kids, out + about

Simple Ways To Make Your Children Behave In The Car

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Is there anything worse than being miles from your destination with your kids in the back squealing, falling out with each other and endlessly whining “are we there yet?”.

It’s the battle all parents have to face, but with the right preparation you can limit the damage and enjoy stress-free and pleasant journeys.

Buy a baby-friendly car

Start off right with a car suitable for your family’s needs. Safety is always high on the priority list for parents, so check out the air bags and braking system.

Kids always come with plenty of baggage: whether it’s buggies, changing bags or toys. Make life easier for yourself and find a car with plenty of space to fit in the buggy and spare clothes. Storage in the passenger area of the car can also be used to your benefit by placing toys and activities within your child’s reach.

Little extras like tinted rear windows (or adding in sun blinds) will make the journey more comfortable for your kids.

If your current car doesn’t fit the bill or you need a car abroad, check out sites with child friendly car options, such as Intelligent Car Leasing who provide UK car leasing and contract hire to personal customers.

Organize car activities before you start the car

Preparation is key. Arm yourself ahead of time with as many distractions and activities as you can. Ask your kids to pick out some of their favorite music to play on the journey. Kids can fill out activity printables on the lap trays, or on a clipboard.

Simple coloring pads and wax crayons will help keep younger children entertained, whilst older kids may want to take a DVD player and headphones, or a small games console.

Classic travel games such as “I Spy” or looking for a particular color car are also great to use up a bit of extra time.

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Simple Things Every Parent Can Do To Help Little Kids Learn At Home

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Teaching can both be fun and difficult, much like learning. When kids are little, they can easily learn by simply observing and repeating what they hear. Let them watch for a couple of minutes, and they’ll be able to soak knowledge like a sponge.

Once they start school, however, parents tend to pass the full responsibility of teaching their children. What we may not know is that hands-on teaching at home can greatly affect a child’s learning ability, resulting in a better performance in school. But with the busy world we live in and all the things our kids have to learn in school, how is it possible?

You don’t need all the time the world to teach kids. However, there are simple ways on how you can help your children learn at the comforts of your home, some of which are the following:

Set a timely schedule for school-related activities

Being organized is the best way to teach children on how to be a responsible young adult. By dedicating a specific time in a day for doing homework, studying or doing projects, learning won’t stop and they’ll be able to retain more learnings. They’ll eventually get into the daily routine which is essential as more knowledge will be taught to them as they progress.

Read bedtime stories to them

Do you know that by telling your child a bedtime story, they are able to learn about essay writing, listening comprehension and reading comprehension? By asking questions, they’ll be able to identify which part is the beginning, body, and ending of the story. By asking them to repeat the story, you’re teaching them how to summarize, and by reading with them, they get to learn how to read and pronounce words the right way.

Ask your child to tell you the things he can observe

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Out + About: Instant Weekend Playdate

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We do not go out on playdates that often because most of my mum’s friends with kids live far. I seldom see them and mostly on special occasions, like birthdays and the likes. That is why I am really very excited when my classmate, Anthony, and I had an instant playdate today!

It was his baby brother’s christening and while everyone was busy feasting on the yummy food his family prepared for the guests, we were busy playing with his Nerf guns on the street. Mum had to accompany us because I, for one, is not really used to playing outside.

It was awesome to play and spend time outdoors! We surely enjoyed playing together on the streets, good thing there weren’t too many cars out that day.

We are excited to play together again soon and I will ask mum when we can visit my classmate’s place for another playdate! They live quite near our place so I am guessing it will be soon.

What’s your favorite game to do for playdates and when was the last time you did?

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kids, summer

The Benefits Of Music On Child Development

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early learning, kids, summer, learning, music

Music has always been incorporated in children education and for all the good reasons. Parents and child expert have deemed music to play an essential role in children’s development. Exposing a child to music early on in life as much as possible is also recommended as music is proven to soothe babies with colic or sleep issues, as well as aid in child early learning and development.

Here are a few reasons why you should expose your children to music:

  1. It helps the baby relax and get better sleep
  2. Nursery rhymes and action songs aid in a child’s coordination and motor skills
  3. It facilitates words and vocabulary learning
  4. It improves a child’s social skills
  5. Tests show that having a child learn to play an instrument will also result to improve performance in Math
  6. Learning to play a music instrument or leaning to sing using a sennheiser md421 will contribute to a child’s feeling of accomplishment and self-worth
  7. It also allows for special bonding time with parents and other family members
  8. Learning new action songs is always a fun idea!
  9. It is an awesome hobby
  10. Learning to play an instrument will also open doors of opportunities for a child later in life

early learning, kids, summer, learning, music

If you do not have thought of any fun ideas for your little one to enjoy this summer, you might as well consider enrolling them to a music class or getting them a musical instrument they can learn to play at home. I am sure they will find it a very interesting thing to do to pass the time.

second image via Pixabay

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Move to Singapore with Kids. But, read this first…

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kids, travel, tips and tricks

As the world is well-aware, Singapore is a good choice for immigrants who have kids to move to. With much-needed cleanliness and health care advancements, it boasts lots of activities that aren’t found in any other country. The immigration consultancy in Singapore One Visa states the country has top-notch public transport and has ranked Singapore as the best in life quality it offers. If you’re planning on such a move, read this article to know more about the subject matter…

Arranging Babysitters

Most of the expatriates in Singapore are found to be recruiting maids for aiding them with their household matters. We can see that it’s quite inexpensive to hire these people when compared to their recruitment in other parts. But, the issue here is that you won’t get them very easily, as part-time workers aren’t easily found, so it’s vital to find someone as early as possible; otherwise, you should look for some childcare centers in your neighborhood.

It’s Hot!

The most important thing to consider before getting a dependant pass for your family is the heat. As the place is just one degree North of the equator, sun rays are found to hit at their hardest. Unimaginably, the temperature will be twenty-five to thirty-three degrees and the humidity is above the nineties! This is something that is unbearable to most outsiders, especially those from the West; therefore, it’s wise to seek a house with a pool. Whenever you find a condo, be sure to check whether it has friendly amenities for your kids. Also, learn how to beat the heat by reading some expat articles and journals that are found online.

No Doubt about Fun

There are some water play areas in and around the city, which can be a good destination for the kids. There are also some stores specifically designed for kids inside shopping malls. Besides these, there are other destinations like ‘Gardens by the Bay’ where there is a huge playing area with lots of equipment. You can also take them kiting and bike riding at various places, and yes, there is a Botanic Gardens, theme parks, zoos, studios, and a lot more.

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Networking with Expat Parents

One of the best ways to learn about expat parenting is to network with other parents; they are the best people to share their experiences with. This applies to those who are first-time visitors and I’d ask you to take the right path and form a network of parents like you. You can even become a member of some clubs specific to your home country. This exposure will educate you a lot about life in Singapore.

Quality Education

If you’re the parent of an older child, education is a big concern. Here, you need not worry about quality education because it’s popular for offering top education all over the globe. Your child will be able to achieve a lot while, at the same time, being groomed up as a well-behaved human. But, the issue is about the competition. The popular schools are in huge demand and you should contact them as early as possible.

Jared Quips

Given the reasons cited above, I guess it is safe to assume that Singapore is, indeed, a good place to move to if you have children. Personally, I look forward to visiting the place one day with mum and dad, and see the zoo, the Botanic Gardens, the Flyer, and Universal Studios! 🙂

images via Pixabay

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