Parenting - Page 2 of 2 -

How to improve communication with kids

Communication with kids can be a difficult task at times. We feel like they’re not listening to us; they feel like we’re not listening to them. Good listening and communication skills are essential to successful parenting. Your child’s feelings, views, and opinions have worth, and you should make sure you take the time to sit down and listen openly and discuss them honestly.

Responding vs. Reacting(communication with kids)

It seems to be a natural tendency to react rather than to respond. We pass judgment based on our own feelings and experiences. However, responding means being receptive to our child’s feelings and emotions and allowing them to express themselves openly and honestly without fear of repercussion from us. By reacting, we send our child the message that their feelings and opinions are invalid.

But by responding and asking questions about why the child feels that way, it opens a dialog that allows them to discuss their feelings further, and allows you a better understanding of where they’re coming from. Responding also gives you an opportunity to work out a solution or a plan of action with your child that perhaps they would not have come up with on their own. Your child will also appreciate the fact that maybe you do indeed understand how they feel.

Giving Your Child Your Full Attention(communication with kids)

It’s crucial in these situations to give your child your full and undivided attention. Put down your newspaper, stop doing dishes, or turn off the television so you can hear the full situation and make eye contact with your child. Keep calm, be inquisitive, and afterwards offer potential solutions to the problem.

Allowing Your Child to Express Their Emotions

Don’t discourage your child from feeling upset, angry, or frustrated. Our initial instinct may be to say or do something to steer our child away from it, but this can be a detrimental tactic. Again, listen to your child, ask questions to find out why they are feeling that way, and then offer potential solutions to alleviate the bad feeling.

Demonstrating Care and Support

Just as we do, our children have feelings and experience difficult situations. By actively listening and participating with our child as they talk about it, it demonstrates to them that we do care, we want to help and we have similar experiences of our own that they can draw from. Remember, respond – don’t react.

Key Challenges To Reduce Homework Time and Stress – What Parents Can Do

Parents have asked us why homework takes their child 2, 3 and even 4 times longer than their peers and what they can do about it. This article defines the 3 key issues and what parents can do about it(dyslexia homework learning disabilities self-esteem). Student’s key issues often include:

Attention is a major problem, both in class and while doing homework
hey often have one or more vision issues – too often these student’s eyes are either: not working together; skipping words or lines when reading; or they have difficulty copying off the board
They become tense when doing homework and often lose it

When a student has trouble paying attention in class, they often must be re-taught the information at home(dyslexia homework learning disabilities self-esteem). What makes matters worse is that the students homework time which should have taken 45 minutes gets stretched to 1 and ½ hours due to re-teaching, and then to over 2 hours because they cannot stay focused.

Vision issues impact their homework in several ways:

They have trouble copying the notes off the board correctly and you spend time trying to understand the assignment.
They skip words or lines when reading, further complicating life.
When they do math problems they do not often align their work correctly, they miss minus and division signs so they make careless errors.

Students often get tense when doing homework and battles often follow. What often happens is:

Students are too intimidated to ask questions in class and they simply get stuck.
The student or parent gets angry and then ……
An argument starts which often escalates into a battle royale.

What we recommend is that parents: homework learning disabilities

Stay clam when doing homework with your child.
If your child gets stressed, give them a 1 or 3-minute break.
Hydrate them before doing homework and while doing homework.
When reading, use an index card or their finger to keep them on the right line.
If the attention is a significant issue, consider getting an ADHD diagnosis.

if they have a learning disability or attention issues that significantly impact their academic performance, the student could qualify for an Individualized Education Plan and they could get accommodations for homework which might include:

Getting copies of notes – either provided by the teacher or by another student
Seating by the teacher to improve attention
Having the teacher check to make sure the student has written the assignment correctly
Having you sign that they completed the assignment and putting it in a place they can find it
An early warning system, where the teacher alerts you to issues early on
If vision is a major issue see an optometrist – even if your child has 20/20 vision

At 3D Learner, we have helped thousands of parents and students to reduce homework time and stress.(dyslexia homework learning disabilities self-esteem)

Best Baby Shower Gifts That Mom Will Love

The best baby shower gifts ideas are great for those shopping or moms to put on their gift registry. With the pregnancy bug in the water system, you are bound to know someone having a baby, if you aren’t having one yourself. Pregnant women have equal shopping time. Here are 5 gifts that any mother will most certainly be appreciative of.

1. Diapers, diapers, and more diapers(Best Baby Shower Gifts )

That is quite a bland gift(Best Baby Shower Gifts) but a very much-needed gift. I don’t know any mom who will complain about having too many diapers with a newborn at home. To make diapers snazzy, you have to dress them up a bit. You can find diaper cakes on lots of gift sites. Some come with as many as 150 diapers, plus booties, bibs, and tons of other essentials for baby, but all in the shape of an all-so-cute cake.

2. Layettes, blankets, socks, and burp cloths(Best Baby Shower Gifts )

Chances are they are going to get tons of these. However, these gifts tend to come in newborn or 3-month sizes which after a few weeks probably won’t serve its purpose anymore. Making this a great gift(Best Baby Shower Gifts) is if you buy them in larger sizes. After a few months, the mom still has brand-new gifts for the baby to enjoy.

3. Pamper products for Mom

The last few weeks of pregnancy are very uncomfortable and can be hard on Mom. Let Mom have the star treatment as well. Once the baby is born, Mom’s 15 minutes of fame are over.

4. Savings Bonds

A savings bond is a great way to help invest in the child’s future. While everyone is thinking of now you are thinking ahead. It may also help jumpstart parents to jumpstart on baby’s future if they haven’t already.

5. Gift Certificates

You can never go wrong with a gift certificate. Mom and Dad get to choose what they want and you gave them that satisfaction. The obvious choice for a gift certificate would be where the registry is set up. If they do not have a registry set up, good choices could include their favorite supermarket (formula, diapers) or baby store. Another gift certificate idea could be a check card gift certificate. It works like a credit card and can be used anywhere.

Tip

I don’t suggest buying clothing unless the parents-to-be suggest so. Chances are they have already gone shopping and couldn’t resist those tiny adorable outfits.

10 Slam-Dunk Crafts For Little Kids – And Bigger Kids Too!

Crafts For Little Kids, Crafting with young children really isn’t about creating something in particular. Most young children don’t have the foresight to see what a project is going to be.

For young children, it’s more important that they have the opportunity to play and experiment with art. Kids need to use as many of their senses as possible to get the most out of crafting. This allows them to try new sensory experiences, as well as learn causal relationships.

These are my 10 favorite crafts for little kids based on all that AND the ‘fun factor.’

1. Finger painting: Crafts For Little Kid

Finger painting is a wonderful activity for kids. It lets them ‘feel’ the craft as well as be creative. You don’t have to have finger paints to do this activity with kids. You can finger paint with homemade paint, watercolors, or even mud. You can also experiment with adding other things to the paint such as sand or glitter.

2. Yarn Painting: Crafts For Little Kid

Dip pieces of string or yarn into the paint and then drag it across the paper to paint with it. It’s a good experience to paint with something other than a brush and you can just throw the yarn away when finished.

3. Q-Tip Painting:

Use Q-tips to create a painting. There are lots of ways to use a Q-tip – scrub, dot, or use it like a brush. It’s a good coordination exercise because Q-tips are small around, but it also provides a lot of interest for the child.

4. Glue Art

Draw squiggle lines on a piece of paper or let the child use their finger to make random glue spots or patterns on a piece of paper. Experiment with adding different objects to the glue. Sand, glitter, cotton, yarn, feathers, and tissue paper all work well.

5. Salt Dough Sculpture

Make a batch of salt dough and turn the kids loose with it. You don’t have to worry about them eating it (it’s safe and tastes terrible) and clean-up is easier than play dough. If you want to keep their creations, let them dry overnight and then paint them the next day.

6. Toe Painting

If it’s a warm summer day, put on the swimsuits, put some finger paint into pie tins, lay out large sheets of poster paper, and let them ‘paint’ all afternoon. They will have a ball and all you have to do is hose them off when they are done (that’s my kids’ favorite part actually!)

7. Found Object Art

This project is always a sure thing because kids love to ‘discover’ things. Let your child gather up leaves, sticks, flowers, etc., and then glue them onto a piece of paper. When they are done, let them tell you about their collection.

8. Peanut Pictures: Crafts For Little Kids

Every kid loves to play with packing peanuts — but it makes such a mess. Let them create pictures with them instead. Kids can draw on them, glue them to a sheet of paper, or glue the peanuts to each other to make a sculpture. The kids will love it!

9. Sticker Play

Turn your child loose with a bunch of stickers, markers, and a sheet of paper, and let them create. It’s good for little ones to work on their coordination, and it’s fun!

10. Stamping: Crafts For Little Kids

Kids love to use any kind of stamps. My favorites are the self-inking stamps or the double-sided markers with the stamps on one end. This may sound like pure play, but it also teaches young children cause and effect.