The Secret Diary of The Beautiful Mind

  As children grow into early childhood, their world will begin to open up. They will become more independent and begin to focus more on adults and children outside of the family. They will want to explore and ask about the things around them even more. Their interactions with family and those around them will help to shape their personality and their own ways of thinking and moving. During this stage, children should be able to ride a tricycle, use safety scissors, notice a difference between girls and boys, help to dress and undress themselves, play with other children, recall part of a story, and sing a song. Positive Parenting Tips Following are some of the things you, as a parent, can do to help your preschooler  during this time: Continue to read to your child. Nurture her/his love for books by taking her/his to the library or bookstore. Let your child help with simple chores. Encourage your child to play with other children. This helps him to learn the value of sharing and fri

  Toddlers (2-3 yrs old) Because of children’s growing desire to be independent, this stage is often called the “terrible twos.” However, this can be an exciting time for parents and toddlers. Toddlers will experience huge thinking, learning, social, and emotional changes that will help them to explore their new world, and make sense of it. During this stage, toddlers should be able to follow two- or three-step directions, sort objects by shape and color, imitate the actions of adults and playmates, and express a wide range of emotions. Positive Parenting Tips Following are some of the things you, as a parent, can do to help your toddler during this time:          Set up a special time to read books with your toddler.         Encourage your child to take part in pretend play.          Help your child to explore things around her by taking her on a walk.          Encourage your child to tell you his name and age.          Teach your child simple songs like Itsy Bitsy Spider, or ot

  During the second year, toddlers are moving around more, and are aware of themselves and their surroundings. Their desire to explore new objects and people is also increasing. During this stage, toddlers will show greater independence; begin to show defiant behavior ; recognize themselves in pictures or a mirror; and imitate the behavior  of others, especially adults and older children. Toddlers also should be able to recognize the names of familiar people and objects, form simple phrases and sentences, and follow simple instructions and directions. Positive Parenting Tips Following are some of the things you, as a parent, can do to help your toddler during this time: Read to your toddler daily. Ask her to find objects for you or name body parts and objects. Play matching games with your toddler, like shape sorting and simple puzzles. Encourage him to explore and try new things. Help to develop your toddler’s language by talking with her and adding to words she starts. Encourage your

  Infants - (0 - 1 yr) Developmental Milestones Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye-bye” are called developmental milestones. Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, behave, and move (like crawling, walking, or jumping). In the first year, babies learn to focus their vision, reach out, explore, and learn about the things that are around them. Cognitive, or brain development means the learning process of memory, language, thinking, and reasoning. Learning language is more than making sounds (“babble”), or saying “ma-ma” and “da-da”. Listening, understanding, and knowing the names of people and things are all a part of language development. During this stage, babies also are developing bonds of love and trust with their parents and others as part of social and emotional development. The way parents cuddle, hold, and play with their baby will set the bas

  National Nutrition Week 2021 Think about it. Your brain is always "ON" . It takes care of your thoughts & movements, your breathing and heartbeat, your senses — it works hard 24/7, even while you’re asleep. This means your brain requires a constant supply of fuel. That "fuel" comes from the foods you eat — and what’s in that fuel makes all the difference. Put simply, what you eat directly affects the structure and function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood. Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress — the "waste" (free radicals) produced when the body uses oxygen, which can damage cells. Unfortunately, just like an expensive car, your brain can be damaged if you ingest anything other than premium fuel. If substances from "low-premium" fuel (such as what yo

  While so-called “helicopter parents” may end up restricting a child’s early independence, free-ranging families do the opposite. Taken literally, “free range” refers to livestock kept under natural conditions. While the free-range parenting definition varies between families, it essentially involves giving your kids responsibilities at a young age. These responsibilities vary based on the specific child’s capabilities. They might include, for example, walking to the park alone, riding bikes to school, or taking public transportation without supervision. It's important to note that free-range parenting isn’t detachment, since mom and dad are still very much involved. They’ll teach essential life skills, guide their children through challenges, and inform them about safety precautions. But when it comes to practicing these lessons in real life, free-range parents step back and let their children take the reigns. The desired result is an increased sense of independence, confidence,