The Curious Mom

Convincing children to break their bad eating habits is incredibly difficult, but it’s needed and you’d be surprised at how unhealthy children are these days compared to a decade ago. Children typically eat a lot of sweets and snacks throughout the day. A can of cola or a bottle of fruit juice, a piece of chocolate and a biscuit will easily push your child over their recommended daily sugar intake, and their love for fast food will ultimately cause them to become obese in the future if you don’t carefully monitor their diet.

You’d be surprised at how straightforward convincing your children can be, but it’s important to treat your children with respect and understand that they want to indulge in the foods they love. Here are a few tips that will help you convince your children to take up better habits.

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Just like eating healthy food, being active, and going to bed on time, brushing teeth properly is an activity that kids often resist. However, it is one that can't be ignored. Brushing properly doesn't just benefit children when they're young, but sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy habits, good oral hygiene and keeping other health problems at bay. If your children are giving you a hard time every night when it comes to cleaning their teeth, it can be extremely frustrating. Here are my top tips for making it a much more bearable time of day!

We all remember our teenage years. Despite being at the peak of our youths, most of us would admit they were the worst times of our lives. Never before or after are we so uncertain about who we are. It’s a rollercoaster alright. And, when your kids reach those tempestuous years, it makes sense that you want to ease their burdens. You’ll want to do everything possible to stop them suffering the way you did. Yet, when you try to help you teen, they push you away and freeze you out. What’s a parent to do? It’s not easy, but we’re going to look at a few of the cans and can’ts of helping your teen navigate the nightmare. 

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What you can do

Let’s start on a positive note. While most parents of teens feel helpless a lot of the time, there are things you can do. Most importantly, you can provide a safe space for them to return to. When everything else is so uncertain, it’s crucial they have a stable home to feel safe in. Make sure, too, to provide them with a room they can call their own. Stock it with furniture, a comfortable bed like those mentioned at ChooseMattress, and a decoration style that suits your teen. Encouraging them to take part in the design of their room will ensure they think of it as their own. 

For all the good in the world, there is also bad, and that could not be truer with the internet. Yeah, it has its positives, it has tons of them, but cyberbullying is not one. Cyberbullying has caught traction in recent years and how we deal with it as parents are something that has no precedent. 

Fortunately, you don’t have to just accept it. You can prevent it by teaching your kids how to use tech safely, and you can help should it have already begun. That is why we have come up with these top tips to help you if you think or know your child is the victim of cyberbullying. 

Back when we were children, it was almost unheard of that we would play inside, and according to studies, children who grew up in the 70s and 80s spent at least two to three hours playing outside every single weekday. This kept them active, healthy, and social. Today, however, children would much rather stay in and watch TV or play on their computers than go outside and kick a ball around. 

Nature is good for our kids, encourages imagination, keeps away depression, and allows them to develop far better than from behind a tablet screen. Playing outside keeps health issues at bay, makes us all happier, and boosts immune systems. Here are a few tips to encourage your little people to get outside and play this summer.

Invite magic into the garden

Children love a little bit of magic and mystery, so try constructing a fairy house at the bottom of the garden and creating a story around it. You can leave clues outside it before they get up in the morning for them to find, and they can decide what the mischievous fairies were up to overnight!

Make the garden accessible

By making the garden child-friendly, you will automatically encourage them to play out there. You can do this in a number of ways - by sending them out with chalk to draw on the paving stones, or adding a slide or a paddling pool. If you are thinking about buying a trampoline for your garden, you can read Parenting Pod’s Skywalker trampoline reviews here. 

Make nature exciting

Having enthusiasm for nature will rub off on your children, and result in what is known as “parallel play”. So, if you show excitement for hiking, animals, or gardening, your kids will too. Often, children do as we do and not as we say, and you will find them creating their own version of your activity nearby.

Don't be afraid of dirt

By sending your kids outside in their old clothes, you are teaching them that it is okay to get dirty. If you have a little one who would rather wear their fancy clothes, then it could be a good idea to just accept that they will get a bit muddy - after all, the play is far more important than the physical objects! Remember, once dry, most mud is pretty easy to get off, so try not to be too uptight about jumping in puddles or digging.

Take indoors out

If your child loves playing with their building blocks, dolls, or Lego, set out some blankets outside and take their favorite toys with you. By changing the environment, you are changing the way they play, and showing them that life outside can be achievable too. There are guides for outdoor blankets that you might need.

Add water

It’s no secret that kids love playing with water! As a sensory activity, it helps brain development and lays a foundation for scientific and mathematical learning. So encourage splashing, pouring, sloshing, stirring, and anything else which gets them wet!

Remember, the earlier you instill a love of the outdoors in your child, the less likely they are to become indoor people when they grow up.