Stop shouting!

• Your child will learn to tune out the volume at home - and unless things are said in anger, when the tone changes, he'll probably be totally comfortable in a noisy house.
• If the volume is always on high at home, your child may not learn how to 'hear' anyone who is softly spoken.
• If your child is always competing for 'air-space', he may not develop good listening skills because he's too busy waiting for an opportunity to speak.
• Most children find high emotions frightening, so if you and your partner enjoy a feisty relationship, make sure that your sparring doesn't make your child fearful that you don't love each other or him. Many children who witness their parents constantly arguing worry about impending divorce and the break-up of the family.
• If you shout at your child in anger, in all likelihood he won't hear what you've got to say - instead, he'll just focus on your anger which will make him frightened.
  

Most children who are shouting a lot - as opposed to just being generally loud - have had the behaviour modelled to them at home. So, if you don't like your child shouting in anger, chances are that you will have to learn how to tone down your own anger, or develop other more acceptable ways to vent it.

How does shouting affect my child?

 

Depending on your child's temperament, shouting will affect him more or less. Sensitive children - particularly babies - tend to find the rise in volume frightening, and it seems that the deeper the voice, the more upsetting it is.

Some children don't seem to be particularly upset by shouting, though almost all children are unable to focus on what is being said, as they tend to only 'hear' the volume and tone that is being used. 

 

So what is the solution?

 

Many parent's typical reaction to not being listened to is to shout. While a loud and angry tirade usually gets things done, it comes at a cost. Anger always does. We harm our relationships with our children (or spouse) when we are angry.

Instead, I suggest you do the following:

• Attribute the best possible motives we can to our children - perhaps they didn't hear us. Perhaps they were so involved in what they were doing that they forgot. Perhaps they don't know how to do it.
• Ask them again in a way you know they understand.
• Crouching down on the floor, looking into their eyes, and holding their hand you can easily and clearly restate your request. You can ensure that they have heard, that they understand, and that they are capable of doing it. You may even ask them how they plan to do it, when, and whether there are any obstacles to it occurring.
• Use gentle reminders and try not to lose your cool.
• Call your child by name. When you have your child's attention state the issue, say please, and wait. 
   
  

Gentle is best

 

Persistent use of gentle reminders will get things done, better, faster, and more lovingly than most other methods. Kindness rather than anger, patience and gentleness rather than abrasive outbursts. These approaches reduce nagging, and offer simple solutions to the endless need to get things done.

Bedwetting

Bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis) is an extremely common and frustrating problem for children and families.

Bedwetting is involuntary urination during sleep. It is also referred to as night-time incontinence or nocturnal enuresis.  It is not a behavioral problem and may not be related to how a child sleeps.  Many parents have the perception that their children are very 'deep' sleepers and this is what has caused the bedwetting.  However, studies have shown no difference in the sleep patterns of enuretic and normal children.  There is more evidence suggesting that enuresis is the result of a developmental delay in the normal process of achieving nighttime control. The normal process involves the release of a hormone that prompts the kidneys to slow down production of urine during nighttime sleep. This hormone, called vasopressin, is not secreted in many children who have a problem at night usually.  

Sometimes bedwetting can be a response to stress, such as an emotional conflict or anxiety that a child is experiencing.  Psychologists and regularly report that children begin wetting the bed during times of conflict at home or school.  Dramatic changes in home and family life also appear to lead some children to wet the bed. Moving to a new town, parent conflict or divorce, arrival of a new baby, or loss of a loved one or pet can cause insecurity that contributes to bedwetting.  Often children are not even aware of their emotions and can't believe that there is a link between their feelings and bedwetting.  

To diagnose and make the treatment easier, doctors at times classify bedwetting problems into two types, one is primary bedwetting (Primary Nocturnal Enuresis) and the other is secondary bedwetting (Secondary Nocturnal Enuresis - SNE).

Primary Nocturnal Enuresis -  Primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) is the most common form of bedwetting. Bedwetting counts as a disorder once a child is old enough to stay dry, but continues either to average at least two wet nights a week with no long periods of dryness or to not sleep dry without being taken to the toilet by another person.

Secondary Nocturnal Enuresis-   Secondary nocturnal enuresis may be caused by  psychological  issues, (eg. death in the family, extreme bullying) and is often associated with stress.  It may also result from an acquired condition such as diabetes, overproduction of hormone by the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism),  seizure disorder  (eg epilepsy), and  obstructive sleep apnea  (OSA).

The psychological effects that bedwetting can have on children  are stronger than we may think. Parents should be supportive  and understanding of the problem, realising that it is entirely sub/unconscious.  Bedwetting can destroy a child's self esteem, and limit their desire to engage  in overnight activities with friends, or go on camping or other overnight adventures where they'll be in a room or bed with other people.  They will likely suffer humiliation from siblings or friends who are aware of the problem as well.  Children who have wet the bed in the past have ranked it as the 3rd most stressful event in their lives.  

 Knowing enough about bedwetting to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you've just learned about Bedwetting, you should have nothing to worry about.

There are a range of treatments you can try:

Pad and bell alarms

This is the classic bed-wetting alarm, and is considered by those in the know, as the most straightforward and effective way to help your child get dry, and to keep him dry. The rubber pad, which slides in between the mattress and bottom sheet, and bell works by going off - very, very loudly - when urine hits the pad. This will (hopefully!) wake your child and, over time, teach him to wake when his bladder is full. While extremely successful for many children, this treatment can take many weeks to work, (on average children need to use the alarm for at least 10 weeks, and many need it for several more months).

TIP!

If your child is a deep sleeper, you may have to wake him up when the bell rings for the first few nights. Most deep sleepers then get used to responding to the sound of the bell.

Body sensor alarms

These alarms aren't as loud the pad and bell alarms and so are a little kinder to the family. Body sensor alarms work by securing a sensor between two pairs of underpants (that your child is wearing) and then threading the attached cord up through his pyjamas and fixing the bell either to his pyjamas top or on his pillow. Bell will be triggered - which, again, will wake your child - when the sensor picks up moisture in the underpants.

Bladder training

This is a treatment plan that should involve a health professional. Some children don't drink enough during the day (and may actually restrict how much they drink to try to avoid wetting the bed at night) and this can cause the bladder to shrink and subsequently send signals to the brain that it needs to empty long before it is at capacity. With bladder training, your child learns to drink and hold a much larger volume of fluid. This usually results in the bladder holding enough fluid overnight.

Mattress protection

You may choose to let time do the hard work and just wait until your child becomes dry at night. If this is your plan of action, you'll need to use a mattress protector to keep his mattress dry. Make sure that the protector isn't 'breathable' (in this scenario, you don't want the mattress to be able to 'breath' as this will only mean that it will get wet) - it needs to completely cover the mattress and it must be made out of 100% plastic. Rotate the mattress regularly and try to take it outside into the sun occasionally to air it. 

Protective underwear

 

Even though there are now pull-ups for big children available, it's unlikely that using these as a permanent way of getting around bed-wetting problems will ever actually solve the problem. With pull-ups, your child will continue to 'wet' the bed without ever learning how to solve the problem. Pull-ups are a great solution, however, for sleepovers and school camps - anything that is temporary and that will cause embarrassment if the bed is wet. 

 

Medications

 

Most children who wet the bed don't need any drug treatment, but there are some occasions when it can be useful. The most well-known drug is Minirin (DDAVP). This is a man-made form of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) that works by substituting for the natural hormone. It will help your child's body make less urine at night, and so reduce the risk of his bladder overfilling during sleep. This is usually reserved for children who have failed previous treatment with a bed-wetting alarm, and sometimes the two treatments are then given together. Some children only use the medication for sleepovers or school camp. 

 

Toileting at ten o'clock

 

Some children respond well to being taken to the toilet several hours after they've gone to bed. Over time, they will learn to do a wee on command (and perhaps not even remember it in the morning).

All in all be patient.  Most children grow out of bedwetting.

Kayaking and children

Kayaking - one can paddle on rivers, lakes and the sea.

Health benefits

Kayaking is a low impact activity that can improve aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility. Specific health benefits include:

• Improved cardiovascular fitness
• Increased muscle strength, particularly in the back, arms, shoulders and chest, from moving the paddle
• Increased torso and leg strength, as the strength to power a canoe or kayak comes mainly from rotating the torso and applying pressure with your legs
• Reduced risk of wear-and-tear on joints and tissues, since paddling is a low impact activity.
  
  

Getting started

What age to start? At any age children will feel your mood and not enjoy it if you are not relaxed. From the time they can sit up and see the world around them they will enjoy the magic sensation of being afloat and secure in parents’ arms, watching birds, looking at boats, overhanging branches. From three to about six they will want to copy, so make up a little paddle for them or have them between your knees so they hold the paddle too. Don’t expect too much in the way of technique. As they get older children begin to develop the idea of doing things themselves. Now they will need a proper paddle and their first paddle is a bit like the keys to the car, so make an event of it. Remember that hands are small and they are not strong, your old paddle will not do. About eight to ten they will be ready to try out on their own, or to participate in longer trips in the tandem. This is the best age for camping trips and the best camping trips include friends.

General tips for beginners include:

• Join a club – the best way to learn how to paddle is to join a local club. While it’s possible to learn a great deal about the sport through reading, lessons will improve your technique, reduce your risk of injuries and help you become more aware of safety issues when on the water.
• Be a competent swimmer – since paddling involves the occasional tip into the water, make sure you are a competent swimmer. If necessary, brush up on your swimming technique.
• Try before you buy – paddling can be an expensive pastime. Consider borrowing or hiring equipment at first until you are sure that you enjoy kayaking enough to pay for a full kit.
  
  

Basic kit

The exact requirements of a full kit differ slightly depending on the type of paddling you plan to do and the demands of the waterway, but a basic kit should include:

• Kayak
• Personal floatation device (PFD), such as a life vest or jacket
• Helmet
• Wetsuit
• Wetsuit shoes
• Appropriate clothing.
  
  

Sea kayaking – extra equipment

The risks of sea kayaking call for extra safety equipment. In addition to the basic kit and items listed above, you would need:

• Waterproof torch that floats
• Compass
• Spare paddle
• Marine radio.
  
  

Health and safety

General suggestions include:

• Learn how to paddle from experienced teachers.
• Know how to use your first aid kit. Take a first aid course if necessary.
• Be visible to other crafts. Put reflective tape or fluorescent paint on your helmet, life jacket and kayak.
• Always wear your personal floatation device and helmet.
• Make sure you know about potential hazards in the proposed waterway.
• Check weather conditions before you paddle.
• Dress for the conditions. Apply 30+ SPF sunscreen to all exposed areas of skin.
• Avoid dehydration. Take plenty of water to drink.
• Keep your equipment in good repair. 
  
  Kayaking is a great way to enjoy our waterways - fun for all family!
  

Children - Physical Activity

Physical Activity Recommendations for Children 0 - 5 years

 

Being physically active every day is important for the healthy growth and development of infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers.

• For infants (birth to one year) physical activity – particularly supervised floor-based play in safe environments – should be encouraged from birth.
  

Before infants begin to crawl, encourage them to be physically active by reaching and grasping, pulling and pushing, moving their head, body and limbs during daily routines, and during supervised floor play, including tummy time. Once infants are mobile, encourage them to be as active as possible in a safe, supervised and nurturing play environment.

• Toddlers (1 to 3 years) & Pre-schoolers (3 to 5 years) should be physically active every day for at least three hours, spread throughout the day.
  

Young children don’t need to do their three hours of physical activity all at once. It can be accumulated throughout the day and can include light activity like standing up, moving around and playing as well as more vigorous activity like running and jumping. Active play is the best way for young children to be physically active.

• Children younger than 2 years of age should not spend any time watching television or using other electronic media (DVDs, computer and other electronic games) and for children 2 to 5 years of age these activities should be limited to less than one hour per day.
  

Television, DVDs and playing computer games usually involve sitting for long periods – time which could be spent playing active games or interacting with others.

• Infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers should not be sedentary, restrained, or kept inactive, for more than one hour at a time, with the exception of sleeping.
  

All children need some ‘down time’ but they are not naturally inactive for long periods of time. Sitting in strollers, highchairs and car seats (restrained) for long periods isn’t good for children’s health and development. Try to take regular breaks on long car trips and walk or pedal for short trips when you can.

Physical Activity Recommendations for 5 - 12 year olds

 

A combination of moderate and vigorous activities for at least 60 minutes a day is recommended.

Examples of moderate activities are a brisk walk, a bike ride or any sort of active play.

More vigorous activities will make kids “huff and puff” and include organised sports such as football and netball, as well as activities such as ballet, running and swimming laps. Children typically accumulate activity in intermittent bursts ranging from a few seconds to several minutes, so any sort of active play will usually include some vigorous activity.

Most importantly, kids need the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities that are fun and suit their interests, skills and abilities. Variety will also offer your child a range of health benefits, experiences and challenges.

Children shouldn't spend more than two hours a day using electronic media for entertainment (eg computer games, TV, internet), particularly during daylight hours.

Physical Activity Recommendations for 12-18 year olds

 

At least 60 minutes of physical activity every day is recommended. This can built up throughout the day with a variety of activities.

Physical activity should be done at moderate to vigorous intensity. There are heaps of fun ways to do it:

• Moderate activities like brisk walking, bike riding with friends, skateboarding and dancing.
• Vigorous activities such as football, netball, soccer, running, swimming laps or training for sport.
• Vigorous activities are those that make you “huff and puff”. For additional health benefits, try to include 20 minutes or more of vigorous activity at least three to four days a week.
  

Try to be active in as many ways as possible. Variety is important in providing a range of fun experiences and challenges and provides an opportunity to learn new skills.

Make the most of each activity in your day. For example, you can walk the dog and replace short car trips with a walk or bike ride.

Children's diet - fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables contain essential nutrients that are important for a child's health, growth and development. Parents may worry their child is not eating enough fruit and vegetables. If you eat and enjoy fruit and vegetables every day, your child will usually follow your example.

Colourful fruit and vegetables are an important and enjoyable part of your child’s diet. Both vegetables and fruit contain essential nutrients that are important for their health, growth and development. If you eat and enjoy fruit and vegetables together with your children every day they will usually follow your example.

Children learn by example

Most babies eat fruit and vegetables as one of their first solid foods. After the first year, you may notice your child is more fussy with food as they become more independent eaters. Often this fussiness with food includes fruit and vegetables.

Parents may worry if their child starts to eat less fruit and vegetables from time to time, but usually it causes no harm. It is not possible to force children to eat more fruit and vegetables. The best way is for parents to enjoy fruit and vegetables as a daily part of your whole family’s diet. It may take time, but this is how children learn best. So keep trying.

The benefits of fruit and vegetables

There are many reasons for everyone to enjoy eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruit. Vegetables and fruit provide important vitamins such as vitamin C and folic acid. They also have other plant substances that are thought important to help reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease.

Offer your child a variety of fruit and vegetables every day, and not just the type they like. Children’s serving sizes may be small and depend on their age, appetite and activity levels. Remember any amount is better than none and always try to find ways to include more. 

Encourage your child to eat more fruit and vegetables

If you follow healthy eating habits, your child may eventually follow your lead. Keep offering fruit and vegetables in a variety of ways, as children are more likely to eat what is familiar to them. Never assume your child dislikes a particular fruit or vegetable. The next time you offer it may be the day they decide to try it. Children’s tastes do change with age.

The five steps to success include:

• Involving your child in food preparation and planning
• Enjoy fruit and vegetables
• Presentation
• Include fruit and vegetables wherever possible
• Keep trying.
  
  

Involve your child in food preparation and planning

Suggestions include:

• Involve your child in choosing which fruit or vegetables they would like.
• Take your child fruit and vegetable shopping and let them see, smell and feel the fruit and vegetables with you.
• Ask your child to draw a picture and describe the food to you.
• Let your child help wash and prepare fruit and vegetables. Use this opportunity to explore new colours and shapes.
• Encourage their skills by letting them make a simple salad to serve themselves.
• Count out grapes or berries together into a bowl.
• Grow some vegetables or herbs in the garden or pot. Let your child water and nurture the plant.
  
  

Enjoy fruit and vegetables

Suggestions include:

• Remember to enjoy meals together with your child whenever possible. If your child sees you eating and enjoying a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, they are more likely to join in.
• Sometimes a child may prefer their vegetables raw rather than cooked.
• A child may refuse new foods if mealtimes are stressful, so try and focus on the positives about the meal and avoid arguments.
  
  

Presentation

Suggestions include:

• Keep a bowl of fresh fruit handy. Keep some vegetables such as peas, cherry tomatoes orbaby carrots in the fridge to grab for a quick snack.
• Make vegetables and fruit look great on the plate. Serve different coloured fruit and vegetables, chop them up for a change or serve them on a special plate.
• For reluctant eaters, try a new fruit and vegetable once a week.
  
  

Include fruit and vegetables wherever possible

Suggestions include:

• Include vegetables and fruit in a range of ways and with most meals and snacks.
• Rather than searching for new recipes, try to increase the variety or amount of vegetables added to your favourite family recipes such as pasta sauces or soups.
  
  

Snack suggestions

Include vegetables and fruit in snacks too. Try these ideas for snacks:

Corn on the cob

Jacket potato

Pumpkin soup

Plain homemade popcorn

Cut-up vegetables with yoghurt dips

Muffins or cakes made with added fruit or vegetables

Skewers of fruit

Fruit crumble

Fruit salad or a fruit platter.

Keep trying

Suggestions include:

• Children need to have the opportunity to learn, or sometimes to re-learn, to enjoy fruit and vegetables. Your role is to make them available. Remember your child may need to see a fruit or vegetable 10 or more times before they are ready to try it!
• Always include a small serving of vegetables on your child’s plate. Encourage them to try but let them decide whether or not they eat them.
• Offer raw vegetables before the main meal, when children are often most hungry. 
  
  

Healthy choices

All vegetables and fruits are healthy. Fruit and vegetables may be any colour, shape, texture or variety. They may be raw, cooked, steamed, boiled, microwaved, stir-fried or roasted. Variety is important. Try to choose different coloured fruit and vegetables, particularly orange, green and red. Some examples are melon, stone fruit, broccoli, spinach, leafy greens, tomatoes, carrot and pumpkin. 

Other issues

Common fruit and vegetable related issues include:

• Fruit juices are not necessary – it is better to eat the fruit instead and have a thirst-quenching glass of water. Fruit juices may be a good source of some vitamins, but the downside is they are high in natural sugars and low in fibre. If you do include fruit juice in your child’s diet, limit this to one small glass per day.
• Potato chips are not the best way to eat potato – chips and crisps are made from potatoes but prepared by cooking in oil. They are high in fat and salt, and best left for special occasions.
• Fruits bars and fruit straps are high in sugar – even though they usually contain some fruit, they are low in fibre and stick to children’s teeth, so are best avoided. Children will enjoy a fresh fruit platter if offered instead.
• Wash all fruit and vegetables – research shows that the amount of pesticides on fresh vegetables and fruit is very low and no reason for concern, even in very young children and breastfeeding mothers. However, vegetables and fruit should still always be washed before eating to reduce the risk from any microbial contamination.
• Supervise young children – to reduce the risk of choking, toddlers and young children should always be seated and supervised while eating all foods, including chopped raw fruit, vegetables and all ‘hard’ foods.
  

Sensitive children

Do you have a sensitive child? A child who takes everything you or others say to heart; a child who worries too much, particularly about things that are out of their control.  Sensitive children worry what others think of them. They can sense danger well before others and they see the consequences of behaviours well before their peers. Is this sensitivity nature or nurture? 

 

Seeing both sides

Sometimes parents say something without thinking, or a friend will ignore them for a whole day for no other reason than they were self-centred. Sensitive children take these matters to heart. They can think too much and read too much into simple situations. That's why sensitive children can become anxious, shy or both.

If you have a sensitive child, you need to see and appreciate both their sides. The side we often see is the shy, inhibited, fearful worrier. The flip side is that sensitive children are generally kind, empathetic, intuitive and usually creative.

Recent research into the area of children's sensitivity revealed that around 40 per cent of sensitive children experience some form of real anxiety.  The secret to the 60 per cent of children who don't experience anxiety are certain "protective" factors. The top of this list is parenting style. Sensitive children benefit from having an optimistic, resilient parent who supports them but doesn't allow them to take themselves too seriously. It also helps if parents can encourage their child to take risks socially.

 Who’s at risk?

 

Genetics certainly plays a big part in increasing the risk of sensitivity and anxiety in children.  Children, who at a young age show high levels of anxiety and who also have a parent who is anxious or depressed, are seven to 11 times more likely to develop anxiety. 

Children who might be at higher risk of becoming excessively anxious are those more sensitive, shy or withdrawn children.  They’re more likely to be negative and will tend to avoid participating in many activities because of fear. 

Understanding

 

One of the main messages we like to convey to parents is that anxiety is not something to be scared of. It’s a normal emotion and an important part of how we engage with our world.  There are different types of childhood anxiety. Many children may show several features of these following descriptions and some may also struggle with feeling sad or depressed.

Children who worry that something bad will happen when separated from mum or dad. They often refuse to separate – that is, they won’t go to school, sleep over at friends’ houses, or be left at home with a sitter.

Children need a parent who gets across the message that there are unpleasant events, but they can cope with them. They need a parent who reinforces that the world is a great place and not full of uncertainty and danger.

It is good if parents are supportive; even better if a parent is resilient so that the sensitive child sees how to cope with some of life's hurts, rejections and disappointments. When sensitive children are raised in a balanced way, they are well placed to grow up to be happy, healthy, unusually well-adjusted and creative adults.

Only children

Time Alone For Your Only Child

If you are one of those parents who feels guilty about an evening without a playmate or a play-engagement for your only child then this article is for you.

A common feeling

Many parents of only children feel unease and unrest while watching their only child play alone. Either they immediately try to fix up play dates for their child or pitch in and offer to stand in as playmates themselves.

While playing with your child can indeed be an enriching experience for both parent and child, one cannot really match up to being a child’s peer. On the other hand, one should not shy away from giving the only child some time alone in the name of keeping loneliness at bay for him. Many parents wonder- ‘if only I had given him a brother or sister to play with, would he have been so alone?' The key word here is guilt. Many parents of only children feel guilt over not giving their child a sibling to play with.

Sibling rivalry is real…

As mentioned in other places, in many families, siblings don’t even see eye to eye, leave alone play together. And it is an impractical idea to bring forth another child just so your child may have ’someone to play with and not be lonely’. What studies repeatedly drive at is that a sibling is hardly a solution to the problems the only child may face.

Being alone is not bad

Parents have many means of filling up a child’s time, like enrolling him in various classes, getting him to participate in team activities and so on. But more often than not, parents fail to value a child’s “time alone”. What is time alone? It is a time the child gets at his disposal to use how he pleases. (It does not mean the child is left alone in the house without parental attention!). During time alone, the child learns how to fill the time at his hands, without seeking aid from parents, peers or friends. It is not the same as being lonely. Rather, it is an opportunity to “be with oneself”.

The Only Child can enjoy time alone

Very often, children and adults alike sparkle in company but fail to make the grade when they are left on their own. On the other hand, studies indicate that children who know how to fill their time alone learn to engage themselves and rarely feel isolated or lonely. It is a capacity they build for themselves to be content with the situation at hand and be able to use the time in a way that gives them pleasure and joy.

Important skills only children learn from having time alone

• Your only child will get creative when he finds that he has to find a way to fill his time. He may find joy in play-acting or creating games he can play alone.
• He will learn not to complain of boredom. Many children expect to be entertained all the time. Children who have their time alone know what to do with themselves and not get bored.
• It is an acquisition for a lifetime, wherein the child will not seek continual emotional or peer support and knows how to ‘be with oneself’. As he grows older, this ability to be with oneself will stand him in good stead.
• Time alone will help him appreciate time with others. He will truly relish other’s company and learn to treat his friends and peers more tenderly. He will truly understand the value of companionship as he has experienced time alone.
• The most important benefit of having time alone is the child will never feel ‘lonely’ now or as an adult when he has to be alone. He will in fact find creative ways to fill that time.
  

Tennis benefits for children

Tennis can be played as both a sport or as a recreational activity with friends and family. Either way, playing tennis is a good sport to maintain your health, fitness, strength and agility.

It has been calculated that a good hour-long game of singles tennis burns around 600 calories for men and 420 calories for women. In addition to the fitness and physical health benefits, tennis also provides numerous social and mental health benefits as well. 
 

Health benefits

Tennis can be a great workout and lots of fun. Tennis has many health benefits including:

• Increasing aerobic capacities
• Lowering resting heart rate and blood pressure
• Improving metabolic function
• Increasing bone density
• Lowering body fat
• Improving muscle tone, strength and flexibility
• Increasing reaction times.
  

Other benefits

As well as being a great physical workout, tennis is also:

• A non-impact sport
• A great way to meet people and spend time with friends
• Suitable for all ages and skill levels. Whatever your level, you can find someone with a similar ability to play with
• Helpful to reduce stress
• Not dependent on youth or strength – you can play for a lifetime or start the game at any age.

Getting started

In order to play tennis you need a racquet, a ball, a court with a net, and an opponent. Physically, tennis is great for hand-eye coordination, development, and movement. It’s definitely not a game you play standing still. Children can benefit socially, since most lessons for children are in groups. And one thing that’s really important to remember is that tennis is an individual sport, so children learn to be accountable to themselves. It’s a skill they can take into all areas of life.

At what age should children start playing tennis?

It’s a very relative question. Children are not being ready for tennis before 4 years old, and very few at 4 years old. With younger children, you work on coordination games, movement games, and teaching them building blocks of playing the sport. But it depends on the child and some are ready at a younger age.

What should the goal of tennis lessons be for young children?

Main goal is to have children play tennis for the rest of their lives. Tennis can be a recreational activity. They can play for a high school team or a serious tournament team. 

Tennis helps to:

• develop a work ethic because improvement through lessons or practice reinforces the value of hard work.
• develop discipline since you learn to work on your skills in practice and control the pace of play in competition.
• manage mistakes by learning to play within your abilities, and realizing that managing and minimizing mistakes in tennis or life is critical.
• learn to compete one-on-one because the ability to do battle on court trains you in the ups and downs of a competitive world.
• accept responsibility by practicing skills and checking your equipment before a match, and by making accurate line calls during a match.
• manage adversity by learning to adjust to the elements (e.g. wind, sun) and still be able to compete tenaciously.
• control stress effectively because the physical, mental and emotional stress of tennis will force you to increase your capacity for dealing with stress.
• learn how to recover by adapting to the stress of a point and the recovery period between points, which is similar to the stress and recovery cycles in life.
• plan and implement strategies since you naturally learn how to anticipate your opponent’s moves and plan your counter moves.
• learn to solve problems since tennis is a sport based on angles, geometry and physics.
• develop performance rituals before serving or returning to control your rhythm of play and deal with pressure. These skills can transfer to taking exams, conducting a meeting or making an important sales presentation.
• earn sportsmanship since tennis teaches you to compete fairly with opponents.
• learn to win graciously and lose with honor. Gloating after a win or making excuses after a loss doesn’t work in tennis or in life.
• learn teamwork since successful doubles play depends on you and your partner’s ability to communicate and play as a cohesive unit.
• develop social skills through interaction and communication before a match, while changing sides on the court and after play.
• have fun - because the healthy feelings of enjoyment, competitiveness and physical challenge are inherent in the sport.
  

How to show love for your child

1. Use plenty of positive words with your child.

2. Respond promptly and lovingly to your child's physical and emotional needs and banish put-downs from your parenting vocabulary.

3. Make an extra effort to set a good example at home and in public. Use words like "I'm sorry," "please" and "thank you."

4. When your child is angry, argumentative or in a bad mood, give him a hug, cuddle, pat, secret sign or other gesture of affection he favours.

5. Use non-violent forms of discipline. Parents should begin instituting both rewards and restrictions many years before adolescence to prevent trouble during the teenage years.

6. Make plans to spend half a day alone with your young child or teen doing something he enjoys.

7. One of the best ways to familiarize your child with good food choices is to encourage him to cook with you. Let him get involved in the entire process, from planning the menus to shopping for ingredients to the actual food preparation and its serving.

8. As your child grows up, she'll spend most of her time developing and refining a variety of skills and abilities in all areas of her life. You should help her as much as possible by encouraging her and providing the equipment and instruction she needs.

9. Your child's health depends significantly on the care and guidance you offer during the early years. By taking your child to the doctor regularly for consultations, keeping him safe from accidents and encouraging exercise throughout childhood, you help protect and strengthen his body.

10. Regardless of whether you actively try to pass on your values and beliefs to your child, he is bound to absorb some of them just by living with you. He'll notice how disciplined you are in your work, how deeply you hold your beliefs and whether you practice what you preach.

11. One of your most important gifts as a parent is to help your child develop self-esteem. Your child needs your steady support and encouragement to discover his strengths. He needs you to believe in him as he learns to believe in himself. Loving him, spending time with him, listening to him and praising his accomplishments are all part of this process.

12. Don't forget to say, "I love you" to children of all ages!

Children table manners

We live in a competitive world. Etiquette is the one thing that we can offer our children that’s unfortunately not all that common and yet really important.

One hundred years ago, manners were a way to distinguish one’s self as belonging to a higher social class. But today, etiquette is more about blending in and being respectful. Now days, you want to know how to conduct yourself properly, that empowers you and gives you confidence.

Some parents hope that developing good manners at an early age will pay off down the road when their children enter the workforce. Increasingly, recruiters meet potential employees at cocktail parties and networking events before conducting a formal job interview. The way young people carry themselves could mean the difference between getting hired and loosing out to other equally qualified twenty somethings.

So what are the most important dinner table manners and etiquette for children (and everyone!) to know?

Please and thank you

These two important phrases are the cornerstone of good manners, period, and extend to table manners. They show gratitude and appreciation instead of entitlement.

When the family gathers together, it is an opportunity for the children to learn courtesy by saying 'please' or 'thank you' or waiting to speak until someone else is finished. Dinner-table interactions are a good time to learn respect as each person has the opportunity to share something about his or her day.

Chewing

Etiquette experts agree that one of the most important dinner table manners to teach is to chew with your mouth closed. Encourage your children to do so by doing it yourself, and even showing them how. After all, no one wants to see what's in there.

Speaking (without food)

Another important element of proper table manners that etiquette experts recommend is to never speak with your mouth full. This goes hand-in-hand with chewing with your mouth closed. At best, it's distracting to speak to someone who has food in their mouth - and it can also be hard to understand people with food in their mouth. At worst, it's very unappealing, to say the least.

Table skills

From where silverware should be placed to how it should be used, knowing your way around the place setting is important in manners and etiquette. Knowing how to properly hold and use a fork and knife not only gives a child a sense of accomplishment and independence, it also allows a parent to better enjoy the meal. The parents can also be assured that their child will impress any adults they eat with. It is also important to know how to eat in a clean manner.

Consideration

Above all, good table manners are about consideration - recognizing that you aren't alone at the table and what you do affects others. The most important lesson in good table etiquette is always being aware of your actions and understanding that you share the dining experience with every diner at the table.

Few more tips:

• Don’t bring anything to the dinner table that doesn’t need to be there. This includes electronics, toys, backpacks – all of it is distracting and takes away from what should be the primary focus, the people in front of you.
• Don’t start eating until everyone’s seated and served.
• Don’t grab food or reach across the table for a bowl, ask for someone to pass it to you.
  
  

In a globalized economy, young people can’t afford to be ill-mannered. Recent graduates aren’t just competing against their classmates they’re competing against students from US, China and the Middle East, where demand for classes on Western etiquette (continental style) is huge. Even amongst Asian and Middle Eastern communities in UK, proper behaviour is highly valued.

Parents should make sure etiquette is a positive experience by incorporating games, stickers or interesting historical facts behind the traditions. Doing so can be especially helpful when trying to engage young boys.

Is Scuba Diving safe for children?

What is the minimum age a child should be allowed to scuba dive? According to PADI (the Professional Association of Dive Instructors) children can be certified as Junior Open Water Divers as early as the age of 10. Whether this is recommendable for any or all children is a subject of debate. Children develop physically and mentally at different rates, making it difficult to define an age at which all children can safely dive. A child's maturity, reasoning skills, and physical limitations should be taken into account when determining if he is ready to begin scuba diving.

                                       Not All Children and Teenagers Should Dive:

Scuba diving certification agencies allow children to enroll in scuba classes, but not all children and teenagers are ready to handle the stress of the underwater environment and the theory work required for a diving course. The following questions can be answered in the affirmative, a child may be ready to enroll in a scuba diving certification course.

Helpful Guidelines to Determine if a Child Is Ready for a Scuba Certification:

• Does the child want to learn to dive? (This should not be the merely desire of his parents and friends.)

• Is the child medically fit to dive?

• Is the child comfortable in the water, and can he swim?

• Does the child have a sufficient attention span to listen to and learn from class discussions, pool and open water briefings and debriefings and other interactions with an instructor?

• Can the child learn, remember and apply multiple safety rules and principles?

• Are the child's reading skills sufficient to learn from adult-level material (allowing for extra reading time, and the child may request help)?

• Can the child feel comfortable telling an unfamiliar adult (instructor) about any discomfort or not understanding something?

• Does the child have reasonable self control and the ability to respond to a problem by following rules and asking for help rather than by acting impulsively?

• Does the child have the ability to understand and discuss hypothetical situations and basic abstract concepts like space and time?

Arguments in Favour of Children Diving:

1. The younger people are when they begin scuba diving, the more comfortable they are likely to be with it.
2. Diving parents can take their children on scuba holidays and share their love of the underwater world their family.
3. Scuba diving courses take abstract concepts from physics, math, and natural science and apply them to the real world.
4. Diving encourages students to care about conservation of the natural environment.
5. Although diving is risky, most activities in life have some risk. Teaching a child or teenager to responsibly manage the risks of diving can help them to learn personal responsibility.

 

Medical Arguments Against Children Diving:

1. Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO): While in the womb, all infants' hearts have a passageway that allows blood to bypass the lungs. After birth, this hole gradually closes as the child matures. Young, or slowly developing children may still have a partially open PFO by the age of 10. Research is ongoing, but initial findings suggest that PFOs may increase the risk of decompression illness.
2. Equalization Issues: A scuba diver must add air to his middle ear via the eustachian tube to equalize the air pressure as he descends. Most adults can easily equalize their ears. However, the physiology of a child's ears can make equalization difficult or impossible. Young children have flattened, small eustachian tubes that may not allow air to flow to the middle ear effectively. For many children under the age of 12 (and some older ones) it is physically impossible to equalize the ears because the eustachian tubes are not sufficiently developed. Failure to equalize the ears can lead to severe pain and ruptured ear drums.
3. Unknown Physiological Effects of Diving: The effects of increased pressure and nitrogen on developing bones, tissues, and brains is unknown. A lack of concrete evidence about the effects of pressure and nitrogen on developing bodies does not mean the effects are bad. However, pregnant women are discouraged from diving for the reason that the effects of diving on fetuses are unknown. Childhood and adolescence are (in most cases) a temporary condition, so the same argument can be made against children diving.
Remember that children may experience discomfort differently from adults. They may not have a good understanding of what is physical sensations are normal when diving, and therefore may not communicate potentially dangerous physical problems effectively with adults.

Psychological Arguments Against Children Diving:

1. Concrete Thinking: This may lead to the inability to use logic and concepts to appropriately react to an unfamiliar situation. In general adolescents move out of the concrete thinking stage around age 11. A concrete-thinking student can parrot back the gas laws and diving safety rules, he may not be able to apply them properly to an unfamiliar emergency situation. Most training agencies require that children and young adolescents dive with an adult who can respond to unforeseen situations for them. However, an adult can not always prevent a child from reacting to a situation in an inappropriate way, such as holding his breath or rocketing to the surface.
2. Discipline: Not all children and young adults have the discipline required to conduct the necessary safety checks and follow safe diving practices once they have received their certification card. If a child is likely to have a nonchalant attitude about diving safety, it may be best to keep him out of the water.
3. Responsibility for a Buddy: Even though he is young, a child diver is responsible for rescuing his adult buddy in the case of an emergency. Adults should consider whether a child has the reasoning skills and mental capabilities to react to an emergency situation and rescue a buddy underwater.
4. Fear and Frustration: Unlike many sports, such as tennis or soccer, a frustrated, scared, or injured child can not just "stop". Children divers should be able to react to an uncomfortable situation logically and maintain control of themselves during a slow emergency ascent.

Ethical Arguments Against Children Diving:

Diving is a risky sport. Diving is different from most sports in that it places the diver in a environment hostile to his survival.
Can a child truly understand the risk he is taking when he goes diving? Children may not understand their own vulnerability until it is too late. Even if a child says that he understands he can die or become paralyzed for life as a result of a diving accident, does he truly comprehend what that means? In most cases it is unlikely. Is it ethical to expose a child to a risk that he does not comprehend and can therefore not accept?

London - top family destinations for summer 2013

                                                                    Kew Gardens

              

             Up at the O2

 

            Get a panoramic view of London:  53 metres above the ground. Age 10+. 

             A Cockroach Tour of the Science Museum

 

Gain a new perspective on the museum. 

Kew Gardens

 

Clamber up to the 'Treetop Walkway' or sample Kew's indoor and outdoor play areas. Age 3+.

Emirates Air Line

 

Enjoy a taste of the high life on this new cable car. 

Cutty Sark

 

Climb aboard the tea clipper to learn about the ship's history and its cargos – from wool to buffalo horns. 

Diana, Princess of Wales' Memorial Playground

 

Explore the teepees and wooden pirate ship at this ever-popular playground. Age 0-12. 

Pollock's Toy Museum

 

Discover quirky games and toys, then spend your pocket money in the museum shop. 

Liminal

 

Tate Britain 

Get hands-on with sculpture at these family sessions with a focus on interaction and collaboration. 

Crystal Palace Park

 

Hunt for dinosaurs among the trees and around the lake at this south-east London park. 

Warner Bros Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter

 

  Potter around the sets where the blockbuster series was filmed.