| |
| |
|
Parenting Information |
|
|
|
Get Down (On The Floor!) And Play With Your Children
When was the last time you and your kids rolled around on the floor together laughing yourselves silly? If you're like me, it may have been a while! Sometimes I get caught up in household chores, give errands a priority or answer the phone when I know I should let it ring, instead of making time for my two daughters. It's not that I don't play with them; just the opposite is true. It simply seems as if I'm trying to fit them into my daily schedule when in fact I should be scheduling my day around them. I used to be a planner. I would try to organize activities that I thought my girls would learn something from. I'm now much more free and spontaneous with them and I've discovered that at their respective ages of four and 20 months that this is the type of play they prefer. Here are some suggestions on how you can be more spontaneous with your children: 1. Play "Chase Around The House" - Kids love to be chased, especially if you're making a roaring or growling noise while you're doing it. You'd be surprised how fast their little legs can carry them. This exercise is sure get you're heart rate up and tone your glutes as well! 2. Have a Pillow Fight - Make sure the pillows are small and not too heavy. Throw cushions work best for this activity. Lay a few ground rules, such as not hitting in the face or on the head and when somebody yells: "stop", then stop. 3. How Many Times Can Each of You Hop on One Foot - Again, a great cardiovascular activity for you and the kids. Alternate feet and vary the directions you're hopping in. This is good for your children's coordination and learning left and right, forwards and backwards. 4. Pretend You're Animals- Play a guessing game of what animal Sally is by the sounds she makes and the way she moves. Children love to imitate animals and can imitate various animals from a young age. 5. Tickle Each other when you've run out of ideas, then a good old-fashioned tickle fight is the answer. Again, don't tickle too hard and when someone (possibly you!) yells stop, then the tickler must stop. At our house, this game always ends with a kiss! These activities take little time play and benefit you and your children greatly. They are highly interactive, involve a lot of laughter and take no preparation. They also let your children know that you enjoy being with them and that they make great playmates. About The Author Heidi Hoff Editor, Preschool Planet Subscribe and get "100 Things to Make From a Cardboard Box" free! http://www.preschoolplanet.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Parenting - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Vouchers --- Parents, Dont Depend On Them Vouchers, which give tax money to parents to pay for tuition in private schools, sound good in theory. The problem is that voucher programs are few and very far between. Swing Sets and Outdoor Play Equipment- 5 Essential Tips Before You Buy For first time parents choosing a swing set or outdoor play equipment can be a daunting task. There are so many different materials to choose from and prices can vary from around a hundred dollars up to a couple of thousand for a larger solid timber unit. Childhood Friendships Childhood friendships are as special as they are a necessary part of growing up. While some of our children will maintain these friendships into adulthood, many will not. Film Industry and Our Youth In the first premise, some films and video tapes which are released into the world market are doing more harm to the society than good. These films are full of various modes and systems of corruptions. ADHD: Some Survival Strategies for Parents In our last issue we posted some of our suggested Survival Strategies for parents, and then asked readers to contribute some of their thoughts or tips. Since this newsletter is already running pretty long, I'll only list a few of them below. Homeschooling --- A Superior Education For Your Child Home-schooling provides children with a superior education. Parents can quickly teach most kids the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic using excellent, creative, learn-to-read, or learn-math books, programs, or computer learning software. Mom vs. Dad: Navigating Parenting Differences With All Good Intentions Let's face it: raising children can be quite the adventure. Rewarding at one turn, challenging at the next - it's the ultimate roller-coaster for the parenting thrill seeker. Help Your Kids Learn More About Managing Their Personal Economy Remember when cash was a tangible commodity in all of our personal economies? As kids, we went to the bank, shopped with our parents and frequently watched them pay with cash. Now with cash on the endangered species list, today's kids see their personal economic situation much differently. The Secret To Keeping Kids Interested on Family Vacations Vacations and trips are great family events, but how do you keep kids interested and busy during the down times? Have them keep journals of the trips and their impressions.Writing JournalsTake a minute to give some consideration to your most recent family vacation. Defrazzle with Hug Therapy "Hugging is healthy: it helps the body's immunity system, it keeps you healthier, it cures depression, it reduces stress, it induces sleep, it's invigorating, it's rejuvenating, it has no unpleasant side effects, and hugging is nothing less than a miracle drug"UnknownSometimes life gets so hectic that our nerves are frazzled, our tempers are short, and we feel totally disconnected from those that are important to us.Want to know a simple way to fix that? Reach out and hug someone. You Want Whaaat??? Not too long ago my teenage daughter approached me with a very special request.. Are You Reading to Your Kids? Over a number of years there have been issues raised concerning the literacy levels of eight year old children in schools. The number not meeting minimum literacy levels was almost at 30% only a few years ago. How to Silence Your Childs Inner Critic Children do what feels good to them and follow their natural instincts. Well meaning parents teach children that it is not socially acceptable to behave in certain ways, thus going against a child's natural inclinations. My Teenaged Parents Frankly, as a single parent of young children, I struggled. But, as the single parent of teenagers, I stunk! Faced with the reality of children who could (and did) do whatever they really, really wanted to do, I was often baffled. Whine Oh Whine Am I The Only One? I thought I was the only one in the world with a whiny 5-year-old. All the other 5-year-olds that I know of are either well-behaved or are total monsters! My elder child is a cross between the two - most times he's well-behaved and sometimes a total monster. Useful Jogger Stroller Accessories There are many useful jogger stroller accessories out on the market today. Whether you are using your jogger stroller out in the hot sun, in the middle of winter or in a highly buggy area you will be able to find jogger stroller accessories to fit almost any situation. Homework Help for the Attention Deficit Child Does the homework battle so typical with your hyperactive or A.D. Punishing the Victim -- Why Public Schools Pressure Parents To Give Their Kids Mind-Altering Drugs Public-school teaching is structured in such a way that it inevitably bores millions of normal, active children who are forced to sit in classrooms six to eight hours a day with about twenty other immature children. The teacher has to cover the curriculum, so she is pressured to teach all the kids the same material in the same way. Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) for Teen Drivers Drivers 16 years of age have little driving experience, putting them at high risk for traffic accidents. A series of five research papers published in a September 2002 supplement of Injury Prevention addresses reducing this risk. Gaining a Child's Trust My daughters and I went to the beach several weeks ago. They were having a blast playing in the freezing cold water as I tiptoed around the waves, trying to keep my feet from becoming frost bitten.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
