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.

Great recommended reads from around our network?

The dreadful cough

Too much info?

Should parents get their children their own computer?

Related posts

• Convertible bed for your toddler (0)
• Update on Swine Flu (0)
• Unpleasant pleasantries (0)
• Should Parents Get Their Children Their Own Computer? (1)
• Preparing a Christmas party for your kids (0)

I love kids. They are sweet and fun, but they can also be impulsive and wild, especially when they’re not in the mood. They easily get upset when things don’t go their way. Sometimes, their tantrums provoke us to get mad at them. So how should you handle this kind of situation? If you learn to speak your toddler’s language, you’ll be able to resolve his flare-up with love and respect.

If they’re in a good mood, it’s fine to speak to them in a normal way. But when your child is upset, angry, frustrated, or sad, words mean less to him. His ways to communicate by that time are whining, shrieking or grunting. So here are the few things that you can do to talk your child out of a tantrum.

• Long sentences are hard for stressed-out toddlers to understand.  Try using very short phrases that will catch their attention.
• Repeat those phrases over and over to maintain your toddler’s attention.
• Finally, to show your little one that you strongly understand how he feels, match your tone of voice, facial expression, and body gestures to him.

It is important that you connect with your child. It helps him to mature emotionally when you’re there to guide him. Getting mad at him when he’s upset would only worsen the scenario. So learn to listen and understand because that means a lot to your precious little one.  It’s also an opportunity for you to bond with your child.  A parent’s job is truly an ordeal, but it is truly the best job in the world.

Great recommended reads from around our network?

Surviving a tantrum

Loving without spoiling

Related posts

• What happened to my baby? (2)
• Setting limitations (1)
• Diabetes in Children (0)
• Convertible bed for your toddler (0)
• Charming New Children’s Book Teaches How to Tell Time (0)

Don’t you ever wish that you have enough space inside your toddler’s room, where you can have fun and just relax with them? I know what your thinking, “oh, it’s not possible”, “we’ll just use a different room”or maybe.. “we’d rather go to the mall” Let me stop you there. Do you know that you add confidence to your child’s life if you give time hanging around his room? Yes! You’ve read it right. If you think that your stepping on with their privacy, (we’re not talking about your highschool son or college daughter. We’re talking about your toddlers or your  preschool kids.) well you’re not. Your child needs to see that you’re part of their own world. Visiting their room is part of it. You give them confidence when you tell them that they did a good job in fixing their room, or two thumbs up for packing away their toys, or maybe by just allowing them to tour you in their imaginary museum. Kids are kids, let’s not pressure them to act like adults, let them have fun and enjoy every minute of their childhood.

price: $210

This convertible bed for your toddler gives so much fun and excitement for them. They are very attractive and durable. In fact you can teach your little ones how to fold it and use it as a way to commend them for doing it the proper way.

There’s a lot of things that you can do with it. You can use it while watching TV with your kids and unfold it when it’s time for their bedtime. Did I mention that it saves you a lot of space? Yes it does and it perfectly fits your tots.

I attached a link for a short video to give you an idea how to use this adorable convertible bed available in this site www.zacandzoe.com

video: Convertible bed for your toddler

Great recommended reads from around our network?

Baby care, haves and have nots

Future kids stuff

Related posts

• Unpleasant pleasantries (0)
• Kids Shoe Hunting for Beginner Parents (0)
• Kids and Stealing (2)
• How to teach your child to respect others (0)
• How to discipline your little one (1)

Yesterday’s Detroit Free Press had a really good article about blended families, some of the challenges they face, and how they can be made to work.  I liked that they spotlighted one black family and one white family, and that there were kids involved that didn’t always come from previous marriages–important since about 40% of kids are born out of wedlock.

It’s not easy bringing two previously coupled people along with their kids together and making them into a new, unique family.  There are so many issues, such as rivalries and jealousies and attention and the distribution of discipline.  Then there’s percieved favoritism and the wild-card of the other parents’ influence.

But families can and do overcome these challenges.  It’s important to remember, though, that it takes more work, done more consistently than a first family takes, because statistics show that second marraiges fail more often than first ones do.

Here are some tips to making blended families work.  Notice that much of this advice has to do with how the adults act toward each other, even more than how they act toward the kids. 

• Progress, not perfection.  If you have realistic expectations and hold your family to them, they will meet them.  Usually.  Except when they don’t.  Be patient, remind often, and praise progress.  In the meantime, everyone should forgive each other for not being perfect.
• Earning respect takes time.  As the step-parent (or as one book calls them, “bonus” parent), you are a new element in a family’s life.  Show your new spouse and new kids that you can be trusted and that you deserve respect by behaving in such as way as to demand those things.
• Stick up for your spouse.  If your kids are being disrespectful to your new husband or wife, it’s your job, not your spouse’s, to put a stop to that.  If you don’t respect your partner enough to defend them, your kids won’t respect them, etiher.
• Put kids first.  Both sets of parents have to have the well-being of their kids as their top priotity…all their kids, not his or hers.
• Never badmouth your ex in front of your kids.  It doesn’t matter if your ex badmouths you.  It doesn’t matter if they truly are a jerk.  Your kids will figure that out on their own.  Kids of divorce already struggle with the feeling they have to take sides, and they will often side with the underdog, the most ganged-up-on parent. 
• Set boundaries and be generous with praise.  Don’t fall into the “you’re not my real mom/dad” trap.  In your home, you have a right to set and enforce boundaries (and your spouse should be taking a front-and-center role in this).  A few rules, consistently enforced will do wonders for the amount of respect you get from your partner’s kids.  Add to that sincere and frequent praise for things you take the time to notice, and these kids will come to like and respct you for the long term.
• Create a list of family rules that everyone has to follow.  All kids follow the same rules, whether those kids are his, hers, or theirs, and the same consequences apply to anyone breaking the rules.  That immediately undercuts the temptation to play favorites.  It’s often helpful to allow kids to be part of the rule-making.

Blended family life is a challenge, no doubt about it, but it can also expand the love and support in a child’s life in ways they’ll never forget…and that’s always a god thing.

Related posts

• Your Child’s First Day in School (0)
• Wise Kids Buck the Odds of a Down Economy (1)
• Unpleasant pleasantries (0)
• This is mine! (2)
• Stride Rite Natural Motion System Shoes Help Kids Walk Right (1)

The Transportation Safety Administration has a whole page dedicated to letting the American traveler know how they will treat you and your children when you travel by airplane. 

They want you to know that they still have to screen kids, that not even kids are exempt from security checks.  I’m glad to know that; there are simply too many unscrupulous people in the world who would use their kids as weapons to harm others. 

They do say, though (and I liked this):

We will not ask you to do anything that will separate you from your child or children.  We specially train our Security Officers and they understand your concern for your children. They will approach your children gently and treat them with respect. If your child becomes uncomfortable or upset, security officers will consult you about the best way to relieve your child’s concern.

I just really liked the way they promised to treat our kids with respect; we don’t get much of that, do we?

Of course, besides going through the electric scanner thingy and taking our shoes off, there are other security concerns with traveling with kids.  We, the parents, have to make sure our kids are crystal clear on a few things before we ever enter the airport:

• Never go further away from parents than an arm’s length (for smaller kids) or two chairs’ length (for bigger kids). 
• Never go anywhere alone.  Small kids must always go with a parent, and if that means taking a boy into the ladies’ room or a girl into the men’s room, so be it.  Teens can go to a few limited places without parents, but only with a sibling or buddy.
• Do not talk to strangers. 
• Do not let anyone give you anything. 
• Secure your carry on item and wallet or purse.  Never let these things out of your sight.
• Eat before you get to the airport; airport food costs about 20 times more than food anywhere else.
• If someone touches you–even just a brush-up-against kind of touch, tell a parent immediately. 

You are allowed to bring formula, breast milk, or juice with you on a flight, but you have to let the security personnel know you have it.  They might check it for explosives, but they won’t require you to empty it out or to taste it. 

Pretty sick world we live in where a terrorist might disguise explosives as breast milk, huh?

Related posts

• Diabetes in Children (0)
• Unpleasant pleasantries (0)
• Nanny Failed to Supervise Jett Travolta (0)
• Making Blended Families Work (0)
• Inauguration Day (0)

You’d have to be living in a hut on Antarctica not to know that Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States of America just a few hours ago.  About a million people are in Washington, DC, dancing in the streets and celebrating joyfully.  Others aren’t so thrilled, but are taking a wait-and-see attitude about this new president.

What do we teach our children about the presidency of our country, and by extension, about our roles as citizens?  By the way, I think this question applies to any non-US readers, as well.  We all have to balance our ideals with our expectations, and our rights with our responsibilities, no matter where we live.  And our kids are watching to see how we live as citizens of our respective countries.

This might be particularly difficult for parents who did not vote for our new president (full disclosure–my DH and I did not vote for President Obama, this is how I know about this difficulty!).  After all, our kids heard us criticize Obama, his policies, and his philosophy for a solid year–that makes an impression.  My middle child can tell you exactly what we don’t like about Obama’s proposed tax policies, for example. 

Here are some suggestions about how to talk to your kids about Inauguration Day, a new president, and a new administration.

• Respect the Office.  Avoid derogatory nicknames (remember “Slick Willie?”), and don’t attack the president personally.  His policies are fair game, but his wife and kids are not.  It should still mean something to be the President of the United States, and the person who holds that office is worthy of respect because of the office. 
• Assume good motives.  Even if you don’t agree with a leader’s ideas or policies, it’s important to acknowledge that he or she truly wants the best for the country, state, city, etc.  You may find their methods misguided, but that doesn’t mean they are bad people.  Assume they are good people with impractical ideas until they prove otherwise.  Again, no name-calling.
• Teach your kids your values.  Everyone should do this, and there’s no better time than a new presidency (unless it’s an election) to do it.  You can start by asking, “Do you understand what President Obama was talking about when he said…?”  Then simply say, “Daddy and I support that idea, because we believe…”  or  “He’s trying to help people, but we think a better way to help people is…”
• It’s okay to talk about race.  Being against President Obama’s policies does not make you a racist, and it IS possible to have voted against Obama and still be proud to live in a country where a candidate from a racial minority can become president.  Make it clear that you do not support or oppose Obama because of his race, but because of his ideas and skills.  Keep in mind, though, that kids are going to hear racist jokes and comments.  Help them make a plan as to how they will deal with those things when they come up.
• Encourage your kids to make their opinions known.  Just because they can’t vote doesn’t mean they can’t write to or email representatives, or even the president himself.  Those addresses are easily accessible online.  About two years ago, my middle child wrote to President Bush with her concern that Barbie dresses should be more modest..and she got a letter back.  It’s never too early to be a concerned citizen.
• Assume your words will be repeated.  This is really a rule for life: If you don’t want your kids to say it outside the home, don’t say it inside the home.  They are NEVER out of earshot.

Whatever your family’s opinions were about President Bush, or are about President Obama, an inauguration is a time for hope.  It’s exciting, as all new beginnings are.  Be positive, and be respectful.  And be proud to be an American.

Related posts

• Unpleasant pleasantries (0)
• Making Blended Families Work (0)
• International Babywearing Week (2)
• How to teach your child to respect others (0)
• Fussing About Cussing (0)