Run ....Baby.. Run...

With child obesity on the rise, it is crucial that we encourage our children to be active!!

Long time ago ,, there is no problem with childhood obesity, I remember when I was young we used to run around the rice field ,, playing chase or just running  around.. We have games that kept us occupied..like "Chinese garter", Tumbang Preso, Luksong tinik and others.. Hayy those were the days my friend....... Sadly that kids are pre occupied with so much sedentary activities,, like playing video games or just watching TV.. My kids watches TV all the time and when I see that they've been staying inside the house for a long period of time I encourage them to go outside ,, even if it winter time here at the moment.. I take them at the backyard; play with them, ride the bike, jump on the trampoline and Run Around.. It is good for the them because it  releases their energy..

So it is our duty as a parent to give them a healthy lifestyle...We always make it a point to go out every weekend , take them to park, play Bowling , things that keep them up and about..

It is important to get in there with children in their formative years and make progressive changes.. The earlier they get active , their social and cognitive aspects are going to be well developed.

 Being physically active supports children socially, as they build themselves they will have a positive relational experiences, they will learn to negotiate rules, and as they learn to cope with winning, losing , sharing and co operating  through play, they develop their problem solving skills...

Exercise is a good stress reliever, if the child is having difficulty sleeping, concentrating , it can help them ease the pressure.. that is why when my kids had a big day ,, they get worn out and go to bed easily... easy for us..

Here are some Activities to try 

0-2 years

SHAKE IT! 

Fill empty drink bottles with sand, water, bells, rice or other noisy or bright objects. Giving them to your child to play with helps them to understand their bodies and how they move and enhances their understanding of cause and effect.

BUBBLE BLOWING and CATCHING

 Encourage your child to blow bubbles through a wand and chase them as they fall.

2-3 Years

IN and OUT  

Boxes and Tunnels are a fun way to provide children with new gross motor experiences, by moving under through different shaped objects.. have you noticed that when you have big boxes the kids are fascinated with them and they just want o climb inside  and go through it... Priceless they say...

CLOTHES BALL 

To develop fine motor skills , you can teach your toddler to zip the zipper by turning it into a game.

4-5 YEARS

ROLL the BALL 

Sit in a circle and choose three different exercises, such as running on the spot,jumping  or touching toes.. Roll a ball to the  child and ask her/him to do the excerise.

BEAR HUNT 

Play a bear hunt game. Do some movements, encourage the child to do their own actions, such as marching their feet and patting their knees at the same time.. or do some animal walk.. like ducks, elephant. tiger, dog or anything ,, 

USE your imagination,, be creative and enjoy it ,, because when they grow up and become teenager they wont like to play with you anymore...

As I always say engage to your child's world and soon you will start giggling... 

They grow up fast and love every bit of it!!!!

How about you what are your favorite activities that you do with your child / children? Feel free to share it...

It's all Fun and Games

Parents today are inundated with all the hype of marketing to persuade them to purchase educational gizmo and gadgets , from electronic cards to latest computer games. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it???
PLAY is a very serious business for my kids, its one of the best way to learn about their world, about themselves and people around them. Playing is not just a past time but is is vital for the child's learning and development.
These are the types of play
QUIET PLAY Pictures books, bead stringing, peg boards, puzzles, doll play and drawing
CREATIVE PLAY Painting, drawing, problem solving, music , dancing, sand collage and use of imagination
ACTIVE PLAY Ball, slides, swings, push and pull toys, sand and water play, trikes and bikes, running, climbing trees , dress up clothes , cars and trucks.
COOPERATIVE PLAY Ball games, tag, see saw, playing dolls or house, block building, hide and seek
DRAMATIC PLAY trying out different kinds of life roles, occupations and activities
MANIPULATIVE PLAY Puzzles, crayon's, painting, using safety scissors and tools, stringing beads , block building, dolls and trucks

The most important is for parents to look for games that provide constructive learning, encourage group activity and solve problems and make decisions...

Also ,, give them a special attention... PLAY with your KIDS!!! enjoy them engage to their own world and soon you will be giggling like a child too... ENJOY YOUR KIDS!!!!

Thanks Sis JenL for the pics

MEAN MOMS

I am sharing this with my 13 year old daughter ..
Moms read on for this is interesting and very much true..

I got this from forward messages in my email; that's why I cannot acknowledge the author


                     Mean Moms

Someday when my children are old enough to
understand the logic that motivates a parent,
I will tell them, as my Mean Mom told me:
I loved you enough to ask where you were going,
with whom, and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you
discover that your new best friend was a creep.

I loved you enough to stand over you for
two hours while you cleaned your room,
a job that should have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger,
disappointment, and tears in my eyes. Children
must learn that their parents aren't perfect..

I loved you enough to let you assume the
responsibility for your actions even when the
penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough to say
NO when I knew you would hate me for it.

Those were the most difficult battles of all.
I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too.
And someday when your children are old enough to
understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them.

Was your Mom mean?

I know mine was.
We had the meanest mother in the whole world!
While other kids ate candy for breakfast,
we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast.

When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch,
we had to eat sandwiches.

And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was
different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times.
You'd think we were convicts in a prison.

She had to know who our friends were
and what we were doing with them.
She insisted that if we said we
would be gone for an hour, we would be gone
for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it,
but she had the nerve to break
the Child Labor Laws by making us work.

We had to wash the dishes, make the beds,
learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry,
empty the trash and all sorts of cruel jobs.
I think she would lie awake at night
thinking of more things for us to do.

She always insisted on us telling the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
By the time we were teenagers,
she could read our minds
and had eyes in the back of her head.
Then, life was really tough!

Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk
the horn when they drove up
They had to come up to the door
so she could meet them.

While everyone else could date
when they were 12 or 13,
we had to wait until we were 16.

Because of our mother we missed out
on lots of things other kids experienced.

None of us have ever
been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other's
property or ever arrested for any crime.
It was all her fault.

Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults.
We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mom was.

I think that is what's wrong with the world today.
It just doesn't have enough mean moms!


PASS THIS ON TO ALL THE MEAN MOTHERS YOU KNOW.
(And Their Kids)