• Create your own special day or holiday such as “unbirthdays” or “family day”
• Never go to bed without saying I love you
• Have a special birthday meal whenever a family member has a birthday
• On Saturdays, everyone cooks breakfast together
• Have a monthly movie day where you watch movies that explore traditions
• Sing a special birthday song made up by the family
• Keep a family journal and let everyone write in it
• Make a scrapbook for every family vacation
• Always eat dinners together as a family and talk about your day
• Take turns choosing topic of discussion at dinner

These are just some ideas for creating family traditions. You can use these to boost your own ideas and be sure to ask your family members to think of their own. You can have everyone write down their ideas for traditions and then vote as a family on the ones you want to make happen.

Ideas for Passing on Family Traditions

When it comes to passing on family traditions, there are many ideas here as well. The most important thing to remember is to remain consistent. It’s important to do something over and over again each time to become tradition. If your family does not seem enthusiastic about it right away, you will have to help motivate them by being consistent.

For example, hold an event every year at the same time and continue to encourage the family to participate. Remain positive about it even if others do not and always continue even if only a few show up. By doing this consistently and with enthusiasm, others will begin to join in and the tradition will continue. As soon as all parties give up and miss an event, the tradition dies along with any enthusiasm to do it.

Holiday Traditions

Here are some holiday traditions that we enjoy and might help you get started:

• Volunteer at a homeless shelter for Thanksgiving or Christmas
• Collect or make an ornament each year at Christmas
• Have Thanksgiving dinners together with everyone helping to make a dish
• Have the children dress up as pilgrims and Indians on Thanksgiving
• Re-enact holiday events or perform a small skit as a family
• Act out the Christmas story
• Make cookies and milk for Santa
• Leave shoes outside for “baby New Year” to fill with goodies
• Create family New Year resolutions together

These ideas should help you with creating and passing on family traditions of your own. Whether you have your own family now or hope to one day soon, we hope that you will explore these options and ideas for family traditions. The memories you will create together as a family will last a lifetime.

The professionals at ��ë���˵���personally assist nannies, babysitters and families in St. Louis, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, Charlotte, Miami and Orlando to find the right childcare arrangement. Our mission is to provide a safe and personalized  approach for families and caregivers to connect with each other that is not an internet search. TLC has worked with families, nannies, sitters, newborn care providers, and tutors for over 35 years and looks forward to working with you! To find great nanny and babysitting jobs visit us at tlc@tlcforkids.com or Call 314-725-5660.

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Count to Ten

This is not for the sake of your child, nor is it a countdown to consequences for him (or her). This is a countdown for you. Sometimes when our children are being immature, which is normal for their age and to be expected, we simply need time to refocus and put things into perspective. Stop, count to ten, and remember that your child is only acting this way because they are indeed a child.

Talk It Out

The best way to resolve a conflict between you and your child is not to explode in anger, but to talk it out with them. Sit down and discuss what is really going on. Talk to them calmly and aim to find out why they feel the need to push your buttons in this manner.

Do a Relationship Checklist

Often when a child is intentionally pushing your buttons, there is a reason he wants your attention. It is possible that you have not been spending enough time together, and he is looking for a way to connect? Does he feel like at this point, any attention is preferable over none? Jog your memory and see if you can find any reason why your child may be acting out in this way towards you.

Remember How It Felt to Be That Age

Sometimes pushing buttons is simply the normal actions of an immature child. Children do not have the life experience we do, and often struggle to find efficient ways to communicate with others. Take a moment and remember how it felt to be that age. What made you feel good? What made you feel sad? What made you feel connected to your parents, and disconnected? Remember what it was like to be a child, and this will surely lead you to a place of greater understanding and patience with your own.

Think about Life in 20 Years

When all other methods fail to help you feel calm, think about the future. Picture you and your child 20 years from now. What will you fondly remember about these days? What will make you wince with regret? This can be an effective way to quickly put things back into perspective. Times passes so quickly and we only live each day once. Think about how special these days are as a family, and you are certain to emerge as a more caring parent who is slow to react in a negative manner.

Children can surely push our buttons, but our time as parents of non-adult children is relatively short. If you can keep this in mind, and compile a list of distraction strategies for your own benefit, it will help you get through the moments that you feel you are close to losing your cool. When your child is saying and doing everything to get a reaction out of you, maintain your composure and stay cool, calm and collected.

TLC For Kids, Inc. has been St. Louis’ premier nanny and babysitting agency for over 30 years. TLC For Kids’ dedicated staff is ready to assist you in finding nannies, tutors, newborn care specialists, sitters and more.  We serve St. Louis, Atlanta and Florida. Reach us at tlc@tlcforkids.com or 314-725-5660

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Get Down On Your Knees

The best way to find potential problems within your home is to see your home as your child does. Get down on your hands and knees and crawl around. Make a list of all the potential problems you expose your child. At this level, you will see electrical outlets, cords for televisions or lamps, small fringe or other small items on tables that can be picked up, thrown or put in their mouths. Look for corners on tables or other surfaces that are sharp. Look for stairs or places within the home they can get to as they crawl and later stroll around. This may include cabinets, closets and doors.

With a list in hand like this, you can start finding the solutions to your problems. Luckily there are many great products on the market that can help you to child proof your home without a lot of worry about expense or the difficulty in using your home as you would like to.

Child Proofing With Adults In Mind

Your baby’s safety is the most important consideration but you do not have to compromise the ease of living you currently have. The following are some of the most important tools available to you to both protect your child while still have easy access to your home and things.

Safety Latches: Perhaps you have drawers and cabinets that baby can get into. It is important to keep these locked so that your child can’t get into them and access poisonous chemicals and medications. Latches are available that can be attached to these cabinets (with minimal if any damage to the cabinet itself) You will want to buy latches that are durable can handle the pulls that your child is likely to do to them. Still, many of these products are very easy to install and easy to use.

Corner Protection: As you crawled around you may have bumped into the corners of tables and chairs along the way. Either remove those with a point from the area or they should have a corner bumper installed on them. These will soften the edge and allow the child to bump into them with little or no effect. Most are widely available for just a few dollars. Choose bumpers that stay snuggly in place.

Outlet Covers: One of the most effective ways to prevent baby from being hurt is with outlet covers. A package of 20 or more can cost just a few dollars. These plastic covers are in the sockets throughout your home, keeping fingers out of the outlet. Parents can easily remove them and replace them when the outlet is in use.

Safety Gates: Older models of safety gates were hard to put in place and often were cumbersome to deal with. Newer models make getting through them must faster and safer. Protecting baby from stairs and areas of the home that are too dangerous is one of the best ways to child proof your home. These gates are available in a range of sizes and styles to accommodate virtually any home’s design.

There are many other things to add to your home to child proof it. You may wish to add locks to doors to rooms where you do not want your toddler to venture. Every home should have carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms installed in them. Be sure to secure all items on tables safely or otherwise remove cords that could cause an item to fall on the child.

There’s a lot to do but by making a few simple changes to your home you will successfully protect your child from all the problems that usually affect children. Since thousands of children end up in the hospital each year due to injuries or poisonings at their home, don’t overlook the safety in child proofing.

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Caring for children with special needs mean facing many obstacles and challenges that can be difficult at times. These children need extra attention that can take up much of your time. There are numerous hours required for medical appointments and hospitals visits and some children even require regular therapy sessions.

When you are caring for a child with special needs you not only have to consider the present but you must also think about the future. What will happen to that child if you were to become sick or if you are involved in an accident? As you age you may no longer be physically able to care for them but they may still need assistance. As important as the here and now is, the future must be considered.

Part of planning for the future includes taking steps to teach that child as much as they are capable of learning now. You will work with them to help them achieve independence and teach them the basic skills needed to survive but that still may not be enough. It will depend on their disabilities and they may always need someone to be there and help care for them. Take the time now to plan for the future and it will help to relieve some of your worries.

Resources for Special Needs

What resources exist for children with special needs? When your child was diagnosed with a disability or other issue, you were probably told then that there are many resources available for special needs. But you may be surprised to find out how many different options really exist for you out there. Search for resources for special needs with:

• Doctors
• Therapists
• School
• Online resources
• Online support groups
• Local support groups
• Books
• Videos/ DVDs
• Other parents and caregivers

These are just a few of many places you may be able to find more info about your child’s special need and what is available to help you.

When you are caring for a child with special needs don’t hesitate to use any of the resources designed for children with special needs. It’s a difficult task and no one expects you to go it alone. You should never feel like you have to deal with it all on your own, especially when there are so many people out there who know what you’re going through and so many resources to make it easier.

Seeking Help with Special Needs

As a parent, the more you learn about special needs and what options are available to you, the better prepared you will be to give your child the help they need and deserve. Don’t hesitate to seek help with the special needs of the one in your care. There are people out there more qualified and more experienced than you in this type of problem and they can help show you the ropes and gives you hints, tips and ideas for how to better care for your child.

As a parent or caregiver for a child with special needs you will spend countless hours worrying about your child and doing all that you can to comfort them. Many people spend sleepless nights simply listening and watching over the child so they will be right there in the event they are needed during the night.

Parents and caregivers of children with special needs display extraordinary strength and courage when caring for these kids. They focus all of their attention on the child and do all they can to nurture and protect them in every way. In the end, the most important thing is that you give your child the best opportunities available, regardless of what types of special needs they may have. In the end, caring for children with special needs can be one of the most rewarding experiences you ever have.

TLC For Kids, Inc. has been St. Louis’ premier nanny and babysitting agency for over 30 years. TLC For Kids’ dedicated staff is ready to assist you in finding nannies, tutors, newborn care specialists, sitters and more.  We serve St. Louis, Atlanta and Florida. Reach us at tlc@tlcforkids.com or 314-725-5660

The post Caring for Children with Special Needs appeared first on TLC Family Care.

The number of children in the US diagnosed with autism is on the rise. A new   states that 1 in 88 eight year olds are on the autism spectrum.   In 2002 the number of children with autism was 1 in 150. 

Autism is a neurodevelopment disorder that leads to impaired language, communication, and social skills.   Parents of kids with autism often times feel overwhelmed.  Feeling alone they think that no one understands their child and their needs.  Finding a caregiver or nanny to watch their child may be difficult. 

That is not the case.  TLC For Kids, a nanny placement agency in St. Louis, has caregivers trained to help kids with autism and other special needs.  TLC and Autism Speaks have teamed up and are offering trainings for nannies.  These trainings teach nannies how to work with kids with autism.  Parents who have used the service feel safe knowing that not only is their nanny carefully screened she is also trained to work with kids on the autism spectrum.

The earlier parents and doctors can diagnosis a child with autism the better.  A child diagnosed at 18 months or 24 months and start therapy will have more success than a child diagnosed at 4 or 5 years old when the brain is more developed and harder to change.  TLC nannies can be instrumental in detecting signs of autism and then assisting parents and therapists with the on-on-one attention and directed activities re-enforcing the physical, occupational, play or speech therapies. 

For more information about TLC and their Autism Speaks training please contact Kimberly Patterson at kimberly@tlcforkids.com or 314-725-5660.

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