Grandpa Richards Kids

Here is an idea.

Take a slinky to the mall and get it going on an escalator.

All parents worry about their children. Are you worried that your introverted child is not normal? You need to read the article about introverted children found at the article Introverted Children are Normal on Grandpa Richard’s main website. Keep in mind that despite all your fears, introverted children may be that way naturally.

My eldest daughter, Stephanie, is expecting her 2nd child in late June. Her first pregnancy went well, but, there have been some problems with this one and she is now at home (off work and on light duties) on doctor’s orders. She has a very high risk of having a premature birth. This came up quite suddenly, but I am working on getting out to see her. I am having issues with work though, as year end is a week away and I don’t have a proper backup person for my role.

What is interesting is that when this first started, her and her mom searched the internet and found very little info about her particular issues. I have discussed with her the possibility of starting a blog and sharing, so that others like her will find some better advice and encouragements during a very stressful time. I’ll let you know if we do start something.

In the meantime, if you are looking for info on fertility issues, check out fertility.come-and-read.com.

Most children learn early in life that crayons are fun. Not just the many colours possible, and the satisfaction of seeing your finished art, but the absolute thrill of hearing mommy and daddy gush over your creations.

Most children also learn to apply their newfound sense of logic to this form of art.

“If mommy and daddy are so thrilled over this little tiny piece of paper”, so the child thinks, “they will go absolutely bonkers when I do my first mural.”

And where is this huge mural? Why, the hallway or livingroom wall, of course!

(way to go Brendan!!!)

helps the medicine go down. (from the song!)

Effect of Honey, Dextromethorphan, and No Treatment on Nocturnal Cough and Sleep Quality for Coughing Children and Their Parents (that’s a mouthfull !)

Study Objectives: To compare the effects of a single nocturnal dose of buckwheat honey or honey-flavored dextromethorphan (DM) with no treatment on nocturnal cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood upper respiratory tract infections.

Design: A survey was administered to parents on 2 consecutive days, first on the day of presentation when no medication had been given the prior evening and then the next day when honey, honey-flavored DM, or no treatment had been given prior to bedtime according to a partially double-blinded randomization scheme.

The study is a bit technical, but readable, and can be read by clicking here.

Two studies in the New England Journal of Medicine from the US and Denmark say that overweight children have more heart problems in later life and there will be more of them in the future.

The Danish study, which tracked more than 250,000 school children in Copenhagen from 1930 to 1976, found overweight boys in particular grew up to have more heart problems.

Do you have children under 3 years old? Be careful of peanuts. Read more in my Beware of Peanuts news item.

Finishing Up

It doesn’t matter what your parenting goals are, you can use the guidelines in this series to help you create your own unique positive parenting goals. Decide on your goals, share them with your family, and come up with a plan to accomplish those goals. Make it a family effort and have fun doing it.

As parents, we have such an important role in making our children confident, successful, happy, and healthy people. The best thing is that taking on that responsibility makes for tighter family bond and more happiness for everyone.

Happy New Year, and Happy Parenting.

Goal # 3 for Positive Parenting: Limit Angry Outbursts

As we already talked about, everyone gets angry. What we do with that anger is what matters. In many families, it’s not just the anger of parents that is the problem. In a home where yelling is acceptable, kids often model the same behavior. If there is a lot of yelling or more abusive name-calling and fighting in your home, here are some ideas for a more serene home.

• Make sure your expectations are clear. Many times we make assumptions that our spouses or our children understand what we want them to do. For younger children, tasks need to be broken down into smaller components (ex. get your hat, put it on, get your boots, put them on).
• Take a moment to calm down. Not all situations need to be addressed immediately. If you need some time to calm down, take it. If just a few seconds or minutes won’t do, call a friend or family friend to give you some time for a real break to calm down.
• Make sure they know why. This will vary from situation to situation and depend on the age of your child, but your family members need to understand why something might be bothering you. If you have a headache and your child is endlessly hammering on his toy piano, yelling them to stop playing isn’t going to make much sense. After all, it’s her toy and she is using it in the way it was intended. You can always explain that you have a headache and suggest an alternate, more quiet activity.
• Parents Get Cranky When They’re Hungry & Tired Too: We know our children have “moods” when they’re hungry or need more sleep. We, as adults, react the same way. Make sure your needs are taken care of.
• Decide What’s Worth “Fighting for”: Sometimes we get ourselves worked up about things that are insignificant in life. Is it worth exploding over every sock left on the floor? Choose your battles wisely because a constant battleground in your home is not helping anyone.
• Make it Okay to Share Feelings: It’s okay to share angry feelings, including your children, but it should be done with words and in a calm manner.
• Set Consequences for Inappropriate Outbursts: Children need to understand there are consequences of hitting, name-calling or other abusive behavior.
  

My 5-year-old grand daughter Jasmine is a bundle of energy. Her mom was as well. Jasmine also likes jumping and spinning and rolling around, etc. It was a no-brainer for her mom to get Jasmine into gymnastics.

To read more about encouraging the gymnast in your family, see the article Tips for Parents of Gymnastics Students on Grandpa Richard’s main website.