Your kids need loads of free time

Jenni Johnson, our resident ‘Baby Whisperer’, has been a practicing child-care practitioner for 15 years, and owns a busy ante and post natal clinic in Durban…

Every time you take your child away from something he’s absorbed in, you could land up in a battle of the wills. If your three-year-old is pushing a toy car along the floor when it’s bath-time suggest to him that the car makes a long, long drive to the bathroom to see the big dam. When you show interest in what your child is doing, it puts him in a cooperative mood and in this instance is teaching imagination in play as well.

Children may struggle with the impact of a divorce for about a 2 to 3 year period. During this time, some will be able to voice their feelings but depending on their age and development and character, others just won't have the words. For school-age kids this is often evident when grades drop or they lose interest in activities. For little ones feelings are often expressed during play. Remember calm, consistent, patient parenting.

If your newborn baby cries at bathtime or when getting undressed or at nappy changing times, use a blow heater, they produce a calming noise and the heat soothes baby too. Never leave the heater on when not in the room. Holding both of babies hands in yours and making a sh,sh,sh sound will also calm your little one.

Too much busy-ness creates stress not only for adults but children as well. Extracurricular activities are fine in moderation but kids needs lots of free time too. Play time is essential for cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well being. Climbing a tree with a sibling or friend as opposed to an afternoon of tennis, swimming and extra maths - the former ticks all the boxes.

At around 6 months old, a baby learns that each object is unique. Before this time, whenever it sees a bird in a tree, it always assumes it was the same bird. The same applies for peek a boo, before this time everytime you appear he/she really thought you’d disappeared!!

* Catch Jenni on-air every day just after 10am with her tip of the day.

At Jenni’s ante and post natal clinic in Durban, parents are taught a system that gives them structure and routine to the baby and childhood years. Jenni has a nursing background. She’s a registered nurse, midwife, psychiatric nurse and private nurse practitioner.

Jenni’s online clinic, can be accessed online via www.jennisays.com. For appointments, e-mail [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter via @JenniSays or on Facebook by 'liking' The Berea Baby Clinic.