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Many adults don’t have good table manners (I know surprising isn’t it!). Teaching your child good table manners can help ensure he or she doesn’t become one of those dreadful adults. It is a good idea to begin introducing table manners to your child at a young age. Even toddlers can be taught some table manners, mainly being polite during mealtimes. When your child is a preschooler it is a good idea to really start teaching and reinforcing table manners. It may take time, you may need to teach something over and over again, but it will pay off in the end. Family mealtime is more enjoyable, it is easier to take your children to restaurants or other people’s homes for dinner if your children know and practice good table manners.
Table manners you can teach a toddler:
- To wash his hands before mealtime
- To say “Please” and “Thank you”
- To use a fork or spoon
- Not to grab food from another person’s plate
- Not to be rude (ie. no spitting, screaming, running around, throwing food)
Table manners you can teach a preschooler:
- Washing hands before mealtime
- Saying “Please” and “Thank you”
- Using the proper utensils
- Not to grab food from another person’s plate
- Not to be rude, no spitting, yelling or running around during meal time
- No toys at the table
- No banging utensils, plates, or cups
- Asking to be excused from the table
- Helping to clear the dishes from the table
- Saying thank you to the person who prepared the meal
- Eating with their mouth closed (this one may take a while)
The best way to teach good table manners is by example. If the rest of the family exhibits good table manners your toddler or preschooler is likely to imitate those same good manners. Be sure to introduce new manners slowly, let your child learn the new manner before adding more. A child is less likely to take to the manner you are teaching if you are showing him a whole bunch of new things at once.
We all know how important it is to choose the right doctor or midwife for our pregnancy care, but choosing the right hospital to deliver in may have just as big, or bigger, an impact on the quality of your birth experience and your chance for complications during delivery. A new study released by HealthGrades found that women who gave birth at top-rated hospitals had significantly fewer complications during both vaginal and cesarean deliveries.
Study Findings:
- Women having a vaginal delivery in a top-rated hospital were 51% less likely to have complications versus women having a vaginal delivery in a poorly-rated hospital.
- Women having a cesarean delivery in a top-rated hospital were 76% less likely to have complications than women having a cesarean delivery in a poorly-rated hospital.
When you have the opportunity to choose which hospital you will deliver in, choose wisely. Do your research. Talk to your doctor, other moms, and research the hospitals in your area. Choosing the right hospital can greatly improve your overall childbirth experience and minimize your chances of suffering complications.
Some useful online resources for research hospitals in the United States:
Jardine has recalled 320,000 cribs sold between January 2002 and May 2008. The cribs were sold at KidsWorld, Geoffrey Stores, Toys R Us and Babies R Us. For a full list of the cribs affected by this recall see Jardine’s website.
The cribs have been recalled because the wooden slats and spindles can break creating a dangerous gap in the crib where children can become trapped, injured, or strangled. The company has received 42 reports from consumers of the wood slats or spindles breaking, including 4 reports of children becoming trapped and 2 who were injured as a result.
If you own one of the recalled cribs you should:
- Stop using the crib immediately.
- Contact Jardine about obtaining a full refund or credit towards a new crib.
- Discard of the crib, do not donate it, sell it, or give to someone you know.
Again, for more information contact Jardine at 800-646-4106 or via their website.
With the summer season in full swing and kids out of school many families will be heading out for a little family camping fun over the next couple of months. When I was growing up we used to camp all the time. I have some great childhood memories from those camping trips. Now that I am a mom I have a new found respect for how my mom was able to pull it all off. We haven’t camped with our 7 month old daughter yet, but I’m sure we will at some point. Just getting ready to go to a friend’s house for the afternoon requires quite the planning and packing, I can’t imagine the organization required for a whole weekend of camping! I think my motto for camping is the same as for anything with kids, be prepared.
Here are some great tips for making that camping adventure a great one no matter what age your children are:
6 months to 2 years: probably one of the more difficult ages, but still very doable and fun.
- Diapers are the big challenge. Bring as many as you need plus some, especially if you will not be close to a store. Be sure to remember enough garbage bags to accommodate your disposable diapers if that is what you use.
- Make sure you have a tent that is big enough to provide for a sleeping area for your baby. Plus all the baby gear you will need at your finger tips.
- Bring lots of toys and blankets so you can set your baby up with a little play area.
- Don’t forget to pack the baby sunscreen and bug lotion. A sure way to ruin any family fun is to have a baby who is overheated, sunburned, and bug bitten.
- If you plan on doing any hiking don’t forget to bring your backpack carrier if you have one (of if your baby is still little, your front carrier).
- If your baby is eating solid foods be sure to pack enough jars of baby food, storage containers and spoons.
- Bring the camera and take lots of pictures. You’ll be making some great memories on these first little adventures.
3 to 6 years: can still be a bit of a challenge, especially for the younger ones, but will be a blast I can promise you that.
- Let your child help you pack a bag especially for them. Include comfortable, lightweight clothing that you don’t mind them getting dirty.
- If your child isn’t potty trained yet, or still needs diapers (or trainers) at night don’t forget those.
- Make sure you have plenty of things for them to do. Including things to do in the tent if it happens to rain on you.
- If you will be hiking on your camping trip think about getting a little backpack for your child to carry. They will think that is pretty cool. Allow them to choose what they bring with them in their backpack.
- A first aid kit is a must. With summer fun often comes bumps, bruises and cuts.
7 years and up: camping is quite an adventure for kids this age. It is also a great time to start teaching them things about camping.
- Again, let them help pack their bag. Give them rules about what they need to bring and then let them have at it. See what kinds of things they pick out.
- Bring a list of camping chores that your child can help out with, like gathering firewood, helping to set up the tent, helping clean up the dishes after meals, etc. Talk about the list before hand so they know what they will be responsible for.
- Think up some fun games like a scavenger hunt or hide and seek that you can all do together.
- Bring plenty of things to keep them busy and occupied inside the tent in case it rains.
- Some bigger kids may think it is cool to have their own tent.
- If you will be hiking kids this age are definitely ready for their own backpack. They can carry things like their own water, some snacks, and books about vegetation and animals in the area.
- Again, a first aid kit is a must.
Camping together as a family is a great way to create some fantastic memories. Planning ahead, packing the right gear, and being prepared for what mother nature throws your way will help make your family camping adventure a fun and safe one.
It seems like everyday the news is filled with more stories that impact our pocket books. Gas prices are high, the stock market is down, unemployment is up, food prices are skyrocketing, etc, etc, etc. A trip to the grocery store now costs more, you need to budget more for gas for your upcoming family vacations, and the list goes on.
Staying afloat in trying financial times comes down to planning ahead, budgeting, and making your money count. Little things like grouping your errands so you don’t have to travel all the way across town several times a week, eating at home with your family versus eating out, planning ahead for meals so you don’t have to make so many trips to the grocery store.
Clipping coupons is a big way to help reduce that growing grocery bill. Finding coupons for the things you need and use has become so much easier with the advent of online coupon websites. Here is a list of some useful coupon sites. You can print and use coupons from these sites.
To name a few….
Managing the family budget may have become a little more difficult lately but with the help of a few handy resources, like online coupons sources, you can make that dollar stretch a little further.