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Waking in the middle of the night to change your child's sheets after a bed-wetting episode is practically not a new thing to parents; it's more common than you think. Research has proven that twice as many boys wet their beds as girls. Bed-wetting among children may seem normal at first, but at some point parents may begin to worry about it. Bed-wetting can be an embarrassing situation among kids, but it is actually a very common experience. Research has proven that quite a percentage of children still bed wet after the age of five. This should be no cause for alarm because most children eventually outgrow this phase. Why Your Child Bed Wets Bed-wetting is literally the hidden problem of childhood. Unlike asthma or allergies, most parents would rather not talk about it outside the house. The secrecy that revolves around bed-wetting makes the situation more difficult for the child and 90% of children think they're the only ones who wet the bed. The situation can get difficult for both parent and child; frustrated parents sometimes conclude a child is wetting the bed out of laziness; this is only but a myth. For some children, bed-wetting may be an inevitable part of the growing process and therefore it doesn't have to be traumatic. Understanding the causes of bed-wetting is the first step to dealing with this rampant childhood problem. There's no one single cause of bed-wetting, it is inherited for the most part. Research has shown that for three out of four children, either a parent or a first-degree relative also wet the bed in childhood. Science has even located some of the specific genes that lead to delayed nighttime bladder control in chromosomes. It would be nice if most parents who had the same problem communicate it to their children, this will help the child understand that he or she is not alone and it is not their fault. Steps To Ensure Your Child Stays Dry Through The Night 1. Talk to them about it Getting angry at your child and giving him a tough time for wetting the bed will only make the problem worse. It may be tough at first to stop a child from wetting the bed, and you shouldn't worry about it unless he is embarrassed by it and asks you for help. Most often than not, when parents do not talk about bed-wetting with their little ones, they begin to think that the issue is peculiar to them alone. Reassure your child that they are not alone and it is not an abnormal occurrence for a child their age. 2. Ensure they ease themselves before bedtime When children empty their bladder before bedtime, there's a lesser chance of them bed-wetting. Although this technique may not cure bed-wetting, it can be an effective means to keep the bed dry through the night. Most pediatricians suggest you should limit your child’s fluid intake a few hours before bedtime. 3. Talk to your pediatrician Talking to [...]

The average child starts to crawl at 8 months. Soon after they start pulling up, which means counters and other surfaces are now within their reach. It is almost impossible to keep kids a hundred percent injury free, this is because kids can be a handful with all the jumping and running which follows after they start walking. Kids will always be kids and we can’t change that, but here are a few measures that can be put in place to keep them away from the emergency room. 1. Take precaution while bathing your child While bathing your child, do not fill the bathtub to the brim, fill the tub with just enough to cover your baby's legs (2 to 3 inches of water). Ensure to use warm and not hot water. Never leave little ones in the tub unsupervised, not even for a few seconds. Put nonslip mats in the bathtub and on the floor next to the tub. 2. Keep kids away from hot kitchenware Do not be tempted to carry hot food or drink while you are carrying your baby. Keep hot food and drinks away from edges of tables and counters, also do not hold your baby while cooking on a stove. Be sure to secure oven door with an appliance latch, to prevent your child from getting burnt. Kids can burn themselves badly by grabbing pots from the stove or even by just touching it. While cooking, turn pot handles away from the front of the stove to avoid dangerous spills, and watch them closely when they are near the stove. 3. Keep your baby's crib away from things he may use to hurt himself Your child spends a lot of time in his crib unsupervised and will discover ways to grab nearby objects and climb or tumble out of the crib when you least expect it. Do not hang anything with a string above your child’s crib . Once your baby can push up on her hands and knees, you'll have to remove those adorable toys that hang down into the crib because they can be hazardous. When they can pull himself up to a standing position, move the mattress to its lowest position. Keep your child’s crib away from windows low enough for him to climb unto, and also keep his crib away from any wall with paintings or decoration hanging on it. 4. Be sure to lay your baby properly Sudden infant death syndrome is every parent's nightmare, but there are ways to reduce the risk. Be sure to always put your baby to sleep on his or her back. The sleep surface should be firm and flat. Do not use pillows, do not use fluffy bedding in the crib, and keep stuffed animals out, too. 5. Make your furniture and electrical fittings baby friendly While purchasing furniture, make sure they have rounded edges and corners. Ensure you cover any sharp areas with cushions. Firmly attach tall furniture such as bookshelves to the [...]

a robot waiter/chef that cooks food and serves it

a robot teacher that teaches all subjects

a robot butler that helps with all chores around the house

Most parents do not share details of their finances with their kids. This is usually because of the assumption that the child will not understand the details, will not be interested or because they simply do not find the need to get them involved. On the contrary, it is never too early for your child to understand money and how it works. Getting your child involved in the economics of your household will arm them with the very vital knowledge of how to handle money; saving, investing and reproducing. Why Is It Important to Teach Your Child About Investing? The times demand that your child grows up with an understanding of the world of finance and business. This way, they will be able to recognize and make the best use of the opportunities at large. By starting at such an early age, you can entrench the values of an entrepreneur within them. These, they will find very useful even before they are old enough to take on any serious financial venture. How then do you go about this? 1. Get Them Used to Saving First It is never too early to introduce your child to start saving. You can start with the very popular piggy bank concept - get your child familiar with the idea that if you save up enough, you can get great things with your money at the end of it. They can begin paying for certain fun items from their savings, then the child can graduate from a piggy bank to a personal savings account. 2. Teach Your Child The Basic Concepts of Investment When your child’s understanding of money grows, you may present them with a greater purpose for the money being saved; something you know they will be interested in. This might be a good time to explain concepts such as stocks, interest rates, risks and returns to your child; in a fun and simple way. Tell them about the companies you have shares in, how you got the shares and how it works. Explain it in such a way that they will be able to relate. You can give them examples of stuff in your home, which you were able to buy from the returns on your investment. It’s a good idea also, to get your child to read books and play games about investment. Monopoly is a good one. There is an endless supply of books and games online that your child can learn from. 3. Investing The next step should be Introducing your child to cool companies that you think they will be interested in. Video game companies are an example. Target companies that manufacture a product or provide a service that your child has an interest in. After your child has decided where they want to invest their savings, you can chip in and buy the shares. Teach them about tracking company performance and have fun while at it. Don’t forget to keep encouraging them to save. Before your child grows [...]

One of the problems all parents have in common is getting their kids to pick up after themselves. You must have already discovered that yelling and banging your head on the walling doesn’t work. Kicking at toys doesn’t work either. The thing is, kids are just messy. It is innate. Before anything else, you need to understand that they don’t really mean harm by messing up, they just can’t help it, it’s all the curiosity and excitement. It can be pretty frustrating but there are a few things you can do to help them help you. 1. Talk to them Try talking to your child about why they need to clean up after themselves. Make them understand that they have a responsibility to clean up. Explain how it inconveniences the both of you: “when you don’t pick up your toys after you are done, mummy has to use the time she has to spend with you, to pick it up". You can remind them of a time when they needed something but couldn’t find it because they didn’t stow it away when they were done using it. Make it a routine to remind your kid when to pick up their toys. For example; “before lunch we pick up the toys”. If you have a particular time for picking up and putting away toys, it will be easier for your child to learn. Notify your child that it will be toy packing time a few minutes before so they will mentally prepare for it. 2. Motivate them You can motivate your child to pick up their toys when they are done by rewarding them occasionally. Offer them something you know they would appreciate or find exciting, like allowing them to do something that you normally wouldn’t (provided it is safe), spending a day together at the park, a movie, a new toy etc. Your child will love to pick up a few toys for a treat but be careful not to make them feel like they should get paid to do it. 3. Competition You can actually turn toy picking into fun. You can have your kids play games like: who picks up the most toys in 10 seconds. The thought of a race and winning is exciting enough to get kids picking even without an incentive. This doesn’t only work with picking up toys, you can get your kids to help with the cleaning around the house that way too. If you have one child, you can have them compete with you - make it look like its actually taking an effort. They can also try to beat their previous record. Keep records on a board or chart somewhere in the house where your kid can see it. If you stick to this method, you will find that your kid will start clearing up after themselves without you remining them. Good Luck!

It is only natural that your child doesn’t like eating vegetables – literally. It a survival instinct picked up hundreds of thousands of years ago by your ancestors. What happened is; there was a tendency for bitter or sour tasting plants to be poisonous and the sweet, sugary ones to not be poisonous. Your great great great grandparents had to stick to the sweet tasting stuff to increase their chances of surviving. This is why kids grow up instinctively preferring sweet stuff; you learn to love the bitter and sour stuff. Next time your kid refuses to eat their vegetables, don’t take it too hard. They mostly don’t mean to be difficult. Here are a few things you can do: 1. Breastfeeding your child can actually make it easier for them to try out new food later on – like vegetables. This is because the taste of breastmilk changes according to the type of food the mum has been eating, unlike formula which tastes the same always. If its too late to breastfeed your child, no need to worry. Just read on. 2. If you ask your child to eat their vegetables once and they refuse, don’t insist. Let the conversation drift to other things and try again another day. It might take a good number of tries to get them to eat it but a back-and-forth between you and your child might get them defensive and make it a mission to not eat their broccoli. Patience is key. 3. This step will require you to have a taste of your own medicine, so if you don’t like vegetables either, brace up! Prepare a meal of vegetables that you like and eat it in front of your kid – passionately too. They will likely get curious very soon and want to try it out. Don’t disappoint them. 4. If you want your child to warm up to vegetables, you might want to start easy. Offer your child the sweeter vegetables – carrots, tomatoes, sweet peas etc. Introduce the bitter ones a bit later when your kid is more comfortable. It will help if your child feels like eating vegetables is not solely your decision. Get them involved. You can ask your child what vegetables they would want to try and/or how they want it prepared. You can make it exciting by making special shapes or pictures from the vegetables, or even creating stories. They can help you get the food prepared. If you have enough space for a little vegetable garden in your house, you can start one. Get your child to work on it with you – turning beds, planting seedlings, watering, harvesting, and eating. You kid will like the idea of “eating the fruits of your labor”. So, next time your kid acts up about eating vegetables, don’t let it bother you too much. You have a few tricks up your sleeve to get them to do it without resorting to a fight.

Tablets and phones have taken the place of TV as a way of keeping children distracted and out of your way. Recently, a survey has shown that 1 in 3 children use an iPad even before they are able to speak. Quite an effective way to keep them quiet, until they get hooked and you can’t get them to do anything else. It is absolutely devastating. This article will help you recognize the early indicators of addiction before it is too late and also to provide you with ways to help your child get over the addiction. These have a significant impact on the mental health of young people. Including a potential to affect their sleeping habits. It can be rightly said that today’s playground is virtual, given the significant part gadgets and the internet play in the lives of this generation. Perhaps, a lot of parents are yet to grasp the extent to which these gadgets, the internet, and social media influence the lives of their kids. At a point, technology and media begin to have more influence over your child than you or anyone else does. When it reaches this extent, taking the gadget away from your child will cause them severe distress. When you notice this happening, then you know that it is time to take the matter very seriously and do something about it. Children who are not addicted to their iPad may get excited by a variety of other activities. Children who are addicted or are on the verge of addiction will display signs of distress and agitation when their device is taken from them. In this way, you will know that your child has an unhealthy dependence on their device. The effects are not only limited to agitation and distress, and will also be reflected in other aspects of the child’s behavior including their eating habits, sleeping pattern, and interaction with peers. Identifying The Signs 1. Lack Of Interest In Other Activities One major sign that your child is addicted to their device is their total lack of interest in any other activity. As a parent trying to get your child to do fun stuff, especially outdoor activities such as playing at the park or going to the movies, you will notice reluctance on the part of your child. As the addiction deepens, the child’s behavior will shift from mere reluctance to outright refusal. It will become increasingly harder to tear them away from the device and if you succeed, it won’t last long at all. 2. Constantly Talking About Or Getting Distracted By Technology Your child will talk about their device all the time and will talk with notable eagerness about things related to the device. It could be games, social media, chats etc. There is always something to talk about regarding their iPad. One sign to look for is that your child is always eager to get back to their device, no matter what it is they are doing. If it is switched off, [...]

Sometimes it happens that our child appears shy, reserved, perhaps even anti-social. It can be quite frustrating having to deal with this and if not handled with caution, it might damage your relationship with your child and cause them to withdraw further. It may be that your child is naturally shy and would prefer the comfortable fortress of solitude. They might see social interactions as awkward and burdensome and would rather avoid it. This might change as they grow older. On the contrary, your child might be battling more complex issues and might need help to get past them. There are different reasons why your child might clam up that are beyond ordinary shyness, it is important that you are able to identify the situation your child falls under. This article will focus on Selective Mutism. Shyness or Selective Mutism 1. How to tell the difference Is your child naturally bubbly at home or with close family? Does your child remain bubbly and open when out of this safe space or within a larger straighter circle? If they grow a bit quieter, that might be pretty normal. What isn’t normal is if they switch off completely and become unresponsive. This is a sign of selective mutism.  Selective mutism is easily misunderstood and often misdiagnosed, but if detected early it can be solved before it causes too much trouble. According to child psychologist Kristen Eastman, Psy.D, children who suffer from selective mutism are often mistaken to be deliberately defiant or shy and it is generally expected that they will grow out of it. This is hardly the case. Selective Mutism is rooted in anxiety and a sort of underlying fear of “doing-it-wrong”. You child would fear to speak among classmates, grown-ups or any circle where there are other persons besides immediate family. This will generally impede their ability to function, in school and outside. Children who are merely shy can be coaxed into action, children with selective mutism cannot. How To Recognize Selective Mutism A child with selective mutism can typically be identified by an inability to communicate in certain social settings like school but is comfortable interacting with immediate family or really close circles, like home. Although not gender specific, it has been observed that little girls are more susceptible to selective mutism than little boys. It is only most notable when your child ventures outside the confines of the home and into larger circles like pre-school. Children with selective mutism battle extreme anxiety at the thought of doing the simplest of things, like saying hello, asking a question or even letting an adult know if they are in pain or uncomfortable. They could rightly be described as frozen, characterized by the inability to neither initiate nor respond when approached. This makes it difficult for the people around them to cope with them or help. Other signs of Selective Mutism may vary from child to child and may be more or less extreme. In the extreme case, a child will only [...]