Category: Parenting Tips

If you’re caught in the middle of taking care of elderly or sick parents while taking care of your children, you’re not alone. In fact, it makes you a part of the sandwich generation. This covers many people worldwide, mostly in the middle-aged group. In some cases, the situation has escalated so much that you have had to be appointed their guardian or conservator to protect them, especially if they are very ill, that is why resources like a Denver elder law lawyer will be needed to make this legal, which can be a long process amongst everything else.

There’s a lot of headaches that comes with balancing both worlds and it can be draining. As long as you’ve taken this noble decision to take care of your parents, the stress never stops. The good news is that there are several ways to keep stress levels at the barest minimum. We’ve listed a few tips below.

Use The Help Of Efficient Tools

Time is always crucial for many people simultaneously caring for elderly family members and their kids. There’s always something to do in record time, like sorting out your parent’s subscription medicine while filling out your youngest’s lunchbox for school. While doing this, a call may be coming through in the next five minutes for a business presentation you’ve had no time to prepare for (that’s even if you get the chance to work remotely).

For this reason, it’s important to always be organized and focused on your tasks and responsibilities. Using an effective computer to help you do more work without time lag can be as helpful as strolling your elderly in the best wheelchair possible. You can find various options for the latter via the website mobilitysolutions.co.uk.

Rest As Much As Possible

Surviving as a middle-aged working adult in any part of the world is no easy task. If you have to double that up with parents, you know there’s barely any time for rest. One minute you’re at work; the next minute, you need to attend a parents’ day at school or honor your pharmacy appointment to collect a new set of medication.

It’s tempting to put your well-being aside to ensure you’re up to the task all the time. However, rest is non-negotiable. Resting is not an activity you indulge in when you want to. Having enough rest can benefit your overall health and ensure that you have a sharp brain for the tasks ahead. Adequate rest also affords you an ideal time to look at things from a neutral perspective, helping you assess yourself and make better decisions going forward.

Don’t Blame Yourself

Is it your fault you have elderly parents to cater for? Is it a mistake that your kids demand the care they do? The answer to both questions should be a hard “No.” But that’s not even the point. Have you realized that whatever answer you settle with doesn’t negate the responsibility of the former or latter?

Guilt passes as one of the most emotions we experience. But most people keep running back to this emotion even though it does nothing to calm them or solve the problem at hand. No one chooses to be caught up in a sandwich generation. It’s easy to feel the pressure coming from all angles. But the more you give in to feeling guilty, the less powerful you become in facing your realities head-on.

First, acknowledge that whatever effort you’re putting across in support of your home and elderly parents counts. The thought of how important what you do can help you battle guilt and cope with all the challenges of taking care of your children and parents.

Be Open To Help From Others

Having a healthy support system around you as a parent and caregiver is crucial. It’s important to open yourself up to assistance from all angels. Remember that you can’t shoulder everything in attending to both worlds, and accessing help from trusted people around you can never be missed. The help can come in the form of assistance from friends and family, or from a home care agency near me in Philadelphia or wherever you happen to live.

Generally, kids are as special as the parents who facilitated a huge part of your growth. Giving these two people enough attention can only be right, even though it’s no easy task. These tips should help the journey be a little more manageable.

​Natural settings provide young children with the ultimate playground. Learn about the best places to take your toddler as well as activity ideas, health benefits and practical tips to enjoy the outdoors in any season.

Benefits of Nature Play

Interacting with nature boosts children’s physical, intellectual and emotional well-being. Here’s how outdoor play facilitates healthy development.

Cognitive

The natural world offers endless learning opportunities. Through exploration, discovery and rich sensory experiences, toddlers tap into their creativity and inquisitiveness. Time spent outdoors is also found to improve concentration. lengthen attention span and encourage healthy risk-taking.

Physical

Activities like climbing trees, collecting seeds and walking across logs build fine and gross motor skills, strengthen muscles and improve balance and agility. If your child displays extreme lethargy or weakness with any activity, ask your pediatrician to check for iron deficiency. Wellements Iron Drops can help increase levels.

Emotional

Nature’s relaxing vibe reduces anxiety and promotes positivity. Through outdoor play, children can release energy and build resilience and confidence.

Social

Most young toddlers engage in parallel play rather than interacting directly with peers. As they get older, they engage more with others and begin to develop important skills such as sharing, collaboration, empathy and conflict resolution.

Safe Outdoor Areas For Your Toddler

Parks, playgrounds, hiking trails, woods, creeks, and even your backyard are invaluable sources of entertainment and discovery. To ensure safety while being outdoors at parks, woods, playgrounds, and hiking trails, use common sense and closely supervise your child at all times. Avoid hazardous spots, such as:

• Deep or fast-moving waters
• Areas with poison ivy
• Steep hills or cliffs
• Loose or slippery boulders

Make Your Backyard Safe

To make your backyard a safe spot, ensure that you have a fence installed with the help of a Fence contractor in Rockwall, TX (if that is where you are situated) around the perimeter. It can act as the first line of defense against unsupervised exits or access. Simply put, it can keep your children away from potential dangers like vehicles on the road and strangers.

Fences can keep your child from going outside, but it has limitations. Certain wildlife such as rodents, squirrels, and bats can still make their way to your backyard and make it their home. Such creatures not only pose a physical threat to your kids, but they might also be carrying dangerous diseases which they could pass on to your little ones. Therefore, it is important to make sure you contact a pest removal or Bat Removal service and remove any potential wildlife threats you find in your garden. That way, you can let your kids enjoy the backyard without worry.

Fun Nature Activities

You’d be amazed at the fun you can have with little more than a few rocks and twigs. Here are 10 ideas for things to do in nature:

1. Identify animals.
2. Start a nature box.
3. Go on a hike.
4. Do art projects using items found in nature.
5. Plant a garden.
6. Pick fruits and vegetables.
7. Build a fort.
8. Watch the clouds.
9. Roll in the grass.
10. Splash through puddles.

Tips To Enjoy Nature Year-Round

Nature play is not just a fair-weather event. With the right clothing and supplies, you can have fun outside rain, shine or snow. Here’s how to gear up for any season:

• Always apply sunscreen. The sun’s UV rays are powerful even in cold weather. Little ones can enjoy the benefits of vitamin d drops that supplement their diets.
• Bring water bottles everywhere to make sure your tot stays hydrated.
• Dress in layers in cold weather. Start with a base layer made from moisture-wicking material like polyester. Put on a mid-layer to retain heat followed by an outer layer to shield your child from the elements. Use a wool hat, gloves, and socks with waterproof boots for maximum warmth and protection.
• In hot weather, stick with light, loose, and quick-drying clothing. Put on close-toed, breathable shoes.
• Monitor the weather so that you don’t end up going out just as it is about to rain, or if the humidity outside is too much for your child. With the most reliable weather station on the market (which could be found by reading reviews here), this becomes a fairly easy task.
• When you know exactly how much it’s going to rain, you can get ready for mud puddles with a rain suit, wool or synthetic socks, and waterproof boots. Skip the umbrella; it will limit your child’s movement.

Spending time in nature offers many health benefits. Take every opportunity to support your child’s growth and development. Get outdoors and check with your pediatrician about giving your toddler organic vitamins made from simple, natural ingredients.

Is hypnotherapy for children a legitimate treatment option? While the answer to this question likely varies from person to person, the evidence suggests that hypnotherapy may be an effective treatment for children. In this article, we’ll explore the evidence behind children’s hypnosis and discuss whether or not it works. We’ll wrap up with some recommendations and suggestions for further reading. 

What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is the process of inducing hypnosis, a trance-like state where you experience intense concentration and focus. It’s usually done by a therapist, using guided relaxation and focussed attention to control mood changes. Hypnotherapy is considered a great alternative form of treatment for conditions such as: 

• Grief and loss
• Anxiety 
• Stress
• Sleep disorders
• Fears and phobias
• Behavior change
• Pain control 

Does Hypnotherapy for Children Work?

Due to their young minds having vivid imaginations, children are better suited for hypnotherapy than adults. Their subconscious mind is more receptive to new ideas, making it easier for them to respond to hypnosis sessions. Generally, studies have shown that the children have better self-regulation skills after hypnotherapy sessions. 

How Does Hypnotherapy Work??

An experienced hypnotherapist like the ones at The Mindful therapist (a Harley Street hypnotherapy in London), or at a similar therapy clinic can use different techniques during the therapy session when dealing with your child. First, they find out what the problem is. Then, they establish a new behavioral pattern in the child’s mind. Lastly, they encourage repetition until this new behavioral pattern becomes a habit. 

To do this, the therapist will use:

1. Focussed attention. 

Here, the therapist focuses your child’s attention on one thing at a time. It could be the therapist’s voice or the sensation in your child’s body. 

2. Enthusiasm to play. 

Most therapists center the child’s attention around imagination and the ability to play. By introducing playfulness, trust, creativity, and respect, the child can tap into their core strengths and resources to help them change their behaviors.

3. Following suggestions.

 Successful hypnosis comes down to changed behavior and emotional states, and one of the best ways to do that is by following suggestions. This method helps deal with issues that have become ingrained in your child’s brain, letting go of the rigid thought processes. 

Does Hypnosis Work For All Children??

The best age for children’s hypnosis is from five years and above. This is because, at this age, they can understand and follow instructions given by the therapist. However, hypnotherapy may still work, provided your child can stay still and harness their concentration for long periods.

Above all, before booking the first therapy session for your kid, it’s essential to talk with them about it. Explain who they’re going to see and what they should expect. Actively involve your child in the process as the success of the treatment relies on their responsiveness. 

If your child doesn’t feel comfortable going for an in-person appointment with a hypnotherapist, there are other ways to administer the treatment from home. You can use progressive relaxation, mindfulness for kids, or self-hypnosis, where the child uses scripts to relax. 

Conclusion

Hypnotherapy has been around for decades, with several studies showing that it’s an effective, non-invasive way to treat children. As an adult, you might forget that your kid is also having a hard time dealing with the issues they face when growing up, and they may feel neglected. Give hypnotherapy a try today. 

If you are a mother with young children, the last thing you likely need someone to tell you is that it’s extremely hard work. Children are a job that you don’t clock out from, and the responsibility of taking care of them can leave mothers tired and stressed.

Saying this, there is little doubt that many wouldn’t change things for the world, and that being a mother is a source of great joy and satisfaction – but this doesn’t mean that mothers don’t want to carry on working, and many will want to actively earn income in the meantime.

Now that working from home, as well as hybrid working, are a fully accepted and integrated part of the world of work, it opens up new opportunities for mothers to do just that. Being able to stay at home means that the children can still be looked after and avoids tricky situations such as hiring a carer to supervise them or giving up a career that has been worked on for many years. There are a lot of jobs now that can be worked from home, even physical ones. For example, if you are someone who breaks up their day with yoga to center yourself and be present, have you ever thought about teaching a class or two from your own home? You can use your living room or garden without having to rent out a studio. There is yoga teacher training in austin, as well as other more local places, that can help you achieve your certification without worrying about sticking yourself in an office for 8 hours out of the day, plus doing a commute!

Read on to find out more about methods you can use, as well as products you can buy, to make your working-from-home experience as a mother as efficient, effective, and stress-free as possible.

Mobile Workstation

One way of ensuring that you are not completely unavailable while working from home is having a mobile workstation, allowing you to move around the house while continuing to work. While it’s great to have a desk or dedicated working space, the challenges involved with having children around may mean that this isn’t entirely feasible.

Thankfully, having a powerful, capable and efficient mobile working station is no problem in the modern-day, with business graphics cards on the market that ensures no matter your profession, your computer or laptop will easily be able to handle everything a workday can throw at it. For example, AMD Ryzen 5 Mobile Workstations provide performance upgrades, security measures, and efficiency improvements.

Keep Routines Flexible

Routines are potentially the most important aspect of managing your responsibilities as a work-from-home mother – both in terms of being consistent during some times of the day while keeping an open mind during others.

With little ones, it’s impossible to know what challenges may lay ahead during the day, which is why it’s important to keep a flexible working mindset during this time. Short bursts of productivity followed by taking time to care for your child will still ensure that your work gets done, just in multiple blocks rather than in one solid period of time.

In order for you to maintain flexible time during the day, having a consistent morning routine will mean that expectations are in place for both you and your child and will mean that the day can get off to the strongest possible start. Expectations are important, as your child needs to have an understanding that you are not constantly available during certain hours of the day.

Prioritize Self-Care

The stresses of juggling work and parenting can quickly lead to burnout if you don’t take time for yourself. Build moments of self-care into your routine, even if it’s just 15 minutes to meditate, read, or enjoy a cup of tea in peace.

When possible, ask your partner or a family member to take over childcare duties for an hour so you can exercise, take a bath, or simply recharge. Putting on your own oxygen mask first allows you to be a better parent and employee.

Keep a Watchful Eye

During work hours, it’s crucial to stay focused, but nothing is more important than keeping an eye on your young children. For instance, getting a smart air conditioning system installed by professionals like those at sandri.com lets you check and adjust the room temperature from afar. This ensures your little ones stay cozy whether they’re napping or playing.

You can enhance your child’s safety by using baby monitors or cameras to monitor their activities. Installing door alarms or child safety locks can prevent them from wandering off unnoticed. Being proactive about childproofing and leveraging smart home technology can offer peace of mind while you focus on your work.

Seek Out a Support System

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Whether it’s coordinating childcare coverage with your co-parent, hiring a mother’s helper for a few hours a week, or connecting with other work-from-home parents online, having a support system is crucial.

Join local parenting groups to find playdates where kids can socialize while you work nearby. Older relatives or a trusted neighbor may be willing to lend a hand occasionally. Building a network allows you to juggle responsibilities while avoiding isolation.

Did you know that there are 5,000 Montessori schools in the United States? Montessori schools are more popular than ever, and for good reason. 

A Montessori school isn’t like any other early childhood education program. Montessori education programs prioritize crucial life skills and independence over academic prowess. 

We’re here with a brief guide to Montessori education benefits so you can determine whether or not a Montessori school is right for your child. Read on to learn more.

1. Child-Centered Learning

One of the benefits of Montessori education is that it focuses on individual children. There’s no strict curriculum, and teachers don’t aim to force children into boxes. Instead, children get to decide what they’re learning and how they want to learn it. 

Instead of focusing on age-based benchmarks, teachers at Montessori schools allow children to follow their interests. This doesn’t mean that children don’t learn important academic skills, however. As a matter of fact, children at Montessori schools consistently show better results with literacy and math skills than children in standard schools.

This is also great for encouraging children to find and pursue non-academic interests alongside their academic ones. 

2. Improved Social-Emotional Skills

Young children are always improving their social-emotional skills when they’re at school, but Montessori school might be even better. 

In Montessori classrooms, children stay with the same teachers for several years. This means that there’s an age range in every given class instead of just one age group.

Children learn how to help each other and how to accept help from peers. They learn how to engage with children who are older than them (which can also help with better speech acquisition). They also form strong bonds with their classmates. 

3. Hands-on Learning 

The Montessori approach is all about hands-on learning. Your child won’t be sitting at a desk all day completing assignments. Instead, teachers will use a variety of games and activities to teach them. 

Hands-on learning teaches children about the power of discovery and problem-solving. It takes effort for children to learn new things when they’re doing it through activities instead of busywork. 

Click to find more information about local Montessori schools.

4. Greater Independence 

How independent is your child? Montessori school can make them even more independent and prepare them for standard schooling in the future. 

With the child-centered and hands-on approach to learning, children learn how to rely on themselves and follow their own whims. While many parents think that this will lead them to “slack off” and play all day, this isn’t true. Children are naturally curious, and Montessori schools allow them to follow this curiosity. 

Because Montessori schools don’t use a conventional grading system, children learn to look inwards for praise instead of relying on others. They learn how to strive toward success. 

Children are also encouraged to help out around the classroom. If someone spills or breaks something, children help clean it up. Some Montessori programs also involve the children in snacktime and any tasks that need to be completed before the school day starts. 

Is Montessori Education Right for Your Child?

If these benefits appeal to you, it might be time to consider Montessori education for your child. They’ll learn independence, develop better social skills and learn at their own pace. What’s not to love?

For more helpful articles about family and more, visit the rest of our site. 

You can admit it – parenting is one of the hardest jobs in the world! It’s even harder if you can’t find low-income child care. Without adequate parent support, it’s no wonder you’re feeling overwhelmed. 

Thankfully, we’re here to share five child care resources you can depend on. No matter what your situation is, you can turn to them for help. Read on to learn how to get the affordable child care your little one needs.

Preschool

If your child is ready for preschool, you don’t have to stress about covering the costs yourself. You can find state-funded pre-K programs in most states. They’re often either free or low-cost.

Preschool is essential to early childhood education, so it’s something that many states choose to focus on. You can visit preschool child care in Forest Hill, MD or your state’s child care resources page for information on preschool options.

Preschool provides children with the opportunity to learn important skills that will help prepare them for kindergarten and beyond. It helps them develop motor skills, language, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Child Care Referral Programs

If you’re struggling to find child care, look into child care referral programs. These programs, such as Child Care Aware, will refer you to trustworthy, reputable types of child care near you. They’re connected to an extensive network of providers, allowing them to easily connect you to quality options.

You can also turn to these referral programs for child care financial assistance. They’ll help you locate low-cost child care programs and subsidies.

Local County Resources

In many counties, you can find parent support resources. They may point you toward low-income child care, financial help, and more in your community. Help from your county is beneficial because it’s all local, making it convenient.

County child care resources might also include upcoming events or activities for your kids to enjoy. We suggest checking them often for updates, so your family can have fun.

State Assistance Programs

Have you considered child care assistance from your state? These types of programs often include child care subsidies, vouchers, and more. The state will help you cover the costs of child care if you’re eligible.

You can find assistance programs in all states. The federal government designates funding specifically for them, so you can find state resources everywhere.

On-Campus Child Care

If you’re a young parent attending college or university, you may have on-campus resources. Many schools offer child care on campus, so it’s worth checking whether yours does. For either a small fee or no charge at all, your child can receive care while you’re in class. 

Can’t find any child care programs at your school? Consider suggesting it as a possibility to the administration office. After all, other young parents may benefit, too!

Rely on These Child Care Resources

When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed as a parent, don’t let your stress take over. Instead, turn to one of your many child care resources! It certainly takes a village to raise a child, but help is easier to find than you may think.

Do you want more parent support articles like this one? Browse our website!

The wait for the arrival of a baby is one of the most nerve-wracking of our lives. The little human grows daily and will soon erupt into your life and change everything. As you prepare, one of the biggest jobs is the decoration of the nursery. How do you create a space that is both fit for a young mind and still practical for its parents?

To ease some of your worries and concerns, we have gathered some advice on how to decorate the nursery. It is not how to apply paint or prepare your walls; this is advice on what colours will calm your baby and how you will deal with the aftermath of tsunami poos.

The colour-scheme

There are two main concerns when choosing the paint colour. One, how do you keep it neutral when you might not know the gender of the child or are keen not to continue gender stereotypes. Two, how do you decorate to aid your baby’s sensory development?

A good place to start is to have some fun. You will be spending a lot of time in the nursery, so why not browse magazines, cut out pictures and create a collage of baby room ideas. This can include anything from finding out how to create a custom baby name sign for nursery which can be placed front and centre in the room to any furniture that you think would complement the overall appearance of the space. This can be a great time to experiment, so don’t be afraid to let your creative side run wild. Once you have had some initial fun and have some ideas of what you want from the room, you can move on to buying the paint.

Warm colours

Choosing warm colours can impact your baby’s mood. Yellows, reds, and oranges can elicit happiness and comfort in the baby, helping them feel cosy. However, shade counts here. Bold reds, yellows, and oranges will stimulate and energise the body – red is known to increase the heart, blood, and respiration rate. Therefore, too much warmth and your baby might not be getting much sleep.

Consequently, while some warm colours are great in the nursery, you might want to use them in moderation. You could try an accent wall or find some accessories in contrast to the main palette of the room.

Cool colours

On the opposite side of the colour wheel to red is blue. Choosing pinks and blues is always linked to gender, and you may want to avoid this. However, blue is a calming colour and can lower the heart rate and respiration, reducing anxiety.

The color green can make you feel good and promote a sense of well-being. That’s why lots of parents like to use green and brown colors in a nursery, along with lots of cute animals. In this regard, expert painter and decorators can be employed to create a nature theme, making the room feel cozy and welcoming for the little one.

The paint-finish

Once you have chosen your colour, it is time to choose your finish. Eggshell is a popular finish for nurseries because it is durable and highly stain resistant (remember the poo tsunami, then the vomit). It is a finish that is easy to clean and helps you keep the nursery in great shape for your youngster.

Yet, some eggshell finishes may come with glare. So, in that case, you can choose a wipeable paint surface with a Low Reflectance Value. Most paint tins will include an LRV value on the label, and realistically, you want to keep this 60 or lower to help with your baby’s sleep pattern. You can also find some pastel matte finishes that work best for the nursery design, though you may have to consider going for the paint that allows you to clean the walls too.

It is always a good idea to get professional advice before making all these decisions. If you have doubts and need assistance with wall painting, find a Painter in Raleigh, NC (or another location) to help you. If you are thinking of sanitation and cleanliness for the nursery during those early days with your newborn, you can also discuss paint options with a professional. Dustproof emulsions will be a great option for the nursery walls.

A final note on safety

A newly painted room is often filled with fumes from the paint. Many paints contain a heavy amount of VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) that are not great to breathe in. You may want to go for a low or no VOC paint when choosing your paints. Alternatively, you may wish to give the room time to air and leave windows open to ventilate, ensuring the room is free of fumes before the little one arrives home.

You got this!

While there seems like a lot to get wrong, there is also every chance your baby’s bedroom will be the highlight of your home. Trust your instincts and create something that brings you happiness. Your baby is much more receptive to your moods than they are to the décor, so keep yourself in mind when painting the walls and trim.

The idea of fun at the tea table is a pretty modern concept. It wasn’t so long ago that children should be seen and not heard at mealtimes, but there are plenty of reasons parents might consider injecting a bit of life into their lunchtimes! 

Some children view meals as a chore that interrupts their playing and is more obligation than enjoyment. Adding some fun to mealtimes can not only help them develop a healthy relationship with food but also makes the process more enjoyable for everyone! Whether meals in your house are a battle or a walk in the park, we’ve added some suggestions for how to make mealtimes fun for your toddler.

Children Eat with Their Eyes Too!

It’s absolutely true that we eat with our eyes, perhaps even more so as children. Shapes and patterns can make food much more appealing, and one super-easy way to inject some fun into your children’s lunch is using cookie cutters! Cookie cutters are great at stamping shapes out of sandwiches and snacks like fruit. Counting is a fun way to get your kids involved. For example, grapes or cheese cubes, get them to portion out a certain amount for their lunch.

Shapes aren’t the only great way to make food look more appetising. Adding lots of colour to your children’s meals will not only look more appealing but also makes sure they’re getting a dish with a variety of foods and nutrients. Get your children involved by asking them to think of shapes or colours they’d like to see on their plate. 

Have the Right Tools Handy

Not every parent has the time to be making edible artwork, but you can easily inject some colour into mealtimes with snazzy tableware. Allow them to pick their favourite bowl or the colour plate they’ll use to give them more autonomy over mealtimes. There are so many child-safe fun cutlery options too, which can help your toddler feel grown-up and make them want to be part of grown-up mealtimes.

Fun with food doesn’t have to mean messy meals either! Snack cups are ideal for little ones experimenting with finger foods, and the self-contained bowls have a flexible lid to help keep the mess in while enabling children to help themselves. Snack cups are perfect for children just starting to be more curious about food or those that are fussy eaters. Not to mention these Jamie Kay ones are robust and dishwasher safe, which is exactly what we want for children’s tableware! 

Preparation Is Key

Instead of simply setting a meal down in front of them, invite your child to be a part of the prep before they eat. This will help to nurture an interest in foods instead of just feeling like they’re being summoned when it’s ready. Easy tasks like mashing avocado or mixing ingredients are great to delegate to your little ones, and they’ll eat this with a sense of pride and achievement.

And we’re not just talking about food prep here! Most children work well with a routine, so having a ritual around mealtimes can help them form positive habits. From washing their hands to choosing where they’ll sit, use this time to get them enthused about getting ready to eat. 

A Teddy Bear’s Picnic

There is absolutely a place for play at mealtimes, especially when trying to encourage picky eaters. Lots of us have fond memories of playing tea parties as children, and your early memories like these can help shape your relationship with food in later life. If your child is a reluctant eater, why not allow them to invite their favourite teddy to sit with them at the dinner table? Introducing an element of make-believe to mealtimes can help it feel more fun.

Ultimately you will find that when they’re enjoying mealtimes, so are you. Letting your little ones know that food is something they can enjoy will help reduce stress around mealtimes and make the process smoother. 

Technology has transformed day-to-day life whether that be in how we shop or get around. School isn’t an exception either as many of the materials needed run off the cloud. Social media and overall internet access have increased the dangers for children which is why it’s important to teach them about online safety from an early age. A prep school in London has a great list of ways that you can explore internet safety with your child which we have shared below.

 

Making Friends

The internet seems like an exciting place to children where they can meet others and make new friends on social media and social gaming platforms like movie star planet. Unfortunately, it’s just as easy for internet users to impersonate others and target children. To help protect your child from these sorts of people, you can teach them to not add strangers online and just the people that they know in real life. That will make them more cautious when adding people and prevent stranger danger.

 

Managing Privacy

As well as being cautious about who to add, it’s important for children to maintain their privacy online and not overshare. Social media has made it easy for stalkers to find out almost anything on the internet from where children go to school with a selfie and where they are. This is where a private profile where all of this is kept secret can help.

 

Harmful Content

Indecent content is something else that children should be protected from and there are ways that you can block this harmful content. For example, you can block sites with your internet provider and off their devices. Pop-ups can also be banned, helping them to stay safe online. These sites and pop-ups can be looked up with the help of forums. This is advisable as it’ll usually show a list of websites that are labelled as harmful. Sometimes, these pages have been collected through web scraping. You can always enter the keywords “webscraping explained” to learn more about the process. Perhaps, you might be inspired to scrape through the sites yourself and double check the harmful content. The end goal is to protect your child. So, the more relevant sites you come across which can be blocked, the better your child will be protected.

 

Monitor Screen Time

By sitting with your child while they do their homework online, you can be of assistance when they get stuck and keep a closer eye on what they use it for. You can also teach them about finding reliable information from trustworthy sites and how to avoid those that aren’t.

 

Fake News

Fake news is easy to come across too. Just because a post happens to have lots of shares, it doesn’t make it true. It’s important that children know this before being swept up by fake news as it can be harmful. Tools like Snopes fact check information and bring up the relevant and credible sources that reference them.

 

Children can get easily distracted, especially as there are lots of fun things to do. While play time is important for young minds, it’s important for them to know how to concentrate and have a desire to learn. To save you the nagging, we have teamed up with a private school to share 6 ways that you can motivate your child to learn.

 

Help Them Find Their Dream Job

Jobs are cool and adult. It can be fun for children to think about the future and what they want to be when they grow up. All jobs rely on hard work and education is needed to get there. If there’s something that your child wants to be when they grow up, talk about how their studies will fit into it. Whether they want to be a fire fighter or a teacher, they’ll need their core subjects like maths to get there. Exploring this will help you to motivate them and give them an aspiration to work towards.

 

Show Your Commitment to Education

Learning is something that continues and carries on throughout life. Even as an adult in a stable career, you’ll be learning new ways of doing things. Showing your child that you’re passionate about learning can rub off on them and make them motivated and excited to learn.

 

Use Their Distractions

If your child isn’t agreeing to do their work, you can use their interests to trick them into doing it. You can use their toys to teach them about number problems for example and help them with their maths. That way you’ll be able to speak in a language that makes sense to them and help them understand better.

 

Opt for Personalized Tuition

While traditional teaching methods have their merits, supplementing your child’s education with tailored tutoring can be instrumental in addressing individual needs and fostering a deeper understanding of various subjects. Embracing innovative ways of learning, such as personalized tuition, provides your child with a dynamic and engaging educational experience, inspiring motivation and excitement for knowledge acquisition.

Look for Interactive Means

Children love games and there are plenty that you can find online covering a variety of subjects. They’ll keep them engaged and teach them important lessons. They may even encourage them to do more work than initially told as games can be addictive, helping them to get in additional practice and improve.
 

Cartoons

There’s no shortage of educational cartoons either. Cartoons are like mascots that can teach children good behaviours. Those like “Number Blocks” can teach young children about maths and get them passionate about the subject.