Teaching Children Not To Play With Fire

We all know fire is dangerous and we have to keep our kids from getting to close to it and not play with it. We need to teach our kids the dangers of fire and why not to play with it when they are young.

Show them that fire burns and what it could do to them if they miss with it, show them picture, not too scary or bloody pictures because you can really scare them.

You can also have the school teach them about fire and the damage it will bring. Show them a wildfire on type or on the TV and how fast they spread when they are not put out right away. Show them how fast a house can burn to the ground just by a small or big fire because it doesn't matter what size a fire can be because they will get bigger in a minutes and that's all it takes is just one flame and buff it's gone.

If they get a hold of any type of fire like matches, lighters, or candles, they could burn down the house or hurt themselves really badly. They can burn their skin and getting second or third degree burns, burn off their hair, burn up their room and get trapped in the smoke and fire, and if they get it around something that is flammable that can or will explode. Teach them what to do in a fire, how to get out to safety and where to meet when everyone gets out. Have a plan at home, at school, or where ever you are at just in case you might need it. Kids rely on you to teach them this stuff, teach them how to survive, teach them stop, drip and roll because if they are on fire they will know what to do and you hope that this will never happen to them but it is better to be safe than sorry.

If you have a fireplace tell them do not get to close to the fire because sparks can from out and set your clothes or the cover on fire. You need to have a gate on it at all time and you need to teach them that so they will know. Tell them that they are not allow to start up the fireplace only the adults are the ones that do that, the same thing goes for a gas stove or heater, make sure that they understand that. Don't let them near a grill when you are going to start it up because they flames will be big and it will burn them.

Reading to Children

   
    Reading to children is a great way to spend quality time with them. Follow these easy steps for reading to the children in your life.

Reread the Same Books
Kids love repetition when it comes to books. Unlike many adults, they love knowing what is going to happen next and delight in the anticipation of getting there.

Ask Questions
Reading to children is enhanced by interaction. Asking questions about the book will allow children a chance to talk about how they are experiencing it, as well as encouraging active listening.

Go To the Library
There is something about ownership of a library card that can make the idea of books more appealing to kids. Setting aside a time every week to go can be fun for everyone.

Read Before Bed
Reading to children at bedtime daily can become a much anticipated ritual. It gives children something to look forward to and provides a wonderful way of relaxing them for the transition to sleep.

Model Reading
Read yourself. Often and where they can observe.

Read All Kinds of Things
Novels, short stories, biographies, poems, etc. Also don't rule out encyclopedias. They make great illustrated ones geared for children that can make learning about any subject fun and interesting.

Keep Reading Aloud Even When They Are Old Enough to Read Alone
Reading to children is still valuable when the children are independent readers. They can have books read to them at a higher level than they are able to read alone, or they can take turns reading aloud if the book is at their level.

Reward Reading
Make a token system where they chart how many books they have read, or the hours spent reading, and reward them with something, such as a new book.

Start Traditions Around Reading
Children love traditions. Reading to children can become a much anticipated one when it is associated with something fun. For example, allowing them to open a wrapped book every Christmas Eve and reading it to them.

Use Books On Tape
If you find yourself driving around a lot, or at home with a hoarse voice, books on tape can be life savers. Pop one in and listen along with the children, as everyone kicks back and enjoys.

     Spending time reading to children is a wonderful way to show your care. Start today with the above tips to make it a time for all to look forward to.

9 Great Homework Habits that Work

Since homework starts as early as kindergarten these days, it’s a good idea to get kids into a rhythm of great homework habits as soon as possible. From ways to help your kids get more organized to giving them ways to minimize and eliminate homework stress, here are some great tips for good homework habits that work.

1. Divide and Conquer
Kids can often feel overwhelmed when they look over their list of assignments for the week. Help your child manage his assignments by planning out his work on a daily planner. (This can be particularly helpful if you are at work when your child gets home from school; having a list like this can help your child and your childcare provider manage his workload when you are not there.)

For example, if all the homework is due on Friday, you can try scheduling several minutes for different subject such as reading, math problems or spelling words. Or you may want to have him spend Monday doing reading and reserve Tuesday for math, and so on.

Writing down what needs to be done can be a great way to manage homework, and crossing off assignments when they are completed and tracking their own progress can be satisfying for kids and help give them motivation to continue their work.

2. Cut Down After-School Activities
The reality is that there are only a few precious hours after school to tackle homework assignments. If your child has an after-school activity every day and is unable to manage her workload, it may be time to take a look at which extracurricular activities can be cut out of her schedule. If she has ballet, soccer, piano lessons, and regularly-scheduled playdates, you may want to consider moving a couple of activities to the next semester and making more time for homework.

3. Get into a Regular Routine
Maybe your child is the kind of kid who works better on a full stomach or after fooling around with his toys for a few minutes after school. If so, start with snack time and unscheduled downtime, and set up homework time for about 20 to 30 minutes after he gets home.

If he tends to focus better if he goes right into his work after school, then let him get right to work as soon as he gets home. The important thing is to find what works for you and stick with it so that you have a regular routine. If your child knows what is expected and when, it’ll be easier for him to work more efficiently.

4. Set Up a Great Homework Area
Having a quiet and comfortable place to do homework is essential to building good study and homework habits. Whether you establish her work area at the kitchen table or in her room, make sure she is surrounded by peaceful quiet, free from TV or other distractions.

5. Make Homework Fun
Kids are more likely to view homework as less of a chore if you help them adopt a more playful attitude toward their work. For instance, if your first-grader is working on simple math problems, help him visualize addition and subtraction by using small toys such as marbles or even playing cards. If a third-grader is working on multiplication problems, challenge him to get as many correct answers as possible while racing you (to be fair, he should be allotted twice the time as you).

And if you’re lucky enough to get fun puzzles and brain-teasers such as Sudoku puzzles in the homework packet, then work with him on those and make it a fun way to connect with your child after a long day. One word of caution: Try not to take over and do the problems yourself. Your child needs guidance and help getting the right answers -- not the answers themselves.

Be sure to check his work everyday, and try to make that a fun routine as well. Challenge your child to find mistakes on your work, or have him check his own work to see if he can spot any errors. If you take a relaxed approach to the homework and adopt a fun attitude about it, your child will follow suit.

6. Tie-in Homework to Everyday Life
Learning can often be more fun for kids when they are able to relate the material to things in their own lives. For instance, if your child has to read about immigrants and answer questions about them, continue the discussion over dinner. Talk about your own family’s immigrant experience (“Great-Grandma came from Italy and had to work very hard” or some such) or talk about the ways our world has been shaped by immigrants (“What would life be like today without pizza?”).

By making homework something that is an extension of learning and life, you can help your child see that it is not some separate chore or extra work that they are forced to do.

7. Work Alongside Your Child
Younger children tend to work better when an adult is nearby, ready to answer questions or help work out a problem. You can sit down with your own work or a magazine article or bills -- whatever quiet activity you can do while your child does her homework.

8. Schedule Breaks
You know the importance of stretching your legs or taking a break here and there during your workday. Just walking away from your desk for a few minutes can often do wonders to help your concentration and improve mood. The importance of breaks applies to kids as well, and may be even more important because kids tend to be more active and full of energy than adults.

Whether it’s a five-minute break to have some fruit and cheese and crackers or other healthy snack or a few minutes to play with a pet or water the plants, schedule a few breaks into homework time. And consider taking a short walk or doing a few at-home yoga poses for kids with your child to rejuvenate his brain cells; studies have shown that physical activity can help stimulate concentration and cognitive function.

9. Help Kids Manage Stress
Some kids can experience more stress over homework and schoolwork than other children. If you see signs of stress in your child or your child is experiencing difficulty with the workload, check with other parents to see whether any other kids are having similar problems. For instance, kids in first grade are usually not expected to spend more than a half hour on homework each day; if your child is having difficulty with the workload, find out what the problem may be and schedule some time to meet with your child’s teacher.

Talk to your child’s teacher about any problems and get on the same page about the teacher’s expectations for the school year. Ask her what you can do to help your child with homework. By working together, you and your child’s teacher can find ways to identify and handle any homework problems that may be creating stress for your child.

30 minutes each day helps children grow up
    When you can not spend more time with children, you tend to feel guilty, want to offset by the gallantry (usually too far), as people same age rather than as parents. And it often will cause the opposite effect, causing the children see themselves as “victims.”
    So what is quality time? “Some quality time” means that the communication is done in a positive and helpful. Parents are not always on the embankment embankments but should be present in the lives of children, to help create moments of happiness, fun, more special needs children there is just a hard time, take in a positive way to the “struggle” of children everyday.
    The solution to this is simple: you only need to determine the extent important for family, once identified priority position, you will be very easy to clean off what does not important, arrange schedules to suit their own family instead of trying to cram in the opposite direction.
    Spending time and attention your attention – honestly – maybe only 30 minutes per day only, but be careful, because children “refined” than you imagine it. Talk to your children is one of the most important thing you can do to create cohesion, help children mature and confident. Do not start with the story too seriously and ask questions to be answered more than just “yes” or “no.” With little children, you can ask about school, talk with your fellow or a certain story that you and your child read together. With bigger children, you can talk about what takes place outside the home, neighborhood, and a discussion of a movie or an ads … You can also mention the difficulties that you face yourself in the day and how to deal with them – the experience and problem solving skills can help children avoid becoming dependent on stimulants or alcohol when encountering difficulties later.
    “Some quality time” can also be created by you to participate in the education of children. Later on it the more you exercise, but the anxiety and tension before the workload can be greatly reduced if children know will not be faced alone. You do not have to worry that “I don’t pedagogical skills - I can not remember it?” Help your child learn does not mean you have to know how to explain all of the exercises, which can be done by creating a learning space without distractions so you can focus, ask your child’s learning, help me to arrange a time, to plan …
    In addition, please also recognized the efforts of children. Commend the praiseworthy things, such as when you up on time, helped mother clean rice or self-study, all praise when successful and less successful but when I was trying. Do not promise what you can not perform, it can make you vulnerable – especially if you time your proximity is limited. Try to understand is that you respect my feelings and is ready to support you when needed … All the work that shows your concern and help me a lot of confidence.