From one parent to another…..
Parent Tips….
What to do if your child:
Is Coughing during the night:
Try rubbing Vicks vapor rub into the soles of the feet and putting on a pair of socks while in bed.
Is Constipated…
Plenty of Fresh fruit, raisins, fiber, orange juice or prune juice. If your child wont take the prune juice treat it as medicine and give on a spoon or in a syringe.
If your child wont swallow medicine….
Try holding them at a angle to that you get at least some of the medication into their mouth, and use your fingers to close their mount shut under their chin, this forces a swallow, its not pleasant but it works.
Head lice
If you know there is an outbreak in your school or house, Lavender oil rubbed on the back of the neck is a good preventative measure when you know there’s an epidemic. Check your children’s hair daily and do keep hair tied up where possible!
A cut on the inside of the mouth or lip..
Try applying Vaseline as this should stop the bleeding
Gets a small minor burn or scald…
- Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm water for 10–30 minutes, ideally within 20 minutes of the injury occurring. Never use ice, iced water or any creams or greasy substances, such as butter.
- Cover the burn with cling film but do not wrap it. Put the cling film in a layer over the burn, rather than wrapping it around a limb. A clean, clear plastic bag can be used for burns on your hand.
- Treat the pain from a burn with calpol.
- Remove any clothingnear the burnt area of skin. However, don’t try to remove anything that is stuck to the burnt skin because this could cause more damage.
- If you are concerned seek medical advise.
A high temperature?
37.5 degrees to 38 degrees is a low grade temperature
38 degrees to 38.5 degrees is a high grade temperature
38.6 is a fever and it is advisable to seek medical advise
- A child with a high temperature needs more liquid than usual because the fever will make them sweat a lot. So make sure your child drinks plenty of liquids – a teaspoonful every few minutes, if necessary. Provided they drink plenty of liquids, it won’t matter too much if they eat very little for a couple of days
- If your child shivers while their temperature is rising, it’s okay to cover them with a duvet or a blanket. But as soon as your child’s temperature has stabilised and he or she starts sweating, they need to cool down.
- Your child only needs to wear underwear or a nappy, which will help the heat escape from the body. Make sure their room is ventilated and cool, but not draughty. Have the heating off and windows open slightly.
- Sponging can help cool a fever, but make sure the sponge is not cold as this can cause shivering and actually raise the temperature.
Parent Tips…. Toilet Training?
We have a help sheet available, so please talk to our Manager when you are thinking of toilet training and before the 1st big day in crèche in big pants..
Keep an eye out for physical, cognitive, and behavioral signs that your toddler might be ready to give it a try.
If your toddler is facing changes such as a new school, a new sibling, or travel, you may want to wait till the seas are calmer before taking the plunge.
Use the checklist below to measure your toddler’s progress toward readiness, and keep in mind that starting before your child is truly ready doesn’t mean you’ll finish sooner – it’s more likely that the process will just end up taking longer.
You don’t have to wait until you’ve checked off every item to start training. Just look for a general trend toward independence and an understanding of what it means to go to the bathroom like a grown-up. For help getting started, read our successful strategies for potty training.
Physical signs
Is coordinated enough to walk, and even run, steadily. Urinates a fair amount at one time. Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times. Has “dry” periods of at least two hours or during naps, which shows that his bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine.
Behavioral signs
Can sit down quietly in one position for two to five minutes. Can pull his pants up and down. Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper. Shows interest in others’ bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear). Gives a physical or verbal sign when he’s having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you. Demonstrates a desire for independence. Takes pride in his accomplishments. Isn’t resistant to learning to use the toilet. Is in a generally cooperative stage, not a negative or contrary one.
Cognitive signs
Understands the physical signals that mean he has to go and can tell you before it happens or even hold it until he has time to get to the potty.
Can follow simple instructions, such as “go get the toy.” Understands the value of putting things where they belong. Has words for urine and stool.
Encouraging Positive Behaviour Tips
Encouraging good behaviour: 14 Encouraging good behaviour: 14 Encouraging good behaviour: Try these tips to encourage the behaviour you want in your child.
1. Children do as you do. Your child watches you to get clues on how to behave in the world. You’re her role model, so use your own behaviour to guide her. What you do is often much more important than what you say. If you want your child to say ‘please’, say it yourself. If you don’t want your child to raise her voice, speak quietly and gently yourself.
2. Show your child how you feel. Tell him honestly how his behaviour affects you. This will help him see his her own feelings in yours, like a mirror. This is called empathy. By the age of three, children can show real empathy. So you might say, ‘I’m getting upset because there is so much noise I can’t talk on the phone’. When you start the sentence with ‘I’, it gives your child the chance to see things from your perspective.
3. Catch her being ‘good’. This simply means that when your child is behaving in a way you like, you can give her some positive feedback. For example, ‘Wow, you are playing so nicely. I really like the way you are keeping all the blocks on the table’. This works better than waiting for the blocks to come crashing to the floor before you take notice and bark, ‘Hey, stop that’. This positive feedback is sometimes called ‘descriptive praise’. Try to say six positive comments (praise and encouragement) for every negative comment (criticisms and reprimands). The 6-1 ratio keeps things in balance. Remember that if children have a choice only between no attention or negative attention, they will seek out negative attention.
4. Get down to your child’s level. Kneeling or squatting down next to children is a very powerful tool for communicating positively with them. Getting close allows you to tune in to what they might be feeling or thinking. It also helps them focus on what you are saying or asking for. If you are close to your child and have his attention, there is no need to make him look at you.
5. ‘I hear you.’ Active listening is another tool for helping young children cope with their emotions. They tend to get frustrated a lot, especially if they can’t express themselves well enough verbally. When you repeat back to them what you think they might be feeling, it helps to relieve some of their tension. It also makes them feel respected and comforted. It can diffuse many potential temper tantrums.
6. Keep promises. Stick to agreements. When you follow through on your promises, good or bad, your child learns to trust and respect you. So when you promise to go for a walk after
she picks up her toys, make sure you have your walking shoes handy. When you say you
will leave the library if she doesn’t stop running around, be prepared to leave straight away.
No need to make a fuss about it – the more matter of fact, the better. This helps your child
feel more secure, because it creates a consistent and predictable environment.
7. Reduce temptation. Your glasses look like so much fun to play with – it’s hard for children
to remember not to touch. Reduce the chance for innocent but costly exploration by
keeping that stuff out of sight.
8. Choose your battles . Before you get involved in anything your child is doing – especially
to say ‘no’ or ‘stop’ – ask yourself if it really matters. By keeping instructions, requests and
negative feedback to a minimum, you create less opportunity for conflict and bad
feelings. Rules are important, but use them only when it’s really important.
9. Whining: be strong. Kids don’t want to be annoying. By giving in when they’re whinging
for something, we train them to do it more – even if we don’t mean to. ‘No’ means ‘no’, not
maybe, so don’t say it unless you mean it. If you say ‘no’ and then give in, children will be
whine even more the next time, hoping to get lucky again.
10. Keep it simple and positive . If you can give clear instructions in simple terms, your child
will know what is expected of him. (‘Please hold my hand when we cross the road.’) Stating
things in a positive way gets their heads thinking in the right direction. For example, ‘Please
shut the gate’ is better than ‘Don’t leave the gate open’.
11. Say it once and move on. It is surprising how much your child is listening even though he
might not have the social maturity to tell you. Nagging and criticising is boring for you and
doesn’t work. Your child will just end up tuning you out and wonder why you get more
upset. If you want to give him one last chance to cooperate, remind him of the
consequences for not cooperating. Then start counting to three.
12. Make your child feel important. Children love it when they can contribute to the family.
Start introducing some simple chores or things that she can do to play her own important
part in helping the household. This will make her feel important and she’ll take pride in
helping out. If you can give your child lots of practice doing a chore, she will get better at it
and will keep trying harder. Safe chores help children feel responsible, build their selfesteem
and help you out too.
13. Prepare for challenging situations. There are times when looking after your child and
doing things you need to do will be tricky. If you think about these challenging situations in
advance, you can plan around your child’s needs. Give him a five-minute warning before
you need him to change activities. Talk to him about why you need his cooperation. Then
he is prepared for what you expect.
14. Maintain a sense of humour. Another way of diffusing tension and possible conflict is to use humour and fun. You can pretend to become the menacing tickle monster or make animal noises. But humour at your child’s expense won’t help. Young children are easily hurt by parental ‘teasing’. Humour that has you both laughing is great.
