Good Parenting Advice - The Gift of Self Knowledge
One of the greatest lifetime gifts that a parent can give to their child is the gift of self knowledge. This gift will keep on giving for their children's entire lifetime. If your children have a solid grip and understanding of their very own unique selves, you will help prepare them to be stronger, more confident, and have greater self esteem.
Each person is born with a unique personality and their own set of personal interests. These characteristics are part of the package that we are all born with, but individual uniqueness is not always recognized or identified and developed in childhood. Some children seem to sense and know from a very early age just what they enjoy and want to do for the rest of their lives, while many others need some help and nudges along the way to find their uniqueness and their very own passion.
Children born to the same family and raised in a similar manner are each unique regardless of their upbringing. For instance, one child may show an avid interest in caring for animals, and this child will probably spend a lot of time with the family pet, and their reading preferences will be about engaging animal stories. Another child in the family may be extremely interested in exploring and finding out how everything works. This child will keep you constantly on your toes with their never ending questions about everything from wanting to know how your hair dryer heats up to how your car goes forward and backward. A third child may seem like a daydreamer at times, but they often surprise you by coming up with different ways of cleaning their room, walking the dog, or writing their name.
Those are the kinds of natural interests and abilities that wise parents will pay attention to. These parents will consciously and deliberately provide opportunities for their children to have experiences in which they can increase their knowledge and understanding in areas of natural interest to their children, and they will guide them in finding ways to express themselves in their special area of uniqueness. Using age appropriate materials and activities, they will encourage their children to further explore these unique interests. Each new experience will be a stepping stone into their self discovery and expand their awareness of what makes them feel good and what does not feel so good. With each unique interest or ability, there are hundreds of paths to step on where a child's inquisitive mind can develop, grow, and experience self discovery. As their self discovery is expanded, they will be able to make more pertinent focused choices.
As the child experiences successes from any of their small or large achievements while participating in an activity that holds a unique interest for them, these important building blocks of self knowledge and self esteem will take root. They will be truly excited from their heart level because this is a passion that resides within them naturally. Honing that passion with your recognition, appreciation, and guidance will serve as a great confidence booster.
As your children continue to learn and experience success in their unique area of interest or ability, they will find within that broad spectrum their very own niche that they will really excel in. Helping your children to not only learn and recognize what their unique interests are, but to enjoy personal successes in their area of uniqueness will go a long way in helping them to later develop a career or hobby that will provide a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment for their entire life.
Find more good parenting advice at http://officialfamily.info/
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Good Parenting Advice - Why You Should Let Your Children Help in the Kitchen
Cooking with children can be a lot of fun for them and helpful for you! Children cooking learn a lot about the food they eat. They can see the recipe right through from the raw ingredients stage right up to the result. They will also love eating their creations, even if they contain vegetables!
Benefits of Cooking with Children
Cooking might be a chore for us but the kitchen is a fun place for kids. Cookery is educational for kids and a very good bonding experience between you and them. Children can learn new skills without noticing, which include weighing, measuring, understanding fractions and time. Schools do not tend to spend a lot of time teaching cooking skills to children so you might like to try teaching them yourself.
Getting your child involved in cooking will prepare him or her for self-sufficiency and an independent life. It is also a good way to handle fussy eaters because most children will eagerly eat something they have helped to make. The benefits of cooking with children include teaching your child an extremely useful skill.
Some Tips for Cooking with Children
You can involve children as young as four in your cooking. Before starting, you need to consider a few things. Make sure you read the recipe through with your child so you know what to do and what you need. Clear some space and get all the ingredients and utensils ready on a low surface, which your child can see.
Think about which parts of the recipe your child can do. Older children might be able to strain a bowl of boiling noodles or take something hot out of the oven but you have to be more careful with younger kids. Your child should already know not to touch sharp knives but might forget in the excitement of cooking, so keep them out of reach.
In order for your child to learn about cooking, you should explain what you are doing each step of the way. Telling your child to mix a batter does not let them know why they need to mix those particular ingredients or what is going to happen next. Kids are naturally inquisitive and you will probably find that they do not stop asking questions the whole time anyway!
Teach your child to wash their hands before handling any food. If your child is young, tell them what you are doing as you prepare the food. An older child can measure the ingredients by themselves.
Recipes to Make with Children
Children love to knead and roll out dough, mix batters and crack eggs so you could make a cake together or some cookies. Pizza is a fun food and your child can decide on the toppings and arrange them himself. Icing a cake can also be fun for a child. If it is someone's birthday, he can try to pipe a birthday message on the cake or arrange fruit on top. You might not get a particularly professional result but it will be fun for him and certainly appreciated by the recipient.
Whatever recipe you decide to make with your child, the most important thing with children cooking is to have fun. Cooking with children is an excellent bonding experience. Kids love to learn and it is always great to teach them something useful!
Find more good parenting advice at http://parentslearnmore.com/
Cooking with children can be a lot of fun for them and helpful for you! Children cooking learn a lot about the food they eat. They can see the recipe right through from the raw ingredients stage right up to the result. They will also love eating their creations, even if they contain vegetables!
Benefits of Cooking with Children
Cooking might be a chore for us but the kitchen is a fun place for kids. Cookery is educational for kids and a very good bonding experience between you and them. Children can learn new skills without noticing, which include weighing, measuring, understanding fractions and time. Schools do not tend to spend a lot of time teaching cooking skills to children so you might like to try teaching them yourself.
Getting your child involved in cooking will prepare him or her for self-sufficiency and an independent life. It is also a good way to handle fussy eaters because most children will eagerly eat something they have helped to make. The benefits of cooking with children include teaching your child an extremely useful skill.
Some Tips for Cooking with Children
You can involve children as young as four in your cooking. Before starting, you need to consider a few things. Make sure you read the recipe through with your child so you know what to do and what you need. Clear some space and get all the ingredients and utensils ready on a low surface, which your child can see.
Think about which parts of the recipe your child can do. Older children might be able to strain a bowl of boiling noodles or take something hot out of the oven but you have to be more careful with younger kids. Your child should already know not to touch sharp knives but might forget in the excitement of cooking, so keep them out of reach.
In order for your child to learn about cooking, you should explain what you are doing each step of the way. Telling your child to mix a batter does not let them know why they need to mix those particular ingredients or what is going to happen next. Kids are naturally inquisitive and you will probably find that they do not stop asking questions the whole time anyway!
Teach your child to wash their hands before handling any food. If your child is young, tell them what you are doing as you prepare the food. An older child can measure the ingredients by themselves.
Recipes to Make with Children
Children love to knead and roll out dough, mix batters and crack eggs so you could make a cake together or some cookies. Pizza is a fun food and your child can decide on the toppings and arrange them himself. Icing a cake can also be fun for a child. If it is someone's birthday, he can try to pipe a birthday message on the cake or arrange fruit on top. You might not get a particularly professional result but it will be fun for him and certainly appreciated by the recipient.
Whatever recipe you decide to make with your child, the most important thing with children cooking is to have fun. Cooking with children is an excellent bonding experience. Kids love to learn and it is always great to teach them something useful!
Find more good parenting advice at http://parentslearnmore.com/
Good Parenting Advice - What Every Expectant Parent Should Know (But Nobody Tells You)
You are expecting your very first child. Congratulations! You must be very excited and you should be. You’re about to welcome a great gift into this world. But with your excitement there must be plenty of anxiety as well, right? This is totally normal too. Well, just to help you settle your anxiety down a little bit, here is what every parent should know (but nobody tells you).
1. Say Goodbye to Sleep
Okay, so maybe you have been told about this. But until you go through it you won’t understand just how little sleep you’ll get. But to help you through this, remember that it’s only temporary. The months where you’re awakened several times every night are but a brief instant in what will be decades of pleasure you get from you child. Always remember that as you’re forced to roll out of bed at 3 am.
2. You Will Wonder What You’ve Done
Almost every parent has that moment when they wonder why they decided to have a baby in the first place. No, you won’t regret the decision. But you will question if you have what it takes to be a good parent. You will ask yourself if you can give that baby everything he/she needs. Just know that the answer is “yes”. Of course you can give that child everything he/she needs. Because all the baby needs is your love and caring. And the fact that you’re worrying about whether you’re good enough is proof that you have enough love and caring for the child.
3. Puke and Poop Won’t Bother You
Many parents (especially fathers) are always scared about dealing with their kid’s poop and puke. Well, don’t be. Believe it or not, when you have to clean-up puke or change a dirty diaper, it won’t bother you anywhere near as much as you’d think. There’s something in nature that allows a parent to easily handle anything that comes from your baby’s body. While it’s never enjoyable to mop-up throw-up off the floor in the middle of the night, it won’t have you gagging every other second.
4. Babies Are Tough
Newborns look so tiny and fragile, and they are. But they are also a lot tougher than you’d think. So don’t be too afraid of handling your baby and don’t freak out about every little cough or sneeze. Certainly babies need tender, loving, care and they also become dehydrated very easily (when they are throwing-up or have diarrhea) but they are a lot tougher than you’d think. So don’t worry too much.
5. Your Life Will Never be the Same
Once you have a baby, everything in your life will change. Everything. You will no longer be able to go anywhere without it taking you twenty minutes to get ready. You’ll no longer have only yourself to worry about. And you’re alone time will be extremely limited (if it exists at all). But overall, this is a good thing. So embrace it. But don’t expect that things will ever be like they were before the baby.
Find more good parenting advice at http://officialfamily.us/
You are expecting your very first child. Congratulations! You must be very excited and you should be. You’re about to welcome a great gift into this world. But with your excitement there must be plenty of anxiety as well, right? This is totally normal too. Well, just to help you settle your anxiety down a little bit, here is what every parent should know (but nobody tells you).
1. Say Goodbye to Sleep
Okay, so maybe you have been told about this. But until you go through it you won’t understand just how little sleep you’ll get. But to help you through this, remember that it’s only temporary. The months where you’re awakened several times every night are but a brief instant in what will be decades of pleasure you get from you child. Always remember that as you’re forced to roll out of bed at 3 am.
2. You Will Wonder What You’ve Done
Almost every parent has that moment when they wonder why they decided to have a baby in the first place. No, you won’t regret the decision. But you will question if you have what it takes to be a good parent. You will ask yourself if you can give that baby everything he/she needs. Just know that the answer is “yes”. Of course you can give that child everything he/she needs. Because all the baby needs is your love and caring. And the fact that you’re worrying about whether you’re good enough is proof that you have enough love and caring for the child.
3. Puke and Poop Won’t Bother You
Many parents (especially fathers) are always scared about dealing with their kid’s poop and puke. Well, don’t be. Believe it or not, when you have to clean-up puke or change a dirty diaper, it won’t bother you anywhere near as much as you’d think. There’s something in nature that allows a parent to easily handle anything that comes from your baby’s body. While it’s never enjoyable to mop-up throw-up off the floor in the middle of the night, it won’t have you gagging every other second.
4. Babies Are Tough
Newborns look so tiny and fragile, and they are. But they are also a lot tougher than you’d think. So don’t be too afraid of handling your baby and don’t freak out about every little cough or sneeze. Certainly babies need tender, loving, care and they also become dehydrated very easily (when they are throwing-up or have diarrhea) but they are a lot tougher than you’d think. So don’t worry too much.
5. Your Life Will Never be the Same
Once you have a baby, everything in your life will change. Everything. You will no longer be able to go anywhere without it taking you twenty minutes to get ready. You’ll no longer have only yourself to worry about. And you’re alone time will be extremely limited (if it exists at all). But overall, this is a good thing. So embrace it. But don’t expect that things will ever be like they were before the baby.
Find more good parenting advice at http://officialfamily.us/
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