Shaping the life of your precious ones

Welcome to another issue of All about Parenting Toddlers .

In This Issue:

1. Choosing a Daycare or Pre-School – Top Ten Safety Tips
2. How Much TV Is Too Much For Your Toddler
3. Latest updates on Parenting Toddlers

Choosing a Daycare or Pre-School – Top Ten Safety Tips
by Michelle Annese

When it’s time to put your child into a daycare or pre-school, there is some homework involved. Here are the top ten safety tips that are useful when looking for a pre-school or daycare center.

1. Take the time to make sure the program is reputable and whether the facility has had any past complaints. Either with parents, previous teachers or care-givers. You also want to know about the existing teachers.

2. Talk with other moms on where they bring their kids. They will let you know if they had good experiences or not.

3. If you are new to the neighborhood, go to the receptionist at your area’s pediatrician. They know everybody! They pretty much have a pulse on the community. Nurses and doctors are O.K., but busy. Receptionists will have the time to answer your questions.

4. Learn about the school or center’s hiring policies and practices. Find out whether they check an applicant’s references, perform background checks, and verify previous employment history before hiring.

5. Learn whether the center or school welcomes and supports parental participation.

6. Make sure you have the right to drop in and visit the facility at any time.

7. Make sure you are informed about every planned field trip and outing. Never give the organization general permission to take your child off the premises.

8. Make sure that the facility has you sign a release to publish your child’s picture in any local newspapers. And it is definitely O.K. if you don’t what to have your child’s picture in the paper for their safety.

9. Prohibit, in writing, the release of your child to anyone without your explicit consent. Make sure the program knows who will pick up your child on any given day.

10. Ask the facility what their policy is on strangers or unauthorized persons that might come into the facility. Do they have any type of safety measures when someone who does not have custody or right to a child, show up. What is their protocol? What would they do?

You want your child to have an enjoyable and fun experience in their first learning facility. By asking questions and doing some investigating, you can rest assure that they will be in a safe environment as well.

About The Author
Michelle Annese is a 3rd degree black belt with 15+ years experience teaching self defense and safety for women and children. She is a World Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee for Achievement and best selling author of The Realtor Survival Guide, Protection for Women, and The SafeGuard System for Kids. For more information on how to protect yourself and your family go to http://www.michelleannese.com and check out other articles by Michelle Annese and get her free safety tips e-newsletter.


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Put humor and fun into disciplining. Check out the Better Behavior Wheel and at the same time find out why it is named so!

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How Much TV Is Too Much For Your Toddler
by Cassandra Germsheid

At least one third of households have their TV turned on all the time. This I can understand. But would you believe one in four children under the age of 2 have a TV in their bedroom?

Parents and pediatricians are now questioning how much TV is too much. Is it affecting toddlers' attention spans? Is it causing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? New studies are saying that it is a factor. The more TV your toddler watches, the greater their risk of developing attention difficulties. Too much of the tube is also a factor in childhood obesity.

Here's some more food for thought. If your toddler watches TV all day, when do they have a chance to use their own imagination? Where have the days gone when going outside to play was the solution for boredom?

When I was a kid, my grandmother would make me go outside and play. If it was cold outside, I would dress up really warm. You wouldn't dare tell her you were bored, or she would give you chores to do. So, I would stay outside for hours. I had to use my imagination and find ways to cure my boredom. I would make snow forts, slide down the hills on a sled and play with the animals.

Today, most parents are turning to TV to keep their kids entertained. And why wouldn't they? With shows like Barney, Arthur, and Boohbah, you could easily keep your child glued to the TV all day long.

But here's the kicker. An average 3-year old should be physically active for about an hour a day. But studies have shown that they are only active for 20 minutes. And we wonder why so many kids are becoming obese!

There are plenty of ways to reduce the amount of TV your kids watch. There are also lots of things to do instead of being a couch potato.

- One reason your child might be watching more TV is because they like the music. Instead of turning on the TV for them, put on a CD.

- Don't eat in front of the TV. Make mealtime a chance for your family to sit together and talk.

- Try offering rewards to your toddler for not watching TV.

- Distract your toddler with other things, like toys or puzzles. Don't leave the TV running in the background.

- Go outside and let your child explore. Going for walks will introduce your toddler to new things, but letting them walk instead of riding in the stroller will also help increase their physical activity.

- Reading books is a very important part of your toddler's life. It encourages and enhances their imagination. It's also fundamental for their language development.

Make sure you discuss your "TV rules" with family members and any other caregivers.

Here's another reason to turn off the TV. Not only will you have a more active toddler, you might improve your own relationship with your partner by interacting and communicating more. This is beneficial for both you and the kids by showing a good example.

You don't have to take your kid back to the stone ages, but keeping their day filled with a variety of activities is important for their growth and development. They will thank you when they're older.

About The Author
Cassandra Germsheid is the owner of Baby Tips Online (http://www.babytipsonline.com). She is a stay at home mother but sometimes works part time for her local newspaper.

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Wish you could work from *home* and spend more time with your toddler/young children? Here are some of the things you could do right from the comfort of your *home* ….. ___________________________________________________________________

Latest updates on Parenting Toddlers

The Parenting Toddlers website is constantly being updated with more information.

Below are the latest additions :

Simple no bake child birthday cake recipe made from ice-cream

How to make your own pinatas

Natural cough remedies you can make yourself

Remember to check back often for more updates on parenting toddlers.

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See you in the next issue. :-)