Parent Fact Sheets

These Fact Sheets are designed to be used by Parents to improve the welfare of their children.

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DEVELOPMENTAL - HOW DO CHILDREN PROCESS DEATH

DEVLOPMENTAL DEVELOPMENT – HOW DO CHILDREN PROCESS DEATH

Young children understand death in progressive stages. There is no easy way to help a child deal with death. No child exhibits the same reaction. Some children may grieve for a longer period of time than others. There is an adjustment period they must go through and there is no set timetable for that to happen. Also depending on the child’s developmental age, they may have different understanding of death.
Here are some ways a child may understand death:

UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE

DEVELOPING A CHILD'S SELF ESTEEM

DEVELOPING A CHILD’S SELF ESTEEM

Right from infancy when your baby smiles at you and you smile back, you are helping your child build his self-esteem. Building a good self-esteem is essential for a child to be able to cope with challenges that arise as they learn to socialize with others and as they grow and learn new skills. Learning what they are capable of and how to interact with others helps them to develop a positive self concept.

DEMANDING CHILDREN- REDUCE A CHILD'S SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT

DEMANDING CHILDREN -REDUCE A CHILD’S SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT

There is a fine line between entitlement and spoiled. An entitled child feels that they deserve everything they want, and a spoiled child is given everything they want. Parents do not set out to raise an entitled child, however, they may have contributed to the child feeling that the parents owe them anything they want.

CREATING A NURTURING HOME ENVIRONMENT

CREATING A NURTURING HOME ENVIRONMENT
Description:
NATURE VS NURTURE

There is an age-old debate on whether children develop a certain way because of nature or how they were nurtured. Every child is born with some natural tendencies.

For example: some children are shy while others are very outgoing. Some children can play for extended periods of time and amuse themselves while others get bored and need stimulation very quickly.

COPING WITH CHILDHOOD ANXIETY

COPING WITH CHILDHOOD ANXIETY

It is normal for children to feel worried or anxious to a certain extent. For example first day of school or moving to a new area. As a parent you can help your child cope with anxious situations.

ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN:

become irritable, tearful or clingy

• have difficulty sleeping

• wake in the night

• start wetting the bed

• have bad dreams

In older children you may notice that they:

lack confidence to try new things or seem unable to face simple, everyday challenges

COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR SCHOOL AGE CHILD

Your school age child (6 to 12 years) now talks in full sentences and has a good understanding of language. He asks many questions and is curious about the world around him. He can recount experiences and amaze you with the details he remembers. He is beginning to understand how his actions affect others. He can see things from different perspectives. With help from you, he can begin to set goals and to learn how to solve problems. He also enjoy playing with their friends.

TIPS FOR ENCOURAGING COMMUNICATION YOUR SCHOOLAGE CHILDREN: 6 TO 12 YEARS

COMMUNICATING WITH MY INFANT

How you communicate with your infant will have an impact on how he/she develops his/her self-esteem, language, socialization, healthy relationships and the world around them. One of the most important things you can do as a parent is talk to the baby and listen to her. Have lots of positive communication and interaction on a regular basis.

CLEANING YOUR CHILD'S STUFFED ANIMALS

Your child probably has many ‘well-loved’ stuffed animals These stuffed animals that your child plays and learns with should be clean and well maintained. Because children often like to sleep with or cuddle with stuffed toys it is important that they should be kept clean. When a stuffed doggy or bear gets grimy perk it up with some clever cleaning techniques.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PEDIATRICIAN

Choosing the right pediatrician is very important because you may have a relationship with this doctor your 20 years. Start searching for a pediatrician when you are pregnant. Your best referrals can come from neighbors, friends and relatives. You can also ask your obstetrician for recommendations. When you have put together a list of prospective doctors, check with your insurance company and make sure your prospective pediatricians are approved with your medical plan.

CHILDREN NEED BOUNDARIES

Setting boundaries with your children is often difficult. Especially for working parents who may feel guilty about leaving their children with a childcare provider every day. However, when you fail to set boundaries, children often grow up with a sense of entitlement and feel that their needs are the most important needs in the family. They will often act out to get their way.

Children with no boundaries are often

• Act out when they don’t get their way

• Are selfish

• Do not treat their parents and siblings with respect

• Don’t show compassion

CHILDHOOD OBESITY

CHILDHOOD OBESITY

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents In the past 30 years. “
Childhood obesity is a growing problem among children today. Childhood obesity has many short and long term effects on our children. Therefore, it is important that you, as a parent, teach your child to have a healthy balance between good nutrition and exercise.

HEALTH EFFECTS

The Centers for Disease Control tell us the immediate health effects of childhood obesity.

CHANGING WHINING BEHAVIOR

When children whine, they are generally trying to get your attention. They have learned that whining can make you give in and give them what they want. This may be a learned behavior that works well with you and other adults. Here are some tips to help children stop whining and find a better way to communicate their needs.

Talk with the child and let them know that whining is not going to work. There are few ways to do this.

1. Acknowledge the child’s age and how they have grown up. For example: say, “You are four years old now and I love to hear your ideas.”

CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING PROTECTION

CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING PROTECTION

With the rising costs of heating fuel many parents have chosen alternate methods to heat their home during the winter. It is important to keep in mind that on the average approximately 500 people in the United States die from carbon monoxide poisoning each year. To protect your family, you can take the following simple precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Have your chimney flue professionally cleaned every year.

• Make sure gas appliances are properly installed and vented.

CAR SEAT SAFETY

CAR SEAT SAFETY

When driving children in your car you should always be aware of the following:
1. Don’t buy or use the wrong seat. Don’t buy or accept a car seat that you haven’t tried strapping in your car using the seat belts or, newer model cars, the LATCH system. If you can’t get a tight fit, if the tether straps, don’t match up properly with the anchors on the car, or even if it’s simply awkward to handle the seat, don’t use it.

CAR SAFETY

Car Safety

Car accidents are the leading cause of death among children. If you use your car to transport children, here is some information you need to know:

BUILDING YOUR CHILD’S SELF-IDENTITY

BUILDING YOUR CHILD’S SELF-IDENTITY

A child’s self-identity begins to develop during an infant’s earliest experiences. When your infant’s needs are met, when you smile at your infant, and when you talk to your infant, all contribute to your infant developing a positive self-identity.

Preschool children learn self-identity in two ways.

• Physical identity – a sense of size, strength, gender and race or racial awareness
• Personal identity – children’s perception of themselves as a person with ideas, feelings, a history, and a future.

BUILDING YOUR CHILD'S COMPETENCE

BUILDING YOUR CHILD’S COMPETENCE

Building a sense of competence is important for your child. Your children needs to have a supportive environment in order to learn competency. Your child will most likely get to the stage where they want to do everything themself. You may be experiencing your child saying, “ I can do it myself.” He doesn’t want you to hold his hand or help him get dressed. Your child is learning everyday what he is able to accomplish. It’s that sense of competence that tells your child he can in fact do it.

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