6 Effective Screen Time Rules Parents Should Use for their Kids

Stories about kids throwing tantrums for their parents taking away their smartphones or tablets are not uncommon. If you’re a parent, you may have seen or experienced it yourself.

Parenting in the digital age is certainly not easy. Screens are addictive and children can’t help but stay glued to the couch watching TV or playing video games. This is where screen time rules come in.

Too much screen time can be detrimental to a child’s healthy growth and development. It takes away the time and opportunities they should be spending for other activities and interaction with people. It can even impact their sleep, trigger behavioral problems and lead to obesity. Technology and entertainment media is everywhere and though it’s difficult for kids to put their devices down, it’s important that parents set healthy boundaries for their children. 

Read on and learn effective screen time rules to use for your kids.

Set a time limit for their use of technology

The exact number of hours young kids spend on screens may vary depending on your family’s lifestyle. But it’s important that you don’t let them spend hours without limits. 

As a parent, you should be the one to set the time limits and schedule your child’s use of technology. If they’re allowed to use the screen for a maximum of 2 hours each day, be sure to stick to it. Set a timer and give a heads up if their time is almost up. Also have it scheduled accordingly. Do not encourage or allow screen time use during meal time or before bedtime. 

Determine screen-free zones

Screens should not be allowed just anywhere in the house. Make some areas in your home technology-free zones. For example, the TV should be exclusively in the living room. Kids shouldn’t have a TV in the bedroom nor should there be one in the dining area. Only allow them in the living room or play area.

By keeping the devices away from certain places around the house, you’re providing your little one more opportunities for important interactions with the family as well as other helpful learning activities. 

Redirect use of screens for learning

The internet and technology aren’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, they can be helpful when utilized in the right way. Find ways to turn screen time into time for learning. Search for kid-friendly apps and websites that offer educational content. There are also online games and activities that promote creativity, imagination, and literacy, among other things.  

No screen time before bedtime

If you’ve been struggling with putting your child to bed at night, you might want to revisit how they’re exposed to screens at night. Do they still have their tablet with them or are they still watching TV before getting to bed? If so, it’s time to change this habit. Stop screen time an hour before bed. 

Find fun alternatives

Let’s admit it. Smartphones and tablets come in handy when we need to keep our kids busy while we are too busy ourselves. However, screens aren’t the only sources of entertainment. You can look for other great alternatives that do not expose kids to too much screen time. Encourage them to engage in other fun and exciting activities such as boardgames, books, arts and crafts, and their own toys!

Explore more outdoor activities

It isn’t healthy to allow children to live a sedentary lifestyle because they spend almost the entire day with technology. 

Encourage physical activity by giving them more opportunities to have outdoor fun. Take them to the park so they can run around and play with other kids. You can also spend a weekend at the beach or play family games in the yard.

It’s important that children learn to love and appreciate the outdoors without TV or any screens or phone. They’ll have a happier and more memorable childhood!

Limiting a child’s screen time is one of the greatest challenges for today’s parents. Of course, we want to make sure that the growth and development of our kids isn’t compromised. With the help of these screen time rules, you can set healthy boundaries so they enjoy their electronic devices without it taking a toll on their development.

For more tips on parenting or if you’re looking for the best preschool for your little one, please visit Imagine Nation Learning Center. 

 

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5 Basic Skills to Teach Kids to Become Independent

Ever noticed how your little one is starting to do things by themselves without help from you or any adults? This is the phase where they start to exercise independence.

It’s important that parents encourage this because developing independence in kids fosters self-reliance. It gives them a sense of confidence and boosts their self-esteem. It also helps them develop other vital qualities that set them on the path to success. Cultivating independence in young kids begins with learning important basic skills – how to cook, managing money, managing their time, and many others. 

Give your child the gift of independence by teaching them these fundamental skills.

Time management

Being responsible for their own time is one of the things that children should learn early on. This will help them become efficient in managing their projects and school-related tasks, which allows ample time for both play and work. 

As parents, we often find ourselves constantly telling our kids what to do and when they should do it. We’re often the one deciding how their day should look. Rather than dictating all these things, it’s a lot better to give your child the opportunity to practice time management. For example, instead of waking them up in the morning, let them set their alarm clock and get up on their own. Encourage them to keep track of their own activities by having them use a planner or creating a schedule chart.

Money management

Spending money seems easy enough especially for young kids who do not understand yet how difficult it is to earn money. This is exactly why parents should train their kids how to be money-savvy.

Instill in your little one a good attitude toward money by incorporating it into your conversations. Emphasize the importance of saving and the fact that money is something that we earn by working. And because they’re just kids who receive an allowance from parents, let them save up for something they want to buy instead of buying it for them. This will teach them how to budget the pocket money they’re given. 

Simple cooking

Teaching kids how to cook isn’t only instilling in them a sense of independence. It’s also a good way to teach them about the importance of a balanced diet. When you get the chance, invite your little one to join you in meal prep and cooking. Make them feel comfortable in the kitchen by assigning them simple tasks and providing them the tools they need.

It can be as simple as making their own peanut butter sandwich or tossing a salad. You can also get them involved in baking. Ask them to mix the dry ingredients or sprinkle chocolate shavings over the cookies you’re making!

Taking care of their health

As much as we always want to be around our kids to make sure they’re safe and protected, we know that that’s not the case. Make sure your child knows how to take care of themselves while they are young by instilling in them the importance of caring for their body and their health.

Teach them about personal hygiene and keeping themselves clean to stay away from viruses. Also, pay close attention to their diet. While you want to make sure they eat their fruits and vegetables, be sure not to force it. Instead, discuss the risks of not eating healthy and binging on sweets and junk food all the time. 

Decision-making

Whatever happens in our future largely relies on the decisions we make today. And if you want to make sure your child gets to enjoy a good life down the line, it’s a good idea to teach them the value of making appropriate decisions at an early age. 

Teaching them about decision-making doesn’t have to be complicated. You can start with letting them choose between two activities, two food items, two games, and so on. When practicing this, guide them toward making better choices by explaining the consequences each decision entails. 

We all want our kids to grow up becoming fairly independent. And developing essential basic life skills is a good way to start. 

For more helpful parenting tips or if you’re looking for the best preschool for your little one, please visit Imagine Nation Learning Center. 

 

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6 Tips for Building your Child’s Social Skills at Home

Social skills are important for young kids to develop. These are integral to function well in society, to effectively create and maintain relationships, and ensure healthy interactions in all aspects of life. A child who is socially intelligent is one who is more likely to succeed in the future because they are capable of making conversation, they are considerate of others, and they can communicate effectively with others. The good news is that building social skills is something that parents can help their children do.

Being in school offers young kids more opportunities to socialize, mingle, and make friends with peers. This gives them more chances to sharpen and boost their social skills. But what happens outside of school? How about when schools are closed?

If you’re worried about these things, know that you shouldn’t be. There are several things you can do to continue building your child’s social skills at home!

Practice asking questions

Is your little one the shy type? Do they find it difficult to make friends because they’re too shy to start a conversation? Maybe one of the first things they need to learn is how to ask questions. 

Start coaching your little one on asking questions and making conversations by doing a role-play. Pretend to be the reporter who is asking them about the toy car or doll they’re playing with. Ask them what they like about it and why it is their favorite toy. Get them to talk more about it. Then, switch places. Get hold of another toy and let them ask similar questions or any other questions they can think of. Who knows, they might actually end up liking their role as the interviewer/reporter!

Teach them the art of starting a conversation

Starting a conversation or getting someone’s attention or joining a group of kids playing together isn’t always easy for kids. But they can learn this art with practice. Teach your little one how to properly approach another kid or a group of kids. Teach them the right greetings, the right things to say, and how to say them. Then practice this at any random moment during the day, over the dinner table, or in the middle of playtime. Use real-life scenarios and see how they’ll respond.

Watch TV shows together

There are plenty of kid’s TV shows that present opportunities for conversations. Leverage these shows during their screen time to analyze and discuss the interactions between characters. Watch TV as a family and find segments within the show that can spark conversations. Let them also observe facial gestures and behaviors and take cues from those.

Use picture cards

Because not everything about social skills is verbal, it’s important that children learn about nonverbal skills, too. One of the things that can help are picture cards. Use picture cards that show various body languages and facial expressions. Let them practice interpreting what a person feels based on visual cues. This will help them tell whether a person is sad, angry, bored, happy or frustrated. 

Understand tone

Tone also plays an important role in communication. One statement may have any one of several different meanings, based on how it is delivered. This is why it’s important that kids learn how to understand and interpret tone when building social skills. 

To practice, use a tape recorder or voice record on your mobile phone to record different emotions. Use only one statement but deliver it in different ways with varying tone and feelings. Then, let your child identify the emotions that come along with each delivery. For example, you can say “I want pizza!” and use an excited tone, angry tone, bored tone and so on.

Enhance their attention span

Having better social skills means longer attention spans. And children aren’t really great at being attentive and focusing on one thing for a significant amount of time. But don’t worry, it’s a skill they can learn. Pick one topic you can talk about and say three sentences – 2 sentences pertaining to the topic and one that’s off-topic. Let them analyze and identify which one isn’t related to the topic.

Developing social skills should be part of a child’s holistic and healthy growth and development. If you want your little one to grow up to be a socially intelligent individual, follow these tricks to building your child’s social skills at home. For more parenting tips or if you’re looking for the best preschool for your little one, please visit Imagine Nation Learning Center.

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How to Beat Cabin Fever: 6 Kid-Friendly Activities You Should Try

Cabin fever is a popular term used to describe a person’s reaction to being confined or isolated over a prolonged period. It is usually associated with feelings of irritability and restlessness and manifests in both adults and children alike.

There are various kinds of circumstances by which cabin fever symptoms may occur. One good example is the situation we’re in now; the one that’s brought upon us by the pandemic. 

If your child is experiencing cabin fever as a result of quarantine, lockdown, and social distancing, know that you’re not alone in this. The good news is that there are several ways to combat the anxiety your little one may be feeling. Read on and learn how to help your child beat cabin fever.

Indoor games

There’s no better way to combat cabin fever than by increasing physical activity and moving your body! Your kids may be confined inside the house but it doesn’t mean that fun should be limited. There are several games the family can play inside the house that do not create a mess.

You can have scavenger hunts or indoor treasure hunts! You can also try playing object hide and seek and make it more exciting by adding a twist to it. Maybe you can add clues and describe the hidden object with one adjective. Set a time limit to add a little pressure and excitement to the game. 

Kitchen activities

Getting busy in the kitchen is always fun. Not only is it an excellent way to beat cabin fever but it’s also a perfect parent and child bonding activity. 

Why don’t you carve out time for cooking and baking? Look for kid-friendly recipes online which you can replicate with your child. Bake some cookies or cupcakes. Be sure to encourage their participation and get them involved in the process by doing simple steps such as mixing and decorating. Give them a free hand on decorating the cookies as if they were pieces of art or choosing what color of sprinkles to use atop the cupcakes!

Arts and crafts

Imaginative activities such as arts and crafts are another great idea for killing boredom when children are home. Provide your little one with materials to work on such as recycled paper, cans and plastic bottles. Give them coloring tools as well as space to do their works of art. Let their imagination run wild and give them the liberty to create anything they can think of from scratch, unless they seek help for ideas, of course.

Not only are these activities great for keeping them entertained but they are also great ways to help foster creativity in young kids.

A walk down memory lane

Kids love to look at old photos as much as adults do. So, while you’re all home and enjoying more family time, bring out photo albums and have your little one look at the photos of their younger selves. The nostalgia this activity brings offers the perfect opportunity for storytelling and reminiscing the most precious moments from when you first held them in your arms. 

Household chores

There’s no better time to teach kids about household chores than during a vacation from school. Doing a few simple things around the house can instill in kids some valuable lessons. These include a sense of responsibility, independence, and patience. Incorporate age-appropriate chores in your child’s day to day activities at home.

If they are too young to do a big kid’s chores, have them tackle the simplest tasks such as organizing their toys or fixing their bed. If they can handle bigger stuff, ask them to do more stuff around the kitchen or help out with the cleaning or gardening. 

Storytelling and book reading

Another fun learning activity you may want to encourage for your kids to beat cabin fever is reading storybooks. Reading offers an extensive range of benefits to children. It helps develop their cognitive skills and foster their creativity and imagination. Carve out time for reading and storytelling while school is out. Who knows, you might awaken a lifelong love for reading.

It might get you worried to see your little one showing signs of restlessness or anxiety or irritability but don’t worry. There are several cures to beat cabin fever and these are some of the activities you may want to try.

Need more parenting tips or are you looking for the best quality early childhood education for your child? Please visit Imagine Nation Learning Centers.

 

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How to Have Family Gatherings During Social Distancing

One of the many things people have to sacrifice when doing social distancing is family gatherings. In many places, mass gatherings and even family reunions are strongly discouraged. It’s not hard to understand why. Transmission of diseases can happen very quickly when people congregate socially. 

Missing family gatherings is difficult and sad. It only exacerbates the emotional burden we feel in the midst of a challenging time. But don’t worry. There are several creative ways to connect with family and loved ones despite the distance. Here are some of the helpful ideas you may want to try!

Have a virtual dinner together

While visiting the homes of your family and relatives when doing social distancing is impossible, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy fun conversations over a hearty meal with them. Because you can. Thanks to the internet, you can still eat together even from afar!

Because family gatherings are made extra special when there’s food, why don’t you plan a virtual family dinner which everybody can enjoy over a video call? Prepare your favorite meals and dishes and schedule the dinner on a day when everybody is present. A weekend night perhaps? Or a midweek dinner will do, too. Whenever you want to have it won’t really matter. The important thing is that you are all gathered together (virtually) to share conversations and nice meals to bond and keep the connection alive. 

Hangout virtually whenever you can 

There’s no better time to make good use of the internet than now. So, don’t hesitate to ping a family member from afar and hangout virtually every chance you get. If you’ve got some free hours on any random day, invite family or relatives to jump in on a video call while you’re having coffee or watching your favorite shows. You can have fun conversations over coffee or tea or watch the same TV show or movie together! 

There are plenty of platforms to choose from. You can do it on Facebook Messenger, Facetime, Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp and more! Not only is video chatting helpful in bridging the distance to make family gatherings possible; having those face to face interactions and socialization is also good for your mental health. Even when they are virtual.

Play online games together

Games make family gatherings more fun and exciting. And even when you’re doing social distancing, you can still inject fun and excitement into your virtual parties by playing online games together. 

Look for online multiplayer games where several players can participate. From board games such as puzzles, scrabble and chess to more complex, role-playing games, there’s an extensive range of games out there to entertain your family for hours!

Create an online group for the family

Does everybody in the family have social media accounts? If they do, choose an online platform everyone is comfortable using. Create a group and invite the rest of the family to join in! Use this group to stay connected with everyone through chats, photos, audio and video calls – anything to keep everybody in the loop. This is also an excellent place to share old memories to remind you of the good old times and make you look forward to gathering together again in the near future. 

Go back to the traditional method of communication – write a letter

Writing letters may seem a little old-fashioned but who says they’re a bad idea? In fact, writing a letter may make a family feel extra special. 

There’s something about handwritten notes and letters that gives the recipient a warm, fuzzy feeling. Perhaps, it’s the fact that it’s more personal because they’re written on a piece of paper and not typed in an email or text message. So go ahead and write a family member a letter or a greeting card. Feel free to include photos or scribbles and hand-drawn pictures from the kids. This is an excellent way to maintain a sense of connection and provide a reminder of love even from afar. 

Family gatherings may not always be possible due to certain circumstances but who says you can’t keep the connection alive? With a little creativity, you can maintain the connection and continue strengthening the bond with family members despite the distance!

For more helpful tips on parenting or if you’re looking for the best preschool for your child, please feel free to visit Imagine Nation Learning Center. 

 

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5 Coping Strategies for Kids Who are Dealing with Anxiety

In today’s frenetic world, feelings of anxiety or stress are common. Adults are not the only ones suffering from this. Children feel anxious, too.

Sometimes, you may get so busy with your own daily struggles that you tend to ignore or not acknowledge your children’s feelings. Children’s anxiety can increase and could affect their development as they grow older.

So, how do you handle such situations? What are the best and most effective coping strategies for kids that you can implement to help them escape the cycle of anxiety?

Often, anxiety among children may arise from different causes impacting their normal routine, such as specific situations in school or with friends. In certain cases, your child may be suffering from lack of self-confidence or low self-esteem. Some children may have learned to “worry” too much about almost everything. 

Whatever the case, there are simple and practical solutions that will help your child cope with anxiety:

Let them acknowledge the feeling

Parents’ first instinct when they see their child getting anxious is to tell them to “relax” or “don’t worry”. While it’s normal, no child has ever stopped worrying just because he/she has been told to do so. Worry has become an integral aspect in our lives and serves a good purpose in how we live day-by-day.

Without worry in our life, we might never be able to prepare ourselves for actual threats that may occur. Worry acts as a sort of practice for our minds in that regard. Still, it can be carried to unproductive levels.

It is important that you let your child acknowledge their emotions and give them uninterrupted time to vent out their worries, as well as frustrations. Then, you can brainstorm together to come up with a suitable solution.

Talk to your child

Avoid asking leading questions, instead simply inquire about their feelings that day or at that particular moment. Encourage your child to talk openly about his/her feelings. You can let them list out their emotions just like how you would do with a shopping list. This will help them clarify what is going on around them and alleviate the pressure they may be having.

Set up a calm-down and relaxing space

A space specifically designed to help your child calm down or manage their anxiety is one of the most effective coping strategies for kids. You can set up a space in their bedroom—a cozy and comfortable spot where they can go when needed. This is beneficial for your child because not only will they know that they have somewhere to go when they feel anxious, but they can feel relaxed and happy knowing that you care enough for them to create this calm-down space.

Most often, children’s anxiety is aggravated when they feel alone and unloved. 

Practice the PNB (Pause, Notice, Breathe)

Sometimes, amidst the chaos of our busy life, we forget to take a break. The same principle applies to kids. Encourage your child to learn how to take a break—pause, notice, and breathe.

This little exercise is simple: pause, notice the things around you or notice the feeling that may arise, and gently breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Through this exercise, you can help your child manage their anxiety as this slows everything down.

The more you encourage your child to practice this, the more they will be able to naturally incorporate this into their daily routine.

Help your child create a coping kit

Aside from the calm-box space, you can also help your child build their own coping kit. If you want your child to work through his/her anxieties and worries, help him/her learn various coping skills.

There are so many strategies that you can both try. You can create a list of strategies and use them when triggers arise. Some include:

• Stress balls
• Deep breathing
• Journaling or just writing down your worries
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Seek assistance from an adult

Try these simple strategies and figure out what works best.

What’s most important is that you let your child know that you are and always will be there when needed.

Take care of your own needs, too. Teaching a child how to cope with anxiety may be stressful for parents as well. 

If you want more help managing your child’s anxiety, feel free to contact us at Imagine Nation Learning Center. We are more than happy to offer you with more effective anxiety coping strategies for kids.

 

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4 Tips for Hosting Remote Playdates to Help your Child Maintain Friendships from a Distance

Even before this latest series of events, there have always been reasons that kids could not get together in person with their friends. Family vacations, moving out of the area, illness…

 

Can children still have playdates even when they can’t get together in person?

Technology is now a major part in people’s lives—and everyone is grateful for this. Modern technology enables so many things, including the ability to communicate across great distances.

 

There are apps that allow your kids to connect virtually with their friends and enjoy some playdate fun. Through these apps, they can play various board games, read to each other from the same book, collaborate on school projects, watch movies together, create art together, or play online games together.

 

Here are some fun playdate ideas you can let your kids enjoy when they can’t get together in person:

 

Caribu

This is a free video-calling app that offers unlimited access to its members. Kids will love this app.

 

They can read books from over 1,000 titles together, color, and play games during the video call. The aim of this app for kids to have meaningful connections and keep them connected in a more engaging and educational way.

 

Netflix Party

Gather all your kid’s friends and host a movie night.

 

Netflix Party is a great tool to let kids watch their favorite movies together. Those with a Netflix subscription can add this Google Chrome extension for free where you can synchronize a video playback with your child’s playdates.

 

You can also add a group chat where they can talk while watching the film. This is a by-invitation-only party so parents will not have to worry about strangers joining the chat. 

 

Anyone in the group can pause, rewind, or fast forward the movie to ensure that nobody gets left behind.

 

Grab some snacks or pop some popcorn for your kid, set up a comfy couch, and let them enjoy a long-distance movie night with friends.

 

Game Night

Kids love games, and spending most of their time playing online games is normal for some. 

 

Playing games — even video games — together has long had a social component, even for those who are not in the same room.

 

Online gaming site Pogo lets kids play their favorite board games, such as Yahtzee and Monopoly, with their friends virtually. Pokemon Go is another interactive game that allows kids to interact with each other and monitor their activities online.

 

Messenger Kids

Parents worry about their kids being unchecked on social media, and for good reason. However, parental controls are built right into Facebook’s Messenger Kids app.

 

Kids can have all the fun they want, with parents having some peace of mind. This app lets kids from 6-12 years old message and video chat with family and friends.

 

What’s more fun about this app than many similar mainstream messaging apps is that it comes with challenges, filters, and drawings kids can play with. They can also use this channel to collaborate with their friends to talk about homework or group projects.

 

Staying connected and continued learning are important. Even when kids can’t get together in person, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to cut off their social ties with friends.

 

Give your child the best education and preschool, contact Imagine Nation Learning Center for more details.

 

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