Month: January 2023

Celebrating small milestones for your kids is the best feeling in the world. From weaning to start teaching them as soon as they turn 1, parents do it all for the holistic development of their kids. Sometimes it builds pressure on them to find activities that are a balance of fun and educational foundation for their little ones.

Every parent should understand that they do not have to stress about teaching their kids from the beginning. The focus should be on building a foundation for finding joy in learning. And it starts with creating curiosity by adding the element of fun to their daily learning sessions.

Let us see, How you can start teaching your kids with these easy tips

Developing customized fun games for them – We all know that our little ones are so small that it is difficult for them to concentrate or even hold a pencil for a very long time. But at the same time, their brain has a lot of capacity to absorb and retain information.

So the best thing to do is to plan 1-minute games for them. You can start by giving them the props like Alphabetical, Numerical, Fruit shapes, or Even toys that they find attractive. This way kids will start building focus on one thing rather than running behind everything in the house.

When they start focusing, you can use props like a small organizer to teach them organizing skills. When you sit and show them how it is done, they will remember the process and imitate you later. Now the thing is not just teaching them difficult skills like organizing, but building their sitting power and focus towards learning in general.

Making customized toys with them – Take cardboard and make small holes in it. Now teach your kids to thread the strings through these holes. It might sound boring but when it becomes interesting for them to complete the task in a minute. Also, they get the feeling of accomplishment which boosts their confidence in the long run.

Finding letters and numbers in the surroundings – Even if your little ones can not properly read or write, you can teach them numbers and the alphabet very easily. Try to inculcate numbers in games and tell them to repeat the number of times they are repeating the exercise. These small games play a huge role in the development of their motor skills.

Now that we have already discussed some tips to engage kids in learning sessions, let us see what the things you need to keep in mind are to make these sessions more effective. One thing is to make a schedule for a particular learning topic for a week. They should not feel overwhelmed by the information. Give them time to learn and enjoy at their pace.

Another thing to keep in mind is not to scold them when they are not able to grasp things immediately. They will make mistakes and you have to be patient with them so that they can feel free to ask any question that comes to their mind.

 Lastly, let them learn their way, and encourage them if their interest lies in some other topic than the one you have chosen for them. Make learning an easy process for them so that they can develop a love for it for their entire life.

We all agree that Kids these days have the busiest schedule. From school hours to extra classes and extracurriculars, they hop from one place to another before finally hitting the bed.

Now, this is exciting and worrisome for parents at the same time. And one thing that parents worry the most is about how they can get some extra time to revise and learn at home.

Apart from the time crunch, factors like stress, lack of energy, lack of interest, and distractions are some reasons that might become a hindrance for kids to develop productive studying habits.

As parents, it is heartbreaking to see your kids struggle to find and manage time to study. But do not worry, if you follow these tips they will definitely thrive in their learning sessions.

Fix a routine – A good beginning is half done. If you build a holistic routine for them, they will be mentally prepared to study as they do during school time. A good routine helps to build momentum for the day.

One thing to remember is that they should get some break time in between all the activities you are planning for them. Fix a study time for them and when the clock ticks the time, remind them of their commitment. It also inculcates discipline in them. Do not give in to their demands, if they are not ready to study. The trick is to convince them by having a conversation with them. Telling them the importance of learning in life. You can also plan a reading time for yourself, that way they will not be able to escape instead they will learn sincerely.

Take care of their holistic development – Knowledge will give them the push in life but if they are not healthy it will definitely hold them back in life. Kids must have a balanced diet and good sleep to retain what they are learning. After all, everything is connected. With this, give them time to stretch and relax so that they can concentrate more when they are actually studying.

Do check on their meal timings and make sure they are not hungry. Our brain needs fuel to focus and if our tummy is full we will definitely be able to focus more on learning.

Build a study environment – The place matters a lot. If you fix a place with little or no distractions it will help them to focus and retain things easily. You can also decorate the place with good quotes and a comfortable, chair- table set to help them have much-needed comfort. These are the little things that can become a distraction at the study place and if you take care of them develop a lifelong love for learning.

Add some reading time – It is not just about learning, but reading too. Reading is a very important part of education. Developing a reading habit comes hand in hand while developing a studying habit in children.

To develop a reading habit, you can start with easy sentences. Give them books a grade below or two as compared to what they are actually studying. It helps them build a flow for reading. Also, build a collection of important words to develop a versatile vocabulary for them. If kids have a vast vocabulary, they can easily make sentences. It also gives them the confidence to present their ideas and read gracefully. You can add 15 minutes of reading time to their studying time.

The final piece of advice is that you should not obsess over teaching your kids. It does not happen overnight. Even if you are taking care of everything, it takes at least 6 months to develop productive habits in kids. They will make mistakes and learn, all you have to do is support them with patience. Your hard work will pay off as their love for learning throughout their life.

Seeing your child happy is one of the best feelings in the world. Yet,it has become a rare case in most homes. Even if parents do their best to keep their kids happy, the results are not very satisfactory.

The first reason behind this is Parents being reactive. The kind of behavior parents reflects when they face any adversity. They immediately want to take action when a child complains and whines about any problem. Be it a small fight in school or at playtime, most parents encourage their kids to take it one step ahead by involving themselves in the same. But they do not realize that kids will follow the same thing when there will be an argument at home.

So what should be the middle way for parents?

Almost every day is a whining session for kids right after they come back from school. And as parents, our first reaction is to settle the situation, not their attitude. After all, which parent does not want to be a HERO for their child? But have you ever wondered what kind of HERO you are becoming? The one who knows nothing but screams when a negative situation arises or the one who sets an example for them to adopt a positive outlook towards problems in life.

A wise parent will always choose the latter and these tips will help you to establish a strong foundation for your kids when it comes to adopting healthy habits.

Acknowledge their emotions- Parents need to help their kids define and express them. Strong emotions like anger, frustration, and aggression should be handled carefully. If you do not pay attention in the present, it might become a part of their personality in the future.

And acknowledging emotions helps them to identify the problem in the first place. Sometimes they do not even need a solution, but listening to them would make them feel better and induce a calming effect in their personality.

Have conservation with them – Instead of reacting, try to show proactiveness. When a child is facing any problem at home, in school, or even with friends, do not try to conclude immediately.

 Most parents, get away if they see their child is sad or crying. But the thing here is to show them the way you would choose if you face a similar situation. Imagine if you argue in a workplace, would you scream or would you prefer to talk it out? Talking makes everything easy. It helps you to find the root cause of the problem.

Finding the solution – Be it kids or adults nobody wants to listen when they are angry and in offensive mode. The reason being it makes them feel that they are wrong and it worsens the situation. But if you talk about the same thing after a day or two when kids are in receptive mode, they will listen to you.

When kids are aware that they are being heard they also listen to you carefully. They become proactive and the synergy of positive thoughts helps them in shaping their personality.

The final tip of advice is to remind ourselves what kind of behaviour we want them to adopt. Is it the kind of behavoiur where they feel like screaming whenever any negative situation arises or the one where they can come to us and talk to us to find a solution to any problem. Help them focus and on the good things so that they can find good things in life easily.

Raising kids is an arduous task. From finding ways to deal with their childish behavior to maintaining a balance between family routine and their course. We as parents face a hard time disciplining kids.

 It can be challenging to keep your cool when interacting with a teenager who does not even want to listen to you. And then shouting and physical aggression becomes the lender of the last resort for us. But let me make it clear that it never helps and even makes you face situations that no parent ever wants to find themselves in.

Fortunately, there are other, better approaches, and positive discipline is one of them. We spoke to several parents to learn more about how the approach can assist parents in fostering positive relationships with their kids and instilling values like responsibility, cooperation, and self-discipline.

Let us see what possible solutions came out as the result.

Going back to square one- Simply means putting ourselves in their shoes. Let us take an example. Remember the times when we were to learn skills like driving?

We all wanted to do that, Right? But with one condition that was common for all of us that we were not ready to learn that from our parents. Reason being we were afraid of getting scolded while making mistakes. But at the same time when a teacher taught us the same skill, it was easier for us to try and learn. Now you all must be wondering how it is related to teaching kids discipline.

The rule is simple: be their teacher. Encourage them when they take initiative. And most important of all, respect them. Yes, respectably talking to them makes the whole difference.

After all, they know you love them and that your intentions are genuine. They all expect to learn from our life-long experiences. But the only thing they can not take is the way if we choose to be harsh on them.

So the best way out is to take a step back and realize that shouting is not going to help. See how they react when you correct their behavior with love and not by scolding them.

Nobody is born perfect and when we encourage kids to make mistakes and learn from them they develop a positive attitude toward learning in life.

Explain the reason behind everything- We all love the shortcut, especially when it comes to our kids. If they want a toy – we give them a toy, if they want to use the phone – we let them use it for hours just so that they do not disturb us in our work.

But have you ever wondered what if you say no, are they going to understand your language? Probably NO, they will try every possible way to convince you. But if you explain to them the reason behind it they will listen to you. Remember it will not happen overnight. You will have to be patient with them. If you create a harmonious bond with your kid, he/she will reciprocate the same behavior.

It is not just about teaching them discipline, of course, it is one of the most important values but at the end of the day, you have to be their mentor for everything in life. And it means nurturing and nourishing your bond with them at every step of their life. While talking to them, reflect on their reaction immediately. See if they are liking the way you are talking to them or not.

If they like it they will be very happy and cheerful to learn more things from you. So if you are looking forward to inculcating discipline in your kids, remember you have to be their ideal first.

We barely notice the passing of the days as we juggle between life and work. Many parents are concerned about not spending enough time with their kids and wonder if this may cause developmental problems. Some parents even feel guilty for choosing to work a full-time job or worry about going to the gym or out to dinner with friends.

A recent study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family casts doubt on the relationship between mothers’ time spent with their kids and their success in school, behavior, and emotional health. This is not meant to downplay the value of spending time with kids, but rather to emphasize how much more significant quality time is than quantity.

What is most advantageous to children and what can have a favorable impact on them as they grow is quality time spent with parents.

Here are some tips for you to get the best of the time in terms of quality to that you can spend days with your kids.

1. Playing Games Together: Every child loves to play games and what could be better than turning playtime into quality time with family? There is a variety of board games available in the market nowadays that are a fun way to spend a fun time with the entire family. Simple games like Ludo or snake and ladders can turn out to be one of the most fun-filled experiences for the entire family.

2. Life in Public Places: There are many instances where parents are out in the world with their kids in day-to-day life. It might be waiting for a taxi to go somewhere or waiting for the school bus in the morning. While the kids learn how the world works, it is always a plus if the parent holds their hand to show them around. Hand holding, while looks like a very simple exercise that nobody gives much thought to, can be a powerful way to ensure that such little time can be of high quality. Physical touch for a kid holds special value in their life and a warm hand to hold can turn any time into quality time.

3. Tips for Working Parents: After getting home from work, a smile can make all the difference in the world for a little kid. Being friendly and respectful towards kids and swinging genuine curiosity in their day-to-day activities can imbibe a sense of relativity in the kids as well. Stories from your childhood and including them in the calls with your childhood friends can turn out to be one of the most high-quality times that can be spent with your children.

Remember you don’t have to participate in the rat race of being perfect parents. But you can personalize your way of being. No child can forget the feeling of being close to their parents. Not just living under the same roof but sharing day-to-day anecdotes and big achievements to connect your hearts and lives as well.