Let Love Be Your Guide in Correcting Your Child's Behaviour

Do you feel like your child's behaviour is uncontrollable? If you do, fret not. Most single parents feel that way. Such feeling springs from the fact that single parent families are much harder to manage than dual parent families. Needless to say, it can be addressed as soon as you come ways to correct your child's behavior. And in doing so, disciplining your child with love and logic is what will work best. Read the following insights that can help you get started on this.

#1 Value your child. An effective mother always treats  her child as a valued and worthwhile person. Always have the intention to build your child's self-esteem through honest praise for doing a job well done. Correct him lovingly and sparingly. Let him learn from his own mistakes instead of instructing him what to do all the time.  Give your child age-appropriate activities that can help him  to be independent.
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#2 Nurture your child. Display your love to your child constantly and consistently. You can do this through positive touch therapy - hugs, kisses, tapping and holding him close. Train him to be a good child by supporting him in everything he does and providing words of encouragement all the time.

#3 Teach your child. Challenge him to grow cognitively, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. Be flexible in teaching important academic, scientific and life lessons. Children pick up what their parents do more than what their parents say. Therefore, you must lead a positive life in front of your child's eyes.

#4 Discipline your child. Practice a compassionate, consistent and an honest discipline for your child's well-being. Avoid being quick-tempered, holding grudges or keeping records of wrong. Create rules that are clear and easy for your child to follow. Be gentle and patient in discipline your child and don't forget to provide him moral reasoning.

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Six Top Tips for First-Time Horse Owners

Horse ownership can be a frustrating experience for both owner and horse if you don’t think carefully about it beforehand. It is a huge responsibility in terms of the time and money needed. Taking good care of your equine companion will include, among other things, yearly immunizations, regular dental care, hoof care and parasite control.

These responsibilities notwithstanding, horse ownership is a most rewarding experience. But the right horse must be matched to the right owner. For the match to be successful, the owner’s goals and equestrian ability must be taken into account.

Are you currently thinking about choosing a suitable horse for your family? Here are a few tips that will help you find just the right horse for you.

1. Learn horse riding – Do you know the right way to ride a horse? This is different from sitting on a horse while someone leads it around. Invest in some riding lessons so you and your horse can be safe and comfortable.

2. Consider all possible expenses – Horses are expensive pets. Apart from the high cost of buying one in the first place, their maintenance demands a big budget. Think about the money you will need to spend on feed, bedding, vet check-ups, stabling, horseshoe maintenance and the other supplies which every horse needs.

3. Take a professional with you – Once you have decided to buy a horse, take an equine trainer with you to see him. He can check whether your prospective horse is healthy and whether it rides well.

4. Know the horse’s history – Ask the seller about the horse’s previous owner and the reason he is being sold. You can also ask for the horse’s registration papers. If possible, ask the seller for the contact numbers of the horse’s farrier and veterinarian. This will help you find out about any health issues the seller might be keeping from you.

5. Handle the horse yourself – Instead of riding the horse right away, lead him around as he leaves the stall. Watch how the seller or owner groom or tack him up so you can spot any behavioral issues.

6. Ask the seller to ride the horse before you do – The seller will be happy to ride the horse if it has no problems. Observe how the horse moves and behaves while being ridden.

When all these things check out, you have probably found yourself a great horse. Make sure you continue to treat him well, providing all his needs and giving him plenty of love and attention. You will have then have a companion you and your family can enjoy for a very long time.

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Anger 101: Solving Your Children's Heart Issues

Anger is one of the heart issues which children face as they grow up. Anger is a normal emotion that can help children see what is fair and what is not. However, it becomes a destructive emotion when it causes children to act aggressively and uncontrollably. 

Children need the help of their parents and other adults in order to deal with anger in a healthy manner. Anger management can bring many benefits to children and their families. Keen to know how this can be done? Check out the following tips.

Respond to anger correctly – Children simply copy what their parents do. If you respond to anger calmly, your children are most likely to do the same. Talk about your children's anger in a creative way. Use symbolism – an exploding volcano or a dragon breathing fire will do. Also, don't judge your children because of their anger. Explain to them that their anger is what you hate and not them.



Find the causes of children’s anger – Observe how your children react in certain situations.Take note of the things that trigger them to get mad. Give them a gentle pat on their backs as soon as you see signs of anger. The common signs of anger among children include clenched fists, tightness in their bodies, verbal outbursts and hitting out.
 
Encourage them to work on a goal – Make it their goal to avoid being angry. You must explain to them that they can be angry but only at a certain extent. Have a chart on the that gauges the level of anger they feel. Praise them whenever they are able to keep their anger at an acceptable level. Positive words help children deal with anger better.

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Best Ways to Start Your New Year Right

With every turn of the year, each of us is given the opportunity to make things right in our lives. This opportunity is best realized by changing the things that affect your life's quality instead of creating resolutions which can add more stress in your life. Are you clueless of these changes? The following tips can help you get started with them.



Keep in touch with your spiritual side – Say a little prayer when you rise up in the morning and before you retire at night. Commune with nature and appreciate its beauty. Be thankful of all the things you have and don’t have at the moment.

Speak sweeter – Make your relationships with family and friends better. Try your best to get along with them despite your differences. Tell them that you love and care for them. Be honest with your comments and responses to them.

Do a media fast – Convert the hours you spend surfing the net and watching TV to craft, reading or writing time. Involve your family and friends in it. This will increase your creativity level and strengthen the bond between you and your loved ones.

Clear your environment – How is your physical environment going? Is it disorganized? Declutter your space. Organize your files. Straighten up your bills and other accountabilities. Before starting with your work, take at least ten minutes to put everything around you in order.

Buy a pet or a plant – Caring for a pet or a plant can help you to be emotionally well. This is especially true when depressing things have occurred to you in the past year. A pet or plant can turn your hurts and pains into joy.

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Holiday Diet Tips for You and Your Children

Keep your diet intact during the holidays is definitely a challenge. You must have a plan if you want to handle it right without missing any holiday get-together. In connection to this, the proper mindset to have is to allow yourself to eat all your favorite food in sensible portions. 

Be picky – If you’re in a buffet, try only dishes that aren’t usually available in your kitchen year in and year out. This will keep you from gorging on every dish served on the table. 

Chew gum – Are you in charge of the cooking? If yes, you’re most likely give into the temptation of eating every now and then. Chewing a sugarless gum will keep you from eating while cooking.

Don’t skip meals – Some people starve themselves for the whole day when they’re attending a dinner party. If you do this, you will have the tendency to overeat. Eat normally on the day of the dinner party. Eat a full breakfast, a light lunch and a small snack before the dinner party starts.

Ignore the appetizers – Eat some fruits, nuts or salads Instead of appetizers. This will help you keep watch of the calories even before the main course begins.

Don close-fitting clothes – Close-fitting clothes require you to suck your stomach in all the time. When you’re busy holding your tummy in, you will be conscious about the amount of food you put on your plate. Hence, you will eat less.

Add fun activities – Kids and adults will simply focus on the buffet table if there’s nothing to do in the party. Incorporate dancing, games and indoor or outdoor activities that everyone will enjoy.

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Depression in Early Childhood: Know Its Warning Signs

It is a fact that depression can begin in early childhood. Depression comes with warning signs. These symptoms can be observed in your children no matter how young they are.

Preschool children undergoing depression usually exude unexplained shyness and physical criticisms. Moreover, depressed young boys display anger while depressed young girls display sadness.

Young as they are, children aren’t able to express their feelings clearly – especially through words. Their depression may be caused by extreme fear about something or someone. They could express this by clinging tightly on their parents; not going to school or anywhere outdoors; and complaining about physical pain even with the lack of medical cause.

Apart from these, depression among young children may surface in the form of irritability. Medical and psychological experts see irritability as a key warning sign of depression among children. Irritability comes with varied facers – outbursts of anger, moodiness and negative behaviour or inappropriate reactions. When children are irritable, they are less likely to gain pleasure from play and interaction with other children their age. Thus, irritability in your children must be neglected at any rate. 

If you suspect your child of having depression, bring him to a pediatrician right away. A pediatrician is capable of determining any physical illness that causes the depression. Have his mental health checked if he turns out negative of any physical sickness. You will be able to know whether he has a mood disorder or not. Consider all appropriate treatments you can afford if he’s diagnosed to have depression.

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Effective Tips on Getting Your Children Do Homework

Even though kids do not like doing homework, they have to endure the process until they graduate high school if not college. Getting into a rhythm of great homework habits is difficult to start but it is achievable. However, you must take the extra effort to help your kids on this task before they can do it on their own.

Use a planner – This will be useful in planning out your kids’ tasks daily. When their homework are itemised in a planner according to deadlines, kids will not feel overwhelmed and so they will be encouraged to finish them bit by bit.

Stir clear of after school activities – It is important to face the fact that homework requires many hours to be completed. Thus, your kids must be free of after-school activities which eat much of their time and energy. If they have music lessons or sports, schedule it during the weekend.

Have a routine – Believe it or not, kids are comforted by routine. Routine makes them confident that they are in control of everything. After getting home from school, let your kids eat and rest for a couple of hours. Then, prod them to do their homework.

Create a homework  area – Do you have a study room in your house? If you don’t setting up a study area would be fine. It can be in their room, kitchen or living room. Just make sure that it’s free from distractions like computer games, loud music and TV.

Include breaks – Doing homework for long hours is strenuous. Allow your kids to stand, stretch and break away from their desk for a few minutes. Short breaks will keep them from getting bored or exhausted and losing concentration.

This video might help if you need more insights on this topic.

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