When you and your partner are expecting a baby, numerous changes will take place in your life. You’ll need to baby-proof your house, buy new clothes and items for the incoming infant, as well as the need to make significant adjustments to your daily routine.

But these changes don’t end inside the home. Having a child also means making changes to your car to make travelling easy with a baby in tow.

You don’t necessarily need to buy a new car. You just have to make installations and improvements to accommodate the needs and safety of your child. Childproofing your car ensures your child is comfortable when you take them on a quick drive or road trip.

Have Car Seat

The car seat is the first item you need to install in your car. Choosing from numerous types, designs, and colours can be endless and overwhelming, especially for first-time parents.

You must remember that when choosing a car seat, you must consider what is appropriate for your child. Consider your child’s weight, height, and age. If you’re looking for a car seat 0 to 8 years old appropriate, a convertible car seat, a convertible booster seat, or unharnessed booster seat are the best options.

These three types of car seats are the most popular among parents:

• A convertible car seat is suitable for newborns up to 4 years old. It is used in a rear-facing position for infants and a forward-facing position for children.
• A convertible booster seat is suitable for a six-month-old baby up to eight years old child. It can be used forward-facing with a five-point harness or as a booster seat.
• Unharnessed booster seat children are used by 4 to 8 years old children. It is suitable for children who have outgrown the convertible booster seat.

Place Cargo Carrier

Adding a cargo carrier to your car’s roof is a smart decision when you become a parent. Travelling with a child means bringing multiple things. These include a bag containing nappies, milk bottles, clothes, toys, and a baby stroller.

Most baby strollers usually do not fit inside the car or the trunk. Some even consume a lot of space, even when folded, have wheels, and have quite a wide dimension. Having a cargo carrier on the car’s roof means you can tie the baby stroller and bring it where you’ll be going.

Install Dash and Backup Camera

Installing a dash and backup camera records the activities happening outside your car. Backup cameras are beneficial when you’re parking. It helps you see animals or obstacles that your blind spot obstructs. This ensures a smooth parking experience for your child, free from bumps and unending car rotations.

A dash camera also ensures your and your child’s safety on the road. When driving, you can only control your speed and driving skills. You can’t control and don’t know how people around you will drive.

The dash camera records the roads where you’re cruising along, your car’s movements, as well as the cars in front of you, and could come in handy for security purposes in case you’re involved in an accident.

Change Car Bulbs 

It’s also time to change the bulbs not only in the car lights outside but also the lights inside the car. Installing new bulbs for the car lights lets you see the road clearly. You’ll be able to spot incoming vehicles on the other side and the people or bicycles you’ll pass by. This helps ensure you and your child come home in one piece.

Chasing the light inside the car is also beneficial. It would be easier to locate nappies, milk bottles, or toys inside your baby bag when the light inside that car is bright. You’ll be able to easily spot things since you can clearly see where they’re located.

Add Window Deflectors

Using window deflectors lets you and your child feel and enjoy fresh air regardless of the weather. It keeps the windows cracked when it’s raining and deflects the sun away from your and your child’s eyes on a scorching day. Window deflectors also reduce interior wind noise, heat, and fog.

GPS Tracker

A GPS tracker in the car helps you track where you have been. This is a precaution in case you leave something important like a document or the baby stroller somewhere. Tracing your steps with a GPS tracker and retrieving the lost item would be easier.

It also helps in theft and robbery protection. When you have this installed in your car, you can connect it to your phone and check if your car is still where you parked it. You can easily report to the police authorities the location of your stolen car as manifested in your phone.

Final Thoughts

For parents, updating car features is a must for child safety. This means installing a car seat, changing the car bulbs, and placing a cargo carrier. It also means adding the window deflectors, installing the dash and backup camera, and getting the GPS tracker for easier and safer driving. These are made to ensure your child’s well-being is taken care of. This is your reality, and your child’s comfort is now your top priority.

Reading is a fundamental skill that furthers academic achievement, personal growth, and development. Acting in the role of an educator, teachers should strive to nurture a passion for reading in their children, while working within the constraints of their budgets.

Here, we offer a variety of suggestions for how primary school teachers can help foster a lifetime of reading enjoyment, based on the experiences of the team at Madeleine Lindley Ltd, a reputable children’s book supplier and established literary expert.

The Significance of Nurturing a Love for Reading

Research demonstrates that children who read for pleasure and develop strong reading skills are more likely to excel academically. Reading is a crucial component of numerous school subjects, not just English; for example, it has been shown to enhance conceptual understanding in mathematics.

Reading – and getting lost in a book – is invaluable for enhancing mental health in children. Engaging in reading activities stimulates their imagination, fostering creativity and problem-solving skills. Through literature, children can explore diverse perspectives and emotions, developing empathy and a better understanding of themselves and others. Reading also provides an escape from daily stressors, offering a peaceful and calming experience. As Anissa Trisdianty famously said: “Reading is dreaming with open eyes.”

Reading assists in the development of vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension skills. Children who read daily are exposed to a wider array of vocabulary and sentence structures, which aids in the expansion of their language capabilities. This can also help them refine their writing skills as they become acquainted with diverse writing styles and techniques.

Beyond practical benefits, encouraging a love for reading in children can profoundly impact their emotional and social development. Reading can offer solace and enjoyment while helping children develop empathy and compassion for others. It can also serve as an excellent way for children to bond with their parents or caregivers through sharing stories and discussing characters and themes.

Reading can evolve into a lifelong passion, offering countless opportunities for learning and personal growth. Teachers can foster a lasting love for reading by encouraging children to start reading from a young age, and reading for pleasure.

Making the Most of Allocated Budgets: Opportunities for Teachers

Teachers with access to funds for classroom materials and activities can use their budgets to create diverse and engaging classroom libraries by fulfilling the criteria outlined below.

A Diverse Collection of Books

It is essential to purchase a variety of books catering to different interests, reading levels, and genres. Teachers should prioritise acquiring high-quality, engaging, and age-appropriate books that will captivate children’s interest and motivate them to read. To create a well-rounded collection, consider incorporating graphic novels, nonfiction, and classic literature.

Representation and Inclusion

To encourage diversity and representation in the classroom, include books with an array of characters, cultures, and perspectives. By exposing children to diverse narratives and stories, they are more likely to identify with characters that mirror their own experiences and develop empathy for others. Make a conscious effort to select books featuring characters and voices from a variety of backgrounds and identities. You should also select books by authors from different backgrounds to encourage children to aspire to be great writers.

Create a Cosy and Inviting Reading Area

Despite the size constraints of many primary school classrooms, there is often an opportunity to make an inviting classroom book corner.

For the book corner to promote a love for reading, it needs to be well organised, age-appropriate, stocked with up-to-date authors and with nonfiction that isn’t out of date. It is vital that the corner is easily accessible to everyone in the classroom and books for everyone’s needs to instil a love of reading for pleasure. You should organise the corner into genres, authors, series, fiction and non-fiction separated, making it easy for children to make choices.

Encourage Reading for Pleasure

Reading does not have to be for academic purposes – you should encourage reading for pleasure and help foster a lifetime passion for reading.

No one has said it better than Daniel Pennac’s ‘The Rights of the Reader’.

Sparking excitement is key to cultivating a passion for reading. Hosting book fairs and inviting local bookshops, publishers or authors to participate is an effective way to generate enthusiasm for reading among children. Children can discover new books, engage with authors, and share their excitement for reading with their peers.

Invite authors, illustrators, and other literary professionals to visit the school and talk to the children giving them a unique insight into the world of literature. Children may be inspired to read more and even consider pursuing careers in the publishing world.

Provide Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers

Whenever possible, teachers should allocate funds for attending workshops or conferences that promote literacy and effective reading strategies. Professional development can help teachers stay up-to-date on best practices and cultivate a reading culture throughout the school.

Collaborate with Local Libraries and Book Sellers

Form partnerships with local libraries and children’s book suppliers to access engaging resources and launch collaborative reading campaigns.

Involve Parents in Reading Initiatives

Encourage families to visit the local library and allow parents and children to choose books together from the school library or book corner. Story sacks are also a great way to encourage home-school links and encourage reading at home.

Evaluate and Adjust Reading Promotion Approaches

Regularly assess the effectiveness of your reading promotion strategies and make adjustments as needed.

Cultivating a love for reading is a crucial aspect of a teacher’s role in shaping their childrens’ futures. Teachers can nurture a lifelong passion for reading by strategically using allocated budgets to create engaging and diverse classroom libraries, organise events and activities, and collaborate with the local community.

As a parent, you always want the best for your child – that includes ensuring their overall development. One way to do this is by cultivating their interest in science from an early age. Science isn’t just about memorizing facts or conducting experiments; it’s a way of thinking and exploring the world around us.

Fostering your children’s interest in science is crucial for their growth and development. The goal should be to excel in science, not to simply get by in a subject they make not take a natural liking to.  From promoting critical thinking skills to preparing them for future opportunities, there are countless benefits to nurturing a love for science in your little ones!

Fosters Curiosity and a Love for Learning

Children are naturally curious, and science can help to nurture that curiosity. By introducing your child to the wonders of science from an early age, you can encourage them to ask questions and explore the world around them. Whether you want to teach them about upcoming solar eclipses or you want them to be able to grasp a certain scientific concept, it is crucial that you make sure they are interested in the topic and that they share genuine curiosity about the subject at hand.

Science provides a framework for understanding how things work, from the smallest particles in our bodies to the vastness of space. When children learn about science, they begin to see connections between different phenomena and develop an appreciation for how everything is interconnected.

It’s also worth noting that when children find something interesting, they tend to want to learn more about it on their own – which is precisely what you want! Encouraging your child’s natural curiosity through scientific exploration could lead them down paths of discovery that shape their future interests or even inspire lifelong hobbies or career paths.

Encourages Critical Thinking at a Very Young Age

When children are exposed to scientific concepts and ideas, they are allowed to ask questions, make observations, and draw conclusions. By simply asking questions about the world around them, children learn how to think critically. This is important because it allows them to become independent thinkers who question everything they hear or see. They will learn that there isn’t always one right answer but rather multiple perspectives and possibilities.

Furthermore, science requires careful observation and analysis of data. Children who practice observing their environment with a curious mind will be able to apply these analytical skills in other areas of their life as well.  Ultimately, encouraging your child’s interest in science instills them with a scientific attitude helps foster problem-solving abilities. This allows them not only to succeed academically but also to prepare themselves for real-world challenges they may face throughout their lives.

Develops Problem-Solving Skills

Science is all about experimentation, observation, and analysis. It teaches children how to ask questions and find answers through trial and error. Problem-solving skills are crucial for success in life, both personally and professionally. Children who learn these skills at a young age tend to be more confident when faced with challenges later on in life.

They become better equipped to analyze problems objectively and come up with workable solutions. Science provides endless opportunities for children to practice problem-solving skills. Whether it’s figuring out why the sky is blue or designing an experiment to test a hypothesis, each challenge presents new learning opportunities.

Through this process of exploration and discovery, children become more adept at identifying problems and finding ways to solve them. Moreover, as they encounter setbacks along the way – which are inevitable in any scientific endeavor – they learn resilience too; that sometimes things don’t work out exactly as planned but there’s always room for improvement.

Promotes Creativity and Innovation

By conducting experiments or building their inventions, children learn to think creatively about how things work in the world around them. Promoting creativity and innovation at an early age is important because these skills will be useful throughout a child’s life. As adults, they may use their problem-solving abilities to come up with new ideas in the workplace or create solutions for everyday problems.

Science education can also help children develop an entrepreneurial mindset. They may learn to identify gaps in the market that need filling or come up with unique innovations that could change people’s lives. By cultivating these skills from a young age, children are better equipped to succeed as entrepreneurs later on. Furthermore, fostering creativity and innovation through science education can have positive effects on society as a whole. Children who grow up valuing these skills are more likely to contribute positively towards scientific advancements in areas such as medicine, technology, and sustainability.

Prepares Them for Future STEM-Related Opportunities

STEM-related jobs are some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying positions available today. From engineering to computer programming, there is no shortage of career paths that rely heavily on knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math. By encouraging your child’s love of these subjects early on, you can help set them up for success down the line. Beyond job opportunities, knowing STEM subjects can be incredibly beneficial in other aspects of life as well.

Technology continues to play an increasingly important role in society and understanding how things work or being able to solve technical issues will prove valuable regardless of one’s profession. Moreover, many scientific discoveries have practical applications that make our lives easier such as new medical treatments or innovative ways to generate renewable energy sources which only further highlights how crucial cultivating interest in science is.

Cultivating your children’s interest in science is one of the best gifts you can give them. It fosters curiosity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, creativity, and innovation. Additionally, it prepares them for future STEM-related opportunities that will be available to them. As a parent or guardian, you have a significant role to play in helping your child develop an interest in science.

You can do this by exposing them to various scientific concepts at home and encouraging their natural curiosity through exploration and experimentation. Nurturing your child’s love for science is crucial for their development as an individual and their success in the future. Start cultivating their interest early on by providing opportunities for exploration and hands-on learning experiences that make science exciting and engaging!

You have less to worry about regarding your kids’ safety on Instagram! The platform has launched some features that let parents have control over their children’s Instagram activities. In this article, we’re going to introduce Instagram Sensitive Content and Family Center to help you keep an eye on your children when using Instagram.

Threats of Instagram for Children

Instagram has become one of the most popular social media accounts, especially among youngsters. Around 10 percent of Instagram users are less than 17 years old. Despite all the interesting features of the platform, it has it’s dangers. This may be improving with the roll out of Instagram’s teen accounts.

Let’s list the threats that may harm your children on Instagram:

Cyberbullying

Although Instagram has no tolerance for bullies, there are still accounts that do cyber bullying. Kids are the most vulnerable group when it comes to cyber bullies.

Hate speech

Many accounts spread hate toward religions or races and you need to prevent your children from following these accounts.

Personal information release

Sometimes kids don’t know that they’re releasing personal information during their Instagram activities.

Sexual seduction

Unfortunately, many accounts on Instagram try to seduce your kids to have a relationship with them. Remember that there are many complaints about Instagram influencers in this regard.

Inappropriate content

Instagram’s limit on pornographic content is not enough and there is still lots of inappropriate content for kids and teens.

Instagram Sensitive Content Control

Instagram’s terms of policy don’t allow any content that might be harmful to people. For example, hate speech, cyberbullying, or similar content are categorized as sensitive content on Instagram. Also, Instagram has launched another feature, called Sensitive Content Control, that allows you to put more filters on Instagram content.

This is great news for parents because many Instagram posts and stories are not banned by Instagram, but they’re inappropriate for kids.

So you can easily let your kids know that they’re allowed to use Instagram as long as you limit content that is upsetting or offensive.

Here is how you can use Instagram Sensitive Content Control:

• Open the Instagram app on your kid’s phone.
• Go to his/her profile.
• Tap the three-line icon (a.k.a hamburger.) You can see it at the top right.
• Choose Settings and Privacy.
• Under “What you see,” choose “Sensitive content.”
• Choose a suitable option from the three options available;

1. More
2. Standard
3. Less

The last option is suitable for kids because it puts the most restricted filter on the content they can see on Instagram.

Instagram Family Center: Parental Supervision

Although the Sensitive content feature on Instagram is helpful, it won’t ensure your kid’s safety. Fortunately, there is another feature on the platform that lets you have more control over your kid.

Instagram Family Center provides supervision features to allow you to have an extra pair of eyes on your children’s IG activities.

It lets you track the time they use Instagram and reduce their screen time. Also, you can be notified of their following and prevent them from following suspicious accounts.

To do that, follow the guide below:

1. Open your own Instagram account
2. Go to your profile
3. Tap the hamburger icon
4. Choose Settings and privacy
5. Scroll down and choose Supervision under “For families”

Family Center appears. Now, you have to invite your kid:

1. Tap “Invite your teen
2. Choose one of the options: “Find your teen on Instagram” or “Send your teen a link”
3. Now, your kid has to accept the invitation.

When he accepts the invitation, you’ll gain access to his/her account.

Other Instagram Safety Tips for Parents

Here are some extra tips for parents to make sure about their kids’ safety on Instagram:

Screen time limit

Try to define a daily time limit so that they avoid spending too much time on the platform. Remember that social media can cause damage to their health and also their educational performance.

Check their followers

You need to know who they’re following or who has followed them. This way, you can spot suspicious accounts and take suitable measures.

Check their account’s Settings

You need to check their accounts so that they don’t change sensitive content or other settings.

Teach them how to set a powerful password

You need to know that Instagram accounts can easily be hacked. So you have to teach your kids to set strong passwords to save their Instagram profiles from hackers.

Keep their accounts Private

As you know, all users can see the content of public accounts. So you have to switch your kid’s account into a private one to avoid releasing personal information.

Install third-party parental control apps if needed

If you think that your teen doesn’t care about your warnings, you can install a third-party parental control app to control their Instagram activities. Using these apps, you can keep track of all their activities and even record their IG calls. Some of these apps let you remotely block the app on their cell phones. Tracking suspicious keywords on their account is also a great service these apps offer.

Final Words

Many children ask their parents to let them have an account on Instagram. Unfortunately, some of them watch inappropriate pictures and videos on Instagram or use the platform for sexting. So the wisest course of action is to have parental control over their activities on Instagram. Threads is another app under the umbrella of Instagram to be aware of.  With any social media app, kids need to accept your supervision invitation so that you can see their activities. If you see that your teen resists, you should work to agree on monitoring tools that restrict activities.