Archive for September, 2006
Why would a child habitually lie?
Somestimes fear is the reason. A child disobeys his parents and rather than face the music, he denies having disobeyed.
One way you might handle this: when punishment for lying fails to stop the child lying, then the parents, without anger, should talk to the child, explaining, “We will promise you that, as long as you tell the truth, we will not punish you.” The child may not become a paragon of truth over night but each time he comes and admits to some infraction, and you keep your promise, the child will become a lover of truth.
Some children lie by way of exaggeration in order to gain attention. It may be that they learned that by listening to and observing adults trying to outdo each other and impress those around them.
Still other youngsters have heard too often, “You never tell the truth,” “I can never believe you,” or, “You’re always lying,” until they begin to feel, “What’s the use? Mom and Dad will think I’m lying , anyway.” Actually, such a child has hit on a very great truth that whatever our age we do well to heed. It’s this: The person who tells lies forfeits the right to be believed when he is telling the truth.
The finest teaching we can give our children and other young people with whom we come in contact is to be truthfull at all times.
(sc) contributing editor for Browneyedbabyboutique
September 29th, 2006
“I’d love to, but I just don’t have the time.”
Wouldn’t it be interesting to keep track of how often we hear that or say it ourselves?
Frequently it is a plain statement of fact; at other times it can be an excuse. When “I don’t have the time” is the truth, then acting on it is simply being a good steward of a precious, nonrecoverable commodity. So we do well to question our use of abuse of time.
Especially in the home and with our children it’s essential that we shun the excuse route. That doesn’t mean we have to give account of our every minute. We do, however, need to be completely honest with a child. If, indeed, we do not at the moment have time to give attention to what the child wants us to do, there’s nothing wrong with saying it. It’s good to add, “But I’ll make time a little later.” a child can live with that without feeling Mom or Dad doesn’t care about him. It’s vital, though, to follow through and keep that promise.
Because we cannot “make” time, in order to keep faith with the child, we just have to let something else go.
Actually, it’s been my observation that the boy and girl who can trust their parents to give them some time, are generally far less demanding. They tend to feel secure in their parents’ love; they think, “I’m important. Mom and Dad like to spend time with me.” Contrast the often-let-down youngster who continually hounds his parents with his whining, “You promised. You promised.”
Keeping a promise is its own reward in good relationships.
(sc)
September 28th, 2006
Helping your child grow healthy and strong is one of the delights of parenthood. And it’s a big job, especially in the first two years. Each child develops at a unique pace, and not all children will do the same things at the same time.
A few things that you might be looking for in their development the first six months are: Able to sit alone for a short time. Reach for small objects and hold them for a few seconds. Giggle alot and enjoy just about everyone around them.
Now that your baby is starting to sit up, take down mobiles strung across the crib or playpen. Check to see that your childs crib meets current safety standards, and never use pillows for your sleeping child.
Make sure you keep up on all their immunizations and keep those records in a safe place, before you know it they will be up and ready to attend school! So enjoy every minute of their infant stage and just relax!!!!
(sc)
September 27th, 2006
Have you looked back over a day and thought, What have I really accomplished today? and your mind recalled some of the things you had hoped to complete?
Usually, at such times, we are a bundle of mixed regrets and a degree of disgust with ourselves.
What makes the diffence between a satisfactory day and one that causes you to think less of yourself?
A key ingredient is having goals. Sometimes setting goals is the only thing that keeps us going or even gets us started on certain projects. That is particularly true of the distasteful aspects of homemaking (we each have our own least favorite taks). Noting those on our to-do-today list of activites, then being able to check each off as done, will give us a good feeling about ourselves.
The snare to guard against in goal-setting is being unrealistic, biting off more than we can chew.
Setting goals helps keep us on course as to what not to do with our precious time.
(sc) contiributing editor for Brown eyed baby boutique
September 26th, 2006
Not long ago, doctors and parents assumed that children’s back pain complaints were an excuse to avoid school or chores.
But recent studies report a thrid of kids in their early teens have had back pain.
Doctors have tried to relate back pain to activity, Alvin H. Crawford, M.D. says. One study showed kids who watched more TV had more back pain than kids who were out playing sports. But the study wasn’t statistically significant, so he says we still don’t really know what’s behind kids’ back pain.
“If a child is complaining of back pain and isn’t better after a few days of rest, mild pain relievers and avoiding the activity suspected of causing the pain, it should be taken very seriously,” Crawford says.
(sc)
September 25th, 2006
Baby sign language or baby signs are easy-to-do jestures that represent activties, emotions or objects.
Let’s say that you want to teach your 14 month old daughter to sign “drink” when she is thirsty, instead at whining while you guess what she wants until you get it right. Here are a few tips for starting:
1. Observe that your child is whining and probably wants something - you suspect she might be thirsty.
2. You begin the guessing game. Do you want a cracker? Do you want a drink?….and when you get to “Do you want a drink?” be sure to sign “drink” when you say “drink.”
3. She stopped whining and smiled when you ask her if she wants a drink, so you say to her, “Oh-you want a drink” and sign “drink” when you say the word “drink.”
4. She claps and smiles again as if to say, ” Yes, thats what i want, can’t you tell?
5. You take one of her hands, and say, tell me “drink” and you help her sign “drink” as you say it.
6. Let go of her hand, and say, tell me “drink” while signing drink and wait 10-15 seconds to see if she will imitate the sign for drink on her own.
Many mothers have taught their babies to sign, some out of necessity and some for a better understanding of their childs needs.
For more on this subject check out our article on “Baby Sign Language” at Brown Eyed Baby Boutique!
{sc}
September 22nd, 2006
No matter what the ages of your children, chances are pretty good you’ll be in a position where you need to tote them from point A to point B. And when they’re hungry, this toting gets tougher. Use a snack to fill the gap. Keep in mind snacks are a good way to work in nutritious foods your children need for healthy growth. Here’s some suggestions of snack ideas when your family is on the go.
Fruits, dried fruits, vegetables, ready to-eat-cereals, nuts and seeds. Some of them come in their own packages such as bananas, while some of them may need advance preparation.
There are times when your best efforts to plan ahead just don’t work out. All is not lost, convenience stores actually do have wholesome snacks and you can save the day. Some of these are string cheese, yogurt, pretzels, ready to eat cereals in a bowl, pumpkin or sunflower seads, individual servings of milk or juice, popcorn and granola bars.
[sc] contributing editor for Brown eyed baby boutique
September 21st, 2006
Have you ever tried to help someone with a problem only to feel you didn’t know where to begin?
Have you ever wondered why people who give the most of themselves seem to lead the fullest lives?
Genuine, productive caring is nearly a lost art. How do you develop a caring attitude? What are the commmon “wrong” ways to care? What are the tools for genuine caring? and how can you use them productively?
Caring could change your life and the lives of those you love…if you love them enough to care.
Children, especially in this day and age, need to know you care. Here are a few tools to help you in your quest for caring!
1. Listening- All caring is based upon communication and there is no tool more important than the ability to listen.
2. Understanding - You can’t have undersanding without listening but listening alone will not insure understanding. To understand is to see the world through your childs perspective.
3. Persevering - It is not easy to learn. It is not easy to do..and keep on doing. When you persevere, you stand by and go the extra mile.
4. Encouraging - Just as we have too many talkers and not enough listeners, we also have too any criticizers and not enough encouragers.
5. Confrontation- This is best done in a family when the level of emotion is low. Do not put off “carefronting” forever just to avoid the conflict. It is a responsibility of love, though an uncomfortable one.
6. Comforting - To comfort is to give hope.
For more on caring be sure to check out our article in Brown Eyed Baby Boutique!
[sc]
September 20th, 2006
The birth of a new baby is both magical and bewildering for many new parents, who may be shocked at just how much their lives have changed with the arrival of their little bundle of joy.
We know that those new borns take over our lives but maybe we didn’t know they take over our purses, bathrooms, dressers, and every part of the house and car!
Raising a child and being a good parent is tough and you need every bit of information to help you develop effective parenting techniques and to make parenting easier. You need a resource that contains parenting tips and advice that will help develop your parenting skills.
We here at Brown Eyed Baby Boutique are trying hard to keep up on all the new techniques and to share them with you daily here. Our blogging and also in our Parenting Resource you will find many articles that we feel are important for all parents!
So, if your a new parent, especially, please check out both the articles and blogs!
{sc}
September 19th, 2006
A surge in pricey tutoring programs for the pre-kindergarten set makes you wonder: Are they worth it?
“We know from decades of resarch that children learn best through their everyday experiences with the people they know, trust and love, not in structured environments where they are pressured to perform,” says Matthew Melmed, executive director of Zero to Three, which promotes youngstes’ well-being. He stresses the critical connection between a child’s emotional and social development and his ability to learn.
To boost love of learning: Think fun, not flashcards. Cuddles and hugs are just as important to your toddler’s brain development as words on a page. Teach as you play. At the playground, use the sandbox to introduce quantities and counting. Make music together. Singing and dancing both build creativity and language skills.
{sc}
September 18th, 2006
Previous Posts
