The Mom Crowd

Self-confidence is not something that automatically develops on its own. It is something that a parent needs to help their child to grow. It is very important for your child’s growth and development that he or she cultivates a healthy body image and a healthy level of self-confidence. The earlier you can help your child with this the better. Having a poor self-image and little self-confidence can lead to a number of problems for your child’s emotional, psychological and social well-being and can affect the way your child relates to his/her peers.

There are some very important ways in which you as a mother can help your child to develop self-confidence and to help him to feel as good about himself as possible. There are numerous ways that you can boost your child’s self-confidence. Here we look at some of those ways:

Be a Positive Role Model

Your child is watching the things you do and listening to the things you say. He or she is very focused on you because you are mom. What you need to do is to be a positive role model for your little one. Send the proper messages to him or her by what you say and do. If your words and actions communicate to your children that you have confidence in yourself and respect for yourself then your kids will want to emulate that. Children model the behaviors they see and you are the most important influence and role model for your children. You can make a big difference.

Spend Time with Your Child

Your child needs to spend one-on-one time with you as often as possible. Whether you sit and watch a movie with your child, play a game, go for a walk, or go out for ice cream it is essential that you spend as much time with your child as possible. You need your child to know that you value the time you spend with him or her

Empower Your Child

Do what you can to empower your child. When you do this you strengthen your child’s inner resolve and this increases his self-confidence because it allows him to develop his own capacities. One way that you as a mother can help to empower your son or daughter is to provide him/her with choices. Be picky about what choices you give your child and do not offer too many as this can lead to confusion but do make this available to your child as often as possible. Choices can instill confidence in your child and can help him to feel good about himself.

Give Him an Important Job to Do

Give your child a job around the house or a task that will make him feel valued and important. Make sure you choose one that is age appropriate. No matter how small the job make sure you emphasis to him how important the job is. This will give your child more confidence and will help him to develop a high level of self-esteem.

Show Your Sunny Disposition

Show the sunny and positive side of your disposition. Negativity and gloom are everywhere we look in this world. Do your best to highlight the positive and uplifting side of life. Your child will pick up on this and it will help him to form a positive self-image and it will lead to increased confidence in his own nature.

Create a Routine

Having a routine is vital for your child. Not only does this make it possible for him to know what to expect but it also gives him something to depend upon and it makes him feel secure. When you make a schedule for meal times, bedtimes and the like this provides your children with consistency and can lead to improved confidence. Do your best to stick to the routine as much as possible.

Every season has its health and safety hazards and winter is no different. Whether you love it or hate it you must make your way through the cold weather season taking every step possible to keep healthy and safe.

You want your children to enjoy all that winter has to offer but you also want to keep them as well protected as possible. Here are four tips to help you do just that:

The sun shines during the winter just as it shine in the summer

During the winter the temperatures can get very frigid. You may think that sunscreen is not required during the colder months when there is snow on the ground but that is not the case. Do not put away the sunscreen in winter because your kids still need it when they play outside. Snow reflects more than 75 percent of the damaging UVA and UVB rays from the sun. Put it on your children’s delicate facial skin before they head out with their sleds or their plans to build snowman.

You need to bundle your kids up in appropriate winter wear

when they go outside but you do not want them so snug that they can hardly breathe or move. Their outer wear should fit their bodies properly but it should not be so tight that it restricts their movements. This is as true for clothing as it is for footwear. Socks and/or boots that are too tight can constrict blood flow and this can lead to feet that are even colder and very uncomfortable. When you take your child to the store to buy new boots it is best to shop in the afternoon or evening. When sizing the boots allow sufficient room for an extra pair of socks.

Be smart about the choices of clothing you pick for your kids

It is wise to dress them in layers when they head off to school or go outdoors to play. Choose outdoor jackets and snow pants that are waterproof and windproof. Cotton absorbs sweat and works well as the layer closest to the skin and wool works well as one of the other layers. But do not choose garments that are made of a scratchy wool or are too heavy as this will make your children sweat too much and will make them downright uncomfortable. Wool is a good insulator and it is also flexible and durable. The combination of layers of cotton and wool will help to keep your children warmer and dryer (and therefore more comfortable and less likely to complain!).

Make sure that your children have the right protection for their face, hands and neck when they leave the house. Invest in good quality hats, mittens and scarves. To save time when you are getting your kids ready to go outside keep winter garments in the closet nearest the door and store mittens or gloves and scarves inside of the hats.

Teach your children about outdoor safety

Especially when they are playing in the yard and also participating in winter sports and activities such as skating, skiing or sledding. Be there to supervise your children and make sure you have tissues and dry mittens on hand. Limit the time your children play outdoors in accordance with the temperature of the day.

Only allow your children to skate on ice that has been deemed frozen enough to skate on. Make sure that the sledding paths your kids use are in safe locations. They should not be too close to the road and they should not be too crowded with kids.

Purchase sleds for your little ones that are as safe as possible. The types that can be steered are the smartest choice. If you child wants to snowboard or ski then it is probably a good idea to find an instructor who can provide them with lessons. In that way you will know that they have been taught properly.

When they do get out on the slopes to do these winter activities helmets should always be worn as well as gloves with built-in wrist guards.  As well the child should always be accompanied by an adult. If you or dad cannot do it then find a trusted family member or friend who can.

Your child is wetting his bed and of course as a mother this is a concern for you. Before you start to wonder if there is there something wrong with your child you need to be made aware of the fact that bed wetting is actually quite common amongst young children. Punishing your child for doing this is not the solution and will only make a bad situation worse.

What then can you as a mother do to help your youngster to stop wetting the bed? Here we offer some helpful suggestions for you:

Make an effort to take notice of when the bed wetting occurs

Do you find that your child is more likely to wet his bed after something has upset him? Bed wetting is often related to stress and often occurs right after a child has had to deal with something uncomfortable or disturbing in his life. In some instances though it may be related to an under developed bladder or your child may not wake himself up in time to go to the bathroom.

Pay attention to how much your child drinks in the course of a day

It is important that your child consumes enough fluids throughout the day and does not fill up on too many beverages in the evening and right before bedtime. If he does then his bladder is more likely to be full when he goes to bed. Make it a rule to get your child to drink more during the earlier parts of the day and less after supper.

If you have other children who are aware of the situation then talk to them about it

Make them understand that their brother or sister cannot help what is happening and tell them not to tease or make fun of their sibling. If the child is made to feel ashamed or embarrassed by family members then the problem may get worse instead of better because now there are deeper feelings attached to the behavior.

As a parent you should not scold your child for wetting his bed

Nor should you ridicule him for what is taking place. Just as teasing from other children in the household can make matters worse so can harsh words from you. Your child wants to please you after all and he wants your acceptance. If you get after him then this will affect his self-esteem and make him feel worse about himself.

Purchase a plastic sheet to fit onto your child’s bed

In this way changing the fitted sheet after the accident has occurred will be so much simpler and more convenient for you. The plastic sheet can be cleaned very easily.

If it is your toddler that is experiencing bed wetting problems then put training pants on him when he goes to bed. If he is able to get through three to four nights in a row without wetting his bed then tell him that he does not need to wear them anymore. Make sure you keep a few pairs of training pants on hand in case it happens again. If need be then start the training pants routine over again. Just make sure that your son or daughter knows that this is not a form of punishment!

In some cases bed wetting is the result of a medical problem such as a urinary tract infection

If your child shows other symptoms of a physical problem and you believe that this may be the root of the bed wetting then take him or her to see the family doctor for a check-up.

When your child wakes up in the morning and is dry praise him for it

This will make him feel good and it will also make him want to work harder to end the habit for good.

As a parent you must bear in mind that bed wetting is a stage that some children go through

It is not something permanent by any means. You need to be as patient as possible and you need to show your child support and understanding. If your child expresses worry over the situation then be reassuring and let him know that this is something that he will overcome. Tell him that lots of children go through this and he is not alone in this.

Babies do not generally require high chairs until they start to eat solid foods. For most infants this happens around six months (or thereabouts). Even before babies start throwing food from the tray of their chairs, high chairs can make it possible for a little one to spend quality time with other family members at the table for a meal. Babies often enjoy being included in meal times with other household members.

Your infant’s first chair is his or her high chair. The purchase of such a chair is very important. You may wonder what you need to think about when it comes to making such a significant purchase for your baby. After all as a parent you cannot try it out for yourself as you might a new sofa or loveseat because the fit is not quite right for you! Just as you need to consider a variety of factors when you buy a crib or a car seat for your baby daughter or son there are numerous things to think about before you make a high chair purchase. Here we look at those factors for you to bear in mind:

Know what your budget is

Your finances should not be the only deciding factor for the type of high chair you buy your baby but they must be one factor. The range of prices for high chairs is vast which is why it helps for you to know how much you can and cannot afford for this purchase.

In that way when you go shopping you will be able to zero in on the chairs that are most fitting for your budget and this will save you time. Ask others such as family members and friends what high chairs they can recommend to you. Other new mothers would be one of your best sources for finding the right chair for your baby!

Safety and security should be a top priority. Only purchase a high chair that you feel completely confident about when it comes to your baby’s safety and security. If you find one that you are just not sure about then keep looking. You need to find a chair that is strong and resilient.

It must be able to resist your baby pushing against it, rocking it and even kicking it. It must securely fasten into place when your baby is seated in it. It should be as steady as possible and should not wobble. To find a safe high chair you need to look to a quality brand. It is an investment that is worth it for the sake of your sweet little one.

Be mindful of the height of the chair. You want the high chair to be at a comfortable level for you to feed your baby, whether you are standing, sitting or bending over the chair. For this reason you should take a height measurement of our table before you go shopping. An adjustable high chair is a good idea but you must ensure that it is secure before you buy it.

Consider the size of the tray

All high chairs have trays but they do not all have the same size trays. Food will fall from the high chair onto the floor no matter what you do but the larger the tray the less food is likely to end up on the floor. Decide what size tray is best for your baby before you start looking.

Ease of use and convenience makes a difference

Let’s face it some baby furniture is not so easy to use and that is not what you want. As a mother you want a chair that is lightweight and easy to move around. You also want a chair that you can get your baby in and out of as easily and as quickly as possible. If your little one is crying and you want to get him or her out of the chair as fast as you can the last thing you want is to have to struggle with a complicated chair!

This will cause more stress for the both of you! If you travel or plan to take the chair with you go to visit family members then you need a chair that is easy to lift and put in the car.

Consider the lasting quality of the chair.

You want to buy a chair that will serve its purpose for your baby until he or she outgrows it. If you plan to have more children then the longevity of the high chair matters. If you can reuse it for your future babies then this will save you money in the long run.

Comparison shopping can offer a means of saving money and it can even be fun to do once you get into the spirit of doing it. It does take some time however to perfect the technique of shopping by doing comparisons. It also takes time out of your day or week in a general sense because it is more time consuming than just finding an item at the first store or website that you visit. It also takes a level of patience but it can be a worthwhile pursuit in the long run because you can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars if you comparison shop for practically everything that you need to purchase.

You can comparison shop for groceries, personal care items, appliances, cars, insurance, travel, gardening equipment, electronics and whatever else you may need. It is a versatile means of finding what you need because it can be used both at retail stores as well as for online shopping.

If you have ever looked at a receipt for something you have purchased and  were not happy with the price you paid then you really need to start shopping in a more constructive and cost effective manner. You need to become a shrewd comparison shopper. Prices vary tremendously on items and finding the best price possible can take some work.

Here we look at some important points worth considering when it comes to the concept of comparison shopping:

Price Fluctuations are Common

You may think that every store you visit is selling an item for the same price but that is not the case. Look around at the stores in any given malls or the shops in your community and you will quickly see that this is not how stores operate. Many stores have sales on a frequent basis and they put different items on sale. If you check flyers regularly you will see what items are on sale. It is also worth mentioning that when you comparison shop you will be able to pick out which stores consistently charge higher prices on everything from toilet paper to vegetables to meat to peanut butter, and so on.

You are not likely to find a store that charges cheaper prices on everything that it sells. From a marketing perspective this is not a smart thing to do. That is why you need to be a wise shopper and look for bargains at different stores. If the stores you shop at are all in close proximity then you will not use as much gas driving from one place to another and you will not use up as much time and energy either!

Keep in mind that comparison shopping is wise because prices fluctuate and they can also vary quite a bit from one shop to another. That is why you need to be on your toes and you need to shop around!

Shopping – The Time Factor

Many people do not view comparison shopping in a positive light because they think it is too time consuming. The time factor is important but the extra time it takes you to compare one product to another can be well worth it to you in terms of the money you will save. The extra time you spend looking for a better deal will make all of the difference if you can save $10 on an item, $20, $50 or more!

Become a Keen Watcher of Store Marks Downs

If you shop at a particular store often enough then you will become use to which items are marked down the most often and which products go on sale frequently. Many stores follow a pattern and are consistent about the items that they place on sale the most often. Become a keen observer when it comes to how stores operate. By so doing you will be able to know where you should go to get the best bargains and deals! That will make comparison shopping very worthwhile to you!