Establishing a Bedtime Routine for your Child

If you're like the vast majority of parents of little kids, you probably have come to be accustomed to lack of sleep at night. Once you have survived the infant period with victory, you would think that the early childhood years would present moms and dads with a great deal more of rest. However, once children learn the art of manipulating in order to get their way, they come up with tactics for evading going to bed.

Little ones need to have adequate rest just as much as their parents; it's essential to their health and well-being and it also makes them more pleasant to be with. When little kids are tired they become irritable and difficult to reason with. What are parents to do when their sweet angel transforms into an absolute ogre once evening comes about?

The following suggestions may very well help make night time run more smoothly in your household:

One of the most important steps that parents can take in their mission to get their children to sleep at night is establishing a daily bedtime routine.

First and foremost, it is absolutely crucial that you remain consistent. No matter what routine you start for your precious angel at bedtime, ensure that the ritual is the same every single night. Kids thrive on routine, and having the same routine each night will help get them in the mood to go to sleep.

Bath-time should be a regular part of your son's or daughter's routine before going to bed each night. Warm baths are soothing and help to not only make them feel nice and clean, but relaxed and serene and ready to go to sleep.

The majority of parents read a story to their children at bedtime, and for good reason, it's a great time for fostering special bonding between children and moms and dads, little ones learn and they settle down.

More and more children now have TV’s in their rooms which is very detrimental to their health and well-being. A bedroom should be a place for rest. Not to mention that research shows a connection between obesity and lower test grades in kids who have television sets in their bedrooms and the fact that you will not know what they are watching. Instead of a television, opt for having soft, soothing music play in your child's bedroom if needed.

Safety bedrails should be installed to help prevent your child from falling out of bed. They're really easy to install these days and some fold down to make climbing in and out of bed easier.

Reassure your children that you will check on them throughout the night.

If your child does get out of her bed after being asleep, put her back into her bed without saying anything to her, this way she knows that you mean business. Keep repeating this and eventually she will stay put in her own bed.

Toddlers aged 1-3 years old require 12-14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. Preschool children ages 3-5 years old require 11-13 hours and school-aged children ages 5-12 require 10-11 hours of sleep per night.

Set up a chart to keep a record of your child's bedtime progress and mark his results with reward stickers.

Whatever approaches or tactics you decide on for establishing a bedtime routine for your child, always conclude the routine with your child in his or her own bed. He will fully understand what's expected and will soon be sleeping through the night without difficulty.

Bonnie Lim is the founder of A Kid Place. Check out her blog at blog.akidplace.com as well as her online store at www.akidplace.com.

Are School Exercise Programs Shortchanging Kids?

Kids do a lot of sitting. Between resting in a chair at school seven hours a day - and watching television when they get home, it’s not surprising that kids are overweight and develop health problems at a younger age. Even school exercise programs fall short in helping kids get the benefits of exercise.

Are Kids Exercising at School?

A report published by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development points out that kids only get around 25 minutes per week of vigorous exercise as part of most school exercise programs. This is woefully short of the four to seven hours per week most experts recommend.

The Benefits of Exercise for Children

How important is exercise for kids? A recent study carried out in Germany looked at the benefits of exercise for children. They divided sixth grade kids into two groups. One group took part in a daily school exercise program, while the second group participated only in school sports activities, which amounted to about two hours of exercise per week. They tested the physical fitness level of the kids before and after the three year study through treadmill exercise testing, blood work and a physical exam.

Did the kids who exercised at school experience benefits? The children who took part in a daily school exercise program had lower blood pressures at the end of the study than the control group, and they had better cardiovascular fitness, which could mean a lower risk of heart disease later in life.

The benefits of exercise for children are well described. Not only does it help with weight control and heart health, it relieves stress, boosts confidence and reduces the risk of health problems such as heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes later in life. Unfortunately, most school exercise programs aren’t giving children the amount and intensity of exercise they need for health.

For example, according to this survey, just under 6% of kids had physical education five times a week. Most had it only two times a week. Sadly, during that time, they only engaged in, on average, just under five minutes of vigorous exercise and about 12 minutes of moderate exercise.

Kids aren’t exercising at school enough, so it’s important for parents to motivate kids to stay active at home. Limit kid’s television and computer time and send them outdoors to play - or take them to a playground for an hour when they get home from school. Get them involved in a sport they can participate in most days. Give them the task of taking the dog for a brisk walk every afternoon. Find ways to help them get at least thirty minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each day.

Kids Exercising at School: The Bottom Line?

Since schools aren’t doing their job of keeping kids active, parents need to take up the slack. Don’t put your child at risk for high blood pressure and heart disease, because he’s too sedentary. Keep your child moving.

References:

Medical News Today. “Daily School Exercise Decreases Blood Pressure in School Children”

National Institute of Health News Release. “Study Suggests Schools Lacking in Exercise Programs for Children”

5 Ways To Help Your Toddler Overcome A Fear Of Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner, malls and homes are filled with terrifying masks, scary costumes and pictures of ghouls and ghosts. As an adult, you may find this amusing and even exciting. But for small children, Halloween can be a particularly frightening experience.

For young babies, Halloween usually goes unnoticed. Babies may even be amused by the strange faces and costumes that they see.

But toddlers realize that the strange faces and costumes at Halloween are different and scary. Even a giant mouse or bunny can terrify toddlers because they know that giant talking bunnies and mice are not normal.

Most toddlers cannot be forced to overcome their fear, because fear is a strong, inner instinct. But there are several things that you can do to minimize your child’s fears. Here are 5 useful suggestions.

1. Remember That Your Toddler Is Unique.

What your child finds scary, another child may find amusing. You may not always be able to predict just what will terrify your child, so keep an open mind and remain flexible.

2. Take Your Child Into The Pumpkin Patch.

A glowing jack-o-lantern can be pretty scary. Helping your child to realize that this creepy character is no more than a carved up pumpkin will help to alleviate that fear. Let your child help you to find the perfect size pumpkin for Halloween. Let him help you to decorate it as well. Your child can draw the pattern onto the pumpkin and you can carve out the design with a knife. Toddlers also love to play with the seeds and the gooey insides of the pumpkin. Your child may also enjoy gluing tissue paper onto the outside of the pumpkin or coloring it with a magic marker.

3. Do Without Elaborate Costumes…..For Now.

Even though you may think that your toddler looks adorable in the bunny costume you spent hours sewing, your toddler may not want to wear it. If your child refuses to wear it, then it’s better to drop the issue rather than to make a fuss of it. Remember, there’s always next year.

Toddlers are less likely to resist if the costume doesn’t cover their faces. They may even enjoy experimenting with face paint or paper-plate masks that they can hold up to their faces.

4. Put off trick-or-treating or do so in a less threatening environment.

Trick-or-treating can be bewildering and scary for toddlers. Going to unfamiliar houses at night, passing all sorts of scary creatures in the dark, and getting more candy than they are allowed to eat at once, can be a bit too much to handle.

If you feel that this may be the case with your toddler, then you may want to introduce your child to trick-or-treating by going to a few familiar neighbors while it’s still daytime.

Another suggestion that also works well is to trick-or-treat in somebody’s home. Toddlers can knock on different closed doors in the hallway, and then each door could be opened by an older child or adult who gives them a treat or some candy.

5. Be Supportive Of Your Child.

Even if you manage to avoid trick-or-treating,your child will probably still see scary people around town or coming to your door. If your child does see scary creatures, you can always ask the ‘creatures’ to take off their scary masks while they are near your child.

Keep in mind that your child’s needs will change with time. Lots of preschoolers are still afraid of ghosts, goblins and things that go bump in the night. Simple costumes, trick-or-treating at familiar homes and sticking to daytime activities can go a long way toward making young children more comfortable with Halloween. And before you know it, your child will be enjoying Halloween as much as you do.

5 Simple Ways to Bring Your Family Together

Is your family disconnected? Are you finding it more and more difficult to spend quality time together as a family? You’re not alone. Job duties, after-school programs, friends and even technology play a key role in keeping families from interacting with one another on a daily basis. Whether you’re a parent trying to reconnect with your teenage kids or you’re a child determined to get your busy family to spend more quality time with each other, there are many simple ways to bring your family together.

1. Play board games. Playing board games with your family, like Monopoly, is a surefire way to bring your family together. Get together with your family and designate one night of the week for game night. Find a game all family members like and simply kick back, relax and enjoy the quality time spent with your family. Board games are inexpensive and give out hours and hours of pure entertainment and fun.

2. Watch movies. Nothing brings a family together quicker than a good movie. Instead of opting in on ordering movies online, take your entire crew to your local video store to select the movies together. Let everyone pick their own movie and then vote on which movie to watch first. To keep the atmosphere stress free and inviting, be sure to order in a tasty pizza the whole family will enjoy.

3. Partake in outdoor recreational activities. Whether you’re into hiking, running, cycling or walking, get your family active and involved in outdoor activities. Not only will you help bring your family closer together while partaking in outdoor recreational activities, but you’ll also help keep yourself and your family as fit and healthy as possible. If you’re looking for a free, inexpensive way to spend time with your family outdoors, visit your local park. Remember, the family that plays together stays together, so get outdoors with your family today and enjoy all that nature offers.

4. Cook together. Food is comforting and tasty and serves as a great tool when it comes to bringing your family together. Be sure to include your family in the entire process of cooking a meal by taking them out to purchase the foods together, beforehand. Taking time out of your precious day to cook a healthy, appetizing meal with your family members is something you’ll not regret. Cooking with your family is a simple, memorable way to bring your family together.

5. Eat one meal per day together. Due to the vast amount of distractions prevalent in our current society, the majority of families rarely sit down and eat a meal together. Instead of sitting in front of the television with your food, opt in on sitting at a table with your family. Turn off all distractions and politely ask your family members to sit down and eat a meal with you. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, taking the time to eat a meal with your family is a great way to bring your family together.