Archive for the ‘Child Care’ Category
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Suggestions of Items to Pack When Traveling with Your Child
We need a checklist when traveling with our kids, most especially if our child is still a baby. I, for one is a mommy of a 4-year-old, though traveling is more relaxed now, I still write a checklist when I pack before a trip. Here are some useful items that you might want to include in your luggage when traveling with your son/daughter:
Packing Checklist:
- Diapers. One for each hour you’ll be in transit, plus extras in case of delays
- Pad to put under your baby during diaper changes. You can buy disposable changing pads at supermarkets or reusable ones at baby stores.
- Blankets. Bring a few — you’ll use them to lay your baby on, cover your baby, cover yourself if you’re nursing, protect your clothes from messy burps, shade your baby, and more.
- Plastic bags. Carry a variety of sizes for storing soiled diapers, clothes, and blankets.
- Diaper rash cream
- Wipes
- Small bottles of disinfecting hand gel, baby wash, and baby lotion
- Tissues
- Extra pacifiers (if your baby uses one)
- A few of your baby’s favorite toys
- Clothes, socks, and booties or shoes
- One to two outfits per day is a good guideline.
- Washable bibs
- Sun hat
- Lightweight plastic feeding set with utensils, and baby food
- If your baby’s eating solid foods
- Formula, water, and juice if appropriate
- Extra bottles, nipples, and sippy cups if appropriate
- Energy-boosting snacks for you to munch on
- Breast pump (if you use one)
- Nightlight. So you can keep the room lighting soothingly low during middle-of-the-night diaper changes
- First-aid kit. Baby pain reliever and supplies for treating minor injuries.
- Sling or front carrier. Lightweight, hands-free way to keep your baby close in crowded places like airports.
- Portable crib or play yard. A safe place for your baby to sleep or play
- Inflatable baby bathtub. Can make bath time easier at your destination.
- Car seat for safer travel by car or plane
- Collapsible stroller. Can be gate-checked or stored in the overhead bin of an airplane.
It is a long list, I must say, but your trips will be hassle free and less stressful if you have everything handy. Here are more tips:
- Start preparing to pack a few days before you travel. Keep a running list of things to take, or put items out on a table or dresser as you think of them.
- Use a diaper bag with a waterproof lining and a shoulder strap.
- Be prepared for leaky diapers and baby spit-up on the airplane: Tuck an extra outfit or two for your baby – and an extra shirt for you – into your carry-on bag.
- Prevent leaks by packing medicines and toiletries in resealable plastic bags.
- Pack each of your baby’s outfits in its own zipped plastic bag so you don’t have to hunt around for tiny socks, shirts, and so on.
- Take your camera, battery charger, and an extra memory card.
- Take a clip-on reading light so you can read without disturbing your baby.
- Take the phone number for your baby’s healthcare provider in case you have questions while you’re on the road.
Article from Baby Center.
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Choosing A CT Daycare Center
It is normal for any parent to worry whenever their child is not by their child. This is why it is very important for a parent to make sure that they trust and feel comfortable with whomever they will leave their child with. Among the usual options for this are CT daycare centers.
If you are one of the many parents who are looking for a Connecticut day care center or a CT preschool you can bring your child to, below are some things you should consider before making a decision.
· Teachers and Staff. These are the people who will be spending time with your child while your child is at the center so it is important to get to know them well. Make sure that you can trust the people at the daycare center and that they always have the welfare of the children left to their care as their priority.
· Facilities. Go around the center and make sure that it is safe and secure. The areas where the children will be staying should be child-proofed. Look out for pointed objects or sharp corners which could cause injury to any child. Aside from the safety and security, you should also make sure that the facilities are clean everywhere. Viruses, germs, and diseases can be easily spread in such centers so it is vital that the place is regularly cleaned and sanitized to prevent this.
· Location. It is best if the center you will choose is near your workplace or your home so that you can easily have access to your child especially in case of emergencies. It is also a huge advantage if the center is near a hospital or any place where your child can receive medical attention.
· Activities. Do not just choose a daycare center without knowing what your child will be doing while staying there. Ask the center if they follow any schedule and what kinds of activities they have with the children. Some form of structured schedule is good especially if your child is the type who thrives on routine. Knowing the activities they have planned will also allow you to make requests if there are some activities that you do not want your child to participate in.
About the Author:
Aggie Aviso is a freelance consumer and business writer, writing comprehensive reviews, articles and how-to’s. -
What is your discipline style?
I am a first time mom and nobody is perfect. I believe that disciplining your child and taking care of him is a learning process. You have to learn what is best for him and all kids are unique so one discipline style maybe effective to your son but when implemented to another child, it will not be as effective. Friends of mine who have two or more kids say that each of their children are so different from each other so it’s always trial and error. You read, learn from experience and more importantly, pray that God will lead you to the path of right parenting for each of your child and hoping that your fears like school dropouts or getting in a santa barbara drug alcohol rehab treatment center will never be experienced in the family. There are several parenting style but all discipline tactics leads to address similar themes and these are on the list of Baby Center.
- Aim for the middle ground between being too punitive and too permissive.
- Don’t use physical punishments like spanking and slapping.
- Don’t use psychological punishments such as name-calling and insults.
- When you or your child spiral out of control, take time to cool off.
- Offer choices.
- Learn how to manage your own anger.
- Provide encouragement and positive feedback.
- Let your child experience consequences to behavior.
- Don’t hold grudges. Once the behavior has been dealt with, give your child a clean slate.
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The Connection Between Sleep and Growth
I am very particular with the sleeping habits of my son. Ever since he was born, I instill the right time to sleep at night and the afternoon napping he never misses until today, unless he has to stay up for an activity in school or a very important occasion of the family. Anyway, I read an article at Baby Center about sleep and growth…
Getting enough sleep is important for a young child for many reasons, from restoring energy to building brain connections (not to mention giving Mom and Dad a needed break). But science is showing that sleep also fuels physical growth.
The science of growing
Growth is a complex process that requires several hormones to stimulate various biological events in the blood, organs, muscles, and bones.A protein hormone secreted by the pituitary gland called growth hormone (or “human growth hormone”) is a key player in these events. Several factors affect its production, including nutrition, stress, and exercise. In young children, though, the most important factor is sleep.
Growth hormone is released throughout the day. But for kids, the most intense period of release is shortly after the beginning of deep sleep.
How much sleep do they need?
Two- and 3-year-olds need 12 to 14 hours of sleep every 24 hours (a combination of about 12 hours of night sleep and 1 ½ to 3 hours of naps), 4-year-olds about 11 to 13 hours (with about 11 of the hours at night). (Sleep needs are somewhat individual, with some kids requiring slightly less or more than their peers.)Without adequate sleep, growth problems — mainly slow or stunted growth — can result. Growth hormone production can also be disrupted in kids with certain physical sleep problems, such as obstructive sleep apnea
Kids who don’t get enough sleep show other changes in the levels of hormones circulating in their body, too. Hormones that regulate hunger and appetite can be affected, causing a child to overeat and have a preference for high-calorie carbs. What’s more, a shortage of sleep can affect the way the body metabolizes these foods, triggering insulin resistance, which is linked to type 2 diabetes.
A lack of sleep at night can also affect motor skills and concentration during the day, leading to more accidents and behavioral problems, and poor performance at school.
Ensuring a good night’s sleep
Most kids need more sleep than their parents think.Signs that your child may not be getting enough rest include crankiness or lethargy by day, always falling asleep in the car, and being hard to wake up. If your child is hyper at bedtime or tired before it’s time to go to bed, that’s another clue his schedule may not be consistent enough.
To help your child get plenty of zzz’s:
- Establish consistent daily sleep times and stick to them.
- Have a regular bedtime routine, which helps signal to your child’s body that it’s time to wind down. This might include giving him a bath or snack, reading a bedtime story, and talking or singing softly to him while tucking him in.
- Make sure your child’s room is conducive to sleep. It should be dark and quiet.
- Avoid roughhousing before bedtime. It’s stimulating instead of sleep-inducing.
- Stick to the same timetable and routines for bed on weekends and vacations that you normally have. A variation once in a while won’t cause long-term disruptions, but erratic bedtimes can lead to poor sleep habits and sleep deprivation.
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Is it time?
I learned swimming when I was in third grade so I have doubts if my son can this summer, he is 5 by then. We are looking for sports that we can possibly enroll him. His doctor told us to get him into sports. I am thinking of soccer, but swimming is still something I am scared to consider but is still considering because I know it will give him so much advantages like, strengthening his lungs for example. We will see next year if he is ready. I read an article about swimming lessons for 4-year-olds over at Baby Center that got me thinking…
Your child may be like a little fish in the water or he may cower at the edge of the pool. Either way, swimming lessons are a great way to learn water safety and work on coordination.
Four is usually a fine age to start. To learn to swim, a child must be mature enough to be in the water with an instructor but without you and must be able to get around without swallowing a lot of water. He needs to be able to pay attention to directions and be able and willing to stop doing something when told to do so.
Start by finding a certified instructor who has experience with young children. Many community pools, sports facilities, and places like the local YMCA offer courses for young beginners. With 4-year-olds, the class needs to be fun; ask if the lessons incorporate music or games. Your child also should be allowed to progress at his own pace; it’s not unusual for a child to stay in a beginner class for more than one session. The first go-round might simply be spent getting comfortable in the water.
Make sure there’s adequate supervision. At this age, a good ratio is one instructor for every four children. For beginners, lessons should cover water safety, as well as basic floating, breathing, and leg and arm movements.
photo from: Pool Center
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How to spot your grade schooler’s hidden talents…
I always thought that there is something wrong with some of my son’s actions but it turns out that there might be hidden treasures from it. Let me share this from Baby Center:
Some kids’ gifts are on display for the world to see. Others may have hidden talents that masquerade as chattiness, daydreaming, or high energy. Sometimes clues to their gifts lie in how they play with puzzles, sort objects, or pull apart mechanical things.
Below, experts on gifted children tell you how to read the clues to your child’s hidden talents and offer advice on how to help her blossom.
Your child loves to sort objects
She pairs up socks, lines up toy cars, or groups items by color, size, or shape. She may also like things to be organized and orderly.
What it may mean: Your child is probably what’s known as an auditory sequential learner, meaning she is an analytical thinker, is well organized, and pays attention to details. She may be looking for patterns, often an early indicator of aptitude in math and science, says Linda Powers Leviton, an expert in gifted education.
How to nurture: Explore projects and games that involve patterns and matching, such as beading or Go Fish. Teaching your child to keep track of sports statistics or letting her have a pretend stock portfolio might appeal. The fan of sorting and cataloging may love a visit to a natural history museum or archeological dig.
Find activities to encourage math skills and experiments to interest a budding scientist.
Put your child in charge of sorting the silverware and organizing the cans in the cupboard. Give her the change jar and have her sort the coins.
Your child talks nonstop
Your chatty kid may have an advanced vocabulary, concoct elaborate stories, and make few grammatical or pronunciation errors, says Judy Galbraith, author of You Know Your Child Is Gifted When… She may also talk very fast and often doesn’t stop until she’s asleep. She wants to have the last word in every argument.
What it may mean: Verbal proficiency can be an early sign of a gifted kid. It’s also key to success in school and many other aspects of life. Kids with the gift of persuasion may someday choose professions such as law or journalism.
How to nurture: Ask your talkative kid to dictate stories to you. As she begins to write herself, suggest that she put her tales down on paper. You can turn them into books that she can illustrate. Interview your child and record her thoughts on tape or video. This is a good age to introduce the concept of reflection (asking your child to write or draw what’s on her mind can help).
Along with promoting speaking and writing skills, teach her to be a good listener, too.
Visit the library often and find books that challenge your child. She may prefer books with more words and fewer pictures than other kids her age.
Encourage her to think about what she’s going to say before she speaks. Listen to your child’s musings and arguments – but set a time limit if she’s a tireless debater.
And build some quiet time into the day, for everyone’s sake.
Your child fiddles with everything
She’s compelled to explore how things work – she likes to fiddle with buttons and switches. She may pull something apart and then try to figure out how to put it back together. She’s fascinated by machines.
What it may mean: Your child is probably a visual-spatial learner. A child who enjoys tinkering may be a future mechanic, engineer, inventor, or scientist. She may design anything from a better mousetrap to a state-of-the-art laptop.
How to nurture: Keep your builder supplied with construction toys, so she can create, break down, and rebuild her own designs. Also encourage her to build with thread spools, empty tissue boxes, or whatever else she finds around the house.
Visit play centers or playgrounds designed for hands-on exploration. Satisfy her urge to figure out how things work by giving her safe gizmos to play with, such as a padlock and key, an old-fashioned alarm clock, or a broken toaster (unplugged, of course). Point out mechanical objects, such as traffic lights, when you’re out and about.
Keep close watch over your child, as these are the types of kids who will reach for a power tool or try to learn about an electrical socket by sticking a knife into it.
Your child is a daydreamer
She may seem to be off in her own world communing with the pixies. She may enjoy pretend play, spend free time painting, and have lots of ideas to share. She may use things in new and unusual ways (such as shoveling with a shoe or storing things in it), be open to zany ideas, and think of creative ways to solve problems. She may also ask show-stopping questions such as, “Why is the sky blue?”
What it may mean: Your little visionary may seem unfocused but probably spends her time dreaming up big ideas. This often indicates a strong creative streak, a telltale sign of giftedness. Everyday life may seem boring to this imaginative thinker, who may escape into fantasy and have a tough time separating what’s real from what’s not.
Down the road, your child may pursue vocations like artist, actor, writer, filmmaker, or fashion or interior designer. Or she may make use of her think-outside-the-box brain and problem-solving skills in innovative ways in the arts or sciences.
How to nurture: Encourage your child’s creativity, in whatever form it takes. Provide a budding artist with plenty of materials to stretch her imagination. Play music and sing songs. Experiment with science projects.
Take your child to plays and concerts, listen to her fantastic tales, and provide props (and an audience) for her performances. Take advantage of free “family days” at art museums.
Your child may take to science-fiction books; ask a librarian for age-appropriate recommendations.
If you’re hard-pressed to answer all the tricky questions this child pitches, don’t sweat it, says Galbraith. Simply make it a project to find out together.
Your child loves to solve puzzles
She enjoys solving puzzles of any kind – jigsaws, a round of “I Spy,” riddles, or a mystery story. When solving jigsaws, she’s less likely to use trial and error and more likely to place a piece where it belongs on or near her first attempt.
What it may mean: She may be a visual-spatial learner. She’s likely to think in images and put her talents to use by taking in the whole picture. Down the track she may make a good detective, archeologist, or research scientist.
How to nurture: Keep the puzzles coming, and don’t forget other activities that require spatial problem solving, such as labyrinths. Include crossword puzzles, word games, riddles, and mystery stories in the mix. An older child might like exploring the neighborhood together with a map and a compass.
Your kid is a take-charge type
Your child has strong opinions about how things should be done. She likes to call the shots with games, dramatic play, and most everything else.
What it may mean: Your bossy boots may be a natural-born leader, which will serve her well in school, sports, and many other aspects of life. A take-charge child may inspire others, see conflicts from different perspectives, and bring out the best in a team, says Powers Leviton. In the future? Leadership is especially valued in business, politics, community organizing, and mediation.
How to nurture: Whenever you can, let this child lead the way. She may want you to follow her on the hiking trail. Put her in charge of a project at home, like organizing the pantry. Let her arrange things in her room the way she likes (within reason).
Give choices and let your child decide when possible. Say, “We need to go the grocery, gas station, and library. Where should we go first?” When you get to the store, give her a list of items to gather. She needs the opportunity to contribute in a real way.
Ask for her help in solving a family problem: “We’re always late for swimming. Can you think of anything that would help us be on time?” At this age, you could even call a family meeting and let your child facilitate.
Satisfy her need to lead but make sure she knows you’re in charge when it comes to safety and other matters grown-ups need to have the say-so on. And introduce her to the notion of taking turns calling the shots and listening, so she’s less likely to alienate playmates.
Your child can’t keep still
She likes to do everything on the go – or at least standing up. She enjoys anything where movement is the name of the game.
What it may mean: Your child is likely what’s known as a bodily-kinesthetic or physical learner, who absorbs information best and is most interested when activities involve action and motion.
She may take to sports, dance, or music and may have advanced fine-motor skills. She may gravitate toward jobs that aren’t deskbound, such as teacher or park ranger. Or she may use her superior hand skills as a chef.
How to nurture: Make sure each day includes lots of time for physical activity. Movers and shakers can get bored easily, so rotate activities to keep things fresh. These children may also enjoy exploring music through movement, so give them the chance to sing and dance. For kids who like to use their hands, bring out drawing, painting, beading, and sculpting projects.
Some children feel they do their best thinking while wriggling around. You might let yours sit on a child-size rubber exercise ball while doing homework.
It’s equally important for this busy child that you establish soothing bedtime rituals. Try a soothing snack, like milk and whole-grain cereal, an hour or two before it’s time to sleep, suggests Galbraith. Then follow with a bath, book, and bed. Listening to relaxing music in the dark can also help your antsy child rest.
Your child’s talents are still a mystery to you
If you don’t see any of these signs in your child, stay open to teasing out her hidden talents. Chances are you’ll spot her special gifts over time.
Asking for feedback from other adults in your child’s life can give you fresh insights. Her teacher may point out her fascination with the piano. Or maybe Grandpa comments on her ability to remember all types of plants and flowers.
By noticing the areas where she has natural talent, you can help her be seen, heard, and understood. But your ultimate goal is to love her for who she is while you help her reach her full potential.
So what do I see from DS?
YOUR CHILD LOVES TO SORT OBJECTS
Dustin loves to line up his toys. When he was younger, who only lines up his toy cars but now that he is in preschool, he usually lines up and sorts, blocks, loves to fix our pillows and other stuff.
Teachers observe that he has a keen eyesight. He is very observant and usually notices the tiny details.
When we are preparing the table, he loves pairing all the spoons and forks and when I try to mismatch the utensils to see what he will do? He would always tell me, “Mommy that is not the one”, and will try to sort the pairs correctly.
YOUR CHILD FIDDLES WITH EVERYTHING
He loves to dismantle his toys and tries to figure out how to put it. He loves to turn on the lights, the A/C and the fan. He is amazed with machinery especially of automobiles and heavy equipment, he even loves to assist his nanny to use the juicer. And I am always scared of our power sockets, because he tends to look at it and learns how to use it already. I once saw him took the phone charger from the socket and tries on putting it again. Yikes!
YOUR CHILD CAN’T KEEP STILL
This is my son, most definitely. Though he lays low so much when he got to school, but my son is 100% an active little boy and I have no problems with that anymore because I learned to embrace it and saw his potential and his kind heart, even in school he is always praised to be a very respectful boy, so who cares what other people say about him as being so active, at least he is one fine boy.
He loves to sing and dance and if you play a really fast song, you are sure to see him dance to the music. His teacher tells me that he loves to dance in school and he never stops singing even at home. I think it pacifies him, I don’t mind, he has a very nice voice anyway.
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Educational Philosophy of a Progressive School
I was reading my son’s school handbook and I want to share their educational philosophy for each child they have in their school:
THE WHOLE CHILD
We believe that the child develops a deep understanding of education as he is an important participant in the learning process. He is viewed as a unique individual who perceives and understands the world differently from the way the adult does. The individuality of each child is valued, especially his strengths, his own ways of learning, and even his weaknesses. However, the general milestones that every child achieves at his particular age is recognized and given value.
A child retains more information when he finds meaning to what he is doing. He also has the need to feel the relationship of his learning with the other aspects of his life. Thus, he learns best through concrete, integrated, and hands-on experiences. He gains knowledge of various concepts and skills from these experiences as he goes through a variety of activities. Play is also an integral part in learning as this promotes a fun, stress and pressure-free-way of exploration, discovery and problem-solving. These will empower him to apply what he has learned in school to real life situations.
And according to John French,
The progressive school teaches the child to think for himself instead of passively accepting stereotyped ideas. It keeps always in mind that each child is different from each other, and that makes an educated person useful in his particular walk of life, what makes him interesting, what makes him an individual, is not his resemblance to other people, but his differences.
Howdy!
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