My husband and I both work full time. We want to teach our children, that when you work hard, one can achieve a lot. We don’t have the opportunity to go on family vacations each year, but when we do go on a vacation, we try and teach our children that from working hard, we were able to go on a great vacation and have an amazing time. My children receive a very small allowance each month, but in order for them to get it; they have to do their responsibilities each day. Their responsibilities are things like: keeping their  bed rooms tidy each day. Putting their clothes in the laundry each day and taking their plates and cups to the kitchen after meal time. We don’t eat out at restaurants often as it can get very pricey. When they come home with their report cards each term, regardless of their grades, provided we know that they worked hard to achieve the grade what ever it is, that night we will take them out for dinner to celebrate. We are not trying to be cruel parents, but rather teach our children that luxuries are not things that are just given on a daily basis, but should also be earned. We don’t expect things to ever be perfect. We encourage hard work to get far in life. We never compare them to each other or to other children, but encourage them to do the best that they can do for themselves. We teach our kids to appreciate life and we celebrate passionately.

 My 6 year old daughter has  adjusted well to grade one and going to school five full days a week, plus a little bit of daily homework. However that seems to be enough for her. On Saturdays we do swimming in the mornings, as swimming is a “have to do”. For safety reasons, all kids have no choice but to learn how to swim properly on their own. She is really enjoying the swimming a lot, and at the moment it does not feel like it is a chore. She has no interest to do dance, gymnastics, skating, karate or any other extra curriculum. She loves to play with her princesses and Barbie’s and creates wonderful imaginative games. She loves play dates and socializing with all her new friends that she has from grade one.

Personally I am not worried and feel it’s wonderful that my daughter actually wants to be a kid. She swims on a Saturday which is something, and better than doing no physical fitness programs. I feel that a lot of children are ‘pushed’ into doing so many extra curricular activities both after school and on weekends, that they have no time to be a kid. I will always encourage the other programs, but not force them, as I want them to come from my daughter as her choice and enjoyment, and not for it to be a chore. In the meantime she will enjoy doing a little bit of a fitness program, and use her creative imagination and while loving the joys of childhood.

Call us cruel parents, but our children who are now 6yrs old and 9 yrds old, have never ever been allowed to sleep in our bed. Were they perfect sleepers as infants, not at all. They were actually terrible sleepers as new borns and babies. But each time they woke up no matter how exhausted I was, they were put back into their own beds. Even if they had a bad dream or still do, and come to tell us in the middle of the night. We walk them back to their own beds. I am very close to both my children and now that they are a bit older they enjoy their sleep in the comfort of their own beds.

Childhood can be both very exciting, and very challenging. It is very important to have a positive approach to our child’s world.

Our children never stop learning. Each stage of their life brings new learning and growing opportunities.When our children are babies, they discover new sounds, sights and movements. Babies absorb so many new things each day. They become excited, when learning something new; it takes them to each new stage of development. Babies learn to roll over and start to reach toys by themselves. They learn to sit upright, they learn to crawl, stand and walk by themselves. As they enter these new stages of development, they learn a sense of self confidence and independence. They also learn to wave and clap their hands. Babies make different sounds and noises; they smile, gurgle and laugh. It is the most precious moment for a parent, when a baby smiles and laughs for the first time.

Being a toddler and entering preschool age is certainly a very exciting time along with different challenges. It is a time when children explore new avenues. They learn to communicate and express themselves; they begin this by pointing to what they want and also using a certain amount of sign language. They develop sounds, words, and slowly start putting words together to form sentences, until they are able to communicate properly with an adult. They discover how to play with different toys. They learn to use their imagination, and also learn how to interact and socialize with other children..

School age is a new chapter in our children’s lives. This stage of a child’s life is challenging. Exciting and rewarding. Parents and care givers should encourage school and learning to be a positive experience. Each challenge should be approached calmly and one should always encourage the “doors of communication” to be open. .

We need to be excited with our children, about each stage of their lives. As our children develop in life, and approach each new challenge that they are faced with, we need to instil a strong sense of self confidence and self respect as well as respect for others, within our children.

Each child is unique, and each child has their own ‘special’ quality in themselves, that he/her will excel in, in life. As parents, care givers, teachers and child care workers, it is important to bring out the best in each child, so that each child can “blossom’ in life.

On Saturday mornings I take my children to swimming lessons. Fortunately in Canada, there are lots of indoor swimming pools at the community centres and fitness clubs and one can have the opportunity to take their children swimming no matter what season it is.

Over here they teach children to swim in different Red Cross levels. Each level requires the children to learn different swimming techniques and to complete the level by the end of the 8-10 week session. If they do complete the level they are then able to move to the next Red cross Swim level and also receive a Red Cross badge. Unfortunately they have changed the requirements in the swimming levels and made it a little more difficult to complete each level.

Personally I think there are more disadvantages then advantages for a child to learn how to swim this way. Firstly, instead of encouraging children to want to learn to swim and have great confidence when swimming, it can really do the opposite. Secondly they do not actually learn how to be safe in the water by themselves or even learn to swim properly until they’ve completed the first 4 - 5 levels. This may actually take quite a few years.

When I was young the first thing they taught us to do was tread water and “doggy paddle”. At least if you fell in the water you knew how to do something. After that, we were taught the techniques of swimming.

A lot of young children have trouble putting their faces in the water. So each time they do not do this, they fail completing the level. Of course this does not help their desire to swim or their confidence.

If you do have a child that is afraid to put their face in the water, don’t make an issue of it. Give swimming a break for awhile, and I promise as they mature they will do it on their own.

Try not to make swimming lessons such a chore, rather let your children have fun and enjoy the water.  I hope that all your children learn how to swim like a fish.

We all want to do what’s best for our children. Sometimes parents don’t realize that what they are doing can be detrimental to their children.

You hear of Sam, the little boy that was never allowed even the slightest bit of sugar in his diet. His parents only wanted him to eat healthy food. That sounds alright, nothing wrong with that. However when Sam turned 3 years old, he was invited to a friend’s birthday party, and while all the other children ran around and played and had fun, Sam sat at the snack table guzzling down the candy that he had never tasted before. Of course giving candy to your children daily is unhealthy, however anything in moderation is okay, and a very small treat once a week is acceptable to give.

It’s the same with discipline. The child that is screamed at daily for every tiny thing that the parents feel they do wrong, will cause them to turn into an anxious child. The child who never hears the word no, will be the type of child that people dread having over to their house, as they become destructive and unpleasant to be around. The best thing to do is to choose your battles, but to teach your children to be respectful and to teach them the difference between right and wrong. Give them lots of praise and self confidence, but don’t let them be your boss, show them that you are in charge.

It also applies to things like too much programming or too little programming of your school age child. Children already spend a full week at school and are basically there for a whole day. Some children go to school a full day and their parents put them into a different extra curriculum activity each night and all weekend.  Those children are sometimes so over programmed, not only do they not have time to relax and be kids for awhile, but they also burn our before they are even teenagers. Other children do not activities after school and nothing on the weekend either. You know your child best. If you think that too many activities in the week as well as full days of school each day is too much for your child, then at least do one activity or two activities on the weekend. Try and pick an activity that your child wants to do, and will have fun and that they don’t feel like it’s a chore. If you feel your child is the type that needs to be busy constantly, then instead of always putting them into programs make time for play dates as socialization is also very important. kids.

You know your child the best and what would work for your child’s needs. Although it is not always easy, try and create a balanced situation for your child. Anything in extreme is not healthy and can do a lot of harm to our children without us realizing it.

When my oldest child was born, a nurse gave me the best advice she said, despite all the advice from doctors, friends, family members, books and the internet, the best advice to follow is your mother’s instinct.

You will always have lots of questions to ask your paediatrician about your child and by all means listen to the advice. There are so many books out there today and each one will give you a different opinion on childcare topics. You will also probably be comparing notes with your friends, and ask them questions about their children and the different stages of development. People seem to think they are experts, and are quick to judge and criticize and give you lots of advice on parenting your child. You are the mother of this child and you will get to know your child’s personality and needs, and you will be the best judge and know the best way to deal with different situations and circumstances with your child.

No two children are the same. Every child has their own unique personality; even identical twins have different personalities. Every child develops differently and at their own pace, some walk earlier than others, some talk earlier than others Therefore we know that as parents we have to address the needs of each child differently.

Some children are easy going and uncomplicated, other children may have a more challenging personality. Some children are more outgoing, some children are shyer. Some children get more anxious about change; other children aren’t bothered with change. Nobody knows their child better than their mother. We are the ones that know what makes our child happy or sad.

So no matter how many people are ready to help and give advice to you about your child, use your mothers instinct and you do what’s best for your child

A lot of the time yes. Of course each child has a different personality and sometimes it’s the way we approach situations with our children that cause them to react in certain ways.

However if we are very anxious parents, and if we tend to be anxious about most situations that our children are in, then absolutely we will cause nervous and anxious children. Children feed off our emotions.

If we are relaxed parents and we approach each new and challenging situation that our children are in, in a calm and positive manner, then our children will feel calm about their new situations.

When your children are small, and experience situations like new daycares, or preschools, one must remember that this it is as equally new for your child as it is for the parents. I understand that change is not easy and that we all want our little children to be happy in their new situations. Parents must remember that just like an adult takes time to adjust and settle in to new situations, so does a child.

When your little one is adjusting to their new daycare or preschool environment, parents must be prepared for adjustment time. Always make your goodbyes quick as the quicker one leaves the quicker your child’s attention can be redirected and they can settle down easily into their new environment.

This also applies to your children from kindergarten right through the elementary grades and high school too. It even applies to your children who become young adults and approach university and after that have to go for their first job interview.

Parenting is not always easy and no one gave us a manual to follow. However a lot of children’s problems and anxiety’s comes from their parents own doing. So try and relax on your journey during parenting, and approach each step calmly and positively.

From the time our children are babies, it is important to communicate with them. Our little children understand more than we think they do. Don’t change the way you speak to your baby or toddler, don’t talk in a different tone of voice, and don’t talk down to them.

Don’t speak to them like they are little robots. Be yourself, and your little one will understand you.

From as early as kindergarten, and then right through the grades and especially during high school days, keep the lines of communication open.

When talking to your children each day, ask very specific questions. Ask them things like what did you learn in math today, or did you have a good day or a bad day and then get them to elaborate. Ask them questions such as did you play with Sally at recess? If your child is in high school ask questions such as which close friends did you hang out with at recess.

Teach your children from a young age, not to be afraid to talk to you if things are bothering them. If you ever notice your child seems to be sad, or just not their regular happy selves, approach them with lots of questions. If your teenager does not want to speak to you, leave it alone, but let them know you are there for them to turn to if need be.

Your child must know that it’s important to talk to you if they experience any form of social, verbal or physical bullying. Teach your children to be strong, to stand up for their rights and generally that bullies pick on other children, because they have very low sense of self esteem, are very insecure, and that most bullies try make themselves feel better by making other children feel bad. If bullying ever becomes a more serious issue, contact your child’s school principal immediately.

As children grow up and become teenagers they are exposed to a lot of things in the world today, that us as parents never were when we were their age.

Young children are exposed to smoking, alcohol, drugs and sex at a very young age. They are also exposed to the internet and various chat lines that aren’t always safe for our children.

It is therefore important for parents to be a step ahead of their children’s friends and that we educate our children about what is going on in the world today, and that we teach them to make responsible decisions.

It is also important that we teach them that we will not judge them and that if they make incorrect decisions for themselves and that we are the first people that they must always turn to for help. Unfortunately in the world today there are many “sick” people that do horrible things to children , therefore it is important to street wise and educate our children as best as we possibly can.