Basically toddlers are biting for oral gratification or out of jealousy. Look for biting that occurs when one child gets in the others space, biting that occurs near a meal time, biting that occurs when one child has played with a toy that belongs to the biter. Once you have an idea of what sets off the biting, then be ready. As soon as the child starts to bite---not actually bites---say "No bite". "Kiss, Kiss, No Bite". If the child actually bites, say---"Uh-Oh", looks like a little bedroom time." (as opposed to timeout). Say---"Feel free to come out when you can be nice and not bite." The child may come out in three minutes or 10 minutes---whatever it takes to get under control---you are teaching the child to get control by themselves and that if they bite, they will not be able to play with Mom, Dad, and brother. This may happen 10 times the first day, just a few times the second day, and by the third or fourth day the biting will be over. (This really does work, but only if it is used over and over again during a short period of time.) You may actually find the child going to his bedroom to chill when he recognizes the urge to bite.
The vinegar thing has worked for some kids----just not quite as logical as being separated if you can't play nicely.
The biting back may work, but also teaches kids that you can hit, or inflict pain when someone hits or bites you. But, if it works, it works. I just can't recommend it.
Most important is to try one technique for several days consistently. If you feel after a week that something isn't working at all, then it is time to re-evaluate.
Good luck, let me know how things work out. There is a ton of stuff on the internet,
but I must say that of all the topics that I read about, I didn't agree or feel comfortable with what most of the sources were siting as far as reasons. Some kids never bite, and others just seem to feel a compulsion to bite and it is our task to help them learn how to control that urge.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Kids and Breakfast
Breakfast for Kids Can Be Healthy and Fast
Breakfast is the most important meal for kids. Get tips for making quick, healthy morning meals.
By Diana Rodriguez
Medically reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD
Want to know a simple way to help your children do better in school? Feed them healthy meals, especially in the morning.
Kids and Breakfast: Food for Thought
"Children need breakfast everyday for a variety of reasons," says Roberta Anding, a registered dietitian at the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. "Actively growing children need food at regular intervals to fuel their bodies and brains. Skipping breakfast gives as much as a 10- to 12-hour time frame with no food, and the potential for compromised school performance and irritability."
In addition, "for children who eat breakfast, there is better regulation of body weight," says Anding. Other benefits:
Eating breakfast increases the chances of an overall healthier diet.
Kids who start the day with a healthy meal are more likely to play sports and be more physically active.
Eating breakfast improves a child's ability to concentrate and perform in school.
Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Kids
Avoid giving children sweet foods for breakfast, like doughnuts or cereals high in sugar, because after the sugar high wears off, they are likely to get tired. "Healthy options include whole grain, low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk and fresh fruit, or a yogurt berry parfait with granola," says Anding. Or, you might offer your child a whole-grain English muffin with peanut butter or jelly and a glass of low-fat milk.
Other healthy meals for kids:
Scrambled eggs, toast with a little bit of butter, turkey bacon or sausage, and a side of fresh fruit.
Whole-grain bagel and cream cheese with a side of strawberries.
Low-fat cheese toast with a side of cantaloupe and blueberries.
Get creative, adds Anding, who recommends offering a breakfast burrito with scrambled egg and grated low-fat cheese and fresh fruit.
"If time is a factor, make breakfast portable," she continues. "Try sandwiches, like peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese leftover from dinner. Dry cereal in a sandwich baggie and a 100 percent real-juice juice box can make breakfast stress-free."
Planning breakfast the night before can also save you time. "This will allow you to plan ahead and know how much time you need in the morning," says Arlene Kaufman, a busy working mother and director of Temple Trager Preschool in Louisville, Ky. "That way everyone isn't saying: 'I don't know what I want,' or asking for something you don't have."
Healthy meals for kids don't have to be hard or time-consuming — or even homemade. There are plenty of prepared healthy breakfast foods that can go in the microwave. Check the freezer section at your local grocery store for pre-made meals like whole-wheat bagels and cream cheese, pancakes, waffles, and frozen turkey sausage. Yogurt and fruit, along with a whole-wheat bagel, is also a quick and easy breakfast for kids.
And, if you’re in a hurry like most families in the morning, Kaufman says, "grab a banana and Nutrigrain bar to eat in the car — it's still healthy, even though it's on the go!"
Breakfast is the most important meal for kids. Get tips for making quick, healthy morning meals.
By Diana Rodriguez
Medically reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD
Want to know a simple way to help your children do better in school? Feed them healthy meals, especially in the morning.
Kids and Breakfast: Food for Thought
"Children need breakfast everyday for a variety of reasons," says Roberta Anding, a registered dietitian at the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. "Actively growing children need food at regular intervals to fuel their bodies and brains. Skipping breakfast gives as much as a 10- to 12-hour time frame with no food, and the potential for compromised school performance and irritability."
In addition, "for children who eat breakfast, there is better regulation of body weight," says Anding. Other benefits:
Eating breakfast increases the chances of an overall healthier diet.
Kids who start the day with a healthy meal are more likely to play sports and be more physically active.
Eating breakfast improves a child's ability to concentrate and perform in school.
Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Kids
Avoid giving children sweet foods for breakfast, like doughnuts or cereals high in sugar, because after the sugar high wears off, they are likely to get tired. "Healthy options include whole grain, low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk and fresh fruit, or a yogurt berry parfait with granola," says Anding. Or, you might offer your child a whole-grain English muffin with peanut butter or jelly and a glass of low-fat milk.
Other healthy meals for kids:
Scrambled eggs, toast with a little bit of butter, turkey bacon or sausage, and a side of fresh fruit.
Whole-grain bagel and cream cheese with a side of strawberries.
Low-fat cheese toast with a side of cantaloupe and blueberries.
Get creative, adds Anding, who recommends offering a breakfast burrito with scrambled egg and grated low-fat cheese and fresh fruit.
"If time is a factor, make breakfast portable," she continues. "Try sandwiches, like peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese leftover from dinner. Dry cereal in a sandwich baggie and a 100 percent real-juice juice box can make breakfast stress-free."
Planning breakfast the night before can also save you time. "This will allow you to plan ahead and know how much time you need in the morning," says Arlene Kaufman, a busy working mother and director of Temple Trager Preschool in Louisville, Ky. "That way everyone isn't saying: 'I don't know what I want,' or asking for something you don't have."
Healthy meals for kids don't have to be hard or time-consuming — or even homemade. There are plenty of prepared healthy breakfast foods that can go in the microwave. Check the freezer section at your local grocery store for pre-made meals like whole-wheat bagels and cream cheese, pancakes, waffles, and frozen turkey sausage. Yogurt and fruit, along with a whole-wheat bagel, is also a quick and easy breakfast for kids.
And, if you’re in a hurry like most families in the morning, Kaufman says, "grab a banana and Nutrigrain bar to eat in the car — it's still healthy, even though it's on the go!"
Monday, May 11, 2009
Summer Time Pool Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
These pool activities are designed for toddlers and preschoolers to play in a shallow child's pool. Each activity will help your child become more comfortable in the water and build pre-swimming skills.
Remember, children should never be unsupervised while swimming in the water. Plan ahead and bring outside any food, drinks, or towels your kids will need so that you will not be tempted to run back in the house, just for a second.
Choosing the right pool
Choose a pool that is big enough for your child to lie down on his or her stomach and also stretch out and practice kicking. Older kids will want a deeper pool while babies and toddlers may prefer a blow up pool whose bottom has a little cushioning in case of a fall.
Swim Like an Alligator
Make a collection sponges, balls, and plastic toys that float on the water. Scatter them on the surface of the water of your pool and have your child scoop them out of the top of the water with a net. Your child can crawl around in the water on his or her stomach and pretend to be an alligator or a crocodile searching for food. Pretending to be an alligator will help your child get used to the position people get into when they swim.
Diving for Treasure
A few sinking toys, such as pool dive toys and hard plastic toys can be placed on the bottom of the pool for your child to collect and place in a bucket or basket alongside the pool. As your child gets older, fill the pool a little deeper with water and encourage him or her to put his or her face under the water to collect the toys.
Motorboat
Have your child place his or her face in the water and blow bubbles and scoot around the water on his or her arms while kicking while you sing the motorboat song:
Motorboat, motorboat go so slow.
Motorboat, motorboat go so fast.
Motorboat, motorboat step on the gas!
Lifeguard Says
Explain to your kids that they should always listen to the lifeguard while swimming, then play Lifeguard Says the same way you would play Simon Says, with you being the lifeguard. Incorporate swimming skills into the game such as: kick as fast as you can in the water (front crawl kick), kick like a frog (breast stroke kid), blow bubbles in the water, and hold your nose and put your face in the water.
Remember, children should never be unsupervised while swimming in the water. Plan ahead and bring outside any food, drinks, or towels your kids will need so that you will not be tempted to run back in the house, just for a second.
Choosing the right pool
Choose a pool that is big enough for your child to lie down on his or her stomach and also stretch out and practice kicking. Older kids will want a deeper pool while babies and toddlers may prefer a blow up pool whose bottom has a little cushioning in case of a fall.
Swim Like an Alligator
Make a collection sponges, balls, and plastic toys that float on the water. Scatter them on the surface of the water of your pool and have your child scoop them out of the top of the water with a net. Your child can crawl around in the water on his or her stomach and pretend to be an alligator or a crocodile searching for food. Pretending to be an alligator will help your child get used to the position people get into when they swim.
Diving for Treasure
A few sinking toys, such as pool dive toys and hard plastic toys can be placed on the bottom of the pool for your child to collect and place in a bucket or basket alongside the pool. As your child gets older, fill the pool a little deeper with water and encourage him or her to put his or her face under the water to collect the toys.
Motorboat
Have your child place his or her face in the water and blow bubbles and scoot around the water on his or her arms while kicking while you sing the motorboat song:
Motorboat, motorboat go so slow.
Motorboat, motorboat go so fast.
Motorboat, motorboat step on the gas!
Lifeguard Says
Explain to your kids that they should always listen to the lifeguard while swimming, then play Lifeguard Says the same way you would play Simon Says, with you being the lifeguard. Incorporate swimming skills into the game such as: kick as fast as you can in the water (front crawl kick), kick like a frog (breast stroke kid), blow bubbles in the water, and hold your nose and put your face in the water.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Parenting Issues and Concerns
Comment your parenting issues and concerns to this post and we will respond to you with an answer or information.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Bedtime Blues
sleep issues
Bedtime
We at Love and Logic don’t believe in "bedtime." Instead, we recommend "bedroom time." Since we can't force our children to sleep, and it requires far too much energy to keep them in their beds, we suggest that parents simply expect their children to be in their rooms at a certain time each evening. Here are some additional tips:
Create calming rituals before bedroom time. This means that you and your kids always have dinner, have a bath, read a story, etc. in more of less the same order each evening. This predictability is calming and comforting to kids.
When bedroom time arrives, say, "It’s bedroom time. You may do whatever you want in your rooms as long as you don’t cause a problem for anybody else in the house."
Set a time when everyone wakes up in the morning, no matter what time they go to sleep. If, in the morning, they are tired from lack of sleep, offer empathy and sadness, "That’s so sad that you are tired. It's going to be a long day. That happens to me when I stay up too late, too." Send them off to school, take them on a boring shopping trip, etc… and let the consequence do the teaching.
Suggest Products
Early Childhood Package (with Magic for Early Childhood - Book) Parenting with Love and Logic (Updated Book)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sleep issues
Kids Waking Parents During the Night
One of the most common questions parents of young children ask is, "How do we get them to stay in their own rooms at night?" Here are some suggestions:
Some parents decide to experiment with making their bed really uncomfortable when their kids crawl into it. They roll against their kids, put their armpits in their faces, pull the covers up over the heads, etc. They do this while pretending to still be asleep. Many children begin to realize that it's a lot more comfortable to sleep in their own beds.
Other parents decide to run a little training session like the one described below:
Set up an evening to deal with the issue. Say, in front of the child, "We need to get a good night's sleep and can’t here. Let's go stay at a hotel to get a good night's sleep".
Call a pre-arranged babysitter to come over. Make sure they keep talking about how the parents need a good night's sleep. And if the child wakes the sitter up, make sure the sitter does not give in to the child's request.
All of this is done without anger and in a loving manner.
Bedtime
We at Love and Logic don’t believe in "bedtime." Instead, we recommend "bedroom time." Since we can't force our children to sleep, and it requires far too much energy to keep them in their beds, we suggest that parents simply expect their children to be in their rooms at a certain time each evening. Here are some additional tips:
Create calming rituals before bedroom time. This means that you and your kids always have dinner, have a bath, read a story, etc. in more of less the same order each evening. This predictability is calming and comforting to kids.
When bedroom time arrives, say, "It’s bedroom time. You may do whatever you want in your rooms as long as you don’t cause a problem for anybody else in the house."
Set a time when everyone wakes up in the morning, no matter what time they go to sleep. If, in the morning, they are tired from lack of sleep, offer empathy and sadness, "That’s so sad that you are tired. It's going to be a long day. That happens to me when I stay up too late, too." Send them off to school, take them on a boring shopping trip, etc… and let the consequence do the teaching.
Suggest Products
Early Childhood Package (with Magic for Early Childhood - Book) Parenting with Love and Logic (Updated Book)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sleep issues
Kids Waking Parents During the Night
One of the most common questions parents of young children ask is, "How do we get them to stay in their own rooms at night?" Here are some suggestions:
Some parents decide to experiment with making their bed really uncomfortable when their kids crawl into it. They roll against their kids, put their armpits in their faces, pull the covers up over the heads, etc. They do this while pretending to still be asleep. Many children begin to realize that it's a lot more comfortable to sleep in their own beds.
Other parents decide to run a little training session like the one described below:
Set up an evening to deal with the issue. Say, in front of the child, "We need to get a good night's sleep and can’t here. Let's go stay at a hotel to get a good night's sleep".
Call a pre-arranged babysitter to come over. Make sure they keep talking about how the parents need a good night's sleep. And if the child wakes the sitter up, make sure the sitter does not give in to the child's request.
All of this is done without anger and in a loving manner.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Book Club
I am considering beginning a separate Parents as Teachers Book Club Blog.
We would begin each day or week with a comment and discussion starter.
"Readers" would respond and discuss.
Would you be interested in doing this?
What books would you suggest?
We would begin each day or week with a comment and discussion starter.
"Readers" would respond and discuss.
Would you be interested in doing this?
What books would you suggest?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Welcome
Welcome to the first Bolivar Parents As Teachers Blog. We are so excited to have the opportunity to share information, ideas, activities, questions, or just thoughts with all of our parents.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
