It can be one of the greatest moments in many people’s lives once they become parents for the first time. Having your very own children is the start of a new way of life and while it might bring you much happiness, you must be accountable for their health and well being. This is especially true when it comes to steps you’ll want to take to ensure a young child is safe in your own home as many injuries and accidents that occur are avoidable. Here’s some tips that can help to prevent your child from getting seriously hurt in your home.

One of the first milestones for a child occurs when they figure out how to become mobile from crawling through to their first steps. Now, you feel that you must watch your child in every waking moment since they could go off somewhere and put themselves in great danger. Should you have a multi-story home, it is vital that you have a stair gate for both the bottom and top of the stairs. If you have a open fireplace, you want to be sure that you have some type of guard to fence it.

It is obvious to most of us to set medicines in a cupboard that is out of reach to young children but there are many other hazardous toxins such as cleaning products that could have serious implications if swallowed. It is not possible to put everything out of reach therefore simple child security cupboard locks can be fitted where necessary. You’ll be surprised at all the various types of safety locks and guards that are available. It’s most likely a good idea to inspect your home to see what safety hazards you have. Once you have a listing it is then a matter of finding products that can prevent any potential injury. Even though it is a bit of work in the beginning, once it’s done, you’ll know that you will have a safer home for your child.

Don’t forget to ensure your windows and doors in your home are properly secured so your child can’t open them. It really is also very important to check to see if your smoke alarms are working and have fresh batteries. In case you ever have a fire in your home, the smoke alarm will alert you ahead of time so that you and your children can be out of harm’s way. The challenge is to employ a proper escape path but at least your smoke alarm works.

As well as taking into consideration the inside of your home, you should also make any changes to your garden that are required to make it child friendly. A clear example of this is if you have a garden pond which can be an attractive feature but very dangerous for a young child. The best solution is to fill the garden pond. If you don’t want to fill the pond up, then you will really need your pond fenced in.

These are just some of the choices you need to make to keep your children safe and with careful planning you have a greater chance of preventing any serious injuries.

Original post can be found here: How to Keep Your Kids Safe in Your Home

It’s become pretty widely accepted that nagging, whether with spouses or kids, does not work. It can also be exhausting for the one doing the nagging. So why does it not work? Why is nagging considered to be ineffective? Here are some ideas as to why this time-honored method of motivation is anything but motivating.

1. It creates resentment. Nagging may produce an angry response in your spouse or kids, and make them resent you. The task you are nagging about becomes the last thing they want to do.

2. Nagging is unpleasant, so you will get tuned out. No one wants to hear the same old nag over and over, and your spouse and kids will simply stop listening. The more you nag, the less they hear.

3. It’s negative reinforcement, which some psychologists say is ineffective. Nagging says, in effect, “I will stop punishing you with this annoying nagging when you do what I want you to.” And the person being nagged feels that as soon as he or she does one task to make you stop nagging, you will just nag about another one.

4. Nagging can make you feel controlled, and no one likes to feel that way. Being nagged feels like you’re being manipulated, and tends to make the “nag-ee” feel like digging in his or her heels instead of doing what he or she is being nagged to do.

5. Talk is cheap, and nagging comes down to simply words. Spouses and kids find it pretty easy to “duck” annoying words. They have learned that you are just talk, and you’ll eventually end up doing the task yourself; all they have to do is weather the word storm.

6. When it comes to kids, nagging models behavior that you probably don’t want to deal with. After all, nagging is something we can often dish out but not take! If you constantly nag, you may find that your kids begin to communicate with you the same way.

7. Nagging focuses on what a person is not doing. Once again, it has a negative focus. Nagging points out all the things that are wrong with the person, and implies that he or she is not worthy because he or she has not done certain tasks. Nagging is a way of finding fault, and it tends to wear people down instead of build them up.

8. If you nag your spouse, you are acting like his or her parent. When one spouse acts like a parent to the other one, experts say that can really damage a marriage.

Original post can be found here: Why Nagging Doesn’t Work

If you are having trouble with your kids at bedtime, maybe a good first step would be to stop thinking of it as a battle. Then, you can be open to some tips and ideas that may help get things peaceful. Here are some suggestions.

Assess Your Approach

When it comes to bedtime, are you trying to follow advice you read about? Or maybe you are doing what your spouse thinks you should do, or your mom, or your in-laws…the point is, why are you approaching bedtime the way you do? If it’s not working, then it might be time to rethink things.

Maybe you’ve been told that children have to be in bed by a certain time and have to fall asleep by themselves in less than 20 minutes. Try breaking out of the expectations of others and instead, think about your individual child’s temperament and your own. Sometimes, it’s just too hard to meet other’s expectations.

Incentives

Now that you are comfortable with taking an approach that’s customized for you and your kids, consider some of these ideas for incentives.

* Let your kids earn tickets or play money at bedtime. For example, if they are in bed by 8 o’clock (or whatever their bedtime is), they earn a certain number of tickets or play dollars. Other behaviors can be reinforced this way, too – staying quiet after lights are out, not getting out of bed until a certain time, etc. can all be reinforced with the tickets.

Behavior you don’t welcome, such as tantrums or jumping out of bed after lights out, could “cost” tickets or play money. Make sure that the amount of tickets or dollars earned is reasonable for your kids’ ages (for example, it won’t mean much if it takes a month for a preschooler to earn enough tickets for a treat – they have a hard time thinking that far ahead).

* Try rewarding good night-time behavior with some extra TV time or play time. This may work better on children past preschool – preschoolers usually need more immediate rewards.

Firm Limits

One of the things that can be challenging is when your kids try to get that one last thing in before going to bed – “Just one more cartoon? Just one more story?” Make sure you and your kids have firm limits established already, so you don’t have to try to figure out if you should give in or not with each request. If the request is not within the limits, then the request isn’t granted.

Routines

It is said that children really do thrive on routine. Routines are different from schedules; they are more individualized. Having a bedtime routine can help a lot. You can even make a big poster or chart with all the bedtime activities listed in order for your child to look at. Routines help children feel secure and will hopefully make them less likely to push the limits as they try to figure out if things are going to be the same or not.

Original post can be found here: How to Tame Bedtime Battles

Do your teens whine about being bored? As a parent, that can certainly get on your nerves – you probably don’t remember the last time you were bored! But bored teens are more than an annoyance. Studies have shown that when young people don’t have anything to do, they are more likely to do something destructive, or a least not very constructive. So let’s look at some ideas for getting your teen out of the boredom blues.

1. Post a list

In a visible area (such as the ever-popular refrigerator), you could post a list of at least ten activities your teen likes to engage in. You can make this list together in a brainstorming session, or you can make the list yourself as you observe the things your teen likes to do. In fact, it may surprise your child to see the things he or she has been doing and enjoying all along, and it will help score points for you, the parent – you noticed something about them! Teens, who often complain about feeling misunderstood, may appreciate that.

You could also ask your teen to write such a list him/herself. Regardless of how you come up with the activities, it’s a helpful reference for when boredom strikes.

2. Learn something new

Interest in the world around you is a great cure for boredom. Teach your teens that there is never an excuse for boredom because the world is just that fascinating. This can be a really helpful life skill! There’s always something new to do or explore. Pay attention to your teen’s interests, and make suggestions along those lines. Challenge them without making it too hard – remember, you want to incite interest, not overwhelm them with a big project.

Maybe your teen is interested in the environment and green living – have him or her gather some friends for a clean-up day in your neighborhood, or come up with creative ways to save energy. If you have a science lover, think up some theories and questions that can be answered with an experiment. Is your teen artistic? There are all kinds of fascinating subjects out there just waiting to be studied in pencil, ink, paint, clay, or whatever medium your teen enjoys.

3. Have a boredom retreat

Sometimes, a new surrounding can really help get teens out of the boredom cycle. Is there a coffee shop, book store, or other nearby place where your teen could go hang out safely? It can really help to have a place to go to get away for a bit. If your teen is not old enough to go by him or herself, you could accompany your teen and stay in the background, or drop him or her off and go run an errand.

You could also have a boredom retreat in your own home. Even in a small home, you can make your teen’s bedroom into an area that is conducive to learning and exploration. Set things up so that your teen can dig into his or her interests in his or her own special place where the art supplies are always out, the electronic gizmos are ready, or the books and journals are always open.

Original post can be found here: Teens: How to Conquer Boredom

Is it hard to get your kids to do their chores? It can be a battle to get them to clean up their toys, put away their shoes, do their homework, and other tasks. There are ways you can make chore time a positive experience, and help motivate your kids to get their tasks done. Here are some tips.

Earning Privileges

Psychologists recommend establishing privileges in your home, and then working out a chore schedule that allows kids to earn their privileges. For example, if your young child enjoys playing with his toy cars, set up a chore list where certain chores earn him a half hour of car play time.

The same principle could be applied to a teenager who likes to spend time on social networking, or a preschooler who enjoys playing with blocks. If you make enjoyable tasks into things your children earn, then the chores can be their way to earn these privileges.

Make a Chart

The concept of earning privileges through doing chores may be made easier with a chart. And this gives kids control over what privileges they earn and so forth. It encourages them to participate and get involved rather than avoiding Mom and Dad who are nagging all the time about chores.

For very young children who can’t read, you can use pictures – have a picture of the chore, then a picture of the privilege and draw a line or arrow connecting them. For older kids, you can even have them earn play money with their chores. “Putting away shoes = $3″ for example. Then privileges “cost” certain amounts: “One-half hour of television = $5.” Your kids can “pay” you with the play money. Or you can simply make a chart that shows which chores earn which privileges.

Participate

It’s been said that getting up off your rear and helping your kids get their things done is helpful. It makes sense – kids (and adults) may resent being told to get to work by someone who’s sitting on the couch. So get up and participate – don’t do your kids’ chores for them, but work on your own clean-up chores at the same time, or pick up items you want your kids to put away and hand these to them.

Sometimes, kids – especially young ones – need to be “walked through” a chore. Some kids need for you to point out the toys that have to be put away, or the laundry that’s waiting to be put away.

Games

If possible, make chores into games. Young kids might enjoy pretending to be a clean-up robot. You can pretend to operate the remote with “buttons” for fast, slow, and so forth. Older kids might get a kick out of a trash can mounted on the wall that they can “shoot” for like basketball. Homework is homework, but you can make it a game by letting your kids earn points or treats for each homework assignment they complete.

Original post can be found here: How to Make Chores More Fun for Kids

Every parent worries about the teenage years. One of the common worries of parents can be abusive relationships. This is a sensitive topic to approach with your teen, but well worth the effort.

Even if you don’t suspect that your teen is in such a relationship, it’s important to speak to them about the possibilities and what they can do if this scenario ever happens to them.

Here are a few tips to help make talking to your teen about abusive relationships a little easier:

#1 – Be open and honest. Children and teenagers in particular appreciate honesty. By nature children are honest and the more open and honest we are as parents, the more positive connections we’ll form with them. Sit down with your teen in a quiet spot at a convenient time and ask them about their thoughts on the subject. Your teen may very well surprise you with their maturity and serious response to the matter.

Let your child know that you care about them and want them to know how to get help if they or someone they know is ever faced with this situation. By approaching your teen in an honest and caring way, you let them know you are on their side – something teenagers often struggle with.

#2 – Get involved. As our children grow it gets more difficult to remain a part of their lives. By regularly getting involved and being part of your child’s life, it will be easier to pick up on signals of an abusive relationship. Speak to your teen’s teachers and stay on top of their school activities. Know your teen’s friends and their parents. The closer you are to their “inner circle” the better your chances of staying in contact and knowing when to step in as a parent.

Another good way to stay connected with your teens is to make your home the “safe haven” for them and their friends. This doesn’t mean that rules don’t apply or that you will be more of a friend rather than a parent. But by providing a non-judgemental place for your teen and their friends to hang out, you get an inner view into their life and know the people they spend possibly large portions of time with.

Setting fair but firm boundaries will let everyone know that rules do apply, but that they are welcomed in your house. By providing activities such as movie nights and lots of food as well as a little privacy for your teens and their friends, you provide a place they’ll want to come to.

#3 – Know when to take action. Abusive relationships are no laughing matter. A teen involved in this type of relationship is in real danger. If you do suspect that your teen or one of their friends is involved in such a relationship, it may be time to take action.

Speak to your child and their friends and other parents. Find out everything you can about the situation and act quickly. And although a teen in such a relationship may initially resist help or see the parent as the “bad” one, the main thing to focus on now is helping your teen remain safe.

If your teen has been involved in an abusive relationship, it may be wise to seek counselling. This is a trauma that may last with them for many years. By getting counselling early on you can start to help heal the wounds.

Original post can be found here: How to Talk to Your Teen about Abusive Relationships

How to Build Communication Bridges with Your Teen

Raising a child doesn’t come with a book of instructions.  If it did, the task would be much easier.  Facing the teenage years with your son or daughter is not something most parents look forward to.  This article will help you take the experience one day at a time and learn how to bridge the communication gap.

As your child goes from toddler to youngster to tween to teenager, something in what you say gets lost in translation.  They can give you that blank stare as if the words that are coming out of your mouth sound like the unseen teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons.

It’s not easy to improve the communication bridges with a teen but it’s important to try to get through as these years and the choices they make now will have a vital impact on their future.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Watch your body language.  How you move says a lot about you.  When a person is tired, they tend to slump.  When angered, your jaw muscles tighten and your eyes narrow into slits.  Believe it or not, teenagers are good at interpreting body language.  Yours will betray you when you are talking to them.  Keep it open and honest.  Avoid sitting with your arms crossed, eyes looking away from them or squirming in your seat.

2. Make eye contact.  When you don’t look at the person you are talking to it says that you are either hiding something or you are not at all interested in what they have to say.  Your teenager will shut down emotionally when they suspect that you are not “tuned in” to them.  Sit comfortably and give your teen undivided attention with consistent eye contact.  It lets them know that you care.

3. Keep your emotions in check.  Remember back to when you were a teenager.  Some of the things you said to your parents were aimed at freaking them out.  Teenagers will push your buttons if they can.  Don’t go overboard and get upset.  Their target is the situations they know make you mad.  Instead, take a deep breath and ignore the taunt.  Do the opposite of what they expect because really, they want you to see through their ploy and find out the real problem.

4. Ask them about their day.  This technique works with spouses also.  Even if your teen only grunts or says the obligatory, “It was okay,” ask anyway.  Your show of caring will go a long way to convince them that you are interested in the things that they do and how they feel.

5. Be honest with them.  If you don’t understand the situation they are talking about then say so.  Kids know when you are being insincere.  Discuss the situation until you get an idea of where they are coming from.  Your teen won’t mind explaining as long as they know you are listening.

6. Allow them their privacy.  This one is tricky and since you know your child better than anyone else, you can draw the line.  Teens value their time alone.  While the policy in your home may be that there are no locks on the doors, always show respect by knocking before entering.  If they don’t want to be pressed about a situation in school, wait until they are ready (if it’s not urgent) and then talk about it.

Parenting a teenager takes a tough skin, a willingness to be vulnerable and lots of love.  You will make mistakes but whatever you do, don’t ever stop talking.

Original post can be found here: How to Build Communication Bridges with Your Teen

Summer sun safety for children is something on parents’ minds as the temperatures rise and the days lengthen. You want your children to spend time playing outside but the possibility of getting sunburned is an ever-present thought. Here are some guidelines to help you know how to keep your children safe in the summer sun.

Dermatologists and other experts recommend putting sunscreen on your children at least 15 to 30 minutes before they go outside each and every time before they go outside. This may seem like overkill, but the fact is that if your child gets seriously sunburned even once, it could increase their chance of developing skin cancer in the future.

Once the sunscreen has been applied, it is important to reapply it every two hours your child is outdoors. If your child is spending a good amount of time in the water, you’ll want to apply sunscreen more frequently.

Many dermatologists recommend staying indoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Why are these hours singled out? It is during these hours that the sun is at its strongest and most dangerous. This is also true on cloudy or overcast days even though the sun may not seem as strong.

If you want your child to spend time outdoors during summer months, it might be better to plan outdoor time early in the morning or later in the afternoon. Then you’d still want to be sure you and your child are wearing sunscreen, sunglasses and hats to protect your skin and eyes.

Another thing to be concerned about in regard to summer sun safety for children is keeping them hydrated. Children may be having so much fun running and playing they don’t realize they’re sweating and losing important hydration. Here are some things you can do to keep your child from becoming overheated or dehydrated:

* Plan for the time you’ll be outdoors. Bring along lightweight and loose-fitting clothing, plenty of water, sunglasses and sunscreen.

* Take along some ‘quiet time’ activities to fall back on during the hotter part of the day.

* Arrive early enough at your location to find a spot under a pavilion or shade tree. This will allow your children to enjoy the fresh air and being outdoors but it will provide some respite from the sun.

You want your children to enjoy their summer but you also want to keep them safe. Summer sun safety for children is simple. Use sunscreen every time they go outdoors, reapply it every two hours or more often, dress them in lightweight, loose-fitting clothing and keep them hydrated. Your children will be able to have fun in the sun and you can relax because you know they’re protected.

Original post can be found here: Summer Sun Safety for Children

Swimming is a common activity for families during the summer months. Even though it can be a great activity for everyone, it can also be dangerous for young children. Therefore, keeping kids safe around a swimming pool is a top priority.

An unfortunate statistic no parent wants to be associated with is that every year over 300 children under the age of five drown in swimming pools, many in their own backyard. Of course, teaching children (no matter their age) how to swim will make the risk of their drowning less, but children should not be allowed near the water without parental supervision.

Young children don’t think about the dangers associated with water. They see a ball or other toy in the water and try to get it out. That’s the way that many children fall into an unsupervised pool and drown. Or they go into deep water which they don’t have the skill to get out of. Many experts believe toddlers and preschoolers don’t scream for help or splash to get others’ attention.

One way to keep children safe around swimming pools is to make it impossible for them to reach the pool unless they are with an adult. Protect the pool, and your children, by placing a fence and locked gate around an underground pool. You can also place a barrier with locked gate around above-ground pools if you have a deck around them.

Talk to all children about safety rules concerning a pool. Ensure that they know not go to or into the pool without an adult present. They should also know not to run around a pool’s edge which could result in their falling into the pool. Toys should be removed from the pool and put up so children won’t be tempted to retrieve them. The gate should then be locked to keep children out of the pool.

Teach your children how to swim as early as possible. However, even if your child does learn how to swim, don’t depend on their ability to swim to keep them safe. No matter if small children know how to swim or not, there should always be an adult present when children are in the water.

Rather than using blow-up wings for children who don’t know how to swim, purchase US Coast Guard approved personal flotation devices. There are many different types and designs available, including swim suits for babies. They may not be fashionable but they could very well save your child’s life.

It would be a nightmare for any parent to realize their small child has slipped outdoors and reached an unprotected pool. It would be even worse to find that precious child lifeless, face down in the pool. Keeping kids safe around a swimming pool is necessary, and the above gives you some ideas of how you can do that.

Original post can be found here: Keeping Kids Safe around a Swimming Pool

With the increasing use of social networking sites such as Facebook amongst teens, it becomes important to safeguard your teens against others. Not only is your teen in danger of being convinced by a stranger to run away, but cyber bullying takes place online in these venues as well. To protect your teen from becoming a victim on Facebook, utilize the following tips:

* Teach your teen how to protect profile information. At this point in your teen’s life, the only people who should have any access to their profile are approved friends and family members. Facebook has many different options for protecting profile information.

Have your teen safeguard profile information such as location, school and availability and allow only known users to view the information.

* Do not allow your teen to post inappropriate pictures of themselves. Many teens like to take photos of each other and friends for fun and post the results on Facebook for all to see. Amongst friends, the practice is fine, but allowing the general population to view such photos will attract unwanted attention.

* Set limits for Facebook usage. A good idea is for teens to have their parents listed as a family member, if said parent uses Facebook. If you are not a user of Facebook, maintain an overview of your teen’s profile. Many teens will object to the invasion of privacy, but as long as you promise not to judge them or their friends, it should be easier to convince them.
Agree to lift the limits when your teen reaches a certain age. Also allow for the fact that teens will usually vent about parents and friends on Facebook as an outlet.

* Educate your teen in how to safeguard themselves and not to use posts that will allow someone to find them at a certain place or time. If your teen only has approved friends and family on their friends list, there is no harm in posting such information.

Be aware, however, that the appropriate security settings, namely privacy, must be activated in order to prevent unknown persons from being able to access your teen’s profile. Also be sure to educate your teen on the perils of meeting someone they do not know. While the news reports may be scary, share them with your children to instill a fear of what may happen if they ignore your warnings.

Keeping your teen’s safe is a major part of your responsibility as a parent. However, if your teen is an active social networking user on sites such as Facebook, it can be harder to protect them. Instead, teach your teen how to safeguard their information and only allow those who they know in person to view their profiles and become friends.

Set the appropriate privacy settings and also ask that your teen share their password if they are younger. Educating your teens on how to avoid becoming a victim is the most important step of all, as most teens are typically not aware of the consequences their actions may bring.

Original post can be found here: Keeping Your Teens Safe on Facebook