Baby Care

Posts Tagged ‘Kids’

All the kids are different so the approach to each of them should also be individual. It depends on the state of the child, heredity and other important factors. We can only list the general principles of which every mother can easily draw up a scheme for her own child.

Additional nourishment

You should add new products to child’s diet when he/she is ready for it. What are the main signs of readiness for the introduction of new products?

1. Age not less than 6 months.
2. A child weight has doubled, with a weight of not less than 6 kg.
3. The child can sit alone without support.
5. The child is interested in adult food.

How to give additional nourishment?

Feeding can be teaching and ordinary.
When teaching a child is given a piece of something. The child should decide himself/herself what to do with that piece. You can give a piece of vegetables, fruit, cookie, etc. This is like a friendship with a new flavor, so you will not replace them with feeding, but just try to give new products.

Mothers usually prepare (or buy ready) puree and give it to the child, gradually replacing the whole feeding. There are certain rules for the introduction of new products. Start with small portions (with a teaspoon), gradually bringing to 50-100 gr. Each new product is introduced every ten days, so you can track the reactions to it. You must start with monoproducts. If the puree contains two or more products, it can be imposed only when the components have been tried in monovide (for example, the puree “cauliflower with potatoes”, you can give to the child only when he/she is already familiar with the potato or cauliflower).

You should give such food with a spoon, not from the nipple.
Starting from the age of 7-8 months the child can try mashed potatoes and cereals if a kid does not have diathesis.

It’s recommended to start with cereal or vegetables.

From cereals you should choose rice or buckwheat.
Carefully read the content – there should not be sugar and other “extra” ingredients. After these they can try corn, oats, barley. Cereals can be diluted with water or a mixture of breast milk.

If parents decide to start with vegetables, they should first give him/her squash or potatoes. Again, carefully read the content, there should not be salt, cream, and other unnecessary ingredients. If diathesis did not occur, you can add carrots and pumpkin.
Starting from the age of 8-9 months, you can add olive oil in food.

After vegetables and cereal you can try to give him/her fruit. They can try both fruit itself and added to cereals and vegetables (such as an apple with courgettes).

Starting from the age of 10 months, not earlier, you can start with dairy products – cheese and curds. But remember it will be a serious burden on the child’s kidneys.

After dairy products, you can try meat. Start with good lean pork, or beef. You can also choose turkey and rabbit.

Starting from that same age, they can also try juices.

Many people do things instinctively, obeying unknown origin arising impulses. Children also instinctively try to taste everything. However, watching attentively the habits and predilections for taste of our kids, sometimes we can understand what substances are not enough for proper development of the child.

Sometimes six to ten year old children, suddenly begin to pull in the mouth any stuff. And not just drag and purposefully look for but also eat some substance. This may be chalk, clay, coal, and head of the matches or land. Someone remembers how in the village at the grandmother he/she secretly ate plaster, someone digging in the depths of memory, discovers that being a child sometimes he/she licked watercolor paints with pleasure. All of them were sweet to the taste, but for some reason they chose red and orange.

Some of us keep the style, for example, eating chalk in adulthood. Accidentally meeting “brothers” of habit, these people seriously discuss the taste differences between different brands of chalk, and argue which chalk is tastier – crayons “Antoshka”, round chalk “Lanthanum” or mild Czech chalk “Kohinor”. Many women notice a passion to the chalk during pregnancy.

All these habits are not accidental. If you find your child’s habit to not quite normal “products”, this is an extra reason to think – whether the child eats with food, all the necessary substances for his/her development and growth?

The reason of “dependence on chalk” among children (and adults) can be different. But as a rule, children who secretly eat crayons from the blackboard, most likely need calcium. Because chalk is a natural source of calcium.
A child’ body, in fact, needs large amounts of calcium: 800mg per day for 1-3 years old children, 900-1000 mg for 4-6 years old children, 1100 mg – 7-10 years, 1200 mg – 11 years and older. Calcium is needed for normal development of bones, formation of healthy teeth and gums, as well as for the growth of muscles. Without calcium children quickly get tired and often sick. Calcium is also involved in many metabolic processes in the body, and its deficiency can lead to severe hormonal disorders.

The love to chalk can also be a side-symptom of anemia, or lack of hemoglobin. And then the body does not have enough iron. By the way, all the iron oxides are brown or reddish – remember about the red water-color paint? According to WHO, some 30% of the population of Earth suffers from iron deficiency in one form or another.

The most balanced set of vitamins and minerals, suitable for most children, has “Kaltsinova”. It contains calcium, phosphorus and vitamins A and D3, and B6 – all those elements, without which the normal human development is unthinkable.

Besides the obvious hazard and the potential toxicity of inedible objects, many useful substances, such as phosphorus, is very rare and little in food. Its deficiency can also be compute to predilections of taste, of course, adjusted for child’s love of sweets.

However, people who eat a lot of sweet can also have a problem – they simply do not have enough chrome. Chocolate lovers may feel instinctive shortage of magnesium. Similarly, children who like to nibble the head of matches may well compensate for the lack of sulfur and phosphorus, salt lovers – potassium and sodium, and if there is a sudden interest in the acid products – perhaps it is from lack of vitamin C. In any case, if you notice change in tastes or other gastronomic strangeness, above all, consult a doctor!

Everyone knows that kids learn through games. Therefore, parents try to buy not only beautiful and high quality toys, but also developing. One of the most common “Smart” games is a constructor. With the appearance of new, modern toys on the market the favorite constructor is always on the first place.

When can parents buy the first constructer for their child? Of course it is not easy to give precise answer to this question. Kids are very different: in character, temperament, and even in their physical abilities. Therefore, remember, buying a constructor for kids you should first take into account his/her needs and opportunities. When child already sits well, that is, at the age of 6 – 8 months, he/she is most likely ready to be engaged in new activities: connect, collect and arrange.

Of course, first he/she does it with difficulty, but the more he/she plays the constructor and trains, the better and more confident become his/her movements. At this time the child needs constructor with fewer and smaller details, for him/her to hold them easily. This may be block cubes that kids like to add one to the other, building towers. And no need to get upset if, immediately after construction, your kid breaks the hard-built house.

First, you need to familiarize your child with a new toy. Let him handle one piece, and the remaining parts arrange around him/her. Tell your child what material it is made from, what color is his/her piece, and what color are pieces on the floor. Then show the child that placing one cube on another or connecting one to another he/she can build something. But don’t expect that your child will begin to build and skillfully use the toy at once. The period between introduction and when he/she starts to consciously build something, can last even several months.

Another option of constructor toys may be special kits for kids which consist of two magnetic blocks that need to be connected with each other. But in such a constructor, the child would make little effort to separate the details. This toy can also be difficult for some children who are under the age of one year.

Generally, you should choose the simplest construction for children up to three years. Having more complex and dense constructor child can quickly lose interest in the obscure and complicated toy. Remember, it’s very important not to buy toys taking into consideration only the age of the child. No matter how controversial it may sound, but this is a statement. It is better to give preference to those games, which your kid will be able to learn using right now.

As a rule, manufacturers specify a minimum age at which this toy may interest and attract the child. Besides, the constructors for older children may contain small parts, which are dangerous for the health and life of your child. Such a story occurred in my family.

We bought our 3,5 years son a magnetic constructer, which consisted of sticks and balls. It was written on the box that the toy was for children older than 6 years. “This constructor does not seem that difficult for my 3 year old boy. He will play with it easily” – I thought and bought it. Indeed, nothing complicated was in the constructor. On the contrary, everything is very simple and very entertaining. But a week after beneficial purchase, I ran out from the kitchen, as I heard that my son was throttling. It turned out that he had played, and swallowed the ball of the new magnetic constructor. Fortunately, now everything is alright. But I gathered the constructor and hid it away. That’s why it was written on the box that it was for 6 year old children.

There are two types of constructors for kids: wooden and plastic. For older children there are wooden, plastic, metal, polystyrene, glass constructors and this is not a complete list of materials that are used in the production of constructors.

Constructor is a universal game, which is entertaining and useful for children of any age. They can never be annoying. Do not forget that constructor is not only an exciting game but it is also very useful! After all, they contribute to the development of intellectual and creative abilities of the child. Your child will learn to focus, train small motility, memory, plodding, dexterity and ability to coordinate their movements. Do not deprive your child of the pleasure, and get for him/her such a wonderful toy, as a constructor as soon as possible.

When a baby is born and begins to understand the reality, the priority of the parents (other than the satisfaction of his natural needs) is to help the child development. The easiest, pleasant and painless way for parents and for children are developing games.

Sociability (Communication Building)
Many children experience difficulties in communication caused by excessive shyness or child’s fears. Child development games are used in order to overcome the obscurity. It is effective to do this in the unfamiliar group of children. They help children learn more about each other, identify common interests, learn how to build communication and to interact successfully.

“I’m looking for …” (for children from 4.5 years). The leader says a phrase, for example: “I’m looking for the one who has blonde hair”, while all the blond children hide. The kid who has not fulfilled the task, becomes the leader and asks questions.

“Find a friend” (for children from 5 years). The children (or children and adults) are split into pairs, one of the partners is blindfolded and is given an opportunity to freely walk around the hall and then is asked to “find a friend”. Even if your child chooses the wrong person, the game continues and the players are changing roles.

“Rainbow” (for children from 4 years). Children are in a circle, while leader is in the center. The leader calls the color, and every child should have to find that color for example on clothing of the child next to him. The kid who has not fulfilled the task, becomes the leader.

Emotionality

Often, that due to circumstances (external effects) the child is closed, hampering their own emotions, and therefore also difficult to interpret emotion expressed by others. Games that improve emotionality will help your child learn to fearlessly express your own emotions, feelings and sentiments to guess around.

“Photo” (for children from 4 years). These games are possible to play in a group of children, as well as between the child and the adult(s). The child(ren) is shown a photo image of a character with some pronounced emotion. A kid(s) is asked to describe how that person feels.

“Emotions” (for children from 4 years). Kids are in a circle, leader requests to show any emotion (joy, sadness, longing, sadness and so on). In addition to the basic mental health effects the exercise also promotes the mobility of the child’s facial expressions.

Coordination and development of the vestibular apparatus

In the period of active growth some kind of children’s clumsiness and crumpled movements are natural. Dancing and body orientating technology can help the baby to develop a coordination.

“Create a dance” (for children from 5 years). Turn rhythmic music, ask the kids form a circle and alternately strike any dance movement. Every child should show his movement, and the remaining members should repeat.

“Magic Ball” (for children from 5 years). The leader invites kids to imagine that they are in a fantastic ball, for example, on the ocean floor. Each of the kids chooses a sea inhabitant, whom he/she would portray (copy the motion). The leader, in this case Neptune, selects the party he most liked – that in turn becomes the new leader and offers, for example, go to “air ball”, where each participant will represent one of the flying creatures. And so on.

“Freeze!” (for children from 4 years). Leader plays rhythmic music and children randomly dance, jump, clap, and shout to the music… When the leading ends music and says “Freeze!” children should be fixed on the spot. You can encourage the best playing child with an executive prize.

Developing games will help your child to be open and become more sociable, attentive to others and lift their own mental stress, overcome fears and complexes. Favorable therapeutic effect is achieved by means of games quite easily and delivers a true joy to your child!