papaleguas

Watching the next generation of children in my neighborhood, it seems that bike riding is as popular as ever and that many children are learning to ride at a much younger age.  It’s not uncommon to see a three year old pedaling down the street.  As soon as a child is old enough to ride (even with training wheels or on a tricycle), it’s time to being emphasizing bicycle safety.  Here are some guidelines:

With the hot summer months in full swing, many parents wonder at what age they should begin swimming lessons for their child. A recent study from the U.S. National Institute of Health suggests that swimming lessons for babies and toddlers can provide an extra level of security for children when they are around water. Babies and toddlers who learn the fundamentals of floating and who are exposed to water on a regular basis have a better chance of staying afloat if they fall into water.

Check with your local swim club or YMCA on the availability of swim lessons for babies. In most cases, a parent participates in the class along with their child. Babies can learn to overcome any fear they have of water and parents can feel a bit more secure, but it’s important to remember that enrolling your baby or toddler in swimming lessons does not mean that water safety rules can be ignored. See this earlier post about Pool Safety.

The warm summer months are the perfect time to get baby out for a walk. With a Baby Jogger stroller, you can get fit and bring baby along. Baby Jogger was the first company to market a jogging stroller 25 years ago. Their strollers are safe and multifunctional. Folding designs let you pack the stroller into your car, and most of these strollers work just as well for an afternoon of shopping as they do for a jog through the part. Baby Jogger has a whole line of joggers, strollers and bike trailers that you can check out on the Baby Jogger website. Now you can’t use your baby as your excuse not to get in shape!

Good manners are based on treating other people with respect and creating good relationships.  How young should parents begin teaching their children to have good manners?  Children as young as toddlers can learn from experience.  If they observe good manners in their parents they are more apt to develop good manners themselves.  Toddlers can be taught that sharing and caring about how other people feel are important behaviors.  How to reinforce good manners in toddlers?  The reward of a smile sends the message that the child is doing the right thing. Positive words and a smile will let the child know that good manners are appreciated and will help develop habits that will last a lifetime.