Parenting Blog

Once upon a happy time, preschool was an option that was considered a bit excessive or unnecessary by parents. These days you’ll be hard pressed to find a young child who doesn’t go to preschool. Parents today, whose schooling probably didn’t begin until kindergarten, might think that our society is forcing kids to grow up too fast. Others may think that their kids will learn better at home than in a big group of rowdy three year-olds. Still, experts are insisting that preschool has undeniable benefits for your child, and here’s why.

Shy kids might benefit the most from preschool, because some of the most important lessons kids learn in preschool are social ones. Shyness is most easily overcome by early and frequent exposure to social situations, and the extra year or two of experience will be an invaluable jump-start for your shy child. Kids who aren’t shy benefit by learning to get along with their peers, which is often a challenge at their age. They practice adhering to a schedule and following rules, sharing their time and toys with unfamiliar people, and learning how to make friends.

Preschoolers today are learning more than ever before, sometimes at a first-grade level. Parents might think this puts too much pressure on their children, but remember that at their young age, kids’ brains soak up knowledge like sponges, and research has proven that the most effective learning takes place in childhood. Did you know that a child who begins learning a foreign language before the age of six actually builds connections between different regions of their brain that make it possible for them to speak different languages with ease? That’s why your preschooler seems to pick up on those Spanish words they hear on television so much more quickly than most high school kids.

Unfortunately, most schools don’t offer foreign languages until your child is fourteen or fifteen years of age. That’s what makes early learning so important – the connections your child builds in his brain will last him a lifetime.

Preschool is an increasingly popular choice for parents today because more often than not, both parents have full-time jobs. If you think that leaving your young child in a classroom all day is a bit excessive, consider this: would you rather have him watching television or playing computer games under the care of a sitter? Preschool teachers are educated in early child development and they understand how to maximize your child’s brainpower and well-being. Plus, kids have fun at preschool. It’s a valuable experience of early independence that will help them learn healthy interaction and responsibility. Yes, parents too are capable of providing their children with a quality learning environment, but for those who are considering preschool for their kids, know that it’s a healthy choice.

Prayers are central to biblical parenting because prayers are the primary means of communicating with God and helping children get closer to God. There are various issues about teaching your child to pray and connect with the Lord. Some of the basic points about effective biblical parenting with prayers are described here. 

The main thing that all believing and caring parents need to teach their kids about prayers is the reason behind praying. Since ages, people have indirectly encouraged the idea that prayers are a means of getting gains or success in this world. Kids frequently, in their innocence, ask God for choice things (toys, dresses, sport items etc.) in their prayers. This attitude is not a healthier one from spiritual viewpoint because prayers are meant to tie the human soul with that of the Lord in a spiritual bond. They are not meant for demanding for worldly things and expect God to send them off. Kids should be taught in their early days of prayers that they are praying to God not for worldly gains but for spiritual bonding.

A large number of parents often face the question whether God accepts prayers from a person if he/she is not praying in a defined position i.e. with hands folded and eyes closed. Parents should remember to tell their kids that they need not assume a particular posture in order to help their prayers be heard by God. There is no mention of any particular posture for prayer in the bible. God hears any and all prayers that are offered in pure devotion, love, and humility. Kids can pray anytime, anywhere, and in any posture. However, it is better for them not to let worldly temptations and thoughts go with their prayers. Closing of eyes is in fact an attempt to remove the worldly scenes from before one’s eyes. If a kid can concentrate on the word ‘Lord’ with humility, he/she can pray without closing eyes or folding hands as most people do.             
Also central to biblical parenting is the concept of persistent prayers for the delight of God. The bible teaches that God takes delight in the prayers of the upright but does not accept sacrifice from the wicked. Thus, kids must be taught that they should think and do good in order to delight the Lord with their prayers. Since Lord blesses those who persist in their purity and devotion to Him, persistent prayers not only for one’s self and family but for all friends and all people everywhere, even for your enemies or people who have done you harm. By your prayers, God will wash the evil off those who are its victims and make them see the light of goodness and love. At the same time, God will relive the sufferings of the praying person if he/she prays with a true heart.  

To learn and teach more about prayers in the bible, use the Holy Bible itself as the ultimate source of biblical parenting. Some of the important sections of the bible that teach about prayers include: Jude 1: 20; Mathew 6:9-13; Mathew 5:44; James 5:13; Romans 8:26; Ephesians 6:18; Psalm 66:19; Proverbs 15:8; and Mathew 6:5-6.     

The life of newborn babies is mostly all about feeding and sleeping. After all, he/she is in the inertia of the long cozy sleep inside the mother’s body. Parents do need to know how much a newborn baby normally sleeps in 24 hours. 

While newborn babies do not follow a set routine for sleep, for most babies, the sleeping time is up to 18 hours daily (in 24 hours). But the sleep is often intermittent and the baby wakes every 2 to 3 hours to be fed. Also, most babies will sleep for 3 to 5 hours maximum at a stretch. Following are some common sleep patterns for newborn babies of varying ages: 

Up to 3 Months

Newborn babies, ranging in age from their natal day up to 3 months, usually take 16 to 18 hours of sleep daily. The sleep is divided into 2-3 hours sessions. Their sleep does not have to do much with night or day and they will sleep almost equally at day as they do at night. The day-night awareness appears in the baby at an age of around 6 to 8 weeks. By the age of 2 to 3 months, a sleep pattern is developed by the child. The parent can then anticipate when the child is going to sleep and how long the sleep is going to continue at a particular time. 

3 to 6 Months

The total daily sleep of the baby at this age is about 14 to 16 hours. It is usually 8 hours of sleep at night and 6 hours at day (divided in three stretches of 2 hours each). The child gets asleep more readily and does not wake in the absence of much disturbance. Some babies at this age may not wake at all during the night. However, most would wake once to be fed. By the age of 6 months, the daytime sleep drops to 2 naps, each lasting about 2 hours. 

6 to 12 Months

During the 6 months to one year, the total daily sleep of a baby is 12 to 14 hours. Most babies take a daily nap of about 2 to 3 hours each. A 6 month sold baby is able to sleep well through the night, without waking at all. But many kids do wake once. Before the baby’s first birthday, a long stretch of sleep (about 11 hours or more) is less likely to occur.

Autism is a brain disorder, appearing mostly in childhood, which causes restricted social interaction and difficulty in communication. Autism is strongly associated with genetic makeup of the child and is more likely to be induced by factors that also cause birth defects. Symptoms of autism usually appear before the child is 3 years old and, if left untreated, can cause serious distress among kids. Since symptoms of autism are wide-ranging and many of them also characterize other disorders, the diagnosis of autism is rather difficult. Further, the diagnosis is based on behavioral observations i.e. there is not medical test to determine whether or not a child is autistic. 

Following are some behavioral characteristics that are indicative of autism. In case one or more of these is found in your child, you need to take him/her to a psychologist for the possible presence of autism. 

• In the later months of their first year or shortly afterwards, the child shows a decreased responsiveness to parents and other people/things. He/she does not look at the parent or person speaking to him/her. Also, he/she does not look into the parents’ eyes while they talk to him/her.
• The child resists cuddling and screams upon being picked up.
• In a little older age, the child keeps aloof from people and does not take part in play or social interaction with other kids.        
• Abnormally intense screaming fits and tantrums are displayed by the kid who is autistic.
• The child shows fascination with a single, apparently ordinary object (broken pieces of plastic or an unattractive tool).
• Decreased or no response to environmental conditions (heat or cold) is seen in many autistic children such that an autistic child may remain indifferent to hot or cold bath even in weather that is not at all friendly for such a bath.
• Many autistic children repeatedly show odd body movements like grimaces, flapping arms or hands, jumping from one foot to another etc.   
• Some autistic children may show signs of ‘geniuses’ e.g. they may be very good at a particular activity or subject like music, mathematics etc. But their over all performance as a child remains either very passive or over-reactive.  
• On the average, autistic children show poor language performance.  Some may show literal or pedantic use of words. And many autistic kids repeat the question or sentence instead of answering or expressing their own thought.
  

Parents need to take children, showing any of these signs of autism, to a psychologist who may also involve a pediatrician in treatment of the child. Parents will be required to work in close collaboration with the doctor/therapist to effectively treat their child out of autism.

Parents have all the reason to get excited about the appearance of the first teeth in their child’s wee mouth. In most babies, the first teeth appear at an age of around six to nine months. The order in which teeth usually appear is: lower incisors, upper incisors, molars, and canines. All the 20 milk teeth usually arrive by the age of two and a half years. The appearance of first teeth is indicative of the fact that the child is now ready to move on to solid foods. While teething is not so much a cause of unease in some kids, in many others, it does cause pain and irritation that is annoying to the baby as well as his/her parents.

Some of the common signs of teething include:

* A reddened area of the baby’s gum (before or after the appearance of the first tooth)
* An inflamed look on one of the baby’s cheeks
* The child’s irritability and fretfulness

These sings do not represent teething alone but may be springing from other illnesses so parents must see a pediatrician for proper treatment of any pediatric disease. When the cause is confirmed to be teething, you can try a number of soothing strategies to alleviate the baby’s teething pain. Following are some tips for easing teething pain in children.

* Let the baby chew on a safe object like teething rings, refrigerated pieces of a carrot or an apple, or hard-baked bread. Don’t give him/her sticky foods like chocolate; the fear of choking is always there. For the same reason, do not leave your baby alone with food.
* Rub your baby’s gums with a clean finger, but not too hard. You may use a teething gel like Bonjela for the same purpose. If you are sure that the sings of unease are not caused by any illness but teething, you may use homeopathic chamomile granules available at health food stores.
* Give the baby enough amount of liquid, preferably cooled, boiled water, at regular intervals. A little amount of pure fruit juice may be added to the water.
* If the child is slightly feverish, showing discomfort, give him/her a dose of infant Paracetamol. If the fever persists, take him/her to a pediatrician to treat any possible infection.
* Start brushing the baby’s teeth regularly, twice a day, soon after their appearance. Use a soft baby toothbrush and a pleasant flavor of baby toothpaste. If the baby is reluctant to allow a toothbrush, start with your clean finger and later introduce the brush.

In case any of the following symptoms appear in the child, take him/her to a doctor for the possibility of infection, since these symptoms are not commonly caused by teething:

* High and persistent fever (especially one that lasts for more than a day)
* Earache
* Diarrhea (especially a persistent one)
* Difficulty in breathing or cough accompanied by fever