Because I said so ...

Rewording your requests with phrases that show interest and promote involvement will encourage children to cooperate more. It helps children feel listened to, and in time they will start listening too.

In our busy lives it often seems quicker and easier to give children instructions and replies of ‘Because I said so’ or ‘Do it now!', but check out our suggested phrases to help encourage parent-child cooperation.

Have a look at our other child development articles too!

Tips on taking kids birthday party photos

Have a child's birthday party coming up?

Don't miss out on those special moments. Check out our simple tips to ensure you have photos of your children's birthday parties to treasure forever, including a list of suggested shots.

Make your own edible finger paint for kids

With freezing weather all round the country today, this is the perfect indoor activity to do with the kids!

OK it's a bit messy, but you'll have lots of fun! It’s cheap to make and safe to use and if there’s any left over, store it in the fridge or freezer to use for another day.

Head on over to Under 5s for full details on how to make your own edible finger paint!

Benefits of swimming during winter for kids

Should kids swim during the winter months?

As a precautionary measure when the temparature drops, parents often stop sending their kids to swimming lessons. However, when they return to swimming later in the year when it starts to get warmer, not only have they missed out on the many benefits of swimming, they find that their child still caught all the colds that went around. Often because the swimming was not continued through these winter months their swimming has also regressed through lack of practice.

Read our full article on keeping your little ones swimming throughout winter, including more information about:

• Weather and the immune system

• Why swim in winter?

• The warmth factor

 Don't forget to have a look at our swim classes on offer too!

 

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease in Children

Hand foot and mouth disease seems to be doing the rounds at the moment.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is usually caused by a viral infection. It can occur at any age, but is common in children under 10 years old. 

Learn more about Hand Foot and Mouth disease over at the Under 5s website, including:

• What is hand, foot and mouth disease?
• What are the symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease?
• How is hand, foot and mouth disease spread?
• How is hand, foot and mouth disease treated?
• How can you prevent spreading hand, foot and mouth disease?

Don’t forget to check out our other Health & Wellbeingarticles too!


 

 

 

 

Infant Research Study - cooperation, sharing & helping in infancy

They need your help!

Early Learning Lab (ELLA) at the University of Auckland is looking for participants for their new study into Exploring the roots of cooperation, sharing & helping in infancy.

If you have a baby less than 11 months old, you're eligible to sign up and take part.

This study will be using a range of activities to look at the development of prosocial behaviours. For example infants will be asked to play fun, game-like activities, watch a series of videos of people completing various actions, or they might even be asked to play with you! 

Your infant will receive a prize, you will be entered in draws for $50 gift vouchers, and of course, we have parking covered.

For more information visit the Under 5s website.

Ballet for toddlers and pre-schoolers

Young children love to dance and want to be the next Angelina Ballerina!

However, don't rush to enrol your little ones into ballet classes. Formal ballet training should not be introduced too soon as a child's bones are too soft for the physical demands and exercises of formal ballet. Also children under 3 have a limited attention span.

Instead, how about taking them along to a ‘music and movement’ or a ‘pre-ballet’ class? These classes serve as an early introduction to formal ballet.

Pre-ballet classes allow kids to use their body to communicate certain actions, emotions and feelings. By following a teacher's instructions, they will develop physical skills and use their imagination. Most babies and toddlers respond to the sound of music with lots of enthusiasm.

For more details and suggested classes visit our website www.under5s.co.nz.

Learning and teaching kids the alphabet

Families and caregivers play an essential part in teaching early childhood literacy skills.  

Being able to read is a vital life skill, so make the early stages of learning the alphabet as fun as possible for your little ones. Young children learn and develop best through using their whole body, all of their senses and their natural environments. You’ll find that most children begin to recognise letters when they’re about 2-3 years old, and are able to identify a large number of letters between 4 and 5 years old.
   
When teaching a child a new letter of the alphabet, ensure that the child can:

• HEAR the letter 
• SEE the letter  
• SAY the letter 
• TOUCH the letter  
• CREATE the letter 
• READ the letter 

For the full article head over to the Under 5s website and check out our other articles too!

A guide to finding suitable presents for kids

Do you find it difficult to know what presents to buy the small children in your life?

Do you want to buy something that is not only fun, but also encourages early childhood education too? A present that will suit a child’s age, hold their interest and encourage learning through play?

Check out our gift guides with present ideas for babies, toddlers and pre-school kids. Perfect for birthdays and Christmas.

Kids birthday present ideas

Christmas present ideas

Article written by Under 5s www.under5s.co.nz. Remember to check out Books & Toys category too! 

Kids' Car Seat Expiry

Something that’s come to light recently is that kids’ car seats expire! 

The life span of kids’ car seats (including capsules, convertibles and booster seats) does not depend on how well the seat was looked after, how many children have used it or even how often it has been used. Instead, look for the embossed stamp on the seat which tells you when the seat expires or when the seat was manufactured.

In general, kids’ car seats expire after 5 – 10 years from the date of manufacture.

Check out the full article over at Under 5s.

This article was written by the team at Under 5s. Have a read of our Kids Car Seat Safety article too!