Say No To Bullying

Ever wonder why some kiddies today are too afraid to go to school? There could be a lot of reason why your child won’t step out of his room to go to school and one major reason is probably of bullying. It is not uncommon nowadays when you hear about this issue and your kid may actually be a victim of this act or worse, being the bully in his school. Say no to Bullying!

Not long ago, I never thought that a preschooler could hurt another kid and the idea itself sounded crazy, but when a close friend of mine who’s actually a pre-school teacher in an international school told me about an incident where two of her students quarreled like wild animals, I still didn’t believe it until I saw them with my own eyes. There was this kid crying out loud and he was one of the new kids in school. He was being chased by his classmate who was a girl at about five years old. She kept punching him on his back and the boy was running away from her. When they were sent to the director’s office, her reason was because he had a crush on her and she got really frustrated and told him that if she keeps punching him, his crush for her would go away. As she was explaining her side, she can’t help but laugh and thought that it was a silly joke. The next day the little boy got bruises all over his body and didn’t want to go to school. I thought to myself that they were just preschoolers and yet the violence was already present and though they may not know what they were doing, it was still inexcusable. Kids going to school nowadays is something questionable when it comes to safety measures.

Another incident was when one of my friends told me about her son’s situation in school. She noticed that her kid was seemingly thin yet it he eats a lot at home and she would even give him extra money to buy himself food in school. Her kid was physically fine except that he was slimmer compared to kiddies his age. One day her son went up to her and told her if she could just pack him lunch instead of giving him money because the bullies in his school would force him to give out his pocket money during recess time and would threaten to punch him if he didn’t comply. Right after this incident my friend transferred her son into a different school and although he’s going to be one of the new kids in school, at least she was somewhat relieved knowing that her son didn’t have to deal with those bullies again. But I asked her, do you think that there are no bullies in his new school? Do you think that you can ultimately stop this from happening when you transfer your son into a different school? Kids going to school is something all parents should face and these kinds of bullying cannot be stopped simply by transferring your kids from one school to another once a bully presented itself. There must be another way to stop them.

Bullying is the act of willingly causing physical, emotional, verbal or mental harm to others. It could be through name-calling another person, physical assault such as hitting, kicking, biting, social exclusion where they intentionally reject another kid to shame them or anything that would hurt another individual. A bully can turn something like lunch time or going to the bus stop a living hell for other kids and this can leave a deep emotional scar that sometimes traumatize other youngsters. This is something we can avoid and prevent from happening and the moment we learn that our kids are being bullied, we should act on it and stop it from ever happening, not just to our kids but to other helpless children as well. Bullies usually attack new kids in school as they want to exert territory or they want to show who’s tough. It is important for us parents to take bullying seriously and not just let our kiddies handle it by themselves and tell them that it is part of growing up. Kids going to school should not be a tormenting act for them, but instead, it should be a safe and fun place where they can learn new things and meet new friends.

In other parts of the world, bullying has contributed to many serious matters such as suicide, school shooting and kidnapping. Others take it to other forms such as posting indecent comments through social media or spreading out gossip on the Internet.

The subject of bullying is a long and elaborate discussion and I do not want to bore you as you may have heard about this issue a million times. The bottom line here is that we should know how to detect once our kids are victims of such act. This happens a lot to new kids in school and the only thing that can prevent it from happening is that we have an open communication with our kiddies. Technology is our may weapon in order to keep track of our kids’ welfare. Giving them a cellphone is a good way to know where they are, letting them create their own social media accounts is also a great way to help them express how they feel and maybe gain more friends. By handing them smart phones or tablets, they can easily install useful apps where they can easily contact their families, their friends or perhaps share their emotions through their own personal blogs. Our kids have their own battles and we, as parents cannot always be there for them whenever they need us and all we can do is guide them and hope that they turn out to be responsible individuals. Let’s not be afraid about kids going to school as it is nothing but normal and with proper guidance and the use of available tools that can strengthen your bond with your kid, you can be sure that you’re raising a responsible child who will someday become a role model to others. For more information about bullying or how you can raise a child in the digital world using the most innovated technology to keep them safe, CLICK HERE now!

Summer Fun for Your Kiddies

Going to the beach or heading on to the pool is something almost all kids look forward to during the summer. It’s a fun activity for the whole family and a great form exercise because it engages several body parts to function without stressing too much on the joints. There are many other benefits your kiddies get just by swimming alone and studies show that kids swimming at an early age help them become emotionally and physically fit. As the summer starts to heat up even more, I wrote down a couple of good insights about the benefits your children get when they swim. So read on and start preparing for your next summer trip!

You have two choices when planning to go on a swimming vacation with the family: you can either go to the beach or go to a resort where there are pools present. The beach is an outstanding place to have a summer vacation due to its refreshing look, its take you back to nature and your kiddies can definitely enjoy building sand castles. The downside here is that the sea is a massive body of water that houses different underwater creatures and some of them are dangerous. Jellyfish, sea urchins, sea mosquitoes and other poisonous marine animals are just some of the hazards you need to be careful of when swimming at the beach. This is why some parents prefer to bring their children to clubhouses or resorts with pool because they feel that it’s safer and most of the time, places like these offer swimming classes for kids who are enthusiasts of learning how to swim.

When planning for a summer trip and you want to include swimming as one of your activities, it is vital to put your kiddies’ safety first. We don’t want drowning or any accidents in a fun-filled day so we need to take all precautionary measures in order to avoid such incidents. For children below four years old, it is important to keep an eye on them at all times. Kids swimming could sometimes be out of control as they get too excited so you have to remember never let them skip your eyes even for a moment as they might fall down in deeper areas of the swimming pool. The sides and bottoms are usually made of concrete material, so a sudden fall or slip could be dangerous. When planning to go to the beach, make sure your kiddies wear appropriate and protective swimming attire. The sands are sometimes sharp that might cut their feet so it is important to be cautious. Applying sunblock lotion is also a MUST as the sun gets too hot during the summer. Once all safety measures are met, it is time to enjoy and have fun!

Swimming activity for kids has lots of emotional and physical benefits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), swimming can improve the mental well-being of a child as it increases positive mood and decreases anxiety. CDCP also added that kiddies with developmental disabilities have found that doing group swimming increases family ties and improves family connections. Aside from emotional development amongst children, swimming can also be a great form of exercise. When kids mess around in water, their bodies move from small amount of activity to a full-on aerobic workout. It provides stretching, toning and even a full workout that strengthens the lungs and the heart. They’re doing an intensive workout without even knowing it because they are enjoying so much. Swimming is highly advisable to overweight kids as they find it easier and more fun to swim than to jog or run. Those with health problems such as asthma and arthritis can also benefit from this activity as the weightlessness of being underwater makes it easier for them to get small amount of low-impact exercise. As per kiddies who have asthma, having a sudden attack is less likely during swimming compared to other strenuous exercises.

Enrolling for swimming classes for kids is actually a great way to know more about the benefits of regular swimming activities. Researchers document that the stimulating effect of early swimming lessons for kids (infants/toddlers) increases intelligence, alertness and concentration. And for you to see the progress of your kiddies, you can record their swimming lessons through your mobile phones or handy tablets. It won’t just let you know their progress, it will also save memories of your kid having fun as they swim. Those videos and photos will be precious someday so it is important that you have a reminder of those happy moments. If you want to read more about some tips and helpful ideas, make sure to VISIT US.

TV and Movies: Are they harmful for our kiddies?

The recent movie Frozen was such a success that almost all kids know the song “Let It Go” and “Do You Want to Build A Snowman.” Don’t think that because the lead characters were girls, only girls can relate to the movies because the truth is, ALL kids loved it, even my nephews sing those songs while in the shower. But have you ever wondered what benefits ours kiddies get when they watch such movies or TV shows? There are many common and negative beliefs about children’s prolonged TV exposure such as it makes them lazy, seeing violence and it hampers intelligence. Despite these misconceptions and negative feedback surrounding TV and movies, our kiddies actually benefit from them in a lot of different forms depending on what they see and how often they watch it.

Children love cartoons. The color vibrancy attracts their visual senses and the audio makes them excited. But what really makes them enjoy cartoons are the funny and likable characters. One good example is Dora the Explorer. She has a sweet voice, a friendly personality, a charming look and a likable character that even parents adore. This is why children enjoy watching such TV shows because they tend to look up to these characters and wanting to be like them. Another fun cartoon character is Diego. You’d find him in the TV show called Go, Diego, Go! He’s Dora’s cousin and his series originated from a spin-off of Dora the Explorer. He’s a young Latino-American who dwells on rescuing animals and saving the environment. Kiddies who love animals surely enjoy this show as they get to see tons of different breeds from the animal kingdom, teaching how to nurture them and why it is important to care for these beautiful creatures. Another personal favorite that I have is the Backyardigans. It is pre-school TV series about five animal children who see their backyard as an adventure place where magic happens. They all have different personalities that your kiddies will surely love. Their imaginations are fun, exciting and always creative and you will always see them fascinated in different adventures. As our kids watch these animated shows, what they don’t know is that we use these things “learning for children” method.

Like the TV shows mentioned above, there are certain movies or television programs that can teach our kiddies social skills such as sharing, manners and etiquettes. They can learn how to interact with others positively and politely, greet others or even argue to express themselves. These films can also teach kids about morals, values and life lessons. Although it is vital to teach our children these important things, it has become an effective learning tools 4 kids to know the basics.

 

Educational movies or TV shows enhance kiddies’ learning experience and for some who have difficulty to be motivated in school may have an easier grasp when watching such animated programs. Because there’s a wide variety of TV shows today that air regularly, children develop interest and learn what will inspire them to do more. They can discover many interesting subjects like art, animals, sports, science, history and hobbies which they will eventually nurture away from TV. Learning for children is never easy but as long as you keep them interested on what they are seeing or doing, then there’s a bigger chance for them to find it irresistible.

Older kids on the other hand may watch international channels, historical TV programs, documentary shows and movies based on real events to teach them about cultures and other parts of the world. These types of visuals can lead them interested to knowing more about the government, fashion, art, religion, music, society and education. And for those parents who are having a hard time answering deeper questions and issues can use education videos to explain the topic. This may be a bold move or a sensitive approach but it opens opportunities for an honest opinion and discussion and is considered great learning tools 4 kids who always ask questions as they mature.

Let us not forget that our focus is to let our kiddies have a fun way of learning and TV shows and movies are great ways to provide them with entertainment, relieve stress, offer relaxation and it’s also a great quality time for the family to enjoy as they get to bond while watching and talking about the shows afterward. Watching movies and TV shows are made easier today as you can easily download them through your computers, cellphones, tablets and other multimedia devices. Now you can watch their favorite TV shows, anywhere and anytime with just a few clicks from your gadgets. For more informative tools and tips about good parenting, CLICK HERE.