Riding the Baby Roller Coaster

1. Thinking games – There are many thinking games – both tangible and intangible – that serve as creative thinking activities for kids. For instance, 20 questions is a great activity. It forces kids to categorize (animal, vegetable, mineral) and to come up with creative ways to solve a problem (what is the person thinking about?). I highly recommend playing this game with children from a very young age and seeing how they develop their creativity and thinking skills over time. There are many, many other thinking games along this ilk – and many board games – that give children creativity and thinking skills.

2. Lego – Lego may be one of the best toys ever invented. Plain lego – the kind that doesn’t come in a box with directions – allows children to see a world of possibilities. This is one of those creative thinking activities for kids that they can do for hours without stopping. Lego comes in many sizes, allowing children to enjoy them from a very young age all the way up through their teenage years.

3. Language Acquisition – Research has continually shown that children who acquire an extra language open up new synapses and expand their creative thinking abilities. If at all possible, expose your children to multiple languages and play games with them in other languages.

4. Creative Writing – School age children are often forced to write in a specific fashion. Help yours to break from this mold at home with creative writing. Ask them to do creative writing, expressing themselves in poetry, short stories, and plays.

5. Mystery and Adventure Reading – When selecting pleasure reading with your children, try to steer them in the direction of creative pieces. Mysteries, science fiction and adventure books offer creative thinking activities for kids while enhancing their reading skills.

1- Make fun foods- Sick children often suffer from fatigue that results from a lack of appetite. Make it fun for children to eat by preparing fun foods for them- and letting them participate in the preparations. Some examples:
a. mini sandwiches- spread peanut butter and jelly or cream cheese on mini crackers. Close the sandwiches with another cracker so that they are easy to hold. Prepare no more than 2 at a time, so that if your child gets full quickly you will not have to waste too much.
b. yogurt smoothies- my girls love having yogurt smoothies, especially when they have sore throats. Throw in your child’s favorite fruits, a couple of pieces of ice and plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt, and voila! An instant and nutritious lunch (note: beware of feeing smoothies to children with upset stomachs).
c. cereal in a bag- it may sound simple, but many children love to eat cereal in a bag (I know mine do!). It’s great for munching in front of the television (especially cereals like Quaker Oat Squares, Cheerios or Special K that don’t make too much of a mess), so lethargic children can get nourishment while vegging out.

2- In-house scavenger hunt- One of the best activity suggestions for sick children who aren’t too tired to walk around is to create an in-house scavenger hunt. Create a list of things for your children to find around the house, and either write it down (if the child can read) or tell them item-by-item (if they can’t read). While your child hunts, you can put up that load of laundry, check your email or clean up from lunch. Examples of things to find: something red, a small towel, a measuring spoon, a broken toy (throw this out after the game!), a square object, something with the letter “Q” on it, etc.

3- Make puppets- Another one of my favorite creative and time-consuming activity suggestions for sick children is to make puppets with them (sock puppets, paper bag puppets, etc.). Your child will love being creative, and when the puppets are made, you can do a show for your tired child.

4- Video games- Research shows that video games help ease sick children’s discomfort by distracting them from the pain. Even if you don’t have a video game module at home, you may can likely borrow a handheld version from a friend (whose children are at school). Although it may be disheartening to let your child spend hours in front of the game, it may help speed up the healing process. Just make sure to limit playing time somewhat- the last thing you’ll want is your child to stay home just to play games!

The wake up call is often the hardest part of the return to school. Many kids fall into a pattern during a long vacation of going to bed late and waking up late. This doesn’t jive with their school time schedule at all! It certainly makes it challenging to get them back into the routine. For at least a few nights before they return to school, kids should slowly move back to their old schedule. Try to get them into bed earlier and earlier during the last days of their vacation, so that they are ready for their school schedule when school finally arrives.

If you’ve got the funds for it, offer each child one new piece of clothing for the first days of school. Just like at the beginning of the school year, kids like to feel refreshed and to look nice when they return. A new sweater, a nice jacket, or even just a long-sleeve t-shirt could make a child excited to go to school and to present the new item to his friends. If they received clothing, shoes, or the like for holiday presents, try to get them to put one item aside. This will be the school item, and will only be used once they return to school.

Finally, try to ease back into the homework routine before the kids actually go back to school. While you want to give your kids a break during the holiday, it’s also important to keep their minds going. Whenever possible, do a brief amount of homework each day during the vacation. If you have a specific table and chairs where you always do homework, continue to use this location. If you’re on vacation, you’ll obviously need to use a new location, but you should still try to do the work consistently. This way, when the first days of school appear after the vacation, the kids won’t complain about having to suddenly do work again and they won’t have forgotten everything they learned before the break.

Homework helps children remember important things that they learned in school. It also helps children develop proper study habits that will serve them well later in life. Completing homework successfully can build a child’s self confidence, increase a child’s interest in the subject matter and make him or her excited to keep learning. Homework also teaches children how to manage their time and how to prioritize what’s important (“I want to finish my homework so that I can play outside,” for example).

When a parent offers homework help to his child, he is proving his interest in the child’s life, and showing his desire to help his child overcome the challenges of life. These things are quite important for a child’s emotional development and well-being. Additionally, when a parent helps his child with homework, they can enjoy quality time together and create memories that will last a lifetime. Undoubtedly, homework help can create friction, tension, and a fair share of tears. But when it comes to teaching your child the most important lessons of life, there can never be a suitable replacement for a parent. The sense of achievement that results from helping your child learn to read, write or express himself properly is priceless.

1. Have a themed birthday party. While some parents have infinite birthday party ideas for 3 year olds, other parents have none. Throwing a themed birthday party will help the parents (and young guests) stay focused on the party at hand without worrying about what to do next. Whether your child is interested in sports, action figures, fairytale princesses, clowns or anything else, you should be able to find paper goods that can fit the theme. Many children’s interests are popular enough that you can find a game or activity that focuses on this interest. For example, Hollie loves animals. If and when I decide to make her a birthday party, I’d likely get animal-shaped plates, an animal art project (Paint your own llama! Paste the legs on a centipede!) Voila- an instant animal themed party that will keep the kids focused (and the parents busy supervising).

2. Have an outdoor birthday party. Minimize the mess by keeping your child’s friends outside. Although this may only be possible in the summer months (or for those who live in Florida, California and Arizona), having an outdoor party is by far one of the best birthday ideas for 3 year olds that I can think of. Take a few kids to the park and have ice cream outside (make sure to bring extra wipes!). Have the cake outside (or, better yet- have an ice cream cake outside). It may be a little bit more difficult to carry all of your accessories to the park, but the damage it can prevent will be worth it.

3. Have a family birthday party. Why should Thanksgiving or Christmas be the only time that the whole family gets together? Making a family birthday party is a great excuse to get the family together, to catch up in person and for your child to see how much his or her relatives loves him.

4. Make sure you time it right. Believe it or not, my new four year old still naps, so making a party for her anytime in the afternoon is begging for disaster. If your child still gets cranky in the afternoon you may want to consider making the party in the later morning, so that it’s over before cranky hour sets in. Alternatively, if your child is a late riser (or you are!), consider making an afternoon party so that you’re not rushed to get everything done in time.

5. Invest in a children’s entertainer. If you’re not the glue and glitter type, or want to enjoy your child’s party without having to referee between the children, consider hiring a children’s entertainer to keep the children calm and occupied. Remember that young children don’t have long attention spans, so hiring an hour-long puppet troupe may not be the best plan.

1- Dried fruit. My daughters just love dried fruit. Whether it’s mango, apples, raisins, cherries or even strawberries, dried fruits provide the sweetness of junk food without the added fat. Beware of the dried fruits that come coated with sugar or are prepared with hidden added sugar. There are many available options that do not have added sugar and still taste great- and your child will never know the difference.
2- Trail mix. Trail mix has the appeal of other pre-packaged snacks like chips or popcorn, with the added nutrients that are found in nuts and dried fruit. Trail mix is often colorful which can make your child excited to eat it.
3- Whole wheat bread. Whole wheat bread is an easy way to hide whole grains in your child’s diet and avoid the empty calories found in white bread. For children who are resistant to the brownish appearance of whole wheat bread, try finding a variety with raisins for an added special affect or trying whole wheat bagels.
4- Milk. When given milk from a young age, many children develop a love for the creamy white drink. Replacing your child’s juice with milk is a great way to cut down on his sugar intake while increasing his calcium intake. And, because milk shouldn’t be left out of the fridge as juice can, let your child take his milk in a cool thermos, which will make him feel cool and excited about drinking his milk.
5- Fruit cut into interesting shapes. When I was a kid, my mother had an apple corer that cored the apple and cut it into unique star shapes. I was really excited to eat star-shaped apples, and so were my friends. Although my girls are happy to eat even regular apples, I’m sure such devices still exist to entice children who are resistant to eating fruit.
6- Classic “Ants on a log”. If you haven’t tried giving your child “ants on a log” recently, now is the time to try! Simply coat a celery stalk with peanut butter, line it up with raisins, and voila- ants on a log. A yummy, nutritious and easy snack.
7- Fun sandwiches. If you’re tired of the high fat content of peanut butter or your child wants to try something new, consider mixing up your sandwich varieties with low-fat options. Try sliced turkey with ketchup, cheese with ketchup (almost like a pizza, just not cooked!) or even cream cheese with jelly (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!).

1- Studies have shown that creating a set bedtime helps people to become tired at the scheduled time, making it easier (for both children and adults) to fall asleep.

2- Several bedtime rituals for children such as taking a bath or reading helps relax them and make them more comfortable and ready for bed. Just as an adult likes to get into bed feeling clean and relaxed, so too, your child will welcome the comfort that bedtime rituals provide.

3- Throughout a busy day, it may be hard for parents to find enough time for their children. Scheduling bedtime rituals into the day is an easy way for parents to spend quality time with their children and to make them feel loved and important as they drift off to sleep.

4- For religious families, including a prayer among your children’s bedtime rituals is a great way to reinforce their connection to their religion and develop an appreciation for life on a daily basis.

5- Incorporating singing into the nighttime ritual is a great way to teach your children new things while making them feel happy and relaxed.

6- Brushing your children’s teeth regularly before bed is an easy way to encourage a healthy routine and protect your child’s pearly whites.

7- Going to the bathroom before bed is one of the most important bedtime rituals for children- it helps older children sleep comfortably through the night, and creates a good example for younger children who are still in diapers or getting toilet trained, so that they understand that using the bathroom before bed is an important thing for everyone to do.

The Pros of Natural Childbirth:
- The amazing sense of achievement you have when you’re done, knowing that you met your goal (and survived).
- If all goes well, women in labor who don’t have an epidural can move freely and can walk, bathe, shower, bounce, etc. during labor to help relax and get comfortable more naturally. Even the knowledge that they can get up and move around is a comfort to many women.
- Studies indicate that pushing is often more effective without an epidural, making the pushing process significantly shorter for women without an epidural.
- Shorter birthing times for women during natural childbirth frequently results in a quicker recovery.
- Endorphins that are secreted during labor have been found in the placenta and umbilical cord. These endorphins may make the process easier for the baby or help him better adjust to life in the world.

The Cons of Natural Childbirth:
- The pain!
- Mothers who experience severe anxiety or tension during labor may tense up, which can hinder the progress of the labor. An epidural can help mothers relax and allow the labor to progress more smoothly.
- Women who experience a long or difficult labor may be exhausted and feel too tired to push the baby out. An epidural can help mothers rest and create a burst of energy for the pushing process.
- Taking an epidural generally allows women to feel in control of their labor, which makes for a more enjoyable experience.
- Epidurals make it easier for women requiring additional drugs to receive these drugs without additional pain.

Although each birthing situation is different, the most important thing to do when preparing for the birth is to weigh the pros and cons of natural childbirth carefully, while still keeping an open mind. Even though I had planned to have an epidural in every birth (even after my successful experience with natural childbirth), it was simply not feasible. Keeping an open mind and reminding myself about the pros of natural childbirth (and the fact that women have been doing it for millions of years) made me feel better about the fate that was forced upon me.