Category: General

How To Ease The “First-Day-of-Kindergarten” Jitters

When your child has spent his or her first five or six years of life being with everyday, it can be hard for them to make the transition to kindergarten.

Often, children are plagued with anxiousness and full of nerves before the big first day. Luckily, you can help them ease these jitters.

Talk about it.

The best way to prepare your child for a big change is by talking about it. Sit down with your child and discuss what kindergarten is, why it’s important, and that even though he/or she will be away from you, they are safe and cared for.

Be sure to remind them that they will see you at the end of everyday and emphasis all of the fun things they can do at school.

Practice time apart.

You can also practice spending time away from your child. Start with leaving your son or daughter at home with grandma, or with a familiar adult while you run out to the grocery store.

Gradually, you can bump up the time until your child can handle you going out for a day out with your friends without having a breakdown.

When doing this, though, be sure not to leave your child for too long, or practicing this will prove to be useless.

Go to the information session.

Many primary schools host information sessions or orientations for new students and their parents. This is a great way to introduce your child to their new school – they can meet their peers and teachers while having you by their side for comfort.

They can also learn more about their school, which can help take some of the mystery out of the experience. Often, schools will give out small goodies bags or have snacks, as well.

Take a tour.

If your child is afraid of their school because it is an unknown place, you can change that by giving them a tour! If you have a child who is already in said school this is easier, but either way, giving your child a 5-minute tour is a pretty simple task.

If you don’t know your way around, get a friendly teacher or a parent of another student to take both you and your child past the classrooms, washrooms, and other important places within the school.

Be positive.

When all else fails, just be positive. Even if your child has an attitude that is less than favorable towards their upcoming school year, you having a positive attitude can truly be uplifting.

Remind yourself that positivity is contagious and try to offer your child kind words, encouragement, and show understanding.

So, now that you know how to prepare your child for kindergarten, you can take action. Feel free to utilize as many of these tips as you see fit – there’s nothing wrong with using just two, and definitely nothing wrong with using all of them.

What to look for in choosing your child’s day care centre

Finding the right childcare centre can stir up many emotions for parents. As after all, you are leaving the most important person in your life in the hands of strangers. As a parent you don’t have to feel this way, as this can be a very special place to help with the development of children. In this environment children can learn, develop and grow through play while also socialising with others. So it is very important that parents pick the correct childcare service for their children. Before looking for the right childcare centre, you have to decide what you are looking for first; if you want your child looked after for an hour or two or if you are looking to provide early education for them. Here are some tips to help with your decision:

Decide the type of childcare service

There are lots of childcare services that you can choose from. It is important that you decide what type of childcare that is suitable for your family before you start looking. There are many different types of childcare which can include Long day care, occasional care, family day care, nanny service and after school hours.

Location

With busy life schedules and work commitments, it’s important that you pick the right location for your childcare that is convenient for you and your family. Make sure the childcare centre if close to home or work, so that it can fit in with your daily routine, to drop off and pick up your children on time.

Availability

If you choose a specific childcare centre, it is very important to plan early to make sure there is availability as in most centres there is a waiting list. Some of these waiting lists can be up to two or three years. So if you leave it until the last minute you many get disappointed! Make sure to register your details with your chosen centre as early as possible.

Costs

Childcare costs can be very expensive and can use a huge portion of your income. Consider the cost carefully before to make sure you can afford it. The cost of childcare may vary because of the service you require and also the location. Before enrolling make sure you are happy with the centre and the fee it charges. Also make sure to find out what is included for example whether you need to supply your own food or nappies etc and if they are included in the fee. The government also subsidies childcare; make sure to look into it to ensure you get what you are entitled to. The childcare centre should be able to assist you with this and advise you what steps to take.

Flexibility

Parents are very busy so flexibility is very important in a childcare centre to accommodate work commitments etc. It is an idea to find out if the centre is flexible with the days of childcare you need or have booked. For example are you allowed to change your days or can you book extra days at the last minute if something was to come up with work or your personal life.

License

All childcare centres must be registered. Make sure to only use a centre that is licensed and registered in your area. You can check this out online.

Cleanliness and happiness

Picking the right childcare centre might seem fairly straightforward but cleanliness is a big factor to take into consideration before doing so. Make sure it is clean and fresh and the hygiene procedures are adhered to. Also the staff must look clean, tidy and presentable. Childcare is supposed to be a happy place for children to grow and learn. It is very important that your child is happy and interacts with other children and staff. Also that the centre is a happy and inviting place in general.

The Kitchen Tiles Are Dirty. Let’s Clean Them!

Chances are, you have got tiled floors or tiled back splashes in the kitchen or canteen. That stuff between your tiles is called grout and over time, it does get quite grimy. Because of it’s texture and is often overlooked, people are challenged with knowing the best ways for cleaning tile grout. Don’t worry though, with the correct cleaning product and some elbow grease, your grout will be looking fresh and new again in no time! Below are a few pointers.

So how does it get so grimy?

Understanding why your tile grout gets so dirty will be helpful to you when deciding on a good grout cleaner. In your kitchen, it’s usually a mixture of food stains, splashes of fat from the pan, and of course mildew. No matter how bad the stain is, starting off with a simple and low acidic based solution is a good idea. You can then move up to the harsher chemical cleaners then if you are still not having any luck with completely removing the grout dirt.

The level of stain?

Depending on the extent of your stains, you might be able to use household cleaning products. However, for tougher stains like mildew, you might want to go for a heavier chemical option. The key is to know what your options are before you take on the task!

Cleaning products for commercially tiled environments

Should your tile grout not become completely clean after a good intensive clean on it, then the next step would be to try out commercial tile and grout cleaning products. You can typically find these in stores where you can buy the usual household cleaning products. Try to find a product with a balanced Ph so as not to erode your grout over time. For best results from using commercial cleaning products, spray them onto the grout surface and allow them to sit for a couple of minutes before you start scrubbing. Follow any instructions written not eh product’s label to get a good effective clean.

Finish reading “The Kitchen Tiles Are Dirty. Let’s Clean Them!”