The Importance of Reading

We all are aware of importance of reading as a hobby as well as habit. Reading is one of the most wonderful habits one can inculcate. It’s beneficial for not only kids but adults as well. Reading has several advantages and one must enjoy reading good books as and when possible. As parents, its our prime responsibility to inculcate this habit in our kids. This habit must be inculcated at a very tender age. Many children don’t enjoy reading because parents did not employ appropriate steps at the right time. But great thing with children is they are quick learner and if they find you interested in the things they are being taught, it becomes quite easy for them to develop same interests. However, reading is one habit that can not be developed overnight. It takes time and efforts from parents to get their kids interested in this habit. At the same time, once developed this great habit stays for a life time and more so children with reading habit are found to have great personality later on. It also increases their focus and concentration power apart from giving them several new things to ponder about.

When children start reading they also get tremendous help in sounds of various words. Children show amazing improvement in word meanings and word sound once they start consistent reading. Before preparing kids for reading habit, parents must create a reading environment at home. This can be done by giving utmost importance to books and reading habit. Always arrange the book neatly and the child will automatically grasp these things. He or she will also understand that these are valued things and they also need to give importance to it.

Babies’ Sleep

The birth of a baby changes many things around. For parents, it’s a new journey altogether. Parents’ focus is always on new born baby. Thinking of it, right from the time parents get up in the morning to the time they go to bed, the baby is always in focus. Even during the sleep, parents have to take care of feeding, baby sleep, nappies etc. a newly born baby spends most of the time on sleeping. So parents must be very careful regarding how should a baby sleep and where should he/she sleep? Parents must not ignore this fact. Parents’ should try to make baby sleep on his back. It is always advisable to let the baby sleep on the back instead of stomach or side wise. However, if baby starts rolling on his own then it’s advisable to let him sleep in his preferred condition.

There is a term called SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) which is associated with child’s sleeping pattern. Parents should let the child sleep on the stomach because there are chances of his not getting enough oxygen and feeling suffocated. So let the child sleep on his back. The sleeping place of the babies should be in the same room of the parents. It’s not advisable to make baby sleep in separate room. Also, parents should not let baby sleep on the same bed because there are chances of baby getting suffocated or strangled between the parents. So make the baby sleep on a separate cot in the same room.

Teaching Kids to Swim

Swimming is one of the best exercises for not only kids but adults as well. It is said to be the best exercise for complete body. Swimming is a sport as well as an exercise which is extreme fun. Usually a person with substantial interest and practice of swimming is found to be fit and energetic compared to others. From a child’s point of view, he or she must be introduced to swimming at an early age. This will go a long way in keeping him fit and raring to go. This is a habit that will stick with him even when he grows up.

Swimming is very beneficial in maintaining the health of kids. It is also a fun which child as well as parents can enjoy. Parents need to use patience, support and guidance to encourage their child while teaching their child to swim. Parents should start the teaching process by making the child comfortable in water. In the initial stage, parents should try to hold kids on the side of swimming pool and then asking him to kick his legs in water. A grown up kid can effectively use kickboard which will be quite fun.

The next step is of teaching him to blow bubbles by keeping his face in water. This will make the kid used to keeping face in water and will also make him aware of how to keep water away from nose. Once blowing bubbles step is learned he can go for breath holding technique. Parents can show it themselves to kid by holding breath in water. Make sure to support your child by holding him properly. After that, its time to teach strokes. Once he is comfortable with strokes, start releasing your support slowly. Sooner than later, your kid will be ready to swim on his own.

Raising Twins

Parenting is a unique experience for any parents in terms of joy, pain, care, responsibility and many such things. Becoming parents require huge amount of patience and responsibility. It’s a life changing experience. Many parents find it overwhelming to handle one kid but imagine having twins! Double responsibility as well as double joy. It’s a matter of great joy parenting twins. But it can also be hugely demanding. Managing two babies simultaneously is going to be difficult for any parent. Imagine feeding one baby and trying to change diaper of another! Imagine trying to make one baby quiet and second baby starts crying. It can be frustrating and there is every chance that the parents just start finding it impossible to handle both babies together.

But then, pain and pleasure go together. Not many parents can claim to have this privilege of having twins. It makes you special as well as unique. In fact, from the Indian context, family, friends and even strangers look at you with awe when they see you handling both your babies. First few months are definitely going to be trying but after some time its just sheer joy. Parents need to maintain that balance of juggling acts between two babies. Once that balance is made and babies reach age of one or two parents will find it much simpler. As twins grow together life of parents also become easy and enjoyable. Twins are quite comfortable with each other and their togetherness helps them in good stead. They love to talk, share things, and do things together. They are also more flexible in adjusting with different things of society.

TV and Your Child

The effect of television has long been a contentious issue. There are several opinions regarding advantages and disadvantages of watching TV. One topic which has continued to get attention is effect of television on children. It’s a known fact that, children are most loyal TV viewers. It’s a common sight to see kids coming back from school and immediately switching on TV and watching their favorite cartoons, serials and movies etc. teenagers and adults change their taste with age but children just can’t stop watching idiot box.

Watching too much of television is never a good thing especially for children. The growing phase of kids is better spent avoiding too much of TV viewing. Watching more than appropriate can restrict development of kids’ brain. It can also affect his personality behavior and interactions with siblings. A child addicted to TV is very prone to physical and health hazards. The other possibilities are less playing time, increased shyness and affected homework.

Children who spend more time watching TV are very prone to over-eating and overweight problems. Violence and lewd acts shown on idiot box can also affect mind of child in a negative way. Children are also prone to learn bad habits like smoking, drinking and abusive language from watching more TV. However, few good things can also be learned from watching TV. Like, kids can learn colors, alphabets and numbers. Children will also be well informed of latest happenings around the world. TV is also a wonderful form of entertainment and several channels provide knowledge in all departments from which children can greatly benefit.

Child and Body Awareness

Parents have several responsibilities. Right from the realization that the mother is pregnant, the roles and responsibilities of both parents increase manifold. Once the kid is born and starts growing up there is this responsibility of making him or her learn. Most often than not, a child learns language relatively easily because it comes naturally to him. But when it comes to learning about body parts, it gets slightly difficult for the child. It is also important for parents to have patience when child is in the learning process. Awareness of body parts can be done in a more fun an entertaining way. This way even the kid won’t find it troublesome and parents will also be relived.

There are several ways to make the kid learn body parts. One of them is using face puzzles. He is surely going to enjoy it and will soon identify all the face parts. Once he is comfortable with face parts, parents can move to complete body parts. While doing this, parents must ensure that the child is naming each and every part properly. Another educative and entertaining way is by making the child stand in front of the mirror. Once he/she is there, parents should name and identify each and every body part and then let him repeat it. That way, he will be able to differentiate between each and every body parts.

Other entertaining but helpful methods can be missing feature and using dolls. Each kids love to dress dolls, parents can help them in dressing dolls by naming each and every body part. Exercising method is also very interesting where child would learn to name each body part for whom he is exercising. Drawing is another nice method.

Stammering Child

Stammering is not an unusual problem amongst kids. Many of the first born male children are victim of stammering problem. Scientifically speaking, it is a predominantly male problem. Almost 75-80% of the stammers are male and most of them have got this because of some sort of family history of stammering. On an average, it starts before the child reaches the age of five and most often than not, stammering reaches its peak in the age range of 10-18. Having said so, it requires immediate attention and parents should treat this issue with utmost priority.

So what exactly is stammering and does this occur every time a person speaks? Answer is No! when a kid stammers while speaking, he always knows what he wants to say but the speech process is not always a smooth flow of words that’s why many a times, stammers sing perfectly without any hem-haw because they know which word is coming next whereas in conversation they suffer through cessation of speech sound. Stammering affects a child more severely on the psychological level because of accumulated fears. Peer pressure also plays a role in robbing him of his confidence and shyness.

The problem with stammering is the fact that it’s not a disease and therefore no medications for it are available. It becomes a habit. The stammering child just has to unlearn stammering and needs to develop a new way of speech. The new way involves speech fluency building techniques. Many therapeutic techniques are available and parents must seek professional guidance to tackle this problem. Parents must encourage the child to face this problem and never hide it. That way, child will gain confidence even with problem and stammering gets much more improved when the kid is in a relaxed emotional state. Lesser stress means speaking with greater control and authority.