How to Conquer Monsters Under the Bed

As I child I remember being afraid of monsters under my bed. I was afraid that if even my toe leaned out over the bed, a monster would snatch it! I never mentioned my fears to my family and I did eventually get over them. On the bright side I think this taught me to be a very still sleeper, but I wonder if it would have made a difference if I had talked about it with my parents.

If you aren’t sure if your child is afraid of the dark or of monsters then just ask! You can also look for signs like anxiety at bedtime and clinginess before you turn out the lights. Talking about their fears will help them to understand their fears better and overcome them more easily. Just remember to take them seriously! To them monsters are real, so avoid disregarding comments or chuckling. They’ll know that you care if you listen and help them to come up with ideas to chase those monsters away!

Are Chores Worth the Hassle With Kids?

The ultimate dream: a clean house. Keeping a house clean is hard work with all the toys, snacks, and clothes that land on the ground daily and all of the activities and meals that moms are in charge of. Cleaning can be intimidating if mom is the only one working, and eventually she will end up feeling like a maid. If only there were little helpers around so mom didn’t have so much work… Oh wait! That’s what kids are for! Even toddlers can do simple chores to help keep the house tidy.

Organizing chores can seem difficult. Training kids can seem daunting. Is it worth spending time to train them? The majority of adults feel this way. In a survey conducted by Braun Research, 82 percent of parents did chores growing up, but only 28 percent report implementing chores with their own kids. Let’s get that percentage up! Kids will learn self-control and feel a sense of accomplishment as they grow and learn how to complete the new tasks they are given. Parents will enjoy a clean (if only slightly at first) house. And the entire family will have more time together! Here are some tips to make chores a good experience for parents and kids:

Healthy Sleep Habits

My Frozen obsessed toddler likes to pretend to be Anna and wake me by prying my eyes open and asking, "Mommy, you wanna build a snowman?" The way she says it is adorable, except of course in the middle of the night! It's so hard to function on little or interrupted sleep. Here are some tips to help your nights go as smoothly as possible: 

Time for Bed

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As a parent, you've probably noticed when your children don't get enough sleep, they can become cranky or moody and show more behavioral problems. Setting a regular bedtime routine can help children get the right amount of sleep and improve the quality of their sleep.

Establishing bedtime routines can start at any age. Most parents begin introducing a routine when their child is around 4 months old and then make appropriate changes as the child grows. These tips can help encourage good sleep habits so that you and your children all get the rest you need:

• Stick to a bedtime: Consistency is important, even on the weekends. Nap time can affect bedtime, so schedule naps wisely, according to your child's age. (For tips on naps: click here). As kids get older and start to give up their naps, they may go to bed at night earlier than they did as toddlers. Encourage older kids and teens to set a bedtime that allows them to get the full hours of sleep they need. 

• Winding down/relaxation time: Prepare your child to sleep by having a wind-down period 15-30 minutes before the bedtime routine. A reliable set of steps that happen every night cues your child's brain and body that it's time to sleep. Some ways to help children relax include: a warm bath, relaxation stretches or massage, reading a book, or singing a lullaby. 

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• Bedtime routine: The bedtime routine can include changing into pajamas, brushing teeth, dimming the lights, speaking in soft voices, and a goodnight kiss or cuddle. For infants, help them learn to fall asleep on their own by putting them in their crib when drowsy but still awake, so they don't get used to falling asleep in your arms.

• Avoid screen time: At least an hour before bedtime, electronics should be turned off. Creating an environment that's favorable for sleep means kids' bedrooms should be free of televisions, computers, or mobile devices. (This is good advice for the whole family!) Overusing media devices can decrease the amount of sleep kids get by: delaying children's bedtimes, keeping kids' brains engaged and less able to fall asleep, and disrupting kids' natural sleep rhythms due to light emissions from screens. 

For more tips on healthy sleep habits, check out the National Sleep Foundation or KidsHealth. 

Sweet Dreams!

Making Time for Family Time

School is starting soon…like in a month! Summer is going by fast and this is the time of year where most families start to get really busy…and start to spend less time together. Everyone is getting ready for school and all the extra stuff like…Extracurricular activities, Homework, Arranging car schedules, Parties, Sports, Projects, Volunteering and PTA meetings, etc.

When schools begins, it’s usually family time that gets thrown out the window first. However, family time is where the whole family can get together without distractions and spend quality time together. Growing up my family was always super busy because we have 5 kids, but we still (even now) try to spend quality time together. I believe that making that a priority has helped me be a better friend to my siblings and my parents, not just a sister or a daughter. And staying close has kept us out of trouble….for the most part.

Now I know what you’re thinking….there is no time for family time!!! Well here are a few tips to help you squeeze it in to your busy life.

HOW TO MAKE FAMILY TIME POSSIBLE:

(Click here to get full list and follow a great blog!)

Turn off TV and Technology during the week, or for a specific amount of time during the day. This is getting rid of distractions and allowing family relationships to grow.

  Limit your child’s extracurricular activities. Yes they are great, but your child can’t be involved in everything. They and you will get burnt out fast. Limit them to having one or two after-school activities.

 Limit your own activities. As parents we tend to think that we are superheroes (which is true) with amazing time powers (which is sometimes true), but our families need us. Parents should go out one night a week to get alone time and a break, but more than that usually can cause stress in the home.

 Eat dinner together! Make it a safe place where members feel loved. Don’t allow phones or any other type of distraction. If Dinner doesn’t work with schedules do breakfast! 

Sleep!!! Set bed times for you and your kids. You might think that you get more done when your kids are asleep, but you need rest to handle everything you deal with during the day. Sleep will help everyone be more calm, patient, and understanding with each other.

 Plan fun activities to do as a family during the week. We have chores, and homework, and violin lessons, and soccer, but we also need fun activities for family time. (examples: going to get ice cream, watching a movie, having a water fight in the backyard, making a meal together, going for walks, reading together, playing a card game)

So remember…family time matters and there is time for it.

Is your Child Ready to Start Potty Training? Find Out How to Know if it's the Right Time!

Every new parent always has the same question of...

“When should I start potty training my child”

Although most children start potty training between 22 to 30 months, every child is going to start at a completely different time.  One of the most important things to remember is that if you push your child to start early and they aren't ready then it can lead to frustration for both you and the child.  Before children can begin to start potty training, they have to be able to have the basic motor skills mastered by themselves.  Once they are physically ready for potty training then it's time to make sure they are emotionally ready! MamaOT shares some signs that your child may be ready to start the adventure of potty training:

• Your child experiences discomfort when wet or soiled
• Your child indicates that he or she has a dirty diaper
• Your child has regular bowel movements on a fairly consistent basis
• Your child can sit on a potty for a short time when placed on it
• Your child demonstrates a pattern of being able to stay dry for about two hours or more at a time
• Your child can pull down their pants independently
• Your child demonstrates interest in watching and imitating other' bathroom-related actions
• Your child can follow basic directions

These are only a few of the list that MamaOT shares! Check out the link to see more detailed information.

Now that you have seen the signs that your child is ready, do you want to know some helpful tips? Kids Health has a great list of how to help with the potty training process, but just remember that it doesn't happen overnight.

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• Set aside some time to devote to the potty-training process
• Don't force your child to sit on the toilet again his or her will
• Show your child how to sit on the toilet
• Establish a routine
• Try to catch your child in the act of pooping
• Have your child sit on the potty within 15 to 30 minutes after meals
• If your child has pooped in their pants, remove it from the diaper and put it in the toilet to teach children where poop goes
• Don't have uneasily removable clothing on children when potty training (Overalls, lots of layers of clothing)
• Allow your child to go a certain amount of time throughout the day without wearing a diaper. If they don't have an accident then you can reward them somehow
• For the boys: have "target practice"
• Reward your child with small things (stickers, stamps, etc.)
• Make sure all caregivers (babysitters, grandparents, childcare workers) follow the same routine of bathroom time and use the same names for body parts

Once you feel ready to conquer the task of starting the potty training process, remember to be patient with your child. It will happen and every child will be different!  

Do any of you experienced potty-training parents have any suggestions or other tips that would be helpful to those parents struggling with teaching their child the tricks of potty-training?

5 Tips to Make Mealtimes Meaningful

Eating is a big part of life!

The joy of food and of sharing mealtimes with friends and family is something that begins in infancy and continues into toddlerhood.

What I wish toddler mealtime looked like... (Photo Credit)

What toddler mealtime really looks like. (Photo Credit)

But sharing mealtimes with a toddler can be difficult. Very difficult.

Mealtimes with my toddler go something like this:

Give toddler food in a bowl on highchair.

Food gets dumped onto tray.

1/2 of food ends up on the floor.

1/4 of food ends up on toddler's body and in hair (somehow it gets into her diaper as well...)

1/4 of food actually ends up in her mouth. 

With mealtimes being a little crazy and messy, it is easy to forget that mealtimes can and should be meaningful. 

At mealtimes, parents can teach their children the importance of nourishing and taking care of their bodies and can strengthen relationships with their little ones.

Here are 5 tips to make mealtimes with your toddler more meaningful:

1. Remember mealtimes are about more than food. Mealtimes provide a great opportunity for parents and toddlers to make meaningful connections.
2. Create routines/traditions around mealtime. Whatever the tradition or routine may be (blessing the food, sharing a "happy moment" of the day, telling jokes, putting on some fun music, etc.), having routines around mealtime makes things predictable and comfortable for your toddler and can be lots of fun. 
3. Turn off the TV and put away all other screens (phones, laptop, iPad) during mealtime. These are distractions that can take away from meaningful family interaction. They can also distract toddlers from actually eating during mealtime. 
4. Avoid mealtime power struggles. Provide your toddler with opportunities to make choices during mealtime. Do you want the blue cup or the green cup? Do you want your spaghetti on a plate or in a bowl? Would you like peas or carrots? Remember that you decide the food options your toddler chooses from, and they decide how much to eat. (More on this here).
5. Make mealtimes fun! Make up fun food titles for your meals, include dips to dunk food into, get your toddler involved in food preparation and setting the table, cut food into fun shapes. (More tips here and here).

How do you make mealtimes meaningful with your toddler?

Additional Resources:

Healthy from the Start: How feeding nurtures your young child's body, heart, and mind

How to Feed Babies and Toddlers in the 21st Century

1, 2, 3... Counting down the days

Are you counting down the days until school starts? Do your kids know that school will be starting up again soon?
Transitioning back into the daily routine can be challenging for most kids.  I still call myself a kid, and I am currently in a huge transition, this time it is getting out of college... I will be graduating in three days!! I am almost counting down the minutes!!

For more tips on transitions check out our previous post on transitioning and back to school preparation.

As you are mentally wishing the days would pass quicker, take this opportunity to teach your children to count with you, and get them excited about starting school again!!

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Here are some tips for teaching your kids to count:

1. Use a calendar to have your kids help you count down how many days are left until school starts. 

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2. Make a paper chain (click here for instructions)
3. Count items around the house. Have your kids count the items they pick up after play.
4. Make a counting book. Dr. Seuss inspires kids to count!  One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
5. Play hopscotch outside on the driveway

Check out  justmommies.com for more ideas!

Caring for your Child's Teeth

The sugars we eat or drink, including sugar in milk, mixes with plaque to create an acid that eats away at our teeth.  During the day we drink water or our saliva removes the acid from our teeth.  However, at night the acid tends to sit on our teeth.

Ways to Care for Your Baby's Teeth:

• Don't put your baby to bed with a bottle with juice or milk, only water.
• Wipe gums with a damp wash cloth after they eat or at least before bed. 
• When first teeth appear, brush them every day with a soft toothbrush. (Don't use fluoride toothpaste until age 3.)
• After 6 months of age, talk to your doctor about a fluoride supplement if your city's water doesn't contain fluoride.
• Take your child to the dentist between age 1 & 2 (check with your dentist for his recommendation) and then every year.

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Teaching a Toddler to Brush their own teeth:

• Teach your child early how to brush.  Buy a small toothbrush with soft bristles.
• Make brushing fun or a game.  Sing "Brush, brush, brush your teeth, keep them clean and white" to the tune Row-row-row your Boat.
• Let your child watch you brush your teeth.
• Read children's books about brushing teeth.
• Play going to the dentist with your child.
• Make a chart where your child can place a sticker every time they remember to brush their teeth.  You may want to come up a reward they can earn for filling up the chart

Materials from Utah County Health Department's Welcome Baby program.

Keeping Teeth Healthy, the Fun Way!

Bedtime seems to be a difficult task for a lot of parents, not to mention brushing your child’s teeth! But, it’s great to be aware of the importance of your child’s dental health! Tooth decay is the main dental problem for preschoolers and the percentages of kids with cavities only increases as they get older. So while dental care may seem unimportant because they’ll lose their baby teeth anyway, decay in baby teeth can lead to dental problems in the future that will have negative effects on permanent teeth. Plus, tooth decay happens faster for children than adults!

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So when do you start taking care of your child’s oral health? You need to start taking care of their mouths before they even have teeth! It’s a good idea to wipe off your child’s gums after they’ve eaten with a soft cloth. This can help to eliminate lingering bacteria and helps your baby get used to cleaning his or her mouth. It’s also important that if your child goes to sleep with a bottle or sippy cup, make sure it’s just water because other liquids can cause tooth decay!

What’s the best way to brush? It’s important to start brushing when your child gets their first tooth. Use a toothbrush that has soft bristles with a small amount of fluoride toothpaste and make sure that all their teeth are brushed thoroughly as well as their gums and tongue. Try to set a routine for brushing twice a day to get rid of germs that cause tooth decay. Once their teeth are touching, start flossing their teeth as well. Be aware that as the parent, you’ll have to brush for your child until they have the coordination to do it themselves.

Nutrition Matters! There are certain foods and drinks that help and hurt your child’s oral health. Sugary, sticky and foods with high carbohydrates are not good for your child’s teeth, especially when they eat them frequently. So try to avoid a lot of crackers, fruit rolls or juice and brush your child’s teeth after they eat them. Some good snacks for healthy teeth are apples, nuts, yogurt, carrots and lots of water!

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Get Excited About Brushing! Now that you know that it’s important to take care of your child’s teeth, how do you get them excited about it? Here are some great ideas about making brushing your teeth fun and not a chore!

• Buy a fun, colorful toothbrush- maybe even an electric one
• Replace toothbrushes often, keeping things exciting
• Let them pick their toothpaste so they’ll enjoy the taste (toothpaste designed for kids of course!)
• Let them brush their own teeth first, then finish by doing it correctly for them
• Brush your own teeth while they brush theirs
• Be excited about brushing your own teeth!
• Read some books about brushing your teeth, HERE are a few suggestions
• Let your child brush a doll’s teeth, then their own
• Sing a song while they are brushing so they know how long to brush, or play some music
• Have a rewards chart: HERE are some you can download

Okay parents- What are some fun ways you get your kids to brush their teeth?

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Preparing for Preschool

Preschool - For many kids this is their first experience in a large social setting, let alone a school setting! The important thing to remember about this age is that children preschool age are still in the process of developing a long term memory system; so you will feel like you’re repeating yourself 100 times and that is because you are, but to the child it’s like it is their first time hearing this instruction. What preschool tries to do is get them into a routine; if you have the same routine day in and day out, with the same expectations for behavior they will eventually remember it. This initial learning about school routines and social behavior are two of the biggest reasons for preschool. So what can you do to help prepare your child for preschool? Since I have been teaching in a preschool that prides itself on being developmentally appropriate, I will tell you what we expect children to be able to do and let you decide what to do from there.

We do lots of creative expression activities in preschool.  We color, paint, cut, and glue to make representations. We also practice expressing ourselves through pretend play (this could be a short formal play), moving our bodies to music (representing actions in a song or freestyle), and we give them lots of opportunities to play with instruments (playing with rhythms and beats).

               * *Hint: try to help them feel comfortable in doing things like this by giving them similar experiences at home. We know that glue and paint can be messy but if you show and tell them what they can do with those items they really can do it and it can be such a wonderful experience for developing their small motor skills (preschool obviously helps to develop these skills but preschool can be so much more meaningful and full of learning if they already are in the process of developing these skills).

Believe it or not we also practice MATH skills in preschool! But it’s not the math worksheet math you’re probably thinking of. We practice our counting and recognizing numbers. We also focus on making comparisons and the development of questioning skills. Again, they will learn these skills in preschool, but they will learn so many other valuable skills if these skills have already been being practiced at home. They can learn the meaning of numbers (matching a numeral number 5 to  5 objects); they can learn and identify sequences and patterns; and they can even learn what happens when we join to a set (add) or separate from a set (subtract)!

Writing and Literacy. This is a large part of a preschool day; because it is such an integral part you will see large growth in their skills. Especially if it is reinforced at home. We give them lots of opportunities to write and recognize their name as well as their classmates names. We practice rhyming and the recognition of beginning word sounds (relating sounds to letters). As far as reading goes, we want them to realize that books/print is read from left to right and top to  bottom.

                

**Hint: the most useful thing you can do to help your child with writing and literacy is to read with and to them (giving them opportunities to ‘read’ as well).

Last, but definitely not least is the development of social skills. We covered this pretty well already with last week’s post. A large focus of preschool is giving children opportunities to express their feelings in acceptable ways (getting them to use their words). We give encouragement to interact with their peers and demonstrate how (this can be through role play; or by telling them what they could say if they want to ask if they can join in a play setting; or by asking our friends/classmates at large group time about a problem like hitting, and what we could do instead to solve our problems).  If your child has siblings there will be lots of opportunities for practice and reinforcement at home; if not, no worries, preschool will likely be able to develop these skills but a playgroup setting or time at a local park to also practice these skills will be helpful.  The second biggest thing with social skills is sharing. This is second biggest because they need to be able to use their words to ask if they can use a tool or toy AND they need to be able to use their words to say “yes”, “no”, or “I am using it right now, but you can have it when I’m done”. As parents when a child asks for something nicely we usually give it to them immediately; we can help them learn how to emotionally regulate their  feelings by saying what we expect them to be able to say: “yes”, “no”, or “I’m using it, but you can have it after me”. Any response other than “yes” will be unexpected for them, so giving them practice at home before going off to school will help them know how to deal with the situation rather than being surprised and then angry.

Good luck and enjoy this fun period where there is so much learning, growth, and development taking place!

Nap Time

Babies crave consistency. "Knowing what to expect and when is very comforting to them," says Marilyn Heins, MD, a pediatrician in Tucson and author of ParenTips. Although you can start carving out a regimen as soon as your newborn comes home from the hospital, it takes an infant at least a few weeks to get used to napping, eating, and playing at the same hours every day. Most babies will be receptive to a schedule around 6-8 weeks. 

Bedtime routines calm your child and let them know it's time to transition into sleep mode.

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Here are some tips for getting you baby or child to sleep:

-  Make sure that your baby is awake when you put them in their crib. "It's how he learns to sleep on his own," Dr. Mindell explains. "If he's dozing after a meal, gently wake him and then put him down."

-  Give baby a warm, soothing bath.

-  Moisturize and massage baby

-  Sing a lullaby or play soft music

-  Read, or tell a story, or say prayers

-  Say goodnight to favorite toys or stuffed animals in the room

-  Tuck in/ swaddle baby 

The books by “The Baby Whisperer” have great reviews and my friends who are moms rave about the techniques. You can get you own copy at your local library or buy one for under $10 on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_n_0?rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Athe+baby+whisperer%2Cn%3A%211000%2Cn%3A20&bbn=1000&keywords=the+baby+whisperer&ie=UTF8&qid=1327960837&rnid=1000

Napping and sleeping routines are not only important for your baby or toddler, but also for you as a mom! Once your baby is on a schedule, you will be able to find which times are best to get things done on your endless to do list, and even find a moment of quiet time for yourself. When you can feel rested and productive, you will have the energy to happily continue caring for your family each day.

That said, schedules aren't for everybody. "It all depends on your parenting style and your baby's temperament," Dr. Widome says. "Some babies naturally eat and sleep at the same times each day; others will resist a set routine." Moms and dads with older kids may discover that a rigid plan doesn't work for them. "Remember, a schedule is just a rough guideline," Dr. Wasserman says. "The key is to be flexible and find what works best for your family."

This information came from www.parents.com