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Kids Growing Up in Single Parent Families

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There are special problems that arrive for single parents when trying to raise children in today’s world. It is hard enough for two parents to raise a child, or two, or more but when you take one parent away it gets even tougher. While it might seem impossible to make it through some of the harder days, know that you are not alone and there are some things you can do to help alleviate some of the stress, drama, and sadness that looms in your home and your broken family.

Are children in stepfamilies better off than children in single-parent families?

See a Therapist

Not only should you see a therapist as a single parent, but it is important to get your child some help as well. There is always a time when kids of all ages can use some support and someone to talk to that is not a biased person in the situation. Sometimes kids do not feel comfortable talking to their parent about specific situations so a therapist can help them work through some of the tougher issues. In the end this can help make things a lot more peaceful at home.

Spend Time Together

Do not forget to set aside some time to spend with your children no matter how crazy your schedule might seem. Whether it’s a walk in the park once in awhile, a movie every couple of weeks, or dinner together a couple times a week, it is important to create family time and make it a routine. This helps to build and maintain stability within the household.

Get The Kids Active

Enroll your children in activities that they enjoy. This can be playing on a sports team, dancing, enjoying some acting or music lessons, or even joining a league of some kind. Encourage your child to explore different activities until they find one they like if they don’t’ already have a passion or interest. Being part of an organized team or activity can help create structure in the child’s life and let them blow off pent up steam that they harbor throughout the week.

Don’t Give Up

No matter what you do to try and create a happy, active and loving home, there will be times when things get tough. It is important not to give in to temper tantrums or anger as maintaining authority is the key to keeping your household in order. When things seem like they are just too tough, take a big breath and call a friend to talk. Whatever you do, you can not give up on the situation because every time you give up or give in, you take a step back in progressing toward a happy and calm family life.

Kids Growing Up in Single Parent Families

Fun Games For Children and Families

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Family time is the perfect way to keep families in good spirits with one another, to create unity, and to teach children to get along with siblings. There is no better way to spend family time with young children than to have a family game night. But when it comes to coming up with the right games to play, that can be a tough call. It really depends on the specific likes and dislikes of each child. In addition to giving your children and opportunity to choose the kinds of games they want to play, consider these fun options too.

Candyland

There is no classic game that is loved by most children that is easier to learn than Candyland. With the colorful game board and easy to follow directions, kids of all ages can feel comfortable when participating in this game. While it can’t be played during dinner, it’s a perfect afternoon or rainy day activity.

Fun Fit Family Activities

The ABC Game

Starting with the letter A, have each person in the family go around in a circle and come up with an object in the house that start with their corresponding letter. For example, the first person might start with an apple that they see in the kitchen. The second person then says book that they see on the shelve in the living room. The third person would then find an object in the house that starts with the letter C, and so on.

The first person who can’t come up with an answer is out and the last person to come up with an answer wins the game! There are actually numerous variations that can be introduced to this game and tailored to the ages of the children playing the game.

Charades

It is impossible for this game to get old. You can play with pen and paper or through body language, whatever works best for you and your family. The object of the game is not as important as the fun that you get out of it. So if the parents making a fool of themselves is what it takes to get the kids laughing, then so be it.

Arts and Crafts

While not technically a game, arts and crafts is something all children love to do and they love it even more if their parents are willing to participate. Consider coming up with a couple different art projects you can do with your children and watch their smiles soar. Paper mache, popsicle houses, family paintings, and origami are all excellent options. If you have children of different ages to keep busy, put together a couple of different projects they can choose from to keep things interesting.

Fun Games For Children and Families

Fifty SPF Sunscreen For Children

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Pretty much everybody enjoys summer, they enjoy going out and having fun. There are just so many options for things to do when summer finally rolls around. This is especially true for children. Anyone with kids knows that they will stay outside from dawn to dusk if given the chance. But all that exposure to the sun can be harmful, especially on children with sensitive skin.

So what do you do as a parent? Do you cut down on their fun by only allowing them to stay outside for a certain amount of time? We were all kids once, how did you feel when your parents made you come home? So no, we do not want to do that. Instead we can let them play all they want while protecting them by getting some 50 SPF Sunscreen for Children.

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Children almost always have more sensitive skin than adults, so they almost always require a more powerful sunscreen. The way it works is that SPF measures how much UVB is being blocked. UVB is radiation from the sun that causes sunburns and skin cancer. An SPF of 50 means they need to be exposed to 50 times as much UVB before they will get burned.

While getting 50 SPF Sunscreen for Children is important, that is not the only thing you should look at if you really want to get the best for your kids. Another major thing you will want to keep in mind when picking out sunscreen is whether or not it is waterproof. You may think it does not matter since your kid might just be playing around the neighborhood, however it is not just for those times when you want to go swimming.

When you are running around in the hot sun, you are going to sweat. If you do not get waterproof sunscreen then it will be washed away by your kid sweating. So if you know they are going to be running around and exerting themselves, make sure to use waterproof sunscreen.

Something else you will want to keep in mind is how easy it is to apply. I’m sure we can all relate to the annoyance of having our parents apply sunscreen. As kids we just wanted to get out there and play, not bother with this. So as parents we should learn from that experience and try to mitigate it. Getting sunscreen that is quick and easy to apply is important because of that.

Typically, the easiest 50 SPF Sunscreen for Children to apply would be spray sunscreen. You can just spray them down, give it a slight rub, and they are good to go. It also makes re-applying it later much easier as well. If it is fast to re-apply, your kid will be more willing to take a short break to let you touch up their sunscreen.

While allowing our children to have fun in the sun is important to us parents, we always need to keep a watchful eye on them. So looking for the best sunscreen is key. With these tips you should be better able to give your kids the best protection against the sun’s harmful side.

Fifty SPF Sunscreen For Children

 

How to stop thumbsucking

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HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD STOP THUMBSUCKING

Parents are always concerned whenever their babies or children suck on their thumbs. They are always wondering why their children are doing so and often scold them or slap their hands to stop them.

Babies have been known to thumbsuck even as young as 15 weeks from conception. Since we cannot delve into the mind and physiology of a fetus inside a mother’s womb, conclusive studies why a fetus would thumbsuck cannot be done. On the other hand, we do know why babies thumbsuck. At birth whenever you place something on your baby’s lips, their instinct is to suck on that object. That reflex is called “sucking reflex,” an instinct given by nature to help the baby survive outside the uterus. This way, the baby will need not be taught how to get milk from their mother’s breasts. Whenever babies are distressed, bored, or simply exploring their body parts or any object that they get in contact with, they put them in their mouths. Sigmund Freud classified this stage in his Psychoanalytic Theory as the Oral Stage. This stage must be satisfied appropriately in order for the
child not to carry it when they reach the age of 2. Unresolved, the baby will carry this desire to thumbsuck right up to the age of 7-10. This will now pose some orthodontic problems like alveolar prognathism

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To know how to stop your child from thumbsucking, you must know the root cause. Knowing the root cause will help you find ways to divert your child’s attention gradually from thumbsucking. Here are some common
reasons why your child thumbsuck.

  • Anxiety

your child may be distressed about something. See what he’s afraid of, what has caused such anxiety or fear. Most kids have been observed to thumbsuck after a heavy scolding from a parent, whenever they see their parents fight, or whenever he and a sibling or a friend fought over a toy. Comfort your child and do not forcibly remove his thumb from his mouth. Talk to him; console him until his fears or anxiety has been resolved. You’ll notice that every now and then he will remove his thumb as his distress is slowly removed. When he’s totally let go of his thumb that would be the time to tell him not to thumbsuck whenever he has problems, but come to you instead. Do not scold him for placing thumbsucking. If you slap his hand or scold him, he will only resume thumbsucking whenever you’re not around.

  • Boredom

 

You’ll definitely notice that your child is bored by the way he walks, and on that dissatisfied expression you see in his face. Do not place him in front of the TV with his favorite cartoon.
What you need is an activity that would keep his hands busy and occupied.

Is it time to prepare dinner? Take him into the kitchen and let him help you with setting the table. Even if you don’t feel like it, bake something and have him help with mixing, or forming dough. Take him outside and play ball with him. Always keep his hands busy so he won’t remember sucking on it.

If all of these actions fail, have an appointment with an orthodontist
and have him explain the effects of thumbsucking.

Ask the orthodontist to show your child pictures of different children of with orthodontic problems because of thumbsucking. Remember that you need to be patient in helping your child stop. Usually, it takes about 2 weeks or more for the child to stop once you have used the appropriate measures to help him out of hismfixation. Children respond more to praise than harsh words, so remember to give encouraging words to your child whenever he’s not sucking his thumb

Walkers review: Are They Really Safe for Babies?

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Experts say that walkers hinder the natural developmental progression of your baby to walk.  They give the baby a sense of movement without aiding in strengthening major muscles for walking.  They move while pushing the walker so they can move from place to place without the need to fully plant their feet on the ground.  Walkers are designed to move in all directions, and most walkers move better backwards.  This just develops the muscles at the back of their legs, and not the front muscles which are most needed for walking.  Their sense of balance and coordination when it comes to walking is not encouraged for the walker itself is giving the baby the support and balance to move and prop himself up.  They learn to depend on the walker for support and movement, and not their own strength.

Aside from developmental issues, walkers also pose a threat to your baby’s safety.  Babies do not have a sense of safety and caution.  Their only desire is to move, move, and move so they can explore around them.  The more they move, the more they learn.  However, when babies are in walkers, they also gain access to several places in the house that should be off-limits to them.  This causes accidents, mainly head injuries and fractures.  The causes of accidents while your baby is in walker are mostly due to the following:

  • Snags in the carpet, objects or toys that obstruct the path of the walker.
  • Not seeing the floor that they are stepping on for the walker obstructs their vision, and this can cause them to fall over stairs or a lowered step that leads to the backyard.
  • Because babies do not know how to stop a walker in time, a running baby may bump into a precariously balanced furniture or gate causing either the furniture or the walker to topple over the baby.

Never rely on walkers to be your baby’s entertainment system or babysitter.  You still have to supervise your baby and ensure that you have installed some safety devices in your home to make sure that accidents will be prevented as much as possible.  Install baby-proof locks in doors, bolt pieces of furniture to the floor or wall, and keep the floor free from objects to maintain safety of your baby.