Creative Child Lovers

Beyound the fireworks, knockouts, going to Church and dancing till midnight and wishing people a "Happy New Year" excitedly, WHAT ELSE DO YOUR CHILD UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE NEW YEAR???

I know there are those who believe that everyday is the same. There's nothing really new about a new year, it's just another day. Well, while that may work for them, I can't help but imagine why the Psalmist prayed and said "teach us to number our days ..."

In numbering your day, you take stock of how you spent it. While doing that you'll have to take note of the seconds, minutes, hours involved in the day. You do different things in different seasons. As a little girl, we never washed our rug during the raining season. We kept dusting it and sun drying it as much as we can until dry season. Yeah, everyday is not really the same!

There's need to make your child understand the value of time. Show them a calendar and explain the 12 months of the year. Point out holidays and birthdays so they can relate with how time takes place.

The end of the year is a good time to take stock of how your year went. Discuss it with the younger ones and ask the older ones to write how their year went.

Encourage them to set goals with estimated dates they want the goal(s) achieved.

It's our job to create a meaningful new year for children in our care.

Build a tradition of learning for them of what life entails and they'll grow up exposed.

Don't let knockouts, traveling and chicken be the only memory they have of a new year. Let them plan their year and reflect on the past year.

Cheers to a meaningful year...

Happy New Year 🥳

Even in your lowest moments, your child thinks that you are everything and they will always remember the smiles and love you give.

Never stop smiling. ❤️❤️❤️

Parenting and child care in it's totality allows one to experience a type of love that is unconditional.

Parents often feel a deep, intense love for their children, regardless of their flaws, mistakes, or successes. This love can be both given and received by parents and children alike.

Parenting can help you learn more about yourself. By raising a child, parents are forced to confront their own strengths, weaknesses, and values. They are also challenged to adapt to new situations, make difficult decisions, and prioritize their responsibilities. Through this process, parents may discover new things about themselves, their capabilities, and their limitations.

In short, the joy of parenting comes from the unconditional love shared between parents and their children and the personal growth and self-discovery that comes with the experience of raising a child.

Indeed, parenting brings happiness and fulfilment. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

Ututu oma

Today is Pi Day (π) and the theme is "Mathematics For Everyone."

I loved mathematics as a child, maybe because it was one subject my father taught me so well.

While in secondary school, I got to know that mathematics was a subject many students dread and try to avoid. For the first time in my life, I heard someone say that my favourite subject, mathematics, was boring and difficult. It didn't make sense to me at all.

But now, it makes so much sense when I hear that. I've realized that I had a solid foundation in mathematics, thanks to my father. Most of those students probably grew up hating mathematics because of what they heard their parents, siblings or guardians say about it. The formulas could have been hard for them to memorize. The teachers who taught them may have made things worse by not making it fun and easy to learn. Because mathematics sound geeky doesn't mean it has to be taught in a geeky way.

Here are few tips that can help your child love mathematics:

1. Don't spread the bad news.
There's this stereotype that mathematics is hard. Well, it is not. It's possible that one might struggle at first but with consistency he or she will pull through.
As a parent, you might not fully understand how quantitative reasoning works and you might be tempted to spread the news that mathematics is hard. Please don't and remember it's not bad to seek for help. You can go the extra mile to get a mathematics tutor for your child.

2. Incorporate mathematics into your child's daily activities.
While cooking or eating you can talk about proportions and use fractions. You can talk about telling the time and prices of items you purchase.
Give them money to save, take some out of it and ask them to calculate the balance.

3. Don't criticize them when they are wrong.
Everyone gets a lot of wrong answers when it comes to mathematics. Anyone can make a mistake, you just have to help them accept when they're wrong and try again to get the correct answer.

4. Explore the internet.
There are lots of videos, books and games that could help stir up your child's interest in mathematics. Find them!

In conclusion, mathematics is not about how fast they are in solving a problem. Mastering logic is more important than speeding through problems.
Mathematics will build your children up with the ability to come up with plans and strategies to solve problems.
Mathematics is fun, help your child fall in love with it.
Help them overcome their fear of it.

What was your mathematics experience as a child?

Happy Pi Day (π)

Dear Creative Child Lover,

Have you ever been frustrated at the rate children ignore instructions? You could tell them a million times to do something, yet they either won't hear you or won't listen. So you'll yell and threaten them and sometimes their inability to listen or even acknowledge you makes you feel powerless.

You see, part of the problem you're facing is YOU!

Children usually know what they're supposed to do; they just need some simple reminding.

Instead of issuing commands to them, provide information. Let them know why what you're asking the to do is necessary. Information will encourage them to comply.

Let them understand that chairs are meant for sitting instead of just yelling "stop jumping on the chair."

Let them know that their teeth could decay if they refuse to brush it regularly.

Let them know glasses could break when they throw things at them.

Get the drift yet?

Change how you talk to your children so they not only understand what you're trying to say but want to listen to you.

"There is no such thing as a perfect parent so just be a real one." - Sue Atkins

Dear Creative Child Lover,

Sometimes we fill our imagination with the ideas of what life will be like once our baby is born. And sometimes we put expectations on ourselves because of the way we were parented.

You should know that there isn't one "right way" to raise a child. There's no rulebook when it comes to being a perfect parent. Infact, there is no such thing as a perfect parent!

What values, skills and behaviours do you want to encourage and discourage? What approaches do you want to take?

Mind you, just when you find a strategy that seems to be working, your child grows and changes and a search for a new strategy begins.

We all make mistakes as parents, as guardians, as teachers, and it is in how we repair those mistakes that growth and trust is built with our child.

Every family is different and every child has their own needs. Find an approach that works for you and your family.

Remember, there is no such thing as a perfect parent. Seek God's will and His purpose over your child and BE REAL.

I'm rooting for you.

Dear Creative Child Lover,

How do you really feel about your child/children?

Parenting is not always pretty, give yourself some credit.

Was on air this morning on Flo 94.9 FM "Parental Showtime." Our discussion was centered on child mortality rate, diseases babies can be exposed to, what to feed a new born and society's perception of a woman who is not doing exclusive breastfeeding.

Moving forward, I'll be going live on The Creative Child Lovers page every Saturday while the show is on so you can be a part of the conversation.

You can also call in to make contributions and ask questions.

I'm looking forward to learning while sharing knowledge as well.

Do you know that mothers who are HIV positive can breastfeed their baby and their baby won't be at risk of getting infected?

Tune in and listen every Saturday by 8am on Flo 94.9 FM

Thanks Queen Victoria for the recommendation. 💕

Children are living epistles. They are letters we keep writing each day and send to our future. I am a Creative Child Lover.

Creative Child Lovers
Recent brain research indicates that birth to age three are the most important years in a child’s development.

Here are some tips to consider during your child’s early years:

〽️ Be warm, loving, and responsive.

〽️ Talk, read, and sing to your child.

〽️ Establish routines and rituals.

〽️ Encourage safe explorations and play.

〽️ Make TV watching selective.

〽️ Use discipline as an opportunity to teach.

〽️ Recognize that each child is unique.

〽️ Choose quality child care and stay involved.

〽️ Take care of yourself.

In one study that Aaron Carroll, director of the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research at Indiana University School of Medicine and blogger at The Incidental Economist highlights, a group of kids were all given something to drink, and parents were asked to rate their children's behavior. Parents who were told that their children were given a sugary drink were significantly more likely to report that their children were acting hyper than parents who were told their kid had been given something sugar-free to sip on.

The twist? The researchers had lied to the parents — every single child actually received a drink that was sugar-free.

"It is not the sugar, parents just believe it is," Carroll says. "This myth is entirely in their heads."

Sugar itself does not make kids hyper. Any food that affects blood-sugar levels, either a tomato or candy bar, can create an adrenaline surge. Fiber can help balance blood-sugar spikes.

What's your thought on this?