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It’s a common question that mothers of toddlers ask: “How do I stop my toddler from whining?” To be able to answer this question, however, knowing why your toddler whines is important. After you understand why your toddler whines, you can begin to work with them to stop this habit.

The biggest reason toddlers whine is because they often can’t communicate well using words. They whine to get your attention and to communicate that they want something. They may be frustrated or they may be tired. Unfortunately they soon realize that whining produces results, so they begin to use it to get their way even past the age of toddlerhood.

To avoid having problems with whiny school-aged children, or worse - whiny teens, you’ll want to stop them before it becomes a habit. Here are six ideas you can use that may nip this bad habit in the bud before it has an opportunity to bloom.

It won’t be long. People are counting down the time until they can put their wintertime shoes away for the summer months. Have you been taking care of your feet? Here’s how to get your feet ready to show off in this year’s cute summer sandals.

If you’ve neglected your feet during the winter months, don’t despair. There’s still time to get your feet looking sexy and it won’t take forever to get them there!

Start out by taking a long look at your feet. You want to be sure there aren’t any cuts, scrapes, or torn cuticles. Since the easiest way to get your feet ready to show off is to use vinegar, salt, and lemon juice, it would hurt like crazy to get any of those in a cut! You may also want to trim and file your toenails before going any further.

Next, head to the kitchen. “The kitchen?” you ask. Yep, the kitchen! In a bowl, mash several slices of fresh lemon with 1/4 cup Epsom salt. This will make a pre-scrub to soften any rough spots you may have. Rub this mixture into your feet and then put on a pair of white socks for at least 15 minutes. While you’re waiting, crush 10 mint leaves with 1/4 cup Epsom salt and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and set it aside.

From a very young age parents repeat the words “don’t talk to strangers” to their children over and over again. Conversations may end with parents listing the people in the child’s life with whom they are allowed to talk and give information to. But does your child really understand the meaning behind those words? Do they know this doesn’t mean the gentleman down the street who dresses “strange”?

You want to be sure your child or children understand who a stranger is. You also want to pass along instructions on how they are supposed to react to any situation involving a stranger approaching them. Here are some tips to help teach your child about stranger danger.

Start by reviewing the aspects your child already knows about. Discuss the topic of predators and methods they use to try and gain the trust of children. Remind your children:

• Never take candy from strangers.
• Never accept toys from strangers.
• Never get into the car of a stranger for any reason.
• Never believe a stranger who says they’ve been sent by a parent to pick them up. Having a family password will enable your child to know for sure.

With cut-backs in education budgets, one of the areas to suffer is allowing children to have recess during the school day. You know how being physically active can help you feel better, look better, concentrate more, and be healthier than leading a sedentary life. The same is true for your children. Use hula hoops and jump ropes as a fun way to get you and your children moving at home.

Unstructured recess may be a thing of the past at your school, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give your children unstructured play at home. Purchasing play equipment like hula hoops, jump ropes, and balls can make active play something your children look forward to each day. Science has proven that having this type of equipment available may help your children be more active and play for longer periods of time.

You know increased activity can help stave off obesity in your children, so why not do what you can to help improve their health? Is there a better way to encourage them to get moving than by providing them with fun activities they can do? And, while you’re at it, why don’t you join in the fun with them?

What’s the 4th of July without fireworks? Cities and towns across the country host July Fourth displays that are attended by millions every year. However, some people prefer to have a more hands-on approach to fireworks. If this is you, you’ll want to be aware of the dangers of having and using fireworks, especially around young children.

Fireworks are the creation of the ancient Chinese who are believed to have developed as early as 581 AD after they discovered how to make gunpowder. Since the chemicals and powder are explosive, the danger of injury has always been associated with fireworks, which are still produced in China to a great degree.

Most, if not all children are enamored with fireworks. They love to watch them and will often try to shoot them off to have their own fireworks display. The problem, however, is that they are dangerous - especially when handled or used improperly.

• Fireworks are made from flammable materials and explosives. Due to this fact, thousands of people and pets are injured each year, some even requiring amputation. For fireworks to be safely enjoyed, they should be used only by trained professionals.
• Fireworks can cause fires and this is one of the biggest reasons for not allowing children access to them. Children can either be burned while trying to light the firework or they can accidentally catch something around them on fire.

Having a baby is a great experience. After a while, you can’t wait for them to be able to talk to you and tell you what they want. You may have a toddler that doesn’t talk well and wonder how you can help them talk. These ten tips can give you ideas of ways to encourage your toddler to talk.

1. Use adult language. Speak to your baby in real words to give your baby a better understanding of how to talk rather than making up words or nonsensical sounds.

2. Talk directly to your toddler. Look at them while you talk. Spend time talking to them; ask them questions even if they don’t have a very big vocabulary.

3. Be sure to tell them what you’re doing. If it’s time to change their clothes for bedtime, tell them. “Off with your shoes. Remove your pants and shirt.” Repeating this each time you change them helps them learn to use labels for their clothing.

4. Read to them as often as possible. Picture dictionaries can introduce them to new words. Point to the pictures in the book and name each one. Read simple stories using expression in your voice for the different characters. Your toddler will love it!

Winter’s blues are vanishing with each and every sunny day. Before long, spring will be a thing of the past and summer will be in full swing. It’s time to get off the couch, get moving, and enjoy the long-awaited warmer weather and sunshine.

It’s quite possible that you’ve been sedentary during the winter months. How can you get back to being active and still avoid injury? These hints will help you get back into the swing of summer activities, have fun, and stay healthy.

You could try to stay covered for the entire summer, but what fun would that be? You want to wear the skin-baring summer shorts, shirts, and shoes, so it’s time to get moving!

1. Start out slowly. If you haven’t been active for the past three or four months, rushing headlong into activity is an injury waiting to happen. Begin with stretching exercises to help your muscles warm up and then start walking.

2. Add to your routine. After a week of walking, you may want to begin adding minutes to how long you walk, distance to how far, or quicken the pace a little bit. Gradually adding to your workout will help you avoid injury and help you reach the level you’d like to be.

It’s a parent’s worst nightmare. On a family trip to an amusement park, their child is separated from them and is lost. If that family had used personalized child safety tattoos, their child would have been able to go to a park employee and they could have been quickly reunited with one another.

You can explain to your child the importance of staying close to you when you’re out in public. However, even though you and your child do your best, it is still possible to get separated. Temporary tattoos can be used to help keep your children safe and give you peace of mind. Here’s how they work and why they’re such a great idea.

Temporary tattoos are a fun, colorful ID product that can be used to keep children safe. They come in a variety of tattoos. The tattoos, which remain on the skin for three to seven days even through bathing or swimming, can be used to provide a telephone number to contact in case a child gets lost or otherwise separated from a parent or caregiver. There are also temporary tattoos which alert others to emergency medical information.

Lost and Found temporary tattoos are perfect for children or adults with autism or another medical condition that makes verbal communication difficult. They attach emergency contact information directly to the skin. They cannot be removed in the same way as a lanyard and ID or a piece of jewelry.