Mealtimes can spark major power struggles. Can you get yor little one to step up to the plate? Taking these steps can help prevent the majority of mealtime struggles that parents face:

• Establish a regular eating schedule that includes three meals and planned snacks, so your child will know exactly what to expect and when. Arrange to serve her a snack or meal once every two hours, which is about how often toddlers need to eat to feel satisfied.
• Turn each meal into a variety show. Serve several different foods, and let your child pick what he wants. Instead of offering just a plate of macaroni and cheese for lunch, add a slice of whole wheat bread and a kid-friendly vegetable.
• Make fun of food. By all means, draw ketchup smiley faces on cheeseburgers or arrange veggies into designs. The meal will be more appetizing to kids.
• Turn table time into social time. Sit with your child when he eats, even if you will be eating later.
• Make it clear that your child is expected to behave politely. Ask her to use an inside voice, keep her hands off other people’s plates, and stay seated at the table until she is excused. She may not always compl, but it sets the right precedent, and she’ll gradually come to internalize these rules.

If your child refuses to come to the table, allow him to stay away, but make sure that the television stays off, so he doesn’t have a ready source of distraction.

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If you’ve been trying to teach your child to be kind, honest, and polite, it can be really frustrating and heart wrenching when he disappoints you. He swipes some coins from your dresser and swears he didn’t. He teases a boy at the bus stop. He throws books when he gets angry. There’s no need to panic because a child’s moral growth is an ongoing process, and all  kids slip up from time to time. You still have a tremendous influence on your child’s behavior.

If your child gets angry easily, has a hard time calming down once upset and interrupts  and has trouble waiting for his turn, here’s how to help:

• Do your best to be patient.
• Acknowledge how tough it is to maintain self-control.
• Teach him to recognize his own feelings of anger, and encourage “self talk” to avoid an out burst.
• Ask your child to come up with a  list of things to do when he feels himself getting out of control.
• Look for examples of people losing control on TV or out in public. Discuss how it makes others feel and what else could have been done.

If he doesn’t understand how his misbehavior affects others here’s how to help:

• Point out the impact of his behavior on others.
• Require reparations.
• Praise your child when he admits a mistake or apologizes.
• Role-play so that your child can imagine himself in the victim’s place
• Ask him what types of things people with a conscience do, such as keep a promise or give back extra change.

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Does your child pick his nose? Eat food off the floor? Forget to wipe his butt? We know eww!! But preschoolers are prone to icky behavior. Here are the common bad habits and how to nip them in the bud.

1. Nose-Picking – Although it’s disgusting to watch your child’s finger go from nose to mouth, earing boogers won’t make hims sick. But picking his nose might cause infections. Redirection is usually effective. Give him a toy or a book, anything to occupy his hands. Explain to preschooler that nose-picking spread germs. Also carry tissues and hand him one the instant he reaches for his nose.
2. Sloppy wiping – Once a preschooler can use the potty, you may be tempted to let her take care of his business.  But if she isn’t wiping well, she may emerge with awful mess on her hands. For girls, incomplete wiping can also cause bladder infections. A child undcer 4 may lack the motor skills to wipe properly, so double-check her work. Even at age 5 and 6, your child may need periodic wiping demonstrations.
3. Drinking bathwater- Soapy water is a bigger concern than tub grime. If he guzzles down enough bubbles, he can get diarrhea.If he’s slipping suds because he’s bored, divert him with bath toys, crayons, or paints. And if he’s 3 or older, point out the ring of gunk in the tub when he’s done bathing. This will dissuade most kids.
4. Nail biting and finger picking – Your child’s fingertips or cuticles can bleed and become infected. Biting dirty nails can also transmit germs. Most young children nail-bite when they’re bored, such as long car rides, for these occasions, distract him with music, a book or some crayons and paper.

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I was raised up in a good family. We were taught how to respect the elderly by words and in action. Unfortunately, kids today are not raised up like that. I notice how these children answer back to their parents in a wrong manner. But little we know that the reason behind this unpleasant manner is how they were raised up.

Always remember that it’s natural for kids to imitate what adults do. It’s important to train them while they’re still young on how to be respectful. Sometimes, It’s not bad for kids to reason out because they have innocent minds, but there’s always a time to stop them from being sarcastic.

The following are tips on how to stop sarcasm before it gets out of control:

Identify what sets off the behavior: if your son cops an attitude whenever you ask him to do something, he may be revolting against the lack of control he feels. Try letting him make more decisions, such as which after- school activity he wants to do.

 Tape- record his sarcastic responses: Children doesn’t realize how they talk back until you play their words back to them. You can actually explain to your child the difference between a polite tone and a nasty one.( for example “Have a good day mom”)

Point it out: If your child is impolite, give him a chance to correct himself. If he can’t control his bad behavior, he has to deal with the consequences like no computer or no video games.

Praise politeness: It’s important that you appreciate the polite ways of your child. If you keep on doing this, your child will understand that what he’s doing is right and that it pleases everybody.

Be patient- Curing this kind of behavior takes a minimum of a few weeks and lots of perseverance. It won’t happen overnight so be patient and make sure that your child will fully understand on how to be respectful.

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