Sep
25
Get Your Son Or Daughter to Quit The Thumb Sucking Habit: Essential Parenting Tips
Filed Under Parent Resources, Parenting By Age, Parenting Reports, Quick Tips, Toddler | Leave a Comment
Thumb sucking is a concern lots of parents have. Toddlers suck their thumbs because it’s calming and comforting. It’s probably something they did before they were born and revert back to it when they are nervous, agitated, scared or feeling poorly. They may also use it to lull themselves back to sleep in the middle of the night.
Parents shouldn’t concern themselves unless it continues after the age their permanent teeth begin to appear, around six years old. Experts say that it’s the intensity of the thumb sucking and the tongue’s thrust that deforms teeth and makes braces necessary later. Children who rest their thumb passively in their mouth are less likely to have difficulty than kids who suck aggressively. If you’re concerned, closely monitor your son or daughter and analyze their technique. If they appear to be sucking strongly, you may want to begin curbing their habit.
Punishing or nagging your son or daughter to stop won’t help because it’s usually an automatic response. Attempting to curb it by putting an elastic bandage on their thumb or another method will seem like an unjust punishment, especially as they indulge in the habit for comfort and security.
Try to wait it out. Children usually give up thumb-sucking when they’ve found other ways to calm and comfort themselves. Consider offering them other alternatives to comfort themselves such as a soft blanket or lullaby toy.
The key is to notice when and where they are likely to suck their thumbs and offer an alternative. If it happens while they are tired, try giving more naps. If they suck their thumb often while watching television, try to distract them with a toy that will keep their hands occupied.
Older children may need gentle reminders to curtail thumb sucking while in public, and praise should be given freely when the child finds and uses an acceptable alternative. Your child’s pediatric dentist can offer other suggestions for helping your son or daughter kick the thumb sucking habit.
If there is one stage of child development that seems to fill many parents with dread then it has to be toilet training. I think this originates from our own parents and grandparents telling us tales of woe about their own experiences of toilet training their children. But that was ages ago and knowledge about child development has grown dramatically. That means that your experience of toilet training can be very different from that of your mother or grandmother. The key is to follow a reputable toilet training program. And that actually starts well before you introduce your child to a potty. Check out the following article for further advice
tips for toilet training boys
And the guidance applies equally well whether you are toilet training a boy or girl.
Aug
31
Is Your Schedule Back to Normal Yet?
Filed Under Main Content | 1 Comment
Summer’s are hectic times for families, because usually your daily routines & schedules that are set in place during the school year are thrown out the window, and freedom reigns! :) Your children have gotten in the habit of going to bed and getting up later. Since school has started, it’s important to get children back on a school schedule or you will find a house full of grump kids and parents. Use these tips to get your family back into the swing of things.
Don’t wait too long to get them back in the habit of going to bed for school. In fact, it would be helpful if they started going to bed a little bit earlier each night, over a week, until they reach their normal “school night” bedtime. Children will rebel against having to go to bed so early if they’ve stayed up late all summer.
While you’re working on re-establishing a normal bedtime, you probably want to also get them up a little earlier each morning. This will help them acclimatize to the regular school schedule of going to bed a particular time and then having to get up in order to get ready for school. If you haven’t already done so, why not purchase an alarm clock and teach your child how to use it.
Instead of goofing off when they first wake up, have your children start getting ready as as they get up. Then let them relax before rushing off to school Before they go to bed each night, have them set out their clothes for the next day so everything’s ready for them when they rise.
What do you do if your child has to change classes during the day? Visit each classroom with your child, helping them find the quickest route between classes and other areas they’ll use. Your child will be a pro at maneuvering the halls in no time.
Will your child ride a bus, carpool with other children in the neighborhood, or will you take them to school each day? Knowing how they will get to and from school is important and will give them continuity to their day. This is particularly helpful if you have younger children.
Be prepared to get up earlier yourself, especially for the first few weeks. You’ll want to be up ensuring the children have everything and get ready in time. It’s not just children whose schedules are thrown off during the summer. Since it’s time to get back on your schedule when children go back to school, they’ll be on theirs as well.