Is your Child Coloring Walls?

The Handwriting  On the Wall Means I found Crayons!!

How to Prevent your Child from Coloring on the Wall:

This will give you the simplest way to stop your child from drawing/glueing/coloring on the walls

Instructions

Things you'll need:

1. Paint

2. Tarp

3. Time

4. Dry Eraser

5. Hard Work

• Go to the area where your child has made a complete mess of the walls and ask them what it would take for them to stop coloring, drawing, or even gluing stuff to the walls.

• Clean, prep the walls by getting rid of all the drawing, coloring and gluing stuff that is on them before you even buy the paint.                                                                 

• Ask them if they paint the walls a certain color that they like if they will then stop doing this.

• Have them go with you when choosing the paint for that room, so that by them choosing the paint that they want that room to be they will stop doing this. Also buy a tarp and anything else that you will need for painting and protecting the items in the room.

• Paint the room, you can use one color or many colors per your child's instructions.

• Once done what you can have your child do it to put up things on the walls via thumb tacks or any other way that they want to put something up.

Should Babies and Toddlers watch Television

So much television programming is aimed at young children. Much of it appears to be educational: teaching the ABCs and life skills. When is it appropriate to introduce a baby to television, and what do parents need to know about this topic?


A great deal of research has been done on the effects of television on children's lives. The first step in making the decision is to get the facts. Because nearly all of us have one or more TV sets in our home, and since most of us watch some TV nearly every day, we may not want to hear what research tells us, but these are things parents need to know.

• Experts suspect that babies younger than two years old view TV as a confusing array of colors, images, and noises. They don't understand much of the content. Since the average TV scene lasts five to eight seconds, your baby or toddler doesn't have enough time to digest what's happening.
  
• Cartoons and many children's shows are filled with images of violence. If you find this hard to believe, surf the TV on Saturday morning. The realism portrayed in today's cartoons has moved light years beyond the Bugs Bunny type of violence. Many children's shows almost are animated versions of adult action films. Research shows that exposure to this type of programming increases the risk of aggressive behavior and desensitizes children to violence.
  
• Babies and toddlers have a very literal view of the world. They can't yet tell the difference between real and pretend, and they interpret what they see on TV as true life. Research has demonstrated that many young children believe that TV characters actually live inside the TV set. This can confuse young children's understanding of the world and get in the way of their learning what's right and wrong. It can paint a picture of a frightening, unstable, and bewildering world - and your little one does not yet have the faculties to put what he sees into proper perspective.
  
• Television watching can be addictive. The more that children watch, the more they want to watch. Even toddlers can become drawn to the set. Once addicted, turning off the TV can become a daily battle. Children who watch TV excessively often become passive and lose their natural creativity; they eventually have a hard time keeping themselves busy, and they lose valuable time that should be dedicated to "play" - the foundation of a healthy childhood and the primary way that very young children learn.
  
• Parents sometimes unwittingly begin to use TV more and more as a way to keep their children happy and quiet. It takes a strong will and dedication to avoid the easy route provided by this free and easy - yet sometimes dangerous - babysitter.

 Children experience unparalleled physical, mental, and emotional growth in the early years of life. Time spent watching television is time taken away from more healthful activities that nurture growth and development.

• Children who watch a lot of television during their early years are at risk for childhood obesity, poor social development, and aggressive behavior. They often have trouble adjusting to preschool or kindergarten. According to a study by Yale Family Television Research, teachers characterized children who watched excessive television as less cooperative, less imaginative, less enthusiastic about learning, and less happy than those who watched little or no TV.
• Due to all the above reasons, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents not allow children under two to watch any television.

You may have noticed that all of these points demonstrate the negative aspects of letting babies and toddlers watch TV, and you're wondering if there are any positives. There are a few, but I'll be honest: I had to be very creative to come up with this list, since published research doesn't demonstrate many good points for putting a young child in front of a television. But we need to be realistic and acknowledge that most of us aren't going to put our TVs in the closet until all of our children start school. Here are some of the good points of television for children:

• Quality children's programming can teach your child basic academic skills, such as the ABCs, counting, addition, science fundamentals, basic language skills, manners, and even early reading skills.
• Your child can view things she might not otherwise see in daily life: exotic animals, distant lands, musical instruments, historical places, and diverse lifestyles. Your child can learn about the world beyond her home and neighborhood.
• Your child can learn basic social skills from watching wholesome programming: how to play with other children, how to use good manners.
• Using extraordinarily careful selection and restraint, a little bit of television can provide a parent with much-needed down time, or time to catch up on tasks that need adult-only attention.

 Hold off introducing television - even videos - to your baby as long as possible. If you wait until your child's second birthday, you can consider yourself incredibly successful in starting your little one off well and with the kind of real-life interaction that is so important for his development. If you decide to allow TV before your child turns two, choose programming carefully, limit viewing time and skip days when possible. (Daily viewing easily becomes habit.) The less watching time, the better! Set a goal, such as no more than 30 minutes or an hour per day, or one favorite show, so that you'll not be tempted to turn the TV on too frequently.

• Watch programs yourself before you allow your baby or toddler to watch them. Just because a network markets a show to young children doesn't mean it will reflect your own family's morals and values. You will be amazed to discover that many programs aimed at children contain violence or topics that are inappropriate for your child. Don't assume that your baby can pick out the moral message from a program that features violence or conflict on the way to an important lesson.
• Pay attention to commercials - surprisingly, an excellent children's show will sometimes feature commercials that depict the exact things you don't want your little one to see!
• Choose programs that are developmentally appropriate for your child. For you, this means shows that are slow, boring, and probably somewhat goofy. But choose programs from your child's perspective, not your own.
• Invest in a collection of appropriate and educational videos for your child so that you won't be confined to network programming schedules when you are ready to let your little one watch something.
• Watch along with your child when you can so that you can monitor your child's reactions to what he's seeing. Invite questions and discuss what you are watching so that you can understand your little one's take. Point things out and talk about what is being taught to get the most of out of educational TV. You may even follow up with some lessons afterwards.
• Avoid keeping the TV on when no one is actively watching. Many people do this and are used to the background noise the set generates, but your child will almost surely be exposed to programming that is inappropriate for her.
• Make a conscious decision about how you will use television in your family; don't watch it by accident or default.

Baby Schedule

In recent years, there have been many changes in the way new moms and dads handle getting their newborns on a regular eat/sleep schedule. Pediatricians used to push hard for parents to get baby on a schedule as soon as they brought them home from the hospital. This thinking has evolved over the last several years into waiting to see what the baby's schedule is, and then making smaller adjustments that best suit the family. It's much better not to upset the pattern of natural rhythms the baby began before birth, and then ease them into the schedule your family keeps.

The first thing to do when baby comes home from the hospital is simply to become aware of your baby's patterns for eating and sleeping. This schedule will be the basis for your baby's personal schedule. The four important things to note when observing this schedule are when he eats, how long he sleeps, when he is alert and the one many new parents forget to make a note of, when a bowel movement occurs with relationship to the other three. Another very important thing to remember for the first couple weeks is to be sure you build trust by tending to your newborn when they awake from sleep. The security of your baby knowing his needs will be met, is the first thing to establish before any routine is changed.

Make only small adjustments in the beginning. If you wish to go to sleep at 9:30PM but you know the baby will awaken at 11:00PM, go ahead and wake the baby early. This is the first step in establishing a schedule that can work for both of you at nighttime.

During the day, try to feed your baby every four hours. If your baby generally naps longer and is far too asleep to eat, then your baby may not be ready for four-hour intervals. Wait a week or so and try again. By the same token, feed baby more often if your baby requires it. Many babies need more time to adjust to life outside the womb before adjusting to the family schedule.

If your baby falls fast asleep in the middle of a feeding, then wakes up after a short nap, you must find a way to prolong the feeding until the baby has had enough to eat. Changing your baby's diaper mid-feeding will surely get his attention. If you're breast feeding you may decide to feed for a shorter period of time on each breast, at the beginning, to insure your baby has had enough milk before falling asleep. Putting your baby to bed only when he is comfortably full, dry and burped. Burping is important to insure a restful sleep.

Finally, make your schedule predictable for the new baby. The baby will quickly get used having a bath or a walk at the same time each day. Establishing a routine for your baby coupled with sleeping and eating schedules will make for a much happier adjustment for the entire family.

Potty Training ABC's

ABC of potty training

Potty Training

• A -- Assess your child's readiness
  
• B -- Buy the right equipment
  
• C -- Create a routine
  
• D -- Ditch the diaper
  
• E -- Explain the process
  
• F -- Foster independence
  
• G -- Grab some training pants
  
• H -- Handle setbacks gracefully
  
• I -- Introduce night training
  
• J -- Jump for joy -- you're done!
  

Most parents eagerly anticipate potty training as a milestone in their child's development -- if for no other reason than that it means an end to changing diapers. But few moms and dads are prepared for how long it can take. Yes, some children get it within a few days. But many more take several months. You and your child have a better chance of success if you know the basics of training and can make the process clear to your child.

A -- Assess your child's readiness

Most people begin training when their child is about two, but some kids may not be ready until well into their fourth year. Watch for the right signs, such as imitating others' bathroom habits, and don't pressure your child to start before he's ready. It's worth running through a basic checklist to see if he is ready.

B -- Buy the right equipment

First and foremost, this means investing in a child-sized potty or a special seat to attach to your regular toilet. Whichever you choose, make sure your child can stabilize himself with his feet so he can push when he's having a bowel movement. You may also want to pick up an explanatory picture book or video for your child to help him get interested in training.

C -- Create a routine

Sit your child fully clothed on the potty seat once a day -- after breakfast, before his bath, or whenever else he's likely to have a bowel movement . This allows him to get used to the potty and accept it as part of his routine. If he doesn't want to sit on it, that's okay. Never restrain him or physically force him to sit there. And especially don't push the issue if he seems scared.

In both cases, it's better to put the potty away, or at least aside, for a few weeks or a month and then try again. If he's willing to sit there, fine. But at this stage, don't even try to explain why he should use it; you just want him to get used to the thing. Make sure it's always in a convenient place -- since it's portable, your child's potty can be used in the garden or the playroom.

D -- Ditch the diaper

Sit your child on the potty seat without a diaper. Again, let him get used to what it feels like to sit there this way. At this point you can start explaining that this is what Mommy and Daddy (and any older siblings) do every day. That is, undressing before you sit down to go to the bathroom is the grownup thing to do.

If he gets the idea and produces something, that's fine. But don't push him to perform. Again, wait until he's ready and demonstrates a clear interest in using the toilet on his own.

E -- Explain the process

It may help to show your child where his bowel movements go. The next time he goes in his diaper, take him to his potty, sit him down, and empty the diaper beneath him into the bowl. This will help him make the connection between sitting and producing. After you've emptied his potty into the big toilet, let him flush it if he wants to (but don't make him do it if he's scared) so he can see where it goes. Teach him to dress himself and wash his hands when he's done.

F -- Foster independence

Encourage your child to use his potty whenever he feels the urge to go. But make sure he knows that he can tell you, too, and that you'll take him to the bathroom whenever he wants you to. If you can, let him run around sometimes without a diaper (or any clothing below the waist), with the potty nearby. Tell him he can use it whenever he wants to and remind him occasionally that it's there if he needs it.

G -- Grab some training pants

You may like to try using training pants. Some children like them and they help, others just think of them as a slightly different type of diaper and they defeat the object of the exercise. Some children are encouraged by having real underwear instead.

H -- Handle setbacks gracefully

Virtually every child will have several accidents before being completely trained during the day and at night. Don't get angry or punish your child; after all, it's only recently that his muscles have developed sufficiently to allow him to hold his bladder and rectum closed at all. Mastering the process will take time. When he has an accident, calmly clean it up and suggest that next time he try using his potty instead.

I -- Introduce night training

Even when your child is consistently clean and dry all day, it may take him several more months or years to master night training, so don't throw away his diapers just yet. At this age, his body is still too immature to reliably wake him up in the middle of the night just to go to the bathroom. You can help cut down on wet nights by not letting him drink too much before bedtime and telling him that if he does wake up in the middle of the night he can call to you to help him get to the potty. You can also try leaving his potty near the bed in case he wants to use it.

J -- Jump for joy -- you're done!

Believe it or not, when your child is ready to learn this new grown-up skill, he will. And if you wait until he's really ready to start, the process shouldn't be too painful for either of you. He will eventually be trained, and you won't have to think about it again -- at least, not until the next baby...

The Terrible Two's

Discipline strategies to help you through the years

Whether you are a new or seasoned mom, discipline is an issue that we all face not just once but throughout every stage of our kids lives. As our daughter is gaining independence and discovering more about herself and the world around her, my husband and I are seeing the increasing need to become very consistent in our discipline strategies.  We had a discussion about it last night and I committed to him that I would make some notes to serve as a reminder to us.  I thought that some of our strategies might be helpful to The Cool Mom Blog readers.

1. Even mommies and daddies can use a time-out once in a while.  Whether it's in the form of sitting in the corner, sending a child to their room or grounding, every child (even parents once in a while) could use some time to think about their actions when boundaries have been crossed.  For us, our daughter is not old enough to reflect on her actions so the act of giving her a time-out really just serves to remove her current situation for a short time (1 or 2 minutes) and then explain what she did wrong.
2. Set boundaries and allow your child to have independence within them.   Not many people like to constantly be told 'No'.  Children are on a continuous journey of discovery and encouraging this is part of our job as parents.  We also need to keep them safe so setting some clear boundaries is important.  Kids should know what the boundaries are and be allowed to explore within them.  For a teenager, this may come in the form of setting a curfew or the amount of time spent on the phone or on the computer.  In our situation, Ella is not old enough to understand those boundaries so they have to be physical.  Instead of always saying no when she heads towards the stairs or somewhere that is off limits, we can put up gates or move furniture so she can get to it. 
3. Offer creative alternatives. Along the same vein of creating a positive environment where 'no' is not always used, we can help our kids learn, grow and discover by offering creative alternatives when their original intention is not a great one.  This could be suggesting another activity, asking for them to help you with a chore or doing an activity with you.
4. Crying will only get you a hug.  Nip melt downs and temper tantrums in the bud by ignoring them.  I like the line I heard one parent say to their child 'Let me know when you are ready to talk'.  Kids have to know that they can't gain control over parents or the situation with negative behaviour.