It’s My First Plane Ride!

Friday, August 7th, 2015

Children airplane No parent wants to be the one with a noisy child on a airplane. So, in order to avoid the headaches and all the dirty looks from other passengers, make sure to prepare a fun ride before taking flight.

Hype It Up!

Adults know that airports can be tiring, crowded and stressful. They have never been on the top ten best places to hang out, but for a child they can be. Before taking the kids on their first plane ride, hype up how much fun it can be. While an adult sees a crowded airport, a child can see a whole new world with hundreds of different kinds of people, big windows and escalators. Also, make sure to get the kids excited about the plane ride itself. Talk about how high the plane is going to be, what they are going to see, how they will fly higher than the clouds and do not forget to mention the free peanuts. Make sure to give the kids the window seats and let them get excited rather than tired or cranky.

Prepare a Fun Bag

The sights through the window will be sure to entertain the kids, but not for the whole ride and that is when things get tricky. In order to prevent the “post window fascination temper tantrum,” pack a small bag for each of the kids with fun things to do. The bag can contain things such as coloring books with crayons, music to listen to, a favorite stuffed animal or a couple small toys. If available, it is also a good idea to bring along a laptop computer that can play some movies for the kids.

Pack Some Comfort

If a child is tired it can be difficult to avoid sleepy tantrums. Make it easier for the kids to get some sleep on the plane by packing some comfort items. Bringing along a pillow, blanket and stuffed animal can really make a difference when trying to get the kids to sleep. Another thing that can help is packing some snacks if the kids get hungry as well as sippy cups with milk.

Let the Kids be Kids

While screaming fits and wailing throughout the plane is unacceptable, kids should be allowed to be kids. Try not to constantly shush the kids so they do not bother other people. Screaming and crying is one thing, but most people do not mind a child who is chatty. Let the kids be excited about traveling and let them talk about it. Answer questions about the airplane or the airport, let them talk to the flight attendant and let them ride the escalators. If a child is allowed to have fun they are less likely to have any reason to throw a fit, simple as that.

Traveling always has a huge opportunity to be stressful, but do not let that opportunity take flight. Make things fun for the kids and, more than likely, it will be fun for the parents too.

Tags: child independence, Family Travel
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They Grow Up So Quick – Safety When Learning to Crawl / Walk

Thursday, September 25th, 2014

One thing is very clear while raising children, they grow like weeds. Before long, parents will turn around and see their kids crawling a walking. It is a hard thing to imagine when a little infant is in their arms, but it will be come quick as a flash. Do not wait until a child starts walking and whacks their head on the floor to baby proof the house so it is safe for wobbly legs. There are several things that parents can do to make sure their house is baby proof in order to prepare for their kids strutting their stuff. Here are some safety when learning to crawl / walk tips.

Cushion the Landing

If parents do not have carpet, it is extremely important for them to cushion the floors that the children will be moving around on. Several stores sell foam floor pieces that can easily cover and entire area. Try not to just lay down pillows or blankets, as those can be easily moved, bunched up and create several tripping opportunities.

Block the Fall

The most important thing to purchase for kids on the move are toddler gates. Put at gate at the beginning of every staircase or open door. There is no worse feeling for parents than watching their child plummet down the stairs. It can cause serious injury, or even death. It is also important to put up toddler gates in any doorways to rooms that parents do not want the kids sneaking into.

Erase Corners

Edges and corners on tables can be a child's worst enemy. If a child has just started crawling/walking, there are going to be a lot of falls and a child's head whacking a sharp corner can be extremely painful. Purchase some table corner cushions to provide a safe landing against any table. The bottom stair of a staircase and anywhere else with a sharp corner should be covered as well.

Dress for Success

Little girls tripping over their skirt or bagging pants falling down are not unheard of. Try and dress the kids in crawl/walk friendly items so they do not fall over themselves. Little waists are sometimes hard to fit clothes around. A Velcro or hook and loop toddler belt is a great item for little ones on the move as they will keep pants up where they belong.

Keep Out of Reach

Once a child starts crawling/walking, parents will soon find out that their kids will reach for whatever they can. Put everything that could be hazardous out of their hands. Nothing breakable or easily ruined should be within reach. The house will begin to look like a daycare for awhile, but it will be safe for the kids and it will keep all keepsakes safe from curious fingers.

Crawling/walking is an important time for parents. When they witness their little baby taking their first steps, it can be one of the proudest moments of their life. Make sure nothing takes away from that moment and make the home safe for those first steps.

Tags: child independence, Children Growing up, toddler belts
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Teaching Your Toddler To Care For Their Clothes

Thursday, September 4th, 2014

The ability to properly care for personal possessions is something that can be started at a young age. If children are trained to clean up after themselves when they are still young, then those habits will follow them throughout their life. A great way for parents to start creating these habits is teaching your toddler to care for their clothes.

Folding Lessons

Clothing scattered across the floors, hanging from the windows and wadded into beds are presently seen in children’s rooms across the country. To help a child create good skills for putting away their laundry, start giving them some interactive folding lessons. A great way to help them out at first is to use a piece of cardboard as a guide to where they should fold. Folding clothes is never very fun so try to make a game out of it to keep younger children’s attention.

The Hang Game

A great way for parents to teach their children how to start hanging up their clothing is to introduce them to “The Hang Game.” Buy some small hangers and show them how to hang articles of clothing on the hangers by themselves. Make a race out of it so whoever hangs up the most clothes first wins a special treat. Also, create a special rack for children to hang up toddler belts or hats and teach them the importance of putting away smaller items, like their belts, which can easily be damaged.

Everything in Its Place

Children need to understand that everything has its place. A great way to start proper put up habits is to take a picture of each item and then tape that picture on the shelf, closet or drawer that it should be placed. Create a matching game from the pictures and challenge the child to have everything in the correct place before starting or ending the day. One of the best ways to make putting things away fun for the kids is to sing “The Clean Up Song,” because if they love music and playing games, then it is sure to brighten up their clean up time.

Proper Care

Teach children to take proper care of their clothes by developing an idea in their mind that clothes are personal objects that need to be treated kindly. Teach them how to help with the laundry, put away clean clothing and keep accessories off the floor. Caring for accessories, such as toddler belts, is extremely important as those are more likely to break or tear. Try to make the child understand that their items are not bullet proof. If a child loses breaks or rips a clothing item, do not replace it. Instead, make a lesson on what taking care of possessions really means.

Cleaning has never been kid’s favorite thing to do. However, not being able to find anything has never been their favorite either. Start habits with children early on to eliminate the problem before it starts.

Tags: child independence, toddler belts
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5 Ways to Encourage Children to Dress Themselves

Thursday, May 15th, 2014

Children begin to get cranky and irritable during dressing times as they become older. Getting dressed often feels like a hassle and, during those early mornings, they are ready to start the day. There are several ways to avoid difficult dressing schedules as well as encourage children to start to dress themselves and enjoy doing it.

Peek-a-Boo Shirt

One way to encourage a child to dress themselves is to make it a game. A child will always respond to something better if it is made fun. To teach them about pulling on a shirt, play a game of peek-a-boo. Help them find the big hole and let them pop their head out to a “peek-a-boo!” with a round of claps. Show them how to pull their arms through so they can clap along as well. Because this is also a game they may want to do it more than once, it may be a longer process but it will be something they enjoy and look forward to. Eventually they will start the game on their own thus pulling a shirt on all by themselves.

Tickle Toes

Pants and shorts are often a little more difficult than a shirt. A good way to make this into an enjoyable game is to play tickle toes. Tickle the child’s feet and show them how the toes have to hide inside the pants to stop the tickling. Hold the pants open for them to stick their feet in and go through the tickle free tunnels to safety. After a few times, try to encourage the child to hold the pants on their own. To encourage them to pull the pants up, play a hop and pull game until the pants are secure.

Puzzle Belt

A great belt option for toddlers is a hook and loop belt. These are much easier for a child to manipulate on their own. Make it a puzzle game that the child has to figure out. Demonstrate pulling through a belt loop and encourage them to pull through loops on their own. Then the hook and loop are two pieces that must fit together. The first couple of times they may need help but eventually they will be able to fit their puzzle pieces on their own.

Picking Outfits

A good way to get a toddler more excited to dress themselves is to let them pick it out themselves. Give them different options for outfits and let them decide. It is a lot more fun for them to wear what they chose instead of what is handed to them. This will also be an exciting activity for the mornings.

Tone of Voice

The tone of voice of the parent is very important in every developmental stage. Children respond to the mood of their parent. If dressing times are stressful for the parent they will be stressful for the child. Always have a positive, upbeat tone while playing the dressing games and give lots of praise. The results will be far greater for both the parent and the child.

Accomplishing tasks on their own is a very important aspect in any young child’s development. When a toddler can do something on their own they feel excited. Encouraging a child to start dressing themselves is an important step to teach this process and make a child’s independence thrive.

What fun games have you played to encourage your child to dress themselves? Alex Toys makes this cute little monkey that teaches children how to dress themselves.

Tags: child independence, dress themselves, toddler belts
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