Encouraging Independence in Children

          All parents today want children to grow up to become people who have    confidence in their ability to take care of themselves.Confidence is necessary  in every case for a fulfilling life.For children to develop confidence in their own abilities ,they have to be  helped to care for themselves independently .

     An adult cannot give a child self esteem .They must earn it through their own efforts. Personal care provides a  great opportunity for building self esteem and confidence. We discover the childʼs interest in mastering skills for personal care peaks   somewhere between twelve months and two years.This period is sometimes  referred as a time of self affirmation .

    Very often the child cannot reach the washbasin or the mirror is too high for  her to see herself,the chair is too big ,the pants are too tight for her to pull up  or the comb is too big for her hands to hold .

      

     The role of parent should be to assist this process by encouraging them to  become independent.As parent you must provide them opportunities to assist  them in this process of independence in basic personal care activities like  bathing ,toilet training , dressing,grooming . Even utmost independence must be encouraged in eating meals

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Early Start to Potty Training

I recently heard a pediatrician on a talk show say parents should not be in a hurry when toilet training,when they are ready ,children will teach themselves to use the potty properly.

The statement is true of children who teach themselves to use the toilet at an appropriate time ,but majority of children will require the adults to initiate the learning process and guide them through it .

Children have an innate desire to be independent  in personal care activities from a very young age.If parent assist in this development of independence it can lead to an independent and confident child .

If parents do not seize the opportunity to toilet train when the child is ready,that readiness will likely wane,resulting in a child who is indefinitely content with messy diapers. For proof of this one need only talk to parents who having initially missed the boat are now struggling with a  3 year old.This increasingly commonplace state of affairs only benefits the manufacturers of disposable diapers and diaper rash cream .

Moving from diapers into independent toileting  is like moving from a diet of exclusive breast milk to solid foods. The sooner you start the sooner you finish .Studies show that the age of starting potty training  clearly affects the age of completion.When parents begin early the children are trained fast. Older children refuse and resist potty training .

The ideal time to start potty training is at the age of one year .Your child can start using the potty by his first birthday and be trained by two years.


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Communication with your baby

Right from the moment of birth your baby is not only absorbing your words but is also taking in your tone, intonation and the structure of the way you speak. He creates his own way of speaking from the things that he hears. To start with he will only communicate by using body language and by crying but as he grows words will start to spill out of him and these words will be as rich and as fluently expressed as the words he has heard around him in the first years of his life.  As parents you can make a difference to our child's language by following a few simple principles.
*	Prepare the environment for good communication, which means preparing yourself and other family members, because you are the child's environment for language.
*	Connect your child to the environment through talking, listening, and reading.
*	Make time for your child to absorb your words and practise speaking.

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Awesome facts about breastfeeding every mom should know

We have all heard that breast is best when it comes to feeding your baby, and researchers are constantly finding out new discoveries on just how awesome breast milk is. Breastfeeding is nature’s perfect nutrition—it has the perfect nutrients for your baby readily available at any given time. But not only is it good for your baby, it’s good for you, the environment and might someday be a leading treatment for diseases like cancer. Check out these awesome facts about breastfeeding that every mom should know!

Every drop of breast milk has 1 million germ-fighting cells: 

Each drop of breast milk has about 1 million white blood cells which are known to eat germs! In addition, when a baby is exposed to a new germ, mom’s breast milk will create antibodies to fight that germ—it is a truly amazing phenomenon!

Breastfeeding may reduce mom’s risk of cancer:

Recent studies show that breastfeeding can significant reduce your risk for ovarian and breast cancer.Not only is breastfeeding excellent for your baby, but it is also wonderful for you too!

Nursing mothers are protected by U.S. law: 

According to the U.S law employers are now required to give nursing mothers reasonable break time to express milk for her baby up until the age of one year each time she has need to. Employers are also required provide a private place other than a bathroom that is shielded from coworkers and the public so the mother can express milk.

Breastfeeding moms get as much sleep as formula-feeding moms: 

Many people think moms who choose to formula feed get more sleep, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Studies are now showing that moms, whether formula feeding or breast feeding are getting about the same amount of sleep—about 7.2 hours Breast milk contains sleep-inducing hormones that may help breastfed babies fall asleep sooner, so that could contribute to breastfeeding moms getting as much shut eye as formula-feeding moms.

Breast milk is a natural pain reliever: 

Studies have shown breastfeeding provides more comfort and infants cry less when breastfed during a painful procedure vs. infants that are just swaddled and given a pacifier for comfort.

Your breast size has absolutely NOTHING to do with how much milk you will produce: 

Small-breasted women rejoice because YOU TOO can produce enough milk to help your baby not only grow and develop, but thrive! Size truly does not matter!

Breastfeeding might help lower the risk for childhood obesity: 

Research shows that breastfed children are less likely to be overweight in adulthood. Many researchers believe it’s because breastfed babies are more easily able to signal when they are full, so they are less likely to overeat.

Your breast milk changes to meet your baby’s nutrition needs: 

As your baby grows and changes, he has different caloric and fat requirements, and the composition of your breast milk changes right along with that to meet your baby’s needs. So don’t worry if you don’t produce more milk as your baby grows, you don’t need to! Your milk composition will automatically change to meet baby’s needs and keep him feeling satisfied.

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SELF AFFIRMATION

Joshua is an 19  month old toddler.Lately he has started saying “No” for everything thing his mother or father tell him to do.When his mother tells him pick up his toys which are scattered all over the floor ,he will say “NO”.When his mother tells him to get ready for a bath and come to the bathroom,he says “NO”.

Have you ever wondered why your 18 month toddler just  starts saying a big  "NO" to everything.If you ask them to do things or listen to your instructions you will start hearing a “NO” every time. Physically they are always running away from mother .They tend to say NO for everything.They don't even like to share their toys or books.

        Well it is  just a period of SELF AFFIRMATION. It starts with a period of saying NO to everything at 18 months  and it ends at around  3 years when the child says "I".This is the stage when they start realizing that they are separate beings from their mother.They are just affirming themselves as a separate ego.

    In the previous months you have done everything to contribute to his physical needs. Psychologically there is a big difference now in this period ,a period of movement from infancy to childhood.

    This a time to deal with them with a lot of patience.We can empower them by setting limits and at the same time  providing choices.You can ask them "Would you like to do this or would you like to do that ?

Give them choices in everyday routine activities like personal care and meals .Giving them choices helps them acknowledge their  individualism.It can definitely create less rebellious children.

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Is your baby getting enough tummy time 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that awake and observed infants should  receive a certain amount of tummy time to promote development .Encouraging your child to play on his  tummy will help strengthen shoulder and neck muscles and thus  provide the important foundation for the development of crawling and good eye-hand coordination skills,such as handwriting and playing sports .Many children are initially resistant to playing on their stomachs but will  soon begin to enjoy the experience.

Place your baby on his stomach on a safe place on the floor on a rug.While your child is playing on his stomach ,put toys all around him to encourage him to move towards them.

To get our free video series on how to raise a SMART TODDLER,click here

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