As a mother you may be expending a lot of energy on your
kids to the extent that you don’t seem to be having enough
time for your husband.

Have you taken your time to study the situation around you
in recent time?

Is your husband satisfied with you even as you don’t seem
to be having enough time for him unlike you were doing before
the arrival of the kids?

Check your marital life occasionally to seem that nothing you are
doing to the kids is affecting your relationship with your husband.

I have experienced a situation that a father began to be jealous of
his own kids simply because their mother concentrated more of her
time to the nursing of the kids than the time she had for him.

I must warn you that you need to balance your time between the your
husband and your kids. If you can’t do this simple time management
then you better prepare yourself for the inevitable consequences at
the end of the day.

Your marriage should not suffer because your time is devoted much
more to your kid.

You must remember that your man was always there with you before
the coming of your kids and he would always be there with you when
the kids have grown and are ready to leave home to establish their
own families elsewhere.

Your future with your husband is only guaranteed now if you maintain
a loving relationship with him as you do with your kids.

The truth is that you can maintain that balance, if you really want to.
But not everybody can do so.

Give this a deep thought and see if you could work it out pretty good.

Enjoy your parenting efforts.
Sikaz.

Most kids prefer to eat sweets and biscuits anytime they have to put something in the mouth and this usually causesa ‘battle ‘between them and their parents.

As a parent you should try to understand the underlining factors that your kid  reject fruits which are certain to give the kid more nutritional value than the biscuits or sweets they prefer to eat instead.

Kids that eat sweets and biscuits are already hooked on the sweetness of the products and care less about  the so-called nutritional values that you bother yourself about.

Here are five ways to help your kid eat the fruits instead of the  sweets and biscuits that may later have negative consequences
health- wise:

1.Set a good example .You have to fall in love with fruits yourself to be able to convince your kid to stick to fruits and forget about sweets and biscuits that they seem to be in love with already.

2.Allow Your Kid to choose the exact fruits he want to eat instead of forcing the ones you like on him simply because of what you’ve read about such fruits in a magazine , heard on radio or watched on television.

3. Pack your freezer and refrigerator full of fruits so that it will be easy for the kid to get one to eat whenever he is feeling like taking a snack.

4. Don’t keep sweets or biscuits at home as you used to and warn everybody that will come in contact with your kid to desist from offering the kid any sweets or biscuits.They should give the kid fruits instead.

5. Be artistic and humorous as well. Dress your melon, carrots or plantain with faces that are funny. This will certainly attract the kid and he will want to play with the fruit before eating it.

There you are .Do the above and send a reply to me soonest.

Enjoy your parenting efforts.

Sikaz

Parenting is a subject that concerns every living being animals and humans inclusive.

This is an important subject that we all should feel very much attached to in order for the new generation of the human race keep coming and our world get expanded the right way.

Today we are experiencing teenagers who are becoming parents without really planning to be.It just happened by mistakes and suddenly they realised that they are already parents in their own right but without any knowledge of adequate know-how.

This is where the subject matter of this article comes in:

Won’t it be far better for all of us if parenting is taught as a subject in our schools especially at the very senior class level?

I feel we shou;ld now consider this.

Students who are already within the ages 16 and 19 need to know what parenting is all about so that they can decide on their own to either zip-up and never go into any unprotected sex with their partner or go into sex with the awareness that they would be responsible for the consequences of their sexual relationships.

What do you feel about this?

Enjoy your parenting efforts.

Sikaz

Children, like other human beings, create their own mental images
although some children don’t seem to have a deep understanding
of how this could be  done successfully.

It is your duty as a parent to help your child to learn how to
visualize and create their own mental images perfectly
to their own advantage in all circumstances in order to become
highly creative.

The following are some of the ways by which you can help your
child to begin learning to visualize and create mental images
easily:

 1. Read to Your Child: You have to begin to read to your child, if you’ve not already formed the habit of doing so.Remember that what you want to do is to make the child begin to visualize and form mental images in his mind, therefore, you don’t need any picture book for this exercise.  
  
2. Use lots of expression as you read: Whenever you read you should use many expressions anytime a character in the story speaks. Better still, make sure that you give each character their own distinct voices. This will make the child have a picture of the character created in their mind.

3. Read aloud: You have to read the story aloud whenever you wan to  read to the child. This helps bring the story to life and make child  volunteer participant in the exercise.
  
 4. Make up a story: When you make up a story, you are encouraging the child to try and do their own story too. This is because the story  you may be making up could be about something that happened to you in the past.

 5. Read poetry: Poetry is known as the king of narration. Very short, precise and image-filled. It tends to have fewer pictures and a lot of  descriptive words, making it great for visualizing.

 6. Listen to books on CD or cassettes (audio books) with your child.You can tag such book as “mind movies.”

If all these are done, the child will without doubts become an image thinker and a highly motivated visualizer and creative person.

Enjoy your parenting efforts.

Sikaz

As a single parent you are made to go through so many things that you could have been sharing with a partner if you were not a single parent.

Should you worry yourself over this?

The answer is NO!

Life is meant to be spent to your personal benefit.

You can’t live your life to satisfy another person to your detriment.

The following are pieces of advice you  can make use of as a single parent:

* Never embarrass your children with the way you’re dating your new partner.

* Don’t keep late nights or sleep outside your home no matter the circumstance.

* Work hard and be there for your children whenever you’re needed.

* Don’t be tempted to bring men into your home.Yes, it’s your home quite right, but what lesson would you want your child to learn from you?

* Be ready to make sacrifices for the sake of your children. They are the reason you’re called a parent, mind you.

* Be strong and organise your life bur never to the  detriment of your children.

* Provide for the needs of your children so they could be like the children who still enjoy the company of both parents.

These are very valuable pieces of advice that you should always remember and commit to heart at all times.

Enjoy your parenting efforts.

Sikaz

Parents of teenagers must be conversant with the troublesome tens probems in order to live peacefully with their teenage childtren and make them grow into adults they would be able to be proud of in the future.The pity of it is that most parents who have teens around them seem not to be aware of these problems that their teens are facing every day of their lives.Here are five problems of teens every parent must know about to become successsful parents:1. Teens Won’t Take Responsibility -  By their tender nature,most teens won’t take responsibility for anything.Though they strongly believe that they have past the age whereby their parents should treat them like little children,the fact is that they hardly voluntarily subject themselves to taking respponsibility for  anything done or that should be done by them.2.They go around being bored all the time – Have you noticed this in your teenage child?This is just natural with every teen.They are always very bored and they usually want to get themselves engaged in something to ‘kill’ the time. Anytime you observe this ,just get your child out to meet other teens in the neighbourhood where he or she can get engaged in  whatever will excite him or her.3.Teens Lie – Teens are all the same no matter where they are from.They seem to like telling lies to everyone around them.Perhaps your teen doesn’t do that,then you should see him or her as an exception. Because teenagers don’t usually owned up anytime they are  caught on the wrong side of things.4.Teens Are Usually Full of Anger – Yes, teens are very sensitive.They are easily  provoked.Anger mangement in teens is at the zero level most of the time.They walk about like a time-bomb that is  ready to explode at anytime.Check this out in your teens and be ready at all times to samguard him or her from exploding at the wrong time or in the wrong place.5.Your teen may be into drugs with a bad crowd well.Your dear little ‘angel’may actually be dealing in drugs – You read that without your knowledge. And this is why you need to maintain a friendly and cordial relationship with your teen to get through to him or her anytime there ois a problem.You have to be very close to understand what is going on in your  child’s life.If you are not frindly with eachother, the child will not disclose anything to you even if he is dealing in drug.You will only get to know if he leaves behind the telltales or signs of drugs anywhere in the house, and then it may be too late to control him because he might have become a real addict.These are five of  the problems you may be having with your teenage child.Therefore you have to look out for them at all times in order to be able to curb them before they get excalated.Enjoy your parenting efforts.Sikaz

Being a good mother goes beyond giving birth to your own baby biologically.

There are many mothers out there who are not worthy of the name “mother” in the real sense of the word.

Mothers come in different shapes and manners across race,ethnicity or religious leaning. But being a good mother is universally acceptable as the best thing to being called a mother indeed.

It is therefore very essential that a person who is aspiring to give birth to her own babies  should learn to be a good mother to such a baby.

The following are tips that will make you a good mother, provided you do them.

* Be there for your children by providing there physical, emotional and financial needs at all  times.

* Provide avenue for your children to tell you whatever is bothering them.

* Be supportive to your children and inculcate good values in them.

* Encourage the things that give your children  joy as long as such things are not harmful to them.

* Support those things that will make them fulfill their dreams in life.

* Be approachable, you will never regret being so.

* Give your children reason to be confident that their mother will treat them well.

* Create a way to make your children express themselves irrespective of what it is they have to talk about.

* Love your children unconditionally.

* Be there for your children and never allow your devotion to your work be detrimental to the care of your children.

* Discipline your children where there is the need for it. But you must discipline in love.

Enjoy your parenting efforts.

Sikaz

Are you a parent of an only child?

Do you feel that you must be very careful, or perhaps extremely careful and caring about your only child to the extent that you must care for the child as if you’re caring for four other children you’ve not had.

Do you shower your only child with so much care that you’re even bothered about what others think of you and the way and manner you care for your only child?

Well, there is no harm in that.

I don’t hold anything against you for what you’re doing.After all it’s your life and that of your child.

However, l want to point your attention to the sins you may be committing unwittingly in your parenting activities while caring for your only child.

These are sins that you can avoid if only you are a little careful about your actions towards your only child.

The sins are so important in your child’s life that they should be of concern to you as a parent who truly loves his or her child to the extent of wanting to make whatever sacrifice there is to be made even at your own expense and possible negative effects on the child.

These are the sins of parenting an only child that you must try to avoid if you must make a success of  your parenting efforts:

1.Overindulging and overcompensating: You’re probably
overindulging your child without knowing it simply because he or child is the only child you have now.The consequences of this is that your child will not see life the real way it is. You’ve not allowed him or her to go through  the necessary hardships that will perhaps toughen him or her to become a person that could fit into whatever situation he or she may find himself or herself in life.

2.Treating your child like an adult: It’s a sin to go about treating your only child like an adult when he or she isn’t. This is a child and that’s the simple truth about the situation on ground.

Your child should be allowed to pass through the normal stages of human growth and nothing short of that would be tolerated. You can’t create a vacuum because nature will not allow that. Your child can’t jump over what he or she should naturally go through.

3.Over praising your child: Don’t be tempted to over praise your child no matter how impressed you’re with whatever activity he or she has performed to your satisfaction.

Don’t get me wrong! I’m trying to very careful here because l don’t want to be misunderstood completely.

You should praise your child if you’re impressed by what he or she has done. But you’ll be making a mistake if you over do it. Praise is a human need because we all thrive on praises shower on us by those who appreciate
what we’re doing or what we’ve done.

4. Overprotecting your child: Let your child know that you’re there for him or her at all times, but never be tempted to go beyond the normal by overprotecting the child.

What is wrong in overprotecting your child is simply that the child will never be wrong as far as you’re concerned. She or he will never learn the right lessons of life which is that all of us must strive and struggle for ourselves without relying on others to help us defend us at all times.

Let your child protect him or herself with a little contribution on your own part. By so doing the child will be developed and feel safe even when you’re not there to protect him or her.

5.Failing to make rules: The world is orderly simply because it’s guided by rules and order. For this reason we all must learn to go by the laws of nature for us to be peaceful in life.

If you fail to make rules that will guide your child’s life simply because the child is an only child, then you’re already showing the way to crisis and chaos in the child’s life because there will be no orderliness in the child’s life.

These are the five sins of parenting an only child which you should avoid as a concerned parent.

Enjoy your parenting efforts.

Sikaz

Let not your spirit be weary teaching your child the right values!

You’re tired of repeating yourself over and over again, aren’t you?

Sure! Every reasonable person will…

We get worked up when we’re made to sound like a crack disc; repeating the same instruction to our children every time.

It’s disheartening that children seem to be somewhat carefree in their attitude to parental instruction. But you need not let them wear you out.

Most times you will need to repeat yourself while telling your child the end for personal hygiene; as they don’t see any reason why they should keep their clothes clean and change them when they are soiled.

Bathing and brushing of teeth every morning and night, is probably not his concern except if you press hard to make it happen.

Have you, at anytime, sat down to find out the reason behind this behaviour?

Why is your child ‘hurting’ you so much and making you to get exasperated repeating the same instruction several times?

It could be either of these two reasons:
(a) Forgetfulness; and
(b) Deliberate attempt to disobey.

Because children’s minds are filled with so many ideas about leisure activities, they find it hard to remember our instructions on values. Those things are not programmed into their to-do memory.

You might have offended your child without knowing it; he feels the only way to get back at you will be to deliberately turn down your instruction and make you yell at him.

You yell…

Consequently, you hurt yourself in the process; and he feels delighted doing it.

There is a remedy!

1. See your child as an individual who has a mind of his own.

2. Don’t keep quiet; you don’t have to. But don’t yell at him. Keep talking.

3. Keep teaching him the value of integrity, hard work, fear of God, and respect for constituted authority.

4. You must open the communication line between you and your child. Until the message sinks in his mind, your job is not done yet.

5. Listen to what he has to say.You’re the parent, and so what?You’ve got to put an end to being dogmatic and don’t take every matter seriously.

6. Reach a compromise by sparing time to engage your child in useful no-hold-bared discussion. And listen carefully!

That is the trick…you’ve got to listen, if you want to have p-e-a-c-e !

Pay attention to your child and hear what he is saying as the world is changing.

Believe me, if you do all of the above, your child will always listen to your instructions and obey .He will turn out to be the best of friend you can ever have.

Enjoy your parenting efforts.
Sikaz

Anger is a natural display of emotion by human beings.
There are many ways by which every person tries to show
his anger physically.

Your child,like every normal human being,usually
get angry over some unpleasant experiences she or he
is going through.

But do you know when your child’s anger signals are
displayed?

Can you sense it when the physical display of anger is
being shown by your child?

Perhaps you’ve not made an effort to even study your
child’s emotion.

Perhaps you’re even less concerned about the child’s
anger as long as you’re not disturbed by whatever
emotion he or she is passing through.

Well, you should begin to observe your child’s
physical display of his or her anger because the
signals are so obvious for a descerning person to
see.

Here are three ways by which you can easily identify
your child’s anger physically:

* Clenching Fists: A child that is angry will normally
clench his or her fists because the muscles are all going
to tightened just to push away whatever is causing him or
her to get so angry.So you have to observe this physical
display just to be sure.

* Shortness of Breath: Anger can’t be hidden because it’s
always in display for whoever cares to see.You must try to
see if your child’s breath is normal or not.A shortness in
your child’s breath means that he or she is really angry.

* Sweating:From the face to the palms and the whole body,
your angry child will be covered by his or her own sweat
to show you that he or she is very angry with whatever
situation he or she is facing a that point in time. For
quick and easy identification of the child’s mood,take
a look at the child’s forehead and you will notice some
sweat coming out.

There you are, the three physical signals of anger in your
child are listed above for easy identification.

Enjoy your parenting efforts.

Sikaz