What are some ways to teach leadership to children? Leadership is a skill that can be taught to children sans the pressure and guided through the process at their own pace. Developing leadership skills in children begins at home. The following are simple steps on how parents can develop leadership skills in children.

Hone Your Toddler’s Communication Skills

Good leaders are good communicators, and this can be achieved by teaching your toddler early. Work on your toddler’s reading and speaking. You can do this by reading something to your toddler and then asking him to narrate the story back to you. If he knows how to read, ask your little one to read you a book. Hold conversations with your toddler. Ask him anything under the sun – how his day was, what he did, his thoughts about the movie you watched together, events, etc. In addition, teach your toddler to talk in a calm and courteous manner and to listen carefully when someone is talking.

Promote Independence

Allow your toddler to do things for himself. If he says he can do it, let him do it. Give your toddler responsibilities by giving him age-appropriate chores such as setting up the table, making his bed and sorting clothes. Even if you might have to redo them, at least you are giving your child an opportunity to flourish. Also, encourage independent play. This is an excellent way to encourage your toddler to look for ways to entertain himself instead of providing him a solution.

Encourage Your Toddler To Volunteer

One effective way to develop leadership skills in children is to train your toddler to volunteer. You can encourage this by letting your toddler make decisions. For instance, he can take part in deciding what to eat for dinner, help plan a weekend trip or choose new sheets and linens for his bed.
Furthermore, why not do community service together. Visit soup kitchens, animal shelters and homeless shelters. Or, why not organize an outreach program or a garage sale and donate your earnings to charity. These experiences will help empower your toddler and teach him how to have a positive impact on others.

Hone Your Toddler’s Talents

Another very good way to instil leadership skills in children is to nurture their talents and interests. If your toddler loves to play basketball or likes playing the piano, enroll him in a class. Pursuing something he is passionate about will make him feel comfortable and later take on a leadership role.

Increase Social Interaction

The best way to practice leadership skills in children is through exposure. Organize play dates with other moms in your neighbourhood. Let him spend more time in the playground. Sign him up for art or singing lessons. By surrounding your toddler with people, you are giving him an opportunity not just to lead but to learn teamwork.

Let Your Toddler Express Himself

Encourage your toddler to express himself. When a child is free to voice out his thoughts, ideas and opinions, he feels more confident. You can help by encouraging him to speak out. But, do not disregard angry outbursts or impose silence. Instead, recommend alternative ways of self-expression. Learning how to speak tactfully and assertively are two traits of becoming a good leader.

Give Praise

When your little one accomplishes something, do not forget to praise it whether it is getting a high score in his assignment, learning how to tie his own shoes or writing cleanly or reading faster. You might say, “I am so proud of you that you know how to tie your shoelaces without any help!”. In your toddler’s young age, small steps mean a lot and he will feel good with his achievements. When he feels good, he builds up his self-esteem which is essential to developing leadership skills.

Teach By Example

Keep in mind that whatever parents do, children follow. Your toddler is your best imitator so whatever you say or do, he will surely mimic. Be the type of leader you want your toddler to be by being your toddler’s role model. Be involved. Help others. Volunteer. Take initiatives in everyday life. Explain to your toddler what you are doing and the reason why you are doing it.

Being a leader is not something innate, it has to be taught and nurtured. Every child has the potential to develop leadership skills. Hence, it is imperative for parents to develop leadership skills in children to guarantee them a brighter future.

Whooping cough is a very common childhood disease. Also known as pertussis, this disease affects the upper respiratory tract and is very contagious. It starts with cold-like symptoms such as mild fever and coughing that becomes more pronounced with frequent coughing fits especially at night. When not treated at once, this can cause severe damage and can be life-threatening. For this reason, it is very important for every parent to know the treatment for whooping cough in children. Here are some tried and tested tips from the experts.

Consult With Your Pediatrician

The first thing parents should do when treating whopping cough in children is to consult with a pediatrician. Whooping cough is a bacterial infection; therefore, it can be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics can also prevent the infection from spreading. The doctor can prescribe you one which your toddler will have to take for two weeks. In addition, your pediatrician may also suction mucus from the respiratory system and give extra oxygen.

Get Plenty of Rest

At home, see to it that your little one gets plenty of rest. Let your toddler rest in bed and avoid letting him play physically demanding activities. Adequate rest will help your toddler boost up his immune system. To keep your little one from getting bored, do quiet activities such as listening to music, reading a book, drawing or completing a jigsaw puzzle.

Hydrate, Hydrate

Another very effective treatment for whooping cough in children is water. Whooping cough can cause a toddler to get dehydrated; hence, it is very important that you make sure your toddler is getting enough liquid in his body to replenish the lost fluids. Water, oral rehydration solution, soups, fresh fruit juice and tea are great sources of fluids that also provide nutrients.

Use A Cool Mist Humidifier

Run a cool mist vaporizer or humidifier in your home, especially in your toddler’s bedroom. A cool mist humidifier can treat whooping cough in children as it helps loosen up respiratory emissions and relieve irritated lungs and nasal passages to help with your little one’s breathing and ease his discomfort.

Offer Small Meals

A toddler with whooping cough will have a poor appetite and may vomit because of the coughing. So, feed your toddler smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day. Smaller meals are easier to digest than heavier meals. For instance, instead of feeding your toddler three regular meals, switch to six smaller meals.

Avoid The Irritants

Keep your sick toddler from irritants that could aggravate his condition. You can do this by cleaning your home frequently. Sterilize your toddler’s clothes, linens and toys. Make hand washing a habit not just for your toddler but for you and the rest of your family as well. Avoid exposing your toddler to people, especially those who are also sick. In addition, see to it your toddler is not exposed to tobacco smoke, aerosol sprays, fireplaces and other substances that can irritate his respiratory tract.

Give Your Toddler Pain Relievers

If your toddler has symptoms such as fever and sore throat, medications such as children’s acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) and ibuprofen (e.g. Motrin) can be effective in relieving your toddler’s uneasiness. But, do make sure you ask for your pediatrician’s go signal first as well as the recommended dosage before giving them to your toddler.

Never give your toddler aspirin or cough suppressants. Aspirin can cause Reye’s syndrome – a rare but lethal disease and suppressants can hamper your toddler’s ability to heal.

Use Nose Drops

If your toddler’s nasal passageway is blocked due to mucus, you can use a nose drop to clear the passageway to help your toddler breathe more comfortably. You can ask your doctor or pharmacist what nose drop your toddler can use.

Go To The Hospital

If the above methods for treating whooping cough in children are ineffective, then your little one may need to be admitted in the hospital. Toddlers are more likely to get hospitalized because they are at a greater risk of incurring complications such as pneumonia, sinusitis and lung collapse. Your toddler will be observed and thoroughly examined. Intravenous (IV) fluids may also be given to prevent dehydration.

With the appropriate treatment, you can make sure that your toddler recuperates quickly from his bout of whooping cough. Also, if your toddler has not been vaccinated, then it would be best to make an appointment with your toddler’s pediatrician so your precious once can be immunized with the whooping cough vaccine.

The cold season is a time for viruses to spread which causes colds and flu in children. However, it can also cause frostbite in children. Frostbite can be very painful and uncomfortable for toddlers. Thus, it is very important for parents to know about frostbite in children. Here is a guide that will help you learn the causes, signs, treatment and prevention of frostbite in children.

What causes frostbite in children?

Frostbite in children is basically caused by exposure to very low temperature which exposes certain areas of the body such as the ears, nose, cheeks, chin, fingers and toes to extreme cold which can become frozen. This is because the skin and the body tissue beneath freezes. A toddler’s skin becomes very cold, then numb, hard and pallid. Toddlers are more at risk of incurring frostbite because of their sudden drops in body temperatures when in the outdoors.

What are the signs and symptoms?

The following are some common signs and symptoms of frostbite in children:

Skin Discoloration

The most common indication that a toddler has frostbite is when the skin exposed to extreme cold turns red and inflamed. If the skin is exposed for a long period of time, it will then appear to be white or purplish in color (looks like a bruise).

Skin Cracks or Has Blisters

A part of the skin that has been frostbitten feels odd when you touch it. Some toddlers may experience cracking and blistering which can be very discomforting. The skin can also appear shiny and puffy or flaky and hard to touch.

Strange Skin Sensations

A toddler with frostbite might feel a burning or prickling sensation. As the frostbite exacerbates, the toddler might feel numbness and the pain might subside but this just actually means that the frostbite is aggravating.

Speech and Dexterity Problems

Another sign of frostbite in children is when a toddler has trouble speaking due to the loss of body heat. You may also notice a toddler having difficulty with his dexterity.

How is frostbite in children treated?

If you notice that one or more of these symptoms are experienced by your toddler, then it is very essential that you follow these tips for treating frostbite in children.

Warm The Body

Warm the body as soon as possible without placing heat directly on the affected areas. Do not touch your toddler’s affected skin. Instead, move your toddler to a warm location. Remove his wet clothing and dress your toddler in dry and warm clothes. Wrapping his body with a blanket can also help.

Seek Medical Help

Immediate medical attention is necessary as your toddler is at risk of infection or permanent tissue damage. The doctor will be able to prescribe good recommendations for treating your toddler’s frostbite (e.g. applying topical creams or skin grafting for severe cases). The doctor will also check for hypothermia (extreme low body temperature).

Re-warm Affected Areas Gradually

For superficial or minor cases of frostbite, what you need to do is to re-warm the affected parts slowly. You can gently tuck your toddler’s hands under your armpits. Applying warm compress also helps. You can also immerse your toddler’s fingers and toes in lukewarm (not hot) water – about 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Giving your toddler something warm to drink such as milk, tea, water or soup can also provide comfort.

A word of advice: Never rub your toddler’s fingers or use a heating device (e.g. hairdryer) to warm the affected areas as this will only increase the damage in the skin tissue.

How can frostbite be prevented?

Supervise Your Toddler Outdoors

Letting your toddler play during cold weather is perfectly fine. But, do make sure to keep the time he spends outside short, say 15 to 20 minutes. Make it a point to check his face, ears, fingers and toe every so often so you can check for signs of frostbite.

Dress Your Toddler For The Weather

Another way to prevent frostbite in children is to dress toddlers appropriately. Meaning, you have to make sure you dress your little one in layers. Have your toddler wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants, jacket, scarf, hat, mittens, socks and well-fitting boots.

Keep Your Toddler Dry

See to it your toddler stays dry outdoors. Whenever he gets wet, remove wet clothes at once because moisture draws off heat from the skin.

Always be vigilant during cold, windy days. Wind makes the skin lose heat faster, which enhances your toddler’s risk of frostbite.