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With 2018 in the rearview mirror, we’re excited for the new year! Let’s start the new year right by making sure us and our kids stay healthy. While we can’t completely crop sickness and downdays out of the picture, we can certainly develop routines to help prevent those nasty stomach bugs or common colds. Here are some tips to keep your kids healthy while they go play in the snow, sled down their local hill and drink hot cocoa.

At every age, pediatricians will be your partner in maintaining your child’s health. These questions can help you pick a good one for your family.
 

• Is the office location convenient?
• Can you call with questions during business hours? What about nights and weekends? Is there any charge for these calls?
• Who is available when your provider is away?
• Will your health insurance cover this provider?
• Is the office open on weekends or the holidays? Where can you receive after hours and weekend care?

Babies are new to the world, and can be susceptible to illness. Follow this advice to keep them on the right track.
 

• The vaccine schedule from your doctor is designed to protect your baby when she is most likely to get seriously ill from a vaccine-preventable illness.
• Sometimes behaviors that seem like baby might be sick are normal for infants. It’s important to understand the difference between normal behaviors and ones indicating sickness.
  • Common infant behaviors like hiccups, sneezing, spitting up, or having mild congestion of the nostrils are all normal.
  • Colic isn’t an illness; it is a pattern that often occurs in babies. Always go to your baby each time he cries, even if you are exhausted. This teaches him that he can trust you, and it makes him feel safe and secure.
  • Call your doctor if your baby:
    • Won’t eat for two feedings in a row
    • Has fewer than six wet diapers in 24 hours
    • Has a fever of 101°F or more
    • Has severe, watery diarrhea
    • Vomits everything eaten
    • Is very fussy and won’t settle down when held
    • Is sleepy and not interested in eating
    • Has skin rashes or dramatic changes in skin color
• Be prepared for when your baby is sick by:
  • Keeping important phone numbers stored in your phone and on your refrigerator, including after hours and advice line numbers.
  • Creating an emergency plan and sharing it with your family, neighbors, close friends, and child care provider.
  • Not relying only on advice from friends or relatives (they are well-meaning but often have incorrect information).
  • Taking a first-aid certification class for infants and children.
• If you or others in your home smoke and are not ready to quit, remember:
  • Always step outside and away from your baby when you smoke.
  • Never smoke inside your home or car.
  • Change your clothes if possible and wash your hands before picking up or playing with your baby.
• Since babies tend to put everything in their mouth, it’s a good idea to take a class on infant CPR and first aid.

Create healthy habits for your family and your toddler as you grow together.

• Schedule well child visits, your doctor will check your child’s overall healthy as well as their growth and development by checking reflexes, heart health, and progress in weight and height gain.
• Washing hands kills germs and prevents disease. It is important for young children to understand why washing and not sneezing into their hands will keep them healthy. Take a look at this PBS video to show them how.
• Children who participate in daily physical activities and eat a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables, and low in sugar and fat have a better chance of staying healthy.
• As an adult, it’s important to model an active lifestyle for your child so he can see how fun and healthy it is to exercise each day. Check out this PBS video to learn how.
• When your child is sick, sports drinks can help her feel better by providing needed electrolytes and calories. However, if your child is healthy, stick with plain water. Water energizes muscles, helps get rid of toxins in the body, and keeps you hydrated.
• You know your child best, if you feel something is wrong call your healthcare provider.
• Remember that one of the most important things you can do for the child in your care is to take care of your own emotional and physical health. You may even need to remind other adults that you need some time for yourself, or other support.

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Happy holidays to all you parents and caregivers. This jolly season is a great chance to spend time with your child and strengthen those family bonds that promote healthy growth and brain development. Festivities with the family can certainly be a handful, but your children get the opportunity to meet and interact with extended family, close friends and important loved ones who can also be instrumental in shaping their childhood. Here are some tips to stimulate family engagement to make sure children feel loved and understood, so they can form that bond with their first teachers--you, your family and friends!

New family and friends in a child’s life helps them learn about the world and the relationships around them.

• Tell family stories with puppets to increase her knowledge of relationships. Here’s a video to show you how!
• When you are having a meal with your family, sing the “Hello Everybody” song to each person. You sing, “Hello (the person’s name). How are you today?” and then the person answers. Have your child lead the song too!
• Family, friends, & neighbors play a huge role in caring for kids. All can create fun learning moments every day! Check out this Sesame Street video to find out why these people are so important.
• It is normal for young ones to be shy around new friends. Encourage him and build his confidence.
  • During an interaction with a new face hold your baby securely while you greet the person.
  • Help him touch the person’s hand or offer the new the friend a toy.  
  • Invite the new friend to give him a toy, encouraging them to share a toy back and forth.
  • If your child becomes comfortable being held by a new friend, make sure they stay close to you so he will feel safe and have the option to return to you.
  • Family and friends play an important role, but your relationship with them as their parent or key caregiver is crucial to all their learning and development. Here are some great ways to strengthen that bond.

In the first few months of life, your baby needs your immediate attention so she can learn to trust you.

• Research shows that creating a secure attachment between you and your baby has a direct effect on how she thinks about learning, relationships, and the world in general.
• When you quickly and consistently meet your newborn’s needs, he will learn there is someone who cares for him, and he is worth being cared for.
• A child who trusts is able to explore and learn because he knows he has a safe place to return to: you!
• You can talk to your child about anything! Use her name as you share face time telling her about the world around her.  

Babies’ brains are developing fast, here’s how you can strengthen relational bonds, and encourage their learning.

• Talk a lot with your baby. Label and narrate. “You’re eating an orange carrot!” Give her time to respond.
• Respond to her communications. See how long you can keep a back-and-forth conversation (even if it’s babbling) going.
• Give your baby time to observe what you’re doing and then copy you.
• Play with your baby by giving him safe toys to touch and explore. Toys like rattles can be good at teaching cause and effect. He shakes it, it make noise.   

Growing toddlers still need consistent support and encouragement from you. Keep giving your child attention even as they become more independent.

• For busy parents, it can be easy to just talk to children only when they are doing something wrong. But it is really important to remember to say good things when a child is being good too! Encouragement helps kids learn, but it takes a lot of practice!
• To guide children toward good behavior:
  • Praise and reward children for good behavior.
  • If she is doing something bad, direct her attention to something good.
  • Beware the word “don’t.” Be sure to teach and show your child what you want him to do.
• Here are some ways to praise your child that strengthen their relationship with you:
  • Use “I like” statements. “I like what you are doing. I like it when you _____.”
  • Praise her effort. “You can do it. Keep trying.”
  • Praise his cooperation. “Good job helping with ____.”
  • Use any chance you get to encourage your child!
  • Use “we”. This magic word makes children like to feel like they are part of a team! “We did it!”

Get more parenting tips, games, and other resources, based on the age of your child, sent right to your cell phone 2-5 times a week for FREE with Bright by Text. Text BRIGHT to 274448 to sign up!

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You can also check out this blog post on Denver's top mom blog, Mile High Mamas.

Children need to express themselves through creative outlets like drawing, singing and playing pretend to stimulate brain development. We’re not talking baby modern art prodigies here -- simple games and activities can inspire curiosity in young minds. Being creative encourages kids to take risks and cultivate their personality which helps them feel more confident as they grow. Set them on the path for success young with these tips to spark creativity.

From birth to twelve months, your child will be creating millions of neural connections each day and you can promote this growth by engaging in fun activities.

1. Encourage your child to explore your face. Name the different parts of your face as he touches them to help him learn.
2. When you’re child encounters a toy or object, does she touch it? Shake it? Bang it? Taste it? Talk to her about what she is doing, “You shook the rattle and made a sound.”
3. Your child may not be walking or talking yet, but with your help, they can definitely boogie so turn on some music.

Between 12 months and three years old, children start use tools around them to engage with their world.

1. Writing starts with scribbling! Encourage your child to draw with crayons or even with sticks in the sand. Check out this video to learn why it’s important.
2. Collect a variety of lids, plates, or boxes of different shapes. Sit at the table with your child on your lap, and show him how to trace one of the objects with his finger. Then, give him a crayon or pencil to trace around the object onto a piece of paper.
3. Playing dress up lets your child make decisions and have fun. This activity will build your child’s self-esteem as you accept and encourage her choices.
4. Teach your child the names of body parts in both Spanish and English with this fun song.
5. Children learn about themselves and the world through open-ended play - play that doesn't have rules or adult reasons. One way to support this is to have a box of random objects available for your child to use. You can make a trip to the thrift store, trade materials with another family, save wrapping paper and bows, collect rocks and leaves from the outdoors - the options are endless.
6. Tape a large piece of paper to the table and let your child draw with a crayon while you talk to him about what he creates. Even imitate what he draws--if he draws a red curving line, do the same.

Imagination and creativity are a huge part of your child’s preschool years.

1. Expect your child to tell stories and sing songs as a means to communicate and navigate the world. This video clues you in on all the exciting milestones they’ll be reaching.
2. Help your child develop creative fluency and flexible thinking. One fun way to do that is to take an ordinary household object, like an empty paper towel roll or wooden spoon, and have your child think of all the possible things that could be made out of that item. For example, an empty paper towel roll could become

• A telescope
• A magic wand
• A tunnel for toy cars to drive through
• What else?

1. You can do many things to encourage a child's natural creative spirit. Support their curiosity: if a child asks a question and you don't know the answer (or even if you do), ask the child what they think the answer might be and why; then find out together.
2. Help frame "mistakes" as "opportunities to learn." A child will have much more resilience in school if they know that they will sometimes make mistakes along the way as part of learning.

Get more parenting tips, games, and other resources, based on the age of your child, sent right to your cell phone 2-5 times a week for FREE with Bright by Text. Text BRIGHT to 274448 to sign up!
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You can also check out this blog post on Denver's top mom blog, Mile High Mamas.

No one likes being the parent with a screaming child in the grocery store. It’s okay, we’ve all been there. What do you do next? Discover the power of positive discipline. Research shows that positive guidance and discipline is the most effective way to guide your child’s behavior.

The goal of discipline is to teach good behavior rather than punishment which strives to stop misbehavior. Punishment doesn’t work because it assumes your child is trying to misbehave on purpose rather than exploring their world, and learning to control their impulses and emotions.

Here are some tips on positive discipline.

From prenatal to 12 months, you can’t spoil your baby with too much attention.  

• Your child needs lots of positive interactions, rather than negative ones to help them feel safe and build a loving bond with you.
• Go to your child when he cries or fusses. By responding to your child you teach him that you care and he can trust you.

At 12 months, your toddler can be full of inner turmoil during this year of growth and discovery. Realistic expectations support growth, and prevent frustration and power struggles. Here are some tips:

• Set simple clear rules and stick to them.
• Follow routines for meals and bedtime.
• Specifically tell and show your child what you want him to do. “Put your truck on the shelf, it will be safe there. No one will step on it”.
• Give lots of reminders. Your child cannot remember rules. He may follow a simple instruction when you give it, but won’t remember it the next time.
• Your toddler predict what will happen next as a result of her actions. So explain to her why something is unsafe.
• Distract or redirect your child to another activity when they are doing something undesirable. Explain why you are stopping them, and show them something else to do.
• Give your child lots of praise when he gets it right. He craves attention  from you, and it will help him learn to do things the correct way again.
• Give your child the words for her feelings. She expresses her feelings in physical ways because she usually does not have the words or other ways to express them. Tell her “You may not hit me, instead tell me ‘Mommy I’m mad’”. This will help her learn to identify and express her emotions in better ways.
• Plan interesting things for your child to do. A toddler busy playing is less likely to act out.
• Try not to compare your toddler to other children as an ideal. Learning about different temperament types can help you understand your child.

At 24 months, your child is becoming more independent, exploring his world and testing limits.
Be aware that challenging toddler behavior is normal and not a measure of your child’s “goodness” or a reflection of the care you provide. Here are a few tips to exercise with your toddler.

• Provide your child lots of encouragement and praise for good behavior.
• Distract or redirect your child to another activity when they are doing something undesirable. Explain why you are stopping them and show them something else to do.
• Instead of just saying no, tell him what you’d like him to do do instead.
• Offer your child real choices, for example “It’s naptime now, would you like to take your bear or you doll to nap with you” or “It’s cold out today, would you like to wear your coat or your sweater?”
• Use natural or logical consequences. Natural consequences happen naturally because of a behavior. If your child won’t eat lunch they will be hungry until the next regular meal time. Logical consequences are related to the behavior but used when there is no natural consequence or it’s too harsh or unsafe, a child running near the street is taken inside as a consequence.
• Be prompt and consistent, and follow through with fair and logical consequences.
• Ignore misbehavior aimed at getting your attention.
• If unwanted behavior persists or gets dangerous or aggressive. Remove the child from the situation and provide them some time to cool down.

Tantrums are your child’s way of blowing off steam and getting your attention. Don’t ignore tantrums; rather, show your child better, more appropriate ways of communicating. Here's how:

• Identify triggers. Do they occur when he's tired or hungry? Watch for the signals that let you know a tantrum is coming. Stopping a tantrum before it starts is the best policy.
• Stay calm. Children take their cues from their caregivers' words and body language. With your body language, tell your child: “It’s OK. I’m here for you, and I love you no matter what.”
• Pay close attention. Tantrums often occur when toddlers are striving to be independent and get frustrated when they are not able to communicate or complete a task. Watch carefully, and when you see him about to get frustrated, go to him and help him solve the problem.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff. Toddler tantrums can be divided into big deals and small stuff. For example, staying put in a car seat when the car is moving is a big deal. On the other hand, a toddler who wants to wear her sandals, and you want her to wear her sneakers? Small stuff. Try avoiding tantrums by sticking to your guns on the big deals and not sweating the small stuff.
• Hug it out. Try holding your child during a tantrum, and hug her until she regains control. Sometimes a strong, loving hug is all it takes to calm a child having a tantrum.
• Remove your child from the situation to allow them to calm down. Sometimes they need you to take a “time-out” with them to help them learn to calm down. Try reminding them to take a deep breath, counting out loud, or blowing pretend bubbles.

Get more parenting tips, games, and other resources, based on the age of your child, sent right to your cell phone 2-5 times a week for FREE with Bright by Text. Text BRIGHT to 274448 to sign up!

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You can also check out this blog post on Denver's top mom blog, Mile High Mamas.

Curiosity is an attribute we must cultivate in our children. Early discoveries, trial and error and tactile explorations are actually the building blocks of science, technology, engineering and math  STEM for short. The world needs more creative people and believe it or not, there are ways s to aid your child in developing these valuable skills before they can even walk! The vast majority of brain development takes place during the first three years of life, so why not pave the way for your baby to become a biochemist while we’re at it. We’ve got some tips and information to help you understand and encourage your baby’s STEM capabilities.

The first year presents tremendous opportunity to get your child thinking critically in their unique way.
 

1. You’ve probably noticed that when babies interact with their parents, they stare. This powerful stare indicates that she is seeking information. As she continues to grow, she starts to mirror behavior.
2. Have conversations with your newborn and respond by mimicking her sounds and facial expressions. Describe her actions out loud as often as possible.
3. Rolling, crawling and moving around are all trial and error for your baby so make sure he has room to move. Your soon-to-be toddler is learning science!

Here are some tips to make your toddler tech-savvy with less reliance on screens and TV!
 

1. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), even educational programs on TV aren’t as enriching as real life, such as figuring out how a toy works, playing games, or singing songs and dancing with you. That doesn’t mean that technology doesn’t serve a purpose. Learn how to leverage screen time to build your relationship with your child and help her gain skills.
2. Children are curious and they want to use all their senses to explore the environment. Go out in nature and find shapes and textures in your child’s environment. Offer three-dimensional shapes for her to explore and sort.
3. Purchase or make your own toys that let children create patterns, build, count and sort. Focus on toys that develop children’s physical, cognitive, academic, musical and artistic skills. Select puzzles with pictures that can probe deeper thinking and question development.
4. Cut or tear out the pages from an old calendar. Mix up the months and hand the stack of pages to your child. Ask your child to order the months from January to December by laying the pages out on the floor. Which month goes first? Then which one? Which month is last?

Help your preschooler understand basic science principles with these activities and concepts!

1. Estimating how much a container can hold then measuring to find out teaches children basic skills that apply in math and in science. Hands on activities like this help children understand underlying concepts such as volume and mass.
2. Learning to assign one number to each object as you count is an important concept for children to grasp. Using children's age as the basis for counting helps them develop this skill as they grow.
3. You can use children's fingers or familiar objects when you count. You can also put these items in two groups and add them together to practice simple addition.
4. Learning about speed helps children understand their world. This PBS video shows how six different animals move slow, medium or fast. You can also demonstrate speed by playing a game like Simon Says with your child. Demonstrate slow, medium and fast movements when Simon says.

Get more parenting tips, games, and other resources, based on the age of your child, sent right to your cell phone 2-5 times a week for FREE with Bright by Text. Text BRIGHT to 274448 to sign up!

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