This year, back-to-school initiatives promote a secure return to full-time, in-person education in order to improve kids' academic and psychological well-being. Even though it may be tempting to keep summertime sleep patterns, it's important for kids to have a regular schedule where they sleep when it's dark and are awake when it's light. This is how our bodies work best. This is valid for home schooling families as well; no child should spend the entire morning in bed, even if the trip to school only requires a short walk to the kitchen table, allowing for more sleep than those who must take an early bus.
All of us need to sleep, but children especially need to sleep. Children who don't get enough good sleep are more likely to experience learning difficulties, behavioural issues, and health problems.
All of us need to sleep, but children especially need to sleep. Children who don't get enough good sleep are more likely to experience learning difficulties, behavioural issues, and health problems.
Here are a few easy steps you can take to ensure that your child gets the rest they require.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
Have a schedule for
Our bodies function best when we go to bed and wake up at around the same time each day.
Eight to ten hours of sleep is required for teens and children. Count back 10 hours from the time your child is supposed to wake up in the morning. They should be getting ready for bed around that time (for younger children, count back 11 hours).
For instance, if your teen must get up at 7, they should be dressed and in bed by 9 p.m. (since most of us don't fall asleep as soon as our head strikes the pillow). By around age 8, a younger child should begin getting ready (showering, etc.).
Children and teenagers who practice heart-healthy behaviours live longer.
A new study confirms what we've always suspected: our health and habits as children and teenagers have an impact on our health as adults. And it's not just about our health; it's also about how long we live.
What did the research measure and discover?
Nearly 40,000 people from the United States, Finland, and Australia have been enrolled in the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohorts Consortium Outcomes Study. From the 1970s through the 1990s, they began registering them as children and have been tracking them ever since.
The effects of five risk factors were studied by the researchers:
The body mass index, or BMI, is a statistic that determines if a person's weight is within a healthy range.
total cholesterol value, which is a measure of how much pressure is imposed on the arteries when the heartbeats. systolic blood pressure, which is the highest number in a blood pressure reading and is a measure of how much pressure is placed on the arteries when the heartbeats.
While cholesterol is necessary for the formation of cells and hormones, too much of it can cause heart disease and stroke.
triglyceride level is a measurement of the amount of fatty material in the blood. Too much of it, like too much cholesterol, raises the risk of heart disease and stroke.
smoking in youth.
The researchers followed up on all of these people, who were on average 46 years old, from 2015 to 2019. They discovered that over 800 of them had suffered a cardiovascular event (such as a heart attack or stroke), with more than 300 of them dying.
When the researchers compared the five factors' values to the results, they discovered that they were actually risk factors:
The risk of cardiovascular disease was nearly tripled in people who had higher than normal values for all of the risk variables.
The most significant risk factor was smoking, which was followed by BMI, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol.
It wasn't necessary to have all five variables to be at risk; for example, persons who were obese as youngsters were three times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease — and those with high or near-high blood pressure were twice as likely.
None of this should come as a shock, but seeing it so clearly should serve as a wake-up call, particularly for parents.
What parents need to know about concussion care for children and teens
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In fact, concussions are the most prevalent type of traumatic brain injury, accounting for more than half of all cases (TBI). We've learned from the experiences of former National Football League players that concussions can cause long-term health issues.
When a child or teen has a concussion, it's important that we do everything we can to make sure they get the best care possible and prevent concussions.
When a child suffers a concussion, it's difficult for doctors, parents, and coaches to decide what the best course of action should be. Children who have concussions can rely on recommendations made by the CDC, which examines all of the evidence and provides guidance.
It would be an understatement to say that the last two years have been difficult for children and teenagers. Major worldwide events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have had an impact on our daily lives and put us to the test in unprecedented ways. Racial and political issues are also constants in the lives of young people of all ages.
Parents have a plethora of concerns and inquiries. What does all of this anxiety, instability, isolation, and change imply for my children? How can I assist them in coping? Will they be alright? The good news is that resilience, or the ability to persevere in the face of adversity and stress, can be learned and strengthened at any age. We can't keep our children from feeling unhappy, stressed, or having setbacks. We can, however, cultivate their ability to cope with and learn from adversity when it is possible.
How can families help their children develop resilience?
The relationship between parent and child, which is a significant contributor to healthy development in children and teenagers, is where resilience begins for every one of us. A safe, stable relationship with at least one caring and responsive adult is a powerful stress buffer, according to research on childhood trauma such as exposure to violence, divorce, mourning, and natural disasters. Recent research suggests that teenagers who feel linked to their parents or other caregivers, as well as their friends, and who have stable daily routines, are better able to cope with COVID-related stress (read more here, here, and here).
Parents may foster their children's resilience in five evidence-based approaches as we navigate the shifting demands of the pandemic (note: automated download) and the difficulties of our times.
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All parents want their children to be successful in life — and by that, we mean not only having a good job and earning a good living but also being happy. And all parents wonder how they will accomplish this.
According to Harvard's Center on the Developing Child, it's less about academics and extracurricular activities and more about developing a basic set of abilities that enables people to overcome life's inevitable obstacles. All of these abilities fall under the category of executive function skills, which we utilize to regulate our behaviour. The majority of successful and happy people possess good executive function abilities.
What are the five most critical core skills?
ability to create and carry out concrete goals and plans.
Concentration is the capacity to concentrate on what is critical at any particular time.
Self-control entails exerting control over our responses to not only our emotions but also stressful situations.
Not only do we observe the people and things around us, but we also understand our place in them.
Flexibility is defined as the capacity to adjust to changing circumstances.
While these are abilities that children (and adults) can and do acquire throughout their lives, two critical stages are early childhood (ages 3 to 5) and adolescence/early adulthood (ages 13 to 26). During these windows of opportunity, children can benefit from learning and using these abilities. We'll discuss the second stage of adolescence in this post.
The most effective approach to acquiring any ability is to practice it. Here are some ideas for parents who aren't sure how to help and when to step aside.
Planning
When children are small, parents and caregivers naturally make plans for them. However, as children mature into adolescents, they must learn to do it on their own.
Take care not to micromanage your teen's life. Rather than that, establish some ground rules – simple ones like homework must be completed, kids require seven to eight hours of sleep per night, and regular exercise is critical. You may have additional ground rules, such as the requirement to attend family dinners or religious ceremonies. Then delegate the task to your teen. Intervene only if it is evident that ground rules are being persistently broken.
When teenagers have long-term projects, such as research or college applications, sit down with them and discuss how they intend to complete them. Allow them to generate ideas before you do!
Engage your teenagers in the planning of family activities and trips, as well as home renovations and other initiatives. Allow them to make some decisions (even if you may not always agree with them).
Awareness
Teenagers can be extremely self-aware, but primarily of their own world. Assist them in developing the ability to see beyond it.
Discuss current events and news articles. Discuss how things influence people and how different people may perceive them differently.
Take your teen on adventures—even a simple walk in the woods or a visit to a nearby town can provide them with the opportunity to look around and notice things they might otherwise overlook.
As a family, participate in community service events; demonstrate to them how they can make a difference.
Establish family rituals for checking in, such as over dinner. Allow everyone to share their day.
If you frequently trip over a building block, a doll, or a race car, you understand the difficulties associated with encouraging smaller children to put away their toys. The following are some ideas for encouraging children to clean up after themselves and maintain a neat home.
Make precise and targeted requests.
When you ask your child to put away a variety of items at the same time, you risk children forgetting at least one of your requests — or purposely skipping a few. Make one particular request at a time, such as "Please replenish the bin on the shelf with your blocks." Once your child has completed one activity, you can request that they put away a different toy.
Requests should be made in the form of a command, not a question, such as "Would you kindly clean up your blocks?" By posing a question, you allow the child to respond, "No." Additionally, unless you desire a group activity, frame the request for your child alone: "Please return your blocks to the container on the shelf," rather than "Let's tidy up the blocks."
Allow sufficient time for your child to cooperate, and repeat yourself only once.
Children, particularly young children, digest information more slowly than adults. After you make an initial request, mentally count to five to give a child time to process what you said and comply.
If after five seconds, you do not witness the desired action, repeat your request in a neutral tone followed by a possible logical consequence. For instance, If you do not properly store your blocks in the bin on the shelf, you will be unable to play with them for the rest of the day. Tomorrow, you can play with them.
Recite the five-count in your thoughts. If your child continues to refuse to comply with your request, state the following in a neutral tone: "To be fair, you did not place the blocks in the bin on the shelf, which means you will be unable to play with them for the remainder of the day. Tomorrow, you can play with them." You can then store the blocks out of the child's reach, ensuring that the toys are not used for the rest of the day.
Maintain your composure and choose logical conclusions
Two critical components of this technique are maintaining as much calm as possible and establishing a logical outcome.
Remaining composed is beneficial. You may be frustrated, which is understandable. However, it is preferable to pay as little attention as possible to disobedience. Even negative attention can encourage the conduct to occur more frequently.
Logical consequences are significant. Creating consequences that are prolonged and make no sense to the child may result in increased irritation and refusals. For instance, it would be illogical for the child to lose a week's television time for failing to put their blocks away. Rather than that, restricting access to the toy is a logical consequence.
Appreciate the behaviours you wish to see
Draw emphasis to behaviours you wish to see more frequently. When your child does put toys away, make a point of praising them. "Good work" can be perplexing: the child may not understand what he or she did well - sitting quietly, putting toys away, or something different. Rather than that, exclaim, "Excellent job putting the blocks in the bin on the shelf!"
Praise enthusiastically and reinforce the behaviour with touch, such as a pat on the back. If your child has difficulty processing sensory stimuli, particularly tactile stimuli such as a pat on the back, you might reinforce the behaviour with a nonverbal gesture such as a thumbs up.
You do not have to continue repeating commands until you are blue in the face and cleaning up after your children. The actions above can provide a break for you and teach your children to clean up after themselves.
Big emotions can be frightening. Anxiety, sadness, anger, and a variety of other strong emotions can quickly activate the fight-or-flight response in the body. That is true for adults, but it is especially true for children who are still discovering their emotions and learning to manage them. Now that school has resumed, there may be spillovers of strong emotions at school and home. While each situation, family, and child is unique, the following are a few evidence-based tips for parents to assist children and adolescents in navigating significant emotions.
Discuss your emotions.
To begin, it's beneficial to remember that emotions are natural. We all experience them, from pleasant to stressful. Children benefit from parents discussing emotions because it helps normalize feelings and teaches them that it is acceptable to discuss them with you. Additionally, regular conversations aid in the development of children's emotional competence and self-regulation abilities. This can be as simple as labelling your own emotions as they arise, associating emotional labels with specific physical cues, and discussing potential coping strategies. For instance, you could inform your child, "When I'm worried, I notice that my muscles and voice tremble. I've discovered that practising paced breathing and engaging in a grounding activity helps me feel better. Are you interested in practising with me?"
Try grounding.
Children and parents can experiment with a variety of coping strategies to assist in managing difficult emotions. Paced breathing and progressive muscle relaxation are two techniques that can be beneficial for calming the fight-or-flight response that may occur in response to strong emotions.
At times, emotions are irrational and extremely difficult to manage. Grounding is an effective tool for assisting children in remaining focused on the present moment and creating some distance from distressing thoughts during these times. Physical grounding strategies entail focusing on one's senses or surroundings, such as on the sensation of their breath during a breathing exercise or the soles of their feet while walking. Another popular option is "5-4-3-2-1," in which you list five visible objects, four tactile objects, three audible objects, two odour objects, and one taste object. Alternatively, you could assign a colour to each digit.
There are obviously times when washing up makes sense, such as when your child is grimy from a day in the dirt, is covered in sweat, paint, or other apparent dirt, or has had an explosive poop. If your kid has spent the day in a pool (the chlorine may irritate the skin), a body of water (there may be things in the water that are irritating or harmful), or covered in bug spray to fend off ticks and mosquitoes, it's also a good idea to wash off. When a smelly teenager takes a soapy shower, it's best for everyone in the vicinity.
For some skin conditions, a doctor may suggest daily bathing. To avoid illness, we must all wash our hands on a frequent basis. But, simply for the purpose of washing, a full-body wash? Not at all.
Instagram kid fashion is becoming more popular with time. Times are changing and kids outfits are no more just about wearing cute tulle dresses. More cuteness and style from the viral kids Instagram kid Siena Presley Smith. Her outfits and shoes are super dope.
Your child’s rooms are a place for them to play, spend time, learn, and grow. As a result, you want to put some time into the design and decoration of their room. Unfortunately, decorating these rooms isn’t always easy. You want a room that will not only be great for them as a young child but also one that can suit them for years to come.
This can be a tall order and can be intimidating or stressful for some parents. Thankfully, we are here to help you out with a few thoughtful tips. Without any further ado, this blog post is going to go over a few tips when it comes to decorating your kids’ room.
Find the Right Furniture
The first step to decorating a child’s room is to find the right furniture. Things like the colors of the walls and the art can be changed easily, but you don’t want to constantly be adding and removing furniture from a room. While everyone has their preferences, a child’s room should have a place to store their toys, a place for their clothes, and ample space to play or read.
You need to choose items that not only look good but are functional for your child. If you get a toddler a giant wardrobe that is 7 feet high, they aren’t likely going to be able to get much use out of it. Keep things the right size, and ensure things are as simple as possible. Except for the color, feel free to get a little bold and creative with color, as the room is for a child after all.
Now, it is also important to be reasonable. If your child wants each wall to be a different bright color, you may need to deny the request if it isn’t something you want to do. Especially with how many children change their favorite color frequently.
While some may be willing to go this far, if you aren’t, a nice compromise can be to get pieces of art in the color or style that your child loves. As their tastes inevitably change, you can simply change the art or pictures out without having to repaint the whole room once they outgrow their original color choice.
In addition to these types of furniture, finding the best mattress for kids is still an important part of decorating their room, so don't forget about it. You want to ensure your child can have a comfortable sleep every night, in order to be happy and perform well at school.
Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative
Designing a children’s room gives you one of the best opportunities to get a little creative and unique. You don’t need to take it as seriously as you might the design of your living room or master bedroom. Look for unique additions that will excite your child and fit the space well.
For example, having a corkboard wall or a giant chalkboard could be a good inclusion, as could a fun bed frame or toy chest. Also, many children like to put things that they have or make on display, so adding some shelves (whether built-in or on the wall) is often a good idea. All in all, let your mind run wild when it comes to designing your children’s room, you never know the cool ideas you will have or products you will find.
Get Their Input
(via https://pixabay.com/photos/child-girl-young-caucasian-1073638/)
Now, it is also important to be reasonable. If your child wants each wall to be a different bright color, you may need to deny the request if it isn’t something you want to do. Especially with how many children change their favorite color frequently.
While some may be willing to go this far, if you aren’t, a nice compromise can be to get pieces of art in the color or style that your child loves. As their tastes inevitably change, you can simply change the art or pictures out without having to repaint the whole room once they outgrow their original color choice.
While you want their room to look good, excite them, and remain functional, you need to ensure that your child's’ room is safe. If they are going to be in there alone, you want to ensure there are no potential threats to their safety or health.
Thankfully, there are several things you can do to ensure the room is safe. The bed should be low, windows should have guards, large furniture should be stable and not prone to tipping, and have night lights to prevent falls. Keep cabinets locked, electrical cords should be secured, and access to any radiator should be blocked.
A good practice is to imagine that you are the size and age of your child. What things could pose a risk? Of course, as the child ages, certain things can be changed or removed as they become more responsible.
We hope the tips and information included in this article have been able to help you decorate your kids’ room.
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