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Quick Halloween Safety Tips and Reminders

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With Halloween around the corner, kids are excited to wear their costumes and collect candy for as long as you will allow during the evening. Halloween has been a fun day for kids for many generations. You want your children to have fun, yet it’s also crucial to make their safety your top priority. Here are some Halloween safety tips for kids to keep in mind in advance of October 31.

Reflective Costumes

It’s important to make sure that your child’s costume has some reflective properties so they are easily visible at night. If the child chose a dark colored costume, simply purchase plenty of glow sticks that will make their presence known while trick or treating. These glow sticks can be hand held or fashioned into a necklace or bracelet. Explain to them why these reflective elements and glow sticks are important, so that drivers will be able to spot them easily when they’re trick or treating. It’s also a good idea to provide each child with a flash light for added safety.

 

Trick or Treat
Well Lit Neighborhoods Only

Choose a well lit neighborhood that is child friendly for trick or treating (preferably a neighborhood that has speed bumps and plenty of stop signs to force motorists to slow down). When a house is dimly light, it’s probably a good idea to pass it up because they may not be Halloween-friendly. If the neighborhoods that surround you are not well-lit or child friendly, no worries. Call you local libraries and malls to see if they are giving out candy to children.

No Candy Until It’s Checked
The most important Halloween safety tip is that your children are not allowed to consume ANY candy before it is checked by you or another trusted adult at home. When you and the children arrive home, empty the bag of candy on a table and inspect each and every piece of candy. Look for any open wrappers or punctures in the candy wrapper. If ever in doubt, just throw it out! Your child’s safety always comes first. Only allow your child to keep candy that has a wrapper. Any candy without a wrapper should immediately be thrown away.

Trick or Treat Right After School

If your child is still in elementary or middle school, always accompany him or her when trick or treating and go right after school is out. Most schools encourage kids to come to school dressed up in their costumes, so it’s just a matter of having a quick after school snack and heading out the door. Finish up your trick or treating activities by sunset.

In our modern times it’s extremely important for parents to discuss Halloween safety tips and rules for the evening of October 31 with their children of all ages. Make it clear to your kids why these rules are necessary — because they are for their protection.

Posted by Eve

Back to School Tips for Parents

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Now that summer is over and the kids are back to school, you might need some help getting back into the “back to school” routine — rising early, getting the kids off to school, picking them up, attending their sports games and more. Here are a few back to school tips for parents:

1) Have a talk with your kids. Explain that families must work together as a team in order to be functional. Everyone has a job to do to make things run smoothly.

2) Everyone’s clothing should be chosen the night before so that time is not wasted in the morning choosing an outfit. Pick one or two days out of the week to do laundry (like Sunday night) to ensure that the kids always have something clean to wear. If your children are over the age of 12, assign them laundry duty on an alternating schedule.

School Supplies

3) A great day begins with a balanced breakfast — try to put together a breakfast that has at least one protein and one vegetable to give your kids a good start. Everyone’s morning will be made much easier if the meal is already prepped in the refrigerator the night before school. For instance, you can bake bacon in the toaster oven the night before and then heat it up in the morning. Choose healthy foods that can be heated quickly in the toaster oven.

4) Make large dinners that can feed your family for more than one meal. For example, make an extra large lasagna and put the remaining lasagna into the freezer or refrigerator to be heated and eaten another day. If you always make large dinners you will spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family.

5) Get your children into the habit of completing their homework directly after school. After work is completed and checked by a parent, have each child place his or her backpack at the front door. Make them responsible for ensuring that all necessary items are placed in the school bag and ready for the next day.

6) Set up a “lunch line” on the kitchen counter right before bed, and have your children help out. You’re responsible for the sandwiches, one of the kids can put snacks in each lunch box and another packs it into the fridge. Turn it into family time — something that your kids will look forward to. Play some upbeat music and have a few non-sugary snacks available for them to enjoy (like chips and dip or salsa).

7) Purchase an alarm clock for each child. Then teach them how to set the clock as well as the alarm. Children love responsibility so give it to them. Explain that this is what adults have to do to be on time for work when they get older. It will also help them get prepared for college — a lot of kids are so used to having their mom wake them up for school that they have a hard time being on time when they’re on their own and need to attend classes.

8) Buy a large white dry erase board and detail each child’s responsibility before and after school. This way you as a parent are not repeating yourself on a daily basis regarding chores etc. Always remember to reward the child for completing all tasks that are on the board.

Use these back to school tips for parents to get your household in order this fall and beyond. The sooner you begin to organize your home, family and schedule, the better. Remember that children need to be raised with a sense of independence and taught not to completely rely on their parents — teach them early!

Posted by Eve

Image credit: Flickr/meddygarnet

Teaching Your Child About Bullies in School

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Here are some tips for teaching your child about bullies in school.

Sadly, these are the days of extreme bullying in and out of school. Now there’s even “cyber bullying ” on the internet.

Teaching our youth how to recognize a bully is challenging. Yet, it can be done! It is a great concern to all parents who send their kids to school and hope that they are not a victim of a bully. However, you can instill in your child not to be a victim.

Educate Them

First, this can be accomplished by giving them a true definition of a bully. What I told my children is that a bully is a weak and troubled individual. Meaning, he/she can be experiencing some form of mental and/or physical abuse at home and that bullying is there way of “venting” those frustrations. It is totally inappropriate and inexcusable to be bullied by anyone.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Making sure that you keep the daily lines of communication with your child is the most important step. Just don’t ask how was your day and accept a generic answer. Ask questions about classroom friends, lunch room habits and their trips home. All of this is asked while looking the child directly in the eye. No one but a parent is going to know if the child is being truthful or not. Talk to your child about the signs of a bully so that they have a better comprehension and can recognize the characteristics. In my opinion, some of the signs of a bully are:

– lack of empathy for others

– opportunist behavior (strikes when an adult is not looking)

– refuses to accept responsibility for wrong behaviors (the other person always deserves it)

– will not see another persons point of view

– enjoys inflicting pain and embarrassment to others

– is overly concerned with others showing them “respect”

– wants to be feared

– a very sore loser

– gets pleasure from always being in control

Teach Them to Lead, Not Follow

When you think about, it all bullies need professional help. Unfortunately, you are not the one who can help them. Yet, what you can do is make sure that your child is a leader and not a follower. Also, ensure that your child knows his or her own self worth. Make sure that they know that no one has the right to disrupt their  day to day confidence while in or out of school.

Your child must always be comfortable when speaking with you about any topic. Communication, whether it be at dinner, before bed, at breakfast or while watching television is paramount to any parents day to day knowledge of their child’s well being in and out of school. My only wish is that I hope this advice about teaching your child about bullies in school can inspire and enlighten parents to be more involved with their children.

 

Posted by Eve

How to Give Your Child the Best Chance at Succeeding in School

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Here are some thoughts on how you can give your child the best chance at succeeding in school.

Your child’s performance in school now can have long-term effects on his or her adult life. There are a few ways to ensure that you and your child navigate the current school term with great success. Some of these tips may seem challenging at first, but with perseverance each day will become easier.

Make Sure Your Child is Well Rested

When you send your young one to school with an inadequate amount of sleep it can interfere with their learning process. The child will become frustrated, cranky and/or sleepy by days end. All of this will block and hamper what the teacher is attempting to teach your child. By making sure that your child has a minimum of 8-10 hours of sleep on school nights is the first vital key to their daily success. It is best to maintain a routine of bedtime hours for your child. You may get some resistance in the beginning. Although, children do thrive with consistent behaviors and habits. Once their nightly routine is set in stone you will soon see a difference in their attentiveness and attitude while at school. As a result your child’s teacher will notice the difference and appreciate your efforts.

Limit Sugar and Caffeine Intake

Credit: Flickr; chefranden
Credit: Flickr; chefranden

There has been plenty of research on the effects of sugar and caffeine when introduced into a child’s daily diet. So, if your child is ingesting high amounts of caffeine and sugar on a regular basis, you may want to switch to healthier alternatives. If you give it a thought, it seems to be normal to start your child’s day with milk, cereal and a bit of orange juice. Yet, when you break it down all of those products contain high amounts of sugar. This will make your child begin the day with a sugar “rush”. The child’s mood and attention span will soon change as the sugar “rush” wears off.

Instead, try making your child a breakfast consisting of eggs, a side of fresh fruit and a bottled water or a freshly-made smoothie. The eggs are loaded with protein, the fresh fruit contains natural sugars and the bottled water provides them with hydration.

As for their school lunch, many parents opt for the kids to purchase lunch at school. It is important to know the school menu to ensure that they are eating the healthiest lunch possible. If your child has food allergies or issues contact your school to discuss what can be done. For those parents who prepare lunch on a daily basis, try switching to a more filling and healthier food. For example, avoid giving your child a juice box or caffeine-filled soda — instead give them a bottled water or freshly pressed juice with no added sugar. This will again keep them hydrated through the day. Instead of white bread use a whole grain bread to prepare sandwiches. As for a snack, try giving them celery sticks and peanut butter. With just a few changes to your child’s daily eating habits you can give them the brain power and energy to make their learning easier.

Stay Involved with Class Work, Homework and Projects

Make it a daily habit to give assistance and review your child’s homework every day. Be sure that they are comprehending their home work and school work. Remember, to have patience with them. Show them understanding. They have extremely long school hours and tire easily. Besides, stressful situations affects them as they do us as parents. Encourage them to do their best and complete their homework with care, but don’t push them to the point where they’ll be overwhelmed and stressed out every day.

Start with these basic tips for how to give your child the best chance at succeeding in school. In my opinion, a child’s path to success begins at home. The parent who is actively involved with their child’s nutrition and efforts at school is the parent whose child will have a greater chance at success — not just in school but in life as well.

Posted by Eve

Dating As a Single Parent

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Mother and child
© 1_womans_dream | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Dating as a single parent can be a lot more challenging than it first seems. I had experienced several dating failures — dating experiences that I believed were going to turn into serious relationships. My problem was that I introduced my children to my mate and was concerned about there emotional well being. I wanted them to mature and have healthy dating experiences of their own.

Since most of their behavior is learned from what they see and experience, I had to make drastic changes, immediately. So for me, the best way to devise a plan, was to ask myself two very important questions, answer them and then follow those answers to utter perfection. The questions were:

1- When do I discuss with my children that I am dating?

2- When do I tell my date, that I have children?

After hours of contemplation, I realized the answer to both my questions. The first questions answer was to only have a discussion with my kids when I was secure that the “dating” had successfully transitioned into a relationship. Then and only then, introductions would occur.

As for the second question, I made the decision from my heart. I am proud of and have unconditional love and respect for my children and I would NEVER exclude their existence in this world. So at each first date I would speak of my children with great admiration. I would then discuss my boundaries with regards to my children, should the dating turn into a serious relationship.

I found that by making these changes, I became more comfortable and secure when dating. I also developed confidence, that I could maintain a life outside of being a mother.

Posted by Eve

 

Keeping Kids Busy During Summer Months

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Parents, as we all know, find it challenging when children are on summer break to keep them entertained. My main problem with my own children was the lack of physical and mental activity. I did not want their health to suffer due to boredom. I was forced to think of affordable ideas to keep them active.

First, I telephoned my local YMCA to learn of any age appropriate camps offered. Realizing that I have a tight budget, I inquired if they were any programs to assist me financially with paying for the camp. Thankfully, there was! Then, I talked to my children to find out which day camp they wanted to attend and signed them up.

My second idea, was to research any local public swimming pools, that had weekend hours in my area. I felt that giving them a dose of vitamin D from the sun and providing proper sun screen protection would be healthy for them. With their youthful energy, they enjoyed playing and swimming for hours. To keep them energized, I brought a cooler that contained ice, bottled water, fruit, and homemade sandwiches to nourish them on my tight budget.

My third idea was to not only exercise their body but their mind as well. So, I decided to take them to the public library to choose a book of their choice. I gave them a task of reading at least two chapters a day. We would later discuss in detail the chapters that they read at dinner. By doing this, it insured me that they comprehended and could verbalize what they had read.

Summer months can be extremely difficult. With a little thought and research, I found fun and affordable activities to keep them entertained. I was happy that, they were not sitting around the house for months, miserable. A nice plus at the end of the day, was that they were so exhausted, they went to sleep by 8:30. Yeah!! More time for mommy!!