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Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Healthy eating for children: surest way to complete growth!

Monday, February 18th, 2008

Entire growth of children whether physical as well as mental depends completely on their eating habits. Everybody knows well that children are supposed to eat healthy and nutritional foods. We always try to ensure healthy eating for children. However, you it is sometime difficult to screen your children with lots of enticing, unhealthy and tastier options in the market. Hence for this it is important to provide them with nutritional food which can nourish them even if they take something unhealthy in your absence. If they have healthy options at home they are likely to become healthy eater in future also, as they grow up to become adults.

For making your children habitual of healthy eating it is important to inculcate these habits right from their birth. Once it becomes habit then it becomes easy to follow it. You can do it just be putting good examples before them and by telling them about the benefits of healthy eating for children. However, if your child is negating to eat healthily again and again then better is to try gradually. Stop giving sweets and snack rather replace it with fruits. Try to steer children for healthy eating by giving them variety of fruits so that they could change their taste. Do not try to impose things on children as if you do this then they will become rebellious. So for a while you can allow them to eat what they want while incorporating the healthier options also in their regular diet.

Child’s Creativity

Monday, January 21st, 2008

Parents and teachers can and do have an effect on child’s creativity. Creativity may be more influenced by environmental rather than genetic factors. In fact,it is promoted through the maintenance of a playful, jovial atmosphere that allows and supports the unconventional but at the same time distinguishes and elaborates on what is appropriate and useful. It develops when examples of different approaches are analyzed. It is more likely to thrive when adults express the idea that any problem can be worked out.

When the child is slightly older, say around five to seven years of age, one wall of a room could be devoted to the child entirely. It could be left blank for the child to scribble on it, paint ,write poems or draw whatever he/she likes. Let the young one personalize it in any way he/she likes. If the child prefers, paint a story on the wall to fire his/her imagination. At this age, children at present spend their leisure hours playing games on the computer. The time allotted to play these games must be strictly monitored. The child must be encouraged to pick up a book, read it, and even narrate the story. They should be given a topic on which they can draw or create something using their imagination. Encourage letter writing which not only improves communication skills but also helps the child to keep in touch with relatives and friends. Craft items such as painting with wet paints, sticking certain pictures and creating a collage etc can bring out the creative genius in these children while keeping them busy. Board games can be handy when friends and classmates come along. These can be kept within easy reach on open shelves that can be reached by the children. If time permits, this is the right age to introduce the child to an adult game like chess.