Category: Parenting

The idea of measuring out and mixing baking ingredients with your kids may sound stressful. However, when prepared and done correctly, baking provides many opportunities for children to express their creativity and develop various skills.

Your child can practise and improve their motor function, coordination, and strength, from pouring liquids to kneading dough. It can also help them increase their attention as they concentrate on measuring, counting, and following directions.

The ways baking can benefit your kids are countless. But how do you make it less stressful, more enjoyable, and accident-free? A bit of structure can help ensure kitchen safety and make the baking experience with children more delightful. To help you get started, we compiled the following tips for creating a fun and safe baking experience with kids.

1. Use Child-Friendly Baking Tools and Supplies

Involving your children in the kitchen at an early age helps them acquire valuable skills. But it’s always essential to prioritise safety when bringing little ones into the kitchen. Sharp instruments like knives, forks, and scissors can pose risks to children.

So, before you start a baking session, set up the kitchen for your kid’s safety. Secure any loose cords to keep them from accidentally yanking small appliances off the counter. Keep dangerous items out of their reach to avoid accidents.

Investing in child-friendly baking tools and supplies is also a good idea. Many kid-friendly choppers, whisks, dough cutters, and other culinary instruments are available. You can explore My Happy Helpers’ selection of kids’ baking sets for a starter.

Such tools are specifically designed for little hands. By providing children with their tools, you can reduce the risks of accidents and make them feel comfortable in the kitchen. It’s a great way to get your children involved happily and safely in your baking session.

2. Educate Kids About Kitchen Safety

Educating your kids about kitchen safety is essential as well. Besides locking away sharp tools and other hazardous items, set some kitchen rules with your children and explain the importance of following them. Here are a few safety reminders to begin with:

• Never start baking or cooking without adult supervision.
• Fasten long hair and wear an apron.
• Always ask permission before handling anything hot.
• Wash hands often using soap and water.
• Avoid making cookie dough or batter with raw eggs or flour.
• Never place your fingers on mixer blades.
• Clear up spills right away.
• Always clean up after finishing baking or cooking.

3. Match Baking Task With Your Kid’s Age

Not all baking activities are appropriate for all children. Most of them may not yet have the physical skills to handle all the tasks required in baking. Hence, matching the baking activity with your kid’s age and cooking skills is crucial.

Remember that kids don’t have to do it on their own right away. It’s worth noting that complex tasks can cause them frustration, and too easy ones may lead to boredom. You can begin with the easier ones and allow them to progress to more complex baking tasks as they grow and learn.

For instance, pouring pre-measured ingredients into a mixing bowl, rolling cooking dough, or decorating cookies are a few ways to involve kids ages 2-4 in baking. Then, you can give them more baking responsibilities as they enter the ages of 5-7.

With your help, you can let them mix some ingredients using the hand-held electric mixer or cut out cookie shapes from the rolled dough. Giving your kids age-appropriate tasks will help establish their lifelong passion for baking and cooking while ensuring their safety and growth.

4. Select Kid-Friendly Baking Recipes

Setting realistic expectations is key in achieving success when baking with your kids. That starts with selecting baking recipes that are easy and kid-friendly. Of course, it also depends on the specific age of your children.

Baking simple goods like thumbprint cookies may be fascinating for toddlers. You can allow them to mix ingredients like chocolate chips or sprinkles. Simple batter recipes, such as muffins, quick bread, and brownies, can also provide young children to measure and mix ingredients. Meanwhile, older kids may find complex baking recipes more enjoyable.

When choosing a baking recipe, ensure that it will give your kids a sense of helping you. If baking is a new activity for them, make it simple enough for their age and abilities so they can easily participate and understand the process. It’s also wise to pick a recipe that uses familiar ingredients and basic techniques.

5. Make the Baking Activity Lighthearted and Fun

Prioritising safety is vital when baking with your kids. But don’t forget to make the activity lighthearted and fun. Put on some music or share fun stories related to your recipe. Children will continue learning to bake if they find the activity exciting and fun.

Conclusion

When baking with little ones, embracing the mess and letting go of your idea of perfection is essential. Your patience is necessary when doing this activity with your kids. If they accidentally drop an egg on the floor, let them know it’s perfectly fine and part of the learning process. Trying not to get upset at little mistakes will make the whole experience enjoyable for both of you.

Top Feature Photo by Olivia Oliver Design

School holiday breaks can be excellent fun for kids and families. They get enough time to spend together, go to parks, play games, or go for a family vacation. However, this period comes with its set of challenges. For the most part, parents work during this period, and the kids are left alone without an adult taking care them.

Children are playful, curious, and love trying new things. Often these traits lead to injuries, damages, and in the worst scenarios – getting into things they shouldn’t.  Therefore, whether you’re leaving your kids at home, or travelling with them, their safety should always be a priority.

Here are some top tips that can help you safeguard your kids during the holiday breaks:

1. Enrol To Summer Camps

Summer camps and holiday school programs are an excellent way for parents to keep their children safe even when they’re away from home. First, these camps guarantee supervision as the camps are staffed with experienced counsellors who supervise the kids all the time ensuring they’re safe and doing the right thing.

Additionally, when you sign up to a school holiday program and other top programs, your kids can participate in numerous activities such as sports, hiking, art and crafts, and more. This can help keep the kids engaged during the summer break.

Finally, these camps offer educational programs that can help your kids develop their skills. Some programs offer STEM courses, art workshops, and language classes. Additionally, they ensure that students can socialize and build their confidence.

2. Ensure Food Safety

Food safety is another major concern for kids during the holiday break as they may spend more time at home eating snacks. There can be cases of constipation, allergies, or food poisoning which can be serious especially for children. You should teach your kids how to handle food safely such as washing hands to avoid contamination and monitoring what and when they’re eating.

Additionally, if your kids want to prepare food, you should monitor how they use appliances such as cookers and fryers as they may not fully comprehend the risks they carry. This will help prevent cases such as fire hazards and accidents.

You should also be careful with leftovers, raw, and undercooked foods as they may lead to stomach complications. By following these tips, you’ll ensure you safeguard your kids from any cases of food poisoning and stomach complications during the holidays.

3. Teach Kids About Internet Safety

The internet provides a good place for kids to learn new skills and watch fun videos. However, it can also be a platform for cyberbullying, trolls, attacks, inappropriate content, and predators. Therefore, you should teach them about how to keep themselves safe when using the internet.

First, you should teach them about how to be good digital users. They should learn to be respectful to others, such as thinking before posting or commenting and not sharing personal information online.  Secondly, you should monitor their online activities to ensure they don’t access harmful content and know who they’re talking to.

Lastly, it’s important to set rules on internet usage such as what websites they can visit, who they talk to, and what time they spend there. It’s advisable to include parental control to restrict what they can access to protect them.

4. Keep Dangerous Items Out of Reach

Keeping dangerous items such as medication, cleaning supplies, guns, and alcohol away from children can help protect them from self-harm and hurting each other. Kids are naturally curious and will experiment with anything.  However, they’re not aware of the danger and harm.

To ensure their safety, keep any dangerous item out of reach. For example, bottles of alcohol should be stored in locked cabinets or high shelves. Lock guns in a safe and ensure kids don’t know the password or pin. You should also be aware of poisonous plants and herbs around the house and destroy them or keep them far from your kids.

5. Protect Them When Outdoors

The holiday break is full of activities such as visiting the park, bike riding, skating, swimming, and many more. These activities keep them engaged, allow them to build their physical skills and coordination, and bond with their friends. However, it’s common for them to get injured during their playtime.

While minor injuries aren’t a major concern, there can be major injuries, such as concussion. Therefore, your kid should be protected when playing outside.

They should have protective gear such as helmets and kneepads when skating or riding bikes. If they go out swimming, they should have swimsuits and floaters and there’s should be an adult to watch over them. Such action will ensure they’re safe when having fun.

Conclusion

Your kid’s safety should always be a priority when they’re home for a school holiday break. While it’s their time to have fun and life away from books and school activities, they should do it a safe way.

Focus on what they do online, what games they play, what items they can access, and many others discussed in the article. This will safeguard them from any harm and ensure they enjoy their holiday and give you peace of mind.

Your baby is only a few months old. They haven’t learned how to crawl, let alone walk just yet. But in the blink of an eye, they’ll be on their little feet, running around the house. They’ll be figuring out how to open doors, climb up shelves and play with all of your precious belongings like toys.

This is why you should start babyproofing your house sooner rather than later. You’ll want every room to be safe and secure, just in case your little one decides to tear through it.

Other than installing baby gates by stairwells and tethering bookcases to walls, what other babyproofing steps should you take?

Babyproof Your Windows

Toddlers are naturally curious. You don’t want that curiosity to draw them to an open window—especially if that open window is above the first floor. That could be extremely dangerous.

So, to make sure that your kid never tries to climb out of a window, you should add window stoppers to the frames. These will stop windows from opening wide enough for a child to crawl through. You will be able to open up the window just enough to let in a breeze.

You could also replace any of your awning, casement or single-hung windows with double-hung windows. Double-hung windows have two operable sashes. You can open up the top sash to let in fresh air and keep the bottom one shut. This window gap will be much harder for your child to access since it will be too high up for them to climb through.

As an added safety measure, move cribs, bassinets, chairs and other furniture away from windows. If they are too close to the windows, your child could easily make their way to the window ledges and climb up. Keep these areas clear.

Window Treatments

Your windows present another problem for little kids: window treatments. Certain window treatments that have long cords can be very hazardous to infants and young children. They can get these cords around their necks and severely injure themselves. Sometimes, the injuries are fatal. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of 9 children under the age of 5 die of this hazard per year. To keep your child safe around windows, decorate them with cordless window treatments.

Curtains without any ties are usually child-safe décor options. Another potential issue with them is that children can pull or climb on them, which could cause the heavy curtain rod to tumble onto them. To avoid this issue, you should make sure that the curtain rod is properly secured to wall studs. You can also pick a shorter curtain style instead of long curtains that go straight to the ground. Shorter curtains will be less tempting for kids to grab and climb.

Babyproof Your Electrical Outlets

Your kid might find the electrical outlets around your house very enticing. After all, the outlets will be at eyelevel when they are crawling around on the floor. They will be tempted to stick their fingers—or worse, stick small objects—into an outlet when you’re not paying close attention. They could get an electric shock from this.

So, how can you prevent this from happening? You could use plastic outlet caps. These caps have prongs that will neatly slide into the slots of the outlet. This should stop your child’s fingers or any other objects that they’re handling from entering the slots. The caps are also easy for adults to remove whenever they want to plug in an electrical device.

Another option that you can consider is replacing your outlet covers with self-closing outlet covers. These come with built-in panels that automatically slide over to hide the outlet whenever it’s not in use. They won’t be visible to your child, so they won’t be health hazards.

Babyproof Your Bathroom

It may sound strange, but toilets can be dangerous for young kids. Since a toilet bowl has standing water in it, a small child could drown in it. Technically, small children can drown in an inch or two of water — so even if it’s unlikely, you should still be cautious about this household hazard.

What can you do to protect your child from this specific danger? Put a toilet seat lock on your toilet. This should stop your little one from opening up the lid and getting their head into the water. You won’t have to worry about removing the toilet lock until your kid is a little older and fully potty-trained.

On a lighter note, a toilet seat lock can help you prevent a situation that’s far less dangerous: plumbing damage. Lots of kids think of toilets as fun toys that they can play with. They want to throw everything from entire rolls of toilet paper to stuffed animals into the toilet bowl and flush them away. This innocent game can lead to some serious drain clogs and some steep plumbing bills.

Another great way to keep your little one out of your bathroom and away from the toilet is to install a childproof doorknob cover on the bathroom door. With this safety measure in place, young children can’t get a solid grip on the doorknob and open up the closed door. As long as you keep the bathroom door shut, your kid shouldn’t be able to wander inside the bathroom on their own.

Bathwater

Your kid’s skin is going to be extra sensitive to hot water. They could get a scald burn if they sit in a bath that’s too hot. Some parents try to avoid this situation by putting a bath thermometer in the tub to confirm that the water isn’t too hot for bathtime, but there’s a much better solution out there.

According to the American Burn Association, one of the best ways to prevent scald burns is to set your water heater to a lower temperature. The temperature should be at120° F. Not only can this prevent scald burns at bathtime, but it can also prevent scald burns when your child washes their hands or decides to play with the sink faucet.

Babyproof Your Finances

No matter how hard you try to prevent it, your kid can still get into trouble. Kids are tenacious that way. They can still manage to hurt themselves, even after you’ve put many, many safety measures in place. And they can still manage to damage your house when you’re not looking.

So, what can you do about this? Prepare your finances for these potential outcomes as soon as possible. Start building up an emergency fund (if you don’t have one already) so that you can afford to give your kid the medical attention they need when they hurt themselves. Your emergency savings could help you handle costs related to hospital visits, dentist appointments, prescription medications and more.

An emergency fund can also help you cover the costs of any household damages that your curious kid creates, like flushing their toys down the toilet and causing a huge plumbing clog. You can use the savings to cover urgent repairs for plumbing, windows, appliances and other household essentials.

If you don’t have an emergency fund on hand, you might not have enough savings available to cover an urgent medical expense or repair service out of the blue. In this case, you might want to look into an online loan for help — it can be one of the most effective options when you need cash now for an emergency. With an online loan, you could use the temporary funds to pay off the emergency and then follow a repayment plan right after.

You should only apply for a loan in an emergency. Do not use this borrowing option for everyday expenses, like groceries.

Don’t wait to start these babyproofing steps. Your kid will grow up and start exploring the house sooner rather than later. So, do them now!

Image Credits: Karolina Grabowska and Vladimír Sládekoo via Pexels.

Staying up-to-date on technology is not only about cybersecurity and keeping your kids safe online, it is also about understanding the emojis and slang your children may be using online to ensure they’re safe.

This all may seem like a lot, but take a deep breath, and let us guide you through the most important aspects of kids’ digital communication and the ‘code’ they speak in.  By knowing this lingo, you won’t feel clueless when ensuring your child’s safety ever again.

Digital Communication

Digital communication is an increasingly important topic to be knowledgeable about when it comes to preparing your kids for their future education and careers as well as for keeping them safe online.

Some basic digital skills would be beneficial for your children to learn. These include writing professional emails, communicating with teachers or future employers versus friends and family, and understanding digital etiquette.

Emojis, abbreviations, and slang

However, no matter how much you educate them, kids will inevitably develop their own language. It seems there is a whole slew of emojis, abbreviations, and slang that kids use nowadays that sound completely alien to the average parent.

Nevertheless, if you learn all that, you may have an easier time understanding them. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the visual-textual mishmash that is today’s kids’ online language.

Most popular emojis and their meanings

• (Crying Laughing) – Often used for something hilarious, but can also indicate sarcasm.
• (Eye Roll) – Signals disbelief or annoyance; not to be taken at face value.
• (Thinking Face) – Could signify actual thought or skepticism about something said.
•  (Skull) – Used to indicate “I’m dead” or “dying of laughter,” an exaggeration for finding something very funny.
•  (Loudly Crying Face) – Used to emphasize sadness or frustration, but sometimes used for things that are so cute or funny it brings one to “tears.”
•  (Praying Hands) – Besides the obvious, it can mean “please” or “thank you” in some contexts.
• (Fire) – Represents something that’s “hot” or trending; not just actual fire.
•  (Clown) – To call someone or something ridiculous or foolish.
•  (Cap) – Indicates someone is lying or exaggerating.
• (Steam From Nose) – Signifies frustration or a sense of victory and dominance over others.
• (Pleading Face) – Used to beg or make a cute request; doesn’t always imply actual sadness.
• (New Moon Face) – Used to denote awkwardness, and creepiness, or to humorously highlight a   socially awkward statement.
• (Woman Shrugging) – Signals indifference or lack of knowledge about something.
• (Snake) – Denotes an untrustworthy or deceitful person.
• (Rainbow) – Beyond LGBTQ+ pride, it can also signify something magical or idealistic.
• (100) – Represents full agreement, or saying something is perfect or spot-on.
• (Pizza) – Besides the obvious, it can signify something awesome or the slang term ‘za’ meaning pizza.
• (Peach) – Often used as a euphemism for a buttock.
• (Eggplant) – Commonly used as a phallic symbol.
• (Sweat Droplets) – Represents hard work or effort, but is also used as a suggestive innuendo.

Most popular online slang

Contrary to popular belief, kids aren’t always willing to abbreviate every thought to the max. Yup, it’s not all LOL, WTF and OMG anymore—you’ll also need to learn slang, lest you want to unknowingly endanger your kids due to obliviousness. Some popular terms and phrases include:  

• Drip: A term denoting standout fashion or style.
• Finsta: A secondary, usually more private, Instagram account.
• Mood: Indicates something is emotionally resonant or relatable.
• Shook: Experiencing strong surprise or disbelief.
• Dank: Initially used to describe high-grade cannabis, now also refers to excellent memes.
• Sus: Short for either suspect or suspicious, used to indicate doubt or mistrust.
• Rizz: The knack for successfully drawing romantic interest.
• Bussin: Exceptionally tasty, most often used to describe food.
• Glow up: A significant transformation or improvement, either physical or emotional.
• Fit: Refers to a complete look or ensemble.
• Hits different: Exceptionally good or impactful, beyond the norm.
• Ghost/ghosting: The act of abruptly ending a relationship by cutting off all contact.
• Karen: Describes a middle-aged woman perceived as entitled or confrontational.
• Ok, boomer: A retort used to dismiss outdated or old-fashioned opinions.
• Stan: An ardent and often obsessive fan, usually of a celebrity. Originates from an Eminem song.
• Rager: A large, boisterous party, often featuring alcohol.
• Mid: Describes something as mediocre or uninspiring.
• Salty: Expressing or feeling bitterness or irritation.
• Lowkey: Signifies a laid-back or subtle approach.
• Highkey: Indicates something is of high importance or intensity.
• Bet: A colloquial way of saying “yes” or “agreed.”
• Sipping tea: Engaging in or understanding gossip, inspired by a Kermit meme.
• Spilling tea: Actively sharing gossip.
• To sleep on: To underestimate or overlook something valuable.
• Deada$$: Absolutely certain or serious.
• Bruh: An exclamation of disbelief or surprise.
• Cross-Faded: Simultaneously under the influence of alcohol and cannabis.
• Bae: An acronym for “Before Anyone Else,” denoting a significant other.
• Lit: Describes something fun or exciting, also used for being intoxicated.
• Beef: A disagreement or conflict.
• Woke: Being socially and politically conscious.
• Extra: Excessive or dramatic behavior.
• Turnt: In a state of excitement or intoxication.
• Roasted: Subjected to harsh criticism or mockery.
• Plug: A person who supplies illicit substances.
• Gucci: A synonym for cool or good.
• I’m dead: An expression of strong disbelief or amazement.
• Geeking: Laughing uncontrollably, often to the point of discomfort.
• Thirsty: Exhibiting desperation, often in a romantic context.
• Netflix and chill: A euphemism for intimate activity.
• Throw shade: To insult or demean someone.
• Dope: A term indicating approval or coolness.
• Bye Felicia: A dismissive farewell, based on a line from the movie “Friday.”

IT and Cybersecurity to the Rescue

Finally, it’s not enough just to be knowledgeable—you need to be proactive. And there’s no better way to prevent threats, than by educating your children.

IT basics to teach your kids

Introduce your kids to secure web browsing using various browsers and VPNs. Teach them how to recognize harmful sites and how to properly manage files. While exploring computer tools, you can subtly incorporate the use of a PDF editor for tasks like editing text and filling forms. Not only is it useful, but again, it also teaches kids valuable business skills they’ll be able to harness in the future

Plus, using specialized software is a great way to avoid all the complexities of Microsoft and Google’s office software suites. While useful, these platforms are often too complex for young children. With bespoke solutions, you can still teach them the essentials. And who knows—you can also refresh your knowledge and learn a thing or two a long the way.

Cybersecurity essentials to teach your kids

Cybersecurity is a critical skill set in today’s digital world. Start by teaching your kids how to set up an online profile securely, emphasizing the need for robust privacy settings. For instance, two-factor authentication and anti-malware protection are simple enough for them to understand.

Then you can move on to installing apps and games, showing them the safe way to do it. VPNs and Wi-Fi should also be topics of discussion. Personal information should be guarded zealously; make sure they understand the dangers of oversharing online and giving out information to strangers. And last but not least, encourage your child to be open and honest with you. That’s by far the best way to tackle threats—by working together, as parent and child.

About the Author:
Ryan Harris is a copywriter focused on eLearning and the digital transitions going on in the education realm. Before turning to writing full time, Ryan worked for five years as a teacher in Tulsa and then spent six years overseeing product development at many successful Edtech companies, including 2U, EPAM, and NovoEd.