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Table Talk Topic: Expressing Gratitude

Thanksgiving is a time that reminds us to express our gratitude and be more thankful, but throughout the year parents have an opportunity to bring that type of gratitude to the dinner table.

Thanksgiving is a time that reminds us to express our gratitude and be more thankful, but throughout the year parents have an opportunity to bring that type of gratitude to the dinner table.

We don’t need to ask “What are you thankful for today?” in order to prompt conversations about gratitude with our families. There are many ways to bring more appreciation to the dinner table, and talking about being thankful might be more important than you think.

It’s Never Too Early to Start Being Thankful

Parents.com reports that children as young as 15 to 18 months can start to understand the concepts of gratitude. Barbara Lewis, author of What Do You Stand For? For Kids, explains that around the age of two or three, children can start to verbally acknowledge their gratitude for things in their life like people, pets and toys. And by age four, they are able to grasp the concept of being grateful for abstract items like love and kindness.

Since children are aware of gratitude at such a young age, it’s important to cultivate it early on and continue the process as they grow.

The Benefits of Being Thankful

Living a more grateful life can benefit your child throughout their lifetime. Those who practice gratitude feel less entitled and disappointed. They are more likely to be positive and find more satisfaction in their lives. All of which can affect mind and body. WebMD reports that practicing gratitude can decrease stress, boost the immune system, and encourage a healthier lifestyle.

Questions That Encourage Gratitude

Sitting around the dinner table is the perfect time to ask open-ended questions that can help your children practice gratitude. Because answering the basic question, “What are you thankful for?” might be hard for kids at first. These questions make it easy for them to identify and discover things they really appreciate and give you a chance to express your gratitude.

  • Who was the best teacher you ever had?
  • What is the best part of being a part of our family?
  • What is one of your favorite memories from a family vacation?
  • What is one thing you couldn’t live without?
  • What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend or after school?
  • What’s your favorite thing to do with your grandparents, aunts or uncles? Whom do you feel closest?
  • What is something someone did to help you today?
  • What’s your favorite thing about dinner tonight?
  • What is your favorite part about living in our town?
  • Who is your best friend in school? Why?
  • What book is your favorite to read before bed?

Turn these questions into conversations. When your child responds, make sure to point out how lucky they are to have those experiences, items and family members. Point out that not everyone in the world has access those things.

This is a good way to get kids to see how much they really have to be thankful for, and help them acknowledge and cultivate a feeling of gratitude and gratefulness.

Show Your Gratitude 

Children mirror the image of their parents, so be sure that you are practicing gratitude in your own life, especially when interacting with your kids. Share answers to the same questions.

Be sure to say “thank you” to them regularly even for small moments and events. (“Thank you for eating all your vegetables. Thank you for helping me clear the table. It made dinner easier and more enjoyable.” )

And most of all, remind them how grateful you are to be their parents.

Talking around the dinner table is a great way to build a deeper connection with your child. Maintain that connection inside and outside of the house by using MamaBear Family Safety App, which offers easy check-in features that can keep you and your kids connected anywhere, anytime. App is available for iPhone and Andriod devices.

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#Being13 Study Reveals Teens Check Social Media Up to 100 Times Per Day

In a new CNN study, “#Being13: Inside the Secret World of Teens,” child development experts studied the habits of over 200 eighth graders from around the country. Experts watched how teens used Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook in order to understand how and why teens use social media.

The study revealed just how connected teens are to social media and how disconnected they are with the world around them. It found that teens check social media accounts up to 100 times per day to see if anyone liked their posts or left comments (61%), see what their friends were up to (36%), and make sure no one was saying negative things about them (21%).

Teens are becoming addicted to social media because they love the affirmation they receive when their posts are well received, and because they are worried about how they are being seen in the social world. To teens, their social media world is as important as the real world, and they are struggling more and more with seeing the difference.

To learn more about how social media may be impacting your teen’s life and how you can help them disconnect, read the full #BeingThirteen article on CNN, “Why some 13-year-olds check social media 100 times a day.”

Image Source: CNN

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How to Have a Safe and Fun Halloween With Kids of All Ages

Halloween safety tips for kids

From costume advice to trick-and-treating rules, use these tips to make sure you have a fun and safe Halloween with your kids of all ages.

Tips for Kids Ages 0-5

Even small children and toddlers can be a part of Halloween festivities with the right planning.

Costumes

Make sure store-bought costumes have no choking hazards or loose buttons or accessories.

Toddlers love to be on their feet even though they are still a little wobbly. To ensure that can safely move around, hem long costumes and capes so children have no loose fabric to step on.

Before you put any makeup on your child’s skin (even if it is just a few dots on their cheeks), test the makeup in a small spot to make sure the product doesn’t irritate your child’s skin.

Events and Activities

Look around for events that specifically state that they are for younger children. Halloween is supposed to be spooky, but you don’t want it to be scary for your kids. Make sure that the events you are attending have specified that the event is friendly for small children.

Trick and Treating

Toddlers will likely want to walk during some of their trick-or-treat experience. But don’t let them walk on their own in dark or crowded areas.

Smaller kids may be unable to eat the candy they collect. Let them enjoy the fun of putting candy in their bag, but don’t let them put anything in their mouth until you have inspected and approved it.

Tips for Kids Ages 6-11

At this age, kids are a little more independent and will want to experience more Halloween activities. But you should still put rules in place to make sure they have a safe Halloween.

Costumes

On Halloween, kids may come in close contact with decorative candles and flames. So it’s important that their costumes are flame-resistant. Check the labels before you buy any costume or accessory to ensure it is resistant to fire.

Events and Activities

Kids at this age may still be a little too young to carve their own pumpkins, but they can get involved with the activity another way. Let them scoop out the insides of the pumpkin, and instead of carving designs, let them draw faces on pumpkins with markers.

Trick and Treating

Set candy rules early on. Kids should not eat any of the candy that makes it into their bag until their parents have inspected it.

Tips for Kids Ages 12-17

Preteens and teens are still old enough to want to enjoy Halloween, but often want to do it on their own. If your kids are going to celebrate Halloween on their own, make sure they are equipped with tools and knowledge to keep them safe.

Costumes

When kids are trick-or-treating on their own, you want to be extra careful about the visibility of their costume. If your child is in a dark costume, add LED lights or glow stick jewelry to make sure they stand out in the dark.

Trick and Treating

Before your kids walk out the door, lay out a map of their intended trick-or-treat route.

Kids this age probably won’t wait to get home to eat a few pieces of candy. So teach them how to inspect their candy on their own. They should only eat candy in commercially-wrapped packages from neighbors that they know. Everything else should wait until you can inspect it.

Set check-in times when kids need to update you on their status and location.

Halloween Safety App

If your kids are trick-or-treating on their own for the first time, it can be a little nerve-racking to let them go on their own. But with the MamaBear, The Ultimate Parenting App™, you can have added peace of mind.

The app, which is free for both iPhones and Androids, can send you an automatic update when your child meets a certain destination. MamaBear doesn’t rely on your child remembering to check in with you, it automatically shows their location on the family map so long as they have it running properly on their phone. With MamaBear  you can enjoy a more relaxed evening while your kids have a fun and safe Halloween.  

More Halloween Safety Tips

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Wait to Update to iOS 9

We’re loving the new iOS 9 features but you may want to wait a while before you update. Since the original release of the new operating system from Apple on September 16, an update to fix “minor bugs” was released on September 23 with iOS 9.0.1.  Yet, Forbes is reporting there are still some vulnerabilities. Perhaps Apple will release another “bug fix” update or we may have to wait until iOS 9.1 which may be weeks away.

MamaBear customers may also be experiencing an app crash if already updated to iOS 9.  We’ll have an app update available in the next couple of weeks to patch up any issues regardless of your operating system version.

If you’ve already updated  or plan to soon, be careful with the Wi-Fi Assist feature.  It automatically allows your phone to download data via your cellular plan when Wi-Fi coverage isn’t great.  This feature is rather helpful, particularly for apps like MamaBear needing the connectivity to provide you reliable information, but it could eat up your data.  Read more at USA Today.

Our recommendation for now is to wait to update.