Author: Katie Baker

Family

What is Montessori Parenting?

The Montessori system of education was started by Maria Monterossi in 1907 in Rome. Her pattern of teaching children was based on the observations she made while visiting mental asylums in Rome. There, she observed that “children were in need of more stimulation from their environment.” She calls her experiments and findings “Scientific Pedagogy.”

Maria Montessori believes that her system of education is a channel to achieve world peace. According to her book “education and peace,” maria stated “preventing conflicts is the work of politics, but establishing peace is that of education.” She believes that allowing children to develop by their own laws will create a more peaceful civilization.

She was able to publish her first book about Montessori, Method Franchetti-Montessori, with the help of the Franchetti Barons (Leopoldo and Alice Franchetti), whom she lived with for 2 years.

The first Montessori school in the Us was opened in 1913 by Narcissa Cox Vanderlip, ever since then, it has spread like wildfire in the United States and the world at large.

What is Montessori Parenting?

Montessori parenting views children as independent beings and ties their learning to how prepared and supportive their environment is. Montessori stands by the idea that parenting should be relaxed and free, against the normal uptight tradition, toddlers are allowed to play freely as they wish and are not to be punished. Maria Monterossi in fact believes that the only way a parent should intervene in the kid’s learning is by providing Toys and making the environment safe for the baby.

Enforcing Montessori effectively can be tricky for parents who don’t really know much about it. Let’s take a look at the necessary guidelines to follow in order to enforce Montessori perfectly;

Montessori Guidelines

Safe Environment; one of the things that spurred MariaMOntessori into forming the Montessori system was her observations in Rome, on how the lack of stimulation impedes children’s development. Montessori’s system advises that a safe environment be created for children to play. Montessori believes this spurs the kid’s confidence and development towards making their own decisions.

Monitor the child

In as much as Montessori preaches independence in the child’s day to day activities, Montessorialso advocates planning of series of activity for the child, whilst the child chooses what other they want to carry out these activities

Discipline

Montessori rebukes Punisments amongst children. Montessori believes that too many punishments on children will eventually force them into a whole, create a boundary between the relationship of the parents and the kids.  This is sometimes mistaken as freedom with abandonment but this is false, in Montessori education, expectations are used to guide the children towards positivity

Freedom

Montessori advices freedom in the child’s day to day activities. In Montessori, it is believed that kids love to be in control over the basic things that they do. It helps to build their self-confidence, development and instills positivity in their life. Ou can simply apply this freedom at home in things as simple as dressing up, washing their hands, and using the toilet. in as much as this freedom is advised, reasonable boundaries should also be set.

Family, Health

Landscaping Ideas for Your Home

During the process of acquiring your land, you might be blessed with a lot of trees, but not all of them would be useful for your home decoration. The process of getting your tree removed or pruned requires a big event. First, you would need to know the situation of the tree stump compared to before, then you would notice some wood chips around it. When removing a tree, there would be a lot of packing of woods. When a tree is cut down and you begin to pack them, they would run through a wood chipper which would later turn to wood chips.

A similar situation happens with a tree stumper which grinds the tree into smaller pieces. The use of wood chippers has proven to be convenient and reduces the cost of tree removal, pruning, or even stump grinding. In the process of grinding and chipping, you would still be left with what to do with the wood chips. 

Use wood chips as Mulch

The best idea in using wood chips is by applying them as organic mulch which would help in some of your plants or around some of your trees with a woodchipper. With the proper application mulches can be used to reduce the growth of the weed, sustain water to the soil and maintain the soil temperature, as the mulch becomes thinner you would need to replenish it. 

Other creative things to do with wood chips

There are several creative things that you can do with wood chips other than using them as a mulch

  • Play area: You can use the wood chips as a play area for your children, the use of these wood chips would prevent soil compaction. 
  • Apply to trees with pots: you can apply wood chips to any form of open soil or even potting soil. 
  • Informal path: wood chips can be used to prevent your soil from erosion or even compaction. 
  • Sheet Mulching: whenever you have a plan to convert your lawn area to a planting bed, you can cover some area of your lawn with cardboard and then cover the area with wood chips that would kill the grass beneath it and compost it. Whenever you decide to plant you can use a rake to pack the compost, then dig up a hole to plant whatever you want to plant. 

Landscaping ideas after tree removal

There are several reasons why trees are removed, there are some trees that how old and die, some get infested and some become an unnecessary nuisance. Sometimes trees might be a disturbance especially with buildings around, this would require you to remove the trees. The amazing news is that there is a couple of landscaping idea that can be used after a tree has been removed. 

Planting of grass

Before you begin to plant grasses you would need to make sure the soil ph level is balanced so that the plants would be healthy. After a tree has been removed the wood chips and roots would prevent plants from growing. You can remove the wood chips and then add some layer of nitrogen fertilizers, and some layer of compost, and topsoil, you can repeat the process. 

Building a stone path or water feature

This isn’t a project that you can do yourself, so you would need to consult a landscaping company to help use a stump location and convert it to a masterpiece. By building such a grand feature it would only cost you some money, because if it is done wrong then you would get to spend more and also have an unpleasant appearance.

Family

How to teach kids to read

The most basic knowledge a child should have as they grow is how to read. Knowing how to read is what forms their understanding of all the other school subjects. The earlier your child learns to read, the faster and easier it is for them to catch up with school work.

Are you a parent looking for the best and quickest way to teach your kids how to read? Have you tried some of the techniques you think should work but didn’t? Let me show you some simple things you can do in this article to teach your kids the basics of reading.

How to teach kids to read

Below are some of the steps you can take to teach your kids to read:

1. Start very early

The best way to do anything is to start very early. Whether you are teaching your kids maths or the basics of sports and physics, it always helps to start them up with it early so that they grow into the knowledge and the willingness to want to learn more. If your kids are grown, you don’t have to worry; the following steps will help you.

2. Nursery rhymes and catchy songs

There is a reason some of the biggest schools teach their kids nursery rhymes. One of the most important reasons is that nursery rhymes are easy to memorize. When your child has fully gotten the lyrics in the nursery rhymes, you can begin to show them the spellings of the words. Let them read the lyrics aloud and sing the songs along.

3. Word games

What’s the one sure way to catch a child’s attention? Games. Children want to always have fun; letting them play games and learn at the same time is killing two birds with one stone. Word games for children are very easy to play and can be downloaded on mobile.

4. Read with them regularly

If you are a parent who loves to read bedtime stories to your toddlers and preschoolers, you can start to incorporate something different into that. Why not start to point out the words you read to them. That way, they will be involved in the process, and when they want to read by themselves, they can identify some of the words.

5. Understand that it will take some time

Everything takes time. Teaching your kids may take a very long time than you imagine. You should also note that each child has what works for them. Just because your friend’s child has started catching up doesn’t mean that your child must follow suit. Take it slow, take it gently, be patient, and with time, they will learn and get better at it.

Conclusion

Learning has never been an easy thing for kids. The older they grow, the easier it is for them to learn, and the better they get at it. Remember that it will take some time. A child’s ability to retain information is different from that of an adult, and as such, you have to be cautious not to rush them or force the process.

Family

Which parenting style is most encouraged in modern America?

Parenting is a strong part of our social existence and whether we like it or not, we have to give it the proper acknowledgment and concern that it deserves. Whatever a country becomes has a lot to do with how the individuals that make up the country were raised as kids.

Poorly raised children will always grow up to become poorly behaved adults unless acted upon by a moral force beyond the force of their upbringing. In modern America, parenting is a prevalent topic, and in this article, We will take a quick look at some of the parenting styles, and then we will look at the one that’s most encouraged.

Parenting styles in America

There are several parenting styles in America, and all of them serve their different purposes. To some, one is most preferred, and to others, the other. However, each one of the parenting styles below has various pros and cons.

1. Authoritative

The authoritative parent is the parent who pays a lot of attention to the actions and behaviors of the children but doesn’t give them the freedom to make mistakes or do all they want. An authoritative parent believes that what he says is what must stand, and any child that does anything contrary to that will be punished.

2. Uninvolved

The uninvolved parent gives the children too much freedom. Sometimes, this kind of parent doesn’t do it intentionally; they just naturally don’t have the time to pay attention to raising the kids.

3. Permissive

This parent allows the child to do what they want but not ‘all’ they want. The permissive parent is more reasonable and accepts that the child can err once in a while and gives them the privilege to do that while correcting them along the way.

As mentioned earlier, all the above parenting styles have different pros and cons, and each parent either naturally adopts one or they choose which one they think will help their children become better. Most of the time, it comes naturally.

The most encouraged parenting style in America

It might be surprising to find out that the most encouraged parenting style in modern America is the authoritative parenting style. There are so many reasons why that is so, and some of them include building up the child’s self-esteem, helping them create and build their social skills, and putting them on the path that is correct to society.

An authoritative parent is a disciplinarian. He ensures that the child always does what is right and doesn’t let any mistake slide. He takes the child through every societal process and ensures that they act right both in the eyes of the law and of society. There are, however, some downsides to this as this parenting style is strict and gives the children only very little chance to express themselves.

Conclusion

That this parenting style is the most encouraged doesn’t mean that it is the best for everyone. Different parents choose the parenting styles that work for them; however, the most encouraged is the authoritative style.

Family

Why music is important for child development

They say music is food for the soul; as true as that is, it also plays an important role in the development of a child’s mind if you notice, even as adults, sometimes, listening to music helps you to calm your nerves and put yourself in a good mood.

Parents, over the years, have been using music (lullabies) to keep the children quiet and in bed. They also use music as a means of showing their love and affection to their babies from infancy even till their teenage days. It begs the question of what music is to children and how it helps child development.

How does music help with child development?

Music can mean different things to different people and to your kids, it could mean a way of expressing parental love and affection. Below are some of the benefits of music to child development:

1. Mental development

The sooner you begin to take your kids through music, the quicker it is for them to understand words, rhythm, and actions. Mental development using music can come from different angles, and one of them is through music games, participation in musical activities, and so on.

2. Improvement of social skills

Music helps older kids to learn to socialize, make new friends, and express themselves better in the midst of their peers. If you are not sure what you can do to help your kids improve on their communication and expression among their friends, put them in a music class. The better they get at understanding music, the more developed their social skills.

3. It can boost self-confidence

It’s not just the music but the feeling that they can actually do something that others are interested in; something that makes people look up to them as experienced; something that makes them feel important. Playing an instrument or singing is a great way to express oneself, and the moment there is acceptance from others, self-confidence is boosted.

4. A new way to have fun

Music is fun. It is food for the soul as well as food for the body. Music can help to take a child’s mind off any destructive forms of play and focus it on the more rhythmic ones. 

5. Music helps the child relax

Different people have different genres of music that appeal to them, and no matter what their choice is, they will still be able to comfort themselves with it. Starting your kids early with music will help them find relaxation, calmness, and peace with it. This will help them focus on more important aspects of their lives, like academics and the likes.

6. Encourages memorization of language in toddlers

Toddlers learn most of the things they know from what they hear and repeatedly do. The more nursery rhymes you sing to them, the better they get at using words as they grow. Another known way to improve memorization is by using this multivitamin.

Conclusion

Music has several benefits to offer children of different age grades. Preschoolers, school-age kids, and teenagers alike. What matters the most is starting them up with it from their tender age.

Family

Quotes About Tough Love Parenting

Parenting doesn’t always turn out to be what you want it to be. At the time when you are expecting a baby, you picture a sweet little mini version of yourself running around the house and playing with toys. As they get older, you picture a great relationship with them. It isn’t always like that. Most times, it may even turn out to be the opposite. A lot of parents have difficulties raising their kids and bonding with them. Sometimes, it feels as though your child doesn’t love you. You’re not alone. It is a stage and several other parents have experienced it too.

Here are some quotes that relate to tough love parenting:

1. “If you have never been hated by your child you have never been a parent.” ~Bette Davis

This is quite true. You may have probably asked your child to do some chores or do assignments instead of watching TV, that child may momentarily not like you. That’s because you stopped him or her from having some fun. That’s all part of parenting as it is normal.

2. “Some people need to learn to be a parent and not a friend. Quit being scared of making your kids mad. They’ll get over it.”

3. “Loving a child doesn’t mean giving in to all his whims; to love him is to bring out the best in him, to teach him to love what is difficult.” ~Nadia Boulanger

4. “Just because I love you unconditionally does not mean I’m going to co-sign your behavior unconditionally. You are going to learn the difference one way or the other.”

5. “The bond between a mother and a son is a special one. It remains unchanged by time or distance.”

6. “I am a responsible parent and have always provided for my children. That fact cannot be disputed. I have made mistakes in my life, but failing to care for my children is not one of them.” ~Jamal Lewis

7. “When a child hits a child, we call it aggression. When a child hits an adult, we call it hostility. When an adult hits an adult, we call it assault. When an adult hits a child, we call it discipline.”—Haim G. Ginott

8. “Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.”—Robert Fulghum

9. “If we don’t shape our kids, they will be shaped by outside forces that don’t care what shape our kids are in.”—Dr. Louise Hart

10. “Play helps build a warm relationship between family members and create a bank of positive feelings and experiences that can be drawn upon in times of conflict. Through play, you can help your children solve problems, test out ideas, and explore their imaginations.”—Carolyn Webster-Stratton

Parenting is fun and very rewarding. However, don’t forget that there will be difficult times. You may start wondering if you are a good parent or not. Children may exhibit behaviors that can be hard to deal with. With the parenting quotes above, you will be able to discover the right perspective of dealing with your child.

Family

Top Parenting Message Board and Helpful Parenting Websites

Parents, most especially new parents find it hard to do the parenting job sometimes. Parenting involves a lot of things. It involves taking care of your child or children, making sure that they are comfortable and lack nothing, sending them to a good school, helping them to do their assignments, playing with them, and so on. It may be frustrating at times, leaving you exasperated and without knowing what to do. However, it is something you must do and cannot run away from. This is why there are several parenting message boards and websites to help you out.

If you are at a loss for what to do, the internet is there to help you. Parenting message boards are a kind of platform where you meet other parents, experienced and inexperienced. Both share their experiences while experienced parents give tips to new parents. It is wholesome and worth it. Why? Because there is a lot to learn!

You can also participate in forums or look up parenting message boards on the internet. Here are some good ones for you:

1. ParentingForums.org:

Parenting Forums is a platform where you can discuss all parenting issues. Of course, other parents visit it too so experiences can be shared.

2. Baby Center Forum:

Here, you can find moms who will give parenting tips to help you as a parent. You’d get tons of advice as well as see experiences from other parents. Of course, growing a home isn’t easy but you will get a great deal of help as your kids grow up.

3. Mumsnet

If you need a platform to discuss everything related to parenting and raising kids, Mumsnet is the ideal place. You will get a lot of support from other parents like you, as well as little tips and advice.

4. Parentchum

If you are seeking encouragement and support as a parent, here’s the right place to go.

Helpful Parenting Websites

There are a lot of parenting websites on the internet today. They have tons of tips and information to share with parents that are finding it difficult. While searching for one, it is important to find one that will deliver. A lot of them use clickbait titles and headlines. In the end, you don’t get what you are looking for. By reviews, here are some of the best parenting websites available:

1. Parent Toolkit

2. BabyCenter

3. Cafemom

4. Raising Children

5. Fatherly

6. Well Family

7. More4Kidas

8. Zero To Three

9. Parenting Teens

Whether you are a single parent or you are raising kids with your spouse, these websites are bound to help you. You can also talk to other parents in your neighborhood. Share experiences with them and get useful tips also. Parenting is a whole new journey. At times, you may find it fun while it could be stressful at other times. Have fun with your child and let them know they have such an amazing parent.

Good luck!

Health

Healthiest Cereals with Whole Grains for Kids

The ingredients you need to be in the cereals for your kids needs to include a lot of Protein and Fiber.

Why do my kids Need Protein and Fiber?

They need these two because it is wonderful for the health of the digestive system of your kids. It also reduces the speed at which blood sugar increases. This also helps them remain full until they get their next meal. But there are lots of other different sources like milk too 

The kids used in testing these cereals were extremely happy. Who doesn’t want to be a kid that’s there to taste cereals?

List of Healthiest Cereals with Whole Grains for Kids 

Three Cinnamon Cereal Wishes 

This company has the focus of creating different twists on simple nice cereals. This is a new addition to the scene for cereals. These cereals have a higher amount of protein. It has a pack with 8g for a single serving. It has fiber too. It has a lot amount of sugar, unlike the other normal cereals. 

This cereal is loved by fans and it is the dream of a lot of different sufferers of allergies. It doesn’t have gluten, no soy, no dairy, no GMO, and no nuts. It has benefits to your health because of its reaction to blood sugar. 

A lot of people enjoy this cereal because it is crunchy. Some parents have stated that this is too strong for their kids but it would be a wonderful cereal for toddlers. Especially those that have issues chewing. 

Nature’s Organic Path Heritage Flakes 

This is a very nice flaky delicious cereal. It has an epic nutritional profile. It has just five grams of sugar per serving. Then five grams of protein and seven grams of fiber. It has whole grains including quinoa, oats, millet, barley, spelled too. All these ingredients are organic and some parents have stated that their kids enjoy this cereal. So this is one of the winners we’ve for today.

This is necessary for kids and parents that are health conscious too. Some parents have stated that their local grocery store doesn’t have this brand. You can purchase this from the internet. All you need to do is search for the name online especially as search engines and you would be able to purchase this. 

Organic Cascadia Coconut Cashew Granola 

This is known to be filled with Whole Grains and a lot of sugar and but there’s a Coconut Cashew type which doesn’t have this amount of sugar. It has no added sugar. It only has 8 grams of sugar like those from dates. This makes this cereal extremely healthy and nutritious. Your kids can consume this cereal especially when they are in a hurry to get to school or when they need to do things fast. It is also a great cereal to consume when you need to be active as soon as possible. This is an apt cereal when you think about it.

Family

Pregnancy versus Period Symptoms, how to Tell the Difference.

Different symptoms show uniquely to people that are pregnant and these are different from people that are expecting their menses. These symptoms include the following;

1.    Intense implantation pains.

2.    Metal-like taste in the mouth.

3.    Weird, Vivid Dreams.

4.    Intuition.

5.    Itching

6.    Frequent stooling 

7.    Increased and decreased in appetite 

8.    Forgetfulness 

9.    Extreme fatigue 

10.    Menstruation stops.

11.    Nausea.

12.    Typical PMS Symptoms.

13.    Tender Breasts.

14.    Abdominal discomfort.

15.    More Attention to smell.

16.    Food Aversions.

17.    Feeling dizzy.

18.    Bloat.

19.    Heightened emotions.

20.    Cigarette Aversion.

21.    Excessive stomach gas.

22.    Hair loss

23.    Headaches

24.    Mood disorders 

25.    Constipation

26.    Peeing often

27.    Hard to concentrate 

28.    Change in sex drive 

29.    Bleeding gums 

30.    Interested in a particular type of food 

31.    Acne

32.    Stunted hair growth 

33.    Vaginal  infections 

34.    Darker areas of the nipples 

35.    Increased intake of water

36.    Higher body temperature 

37.    Trouble  with Sleep

38.    Shiny hair 

39.    Colour Sensitivity

40.    Lower blood sugar 

41.    Letting out air from the mouth

42.    Shortness of breath

43.    Irritations 

44.    Heartburn

45.    Toothache

46.    Blackout

47.    Veiny breast 

48.    Tingling sensation in the breast 

49.    Coffee Aversion

50.    Leg cramps 

51.    Increased Allergies 

52.    Discolouration of the skin

53.    Flu-like symptoms 

54.    Urine smells like ammonia 

55.    Bitter taste in the mouth

56.    Sweating more 

57.    Backache 

58.    Stuffy  nose

59.    Haemorrhoids

60.    Vaginal Discharge

61.    Brittle Nails 

62.    Drooling

63.    Butterflies in your stomach

64.    UTI

65.    Heavy feeling in your stomach

66.    Dry Mouth 

67.    Nose Bleeds.

Similarities between Period vs. pregnancy symptoms and signs. 

The symptoms and sign that one could see usually with these problems include the following

1.    Constipation.

2.    Increased urination.

3.    Breast pain and tenderness.

4.    Cramping.

5.    Change in appetite.

6.    Fatigue. 

7.    Headache 

8.    Backache 

9. Mood changes ( irritability, crying, anxiety, etc.) 

Knowing the Differences between Period vs Pregnancy signs and symptoms.

Spotting or Bleeding 

Spotting or bleeding which might not be enough for a pad to get completely soaked in blood. This bleeding happens when a lady who is either pregnant or managing from her period is going through implantation. This is completely different from the usual thick heavy menstruation flow. 

Fatigue 

This is like what a lot of women that are pregnant go through and manage through the pregnancy period of nine months. But this happens with women that are yet to start their period. 

Aversions and Food Cravings 

Different women typically have an appetite that is higher than usual. These Aversions and craving for more food are usually more extreme and specific for women before and during menstruation. 

Vomiting and Nausea 

Vomiting and Nausea are usually more common in pregnancies that are early and these are not gotten from the menstrual period.  So if you are pregnant or you think that’s what is causing this, you need to beware and get ready to be called mother.

Blog, Family, Health

How To Succeed At Dieting During The Holidays

The amount of food that’s always available during the holiday makes dieting during this period a Herculean task. This is because the members of your family are most likely going to be present to add pressure and have you consume more food than you would have wanted.

In some cases, the person involved may lack self-discipline hence they crave/need to take in every available substance that’s at their disposal. That’s often because the favorite meals and snacks are always in abundance. In this article, we shall discuss the several steps that you can take at dieting during the holidays.

How Can I Diet Successfully During the Holiday

1.  Give Yourself Prompt Reminders

One of the ways that you can do it for yourself is to always give slight reminders to yourself when you feel like you’re slipping. To do this, you have to let yourself understand why you started the dieting procedures. Also, know that you shouldn’t consume everything that you see. Even if you do, ensure to take them in smaller quantities remember you need to lose some weight and keep fit.

2. Do Not Stay Hungry For Long

Allowing yourself to stay hungry for long means that you should get ready to go against the dieting plan that you’ve set for yourself. So what do you do? Eat your ideal food at home before showing up at ceremonies. The foods that you lay focus on should be able to help you control your appetite. These include consuming more high fiber meals, healthy fats, and lean protein. Also, stay away from sugary foods, and drink lots of water. Instead of sugar, try natural sweeteners like Better Stevia Organic Powder by NOW Foods.

3. Bring Your Appetizer

Appetizers are “easy-to-carry” options that one can rely on before big meals. You should opt for an appetizer or dessert that’s able to provide your body system with lots of needed nutrients. Tagging a desert along helps you to have control of the rate at which you consume other meals. You can ensure this by getting yourself ready beforehand. Assemble all the things you may need during this time, for example snacks, nuts, and protein bars – they are all forms of healthy appetizers.

4. Opt For Fruits And Vegetables

The importance of fruits and vegetables during dieting cannot be underestimated. Ensure you get enough of them, as they help to improve the level of nutrients in your body system. They have low calories, high fiber, and essential nutrients. This means there won’t be any room to add unhealthy body fats. Fruit salads, carrots, vegetable salads, and more are the means through which you can get this nutrition.

5. Ask For Encouragement

Your family should be a source of support during this time. Let them understand your goals and ask that they serve as a reminder at all times, as well as their maximum support.

Do not allow the holiday stress to sweep you off your feet. Have your body goals in mind and ensure to stay on track.

Cheers!