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Posts Tagged ‘children’

The influence of television on children has been the subject of much discussion over the years, and debate still rages over its potential to cause anything from poor behavior to obesity in children. The fact remains that quality television programmes, in moderation, can help support learning and development and provide fantastic entertainment for children. Many of us think back fondly to much-loved television programmes and characters from our childhood, and your children will also treasure their favorites well into adulthood.

Use television for other activities
Watching television should never just be an activity in itself. Topics and activities from programmes can be used as “springboards” for other activities – if your child has shown an interest in something he has watched, try and extend that activity or topic into something that you can do together. Many programmes offer good ideas for simple yet effective “make and do” projects, from painting to cooking – try to turn a blind eye to the “mess” factor, and try these out at home. Children are often thrilled if they can manage to make something they’ve seen made on television, and it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Don’t use television as a fall back
It’s important not to fall back on television when you’re too tired to do anything active or creative with him, or as a “babysitter” for him when you have other things to be getting on with such as work or household chores. Try where you can to watch programmes together, and take the time to explain things to him as you watch. This helps make watching television less passive and more of an interactive experience for your child.

How much television should my child be allowed to watch?
Experts generally tend to agree that television is not suitable at all for small babies. Up to the age of two, it’s recommended that you limit your child’s television watching to short periods at a time – 10-15 minute chunks are ideal. Between the ages of 2 and 3 the general recommendation is for no more than 1 hour a day.

What should I let my child watch?
Many parents set limits on television, either by restricting the choice of programmes to one or two “approved” programmes a day, or setting a limit on the amount of time their children spend watching television, or limiting viewing to a certain time of day. The key is really to make sure that they are watching programming which is good quality. This could be by promoting some kind of constructive activity – getting them up and about dancing or showing them how to make something simple – or through an educational focus, such as by exposing them to a different culture, or getting them involved in a story which helps develop their imagination and their concentration skills.

Monitor what your child watches
Try to watch programmes yourself for the first time to check if you think they are suitable. Some programming, even if ostensibly aimed at children, is poor quality and contains unsuitable subject matter for young children, and commercial channels often carry advertisements for unhealthy food or products which you may not want to expose your children to. If you decide your child is allowed to watch a programme, turn the programme off when it has finished, rather than letting your child watch the television mindlessly for hours.

Television pace
There has been extensive research into the pace of what children see on television and how they absorb it. Slower-paced television is much better for children especially if it is in the evening and they need winding down for bed. Fast action, changing colours and loud music etc will make your child zone out rather than engage with what he is watching.

Watch television with your child
A recent study found that children whose parents watched television with them and engaged them in conversation about what they watched scored significantly higher in tests than those children who watched television mindlessly on their own. Of course there will be times when you are exhausted or need to put the shopping away when you are grateful for the television, but if you can make it more of a social, family event rather than a solitary activity, your child will benefit.

If you have one of each in your family, you’ll become aware of their behavioral differences once they reach the toddler years and become more independent.

Boys and girls throw tantrums differently, play differently and express themselves in different ways, it’s just they way things are when nature starts to take over from nurture. Research has shown that boys’ and girls’ brains are wired differently. Your little girl will be able to talk about her feelings and empathise with others more so than your little boy and she’ll also be more sensitive to your tone of voice. When it comes to discipline, this may mean that your son isn’t as sensitive to other people’s feelings and may not respond when you ask him nicely to stop bad behavior! They will also react differently to stress. In practice this means that your little girl will be more likely to back down in a confrontation, while your little boy will experience a surge of testosterone that could have him acting up and hitting out.

So once they reach the age where their behavior is different, what discipline techniques will work best with them?

Discipline for girls

1. Be positive. Your little girl is more likely to co-operate with you on discipline issues if she thinks there is a payoff at the end of it, because she’s more patient than her brother and more likely to hang on for her reward. So if she’s pestering you for candy while you’re at the supermarket, try telling her that she can have some once you’re home and she has had her lunch.

2. Encourage her to empathize. Girls tend to be more considerate when it comes to your feelings and those of their siblings or playmates. If she is acting up, explain to her that her behavior is making her little brother sad but that if she’s good and stops being nasty he’ll feel happy again.

3. Talk it out. Your little girl’s language skills will likely be much further along than those of boys her age. Girls progress faster than boys when it comes to being able to string words together and this means they are able to form longer and more complex sentences. Tap in to this skill by asking her to explain what is causing her bad behavior instead of throwing a tantrum.

4. Point out the consequences. Girls are more likely to worry about what other children think of them and you can use this to your advantage if, for example, she isn’t sharing or playing nicely. Point out that her siblings or friends may not want to play with her if she doesn’t share.

Discipline for boys

1. Set limits but allow him some freedom. Your little boy may play games that seem rough but you need to allow him some freedom – within reason. Play wrestling is developmentally normal, so you should avoid inhibiting your son if he plays in this way. Just stay close by and set limits that ensure your child isn’t hurting a sibling or playmate.

2. Help him find his words. Boy aren’t as good as girls are at expressing themselves verbally – and the result is that they often express their frustration physically, by biting and hitting. Teach your son the words he needs to say how he feels: “I’m cross because Jack took my toy”, and constantly remind him that he can tell you without having to be aggressive.

3. Be direct. Boys tend not to be so concerned about what others think of them, and this means they’re more likely to be confrontational. If your little boy’s behavior crosses the line, don’t try to get him to empathise with your feelings or his sister’s – nip it in the bud immediately with a time-out or withdrawal of privileges.

4. Limit his TV exposure. Toddlers are very influenced by the cartoon violence they may see on TV. Those superhero games may seem harmless but flying fists and feet can cause injuries.

Vomiting is very common in babies and young children and can often happen when nothing is wrong. Babies normally ‘posset’ up their feeds, where a tiny amount of milk will be brought up from time to time, usually after a feed or whilst being winded and this is completely normal. If your baby brings up most or all of her feed, is it more likely that she is vomiting, but try not to panic. All children are sick from time to time whether they are breast or bottle-fed and they usually get better quickly or within 24 hours.

Causes of vomiting:
Consult your doctor is your child continues to vomit over a six-hour period, or if the vomiting is accompanied by diarrhoea, fever, earache or a rash.
- If babies have eaten too much it may cause them to vomit. Sometimes they just bring up the surplus food, but sometimes the whole feed can come up. If this is the case she will probably only vomit once after the feed.
- Indigestion can cause your baby to vomit so try not to rush her feeds.
- Occasionally babies can have a milk allergy to the proteins in their mother’s breastmilk and this may cause her to vomit. Consult your doctor if you suspect this is the case and you may be advised to change your diet or give your baby a hypoallergenic formula for a while.
- A viral or bacterial infection can cause your child to vomit. If bacteria has entered the stomach lining your baby may have an episode of vomiting, have diarrhoea, fever and a loss of appetite. If the vomiting has not stopped after six hours, consult your doctor.
- A fit of coughing can sometimes make a baby vomit as the force on her stomach makes her bring her food up. If this is the case she will probably only vomit a few times, but if she keeps vomiting, contact your doctor.
- Other illnesses that can be accompanied by vomiting are; urinary tract infections, ear infections, meningitis, appendicitis and reflux, Pneumonia and Reye’s syndrome.  (Read further features to find out additional symptoms).
- Reflux can also cause babies to vomit. (see link above)
- Upset tummies from something your baby has eaten can cause her to vomit, and will most likely be accompanied by diarrhoea, loss of appetite, general irritability and sometimes fever. This should not last for long, but if symptoms persist for more then six hours, consult a doctor.
- Excessive crying can sometimes cause a baby to vomit as they take in gulps of air.
- If your child has a very runny nose and swallows a lot of mucus, it can cause her to vomit. Treat her symptoms as you would a common cold.
- If your baby has swallowed something toxic (cleaning products, medication etc) try to identify what she has swallowed and call 999.
- Gastroenteritis or stomach flu is a common cause of infant vomiting and happens when a virus infects the gastrointestinal tract and is usually accompanied by diarrhoea. It normally clears up on its own but if symptoms persist for more then six hours consult a doctor.

Pyloric Stenosis
Pyloric Stenosis is a rare condition that affects babies in the first few months of life. It occurs because the muscle controlling the valve that leads from the stomach to the intestines thickens so much, so that food is unable to pass through.
Symptoms:
Your baby will start to projectile vomit and cannot keep any food down.
Treatment
If this is the case consult your doctor immediately as your baby may need an operation to rectify the problem and unblock the valve.

What to do if your child is vomiting:
If your child vomits for more then six hours consult a doctor. If diarrhoea, fever, earache or a severe rash accompanies vomiting, seek medical help.

Infants under six months:
Offer your infant small but frequent amounts (about 2/3 teaspoonfuls) of oral electrolyte solution every 15-20 minutes. Electrolyte solution contains salt and sugar and replaces important salts your body relies on that it may have lost from a bout of vomiting. Always read the instructions of the solution carefully and give the right dose for the age of your child. This will help to stop your child becoming dehydrated.
If your child goes for eight hours without vomiting, gradually re-introduce her normal feeds feeding her little and often to give her tummy the chance to get used to feeds again.
For breastfed infants, if the sickness seems to cease, breastfeed your child for five minutes every two hours. After eight hours of keeping her feeds down you can resume her normal feeding routine.

Infants – six months to a year
Offer your infant small but frequent amounts (about 2/3 teaspoonfuls) of oral electrolyte solution every 15-20 minutes. Electrolyte solution contains salt and sugar and replaces important salts your body relies on that it may have lost from a bout of vomiting. Always read the instructions of the solution carefully and give the right dose for the age of your child. This will help to stop your child becoming dehydrated.
After eight hours of no vomiting you can re-introduce formula feeds slowly, not giving your child too much at a time. (One to two ounce feeds working gradually up to the normal feeding routine).
For breastfed infants, if the sickness seems to cease, breastfeed your child for five minutes every two hours. After eight hours of keeping her feeds down you can resume her normal feeding routine.
After eight hours you can try to give your baby small amounts of bland foods like bananas, crackers or mild baby food.

For children over 1:
Give clear liquids such as water, but dilute fruit juice and avoid giving milk.
Give your child the oral electrolyte solution to help replace lost salt and sugars. (Always follow instructions). If they vomit up solution start again with small teaspoonfuls.
After eight hours of no vomiting, try giving your child bland, soft, easy foods like soup, toast (no butter) and banana. After 24 hours of no sickness, you can resume your child’s normal diet.

When to call a doctor:
If your child continues to vomit over a six-hour period, has diarrhoea or a fever of over 38°C (100.4°F) or you notice other symptoms such as a rash, earache or dehydration (sunken eyes or fontanelle, dizzy or drowsiness).

It’s an age old adage that you get out of your beauty regime what you put in. But when you’re a busy active mum on the go it’s hard to find an hour to
apply lotions and potions every day. Here’s how you can maximise your routine whilst minimising the time you spend in the bathroom.

• Wear clear nail varnish.

One of the biggest giveaway signs of a women who doesn’t have time to look after herself is old chipped nail varnish. Having vibrant painted nails is a 2-3 times a week committment, and if you’d rather spend your time with your kids than a bottle of polish keep your nail varnish clear: that way you’re nails will look shiny and healthy, but when the varnish chips noone will notice. If you do pop on a vibrant colour for a special occasion then remove it as soon as it starts to chip. Not only will this make you look less undone, it will also prevent nail discolouration.

• Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise.

I know you’ve heard it time and again but you’re body will really thank you later: moisturise every time you have a bath or shower. It’s quick, it’s cheap and it’s the one thing guarenteed to keep your skin supple, youthful, and glowing.

• Lipstick is your new best friend.

No busy mum has time to apply a full face of make up everyday (and if you do we want to know how you fit it in!) but you can trick your way to make up-chic. By slicking on lipstick or lip gloss as you run out the door, you’re making your mouth the focal point of your face.You’ll look like you’re put together and ready to face the day without wasting any time (or money) on pore clogging powders and potions. You’ll also avoid getting the mascara wand in your eye whilst your trying to multitask by putting on your eye make up and stopping your toddler from drinking the water from the toilet at the same time!

• Take care of your feet.

The kids are in bed and you’re ready to collapse on the sofa: why not soak your feet at the same time? It’s relaxing, and good for you too. A few drops of oil, or even bubble bath or shower gel, will have a calming effect as you unwind from your hectic day.  Once you’ve softened your feet in the warm water remove any hard skin with a pumice stone and apply a foot lotion, or if you don’t have one, your usual moisturiser.  As you age hard skin on the soles of your feet can make walking uncomfortable and even painful: taking care of any problems as they arrive can save you years of discomfort in the long-run.

• Keep your hand cream to hand

Busy hands are tired hands. Keep a small tub of your hand cream in your handbag, or baby bag, and apply it whenever your hands feel dry or tired. The scent can be
invigorating and taking twenty seconds for yourself to massage the cream into the skin makes for a soothing break. Make applying your lotion two-three times a day a part of your routine. You can do it whilst your on the move and it’ll help keep your hands soft to the touch.

• Go for bronze

A good bronzer can hide a multitude of sins. If you’re feeling tired or pale then pop on some bronzer and it will perk your skin up instantly. You can also apply your bronzer to your arms, legs, and decolletage, giving instant holiday skin, and immediate glamour.

Do you have any tips to add? How do you keep on top of your beauty routine? We’d love to hear how all you busy mums do it!