This is about parenthood and lifestyle

Showing posts with label good. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good. Show all posts

The Importance of a Good Night's Sleep for Kids: Tips and Tricks to Help Your Children Get the Rest They Need.

 The Importance of a Good Night's Sleep for Kids: Tips and Tricks to Help Your Children Get the Rest They Need.

Are you tired of fighting the bedtime battle with your little ones?Do they keep on tossing and resist going to bed and keep on turning all night long? I understand how difficult and frustrating it can be,but what if I tell you that a good night sleep is not just important for your sanity but also for your child's overall health and well being.

The following are tips for and tricks to help your child  get the rest they need:

1. Set an individualized bedtime

Most kids have patterns that  don't change much,no matter what you do.Those who have the routine of waking up earlier even if they sleep late,they will still wake up earlier. They stay awake for some hours until their bodies are ready.

2.Set a wake up time

Setting a wake up time based on how long your kid needs time to go to bed and sleep. Create awake up time routine as early as preschool years to prevent stress in future and be consistent with the schedule. 

Even if it's  a weekend or a holiday , don't try to change the schedule because the kid will adjust to the current situation and when school time reaches ,they will be horrible to handle.

3.Create a consistent bedtime routine 

Before dinner if the kid has come from school,they should have a light playtime,bath,do homework, bedtime story and then sleep. The routine should be accommodative and comforting.

4.Put off screens

Too much of screens affects the baby's emotional development including sleep disturbance, obesity, depression and anxiety. It promotes aggressive behaviours and hinder social and emotional competence.

Some of the parents have the tendency of giving their kids androids even at earlier age ,not knowing that they are destroying the emotional development of the kids. 

Also the kids can mean to watch their favourite cartoons or movies ,until even if they are pressed for short and long call ,they ignore and they soil for themselves.

You are supposed to switch off  or keep away your child from screens ,to create more time for sleeping.

5.Create a sleep-conducive environment

Make sure that the bedroom should be clean  meaning you should ensure that all distractive things that make your kid not to sleep well are well organized.

Ensure that beddings are soft,the lights should be switched off to help the kid to distinguish  between day and night. Also any kid of noise should be avoided to enable the kid to fall a sleep easily.

6.Keep it cool

The sleeping room should not be too cold or too hot. The temperature should be moderate and accommodating to the child. You should address the kid in a breathable cotton pyjamas and keep the room temperature at 65 to 70' F at night according to Whitney Roban,PhD, Clinical psychologist and sleep specialist.

7.Be on the look out for sleep disorders

Always try to find out what makes the kid to have sleep disorders. It could be nightmares that makes the child to be scared,maybe she could be snoring or disturbed by snores from others or breath through the mouth. Just consult your pediatrician Incase of any concerns .

8.Get exercise

Make sure your kid always plays a physical activity for 1 hour,because it makes the kid to relax her mind and accelerate the sleep. The kid falls a sleep faster inorder to recover the energy lost during the day. Alternatively, kids should avoid vigorously activities with 2 hours of bedtime.

Importance of good Night's sleep to kids

A good Night's sleep is paramount importance for children as it plays crucial role in overall development and well being.

It's a period which various physiological and psychological processes occur.

  • It helps children replenish their energy level,promote optimal physical growth and development.
  • Critical brain functions are enhanced, facilitating memory consolidation and learning retention while promoting concentration and effectiveness throughout the day.
  • Furthermore,deep slumber aids emotional and regulation by mitigating stress levels in children and facilitating better control over their emotions.
  • Promotes mood stability and reduces irritability or  issues that can arise due to inadequate sleep patterns among kids.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, a good night's sleep is crucial for the overall health and well-being of children. It not only helps them physically by aiding in their growth and development, but it also has a significant impact on their mental and emotional states. As parents, it is our responsibility to ensure that our children get enough quality sleep each night. By following the tips mentioned above and creating a consistent bedtime routine, we can help our kids reap the numerous benefits of a good night's rest. So let us prioritize our child's sleep and watch them thrive in all aspects of their lives.

15 Tips Encouraging good behaviours among teenagers.


Teenagers are also known as teens or adolescent. They are aged between 13 and 19 years. They experience different changes at puberty. They develop,socially physically, emotionally.

At this stage the teens develop differently and they experience changes that sometimes make them to develop good and bad behaviour. This is the stage where they learn and discover new things evolving around the world. Others due to peer pressure,they become rude,start watching pornographic videos,early pregnancies,early marriages,drug addiction and other vices in the society. 

But being a teen doesn't mean that the child cannot change . Instilling good behaviours needs good communication and good relationship.

The following are 15 Tips on how to Encourage good behaviours on teenagers.

1.Give a positive attention to your teens.

Parents are encouraged to give or allow positive attention and spend more time with their teenagers. Take time to listen to what they are saying and their body language. Spending time with them , they can develop braveness and you can easily learn a lot especially in terms of behavior change. 

Also you would have easier time to talk to them, encouraging them to positively perceive how good behaviours helps persons to develop morally upright.

2.Talk to your teenagers positively.

As a parent it's your duty and responsibility to talk to your teens in a way that would yield good results. You shouldn't talk to them, shouting and yelling at them. Instead sit down together ,have a talk one on one and if there's a problem , definitely the teen will open up and tell you the truth. Shouting at high voice makes them to develop fear and bad attitude towards you.

3.Be a role model

Each parent should develop or lead as an example in terms of behavior. Make sure your footsteps are well mannered and good to be followed. You should not talk against bad behaviours like drunkardness,smoking and yet you come home very drunkard staggering. Or the kids knows that you have side chics and you tell them to stop fornication. Guard your steps and make sure that are good for your teens. Encourage them to go to church ,attend church camps and participate in community charity work 

4.Set clear rules and boundaries.

A parent should always set clear rules and boundaries that should be adhered to. Let the teenagers know that you mean what you say. If it's the time they should be at home and should not exceed 6pm . Beyond that let them know that there will be consequences if they violate the rules.

Let them give clear explanation that can excempt them from being punished. Am sure if they know how you acknowledge those rules they will always be on the right truck.

5.Taking you child seriously.

You should treat your teen as being very important and deserves respect. Ensure you care about your child ,how his/her development , physically, socially or mentally. Admit the changes in her body and treat them normally.

6.Respect your teenager's privacy and needs

Parents are asked to respect the teens privacy especially at their puberty stage. They tend to shy off because new changes have emerged in them.

When visiting their rooms especially bedrooms you should knock and ask politely "may I come in?" If they respond yes then proceed in ,but if they keep quiet ,they no longer need you,maybe they are dressing up and they don't want you to see them.

7.Give room for creativity in the house.

Teens tend to be creative in all areas. But ensure those creativity are under your supervision and directions. Let them develop their talents either in cooking , singing,dancing,and others. You can even allow to design the room, connect the the audio or video in a creative way.

8.Give them responsibilities

It is good to allow teens to have their own responsibilities. For example let them know how to dress well,the type of clothes to wear that are decent. You can assign them the responsibility of taking care of their young siblings and instruct them to be watchful. This taking care of young ones will instil good behaviour of caring for others.

9.Give praises or rewards

Always give praises whenever the teen has done excellent work especially in class,at home or anywhere. Make them to feel appreciated and loved,and these will make them to work harder and develop good morals. Even if they haven't performed well, don't rebuke them ,instead you should praise and encourage them to work hard and promise to reward them next round of they improve. As they grow they will be knowing to be grateful and appreciate other people the way they are.

Remember to praise positively when they change to good behaviour. Teenagers at this stage they develop weird behaviours that are misleading and whenever they abstain from those bad behaviours,just congratulate them.

10.Share your inner feelings

Let them know your feelings over certain behaviours. Talk to them that you don't feel good for example when they are being involved in early relationship or make love.

Tell them you don't feel good when they are spending most of their times in the screen especially phones watching movies. By talking to them they will definitely know that they will always work hard and avoid any misunderstanding between them and their parents.

11.Have problem solving skills

You should tackle the problem positively. You should make sure that the way you solve problems ,should be of good advantage. Don't just jump into conclusions without focussing on its consequences. Don't leave your teens in a dilemma not giving a clear solution. Give your teens time to express themselves and even ask them to give resolutions.

If you allow them sometimes to be mediator if a problem arise then they will develop good behaviours.

12.Adhere and keep promises

If you had promised your teens on certain issues,either be buying them presents, taking them for an outing or taking them to good school if the work hard,just fulfil those promises . If you don't honour those promises the teens will be discouraged and develop bad attitude towards you and even not working hard in their studies, because they know there's no reward.

13.Nurture positive relationships

You should ensure you have good relationship with the teens . You can try to spend time with teens by having funny times of laughing or making jokes which helps to ease tension and blame games among teens. It helps parents in preparation to tackle a difficult conversation and thus easement of shouting and keeping of secrets.

14.Encourage sense of belonging. 

Most of the family members have ceremonies and traditional ways of doing things. Allow your teens to celebrate their birthdays with other teens but under your supervision. Never should you allow them to drink alcohol,watch movies because they will finish in a bad situation. 

Most of the teens have the rite of passage ,allow them to attend those rituals and learn in how to live like adulthood. Ladies are taught by their grandmother and boys grandfather.

15. Plan a head of difficult conversations.

When planning to have a talk on a topic which is hard to handle,always ensure to plan and measure on how to talk to your teens. Find time to inform and look for a better place and time convenient to talk. 

You may use verbal or a note to keep them alert on the topics you are going to discuss.

Planning a head makes you to engage yourself and solve the problem easily.

Conclusion

Encouraging or instilling good behaviours among teens it needs paying attention,having skills of solving the problems,being a parent of good deeds that can be emulated by teenagers that would help them .

I always ask my readers to comment,share,retweet,follow if you find these tips helpful.

What other things will you do to make sure the teenagers develop good behaviours?




6 Factors promoting good relationship in the family

 

Most of the  families are living far and even meeting each other is a problem.  Due to modernity and economic problems, everyone is on his /her toes , moving up and down to see what the family will eat. 

Most of the families nowdays are not in good relationship to each other. They are not staying together as our great great grandparents did. The strong bondage that existed has become extinct and family gatherings are no longer conducted. It has become the world of various countries in it,that each country is struggling to regain her economy. This applies tho our homes today ,that everyone is in his/her toes or struggling to gain independence from the colonists.

Most of the family members are ever busy and due to poor economy, it has made them not to bother other families. People have migrated or rather have thrown away the responsibility of taking care 9f their fellow family members. They no longer communicate ,visit, perform ceremonies thus leading to breakage of family relation. 

You can refer to 8 Factors affecting family relation.

The following are the factors that can create,promote bondage or good family relation

1.Communication

Whenever, when there's good communication in every situation , that's the problem solver in any condition. Think of a situation where  there's no communication on the people who are living in the same house,in the same bedroom,the same bed or same apartment. What would be the consequences?. I think it would be a horrible place that one would not wish to stay or to live in.

Whenever people aren't living together,they should develop the heart of calling or communicating each other. Members of the family who aren't staying together,living much far,or others who are working or studying abroad,they should at least spare time to say hi to their fellow family members. 

Take a case whereby the father or the mother isn't staying together with the children almost 2 years,what would the children think of their parents? The children will eventually loose the direct child -parent love , because they no longer communicate or trust him /her as their parent.

A responsible parent should always try to communicate to the family no matter how you are committed. Try even to video call,zoom,Skype so that children can know you by face and they will feel comfortable when talking .

In extended family ,the members will also try to call each other to know the well being of others,how they wake in the morning,how their day ended,their health and other social factors affecting them. Most of the family members have neglected others because they prefer to be concerned about their intermediate members. If for example you call a sick person and you give him just hope that she/he will get well soon ,only those words can create good relationship and the person can always be appreciative.

Don't wait until something bad happens, that's when you remember that you had a relative. Just call in good and bad times to create strong bondage.

What type of communication to use?

You can use the calls through the phones,video calls on WhatsApp, Facebook, Skype,zoom and other gadgets.

How and when will you communicate?

You should always try to calendar yourself and communicate with your members,even if after one day,two days or every week if you are working or living abroad.

2 .Visitation.

Visitation is very important among family members. Most of the family members due to poor economy, family conflicts, despising each other,and other factors,it has cut short the visitation that our forefathers had. 

You find some of the family members ,they don't know each other since childhood. They can even pass by without noticing or recognizing one another. Most of the family members have divide and rule plus the cold war among themselves. They don't even allow their children to play with other children from the other family. Because the parents had a disagreement or a fight, they recommend their children not to go near or in any case they don't school together,because they believe in witchcraft.

The visitation which was long ago ,it has elapsed. I remember when I was young we could visit our cousins during the long holidays. We could enjoy playing together, eating together, sleeping ,going to church together and we could even tell others how best our village or school is. But nowdays, it's along story. 

Most of the paying a visit has become "hot Air".Where things are no longer working and become precipitated. Some families had the schedule of visiting each other monthly.

When it comes to visiting, the family members can know each other and can develop strong relationship. 

The following are importance of visitation.

  • It provides an opportunity to stay in touch with other family members
  • It help members to express their emotions.
  • It helps people to discover the failures and weakness of others and try to advise them.
  • It fosters family -family good relationships.
  • It provides an opportunity to refresh and enjoy together as family members.

How often do you visit each other?

It may be monthly,annually or the family members can decide.

Can visitation bring any change among the family members?

Yes, because through visitation members can know each other and they can develop a strong family relationship.

3. Gathering in ceremony

When members of the family meet together, celebrate and hang out ,it really creates good family relationship. Most of the families gather together in a manner that they intend to know each other. When I was young ,I saw in our family we used to gather together either in December and we will slaughter a goat and we would share and enjoy together. All the family members from my mother's side would come even if they lived in urban areas. They would make sure that they attend the ceremony and nobody compromised.

Nowdays there are no more gatherings,because of the modernity. Some people are ever busy either in terms of jobs, schooling,staying far away from other family members (abroad) which makes the family members not to meet.

Some family members have opted not to gather or visit each during the long holidays like December to visit even their grandparents, cousins,aunties and uncles. I think if we live like in the old days the family gatherings will be more valuable to the family members.

Despite of the economy ,the education,living in towns or abroad or any conflicts among the family members, gatherings shouldn't be exceptional. Family members will sit down together and they will discuss various issues that would and develop the firm relationship


4 . Having chamas,self help group

Members in the family are supposed to have self-help groups, "chamas" that would enhance the family relationship. For example if they do merry go round and this can be done through online, physical and members can organise to visit each other in their homes.

The self help groups have always maintained the good family relationship. The members contribute the money and they decide on what to do with the money and this can make a person von toes to confirm from others ,thus good relation.

5 .Team work

Members who have good team for example when bereavement comes or in other functions maybe in times of sicknesses and sorrow it creates good family relationship.

Participating in providing moral support during sorrow, makes somebody to feel comforted. Or if one of the family member has a ceremony like a wedding, paying of dowry,lacks school fees or any other problem,members are supposed to chip in and stretch their helping hand.

6. Appreciation

Members in the family should try to appreciate each other . Whenever a person does good either in helping , academics,talents and any other good performance. If we appreciate each other moreso kids it will make them to be active and try to work hard thus promoting positive impacts in life.

Through all these we find the importance of good family relationship.

  • It helps the family to resolve family conflicts easily.
  • It helps people to express their feelings,emotions easily.
  • It creates team work,good communication and appreciation.
  • It makes persons to develop positive attitudes towards each other.

In conclusion , for good relationship can be of great importance if only members can have good team work , communication, gatherings and ceremonies that would bring people together.

If you find this article to be of great importance, please don't forget to comment,share or you can add more points on how to promote family relationship.



8 Factors affecting good relations in the family.


Most of the families have lost the direction and diverted into a lot of issues that have created a bigger gap in the family. 

Most of the family members have sorted to various activities in terms of providing for the family. They don't even seem to care about the fellow members in the house. They have switched their roles to other people instead of themselves doing their responsibility. 

In our modern society , it has become like struggle for the fittest in the house. Meaning that , each and every should mind his or her own business not of others. Many parents have been taken by various factors even they don't even know that they have children to look after. They have numerous reasons not to be at home at the right time and have handed the responsibility to nannies.

The following are various factors that that hindered bondage in the family.

1. Communication

Nowdays there are no one on one communication. Before then our great grandparents had a good way of talking to each other. Let's say a problem has risen among the couples, instead of sitting together and talk about the problem and it's solution,they cut off communication. You find others they don't even talk to each other when a problem comes. Some even don't eat because he/ she wronged you. Instead of sleeping in the same bed room you sort to sleep on the couch or in a different bedroom, to avoid seeing beach other. 

A good family is the that sits together and talk friendly to one another. Causing tantrums and commotion in the house doesn't make you a hero, it makes you to create more problems in the house.  If it's the child who has done wrong, discipline him/her politely ,try to explain why or how it's bad to do that mistake and it's consequences. Definitely a child will understand and change his behaviors. 

Don't be rush to rebuke the kid,just try to to talk friendly to him/her and I think this one will solve everything. Children needs someone who counsels them and who embraces or instills good attitude to them .

On the side of the parents, fighting or quarrelling the whole night, refusing to eat or not providing for the family isn't a solution just sit down and talk. Or you can have a day out or night out ,you go there and discuss the issue and solve the problem. I think  communication is all the master solver for all problems.

2. The screen

When it comes to screen,there are alot of things to talk about. Due to modernity many family members have sorted to engage themselves on the screens. 

Mobile phones. This includes iPad ,tablets and other gadgets. Imagine walking in in a family and you find the mother is on the phone, the father is on the laptop and children are watching cartoons and nobody seems to care each other. You will even find yourself talking to yourself.  You try to engage them in a talk ,but none seems to bother. 

The children will be  hungry because the mum will be watching tiktok, Instagrams, Facebook Whatsapp chatting with somebody until she forgets to prepare meals for the family. The child will be having a good message to pass to the parent , but because the mother is preparing some live videos on Facebook, tiktok linked , Whatsapp status she doesn't care about the children. You would find the child has soiled her clothes and she even starts to smear it on the floor and the mother even has not noticed of not aware what's happening in the house.

The kids had been given homework and they are supposed to seek help from the parents .When the children approaches the father, he sends them back  not showing any fatherly love to the kid. Because he is busy chatting and looking on status on how young ladies are shaking their boobs and buttocks,and talking to side chics,his mind is altered and doesn't reason beyond that.

The teens have also been mislead by the social media.  They no longer do or help their parents in the house. They are always on the internet downloading love songs, chatting with their boy friends and girlfriends, making videos on tiktok, Instagrams, Whatsapp status others if not carefully monitored would be watching pornographic.  If a parent needed something and tries to call one of the teens , he would be deceiving herself , because there will be no response from them. 

The children when it comes to watching cartoons, it's like their meal. Even you you try to tell them to eat first ,they will not until you switch off the TV and you be on their neck so that they can take their meals. You find them in school talking of a certain program and other children are busy commenting, so this gives them the psyche to watch on the programs on the TV. They even forget to do their homework, helping their parents and they seems not to care at all.

Unless we cut of spending much time on screen, then our families are doomed and we can't have good -children relationship in our homes.

 3. Time

Most of the parents don't have time for their families. You find a parent goes for work from 4am and returns home at 10pm when everyone in the house is a sleep. She or he doesn't know how the children slept, what they ate,how they did their assignment and about their health. The children see him/ her only on weekends probably when they go to church or when the parent is having the offs.

All the responsibility have be delighted to the nannies. Most of this nannies they don't have the knowledge on parenting and they can teach the children,all kinds of behaviours that are vice in the society. Imagine a mother who is breastfeeding comes home at 10pm and finds the kid is a sleep and the kid doesn't have enough time to breastfeed.

4.Work

Work has killed the togetherness in the family. Most of the parents have put more energy and time on work forgetting their counterparts children. They spend whole day working and he/she doesn't have space to communicate to their children. I don't discourage parents not to search for jobs or to have self employment,but they should try to have a parenthood in them. Sometimes work should not be our first priority in life. Let the family come first and the rest follows. 

Imagine a parent or the family members who are always on toes going  for work from morning to evening, coming home is late even you don't know your neighbours. They maybe knowing you, and when you meet on the street you don't greet them, they will even say that you no longer recognize people and in the really sense you don't know them.

Just try to have family meeting with your family when you have a day off ,to discover what is happening to your kids or other family members

Some people are assuming that, everyone understands that am busy and I don't have time for family gatherings. Forgetting that,people do commit their own time and space ,so that they can create good rapport in the family.

5. Separation

Most of the parents nowdays they prefer separation, which makes members of the family not to be together. You may find the father may decide to take his boy child and the wife takes the girls. Through this, the children may not have that bondness in the as a brother and sister.

Sometimes,a husband and wife can separate and the wife takes the children and children would not have that fatherly love. Maybe there would be a  problem in the family, but  we should sometimes try to figure out about the children. Children can loose trust to those parents , because they no longer recognize them as their guardians. 

The children in both sides develop weird behavior, because they are being brought in different environment this triggering good character. They maybe talking through the phone, but it doesn't mean that they will have that stronger love among the family members. Children will not even know their cousins, aunties and uncles plus their grandparents.

6. Divorce

Most of the family members have preferred to have divorce and they no longer want to live together. Through this ,the family relationship has became like a foregone folktale. 

The good relationship that existed between the two families, has become no longer in existence. You find the wife and husband, each one wants to go with the kids and the court has to intervene and decide where the children will stay until they reach at a certain age.

7.Rural-urban migration.

Most of the families have gone or migrated to town in search of green pastures.  Others are living in towns because they have been posted there to work thus limiting them to have good relationship with other family members. 

Preferably,others have decided to move to other places to avoid conflicts,others believe in witchcraft that if they stay at home, the people in the village will not feel good for them because they are wealth. Others have been chased or excommunicated from the community because they did some vices that aren't accepted by the community.

Through this, it has led to breakage of family bondage. Even if the problem arises at rural home ,they aren't ready to help or be together with other family members. Even when the funeral arises, the persons in charge are those near the family, but those living in urban ,they seem not to care.

8.Going abroad

Most of the family haven't have good relationship with their members, because of long distance relationship. You find the father or the mother has been blessed and has gone to a broad in terms of further studies, scholarship, Green cards,or jobs. A person takes almost 2 years or one year before he/she comes back to his country, thus limiting strong relationship. A child may grew or be born without seeing his father,because the father had gone a broad.

It makes children to be raised by one parent which kills the morale of bondage and trustfulness among the members.

In family relationship it's good to ensure that you video call , you can call or try to visit every mother or after two week even you are living in urban areas. Those in a broad try as much as possible not to exceed two years or if possible you can visit yearly.

I request you to share my article, comment it add   other factors affecting family relation. 


How to be a good/stunning mother/ parent.


Have you ever wondered , how you are supposed to be  a good mother to your kids. Take a case your are a new parent to your family and you don't know where to start from ? The following are guidelines on how to be a good mother or  parent

Be always optimistic

Always try to have a positive set mind that you are going to make it through in parenting. 

I know being a newbie in parenthood,it sometimes hectic and tiresome. Having a  well focussed minds idea and always trying to discover news things , is the only way to overcome challenges in your motherhood.

Be reliable

A good mother should always be reliable to the family members. Being present will increase the trustworthy and everyone including your children will put trust in you.

They will not have any doubt in you and they will forever rely on you,because you will offer protection and any solution to their problems.

Be self dependent

Always try to depend on yourself. Trusting yourself leads to independent and a strong woman.  Sometimes try to try new things and new ideas in your parenting, thus making you to become a successful and a hard-working woman in the house.

Always try to look on ways to provide the basic needs to your family. Don't always depend on your husband,to bring everything to the house. Sometimes you can go for Hire to do jobs like washing clothes, digging for others if you are a staying home mother. These can generate income and you will ease up the burden of hunger in your family.

Be ready to help out

Always be ready to help others out: If you see someone who needs help, don’t hesitate or ignore them and make sure to reach out to them either directly or indirectly. Be ready to help your kids to grow in a moral way. Don't always leave your family members to suffer. If you have the potential in extending the hand either financially or verbally, just do it. 

 Helping the unfortunate in the family makes and creates good relationships with other family member.

Let them lean on you and assure them that you will be able to help them somehow. That will make you more approachable and trustworthy.

Be ready to learn out

Have the mentality to improve. Be ready to learn and improve your skills and attitudes. Try to read from other women and sometimes seek guidance from elder mothers.

Be honest and faithful.

Being honest and truthful makes your family to gain respect for you. Always stick to your parenting and never ignore any tasks that comes in the way. Always remember to trust the process of taking care of your family members and never have partiality in up bringing your children. Learn to love them all.


Be present: Sometimes, you just have to be present and available to people, nothing else is needed in most circumstances. Whether it’s a grieving friend, a tired colleague, an unhappy lover, just being by there and being available is very important







Lydiah Mogiti Bundi Teach4SDGs pictures