Archive for 2011
An Apron Full of Giveaways 02.22.11
February 22nd, 2011 | Carol Cline
lover dovers clothing, $38
Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week, here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys [...]
Poor Man’s Date Night: Linguine With White Clam Sauce
February 22nd, 2011 | Carol Cline
There was a time in our married life when even an inexpensive steak dinner was far from something we could afford. When the grandparents would offer to take the kids for us for a date night, we would run to the supermarket and buy ingredients for a date night at home. At the time, it [...]
Freebie Friday: February 18, 2011
February 22nd, 2011 | Carol Cline
Happy Freebie Friday, everyone! We would like to thank Stephanie from Couponing 101 for assisting us with our freebies each week. Be sure to check out her site for all of the latest freebies, grocery deals, and amazing deals on the internet. I especially love Stephanie’s coupon education of her site where she explains how [...]
Parents Letting Kids Drink, Say Statistics
February 22nd, 2011 | Carol Cline
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has released the statistics from a study that sheds shocking light on how parents were facilitating underage drinking.
6% of American kids aged between 12 and 14 years of age have had at least one alcoholic drink in the last one month and from among those, almost one third said that this drink had been given by a parent or other adult relative to them.
Forty four thousand youngsters were polled in a survey conducted by the National Household Surveys on Drug Use and Health which led to experts issuing warnings about a higher likelihood of developing drinking problems among those kids who started drinking early in life.
However there is a counter view here that says that the correlation between early drinkers and alcohol abuse later is incidental and hinges more on parents’ alcohol consumption patterns and poor supervision of kids.
If fact this view says that those teens who drink with their parents, have fewer alcohol problems that other children. This refers to drinking with teens at meal times or in the religious context rather than facilitating any other kind of drinking for the children. This bears out findings that suggest that when alcohol is consumed in a family setting rather than in bars, people go on to have fewer drinking problems.
Techniques to Promote Good Behavior in Kids – Part 1
February 22nd, 2011 | Carol Cline
Which parent doesn’t like a well behaved, happy and well adjusted child? For that elusive goal of a well behaved and happy child, these 10 techniques to promote good behavior may help –
1. Praise – This is very valuable in reinforcing good behavior since kids always look to parents for approval.
However, make sure that it is the behavior that you praise and not the person – praise the fact that the child did a good job cleaning their room or that they did the right thing when they decided that they were old enough to dress themselves and so on.
Also discourage whining and petulant behavior by appreciating what your child says in a normal and polite voice. Make sure that praise is genuine and consistent.
2. Selective Ignoring – This works by not giving a reaction to bad behavior but reacting to good behavior. Bad behavior will decrease as it fails to receive the desired attention.
For instance if your child is constantly interrupting a conversation that you’re having, ignore the rude behavior; if the child tries to enter the conversation with a polite “excuse me” then reinforce the behavior by attending to the child.
3. Teaching that choices have consequences – It is important to let a child make their own choices where possible so they understand that choices have consequences. This is an important step towards self discipline. If a child is not doing their homework, let them experience the consequences of not doing it.
Protect them to an extent but also let them learn from their own mistakes. This will stand a child in good stead later in life also, and by adolescence the child will have got the hang of making at least partly responsible decisions.
4. Use rewards and motivators – These have to be used judiciously, since ‘rewarding’ can easily become ‘bribing’. Make sure that it is the action or good behavior that the child learns rather merely working for the expected prize.
5. Reminders – “I forgot” may sound lame to an adult, but for a child who has other priorities than cleaning their room for instance, this could very well be the actual case.
If a child forgot to put away their toys, it could be that they forgot simply because some other more interesting thing came along. Gentle reminding rather than actual commanding is more likely to elicit compliance. Jog the child’s memory by a “Did you forget something?”.
The Challenges of Healthier School Food
February 22nd, 2011 | Carol Cline
You can serve a school kid broccoli, but it is quite another matter to have the child actually eat the food, as schools serving healthier foods are finding.
Reactions to healthier food being served at school cafeterias are mixed – while some kids are indifferent to the change, others like the change; however many actually refuse the change, referring to the food as “nasty” and demanding that if food has to be healthy, it has to be “good” as well. Recent statistics show that fewer school lunches are being consumed because kids are either not opting for them or because the lunches are being thrown away.
New trends of healthier food that feature more veggies, whole grain foods and less salt and sugar content, unfortunately seem to have created a negative impression among many students. Students are finding less flavor in the food and are terming it as ‘dry’.
Kate Adamick, who specializes in revamping institutional food operations emphasizes that cooking flavorful food from scratch, is “not rocket science”, however it is clearly not that easy either. Schools are facing the same problem as concerned parents are trying to get their kids to eat healthy – serving health food is one thing, getting kids to eat healthy quite another!
Sleep away Camp and Sexual Abuse – What Parents Need to Know
February 22nd, 2011 | Carol Cline
A courageous firsthand account of suffering sexual abuse at the hands of a camp counselor at age 10 is contained in a soon to be released book by Senator Scott Brown. Against all Odds is a book that will offer salutary lessons to parents about what to beware of about their kids going away to camp.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sexual abuse can happen anywhere – at home, church and summer camp.
An estimated 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are subject to some kind of sexual abuse before they turn 18 says the CDC.
Rather than preventing kids from going to summer camp and so on, it is more important for parents to instill good sense in kids – they should be explained clearly who is allowed to touch what and where.
Parents also need to look out for signs of sexual abuse in their kids – the signs may not be obvious but a child could appear more withdrawn, inaccessible or emotionally absent when it comes to family interactions.
Upon seeing any telltale signs, parents can tactfully try and find out what the matter is and then try and find out what the child is scared of; inquiring if the child is comfortable about speaking to the school counselor or similar.
Potty Training: A Mother’s Advice
February 22nd, 2011 | Carol Cline
Doctors and child experts offer endless Potty Training advice but sometimes you just want to hear it from someone who has been there before. So, from mom to mom, here are some Potty Training Tips” href=”http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7712778/10_potty_training_tips_that_work_for.html?cat=25″>tips from a mother of two.
Photo credit: David Jacquin via Flickr
- Reward your child for successful trips to the potty. Positive reinforcement such as stickers or candy help to ensure your child will continue to progress.
- If you are trying to potty train boys, target practice is a fun way to get your child to use the potty. Simply put cheerios in the potty and have your little boy aim for their centers!
- Praise your children throughout the Potty Training process. Try congratulating them, giving them hugs and clapping for them.
- Other children can serve as role models for your child. Once they notice an older sibling or friend using the potty, they’ll want to do it, too.
- Be patient with your child until they seem ready to take on Potty Training. Remember that Potty Training is not a race to the finish line and your child will have more success if it is on their own terms.
- Switch from diapers to big kid underpants. Your child will be more consciously aware when he has to go to the bathroom because he will not want to soil his big kid underpants.
- Try buying underwear with your child’s favorite cartoon character on them. Simply put, it makes Potty Training more fun!
- If a smaller potty chair has not been successful for your child, try purchasing a potty seat for the big toilet. It may help your child feel like he is doing the same thing as you.
- Your child may still need to wear some sort of protection at night until he is a bit older.
- Offer your child a big reward for remaining accident-free for an extended period of time. For instance, if your child makes it through an entire week without any accidents, buy him that $10 toy he has been wanting.
Even armed with all of these helpful tips, Potty Training is not fullproof. Check out Protect-A-Bed’s website for products that help protect your child’s mattress against Potty Training accidents.
Dog Training-10 Guaranteed Tips for Dog Potty Training
February 22nd, 2011 | Carol Cline
Puppies have been really lovable as good as darling as good as it is a good messenger in a family. Unfortunately, they competence move calamity to a family if they emanate messes all over your home. This is a time to begin potty precision for your puppy. Dogs will not assimilate a denunciation in a [...]
What You Really Must Know About Puppy Potty Training
February 22nd, 2011 | Carol Cline
Puppies have been the fundamental clarification of cuteness. Whether they have been snoozing or playing, it is tough to demeanour during the puppy as well as not wish one. However, infrequently cuteness is in singular supply. Puppies grow up, after all, though there is the some-more dire issue. Once we get the dog home, it [...]