Time-outs: An Insight

Time-outs seem to be most parents’ favourite disciplining tool. How it normally works is that you have a child who is behaving badly, you remove him/her from the situation & sit him out in another room. Tell the child that s/he is in “time-out”. The idea is to remove the child from that situation and provide him sometime to calm down. It’s success rate is quite high. Experts say time-outs work almost all the time when implemented in the right manner. Starting from 18 months of age to even 15 years old, you just need apply it differently in different circumstances.

No more monsters under the bed!

Help your child get over their fear of the dark!

 

I remember I used to be so scared of dark, now it does seem funny but back then I spent many sleepless nights fearing that ‘Boogeyman’ will come and eat me up. I am sure a lot of you have kids who are scared of the dark. 

Toddler Discipline - A myth, a reality or an investment?

Guest Blogger Deepa M. Kini

As kids, discipline is the most detested word in our dictionary. As parents, discipline represents a daunting/un-achievable task. I recall the umpteen attempts I made, to skip my mum's discipline sessions. I dread to spring such sessions on Pranay. This is when I started to search for the alternative way to lecturing my boy for every unacceptable behavior.

I looked up the meaning of the D-word. I was happy to find that it does not mean chastisement, though punishment is an integral part of the process.  I would like to perceive discipline as a method of practice, meaning, taking up good behavior examples and practicing them till they are habits. There is another dreaded word called “change” that we all must undergo before we start seeing results. This process is neither easy on us nor on the child. I remember asking in New Mommies World forum (a parenting group on Facebook, by Momsters), the exact time to start disciplining a child. Based on the answers that I received, I realized that the procedure starts with us and not the children. I chalked out a few do’s and dont’s for my family and I am still working on it.

Handling Picky Eaters

Does your child want to live on a restricted diet of a chosen few things? Or refuses to try anything new? Picky eaters can be frustrating. But their quirks and preferences aren’t entirely arbitrary. Simply stated, your child’s taste perceptions may differ from yours. Being a picky eater can be a natural state for young children.

Babies are born with an instinctive desire for sweet and salty foods, and an instinctive aversion to sour and bitter tastes. These instincts are a trait left over from our "caveman" days. Back then, the reflex to reject sour-bitter foods served as a survival mechanism so that youngsters wouldn't wander off and nibble on poisonous plants and berries – many of which are not sweet. Today, however, this reflex is one of the key reasons so many kids become picky eaters and shun fruits and vegetables.

Fun "Clean Up Time"

Cleaning up after a fun day of play probably tops your preschooler’s “Things I Don’t Like to Do List.” Till they are toddlers, they love to clean up, but once they've had enough they try to avoid it totally. However, getting your little one to clean up their play area/room is not only about getting him/her to clean the place & keep everything back in the place it belongs. A simple “Clean-up” time helps children improve their self-esteem. 

When children are constantly being told negatives like “no” or “can’t,” their self-esteem suffers. With the implementation of positive discipline techniques, children’s self-esteem benefits. They’re also learning self-discipline. As children are being taught to clean up, they are learning to put things away if they want to bring something else out. They’re also learning to control their behavior. Children can easily get overwhelmed with activities and the number of items to use. Controlling themselves to not bring out every possible toy is part of learning from positive discipline. By cleaning up, children also get a sense of responsibility, a sense of ownership of the space they are taking care of. 

My tryst with ‘Tantrum’

Guest Blogger Nibedita Bose

‘Tantrum’…This is pretty familiar term for any parent whose kids has moved on from the infant stage. I hereby officially announce that even my kid joined the bandwagon much before she reached the very famous phase of ‘terrible twos’. She is just 18 months old!

The meltdown & aggression from her is quite frustrating at times. I am embarrassed to admit that she has now resorted to scratching & pulling hair of other to express her anger. Most of the times a happy-go-lucky kid like her transforms into mauling creature the moment she is restricted to some particular activity.

Scene 1: She is looking/playing with her books. I sense that she has pooped in her diapers. She needs to be taken to bathroom however she wants to continue her tryst with books. I pick her up in spite of her resistance explaining patiently that she has to go to washroom. She bends her body, starts howling and scratches my face to get released from my hold.

Bedtime Power Struggles

 The Toddler has recently launched a battle during her bedtime. I as usual, started my research on the same. Power Struggle during bedtime is very common amongst 2-3 year old kids. Seeing that The Toddler started just after she turned 2, I have to agree to it.

These power struggles happen when your tot suddenly realizes s/he has a mind of her/his own and s/he'll decide for her/himself. Let your toddler take a few decisions, like which night suit, which bed time story, how many good night kisses (1-2)...