Month: April 2019

Children are just a bastion of possibility, aren’t they? That’s part of the reason that we love them. Your child could grow up to be anything. As such, you always want to teach your child to be discerning. You want to be sure that your child grows up knowing right from wrong and quality from a lack thereof. With “so much on their plate,” as it were, you want your child to have high standards in life – just not so high as to turn down every last thing you try to feed them for breakfast in the morning. Dealing with picky eaters is a common complaint among parents of preschool aged children the world over. On the one hand, this is perfectly natural. After all, we have evolved to be picky eaters in part for a reason. Shoving just any old thing that looks vaguely edible down your throat is a terrible roadmap to personal as well as species-wide survival. As such, being a picky eater can be a lifesaver – literally. On the other hand, chances are good that you’re not feeding your children some recently-speared animal fresh from the hunt or some wild foliage that you picked up off the ground somewhere. As such, while your child’s bodily defenses against unknown edibles gained from countless generations is still intact, chances are good that they’re not entirely needed against pureed baby food. Whether you’re sending your kids to preschool in Bangkok or taking care of them at home, how can you get your toddlers not to be maddeningly picky about what they eat? Don’t Be Too Pushy While it’s important to be firm and make sure that your kids eat the foods they need to grow and be healthy, you never want to be too pushy when it comes to making kids experience new things. It can be frustrating when you’re ready to head out the door for work, and you just need your toddler to eat their breakfast already, but forcing foods on them can have far more negative consequences. For one thing, being overly forceful with your child over such matters can affect them psychologically. For another, your child might genuinely have an instinctual reason for not wanting to eat a certain food (for example, their being allergic), which they cannot articulate. If your child refuses the same types of foods over and over again for specific reasons (ie, because it makes them “feel itchy” or gives them an upset stomach), it is advisable see a pediatrician. Not Being Hungry Assuming that there is no medical reason why your child shouldn’t eat their food, you and the staff at your child’s Bangkok preschool will need to approach food refusals differently. For example, say your child or the children under your care at your preschool insist on not eating because they aren’t hungry. If you’ve heard this excuse from your child and have been frustrated by it, don’t worry, you’re in good company, as it is an extremely common complaint. It’s also a complaint which can be easily addressed. Most children stop growing as quickly after the age of two, and as such, they may not need round the clock feeding. This can be responsible for their not being hungry. Spacing out meals, therefore, or making snacks lighter so as not to prematurely fill them up can be immensely helpful. That said, it’s also fair to note that sometimes, children simply aren’t hungry. While children are growing and so need ample food in order to develop properly, as with adults, some children are simply more voracious eaters than others. As such, sometimes, when your children say they’re “not hungry,” they might genuinely mean it. If this persists meal after meal, however, you’ll want to follow the steps below. A Preference for Sweet Foods If you haven’t heard your child say that they’re “not hungry,” chances are still pretty good that you have heard them say something’s “yucky” instead. If you’ve heard them describe food after food as “yucky,” you might feel as though the whole thing’s getting on your last nerve. However, never fear – as we mentioned, there are ways to solve this preschool picky eater problem, too. One of the simplest yet most effective ways of dealing with this problem is by simply “masking” the food in question, at least for a while. For example, say your child absolutely hates carrots. No matter what you do or try, one look at some baby carrots or carrot sticks and they break down or close up completely and refuse to eat. Serving them those same carrots but blended and mixed with something else can be an ingenious way of getting them the same nutrients without the battle over the carrot sticks in question. In addition, you could try having a dip or sweet food available to add to the carrots. There are many nutrition-based reasons that kids tend to love sweeter foods, a fact that you can exploit to dip the offending foods in question in order to get your child to eat them. A Dinnertime Declaration of Independence Then there’s the good old-fashioned airing of the Terrible Twos and every toddler’s favorite word, “No!” The natural inclination here might be to shout back “Yes!” – but let’s be honest, your child’s stubbornness might well win out over parental fatigue. That’s what they’re counting on in part. What’s more, bickering not only sets a bad example for your children but can also erode your authority, making your toddler think that you’re malleable to their whims. Another permutation of this can be children saying “No!” not just to be defiant, but rather as a means to an end. If they think “No!” will lead to chocolate cake instead of carrots, of course they’ll give it a go. Instead of all of that, try to let your children make their own food eating decisions as much as possible. If dinner wears on, and they see that everyone else

The most important time in a child’s development is during the formative years of kindergarten. Kindergarten prepares a child for his or her academic schooling. It also assists him or her in developing socialization skills and enhancing physical mobility. Therefore, the kindergarten program that you select is critical to your child’s later performance in the classroom. However, parents must address the distractions made by today’s technology, as well. In the past, parents only needed to veer children away from the TV screen. However, children are exposed to more than one display today. Like adults, they can become almost mesmerized when gazing at electronic devices. This can take away from their attention span, as far as group participation and off-screen learning. Therefore, in this respect, parents need to establish clear boundaries for their children about screen use for the newer technologies. One of the ways that this can be done is to involve children in hands-on activities. It is important to cultivate a child’s imagination. So, he or she should use non-electronic media and toys to avoid electronic reliance. Promote Independent Play If you want to avoid excess electronic use, then you need, as a parent, to promote independent play in your children. However, that does not mean that you should serve as your child’s monitor in this respect. You can subtly make your point known by adding hands-on toys and accessories for your child’s playtime. Another way to inspire more creative expression is to read to your child at night. This will not only help and encourage your child to learn to read but it also very effectively engages their imaginations. Another good idea could be to encourage your kids to listen to podcasts and audiobooks to direct them to learning activities on electronics. Work with the Curriculum Director at Your Child’s Kindergarten Talk to the curriculum director at an international kindergarten in Bangkok about screen-time concerns. That way, both of you can work in sync to avoid the wrong types of on-screen activities. As you know, your child has access to a variety of screen types in today’s mobile society. For instance, your child may occupy his or her time by looking at your mobile phone or by watching movies on a tablet. Sometimes, computer games take up a child’s time or games that are not as computerized. As long as your child is using their electronics for creative, or educational then the occasional recreational game should by no means out of the question. How much time a child looks at a screen will depend on the nature of the electronic, as well as the activity. Is Your Child Overweight? When children spend too much time playing computer games, then this can leave them with less time for physical activities and can end up gaining weight and having problems with obesity as a result. Therefore, the use of today’s electronics must be carefully moderated. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), excessive use of media can lead to a number of behavioral problems and disorders. These conditions can surface in the form of the following: Eating disorders Problems with sleep Problems with learning in school Weight gain The reasons above is why it is important that the kindergarten and parents work at creating a balance in a child’s life. Doing so will increase a child’s chance to socialize, play outside, read, or create imaginative scenarios. What Is Meant by “Excessive”? Given that most everyone uses some type of electronic today, you may be wondering what defines “excessive.” Indeed, this can be hard to define, as kids use electronic to play video games, text on the phone, socialize on social media, and play handheld games. You can easily say that use is too much if it interferes with a child’s other activities. If your child is suffering from sleep issues or has problems with socializing with the kids in his kindergarten class, you may have a problem on your hands. Before you have to face any of these dilemmas, it is important to set screen limits now and not wait. Why should you set boundaries when your child’s behavior is unacceptable? The best way to instill the right behavior from your child is to set a good example yourself. If you want to set limits, you also have to set your own limits in this respect. A child will find it difficult to understand a parent who constantly uses the computer themselves. Set Limits with Your Child To limit your child’s use of electronic, set specific days and times when viewing a screen is off-limits. This might be imposed after dinner or when friends visit at your house. This helps a child learn the etiquette involved in using electronics. After all, it is rude for child to stare at a screen when guests are in the house. Also, take note of what your kids are doing with those screens. You may need to learn more about the video games that draw their attention and actually play one yourself. You need to take a proactive stance. Otherwise, you will not be able to communicate your wishes adequately. It is also important to promote variety when your child does play a game. Direct your child’s attention so he engages in more than one activity and more than one type of activity to ensure they develop a wide range of physical, mental and logic skills. Convey Your Concerns When you establish the rules, speak to your kids about your concerns. Tell them that it is important to be reasonable about how much time they spend on an electronic. They should understand the negative results of spending too much time on one activity. The idea is to be vigilant while also being flexible. Whatever rules you outline, stick to your guidelines. Let your kids know what rules they need to follow. Also, as your children grow, learn to adapt to the changes of the technology. That way you can adjust the rules