We hear of online predators all the time. You hear about things you can do to protect your children. Have you done them? We have two children that use the internet every day. Below are some of the rules we use that can help you make sure the internet is a safe place for your own children.
Make sure an adult approves adding an email address. Don’t allow your kids to send emails to people they don’t know, or subscribe to emails on websites. This can send junk mail to your children’s email box. Junk mail can contain information you do not want your children reading, as well as links to websites.
Keep the computer in a visible place in your house. If your children are surfing in private, you don’t know what they are viewing. It’s so easy to find bad stuff on the internet. Make sure you can see what your kids are visiting.
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I’ve never met a child that hasn’t wanted a pet of some type. There are many different pets you can chose for your child, depending on their age and what you would like in your home.
Hermit crabs are an easy pet to begin with. They aren’t messy, require little care, and still give your child a pet of their own that they can care for. You can take them out of their cage and let them crawl around, and they can change to larger shells as they grow.
Hamsters or guinea pigs require a little more care. Their cage must be cleaned every week, and they need fresh food and water every day. They can be messy, and they are a nocturnal animal, which means they want to play while you are sleeping. If you put a hamster wheel in their cage, they will get their exercise at night, which can be noisy.
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Traveling by car with children can be a lot of fun, or a lot of frustration. Proper planning can make all the difference. Here are some tips to make your travel time a success.
Print out a map showing the beginning and ending points, with larger cities marked. As you drive, have your kids mark off the cities or other landmarks on the map. This helps them see how far they have gone, how much farther you have to go, and teaches them about time and distance. It’s also great to squash the “how much longer” questions.
Bring along games and books that they can play on their own, but also have some games you can play as a family. One of our favorites is to pick a topic, and then we rotate through the family. If we say “ice cream”, then each person tells of a story or something they remember that involves ice cream. This is a great way to learn more about your children, as well as tell them some new stories.
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It is so important to teach your kids responsibility, but many parents fail in this area. I watch parents that will not allow their children to do anything because they don’t want to deal with the mess, they feel their child will fail, or they don’t want to take the time. Yet, a responsible child needs these skills to be successful in school and to build a strong sense of self.
There are many things you can do to teach your child responsibility. This is an important part of parenting. We will briefly discuss a few ideas.
Give your child chores or things around the house that they must do. Start a small child out by having them make their bed and put their toys away. Give older children jobs that must be done every day, or every week. Giving them work to do around the house helps them belong more to the family and the home.
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If you are like me, back to school shopping can be hassle. By the end of the day, you are tired and grumpy. Here’s a way to make the shopping a little easier, and teach your children some valuable lessons.
Before you begin shopping, get out all the Fall clothes and go through them with your children. You can make this fun by having a fashion show. Let your children model their favorite outfits. Find out what fits, what is worn out, and what can be used for the new school year. Make a list of what your child has, and what they need. If you have pants without a matching shirt, make a note of specific colors that you need. Don’t forget underclothes and socks as well as any accessories like belts.
Try to take as few children with you as possible. This is a great time to invest in a babysitter if you have little kids that aren’t in school yet. Nothing makes shopping a drag like a whiny, tired child.
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When we bring a new baby home, most families prepare their house for the new arrival. As the child grows, safety measures are put into place, like locking cabinets and installing outlet covers. However, many families don’t think about household safety as their kids get older. Here are some things to think about.
Do you have an emergency plan in place for your children? Do they know where to go if you have to get out of the house quickly? Plan a location that is away from your house that can be a meeting place for all family members. Make sure your children understand the circumstances in which they would leave the house and wait at your meeting place.
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This seems like such a simple idea, but many parents forget to protect their children’s skin when they are outside playing. I had a friend at the 4th of July parade that didn’t bring sunblock or a hat for her child, and he had fair skin. Sun can not only damage their skin, but the sun can dehydrate a child and make them sick. There are some simple ways to protect your child from the sun.
Product packaging has changes a lot in the last few years. You can now buy a bottle of sunblock that sprays directly onto the skin. You simply spray and rub. It makes less of a mess and is quick and easy to use. Whatever skin block you use, make sure to reapply if your child gets wet. If you know your child will be outside during the day, you can help put on sunblock as they get dressed. They even have lotions that contain sunblock now.
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If you have more than one child, chances are they fight with one another. Sibling rivalry is a part of growing up and being in a family. I have a great way of dealing with this, and it could be termed as Passive Parenting.
This is how Passive Parenting works. First, set some ground rules for tattletaling. For our kids, you can come tell a parent if someone is hurting you, if they are hurt themselves, or if someone is being destructive, like coloring on the walls. If they tattletale for something else, they get into trouble themselves.
Now, when your child comes and complains about something a sibling is doing, listen to them, and then say something like, “I’ll bet you hate that.” “That isn’t very fun.” “That really bites.” Make it a statement that you can use for any situation. Don’t offer suggestions to fix it, just offer your statement. If they repeat the problem, repeat your answer. It will likely frustrate them at first, but they will learn to solve their own problems.
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Kids love summer vacations, but they aren’t always practical or affordable. Here’s a great idea to give your kids a vacation without breaking the bank or taking time off from work.
Take a mini vacation with your family. Find a place that is within two hours driving distance. Book a hotel room for the night or weekend, and take off with your kids. Taking a break from your home is fun for the kids.
Find a hotel that has a swimming pool or other recreational activities for the kids. We planned a trip last summer to a mountain resort that had miniature golf, an alpine slide, and rock climbing. We spend the day outdoors with our kids and had a great time.
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Every parent dreads being asked questions by their children that they aren’t ready to answer. Learn how to talk to your kids and develop the relationship that you will need when they get older.
There are some basic guidelines that parents can follow to talk better to their children. Here are a few.
When your child asks a question, find out why they are asking before you go into a long winded explanation. Sometimes we misunderstand what they are asking. I had a daughter ask me what a certain word meant. I went on and tried to tactfully explain this word. After I finished, she mentioned that she saw the word in the name of a lotion I had, and just wondered what it meant. I could have come up with a much simpler answer if I would have understood the question.
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