Parenting: Getting your child to bed on time

I talk to many parents who struggle to get their child to bed, especially in the early years age 2-4. This is something every parent goes through.

Something I did to get my son on a standard sleeping habit was laying him down in the crib and walking away. This is hard for a lot of parents. It was hard for me. The first dozen times he cried his eyes out for over an hour. I would go check on him, make him a bottle. Since your child will scream, they will get dehydrated. When you fill them up with milk they will get sleepy.

Here's the important part. Your child has to see that you're not going to baby them. If you do then you're going to have that child that screams at wallmart when you don't get them a toy. You don't want that.

It is a heartbreaking week or two, but after a little while your child will see when you leave them in the crib and tell them that it is time for bed, you mean it.

After a while of doing this to my son, when I brought him to bed and told him it was time to sleep - he immdiatly laid down and closed his eyes before I left the room.

We need to use disipline. Society nowdays tries to cuddle us so much and let people do whatever they want, but this is not good, especially for our kids. We don't need to be too hard on them, but we do need to understand how to raise our children to not take life for granted.

Parenting: Breaking the Shy

When I was young I was pretty much an only child. I had two older brothers, but one left to head to collage and the other moved out. They were both much older than I was. I've noticed for the most part the first born or only child tend to be more shy.

I was very shy. I often played by myself. I do not regret any of it because it helped shape my creative mind. I aspire to be an author. However, under social circumstances I was very shy.

My son is five and I see him falling into the same trap. From the age of 1 until he was 4 he stayed home with either my stepmom or I out in the country.

When I put him in preschool, he was very shy. Barely talking to anybody. Over the last two years I've broken him of most of it.

There is one thing here I would like to share with you.

Make him ask.

That's it. Simple answer. I always make my son ask and use please as well as thank you, but that is a subject for another time. This asking is if we are at someone's house and he tells me he's thirsty. I tell him oh well, you can always ask for a drink.

I also do this to him at resturants. He has to ask for his drink refil, bbq sauce, ketchup, and the like. At first he wouldn't do it, but he realized daddy wasn't going to get it for him and he had to ask.

Now he does so much better, and I've noticed his social skills with other children has improved as well where he will ask them for things.

-Craig A. Price

Games for kids: Parcheesi

So the other day I played Parcheesi with my son for the first time. I had never played the game before, and had a blast learning it with my son. He ended up beating me at the end, but I was one space away with my last man! This is a great game for children, it's difficult to learn, but once you do it is fast paced and brilliant. The game is from India and is awesome. 

Last weekend I went to a thrift store, since I'm not rich and all. I love walking around and seeing what they have. Especially old things. I'm also a sucker for board games. Well, guess what? I found tons of them. I got parcheesi for $1.50, as well as a tetris game, thinkblot, cranium, and cranium junior. As well as several others, like my son's favorite game Candy Land. This was great for me and I loaded my cart up. 

The problem with society these days is that they give their kids everything. I've often heard complaints of children buying a ton of apps on iphones or ipads. All I can think is, why? Why do you give your child these electronic devices? I know family that has given their children computers before the age of 10, and two or three of their own gaming systems. And parents often wonder how these new generations aren't as smart? Why do they fail at English, when all they do is learning shortcuts in texting? 

When I grew up, I played board games with my family, cards, croquet. This is how it should be. Instead, parents aren't finding time for their children to play with them. So instead they give them electronics. Now, I'm not saying keep your child completely away from electronics. There are Leapfrogs, and V'Tech that made excellent tablets. They are for children, and teach counting, math, and reading as well as thinking skills. I let my son play that, although I don't all the time. He plays some games, but most are older like from the super nintendo, or atari. I know children in my son's school the same age of him that have their own ipad. I can't even afford an ipad for myself, and these children have their own. It took me several years of tablets before I was finally able to get my ASUS. 

Are you a parent? When was the last time you played a board game with your child? Do you not do it enough? How about instead of getting them set up with a cartoon or video game, you pull out an old board game. You'd be surprised how fast they can learn, and how much fun they will have! My son is 5, and already is a master a parcheesi, and has learned several other games. It teaches them counting and thinking skills that will help them in school. 

-Craig A. Price

Educational Kid Series: "Your baby can read"

Your baby can read?

It's a great concept for wanting to teach your child to read at such a young age. Does it work? No. Your baby can't read. This program/DVD series will not teach your young one reading. Will they learn words? - Yes. They will use their brain to determine the sight of the word and match it to the sight of an object or person. It is helpful for you child to learn sight words. Very helpful, and yet it is frustrating when they begin to learn how to read.

This is why it is frustrating for your child, who has already learned sight words, when beginning to read. They want to learn the word, rather than trying to sound it out. Once sight words have already been introduced, it is difficult to get them to try and sound out new words with pronunciation.

Would I recommend the program to others? Yes, I think education is the utmost importance for children, yet I recommend that when you do this, especially if you have the word cards - that you do so by sounding out the word cards with your child, rather than bluntly saying the word. It is important they your child realizes that each letter makes a distinct sound.

I have tried this with my own son, and it has worked well, though he's still working on pronouncing words. He has learned sight words very well, but I still have much to accomplish in order to get him to read. However, a friend of mine has a young child that's primary language is Spanish, and she is learning very well with it. She is writing down each word as it appears on the screen and is learning English very well with it.
My rating for this program is 7/10 - for learning sight words. Depending on how much effort you put into it, you can get your child to learn more than just sight of them. This opinions are representing only what I have learned on my own, with my own child.

-Craig A. Price

Educational Kid Series: Preschool Prep

Preschool Prep

Does this series work? How well does your child react to it? I have found excellent results with this program. Probably the best results out of everything I've tried. It has separate videos for colors, shapes, numbers, and words. All of these videos are very annoying for us adults. The letter or words move around the screen with scenery around them and fancy colors. The letter or word is constantly repeated until embedded in their brain.  You'll get tired of hearing "a, a, a, ehyyyyyy", but your child will learn. I've seen some parents complain that their child won't watch it. My son had no problems watching it, in fact he'd love when I turned it on. I believe the people who have problems with it are those who let their children watch garbage TV and cartoons, instead of educational. When children are young I find it very important to only show them educational cartoons anyway. It's the best way to expand their minds and have them learn. There are plenty out there like Brainy Baby, Einstein, Preschool Prep here, or even things like School House Rock and Magic School Bus.

Sight words work very well with this series. There are three of them with various simple words like "a", "the", "but", etc. A pause occurs after the word is put up on the screen and after your child watches it a few times, they will often say it before the video does. It does work, but remember they only learn it as a sight word. This does not mean your child can read.

Overall, I have been really impressed with the sight words, letters, and numbers videos of 'Preschool Prep'. I highly recommend using it for your child right before entering preschool. Your child will already know a handful of words entering school and it will be easier for them to continue learning.
-Craig

What ever happened to the good cartoons: School House Rock

Does anybody else remember Conjunction Junction? This show is one of the best for learning grammar, and nothing has come close to matching it! Instead, cartoons and shows these days make it worse for our children. Everything is about texting these days, and shortened words that make no sense. They are destroying the English language instead of making our children learn it. What is happening as a result? Many people grow up not wanting to read, or some not even knowing how very well. Imagination is destroyed. Movies, and games - it is all laid out for them so they don't have to imagine what might happen.

Not only did School House Rock teach Grammar, but it also touched mathematics, and history as well. Hasn't anybody learned from this, enough to want to make more cartoons that can teach our children the same. They use music to a catchy tune so kids love it when they hear it. I've learned so much watching this cartoon when I was younger. It was often used in classrooms when I was younger, especially history classes. I love this show, and bought it on DVD for my son. He loves it and sings along sometimes.

Does anybody else play this cartoon for their children, and how did they do with it? Did they learn as much as I did?

What ever happened to the good cartoons: The Magic School Bus

Who else remembers this cartoon? What has happened to the cartoons that teach our children something? Is anybody else out there outraged by type of cartoons out there now? I remember when they taught us things. My son loves the magic school bus, and he learns something. Science!

We can watch it together and learn about planets and space, reptiles, the human body and much much more. I have yet to find another cartoon as great with science as this one. Even science classes use it to help teach! Why can't more cartoons these days teach our children things so they won't be so lost in school! Tell me people! Perhaps we should demand it of them.

My rant is over, but tell me, what is your favorite episode of The Magic School Bus?

Who else remembers GAK?

Does anybody else remember this awesome invention? I made some homemade with my son and fiance tonight! I remember making this in 6th grade with a ton of Elmer glue and borax. I still remember the name till this day. And so I looked around online until I found how to do it and made sure to get the recipe right! Here it is if y'all are curious:

In a large container combine and mix:
1 ½ cups very warm water
2 cups Elmers white glue
A few drops of water color and/or glitter if using clear glue

Make sure this combination is completely mixed
In a small container combine and mix:
1 1/3 cups very warm water
2 level tsp 20 Mule Team Borax. Adults, please do this step.
(Please see NOTES section below for safety information about Borax.)
Make sure the Borax is completely dissolved.
Combine the glue and borax mixtures:
Mix well using your hands until all the liquid is absorbed. You may need to squish, mix, and break up the gak to get it fully combined. Store the gak in a plastic, air-tight container at room temperature. For best results, measure precisely and mix well as noted above.

It makes this totally awesome gak stuff that bounces off of itself by the way. We used blue color dye for ours this time. It was an absolute blast! My son enjoyed it, and we took a few videos and pictures of our playtime with it. Has anybody else made this? Do tell of your favorite experience with gak!

What ever happened to the good cartoons: Captain Planet

Who else remembers this great cartoon? In fact I remember having a few action figures of it when I was younger. This is another example of a great cartoon for children that teaches something that isn't found many other places in a fun and friendly way. Pollution and taking the time to recycle. There are 6 seasons of this show.  It shows that not only can we save the environment, but in order to do so we must work together.

Don't forget that it takes heart!
 
Not only does it show that things can be reused, but also that protecting the environment you can save the lives of animals who rely on their habitat to survive. There are a lot of good traits that can be learned through this show. I would figure with how environmentally friendly everything is becoming that there would be something similar to this out there more recent, but these cartoons now days only seem to lessen intelligence rather than heighten.

How about we teach our children the good aspects from this show. Recycle, reuse, and protect wildlife. I even play reruns for my son, a superhero helping out the animals, he loves it.

-Craig