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Archive for February, 2011

Five Ways To Get Your Child To Do Their Chores Monday, February 28th, 2011

Have you ever struggled with getting your children to do the simplest chore? Do you find it frustrating running behind them to ensure the task is done? If you have answered yes to these questions then this article was written just for you. In this article, you will find 5 ways to get your child to do their chores. It is important to know that assigning chores to your child is a way of helping them to assume responsibility. Therefore, getting your child to do chores is important to his development as a person.

1. Help your child to understand the purpose of doing chores

Spending time to talk with your child on the value of chores to his life will change his or her view of the task. Instead of seeing doing chores as unwanted work, your child will understand the life skills which can be developed from doing assigned tasks. These skills include responsibility, contribution and competence among others.

2. Create a chart or checklist image 45 Five Ways To Get Your Child To Do Their Chores

This will include the days of the week and the chores assigned to each day. You can get your child’s involvement in making the checklist creative. To make it fun, they can place colorful stickers on the tasks which they have completed. They can choose the stickers they want purchased or they can create their own. This exercise will create a feeling of ownership in your child.

3. Design a reward system

Even though you may not want the child to feel that he is being paid to do his chores, you certainly want to create a sense of reward for a job well done. Giving your child a weekly allowance will stimulate motivation. Additionally, your child will have some spending money to buy small items. This gives you a great opportunity to teach your child how to manage money.

4. Make chores a family and fun event

There are some chores which can be done as a family unit. This brings a sense of oneness as the family works together to achieve the same goal. It also provides an atmosphere of bonding and interaction between family members. Making the experience fun is one way of creating good and lasting memories. It will also help to reinforce the belief that work can be fun.

5. Let your child know the consequences of not completing chores

Helping your child to understand the consequences of his action is an important lesson. Your child needs to know that if the chores are not done, then he will be restricted from his recreational activities and lose his allowance. If he is unable to complete a task, he needs to let you know or make other arrangements to have the task completed.

Getting your child to chores does not have to be a fighting match or a frustrating experience. You can use a combination of the 5 ways to get your child to do their chores as a starting point. There are other resources available which can offer more information and guide you in this area. You can incorporate the 5 ways to get your child to do their chores with other information for a full program.

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5 ways to motivate your child to get out of bed on time Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

Getting out of bed in the morning is a struggle for many people, particularly children or teenagers. Teenagers have their body clocks working against them. During the teen years the natural habit is to stay up later and sleep later into the morning. Unfortunately, many high schools start very early in the morning which works against the natural rhythms of the teenager’s body clock. Because of this, it often takes some doing to motivate your child or teenager to get out of bed on time on a school morning.

image 43 5 ways to motivate your child to get out of bed on time

If your child or teenager is having trouble getting out of bed in the morning, try to offer a tangible incentive to being up and out of bed on time. This could be a chance for you and your child to sit down together for a few minutes at the beginning of the day. It could even be having time for a hot breakfast in the morning instead of having to eat cold cereal on the way out the door. These sorts of natural benefits to being up on time will help motivate your child to change his or her morning habits.

With many children or teenagers the logical approach can help them to understand why it is important to be up and out of bed on time. Explain that when they sleep in or hit the snooze button it adds to the morning stress for them and for everyone else in the house. On the other hand, when they are up on time there is more time in the morning for breakfast, checking homework, and other things without having to rush out the door at the last minute. Helping your child to understand how his actions in the morning affect the rest of the family can help him to change his ways.

For many children, the thought of getting up and going to school is simply not enough motivation to get out of bed. Instead, try waking your child up with something special. It could be a good morning kiss or song that you sing to them every morning. It could be sending a sibling into their room with a special treat. Whatever it is, waking your child up with something special is likely to help her to wake up in a more pleasant mood in the morning.

If your child doesn’t go for the sweet and special approach, try doing something funny to wake your child up in the morning. Send the dog in to lick her face. Have the cat walk on the bed and meow in his face. Have a younger sibling come into the room and sing a funny song. Whatever you do, make sure it is more fun to get up in the morning than it is to stay in bed.

If all else fails, try sending your child to bed earlier. Some children have trouble waking up in the morning because they are not getting enough sleep at night. If this is the case, then it is time to lay down the law and change your child’s bedtime habits. If your child complains that she is not tired at bedtime then tell her she can read or listen to music quietly but that she must be in bed. Getting more sleep at night may make it easier for your child to get out of bed on time in the morning.

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5 Challenges of a Parent Who Works Away From Home A lot Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

It is a reality that some fathers are not fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with their kids. In a time of globalization, it is becoming more and more common for parents to travel overseas often. Even if the job only requires travelling across country, the distance is still substantial enough to take a toll on the family. It leaves the children with an unstable household and causes the parents to have to solve the problem of who will take care of the child. This is particularly important for the initial two years of the child’s life as this forms the base for the child’s future relationships. If the parent has to be absent during this time due to work restrictions, then the parent will face some challenges.

Financial concerns: These involve the cost of child care, issues with the permanence of health insurance coverage and loss of income image 44 5 Challenges of a Parent Who Works Away From Home A lot

associated with missed work days. Missed worked days can be as a result of the child’s health care needs.

Children’s interests: A big issue is the impact of work commitments on the children’s future academic success, mental health and ability to form relationships. If not handled correctly, an absent parent can be a traumatic experience for a child. It is possible for them to develop insecurities and anger issues. They may also experience depression and remove themselves from social activities. Also possible, is the experience of learning disabilities. They can also be more likely to become sexually active at a young age (this most likely happens to girls without a father).

Household safety and security: Household safety is most likely to become a concern when the “protector” of the house is absent for long periods of time. Especially in cases where the mother has to work too and the kids are deemed as too old to be babysat, they must stay in a house without parental supervision. It is recommended that parents limit the amount of time that kids are left at home alone due to the associated risks. These risks involve physical dangers and medical emergencies. There is help available from schools, churches, synagogues and community centers that offer after-school programs for children who spend several hours at home alone.

Logistical issues: These problems are concerned with organizing the details of home life such as arranging for child care, handling a sick child, etc.

Stability of the marital relationship: When a spouse is absent frequently for work purposes, this can negatively impact the marital relationship. The added stress that the home-based parent may have with juggling house responsibilities, the kids and in some cases, their own job priorities, can cause resentment.

The challenges of being away from home because of work are many. However, as an involved parent, it is key to help your kids understand why it is you are not around all the time. No matter the age of your kids, it will affect them if not carefully handled. When you are at home, ensure to spend as much time as possible with your kids and when you are at work, let them know you are thinking about them by sending them an e-mail, text or give them a quick call. Just because your job requires you to be absent from home, doesn’t mean you have to be an absent parent.

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5 Habits you wish your Teen would Develop Sunday, February 20th, 2011

As children age, they develop their own personality and way of doing things. Sometimes they learn habits from their friends or family and sometimes they develop on their own. Teenagers often do not pay enough attention to their diet or health. They may be influenced by friends or society. Dads often wish they could mold their children in to the good people they want them to be, but all they can do is be there with them as they grow. Fathers can influence a child’s habits by being an example and hoping they stick.

A good study routine is the key to a successful academic career. If a teen could get in the habit if coming home after school and completing his homework right away, his efforts will be rewarded. Students who sit down and take time to learn their lessons and complete their homework will perform better than students who rush through their studies so they can go do something else. Instill in your child at an early age the value of a good education.

Health is important. Good health is the only way to live a long and healthy life. Teenagers often spend their lunch hours eating cheese fries and pizza instead of a sandwich and some fruit. They are not as concerned with their health. However, if they knew what adults knew, they might consider picking up the apple instead of the french fry. Teenagers need to get in to the habit of making good food choices, so they can learn and carry that habit with them in to adulthood. An exercise routine will help your teen avoid one of the biggest killers today -obesity.

image 42 5 Habits you wish your Teen would Develop Teenagers are bombarded with images of celebrity’s and models in magazines and on television. They come to expect those people as the normal standard for looks. Girls are especially affected by this. It is important for teenagers to develop a healthy self-image. A healthy self-esteem will lead to better choices in life and will teach teens that they can get attention in many positive ways. They do not need to show off their body or do things they would not normally do to get attention.

With all the temptations in the world, it is important for a teenager to be able to stand up for himself. There is such easy access to many different illegal substances these days that teens will be faced with many adult decisions before they are old enough to understand many of the consequences. They will be pressure to drink or have sex. If a father can make a child understand that being a leader will garner more respect than following the crowd, his children will be heading down a path to success.

Communication is key not only for teenagers, but for everyone. Often teenagers think they are invincible and can do anything. Being able to ask for help is a very impressive quality, something that some people struggle with. Teenagers should not be afraid to make mistakes. Valuable lessons are learned from mistakes.

If a father can instill all these habits in to his child’s life, then he has done a wonderful job as a father and his child will see much happiness and success.

Posted in Teenager, Understanding Teenagers | No Comments »

5 Things that are Better Since you were their Age Thursday, February 17th, 2011

The world has changed a lot since today’s fathers were kids. We have seen many political changes and much technological advancement. Education is more accessible not only for men, but for women and minorities as well. The country is making great strides towards recognizing every citizen’s civil rights. Some things have changed for the worse, but there have been many things that have improved since dad was a teenager.

While it may not seem it sometimes, as a society we are more accepting of people’s differences. We are raising our children to recognize that while they may be a different color, gender, or nationality as someone else, they are still the same because they are all people. This is not to say there are not problems with racism or discrimination. Unfortunately, these evils still exist, but we have made great strides in the past 25 years. The disabled community is seeing a world that is becoming far more accessible, allowing them to persevere through their disability instead of being limited because of it.

The internet has been an amazing development. In recent years, it has become accessible to almost everyone, whether they have a computer at home or utilize the library or school computer labs. The internet opened up the world in terms of a social tool. People can communicate with anyone, anywhere, at any time. Students are able to easier find resources for schoolwork. They can reference articles and information online instead of having to always hunt the information down in the library.

As with the internet, we have made many great technological advancements. This is not only great for communication, but also for work in scientific advancement. Scientists have more tools to perform experiments. Crime labs are able to more accurately identify DNA samples and other information. Students and professors can compare information and very easily identify plagiarism. The medical community is using image 41 5 Things that are Better Since you were their Age all the new technology to search to cures for many diseases.

There are far more opportunities now for a good education. In past years, many people graduated from high school and immediately got a job. Some students only completed eighth grade before they had to go work on the farm. That was not the case for everyone, but certainly now it is much easier for any willing person to attend college. Women and minorities are just as free and able to attend college. There are many scholarships available in many different arenas.

Despite all the great technological and social advancements we have made, one of the greatest improvements for a father is that he now has a family. All the years of hard work and commitment paid off. Dad was able to find a woman to love and who loves him back and they started a life together. He now has the joy of watching his children experience life with all the differences from when he was younger. Parents always say they want to give their children a better life than they had. Improvements in today’s society only makes that goal easier.

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5 Things to Say to your Daughter the Night before her Wedding Monday, February 14th, 2011

For a father, watching his daughter get married is a bittersweet moment. While you are so proud she has grown up into a beautiful woman and found a man who truly loves her, it is hard to let go of your little girl. She is a woman now and maybe someday soon be raising children of her own. Even though your baby girl is uniting with another man, your role in her life is not forgotten. She will always come to you in times of trouble and image 40 5 Things to Say to your Daughter the Night before her Wedding share with you her happiest moments. On the day before her wedding, share with her just how very special she is.

Tell your daughter how happy you were the day she was born, how her entering the world changed your life forever. Express your love for her mother and how you hope her marriage brings her as much joy. Explain what it felt like the first time you held her in your arms, the first time you helped her patch up a scraped knee, or the first time you watched her heart get broken. Tell her what a beautiful woman she has become.

There have likely been many moments in your daughter’s life that have made you proud to be her father. Share those stories with her. Relive her high school and college graduations; tell her the joy and fear you experienced watching her fall in love for the first time. Tell her how much you cherished every moment you spent together.

Pass on advice about marriage and relationships. Stress to her the importance of communication and mutual respect in a marriage. Tell her to always stay in touch with her family and to remember how important it is to laugh and smile every day. Make sure she understands that her happiness is your number one priority and what you expect out of her future husband.

Your daughter may have children someday, and maybe soon. Teach her how to love her children. Tell her the best way to love her children is to always openly express love for their father. Provide a safe and comfortable environment for the children so they always know they can be themselves. Always be there to listen and to love. Hug them every day. Tell them you love them every night, no matter what.

The most important message to impart of your little girl as she takes the big step in to marriage is that you are still her dad and she is still your little girl. Tell her you love her, are so proud, and will always be there for her, for any reason. Make sure she knows how much her family loves her and will miss her, but how impressed they are with who she has become.

Watching your daughter get married will be one of the happiest days of your life. After all, don’t we all wish nothing but happiness for our children in their lives? While it may seem that you are taking a backseat on her wedding day, you will never take a backseat in her heart.

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5 indicators your child could be on drugs Friday, February 11th, 2011

Drugs. They are high on the list of every parent’s worst fear. Seemingly simple recreational drug use in a teenager or young adult can lead to a life full of trouble, crime, or even prison time. Many parents find themselves worrying that their child or teenager has started using drugs. Statistics that show high levels of drug use among teenagers scare them even more. Fortunately, there are some clear signs that can indicate that your child or teenager may have recently started using drugs.

The first and most powerful indicator that a child may have started using drugs is a sudden personality change. A previously funny and cheerful teenager who has suddenly turned crabby and sullen may have started experimenting with illicit drugs. Likewise a cranky teenager who all of a sudden thinks life is wonderful may be using. If you see a sudden personality change in your child or teenager it may be worth asking what has changed recently in his or her life.

Another indicator of possible drug use is if your child suddenly starts spending time with a different crowd of friends. A teenager who always spent time with “good” kids may suddenly start hanging out with a newer and darker crowd. That teen may have started using drugs and her new friends may be more apt to accept this than her older “good” friends.
If your child’s grades have always been good and suddenly start dropping, then drugs could definitely be a possibility. A child who was always a strong student and suddenly seems to have no interest in studying or doing well in school could be taking drugs or experimenting with other harmful or dangerous behaviors.

If your child is suddenly difficult to reach where he or she was not previously, this could be an indication of something new going on in his or her life. If your child suddenly stops answering his cell phone when he is at a friend’s house after school or starts hiding where he or she is going image 39 5 indicators your child could be on drugs then this could be a sign that there is something to be concerned about. Most children will understand if you ask them to pick up the phone when you call. However, a child who does not want to tell you where he is going or who he has been with may be trying to hide drug use or another dangerous behavior.

Lastly, a child who is suddenly obsessed with keeping things private may be attempting to hide new drug use. To some extend an interest in privacy is age appropriate for children and teenagers. However, a teen who suddenly starts locking his door all of the time and wanting you to get out of his room may be hiding drug use or something else that he does not want you to see. A sudden obsession with privacy can be an indication that your child is trying to keep something from you. If you notice this or any other possible signs of drug use it may be time to sit down with your child or teenager and ask him what is going on in his life.

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Fun Holiday Ideas for Every Age Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

Sometimes, coming up with holiday ideas that the entire family will enjoy is not always an easy task, but in fact there are several trips that families with children of all ages can do together and have a lot of fun. Most of the more typical ideas for family holidays generally appeal to a single age group and not so much the rest of the family, leaving other children bored and wanting to go home. The following are some old ideas, renewed, which have proven to be fun holiday ideas for children of all ages, and work especially well with families that have several age groups.

Holiday plans that will keep everyone busy and interacting with each other out of sheer necessity are generally the ones that work for family members with several different age groups of children. These types of trips do not have to be very expensive or elaborate either, and they can actually be fun and relaxing for you as the parent as well. Try renting canoes and taking the entire family for a paddle down a river, this requires several children to paddle and the younger ones can enjoy the image 37 Fun Holiday Ideas for Every Age ride. If this is too adventurous, find a quiet park with paddle boats that children will love to ride in, take them for a river cruise, or even a family themed cruise trip.

Family camping trips to a number of the wondrous National parks are another great idea for children of every age because there is so much to do and see that people will be forever interested and entertained. At the same time, themed water parks offer entertainment for young children and teenagers alike, who will find the rides and pools a constant source of fun a reprieve from the hot summer sun. As long as you remember to try new things, and look for adventure where you normally would not seek it, you can find it possible to holiday well with children of all ages.

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Should Children Take Antibiotics? Sunday, February 6th, 2011

Antibiotics are drugs which fight infection; doctors generally restrict the term to those that kill bacteria. Examples of bacterial infections include pneumonia and tonsillitis. The vast majority of winter ailments such as colds, flu, and chest infections are caused by a different type of organism called a virus and these do not respond at all to antibiotics.

When penicillin was first discovered it was effective against a wide range of bacteria, but as its use increased, bacteria were able to ‘learn’ to combat the antibiotic and it is now effective against only a limited number of bacteria. Research has produced dozens of new antibiotics since then but many have suffered the same fate. Doctors are becoming image 36 Should Children Take Antibiotics? concerned at this escalating resistance to antibiotics and many now feel that we should avoid using them at all in infections that are known to be viral.

Since we have so few effective treatments for viral illnesses this means that diseases such as flu, colds, and most sore throats would be treated symptomatically (with drugs such as paracetamol for fever or antihistamines for stuffy noses and catarrh). By doing this we could keep effective antibiotic treatments for those infections which really need them. Doctors would still have to make a diagnosis in many cases. Most people can self-diagnose a cold, but any unexpected or worrying symptoms should be reported to a doctor. The doctor would then decide whether to issue over-the-counter remedies or to issue a prescription.

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How to Help Your Child Dry at Night Friday, February 4th, 2011

One of the first steps towards becoming dry at night is staying dry during a nap. If this is happening often, try leaving your child’s nappy off during naps.

If he’s regularly waking in the morning with a dry nappy, you can take the next step of letting him sleep at night without a nappy. Put a waterproof cover over the mattress to protect it against the inevitable accidents. Some parents put their children to bed without pyjama bottoms or pants when they first sleep without nappies, to minimise washing.

image 35 How to Help Your Child Dry at Night Make sure your child uses the potty or goes to the loo last thing at night. Leave a potty beside his bed for him to use if he needs it in the night and switch on a low light of some kind so that he can see what he’s doing.

Another strategy is to ‘lift’ your child when you go to bed yourself, taking him out of bed and sitting him on the potty or loo to encourage a wee.

If your child is regularly wetting the bed, you may need to put him back in nappies and wait until he’s consistently waking with his nappy dry again. It may help his self-esteem if you present this as being a way of giving him a good night’s sleep for a while, which is better than the disturbed nights he’s been getting with wet beds.

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