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TESTIFY TO GOD’S LOVE-Psalm 151

This is Normal

by Jennifer Nycz-Conner
Nov. 1, 2009

It’s a touchy subject for families: How should you react when your lovable toddlers suddenly can’t seem to stop touching or showing off every part of their body in ways that make even the most well-adjusted adults blush.

The experts say it’s completely normal for little kids to explore their bodies, but it’s also natural for parents and grandparents to wonder what lines to draw, and when. Following is a guide to everything you ever wanted to know about naked toddlers but were afraid to ask:

 

So what exactly is “normal” for young kids?

Infants as young as a year old begin discovering their genitals. And far from being an indicator of sexual awareness, it is, like thumb-sucking and hair-twirling, a completely normal self-soothing behavior, says Dr. Jennifer Shu, an Atlanta pediatrician and coauthor, with Dr. Laura Jana, of Heading Home with Your Newborn (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2005). This kind of physical touching is generally not sexually-related until puberty approaches.

 

Why do my grandchildren insist on parading around naked?

Those naked kids might just have the right idea: They probably feel cooler and more comfortable in the altogether. “Children do not sense a stigma with nudity,” Shu says. Instead, they may see it as a way to get rid of confining clothes. For many kids, of course, streaking may be a reliable way to get adults’ attention.

What’s appropriate where, at what age, and in front of whom varies from family to family, and within families. You may be less tolerant of nudity than your grandchildren’s parents, or more relaxed about it than they are. But it’s important to be consistent with the rules the parents set, especially in their own home, says Dr. Charles Shubin, director of Pediatrics at Mercy Family Care in Baltimore.

My grandson just staggered by in my high heels. Why this sudden interest in cross-dressing?

Small children don’t associate gender rules with clothing. To them, dress-up is dress-up, and dress-up is funny, whether it’s a boy in a tiara or a girl in a tie. Adult shoes, especially, are endlessly interesting to little kids, and your heels may simply be more intriguing than your sneakers.

 

My grandchildren are starting to ask me some delicate questions. How should I answer?

Until their adolescent hormones begin raging, children’s interest in sexual organs or behavior is usually nothing more than innocent curiosity, and your responses should be simple. If your granddaughter asks why her little brother’s body is different from hers, don’t give her a college-level anatomy lecture; if your grandson asks where babies come from, don’t give him a dissertation on intercourse. “Look at it from the point of view of the kids, not ours,” Shubin says. A straightforward answer that girls are different from boys, or that parents who love each other know how to make babies will likely send the kids happily on their way.

 

What if they have follow-up questions?

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers parents and grandparents a guide to talking with young children about sexuality. According to the academy, kids from 18 months to 3 years are learning about their own bodies and expressing some curiosity. Around  age four or five, children begin to express interest in basic sexuality. This may include asking about where babies come from, as well as touching their own genitals or showing curiosity in those of other children. As children reach school-age, questions continue as they talk to friends and hear confusing references in the media. Always use their questions as teachable moments — don’t overreact or criticize children for being curious, and stay in sync with the parents’ preferences.

 

When should we be concerned?

Simple touching and exploring are normal, Shu says, but if children begin acting out sexual scenarios beyond their age, such as intercourse, or mentioning interactions with an adult, those may be red flags.

 

How should we react when kids act inappropriately?

Young children often test adults’ limits in a number of ways. Running around naked or shouting the names of certain parts of their anatomies over and over again are typical ways for kids to test limits. The best thing to do at first is simply ignore it, Shu says. Most children will drop the behavior, but if your grandchildren don’t, restate the rules in a firm, matter-of-fact way: “Touching yourself is a private activity. If you are going to do it, you need to do it in your room.” An angrier response may backfire. “Becoming too emotional about a behavior may blow the situation out of proportion,” Shu says, “possibly making the child want to do it even more.”

Source: Grandparents

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Have Fun with Math

By Apples 4 the Teacher
Nov. 1, 2009

Are you tired of your dull and boring math assignments? Then you have come to the right place! This article is all about fun and effective activities to help you master your addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Make sure to ask your parents before using food and other household supplies that are recommended for these activities!

One of the best (and yummiest) ways to master your basic arithmetic is with food! Candy, crackers, or just about any other snack can be used to help you with your skills. Make sure the food is something you can separate into individual pieces, like crackers or skittles. You need pieces so you can add and subtract parts. Ask your parents if you can get a treat from the store or the cupboard to help you with your math.

Once you have access to food, you can get started. Using an actual item, like food, helps a lot of kids because you actually get to see the math that you are doing. It is not longer a random and abstract concept! You can even use your food to help you solve your math homework problems.

For example, if your assignment is a worksheet with word problems, use your food to help you compute the arithmetic. If the question asks you to add numbers together, take this number of your individual pieces of food and add them together.

If your parents won’t let you use food, there are many other items in your house that work just as well. Crayons, pencils, and paperclips are good alternatives because they are easy to move and around and you can use them for math without having to waste them. Make sure that whatever you use is not something that you will not be able to reuse later.

For example, it would not be a good idea to use tissues or toilet paper because you will just have to throw them away after solving your math. You would use crayons, pencils, or paper clips the same way that you would use food. Each item can be added together or separated apart to help you see the math you are doing.

Games are another great way to conquer your math! There are many games that involve math concepts. These include cards, dominoes, checkers, chess, and Yahtzee. Are you surprised that these games are listed as math helpers?

Take a second to think about the skills that are needed to play these games. Cards and dominoes require an understanding of numbers, checkers and chess use logic which is closely tied to math, and Yahtzee requires players to add and multiple numbers!

This means the next time your parents nag you to study your math you can request to play a game with them (if they have a hard time with that, have them read this article and other math related articles located on this site). However, please understand that games and other activities that are listed in this article should not be considered replacements to homework and studying; therefore, you still have to finish your daily assignments and will have to do other more serious forms of studying part of the time.

There are also math games on the computer and the Internet that will help you understand the math skills that are plaguing you. Many kids’ sites have links to online math games. Be sure to check out ours in the resource directory! If you are having a lot of problems with your math class, then you might want to check out a more specialized math game.

Ask your parents about online tutoring. Online tutoring lessons combine fun math games with specialized instruction. This means you get to play fun games and get a lot of extra help with math class. Your parents can learn more about online tutoring by reading the articles on our site.

As you can see, there are more ways to learn math than just through math assignments! The next time you get bored or need a little more help figuring out your math assignment, try the tips and activities that were listed in this article. Hopefully they will be fun and effective for you.

Source: Apples 4 the Teacher

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what games you play to help your child learn math. dan@youngchronicle.com

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