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  Kids have big ambitions. And even though sometimes they may seem a bit lofty, there’s no harm in supporting them. Saying no to a child’s dreams can cause resentment. It’s best to support their goals rather than to laugh at them and discourage the behavior. For instance, if a child says they want to go to the moon or be the President, buy them a book or take them to a museum to learn more. Often, children grow out of their childhood dreams and develop new ones. But in the mean time, they will feel your love and support.Here are a few ways to support a child’s big dreams: • Ask a child what they want to be when they grow up. They will begin exploring occupations. • Observe sports or activities a child likes, then look into lessons and clubs. • Take them to the library or museum to find out more about the things that interest them. • Give them a book, or read them a story to show them you support their interests.   Encourage your child to make a difference in the world and always help him recognize the positive effect the gesture had on the recipient. The goal is for kids to become less dependent on adult guidance by incorporating moral principles in their lives and making them their own.One of the easiest ways to help kids learn new behaviors is to reinforce them when they happen. This is why you should purposely catch your child when they act morally and acknowledge good behavior by describing what she did right and why you appreciate it. How to encourage kindness: • Be kind yourself. Say please and thank when speaking to a child. • Point out when another child does something nice for someone. • Teach a child to be kind to animals. • Open the door for others. A child will model your behavior.   Remember to tell a child often that you love them. Tell them when they do a good job and use positive reinforcement every chance you get. Let a child overhear the nice things you say about them to others. This will help them believe in themselves and cause them to practice these positive traits.Ways to help a child to succeed: • Build confidence in a child’s abilities. If they ask you to “do something for them,” reply that you’d love to see them do it instead. • Encourage independence. Most often kids will rise to the occasion. • When a child makes a mistake, let them know we all make mistakes – it helps us grow. • Urge children to work on skills they are pretty good at, so they gain confidence and refine their talent.  A child’s mind is a magical place - one of innocence and unlimited possibilities. Giving a child room to explore will foster their emotional, physical and creative development. Children find pleasure in stretching their imaginations. Give them the opportunity to draw and write or tell stories. And don’t forget that a child’s artwork doesn’t need to look like an adult’s. Unique styles should be valued. The sky does not always need to be blue. Give them the freedom to be a kid. They won’t be one forever. How to set their imagination free: • Celebrate a child’s creativity by displaying their art. • When a child is bored, give them fun suggestions like flying a kite or building a snowman. • Urge children to use trial and error to see what happens when they use their imaginations. • Create a special art center that allows kids to creatively express themselves.  There are many things you can give a child. But what they will remember and appreciate most is your time. Learn to listen. It is easy to tune out the talk of our children. But one of the greatest things we can do for our children is to take them seriously and truly listen to them. Ask a child about their day. It’s important to know what’s going on at school. If possible, try to sit down to dinner together and take time to catch up. It’s not the quantity, but the quality that matters. Make a child feel like a V.I.P:  • Limit television and computer games. Instead choose something productive you can continue working on together like a puzzle or a scrapbook that they can be proud of. • Plan family outings or vacations such as hiking or swimming. • Discourage homework immediately after school. Instead give them a break and go for a walk outside. • Create family traditions that will make a child feel special. Pick apples together in the fall or put them in charge of choosing the Christmas tree. Parent/Non-Parent Relationships When should non-parents intervene? Not too long ago, back in the middle of the 20th century, it wasn’t uncommon for a kid to act out, be caught by a neighbor, disciplined by that neighbor, and then sent home to mom and dad where they got a second round of discipline. The adage “it takes a village to raise a child” was alive and well. Now, it seems the society has done a 180 and has moved from being involved in the goings-on in their neighborhood to closing the door, shutting the blinds and turning their heads. People are afraid to “butt in” to the lives of others. Even though they may have strong feelings about a situation, it’s better to “mind your own business.” While there are certainly some instances in which you shouldn’t interfere with someone else’s child (i.e. if a kid is screaming at his mom in the park, it wouldn’t be advised to approach the kid and yell at him for being disrespectful), there are many instances where stepping in or reaching out is not only a good idea, but may be life saving.  Below are some instances in which a non-parent should intervene:• If you see a child that is being physically harmed in an excessive manner. • If you see or are told by the child that they are being sexually harmed. • If a child is being exposed to illegal substances. • If a child is lacking necessary health care. • If a child is not going to school when they should be. • If you notice a young child (under the age of 12) is lacking necessary care of supervision. What do I do if someone else disciplines my child? There are varying circumstances that may change the answer to this question. If, as mentioned above, your child is screaming at you in a public place and a stranger comes up and tells your child he is being disrespectful it may be best to thank that person for their concern, but tell them politely that you will handle the situation. Often, someone else disciplining your child can make you feel like they think you aren’t a good parent. Be sure to step back from the situation and ask yourself if they intervened because they were concerned about their child being hurt (emotionally or physically) due to your child’s behavior. If so, it may help alleviate your hurt feelings. The best way to avoid a stranger from disciplining your child is to be aware of your child and his behavior. In instances when you are not present (if you drop your child off to day care or have a babysitter that regularly watches your child), it’s helpful to establish ground rules for appropriate times and ways to discipline your child. This will help eliminate misunderstandings and will also help your child to understand that rules you set are in place whether or not you are present to enforce them (and similarly, that if your rules are broken, the punishment is the same regardless of the person administering it).
Some strategies parents can use with their children: Dyscalculia is a learning disorder where a child struggles in mathematical tasks and activities. There can be several early sign of a child with dyscalculia including having trouble with sorting colors by shape or size, contrasting concepts such as tall and short, learning how to count, or assigning numbers to amounts. A child with dyscalculia may have some of the following symptoms: Some strategies parents can use with their children: Dysgraphia is a disorder that comes from a child’s difficulty to express thoughts in graphing or writing. Generally children with this disorder have trouble with language and auditory processing. A child with dysgraphia may have the following problems: Some strategies parents can use with their children are: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can start to show symptoms in children as early as preschool age (around age four). It often makes it difficult for children to pay attention or control their behavior. There are approximately two million children diagnosed with ADHD in the United States. People with ADHD may also suffer from Tourette syndrome, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. A child with ADHD may have the following problems: Some strategies parents can use for their children: A child with autism may have the following problems: Children who appear to have some but not all of the symptoms of autism may be diagnosed with other ASD’s. Some of these disorders include Asperger syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett syndrome. If you think your child may be suffering from one of these disorders, contact your child’s doctor immediately. Useful Links for Parents Infants Parent Classes at Babies R Us: www1.toysrus.com/our/bru/prom/store_index.cfm Kids Family Education: www.familyeducation.com/home Toy Guide for Differently-abled Kids: www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3261680 Teens Parenting Teens Resource Network: www.parentingteensresourcenetwork.org Health CPR and First Aid Classes from the American Red Cross: www.redcrossclasses.org/delmarva/ Nemours Health for Parents: kidshealth.org/parent Safety Tips and Toy Recalls: www1.toysrus.com/safety Moms Delaware Online’s Website for Moms: http://delaware.momslikeme.com Other Babysitter Directory: http://www.sittercity.com Car Seat Safety: www.car-safety.org Delaware Summer Camp Directory: www.mysummercamps.com Recession Resources Guide for Delaware Residents: guides.lib.de.us/recession |
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All parents want to give their children the brightest future they can. This may mean seeing the signs of a developmental disorder and getting your child the help they deserve. Some developmental disorders include: dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and autism.
One of the most common developmental disorders in the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is classic autism. Statistically, one out of 150 children are autistic, most of whom are males. Male children are four times more likely to be autistic than female children. Autism is a social interaction disorder where a child will often struggle with verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as repetitive activities that are unusual or severely limited. Autism can range from being mild to disabling in terms of its severity. Signs of autism can become apparent as early as infancy. A baby with autism will intently focus on an object for an extended period of time and will be unresponsive to the people around them. Children can also appear to develop normally then begins to withdrawal from social interactions and become indifferent to the people around them. 
Adults understand that in order for their opinion to be heard and accounted for they need to get involved. Being an active member of a community is a great way to share ideas and develop new initiatives.Home | Kids and Teens | Grown-Ups | TV/Radio Spots | Delaware Children’s Department | Help Center | Upcoming Events