By Mark Ludwig
There are many obvious and some less obvious benefits to reading to your child. Start early and experience the following:
Closeness with Your Child. Perhaps the most important benefit is the time you will spend together. Sitting on your lap, your child will have a sense of security. Interacting together with the story creates closeness with your child.
Preparedness for School. When we read, think about all the language and vocabulary our children are being exposed to PRIOR to starting kindergarten. The single biggest indicator for academic success in kindergarten is the number of vocabulary words a child enters with. In other words, it is not what they learn during the year, it's what they already know as they start kindergarten. There is a direct correlation between success and vocabulary. The greater the vocabulary, the greater the success.
How should I read to my child? Books should be held so that your child can see the words and the pictures. Point to the story as you read it so your child knows that words are read from left to right. Make your voice interesting and read short, simple sentences. Read nursery rhymes so that your child learns that some words sound the same, that talking has a steady beat, and that words are fun. Change your tone of voice, use low and high pitch, use squeaking sounds, whistles and other mouth noises. Stories with "noises" work especially well like "roar" and "buzz", "meow", etc.
Interact with Your Nursery Decor. Stories that incorporate the room decor work best. This allows you to further interact with the story as the pages come to life on the walls of their room. Involve your child in the reading. Have them point to the characters. If you décor incorporates the books, point to them on the wall as well.
Start Early Reading to Your Child. The U.S. Department of Education recommends beginning to read to your baby when he or she is six months old. According to a 2003 report, "Hearing words over and over helps babies become familiar with them. Reading to your baby is one of the best ways to help he or she learn."
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Ludwig
Selasa, 21 Oktober 2008
Disaster Gifts For Kids - The 6 Biggest Mistakes When Choosing Kids' Toys
By Remo Phillips
The following rules should be followed for choosing gifts for kids that are not your own. To those of you with kids these ideas will appear obvious. But just think, there are people in the world without small children, people who do not dedicate a section of their brains to scanning the ground for choking hazards as they walk through a room. These people may need help, and we here at the Toy Report feel it is our duty to help educate them.
Avoid Magnet Toys
Magnet Toys are fun for kids of all ages, but are one of the most dangerous swallowing hazards out there. Swallow one magnet and they will likely pass right through so to speak. Swallow two magnets and they can attach from different sections in the intestines and cause major life threatening problems. You do NOT want to be the Aunt that caused little Jimmy to need major stomach surgery.
Avoid Pop Culture Characters
This may seem less obvious to many, but unless you know that a child already loves a kids pop culture icon, do not buy them Dora, Diego, Spiderman, Barbie, Pokemon, or similar items as a birthday gift. They can spark a pop culture frenzy that some parents may prefer to avoid. It's akin to smoking cigarettes, far easier to never start than it is to stop once you are addicted. Mommy and Daddy may never be able to get through the supermarket again without tantrums for whatever Dora branded junk food is on the shelves.
Avoid Noisy Electronics That Can Not Be Powered OFF
Last year our twins were given a pair of electronic drum sticks for a birthday present. The first problem was that there was one pair of sticks given to two boys who happen to share the same birthday through no fault of their own, but that's covered in another article. They had lots of different buttons that played different drum noises when someone whacked the sticks on something. They also had the astounding quality of not having any method to power them off. They were on 100% of the time and could only be disabled by removing two screws to get at the batteries. The also had the added bonus of going off whenever a car drove by or a plane went overhead or someone sneezed near them. The friends who gifted them to us are now forever known as the "Annoying Drum Stick Givers". You do not want to be those people. If you buy any electronic devices that make noise, make sure they have an off switch and volume control.
Avoid Small Parts
Kids love to play with tiny toys sized for tiny fingers. We know many 6 year old girls that LOVE Polly Pockets, and many 5 year old boys that love Lego Sets (And vice versa). But their 1 year old sibling is going to eat them and we all know nothing good can come of it. The same rules apply to a 4 year old, but for different reasons. They may not eat the toys, but they are not old enough to understand picking up after themselves yet. You'll doom their parents to endless cleanup time. Leave the choice up to the parents if they want to clean up 50 tiny parts after the kids go to bed and get them something larger.
Avoid Obvious Danger
Avoid Pogo Sticks, avoid Baseball bats, avoid Roller Skates, avoid BB Guns, avoid Alien Slime and Silly Putty (which ruins hair and carpets), avoid Rubber Band Shooters, etc. Most of these come from experience, trust us. You don't want to be remembered as the Aunt who broke Bobby's arm, shot Billy's eye out, or ruined Katie's long curly hair on Christmas morning.
Avoid the High End of an Age Range
Stay with the capabilities and interests of the child's age. Don't give a baby toy to an toddler, or a toddler toy to a six year old. For example, the Wooden Chomp and Clack Alligator Push Toy is the single most perfect gift for any 1 year old. The age range says 1 to 4, but it's likely less than exciting to a 4 year old.
In the end, a small amount of forethought into choosing a kids gift can make all the difference in the world. Do not just grab the first thing you see on the toy store shelf and you will ensure a happy child and parent on that special occasion.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Remo_Phillips
The following rules should be followed for choosing gifts for kids that are not your own. To those of you with kids these ideas will appear obvious. But just think, there are people in the world without small children, people who do not dedicate a section of their brains to scanning the ground for choking hazards as they walk through a room. These people may need help, and we here at the Toy Report feel it is our duty to help educate them.
Avoid Magnet Toys
Magnet Toys are fun for kids of all ages, but are one of the most dangerous swallowing hazards out there. Swallow one magnet and they will likely pass right through so to speak. Swallow two magnets and they can attach from different sections in the intestines and cause major life threatening problems. You do NOT want to be the Aunt that caused little Jimmy to need major stomach surgery.
Avoid Pop Culture Characters
This may seem less obvious to many, but unless you know that a child already loves a kids pop culture icon, do not buy them Dora, Diego, Spiderman, Barbie, Pokemon, or similar items as a birthday gift. They can spark a pop culture frenzy that some parents may prefer to avoid. It's akin to smoking cigarettes, far easier to never start than it is to stop once you are addicted. Mommy and Daddy may never be able to get through the supermarket again without tantrums for whatever Dora branded junk food is on the shelves.
Avoid Noisy Electronics That Can Not Be Powered OFF
Last year our twins were given a pair of electronic drum sticks for a birthday present. The first problem was that there was one pair of sticks given to two boys who happen to share the same birthday through no fault of their own, but that's covered in another article. They had lots of different buttons that played different drum noises when someone whacked the sticks on something. They also had the astounding quality of not having any method to power them off. They were on 100% of the time and could only be disabled by removing two screws to get at the batteries. The also had the added bonus of going off whenever a car drove by or a plane went overhead or someone sneezed near them. The friends who gifted them to us are now forever known as the "Annoying Drum Stick Givers". You do not want to be those people. If you buy any electronic devices that make noise, make sure they have an off switch and volume control.
Avoid Small Parts
Kids love to play with tiny toys sized for tiny fingers. We know many 6 year old girls that LOVE Polly Pockets, and many 5 year old boys that love Lego Sets (And vice versa). But their 1 year old sibling is going to eat them and we all know nothing good can come of it. The same rules apply to a 4 year old, but for different reasons. They may not eat the toys, but they are not old enough to understand picking up after themselves yet. You'll doom their parents to endless cleanup time. Leave the choice up to the parents if they want to clean up 50 tiny parts after the kids go to bed and get them something larger.
Avoid Obvious Danger
Avoid Pogo Sticks, avoid Baseball bats, avoid Roller Skates, avoid BB Guns, avoid Alien Slime and Silly Putty (which ruins hair and carpets), avoid Rubber Band Shooters, etc. Most of these come from experience, trust us. You don't want to be remembered as the Aunt who broke Bobby's arm, shot Billy's eye out, or ruined Katie's long curly hair on Christmas morning.
Avoid the High End of an Age Range
Stay with the capabilities and interests of the child's age. Don't give a baby toy to an toddler, or a toddler toy to a six year old. For example, the Wooden Chomp and Clack Alligator Push Toy is the single most perfect gift for any 1 year old. The age range says 1 to 4, but it's likely less than exciting to a 4 year old.
In the end, a small amount of forethought into choosing a kids gift can make all the difference in the world. Do not just grab the first thing you see on the toy store shelf and you will ensure a happy child and parent on that special occasion.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Remo_Phillips
Senin, 20 Oktober 2008
Words of Wisdom For New Parents - The Art & Science of Raising a Child
By Colleen Langenfeld
So you are a new parent? Congratulations! Welcoming a new child into a family is an exciting, thrilling time. It can be scary, too, of course. And rightly so. No where else in life will you experience the rollercoaster of life more than in the game of parenting. I know because I have four children and have been parenting for more than two decades. What words of wisdom for new parents can I offer you? Well, if I was to start all over with my kids, I'd want to know that there is an art and a science to the skill of raising a child.
The Art of Parenting.
This is the heart of your parenting. You love your child. You want the very best for him. You envision years of happy times together. This is all good! The feelings and desires you have for your family will motivate you when times get tough. And you can be certain, times will get tough. It's simply the nature of the beast.
You can establish strong heart bonds with your child by intentionally cultivating the relationship with her. Starting as a baby, spend time with your little one. As one who has been there, done that, I can assure you there is no substitute for time spent with your child.
Get to know this new human. Figure out her personality, her quirks, her talents, her frustrations. This will do several things for both of you as your child grows.
* Allow you to be the person she trusts. Your tender knowledge of her will prove your trustworthiness to her time and time again. She will know you are the person she can come to, anytime, with anything. This will be invaluable all through her young life, and especially as she travels through the teen years.
* Give you knowledge that will help you guide her through the pitfalls she must traverse. Instead of wringing your hands and worrying, you will be in a much better position to take positive action as necessary. Remember, you cannot control your child, but you do have tremendous influence over her as her parent.
* Cause you to deepen your love for your child. Whenever you deepen a relationship, the result is a tighter bond. Yes, I'll admit this is why you will hurt at times over your child. But deepening your love for your family is what will enable you to make the necessary sacrifices to care for them in the ways they will need.
No one said parenting is easy. But it can be extremely rewarding.
The Science of Parenting.
This is the head or thinking side of your parenting. This is where you apply all the skills you use in other areas of your life to improve yourself as a parent.
For example, you probably had some sort of education to be trained in your current job or career. Perhaps it took you years to learn your career skills. Perhaps it was simply a matter of on-the-job training. Whatever it was, you knew there was a learning curve involved. You may have continuing education requirements for your career, as well.
Thoughtful wisdom in parenting dictates there is also a learning curve. This is definitely an on-the-job type of training, but you needn't feel overwhelmed. Parenting is the most popular career field on the planet. There is no shortage of books, seminars, classes, and mentors available to you concerning this topic.
Like any career, you'll need to do a little research to determine which voices to listen to. I recommend making a list of all the parents you know who are raising their children in ways in which you respect. These are the voices to begin to listen to.
Be flexible in your parenting. What works in one season of your family's life may not work as well in another. And what works beautifully with one child may fail miserably with another child. As you maneuver through the science of parenting, let your heart (art) be your guide. I am a firm believer that no one knows a child the way that child's parent does. As you listen to other parents and learn through parenting resources, listen with your heart. Will this material work in my family? Could I adapt it to work more specifically for my family's situation? Feel free to try parenting ideas and make adjustments over time. Very few ideas will work the first time, but many ideas will be invaluable over the long haul.
The last bit of wisdom for new parents I'd like to offer is this: give yourself a break. If you are loving your child and working to learn what you can about the parenting game, you are probably doing a wonderful job. Kids are flexible and can stand up to most of our mistakes. Have a humble and grateful heart and be determined to do whatever you need to do as a parent and you'll do great.
Colleen Langenfeld has been parenting for over 27 years and helps other moms enjoy mothering more at http://www.paintedgold.com - Visit her website and grab more words of wisdom for new parents today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colleen_Langenfeld
So you are a new parent? Congratulations! Welcoming a new child into a family is an exciting, thrilling time. It can be scary, too, of course. And rightly so. No where else in life will you experience the rollercoaster of life more than in the game of parenting. I know because I have four children and have been parenting for more than two decades. What words of wisdom for new parents can I offer you? Well, if I was to start all over with my kids, I'd want to know that there is an art and a science to the skill of raising a child.
The Art of Parenting.
This is the heart of your parenting. You love your child. You want the very best for him. You envision years of happy times together. This is all good! The feelings and desires you have for your family will motivate you when times get tough. And you can be certain, times will get tough. It's simply the nature of the beast.
You can establish strong heart bonds with your child by intentionally cultivating the relationship with her. Starting as a baby, spend time with your little one. As one who has been there, done that, I can assure you there is no substitute for time spent with your child.
Get to know this new human. Figure out her personality, her quirks, her talents, her frustrations. This will do several things for both of you as your child grows.
* Allow you to be the person she trusts. Your tender knowledge of her will prove your trustworthiness to her time and time again. She will know you are the person she can come to, anytime, with anything. This will be invaluable all through her young life, and especially as she travels through the teen years.
* Give you knowledge that will help you guide her through the pitfalls she must traverse. Instead of wringing your hands and worrying, you will be in a much better position to take positive action as necessary. Remember, you cannot control your child, but you do have tremendous influence over her as her parent.
* Cause you to deepen your love for your child. Whenever you deepen a relationship, the result is a tighter bond. Yes, I'll admit this is why you will hurt at times over your child. But deepening your love for your family is what will enable you to make the necessary sacrifices to care for them in the ways they will need.
No one said parenting is easy. But it can be extremely rewarding.
The Science of Parenting.
This is the head or thinking side of your parenting. This is where you apply all the skills you use in other areas of your life to improve yourself as a parent.
For example, you probably had some sort of education to be trained in your current job or career. Perhaps it took you years to learn your career skills. Perhaps it was simply a matter of on-the-job training. Whatever it was, you knew there was a learning curve involved. You may have continuing education requirements for your career, as well.
Thoughtful wisdom in parenting dictates there is also a learning curve. This is definitely an on-the-job type of training, but you needn't feel overwhelmed. Parenting is the most popular career field on the planet. There is no shortage of books, seminars, classes, and mentors available to you concerning this topic.
Like any career, you'll need to do a little research to determine which voices to listen to. I recommend making a list of all the parents you know who are raising their children in ways in which you respect. These are the voices to begin to listen to.
Be flexible in your parenting. What works in one season of your family's life may not work as well in another. And what works beautifully with one child may fail miserably with another child. As you maneuver through the science of parenting, let your heart (art) be your guide. I am a firm believer that no one knows a child the way that child's parent does. As you listen to other parents and learn through parenting resources, listen with your heart. Will this material work in my family? Could I adapt it to work more specifically for my family's situation? Feel free to try parenting ideas and make adjustments over time. Very few ideas will work the first time, but many ideas will be invaluable over the long haul.
The last bit of wisdom for new parents I'd like to offer is this: give yourself a break. If you are loving your child and working to learn what you can about the parenting game, you are probably doing a wonderful job. Kids are flexible and can stand up to most of our mistakes. Have a humble and grateful heart and be determined to do whatever you need to do as a parent and you'll do great.
Colleen Langenfeld has been parenting for over 27 years and helps other moms enjoy mothering more at http://www.paintedgold.com - Visit her website and grab more words of wisdom for new parents today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colleen_Langenfeld
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