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Charlina Stewart's BlogPosted by Charlina Stewart One way to offset the expense of buying learning materials for your preschooler is by making your own lacing cards. Creating lacing cards are a fun way to improve your child's small motor skills, and hand-eye-coordination. What you Will Need to Make Lacing Cards for Your Preschooler:
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The best thing about creating your own lacing cards is that you can make as many as you need without the extra expense. Note: Laminating is suggested to prolong the life of the lacing cards. Posted by Charlina Stewart I’ve written quite a few articles on Suite 101--and I've enjoyed doing every last one of them. But I must say, out of all the article selections, I do have five that I absolutely love. Check out my top Five Suite 101 article picks (written by yours truly) in no particular order. When Kids are Being Bullied. Often bullying is not taken seriously, and children who are victims feel left to fend for themselves. This article highlights the effects being bullied can have on your kids, and helps you find ways to teach them how to cope. 6 Ways to Raise Readers. Reading has been an important part of my life every since I was a child, and I have proudly passed my love of books on to my children. I wrote this article to reiterate to parents the importance of raising kids that value reading. How to Send Children Back-to-School Green. This article is simply a fun way to show how you can extend your eco-friendly lifestyle into your child’s educational environment. Dividing Children’s Playrooms. After I turned my den into a playroom for my children, I took the things that I learned from my years of working with youngsters, and figured out a way to arrange it to help maximize my kids' learning experiences. Teaching Children Tolerance. This article is a must read for all parents, as it emphasizes the importance of teaching our kids to respect and value the differences of others. If you want to find out what these articles are all about, and why I chose them--take a peek and see for yourself! Posted by Charlina Stewart I’m notorious for swinging by the nearest drive-through to grab dinner for my children at least twice a week. I know it’s not the healthiest option, but hey, it’s the price we pay for living life at record speed. Actually, it’s not as bad as it sounds because I’ve learned to make healthier menu selections for my kids whenever we eat out. Fast food chains know that health sales--and more of them are getting on board by offering healthier menu selections for families concerned about what their children consume. I have found that most restaurants are very accommodating when I request healthier meal options for my children. I often substitute the fries in my kids’ meals for fruit, a baked potato, or a bowl of steamed veggies; their soft drinks are always replaced with milk or juice; and I forgo the fried chicken, and request grilled instead. Just because you take your family to fast food restaurants a couple of times a week doesn’t mean you have to order the most fattening items on the menu, as there are healthier options available. So if you must resort to feeding your tykes fast food, find ways to make smart choices. Posted by Charlina Stewart If your children are going to school for the first time, and aren’t accustomed to being away from home for extended periods, it’s important that you start preparing them for the long days ahead by helping them get enough sleep. Being sleep deprived will only make your child's transition to school more difficult. So if you don’t have a regular sleep schedule established for your kindergartner-to-be, it’s time to get serious about putting one in place. Listed below are a few tips to help you get your child’s back-to-school bedtime routine started.
It’s important to be consistent with your child, as it may take a couple of weeks for him to become accustomed to a structured bedtime routine. If you’re curious about the effects that not getting enough sleep may have on your child, read “Sleep Deprivation in Children.” Posted by Charlina Stewart It seemed like just yesterday you were changing smelly diapers, and scrubbing spit-up off your favorite shirt -- now your baby is all grown up, and preparing to go to kindergarten. There may be a million questions looming in the back of your mind about your child’s readiness to make the transition to “big kid school.“ Don’t worry, you’re not alone, as there are parents everywhere struggling with anxieties about their kids’ ability to make the transition to kindergarten successfully. If you’re a parent with concerns about your child’s readiness for kindergarten, you should take the time to read “From Preschool to Kindergarten,” and “Kindergarten Readiness.” Posted by Charlina Stewart Help your children bring in the Fourth of July with a delicious bang by letting them prepare this amazing, no-bake, red, white, and blueberry shortcake dessert. Items Needed:
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To add a decorative flair to this Fourth of July recipe, your children can top it with strawberry or blueberry syrup. This delicious red, white, and blueberry shortcake dessert is not only fun for your kids to make, it’s also delicious. Happy Fourth of July! Posted by Charlina Stewart Popular television shows often make light of school bullies doing things to hurt or humiliate their victims. For a child who has to deal with being bullied each day, it’s no laughing matter -- it’s traumatic, and it can take a toll on his mental well-being. When parents find out that their child is being bullied at school, their reactions may differ. Some parents may be livid, and ready to give the bully a taste of his own medicine. Others might say to their child, “Toughen up,” and cart him off to school to get stuffed in a locker. Because your child may be embarrassed, he probably won’t tell you that he’s being bullied – you may have to figure it out on your own. A child who is being bullied may exhibit some of the following signs:
If you want to learn more about the effects of bullying, and how to help your children cope, read “When Kids are Being Bullied.” Posted by Charlina Stewart According to Safe Kids USA, “Nearly 28 million children ages 5 to 14 ride bikes, and the popularity of scooters, skates, skateboards and other wheeled sports has skyrocketed. Each year thousands of these kids are disabled or die as a result of a wheel-related brain injury.” One of the simplest ways to minimize the occurrence of these head injuries is to make sure your children wear helmets each time they ride bikes. Listed below are a few safety tips to follow when using bike helmets.
Bikes can be a great source of fun and a perfect way to encourage physical activity--but always remember to put your child's safety first. Posted by Charlina Stewart Swimming pools and hot weather seem synonymous--but if proper safety precautions are not taken--a cool dip in the pool can turn deadly. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death in children--and according to National Safe Kids USA, as many as 20 percent of near-drowning survivors suffer severe, permanent neurological disability. Learn how to protect your child from drowning with these tips.
Swimming pools can be a great source of fun for children if you remember to put safety first. For more tips on keeping your children safe read Backyard Safety for Kids, How to Keep Kids Safe at the Park and Protecting Kids from the Sun. Posted by Charlina Stewart If you're tired of stepping on legos every time you venture into your kids' playroom, these quick tips will help you banish the clutter and get organized. Throw Away and Donate Go through all of your kids’ playthings and donate the toys they no longer play with to a local charity. If toys are broken or have missing parts, simply throw them away. Install Wall Hooks Wall Hooks can be used to hang kids’ dramatic play items such as dress-up clothes, purses and hats. Hooks should be installed low enough for children to reach their playthings without the help of adults. Use Plastic Bins and labels Plastic bins are an inexpensive way to store small toys such as pegs, crayons, sorting materials and hot wheels. Labeling the bins will make retrieval and cleanup a breeze for your kiddos. If children aren’t able to read, you can take pictures of the items and attach them to the appropriate bin. The labeled plastic containers can be stored on a low shelf so children can easily access them. After following these tips, your kids will have a newly organized playroom that they'll enjoy. If your children don’t have a playroom, read these fun articles to learn how to create one: Posted by Charlina Stewart If your kids have broken crayolas strolled all over the house, don’t toss them out -- help your kids make those old crayons new again by following these simple steps. Materials Needed:
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After the crayons have cooled, pop them out of the candy molds and let the fun begin. Your children will have a blast using these creative crayons to color their creations. Posted by Charlina Stewart What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day with your children? How about letting them make bird feeders out of pine cones. Kids will have a blast making treats for the birds to enjoy. Materials Needed:
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Children can look outside of the window to see how many different birds they spot enjoying the seeds. Posted by Charlina Stewart Give your little one the perfect place to enjoy his favorite stories by creating a reading nook. It’s simple. All you need to do is put a comfy beanbag, a few colorful pillows, and a storage container full of children’s books in a quiet corner. If your child wants to personalize it, he can create one-of-a-kind artwork to place on the wall of his reading area. Here is a list of books to consider placing in your child’s reading nook:
All of these book selections are great for preschool and early elementary aged children. Posted by Charlina Stewart If you’re looking for an upbeat book to read to your children (3-8 years old), Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, written by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault and illustrated by Lois Ehlert is a perfect choice. The book uses lots of rhythm and rhymes to tell the story of an attempt by the letters of the alphabet to race to the top of a coconut tree. It seemed like a good idea at the time -- that is -- until they all came tumbling down. Don’t worry, with the exception of “black eyed P,” the letters only suffered minor injuries. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is 32 pages of pages of pure magic -- and your kids are sure to get a kick out of it! Posted by Charlina Stewart Hi all! I just wanted to pop in and wish everyone who’s reading this a safe and happy Easter weekend! The weather in my city is perfect, so no complaints here. Also, when filling those baskets for your children, try not to overdo the candy. You wouldn’t want them to overdose on sugar - or worse, have to empty your bank account to pay for costly dental visits. Posted by Charlina Stewart With Easter right around the corner, children will be anxiously awaiting their baskets filled with goodies. This year, do your kids a favor and forget the candy. Try filling their Easter baskets with fun, practical alternatives.
These alternative Easter basket options will continue to gratify your children long after the candy is gone. Posted by Charlina Stewart This has been a hectic week for me. But I finally got the chance to visit the local bookstore to update my children’s growing literature collection. I stumbled across an amazing book called The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. I picked up two copies because I thought they would make great fillers for my kids’ Easter baskets. Posted by Charlina Stewart Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! One of my favorite times in March is the celebration of Theodore Seuss Geisel’s birthday. His children's stories are timeless and I want to be just like him when I grow up! If you're looking for fun activities that are all about Dr. Seuss, Random House has a great interactive website for children called Seussville. Kids can play games, create stories and listen to silly music. The website is as much fun as his books. You’ve got to check it out! Posted by Charlina Stewart If you’re looking for a way to have some fun with the kids this Easter, try organizing a backyard Easter egg hunt. It’s easy to do and requires very little prep time. It's also a great way for the kiddos to get a little exercise. If you plan to include your children’s friends, you can ask their parents to purchase a bag of plastic eggs and things to fill them with. The children can help you fill the plastic eggs a day of two before the hunt. If smaller kids will be participating, it would be wise for an adult to accompany them – so that they can assist with putting the eggs into their baskets. If there is a big age difference in the children that will participate, you should try having two separate hunts. It will spare you the guilt of having your rambunctious ten-year-old son knocking your neighbor’s three-year-old daughter to the ground while he’s diving for Easter eggs. This is a fun way to spend quality time with the entire family. Happy hunting! Posted by Charlina Stewart I am so excited that spring is almost here. I’m working on several backyard projects, including a play area for my kids. I can’t wait to see their little faces when they realize that they’ll have an entire section of our backyard carved out just for them. Since my children are still small, I’m taking extra precautions to make certain that my backyard is safe. I still have a lot of work to do but I’m having a blast with the cleanup and getting a great workout from raking and bagging leaves. Hopefully I’ll finish before the warm weather arrives. Posted by Charlina Stewart With Valentines Day just around the corner, I plan to celebrate with my children by letting them bake cookies. I know they’ll make a huge mess, but watching them delight in this activity will be worth the extra cleaning time. I am very particular about my children’s nutrition and dental health, so I don’t allow them to indulge in sweets too often. We’re using store-bought cookie dough and Valentines Day cookie cutters to shape them. I intend to let my kids decorate their cookies with icing and sprinkles. This activity is a simple way to spend quality time with your family. I’d love to hear from you. What are you doing to celebrate Valentines Day with your kids? Posted by Charlina Stewart February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and what a wonderful time to reiterate the importance of oral health to your kids. A great way to get your children excited about brushing their teeth is by reading Open Wide: Tooth School Inside by Laurie Keller. You will love the way Dr. Flossman conducts his class of 32 students while educating your children about the importance of dental hygiene. You can find free posters, activity sheets, and coloring sheets for your kids by visiting the American Dental Association's website. |
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