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Posts Tagged ‘children’

Why camps are so popular? In camps what are the benefits of and activities while somebody there? Are there various activities in camps? 
Summer is the time where kids get to go on vacation and parents get to relax after months of tireless work. Summer holidays are used for exciting day trips as well as camps. The excellent weather condition is much awaited for each year and when it does come, there’s no stopping for anyone who wants to have fun.

If you are a parent with kids, chances are that you’d be waiting to send them off to a summer youth camp where they could learn a variety of skills. Summer camp activities are actually quite interesting. Nowadays children are more prone to watching the television, browsing the internet, playing around with friends or simply chatting with them. There’s not much knowledge that one could acquire from it, especially when it comes to leadership and development skills. Many youth camps provide various summer camp activities that help in the development of the child.

Most summer camp activities cover a range of games and other events such as team building activities and creative sessions. If your child is shy and more of the introverted type, this could be their chance of getting to know new people and polishing up their social skills.

In addition to the day camps, there are also the overnight summer camps that are carried out for different campers. Summer camp activities carried out for both types can sometimes vary. Overnight campers are usually provided with food and accommodation.

All summer camp activities are usually conducted by skilled instructors who are experts in the field. Some of the sports that are much enjoyed by campers are football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, golf, etc. Summer camp activities that are carried outdoors include mountain hiking, rock climbing, etc. In addition to these, there are summer camp activities that involve the waterfront. Swimming, waterskiing, windsurfing, rowing, canoeing, fishing are activities enjoyed by both kids and teens.

For campers who love to live with nature, green walking trails, cycling would be ideal. There are also summer camp activities that include white water paddling, depending on the camp location.

You may wonder what creative sessions include. While the children get a good physical workout from the different outdoor summer camp activities, they also get involved in various craft programs that include painting, beadwork, pottery, sculpting, calligraphy, etc. Some youth camps provide classes for campers interested in journalism.

Besides the everyday medication that must be taken by a bipolar disorder victim, bipolar support groups allow those who share a common diagnosis or interest to come together. They come together to share ideas on how to cope, but most importantly, to offer emotional support.  Most support groups are usually run by someone who has experience in these kinds of meetings. But this is not an important factor, because you as a mother or a patient can form a bipolar support group and help those that are interested to come together to just SHARE IDEAS.

Finding Suitable Place

In your garage, a hall or even inside your house, every group must have a place to meet and available when you as a group need it. Another important factor here is that it must be comfortable. Sitting in a circle rather than a church style setup is your ideal sitting set up.

Having Rules to be followed

While you as a group will make your own rules later on, there are some important points that must be emphasized every time you meet.

Confidentiality: everything shared inside MUST stay inside.

No other sources: quoting from the bible or famous people must not be allowed into your meetings and everything shared must be from personal experience.

No preaching: words such as “don’t do that”. “don’t do this,”must not be allowed.

Offer suggestions: it is good to offer suggestions with all suggestions be from personal experience like; Use non threatening suggestion I went through the same experience and I did this or my child had that same thing and I did this.

No gossip: If you don’t allow anything to get out, you must not allow anybody to drag somebody’s name down in these meetings.

JUST LISTEN: Most would come to a meeting not to have their problem solved but to have an opportunity to put out of their system all the frustrations of being involved with this mental illness. This cannot be emphasized enough.

First  Goal

The primary goal of most bipolar support groups is to ensure that no one living with bipolar disease or this mental condition feel alone again, while at the same time providing important emotional support. Improving the physical health and well being of those taking part, support groups are more than just a safety net for patients or caregivers.

Other Functions

Bipolar support groups, are also called special interest groups (SIG), and forms an integral part for many health organizations and a critical foundation for those trying to cope with the disorder or trauma. These  groups help fill the emptiness between medicine and the daily everyday headaches.  It helps patients to serve as educators, cope and also inform about the new advancements in bipolar treatment or any available treatment.

Support Groups by Online

Many have found online support a great help, with modern technologies at our doorsteps. This online support network is ideal for those living in very remote areas or those who are scared of leaving the security of their homes. This online support can be a backup to the already existing bipolar support groups in the community.

There are as many various camps as people and kids with wide range of activities offered by and available in camps. Why youth camps?
Youth camps are very popular especially among children aged between 5 to 15 years old. Although there are different ways for children to develop their skills, we all know that youth camps cannot be replaced by any of it. Youth camps provide a variety of opportunities to the child in addition to the fun filled activities. In the older days, many youth camps were targeted at giving the children the chance of having a summer vacation filled with fun and relaxation. But today this has changed with youth camps being a source of developing leadership skills in children.

There are different youth camps today that will carry out different camp activities. Some of these activities might not bring out the desired results from your child. For this purpose, as a parent it is necessary that you are aware of the different youth camps and be cautious in selecting the best one for your child.

There are some parents who may be clueless as to how they could select the best type of youth camps for their children. If you are in a similar situation, why not read the following and get a better idea.

Safety is a critical issue when it comes to youth camps. If your child isn’t safe, as a parent, you’d obviously be reluctant to send them anywhere. Many youth camps will have coaches and instructors. Make sure they are qualified and are reliable sources. When there are fewer children assigned to each coach, they will be able to pay more attention to your child.

With the above safety issues comes the next question. Do they have safety amenities such as a first aid kit and other medical supplies? When there are sports such as football and baseball carried out, it is important that the youth camps have a set of safety equipment nearby.

Some youth camps train the child to learn only a few sports such as soccer, baseball and football. Look for youth camps that offer more sports such as basketball, volleyball, golf, tennis, track and field events, etc. Having a range of sports to choose from will let give your child the opportunity of enjoying the summer vacation doing something they love.

Make sure that the coaches and instructors at the youth camps are well qualified. Their experience can be a definite benefit for the child.

Camps are really popular and perfect source for experience and joy. In camps you can find wide scale of activities and programs to improve different skills. What are the Christian camps?
Chriastian camps can be both fun filled and educational on the level of religion where children of all ages share their spiritual experiences together. These summer camps are ideal for kids to have a lot of fun away from home and out of their parent s hair. There are also Christian camps for the entire family as well as married couples to participate in order to encourage bonding and growing stronger in the faith as a family. Some Christian camps are specifically designed for a certain purpose and for certain groups of people, so some thorough research will present you with the ideal camping solution for you

Make sure your kid is given a chance to talk and make collective decisions on which Cjristian camp they’d like to attend. It is best if two or more of his/her friends are also attending the same camp for company of friends will make your kid feel at ease throughout the long camping days.

If you are settling for a family camping experience, make sure you choose a christian camp with many activities and programs on offer. Physical activities could compromise of swimming and hiking, while there could be sessions of arts and crafts and to encourage the mind and spirit there would often be Bible studies and group prayer sessions.

Couples who wish to register in a Christian camp should talk about what they want the program and experience to involve. An ideal choice of program would allow for the couple to commune, as it is a primary feature, whilst it takes exception their relationship as well.

Christian camp activities are usually designed to give a sense of protection and family belongingness to children. Activities such as parent days, storytelling and letter writing serve children remember their activities at home and share their family experiences with other youngsters.

Picking Out the correct Christian camp will involve some research and work put into it. Propositions from friends and other families will surely help narrow the selection. The important thing is to select a program that is in favor of the participant in terms of interest and activenesses.

The average child spends 900 hours in school per year and nearly 1,023 hours in front of a television. In fact, most children plug into the varied world of television way before they even enter school and when they do, statistics show that 70% of child-care centers use television during a typical day.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children watch around four hours of television a day. The AAP guidelines however, state that children older than two years of age should watch no more than one to two hours a day of quality programming. Further, children under age 2 should have no ‘screen time’ whatsoever (that’s no TV, DVDs, computers or video games) at all. During the first 2 years, a critical time for brain development, television can get in the way of exploring, learning and spending time interacting and playing with parents and others, which helps the young develop the skills they need to grow cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally.

While there are many entertaining and educational experiences for children to have on ‘screens’, it is important to keep in mind what children need at different ages for their healthy development. So, how much time is okay?

• Children under 2 years – very little time, preferably none.
• Preschoolers – an hour of age-appropriate programmes a day is plenty.
• Children 5 to 8 years – stick to an hour a day maximum.
• Children over 8 years – an hour and a half to two hours a day is acceptable.

To follow these guidelines means that your children have the time and opportunity to build strong bonds with real and caring people, have time for active physical play and ‘hands-on’ activities of all kinds.

Therefore, try to plan what you watch and limit your child to the amount watched each day. Decide together which programs will be watched and only have ‘the box’ on then, rather than just on all the time. This teaches children to think, to plan, to make choices and allows time for them to do other things important for their development.

Other issues to be aware of or implement include:

• Remember to lead by example – your child’s viewing habits may be copied from yours.
• Television viewing for a very young child should always take place in your company.
• Record programs so they can be played at a time that suits your family.
• Encourage children to discuss how they feel after watching a program.
• Play ‘spot the gimmicks and tricks’ when watching commercials.
• Decide on bedtime based on your child’s age, and not on the time a certain programme ends.
• Children need to wind down between television and sleep, so turn the volume down or off before bedtime.
• Make television just one of the many activities your children do – so organise outings, play-dates and activities for them that don’t involve ‘screens’. Fun arts and crafts such as coloring and drawing are always well received – especially if you join in – and especially if you choose coloring pages of a favourite character – so for example at sites like Spongebob Coloring Pages you’ll find the best Spongebob colouring pictures

Television has its advantages. It can certainly be educational and entertaining. It can open up new worlds for kids, giving them the opportunity to virtually travel the world and learn about different cultures.However, many down-sides also exist; many children are exposed to violence, advertising and adult material that is not age appropriate.

Just as you maintain a balanced diet or a regular bedtime, establishing healthy television habits is one of the most important things you can do for your family.

Are you fed up with paying top-dollar for the latest piece of over-hyped plastic? Answer “What can we do now Mum?” by making and creating activities from items you already have around the house or that cost nothing at all.

1. Shops. Save all your empty grocery cartons for a week or so and you’ll soon have a shop any aspiring grocer would be proud of. Gluing down the flaps makes cereal boxes, jelly packets etc. look unopened. Clothes, shoes, and even toys can all be used as “stock”. Paper bags and real or play money add to the fun.
2. Paper balls. When the kids keep arguing suggest that they throw something at each other! Paper balls are easily scrunched up from torn out magazine pages to make “ammunition”. When it’s time to tidy up, stand the waste paper basket in the middle of the room and see who can throw the most in. A rolled up magazine makes a good “bat” too.
3. Doctors/Nurses. A roll of white toilet tissue paper makes this game much more fun as Dads, Grans, teddies or dolls are mummified before your eyes. Plastic medicine spoons and cardboard box hospital beds for toy dolls are extra props that make the game last longer.
4. Tubes. Cardboard tubes from kitchen roll or foil make instant telescopes for sailors or pirates, or tunnels to roll marbles through. Babies love to watch things disappear then reappear out of the bottom. Don’t leave them alone with the cardboard tube though as they will probably suck it.
5. Cardboard boxes are tops – how many times have you bought your child a toy – only to find that s/he is more interested in its box? Boxes must be about the best free toys you can get hold of. Push in the ends of large ones to make tunnels and caves to crawl through. Draw-on windows and doors with felt tip pens to create a house, add a flag and portholes to fashion a boat or paper plates and a steering wheel for a car.
6. Miniature gardens. The foil trays that (meat and dessert) pies and other prepared foods arrive in make lovely containers for miniature gardens. The little ones can enjoy hunting around the park or garden for twigs to make trees, moss for a lawn, stones to arrange as a rockery or a waterfall. Keep twigs or stones where you want them with a little blue tack or plasticine. Add toy people or animals and maybe a little water if the container is watertight. This can be a very creative and enjoyable exercise if you have children of very different age groups to entertain. A variation is to use play sand (not builder’s sand – it stains everything yellow) to make a beach scene, maybe adding shells, stones and a blue paper sea.
7. Paper puppets. A picture of anything – colorful bird, clown’s face, animal or cartoon character, carefully cut out by an adult and stuck to the top of a strip of card about five inches long and one and a half inches wide becomes a very easily made puppet. These give such pleasure and are so easy to make that you will probably end up with dozens of them. Magazine pictures can be stuck on to folded card to make theatre set background and wings.
8. Potato prints. After cutting a potato in half, draw on a simple shape. A triangle, circle or star perhaps. Cut away the rest of the potato, leaving a shape to dip into paint and print on to paper.
9. Skittles. Skittles can be improvised from large plastic cola or lemonade bottles. A little sand or water in the bottom makes them more stable. A good game for learning to count.
10. Dens. Building a den must be one of the most memorable parts of childhood as we all seem to recall the bliss of blankets draped over the airing rack in the garden or over the backs of chairs indoors. Even today’s sophisticated kids seem to find the thought much more exciting than just erecting the shop bought plastic play house. I think the secret is to give structural advice about making the thing stay upright, but let the children do as much as possible themselves. Really large boxes of the type that washing machines and fridges come in can be had for the asking from the big electrical goods retailers and are useful for rooms within dens. Indoors, one of the simplest dens can be made by throwing a large sheet or duvet over a table. Cushions, torches, biscuits and comics or books will all be needed at the housewarming.
11. String. Children find a million uses for string, from tying up toy “baddies” to making a washing line for doll’s clothes. It can be tied up to the legs of chairs to make a jump, it can be dipped into paint and twirled on to paper, plaited, knitted with, made into a parachute or mobile, used as a measuring aid or for learning how to tie shoelaces and bows. It need never linger in the kitchen drawer again.
12. Sewing cards. Stick a picture on to a postcard or draw a simple duck, car or teddy shape. With a sturdy bodkin needle, push holes around the outline of your design approximately one inch apart. Using brightly colored wool in the bodkin or a long bootlace, thread in and out of the holes.
13. Create a personalized coloring book for your children and/or their friends by printing free coloring pictures from the Internet. Little boys love coloring images of trucks and cars as well as those of favorite TV characters such as Bob the Builder or Pikachu. At sites like Pokemon Coloring Pages  you’ll find  Pokemon coloring book while at Princess Coloring Pages you can print and color  many free princess colouring suitable for little girls.
14. Stilts. You need to do a little drilling for this one. Take two strong tins (coffee or clean paint tins are ideal for this) and drill a hole about one inch from the top on opposite sides of the tin. Insert a length of string and knot securely. Check that the handle is at a comfortable length for the child before knotting the other side. These are always a very popular part-time, but never leave young children alone with them especially near stairs or steps.
15. Cafes. Children’s tea sets are a handy prop for this game, but a picnic set or microwave cookware is just as good. Giving the waiter/waitress a little notebook and pencil to take orders and making a tall white hat from a cylinder of paper for the chef will add realism. Place dolls and teddies around as well as willing Aunts and Grannies for extra customers.
16. Playdough. Mix together two cups of flour, one cup of salt, one cup of water, one tablespoon of oil and a few drops of food coloring for an easy to make dough that will keep for about three weeks if you wrap it in polythene and keep it in the fridge. All you have to do is make sure that you knead the mixture well. Divide the mixture up first if you have more than one color available.
17. Obstacle course. An obstacle course can turn a rainy day into an exciting adventure. Use whatever you have available. A bench to walk the plank, cushion stepping stones across shark infested seas, through a cardboard box tunnel, up a chair mountain or through a duvet cave. The wilder your imagination the more your children will love it.
18. Easy boats. Recycle your empty margarine cartons. Use them as boats for the bath or paddling pool. These are so easy that even the very young can help to make them. Cut out triangular sail shapes from white or colored paper. Make a little hole at the top and bottom of the sail so that you can poke through a straw to create a mast. Let the child fix this to the bottom of a clean margarine tub with a lump of blue tack or plasticine. They sail extremely well and will even take a couple of toy people on an exciting cruise.
19. Capes. Nurses, kings, queens, Batman, Superman – they all need capes or cloaks. Luckily they are easy to make by attaching ribbon ties to an oblong of fabric in the color of your child’s favorite caped character. Keep an eye on them though, because anything that is tied around the neck (of course!) could be dangerous.
20. Leaf art. Collect leaves and draw around them. This is fun for little ones and an educational tree identification game for older children. Color in the details with crayons or paints. The leaves could then be stuck on to paper collage style or dipped into paint and then pressed firmly on to paper for a lovely leaf print.
21. Make a puzzle. Stick a favorite picture on to the front of the card and allow drying with a heavy book on top. Cut into pieces, how many depending on the age of the child, for an almost instant and personal puzzle

I have two children and even though I love them to bits, I have to say that at times they need motivating to do their homework or to help out around the house, for example. This article describes how I go about this child motivation. What we have been attempting to do, as explained within this article, have proved to be extremely successful in helping our own children and I am more than confident that they could be beneficial to other children.

Now I do not work with children and therefore would certainly not class myself as any sort of expert. I am a speech coach by day helping people that have a stuttering problem to achieve fluency. I also work on various other projects including helping a company that offer a DVD duplication and also within the fostering services UK sector.

I remember when I met my step-daughter, she was five years of age and quite a character. I felt a bit sorry for her however as she spent a lot of time at a childminders. The childminder would take her and pick her up from school. On some days her mother would not be able to collect her until around 8pm.

After a few months of dating her mother, I offered to help out by stating that I could take her to school and pick her up. My step-daughter said that she wanted me to do this and it was all agreed.

Up to this point she had never really been made to do her homework, either by her mother who was very busy and often tired or by the childminder.

When we arrived home from school on the first day of me picking her up, I asked her if she had any homework. She passed me her reading folder. In the folder was a book which she was supposed to read. OK; we can read the book together; I suggested. Mummy does not make do any homework, she replied. This was rather a shock to me as was the attitude with which she had said it. Well things are going to change then because in the future, and starting now, you will be doing your homework.

My step-daughter had a bit of strop and started to cry. Your not my dad, you can not make me do it, she continued. I basically had to be very strong and made her read the book. There happened to be around fifteen words that she could not pronounce and I proceeded to write them all down in the form of a list. We then spent around ten minutes where I attempted to teach her the words. This was all rather tedious for my step-daughter.

I then told her that we would now play a game, which is called the mouthing game. She would pick a word from the list and just mouth the word without making a sound. If I could guess what she had mouthed, she would get a point and then it would be my turn.

She really enjoyed this game and on the way home from school on the next day, she asked if we could play the game again. Of course we can but we need to read the book first, I said. She replied that this was fine. This is the way in which we go about motivating our children; trying to turn a boring task into fun by way of turning it into a game.

I also compliment both children and tell them how much I love and am proud of them at regular intervals. I give them rewards when they have a good school report and encourage them to always give things ago even if they believe that they might fail in the specific task. In my opinion there is no such thing as failure if you have tried your best.

The average child spends 900 hours in school per year and nearly 1,023 hours in front of a television.  In fact, most children plug into the world of television long before they even enter school and when they do, statistics show that 70% of child-care centers use television during a typical day.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children watch around four hours of television a day. The AAP guidelines however, state that children older than 2 should watch no more than one to two hours a day of quality programming. Further, children under age 2 should have no ‘screen time’ whatsoever (that’s no TV, DVDs, computers or video games) at all. During the first 2 years, which is a critical time for brain development, television can really get in the way of exploring, learning and spending time interacting and playing with parents and others, which helps the young develop the skills they need to grow cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally.

While there are many entertaining and educational experiences for little ones to have on ‘screens’, it is important to keep in mind what children need at different ages for their healthy development. So, how much time is okay?

• Children under 2 years – very little time, preferably none.
• Preschoolers – an hour of age-appropriate programmes a day is plenty.
• Children 5 to 8 years – limit to an hour a day maximum.
• Children over 8 years – maximum an hour and a half to two hours a day is acceptable.

To follow these guidelines means that your children have the time and opportunity to build strong bonds with real and caring people, have time for active physical play and ‘hands-on’ activities of all kinds.

Therefore, plan what you watch and limit your child to the amount watched each day. Decide together which programs will be watched and only have ‘the box’ on then, rather than just on all the time. This teaches children to think, to plan, to make choices and allows plenty of time for them to do other things important for their development.

Other issues to be aware of or implement include:

• Remember to lead by example – your child’s viewing habits may be copied from yours.
• Television viewing for a very young child should be in your company.
• Record programs so they can be played at a time that suits your family.
• Encourage children to discuss how they feel after watching a program.
• Play ‘spot the gimmicks and tricks’ when watching commercials.
• Decide on bedtime based on your child’s age, and not on the time a certain programme ends.
• Children need to wind down between television and sleep, so turn the volume down or off before bedtime.
• Make television one of many activities your children do – so organise outings, play-dates and activities for them that don’t involve ‘screens’. Fun arts and crafts such as coloring and drawing are always well received – especially if you join in – and especially if you choose coloring pages of a favourite character – so for example at  sites like Spongebob Coloring Pages you’ll find the best Spongebob to color

Television has its advantages.   It can be educational and entertaining. It can open up new worlds for kids, giving them the opportunity to virtually travel the globe and learn about different cultures.However, many down-sides also exist; many children are exposed to violence, advertising and adult material that is not age appropriate.

Like maintaining a balanced diet or regular bedtime, establishing healthy television habits is one of the most important things you can do for your family.

Here you have a dozen play-time ‘recipes’ to help keep your children entertained during the school holidays. Learn how to make homemade goop, papier mâché, cinnamon ornaments, soap crayons and much more. When the kids say, “I’m bored!”, print this article and stick it on your fridge – it will be one of your best weapons against the ‘boredom’ gremlins!

Washable window paints
A selection of tempera paints (powdered or premixed)
Clear dishwashing liquid
Mix powdered paints with dishwashing liquid until they resemble house paint. Line the window sashes with masking tape and spread newspaper under the window area to protect flooring. To erase paint or touch up mistakes just wipe paint away with a dry paper towel.

Home-made coloring books

Go online and download a dozen or so coloring book pages and collate them into a coloring book. Put this aside for rainy days or for long car/train/plane journeys. Little boys love images of cars and trucks while little girls prefer coloring book pictures of fairytales and princesses. At sites like Pokemon Coloring Pages you’ll find many Pokemon coloring pages

Cinnamon ornaments
3/4-1 cup applesauce
1 (4.12-oz.) bottle of ground cinnamon
Mix the apple sauce with the cinnamon to form a firm / stiff dough. Roll out to 5mm thickness. Cut out a shape with the cookie cutter and make a hole for the ribbon using the end of a drinking straw. Carefully put aside to dry for several days – turning occasionally. This recipe makes 12 sweet smelling ornaments/drawer scenters.

Goop

2 packets of cornflour
2 cups of water
Several drops of food colouring

Place newspaper or plastic sheets on your work surface. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl. Children love goop’s squeezy and squishy consistency. You can also use coloured or black paper to make goop paintings if you wish. To remove goop from carpets, allow it to dry, then brush vigorously or vacuum. The great thing about goop is that it may be re-used after it has dried out. Crumble it to a powder then restore it to the original consistency by adding water a tablespoonful at a time.

Funny putty
2 tablespoons of white glue
1 tablespoon of liquid starch
Food colouring
Mix glue together with the desired food colour. Pour starch over top. Swish so that all the glue is covered. Let set 5 minutes. Squeeze off extra starch and knead until mixed.

Bubbles
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of glycerine
2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap
Mix water, glycerine and soap. Pour in sugar. Add food coloring if you’d like.

Papier mâché

1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
1/2 inch strips of newspaper
Balloon/s

In a large bowl, mix flour and water – add more flour is mixture is too sloppy (dripping). Place newspaper strips into the gooey mixture, then smooth onto blown up balloon. Cover balloon completely twice, letting dry in between layers. Do not cover the balloon’s knot. Dry in a warm place for 2-3 days then hold the knot and pop the balloon with a pin. Paint, glitter and decorate the balloon as is or cut in half so you have a bowl/hat shape to embellish.

Modelling/play dough
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
water
food colouring

Mix the ingredients and knead to a dough consistency. To speed up the drying process, place the dough artwork in the oven on a low heat.

Soap crayons

1 3/4 cups of soap flakes

50 drops food colouring
1/4 cup water

Mix water and soap flakes together. Add food colouring and put mixture into an ice cube tray. When hardened, pop the ‘ice cubes’ out. These soap crayons are fun to write with on the tub and tiles when bathing. If grouting stains, spray with a weak solution of bleach.

Sand dye

Fine sand

Water

Food colouring

Paper cups

Plastic spoons

Fill paper cups half full with sand. Next, add water to cups to completely cover sand. Add food colouring to get the desired colour. Stir with plastic spoon and let set for 15 minutes. Pour off the water, spoon sand onto paper towels and spread the sand out to dry. Use sand to make pictures (spread glue on paper and sprinkle sand on top) or to fill pretty bottles in layers.

Cornstarch Art/Finger-paint

3 tablespoons of cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

2 drops of dishwashing liquid

1 cup boiling water

Food colouring

Combine cornstarch and cold water – stir until smooth. Add dishwashing liquid. Pour the boiling water into the bowl and stir well until the mixture thickens. Add food colouring and let cool. Use this exactly as you would use store-bought finger paint.

Puffy Paint

Flour

Salt

Water

Tempera paint

Mix equal parts of flour, salt and water in a bowl. Add just a small amount of tempera paint to the mixture and pour into a small plastic squeezy bottle. Repeat the procedure making as many colours as you wish. Squeeze onto heavy paper or cardboard to make designs. Mixture will harden into puffy shapes.

Colourful Salt

1/2 cup salt

5 to 6 drops of food colouring

Add food colouring to salt. Stir well. Cook in microwave for 1-2 minutes or spread on waxed paper and let salt air dry. Store in an airtight container and use as you would glitter.

As a parent it is important that we understand what potential problems our child has. It goes without saying that many children have various anxieties and worries; I know that I certainly had quite a few as I was growing up. In this article, I write about the types of fears that this might be and about how we can help our children to cope and to get through life in the best possible and stress-free way.

I am by now a child social worker and what I write within this article is just my own personal opinion. I actually work within the stammering therapy industry; I am also involved with a DVD authoring company and with a group of cost reduction consultants.

Many children are able to pick up on what their parents are worrying about. They may hear arguments about money and can then start to worry themselves about the financial situation their family may be in. I am a parent myself and try where possible to only discuss serious issues with my partner when the children are out or are asleep. If I believe that one of my children has overheard a conversation which I would have rather they hadn’t, I then talk to them to attempt to reassure them that everything is OK.

Children may also worry that their parents may break up and that they will end up living apart. They will no doubt hear that this has happened to their friends and may wonder and stress about how their lives would change if this happened to them.

My children have told me that they worry and that they fear that one of their parents may die in the near future. It is quite difficult to explain to them that this is unlikely to happen as it obviously could. I try and laugh it off which may not be the best policy, by stating that I am still very young and that I have no plans to leave this planet in the near future. I explain to them the age that the average male will live to in our country and that normally, I hope, makes them feel better.

Another form of stress and anxiety for many children, is of course, attending school. Will they be able to cope and understand the work? Will they be able to obtain a good examination mark and a good report? Will they be able to make their parents proud of them? I have told my own children not to worry about these issues and to just try their best.

Socialising and meeting friends can also bring its own tensions. I am sure that we all remember our own childhoods and the fact that we regularly break friends but that we normally, eventually, make up again. It can be quite stressful when friends have a disagreement or argument. When this happens to my children, I make a point of saying that it has been the fourth time in a month that you and Amy as an example, have had a falling out. Your sure to make friends again in the near future.

As children get a bit older there is then the challenge of meeting a member of the opposite sex. We all know the problems and strains that this can bring. At this time I think it is just a matter of being there for your children and getting them through these difficult years the best and easiest way possible.