Tag: parenting

Understandably, many parents are struggling to let go of their children’s baby clothes. These items hold sentimental value and precious memories from their kid’s early childhood. While it seems hard at first, it is essential to declutter their wardrobe so you can see what you can keep, throw away, and donate. More clothes mean more laundry, endless cleaning, and sometimes unnecessary tantrums. Here is a simple guide that will help you simplify your little one’s wardrobe.

Lay everything out and categorize them accordingly

To make the decluttering process more manageable, remove everything from the closet, starting from the top shelf. Have three boxes near you and label them, what you will keep, throw out, and donate. Throw away worn-out clothes, torn, permanently stained, deformed or out of shape, and keep those in excellent condition, still fit, in season, and can be used for the next baby. If you have extra clothes that are still in good condition or even brand new ones, donate them to charity or to a loved one that is expecting. Keep in mind that some might need these unwanted or unused clothes, so it is best to let them go early on so others can still benefit from them. Many charities accept these donations, both local and national. Make sure to get in touch with them first to know their current pandemic protocols. 

Involve them in the process 

For older kids, include them in the decluttering process as many can already voice out their preferences. Ask their opinion and take note of their favorites. Make it a fun activity by having a mini fashion show. Mix and match their clothes, or ask them to organize their clothes, their favorites, semi-favorites, and those that they dislike. Tell them to choose based on their liking regardless of the color and your child’s gender. Use this opportunity to teach them the value of what they wear, where it came from, or how it was made.

For the younger ones, visualize what they gravitate to the most in terms of colors, patterns, and textures. Remove those that are barely worn, even if they’re expensive. Ask yourself the following questions: Does it still fit? On a scale from 1 to 10, does my child love this, and would they notice if it is gone? Set a clothes limit by considering the available storage, your child’s preferences, and daily activities. Have five to seven days’ worth of clothing or even 10 days if you have enough space. 

Scout for affordable and age-appropriate clothing 

After categorizing their clothing, look for inexpensive but quality clothes, online. Consider buying several quantities of the same outfit, especially those that your child loves. Choose clothes that can be worn with anything, regardless of the season. Bear in mind your child’s activity and energy level. If they are physically active and tend to get messy, buy dirt and stain-resistant clothes. Go for stretchy clothing for young children, as tight or restrictive clothes can be uncomfortable, especially if they are in their development years. 

There are several benefits of decluttering your child’s wardrobe. Decluttering promotes a happy and cleaner environment not only for your children but for your entire household. 

The world is one massive melting pot, and modern technology allows people to connect like never before. As your kids grow, they are likely to notice differences in the environment and the community. Many kids will begin to ask questions and point out variations. This can be embarrassing for parents, especially if their youngster is speaking loudly or pointing in public. The answer to this situation lies in preparation and communication, to teach your children bout diversity starting at an early age.

Here are six ways to teach your children about diversity.

1. Address Their Observations

Did you know 3-month-old babies can perceptually distinguish faces by race? Their observation skills continue to develop as they grow. At 6-months a child can perceive these differences enough to begin categorizing faces by race, and by age eight, most children can sort others into racial groups. It makes sense that these differences would spark a level of reflection and contemplation. Therefore, it’s crucial to address these thoughts immediately.

Your child is not blind to diversity, but that is not the same as understanding its implications. Instead of attempting to quiet their questions, address them head-on in an honest and non-biased manner.

For instance, the next time your child asks why someone is fat or skinny, state that people come in all shapes and sizes, which makes the world an exciting place. As they age, you can become more scientific with your responses to provide an accurate response to their questions. Keep in mind that if you do not answer, someone else will, and their response may have profound implications on your child’s beliefs.

2. Discuss Various Types of Diversity

Diversity simply means that people are unique and have differences, but those contrasts do not make them better or worse than their peers. You should discuss all different types of diversity, such as race, religion, gender, physical abilities, socioeconomic status, political beliefs and other ideologies. As you converse, empathize that these differences make people special and beautiful in their own way.

For them to accept the differences, they must understand them, which requires a thorough study and a lot of time. You can organize studies about different religions, find a religious leader or try to enroll them in study programs such as a vacation bible school curriculum, which will not only acquaint the child with the details and religions of the Bible but also reveal their preferred direction. Depending on your environment, your child may be a minority, and it’s crucial they recognize their value in the world. Additionally, situations change, and they may find themselves identifying differently than they did at birth. What matters on the inside is more important than any physical feature. Teaching your kids this lesson will help them to be kind to others and themselves.

3. Introduce Educational Books and Shows

Strengthen your lessons on diversity by introducing educational books and shows. As you read and watch, your child will begin to understand the complex topics covered under the umbrella of diversity. You can find resources that discuss different cultures, customs and lifestyles. With time, these messages will become engrained in their minds.

These books and shows will help to spark new ideas and discussions in your household. In fact, they may even inspire your family to take an international trip or learn a new language.

4. Keep Diverse Toys in the House

When choosing toys for your kids, it’s tempting to pick out the dolls which look like them. Instead, try to buy a wide variety of styles. People come in all colors, shapes and sizes, and a child’s toys should represent that. As they play, they’ll appreciate the beauty in these differences.

5. Lead by Example

Your child is watching you to see if your actions match your words. Your kids will notice if you speak of equality and fairness but then laugh at inappropriate jokes or treat others impolitely. While it’s important to monitor how you express yourself around impressionable young people, you should try to act civilly at all times. Lead by example because your children are taking their cues from you. More specifically, keeping a diverse friend group will demonstrate that you genuinely believe everyone is special and consequential.

The best way to lead is by educating yourself. Read books on diversity and become familiar with racial biases present in modern society. The more you learn, the easier it will be to teach your children. There will always be more to discover and ways to improve, so encourage yourself and your family to make the world a better place through your actions.

6. Correct Your Child When Necessary

Your kids are human, and they will make mistakes sometimes. Instead of ignoring their actions or writing them off as bad behavior, sit them down and talk. Ask why they acted rudely and explain how their deeds impact others. It’s essential to correct those behaviors, so they do not happen again.

Before jumping to conclusions, ask your child if there was a reason for their behavior. Keep questioning them until you get to the real reason they were acting a certain way. Perhaps they saw someone else do the same thing, or a boy pulled their hair, so they decided all boys were rude. You won’t truly understand their actions without challenging their shallow answers.

Be Open to Conversation

It’s crucial to teach your children about diversity from a young age. This will stop judgment and bias before it has a chance to solidify. Utilize these six steps, but remember to keep the conversation open. As your child grows, they will come into contact with a wide variety of people and personalities. By staying open to discussions about diversity, you can continue to guide your kids and positively influence their mindset.

The term “trauma” can often feel big and scary, and while trauma is never a fun experience, there are varying degrees of trauma that people can go through, and that includes children, too. As a parent, you never want your child to experience trauma, but the fact of the matter is that any negative experience that causes a stress response in your brain can cause trauma, and those experiences could be large or small. Regardless of the kind or size of the trauma, it’s important to know stress management and coping strategies to teach your child to deal with trauma as it comes.

At the end of the day, trauma is a stress response that can take an emotional toll, and the younger that kids learn to deal with those stressors, the smoother they’ll be able to process and handle them. Not every trauma is alike, and not every person is alike, so each person will need their own strategies to find what works best for them in processing and dealing with traumatic experiences. Regardless, trauma can happen to everyone, and there are a few ways you can help your child learn to deal with it. Here are just a few of them.

1. Teach Mindfulness

Mindfulness is all about anchoring yourself in the present moment and the sensations around you, which can help a lot with trauma management. Often, it can introduce a feeling of safety and calm when someone is stressed or anxious, which includes trauma processing. By teaching your child mindfulness techniques, they can learn to feel present and safe as a healthy coping mechanism.

2. Use Meditation

Similar to mindfulness, meditation is all about calming the mind and the body to create a bit more relaxation. While meditation can be highly effective in calming someone down when they’re actively experiencing a flashback or upset, a regular meditation practice can also have widespread benefits across anyone’s quality of life. Meditation can help kids feel calmer and more collected while they process things and give them somewhere to turn when they need quiet.

3. Be Present With Them

Trauma can make many people feel isolated, and that includes children. This is because stress and trauma can feel disorienting and lonely, so isolating behavior is common. Just like you should be there for a friend during trauma healing, it’s important to be there and truly be present with your children to remind them that they’re safe and not alone. Sit with them, hold them if they need and fully listen to them.

4. Teach Them to Process

While trauma doesn’t just “go away” and processing trauma is just that — a continuous process — many experts think that the first 30 days after a traumatic event are some of the most important when it comes to processing and healing a trauma. That being said, teaching your child about processing trauma is a hard but necessary lesson. Talking about things with them and allowing them the safe space to talk about their experiences can go a long way.

5. Encourage Them to Explore Their Emotions

Especially when kids are young — though this stands true for all people sometimes — trauma processing can be more about the emotions than the memories or experiences. While some people feel that trauma processing should be about getting to the bottom of what the experience was, it can be about so much more for the person experiencing it. As a parent, talking about their emotions and allowing them to fully explore their feelings freely can give them the chance to understand themselves and their experiences better.

6. Help Them Feel Safe

Trauma and traumatic stress can often have the impact of making people feel unsafe in their environment, and this can be especially prevalent in children. One of the best ways to help your child manage trauma is to remind them that they are safe and that you will do anything to protect them when they need it. While you won’t always be there at every moment of their lives to protect them, that feeling and security can help them feel loved, supported and safe in their experiences going forward.

7. Limit Stressors and Teach Them to Do the Same

Trauma can also cause anxiety in many people, and as a parent, one thing you can control is the stress exposure your child experiences and teach them about stress management. Children don’t need stress in their lives, and limiting things like overactive schedules and tense situations can help them keep the calm and happy existence they deserve to have.

Managing Trauma Together

Trauma is an unfortunate reality of human life, and while you can’t protect your child from ever experiencing it, you can teach them strategies and coping mechanisms to deal with it in a healthy and productive way. Often, processing trauma is about feeling the emotions, keeping calm and being present. You can teach your child to do all of those things, and who knows? You may learn something new along the way.