Your baby is now a toddler and now beginning to grow which makes you very excited as a parent. Being able to see your toddler do things without much assistance gives parents a sense of fulfillment. This signals that the baby you were cradling is now maturing and starts to seek independence.

Aside from learning to feed on its own one of the things that every parents need to teach their toddlers is peeing and pooping in the potty and not on their diapers. This can be a hard skill for toddlers to do and master that is why it is very important for parents to guide their little ones during this transition.

The following are the potty training basics and the ways on how to assist your toddler with potty training:

• Potty train your toddler when you can see that he is already ready. The usual time wherein a toddler is already ready for potty training is when he is 1 and a half months until three years of age. Your toddler is now able to control the urge to defecate and urinate at this time. Teaching toddlers when they are too young will not succeed because their psychomotor development is not yet fully developed.
• Slowly tell your child that now that he reached a certain age he is now ready to poo and pee like you adults do without diapers. In this way he will be able to understand why you are trying to teach a news skill to him.
• Bring your toddler when you buy a potty chair. Make him pick the one that he likes so that you can be sure that he will be interested in using it.
• Explain what will be the purpose of his potty chair be.
• At home do not let your toddler to wear diapers and tell him to call you whenever he feels that he is to pee or poo. Then make him sit on his potty chair while defecating and urinating. This will make him used to using his potty chair and not to rely on his diapers when he feels like peeing or to poo.
• Every morning when he wakes up and before tucking him to bed at night, make him sit for his potty chair for about an hour to either urinate or defecate. This will be a good training ground for him on to use his potty chair.
• Give rewards. When your toddler is able to poo or pee using his potty chair, give rewards and compliments. This will make your toddler cautious and try to fulfill what you want him to do like use potty chair.

Potty training your toddler is not always a smooth process. It takes patience from parents because most of the time it takes months and even years for toddlers to master this skill.

There are just some nasty and funny habits that we adults have, those that are carried over from our childhood. Given the chance, we surely wouldn’t want to have those behavior routines. As with our children, we would absolutely want them to have habits that prove to be helpful in honing their personality and character. Good habits like completing the homework given at school before watching TV is the foundation of good work ethic. Meanwhile, the habit of washing the hands before and after eating as well as after using the toilet wards away possible illnesses. Simply put, if we teach our children positive habits while they grow up and constantly warn them against the negative ones, we are assured that we have helped in the molding of a character that we can be really proud of.

One of the habits that our children should avoid as they grow up is the bad habit of procrastination. This means that duties or responsibilities should not be put off or deferred. In children, this would mean giving them a leeway in accomplishing their tasks. As much as possible, fixing their toys or room, helping in clearing the dishes and performing simple household chores should not be delayed. ‘Later’ is a word you won’t have them to always have. The concept of urgency and necessity should be taught to individuals even during their childhood.

Another habit that you should prevent your children from developing is poor study habits. The average person, at the very least, spends ten years of his life studying. With school, it is not unusual to be given workloads of assignments. Parents should devise ways to discipline their child to allocate reasonable time for work and for play. Children do have a stronger liking for pouring all their time in watching TV, playing outdoor games and these days, tinkering with the computer. A good strategy, during school days is to permit your child to watch TV or just about anything only after he finishes his homework. On weekends, you can set a rule of not allowing play unless your kid finishes a project he has to make. Additionally, reward your child with 15 minutes more viewing time when he is able to finish his project or assignment beforehand and if he really did such a good work.

You also want your child not to develop a sense of eerie attitude present in schools nowadays. Bullying is an alarming state in schools and it has lead to a significant number of children suffering from fear and anxiety. Parents need to teach their children about good manners and the right conduct. Saying please and thank you is a good start. Lead by example. This can be further supported by older sibling who should also set good examples. Also, it might help to dissuade your child from watching violent films.

Finally, teach your child the value of money. Spending money as if there is no tomorrow is a habit that can be carried over to adulthood. You want to give and get everything for your child but you should also see to it that not everything is served with a silver spoon. Your kid should know how to make little sacrifices to get the sweet reward.

Perhaps the most challenging time in raising your children comes when they are already teenagers. It is the time when they seek independence and search for their identity. Most often it is the time when the parent-teen relationship changes and the teen becomes withdrawn from the family and devote much time to friends. They engage into alcohol drinking, drugs, and much worse premarital sex. These teens won’t listen to their parent’s advices and even have poor performance in school.

They are so many reasons why teens become difficult to manage. They can become one when they are too much guarded by their parents. Some teens too become rebellious when their parents do not have time to guide them. Peer pressure is very common during this time which can make your lovable child turn into not. Hormonal changes also happen at this time which can make your child hard to manage.

Dealing with difficult teens may give you a headache and think that your child is hopeless, but there are a lot of ways on how you can solve the problem that you have. Here are some of the ways how:

• Know your teenager. Ask what the reason why he is acting that way. When you know the root cause why your teenager is acting rebellious you know where to start and act on the situation.
• Be your teenager’s friend. When you are too strict, your teenager will be having a hard time opening things to you. Whenever he asks questions, he may seek the answers to someone else like friends who are bad influences.
• Tell your teenager that being withdrawn from the family and engaging on vices doesn’t make you happy. In this your teenager will strive to be better especially when you know that he cares.
• Tell him on the harmful effects of alcohol, drugs, and smoking gives the health. It would be nice to give examples on what these vices did on other people’s lives.
• Encourage your teenager. Tell him that he can change and become better. Tell him not to always believe on what his friends would always say.
• Always express your love but give a space to allow your child to grow. Teenagers want autonomy especially in deciding for themselves, just let them be especially when you know that what he does is not actually bad for him.
• Tell your teenager on the rules that you have set at home and that he should follow it. Tell him that there are corresponding punishments when he breaks it. Sometimes when you are too lax on treating these teens, they will abuse you. Just make sure that you are not too strict so that the teenager would not rebel on you.

Here we go again. You may be prepping for dinner and you see your child constantly scratching his head, searching for that elusive answer for his homework. In some cases, parents will find their older children tired and exhausted in the middle of the night, but still, focused on their assignment or project. Time and again, the idea of helping your child or of letting him become independent in his homework has been a predicament for parents.

For parents, it is just difficult to see their child struggle but when dealing with assignments, the basic rule is to offer assistance and give all the support your child needs. You may help but you should never ever attempt doing the work on your own. Here are a few tips you may want to consider to make sure that you really are effectively helping your child in his homework.

• Let your child feel that you are there to assist him whenever necessary. Talking to your child about his homework builds up his confidence to accomplish his homework. You may have to ask questions about your child’s comprehension of the homework or how will he accomplish the tasks at hand. Take this opportunity to check your child’s work every after the work is finished.
• Determine how the teacher interprets the result of the homework. A teacher’s perception of a homework may different from another. There are some teachers who just want to evaluate whether your child understands the previous lesson or not while there are some who check the progress of your kid to determine his standing in the class. The former may mean you do not need to assist your child while the latter means if you do not help in your child’s homework, he may lag behind.
• There are a lot of ways where you can help. Each child has a different forte just like adults. So, if your child seems to be on the creative side, let him focus on that strength and then when he has difficulty with solving math problems, you might want to come in. For instance, addition problems can be solved by getting all those spoons and forks in the kitchen. Apart from your bonding time, the homework is relatively easier for you and your child.
• Commend your kid for the good work. Remember those stars you received when you were younger? Remember how it felt? The same concept applies. As emotional beings, we love to be praised for what we are worth. Another good approach to boost your kid’s ego is to let him hear how proud you are of his achievements.
• Finally, your child’s homework should be done in a conducive space for studying with minimal distractions from the television, from a sibling or the internet (READ: online games). It is also a good idea to make sure that you are readily available whenever your child might need you for a little help.

Some kids learn better when they are taught one on one by their parents or tutors at home. Thus homeschooling is increasingly becoming a popular method of teaching kids. Parents choose homeschooling for many reasons, one may be that their child is physically incapable of attending regular school such as in cases of a debilitating disease or because of economic reasons that they cannot afford to send their child to a good school. For some parents, homeschooling is better than traditional school as children can be given enough attention that their weaknesses and challenges in their academic studies can be best addressed.

Homeschooling can be done by the parent or a tutor. Most parents acquire a homeschooling curriculum from various institutions that specializes in home schooling. Others would argue against homeschooling as it is not a common practice but homeschooling is legal and every parent has a right to choose their kid’s education. In some states homeschooling are monitored to ensure that the kids receive the necessary subjects and curriculum they would need to substantiate what a regular kid gets from traditional school.

The advantage of homeschooling is that you won’t need to leave the house in order to learn. The pace of studying a certain subject is also based on a child’s ability to comprehend thus a more effective approach in ensuring that no child is left behind unlike in a class where children who are slow to absorb the lesson often gets unnoticed. It is basically learning at one’s own pace. Homeschooling is not always confined in the house, one can learn by going to museums, zoos, parks and other places that can foster learning.

Although many have accepted the concept of homeschooling there are still those who see it as unorthodox. Some question the parent’s ability to teach unless they have formal education to do so. Not all parents specialize in all subjects they will be teaching to their kids in home school and this may be a disadvantage in the quality of education a child can get. For example, a mom can be very good at science but can lack the proper knowledge to teach English to her child. Furthermore a child who is homeschooled may not have the luxury to enjoy school facilities like gyms, libraries, laboratories and auditoriums. Homeschooled children may have their kitchen table as their classroom and their sink as their experiment table.

Another concern for homeschooled children is lack of social interaction with other kids which is deemed important in building self esteem and effective communication skills. Homeschooled kids are feared to become isolated and shy if brought into the real world, although parents of homeschooled kids make it a point to expose their children socially by scheduling group activities with other homeschooled children their age in their community. This way children can still nurture social skills needed as they grow up.

Homeschooled children are not less competent compared to students who attend regular school. Homeschooling is best for children who are likely to achieve and gain more by one on one teaching rather than in a classroom setting and the best person to know if homeschooling is right for their child is the parent. Parents should observe their child’s pace in learning and talk with them to provide them the option of learning at home.

Autism is a rare condition where kids affected act differently than other kids. An autistic child experiences a world of his own different from other kids. It’s hard for kids with autism to communicate effectively with others as they cannot express themselves fully through words that they sometimes get frustrated and isolated from everyone else.

Raising a child with autism requires a great deal of patience, care and understanding. It is painful for some parents to feel as though they cannot talk to their child and communicate with them. Kids who suffer of autism sometimes react to people, happenings or things around them differently. They may suddenly shout towards strangers or become agitated when talked to by children their age. Sometimes being touched by a family member can aggravate them and cause them to throw tantrums.

Common gestures may not be understood by an autistic child and are often ignored. Greeting or smiling at them may not elicit a response at all for they cannot connect these simple gestures with a person’s feelings.

What causes Autism?

Autism is a neurologic disability that usually runs in families. For some autism may be linked to another medical condition such as Phenylketonuria (PKU) or congenital complications such as rubella or toxoplasmosis. Although research has yet to determine its definite cause, until now it remains idiopathic.

What are the signs and symptoms of Autism?

• Lack of non-verbal communication such as eye contact, facial expressions and gestures.
• Apathy or not caring of other’s feelings
• Cannot distinguish other’s feelings like happiness evident by someone laughing or frustration as evident by crying. When they see these emotions in others they don’t recognize it as feelings and often ignore it
• Isolation or preference of being alone
• Doesn’t want to be touched, hugged or cuddled
• They sometimes appear to be unresponsive when called
• Abnormal speech or lack of spoken language
• Difficulty in expressing themselves through Words per minute
• Inability or lack of interest in conversation
• Repetitive body movements such as rocking, flapping hands or banging toys against the wall

Children with autism mostly have an IQ of below average while some can have an above normal IQ. Some children may develop seizures usually for those who have mental retardation.

Finding out that a child is autistic can be difficult as they appear normal kids that exhibit extreme shyness however parents are usually the ones who notice that there is something wrong. Doctors diagnose autism by performing lab tests and other medical tests to rule out other medical conditions. Then referral to a neurologist, pediatrician and psychologist is made when autism is suspected.

Caring for a child with autism can be very painful and emotionally stressing for the parents as there is no cure for it. Treatment aims for the child to function as close to normal as possible enabling them to do day to day activities on their own. Therapists will focus on teaching autistic kids and their parents to communicate effectively through pointing pictures and sign language. Therapy will also help the child learn social skills such as greeting people and follow simple directions. With constant therapy and a strong support group children with mild autism can grow up to be responsible individuals that can live alone by themselves.

Some children can be found at a different room at the wee hours of the morning as if walking aimlessly around and eventually goes back to their bed after a while. If you have experience seeing this phenomenon then it is most likely that your child is sleepwalking.

Sleepwalking is a condition wherein a person walks or does any other activity while asleep. People who are sleepwalking may actually look like they are awake but they are not. When we sleep we experiences different stages of sleep wherein our brain is still active. Sleepwalking usually happens in the first hours of sleep where they are in a stage of deep sleep. Not all sleepwalkers walk as the name suggests, they may just sit up in their beds and appear to be awake only to lie back to bed after a few minutes. Most people who sleepwalk however move around for minutes to as long as half an hour.

What Causes Sleepwalking?

Sleepwalking happens mostly to identical twins and to individuals who have a familial history of the condition. Sleepwalking runs in families and children who have both parents with a history of sleepwalking is at risk of experiencing the same thing by 60 percent. Factors such as sleep deprivation, alcohol intoxication, fever and stress can cause a child or teen to sleepwalk. Children are most commonly affected due to the greater length of their slow wave or deep sleep compared to adults. While some theorists say that sleepwalking in children is a sign of delay in maturation. The peak age in children sleepwalking is within 4 to 8 years of age.

Is it harmful to wake a sleepwalker?

This is a common belief that waking a person who is sleepwalking is detrimental and may produce a psychological imbalance. Research has yet to prove this misconception and most experts say that waking up sleepwalker will not cause harm but will only disorient them. It is therefore needed to put away sharp objects that can be harmful and lock all windows and doors before going to bed when you have a sleepwalker in the house to promote safety.

How can you tell that a person is sleepwalking?

Symptoms of sleepwalking can vary for every individual. Some may actually appear awake with their eyes open and walks from room to room. Some may even run around looking agitated and anxious as if trying to run away from something. The eyes of a sleepwalker appear glassy and can be described as if in a state of trance or blank stare. When a sleepwalker gets back to bed and wakes up the next morning they usually have no account of what happened the previous night.

When should we consult a physician?

Generally sleepwalking is not a very serious problem and can be addressed by maintaining a safe environment to prevent injury and harm to the person who sleepwalks. There is no known cure for sleepwalking but there are ways on how to prevent its occurrence. One way is to get ample rest and sleep and avoid over exhaustion as this is one factor for sleepwalking. Keeping a regular sleep schedule will also help establish a pattern of sleep that can normalize and eradicate sleepwalking. When you see a sleepwalker gently guide them back to bed promoting safety by keeping the way clear of obstacles and other things.

Today, it is just right to say that gone are the days when children do play the traditional stuffs like hide and seek, Chinese garter, step no, among others. Before, every activity and every movement done by children is very memorable as they explore the real context of childhood. Everything is just a click away because of the weighty impact of technology to almost all sections of the society. Long time ago, these things can only be availed by those belonging to a higher economic status but now it has been utilized by everyone, even the youngest in our generation.
Allow me to present what technology has brought us and to our children:

Social Networking

The Facebook and Twitter fever is ultimately popular and contagious as it allows the person to find or search for a long lost relative, friend and significant others. Today, it is surprising because even a newborn has his or her own social networking account being created by their parents.
Social networking works by allowing people to do networking and sharing of data with the help of the web. Acquaintances, groupings, businesses, among others are possible with social networking.

Text speak

Sad to say, children of today are poor in spelling and even grammar because of the effects of shortcuts (text speak, jargons, gay lingos, urban language) being used when sending messages through the mobile and chat. People would love to cut everything short to convey the message to the recipient without even realizing its negative effects to the new generation.

Gadgets

PSP, Wii, Play station, Ipad, Ipod and so forth made our lives complicated yet very convenient. These are just some of the products of intellectual minds of the modern world. One big advantage is our technological skills makes us more globally competitive but what seems to be a disadvantage is that we seem to forget the basics. One more thing, children are so much focused with gadgets and their study habits have been hugely affected.

We do say that it is important for us to march with technology and not to be left out in the open. We need to get out of our comfort zones to be more competitive. It is just fine for children to be exposed and be aware of the world we are living in but what we offer them should be filtered as necessary. Not all information over the net may be accurate. New gadgets should not always be purchased. Too much of something may not be healthy. Let us be responsible in providing what is best for our children. Be vigilant and wise.