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Raise 'Em Right
Barbara Peary
Our three children have so many
games and toys that at times they are overwhelmed.
Consequent-ly, they are frequently at a loss as to what
to play with. Do you have any ideas as to what to do with
it all? When asked to cull through it, they claim to
love all their toys and do not want to part
with any.
Sit down with them and go through each type of toy. For
example, put all puzzles in a group, all board games in a
category, and all video games together. Have the children
select a reasonable number of each to keep out, say five.
Put the others in storage for a few months and then
switch these for what is in their rooms. When the toys
and equip-ment are novel, they will enjoy them more.
Is it appropriate to expect a
four-and-half-year-old to try to put on his own shoes and
socks? Frankly, I am tired of doing it for him.
Yes, your child should be comfortable doing this task
before entering kindergarten.
Give him socks that are not too tight, like tube socks,
so it is easier to fit them around his ankle and toes.
Teach him how to pull the center of the shoe up (the
tongue) to make it slip on easily.
My husband and I are both in good shape, but my
sons weight bothers me. He is two and looks a
little chubby. We hear so much about childhood obesity.
Should I be concerned at this age?
Consult your doctor to see where your child fits on the
body weight index compared to his height. Many toddlers
are chunky and slim down as they start to
grow. Begin now though to watch what you serve to your
child. Healthy habits start young.
As a single dad with sole custody of my
eighteen-month-old son, I need to use a diaper changing
area in restaurants. Why havent restaurants
and hotels caught on that men take care of children too?
A quick survey of several highway rest areas,
restaurants, and two hotel lobbies found that all of them
had changing stations in both the male and female
restrooms. When stuck with no changing area in the
mens room, ask a woman to hold the restroom door
open while you use that facility. Then voice your
complaint to the manager of the establishment.
Being a new mom has made me more aware of
children and their behavior. Some of them are so rude.
How can I make sure that my children have great manners?
If you and your spouse are verbally polite to each other,
your children will follow that example. As your child
begins to speak, emphasize the everyday manners of
please, thank you and using verbal responses instead of
nodding or grunting a reply. Children only act the way
their parents expect and allow them to behave.
Recently, my sons preschool teacher said
that my childs fine motor skills need more
development so that he can learn to print. What are some
things I can do with him, or toys that I can buy?
Ask the teacher for a list of finger plays that are done
in class. These are short songs that have small finger
movements that accompany the words. Any child-friendly
board game like Trouble ™ or Candyland ™ that
require a youngster to manipulate small marker pieces is
excellent. From a craft store, purchase play dough and
encourage your son to roll it, pound it, and provide
cookie cutters to use with it. Large beads and then
smaller ones to string and restring would be great, as
would puzzles with small knobs.
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The May, 2006 Edition of
the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
Publication.
All Contents (C) 2006, Valley Patriot, Inc.
We publish 8,000 newspapers and distribute in Andover,
North Andover, Methuen, Haverhill,
Lawrence, Dracut, Tewksbury and Lowell.
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