Play dress up

This is a great activity as everybody has some kind of clothes in the house. It doesn’t need to be fancy dress costumes from the shops, just pull out some hats, scarves, gloves, big jumpers, odd socks, and any handbags stashed at the bottom of the wardrobe. You can talk about the clothes, their name, the color, their size, and where they go on our body. You can play different characters, dressing up as an old lady, putting a hat on, and pretending to be a fireman or a clown from the circus. Don’t be afraid to dress up yourself as children love for adults to get involved and show them how.

Drawing

Two-year-olds often find a new interest in mark making, coloring, and drawing. Using any tools you have around your home e.g. pencils, crayons, paint, chalk, and even fun things like food can be used for mark making. Try different ways of using the items e.g. drawing with your hands, painting with your feet, rolling chokes with your arms. Talk about the colors, the shapes, and what you are drawing, Play with textures like rubbings on trees, introduce stickers and flowers to add to your drawings. The possibilities are endless and only require a little space and time. If you struggle to engage your child with mark making always remember that many tablets and phones have options for doing digital drawing where you can make pictures and use different colors on the screen.

Play educational mobile games

Kids at two can start enjoying some screen time. The key here is to provide educational content, be present when they use your phone, avoid passive screen time, and limit the time they spend on the screen to 10 minutes a day. A fun way to work on speech and language milestones is using speech apps like Speech Blubs. It is an engaging app that motivates toddlers to produce sounds, words, and first sentences (expanding their vocabulary), but it also works on their articulation skills through fun interactive videos. 

Hide and seek

Now they are two your child suddenly has the ability to engage in new and exciting games like “hide and seek”. This can either be hiding yourselves around the house or even picking favorite toys to hide in the garden and finding them together. Remember you can narrate the play by modeling associated language e.g. under the chair, on top of the bookcase, behind the tree. Remember although they are two, they still need simple and straightforward language especially when talking about positions. “Above”, “below”, “next to”, “behind”, “in front” are all concepts they will now be starting to learn but they can be tricky to understand to start off with. Make sure you model clearly and repeat the words often so they can learn to use them in their place.

Ball games

Often two-year-olds have a lot of energy and therefore outside and physical games are often a favorite. Balls are fantastic for play. Whether it’s bouncy balls, football, netball, or a ping-pong ball, whatever you have in your home, set up activities where they can throw, catch, roll, and bounce the ball. You could do this as a pair or involve other family members and siblings. This supports turn taking where they are waiting for their go, also teamwork where you’re trying to achieve something together. It also supports the use of cognitive and physical development as they are increasing their spatial awareness, hand eye coordination, and balance. In terms of language, this can be easily supported by narrating what you’re doing e.g. throw, catch, bounce. Again remember at two there is a wide range of language development that we would see as “normal”. Some children will still benefit from using mainly single and keyword phrases to generate the play, whereas some children may be ready for using short sentences and phrases e.g. “Mummy catching the ball”, “Daddy throwing the football”. Try to match your language to the language of your child e.g. if your child uses single words continue to use single words yourself, if your child uses sentences, use sentences yourself.

Conversation

Two-year-olds suddenly find they have all these new and exciting words and therefore often want to start learning how to engage in conversation. Have silly conversations throughout the day like in the car, walking home, and before bed. These can be things like:

• “What’s your favorite color?”
• “What is your favorite animal?”
• “What noise does a dog make?”
• “What would you like for a snack later?”

Having small conversations using simple questions about basic ideas allows your child to start practicing their conversational skills, asking and answering questions, and using language as a functional tool. As outlined previously above, depending on your child’s level of language will depend on how complex these conversations can be. Try and pitch the conversation to the level of your child’s language.

About the author

El Robertson is a Community Paediatric Specialist Speech and Language Therapist. She works in schools and clinics in Hertfordshire, UK, with a range of parents, children, and education professionals to support children’s speech and language and increase their functional communication skills. She joined Speech Blubs to help them develop better content for children and write educational articles for the Speech Blubs Blog.

What Is the HCG Diet?

HCG is short for human chorionic gonadotropin. It’s a hormone produced during pregnancy to support embryo and fetal development. When you follow the HCG diet, you give yourself injections of supplemental HCG. 

The diet is comprised of three phases:

• Phase 1 (2 days): During this stage, you can eat as much as you want while taking HCG supplements. Phase 1 typically lasts for 2 days.
• Phase 2 (3-6 weeks): During this phase, you continue with the HCG supplements and restrict your calorie intake to 500 calories per day a day
• Phase 3 (Maintenance Phase): During this phase, discontinue the HCG supplements and gradually increase your food intake

The HCG diet is quite restrictive, as you can see. If you follow it precisely, though, you can see great results in a relatively short period of time.

HCG Diet Food List

When your calorie limit is so low, certain foods are hard to squeeze in. That’s why it helps to have a food list readily available. It’s much easier to make healthy and tasty HCG diet recipes when you know which foods are okay to use and which ones are not.

The following are some of the foods that people following the HCG diet eat most often:

• Apple
• Asparagus
• Berries
• Celery
• Chicken breast (without skin)
• Cucumbers
• Grapefruit
• Ground beef (lean)
• Onions
• Turkey
• Leafy greens
• Tomatoes
• Whitefish (tilapia, cod, halibut, etc.)

As for beverages, it’s best to stick to low-calorie options while following the HCG diet. This includes water, tea, and coffee (you can sweeten your drinks with artificial, sugar-free sweeteners if you want).

HCG Diet Bonus Tips

Need some extra support to succeed on the HCG diet? Here are some bonus tips to keep in mind:

• Meal plan so you have healthy, low-calorie food ready to go
• Drink lots of water to stay hydrated
• Eat small meals and spread them out throughout the day

Be sure to gather all of your HCG supplements before getting started, too. Take a look at different mixing kits that will make it easy for you to have everything you need ready to go from Day 1.

Conquer the HCG Diet Today

The HCG diet is strict. There’s no denying it. It can be done successfully, though, if you’re prepared and set up for success.

Keep this HCG diet food list in mind, as well as the bonus tips outlined above. They’ll help you master this diet and shed the extra weight for good. Need more diet or fitness advice? Visit the Weight Loss section of the site today for more helpful posts

 How to prevent your child from experiencing travel sickness

Preventing motion sickness is definitely better than trying to do something once the queasiness starts. Watch what your child eats before the trip – avoid things like sugary or greasy foods since these could cause nausea while on the road. Traveling on an empty stomach can also trigger nausea, however, so let your child have something bland and small to eat before you leave. Ginger snaps are an excellent snack to have during travel as ginger has been found to reduce the severity of nausea. If your child gets thirsty while you are on the road, encourage him/her to have small sips often, instead of drinking a whole lot in one go.

 It can make a big difference where your child is sitting in the car – while it is safest for your child to sit in the back seat if he/she is too young to sit in the front seat, it does increase the chances of motion sickness developing. Instead, let your child sit in the middle of the back seat so that he/she can see out of the front window.

 Leave video games, movies, or reading for when you reach your destination – these activities tend to bring on feelings of nausea, more than likely because of the motion or the appearance of motion with the games and movies, and the words jumping around when reading. Avoid nausea by letting your child rather listen to audiobooks, music, or podcasts instead.

 Ventilation – it’s essential to have a continuous flow of fresh air in the vehicle because breathing in stale air can also trigger a bout of sickness. See to it that air can flow freely through a few windows while you are on the road.

 Take short breaks – if your child tends to get travel sickness, then it’s best to stop the cause of his/her nausea by taking short breaks during your trip. Lying on his/her back for a little while, with a cold, damp cloth on the forehead can also help the queasiness to subside.

 Medication – although you might not want to give your child medication if he/she isn’t sick, there are times when it is unavoidable, as with motion sickness. However, the main thing to remember is buy from a regulated pharmacy, only use medication when absolutely necessary, and to follow the instructions carefully.

 Be prepared!

Even if you follow the above steps, there could be a time when the motion sickness causes your child to vomit. It is best to be prepared in case this should happen, by taking along an empty container or plastic bag for this purpose, as well as an extra set of clothing, in case of accidents!

 Immunie is an App for keeping your immunization records and storing it digitally, giving this important document the security, it deserves; something will save you time and unnecessary hassle. If you can’t find your vaccination paper card records, you may need to get some of the vaccines again.

With this smart App, your vaccination card is always be automatically updated and you will receive reminders prior to the due date of your children´s next vaccine, so you can have time to call the clinics, to compare and find the best option. We all know that the most expensive part of our bill when we take our children to the Doctors are not the consultation but the vaccines, so it´s worthwhile to give a few calls before and to compare. Immunie also prevents you from the risk of having to take a duplicated vaccine in case you might lose your paper card.

The vaccination records you will see at your Immunie Application are inputted exclusively by authenticated healthcare professionals, using a secure encrypted network. There are five vaccination clinics in Bangalore using Immunie,  covering the main regions of the city. Otherwise, if you might want to have your vaccine at a clinic that is not part of Immunie network yet, you can do it. Immunie has a team of its own healthcare vaccination specialists to transcribe your paper records into digital records. You just need to upload a photo of your updated paper card thru the app and your records will be updated by Immunie´s team at no additional costs.

 Immunie digital vaccination cards can be used anywhere in the world & also translates the user interface to 12 different languages making it easier to be presented when you might be abroad.

The Immunie app provides the ability to:

• Easily record and store vaccine information,
• Have your vaccination schedule always updated,
• Receive reminders of your next vaccines prior to the due date,
• Receive confirmation emails for every vaccine taken
• Generate PDF copy of your vaccination records

Don’t miss Vaccination with Immunie. During Diwali, it will be available at 50% discount, starting from ₹ 250 including transcription of your old paper card and updates by a healthcare professional at no additional cost.

1. Check Airline Rules for Infant Travel

Most airlines allow babies and children under two to travel without a ticket. You will want to confirm what the rules of the airline are before booking your ticket.

Finding out what they allow will save you from any surprises once your trip begins. It is also a good idea to look at baggage rules for strollers and other items that you will be bringing for the first time.

Bringing proof of ID for the child is also important because you never know when they may ask for it.  

2. Arrive Early

As with any activity that you attempt with a baby, it will take longer than you think. Carrying another person and the extra bags and items that come with traveling with a baby will slow down the process of getting around the airport. 

One way to plan for this is to work backward from the departure time and factor in how much time you will need to get through security and prepare the baby for the flight. Once you factor in those things, along with travel to the airport, you will have a better idea of when you need to leave. 

3. Prepare for Security

Just as you prepare for security by putting liquids in a bag or keeping your laptop in an easy location to reach, you should pack your baby’s stuff the same way.

If they are eating formula, it is a good idea to wait until after security to make the bottles because they could be over the liquid limit.

4. Use a Baby Carrier

This is a very important tip because by “wearing” your baby, you can be hands-free and keep the baby comfortable as you navigate the airport. You can learn more about tula explor carriers and how they can help you while traveling with an infant. 

Since the baby will be on your lap anyway, this option allows the baby to feel more comfortable being close to you.

5. Prepare for the Pressure Change

A proven way to keep a baby from crying due to the pressure changes is to feed them during both the takeoff and landing. This helps them adjust as the quick changes in pressure occur during these times.

6. Pack Efficiently 

While you may really need three outfits for your baby to get through the travel day, you should focus on packing efficiently.

Trust us, you will have your hands full in the airport. You don’t want to be weighed down by carrying additional things that you won’t need right away. 

How to Travel With a Baby on a Plane: Ready to Fly

Now that you know tips for how to travel with a baby on a plane, you can get ready for your next travel adventure. Preparing as much as possible in advance will help things run smoother on your day of travel.

Was this article helpful to you? Check out our website for more informational reads like this one.

What Is Sleep Coaching?

There are two approaches you can take to your child’s sleep; let it be and hope for the best or take action to help them. The first is a slow and tiresome journey, and if you want to help your little one grow big and strong it’s not the best route! Taking action is always better, and this is where sleep coaching comes in.

Sleep coaching is for children and babies of any age and the aim is to teach your kids to fall asleep on their own. They should have no swaddle, no late-night drives in the car, and no tears! 

It can be a long and sometimes frustrating process, but long-term results are well worth it. If you don’t want to do it on your own, you can always bring in help from The Family Sleep Consultant and make the journey a lot easier. 

Does My Baby Need Sleep Coaching?

It’s normal for babies to have odd sleep patterns, so how do you know when it’s time to start sleep coaching or bring in a coach? 

The most obvious sign is that one or both parents are exhausted, frustrated, and feel like giving up with sleep altogether and spending the rest of their lives as a zombie. If your baby also seems to be sleep-deprived and isn’t getting the hours they need, it’s time to bring in holistic sleep coaching. 

How to Start Sleep Training

Now we’ve looked at what is baby sleep coaching? and worked out whether it’s right for you, it’s time to get started. Here are some tips for baby and child sleep coaching that will start your journey:

• Create a bedtime routine with a set bedtime and the same rituals leading up to it
• Create calm pre-bedtime rituals like a bath and bedtime story
• Encourage attachment to a stuffed toy that will comfort your child if they wake
• Install blackout shades to keep their bedroom dark
• Play nature music or white noise to help them sleep
• Make sure they wake up at the same time every day and avoid too many naps

Your baby coaching will depend on your child’s age and what their key problems are, but these are good basics to start with!

Work Towards a Better Nights Sleep

Once you know “what is sleep coaching?” you’ve already taken the first step to sorting out your little one’s sleep and making sure you all get your forty-winks! Remember to bring in a sleep coach if you need help.

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out more on our website!

1. International Learning 

Students from all walks of life attend boarding schools. When your child interacts with these children and becomes friends with them, it gives them an understanding of a culture that they never would have been exposed to had they attended a public school in their home town. 

When a student lives at home their beliefs become at least somewhat molded by what their parents believe. Even if the parent isn’t trying to influence them, it happens and it will affect how the child responds to cultures different from theirs. 

When a student attends an international boarding school and lives with a bunch of different people it allows them to form their own cultural opinions. They get to become their own person with their own thoughts and beliefs. 

2. There’s a School for Everyone 

If your child goes to a regular public high school there will be extracurriculars but most of the time they’re sports-based. The only other opportunities the child might be exposed to are band, choir, and maybe drama club depending on the school. 

Boarding schools have a wide range of extracurriculars so the child can have a chance to experiment with different activities such as horseback riding, rugby, dance, music, and sculpting. More artistic students can flourish and maybe find something that they want to shape into a career. 

Now, when most people think of boarding schools they think of the movies where it’s a stuffy place for smart kids. This picture is wrong.

In fact, there are boarding schools for students who struggle with learning. Children with autism, dyslexia, and other disabilities can get the individualized attention they need so they can grow and flourish. 

3. Fewer Limitations 

If you send your child to a public school, you are limited by your address. You’ll end up sending your child to a school in the district that your address falls under. The child may attend that school and have no problems whatsoever but this isn’t always the case. 

With boarding schools, you have hundreds of options. There are schools that are scattered all over the world that your child can apply to no matter where they’re from. 

4. Higher Standards 

One of the benefits of sending your child to a boarding school is that they aren’t limited by budget like private and public schools are. They have more freedom to hire only the best and most qualified instructors. 

This means that your child gets a better education but you also have to understand that the standards your child will be held to will be much higher. This sounds like a bad thing but it’s actually not. 

College is going to be rough for a child that’s not prepared. If they’re already used to discipline and hardcore study tactics the transition from high school to college will go a lot smoother.  

5. Supervision 

One thing that many parents worry about is supervision. They’re not there to watch their children and make sure that they stay out of danger. The truth is though, the students don’t go unsupervised. 

There’s always someone around be it dorm parents or activity chaperones. So, your child will have someone they can turn to if they’re being troubled by something. 

6. Personalized Attention 

The average high school class size is around 20-25 students. The teachers may know your child’s name but they have a bunch of other students that they have to worry about. They can’t really stop what they’re doing to give your child the attention that they need.

Boarding schools have a much smaller class size. Your child won’t be just another face. They will be a full person with their own learning needs that can be addressed personally by the instructor. 

7. Supportive Community 

Whenever you see a high school in a movie or TV show, all the nerds sit together at one lunch table and all the jocks sit at another. This is something that Hollywood did get right. A typical high school is pretty much separated this way. 

Boarding schools focus on community and teach students not to label each other. This gives your child more opportunity to make lasting friendships and to not get bullied.

One of the many boarding school benefits is that most of them have a 0 bully tolerance policy. So, even if there is one apple who is spoiling the entire bunch, they will be dealt with. 

Consider Sending Your Child to Boarding School 

Are you feeling a little apprehensive about sending your child to a boarding school? It’s a normal reaction given that you’re letting your child loose in the world super early in their lives but that’s not a bad thing. 

By sending your child to a boarding school, you allow them to become an individual and create the building blocks they need to get prepared for higher education. 

Are you looking for more ways to set your child up for success? Check out the “Parents” section of our blog daily for all the latest news and tips that you need

 PACKAGING

 Nicolips come in a glass mini tub covered with a black lid. It has a sturdy and clean finish to it. The glass jar makes it a bit heavy though, which also signifies its quality. The quantity of the product is quite visible through the glass jar and that’s quite nice for me. I adore the cute little packaging.

 COMPOSITION

 The key ingredients of the products are Shea butter, Olive oil, Vegetable wax, Wheatgerm oil, Rosehip oil, Oats & Walnut Grits, Vitamin E, Carrot seed oil, Beetroot extract and Peppermint oil.

 HOW TO USE

 Take a pea-size quantity on your fingertips and apply it on your lips. Massage the product on your lips in a circular motion for 1-2 minutes and let it sit on your lips for another 1 min. Wash it off with normal water.

 COMPANY CLAIMS

 The product claims to give you soft and bright lips in 4 weeks.

1. It helps in exfoliating and hydrating your lips.
2. It is made up of all-natural ingredients.
3. Restores the original lip colour.
4. Best for people with dark lips due to smoking.
5. Suitable for all skin types and both male and female.

 PRICE & QUANTITY

 The MRP of the product is Rs.699 for 20gram of product, but I got it at a discounted price of Rs 399 (subject to change).

 OUR EXPERIENCE

 When I first came across this organic product, I was quite unsure about the performance. I expected it to be a normal purchase, but now, after using it for 2 weeks, I guess this was one of the nicest and most affordable product for me.

 The scrub is reddish and has a strong strawberry jam-like fragrance and it has small granules which I guess are walnuts and oats grit. The best thing about Nicolips is that it is for best for people who smoke as their lips tend to get dark which helps in getting rid of dark patches and dry flakes caused by nicotine. Natural ingredients like shea butter, olive oil, rosehip oil, wheat germ oil and carrot seed oil, hydrate your skin from within and make your lips soft, supple and juicy.

Nicolips Lips Brightening Scrub balm helps in removing dead skin and dry flakes from your skin. I do not feel dry after using the product and I don’t even feel the need to apply lip balm too (Although I apply it!).

MY RATINGS

4/5