The following is a guide to good sleep hygiene which can be adapted for both children and adults.

1. Stick to the same bedtime and wake time every day, even on weekends.

Children sleep better when they have the same bedtime and wake time every day. Staying up late during the weekend and then trying to catch up on sleep by sleeping in can throw off a child’s sleep schedule for several days.

2. Beds are for sleeping.

Try to use your bed only for sleeping. Lying on a bed and doing other activities (e.g., watching TV, using a tablet or computer) makes it hard for your brain to associate your bed with sleep.

3. A comfy, cozy room.

A child’s bedroom environment should be cool, quiet, and comfortable.

4. Alarm clocks are for waking up.

Children who tend to stare at the clock, waiting and hoping to fall asleep should have the clock turned away from them.

5. Bedtime routine.

A predictable series of events should lead up to bedtime. This can include brushing teeth, putting on pyjamas, and reading a story from a book.

6. Quiet, calm, and relaxing activities.

Before bedtime is a great time to relax by listening to soft, calming music or reading a story. Avoid activities that are excessively stimulating right before bedtime. This includes screen time like watching television, using a tablet or computer, and playing video games, as well as physical exercise. Avoid these activities during a nighttime awakening as well. It is best to keep video games, televisions, or phones out of the bedroom and to limit their use at least 1 hour before bedtime.

7. How to relax.

If a child needs help relaxing, they can use techniques such as taking deep and slow breaths or thinking of positive images like being on a beach.

8. Start the day off right with exercise.

Exercising earlier in the day can help children feel more energetic and awake during the day, have an easier time focusing, and even help with falling asleep and staying asleep later on that evening.

9. Avoid caffeine.

Avoid consuming anything with caffeine (soda, chocolate, tea, coffee) in the late afternoon and throughout the evening. It can still cause nighttime awakenings and shallow sleep even if it doesn’t prevent one from falling asleep.

10. If you can’t sleep, get out of bed.

If a child is tossing and turning in bed, have them get out of bed and do something that isn’t too stimulating, such as read a boring book (e.g., textbook). They can return to bed once they are sleepy again. If they are still awake after 20-30 minutes, they can repeat the process and get out of bed for another 20 minutes before returning. Doing this prevents the bed from being associated with sleeplessness.

11. Put kids to sleep drowsy, but awake.

The ideal time for a child to go to bed is when they are drowsy, but still awake. Allowing them to fall asleep in places other than their bed teaches them to associate sleep with other places than their bed.

12. Cuddle up with a stuffed animal or soft blanket.

Giving a child a security object can be a good transition to help them feel safe when their parent(s) isn’t/aren’t there. Try to incorporate a doll, toy, or a blanket to comfort them when it’s time for bed.

13. Bedtime checkups should be short and sweet.

When checking up on a child, the main purpose is to let them know you are there and that they are all right. The briefer and less stimulating, the better.

14. Maintain a sleep diary

A sleep diary tracks naps, bedtimes, wake times, and behaviours to find patterns allowing you to work on particular problems when things are not going well.

There’s something about this warmer weather that makes kids run faster and play harder. And like everything else parents carefully do to protect their kids — cooking healthy kid food, hiring the right babysitters, buckling them into car seats (or shouting out seat belt reminders) — summer takes preparation, too.

Here’s how you can keep your kids safe this season (without feeling like the fun police).

Be sun savvy.

Here’s a summer-bummer: A person’s sunlight exposure during childhood and adolescence is generally considered to increase the risk of melanoma. We’ve heard it all before, but make sure your whole family has the same sun strategy.

Apply early and repeat.

For kids 6 months and older (as well as adults), sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF)50+ reduces the intensity of UVRs that cause sunburns. Apply liberally 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure so it has time to absorb into the skin and decreases the likelihood of it will be washed off. Reapply every two hours and after kids swim, sweat or dry off with a towel. Proper application and reapplication are vital factors to sun protection.

Cover.

Dress kids in protective clothing and hats. Clothing can be an excellent barrier of UV rays. Many lightweight, sun-protective styles cover the neck, elbows and knees.

Keep infants out of the sun. 

Keep babies younger than 6 months out of direct sunlight, dressed in cool, comfortable clothing and wearing hats with brims. Sunscreen may be used on infants younger than 6 months on small areas of skin, like the infant’s face and the back of the hands, if adequate clothing and shade are not available, but remember it takes 30 minutes to be effective.

Plan early morning play.

For kids beyond that baby stage, plan outdoor activities to avoid peak sun hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) as much as possible. We know this sounds impossible, but avoid high sun areas such as the park, open swimming pools and playgrounds as much as possible during these times, and take a break from the sun when needed.

Beware of shade.

Many people think sitting in the shade is a simple sun compromise. Shade does provide relief from the heat, but it offers parents a false sense of security about UVR protection. You can still get a sunburn in the shade because light is scattered and reflected. A fair-skinned person sitting under a tree can burn in less than an hour.

Check the weather.

When planning outdoor activities, look for the UV Index on a reputable weather site. It predicts the intensity of UV light based on the sun’s position, cloud movements, altitude, ozone data and other factors. Higher UV index numbers predict more intense UV light.

One of those necessary life skills every child needs to learn is brushing his or her teeth. Helping your child get in the habit of brushing twice a day for two minutes is no small feat, but a little creativity can go a long way, we have compiled some of the best ideas around to give you a helping in hand in getting your little one to brush!

1. Have FOUR minutes of fun

Don’t just set a timer and supervise – make brushing twice a day for two minutes an event! Crank up your child’s favourite song and have a two-minute dance party. Videos or brushing apps may also make that time fly by. Try reading a 2-minute story using all your best voices. Whatever you do, get creative and switch things up so brushing time is always a good time.

2. Start a Routine and Stick to It

You may be tempted to let your child skip brushing after a long day or during times when your normal schedule is off (like holidays, weekends away or sleepovers), but keep at it. The more second nature brushing becomes the easier it will be to make sure your child is brushing twice a day for two minutes.

3. Reward Good Brushing Behaviour

Children love rewards, you just have to work out what motivates them! Once they reach the end, offer them a reward (this can be as simple as a trip to their favourite park). If they are a reader, let them pick out the bedtime story. Maybe it’s as simple as asking to see that healthy smile, saying “I’m so proud of you” and following up with a huge high five and a cuddle.  

4. Characters Count

Who is the character your child can’t get enough of? Many children’s shows and books, have stories about brushing, the links below are a great start! Watch the videos or read the stories together, when it’s time to brush your kids favourite character can give a helping hand and set a good example.

5. Make Up a Story

If you’re struggling to find a video, story or character to inspire your child, get creative and make up your own! Your little one might just be the only superhero who can brush away the bad guys that cause cavities. Routine is always important, a predictable series of events should lead up to bedtime, this can include brushing teeth, putting on pyjamas, and then reading a story from a book.

6. Go Shopping

Even little people like to make choices, let your child pick out their own toothbrush and toothpaste. Choosing a character toothbrush might make brushing more fun, and kids toothpastes come in a variety of flavours and colours.

7. Make Brushing a Family Affair

Parents are a child best teacher, so let your children learn from you! The family that brushes together has even more reason to smile.

1. Why is breakfast so important?

Breakfast does exactly what the word says, it breaks the fast after a night’s sleep and provides the body and brain with fuel to start the day. Just like any other organ in the body, the brain needs energy to work properly. With growing bodies and developing brains, it’s important for young children to eat a good breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast can help little ones to concentrate and give them energy to play and learn.

2. What should be in a healthy breakfast?

Once your little one is old enough to eat solids, you can encourage them to start the day with a healthy breakfast. For young children, healthy breakfast options include carbohydrates such as wholegrain cereals and porridge, which will give your child immediate energy to start the day. Proteins such as eggs and low-fat dairy provide a slower release of energy to fuel the rest of the day. Foods with natural fibre, like wholegrain bread and fresh fruit, give a feeling of fullness and help with digestion.

3. How you can help?

• Encourage your child to wake up with enough time to have breakfast every day.
• Identify some convenient and healthy breakfast options that your child enjoys.
• Lead by example and let your child see you eating a healthy breakfast.

Helping your child to develop a healthy breakfast routine while they are little can create a healthy habit to last them right through their school years – and for life!

3. Eat and talk!

The more you talk with your child, the more they learn, so a chatty breakfast is a good breakfast! Use breakfast time to ask questions and talk about food, clothes, weather, the day’s plans – anything and everything. Even if you are doing all the talking, it helps to build your child’s vocabulary and conversation skills. For example, you can ask, ‘How many strawberries shall I put in your cereal?’ or ‘It’s cold today, what shall we wear?’ or perhaps say, ‘Let’s go to the park after we finish breakfast.’

Source: https://www.learningpotential.gov.au/articles/what-makes-breakfast-so-special

If we want our children to approach challenges and change with positivity and confidence, we must teach them to develop resilience. Building resilience comes from the development of social and emotional skills, which include coping skills. By developing the skills associated with resilience, children learn to be happier, and come to understand that they can cope with any of life’s challenges.

What is Resilience?

Resilience is the ability to approach life’s challenges with optimism and confidence in one’s own abilities to bounce back and thrive. All people are born with the capacity for resilience, it isn’t something that some people have, or don’t have. Instead, resilience is something that we all work on throughout our lives.

Why is Resilience Important?

Resilient children grow into resilient adults. People who possess resilience don’t dwell on failures. Instead, they acknowledge difficult situations, learn from any mistakes, problem solve with confidence, and move forward with positivity. Resilient people are typically healthier and happier, experience lower levels of depression, and enjoy greater success at school and work.

What Builds Resilience?

Children need both outside support and inner strength to build resilience. Outside support, such as caring relationships and positive role models, play an important role in teaching children that they are safe, loved, and accepted. Skills of inner strength, such as self-regulation, critical thinking, confidence, positivity, and responsibility, teach children that they are capable of coping with difficult situations.

Three Ways to Teach Children Resilience

Independence

Encourage your child to try new things that they indicate an interest in, such as climbing at the park, or carrying their own glass of water. Don’t be afraid to let them try new things, even if you think they may be too hard for them. Children learn best through hands-on experience and practice. To encourage independence:

• Embrace the Montessori concept of “Help me to do it myself.” When your child is struggling with a task, such as tying their shoes, resist the urge to take over. Accept that your child won’t get things right the first time, or the second, and that learning to become independent is a process that builds resilience.
• Make time. Learning to become independent takes time and patience. If it takes your child 20 minutes to get dressed themselves, start your morning routine 20 minutes earlier. It is important to allow extra time in your daily routines to accommodate for your child’s emerging skills of independence.
• Identify opportunities for independence. Create a list of things that your child can do for themselves. Examples may include: brushing their teeth, choosing their outfit, putting on their shoes, tidying up their toys, or putting their plate in the sink. Ask your child which duties they feel that can take on. Embracing your child’s independence is likely to increase their willingness to try new things.

Emotional Awareness

Approach tantrums and emotional outbursts as learning opportunities to help your child to identify and understand their emotions. Use three steps to help manage difficult behaviour:

• Catch any negative thoughts and feelings of embarrassment: Your child’s behaviour is not a reflection of your parenting. Instead, it is a demonstration of their developing emotional and behavioural regulation skills.
• Approach the situation with patience and empathy: Take three deep breaths, and think about the current situation from your child’s perspective. What is the likely cause of their behaviour, and how are they feeling? Are they hungry, over-tired, jealous.
• Rethink and problem solve. Use the current situation as a learning opportunity to address the cause behind their behaviour. Talking through your child’s emotions with them, and validating their feelings, will encourage them to understand and express themselves, manage a wide range of emotions, and ask for help when necessary.

Confidence

Helping children gain confidence is best done through caring relationships, positive affirmations, and ongoing support. Activities that encourage confidence include:

• Model Resilience. One or the first ways that children learn about resilience is from their parents. When parents cope well with stress in their everyday life, they are showing their children how to do the same. To model resilience, approach difficult situations with patience, and a positive can-do attitude.
• Encourage your child to keep trying when a task is hard or frustrating. Use positive language about difficult tasks, and encourage your child to see challenges as opportunities to develop new skills.
• Show them that mistakes are ok. Everyone makes mistakes, what’s important, is that we learn from them for next time. Encourage your child to see mistakes as opportunities to problem solve in a different way.
• Actively point out your child’s strengths. Discuss and encourage your child to build on their strengths, as well as their limitations. These positive affirmations will become the “voice” in your child’s head. Hearing positivity helps children to develop a positive inner voice.

Source: https://montessoriacademy.com.au/encouraging-resilience-children/