Tag: child

As a parent here in Sydney – it’s your job to keep your kids active

As a parent here in Sydney - it's your job to keep your kids active

It’s so easy to be a parent who lets their kid watch television all day or let their children play on a smartphone. These kids end up not forging great friendships, they can become incredibly sedentary and also suffer from childhood obesity. This is why you, as a parent, have the responsibility to keep your kids active and to provide them with something else other than their digital devices. Your kids will fight you tooth and nail, but you must persevere and sign them up to some sports camps.

There are many different activities to choose from, but the ones that stand out from the many others are basketball camps in Sydney, which are incredibly popular and available places for them get booked up very quickly. You’ll inevitably have your children asking you why you’re making them go to such things during their free time when school is over. It’s important to have answers prepared for them to justify your decisions as a parent. The following are some of the top reasons that you can share with them, and why it’s so important that they stay both physically and socially active.

They have the chance to make new friends

You need to explain to your children that digital friends are not the same as real life ones. Just because they meet up with people online to play computer games, it doesn’t indicate that this is a strong social bond. When they attend a sports camp, they get the opportunity to make new friends and to interact with people who like the things that they do. These same kids will share a passion for sport, and these are life skills that they will need and use when they become adults.

It gives them their independence

If your child is the typical young teenager, they’ve probably told you many times that you need to let them make their own decisions. This is the perfect opportunity to allow them to do that very thing, and they’ll get to try out many new activities that they’ve never experienced before. They’ll be asked to make decisions when playing sports, and they’ll develop a newfound confidence in their ability to decide.

It reminds them about having fun

Kids are under an incredible amount of pressure nowadays with their schoolwork and keeping up with peers and things online. They become incredibly competitive at school and, while this is a good thing and something that you, as a parent, should be proud of, you need to remind them that life’s all about having fun as a kid. Participating in sports should be a fun thing to do, and they’ll get to learn about various skills from the adults who supervise these activities.

The hope is that these three reasons will help you to explain to your child the importance of being physically active and meeting new people. They’ll probably want to take their digital devices with them, too, but hopefully, they’ll forget about them once they get there and start interacting with other kids in real life.

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6 practical tips to raise responsible kids without the stress

6 practical tips to raise responsible kids without the stress

As a parent, your goal is to raise your children in the best way possible. There are so many aspects to consider in this journey. One of the key areas to focus on is helping your kids to become responsible individuals. This not only brings a host of benefits but also pays off in the long run.

Some of the more notable of these are:

  1. Encouraging your kids to learn more household skills.
  2. Helping them grow as people.
  3. Making them more empathetic.
  4. Taking some of the chores out of your hands.

As tempting as this may sound, it can feel like a bit of a challenge. You’ll want to find the right way to raise happy, caring, responsible kids. But don’t worry – it doesn’t need to be as hard as you think!

In fact, there are plenty of tips and tricks that can really make a difference. Not only are they usually simple to implement, but they may have a greater impact than you envision. So, let’s explore some of the most effective ones!

Get them doing chores

One of the best ways to help your kids learn responsibility is by getting them involved in chores. Of course, you may need to wait until they’re a certain age, but it’s definitely worth starting as soon as you can. And remember, it doesn’t have to be anything too complicated!

Instead, it’s all about choosing the right chores for them to tackle. Starting with cleaning their own room or helping with the laundry can be a fantastic first step.

They may not jump for joy at the idea, but it teaches them the importance of responsibility as they grow. By taking a thoughtful approach to involving them in household tasks, you’ll likely find that your kids are more willing to pitch in.

 

Teach them the right skills

Everyone should have a solid set of skills under their belt. Even if these skills aren’t directly tied to a future career, they’re definitely worth honing. Make it a priority to help your kids start developing these abilities as early as possible. And don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be a daunting task!

There are plenty of resources out there to assist you, whether you’re teaching them how to whip up a meal or encouraging their personal growth. So, take advantage of these tools whenever you can!

 

Then there are the likes of fun team building activities for kids and similar resources. These can be enjoyable for your kids to do, and they’ll learn more than a few skills while they’re at it. You’ve no reason not to consider investing in more than a few of these.

Give positive feedback

There’ll be plenty of times when your children are doing their chores, but they wouldn’t be done properly. This is natural, as your child is still learning how to do it. It doesn’t mean you should just tell them it wasn’t done properly, though. Take the opposite approach.

You’re much better off giving them positive feedback on anything they do. It makes them feel a lot better about taking care of their responsibilities, and they’ll do better in time.

The more you put into this, the more of an impact it’ll have. When your kids do anything well, tell them how well they’ve done it. It gives them positive reinforcement, which then encourages them to want to do better and better as time goes on.

Show them that mistakes are learning opportunities

Speaking of feedback and mistakes, it’s always worth using these as learning opportunities as time goes on. It feeds back into the positive reinforcement mentioned above. Don’t just tell them they’ve done something wrong and leave it at that.

Use any mistakes as an opportunity for them to learn how to do it better. It helps them do better and better every time they’re doing the same responsibilities in time.

Plus, it helps make sure they feel as well about themselves as possible. Just pointing out mistakes doesn’t make anyone feel good. By helping your child learn from their mistakes, they’ll feel better, do better and even become more responsible in time.

Create a home that encourages responsibility

A child’s home life has a significant impact on their core values, which is why this is always worth focusing on. Create an environment that encourages responsibility as much as possible. This doesn’t need to be nearly as complicated as you’d think.

Even just giving your children the opportunity to be responsible can be more than enough to help with this. Put the effort into this more and more as your child gets older.

With their chores, for example, you can make sure your children have all the supplies they need to get them done. If they must clean, for example, make sure cleaning supplies are easily accessible. You’ve no reason not to make this as easy as possible.

Be a positive role model

Kids often mirror their parents in so many ways, and you can really see it in their behaviour. They tend to imitate what you do and how you perceive things. If you have a negative outlook on certain responsibilities, chances are they will too.

Being a positive role model is the way to go. When you approach responsibilities with a positive attitude, your kids are much more likely to adopt that same mindset. It’s absolutely worth the effort!

For instance, when you’re tackling chores, try to speak about them in a positive light. This can really influence how your child thinks. They’ll pick up on your attitude and gradually put more effort into being responsible themselves.

Everyone wants to raise kids who can take responsibility, and there are countless reasons to invest time and energy into this. However, it can often feel a bit overwhelming, and you may not even know where to begin. The good news is, it may be simpler than you think!

With the right guidance, it can be quite straightforward. Sure, it will require some time and effort, but there’s no reason it should be overly difficult.

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5 tips on how to organise your nursery to make the most of it

5 tips on how to organise your nursery to make the most of it

Creating a nursery for your little one is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming. With so many baby items to organise and limited space to work with, it’s important to have a plan in place to make the most of your nursery. In this post, we’ll discuss five tips on how to organise your nursery to maximise space and create an efficient and functional space for your baby.

Declutter and prioritise organisation

Before you start organising your nursery, take some time to declutter and prioritise the items you’ll need. Go through your baby items and decide what’s essential and what can be stored elsewhere. Consider donating or selling items that your baby has outgrown or that you no longer need. By decluttering your nursery, you’ll make more space for the items that are truly necessary for your baby’s care.

Use multi-functional furniture to save space (and money)

When organising your nursery, consider using multi-functional furniture to maximise space. Look for items like a changing table that also doubles as a dresser or a cot that has built-in storage drawers. A bedside crib is a great option for saving space and keeping your baby close to you at night. By incorporating multi-functional furniture into your nursery, you can make the most of the space you have and keep everything organised and easily accessible.

Utilise vertical space wherever you can

Don’t forget to utilise vertical space when organising your nursery. Install shelves or wall-mounted storage units to keep items off the floor and create more space for your baby to move around. Use hooks or pegs to hang items like blankets, towels or clothing. Children’s wooden toys can also be displayed on shelves or in baskets to keep them organised and easily accessible. By utilising vertical space, you can make the most of your nursery’s cubic (not just square) footage and create a more efficient and organised space for your baby.

Create sones for different activities

To keep your nursery organised and functional, consider creating zones for different activities. Designate a changing area with all the necessary supplies within reach, a feeding area with a comfortable chair and a side table for bottles and snacks, and a play area with a soft rug or mat for tummy time and playtime. By creating zones in your nursery, you can keep everything organised and easily accessible, making it easier to care for your baby and keep the space tidy.

Label and organise items to keep chaos at bay

Once you’ve decluttered, prioritised and organised your nursery, don’t forget to label and organise everything to make it easy to find what you need. Use clear bins or baskets to store items like nappies, wipes and clothing, and label them accordingly. Keep a laundry hamper or basket in the nursery for dirty clothes and linens. Use drawer dividers or organisers to keep small items like socks, hats or pacifiers organised and easy to find. By labelling and organising everything in your nursery, you can maintain a tidy and efficient space for yourself and your baby.

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Teach family values with doll houses

Teach family values with doll houses

Doll houses are a much-loved and well-established toy for children of all ages. But is this traditional treasure being superseded by a new, modern version of playing with doll houses?

Whether it’s Barbie, Cindy or an Action Man, many children love playing with dolls and, let’s face it, all these dolls need a place to live, don’t they? For a child, doll houses can provide hours of joy and entertainment, they can enter a world of unlimited imagination and fun fantasies. Many enjoy decorating their doll houses with furniture and accessories and revel in the opportunity to create a perfect pad of their own.

Parents often encourage their children to play with toys such as dolls and Palm Pals because, not only is it a simple and enjoyable pastime, it can be an educational toy as well. Through play, children can learn values and useful skills which they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives. Through using their imagination, children begin to learn to think for themselves. Through decorating doll houses, children cultivate their creativity and thus develop their own minds and opinions and acquire specific tastes. Through a family doll house a child can also learn the dynamics of a household and appreciate family values and family unity. This can also help during difficult periods, such as a clean break order and other marital issues, as it’s a simple way of communicating with children in a way they can understand.

However, nowadays, with the internet and technology playing such an integral role in society, many children are turning away from the traditional toy and opting to play with doll houses that are available online. There are hundreds of websites that provide doll games where children can decorate and design their own doll house as well as their own dolls.

Young child playing with a doll house

Many parents may be wary or disappointed by this as it’s turning away from tradition and they may fear that no benefits can be gained by using a computerised version. However, there are also key skills and valuable traits to be picked up by playing such games on the internet. First of all, a child will become familiar with using a computer and in this day and age that is frankly, essential. Thus, the earlier a child learns to pick up basic computer skills the better. If you’re worried about your child accidentally accessing anything they shouldn’t online, that can be solved by using a firewall or other online child protection methods available. Playing with online doll houses is also a positive because it’s cheaper as most games are free, whereas with a traditional toy house there are many pieces of furniture to buy, not to mention the dolls themselves!

To conclude, it’s essential to point out that both versions of doll houses should be readily embraced. Whilst it’s important to keep traditional play alive and let children be children it’s also crucial to let them keep up with the times; perhaps a healthy dose of both is what’s needed – you may find your child actually prefers to play with the physical version.

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