peace of mind and comfort, helping you to know where your teen is, so you can collect them or help them if needed. You can find one that works cross-platform if you have a different type of smartphone to your teen. House Rules When kids are small, you will likely do everything for them. However, as your child hits their teenage years, it’s important that they begin to take on some responsibility themselves. This is where house rules can come into play. It’s important that your teen begins to be able to complete basic household tasks, picking up skills that they will inevitably need when they actually leave home. You will need to teach this skills and they will then need to keep them up. They should be able to tidy their own room. They need to know how to change their own sheets. Using a washing machine or dryer is useful. They should be able to make a few basic meals. They need to know how to wash up or load a dishwasher. That’s not to say that your teen is going to become a live in housekeeper. But they should be able to take care of certain elements of their own upkeep. Cybersafety Make clear rules about smartphone, tablet, laptop and computer use. Kids are spending a lot more time online and you can fit filters to make sure that certain content is blocked, but you do need to make rules about what content is acceptable and what is not. Age restricted content should be discussed and you should do what you can to ensure they understand cybersafety. This means no talking to strangers online or sharing personal details online. Rules and boundaries are essential to maintain a happy home when you have teens. Hopefully, some of the guidance above will help you to keep yours as safe as possible!

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