ML Interest Tag: indicate

Structured Playtime Makes Your Toddler a Self-Control Master, Study Says

by Erica Loop

Recent research from the University of Otago, New Zealand may have found why structured play is important for toddlers. The study, which was published in Scientific Reports, looked at the effects of a play-based intervention program on preschoolers’ self-regulatory skills.

Self-regulation doesn’t come naturally for most kiddos. But it’s a necessity for school readiness and later success. While lacking self-control to some degree is normal for a young child, when it becomes a problem the experts often need to step in. Enter the University of Otago study.

photo: FeeLoona via Pixabay

The study looked at 60 families with children ages three to four, assigning each participant group to one of two behavioral management methods. One group participated in the proposed experimental play intervention, Enhancing Neurobehavioural Gains with the Aid of Games and Exercise—a.k.a. ENGAGE. The ENGAGE method included learning self-regulation skills by playing games such as puzzles, hop scotch, musical statues and blocks. The other group received treatment with the current gold standard for pre-k kiddo behavior management in New Zealand, the Positive Parenting Programme or Triple P.

So what did the study find? The children who participated in ENGAGE did just as well, in terms of self-regulation development, as those who were in the Triple P group. Lead author Dr. Dione Healey, of the Department of Psychology said, “Our results indicate that parents spending regular one-on-one time playing with their young children has the same positive effect on children’s behavior as using behavior management techniques which have a long history of being effective in managing child behavior.”

Healey also added, “With ENGAGE, we now have an additional treatment option for young, at-risk children that is enjoyable, low cost, easily accessible and associated with long-term maintenance of treatment gains. It’s good to have a choice of equally effective options as what works well for one family may not work as well for another.”

—Erica Loop

 

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5 Simple Ways Parents Can Help Little Ones Wrangle Their Big Emotions

By Lisa Howe

Photo: Chris Wojdak Photography

The researcher Brené Brown has found that the average adult can only identify three feelings. To have real emotional intelligence, however, we should be able to identify thirty feelings. Why is there such a huge gap between what we know and what we should know and how do we begin to bridge that gap? How do we become more comfortable talking about our feelings? I would not be surprised if reading the word “feelings” four times already makes you want to stop reading this column, but please stick with me. I promise it won’t hurt.

Emotional intelligence is extremely important in determining your success in life because it is closely linked to how well you will play with others. There are many studies now that indicate that high emotional intelligence is more important than IQ and is a better predictor of professional success, satisfying personal relationships, and overall contentment. How can we help our children to develop their emotional intelligence so that they grow up to be one of the adults who can identify more than three feelings?

1. Start by acknowledging your child’s perspective and empathizing with them.

We all want to be heard and this goes for your child as well. You do not need to have a solution for their problems or even do anything for them. All you should do is be there, see things from their point of view, and provide empathy.

2. Allow the expression of feelings.

All feelings are welcome. Of course, we limit behavior but we allow and welcome feelings. This is new and often uncomfortable for many parents who grew up in homes that followed the adage, “Children are seen and not heard.” Research tells us that denying feelings gives children the message that those feelings are shameful or unacceptable. Rather than denying or ignoring our children’s feelings, we can teach them that we all have a wide range of emotions.

3. Listen to your children’s feelings.

Do you remember the last time someone sat down with you and just listened to you talk about your feelings for as long as you needed to vent, share, and get it all out? That person gave you a gift. Give your child that same gift the next time they are overwhelmed with feelings. Listen to them talk about the things that seem like little things to you now; as they get older, they will share the big things.

4. Teach problem solving.

Emotions are important to acknowledge, experience, and talk through but we do not have to live in them. We can teach our children to work through their feelings by breathing through them and experiencing them. Sometimes feelings can be so intense that we may worry they will never go away. We can sit with our children and reassure them that feelings ebb and flow, and once the intensity of those feelings fades, we can assist them in solving any problems that remain. Often, even at a young age, children can begin to problem solve on their own. We always want to offer them the opportunity to initiate that process as a confidence builder.

5. Play!

We often forget that children, like little ones of all species, learn through playing. Play is also a great way to work through or process emotions. Social interactions and peer conflicts can create big feelings which children do not yet have the skills to handle. Many adults still struggle to cope with their emotions in a productive way so we must remember to maintain realistic expectations of our children. We can role-play using stuffed animals or act out challenging situations, giving our children the words to use and an opportunity to practice how to handle these relationships.

Imagine a world in which we were all raised this way: with respect for our feelings, encouragement to talk about them, support in solving problems, and a playful response to what’s left over. What a gift we can give our children, ourselves and our families. When we help our children develop these invaluable skills, we are giving them tools for life.

This post originally appeared on www.becomingpeaceful.com.

I’m Lisa. I am an MSW, a mother of a six-year-old girl and a Certified Peaceful Parenting Coach. Using my knowledge, professional experience and personal journey as a parent, I coach other parents to develop happier, healthier and more peaceful relationships with their children.

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Why Are There So Many More Food Recalls? You’re Not Imagining Things

by Erica Loop

Does it seem like there are more food recalls that usual? Between that massive romaine recall from the end of 2018 to thousands of pounds of beef, turkey and even our kids’ beloved chicken nuggets, it almost feels like nothing is safe to eat. Obviously, that’s not true—but the number of recalls is rising. Here’s why.

According to data from the Public Interest Research Group, food recalls increased by 10 percentb etween 2013 and 2018. A staggering 70 percent increase was in chicken-related recalls alone.

Photo: amsw photography via Pexels

Before you panic, keep in mind that these numbers aren’t static. They go up and down, and sometimes back up again. They also may indicate a trend towards increasing voluntary recalls. In other words, when companies issue their own voluntarily recalls for potentially contaminated products, the number of recalls go up.

Initiating a voluntary recall immediately has obvious advantages. The quicker the response, the sooner the public is notified—and can stop eating the affected product (or throw it out before eating it). This reduces serious and life-threatening illnesses and reactions. So while it seems like the number of recalls has risen, it’s out of an abundance of caution ultimately meant to protect consumers preemptively.

—Erica Loop

 

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We Can All Eat Romaine Lettuce Now, CDC Says

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The Urban Dictionary for Parents (Abridged)

By Titania Jordan

Hark! Feeling like the tweens and teens around you are speaking another language? Here at Bark, it’s our job to learn and understand the popular lingo with kids. We’ve translated a few of the most common slang expressions today into fun, Ye Olde English-st‌yle phrases. And because the parents at Bark are all Gen Xers and “vintage” Millennials, we’ve got that translation for you, too.

“It’s lit, fam.”

Ye Olde Teenspeake: ‘Tis lit, kin!

Gen X Translation: Kids use “lit” to describe something as awesome or exciting. Fam? That’s a close friend, fam.

“DTF”

Ye Olde Teenspeake: DTF (delighted to fornicate)

Gen X Translation: Teens send messages saying DTF to indicate they’re willing to engage in casual sex.

“U up?”

Ye Olde Teenspeake: “Art thou awake and ready for tomfoolery? Prithee come over, if so.”

Gen X Translation: Teens send this after-hours message to people they’re attracted to, usually with the hope of sexting, or, in some cases, meeting up.

“Bae”

Ye Olde Teenspeake: “Yon oft-smooched true love for whom one cares immensely”

Gen X Translation: It’s a girlfriend or boyfriend or romantic partner—”before anyone else.” Or something you really really like. Example: “Tacos are bae.”

“Bye, Felicia!”

Ye Olde Teenspeake: Good morrow, Francesca!

Gen X Translation: You say “Bye, Felicia” when you want someone to get out of your face. It’s generally intended as a dismissive kiss-off. More often, it’s said jokingly as a goodbye with no real bad feelings.

“YOLO”

Ye Olde Teenspeake: YOBLO (ye only but liveth once)

Gen X Translation: “You only live once.” A sentiment similar to the Latin “carpe diem” (“seize the day”), YOLO is often used to a justification for irrational or risky behavior.

“Netflix and chill”

Ye Olde Teenspeake: Fireplace and Bare Thine Ankles

Gen X Translation: While this expression literally means to go over to someone’s house to watch TV, it’s most commonly used as a metaphor to head to someone’s house to hook up.

GOAT

Ye Olde Teenspeake: This one doesn’t translate well, unfortunately. It’s actually just the family goat, Phillip Kids are weird in every time period.

Gen X Translation: “The Greatest of All Time.” Folks use GOAT usually when referring to a well-regarded sports icon, e.g., Lebron James is the GOAT.
The way kids talk will forever change and evolve with the times—and parents will forever be trying to catch up!

Titania Jordan is the Chief Parent Officer of Bark.us, an internet safety solution that helps parents and schools keep children safer across social media, text messaging and email. She is also the mother of a nine-year-old son and is a master at LEGO.  

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If Disney Buys FOX, What Will It Mean for All Those Marvel & Star Wars Movies?

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Kids don’t usually give much thought to the studios behind their favorite movies and characters, but making sure they can keep watching the shows they love is likely a big priority. Disney is close to buying FOX and you might be wondering what that will mean for your family’s favorite shows.

If the merger between Disney and FOX goes through—and it’s looking pretty solid that it will—all of FOX’s film and television assets will be owned by Disney under a “new” FOX company, but it remains to be seen what that company will look like. Disney, who already owns Marvel, will see the Marvel Cinematic Universe expanded with the addition of the X-Men franchise as well as Deadpool and The Fantastic Four, which means the potential for more crossover storylines for future films.

This also means there might be some changes to those edgier Marvel characters. Some are speculating that Disney, which is not known for releasing R-rated films, might try to water down some of those edgier Marvel characters, like the very much for-adults-only Deadpool. This could certainly be a good thing for younger viewers even if adult fans aren’t happy.

The Star Wars franchise, which is already wholly owned by Disney, should be untouched by this new deal. However, Disney’s recent announcements of several Star Wars spin-off series for its new digital streaming platform and a new season of Clone Wars could indicate what the future will look like for that full stable of Marvel titles.

Speaking of that Disney streaming service: the FOX maybe-takeover also begs the question of what will happen with all those FOX titles if they become part of the Mouse House. Chances are pretty good that everything under the Disney umbrella, including the new FOX acquisitions, will be part of the exclusive streaming platform. Just one more reason why families will find themselves adding yet another streaming subscription to their households by 2019.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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5 Reasons You Should Have Three Kids

By Heather Dixon

My children are little enigmas.

They’re so ridiculously cute and sweet with their soft, smooth skin, big, bright eyes and gorgeous, baby-like voices.

They’re also demanding, exhausting and sometimes even downright disgusting.

One minute, they’ll stop what they’re doing and look up at me and smile with their tiny little perfect teeth, wrinkling their gorgeous, freckled noses and say “I love you Mommy! You’re the best!” And then the next thing I know they’re yelling“JUICE!!!” at me at the top of their lungs to indicate they’re thirsty before running off to play in the toilet water.

Ah, kids.

So why on earth would you ever want three of them? I have three children age 6 and under and I’ll let you in on a little secret. They’re ridiculously fun. Since having my third kid, I’ve experienced more chaos, noise and exhaustion than ever before – but I’ve also had more love and happiness in my life than I ever thought imaginable.

If you’re on the fence about adding more kids to your clan, here are just 5 reasons why you should have three of them:

1. You’ll really stop sweating the small stuff. The first kid is generally the ‘test child’. You have no idea what you’re doing, but you’ll try it out anyway and then learn from your mistakes. With the second kid, you’re still cautious about your parenting. You’ve likely learned more, but you can still be a touch nervous. By the third child, you practically let them raise themselves. They learn that sometimes they have to wait. Sometimes they can’t have what they want the minute they want it. The tantrums don’t seem to rattle you anymore. And you realize that they’ll be okay if they have a soother until they’re 4 or don’t walk until way later than the neighbour’s kid. You have the knowledge that everything is probably going to turn out okay and as a result, you can relax a whole lot more.

2. You’ll always have someone around to snuggle.  Kids are busy little creatures. And they always seem to be mastering some new skill which means they’re too busy for a good, long snuggle with Mom & Dad. Unless, of course, you have three. There’s always bound to be one kid up for a cuddle. When my 6-year-old is too busy reading or coloring to actually stop and let me snuggle her – I curl up with my 4-year-old on the couch. When my 4-year-old doesn’t want to stop playing, I snuggle the 6-year-old and talk about her day. And on the days when everyone is too busy or too distracted – I can always rely on my 2-year-old to melt into my body for a long, reassuring cuddle before bed.

3. Life will be louder and sillier and chaotic.  But that’s how life should be, shouldn’t it? I want my days to leave me exhausted, but happy. Tired, but overflowing with laughter. And you can absolutely do all that with one or two kids. But when you throw another kid into the mix, life just gets more everything. And I welcome it with open arms.

4. Big(ish) families are fun!  There’s always someone to play with. To share inside jokes with. You’ll always have someone cheering you on. To curl up and watch TV with. I love our loud, rousing dinner conversations during the holidays. Three kids puts us into the category of a bigger family. And it really is a lot of fun.

5. You’ll finally be complete. If you’re even a little unsure about whether you’re done or not, it probably means your family is not yet complete. At least, that was my experience. I thought I was done after two. I was very happy and content. I loved everything about my life. Yet, when my third little baby came into my life, I realized I was waiting for her. And now, our family is whole.

Heather is a writer and Mom to three highly advanced little girls (according to her husband and her). She's also a runner, a reader and a lover of wine and beer (which is why she runs). Follow her at littlehumanseatinghealthy.com, heatherdixon.ca, or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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Essential Keyboard Shortcuts All Kids Should Know

by Erin Feher

Half-pint hackers need to start somewhere—these keyboard shortcuts will not only save time but make you and your kiddie coders feel like you can speak a secret language. From basics that every book-report-writer needs to know to more advanced (and funny) secret weapons, our cheat sheet will have you playing the keys like a pro in no time.

The Basics 

Control+C lets you copy any line of text or photos to your clipboard, while keeping a copy of the text in its original location.

Command+W is the quickest way to close the current tab in your browser. But you have nothing to hide, right?

Shift+ALT+4 will let you capture a specific screen grab. Hold down all three keys while you use the hatch mark to indicate the area you want to grab. It will save as an image on your desktop. For Windows users, just press PRINT SCREEN.

Control+Z lets you undo WHATEVER it is you just did. Did you delete too much too soon? Copy something into the wrong spot? This combo is a savior.

Control+S will save your work. Make hitting this combo a habit and you will be protected if your power dies or some other bug causes your computer to crash.

The Secret Weapons

For Macs
For real audiophiles, Option+Shift+F11+F12 will lower or raise the volume in smaller increments than the typical volume symbols. Can you hear me now?

Control+Option+Command+8 reverses the colors on your screen. Now try going back and forth real, real fast. You will be transfixed.

Watching a YouTube video of a chick hatching? 1, 2, 3 will advance the video to 10 percent completion, 20 percent completion, 30 percent completion, respectively (and so on and so forth).

Control+Command+D will define any highlighted word. Who needs a Dictionary?

 

For Windows
Control+Alt+Down Arrow magically rotates your monitor screen to 180 degrees. (this key combo only works with computers who have Intel graphics chipsets and may not work on all PCs)

Left Alt + Left Shift + Print Screen will turn on the high contrast visibility setting on any computer set. Trippy!

Windows key + “+” then Ctrl + Alt + F makes your screen bigger, which can annoy users who prefer a certain screen size.

Windows key + “+” then windows key + “-” then Ctrl + Alt + I. This shortcut can turn the colors on your monitor screen upside down; it’s a great prank to make someone think their computer has gone haywire.

Do you have any indispensable shortcuts to share? Let us know in the comments below!

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Local Portland Writers Needed

by Erin Lem

Are you a local mom or dad who just loves exploring different neighborhoods, play spaces, parks, and kid-friendly food joints with your little ones? Are you a writer looking for a creative outlet where you can share all of your insider mom and dad knowledge? If you’re thinking, “yes, that’s me!” then you’re in luck because our Managing Editor is looking to hire a few writers in the Portland area.

If you’re interested please send to jobs@tinybeans.go-vip.net a short note detailing why you would love to write for Red Tricycle, a resume, and any writing samples. In the subject line of the email please indicate, “Red Tricycle Portland Writer.”

We can’t wait to hear from you!

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Local Los Angeles Writers Needed

by Erin Lem

Are you a local mom or dad who just loves exploring different neighborhoods, play spaces, parks, and kid-friendly food joints with your little ones? Are you a writer looking for a creative outlet where you can share all of your insider mom and dad knowledge? If you’re thinking, “yes, that’s me!” then you’re in luck because our Managing Editor is looking to hire a few writers in the Los Angeles area.

If you’re interested please send to jobs@tinybeans.go-vip.net a short note detailing why you would love to write for Red Tricycle, a resume, and any writing samples. In the subject line of the email please indicate, “Red Tricycle Los Angeles Writer.”

We can’t wait to hear from you!

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