You must be so eager to play with your infant and your mind is thinking of what you can do to help promote play.

Here is a good way to guide you through your infant care experience.

From birth to 1 month, your infant likes to be wrapped and/or held securely, likes the colors black, white and red and Will be startled and disturbed by loud noises. As a parent, you can sing and talk to your infant, play music softly, rock your infant or you can take him/her for walks

When your infant is 2 to 3 months old, he/she likes bright objects and enjoys pictures and mirrors, Rattles can be given to your infant. Swinging also is loved at this time. You can as well sing and talk to your infant.

On the 4th to 6th month, you can sing, talk and read to your infant. Provide tummy time for your infant. Encourage your infant to crawl and sit by placing him/her on the floor.

By 6th to 9th month, large toys with bright colors that move are the enjoyment of your infant. At this time, you can call your infant by name. be sure to speak clearly to your child and encourage different sounds. Body parts naming can now be done. You can begin saying words that tell what you are doing as well. Encourage your infant to crawl by placing toys beyond his/her reach. Continue to cuddle, sing and read with your infant.

On the 9th to 12th month, your infant now enjoys looking at books, likes naming animals and identifying animal sounds and enjoys large toys that can be pushed and pulled. By this time, you can now take your infant to different places and outings. Playing ball with your infant can now be possible.

Enjoy every moment with your infant. Every time you play or give infant care is a perfect time to promote a strong bond between you and your child.

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Even though you may not think your child is old enough, you may want to learn how to talk to them about alcohol and drug abuse at an early age rather than waiting. If you wait too long, it may be too late. Every year more and more children begin experimenting with drugs and alcohol, which could lead to a lifelong child behavior problem with substance abuse.

If you begin telling children how you feel about drug and alcohol use while they’re young, you’ll have a better chance of instilling that same belief in them. Talk about how drugs and alcohol in terms they will understand. Explain that people who use them sometimes hurt other people because they can’t control their actions.

You can also explain to them how people who use alcohol and drugs are hurting themselves. Drug and alcohol use causes damage to the body in any number of ways. You can help your child avoid developing serious health issues related to substance abuse by talking to them early and often about it.

Talk to your children of all ages about keeping a healthy mind and body. Give them some ideas of things to do (eat a healthy diet, exercise, and get plenty of rest) and things to avoid (drugs, alcohol, overeating, and being sedentary). You may also tell them how important it is for you, as a parent, to know they understand the importance of staying healthy.

When it comes to older children, of course you’ll want to continue talking to them about your feelings toward alcohol and drug abuse. Another way you can encourage them to abstain is by leading by example. If they see you drinking often they may be less inclined to believe it’s something to avoid. In fact, if you drink or use recreational drugs the chances are higher that they’ll feel drugs and alcohol are alright for them, too.

If you’ve been talking to your children about drugs and alcohol since they were young, keep doing that. As they get older and understand more, you may want to be more specific when you talk about the damage alcohol and drugs can do to your body. Find pictures on the internet of accidents caused by drunk drivers. Pull together pamphlets from anti-drug organizations that are geared toward children. They may be able to explain the seriousness of alcohol and drug use better than you could ever do.

Take time to listen. If your children ask questions about drugs or alcohol, listen to what they’re really asking and try to figure out why. More than anything you’ll want to do your best to keep the lines of communication open with them. They want to know you care and one way you can do so is to give them guidance, especially about such a serious topic.

Learning how to talk to your kids about alcohol and drug abuse isn’t difficult but it can make parents uncomfortable. There are organizations that provide guidance and you’re encouraged to use them. However, if you start talking to them about it while they’re young, they are more likely to listen to your advice and know you have their best interest at heart.

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Children often dread going back to school after summer break. You may realize the importance of child education and talking to your children about starting school, but do you know what to say? Some of these ideas may help you start up the conversation.

A few weeks before school begins, you may want to allude to the fact that school will be starting soon. Begin now to help your child become accustomed to going to bed earlier and getting up in time to get ready for school. Talk to them about how important it is that they be rested and prepared for school.

Acknowledge your children’s emotions regarding returning to school. You may want say, “I understand you’re feeling uneasy about going back to school. Can you tell me what is causing you to be uneasy?” Ask questions that require more than a yes or no answer. See if you can get your child to verbalize their fears. If you know what they’re concerned about, you’ll have a better idea how to help them overcome those concerns.

If this is their first year of school, they may feel apprehensive about being away from you. Let them know it’s normal to want to stay home. To help them feel better about starting school, try to take them to the school to see it and possibly meet the teacher. Show them how they will be able to make new friends and learn new things. Explain to them how going to school can be fun and that you’re very proud of them for starting school.

Perhaps they had problems with other children teasing them last year and they don’t want to see those students again. Teach your children to set boundaries and to stand up for themselves without resorting to the other student’s tactics. Help them learn to remain calm when they are teased, to walk away from trouble, and how to get help from the teacher if needed. They’ll also want to learn to stay in control of their bodies and their words rather than out of control.

Do your best to listen to what your child is saying by paying attention when they talk. You want them to know that you’re interested in the things that concern them. You also want to keep lines of communication open so they’ll feel comfortable coming to you with problems they may have in the future.

Students who are moving from one school to another may have an entirely different set of reasons for not wanting to start the new year. If they are shy or have self-esteem problems, your response can make a world of difference. Try to help them find activities they can excel in that will bolster their self-esteem.

School will start soon and your children may have many reasons for not wanting to return. You know the importance of talking to your children about starting school. These suggestions may help you start the conversation but you’ll also want to listen to what they have to say so the two of you can come up with solutions together.

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Death is an event that has something to do with grief and sorrow. Talking about death is a very difficult, more so when you need to discuss it with a child. Young children, however fragile and weak they may seem, they are the ones who are emotionally quite strong to cope up with the situation. Helping young children understand death is a crucial task as you are unaware about how a child would face the reality of death.

An important question that at times you encounter is how to help children understand death. Children’s capacity to understand death and the way you should approach them will vary according to their age. Children below the age of 5 – 6 view the world in a very literal sense. So death should be explained in a very specific and concrete terms to them. Explain death by using phrases like “the person’s body stopped working and the doctors were unable to fix it”. You should also make them understand that “dying” or “dead” means the person’s body stopped working. Kids have no idea that everyone in this world will die one day. Hence, they keep on asking question about when the person will come back. Maintain patience and continue to reiterate that as the person has died he/ she will never come back.

Though children of ages about 6 – 10 still don’t understand that everyone will face death one day, yet they start to grasp the finality of death. It is best to give an accurate, simple, clear and honest explanation of death to kids of such ages.

As kids reach their teens a lot of things become clear to them. They start to understand that every human being is bound to die at a certain point of time in their life. A lot of questions start lingering in their minds about mortality, vulnerability and they start searching more meaning in a death of a near one. At times, teens experience guilt when suddenly one of their peers dies. It is necessary for you to be by his/ her side and experience and share their grief.

Generally, this educational process starts with the death of a relative. In case your child experience the death of a pet before that, it is good to educate them during that time. So, when actually a close relative dies, the child is already in a position to cope up with the death.

Here are possible ways to help you in the process of helping your children accept death.

* Be honest with kids and encourage questions. After facing a death, a kid tends to ask a lot of questions about death. You might not always have answers to such queries, but be patient and create an atmosphere of comfort and openness. Explain the facts about the death in as simple language as possible.

* Avoid using euphemisms like the loved one “went to sleep” or “went for a long trip”. These phrases can have a negative impact on the child’s mind. Firstly, he may get afraid while going to sleep or fearful to go for a trip. Secondly, such phrases give them the hope that the deceased will either wake up or return from the trip. Hence, it is always a better way of approach to say that the loved one is dead as his/ her body stopped working. The person won’t live with us anymore and that we will always remember the person.

* As it is the time when you can grieve the death of a close one, it is good time to make them understand how vulnerable we are. In cases of deaths due to accidents, teach your kid about ways to stay safe and healthy.

* In the event of a death in your family the first question that arises is how to help children understand death. The fact is that children have the inner strength to face the occurrence of a death, but they need a bit of help from you. Assure them the death did not occur due to any of their faults and that it occurs to everyone. Children generally accept the beliefs of their parents. So a belief in life after death will definitely comfort your child if that concept is also part of your beliefs. For helping children understand death, it is your duty to be as clear and true as possible.

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There may be times when we may grow tired of the talkative nature of toddlers but talking remains to be one of those milestone achievement in child development which you can’t wait to unfold.

Setting up a favorable environment is one of the best ways you can do to help the learning process flow in easier. The first thing you can do is to stop speaking in a baby tone and try to talk to youur child in an adult manner so that the child can get the proper inflections and word meanings/contexts. Also ask them a lot of questions in order to engage in conversations. Here are a few more guidelines:

1. Be sure to tell them what you’re doing. If it’s time to change their clothes for bedtime, tell them. “Off with your shoes. Remove your pants and shirt.” Repeating this each time you change them helps them learn to use labels for their clothing.

2. Read to them as often as possible. Picture dictionaries can introduce them to new words. Point to the pictures in the book and name each one. Read simple stories using expression in your voice for the different characters. Your toddler will love it!

3. Try not to talk or mumble to yourself which can confuse your toddler. They may begin to think that words are meaningless if someone isn’t responding when you talk.

4. Play repeating games with your toddler. Start out with simple words. Point to a toy they like and say “toy.” Ask them if they would like the toy and then ask them if they can say “toy.” If they try, praise them whether they can say the word or not. Then give them the toy. Repeat with other things they point to and indicate they want.

5. Leave the television off as much as possible. Parking your toddler in front of a TV for a short while won’t hurt them, but leaving them there for hours can. In fact, some experts have determined that watching television earlier than age two can be a contributing factor to developing Attention Deficit Disorder. If you can’t be with them physically, put them somewhere safe and let them play with their toys.

6. Be patient. Babies all learn at different rates so don’t get too discouraged if your toddler doesn’t learn to speak as quickly as another child. It may not seem like it, but your toddler will be talking when they’re ready. Of course, then you may wish they didn’t talk so much!

7. See the doctor. If you think your toddler is way behind their peers in speaking, you may want to see your child’s pediatrician. They will be able to test your toddler to see if there is a physical reason for them not speaking. If there is a problem, they will be able to give you the best advice for getting your toddler past the problem.

8. Love them as they are. If you put too much pressure on them to talk before they’re ready, it could do more harm than you realize. It’ll happen, just wait and see.

Try not to stress out about whether your toddler is talking or not. Unless your doctor gives you a reason why they won’t, you can expect your toddler to begin talking when they’re good and ready. Until then, talk to them, read to them, and keep on loving them!

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