“Play is multi-faceted, complex and dynamic, eluding easy definition. It is usually felt to be a universal activity and children are often portrayed as having an inherent desire and capacity to play.”

Free or pure play: Children have all the control, and adults are passive observers.

Guided play: Teacher-child collaboration, with the child’s interests foregrounded.

This article focuses on Free/ Pure child play.

Freely chosen play is when a child decides and controls their play following their own instincts, imagination and interests. There’s no right or wrong way to play. Freely chosen play improves children’s health, well-being and development.

Play is important because play improves the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and young people.

Children also learn skills they need for study, work and relationships such as: Confidence, self-esteem, resilience, interaction, social skills, independence, curiosity, coping with challenging situations.

Physical play such as running, skipping and riding a bicycle helps children develop good physical fitness, agility, stamina, coordination, balance.

Playing can help children develop their social skills with others. By listening, paying attention and sharing play experiences such as, explore their feelings, develop self-discipline, learn how to express themselves and work out emotional aspects of life.

During early childhood, children’s play becomes increasingly complex, involving high levels of organization and requiring increasingly sophisticated social , physical and cognitive skills.

Infants and toddlers engage in exploratory and social play (peek-a-boo). Toddlers develop functional play involving the repetition of particular physical actions and early pretend play.

Older children develop imagination and engage in constructive pretend, and language play.

Much research concludes that play is a powerful learning mode and central to children’s learning.

Play integrates children’s experiences, knowledge and representations sin order to help them create meaning and sense and to understand the world.

Pretending requires children to think of things that are not actually present, a skill required in many learning and life situations.

It is important to give your children time, freedom and choice to play!!

Why kids have temper tantrums:

Temper tantrums are a normal part of child development and are equally common in both girls and boys. Some children have temper tantrums often and some have them rarely. Temper tantrums range from whining, crying, kicking, screaming, hitting, and breath holding.

Temper tantrums may happen when a child is tired, hungry or uncomfortable; or because they cannot get something that they want (i.e. in the grocery store, cell phone, TV clicker, etc.).

Most important, keep your cool when responding to a tantrum. Try not to complicate the problem with your own frustration or anger. Your job is helping your child to learn how to calm down so you need to be calm also. Hitting and spanking do not help and they send a message that physical punishment and force are OK.

If your child is in danger of hurting himself or others should be taken to a quiet, safe place to calm down. This also applies to public tantrums.

Preschoolers and older children having a temper tantrum should be sent to their room to calm down, and should choose their own time limit. This is empowering-kids can affect the outcome of their own actions and therefore gain a sense of control that was lost having the tantrum. Although, if the time-out is for negative behavior (such as hitting) while having the tantrum, a time limit should be set.

Do children have temper tantrums on purpose?

For older children it may be a learned tactic to get what they want due to a parent rewarding a child for not crying. When a toddler, if the parent says, “Stop crying, kicking etc. and I will give you a toy” This type of response to a temper tantrum will encourage future temper tantrums (even into adulthood).

For most, toddler’s, temper tantrums are a way to express frustration.

Tantrums should be handled differently depending on why your child is upset. At times you may have to provide a little comfort. Other times, its best to ignore an outburst and distract your child with a new activity. If a tantrum happens after your child is refused something, stay calm and don’t give a lot of explanations for why your child can’t have what he wants. Try to find something he can have or move onto another activity with your child.
After the storm, do not reward your child by giving in. This just proves to your little one that the tantrum was effective. Instead, verbally praise your child for regaining control.

Moms, Dads and grandparents, this is a hard job- raising a child.

I was at my daughter’s home and her nine year old son (sweet angel of a child in my opinion) responded to a punishment by saying, “Mommy, why are you so mean?” She responded, cool as a cucumber, “I am your mother and that is my job.” He said “Oh”.

Good job, my child!!!!

Toddlers are a bit suspicious of new foods and may have one word for them “No” or you may have a potential basketball player or baseball pitcher when your darling knocks the food onto the floor. We actually had a bet as to when, not if, our little one was going to side swipe her cup onto the floor.

Here are a few tips on making meal time more enjoyable for both you and your little one.

1. Be a good role model:
   Toddlers imitate us, for example wearing your shoes or talking on your cell phone. So if your toddler sees you eating fish or chicken and fruits and vegetables while avoiding junk foods, he is most likely to follow your lead.
2. Listen to the clues:
   Some days your toddler may not eat very much so do not force or use food as a reward. “If you eat this, I will give you a surprise”. Or do not say “Just one more bite”. When your toddler is done he is done. If he does not eat everything on his plate most of the time, serve smaller servings. Give nutritious snacks in between meals. Also, do not keep candy, cookies etc. around for your toddler to snack on.
3. Keep offering new foods:
   Do not be disappointed if your toddler does not say Yum, Yum to your favorite vegetable. Tastes take time for a toddler to develop. Just keep serving that veggie once a week as well as introducing new fruits and veggies now and then.
4. Have family meals:
   If you have older children, the family should sit down for dinner together but sometimes due to activities it becomes impossible. Have a Sunday brunch or a pizza night once a week with the whole family so your toddler is not eating alone all the time. If you have just one child try to have breakfast or your evening meal together with Daddy or grandma.
5. Be careful of milk and juice:
   Milk and juice are healthy in a toddler’s diet but more than 16 – 24 ounces of milk and more than six ounces of juice every day may fill your toddler up so they are not hungry. Guard against this by offering water or watered down juice.
6. Food jag:
   You can let your toddler go on a food “jag” (wanting the same food for every meal) as long as it is not cookies or candy. Don’t stress, just continue offering healthy options and wait for his eating jag to stop.

I think the people that bought our home, after having four children, are still finding cheerios, a big time favorite for all of my kids when they were toddlers.

Enjoy this time in your life with your little ones. It really is the easiest time in the rearing of your darlings.

It is futile to try to stop your child from throwing at this age. Just concentrate on what she throws and where she throws. Do not punish your child for throwing. It is a natural and necessary skill.

• Show you child what she CAN such as soft balls, soft animals, bean bag games. Stock up on foam balls If she persists in throwing things in a hurtful manner, you will need to monitor her toys by taking away metal, wood and any toy that could be harmful.
• Fasten his toys to his seat when in the car or stroller with a short piece of string. This can be fun for a toddler since he can retrieve his own toy.
• Clean up together by saying “Let’s see who can clean up the fastest.” This, then becomes a fun game with Mommy or Daddy.
• Set a good example: In other words, please refrain from throwing your own “stuff” around. For instance throwing your clothes on your bed or taking off our shoes and throwing them in the closet. Toddlers are great observers and mimickers.
• Sit with your toddler at meal time so you can monitor his desire to throw his food all over the place. Spaghetti is the most fun. Praise him for his eating skills but tell him “no” gently and firmly when he starts to throw his food. Also, watch for choking. Also, having child proof plastic dishes and bowls that adhere to the high chair or table. Most children do not start throwing their food until they are finished eating so serve small portions.

If your child’s throwing habit stems from frustration rather than exuberance, teach him other ways to deal with anger. Let him know it is OK to be mad and encourage him to use his words and provide him with physical outlets such as running, kneading clay, pummel some pillows.

When you child learns how to express himself with his words, the aggressive behavior will tend to stop.

So, talk, talk and talk to your child and allow him to answer even if you cannot understand what he says.

This is so wonderful for your child.

Here are some signs for being ready for the big potty training accomplishment for both you and your child.

• Your child is walking and can sit for short periods of time
• Is becoming generally more independent when it comes to completing tasks
• Is becoming interested in watching others go to the toilet (this can be awkward or make you uncomfortable at first, but it is a good way to introduce things)
• Has dry diapers for up to two hours-this shows he is able to store pee pee in his bladder (which automatically empties in younger babies or newborns)
• Tells you (or shows obvious signs) when he/she does a poo or wee in his diaper-if he can tell you before it happens, he/she is ready for toilet training
• Begins to dislike wearing a diaper, perhaps trying to pull it off when it’s wet or soiled.
• Has regular, soft, formed bowel movements
• Can pull his/her pant up and down
• Can follow simple instructions, such as “Give the ball to Daddy” and shows understanding about things having their place around the home
• Not all of these signs need to be present when your child is ready but a general trend will let you know it’s time to start

Getting Ready

You should decide if you want to use a potty chair or the toilet. The advantage of a potty chair is that you can take it with you and your child may feel more comfortable with their own potty chair. A regular toilet sometimes is scary even if you have a child seat with handles on it. You will also need a step for our child to get up to the toilet. Your child might enjoy decorating his own potty chair and ask him/her to sit on it with or without a diaper.

A good idea before you begin is to read a book or watch a video, with your child, about toilet training. There are some fun children’s books that your child might like that talk in childlike terms about toilet training.

Also, put on training pants or training diapers to familiarize your child with pulling under pants up and down.

Some children respond to incentives such as stickers, stars, a small toy or a trip to a favorite park. If you child resists your efforts after a few weeks, give up, wait a few months and try it again.

Our next blog will get down to the nitty gritty of every day POTTY TRAINING.

Baby Power Forever Kids delivers the advantages you look for in a superior franchise opportunity. Physical movement and music equal brain development. Our program uses State of the Art gym equipment, musical instruments and fun interactive characters painted on walls of Music Rooms. Baby Power Forever Kids philosophy of our educational programs is to stimulate the intellectual, physical, and emotional development of the child during the most formative growth period-age 6 months to 6 years.

Every child will become a self-confident learner and the overall growth of the child is promoted while the parents of the children are also complimented for their encouragement and recognition of improved skills in their children.

Birthday Parties are also a large part of the many varied programs offered.

You want the independence to grow your own business but also want to invest in a proven business model – and in a market with strong growth potential. You also need to know that you can count on all the training and ongoing support you’ll need to succeed.

Key Benefits:

• Target market (Baby Power® programs) not commonly targeted by other child-focused businesses (6 mos.-3 years old) (Forever Kids® programs 3 years to six years)
• Lifestyle business – flexible class schedule
• Tremendous support from founder as new franchise is ramping up. Evolving programs for children – multi-faceted programs challenging the emotional, intellectual and physical aspects of children; programs evolve as child grows
• Parent-child enrichment programs – parents involved in child’s experience
• Non parent involvement for older children
• Flexible hands-on or hands-off managerial approach
• Six revenue streams: Baby Power® Programs ( 6 months – 3 years)
• Forever Kids® Programs (3 years – 6 years)
• Birthday Parties
• Open Gym
• Crafts
• Two Hour Drop Off Programs 3- 6 years
• Preschool enrichment program
• Singing Chefs (cooking)
• Lab Coat Kids (experiments)
• Products (MP3s, musical instruments, puppets and products for sale)

1. Book a separate ticket for our child, even though they can fly free from birth the age two. You will be more comfortable, and your child will be safer. Also make sure you have an FAA – approved car seat. Read about your airline’s rules before booking.
2. Use seat maps to choose your seats. The back of the plane is better since you are closer to the lavatories. There is more overhead bin space when you board and there may be vacant seats.
3. Airlines are trying to cram more seats into their economy area. If you cannot book first class, you may want to splurge for premium economy or extra-leg room economy. These seats board earlier and may offer a perk of free beverages.
4. Check your luggage and print out your boarding pass at home so all you have to do is check your bags
5. Be prepared for possible delays or even cancellations by having extra diapers, wipes, toys and snacks.
6. At the airport you will have to go through the TSA checkpoint. Before getting there read TSA’s list of approved items that can go past security. Medically required liquids, such as baby formula and food, breast milk and medications are exempt from the 3-4 oz restrictions for a flight. Tell a Transportation Security Officer that you have medically necessary liquids at the beginning of the checkpoint process. They may be subject to additional screening.
7. You will have to take your child through the screening machine out of the stroller and carrier, so carry the baby in your arms. As you head toward the gate, take note of the nearest restroom should you need to take care of changing the baby before you board. So, get to your gate early so you can be settled before you board.
8. Ask the gate agent to gate-check your stroller of non—certified care seat before boarding so that it will be waiting for you when you land. Sometimes these items may arrive in a special luggage section. If you are missing your luggage, check there first.

So enjoy and Bon Voyage.

Also, if your child exhibits fear throughout the month of October, you may want to drop trick or treating altogether.

Many people are dressed up in a costume when they open their door, which can be terrifying to a young child.

If you do decide to trick to treat, bring another older child with you or an adult who can knock at the door. This may weed out a scary monster who opens the door-keeping your child back may help him from being scared.

Halloween is fun, exciting and you get free candy. Once your child finds out about the candy, I bet his/her fears will slowly go away.

Have Fun! BOO!!!!

Pros of A Daycare Center

• Many have an educational focus.
• Plenty of opportunity to socialize with peers.
• Structured environment with a consistent routine and schedule
• Must be licensed and abide by state regulations (such as teacher student ratios and CPR certification)
• May accept infants as young as 6 weeks old
• Reliable hours
• May remain open during the summer and some holidays

Cons of a Daycare Center

• The high cost of daycare. It varies a lot based on where you live in the US, but the average tuition is about $850 per month for an infant
• Your child will be exposed to illnesses from other kids and be sick more often
• Daytime hours only, which can be difficult for parents who work the night shift

Pros of a Home Daycare

• A smaller group of kids, so our child may get more individualized attention and less exposure to illness.
• A homier environment, which may make some kids (and parents) feel more comfortable.
• May accept infants as young as 6 weeks old
• Plenty of opportunities to socialize with peers
• Typically less expensive than a daycare center
• May have flexibility with drop-off/pick-up times or offer evening hours, since the daycare is operated out of the owner’s home

Cons of Home Daycare

• Not all states require home daycares to be licensed.
• May have less structure
• Kids usually are not divided by age, which could be beneficial or not depending on your child

What to Look For in a Daycare

• A good reputation
• A good daycare will have a welcoming, friendly atmosphere and be known for its nurturing environment.
• Ask your neighbors and other parents if it is aa popular daycare.
• Be mindful of your first impression. If you are unsure- do not choose that daycare.

Bottom line — word of mouth is the best help for choosing a daycare. If parents you like, like the daycare, odds are you will like it too.

The vitamins and minerals found in saltwater also have an antibiotic and antibacterial effect which helps boost the immune system and thus help reduce and relieve cold and flu symptoms.

Outdoor ocean pools are generally not chlorinated or heated. The natural flush of saltwater flowing in and out of an ocean pool combined with the natural minerals within the saltwater and its cooler temperature, help keep the water clean and fresh from bacteria. The benefits that saltwater has on our babies, toddlers, children as well as adults are endless – it supports healthy skin, our respiratory and our immune system amongst other things.

One study found that young children who swim regularly in an indoor chlorinated pool were at greater risk for lung inflammation and developing asthma.

Frequent testing is essential to ensure that chlorinated pool water is safe for swimmers. At a public pool, ask the lifeguard if they have specialized training in pool operation and how often free chlorine and pH levels are checked. (It should be at least twice per day and more when pool is heavily trafficked)

If you have a pool, check free chlorine or bromine levels. Look for a window of 1 to 10mg/L or parts per million (ppm) or bromine level of 3 to 8 ppm.

Keep in mind that chlorine and other disinfectants do not always kill all the pool germs instantly. So be an advocate for waterborne illness prevention. Push for ultraviolet or ozone disinfection technology for pool water treatment.

In conclusion, Saltwater swimming is best for you and your toddler but if you only have a pool in which to swim, check the levels constantly.

Enjoy your summer !!