A Family Chore Chart
I have worked as an in-home counselor with families for many years. My main referrals are families that have a child with mental health needs. The behaviors of the child or children are so disruptive to the family routine that the family contracts with my agency to have me come directly to the family home to help deal with the issues.
The first thing that I try to establish with the family is a routine. So many times these families have been spending so many hours in meetings about their child that they have not established a routine. We discuss what needs to be done each day and what time frames work for each family. I explain to the parents that it is important that each child no matter what their age, needs to be included in the tasks. The easiest way of doing with is by developing a chore chart. I like to include everyone on the chore chart. Even the youngest child can be involved with picking up toys.
The chore chart is established for a week and with families with older children I just have them rotate which tasks they are going to do each week. The tasks on the chore chart are things that the family identifies as important to them. There are the standard tasks of washing dishes, helping with meal preparation, taking out garbage, folding and putting away laundry, dusting and vacuuming. There is also keeping bedroom areas tidy and helping with grocery shopping or the putting away of groceries.
My ideal of working with a chore chart is that everyone participates because they are a member of the family. For some children we may tie in allowance money or additional privileges for the completion on tasks to begin with, but then teach them the importance of completing the chore chart because the things need to be done and it is the responsible thing to do as a member of the family.
Most often it is the parents that want to tie a reward in with the chore chart. Many parents have a hard time expecting help with household responsibilities from their children. Part of my job is to help parents understand that they need to teach these life skills to their children so that they will value having these things done when they move out on their own. The children are more invested in working on the chore chart if the parents are also written on the chart and are expected to complete tasks. Many great conversations can be had with a child while completing tasks together.
Sarah Jones loves teaching. When she isn’t teaching her own son, she is busy sharing her love of education with others.
Find a wide assortment of Lesson Plans, crafts for kids, and education tips at her site, http://www.KnowMore.com.
Daycare Center Is The Best Option For Your Child
Daycare has been a lifesaver for parents. So many families today cannot make it without both parents working. In order to pay house payments, car payments, and put their children through school there is no other choice than to have 2 incomes. That is where daycare comes in. They can take care of your children, some as young as six weeks old, while you are at work.
Daycare centers today are almost like starting kindergarten for the 3 and 4 year olds. They teach them things that ‘back in the old days’ we were learning in the 1st grade when we started school. Most kids like to go to daycare. They may cry at first but after a day or two when they figure out how much fun it is to be around other children the same age, they will probably look forward to going.
If they do not start enjoying it and constantly cry and fight with you about going to daycare, then you should look for an underlying reason for this behavior. Unfortunately, not all people possess the patience required to take care of children all day. Although most daycare centers are run by people who love children, there is something wrong when your child cries repeatedly and doesn’t want to go.
When you look for a daycare for your child or children make sure you check them out thoroughly. Visit the daycare and watch the other children. Do they seem to be enjoying themselves? Are there enough daycare providers to the number of children? Is the center clean and free of items that children may injure themselves on? What is your feeling about the place? Instinct is there for a reason. Trust yours. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Price is an object when it comes to daycare. You cannot work just to pay for daycare. Some daycare centers will give you a break if you have more than one child attending the center. Other daycare centers, especially if they are run by a church, will charge you according to your income. Early Childhood Development is a project that sometimes have daycare centers to help parents with their childcare needs.
Another concern is whether or not the center is open on weekends. Not all parents have a 9 to 5 job, Monday through Friday. If both parents work where they may have to work some weekends, they will need care for their children on weekends as well as weekdays. This is a very important consideration when searching for a daycare center for your children.
Your biggest concern when sending your child off to daycare is that he is well cared for and enjoys himself while he is there. With all the scary stories we have heard about children being mistreated and centers that employ people without checking their background it pays to thoroughly investigate the center you are choosing. Do not be so caught up in finding an affordable center for your child that you do not do all the checkups on your choice of daycare centers.
Alex Olson is an experienced psychologist and she knows how to deal with children of different ages. Her articles about bringing up children at http://www.centraldaycarecenter.com contain much information about daycare centers and tips on how to choose it.
Bilingual Beats Lead to Language, Literacy and Math Fun
Never has it been this easy to find materials to bring education into your home as a stay at home mom, a grandparent given the distinct and honorable task of watching your grandchildren or as a homeschooling parent striving to do the best you can do. The internet has provided us the means to seek and download countless varieties of educational materials along with the medium to research other instructional products for purchasing.
As a mom of three children who each possess bilingual skills at varying degrees along with an educator of thousands of children ages 6 months through ten years, I feel the sense of urgency to quicken the pace of the learning. What better way to do that than with music? Research has shown that if you take a concept, add a little music, some rhythm and movement, you will have a sure fire way of introducing and engaging the young child to long term retention of that concept.
Think back to your younger years. Do you still have that one song that sticks in your head no matter how many years go by? That one that taught you your days of the week in French, or how to multiply by two, or simply the catchy ABC song we now share with our own children? This concept of using music to enhance learning situations is nothing new and is one we should embrace as we go back to the basics of early childhood learning experiences.
There is the cry to return to the nursery rhymes of long ago. To drop the Leap Pad and the computer games and simply share your lap with a child who will listen to and real along with those rhyming gems of long ago. A strong connection between learning and rhythm was discovered and built upon years ago, and now we can bring global learning to our children through this same theory.
Take a song, best if it is one you and your child both know the melody of, make up some new words that introduce the new language right next to your native language. This type of made up song is called a Piggyback Song. Need an example? Okay, here is a simple one. Take the tune Mary Had a Little Lamb and sing about shapes by injecting words like these:
A circle is rolling by, rolling by, rolling by,
A circle is rolling by, a circle is a circulo.
A circle is a circulo, a circulo, a circulo,
A circle is a circulo. I know my shapes.
It is so easy to then bring in the words for square, rectangle, triangle, heart and so on. In this example, we did English and Spanish. Use your imagination and use any new target language you would like to introduce right along with the native language of your children.
Learning a second language has never been so easy! A child learning this way, in what is called a bilingual format where his native language is sung right alongside his native language, will actually read sooner than monolingual children who are not receiving this type of musical, bilingual instruction according to Dr. Ellen Bialystok and her team of experts at York University. The study conducted by this team also showed that children receiving instruction in two languages will experience advanced cognitive development and problem solving skills and higher test scores on certain sections of standardized tests.
As a mom and as a teacher that is important to me as I know it is to you. Not only can we prepare our young children for a very global economy, one that will require the command of more than one language in order to excel, we can also provide them a fun and engaging manner in which to gain knowledge in a second language, skills in math and the ability to read early in life.
You cannot carry a tune? You have not even the slightest inclination as to where to start? You have not one creative bone in your body to begin writing your own Piggyback Song that might introduce French to your newborn? No worries amigas, amigos, friends. Remember the internet? Remember those search engines? They will help drive you to a plethora of web sites meant solely for giving you some affordable, sometimes free and most often very practical tools and tips on how to jump start your motivation and creation of these bilingual songs.
Feel the beat! Think creatively! Have fun, and before you know if you and Junior will be on a journey where the only required things in your backpack will be water to quench your thirst after all of your singing and some musical shakers to keep the beat as you sing, dance and play your way to a second language.
Beth Butler is the founder of the BOCA BETH Program for young children. Scoop your child up onto your lap and listen in for free to our bilingual beats at http://www.bocabeth.com. Order online or call toll free 1.877.825.2622
Who Is Dora The Explorer?
Dora the Explorer is the Hispanic title character in an animated cartoon for children. Dora made her premiere in 1999 on Nickelodeon, and by the year 2000 her show had become a network staple. In 2005, she became the first Hispanic character balloon to grace the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Dora is a cheerful, energetic and enthusiastic child with a wide circle of friends and a close and loving family. Each episode finds her character embarking on a mission to do a good deed or to help a friend. The mission usually consists of Dora going to three specific locations where she must find things or complete certain tasks. Sometimes Dora requests help from the audience to locate missing objects or to handle a situation. Needless to say, all of her adventures end in success.
At the end of each show, Dora and her supporters celebrate their victory and encourage the people watching the show to think about their favorite part of the day’s adventure.
Dora is usually accompanied by her best friend Boots, a monkey. She is also aided in her quest by her magic purple backpack and her wise geography-savvy singing map. Other minor characters often put in helpful appearances as well.
All heroines, of course, must have an enemy to oppose them. Dora’s rather benign enemy is Swiper, who does his best to swipe the objects Dora needs to find to complete her quest. (hence his name). Swiper is portrayed as more annoying than evil and can sometimes be talked into returning stolen items or even performing a helpful act like rescuing a puppy.
The animation is bright, and the simple plotlines and catchy tunes are designed to delight children (and their parents) while passing along important messages about appreciating different cultures, valuing friends and family, and being willing to work to reach a goal.
Dora is quite popular in with children in the United States. She has also become world famous. Dora the Explorer is broadcast in countries from China to Greece to Spain. There is even a Hebrew version.
Dora the Explorer is frequently seen on merchandise as well. Her face graces backpacks, shirts, jackets, shoes, hats, and jewelry. She is also the star of multiple video games including Backpack Adventure, Super Spies, and Dora the Explorer’s World Adventure. Unfortunately, many Dora-themed toys are manufactured in China and were affected by the lead-based paint recall.
Mastermind Toys has a variety of educational toys for babies and toddlers. Provides Dora the Explorer products such as Dora the Explorer Books.
http://www.mastermindtoys.com
How to Help Your Child Read
Here are some frequently asked questions about how parents may foster the love of reading in their children.
1. Are children who try to learn two languages during the preschool years handicapped in learning to read?
Preschool children who try to learn two languages are usually somewhat retarded in both. There are, of course, exceptions. It has been suggested that the retardation may be due to a reluctance to abandon the mother’s language rather than to lack of intelligence or verbal ability.
The language heard in infancy, Dorothea McCarthy has said, has deep emotional roots. The child may become emotionally disturbed if he is forbidden to use the language he has associated with his parents from the earliest years. Therefore, children who need to learn two languages should learn to use both languages correctly in the situations in which each is appropriate.
2. Should I teach my child the alphabet?
A child is better prepared for beginning reading if he knows the names of the letters. You can teach him to write each letter large as soon as he learns to name it. You teach the name of the letter B, not the sound, “Bun.” Later he will group the letters as follows:
ABCDEFG H I J K L M
NOPQRST U VWXYZ
Letters near the beginning of the dictionary, letters in the middle after the beginning group, letters in the middle toward the end, letters near the end of the dictionary.
This grouping will help the child to find words quickly in the dictionary.
3. Why is reading aloud to children sometimes unsuccessful?
There are many possible reasons. If the adult dislikes reading aloud, or reads from a sense of duty, his attitude is communicated to the child. Adult and child should both enjoy the story. The child may not be quite ready for the story the parent is reading - though the parent remembers that he loved it when he was the child’s age.
Times change, and children’s interests shift somewhat from generation to generation. Sometimes the child’s unreadiness to listen may be merely temporary; something else had absorbed his attention for the moment. It is better to recognize this immediate interest than to try to override it. Older children, especially those in early adolescence, sometimes prefer an unshared reading experience. At such times they guard their private world with fierce jealousy, and resent any adult intrusion into it.
4. How can parents foster a child’s love of reading?
“Liking to read just comes naturally to my child,” you may say. Probably it doesn’t. Without being aware of it, you have done, and are still doing, many things that cause your child to love reading and to want to read. He has seen you reading and has gathered that reading gives you pleasure and profit.
He has listened to the enchanting stories that you have read him, and he wants to hear more than you have time to read to him. This stimulates him to want to learn to read for himself. As he looks at the books while you read to him, he begins to recognize certain words, and realizes that those black marks on white paper have meaning.
Even after he has started school, you should continue to read him books that are beyond his own present reading ability; this will create further interest in the world of books that he will someday be able to explore himself.
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3 Critical Safety Points To Remember When Decorating a Child’s Room
Making your home child safe requires much more than placing a few outlet covers or cabinet locks. Child safety is an ongoing issue and the only way to ensure your child’s health and well being is to adopt a safety culture in your home.
The point of a safety culture is not “safety over everything else.” The goal is to balance the needs of safety with the reality of living your life.
In this article, we’ll explore how to handle 3 critical safety areas to consider when child-proofing your home: child safe window blinds, child safe lamps and lamp placements, and child safe bookshelves and cabinetry.
Child Safe Window Blinds
In the early 1990s, blind safety was a hot item among child safety advocates. Babies and toddlers were being accidentally strangled by the cords of window blinds and an outpouring of consumer concern lead to fundamental changes in the way window blinds and window shades were designed. A second redesign of window blinds in the late 90s improved blind safety even further.
However, about one child a month dies from accidental entanglement in the cords of window blinds. You don’t need to leave your windows uncovered, just take steps to enhance the safety of window blinds your home.
- Move the crib or bed away from the windows so the cords of the window blinds don’t dangle over his head.
- Move chairs and other climbable objects away from windows and window blinds.
- Tie up the cords of your window blinds so that they well out of the reach of little hands.
- Use a window blinds cord safety tool which collects the loose portions of the cord into a safety ball that hangs near the top of the window blinds.
- Older blinds can be made safer with a free repair kit from the Window Covering Safety Council.
Child Safe Lamps and Lamp Placements
Children are notorious for climbing up on everything as they explore. For lamps sitting on tables, wrap the cord tightly around the table leg so that when the table wiggles, the lamp does not topple to the ground.
Another option is to install ceiling mounted track lighting or wall mounted lamps to keep lamps out of the reach of children and also secure so that they cannot be pulled over. Lamps that fall off of tables are not just a hazard to small hands that could be burned by the hot light bulb, but can also pose a serious fire hazard.
Child Safe Bookshelves and Cabinetry
Small children that are learning to walk by pulling themselves up on objects and older children that love to climb are at serious risk of being crushed by large heavy bookshelves and cabinetry. Fortunately, there is a simple remedy for this that takes just a few minutes to implement.
Using an “L” or “U” shaped bracket, drill one side of the bracket into the back or back shelf of the cabinetry itself. Next, drill the other portion of the bracket directly into the wall. Be sure to test the strength of the bracket by pulling hard on the cabinetry to ensure a strong hold.
Remember the mantra of child safety: It only takes a second. No one can watch a child every single moment. Minimizing the dangers by taking precautions with your window blinds, securing lamps, and bolting bookshelves and cabinetry to walls makes it less likely disaster will strike during that moment your attention wanders. By keeping household risks as low as reasonably achievable you make your home a safe and secure environment.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on blinds and window shades, visit http://www.BlindsExpress.com/.
School Bus Accidents Can Be Prevented by Safety Training and Parking Lot Design
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 25 million students are in school with an average of 500,000 school buses on the roads. While school buses are statistically one of the safest modes of transportation, more than twice as many children are killed while getting on or off school buses than while riding in them. Preventable School Bus Accident
A 12-year-old girl was hit by a school bus in a South New Jersey middle school parking lot. She was walking across the parking lot which had no designated lines for pedestrian paths and no cross walks. She was run over by the rear tire of a school bus as it came around a loop. She suffered multiple fractures and serious internal injuries.
The bus driver was not faulted. The girl was walking between two cars.
At fault was the school district for failing to provide a parking lot with visibly designated markings; failing to provide appropriate cross walks; and failing to provide a school safety plan for bus arrivals and departures.
“This case, on first blush, appeared to be one of a careless child darting out between parked cars and running into the side of a bus, causing her own injuries”, states Larry Cohan, counsel for the victim.
“After careful analysis, and expert review, it became apparent that this child was a victim of bad planning and bad design by her school. Had there been proper crosswalks, a safety plan and supervision, this child would not have even been crossing where she was, and the incident would not have occurred. The irresponsible school officials, who created this danger, were clearly negligent, and the school was required to pay for their failures.”
The girl received a substantial settlement. Through extensive medical care and physical therapy, she is recovering.
School budget and school districts in many states are frequently in dire straits and are forced to make choices in how their limited funds are expended. Somehow the important issue of school bus safety goes to the back of the bus and doesn’t get addressed.
School Bus Safety Problems
In 2002, 26 children were killed as pedestrians getting on or off a school bus, or while waiting at the school bus stop. Other motorists illegally passing a stopped school bus remain a problem in every community and the school bus industry urges stricter police and judicial enforcement against violators.
School buses always are operated by drivers with a Commercial Drivers License (CDL), required by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and who have received special school bus driver training required by states. In addition, no one can drive a school bus without first passing drug and alcohol screening and required law enforcement background checks.
There is no safer way to transport a child than in a school bus. Fatal crashes involving school bus occupants are rare events, even though school buses drive a remarkable 8.8 billion students to and from school annually. Every school day, some 500,000 yellow school buses transport more than 25 million children to and from schools mostly without a serious incident.
Anapol Schwartz law firm can help determine if you should file a lawsuit. If your child has been injured from a school bus accident or safety issue, please visit http://www.anapolschwartz.com for your free consultation. For more info on bus, car or truck accidents visit http://crash.legalview.com/
Smart Parenting: Eye Care Tips For Your Children
In the same manner that adults have regular eye exams, children should have their eyes regularly examined as well. As a rule of thumb, eye examination is a must every two years and if possible every year. For those who have a family history of eye diseases or are taking certain medications that can have a side effect to the eyes, they should have their eyes examined twice every year.
Children should have their first eye examination at the age of just 6 months. Upon reaching the age of 2 or 3 years old, a follow-up exam can be conducted as it is during this age when rapid development of the visual system occurs and corrective vision if necessary is most effective. The earlier some eye related problems are diagnosed, the greater are the chances of a complete and effective recovery.
After the child’s initial eye exam, regular eye examination can be conducted every two years and more frequently should your family have any history of eye disorders. You are fully aware that children in school use their eyes frequently to read and to perform other school related activities so it is very much essential that they get to have a regular eye exam. While schools may regularly conduct eye screening tests, such only tackle distance. Vision problems like near vision, focus and eye coordination may not be detected by such screenings as long as you have a 20/20 distance vision. Untreated eye related problems can cause not only headaches and discomfort but possibly cause learning disabilities.
Parents should correct and identify vision problems early on to avoid academic problems in the future. The child’s vision problem could probably interfere with their learning ability. Parents should be keen on certain warning signs signaling vision problems such as excessive eye blinking and squinting, regular headaches, dizziness, difficulty with hand and eye coordination and the holding of objects too close when trying to view it. If you notice any of these behaviors or conditions, it is best to immediately pay your eye doctor a visit for consultation.
Also, if your child is very much active in sports, wearing protective eyewear can help prevent eye-related injuries. Some examples of sports where children need to wear protective goggles include baseball, basketball, ice hockey, soccer, football and many more others. Protective goggles should fit comfortably and should be made of proper materials. Make sure that it has 100% UV protection.
James Brown writes about http://www.simplybestcoupons.com.au
Easy Kids’ Birthday Parties - From Invitations to Party Favors
Many parents dread throwing birthday parties. Having a bunch of sugared-up kids running around seems like a recipe for disaster. The good news is that it is possible to throw a well-organized and fun party with a little bit of planning.
The Basic Party Planning Rules
Start planning the party about a month in advance. This gives you plenty of time to order everything, enlist the help you need, and get everything ready. Even busy parents can plan that far in advance; a well-planned party is less work than a party that is thrown together at the last minute.
The best party times are mid-afternoon. The children have had lunch but are not hungry for dinner yet. You should have some finger snacks but you don’t need to worry about preparing a meal.
The easiest birthday parties have a theme. With a unifying idea like pirates or a luau, a lot of the details fall into place automatically. Even something as simple as decorating around your child’s favorite color makes the decisions easier.
Activities are the most important thing at a child’s birthday party! The kids forget the food, the decorations, and even who was there but they always remember fun party games.
Birthday Invitations
Second only to party games, the birthday invitation is one of the most important decisions for a memorably party. It gives the first impression and if the child has fun, it can be a keepsake.
Even if you are opting for home crafted decorations and party game, it is worth getting custom invitations printed. They certainly are a great choice for parents who don’t have an artistic touch, but even those that do can benefit from the sophisticated look of a professionally crafted birthday invitation.
For young children, the number of guests should equal the child’s age plus one or two. As the child gets into double digits you might need to bring this number down; you are the best judge of your limits. Invitations should be sent out as early as possible as other parents have their own schedules.
Keeping Kids Entertained
Plan several activities for the party and set up each in advance. For a typical two-hour party, four should be enough, though you might want one or two others if the children get bored with what’s planned.
Children don’t like to lose so plan ahead to avoid tears. For competitive games, have small prizes for kids who don’t win. Better yet, have the group participate in a cooperative game like a treasure hunt and split the prize. Crafting activities eliminate competition and give each guest another memento.
Saying Goodbye
Before you know it, the time has passed and you have survived another birthday party.
Prepare theme-appropriate party favors as parting gifts. Have your child hand them out as the guests leave and thank each one for coming.
Follow these tips and you’ll find birthday parties really aren’t hard to carry off successfully.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on Invitations, visit http://www.BeeyondPaper.com/.
How to Use Active Listening for a Happier Child
Sometimes, communicating with our children can be a daunting task. We feel like they’re not listening to us; they feel like we’re not listening to them. Good listening and communications skills are essential to successful parenting. Your child needs to understand that his or her feelings, views, and opinions have worth, and we should all make sure we take the time to sit down and listen openly and discuss them honestly.
With active listening, you listen for the meaning in your child’s words, and you check with your child to make sure that you have correctly heard and understood their meaning. The big goal is to improve mutual understanding.
It is important to watch your child’s behavior and body language. Try to paraphrase what your child said to you. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to agree, but just state what you have said. Listen to your child’s emotions, too. Try to describe the underlying emotion, like “you seem to feel angry” or “does this make you feel frustrated?”
If your child is too young to know a lot of words that describe emotion, you can try verbalizing it another way, like “does this make you want to stomp your feet (or throw something, or whatever they do when they feel that emotion)?” You can also make a chart of faces that show emotions. In a non-emotionally charged situation, go over the chart with your child and describe the emotions shown in each face. Then when you have a situation you need to work through, you can use the chart and have your child point at the face that represents the emotion they are feeling.
It’s a natural tendency to react rather than to respond. We pass judgment based on our own feelings and experiences. However, responding means being receptive to our child’s feelings and emotions and allowing them to express themselves openly and honestly without fear of repercussion from us.
When we react, we send our child the message that their feelings and opinions are invalid. By responding and asking questions about why the child feels that way, it opens a dialog that allows them to discuss their feelings further, and allows you a better understanding of where they’re coming from.
Responding also gives you an opportunity to work out a solution or a plan of action with your child that perhaps they would not have come up with on their own. Your child will also appreciate the fact that maybe you do indeed understand how they feel.
It’s crucial to give your child your full and undivided attention. Put down your newspaper, stop doing dishes, or turn off the television so you can hear the full situation and make eye contact with your child. Keep calm, be inquisitive, and afterwards offer potential solutions to the problem.
Don’t discourage your child from feeling upset, angry, or frustrated. Our initial instinct may be to say or do something to steer our child away from it, but this can be a detrimental tactic. Again, listen to your child, ask questions to find out why they are feeling that way, and then offer potential solutions to alleviate the bad feeling.
Just as we do, our children have feelings and experience difficult situations. By actively listening and participating with our child as they talk about it, it demonstrates to them that we do care, we want to help and we have similar experiences of our own that they can draw from. Remember: respond–don’t react.
Andrea Arnold writes about parenting at http://www.articlesunleashed.com.