parenting today august 2012

Parenting today AUGUST 2012

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Parenting Today is produced by The Nation Publishing Co. Limited; a subsidiary of The Nation Corporation, which is a member of the One Caribbean Media Limited (OCM) group of companies. For general info email: parentingtoday@nationnews.com

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E D I T O R S N O T E

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Summer is a wonderful time for the young ones. The long

holiday, enjoyable camps, and the opportunity to vacation

with their mummies and daddies doing fun stuff , make it all

the more exciting.

The end of summer brings a period of transition for many

parents and children: the rst day of nursery, kindergarten,

primary and secondary school.

The period of adjustment can be a trying time, but as you

read the pages of this issue of Parenting Today you will nd

valuable advice from experts presented in an informative and

entertaining manner.

Leading off with the journey that prepares you for parting

with your baby to rejoin the world of work, we will share tips

on choosing a nursery, provide insights on what to expect as

the child develops, and more.

A childs hearing is more sensitive than many realize, read

on to nd out why, and how to protect it.

To ensure they have a balanced, healthy diet, review our

suggestions for making veggies fun and more appealing to

children.

In keeping with the fun of the summer look out for the

creative party suggestions, and tap into your childs creativity

with a visit to our craft corner.

With the increasing stress on the total development of the

children passing through the education system, our focus

on extra-curricular activities, their value and maintaining a

balance is both timely and instructive.

It is with special thanks that we acknowledge our valued

contributors and advertisers, without whom compiling a

package such as this would have been impossible.

As our readers, your opinion is important. We welcome

your suggestions on what youd like to see in future editions

of Parenting Today, as we seek to inform, educate and

entertain you. Lyle JonesEDITOR

Parenting today AUGUST 2012

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Contents6 Parting With Your Joy

10 ReadySetGo

12 Safeguard Your Childs Hearing

14 Paving The Road To Success In Secondary School

16 Doctor Q&A

18 Unlocking Their Full Potential

22 Healthy Hair is Good Hair

24 Healthy, Fun Foods26 Birthday Party Ideas28 Back-to-School Craft32 Happy Children are Healthy Children

ON THE COVER: ZAHRA AND HANNA ASHBYCOVER PHOTO BY INSIGHT DIGITAL

ISSUE #2 AUGUST 2012

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6Parenting today AUGUST 2012

A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS

PARTING WITH YOUR JOYStory by Aprille Thomas

After the big day

has passed and

youve brought

your baby home and spent

weeks, months, or even

years bonding with them,

its time for the next big

day leaving them. Some

parents wont be able or

will choose not to stay home and raise their children, and so it

becomes necessary to nd someone who can. This can be a

diffi cult transition for children and parents alike; but the truth

is that children are always transitioning, and its at these times

that they most need the love and support of their parents.

Director of Parent Education for Development in Barbados

(PAREDOS), Marcia Graham, is an authority on the subject

and advises that parents develop the mindset that they have

to concern themselves with transitions every year, and be

right there for their children, Transitioning means that you

have to spend extra time with the child.

The earlier, the better. Children who spend more time at home with their parents may have a harder time leaving them than those whose ties are severed early.

Day careOne of the biggest changes for parents is leaving their

children and going back to work. Particularly because choosing

the right day care centre for children isnt as easy as looking in

the telephone book or going to the one nearest to you. Rather,

Marcia off ers some guidelines for parents:

The earlier, the better. Children who spend more time at

home with their parents may have a harder time leaving

them than those whose ties are severed early.

Parents should be abreast of the developmental

expectations of their child at that age. Day care providers

should be able to provide you with information in the form

of literature; as well as tell you when your child reaches

certain goals.

The day care environment should be clean, light and airy.

It should resemble the cleanliness standards at your own

home.

The staff at the day care should be caring, loving,

encouraging and embracing. They should off er daily

feedback during pick ups, about your childs habits and

behaviours eating, sleeping and so on. This is especially

important for children who cannot yet speak.

You need to nd out if its a provider who will call you

during the day regarding any unusual behavior your child

may exhibit. Providers should be open to communication.

Parents should ensure that they have a physical copy of

the providers policies and practices.

Some day care centres will only allow healthy meals,

snacks and beverages. You should know what your day

cares position is on the matter.

STARTEARLY

7Parenting today AUGUST 2012

Kidsin the

Make sure that when you get home, your house is calm and empty because you will be tired and want some time to relax. Keep visitors to a minimum; . . .

Primary schoolBy the time children reach the age of four, they are a lot

more developed and independent. Marcia reminds parents

that at this time, children who attended day care would also

have had their relationships with their aunties broken, and

would need lots of support from their parents to help them

understand the big change. She advises that parents also

spend time doing research before choosing a school and

off ers the following tips:

Thoroughly research the school: alumni, teaching

methods and types of communication. You should

even nd out about the non-teaching staff because

they are the ones who will have contact with your

children before school, during lunch, when theyre

sick, and so on.

Find out what kind of curriculum is off ered. What kind

of subjects will they be exposed to?

Also be abreast of the milestones expected at this

age, so that if you nd that your children arent

reaching them, you can discuss it with their teachers.

Find out about extra-curricular programmes that

are off ered, for example, swimming, Cub Scouts,

educational tours, and Brownies.

Once you decide on a school, you should take your

child there and allow them to spend time in the new

school. It is important for parents to be positive about

the school, because children will pick up on this.

Before the school year begins, parents can do a few

trial runs to the school so that you can be familiar

with the time it will take, and maybe even learn a few

back roads in the process.

When school begins, parents should ensure that they

get involved with the Parent Teachers Association

(PTA), which will give you closer access to the school.

Participation is also advised, so that you will have the

ability to in uence policies.

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Parenting today