Mother and Child

Disciplining your kids is necessary, but you can do it the wrong way. The boundaries and rules set by many parents are not so good. Parents can go the other direction, being too strict which is also not good. To get it just right isn’t easy, and it takes a lot of patience. Following the rules is one thing. Teaching your kids to think for themselves is another. To help you out, if you are a parent, or even if you’re not, here are some disciplinary mistakes to avoid.

Being in control of your emotions requires discipline. If you lose control of your emotions, this is a parental mistake that you need to get a handle on. Discipline has nothing to do with acting out of anger, or punishing your child because you are mad. As a parent, you need to be effective with your discipline, always thinking things out. Just like in the courts, you have to use that level of restraint. Obviously, all parents are susceptible to losing their temper every now and then. It’s all about not letting your emotions rule you, and disciplining your children using reason. Any parent that is really in control should always allow the reason to control their decisions, not their emotions, which can make them inconsistent and ineffective.

A common error made by parents is engaging in an overly strict way of handling their children. This will impose a dramatic imposition on your kids and they won’t have the opportunity to participate in decision making. This method always has extreme connotations, with a strong price to pay. This will likely get your child’s attention, but it may not have been a good idea down the road. This may put a chip on your child’s shoulder that will make them antagonistic and harsh towards people later on. Rather that respond to assignments because they can comprehend the reasoning behind them; they are programmed react because of fear. In many cases, children brought up this way will only follow the rules when they think someone is watching. You should want your children to be inquisitive and try to understand not only what you are asking of them, but why also.  Make sure children have guidelines and rules to follow, don’t let them spend hours watching online TV channels, give them quotas or specific times that it’s allowed. 

Make sure that every child realizes that they are an individual. You need to remember this too! You should never compare your child to someone else if you want them to behave in a certain manner. Parents with more than one kid, make this mistake very often. By doing this, you are suggesting that the other child (which could be their brother or sister) is better than they are which is not a good thing to do. Friends or neighbors kids, they should never be used in this way. No matter what you do, your children will have difficult these in one way or another. If you compare one child against another, you will build resentment between the children, or cause them to feel competitive in someway. No matter what you do, every child is going to have good and bad points that you have to accept because that is the way they are. 

Discipline is an important but challenging part of being a parent. As you have just read, there are many mistakes the parents can make when it comes to disciplining their children. You probably have to work on a few of the areas that we have discussed in this article. Just do your best to correct them. If you persist in practicing a fair and evenhanded style of discipline, your kids will eventually respond in a positive manner.

There is little doubt nowadays that you should limit the time your children spend in front of a screen.  There have been so many studies done and most inevitably point to potential health and development problems.  But yet our children are spending more and more time in front of some sort of screen.

It’s not easy for parents, it was highlighted by a conversation I had with a mother outside my son’s school.  When I tell my son to stop watching TV he will inevitably move to something else based on a screen.  Whether it’s a computer, Xbox or even a tablet or iPad – it seems like our children’s whole lives are built around screens.

It’s a feeling I can relate to, we introduced a no computer games day twice a week, unfortunately that has just changed into a ’watch TV day’ instead.  The benefits seem rather negligible to say the least.  Most of my childrens homework is also online introduced by the school which makes it even more difficult.

I discovered the other day that my child banned from all big screens in the house, had discovered another avenue.  He was watching TV shows on my iPad in secret, streaming childrens TV from the United Kingdom.  I suppose I should be grateful he was watching BBC Iplayer using this – watching Iplayer on an Ipad abroad, at least it was a little more educational than most of the stuff on Hulu.

I will continue my attempts, I’m simply scared that my children will have little real life skills if I don’t.  A report I read the other week suggested that a child born today will have spent a year of it’s life in front of a screen by the age of seven.  It’s a scary thought, but a statistic that is instantly believable to anyone who has a teenage son or daughter!

I recently had to spend some time abroad as my husband had a temporary contract in Turkey.  Normally I would have loved the chance to visit somewhere new but having a 1 year old to look after made it rather more of a daunting prospect.  I’m afraid I became a bit nervous, worrying about the food, water, environment and even entertaining my little boy.   Fortunately a friend who had travelled a lot with small children brought me back to reality with the statement – “they do have babies in Turkey too you know!”.

It made me think how ridiculous I had  been, but perhaps the reality is that mothers of young children often feel a little helpless – perhaps it’s lack of sleep!  I managed to get some advice about Turkey in general and when I discovered there were two large European supermarkets near where we were staying in Izmir I began to rather look forward to the adventure.

It couldn’t have gone better, the Turkish people are lovely with children including the men.  It is actually easier to visit a cafe or shop with a little one as they’ll always help and make a fuss of my little boy.  Eating out in the evenings was something we learnt to enjoy, much more relaxed that in the UK.  Children seem to accepted much more readily as part of day to day life.

There was one small problem which I had and that was TV.  The kids channels were not very exiting and my little boy was forever pining for the Tellytubbies and In the Night Garden.  Fortunately someone gave me some help and explained that with a little trickery I could actually watch them on my laptop through BBC Iplayer.  I had tried this previously but it didn’t work as Iplayer only works in the UK but I was pointed at this wonderful web page - http://www.theninjaproxy.org/tv/how-to-use-a-bbc-iplayer-proxy/.  This explained how I could use something called a proxy server to change my location to look like it was in the UK.  It did cost a few pounds for the subscriptio but only the cost of a bottle of wine a month (not Turkish wine though!).  It turned into a godsend, I could even download the latest adventures of Iggle Piggle and we’d watch them together.

I know I could have managed perfectly well without UK TV shows, but it made our stay so much more relaxing!

For some people Bangkok is a noisy, polluted and congested city and not an ideal place for a mother and baby or mother and infant to visit. While these characterizations are not totally unfounded it would be wrong to claim that Bangkok is not family friendly. The city has lots of things for kids to do and enjoy. The experience of Bangkok from a child and mother’s point of view can be wonderful: it very much depends on planning.

For a start there are many family friendly hotels in Bangkok that have excellent facilities such as swimming pools, gyms, play rooms and restaurants. Bangkok is excellent value for 4 star hotels. Also areas like Chidlom offer plenty of park and green space that are free of noisy and sleazy bars. Choosing the right hotel is half the battle won when it comes to a family friendly holiday.

Next is where to visit. If the child is old enough a great half day can be had taking the Chao Phraya Express boat up and down the river visiting the main tourist sites like Wat Pho, the Grand Palace and Wat Arun.

If you have the time it is great to take a tour farther afield. There is Dreamworld. It is Thailand’s answer to Disney World. There are lots of rides and other attractions. And it only costs $15 entry.

For children who like to see animals there is Thailand’s largest open air zoo about 40 minutes away by taxi. It is called Safari World. There is also Siam Ocean World in the Siam Paragon Shopping Centre: it is the largest aquarium in South East Asia.

There are also places like Funarium especially designed for children to have fun and explore in a safe environment.

You can see cultural shows, tiger shows, snake shows. You can go ice skating or bowling. You can visit the cinema. You can go to a planetarium. There really is more than enough to keep a child happy in Bangkok for a month of Sundays.

More and more people are having family holidays in Thailand. The trend seems to be for people to go to farther and more exotic destinations for their family holidays. Whereas, a few generations ago a family vacation was normally a trip to see the grandparents or a car ride to the beach or nearest national park, things have changed with the present generation of 30 smething parents.

This is the generation that traveled to India, South America, Africa etc. and have since gotten good jobs and started a family. These people don’t want the unglamorous holidays they experienced as children. Rather, they want to re-visit their favorite places from their traveling days. One of these favorite places is Thailand. Since the 1970s Thailand has been one of the most popular backpacker destinations in the world.

The only thing to be aware of is that Thailand has changed since the 1980s. Those people considering on taking their kids to Koh Samui or Phuket might want to think again. These places have been spoiled by overdevelopment, high pricing, prostitution and pollution. They continue to pull in package tourists but the more discerning families are heading to new destinations in Thailand.

Khao Lak is an hour’s drive north of Phuket and offers miles and miles of golden sand beaches. The resorts in Khao Lak are good value, clean and suitable for families. There are plenty of beaches to choose from in the Khao Lak area. There are the central beaches of Nang Tong and Bang Niang, and then there are the more remote beaches of Bangsak, Khuk Khak, Pakarang, Lamru and Lamkaen. For those who really want to get away from the beaten track there is the nearby island of Koh Kho Khao that offers beaches, bird watching and an ancient village.

Khao Lak has plenty to do other than swim in the sea or resort pool. There is Khao Lak National Park to explore that includes both rainforest and coast. There are also the world famous dive spots of the Similan Islands to head for. Not far to the south is Phang-Nga Bay that has great sailing as well as James Bond Island and the Floating Island to visit.

It might be that the children will fall in love with a different part of Thailand to the one their parents did, but that’s because the times are a changing.

Toys are a part of any child’s growing up years. It can help foster their imagination as well as learning. There are a lot of toys that you may find fancy to buy for your kid and hope for them to enjoy it. However, you need to make sure that the ones you buy are specifically indicated for the age of your child. Getting toys intended for older kids may be too complex for your child, getting ones that are for younger age groups may not stimulate their interest at all.

For babies, the recommended toys are ones that are brightly colored, can make noise, have texture and are safe to put in a baby’s mouth. Babies and/or infants are stimulated through their sense of sight, hearing and touch. They also tend to put everything they can grab into their mouth, so you better make sure that there are no small pieces or parts of the toy that can cause your baby to choke.

If you have toddlers, you may have noticed that they are often full of energy and are often curious of the things around them. They play games imitating adults, run around and exploring or read books and solving simple puzzles. The best toys that you can provide for your toddler would be ones that can allow them to use their imagination and satisfy their curiosity. If your child is inclined to reading or solving simple puzzles, then giving them a book with colored illustrations or simple puzzles will surely be an enjoyable treat for them. You can also provide them with toys that can allow them to imitate what you do like plastic cooking toys for girls and plastic carpenter tools for boys. Aside from those, you should also provide your toddler with toys that can allow them to expend their energy like lightweight balls, push/pull carts, etc.

For older kids, they will enjoy more complex toys that can interact with them and foster their imaginations. This may be the best time to provide them with ride on toys like the Peg Perego Ducati Monster or more challenging puzzles. You should provide them with toys that can improve their imagination, which also allows them to learn.

A doll is a doll is a doll and I don’t want to pretend that there is any deep meaningful value inherent in a child’s plaything. However I am not surprised by the worldwide appeal of the Lalaloopsy range of dolls. Yes, they look very cute. They are also well made and with their over sized plastic heads are durable and easy to clean, but these are not reasons enough for their overwhelming success.

As you probably know, and has been stated already on this site, each Lalaloopsy doll has its own unique themed personality. Again these sterotypical characters aren’t going to transform our society anytime soon, but without a shadow of a doubt they are more wholesome and more positive role models than Barbie ever was or ever could be.

While no one could call these dolls educational toys in the traditional sense, it is possible to see their value in the simple life of a young child. If a parent is prepred to take the time to embrace the world of Lalaloopsy with her child then the characters can be both inspirational and aspirational for a younf girl (or boy) who is learning to understand the different types of personalities around them.

Yes, some of the dolls are fairly silly and just for fun, but some of the characters like Spot Splatter Splash, who loves art and Peanut Big Top, who is a born performer, can help a child to understand themselves a little more, both their place in the world and the differences in others. If your child is teachers pet, but feeling a bit left out socially, is it not possible that Lalaloopsy Bea Spells-a-Lot could make them feel like they belong? Isn’t this doll enough proof for a five or six year old that being top of the class is something to be proud of?

My child is still too young for a doll of her own, but assuming that Lalaloopsy is still going strong in a couple of years, I fully intend to help her choose exactly the right doll, or dolls, that suit her personality and outlook.

Most of us start to give nutrition extra thought when we’ve just had a new addition to the family. I’m convinced that giving our babies mothers’ milk for as long as possible helps to give them the best start in life. Even though my son was drinking formula at a young age, he’s doing really well now that he’s a bit older. He loves coming to give me a hand in the kitchen. Knives are his favorite tools these days! Obviously, at five years old, this gives me great cause for concern. But of course, I want to make sure that I’m the one to show him how to use them.

We spend a lot of time together practicing chopping things up. We’re not just chopping for the sake of chopping though, we are preparing fruits and vegetables to be juiced. I think it’s important for kids to be able to see how their foods are made. So before we even get to the kitchen for chopping practice, we are out in the garden picking some of the vegetables that we’re going to be juicing. It’s fair to say that we also have to go to the farmers’ market for the fruits as we don’t these grow ourselves.

When I was young, I never really understood the aversion to greens, I actually quite liked them. What I do remember though is that I’ve always eaten them since a very young age. In the same way, I wanted to get my son into fruits and vegetables without turning it into a big deal. So what we do is make sweet tasting green juices together. Since he not only knows what goes into the juice, but also cuts the apples and uses the juicer himself, he “owns” the juice making process. The juicer that we use is regarded by many experts as the best juicer – why not watch the video on Youtube? It suits us because it’s so simple to operate, a child can use it. Of course, I always make the juice with my son to make sure he learns how to use it properly.

It can be dangerous for children to use juicing products. Their hands and arms are small enough to fit into the machines which could turn into a major accident. Therefore I always insist that my son pays 100% attention to what he’s doing. So far, we’re both enjoying making and drinking the juices.

My hsuband really wanted to go to Thailand last year. I was in two minds about it. On the one hand, I loved the beaches in Koh Phangan that we usually went to, but I was worried for our 15 month old baby girl, Tania. She had never been on a long plane journey, let alone experienced a tropical climate. In the end my husband convinced me that we shouldn’t let our life become dull just because we had a baby, and I reluctantly agreed.

The waiting in Heathrow airport was no problem. Tania loved running after the other children in the departure lounge. She seemed more adaptable then we had given her credit. On the plane the BA staff were very kind and helpful. They got us a middle row of seats at the front all to ourselves.

Tania was restless on the plane until we fed her. She wouldn’t go in the cot that was provided for us because it was too small. A friend suggested that we use calpol so we gave it a try. It worked a treat putting Tania to sleep. She dozed through much of the long journey in our arms.

We spent a couple of nights in Bangkok to give Tania time off flying and to adjust her body clock. She seemed fine with the heat but we had to make sure she was well hydrated. The biggest problem in Bangkok was keeping her away from the traffic.

Next we took a short flight to Koh Samui and then transferred to a boat to Koh Phangan. Luckily the sea wasn’t rough. We got to Bottle Beach in the afternoon. All of us were exhausted. My husband and I from looking after Tania and the little girl from the traveling.

We got a nice beachfront bungalow at Bottle Beach with air-con and a fridge. This was important to cool down her milk.

Tania loved playing in the sea and scoping up the fine sand in her hands. She played happily by herself nearby as my husband and I relaxed in the sun. It was a blissful few days until we started running out of baby stuff. First it was baby food, then it was nappies and then it was powdered milk. The only problem with Bottle Beach is that you can’t buy baby stuff there. It is also quite a hike getting into Thongsala, the main shopping area. My husband had to take the boat to Chaloklum and then a taxi to Thongsala, or on rough days the taxi to Thong Nai Pan and then another taxi to the main town.

It would have been impossible to pack enough baby stuff for a two week holiday. Next time we are going to stay on a less remote beach.

A child’s safety is always a parent’s priority – there’s no doubt about it. As such, some parents tend to be overly protective of their children. You can see this in the parents’ choice of toys. I personally know of parents who wouldn’t give their little boy a gun or a sword for fear of getting hurt. They even check their child’s presents for these ’harmful’ items during birthdays and instantly remove them. Now, I know they have other reasons for doing so, one of which is to discourage violence. You might find this info perplexing, but think about your own childhood. Were there instances when your parents forbid you from doing something or having something without you ever understaning why? This safety issue can make parents do what is viewed by others as illogical to the point of being extreme.

When I first knew about ride-on toys for kids, I started to picture a riding horse, much like the ones you see in the mall and amusement centers. Boy, was I wrong! A lot of ride-ons are available ranging from kids motorcycles to ATVs. One of the popular ones, the John Deere gator hpx is a 2-seater ride which is used by children as young as 2 years. Some parents might think of these toys as risky, but these have safety features in place. All toys nowadays must pass through a series of rigorous safety tests before it even becomes available to the public. But still, we have to ensure that out kids can safely use whatever riding toy or any other toys for that matter. This involves constant and active adult supervision during play time. While this may seem like a lot of work, take this as an opportunity to engage and build a relationship with your child.

In keeping our children safe, we can easily get too caught up with it. But we have to remember that there’s a always a risk and that accidents can happen, but we can minimize them without being extremely too safety-conscious.

A lot of people have the mistaken belief that when it comes to baby strollers one size fits all, but often they can be sorely mistaken and left with a further expense when they need to make a change. The other mistake people often make, is a common mistake in all facets of life; assuming that the more expensive something is the better it must be.

The first thing you want to look for is a stroller that your baby finds comfortable. Put them in a few strollers and take them for a short walk around the store. It’s amazing the differenceyou can see in how your baby acts, just by which stroller they like better. Secondly, buy one that isn’t too small for them, because as we all know they are going to GROW. They will fill up that stroller faster than you think. Finally get a stroller that matches your lifestyle. For active people the “trike” style strollers are great for jogging with your baby (be sure to get one with shock absorption). For people who have twins consider a double stroller. If you travel, get one with a detachable car seat.

For price, I’d suggest staying out of the basement, because quality can be expensive. That isn’t too say that you need the most expensive stroller out there though either. Ask some other parents how they like their stroller. If you see someone in the mall, at the park, whatever, take a straw poll and see what they think. And don’t be afraid to buy a gently used stroller either, especially if cash is tight. People shy away from used often only wanting to give their baby “the best” but you will be a lot better off with a gently used model you want, then a cheaper new stroller.

The important thing to keep in mind is what works best for you and your child. Do your homework and you’ll be fine

I just threw a baby shower for my sister, who is having her first baby (a girl) in just a couple of months. I am so excited for her! But I have to be honest, I agonized over what presents I should buy for the baby. Since I have always been known to be the person who goes outside of the norm, I wanted to give her something special and meaningful. Everyone else was going to giver her diapers and clothes and burping cloths. For me, I wanted to give a gift that would be special to the baby as she grew to be a toddler.

My husband’s niece is obsessed with lalaloopsy dolls. Whenever we visit, she always asks me to play out scenes with the dolls with her. She has hours of fun with them! But what I really love is what the dolls try to teach children: it’s ok to be different. Each doll has a unique story and the differences of each are celebrated. This is the perfect message that I want to send to my baby niece just as soon as she arrives in this world.

I did some research and found that the doll line includes what they call “soft” dolls. These 8 dolls are like big fluffy pillows and I thought this was the perfect baby gift that can grow with the baby until she is old enough to play with the other dolls in the line. I picked out my four favorite, wrapped them up, and held my breath as my sister opened them; I really wanted her to love them. I also didn’t want everyone at the shower to think I was weird for giving a more non-traditional gift.

Luckily, my sister and everyone at the party went gaga over them! Now I can’t wait to see the joy they bring the baby after she is born.

You always need an extra pair of eyes when your are looking out for your baby.  They are special enough to warrant that extra special care. You just can’t sit there while they sleep but you want to be there for them. A baby video monitor will give you the freedom you need to get other work done around the house when your baby is sleeping.  Keep in mind that a baby monitor is not a substitute for real babysitting.

There are a few types of baby monitors but they fall into 2 categories:  audio baby monitors and video baby monitors.  You need to decide which one is more beneficial for your situation.  A audio baby monitor is less expensive but will not allow you to visually check in on your precious package.  Some video baby monitors are even compatible with the Internet so you can check on them while at work (obviously someone needs to be home with the baby).

A few video baby monitors are advanced enough to come with handheld video monitors.  Using these monitors, you can carry around a great video image of your baby.  More advanced video baby monitors have night vision for peeking in on your baby in the middle of the night.  That’s peace of mind. 

Fruit flies.  Those pesky critters can introduce chaos into a once calm and peaceful home environment, and their presence is certainly not good for children.  Fruit fly season has many of us wondering how to kill fruit flies using the easiest and fastest method possible.  The good news is it can be done!  Here are a few tips to keep your home free of fruit flies:

#1.  Clean up kitchen messes immediately.  This may seem obvious, but with small children around this can be a daunting task.  However, it’s one of the best ways to avoid a fruit fly infestation.  Make sure your children are aware that they should tell you immediately of any food spills and to not leave their food out on the counter.

#2.  Create a homemade fruit fly trap.  Fill a small bowl with water, several drops of dish washing detergent, and about a tablespoon of fruit juice or vinegar.  The fruit juice or vinegar will lure the fruit flies in and the dish detergent will stick to them, causing them to drown.

#3.  Suck up live fruit flies.  Have a large infestation?  Suck up the fruit flies in your vacuum hose and dispose of them immediately.

The best way to avoid fruit flies is to prevent what attracts them in the first place, but rest assured, an infestation can be cleared if you take the right steps.