Having a Safe Home for Your Children

Children in Jerusalem.

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Children are explorers and adventurers, and while that’s a great way to learn about the world, it can put them in danger if the parent is not diligent about making the home a safe environment.

Many parents install hi-tech video/audio systems and alarms (don’t forget to update your contents insurance to cover these expensive items) to monitor their child, but for small children the greatest dangers in the home are from being scalded by hot water, falling and striking their heads on a sharp object, eating something poisonous and choking—all hazards that are potentially present in most average homes.

Here are some ways to make sure your home is safe for your young child:

  • Check your water heater and set the maximum temperature to no more than 120 degrees—and never leave a young child unattended in the bathroom.
  • Consider having only rounded tables and soft furniture until the child is older and more stable-footed.
  • Make sure all poisonous materials are in a lockable cabinet if at floor level—better yet, store these items in a locked upper cabinet.
  • Keep all small items that might become a choking hazard out of the reach of young children. If you have older children and they have small toys like building sets or marbles, make it a house rule that those items remain in their rooms with the door closed at all times.
  • Cover all electrical outlets with child proof caps.

You can also visit the Policy Expert website and read an article in their insurance resource library called “Keeping Kids Safe at Home” for some good child safety pointers.

While it’s not possible to predict and avoid any and all dangers that a small child might stumble into, taking care of the above items will go a long way toward making your home safe.

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Filed Under: Education, Family Tagged With: , ,

The Importance of Family Time

 

 

Children volunteering 

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Family time is a vital part of building solid relationships between you, your spouse and your children. It is often something that is overlooked when families are overwhelmed with busy schedules and events.

Setting aside time each week for your family to spend together is one of the most important things that you can do, apart from choosing adt home security to watch over your loved ones. Pick one night when everyone can be at home and do something together. This is a fun, relaxed period of time to interact, play games, eat out together and just enjoy one another’s company.

This is a great way for a step parent to start to bond with step children, which can often be an awkward experience for both. Blended families need this kind of time to start building positive relationships that are important when dealing with problems, behavior issues and obstacles that children face while growing up. Children learn about the new parent and a repoire is established that is necessary for trust and communication to occur.

This is not a time that should be spent in front of the television. The activities planned for this family get together needs to involve face to face interaction and doing things actively together. Television turns a focus away from this type of healthy interaction. Get out of the house and go shopping together, play miniature golf or go for a hike in a local park. You can even volunteer together for a cause. This can be a cheap, fun time to spend together without any expectations. Make use of this invaluable way to bring your family closer together.

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Keeping Discipline in Perspective

Parents all to often get frustrated with a child acting out and discipline can quickly turn from an effective means of altering behavior into a power struggle. When this occurs, the punishment meted out can often exceed the offence.

Keeping discipline in perspective starts with the parent’s attitude and understanding of a child’s behavior. Children have different issues at different ages and parents need to be aware of this. It is also important to remember that a child is not personally attacking you, but really is struggling to express what he or she is feeling. Keeping calm and detaching the behavior from the child can help to keep things in the right perspective.

When you discipline, make sure that the consequence you impose is consistent and matches the level of what the child did wrong. You also need to explain why you are laying out  a particular consequence and discuss with the child what he or should could have done differently. This is supposed to be a learning experience, and your guidance at this point can make a difference in your child’s future behavior choices.

Consistency is also important. If you change tactics or blow up, the child will be confused by the inconsistency and will have unclear boundaries for behavior. Your calm, consistent and carefully considered consequences can help to effectively guide your child on how to make better choices. They will also follow your example of staying calm and thinking through things instead of acting rashly when upset.

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The Milestones During the Younger Years

 

 

PEARL HARBOR (April 23, 2010) Mara MacDonald, ...

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There are several major milestones that parents will see during the younger years. These are times of celebration and change in a child’s life.

One of the first major milestones that parents will see as their child grows is the immense expansion in a child’s ability to communicate around the age from one to three. During this time, the child is absorbing everything that she hears, sees, touches, tastes and feels. This in turn spawns a huge need to communicate with parents and family regarding the environment and the people in it. The child will begin to form words, ask questions and even to express her own opinion about things. Coupled with this is the child’s struggle to deal with and express emotions. They may act out and are often not able to express their feelings in an appropriate manner. This is a time for parent guidance and patience.

This is where the next major milestone comes into play. Parents will see a major change in emotional control as children start to share, see things from another’s person’s perspective and to control his or her own behavior in certain circumstances. Children at this time seem to change on a daily basis as internalize everything they have learned. Parents can be better prepared for these changes by learning themselves about the various stages of development that a young child goes through.

Even with knowledge of these different stages, children will often surprise their parents at what they are able to do. Young children can benefit from having parents who work to be positive role models.

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