Category: Parenting

As parents, one of our most important jobs is to teach our children about the world around them. One of the most important aspects of life to teach them is economics. It helps them understand how people use and exchange money and goods and how this affects the world around them. Economics studies how people use scarce resources to satisfy their needs and wants.

There are many different economic principles that we can teach our children. By teaching children about economic principles early on, we can help them make more informed decisions later in life.

1. Scarcity

Children must understand that limited resources are available and that we must choose how to use them. This is a fundamental principle of economics that will help them understand trade-offs and opportunity costs. For example, if a child wants a new toy, they need to understand that they may have to give up something else.  This could mean giving up their weekly allowance or doing extra chores around the house.  By understanding opportunity cost, children can learn to make more informed choices about how to use limited resources. This is an essential life skill in a world where resources are becoming increasingly scarce.

2. Supply and Demand

One of the most basic principles is supply and demand. This principle states that the price of a good or service is determined by the amount of supply and the amount of demand. The price will go up when there is a high demand for a product but a low supply. On the other hand, when there is a low demand for a product but a high supply, the product price will go down.  By understanding this principle, children can learn to make informed decisions about what to buy and when to buy it. They can also understand why prices fluctuate and how this affects their everyday lives.

3. Specialization and Division of Labor

While specialization is important for an economy to function smoothly, it’s also one of the key issues that should be included in any children economics curriculum. That way, they can understand why some people specialize in certain tasks and why it’s beneficial for everyone involved. In addition, they can learn about the available jobs and how to match their skills with a particular job best. By teaching children about specialization early on, we can help them to be better prepared for the workforce and to make the most of their talents.

4. Incentives

For children to understand the basic principles of economics, it is important to teach them about incentives early on. An incentive motivates an individual to take action, a key economic concept. There are two types of incentives: positive and negative. Positive incentives are rewards that encourage someone to take action, while negative incentives are punishments that discourage someone from taking action. For example, an interest-bearing savings account might be a positive incentive for saving money. In contrast, a negative incentive for spending money might be a high-interest rate on credit cards. Children can learn to make rational financial decisions about their own economic activity by understanding incentives.

5. Trade

Teaching children about trade is important for understanding international relations and commerce. They need to know that people trade because it benefits both parties involved, not just because one party has something the other wants. Teaching children about trade is an important way to prepare them for success in an increasingly connected world. By understanding how trade works, they’ll be better equipped to participate in the global economy and make informed decisions about their lives.

Conclusion

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Children need to learn about economic principles at an early age. Doing so will make them better equipped to make sound financial decisions later in life. Teaching children about these concepts will help them better understand money’s role in our lives and how to use it wisely. In addition, it is important to instill a sense of financial responsibility in kids from a young age. Teaching children economics is a valuable exercise that can pay dividends later in their lives.

Parenting comes with an equal number of rewards and challenges, especially if ADHD runs in your family. Children with ADHD often share this neurotype with at least one parent. Sometimes parents are already aware of their diagnosis before they have children. Other times, parents only look into getting a diagnosis when their child receives one.

Since ADHD diagnoses didn’t become common until the 1990s, many people born in the ‘70s and ‘80s aren’t aware they have it until they compare their child’s behavior with their own. This realization can make parenting your ADHD child easier because you understand their challenges and can manage symptoms together.

Symptoms of ADHD in Children and Adults

Though the symptoms of ADHD are often the same in children and adults, they present differently for different age groups. For instance, hyperactivity may manifest in children as a constant urge to jump, play, and run, while adults may simply feel restless and unable to relax. A child’s impulsivity may look like an inability to wait their turn or play quietly, while adults may interrupt others and become easily frustrated.

The best way to manage these symptoms is to do it together. Below are some strategies you can apply to help your child manage their symptoms while handling your own.

Parenting a Child with ADHD for the Parent with ADHD

Accommodate and Manage Your Symptoms

Before you can effectively help your child learn to regulate their ADHD symptoms, you need to devise strategies and methods for managing yours. It’s similar to a flight attendant instructing passengers to put on their oxygen masks before helping their children. If the parent isn’t cared for, they can’t care for their children.

The same principle applies here. Accommodating your needs by storing important items in plain sight and setting an alarm to take your medication not only frees headspace for parenting, but also models to your child that they can do the same thing.

Create Routines

Establishing routines with ADHD can be challenging. However, once you’ve created a routine that works for your lifestyle, your days will go more smoothly. Adhering to a routine creates a kind of muscle memory, enabling you to move through daily tasks without thinking about them too much and allowing executive dysfunction to set in. The idea is to make the routine so rote that you and your child can entertain yourselves with stories, music, and fun discussions without missing a beat. Routines also help establish healthy habits like staying hydrated, eating regularly, and taking ADHD medication on time, if prescribed by your doctor.

Routines also help establish healthy habits like staying hydrated, eating regularly, and taking medication on time.

Reduce Distractions

But don’t go to the extreme with this. While too many distractions can draw you and your child’s focus away from things like schoolwork, too little stimulation could lead to seeking distractions because your brain needs dopamine.

Rather than sitting in silence while doing homework, talk to your child about what helps you focus, and let them choose some things to try. For instance, movies and podcasts may prove too distracting, but rock music or ASMR videos could be just the right amount of stimulation.

Engage in Activities Together

Planned outings or activities at home not only contribute to the holistic development of children, but parents also benefit to their own emotional well-being. Participating in fun endeavors takes parent and child away from the pressures of everyday life, promoting positive emotions and creating lasting memories filled with happiness, laughter, and excitement.

Whether it’s cooking, gardening, listening to music or playing sports, children can acquire new skills and knowledge from their parents’ expertise. Parents can also learn from their children’s unique perspectives and trust in the relationship it strengthened.

Teach and Model Self-Care

While it’s beneficial for children to learn that we sometimes need to do things that aren’t fun or pleasant, it’s equally important to teach and demonstrate optimum self-care—especially for parents and children with ADHD.

ADHD brains often move at lightning speed, skipping from one task to another without a break, putting them at greater risk for panic attacks and burnout. Showing your child that it’s okay to rest—and how to rest effectively with ADHD—gives you a break and teaches them how to care for themselves long-term.

Jenn Walker is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey. She writes for Klarity, an online ADHD diagnosis service.

A playground is an important part of a child’s life. When we think of a playground, we imagine one that’s packed with kids of different shapes and sizes as well as abilities and physical activity levels. To handle such a broad user base, playgrounds need to introduce appropriate play structures that attract and engage children with different capabilities.

Children of different ages have vastly diverse physical, cognitive, and social skills. As you may imagine, preschoolers will need very different playground equipment than preteens. The guidelines for age-appropriate play equipment are clearly stated in the Consumer Product Safety Commission‘s Handbook on Public Playground Safety. The idea behind separate play equipment is to make the environment more secure, entertaining and stimulating.

What is an Age-Appropriate Playground?

The style of play kids enjoy evolves as they get older. Age-appropriate play activities allow children to better express and enjoy themselves. It also encourages them to push and test their bounds. On the other hand, when children are forced to play with equipment that may be too complex for them, it can result in injuries.

Specialized play equipment providers need to find the perfect balance between fun and safe. There are several factors to consider while selecting appropriate play sets for children of different ages, such as the child’s:

• Size
• Physical ability
• Auditory system
• Mental acuity
• Stimulation of senses
• Balance
• Spatial orientation
• Gustatory system
• Olfactory system
• Proprioceptive development

Benefits of Age-Appropriate Play

By engaging kids of different ages and abilities, age-appropriate playground equipment offer the following benefits:

Physical Health

The NHS recommends that children should have at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily to build their muscles and bones. Thus, children must visit the playground daily and use playground equipment to enhance their fitness and strength. Doing so keeps kids healthy and prevents them from falling sick often.

Challenge

Fear of a complicated piece of equipment may cause children to abandon it, whereas one that provides no challenge becomes less engaging and is finally discarded. It is, therefore, critical to include age-appropriate playground equipment to keep different children interested, while also allowing them to develop their cognitive abilities.

Safety

Playgrounds should be enjoyable, and age-appropriate equipment is crucial for keeping children happy and engaged. A safe playground takes into account the height of the equipment for each child.  What is suitable for a 12-year-old may not be safe for a 2-year-old. Seating and standing heights differ for toddlers, pre-toddlers, and school-age children.

Appropriate Playground Equipment by Age Group

When selecting a play structure, one crucial factor is the age range of the children enjoying the equipment. The three age groups for which gear is typically designed are:

6 – 23 Months

Choose equipment that helps toddlers to exercise their new physical independence while they strive to explore their immediate environment with their senses. When picking material, ensure it is lightweight, low to the ground, and within their grasp. The exteriors should be soft, either foam or rubber wrapped. It is important to select equipment that allows them to crawl or move about comfortably.

Suitable playground equipment for children in this age group are:

• Ramps
• Swings with bucket seats
• Slides of low height
• Low crawl tunnels

2 – 5 Years

This preschool-level group is eager to attend and enjoy the play equipment. At this age, children attempt to imitate their elders. The play equipment should be physically challenging, while also being safe in height. Children in this age range begin to learn about playing in social groups. Choose play equipment that will encourage their creativity, while also strengthening their body. Sliding and climbing are popular activities among children in this age group.

Suitable playground equipment for children in this age group are:

• Climbing structures
• Playhouse
• Spring riders
• Ramps

5 – 12 Years

The school-age children are energetic and vibrant. They like more complicated play that provides mental and physical challenges to keep them engaged. Children in the group have learned social skills and are honing their gross and motor abilities, allowing them to incorporate various play equipment into enjoyable activities.

Suitable playground equipment for children in this age group are:

• Spinners
• Merry-go-rounds
• Stairways
• Vertical sliding poles

A playground is an excellent area for children to learn and develop fundamental skills. For their overall development and playground safety, age-appropriate equipment is a must. In addition, the age group of the users should be explicitly stated in the play areas, as the proper equipment is critical in helping children progress physically, cognitively, and socially.

Image Source: https://pinterest.com/pin/562175965956621313/

Related Resources:

Ten tips for child safety at home and they grow and play.
Read about age appropriate toddler tables and chairs.

Parents always want what’s best for their children, and that includes ensuring they get a good night’s sleep. Lack of sleep can lead to all sorts of problems for kids, including poor performance in school and trouble focusing. In this article, we will discuss some tips that can help your kids get the sleep they need.

Follow these guidelines and your children will be sleeping like babies in no time!

A Consistent Bedtime Routine

One of the most important things you can do to help your children sleep better at night is to establish a bedtime routine. A consistent bedtime routine will signal to your kids that it’s time to wind down and go to sleep. Bedtime routines can vary from family to family, but should generally include some calming activities such as reading or taking a bath.

For example, you might have a bedtime routine that looks something like this:

• Give your child a bath
• Put on pajamas
• Brush teeth
• Read a story
• Turn off the lights and say goodnight

If you can stick to this same routine every night, your children will start to associate certain activities with sleep and will be more likely to fall asleep quickly.

Try a sound machine

If your kids are struggling to fall asleep, a sound machine can be a godsend. The white noise from a sound machine can help to drown out any outside noise that might be keeping your child awake. There are all sorts of different sound machines available on the market, so find one that fits your needs and budget. On the other hand, you can also try sound-blocking earplugs that may help even more with improving sleep quality right away. The important thing is to find something that works for your family. Once you have found a method that appears to work from the beginning, you should stick to it.

Get them moving during the day

It might seem counterintuitive, but one of the best things you can do to help your kids get sleep is to make sure they get plenty of exercise during the day. Exercise will help to tire them out and make it easier for them to fall asleep at night. Just make sure that you don’t allow them to exercise too close to bedtime, as this can have the opposite effect and make it harder for them to fall asleep.

Additionally, when your kids are getting their exercise during the day, make sure they are getting some exposure to natural sunlight. This will help to regulate their internal clocks and make it easier for them to fall asleep when it’s time for bed.

Creating a peaceful sleep environment

Another important factor in getting your kids to sleep well at night is to create a comfortable sleep environment. This means making sure the room is dark and quiet and that the bed is comfortable. If your child’s room is too bright or noisy, try using blackout curtains or a white noise machine to help them sleep.

For a child with a restless mind, a weighted blanket can also be helpful in promoting relaxation. And to further enhance relaxation and comfort, consider adding a self-warming eye mask to their bedtime routine. The gentle warmth can help soothe tired eyes and promote a sense of calm.

It is a well-known notion that children who are not comfortable will wake up more frequently during the night. Keep the room cool; too much or no heat may also disrupt sleep. The bottom line is that you want your kid to feel as comfy as possible when they’re attempting to nod off.

Invest In A Quality Bed

In addition to creating a peaceful sleep environment, investing in a quality bed is also crucial. A good mattress and pillow that are suitable for your child’s age and size will make all the difference in their sleep quality.

Make sure to involve your child in the process of selecting the right bed, so they feel comfortable and excited about it. If you have two children sharing a room, investing in a bunk bed for kids can also be a great option. It can allow them to have their own space while still being in the same room. Bunk beds come in various styles and designs, making it easy to find one that fits your child’s interests and personality.

Limit screen time before bed

It’s important to limit your child’s screen time before bed. This means no TV, computers, or phones in the hour leading up to sleep. The blue light from screens can disrupt the body’s natural sleep cycle, making it harder for kids to fall asleep. If you are struggling to get your child to put down their devices, try setting a rule that all screens must be turned off at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Otherwise, consider investing in a pair of blue-light-blocking glasses that can help to reduce the effects of screen time on sleep.

Encourage them to sleep on their back

One of the best things you can do for your child’s sleep is to encourage them to sleep on their back. This position allows the head, neck, and spine to rest in a neutral position and can help to prevent some common problems like ear infections, headaches, and even SIDS. If your child is used to sleeping in another position, it might take some time to adjust, but it’s worth it for the long-term health benefits.

It may be difficult to get your kids to sleep, but it’s essential for their health and development. You can assist your children to obtain the excellent rest they require to flourish by following the recommendations in this article.