Child Development

  Boost positivity with engaging exercises, promoting optimistic mindsets, self-confidence, and emotional well-being for a brighter future.   It’s easy to spend a lot of time thinking about things that have gone wrong. Although we can all learn from mistakes, it’s not helpful to spend a lot time thinking about negative things. This can lead to worry and stress. Positive thinking exercise Try this exercise to get yourself into the habit of thinking more positively about things that have gone well and why. People who do this positive thinking exercise say they feel happier, less worried and less sad. Each day for the next week, give yourself 10-15 minutes before you…

Mental health is the way children think and feel about themselves and the world around them. It affects how children cope with life’s challenges and stresses. Relationships and good mental health for children Here are some ideas to promote your child’s mental health and wellbeing through a loving and supportive relationship: Tell your child that you love them, no matter what. You can also show love through your body language and nonverbal communication. Use a positive, constructive and consistent approach to guide your child’s behaviour. Make time every day to talk and listen to your child. Enjoy time with your child doing activities they like. Work on positive ways to solve problems and…

Promote self-compassion in children with techniques to nurture self-love, resilience, emotional well-being for a happier, healthier future. Self-compassion is being kind to yourself even when things don’t happen the way you expect. It’s being aware of your feelings and treating yourself with the same warmth, care and understanding you’d give to someone you care about. When children learn to treat themselves with self-compassion, they: are happier have more confidence and self-esteem are more likely to try new things or try again when things don’t work out the first time have more resilience, so they can ‘bounce back’ during or after difficult times. Building self-compassion in children: three steps: Step 1 Pause and notice when your…

Discover practical tips to establish healthy sleep habits for young children, ensuring restful nights and improved overall well-being.   Avoid screen time during meal times and using food as a reward or to soothe. This recommendation for toddlers is among a new set of guidelines rolled out after previous studies found that young children here are not getting enough sleep and have too much screen time. “Time allocated for physical activity, sleep and recreational screen viewing time practices were sub-optimal in Singapore’s young children, with more than half the parents either underestimating or overestimating the actual duration required for adequate physical activity and recreational screen viewing time,” he says. Advice…

From talking about school to playing word games, get tips on how you can help your child thrive and be successful during their primary school years. Tips for learning at primary school Show an interest in what your child is doing and learning by talking about school. Play rhyming games, letter games, and shape and number games with your child, and practise taking turns in games and activities. Use simple language, and play with words and word meanings – for example, you could clap out the syllables of words or play word association games. Keep reading to your child even when your child can read by themselves. Let your child hear…

Minimize sibling rivalry with eight practical tips for preventing fights and fostering healthy, harmonious family relationships.   1. Look after each child’s needs spending special time with each child regularly giving plenty of hugs and smiles to everyone trying not to compare children with each other. 2. Set clear family rules Involve children in setting up rules. Write rules that include positive statements about how you want to treat each other. Put a copy of your house rules on the fridge or somewhere everyone can see them. Follow through every time children bend or break the rules.   3. Set up routines Television: Samantha chooses the program from 6.30-7 pm.…

Resolve conflicts and strengthen relationships with your child. Learn effective strategies for managing conflicts in a healthy positive way. These tips can help you get ready to manage conflict with your child: Stay calm, stop what you’re doing, make eye contact, and treat your child with respect. Let your child have their say. Be open to hearing your child’s point of view. Focus on the issue or the behaviour, and avoid general statements about your child. For example, ‘Taking your phone into your bedroom at night isn’t following our rule about devices’ rather than ‘You never follow the rules’. Be open about your feelings. This can help your child understand…

Equip your teenager with essential money management skills. Discover tips and tools to help them make smart financial decisions. Read on. Encouraging responsible money management As your child gets older, it’s a good idea to give your child more control and responsibility over their own money and how they spend it. With guidance, this will help your child learn important and lifelong money management skills. It might help to work out some clear guidelines about using money with your child – for example, discuss how much can go into savings, spending and donating. And it’s important to guide your child towards saving money, rather than spending it all. Your child will make…