Happy Holidays

Well, here we are. It is December, and this year is almost coming to its end. Some of us will fully enjoy winter time, with all its snow, lights and decorations – at home or on the street –, and with all the gifts received or given to others.

More often than not everyone spends holiday time, according to their culture and education. Most of us will stay close to their families – having a wonderful time, feeling happy and making others happy too.

Children absolutely love this time of the year, a time of harmony, peace and quiet. Generally, this period is almost like a fairytale, and especially children feel it this way. Which is perfectly OK, because fairytale stimulate everyone’s imagination and desire for doing good deeds.

There is nothing in this world that can make your child more even-minded than familial affection, love and care. The love he receives from his beloved family is what makes him grow into an upright and honest adult.

So leave all the worries behind, be kind and loving and gather all your family around. Joyful moments are coming, and you wouldn’t want to miss them! Little ones and growing ups – aunts, uncles, grandparents, nephews, nieces, grandsons, sisters and brothers – everyone should be together at the moment and enjoy a good traditional meal, a nice conversation and many wonderful gifts.

Pay attention to your child’s desires – it is best to fulfill them or, at least, try to do this in a proper manner. Maybe he wants a particular toy, a specific gift – it would be very nice to accomplish his wish! That way you can let him know that he is loved and that he or she is a good boy or girl of whom you are proud of.

Holidays are about love and family. And there is no proper moment than this one to let your child know that family is the most important thing we have. And that he is very special for his family too. Your child will be surrounded by affection and, therefore, he will learn to offer his affection to the ones caring for him.

If you wish, you can develop even more your child’s capacity of giving love. And you can also teach him to be generous and to help the ones in need. Unfortunately, there are many children that will not be with their families for the holidays. And fortunately, there are many people that can be there for them in one way or another. You and your child can be one of these people! It doesn’t take great efforts to make a lonely children feel happy and loved. A charity gift is a simple gesture to make someone smile and have a wonderful time. Moreover, by doing so, your child will learn to be good and sympathetic with other children that miss many of the things and affection that he, fortunately, receives.

Holiday time it is a perfect time for good deeds, love and sharing. Let’s spread the joy among people and children! There’s nothing more beautiful than that. Let’s cherish these once-in-a-year moments, let’s forget about trouble and have fun! Grab your child’s hand, sit together close to the fireplace, open each other’s gifts and, finally, tell him a wonderful story. Let him know that you love him more than anything and that you’ll always be close to him no matter what. He will feel protected and dearly loved. And there’s no greater reward in life for a parent than the happiness of his child.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Child safety - Part I

Do you remember some of the advice which nowadays may seem somewhat redundant or even old-fashioned: “Don’t talk to strangers!”, “Don’t accept gifts from unknown people!”, “Stay away from the cooker!” or “Close the tap!”? I’m sure that, be it old-fashioned or not, this kind of advice is still given by parents to their beloved children.

These statements of profound care mirror the parent’s urge to protect his or her child. According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, our safety needs are fundamental, being one of the four basic layers of the individual’s “deficiency needs”, or “d-needs”, along with esteem, friendship and love, and physical needs.

In the first years of child’s life, parents must consider their breeding, as well as their safety. During childhood, parents always have an eye on their little children. But later on, they grow older and have to explore by themselves the big world out there. Therefore, you must make sure that, until then, your child knows his full name, home address and phone number. This information can prove helpful if he gets lost or if he encounters a problem. If such be the case, he will at least be able to identify himself and his family.

There comes a time when children must go to school. At this precise moment, parents start worrying more about the safety of their child, because he no longer spends every single moment inside the little, warm and secure environment that is your home.

The problem of child’s safety includes some well-known issues as bullying and stranger safety. Bullying is an aggressive physical or/and psychical behavior. For example, bullying can refer to violence, molestation or even verbal offences. You must explain very carefully to your kid that this kind of attitude exhibited by any person is an improper one and that no one has the right to treat others like that. You must encourage your child to immediately report this kind of behavior. He alone can’t handle such a problem, but you certainly can, as you are not only a grown-up, but also his beloved parent.