health

Let Your Kids’ Imagination Run Wild with These Activities

Tina Turner
by Tina Turner0600

Some old-fashioned parents may dismiss imagination as daydreaming that wastes time. However, child psychologists emphasize the role imagination plays in cognitive development. Being able to imagine new things is crucial for your child’s ability to communicate, learn, socialize, and otherwise have a healthy childhood.

Not to mention, imagination allows children to explore and learn new things about their surroundings. Some kids love to play pretend games on their own. But it’s best if parents occasionally join in and make it a fun and educational experience. Here are several ideas for playtime activities that unleash your child’s wild imagination:

Role Play

Role playing is one of the best activities for allowing kids to be imaginative. Some of us have role played by ourselves as children. We even continue the activity into adulthood, often roleplaying in video games and such. Parents can certainly join in roleplaying activities with children and motivate them to continue.

Role playing is also a great activity to get shy or sedentary kids into engaging in a mentally and physically stimulating activity. Role play has no boundaries. You can come up with things on the spot. Also, kids can don homemade costumes, such as blankets, sheets, or parents’ clothes. Buy a hooded towel baby shaped like animals so that the small ones can join their older siblings in role-play games.

Make Up New Endings to Stories

Don’t have a lot of time to role play with kids? You can transform the storytelling time into an imaginative experience. Most parents read to their children before they go to sleep. It’s a recommended activity for getting children to learn new words and develop literary comprehension. It can also be a time to get children to imagine a little.

Once you have finished a story, try a fun game where you make up new endings to stories with the kids. It’s particularly fun if a kid doesn’t like the ending. Speculating the ending before you get to the end of the story is a great way to let a child’s imagination go into overdrive.

Go Outside and Tell Each Other Stories

Alternatively to reading a book, you can get your children away from smartphone screens without making a big fuss by going outside to tell stories. Like in “Alice in Wonderland,” make the outdoors into a giant theatre the children can engage with in an imaginative manner.

Ask them to come up with stories about the things they see, such as a street, mountains far ahead, and animals in the yard, and so on. Not only does this boost imagination potential, it would engage their developing cognitive faculties as well.

Let Them Paint outside the Lines

Creating art is a time-honored tradition where imagination is allowed to roam free of the usual constraints. Small children often engage in art projects. However, most of these projects done at school or home have strict rules. Kids have to paint inside the lines, so to speak.

For a change, allow your children to paint outside the lines. Get them involved in art projects that don’t require them to follow a set of rules. Let their own imagination be the sole guide and witness the progress.

Parents only need a bit of time to engage with kids in activities listed above. Imagination is a crucial ability kids have to learn and process the world around them. Don’t let it go to waste. Try any of the above to allow your child’s imagination skills grow.

fashion

Why You Should Consider Bamboo Fibre Cloth for Your Little One

Tina Turner
by Tina Turner0705

Bamboo fibre cloth is all the rage these days and for very good reasons. So many parents all over the world have now started using more and more of these sensational products for their children. The article below details the top reasons why this fabric is considered to be superior by so many parents and our favourite place to find them mibaloo.com.au

It Dries Faster

Parents know the importance of having fabric that dries very fast for their little ones. Especially if you are planning to use the cloth as nappies, you will be washing it quite frequently. If the cloth doesn’t dry fast enough you will have a lot of problems with your laundry and that is a guarantee! Bamboo fibre cloth dries very fast so you will great ease as you do your laundry every week. This way you will be able to hand wash the clothes of your little one with ease, line dry and have fresh clothes to use the very next day!

It Is Softer Than Cotton

As a parent you should be concerned about the condition of your little one’s skin. Baby skin is very supple and soft. It doesn’t take a lot to irritate the skin of a newborn, so extra special care is always needed when handling a newborn. For many years people have considered using cotton when designing their little one’s garments. But now, more parents are using bamboo fibre cloth because it is wonderfully soft. The little ones will be able to enjoy superior comfort when garbed in these wonderful garments. A happy baby creates happy parents too!

Superior Absorbency

You need to ensure that the cloth that you use on your little one is super absorbent too. Towels and nappies especially have to have high absorbency in order to become effective in their uses. If the cloth that is used doesn’t absorb the moisture well, your baby will feel discomfort. Dampness can even aid bacteria build up in sensitive areas of your little one’s body. Consider using bamboo baby towels which help to dry your little one fast. You can even use bamboo nappies and give your baby superior comfort.

Super Strong

Bamboo cloth is quite strong. When the cloth has a mix of viscose the strength of the cloth intensified. Your newborn’s clothes will go through many rounds of washing and drying. You have to replace towels, clothes, nappies and other garments quite frequently because everything that you put on your little one has to be fresh and new all the time. So you have to pick a super strong fabric for the baby in order to ensure the longevity of the clothes. You will be saving quite a lot of money this way for sure as you will have to replace the clothes less often. You will be able to keep your little one’s clothes looking fresh and new for many long months this way.

Now you know the advantages of this super cloth! So the next time you go shopping for the baby, you know what exactly to look for!

 

Trending

Toys that all toddlers should have

Tina Turner
by Tina Turner0793

It is at the early ages that babies start to see the world and gain some perspective and learn new things, appreciate colours and shapes, enjoy toys etc. As a parent, you ease the learning pathway for your toddler and stimulate their learning capabilities. At the age of a toddler, the only way you can achieve this is through the toys that you get them. Here are a few ideas of the different toys that you can get your toddler to help stimulate their learning capabilities.

Building Blocks

Building blocks should be given to every toddler at some stage as it teaches the toddler valuable skills. The simple act of putting blocks together and fixing up shapes allows the child to learn how to orientate shapes. This skill is the most basic one that children are taught at the earliest stages of education in preschool. Children learn to appreciate shapes and begin to associate these shapes with other shapes and learn by themselves how to distinguish between them.

Number Games

Teaching your toddler numbers seems like a big step at that age but if you buy them toys that encourage their learning skills of the numbers, they will learn it on their own without the added effort. The best type of number games are the ones that give the child a reward at the end of solving simple puzzles, maybe it is a rewarding sound or a picture that pops up stimulating the children’s happiness. Children often enjoy sounds that entertain them so in the case of a rewarding game, they would most certainly use this as motivation to play. At the end of the day, the child will learn and enjoy themselves.

Colour Related Games

Colours are a good stimulator for children to bring out their creativity. Buying your toddler a simple toy or game that teaches the child to distinguish colours is a good step at helping the child enhance their creative ability. Games, where the child has to match colours to certain shapes vice versa, are a good approach to teach the children shapes and colours. When children begin to be able to identify colours they begin to see the various things in the world and they gain the ability to appreciate them.

In this era, it is very difficult to get even toddlers to focus and play games that teach them skills. They no longer enjoy simple toys but instead are allured by technology. Every toddler at this day and age know how to skillfully handle an iPad, iPhone and almost all other technology. They can easily spend hours of their day staring at the screen mindlessly watching videos and not learning any new skills. Skills are learned when there are engagement and a response to any stimulations but with the new technology, there is only one far interaction where the child simply gazes at the screen with no reaction to the content. As adults, it is best to try and limit the time your toddler spends on these devices or better yet not allow them to have any of these devices until later on. It is our responsibility to make sure the children learn valuable skills at the earliest age.

fashion

Fashion Tips For Pregnant Mums

Tina Turner
by Tina Turner0897

Fashion during pregnancy seems like an awful lot of work, doesn’t it? Well, it doesn’t have to be. You can look stylish and trendy yet comfortable in yourself during your pregnancy. Embrace that pregnancy glow and be a stylish mama!

 

Make Your Comfort A Priority

Pregnancy is a time of discomfort for many women so whilst styling yourself, you must remember to make your comfort a priority. Loose fitting clothes are your best friend; loose pants and baggy t-shirts are the comfiest to wear. Try to keep your home clothes to the most simple: throw on a loose fitting dress or a pair of baggy pants with a loose and comfortable t-shirt. Grab your puffy slippers on and you are ready to chill at home.

When on a casual meet up with your friends, you could throw on a pair of black loose-fitting pants with a solid coloured t-shirt and add on some accessories. Accessories can fix any look and instantly brighten you up. Dab on some makeup, just because you are pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t have some makeup on. Draw a beautiful liner and get some lipstick on, you don’t have to spend hours getting the perfect contour glow, you’ve already got that pregnancy glow.

 

Solid Colors Make You Look Chic

Try to keep those prints indoors and style those solid colours when going out. Black looks good with everything and looks good on everyone, such a versatile colour. Use it! You can wear black pants with white tops or black tops and coloured pants. You can also wear solid coloured dresses for the evening parties with accessories. Get an elegant looking handbag and rock your outfit.

 

Phases Of Wearing Heels

During the first few months of pregnancy, wearing heels is a breeze and it looks good with all your outfits. But as you get bigger and bigger wearing heels might seem a bit uncomfortable. However, you can trade those stilettos for a pair of block heels – not too high through – these will maintain that chic look and make you feel super comfy. Wedges are also a good alternative, get a shorter pair of wedges and use them with your outfits. If however, you feel uncomfortable wearing any type of heels at any time of your pregnancy, feel free to rock those flats. Trust me no one will judge you for trading those heels for a pair of flats.

 

Accessorize

The easiest form of fashion is the use of accessories. You can take any simple outfit and turn it into a chic-looking stylish outfit by simply using the right accessories. You can use simple accessories like a purse or a statement necklace for a casual outing and you can use a rich necklace with an elegant purse for a party.

Being pregnant does hold you back from pursuing many fashion trends but look at it this way, you can always start your own pregnancy trends using your own unique sense of style and no one will dare judge you. Not everyone will have that pregnancy glow, so embrace it and embrace your unique beauty during this beautiful journey.

 

health

Tips To Stay Fit And Healthy During Pregnancy

Tina Turner
by Tina Turner0965

Pregnancy is a beautiful time of your life, it is where you will undergo a lot of changes both physically and mentally. However, it is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay fit throughout this beautiful journey. Follow through to find out a few tips on staying healthy and fit.

Healthy Eating

Despite your rather odd cravings that come and go in waves, having a healthy eating regime will not only benefit you but will also benefit your baby. The best way to approach this is to get all the healthy food included in your main three meals, that is, get a good serving of vegetables and fruits with plenty of good fats such as avocados and the appropriate amount of carbohydrates. As you are growing a complete human being inside of you it is highly recommended to get all the essential vitamins such as Folic acid and others in. You mustn’t try to beat your cravings and not completely give in either. Have a balance, allow yourself to indulge in the foods that you crave no matter how unhealthy they are and don’t feel bad afterward but also remember to get all the healthy food into your system. Don’t worry too much about gaining weight, because as a pregnant mother you are allowed to gain a few pounds and you should not have to worry about it.

Get A Bit Of Exercise

Doing any kind of exercise during pregnancy sounds impossible when preparing for maternity. But doing a few exercises and keeping yourself active will improve your health and your baby’s health drastically. Join a few group classes for prenatal yoga or simple cardio etc. Doing a workout with a group will often keep you motivated and keen to go rather than having to do them on your own. Go for walks in the evenings, slow and steady stroll for a quick 30 minutes or so. The key idea is to keep yourself active not heavily active but mild activeness is very good for the body. You will notice that your mood swings and body pains will start to ease and will leave you feeling a lot lighter and calmer.

Take Care Of Your Skin

Your skin is probably the most neglected part of the body during your pregnancy, it goes through many stages and phases and will often get damaged if not taken care of. Make sure to drink plenty of water and moisturize daily. Make a new morning and nighttime routine where moisturizing is a crucial part of it. During pregnancy, a simple moisturizer will not be sufficient to battle the changes that the skin undergoes. Visit a dermatologist and get your skin checked up and get the creams prescribed by them. Use them on a regular basis and don’t neglect your skin because after you have given birth, your skin will slowly come back to its natural form and when this happens you will want it to be fresh and undamaged.

After your pregnancy, you will be thankful that you maintained a healthy lifestyle as it will be much easier to lose those pregnancy pounds and go back to looking fabulous!

Trending

How to Prepare To Take Care of a New Baby

Tina Turner
by Tina Turner0888

The arrival of the newest member of your family is truly a very exciting time. This is the time for new beginnings with so much of preparations and enthusiasm. As the mum-to-be there are many things to look into when getting yourself and everyone around to welcome your new baby, here are a few of the things that you can do to get yourself ready to welcome your new bundle of joy.

Clothing! – For You and Your Baby

This is the first step in preparing to welcome your baby. Buy plenty of baby clothes at least until they are 2-3 years old and load up on those nappies because you can never truly have enough maternity clothes. It is as equally important as buying baby clothes. As the new mummy-to-be, you will no longer be able to fit into your old wardrobe pre and post-baby, so it’s better to spruce up your wardrobe with plenty of comfortable clothing. Get plenty of comfortable stretchy pants and dresses that feel light and effortless on you.

Baby Gear

The baby gear is all the equipment that a baby needs from the crib to the baby walker to the baby nappy changing stations. As a mum you might underestimate the use and importance of this equipment but trust me life will be so much more convenient with these. If you buy all the gear at once you may even be able to get a good discount or you can take your time and plan well ahead by researching plenty of shops and comparing prices to get the best. Let’s be honest, even though your little bundle of joy is so tiny, the cost of their equipment is not so small. Avoid waiting till the last minute to make your purchases as this will lead you to spend more than you would have spent if it were planned.

Get Organized

The arrival of a baby is serious business; you can’t simply expect things to fix themselves anymore. Be organized right from the start. Decide on where the baby nursery will be and get work started on it. Paint it a soothing colour and have plenty of toys to make it a baby friendly environment. When deciding on the place for the nursery be mindful and choose a place that can be accessed quickly. The best option for this would preferably be close to your bedroom where you can easily access the nursery at any time.

Baby Food

This may be a far off thing to consider at first but bear in mind the baby will be growing rather quickly and the time will fly by very fast. It is always easy to decide earlier on whether you will be breastfeeding right through or whether you will give the baby breast milk and bottled milk. Decide on what type of food you will want to feed the baby and have them prepared.

Lastly, Be Positive and Don’t Stress

Keep your cool, get the help and support of your family and friends and make sure to treat yourself nicely throughout this journey.

 

beauty

Best Skincare Routine for Pregnancy

Tina Turner
by Tina Turner0917

Your skin undergoes a lot of different phases throughout your pregnancy and taking care of your skin is very important, especially in keeping those stretch marks at bay. Your skin is affected by the changing hormones and the different changes to your oil levels etc., these drastic changes need to be taken into account when trying out a new skincare routine –yes, a new one, as your old trusted skincare routine that always worked for you is no longer reliable due to all the changes that have happened in your body. Here are a few skin care tips to keep that pregnancy glow and your skin shining.

 

Moisturise

Moisturising can be a real task during pregnancy, especially with the changing hormones and your skin feeling agitated at all times. The first step at changing your routine would be starting to change what you do in the morning. Take a warm shower and moisturise yourself thoroughly and this will leave your skin feeling light and soft. When applying moisturiser, use a pregnancy-safe product that doesn’t cause any skin irritation. It is best to visit a dermatologist and get the necessary product that is safe to be used.

 

Hydrate and Keep Hydrating More

Your body needs an extra supply of water during pregnancy to keep all the fluids flowing through. Drinking water may seem difficult given the fact that during the pregnancy you use the bathroom more frequently but this should not prevent you from drinking water. The more water you lose the more water you should drink to keep your body functioning and skin glowing. Start with a tall glass of water first thing in the morning and make that a habit. Take one tall glass of water before breakfast, before lunch and before dinner. Make those your main water drinking time and throughout the say have a bottle of water and keep sipping on it. To make the process much easier, add some lemon juice, the extra citric acid with the water is an added boost of Vitamin C.

 

Exfoliate

Exfoliate your skin during pregnancy and even afterwards, this is something that opens up the pores and takes away the dead cells from your skin. You can use homemade natural products such as baking soda for exfoliating or use an exfoliating scrub but make sure to use pregnancy-safe products. It is always best to exfoliate first and then use a moisturiser.

During pregnancy, your skin is very sensitive and undergoes a lot of changes, such as stretch marks. To prevent this taking care of your skin is imperative. Use an anti-stretch mark cream right from the early stages to prevent the effects of stretch marks. If the stretch marks appear after the birth of the child, there are many skincare creams that help take care of these marks and prevent any side effects.

Remember that water is your best friend, it may not seem like it because of your uncontrollable need to use the bathroom constant mainly because the womb pushes on the kidneys. Overall, skin care is very important during and after pregnancy and taking care of it will leave you feeling happy and comfortable in your own skin.