Here’s a language learning game that helps children understand how objects are related.

Materials: Handy household and clothing items which have something in common (such as their use) but which also have basic differences:

Some examples:
tissue – handkerchief
pen – pencil
comb – brush
fork – spoon
shoe – boot
glove – mitten
glass – cup
paper clip – rubber band

Select one item and ask a child to: “Find the one that goes with this.”
When she makes a selection, you can ask “How are the items alike?” and “How are they different?’
You can add or subtract items, or increase the difficulty by making the similarities a bit harder to understand. Thinking and reasoning is definitely required.

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Here’s a game you can play anywhere, anytime — riding in the car, waiting in line or at the doctor’s office.
Think of two common objects and ask your child which one is bigger”
A grape or an apple?
A cat or a cow?
A house or a bicycle?
When this gets old, or you can’t think of any more objects, switch the game by asking which is littler?
Finally, give your child a turn and be patient at some of the more bizarre combinations. That’s the way kids learn.

Discipline is our way of teaching children about safety and societal norms.
Whatever type of discipline parents choose, the key is that some form of it is essential.
When you are faced with a two-year-old who is throwing a temper tantrum, or who is being unkind to a playmate:

1. Be specific. Instead of vague instructions like, “Cut it out,” use specific ones like: “Don’t take Jeremy’s toys. It’s not nice.”

2. Use body language. Move next to your child, put a hand on her shoulder, make eye contact.

3. Toddlers like to say the word “no.” So, avoid the word as much as you can when dealing with the child. Instead save “no” for times when you describe unacceptable behavior.

4. With older children, set guidelines in advance. If your child knows the consequences of his misbehavior, he will think twice about acting up.

5. Be consistent, even when it’s hard to follow through. Children need to know their parents’ word is good—for punishments and for rewards.

Here are some suggestions that will lead to good experiences for children before they attend school.

1. Be consistent in your enforcement of rules, but be certain that your rules can be defined, that they are reasonable and enforceable.
Rules in the home help children feel more secure and comfortable when they meet rules in the school and community.

2. Permit children to be wrong, make mistakes and even fail sometimes. Children learn by doing, rather than by absorbing the experiences of others. Making mistakes is one basis for future independence, self-direction and intelligent decision-making.

3. Keep promises. Children develop cause-and-effect relationships when they know that they can anticipate the consequences.

4. Resist the temptation to over-organize or over-structure children’s free time with lessons, sports or other activities.
Children need time to “kick cans,” be leisurely and work through problems with play.

What parent wouldn’t love to have a day off to enjoy the quiet, enjoy being alone, and enjoy the freedom from chores and schedules?
The effects of pleasant experiences can last for several days and can provide you a new perspective on your role as a parent—energizing you to face your daily life anew.

Here are five ways to relax and get rid of some of the stress of everyday living.
• Don’t have time to read? Borrow a book on tape from the library. Listen to it in the car or while you’re doing chores (on a personal player).
• Simplify your life. Cut back on less-important obligations by saying “no.”
Instead of crowding in activities for your children, engage in simple activities at home—like playing board games, blowing bubbles outside, or playing “tag.”
• Keep something special on hand just for you. If may be favorite cookie, flavored coffee, or fresh fruit. Pamper yourself.
• Get up early one morning a week. Before the family is awake, block off some time to read, pay bills, watch the sunrise, enjoy a cup of coffee, or take a long shower. What a way to start the day!
• Get in touch with an old friend. Call or write and set up a date for lunch or just to talk on the telephone. It’s good to talk about shared experiences and what’s going on in your present life with someone you know well.

Just making a conscious effort to slow down, reduce stress and enjoy the simple things of life can benefit everyone in your household.

The child you care for may be your own, a family member’s, or your employer’s. In any case, these early years are critical when it comes to setting the child up for success. You likely know that reading to your child matters. But do you know why? Or when to start? If you have questions about reading, this guide will provide the information you need.

Why Reading Matters

You want your child to succeed in school—at least, most caregivers do. The most important thing you can do to promote literacy and a love for learning is to read to your child. In addition to these benefits, reading also offers these advantages:

• A greater bond between child and caregiver. When you approach reading as a nurturing activity rather than a chore, you allow time for you and the child to bond. This kind of interaction is irreplaceable.
• Improved speech development. When the child listens to you read, he or she picks up on the basic sounds of language. Over time, this will result in greater speech development and communication skills.
• Understanding of how books and reading works. Believe it or not, your child doesn’t have the innate knowledge that books read left to right. By reading to your child early on, you’ll help to prepare him or her for school.
• Improved logic skills. The right books will allow your child to recognize cause and effect. As he or she begins to grasp abstract concepts, his or her logic skills will improve.
• A love for reading. A child who loves to read will find greater enjoyment from school and education. When children develop a love for reading, they carry this trait through their lives.

As you can see, plenty of advantages come from reading to a child. If you want to instill traits that lead to academic excellence, reading is a great way to get started.

When to Start Reading

Now you know why to read to your child, but when should you start? Research shows that it is never too early! Even newborns can benefit from having a book read to them. A newborn won’t understand the words you say. However, the tone and rhythm of your voice will prepare him or her for later language and reading skills.

Most importantly, reading to your newborn allows the child to respond. Over time, you may begin to notice the infant moving his limbs to the rhythm of your voice. This type of interaction allows the child to sense his or her surroundings and react to them. It also helps the child understand and respond to emotions. The fluctuation of your voice will help the child understand that different words have meaning.

Finally, reading a book to your child presents him with visual stimuli. Over time, he or she may begin to recognize shapes, colors, and letters.

How to Find the Best Books

As you prepare to read to your child, the last step involves finding the best books for allowing the development we’ve discussed. Make sure to consider these factors when you make your next trip to the library:

• Quality Illustrations. As we’ve mentioned, the illustrations on a page allow for visual stimulus. As you shop, look for books with a variety of colors and shapes. Make sure that the text and pictures complement each other to aide in your child’s understanding.
• Age Appropriateness. As much as you love the Harry Potter series, your child may not be ready for that level of maturity just yet. Your best resource here will be consulting with other parents to find out what books are age appropriate for your child. If all else fails, you can always read the book first to ensure its appropriateness.
• A Good Story. In order to help your child understand cause and effect, you want to choose books with strong morals. That being said, the books should also sound interesting and well-written if you want your child to enjoy being read to.

With these tips, you’ll be well on your way to finding the best books for your child. And remember, if you haven’t read to your child yet, it’s never too late to start! Take advantage of the developmental benefits and pick up a book with your child today.

How does a child perceive what is said?

An adult usually knows that people don’t mean it when they say, “I could just kill him for doing that.”
But children—especially young children—often have not had enough experience to know that what someone says is not always to be taken literally.
Young children also tend to take things at face value and to be concrete and specific in their way of looking at things.

An example is the child who came home from a birthday party in tears because the hostess showed him to his seat and asked him to “sit there for the present.” But, as he told his mother, she never did give him a present!

So, what does a child understand when he hears, “Stop that or I’ll break your arm.” Or “When I get you home, I’ll pull your nose off.”
How can we be sure that that the child won’t believe the threat and be afraid the adult will break his arm?

There is another side of the story. When the threat is not carried out and the child does not have his nose pulled off, he begins to learn that nothing happens because of his problem behavior.

So, take a minute to listen to what you say to your child. It may not be what you mean to say at all.

While there are many influences which shape a child’s personality, it is the family and the home which set the dominant tone. Here are several ways for parents to instill courtesy in their children.

• Start with ‘please’ and ‘thank you’.
The first polite term a child can be taught to use is the word “please.” That should quickly be followed by “thank you.”

Letitia Baldrige, author of The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette, tells how to do it: “As he begins to form words and stick out his cup for more milk, whoever is feeding him should ask him, ‘Say ‘Please?’ and eventually back will come the word, “Please.”
‘Thank you’ follows along right after ‘Please.’ As the child develops verbally, his parents should teach him to say ‘thank you’ for each meal, car ride, toy or cookie offered to him.”

When these two phrases are reinforced consistently, a time will come when the child will automatically say, “Please” and “Thank you” to the various people with whom he will be in social contact: scout troop leaders, waiters, nurses, physicians, teachers, bus drivers, friends and store clerks.

• Use everyday experiences
An effective way to teach manners and set standards in the home is to use everyday experiences. For example:
• Require children to wash hands before eating.
• Train children to wait until everyone has been served before starting to eat.
• Encourage a child not to interrupt when someone else is speaking.
• Explain that is it not polite to speak with your mouth full.
• Teach a child that if she cannot reach an item on the table, to ask the person nearest it to please pass the plate or bowl.
• Remind a child to say, “excuse me” if he must leave the table.
• At the end of the meal, everyone should thank the person(s) who prepared the food.

Of course, parents think that ‘slime’ is gross, and that’s probably the truth!

But kids love to mess around with it, and sometimes play like they’re “sculpting.”

Here’s how to make your own slime:

Start with a quantity of water, and slowly add cornstarch, mix­ing with your hand (or your child’s hand). Add enough cornstarch so that the slime feels wet when you’re pour­ing it, but feels dry when touched. Color can be used but do it first by adding powdered tempera to cornstarch before mixing or add food color to the water before mixing.

Is this really art? Who knows, but the kids enjoy it enormously!