4 Ways to Help Your Child Overcome His Fears

By Marcia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

Fear is a primal emotion and essential for survival.  Children fear things because they are small people in a very big world that they understand very little of.  It is natural and normal for them to be cautious of new and unknown things.  However, for some children, fear is a serious problem that gets in the way of their normal growth; emotionally, academically and socially.  Parents who want to teach their children to trust their instincts so they will stay safe but also learn to take chances in life can follow these 4 simple steps. 

• Don’t minimize or brush off their fears as not real.  
• Validate the concern that is behind the fear.  
• Encourage the reasoning skills that have brought the child to the conclusion she has reached.  
• Find one new thing to do a week together that is a little scary for you or your child.  

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3 Activities That Build Character in Kids

By Maricia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

One goal that most parents have for their child is to help him grow to have a good character and help people.  A child will learn to have respect and compassion for people from the those he sees around him when he is young.  The activities the child is involved in during the early years of his life will also help to shape these practices.  Here are a few that will help to build that integrity. 

  

Visit a retirement home

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5 Great Family Activities

 By Marcia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

One barrier to parents scheduling family time with the kids is that they have no clue what to do.  Parents end up choosing the same activity over and over again.  Which is not altogether bad, but here are a few standard family time activities with a little twist to get you considering ways to invigorate family time. 

• Movie night at home with a projector. 
• Read a chapter book together. 
• Go camping in your back yard.  
• Do a scavenger hunt around your city.  
• Surprise the kids late at night and take them star gazing.  

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How to Help a Child Who is Being Bullied

 By Marcia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

Though bullying is not a new problem children face, there is a level to bullying today that children have never before experienced.  Parents whose children are being bullied often do not know how to help.  There are many things that can be done to support, comfort and assist the child.

• Stay connected with the child’s friends by allowing and encouraging him to have friends over. 
• Give your children a break from the pressures of their social media life. 
• Fully listen to the child’s side of the story. 
• When a child shares an incident of bullying, respond with loving concern rather than trying to immediately fix the problem. 
• Ask the child how he wants to be helped before jumping into fix the problem.  
• Validate the child’s emotions.  
• Rather than making blanket statements, ask the child questions to help him look at the issue from a different perspective.  
• Avoid being too directly involved in issues your children have with their peers.

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How to Avoid Meltdowns in Public

By Marcia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

Parents fear that moment in the store when all eyes are on them because their adorable child is having a full body temper tantrum.  They will go to great links to avoiding these meltdowns in public, even giving into every unreasonable demand the non-rational child is making.  However, there are ways to escape this dreaded experience without giving in to every request. 

Limit the amount of errands in a day you do with your child.  

Prepare the child ahead of time.  

Help the child release frustrations before heading out in public.  

Provide some kind of non-monetary reward for behaving in a helpful manner.  

Give the child a job to do to distract him when he is starting to lose it.

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6 reasons your child refuses to do homework

By Marcia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

Many parents struggle with getting their child to complete homework.  Rarely is a child ever anxious to get to work when he returns from school but there are some ways in which you can make homework less of a struggle for you and for your child.  It starts with understanding why he is resistant to doing homework. 

He is exhausted from a long day at school

He is overwhelmed by your expectations of him

He is not sleeping enough

He is over booked with other activities

He is addicted to TV and video games

He does not understand the work and needs some extra help

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How to Protect Your Child without Smothering Her

By Marcia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

Every parent wants to keep their child safe from harm.  That concern becomes worry and often times panic because of the daily news stories of horrific acts and tragic events.  They often make you want to keep your children inside, lock all your doors and never let anyone else near them.  It certainly is possible to run to the extreme of being unconcerned and apathetic toward the very real possibilities out there but a lot of the time parents worry of safety is taken to an excessive level.  This extreme worry can greatly affect the child, causing fear, stranger anxiety and social problems for the child.  There is a way to balance the worry parents have for the safety of their child with the positive social development of that child.

Understand the child’s temperament

Wait for the child to evaluate her feelings

Model cautious concern of strangers for your child

Always trust the child’s instinct

Don’t be afraid to tell the child the truth in words she can understand

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10 Things Your Toddler Can Do to Help Around the House

By Marcia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

We may have great intentions of getting our children involved in the chores around the house.  But life can frequently get in the way of our intentions.  Here are a few simple activities you can quickly teach your children to do around the house. 

1. Set the table
2. Clear the table
3.  Wipe the counters and table
4.  Put clothes in the washing machine
5. Sort socks

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