When parents and grandparents pick out holiday gifts for children, they want to feel good about child safety, and in a tough economy, they are even more selective about toy purchases.
Moreover, the safety of many children’s accessories and toys made in China remain in question. Just this week, for example, stroller-maker Maclaren announced a recall affecting one million China-manufactured umbrella strollers that reportedly can injure children’s fingers.
“It’s not just parents - grandparents, too, have become very conscientious consumers,” says Kerry Menger, co-founder of NMCtoys.com. “They’re researching their options, and choosing us because they want safe, eco-friendly toys and educational gifts for their grandchildren. They also love how our products are ‘Made in the USA.’ There’s no doubt that the sales that come from these goods stimulate the health of our domestic economy. That’s the icing on the cake.”
NMCtoys.com debuted in 2007 in response to the mass recalls of “Made in China” toys that took place that year. The online resource was a hit - and its owners predict greater success this holiday season, considering recent updates and a broader mission.
NMCtoys.com has an expanded product line, a larger offering of “green” toys, and a goal to support U.S.-based toy manufacturers. With many options in both entertaining and educational toys, parents and grandparents feel this website is an ideal resource for various reasons.
“I have a special needs grandson (toddler), and am particularly interested in toys designed for young children who have both physical and mental challenges,” says Lauren, one customer who now receives the website’s coupon- and product-packed newsletter.
Another customer, Teresa, is regularly using NMCtoys.com’s gift certificates to purchase baby shower gifts. Now she has a grandson and shops the website because she trusts the quality of its toys, even if she spends a little more for this peace of mind.
Parents can be busy, especially if they have more than one kid to attend to for child care. One child may play a sport, another may play in the band, and another may be involved in scouting. Parents may feel like nothing more than a glorified cab driver. These five relaxing ideas for busy parents will help for those times when they actually have no running to do.
Read a book
How long has it been since you’ve curled up with a good book? Set aside time each day to do just that. Maybe you can’t physically get comfy in your favorite chair, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take time to read. If your children have you taxiing them all over the place, take along a book to read while you wait for them. You may actually be able to finish that book you started before your children were born.
Hire a babysitter and hit the town
Take some time out for you and your partner. Keep a list of trusted babysitters handy for those times you’re not busy. Call one of them up and ask them to keep the kids while you and your partner go out on the town.
Find a nice, quiet restaurant and promise not to talk about the children. While you’re at it, why not take in a movie you’d both like to see? Your children are already being cared for; you may as well take advantage of the time without them to truly enjoy yourselves.
Exercise together
Physical exercise has been shown to reduce stress and it’s also good for the body. The great thing is that exercising also releases endorphins which help you relax and feel good, sometimes for hours after you’ve finished exercising. Another benefit of exercising together is that you can encourage each other when the going gets tough.
Take a mental vacation
Children daydream regularly, but it seems parents have forgotten this important activity. Take time to sit together and daydream. Talk about where you’d like to travel and about things you’d like to do while you’re there. Visualize your destination and let your minds wander. Before long you’ll feel relaxed and ready to tackle the rest of your day.
Listen to music
It’s been said that “music soothes the savage beast;” it might be just the thing you need to help you relax, as well. Choose your favorite soft music. Maybe you like instrumental or nature sounds. These can be very relaxing when used during your mental vacation.
Busy parents are often found running their children from one activity to another as well as spending a good portion of their day at work. They may not have the luxury of taking time for themselves, but it’s important they do. Use one or more of these five relaxing ideas for busy parents to find ways to refresh and refocus on each other.
The truth is, children should not be feeling any stress this early on. That is what childhood is for because people can get all the stress they want when they grow up. However, it happens. Children experience stress and it is up to the parents to do something about this child behavior problem.
Undue stress usually come in the form of school pressure. Other forms are when some children isolate themselves from other children or if they grow impatient and lack the will to focus.
Physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach problems are also common. Usually when a child suffers low energy, that’s a very huge indicator.
It could also happen when your child is in the midst of preparations for a play or a performance. Children can just hang up like a piece of wood when tensed.
So what can parents and other loved ones do? Since we can’t solve everything for them, the best we can do is to just be there to support them. Always be there to be relied on when your child experiences difficulties. Mark a special time with your child where you can just spend some quality time.
Also remember to be very patient. You can’t order them to stop being stressed. It’s a process and the important thing is for you to just be around. Here is a helpful video of how you can further relieve the stress of your children:
Parents try to do their best to teach their children to be honest, but the fact is many children lie anyhow. If this tendency isn’t dealt with while the child is young, parents may soon find they have a teenager that lies for any reason. With that kind of child behavior problem, you may be asking yourself, “When is lying a serious problem?”
Most people know what lying is. For those who don’t, according to Webster’s Dictionary (1913) lying is defined as the act of uttering “falsehood with an intention to deceive; to say or do that which is intended to deceive another.”
Some parents feel lying of any kind is a serious problem because it could mean there is a deeper character issue. Lying in teenagers could mean they are involved in drug or alcohol abuse, problems at school, or even worse, crime. Here are some guidelines to let you know if your teen may need the help of a professional psychologist to deal with their lying problem.
Young children can’t tell the difference between fantasy and reality and therefore appear to be lying. Older children begin to understand the difference between truth and a lie, but may lie to avoid punishment. They may also lie to protect the feelings of others. Teens are expected to know the difference but when they lie continually your concerns may be warranted.
If your teen does any of the following, you may decide they have a serious problem:
* Lie to get attention
* Lie to take advantage of others
* Lie to avoid dealing with demands of parents, friends, or teachers
* Lie to hide drug or alcohol use
* Lie as a means to manipulate another
When you catch your teen in a lie, you may have a serious discussion with your teen about lying. You’ve probably explained the importance of honesty and how lying can erode your trust in them. You may have also given them consequences for lying. It could be that talking and consequences haven’t had an effect on them.
Does your teen resort to telling lies whenever they want to avoid something? Do you catch them telling lies about where they’ve been and what they’ve been doing? How quickly does your teen cover up one lie when they’re caught by telling another? If these are common occurrences, your teen may have a chronic lying problem which requires professional intervention.
What type of health issues may cause a teen to be a chronic liar? Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, or learning disabilities are some conditions your teen may have which hadn’t been diagnosed in the past. Psychological counseling may help determine a course of action to combat your child’s problem.
If you find your teen lying too often, try not to take it as a failure on your part. You know how you’ve taught them, so you’ve done your part. Maybe you haven’t known when lying is a serious problem before; now you’ll have a better idea and a possible course of action for the future.
Teachers are so important in the lives of the children. The play an integral role for child education. Outside of their parents, teachers may be the adults that have the most impact on our children. This is why good working relationships with teachers are important, for the child and the parent.
The first week of school can be seen as the foundation for the rest of the school year. Teachers are learning about a whole classroom of students at once. Children are learning about the teacher and their classmates. Parents can play a vital role in helping the teacher learn about their child, their quirks, and any learning issues they may have.
If this is your child’s first time at school, you may want to schedule a time to meet the teacher face-to-face during the first week of school. It’s an opportunity to develop a relationship while neither of you has any preconceived ideas or any complaints. The teacher will probably welcome a chance to get to know you, and the student, better.
What can you say during your initial visit to ensure your child has a successful school year? Let the teacher know that you will support and cooperate with them in regard to your child’s education. You can even offer to come to help in the classroom to help them prepare – making copies, changing bulletin boards, setting up learning centers – or you may be able to help in some other way. However, if you honestly don’t have time to volunteer, it would be better for all involved if you didn’t make the offer rather than make a promise and then have to break it.
Offer your telephone number and let them know they are free to call you if they need your help. It is important they understand that your goal is for your child to have a successful school year and you want to work with them to ensure your child will learn. Don’t be surprised if your child’s teacher calls on you if you make the offer.
You may want to call or send a note to the teacher after the first grading period has ended. The teacher should have a better understanding of your child, their strengths, their weaknesses, and anything you need to be aware of. If you feel a conference is needed, be sure to communicate effectively why you want to speak with them. Stay on topic when you actually are able to meet with them and keep the meeting short; they may have other parent-teacher conferences as well.
It’s also important for your child to have a good working relationship with their teacher. They need to feel that they can approach the teacher if they have a problem. You’ll want to be sure they understand to do so in a respectful manner.
The teacher needs the cooperation of the student. In fact, if they don’t have one student’s cooperation or respect, it may be that the other students will follow suit. Paying attention in class, raising their hand if they have questions, and being quiet while the teacher is talking are all ways to be cooperative and respectful.
Teachers have at least nineteen students, maybe more, in each class each year. Add in the parents of those students, and there are a good number of people the teacher has to work with. If you want your child to have a good education experience, you know why good working relationships with teachers are important for the student and the parents.
According to researches and studies, music can help in child development- both cognitive and behavioral. Music therapy is increasingly becoming popular among kids and therapists believe that certain tones, rhythms and vibrations can actually help treat various medical and behavioral problems in babies and adults alike. It has been seen that lullabies in parents’ voice indeed make babies feel more secure and loved and can help them thrive. It has been seen that relaxing music and 20 minutes of vocal lullaby twice daily helped premature babies and preemies to thrive better, slowed their heart rates and increased the amounts of formula and oxygen they took in.
Similarly, colicky babies or teething babies that hurt and cry a lot are easier to soothe with songs that have soothing melody and steady rhythm. However, if parents love the lullabies, then it works much better than instrumental music, even if they are unable to carry a tune and have to make up the lyrics because they simply can’t remember the words. Another study showed that the brain waves of kids with attention-deficit or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that listened to three 40-minute recordings of classical music per week for about six months, moved to higher levels and that they could focus or concentrate better on the tasks assigned to them while they were listening the music.
Listening to regular music sessions periodically throughout the day and classical rhythmic music such as that of Mozart or Haydn can help calm a kid, when he is restless or very tired such as after school. Some kids can learn better or show improvement in their efficiency levels when they do their homework while playing music. However, some kids are just the opposite and cannot just concentrate on studies or work while the music is on, so it basically varies from individual to individual. Kids who face difficulty in following directions may show better results and pay more attention to you if they are given directions in playful, rhythmic, singsong tunes. So, music does help health and stimulate development of a kid.
Stealing is one of the most common acts that children get involved in, especially during their school life. Some do it consciously. Most of them seize other people’s belonging unconsciously. At this age, children cannot differentiate between their things and those of others and hence, steal. The act of stealing, which has become a prevalent child behavior problem, is an immediate concern for parents.
But before taking any corrective steps, they must try to find out the reason why their child is indulging in such a behavior. There are several facts that compel children to steal, such as low self-esteem, peer pressure, etc. It might also be possible that they do not have friends and are trying to ‘buy’ their friends.
Reasons Why Do School Children Steal
Lack of Proper Understanding
Small children are naïve and cannot differentiate between things that belong to them and those that other children own. They may take someone else’s things thinking it to be their own. In such a case, children are unaware of the fact that they are doing something wrong.
Lack of Self-Control
Lack of self control is also one of the reasons for stealing. Often times, it has been noted that children get attracted to things that they do not own. The urge to have it makes them steal. They do this without realizing that taking someone else’s thing is a misdeed.
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure and the need to fit in are also one of the main causes of stealing. Some children get depressed when they are rejected from a group, just because they come from a relatively poor family. The need to fit into a group with members the high class society makes them steal also.
Get Attention
Sometimes, lack of attention by parents forces children to steal. They know that by stealing they would be able to get their parents attention. Sometimes, children also indulge in the act of stealing to impress their peers.
Anger or Revenge
Children find stealing the best way to show their anger and revenge. When they are upset with someone who is more powerful than them, stealing comes across as the best option to make the other person suffer.
Feeling of Excitement
Stealing is a daring act and some children do it just to get a kick in their life. There are many kids who steal things just for the adrenalin rush and enjoy the fun of not getting caught. The act gives them a thrill.
Jealousy or Desire
The feeling of jealousy develops from childhood. The desire to have things that are beautiful or flashy may cause kids to steal. Some children are also jealous of their classmates who have attractive things. In order to have the same thing, they resort to stealing.
Whatever the reasons for the act of stealing behavior of a child, bear in mind to take into consideration the urgent need to take corrective actions to stop it. Unresolved cases like this will lead to a great possibility of future rebellions, crimes and offenses.
First time parents are confused at a loss most of the time during infant care of their newborn. It’s hard to blame them; they would want to perform these duties flawlessly. So here are some suggestions from the Nemours Foundation to help you get by:
- Support baby’s head with a gentle hand whenever you hold, carry or lay baby down.
- Treat baby gently. Never shake the baby for any reason, including to wake him or her up. Instead, tickle the feet or blow on the cheek to rouse your little one.
- Make sure you’re using the baby car seat and stroller correctly, and that baby is safely secured.
- Newborns just need to be held and cuddled. It’s too soon for games such as bouncing on the knee or lifting in the air.
Moreover, it wouldn’t hurt to seek the advice of those with considerable experience in raising babies. Yes, that’s your parents and your in-laws. Their experience is golden but take care not to get too dependent on them.
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