Jamie has certainly begun to take notice of more than the programs on the television. Although we try to focus his viewing around CBeebies, he does love a few of the NickJr programmes - specifically Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly, Umizoomi and Dora The Explorer. I have started taping Umizoomi to try to avoid the adverts but he can still be found watching them.
This week he has started saying "Those are for Girls" when the toy adverts come on and when toys for boys are advertised he "wants one".
He has also asked " Can we go there?" during adverts for DisneyLand and ThomasLand and Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Jamie knows that we are off to Butlins in October with cousin Lucy, and now every time the advert comes on - complete with giant chair and seagull - Jamie tells us!!
I can see he is excited already!!
Saturday, 18 August 2012
Thursday, 16 August 2012
Bringing up Boys
Was interested in this recent article from bounty at: www.bounty.com/family-time/parenting/bringing-up-boys
As any parent of sons will tell you raising boys is a lot of fun, even if sometimes it’s noisy, messy and chaotic. Mums of boys have been known to say that it’s like having dogs – give them lots of daily exercise and they’ll be happy. Certainly boys have a lovely, simple attitude to life and pleasure.
Boys like physical activity
As Steve Biddulph, author of Raising Boys (ordered from the library) writes: ‘The average boy has 30% more muscle bulk than the average girl. Boys are stronger and their bodies are more inclined to action.’ So it’s not surprising boys like a bit of rough and tumble. It should be encouraged. But teach them how to control it so they don’t hurt others and how to express when it’s too much for them (such as by yelling a specific phrase –“stop it, I don’t like it”). Testosterone surges mean they are programmed to be competitive so help them find activities that allow for this in safe ways.
Boys’ brains develop differently to girls’
Their language and fine motor skills (such as being able to hold a pen properly) develop later than girls’. This means boys can often appear ‘behind’ girls in the early years of school because their reading and writing can take longer to develop.
How boys play
They like action games, messy games and in general anything that moves – hence the enduring popularity of cars, train sets and bike riding. In terms of friendships they are usually based on common interests and boys are less likely to exclude people over silly things such as what clothes they wear.
Boys’ social skills
Boys may be prone to more aggressive behaviour and be less willing to engage in idle chit chat but they are not without empathy. Parents can teach them how to understand and read other people’s emotions and compared with girls they can be more accepting.
A father figure
Being a boy has changed over the generations. Traditional male jobs are being done by women and men are not expected to be the main breadwinner. But boys do look to older men as their role models. Ideally boys need a dad or at least an interested, caring man in their lives. Each child needs a same-sex adult as one of their main carers who puts in a lot of personal time and effort to support them in their learning and development. But we don't live in an ideal world and many boys grow up in single parent households to be successful adults.
For mothers, especially those without brothers, having a boy can be a challenging but inspiring experience. There is an ‘otherness’ to boys for many mums. It’s important to learn to like being around them and show this, as boys love approval and praise, especially from their parents. They also need lots of cuddles!
How to build boys' self-esteem:
• Use positive language and explain and praise good behaviour.
• Set clear boundaries and limits. These will have to change as they get older but will help make them feel safe and secure.
• Allow them to climb and explore physically within safe limits.
• Give them room to do what they can and learn from mistakes. So even if they set the table haphazardly let them try, if they spill something show them how to mop it up.
• Don’t dictate all the time – let them make their own choices and decisions even if it’s just over small things like what they want for their breakfast.
• Respect their feelings. Comfort them if they’re hurt and let them cry. Listen to their grievances.
As any parent of sons will tell you raising boys is a lot of fun, even if sometimes it’s noisy, messy and chaotic. Mums of boys have been known to say that it’s like having dogs – give them lots of daily exercise and they’ll be happy. Certainly boys have a lovely, simple attitude to life and pleasure.
Boys like physical activity
As Steve Biddulph, author of Raising Boys (ordered from the library) writes: ‘The average boy has 30% more muscle bulk than the average girl. Boys are stronger and their bodies are more inclined to action.’ So it’s not surprising boys like a bit of rough and tumble. It should be encouraged. But teach them how to control it so they don’t hurt others and how to express when it’s too much for them (such as by yelling a specific phrase –“stop it, I don’t like it”). Testosterone surges mean they are programmed to be competitive so help them find activities that allow for this in safe ways.
Boys’ brains develop differently to girls’
Their language and fine motor skills (such as being able to hold a pen properly) develop later than girls’. This means boys can often appear ‘behind’ girls in the early years of school because their reading and writing can take longer to develop.
How boys play
They like action games, messy games and in general anything that moves – hence the enduring popularity of cars, train sets and bike riding. In terms of friendships they are usually based on common interests and boys are less likely to exclude people over silly things such as what clothes they wear.
Boys’ social skills
Boys may be prone to more aggressive behaviour and be less willing to engage in idle chit chat but they are not without empathy. Parents can teach them how to understand and read other people’s emotions and compared with girls they can be more accepting.
A father figure
Being a boy has changed over the generations. Traditional male jobs are being done by women and men are not expected to be the main breadwinner. But boys do look to older men as their role models. Ideally boys need a dad or at least an interested, caring man in their lives. Each child needs a same-sex adult as one of their main carers who puts in a lot of personal time and effort to support them in their learning and development. But we don't live in an ideal world and many boys grow up in single parent households to be successful adults.
For mothers, especially those without brothers, having a boy can be a challenging but inspiring experience. There is an ‘otherness’ to boys for many mums. It’s important to learn to like being around them and show this, as boys love approval and praise, especially from their parents. They also need lots of cuddles!
How to build boys' self-esteem:
• Use positive language and explain and praise good behaviour.
• Set clear boundaries and limits. These will have to change as they get older but will help make them feel safe and secure.
• Allow them to climb and explore physically within safe limits.
• Give them room to do what they can and learn from mistakes. So even if they set the table haphazardly let them try, if they spill something show them how to mop it up.
• Don’t dictate all the time – let them make their own choices and decisions even if it’s just over small things like what they want for their breakfast.
• Respect their feelings. Comfort them if they’re hurt and let them cry. Listen to their grievances.
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
10 Ways To Prevent Aggression in Toddlers
Following yesterdays 'incident' I had a look on the internet for any advice and came across this article
by Teresa McEntire at http://parenting.families.com/blog/10-ways-to-prevent-aggression-in-toddlers
As every parent knows, she says, there are times when your toddler will become aggressive. For toddler's, this aggressive behavior is normal. They are learning to become independent and have an undeveloped impulse control.
Toddlers usually do not understand that their behavior has hurt someone. They may feel ashamed because they know they disappointed you not because of their actions. Toddlers often do not know their own strength. He may not have meant to push the other child down, just tell him to back off. But just because the behavior is normal parents still need to curb aggressive behavior, set limits, and discipline after occurrences.
1. Stay calm. When you see your child exhibiting aggressive behavior, stay calm yourself. Remove your child from the situation. Comfort the child who has been hurt first. Then talk to the child who was the aggressor. Talk to them about what they have done and explain that their behavior was inappropriate. Most toddlers do not feel empathy so don't ask things like, "How would you feel if Tommy hit you?" or "How do you think Tommy feels?"
2. Learn what triggers the aggressive behavior. Many children become more aggressive when they are tired, hungry, or experienced a disruption in their routine. Maybe they don't get along with a certain child. If you know what triggers your child intervene before the aggression happens.
3. Be a good example. Children always watch and often imitate the behavior they see in their parents. Make sure that you are reacting appropriately when you are upset. When your child misbehaves don't react aggressively to him.
4. Set clear limits. Let your children know what behavior is inappropriate. Talk about how you want your child to act. Before attending play dates or other activities talk about appropriate behavior.
5. Discipline consistently. If you don't allow hitting you must discipline your child every time they hit. This doesn't always mean time out or other form of discipline. But you need to acknowledge that hitting is wrong and talk to your child about it.
6. Use logical consequences. If your child throws a ball at a child a normal consequence is too take the ball away for a time. Explain that if the ball isn't used right then he won't be allowed to play.
7. Reward good behavior. If your child doesn't react aggressively praise them for controlling themselves. Praise positive behaviors like sharing and using words instead of actions to express anger.
8. Limit media violence. Children are affected by the violence that they see on television, movies, and video games. Limit the amount of media violence that your child views. They do not understand the difference between the media and real life.
9. Teach alternatives. Provide your child with strategies that they can use instead of aggressive behavior. I often told my children when toddlers, "Use your words." This reminded them that they could say what the problem was instead of hitting. They learned that talking was more effective than hitting.
10. Provide an outlet. Many children have an abundance of energy. If your child is one that does make sure that he has the space and time to release that energy. Pent up energy often releases itself in the form of aggression whether intentional or unintentional.
by Teresa McEntire at http://parenting.families.com/blog/10-ways-to-prevent-aggression-in-toddlers
As every parent knows, she says, there are times when your toddler will become aggressive. For toddler's, this aggressive behavior is normal. They are learning to become independent and have an undeveloped impulse control.
Toddlers usually do not understand that their behavior has hurt someone. They may feel ashamed because they know they disappointed you not because of their actions. Toddlers often do not know their own strength. He may not have meant to push the other child down, just tell him to back off. But just because the behavior is normal parents still need to curb aggressive behavior, set limits, and discipline after occurrences.
1. Stay calm. When you see your child exhibiting aggressive behavior, stay calm yourself. Remove your child from the situation. Comfort the child who has been hurt first. Then talk to the child who was the aggressor. Talk to them about what they have done and explain that their behavior was inappropriate. Most toddlers do not feel empathy so don't ask things like, "How would you feel if Tommy hit you?" or "How do you think Tommy feels?"
2. Learn what triggers the aggressive behavior. Many children become more aggressive when they are tired, hungry, or experienced a disruption in their routine. Maybe they don't get along with a certain child. If you know what triggers your child intervene before the aggression happens.
3. Be a good example. Children always watch and often imitate the behavior they see in their parents. Make sure that you are reacting appropriately when you are upset. When your child misbehaves don't react aggressively to him.
4. Set clear limits. Let your children know what behavior is inappropriate. Talk about how you want your child to act. Before attending play dates or other activities talk about appropriate behavior.
5. Discipline consistently. If you don't allow hitting you must discipline your child every time they hit. This doesn't always mean time out or other form of discipline. But you need to acknowledge that hitting is wrong and talk to your child about it.
6. Use logical consequences. If your child throws a ball at a child a normal consequence is too take the ball away for a time. Explain that if the ball isn't used right then he won't be allowed to play.
7. Reward good behavior. If your child doesn't react aggressively praise them for controlling themselves. Praise positive behaviors like sharing and using words instead of actions to express anger.
8. Limit media violence. Children are affected by the violence that they see on television, movies, and video games. Limit the amount of media violence that your child views. They do not understand the difference between the media and real life.
9. Teach alternatives. Provide your child with strategies that they can use instead of aggressive behavior. I often told my children when toddlers, "Use your words." This reminded them that they could say what the problem was instead of hitting. They learned that talking was more effective than hitting.
10. Provide an outlet. Many children have an abundance of energy. If your child is one that does make sure that he has the space and time to release that energy. Pent up energy often releases itself in the form of aggression whether intentional or unintentional.
Monday, 13 August 2012
Daddy and Jamie are NOT Friends
Bit of a fall out in our household today when Jamie slapped daddy.
They were playing together in Jamie's room when I went in to ask daddy a question about decorating (or something else equally mundane). Jamie kept interrupting me and daddy, and we could not hear ourselves speak. As I continued to try to talk to daddy, Jamie slapped daddy across the face.
Straight away, we put Jamie in the (up until now non-existent) naughty corner; which is situated by the front door. We made him stay there for (what seemed like) ages. We sat in his room and could see his shadow so knew when he was moving from his spot. I hated doing it. Tears were streaming down his face, snot was streaming out of his nose and it was awful. But we left him there and eventually I went over to him and tried to explain why he had been put in the naughty corner. I then tried to get him to say 'Sorry' to daddy. This he didn't seem to want to do, but I think he was a bit scared at daddy's initial reaction to the slap.
Understandably, daddy was very upset and went off outside to trim the bush at the front of the house. Jamie just sat on our bed. I think he knew not to ask for TV. He sat there for a while, and I just sat on the floor next to him sorting out some paperwork. In the end I sat on the bed with him and we had a cuddle and a chat. I think he did understand why daddy had got so mad with him and hopefully he won't be slapping anyone again! A few hours later we were all giggles and laughter - and best friends - when we took Jamie to meet his 'girls' at a local pub with a fantastic play area (www.woodcockspub.co.uk/) for lunch followed by ice cream.
Hopefully this shows we are not too afraid to discipline Jamie (see previous post). I love Jamie to bits but also realise he must be shown / learn the error of his ways whenever he is naughty.
They were playing together in Jamie's room when I went in to ask daddy a question about decorating (or something else equally mundane). Jamie kept interrupting me and daddy, and we could not hear ourselves speak. As I continued to try to talk to daddy, Jamie slapped daddy across the face.
Straight away, we put Jamie in the (up until now non-existent) naughty corner; which is situated by the front door. We made him stay there for (what seemed like) ages. We sat in his room and could see his shadow so knew when he was moving from his spot. I hated doing it. Tears were streaming down his face, snot was streaming out of his nose and it was awful. But we left him there and eventually I went over to him and tried to explain why he had been put in the naughty corner. I then tried to get him to say 'Sorry' to daddy. This he didn't seem to want to do, but I think he was a bit scared at daddy's initial reaction to the slap.
Understandably, daddy was very upset and went off outside to trim the bush at the front of the house. Jamie just sat on our bed. I think he knew not to ask for TV. He sat there for a while, and I just sat on the floor next to him sorting out some paperwork. In the end I sat on the bed with him and we had a cuddle and a chat. I think he did understand why daddy had got so mad with him and hopefully he won't be slapping anyone again! A few hours later we were all giggles and laughter - and best friends - when we took Jamie to meet his 'girls' at a local pub with a fantastic play area (www.woodcockspub.co.uk/) for lunch followed by ice cream.
Hopefully this shows we are not too afraid to discipline Jamie (see previous post). I love Jamie to bits but also realise he must be shown / learn the error of his ways whenever he is naughty.
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Child As A Friend? Discuss....
An article appeared in the Daily Mail on Saturday July 21st
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2176791/Why-parent-tempted-treat-child-friend.html which discussed why, as an adult, you should never be tempted to treat your child as a friend...
A generation of children, it says, are growing up badly behaved because their parents are too afraid to discipline them. The rise of the so-called ‘friend-parent’ – who tries to be their child’s equal rather than their boss – means youngsters are approaching adolescence ill-equipped for the real world, according to Professor Tanya Byron.
Professor Byron, who featured on the BBC series House of Tiny Tearaways, said she is treating children at her clinic with behavioural problems as a direct result of such parenting tactics. She said: ‘Children as young as six are brought to my clinics by parents who are anxious that any time they try to set a boundary, the child becomes distressed. She said parents are so preoccupied with getting their children on their side that they are waiting on them hand and foot – denying them important life skills. She said: ‘What’s happened to chores, a family being a team, with everyone having their key jobs? I treat children of eight and nine who, while attending intellectually challenging schools, cannot take themselves to the toilet or clean themselves afterwards, or who don’t dress or feed themselves independently – never mind know how to tie a shoelace.’ She warned that without boundaries and chores, a child’s development could be impaired.
Psychologist Dr Aric Sigman said the ‘friend-parent’ phenomenon could be explained by the fact that women are choosing to start families when they are older. ‘Parents today, in particular mothers, are much older than ever before. They are also likely to be working as well. ‘The result is children are seeing their parents for less hours a day, so if the children start displaying challenging behaviour because they haven’t had the attention they need, they feel guilty and let it go, rather than disciplining them for it and risk them getting upset.’
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers union, said schools were left to pick up the pieces. ‘Schools are having to deal with children who haven’t been toilet trained, children who expect to always get their own way and have never been told “no”. ‘Parents aren’t doing their children any favours if they wait on them hand and foot, try to buy good behaviour or make up for lack of attention with toys and gadgets. They need to have the confidence to set rules, make their children help around the house, and encourage them to become independent to enable them to become confident and capable adults.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2176791/Why-parent-tempted-treat-child-friend.html which discussed why, as an adult, you should never be tempted to treat your child as a friend...
A generation of children, it says, are growing up badly behaved because their parents are too afraid to discipline them. The rise of the so-called ‘friend-parent’ – who tries to be their child’s equal rather than their boss – means youngsters are approaching adolescence ill-equipped for the real world, according to Professor Tanya Byron.
Professor Byron, who featured on the BBC series House of Tiny Tearaways, said she is treating children at her clinic with behavioural problems as a direct result of such parenting tactics. She said: ‘Children as young as six are brought to my clinics by parents who are anxious that any time they try to set a boundary, the child becomes distressed. She said parents are so preoccupied with getting their children on their side that they are waiting on them hand and foot – denying them important life skills. She said: ‘What’s happened to chores, a family being a team, with everyone having their key jobs? I treat children of eight and nine who, while attending intellectually challenging schools, cannot take themselves to the toilet or clean themselves afterwards, or who don’t dress or feed themselves independently – never mind know how to tie a shoelace.’ She warned that without boundaries and chores, a child’s development could be impaired.
Psychologist Dr Aric Sigman said the ‘friend-parent’ phenomenon could be explained by the fact that women are choosing to start families when they are older. ‘Parents today, in particular mothers, are much older than ever before. They are also likely to be working as well. ‘The result is children are seeing their parents for less hours a day, so if the children start displaying challenging behaviour because they haven’t had the attention they need, they feel guilty and let it go, rather than disciplining them for it and risk them getting upset.’
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers union, said schools were left to pick up the pieces. ‘Schools are having to deal with children who haven’t been toilet trained, children who expect to always get their own way and have never been told “no”. ‘Parents aren’t doing their children any favours if they wait on them hand and foot, try to buy good behaviour or make up for lack of attention with toys and gadgets. They need to have the confidence to set rules, make their children help around the house, and encourage them to become independent to enable them to become confident and capable adults.’
Friday, 10 August 2012
Spotting Your Emotional Needs
Don't really know why, but this week I have felt a bit overwhelmed. Probably due to the holiday washing that still needs to be sorted, and the washing machine that does not seem to wash, added to the usual worry about money, and Jamie having another one of his coughs this week!!
Anyway, this article came along at the right time. See: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/07/27/find-stress-relief-by-spotting-your-emotional-needs/
Julie Hanks, a therapist and blogger at Psych Central, works with many clients who are besieged by stress. What her clients typically discover is that they aren’t necessarily overwhelmed by stress, they’re overwhelmed by their emotions.
“As [my clients] learn to unpack the anxiety, they discover that their worry, stress, and sense of impending doom is the not just anxiety, but the culmination of years of unprocessed emotions of all kinds,” said Hanks. “Anxiety is often the label that clients have given to the experience of being emotionally overwhelmed.”
So the key is to get to your core emotions and she offered these four tools to spot your core emotions:
• Spend several minutes each day tuning into your body. We “feel” emotions in our bodies, so paying attention to our physical cues can help us identify our emotions. For instance, whenever she’s anxious, Hanks gets a tight feeling in her chest and shoulders, and her breathing gets shallow.
• Ask yourself, “What’s really bothering me?” Dig deeper to see what’s stressing you out. For instance, right now, for Hanks that’s a book revision deadline, a family situation and an impending move for her clinic.
• Ask yourself, “What do I need to feel emotionally calm and comforted?” To feel like she’s capable of completing her book revisions, Hanks will ask her husband for reassurance. To figure out her family situation, she’ll turn to a friend who’s going through something similar for support. In order to make her move less stressful, she’ll work on organizing her to-do list, delegate tasks and engage in positive self-talk.
• Ask for your emotional need to be met. This might mean articulating your need to a loved one. Hanks might say to her husband, “I’m feeling overwhelmed and stressed about this book deadline. I need to hear that you believe in me and I could really use a shoulder rub.”
I feel better already.....
Anyway, this article came along at the right time. See: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/07/27/find-stress-relief-by-spotting-your-emotional-needs/
Julie Hanks, a therapist and blogger at Psych Central, works with many clients who are besieged by stress. What her clients typically discover is that they aren’t necessarily overwhelmed by stress, they’re overwhelmed by their emotions.
“As [my clients] learn to unpack the anxiety, they discover that their worry, stress, and sense of impending doom is the not just anxiety, but the culmination of years of unprocessed emotions of all kinds,” said Hanks. “Anxiety is often the label that clients have given to the experience of being emotionally overwhelmed.”
So the key is to get to your core emotions and she offered these four tools to spot your core emotions:
• Spend several minutes each day tuning into your body. We “feel” emotions in our bodies, so paying attention to our physical cues can help us identify our emotions. For instance, whenever she’s anxious, Hanks gets a tight feeling in her chest and shoulders, and her breathing gets shallow.
• Ask yourself, “What’s really bothering me?” Dig deeper to see what’s stressing you out. For instance, right now, for Hanks that’s a book revision deadline, a family situation and an impending move for her clinic.
• Ask yourself, “What do I need to feel emotionally calm and comforted?” To feel like she’s capable of completing her book revisions, Hanks will ask her husband for reassurance. To figure out her family situation, she’ll turn to a friend who’s going through something similar for support. In order to make her move less stressful, she’ll work on organizing her to-do list, delegate tasks and engage in positive self-talk.
• Ask for your emotional need to be met. This might mean articulating your need to a loved one. Hanks might say to her husband, “I’m feeling overwhelmed and stressed about this book deadline. I need to hear that you believe in me and I could really use a shoulder rub.”
I feel better already.....
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Blog Baby 29
A few weeks late but here goes....
Holly Jade Roberts born 29th June weighing 9lbs 12oz - over a week overdue.
We were with them on the Saturday before and Suzanne was truly fed up with waiting!!
Congratulations to Suzanne and Simon.
Holly Jade Roberts born 29th June weighing 9lbs 12oz - over a week overdue.
We were with them on the Saturday before and Suzanne was truly fed up with waiting!!
Congratulations to Suzanne and Simon.
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