I have had a lot of experience with getting a child to clean their room. Each child is different and what works with one will not work with another. Some children don’t need help in this area, this article is written for the ones that do. Rewards and punishments work for some children, but not for others. Some children look at a messy room and have no idea how to begin cleaning it. For kids that are just completely overwhelmed, here are some ideas for helping them.
Break down the job into different areas. For example, have your child pick up all the books in the room. When that is done, have them put all the clothes in a pile. Breaking down the mess into small messes helps make the job more manageable.
Make a game out of cleaning. Set a time limit for different items and see what they can clean up the fastest. Write down the times and find out which items was the easiest to clean.
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We decided to start chores with our kids, and give them an allowance to go with it. When we started, we had a set amount they earned each week, but we would take 50 cents away each time they didn’t do a job. One daughter decided that she would determine whether she did the job based on how much she lost if she didn’t complete it. She would also ask for more money if we asked her to do anything else. So we changed our system.
Assigning chores with children is a great way to teach them the value of work and belonging to a family. In the summer when school is out, we give our children an allowance with the chores and a chore chart with specific jobs each day. During the school year, we take away the chore chart and the allowance, but they are still required to help out around the house when asked. We explain that helping out with the house is part of being a family.
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Most children love to do craft projects, and this can be a fun way to teach them new things. There are endless possibilities to how you can do this. Begin gathering supplies that they can use when they would like to. Here are a few suggestions.
Start collecting objects that can be reused. Small baby food containers, empty toilet rolls, twist ties from bread bags, small cardboard boxes, and old birthday cards are some ideas. Put them in a box with some markers, glue, scissors, and heavy cardstock and let your child’s imagination flow.
Teach them about volcanoes and then make a volcano from clay or playdough. You can make a playdough that you can dry, or simply reuse when finished. Or get some paint and paper and create a volcano through painting. Volcanoes are just one idea; you could use any subject to teach through crafts.
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Kids today have a different perception of the computer and the internet. Children in elementary school are being taught how to use a computer. Some school reports require internet sources. Teaching your children about the internet and setting some rules will help keep them safer.
First, help your children understand that seeing something on the internet doesn’t make it real. Friends that they meet might not really be children. Help them to understand how the internet makes everyone anonymous. Anyone can create a web site and make their information appear as fact.
Help them set up an email account that you can control. Limit the emails they send out, make sure they are to friends that they know. Set up an email filter so that unwanted email isn’t viewable to them. Decide on rules regarding registering for things on web sites, you may not want them doing this.
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Chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese seem to be the mainstream diet for many children. Parents often struggle to get their children to eat healthy foods. Our family started on a new diet. We switched our white bread for wheat and started stocking the fridge with fruits and vegetables. The kids rebelled for a while, but now they are used to it. They fight for the last strawberry. Here are some suggestions to help you make the transition to healthy eating in your home.
Monitor how many snacks your children eat in a day. The rule at our house is a snack at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. I don’t have whiny kids wanting treats all day, because they know when they can have them. However, if they want something healthy like an apple, a bagel, or some fruit, they can have it without asking.
Add more vegetables to the dinner table. Try a variety of vegetables, and keep trying them even when your kids say they don’t like them. Taste buds change over time. Have them try one bite each time you serve something they don’t like.
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There are many books with varying opinions on how you should discipline your children. However, I believe that the person that knows your child best is you. Articles and books can give advice, but it is important to understand your child and what will work for them.
Not all children are the same, and this applies to children in the same family. Using time out for one child may not work for another. It’s important to understand this and not try to force the same discipline on a child that it won’t work for.
A friend of mine has a child who defies all the rules of discipline and parenting. He had a problem biting and she asked me for advice. I told her every method I have ever heard of to stop a child from biting, and she had tried them all. She had to take the time to understand him and find out what works for him.
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When my youngest child was just over one year old, I took him to run errands with a friend. As I was leaving the house, I put my son down and helped him walk down the stairs. As my friend watched from her car, she hollered out, “What are you doing, trying to make him grow up too fast?” I have thought about that a lot as I watch my son learn to do things for himself. I don’t want him to grow up too fast but I want him to learn and develop.
Creating an independent child has a lot more to do with the parent than with the child. As a parent, we have to be able to let go and allow our children to try and fail. Sometimes this is too difficult for a parent, who will step in and assist. Unfortunately, our human nature often requires that we fail at something before we can learn how to succeed. When a mother or father steps in for the child, they are taking away that learning opportunity.
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We just finished the Fourth of July celebration at our house, and my five year old was told all about the parade and carnival, and fireworks to follow that evening. As we walked to the parade, he asked me why there were flags on a lot of the lawns. I realized that I didn’t teach him about what the holiday meant.
It doesn’t matter what the holiday is, or what your beliefs are. If we don’t teach our children what the holidays really mean, they are going to get a different idea than what we want. Often we get so caught up in preparing for the holidays that we don’t spend the time that we should in teaching our children what the holiday means.
Before the holiday, take a half hour to spend teaching about the holiday. Give a brief overview of what the holiday is about, and find an activity that you can do with your children to reinforce their understanding. If you are teaching about Halloween, you can talk about the holiday before you carve pumpkins.
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There are times when your child will need to learn how to make new friends. These times include when they starting school or changing to a new school, if you move, or if people have moved into your neighborhood. This can be scary for some kids. Here are some ways to help your child make new friends.
Give them something to do with the new friend. Asking another child to play in the sprinklers is less intimidating than just asking them to play. Your child will not have to worry about thinking of something to do when the friend comes over.
Find instances when your child can talk to other children. When you go to the park, help your child say hi and be friendly to other kids. This will help them get over the shyness that can come when talking to someone they don’t know.
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My younger sister can’t save money for anything. If she gets $20, she goes out and gets her nails done, without any idea how she will pay for the upkeep. Watching her made me realize that I needed to teach my children about money.
Give your children an allowance that is age appropriate. For our kids, they get half of their age in allowance. So, on their birthday, they always get a 50 cent raise. We provide chores during the summer and expect them to help out when needed during the school year. Set some rules for earning the allowance and an amount for your children.
Now that they are earning some money, teach them about saving it. Many banks have savings accounts for children. Help them decide how much money they want to have to spend and how much to put away. Make them a chart that keeps track of their money so they can watch it grow.
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