Child Separation Anxiety
September 9, 2008
Potty Training Tips
Potty Training Advice and Tips From Moms & Dads Like You.
Child separation anxiety can have an effect on the child as well as the adult but in very different ways. Children sometimes feel as though they may never see their mother again; while at the same time the mother feels a terrible feeling of guilt. Since pre-school is becoming more and more popular; it is no doubt becoming more common for this type of issue between mother and child. Let’s have a deeper look into child separation anxiety and get some ideas on how moms can deal with the fact that they will need to leave the baby at different points in their infancy.
It’s important that you, as the mom, make sure to keep your feelings of insecurities and guilt to yourself. The best way to help keep your child calm and reassured is to stay calm yourself. Ask your sister to come to your home to care for your infant frequently; this allows your baby to become familiar with another caretaker and feel safe. Use this same technique as your child grows older as well. You will see that your child quickly becomes accustomed to having your sister visit and baby-sit, and this will allow you time to get out and do your errands and the things you haven’t had the time to do.
You should also feel very comfortable with who’s watching your child because it’s a family member.
Something to remember is that no matter how many times it happens your child may never be happy to see you leave your home. It is important that your child knows that you are returning, and that you don’t just sneak out. Don’t give a specific time; children tend to focus too much on the clock and worry. Be sure to call your child often so that they can be assured of where you are. Some people may consider this too much, or going to far with coddling; but if it makes you more comfortable because your child is then that’s all you need to listen to. The conversation you have with the child is primarily for you. It is a way of acknowledging your feelings; a reassurance that everything is fine.
How did you feel when you were a child, try to remember back. What did your mom do or say for you that helped to ease the pain of child separation anxiety. Although times were different back; there may have been one or two occasions when she didn’t have a choice; having another baby, for example. Recognizing the symptoms of your own anxiety can help you to avoid imprinting it onto your child.
Does Your Child Pretend Play?
September 9, 2008
By Susanne Myers
Potty Training Tips
Potty Training Advice and Tips From Moms & Dads Like You.
Children explore the world around them and learn through pretend play. With so many passive activities like watching TV and playing video games, we sometimes need to encourage our children to pretend play. Here are a few suggestions on how to get those creative juices flowing for both you and your child.
Dress Up Box
Put a dress up box together with some of your old dresses, jackets, blouses, old Halloween costumes, etc. Don’t forget to throw in some fun accessories as well, such as purses, hats, wigs, scarves, gloves. etc.
If you can’t find much around the house, look around at some yard sales and the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores. You’ll be able to find some great dress up clothes for your kids for next to nothing.
You may also get requests for some unusual accessories like space helmets, crowns, etc. Be creative and look around the house. A colander makes a cool helmet and you can form a sparkling crown out of aluminum foil.
Veterinarian
All you’ll need is any of the stuffed animals your kids already have plus some bandages. You can substitute an empty pen to serve as a thermometer or syringe. A pair of headphones can quickly be turned into a stethoscope by taping a plastic bottle cap to the jack.
Grocery Store
You can quickly put a grocery store together on a low shelf or side table. All you’ll need is a basket and several empty cereal and rice boxes. Add a few canned goods and some dry beans, and you’re all set. You can also draw up your own money on pieces of paper and cut some coins out of cardboard. Ask your child to help you color them. Take turns with your child being the shopper or the storekeeper.
Library
When your child gets bored of playing store, turn the grocery store into a library. Make up a library card for every family member and add a small piece of paper into each of your child’s books. If your child cannot read or write yet, draw a symbol for each family member, or use a different color. When someone checks out a book from the family library, ask the child to record who took it and when it is due back in. You can also ask your child to sort the books either by topic or alphabetically.
Firefighter
Have your kids turn an empty cardboard box into a fire truck. They can color it and draw tires on with markers or cut out shapes from construction paper. Paint an empty clean can (like a coffee can) blue to use as an emergency light. You can have them make a police car, ambulance or garbage truck. You’ll soon have your children pretend play to be a fire fighter, police officer, etc.
Let’s Cook
All you’ll need are a few pots and pans, some wooden spoons, and if you’d like, some dry rice or beans. Your kids can also draw shapes of favorite foods on construction paper and color them with crayons or markers. After that, let the pretending begin. Encourage your child to pretend cook in the kitchen with you while you are fixing dinner. It will keep him or her occupied, while you can still keep an eye on him or her.
Puppets
One of the most versatile pretend play toys are puppets. You can easily make them yourself. Take a look at these finger puppets and handkerchief puppets. There is also a huge array of puppets from people to animals commercially available. Puppets will allow your child to recreate situations of everyday life and to explore different points of view. Watching them when they play with their puppets will give also give you a glimpse at how they see the world. Do you really say, “Please don’t do that” that often?
Give your child the means and a little bit of encouragement to pretend play and they’ll run with it. Our children are so observatory of their surroundings and also have tons of imagination. You’ll enjoy watching them and interacting with them as they explore their world through pretend play.
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Sometimes It’s Ok For Your Child To Be Bored
September 9, 2008
Potty Training Tips
Potty Training Advice and Tips From Moms & Dads Like You.
Are you worried about keeping your child entertained and challenged? It may not be such a bad idea for your child to be bored sometimes. If we are constantly finding playdates and entertainment for our kids, they don’t learn to come up with ideas and games of their own.
Being bored starts a problem solving process that your child needs to learn. When she sits around bored, she will eventually open herself up to possibilities that she otherwise would not have come up with. In other words, she will start to use her imagination.
This is the time when a box of blocks is magically transformed into an enchanted castle or an indestructible fort. A simple stuffed animal or doll suddenly comes to live much more than any interactive top-of -the-line toy could. Your child will have to use her imagination to make simple toys and things fun and that’s a good skill to have.
Not only does it make your life a lot easier when you don’t have to come up with more activities, and new exciting toys, it is also important for your child’s independence, and it will help her develop important problem solving skills.
This “downtime” also gives your child a chance to stop and think about previous events, or just mull things over. After allowing her to just be bored for a while, she’ll soon be ready for some fun activities and best of all will come up with them all on her own.
Our role as parents shouldn’t be that of a cruise director who makes sure our kids are constantly busy, entertained and challenged. Sure your child will be complaining about being bored at first when she is used to constant entertainment and stimulation, but soon enough she’ll start using her imagination, or even just enjoy not having anything in particular to do.
