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toddler road trip
8 Smart Ways To Entertain Your Toddler In The Car

8 Smart Ways To Entertain Your Toddler In The Car

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Going on a road trip is one of the best things you can do with your family. A long drive with your loved ones is truly a magical experience. But mommies, I’m sure you will agree that traveling long distances with little children in tow is not a joke. During the long journey, your child will be strapped to a car seat with minimal space for movement. As a result, your sweet little baby will start feeling cranky and throw tantrums. It takes a lot of patience and some meticulous planning to make sure that your child’s, as well as your own car journey, goes well. So the big question is…

How to keep your child entertained in the car on road trips?

Here are some tips.

family road trip
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1. Pack the snacks!

Nothing can keep your child calm and relaxed if he is hungry. Plan out the snacks that you will carry with you beforehand, and pack them for your journey. Don’t forget to bring along lots of water and some milk in sippy cups. Although healthy snacks are preferred, you can add in a few of your child’s favorite snacks to keep him happy during the ride.

2. Sing songs

A family road trip is incomplete without some music! Little children react to music in an unbelievable way. Take pictures and videos of your toddler bobbing his head to the beat or your older kid singing along to the lyrics. You can even play some of his favorite nursery rhymes and keep him entertained.

3. Bring your iPad along

If you have an iPad or a tablet, bring it along on your road trip. Download an app, such as KidloLand, which is an all-in-one companion for your preschooler. Loaded with a ton of educational and fun content, your child will surely never get bored of playing and learning.

entertain car road trip toddler tips
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4. Bring some toys!

Your child might have some favorite toys or soft toys at home that she loves to play with, so why not bring them along too? Your children can cuddle with soft and fuzzy toys, making it much easier for them to fall asleep. Avoid bringing toys which make noises for your own sanity.

5. White board and dry-erase markers

A clear white board is a blank canvas, all it needs is your child’s imagination! During a long road trip, your child can feel bored of sitting in one place for long hours. How about giving her a white board with some dry-erase markers? She can doodle, scribble, draw, write and keep herself engaged for quite some time.

6. Finger puppets

Finger puppets are a great way to keep things interesting on your road trip. Encourage your little one to make up his own story with the finger puppets and keep adding new twists and turns to it. This will not only keep him entertained but it will also make him think! Colorful finger puppets are great ‘friends’ for your child to talk to, and it also promotes creative thinking and imaginative play.

entertaining car activities for toddlers
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7. Books

You can bring along some story books with colorful illustrations to keep your little one engrossed. Read the stories to him or let him read them all by himself. When you read a story to him, add voice modifications for different characters and make it fascinating. Your child is guaranteed to love every bit of it!

traveling with children in car
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8. Lullabies

Naps are extremely essential during road trips! You can play some of the lullabies for babies within the KidloLand app on your iPad/tablet and soon, your little munchkin will be drifting off to sleep. Remember to bring some soft pillows for your child so that she can comfortably fall asleep. Once your child has fallen asleep, take a power nap yourself because you deserve it! After all, mommy needs some sleep too.

Summing Up

It’s best to make a checklist and pack all the essentials for your road trip beforehand. Some strategic planning can ensure that your child has a relaxing and exciting journey in the car. Happy journey!

teach gratitude and respect
4 Ways To Teach Your Child To Be Respectful

4 Ways To Teach Your Child To Be Respectful

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“Treat people the way you want to be treated.”

This is a powerful saying which sums up a lot in one sentence. Every parent wants his or her child to grow into a wonderful human being. One of the most important qualities a good human possesses is politeness. A person who respects his or her peers, colleagues, authority, elders and children, is a good human. Such a person is greatly admired by people of all ages. So if you’re a new parent, how do you ensure that your child shows respect and gratitude? Read on to know 4 simple ways to teach your child to be respectful.

how to teach respect to your child
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Lead by example.

Toddlers and preschoolers are growing and learning everything they know from what they see and hear around them. A child observes the behavior of his own parent and emulates it. If you’re a respectful person yourself, your child will effectively start practicing it himself. No matter who you talk to – be it a waiter at a restaurant or the old neighbor you see every day – be polite to each and every one. This is how your child will learn from your example.

teaching children respect and manners
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Talk about it.

If your preschooler says some disrespectful words or phrases in anger, sit down and talk to them about it. Explain to your child, calmly, why such words and the tone of saying they can be hurtful to the other person. Teach them that kindness and politeness are some of the best qualities a person can have. If your child speaks rudely to you or the elders of the family, you can try saying this – “That is not a good thing to say. We must respect one another.” Avoid yelling or using harsh words yourself.

 

teach respect to kids
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Appreciate when your child is polite.

Disciplining your child with a firm voice when they’re being disrespectful is important. But what’s also equally important is appreciating him when he shows gratitude. Teach empathy to your child by using words such as ‘thank you’, ‘please’ and ‘excuse me’ in your daily lives. Be respectful to your child and your child will respect you too. Again, don’t yell at your child, especially in a public place. Doing this can result in him feeling embarrassed and hurt.

teaching toddler respect
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Teach your kids to help.

Encourage your child to lend a helping hand, at home and at her preschool as well. Teach her those good manners and good behavior helps her to become a wonderful human being. A caring heart and kind words will make sure that your child grows up to be a good person overall. Teach her that even if she wants to say ‘no’, she can do it politely. Show her how to frame sentences so that it’s respectful.

Summing up

Respect means you care to think about the other person’s feelings before you act. Getting angry is natural but how you deal with it is important. If your growing child learns about being compassionate, kind and respectful to others, it’s half the battle won.

lunchbox tips preschoolers
5 Tips For A Healthy & Interesting Lunchbox For Preschoolers

5 Tips For A Healthy & Interesting Lunchbox For Preschoolers

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Kids, especially the ones under the age of 6, are picky eaters and making a lunchbox for them can be quite a daunting task. If you’ve only been packing sandwiches in your preschooler’s lunchbox, it is time to switch it up and make it interesting for you and your little one! It’s essential that your child’s lunchbox is healthy and also gets him excited for lunch time. Here are some simple and easy ways to make your child’s lunchbox more fun!

1. Get creative.

Cut out vegetables and fruits such as carrots and oranges into fun shapes. You can use various cutters or even cut it out yourself. Make funny faces by including various veggies and set your inner creative artist free. This will not only make the lunchbox fun, but it will also make your preschooler giggle. Try to keep it exciting by choosing a different vegetable every single day.

toddler lunchbox picky eaters
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2. Keep your child hydrated.

A bottle of homemade orange juice or a yummy smoothie will surely liven up your child’s lunchbox even more. Include fruits such as bananas and strawberries, which will be a nutritious addition to the lunchbox. You can also buy colorful and attractive water bottles, so that your child drinks a lot of water throughout the day and stays hydrated.

healthy lunchbox ideas kids
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3. Think outside the sandwich.

Instead of the same old sandwich, how about preparing some wraps, rolls, or even some pasta? Including these food items will ensure that your child’s lunchbox is never boring. Increase the health quotient of these recipes by adding some broccoli, peas, and corn. You can even add some chicken and various sauces to ramp up their flavor. Your preschooler will thank you for it.

healthy school lunch ideas
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4. Pack the power trio.

Healthy eating is a must, no matter what your age is! Make sure that you add the power trio to your preschooler’s lunchbox. The power trio consists of fiber, protein & healthy fat. Whole grain oatmeal, fruits like apples, pears, oranges, are all rich in fiber. Eggs, poultry, fish, dairy products are all great sources of protein. Avocados and hummus are sources of healthy fat.

lunch ideas for 2 year old
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5. Make it fun!

Whatever you do, just make it fun! Kids love different shapes and colors. So, work with that in mind and make the lunchbox very colorful. A wonderful and healthy lunchbox is nothing less than artwork. Make pinwheel snacks, veggie dips, heart-shaped cookies to keep your little one super excited for lunch time! Happy eating!

Tips to Pack a Healthy Lunch

develop preschooler fine motor skill
How To Develop Your Toddler’s Fine Motor Skills

How To Develop Your Toddler’s Fine Motor Skills

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Raising toddlers is a Herculean task that only super moms can handle. A toddler’s daily routine includes running around the house all day, having cranky and stubborn moments and being picky with food. Amidst all of this, it is essential for every super mom to make sure your toddler is learning and growing well, too. Hand-eye coordination, learning to balance on their feet, jumping, running, grabbing objects, speech, and language skills are all important abilities that your toddler should develop. A crucial aspect of every toddler’s growth is the development of his fine motor skills. A fine motor skill is the coordination of small muscles of hands and fingers with the eyes which helps a child to perform various activities like zipping up a sweater, holding a pencil, scribbling and much more. Below are 10 ways to develop and grow your toddler’s fine motor skills :

1. Playdough

Introducing your toddler to playdough can have a lot of beneficial effects. The squeezing, rolling, squashing, poking, flattening, separating and cutting (with safety scissors) involved with playdough makes sure that your little one develops hand-eye coordination while keeping it fun and interesting. It also enables your child to fuel his creativity by creating different objects with the malleable playdough.

fine motor skill playdough
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2. Tearing paper

Paper tearing might seem like a boring thing to do for adults, but for toddlers, it is extremely fun and also necessary for the development of their finger muscles. Tearing paper helps your child to enhance his grip on the paper with his fingers, increases his hand strength and also makes way for more complicated actions like opening and closing zippers and tearing bread into small pieces. A great activity to keep your toddler engaged and entertained is to let him tear papers into small pieces and make a collage from it.

3. Finger exercises

Finger exercises are a significant addition to your child’s fine motor skill development. This is also a simple and helpful activity for your baby to develop hand-eye coordination. Even simple activities like holding a pencil, clapping, crumpling paper, holding a ball etc. can make a huge difference in your child’s growth.

4. Finger and hand painting

Apart from being a creative way to develop fine motor skills, this is also an essential aspect of your toddler’s artistic progress. Let your child dip her fingers and hands in toddler-safe or edible paint and set her free with a blank canvas or printable coloring sheets. This is how you will motivate and encourage her imagination.

finger painting fine motor skills
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5. Coloring and doodling

Another way to develop your child’s creative talent is to provide coloring books or printables to him. Crayons, coloring markers, pencils are all great for your children to set their imagination free. You can also let your toddler scribble or doodle on a white sheet of paper. This activity imbibes patience, improves bilateral coordination, develops their color sense and keeps them engaged for quite some time.

6. Tracing

Tracing is a task that helps to develop fine motor skills in a huge way. Children learn how to control their grip on the pencil, learn to draw carefully along the dotted lines which can be curved or straight and thus, prepares them for preschool. Spatial awareness and dexterity are some of the benefits of tracing activity. You can also download apps like KidloLand which includes fun tracing and tapping games to further help your child.

7. Grasping activities

Building your toddler’s hand strength can make things much easier for him/her when they start preschool. Give multiple objects to your child to grasp, such as plastic glasses, toys they can squeeze, toys that they can shake, building blocks etc. Switch it up in between by asking them to pick up a tiny object and then pick up a big object. This makes for good hand and finger exercise for every toddler.

fine motor skills activities toddler
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8. Cutting paper with safety scissors

The next level of your child’s hand and finger development is getting him used to cutting (only with safety scissors). Cutting paper or playdough with safety scissors can refine their finger strength and hand-eye coordination. Your child can start with cutting straight lines, curved lines, circles, squares, and many other shapes. Supervision is a must, especially for this activity.

9. Sock puppets

Easy DIY sock puppets are exciting and significant for the development of fine motor skills. Making different sock puppets will let your toddler think creatively, encourage imaginative play and also improve hand-eye coordination. It’s a complete win-win situation for both, parents and kids! Parents.com has a great video to make a simple sock puppet.

10. Sticking and folding

Sticking and folding small pieces of paper or using stickers can help your toddler improve his spatial awareness and also increase his finger strength. Exposing your kids to art and craft activities can not only keep things fun and interesting for them but also improves their creative skill, hence making them perfectly ready for preschool.

fine motor skill toddlers
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Summing up

Fine motor skills and gross motor skills are important milestones of every toddler’s and preschooler’s development and starting early is very effective. Encourage your little one to perform the activities above and get him/her ready for preschool easily.