Are You Spending Enough Time With Your Child?

Your children can be around you all day, but if you don't spend quality time with them and you don't pay attention to them and talk to them and listen to them, it doesn't matter that they're just around you. ~Brandy Norwood

Every parent, once in a while, asks himself this question: “Am I spending enough time with my child?”

As working parents, we all can never spend enough time with our children, and that is the problem that sometimes makes me feel a little bit guilty about myself. I don’t know if parents should be guilty about spending a little less time with their kids, but I know one thing for sure, we can definitely spend some more time. I am not saying that you are spending enough time with kids (who am I to judge), I am only saying that we can always find more time for our children.

First of all, let me just clarify why spending a little bit more time with your child might be a good idea. Do you remember the last time your kid was out there playing with an outdoor playground equipment and you were there with him? Most parents just rely on the nannies or the guardians when it comes to watching the kids. But your nanny shouldn’t be spending much time with your kid, you should be the one.

“What does immortality mean to me? That we all want more time; and we want it to be quality time.”~Joan D. Vinge

Many researchers usually highlight the words “quality time” when speaking about spending time with children. For most parents quality time is more time, however the true definition of “quality time” is far away from the meaning that most folks deduce out of the words. “Quality time” is more than just spending time with your kids; it’s about how you spend that time with the kids. There is a difference between when you play backyard soccer with your children, and when you just watch your kids play with the commercial playground equipment from the distance.

It’s all about being more involved with your kids. Simply watching your kids from the distance is not spending time with them. Most parents, especially mothers watch their kids play as they busy themselves with their tablets or smart phones. If you really wish to be more involved with your child’s life, or spend quality time with him, then you need to consider your schedule and his schedule. This is where the work-life-balance comes in. One important thing to remember here is that you want to be involved with your kid, but not too involved. Give them space so they can do things their way, but at the same time do not leave them on their own with zero guidance.

How do you spend more time with your kids? Do you have any ideas or suggestions that can help other parents spend more time with their kids? Share your opinion with us through the comment section below.

Do We Enough Playgrounds?

Do we have enough playgrounds? No, I don’t think so. I don’t know about you, but I think we could definitely use more playgrounds. And, to be exact, we need more playgrounds with modern outdoor playground equipment.
Decreasing play areas and hoisting number of tech gaming gadgets has changed the point of view of recreational action for kids. Since the invention of PC and related advancements, our kids rarely appreciate what we might want to call 'a day out.'

Do you watch your youngster sprawled before the TV for a considerable length of time? Is the tablet truly helping your kid gain something separated from the gazillion better approaches to slaughter a virtual creature? The raising pattern of advanced diversion is a troublesome thing, and we have to discover approaches to recover our play areas before we lose our children to the computerized monstrosity until the end of time.

Do We Have Enough Playgrounds?

Did you realize that almost 42% of the schools need age-proper school playground equipment? As indicated by an exploration, most government schools need utilitarian play areas with age-suitable school play area gear. By and large, the schools need a suitable play framework that is a pivotal component in the general physical and intellectual advancement of kids.

It is anything but difficult to put the fault on the legislature, yet shouldn't something be said about us? Is it true that we are allowing so as to contribute decisively towards our kids' improvement, solid measure of dynamic play consistently? At the point when was the last time you went by your closest play area with your youngsters? Numerous parents gripe that "our play areas are not sufficiently spotless; we can't just let our kids play in rottenness." How about getting a sweeper and doing some work yourself. Why do we generally need to sit tight for the civil administration to react to our grumblings?

Another imperative thing that you ought to do is to contact your kid's school powers and ask about the play exercises amid the school. Verify that your tyke is enlisted in a school that gives everyone of the offices that contribute altogether towards your youngster's both mental and physical advancement. Likewise, verify that your kid has adequate time for dynamic play at home; the break time permitted in schools is normally insufficient.

If you believe that your community does not have enough playground and play areas for your children, then you should immediately take action and approach your local government officials. And if the government fails to take action, build your own playgrounds with the help of your community. There’s always that can be done. So don’t just sit there, do something for your children’s bright future.

Does your community have enough playgrounds for children? Do you often take part in community playground projects? What is the latest community playground project that you participated in? Share your opinion with us through our comment section below and let us know of your opinion and help other parents with similar issues.

Tick Tock, The Time's Running Out…

“Now, today, some children are enrolled in excellent programs. Some children are enrolled in mediocre programs. And some are wasting away their most formative years in bad programs….That’s why I’m issuing a challenge to our states: Develop a cutting-edge plan to raise the quality of your early learning programs; show us how you’ll work to ensure that children are better prepared for success by the time they enter kindergarten. If you do, we will support you with an Early Learning Challenge Grant that I call on Congress to enact.”

 – President Barack Obama, speaking to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, March 10, 2009

Why Early Physical Education Matters a Lot?

The baby is born, and after a couple of months of hassle, you are back to your normal routine. Most parents, especially mothers make sure that their child has everything he needs, but they usually forget one of the most crucial things — physical education. You must be wondering “2-3 year olds needn’t to learn about physical education until they reach the school going age.” Some parents also avoid younger babies near outdoor playground equipment and other play structures. This is an extremely wrong practice.
It is true that younger children are at more risk of hurting themselves. However, this should not let us, parents, keep our children from keeping children away from nature or play systems.

Paving a Way for A Healthy Future

Did you know that children as young as one year old should be introduced to physical fitness exercise? Researchers suggest that small babies should be introduced to physical actions like hand and leg movements. Why this is important? According to the growing evidence from various researches, children who are introduced to physical activity in an early age are more like to adapt to an active lifestyle in contrast to the kids who grew up with digital devices.

“If you’re going to equalize the academic playing field, you’ve got to get the kids in early childhood programs.” – Paul Vallas

How to Help Kids Learn about Physical Education?

The best way to help kids learn more about physical education is through family fitness; If you get fit as a family, there’s a chance that your kids will understand the importance of physical activity from the early age. Education of any kind, whether it’s physical or academic, needs to start early in a child’s life. Make sure that develop a habit of getting physically active as a family. And it has to be something continuous, not something that you try with your kids on the weekends.
I would like to conclude this post with a renowned quote that goes something like this:

“In early childhood you may lay the foundation of poverty or riches, industry of idleness, good or evil, by the habits to which you train your children. Teach them right habits then, and their future life is safe.”– Lydia Sigourney

What do you do to keep your little angel physically fit? Is there a commercial playground equipment or a playscape, or is it just simple physical activity? Share your opinion with us through our comment section below.

“Just a Few More Minutes, Mom!”

What are those Extra Few Minutes Doing to your Child’s Health?

The modern, high tech gaming gadgets are very tempting for children, which is why it is impossible to unglue them from these devices at the end of the day. There’s always “just a few more minutes, I am almost done with this level.”

There is always some level that they need to complete. There will always be some level they need to complete. The big question is what can we do to keep kids away from the modern adhesive that has made our kids enslaved to the digital devices.

Those Extra Few Minutes and the Repercussions

Most parents are probably not aware of the consequences that the technological device can produce for children. Where do I begin? Let’s start with the computer vision syndrome that affects more than 40% of the population, and 23% of children among that 40%! How about that? Is it this not a worrisome thing for us? Our children have become prone to diseases that were once considered an adult illness.

In addition, technological devices are contributing towards obesity in children. I just thought of a great quote that goes like:

“My head’ll explode if I continue with this escapism.” Jess. C. Scott

It is true that technology has helped us solve many problems, but do you really think that this is the replacement for outdoor playground equipment for young children? As an author, Jess.C.Scott, stated, technology is a tool for escapism. Do our children need to use this tool like we do? Why do they need to escape from their reality?

 “Even the technology that promises to unite us, divides us. Each of us is now electronically connected to the globe, and yet we feel utterly alone.” Dan Brown

Do you really want to introduce your child to the Facebook and many other social media networks? If your child is constantly engaged with social media platforms, then there is a pretty good chance that he ignores most of what happens around him. Your child’s reality should be playgrounds, cerebral enhancing natural active play and commercial play structures that allow them to increase their physical and cognitive strength. Digital devices do nothing but provide a solution to minor problems, and they most definitely not a tool to solve our children’s problems.

Make sure your child does not get lost in the abyss of technology by introducing balance in his life.
I would like to conclude this post through an insightful quote that goes like:

“We can’t jump off bridges anymore because our iPhones will get ruined. We can’t take skinny dips in the ocean because there’s no service on the beach and adventures aren’t real unless they’re on Instagram. Technology has doomed the spontaneity of adventure and we’re helping destroy it every time we Google, check-in, and hashtag.”
― Jeremy Glass

Is your child constantly involved with video games? How do you make sure that he has a balance between his activities? Type away in our comment section below and let us know what you think.

How Parks Can Reduce Childhood Depression?

“Play is so integral to childhood that a child who does not have the opportunities to play is cut off from a major portion of childhood.” -Musselwhite

 

Parks and play areas are the main regular settings that can help kids create solid subjective capacity and physical quality that is difficult to collect through advanced gaming gadgets. Research demonstrates that kids’ sadness can be significantly released through basic physical exercises that can include a stroll in the recreation center.
Research shows that youngsters’ depression can be diminished through play area action (with the outside play area gear or business play area hardware) and even a basic stroll in the recreation center. This post will help you figure out how stops and play area, entertainment can help lessen stress in youngsters.

“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing.” -Charles Schaefer

Some folks neglect to recognize the way that their youngsters may feel discouraged as well. Continuous scholastic weight and absence of organized and unstructured physical action can bring about tyke wretchedness that occasionally interprets into hostility and roughness in school. Thus, don't disregard your youngster's sorrow and take fitting measures to lessen it.

How Parks and Commercial Playground Equipment Help?

It is a very much archived actuality that nature has the ability to recuperate even the most profound emotional scars. A stroll in the recreation center can do wonders for your kid. Play areas and parks permit your tyke to let their psyche ride free while they create solid intellectual capacities and improved physical well being. Various research studies demonstrate that kids who spent around 20-25 minutes in an open park are more rationally dynamic than the others. Physical action, improves state of mind and permits kids to shed the school stress.

Research, likewise demonstrates that youngsters who effectively take an interest in physical exercises are less delicate consistently interruptions and are very much prepared to handle clashes in every day life.

“My tyke loathes parks, what would it be advisable for me to do?” 

It is exceptionally common among youngsters to despise parks; most kids have a profound adoration and affection for gaming gadgets that keep them engaged throughout the day. It is possible to get your tyke far from the computerized recreations, yet a little exertion can enormously affect their future. Connect with your children through dynamic, fun-situated diversions that don't exhaust them.
Kids love exercises that include fun. In this way, engage them with something intriguing and they will come running outside. Kids need recreational exercises to get things off their mind, and parks and outdoor playground equipment are an incredible approach to give them a chance to revive their brains.
What is your approach to dealing with your tyke’s depression? Share your opinion and thoughts through our comment section below.

Technology: A Curse or a Blessing for Children?

We have talked a lot about technology and its side effects in the various posts, but I still feel like there is a lot we need to talk about. As the new wave of technology hits our shelves, we will have a series of new video games that will replace the old games and our children have another excuse to spend another afternoon on the couch. This is a bit worrisome for me as a mother. So, I decided to write another post regarding the troublesome impacts of technology.

The Lesser Known Side Effects of Technology

We have already discussed a lot of pros and cons of technology, so it is pointless for me to discuss them any further. To summarize, the most harmful effects of technology are associated with the physical and cognitive development of the children. Research says that children who spend most of their free time in front of a screen are 11% less smarter in technical stuff in contrast to children who spend a chunk of their time outdoors.

Many few kids participate in outdoor play activities that include engagement with school playground equipment, swing sets and other play systems that boostchildren’s cognitive activities.

Curse or Blessing?

It is hard to answer the question. We cannot simply say that the technology is a curse or a blessing. In simple words, it is both. Some people may argue that it is more of a curse than a blessing, while some people may argue that it is a complete blessing.

I like to believe that it is both. On the bright side, technology teaches our kids how to stay ahead of their game, which helps them garner academic success. According to the research, children who are introduced to technology at an early age are more smart in terms of technical stuff in contrast to children who are not exposed to basic technology at an early age. However, many scholars, argue that introducing kids to technology cripples them of their ability to think and perform different activities on their on. If a child spends his better half of the day in front of a screen, it is very likely that he will be prone to the diseases that occur to those with a sedentary life pattern. But at the same time, they get to learn a lot about stuff that can help academically.

People who speak against the notion of letting children play with technological devices, argue that in an early, tender age, children need to focus natural growing that comes from playgrounds. Outdoor playground equipment and other play systems in a playground let children learn the basic skills that equip them for a better future.

So, in conclusion it can be said that both physical and sedentary activities are an essential part of life, but we have to be careful when letting our kids near technology, because it can get them hooked.
Got something to share? Type away in our comment section below and share your opinion with our readers.

When Kids are Bored

Is your child jaded with the regular play activities? Is he constantly looking for ways to eliminate boredom? And most importantly, is constantly spending time with a gaming device or television. Sedentary lifestyle can have damaging effects on both the brain and the physical health. This article will look into the alternative activities that can eliminate boredom from your child’s life.

Don’t worry moms, I am not going to suggest anything that will cost you your hard earned income. In fact, the ways suggested below will cost you nothing but time.

Build a newspaper House

Here is something way better than a outdoor playground equipment. Old newspapers can be of a lot of use. Therefore, do not throw them away. Engage your child in a creative activity of building a newspaper house. Teach your kids how to cut and paste newspapers together. However, do not hand kids the sharp scissors. Use baby tool kits instead.

Story Swap

This is the most common and easiest way to kill the boredom monster. Instead, simply telling all the stories to your children at bedtime, swap stories. Tell a story and then hear a story. Encourage children to make up stories.. This will help them brush up their creativity and thinking skills. One good way to play this game is to start a story and then a ask your child to finish the story.

Indoor Bowling Alley

What can be better than a commercial playground equipment? An indoor bowling alley! For this game, make your kids collect all the empty bottles in the house. Do not let them handle the glass jars and empty glass coke bottles, as they might cause injury upon breakage. Plastic mineral water bottles would do a fine job for this game. After the collection process is done, stack the bottles in line at the end of the hallway and let children play indoor bowling.

To make things more interesting, keep a scoreboard and make kids compete with each other. Competition can be healthy for children’s growing cognitive capacities. This game can be played by children of all age groups. To make things even more interesting, compete with your children; parents vs. the kids.

Bake Creative Cookies

I know you have baked countless cookies for your children, but creative cookies are a little different. This time let your kids be in charge. However, constantly supervise them so they don’t get injured. Ask the kids to make different faces on the cookies. This could be anything; children can choose to draw a face that they wish to draw. Just give them a jump start by making a creative cookie, and then hand the tools to them. This kind of activity can engage kids for hours. However, that is not the only thing good about this activity; it also engages your kids in a creative chore that enhances their imagination and mental capacity.

Do you know of any alternative ways that can kill boredom without going to the gaming devices for help? What alternative ways do you use to distract your child from the technological gadgets? Share your opinion with us and let us know what you think.