Activities for Autistic Children

Autistic children face a lot of problems in social skills activities. Unlike normal children, they face problems in acquiring the natural ability to interact and communicate with others that other children possess. To teach social activity skills, parents need to go for deliberate treatments and interventions. Don’t try to take all the essential steps in one go. Parents should rather focus on dividing these steps into small ones that become much more achievable that way. Patience is the key word here that parents must possess while dealing with autistic children. It is known fact that autistic children don’t respond positively to coercion.

One of the best tools for imparting social skills in autistic children is by telling them stories. By telling stories that relate to a specific kind of instruction, children are better prepared to learn communication abilities. This approach is quite successful as it focuses upon the process of child using his own skills and strengths.

The other set of activities is relational activities that refer to reinforcement of object permanence in autistic kids. This way, autistic child learns to reference other people's faces. Some of the activities that parents can opt for are, reading, modeling, board games, face games, musical instruments etc. these are interactive activities. These activities teach child listening skills, visual stimulation and other different skills.

Autistic children must be brought in touch with other children so that they learn to develop some communication abilities. Just simple childhood games will serve the purpose.

Coping with Exam Stress

Exam time is a big issue for child as well as for parents. Exam is often accompanied by anxiety and stress. Add to that peer and parental pressure and loads of expectations and the innocent child finds himself surrounded by stress and tension. Parents must take extra care while a child goes through the examination process. It is always hard to prepare so much within a short span of time. Pressure keeps building up and child falls victim to exam fever.

So what are the responsibilities of parents? Parents should make sure child does not get distracted. A kid tends to get easily distracted. Losing focus can be disastrous for his exam preparation and ultimately for his self-confidence. Priorities must be clear and it is the job of parents to help the child in this aspect. They should make sure distractions like TV, guests or tiffs must be avoided or kept minimal.

Child’s sleeping cycle must be proper. Without adequate sleep he will always feel lethargic and won’t be able to give his 100 percent. Taking proper sleep is absolutely necessary and parents should ensure that he follows a definite routine. Proper sleep will also ensure he will be having good retention power. All the hard work will come to a naught if sleep cycle is disturbed.

Provide your child with balanced and nutritious diet. Don’t allow him to skip food. Fresh fruits, juices and pulses etc are must for child during exam time. If he eats well and sleeps well, there won’t be much reason of anxiety and pressure. Finally make him work accordingly. Cheer him up and he is sure to come up with flying colors.

Sponge Bath for Babies

It must have been the best feeling you ever had; holding your bundle of joy in your hand. After all the troubles of pregnancy and obviously difficult delivery, finally you are blessed with a baby and no feeling can ever beat that. A baby so delicate that mother often feels scared of her vulnerability. In such condition, giving baby a bath poses some questions. But a baby being a baby does not need to be bathed on a regular basis and no better way than giving her a sponge bath. Ideally, a baby must be given sponge bath twice a week. The purpose is to maintain cleanliness and hygiene factor.

Mothers are bound to face problems initially but sooner or later, they will adjust to it and will effectively learn how to give baby a sponge bath. Start with turning off all the fans and air conditioner because a baby with bare body will require heat. Don’t take much time while giving baby the bath. Keep all the required things near to you including baby shampoo, baby towel, sponge, warm water and washcloth. Don’t forget to keep diaper and clothes nearby. The temperature of water should be slightly warm and make sure to check it before you start the bathing action. Don’t expose all the body parts of the baby and keep other parts covered with towel. Don’t take too much time and finish the work as soon as possible. Don’t put pressure on any body part and don’t apply too much soap. Do everything gently and now cuddle up your fresh baby.

Sprouts in Your Child’s Diet

One of the nutritional food items is sprouts. According to scientists, sprout is one of the perfect foods for any individual. It is not only healthy but nutritional also. Sprouts contain axinon that is extremely beneficial for human body. There are several reasons why one should munch sprouted beans and seeds. The common factor is nutritional value of sprouts. But a less known fact is nutritional value of sprout is many times higher than the nutrition value of the original beans and seeds from which they sprout. Surprisingly, dried peas contain no Vitamin C but when they are sprouted they are known to provide more Vitamin C per ounce than a fresh orange! Isn’t that astonishing? Sprouts have better nutritional and health value than cooked foods and they also help in preventing several ailments.

Sprouts are quite easy to prepare. All you need to do is to soak the beans overnight or for a couple of days and that’s it. You don’t need any other thing for preparing sprouts. They contain anti-carcinogenic properties and are considered extremely potent cancer-fighting properties. Sprouts are available all over the world and there is no big fuss about their availability. One can also cook them with his own set of spices.

Sprouts are quite cost efficient and come very easy on your pockets. They are must for your growing kids as they will have more Vitamin C, Protein and B-complex. Kids must be fed sprouts on a regular basis. It will help in boosting their immunity and their health as well. Parents must ensure to incorporate sprouts in the child’s diet.

Making Teeth-Brushing a Habit

We all know the importance teeth in our lives. They are a precious part of our body and demand daily attention. One just cannot afford to give teeth a miss and continue with the life. Daily teeth’s cleaning is a must if one wants to live a healthy and happy life. In absence of proper teeth care regimen, one can have problems like cavity, yellaowing teeth and bad breath. On one hand these problems are totally unhygienic and secondly they don’t really add to your personality. Add to that the huge dentist bills and you will know the consequences of not caring for your teeth.

Adults can understand these factors but try explaining these to kids and you are going to have a tough time ahead. Parents must strive to instill teeth brushing routine in the child. They should not be careless about this habit and must stick to their guns. Start with making a certain time routine in morning and evening when the child will have to brush his teeth. Make sure to choose a comfortable time and not when he is tired. Additionally, you can do it together and sing some song. Try making this an enjoyable experience for him and not a cumbersome routine.

Buy your child a nice colorful toothbrush. You can also get a toothbrush holder that comes available with a cartoon character. Try to maintain your composure and just be persistent. Offer him some incentives for brushing teeth properly. Over all, use love and care and feel the difference.

Foster Parenting

Foster parenting is quite tough considering the circumstances surrounding it. It is challenging but noble as well. Foster parenting is a way to face new challenges and find rewards in it. Parenting has always remained a difficult but satisfying task. But compared to biological parents, foster parents face extra pressure and need to be at their best while handling kids. Foster kids are often abandoned or have unpleasant history and that is the reason why they face initial problems in trusting people. These kids are also quite vulnerable. Foster parents need to be very careful. They also have to provide safe anchorage to the child.

One of the basic criteria for foster parents is to spend quality time with the child. The time well spent goes a long way in establishing connectivity and increases closeness. Deeper the bond, easier it becomes for the child to trust and share his feelings. Even small things like completing household chores together or working in the lawn can cultivate closeness. Kids will grow in a better way if there is no unnecessary usage of authority. Don’t force your decision. Let the trust be built initially and if you want them to follow you it should be done in loving tone. Exhibiting excessive authority will result in revolt or even lifelong repulse towards the parents.

Foster parents need to follow child’s development very closely. That will help in understanding his needs and requirements. The best way is to find out the gap and fill the void created by previous parents. Parents should also try to have open discussion with the child. Good conversation helps in bridging the gap and established wonderful relationship.

Effect Of Boarding School On Children

Many parents prefer to send their kids to boarding schools. Also known as residential schools, these are educational institutions where students live with their fellow students and teachers. Boarding schools have its own advantages and disadvantages. It is the responsibility of the school to provide accommodation facilities and food to the students. There are two different schools of thoughts about importance of boarding schools. Many parents find it essential to develop confidence and attitude in the kids. Whereas some other parents feel, children are being robbed of affectionate touch of their families. On one hand there are few advantages like children to live on their own. Apart from developing sense of discipline, students also learn to follow a schedule. Children start following a routine like sleeping time, eating time and exercising. Responsibility is one another crucial factor here. Children realize they are responsible for their acts and should not depend on others.

There are some downsides as well. One of them is lack of protection shield from family. Children are also likely to feet detached from family ties. They are also prone to bad habits like smoking or drinking or stealing. Weakening ties with family is another strong possibility. Children are also devoided of family values, so important to build a child’s character. Freedom can also be misused by the kids. These are few factors one needs to consider while deciding upon boarding schools. It can work both ways but yes, parents are always able to handle this conundrum.