With winter upon us and temperatures starting to drop, it’s time to start thinking about cold and flu season – again.
Children struggle with colds because of their inexperienced immune systems and their tendency to touch everything and anything (and then put it in their mouth). But you can do something to prevent colds and sickness. We’ve put together the ultimate cold fighting strategies for your kids! Read on…
1. Elevate the Mattress
Adding a lift to the mattress at the head of the bed helps your child’s sinuses drain more easily. A rolled towel or yoga mat should do the trick.
2. Load Up on Liquids
While your child may not be hungry during a cold, you should still load your child up with liquids. It’s easy for your little one to get dehydrated when sick, which makes getting better that much harder. Give them warm, clear liquids and lots of water.
3. Use a Humidifier
If your child is starting to stuff up, buy a cool-mist humidifier and set it up near your child’s bed. This will help your child breathe and get some much-needed sleep. Just make sure to clean and dry the humidifier to prevent mold and bacterial contamination.
4. Stop a Stuffy Nose with Saline
Saline nose drops are great for un-stuffing your child’s nose and cleaning out the junk in their sinuses. Simply put a drop of saline nose drops in each of your child’s nostrils and suction with a bulb syringe. Does your child hate nose sprays or drops? Try Breathe Right for Kids. It works by lifting up the sides of your child’s nose and offers fuss-free, stuffy nose relief.
5. Warm Baths
Warm, moist air is an effective symptom reliever, so turn on the shower and let the water flow or give your child a bath. The resulting warm air will help your child breathe more easily.
6. Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup is good for the soul — and for a cold. Chicken soup contains anti-inflammatory properties that help with cold symptoms. Soup is also easy to digest, hydrating, soothing on the throat, and we think it tastes good, too!
7. Don’t Hesitate to Call the Doctor
Does your child have a fever over 102? Is their cough wheezy or dry? Do they have painful blisters on the mouth? Call your doctor. These are red flags that likely require medical attention.
Cold season is tough, but with these easy steps your kids can fight the flu and get back to fun in no time!
There are great emotional and physical benefits to living a life of gratitude. A study at the University of California found that people who focus on positive things are less likely to get sick, less bothered by aches and pains, and sleep better. They are also more likely to describe themselves as “happy” and take greater joy in life. Socially, they are more helpful, compassionate, forgiving and less likely to describe themselves as “lonely.” When we think about our children’s futures, aren’t these all traits we wish for them?
It’s great to have a special day to gather with loved ones and say “thank you” for blessings. However, to reap the real benefits of gratitude, it must become a lifestyle. Now is the time to cultivate a spirit of gratitude in your child. It is easier to maintain those habits formed in childhood than to learn new ways of behavior as an adult.
Try some of these simple ideas and approaches to help your child focus on and be grateful for the positive!
- Instead of asking the question, “What did you do at school today?” challenge your child to “Tell me 3 good things that happened today.”
- Be intentional about sharing your own gratitude. Tell your child things you’re grateful for, and be specific.
- Start a family gratitude journal. Challenge each person to add one item every day. Review the journal periodically as a family.
- Create a gratitude jar. Every time a family member notices something they’re grateful for, add a pebble to the jar. When the jar is full, plan a special family evening or outing.
- Pass it on! Find ways to say “thank you” to others. Have your child help craft a “thank you” email or card to someone they’re grateful for.
- Help your child be grateful for what they have by helping those with less. Support your child in collecting books, toys, clothes, or other items he or she no longer uses or wears. Box these up and go together to deliver them to a shelter or other charity.
Alphonse Karr said, “Some people grumble that roses have thorns. I am grateful that thorns have roses.”
You can choose to focus on the prickliness of the thorns in life, or you can look for and celebrate the beauty of the roses that invariably accompany the thorns. Studies tell us that those who focus on thorns will find more thorns, while those who focus on beauty are more likely to find happiness. There is lots of beauty and good in the world. Pause for a moment and help your child see and be grateful for it.
“nothing”…“stuff”…“fine”
Are these the standard answers you get when you ask your children about school? Sometimes those are even the answers on a good day which may seem better than a dismissive shrug, but getting your children talking is important.
After-school specials and commercials gave us, as parents, a false expectation of family dinners and deep conversation over milk and cookies. I mean yeah we aren’t the Brady Bunch but we also can’t expect communication to come so naturally. Communicating with your child in a way that appeals to them may be a game changer.
Part of the problem may lie in the questions we ask children. When the question is, “how was your day?”, “fine” may feel like a completely acceptable answer. However, a well-formed question that requires a bit of thought would likely result in a more complex answer.
There are 3 keys to crafting an effective conversation starter:
1. Ask open-ended questions: Close-ended questions are those that can be answered with a one or two-word answer, and they tend to limit conversation. Open-ended questions require more than one word, and usually some thought to answer.
2. Ask for specific information: The question, “what did you do at school today?” is open-ended, but is also very general and a quick one-word answer like “I played” answers the question without getting into specifics that might continue the conversation. Instead, the statement, “tell me two things you learned today?” inspires both thought and requires a child to provide a more complex response.
Specific questions also help narrow children’s focus to certain aspects of their day, which makes a more in-depth answer more likely.
3. Start with your own story: Children are not born naturally understanding the give-and-take of conversation. As with almost everything else in life, it is up to adults to teach them. You can model these rules by starting with your own story with a statement like, “Start thinking of your favorite part of the day, but first, let me tell you something that I enjoyed today.”
When looking to have in-depth conversations with your child, get creative with how you start. Use some of the following ideas to inspire your own questions:
- What happened that was interesting today?
- Tell me 3 things you noticed today.
- Tell me something you did well today.
- If you had to pick one word to describe today, what would it be?
- What was the most fun thing that happened today?
- Did your day go like you thought it would when you woke up this morning?
- If you have to give today a rating from 1 – 10, what would it be?
The most important aspect of encouraging conversation is to make your child feel like they are listened to and respected when they are speaking. That means putting down the device, muting the volume, and making eye contact (if you are not driving) so your child knows they have your attention while speaking. This feeling of being the center of your world will make it more likely they will engage in conversation in the future.
Kids grow up fast. Before you know it, your 8-year-old will be a 16-year-old driving off in their first car.
Ok, it might not be that fast, but with the growth of media and technology today, kids seem to be doing more “adult” things earlier than ever.
There are several lessons you’ll want to teach your child before they mentally check out and become headstrong young adults. With kids growing up so fast, teaching your child to be self-sufficient should start early.
What’s important for your kids to know? We’ve compiled a list of the 10 life skills your child should learn by age 10!
1. How to Clean
This is more than just picking up a few toys—it means dishes, laundry, vacuuming, and more. Teaching your child these skills early will make them habitual by the time they leave the house. They will also adopt organizational habits which can benefit them in more than just rearranging their stuffed animals.
2. How to Find Their Way Home
While GPS has become readily available on our smartphones, children should learn basic navigation skills in case technology is unavailable. Teach them the importance of identifying landmarks and how to read a map. By the time they’re driving, navigation should be a breeze.
3. How to Make Healthy Choices
Healthy lifestyle choices start at home. It’s hard to stick to a diet and regular exercise routine, but you can make it easy for your kids by regularly stocking the fridge with fresh fruits and veggies and taking regular family walks.
4. How to Use Basic Tools
When you’re fixing things around the house, encourage your kids to partake! Use it as a teaching experience to help your child understand how things work around the house. By 10, your children should know how to safely use basic tools like a screwdriver or hammer.
5. How to Prepare a Simple Meal
Do your kids ever complain about how long it takes to get a meal on the table? Perhaps include them while making dinner so they see the responsibilities involved. Slowly show your children how to use different appliances, while emphasizing safety. Before you know it they’ll be baking soufflé (with supervision, of course!).
6. How to Manage Money
Don’t wait until your child is heading to college to teach them about budgeting! As soon as your kids start earning money, either with an allowance or job, teach them about management and saving. Giving your children a strong start will help them be fiscally responsible adults.
7. How to Have Good Manners
Children are extremely impressionable starting at a young age. Emphasize the use of “please” and “thank you” from the moment your child is old enough to speak. The more you demonstrate good manners, the easier it will be for your child to make it a habit.
8. How to Show Gratitude
Believe it or not, gratuity is another lesson that can be taught. Explaining to your child why they may not receive everything they want can help them grasp a better understanding of what they have and can be thankful for. This will help them in their adult lives when they approach larger subjects such as jobs and relationships.
9. How to Advocate for Themselves
You won’t always be there to speak up for your children. Once your kids start going to school, they’ll encounter hurdles they’ll have to fix on their own. Teaching your kids to confidently use their voice will serve them far beyond the classroom.
10. How to Write a Letter
While the written word has been taken over by the Internet, letter writing is still a necessary skill. Letter writing translates well to email correspondence and will come in handy when they apply for professional jobs (especially with those pesky cover letters!). Encourage your kids to send letters to family members or friends. The correspondence will teach them a lot about writing and patience.
With these 10 skills, your kids will be equipped to tackle most hurdles that life throws at them. Plus they’ll know they can turn to you for help in the process!