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Why Music Lessons Might be Helpful for Child Development

We’ve discussed ways to get your little one involved in extracurricular activities and one of the ideas mentioned was playing an instrument. Playing an instrument can do a lot of good for your little one. There are a multitude of benefits such as the development of physical and social skills, patience and discipline and a boost in self-esteem.

Physical skills are improved, as certain instruments require movement to be played. Drums require coordinated arm and leg action while violins entail simultaneous movement from both hands. Instruments help develop ambidexterity as well an improvement in coordination.

Social skills can also be improved through music lessons. If it is a group music lesson, then teamwork and communication are required to play as said member of the group. Children need to understand their particular role in the larger ensemble to create music.

Patience and discipline also play a large role in learning to play an instrument. Discipline is used in habitual practice of the instrument. Patience is required, as one will not master an instrument immediately. Many instruments have a steep learning curve. For example, before an instrument can even be played, one has to know how to read music notes.

As a child learns to play an instrument, self-esteem is built. Constructive criticism and the slow progress of getting better will teach your child that hard work pays off.

At Minnieland Academy, children gather to create music, sing songs, clap and dance each day.  Age appropriate musical instruments are available in our classrooms.

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How to Help Your Children Eat Their Vegetables

boy and vegetables

It’s important for parents to start introducing vegetables and other healthy foods to their children as early as possible. Healthy food choices not only benefit their physical growth, but they also produce healthier brains and more stable emotions. Once your kids get used to eating healthy food, that is what they will begin craving, which means dining will no longer be a battleground of the wills when it comes to eating vegetables.

To help you make your kids eat healthily, here are a few tips:

  • Avoid giving food as rewards. Do not let kids get used to receiving food rewards because it can tamper with their perception of healthy foods. If you give kids cake, ice cream, and other sweets for rewards, they will try to work for these cravings.
  • Consider healthy options when dining out. Do not let dining out be a reason to let them off the healthy track. Make sure they get their fill of healthy foods wherever you go. Many restaurants’ menus are becoming much more health-conscious.
  • Be an example. Show your kids that healthy eating is a good thing. Choose healthy food options for yourself, so that is what they become used to seeing. Kids constantly mimic their parents, so this is a huge key to success.
  • Make eating fun. Eating vegetables does not have to turn your kids’ faces sour. Make themed presentations that make their dining experience fun. Arrange the vegetables into happy faces, mashed potatoes into a fun hat shape, etc.
  • Implement rules. Kids usually follow the rules when they have been specifically detailed for them. Set reasonable rules for their eating habits like drinking water after every after meal or eating a full lunch everyday.
  • Consider how they feel. Do not just push the food down their throats without considering how they feel. Be strategic about how you entice them to eat their vegetables. If they feel too forced or attacked, they may go into resistance mode.
  • Let them help. Kids love to do things and participate in activities. If you allow them to help with food preparation and cooking, they will be more likely to eat the food because they had a role in making it.
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Repurposing Old Toys into Something Useful

 

Do you have old toys scattered around the house the you don’t know what to do with? Are your children too old to play with their toys, but you don’t want to part with them? Whatever the reason for the accumulation, it is not a pleasant sight to see a lot of toys cluttering your house if your children are no longer using them. Instead of letting them lie around, why not convert them into something more useful?

Here are some fun ideas for repurposing your old toys:

  • Create a uNew Entrepreneurial Hub Opens in Tulsanique lamp base out of them. If you have old character toys, you can use a lamp kit to convert them into a lamp stand. For example, your child’s favorite teddy bear may not be something they play with anymore, but displaying it as a light source is a fun way to keep it around for sentimental purposes.
  • Change your old cabinet hardware with a few themed toys. Add a screw to the backs of dinosaurs and other animal toys, or even toy cars, for fun cabinet pulls.
  • Form a mirror frame design. Do you have a number of small similar toys like race cars, Legos, or tiny action figures? Arrange them in a collage around your mirror and spray paint them with gold or silver.
  • Make art out of your toys. You can select themed toys or let your imagination run wild. Stick them on canvass and see where your creativity takes you.
  • Use Legos to form a storage container or rack for hanging items.
  • Repurpose old board games. Varnish your wooden board game. Install a stool leg in the middle and you have a new side table for your kid’s room or a game room.
  • Turn old puzzle pieces or Scrabble pieces into magnets. Glue a magnet on the back, and you have instant refrigerator art!
  • Transform small toys to key chains or bracelets. Your girls will love to wear their small memorable toys in their hands. Or, you can even be reminded of your children by attaching a toy to your key chain.
  • Use old toy trucks as bookshelves. It’s a great way to display your favorite in a way that appears as intentional decor.

Chris George Homes
Oklahoma City Realtor
Let’s get in touch: 405.843.8188