Author: Teresa
1. Remember that you as a parent or caregiver decide what your child will eat. Your child will decide if he or she will eat it and how much. Once this is realized, a significant amount of pressure will be reduced. 2. Scheduled meal and snack times are necessary. Routine is extremely important. Do not let your child graze, as it will diminish his or her appetite at mealtime. 3. Do not be a short order cook! Always preparing something separate for your child will become expected. Remember that you are in charge of what your child eats. 4. Food jags are common in young children. Children will go through times where they want a specific food item on a daily basis for a week or two and then begin to refuse it. Be patient and in a few days or a couple of weeks, they will come back to it. The key is to remember that food jags are normal and making a big deal out of it will cause more problems. Instead, work with your child on trying new foods. 5. Repetition is the key. Children generally need to be offered a new food item 10 to 20 times before they will even try it. Tastes for specific food items develop over time. 6. Reward children with praise, activities, stickers, small toys, outings etc. rather than with food. 7. Eat together as a family as much as possible. Enjoy your time together. 8. Do not make eating a battle. Try not to nag, argue, bribe or coax. Generally speaking, it will cause more feeding issues in the end. Eating is to be pleasurable and seen as a positive experience and not as a negative experience. Positive mealtimes encourage eating as well as conversation and learning. 9. Do not pressure your child to cle
an his or her plate. Research indicates that children are born with good control of their eating. Children will eat when they are hungry and will stop when they are full. Children who are forced to eat more than what they want can lose their natural ability to control their food intake and hunger is no longer what makes them eat. This can also lead to eating issues and eating disorders in the future. 10. Average time to allow for snacks is 10-15 minutes and for meals 20-30 minutes. Your child should have been able to eat or drink what he or she wanted in this period. Remove any remaining food and your child from the table and wait until the next scheduled meal or snack time before offering food or drink again. 11. Avoid eliminating certain foods. An environment where certain food items are denied often backfires. Instead, encourage balance, moderation and variety. 12. Be a good role model. You cannot expect your child to want to drink milk if you are drinking a soft drink. 13. Watch portion sizes. Remember that when eating out, most child portions are much larger than they should be and really could be 2 to 3 servings for your child depending on their age and needs. Split meals between children or take home part of it for another meal or two. 14. Approximate serving size for children 1-3 years of age as a rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon per year of age. Additional amounts to be provided according to appetite. 15. Try foods in different ways such as cooked, raw, canned, fresh, frozen, sliced, chunked etc. You will never know which way your child prefers it and it could mean the difference of your child eating it or not.
Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/
Showing posts with label Toddler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toddler. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
How To Keep Your Toddler Safe
Author: John
Betty is one of the best grandmothers ever. But the day she entered the bedroom and saw the cord from the window blind entangled around her grandson’s neck, she felt like the worst person alive. How could it have happened? She had cut the cords short, but still the child had pulled them into his crib. When Betty found the baby alive and well, she wept with relief. Then she moved the bed away from the window. Between the ages of six months and two years, children are beginning to walk, run, climb, jump and explore everything. It’s a wonderful time for their development, but a time when adults need to watch them like hawks. We can’t allow for every danger a child will face here, but we can list some of the most common ones. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, the biggest threat to a child’s life and health at this age is an accident. Fire And Burns * Cover unused electrical outlets with rotating-style safety plugs. * Keep appliance cords out of reach by tying them up or taping them down. * While working in the kitchen, keep children in playpens or high chairs. * Turn pot handles to the back of the stove where they are out of reach of curious hands. * Use place mats instead of table cloths, because toddlers may try to pull themselves up by grabbing hold of the cloth. * Never carry a child and hot liquids at the same time. * Turn your water heater to 120 degrees or lower to prevent scalding. Falls * Move chairs and other furniture away from windows to discourage young climbers. * Don’t let toddlers play on or near stairs. Use permanent safety gates at the top and bottom. * Remove or cushion sharp-edged furniture where a child goes. * Avoid accordion gates with large openings; a child’s neck could get trapped in the openings. * High chairs cause almost 10,000 injuries to small children each year. Use restraining straps that run around a child’s waist and between the legs to keep them from escaping from the seat and falling to the floor or getting their head caught in the structure. * The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends tha
t baby walkers not be used. Choking And Poisons * Do not store household cleaning products under the sink. Keep them and all poisons locked up and out of reach. * Small children use their mouths to explore the world. Keep them away from objects they can pick up and swallow, such as toys for older children, safety pins, coins, broken or deflated balloons, jewelry and batteries. Remove refrigerator magnets. * Remove wall hangings and mobiles over the crib. * Avoid all foods that could lodge in a child’s throat, such as hot dogs, nuts, raw carrots, grapes, candies, gum, popcorn and food with pits. * Learn how to save the life of a choking child. Consult your doctor. * Use a small parts tester "choke tube" to see if small toys or parts present a choking hazard. * If small children are present, keep potentially hazardous cleaning compounds capped while in use. * Use safety caps on medicines and toxic household products. * Keep all purses out of reach. * Safely dispose of plastic cleaning bags immediately. * Keep the number of your local poison control center by all phones. The Dangers Never Cease * Keep window cords out of reach. Cut looped chains or cords of window blinds in half and add large safety tassels to the ends. * Never leave a child alone in or near a bathtub, pail of water, or any other water for even an instant. * Lock all cabinets and drawers from the countertop down, and oven, dryer and dishwasher doors. * Buy clothes with snaps, buttons, or Velcro instead of long, loose drawstrings which can snag and present a choking or falling hazard. * Be sure you can always hear a child if they cry. * Encourage grandparents and caregivers to childproof their homes. * There are numerous products designed to keep your child safe. Some that you should consider are: toilet lid locks; bathtub products such as cushioned covers for spouts and knobs; anti-scald devices; cabinet and drawer latches; corner and edge bumpers; door guards; electrical-cord products; electrical outlet covers; medicine cabinet latches; stove guards; window blind products; and window locks.
Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/
Betty is one of the best grandmothers ever. But the day she entered the bedroom and saw the cord from the window blind entangled around her grandson’s neck, she felt like the worst person alive. How could it have happened? She had cut the cords short, but still the child had pulled them into his crib. When Betty found the baby alive and well, she wept with relief. Then she moved the bed away from the window. Between the ages of six months and two years, children are beginning to walk, run, climb, jump and explore everything. It’s a wonderful time for their development, but a time when adults need to watch them like hawks. We can’t allow for every danger a child will face here, but we can list some of the most common ones. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, the biggest threat to a child’s life and health at this age is an accident. Fire And Burns * Cover unused electrical outlets with rotating-style safety plugs. * Keep appliance cords out of reach by tying them up or taping them down. * While working in the kitchen, keep children in playpens or high chairs. * Turn pot handles to the back of the stove where they are out of reach of curious hands. * Use place mats instead of table cloths, because toddlers may try to pull themselves up by grabbing hold of the cloth. * Never carry a child and hot liquids at the same time. * Turn your water heater to 120 degrees or lower to prevent scalding. Falls * Move chairs and other furniture away from windows to discourage young climbers. * Don’t let toddlers play on or near stairs. Use permanent safety gates at the top and bottom. * Remove or cushion sharp-edged furniture where a child goes. * Avoid accordion gates with large openings; a child’s neck could get trapped in the openings. * High chairs cause almost 10,000 injuries to small children each year. Use restraining straps that run around a child’s waist and between the legs to keep them from escaping from the seat and falling to the floor or getting their head caught in the structure. * The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends tha
t baby walkers not be used. Choking And Poisons * Do not store household cleaning products under the sink. Keep them and all poisons locked up and out of reach. * Small children use their mouths to explore the world. Keep them away from objects they can pick up and swallow, such as toys for older children, safety pins, coins, broken or deflated balloons, jewelry and batteries. Remove refrigerator magnets. * Remove wall hangings and mobiles over the crib. * Avoid all foods that could lodge in a child’s throat, such as hot dogs, nuts, raw carrots, grapes, candies, gum, popcorn and food with pits. * Learn how to save the life of a choking child. Consult your doctor. * Use a small parts tester "choke tube" to see if small toys or parts present a choking hazard. * If small children are present, keep potentially hazardous cleaning compounds capped while in use. * Use safety caps on medicines and toxic household products. * Keep all purses out of reach. * Safely dispose of plastic cleaning bags immediately. * Keep the number of your local poison control center by all phones. The Dangers Never Cease * Keep window cords out of reach. Cut looped chains or cords of window blinds in half and add large safety tassels to the ends. * Never leave a child alone in or near a bathtub, pail of water, or any other water for even an instant. * Lock all cabinets and drawers from the countertop down, and oven, dryer and dishwasher doors. * Buy clothes with snaps, buttons, or Velcro instead of long, loose drawstrings which can snag and present a choking or falling hazard. * Be sure you can always hear a child if they cry. * Encourage grandparents and caregivers to childproof their homes. * There are numerous products designed to keep your child safe. Some that you should consider are: toilet lid locks; bathtub products such as cushioned covers for spouts and knobs; anti-scald devices; cabinet and drawer latches; corner and edge bumpers; door guards; electrical-cord products; electrical outlet covers; medicine cabinet latches; stove guards; window blind products; and window locks.
Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/
Activities for Toddlers: Simple and Inexpensive Ways to Enjoy Life with Your Little One
Author: Susie
Have you ever bought your toddler an expensive new toy, only to discover that he spends more time playing with the box it came in? Toddlers have an amazing ability to sink into the simple things of life and create worlds from their own imagination. At this magical age, virtually everything is brand new, and we can relax and know that our interaction with our young children, especially through simple, repetitive activities, is enhancing their development and love of learning. The key is to keep it simple and spend lots of time allowing them to explore at their own pace. Here are some simple and inexpensive activities you can enjoy with your toddler: Outdoor Activities for Toddlers Toddlers love to be outside. Often, toddlers will want (and need) time to play freely, but here are some ideas for those times when your toddler wants to engage in play with you: Blow bubbles. Toddlers love to chase and blow bubbles. They watch in awe as nothing at all turns into something and is then carried away by the breeze. Spillproof containers are perfect for toddlers, especially when they are off chasing their bubble creations. Toddlers love it when you blow bubbles, too. Try counting the bubbles or challenging your child to see how many she can catch. Watch the clouds. Lie on your backs together and find shapes in the clouds. Draw with sidewalk chalk. These thick chunks of chalk are perfect for little hands, and they are well suited to the fine motor skills of a toddler, too. Allow your child to create designs of his own creation. Or write his name in block letters and invite him to color them in. You can also draw a wiggly line down the sidewalk for your toddler to walk along. Or make up a story as you walk along the sidewalk about a child who is out for an adventure in the world, and illustrate different parts of your story as you go. Take a walk in the wide, wide world. A simple walk in the neighborhood will give your toddler an opportunity to become familiar with the world outside her home. As she follows the same route over and over, she will begin to form a concept of her neighborhood. In time, this will bring her comfort that comes from knowing she is "almost home." Toddlers also love to walk in the woods. All that nature has to offer, such as rocks, sticks, and leaves, are marvelous entities to be held and explored. If you take the time to allow a toddler to explore the woods, you are in for a treat yourself (as well as a lesson in patience.) A toddler can watch a simple stream for what can seem like hours. While you walk, put a piece of transparent tape, sticky side out, loosely on your her wrist. When she finds small items to document her journey, whether its flecks of mica, pretty leaves, or dried pine needles, she can press them on her Nature Bracelet. When she returns home, seal the goodies by placing another piece of tape on top. Think like a kid. As you enjoy time with your toddler, try to imagine what things look like from his point
of view. Toddlers take delight in the simplest things, especially if you do them again and again. For example, kids love to simply count their footsteps up to five or ten, and then start again. They love to say hello to the same dog (or the rosebush or the big rock or the open meadow) that you pass on each walk. They love to try to hop over cracks in the sidewalk. What did you love to do as a young child? If you can not remember, ask your parents or other adults who spent time with you, and make a point to weave those simple activities into life with your own toddler. Indoor Activities for Toddlers Read. Reading opens the imagination of a toddler and fosters a love for books, which can propel him to success far into his school years. Read to your toddler whenever you get the chance. Take weekly trips to the library to pick out new books and audiobooks to enjoy. Introduce your child to the books you remember from your own early childhood. And make sure your child sees you enjoying a good book now and then, too. Sing. Anytime a toddler can sing, concepts are likely to stick. Sing simple songs such as the alphabet song, or silly songs you make up about the life you live. Kids love having their own special songs, too. See if you can make up a song to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, which features his name and some of the things you love most about him. Car Games and Activities for Toddlers Magnetic Trays. You can use an old metal tray or purchase a ready made magnetic tray at the toy store. With these trays, toddlers can play with alphabet and number magnets, as well as paper magnetic dolls. Another great way to use a magnetic tray is to print off pictures of family members and adhere them to magnets. Travel Songs. Singing songs in the car is another great activity that passes the time. Again, repetition is the key. Sing the same song each time you and your toddler start off on a trip to the store, for example. Story Starters. Start a story, and then ask your toddler or preschooler to fill in the blanks here and there. For example, you might start with, "Once upon a time there was a dog named: ____" (Ask the child for the name of the dog.). And the dog went to the ____." This is great when you have a mix of ages, too. The older children can create a very silly tale, and your child can make it even sillier when it is his turn. Do not be afraid to do the same thing twice. The key to educational games at this age is in repetition. Young brains develop connections by doing, seeing, and hearing something over and over again. That is why children want to watch the same video, listen to the same song in the car, and go through the same bedtime routine each night. As parents, we sometimes worry about whether our toddlers are getting enough attention, stimulation, and entertainment. Often, the games toddlers truly love are the most simple and the least expensive, especially when taken at their natural pace and shared with someone they love.
Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/
Have you ever bought your toddler an expensive new toy, only to discover that he spends more time playing with the box it came in? Toddlers have an amazing ability to sink into the simple things of life and create worlds from their own imagination. At this magical age, virtually everything is brand new, and we can relax and know that our interaction with our young children, especially through simple, repetitive activities, is enhancing their development and love of learning. The key is to keep it simple and spend lots of time allowing them to explore at their own pace. Here are some simple and inexpensive activities you can enjoy with your toddler: Outdoor Activities for Toddlers Toddlers love to be outside. Often, toddlers will want (and need) time to play freely, but here are some ideas for those times when your toddler wants to engage in play with you: Blow bubbles. Toddlers love to chase and blow bubbles. They watch in awe as nothing at all turns into something and is then carried away by the breeze. Spillproof containers are perfect for toddlers, especially when they are off chasing their bubble creations. Toddlers love it when you blow bubbles, too. Try counting the bubbles or challenging your child to see how many she can catch. Watch the clouds. Lie on your backs together and find shapes in the clouds. Draw with sidewalk chalk. These thick chunks of chalk are perfect for little hands, and they are well suited to the fine motor skills of a toddler, too. Allow your child to create designs of his own creation. Or write his name in block letters and invite him to color them in. You can also draw a wiggly line down the sidewalk for your toddler to walk along. Or make up a story as you walk along the sidewalk about a child who is out for an adventure in the world, and illustrate different parts of your story as you go. Take a walk in the wide, wide world. A simple walk in the neighborhood will give your toddler an opportunity to become familiar with the world outside her home. As she follows the same route over and over, she will begin to form a concept of her neighborhood. In time, this will bring her comfort that comes from knowing she is "almost home." Toddlers also love to walk in the woods. All that nature has to offer, such as rocks, sticks, and leaves, are marvelous entities to be held and explored. If you take the time to allow a toddler to explore the woods, you are in for a treat yourself (as well as a lesson in patience.) A toddler can watch a simple stream for what can seem like hours. While you walk, put a piece of transparent tape, sticky side out, loosely on your her wrist. When she finds small items to document her journey, whether its flecks of mica, pretty leaves, or dried pine needles, she can press them on her Nature Bracelet. When she returns home, seal the goodies by placing another piece of tape on top. Think like a kid. As you enjoy time with your toddler, try to imagine what things look like from his point
of view. Toddlers take delight in the simplest things, especially if you do them again and again. For example, kids love to simply count their footsteps up to five or ten, and then start again. They love to say hello to the same dog (or the rosebush or the big rock or the open meadow) that you pass on each walk. They love to try to hop over cracks in the sidewalk. What did you love to do as a young child? If you can not remember, ask your parents or other adults who spent time with you, and make a point to weave those simple activities into life with your own toddler. Indoor Activities for Toddlers Read. Reading opens the imagination of a toddler and fosters a love for books, which can propel him to success far into his school years. Read to your toddler whenever you get the chance. Take weekly trips to the library to pick out new books and audiobooks to enjoy. Introduce your child to the books you remember from your own early childhood. And make sure your child sees you enjoying a good book now and then, too. Sing. Anytime a toddler can sing, concepts are likely to stick. Sing simple songs such as the alphabet song, or silly songs you make up about the life you live. Kids love having their own special songs, too. See if you can make up a song to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, which features his name and some of the things you love most about him. Car Games and Activities for Toddlers Magnetic Trays. You can use an old metal tray or purchase a ready made magnetic tray at the toy store. With these trays, toddlers can play with alphabet and number magnets, as well as paper magnetic dolls. Another great way to use a magnetic tray is to print off pictures of family members and adhere them to magnets. Travel Songs. Singing songs in the car is another great activity that passes the time. Again, repetition is the key. Sing the same song each time you and your toddler start off on a trip to the store, for example. Story Starters. Start a story, and then ask your toddler or preschooler to fill in the blanks here and there. For example, you might start with, "Once upon a time there was a dog named: ____" (Ask the child for the name of the dog.). And the dog went to the ____." This is great when you have a mix of ages, too. The older children can create a very silly tale, and your child can make it even sillier when it is his turn. Do not be afraid to do the same thing twice. The key to educational games at this age is in repetition. Young brains develop connections by doing, seeing, and hearing something over and over again. That is why children want to watch the same video, listen to the same song in the car, and go through the same bedtime routine each night. As parents, we sometimes worry about whether our toddlers are getting enough attention, stimulation, and entertainment. Often, the games toddlers truly love are the most simple and the least expensive, especially when taken at their natural pace and shared with someone they love.
Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Terrible Twos - How to Stay Sane When Your Child Is Not
Author: Megan
About the author:
Megan Hazel is a freelance writer who writes about childcare and parenting topics, similar to what consumers read in Oprah Magazine
Article URL : http://www.besttoread.com/article.detail.php/20738/138/Parenting/Home and Family/14/The Terrible Twos - How to Stay Sane When Your Child Is Not
If you have a little one who is anywhere between the ages of two and four, some days can seem like they last forty eight hours instead of twenty four. If you are the proud mother of a little girl this age, the only word in her vocabulary may be "No." If you try and counter her "no's" with "yes's", she may emit sounds so shrill your ears will bleed. If you are the proud mom of a little boy, his new habits may include coloring the dog with your lipstick or banging your favorite, and delicate, table with his toy trucks until they crack. How do you deal with this? One way of course is to leave the country and never return. There are, however, more reasonable ways in which to deal with your children's testing periods.
While you may not be able to move to China, you can remove yourself from the situation and help calm your frayed nerves. If your child is being rebellious or misbehaving, sometimes just stepping out of the room for a few moments, counting to ten, and taking some deep, calming breaths can make all the difference when you re-enter the room to deal with your misbehaving child. He or she may then start to associate your leaving the room with "Uh oh, Mommy is mad" rather than associate your screaming and yelling with being angry, which can only be detrimental. This may help calm the child enough that upon your return, he or she will be more receptive to your teaching him what behavior you didn't like. Since you will be calmer as well, the discipline will likely be more effective.
For a more long-term approach, taking some time for yourself and "getting away from it all" is a good bet to restore your sanity. Take a good block of time on a Saturday or Sunday, 2 hours, maybe, and mark this time in your calendar in pen, not pencil, as a recurring activity. Keep a standing appointment with yourself, and honor it as you would any other. Think you are too busy on a weekend to do this, between your toddler's play dates, errands, and your other family obligations? You will feel much more productive the rest of the weekend allowing yourself this little ‘refresher', rather than trying to cram some time in on a random Tuesday or other weeknight. Moreover, you will feel much more able to cope with your child's behavior. For this special "adult time-out" time, you can book a massage or a facial at your favorite spa. Take a couple of hours to go window shopping or visit a museum, by yourself or with a friend. Take in a movie with a couple of girlfriends. If your husband is willing to fly solo on a Saturday night, you can even steal away to your favorite local pub with the girls once in a while and let off some steam. If you don't have extra funds for these activities once a week, you can sneak yourself off to the tub with a good book, a bubble bath and a nice glass of wine and come out feeling ready to face the world and your terrible-two-year-old.
Getting involved with groups that highlight child behavior may also help you cope with issues that seem to rear their ugly heads again and again. Your child may be going through a developmental phase that has you frustrated to say the least. It can be comforting to have a support network or group of friends with similarly-aged children. Many of these groups are "Mommy and Me"-type groups that can be found in your community directory. If no such local groups exist in your area, you can always consult some educational reading material on child behavior and speak with your doctor if it is getting more and more difficult to control. Sometimes, just a different approach can give great results. For example, if you are used to taking away a privilege or a toy when your child acts up, perhaps you need another tactic. Calmly tell him or her why Mommy is upset with the actual behavior, and explain and speak as if he were older than his actual age. Your own child may surprise you!
On the flip side, sometimes just not reacting at all can be the best approach. Just like you are getting to know what makes your child tick, he is getting to know what makes you tick as well and will quickly learn how to push your buttons and command your attention. Rather than play into this, ignore his pushy requests and the negative behavior may just quietly go away.
The Terrible Twos are challenging, to say the least, but using some of these approaches can help you keep the loving bond between you and your child without you losing your mind in the process.
About the author:
Megan Hazel is a freelance writer who writes about childcare and parenting topics, similar to what consumers read in Oprah Magazine
Article URL : http://www.besttoread.com/article.detail.php/20738/138/Parenting/Home and Family/14/The Terrible Twos - How to Stay Sane When Your Child Is Not
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