Family Tips

Shop toys often aren’t popular among kids, as they have a little in common with the surrounding world. It is not enough for the child that the toy was beautiful or amusing. Perhaps, with the clockwork railway he will play longer, assembling and disassembling the rails, observing as the train goes.

Adults frequently have deformed representations about the values of this or that toy based on their own children’s impressions. The kid with curiosity studies subjects surrounding him and especially reacts to that, which gives him the «pleasure of achievement» and satisfies his need in creativity.

Books are not only for reading, and bricks are not only for construction.
With our limited imagination we, adults, believe that the book is only for reading and the bricks are only for building.

Books and bricks are usually the first toys of the child. Adults impose to the child their own representations how to play with them. If the child plays in his own way, it means the purpose is achieved irrespective of how he plays. Correcting him means preventing his creative development or even bereaving desire to play at all.

He can use the book as a tunnel, or to draw on it, or to tear it. It is better not to give books at all, than to insist, that he only read them. When an interest to reading appears, he will understand that the most interesting thing about books is reading.

It is boring for the child to play with a manufactured toy which can be used only one way. Whatever expensive the toy is, it has no value, if the child cannot do something with it by hands or use it according to his rich imagination.

Almost all parents have experienced it. The child doesn’t need many toys: he or she needs a few, but useful toys.

For the child not the result of his activity, but the process is important. We, adults, want that each work has been finished. And in this we see main difference between work and entertainments.

The work, even the most simple, should be shown how to do it. The work frequently demands care and attention concentration which are not necessary in a game. Therefore participation of the child even in simple work about the house is very useful for the development of his intelligence and motor abilities. Strangely enough, but many parents overlook, that the child can weed a garden together with adults, water flowers, wash floors, and clean the house. This is easy for learning, and it has the most direct attitude to a daily routine life. Certainly, it is the easiest way to leave the child on his own. The child should not be taught how to play; it is much more difficult to teach him to perform simple works about the house. But those parents who “facilitate the lifeâ€? believing that “it is severe to force small children to work”, deprive the child.

Economic and Social Research Council has published the report which proves that first-formers start to feel stress for 3-6 months before school.

This conclusion has appeared as a result of numerous analyses. Analyses allowed to determine the level of “hormone of stress” (cortisol) in blood. Analyses were taken half-year before visiting the first school lesson, in two weeks and in six months after the beginning. It has appeared that level of cortisol was inexplicable higher 6 months prior to going to school.

Authors of the research consider that there are several explanations. On the one hand, school is rather mysterious thing for the child. On the other, parents experience anxiety about the future study of their offsprings and transfer stress to children, writes Washington ProFile.

At the majority of surveyed children the level of cortisol in blood has essentially reduced in half-year of training. Exception was the reserved, unsociable pupils.

The research conducted by scientists from anthropological institute of Leipzig has shown, that by 2 years children have better social skills in comparison with primates.
For 2 weeks scientists have observed 105 children, 106 chimpanzee-cubs and 32 orangutangs.
In the course of tests children have shown propensity to learning and faster mastered the actions shown to them.
In one of experiments it has been shown, how to open a plastic box with a delicacy or a toy.
Children quickly mastered a way as against to the monkeys which either broke the box, or tried to get up to contents with the help of teeth.
Scientists consider that conclusions of the research will throw the light on the evolution of human thinking.
It is necessary to note that the size of a human brain 3 times exceeds size of a primacy brain.

It only seems to parents that their children understand nothing, notice nothing, and pay no attention. Actually, memory of children fixes every seen and heard by them fact, and therefore even the meal for children is more tasty when it is advertised.
Scientists came casually to such unexpected opening - they simply tried to answer a question - why children like not so useful to health meal, such as burgers from McDonalds? As a result of a long monitoring it appeared, that kids are very receptive to advertising. And consequently the meal which is wrapped up in a packing from McDonalds, seems to them six times more attractive than the same products in a usual wrapper. That is, children consider the meal tastier, if think, that it has been made by the big company with a known brand.
Doctors are very much concerned about it. «The given results, - they say, - are one more proof in support of recommendations on regulating or banning of advertising of high-caloric food and drinks with the low content of nutrients or all marketing directed at small children».

It goes without saying that control is important to ensure safety of the children. But to help them really learn life and new skill, it’s also vital not to spoon-feed. Parents should give kids an opportunity to try something new, make their own mistakes, and learn from them.
For instance, if your child shows the wish to learn how to make a sandwich, you’d better to demonstrate, set up the ingredients, and let him or her try to do it on his or her own. Almost certainly, the child will make a bit of a mess. But don’t shame the kid. Actually, avoid any criticism that could discourage him or her from trying again. On the other hand, if you help untimely to finish the sandwich, your child will think, that he or she can’t make sandwiches.
But if you have patience for the mess and the time it takes to learn, the profit will be real. Someday you will here from the child that he or she is hungry for lunch and is going to make his own sandwich. The best reply for this occasion will be the request to make one more for you. This way you will demonstrate your faith in abilities of your kid.
Help your child by encouraging persistence in doing something. Trying again kids learn that  difficulties and obstacles can and should be overcome.

Being a kid takes confidence. Children often face obstacle in their life, as most of the things they do for the first time and have no idea what will be later.
Naturally, parents want to prepare their off-springs so that they’ll bravely takes on new challenges and, later believe in themselves. Children are different and there is no standardized advises, but parents can follow some general tips to build kids’ confidence.
Self-confidence rises out of a sense of ability. Children develop confidence not only because parents tell them they’re great smart and so on, but because of their own achievements, both big and small. Encouraging words are important, but these words mean much more when they refer to a kid’s specific efforts and new abilities.
When kids achieve something, and it is not very important whether it’s brushing own teeth or riding a bike, they get a sense of themselves as able and capable.
Building self-confidence begins surprisingly early. When babies learn to turn thin pages of a book or toddlers learn to walk, they are getting the idea that they can do it. Each new skill and small achievement increases confidence.
Parents should help by giving children opportunities to practice and master their new skills and let them make their own mistakes. Parent’s interest, excitement and praise, when kids show off a new skill is also very important to encourage them for new steps.
With plentiful opportunities, good guidelines and lots of patience from parents, kids can master basic skills: like tying their shoes and making the bed. Facing other more serious from adult’s point of view challenges, kids can approach them knowing that they have already been successful in something else.

Hyperactivity which declare itself in deficiency of attention and impulsive behavior is the disorder to some extent touching up to 20 % of children in an elementary school. Nevertheless, this medical condition is recognized not by all doctors and psychiatrists. And unrofessional environment is full of the most various myths about hyperactivity, the majority of which has nothing in common with the reality. And what is the reality?

Hyperactivity is really medical disorder.
This diagnosis has been officially recognized by the main medical, psychiatric and educational organizations worldwide. The syndrome of attention deficiency and hyperactivity is one of forms of the minimal brain dysfunctions. This syndrome has the biological nature. Researches show that in its basis lies disbalance of chemical transmitters - neurotransmitters - in a brain of the child.
There are various opinions on the reasons of hyperactivity development. It can be genetic factors, features of a structure and functioning of the brain, birth traumas, and infectious diseases of a pregnant woman or the child in the first months of a life, etc.
Primary symptoms of hyperactivity are inattention, inability to be focused for a long time, impulsiveness and restlessness. Hyperactive people have problems in some aspects of a daily life, especially in the areas demanding organization and time sense.

When the hyperactive child jumps from his seat during a lesson and starts to walk up and down the classroom, it is not that he has not been learned how to behave. He just cannot control the impulses. He is declined to fallow the first inducement under the influence of the external emotions. It is difficult for him to sit motionlessly for a long time, not to fidget or talk, he frequently touches and drops various things, pushes coevals, etc. And strict discipline is not enough for overcoming hyperactivity.

Actually, too strict upbringing, right up to punishment of the child for impossibility of self-control, frequently can only aggravate symptoms of hyperactivity. If the child needs high motion activity, there is no sense to suppress it. It is better to try to learn him or her to splash out energy in the acceptable ways: going in for sports, dances and outdoor games. The emotional tension should be also reduced.

Hyperactivity equally touches both boys, and girls
Despite of the believe that hyperactivity, as a rule, affects only boys, girls are also subject to hyperactivity and show the same symptoms.

Hyperactivity frequently remains at the adult age
More than 70 % of hyperactive children stay hyperactive at teenage age, though, maybe, to a lesser degree. And almost 50 % of children have this syndrome in an adult life. Hyperactivity usually disappear by the teenage age, but lack of attention and inability to concentrate are still kept.

Hyperactive children can be taught
Such children for the best mastering of the material need to be active during lessons. Thus there is an impression that their brain work only when the body moves. They like lessons during which they can make something by hands, to test something, build models, and in mathematics, for example, use an abacus. During learning and storing the information they usually touch or move things and it is better not to disturb them.