Guy Fawkes Wordsearch

Guy Fawkes Night, is also known as Bonfire Night and Fireworks Night and is celebrated in the UK on 5th November. It celebrates the failure of the Gunpowder Plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5th November 1605 by Guy Fawkes.

 Can you find all the words in this Guy Fawkes word search puzzle ?

 

 

Description: Each word on the list is hidden in the pool of letters. Words may be hidden horizontally, vertically, diagonally, forward, or backward.

Instructions: Circle a discovered word.

Encourage Kid to Make Smart Eating Habits Early!

In this day and age of wanting everything we eat to be fast and now it is no surprise that we sometime don't make the best choice in food that is on our plate. From a toddler to a teen, nutrition is important - after all it is the fuel that keeps us going and growing each day!
We have found dome great tips from KidsHealth.org Here are five of the best strategies to improve nutrition and encourage smart eating habits:

1. Have regular family meals.
2. Serve a variety of foods and snacks.
3. Be a role model - no more eating junk!
4. Avoid battles over food
5. Involve kids in the process

Click here to read more.

Halloween Word Search

Description: Each word on the list is hidden in the pool of letters. Words may be hidden horizontally, vertically, diagonally, forward, or backward.

Instructions: Circle a discovered word.

Halloween treats can play tricks on children's teeth

It is getting close to that time of the year again. The time that many parents dread. Yes, Halloween is just a few weeks away. The time when kids go out into the streets knocking on doors in the hope for a sticky candy or two!  I am just as guilty as most parents. In previous years I have sent my kids off Trick or Treating and they have come back with enough candy to cover the whole dinning room table.

Many Dentists offer a buy back program offering cash for the candy. Does your dentist do this? Click here to find  a place near you that will buy back candy.

We found this article from DeltaDental which we thought we would share which offers tips for limiting the effects of sugar on teeth.

With the huge amount of  candy available at Halloween, parents often think more about dental health for their children but it should be a year round effort. Oral hygiene is so important to teach to a young child. The importance of flossing each day along with brushing for 2 minutes per day twice a day. These healthy habits and regular dental visits will help your children to take good care of their teeth.

How can we help? Our Add a Brilliant Smile tooth brushing chart supports this milestone by encouraging children to establish a great routine of regular brushing. Available from our website at VictoriaChartCompany.com  Order now from our website and we are including a 2 minute timer with each chart while supplies last! Please indicate which color you would like. (Pink, Blue or Yellow)

Chose which color you would like.

 

Halloween Safety Tips for Children with Special Needs

With Halloween just a week away we all want to share with you some tips that we found that we thought would help keep your little ones safe this year. Halloween is scary for many children, but for children with special needs it can be more so. Planning ahead can help!

1. Visibility: Make sure that you child can be seen. Many costumes are dark colors so adding some visible tape can help, or make sure they carry glow sticks and/or a flashlight.
2. Trip hazard: Some costumes can be very hard to walk in especially if they are over-sized. Have your child practice walking in their costume.
3. Buddy System: Partner your child with a "buddy" that can help your special needs child during the time they are trick or treating.
4. Can they see? Some costumes have very poor visibility. Check to see their visibility and modify if necessary.
5. Walk with them: Do not let your child go by themselves.
6. Check the Candy: Do not let you child eat the candy they have gathered until you have double checked it. Discard any unwrapped candies. Sometimes it is good to carry your own candy to give to your children as you walk around.
7. Sensory Issues: Some costumes are not made of the best materials for children, particularly a child with special needs. The material can be itchy or scratchy. Have you child wear the costume beforehand it avoid and disasters on Halloween night.
8. Know your child: If you know that it will be just too much to go from door to door with your child, stay home - involve your child by handing out candy at your home. Play games such as guessing the next costume. Keep it fun!
9. Crafts at Home: Instead of heading out, invite friends to your home and create a fun evening by making simple Halloween crafts and treats.
10. Beware of Allergies: In recent years there has been a push for all to be more aware of children with allergies. Be on the lookout for the "Teal colored Pumpkin Buckets".  This would indicate that a child has food allergies. Children who have a peanut allergy are often not able to eat 50% of the candy handed to them. Click here to find out more about the Teal Pumpkin Project.

We hope that these tips for Halloween Safety for Children with Special Needs help your family to have a Safe and Spooky Halloween.

How a Sleep Chart Can Help Kids With A Bedtime Routine

We all know how important it is to get the correct amount of sleep each night, but sometimes our kids do not always understand. Knowing how much parents struggle with this issue was the main reason we created our Good Night Sleep Tight Chart.

Routines are key for children, particularly at bedtime. Here are some tips that we found on Web MD blog which we thought would help you  to create a much smoother bedtime plan for your child and stop those battles now!

• Make Sure Your Child's Bedtime Is Early Enough
• Keep Your Child's Bedtime Consistent
• Let Your Child Wind Down
• Establish a Routine for Your Child's Bedtime - check out our Good Night Sleep Tight Chart to help with you with a consistent routine.
• Offer Lots of Choices for Kid's Bedtime
• Take Charge and Set Limits
• Provide a Transitional Object
• Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment
• Teach Your Kids to Fall Asleep on Their Own
• Be Consistent

To view these bullet points in more detail click  here  to view the original post.

Is it Healthy to Give Kids Chores?

Well of course if you ask any parent the answer would be YES! It is all about teaching your kids about responsibility.  So what kind of chores should you give to your child? We have put together some ideas of age appropriate chores for your children.

Chores should not take hours. They should however teach our children about being disciplined and keeping to routines. Chores are the building blocks on which children learn responsibility and at the same time learning how to contribute a a family unit.

Ages 2 and 3

• Picking up their toys, with supervision
• Making their bed

Ages 4 and 5

• Keeping room tidy
• Help look after family pet 
• Dress themselves
• Putting toys away

Ages 6 and 7

• Brush their teeth
• Get ready for bed
• Help put laundry away
• Help with meal times
• Setting the table for dinner

Ages 8 and above

• Choosing clothes to wear
• Take responsibility for homework
• Take out trash
• Make bed
• Keep bedrooms tidy
• Take care of family pets
• Help to cook

Of course, remember these are guidelines and all children are different. By doing chores together, you can engage with your child. Always offer praise and try not to criticize. Remember - your children are learning! Make it a fun time and try to start chores at an early age. Introducing chores to a teenager who has never had to help around the house will be extremely challenging!

A great focal point for a family to work to as of course a reward or responsibility chart. Take a look at our My Growing Up Chart (4 years) and My Credit Chart (7+ years) for ideas on creating a focal point for your family.

Helping Babies and Toddlers Adjust to the Fall Time Change

On Sunday November 2nd 2014 our clocks will once again fall back in most parts of the United States of America. We all love that extra hour in bed - yes? Well maybe before you had kids we didn't mind but now it is a different story! It can play havoc with their schedule. So, as we are a few weeks away we found some useful tips originally posted on BabySleepSite website to help you prepare in advance.

1. Do nothing. If your baby is faily adaptable to change and is not sensitive to overtiredness, then you can simply do nothing at all! Take the time change in your stride. Keep your baby's normal schedule as much as possible. Click here to continue reading this.
2. Tweak your child's schedule ahead of time. Click here to continue reading this.

We can offer a useful tool for parents - our Good Night Sleep Tight Chart. All kids love stickers and we developed this chart with the help of Sleep Coach Rebecca Michi. The chart focuses on the main areas of concern for parents at night-time and with consistent use can help you develop a healthy bedtime routine.  This can be a great motivational tool for kids to track their progress.

If you can offer any tips to others please feel free to comment.