Oral hygiene practices begin at a young age. If you teach your kids the importance of dental health from an early age, it can help them to stick to daily teeth cleaning practices that can keep oral diseases away. With good dental hygiene, your kids do not require any extensive treatments for problems that could have been prevented easily. Recommended Read:  10 Dental Hygiene Tips You Should Follow Here are some tips to teach your kids proper oral hygiene – Reinforcing the importance of clean teeth and healthy gums are important for kids to really imbibe the idea of oral care from a young age. You need to tell them why they need to brush more than once and why flossing is significant. Kids are more likely to try or stick to a routine if they know why they are doing something. – The front teeth, especially the bottom ones, usually appear first. You need to clean these teeth properly to maintain their condition before your kids grow up. Kids love to hear anecdotes and are likely to show interest in oral care if they know you have been taking care of their baby teeth. – Your kids also need a positive association with dentists from a young age.

No parent wants their children to smoke. But once kids take up the habit, it can be difficult to quit smoking . But parents need to take quick action before it becomes too difficult for their kids to quit this habit. Recommended Read:  Teenagers and Drug Abuse Here are some tips to help your teen quit smoking Be Patient with the Process Quitting smoking is not easy even in the early stages of addiction. So, keep your wits about you when you first become aware of your teen’s smoking problem. Parents need to help teenagers keep their temperaments and relationships. Don’t expect your child to suddenly listen to you about quitting smoking. First, think clearly how you want to handle the situation before you barrage your teen with lectures, facts and worst of all your anger and disappointment. These measures won’t work. What will work is a step-by-step process in reaching out to your teen, understanding how the habit began and what will it take to help your kid quit it. Recommended Read:  Long-Term Hazards of Nicotine and Tobacco Communicate; Not Reprimand When it comes to teens, reprimands seldom work. Talk to your teens about benefits of quitting smoking. Gently explain to your teen about health problems associated with smoking.

The most important part of parenting is being able to spend quality time with your child and taking joy in doing things together. However, rather than planning elaborate camping trips, why not simply pull out a fun board game for kids and spend the evening playing away! Playing board games with your kids is an excellent opportunity to have a fun time with them. It is enriching, enjoyable and filled with learning opportunities, as your child masters new concepts and skills. Some of the popular board games for kids such as Scrabble, Chess, and Othello are great at enhancing visual perception, counting, letter recognition, and manual dexterity. In fact, most board games are for kids 5 and up, and by ‘up’ we mean any age! Here are some reasons that will highlight why board games are the best for kids: Board games are delightful Indeed, a simple board game for kids elicits their inner competition and helps release endorphins, also known as ‘happy hormones’. It is a great way to bond with children! Unlike video games, it stimulates different parts of their brain and makes them sharper and more sociable. Recommended Read:  10 Essential Life Skills to Teach Your Child Board games teach sportsmanship Board games for kids are great when it comes to teaching them values.

Flu is a viral infection that can occur at any age. However, flu in children is very common as their immune system is still developing, making them prone to infections. Common flu symptoms in children can be fever, stuffy nose, muscle ache and sore throat. You can consult with your child’s doctor for treating the flu. If you are uncertain when to call the doctor, the right thing would be to do so as the flu symptoms develop. If the symptoms worsen or if your kid has other respiratory problems, talk to your doctor for the right care plan. But flu resolves without treatment within 7-10 days. You can follow the doctor’s recommendations and also take certain steps to make your child comfortable during the recovery process. Recommended Read:  Five Beverages That Help Ward off Common Cold Here are some tips to tackle flu in kids: Make sure your child gets adequate rest and sleep during flu bouts. Flu can make the body weak. Muscle ache can make your child irritable. With proper rest, your child’s body will recover soon and your child will also feel better. Ensure that your child drinks sufficient fluids. Fever during flu can cause dehydration. Along with freshwater, offer your child fresh fruit juices and whole fruits such as oranges, grapes and melons.

Are you a helicopter parent? What is helicopter parenting? In age of over-parenting, you may surely have wondered about this There are different types of parenting styles. Helicopter parenting is becoming involved in your children’s life to an overwhelming extent – such that it can become detrimental to their growth. The term is derived from the hovering-like nature of parents (like helicopters) who excessively control their kids’ lives, knowingly or unknowingly. Characteristics of Helicopter Parents Helicopter parents are overprotective of their children. The excessive anxiety about uncertain futures, finances, jobs and other such aspects can make helicopter parents control every small aspect of their child’s life so that they can protect them from a life of risky outcomes. The fear of the worst happening to their children can drive helicopter parents to excessively engage in their lives. For example, meddling in normal routines of teenage kids, selecting their everyday outfits, packing their bags, managing after-school activities such as meeting with friends, doing homework, playing a sport etc. – activities that older kids can handle themselves – are examples of helicopter parenting. A helicopter mom or dad can try to control their children’s lives to protect them from unhappiness or disappointment.