How do I get kids to bed on time? That is a very interesting question. But what is the right time to go to bed anyhow? This varies from child to child. I have always had one child who needed far less sleep than the others. And so it will be with every family because everyone is different and has different needs.

I have one teenager who needs at least eight hours sleep per night or he simply cannot function the next day and he knows it. This morning I was trying to have a conversation with him at 7am when he had just woken up for school. He turned and said to me, “Mum, I’m just not hearing anything. Save it for this afternoon when I am awake”. At least he knows his limitations. He does not wake up easily in the mornings.

If we can help children understand the need for a certain amount of sleep that will certainly help us. But what about younger kids who just want to stay up late every night? How can we help going to bed become a nice, simple process without a battle of the wills?

1. Decide in advance what time bed time will be for each child. Remember that each child is an individual and you can give kids different bed times if you want with little or no explanation from yourself. You are the parent.

2. Make sure that stimulation slows down during the lead up to bed time. Your child cannot possibly be watching television or playing on the computer and then be expected to just switch off and lie still straight afterwards. Plan your wind down activities. Reading a book is always a great thing to do before bed to help prepare for sleep.

3. Give your child incentives to remain in bed at night. Bribery gets you everywhere. Sorry but it’s true. And do you know, this is the way the adult world works also. If you work hard in your job, you will receive a bonus or perhaps a raise. Hard work gets acknowledged. I remember once at work I won employee of the Month and I received a $100 voucher to buy some sunglasses. My hard work paid off that month. What you can do is think of something special that you can do the following day and promise that if your child stays in bed they will get to do that special thing the next day. Children need to be able to equate great behaviour to great consequences. This will help them. It’s OK to offer your child an incentive. And it is actually far better to give your child a good consequence for a great job than a punishment for a lousy job. If you can get in with the good things first your child will develop a healthy self esteem to last them through life.

4. Put something in writing with your child. If you do this there can be no ambiguity. They can even decorate their contract with you and laminate it for their bedroom wall. Then there can be no disagreements about the rules, especially if the children negotiated those rules with you in the first place. Children love to have a say in things and when you include them in the decision making process they will be much more likely to abide by the decisions that are made. They have a sense of ownership regarding it because they helped
make the rules.

5. If your child does get out of bed for any reason, simply lead them back to their bed but do not engage them. Do not talk to them or give them any stimulation. Definitely do not have a conversation with them about why they should be in bed. They already know they should be in bed because you have made up a contract stating the facts. Your child just wants to know if you mean business and they will test you until they know your limits without a doubt. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. Every time.

These are just a few tips to make bed time easier for parents and children alike. You can get your kids to bed on time if you persevere.

By: Kim Patrick

About the Author:

Kid’s Beds

When we are in the “deep end” of parenting—at the end of our rope—we will grasp
at the first thing we think of to stop our child’s misbehavior. When our kids
are pushing every button we have (and even some we didn’t know we had), spanking
kids over the knee may seem like a good idea to get them to REALLY learn from
their mistakes. But does it work?

No doubt about it, spanking can interrupt misbehavior you don’t like. If you are
a mom who has ever yelled, spanked or punished your child, you can join the
other millions of moms out there. And after you have punished your child, do you
ever experience that wee bit of satisfaction that comes from feeling like you’ve
“won”, that you’re FINALLY getting them to do what you want them to do? But then
don’t you also experience GUILT? Since kids spanked over the knee will often
stop their immediate misbehavior, you may have concluded that spanking is an
effective way of disciplining them (despite the guilt).

Long-Term Effects of Being Spanked over the Knee

While on a beach in Santa Barbara, I met a guy in his late 20s who as a child
had been spanked over the knee. When he found out I was the author of the book
When You’re About To Go Off The Deep End, Don’t Take Your Kids With You, he
excitedly shared how spanking had helped him to listen to his mother, do what he
was told, and learn about right and wrong. “Being spanked over her knee also
taught me how to use the wooden spoon on her,” he laughed. I went for the bait.
“How did it do this?,” I asked. One Christmas, when he was four years old, his
Mother was mad at herself for forgetting to water the Christmas tree. As she got
down on her hands and knees to pick up the fallen pine needles, her son snuck
into the kitchen, got the wooden pasta spoon that doubled as the spanking spoon,
and boldly took a whack at her rear end (just like she had taught him!) yelling,
“Bad Mommy, Bad Mommy!” Her response? She spanked him.

What a Mom Sows, She Also Reaps

That’s the simple truth about spanking kids on the bottom as a punishment. Call
it human nature, but there is a natural tendency to seek revenge when we believe
we have been unjustly punished. Kids spanked over the knee have dozens of ways
to get back at us, including:

- Using the silent treatment

- Getting poor grades in school

- Acquiring sudden Alzheimer’s when it comes to chores

- Performing award-winning temper tantrums

- Saying “I hate you!” (the granddaddy of all revenge tactics).

Spanking also establishes a powerful model for our children to follow in their
“monkey see, monkey do” fashion. Kids will often use our punishment approach to
also get their own way. Eldest children are especially prone to pick up on a
mom’s authoritative approach and will attempt to pull rank, be boss, and even
bully others (especially siblings). Where did they learn this? Yup! From that
pretty woman who looks back at you in the mirror each day.

So, although spanking can stop misbehavior in the short term, be warned!
Spanking a child over the knee can lead to them “spanking” you—and others—later
on down the road.

Do you want your children to end up spanking you?

Probably not. The good news: there are dozens of effective parenting strategies
that can get you what you want (great behavior) while giving your children what
they need (the opportunity to be responsible, happy and compassionate). Learn
these positive parenting tools and you and your children can thrive in a
spank-free, guilt-free environment!

By: Kelly Nault

About the Author:

Bankruptcy Lawyers

Children absolutely love bunk beds. They make having sleepovers easier for children who have their own bedroom. For children who share a bedroom, bunk beds are a great way to save space. Have your children recently been begging you for bunk beds?

If so, you may be interested in learning more about where to look for cheap bunk beds. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.

Although you can find discount bunk beds in major department stores from time to time, this is not all that common. The reason is because most department stores buy their bunk beds in bulk from other stores and then resell them at a much higher price.

If you want to find cheap bunk beds, then you may want to think about looking somewhere besides major department stores.

Lesser known stores are a great place to check out for cheap bunk beds. The reason is because these stores focus more on selling you furniture that is less pricey, mainly to attract more customers. There are more benefits to shopping at lesser known stores than just finding cheap bedding and furniture.

You will also be more likely to find unique designs for the discount bunk beds that you do find at stores which are not all that popular.

But the very best place to check out for discount bunk beds or other furniture for the bed room is online stores. Stores that only offer their products online are a really great place to shop for beds and bunk beds in particular.

The reason is because most of these stores offer cheap bunk beds. These beds are usually sold at a price you won’t find offline.

Since you have never heard of some of the different online stores out there which sell discount bedroom furniture, they probably would have never been the first place that you would have thought to check.

Keep in mind that online retailers are also a great place to check out for discount sheets, comforters, pillows, mattresses and any all of your other bedding needs. Finding all of your bedding needs at a discounted price is a great way to save extra money.

Otherwise, you may end up paying for the cost of shipping for cheap bunk beds and various other types of bedding supplies.

Why are bunk beds, or any other beds or bedding or bedroom furniture (or anything else for that matter) cheaper online? Simple. It’s all about overheads. There is no expensive store to pay for situated on expensive real estate. Lower overheads means they can sell at lower prices.

So shop online for cheap bunk beds or any other bedroom furniture, you won’t regret it.

By: Peter Clark

About the Author:

Morning Sickners

You knock on your son’s door to wake him up in the morning. He doesn’t stir, so you decide to open the door and what do you find? A disaster area, his clothes, games, and homework is lying everywhere. So, you wake him up and tell him to clean his room after school. But, he doesn’t do it because he complains that he doesn’t have room to put anything anywhere. If that is the case, then it’s time to purchase some new kids bedroom furniture for him.

Kids bedroom furniture is perfect for helping your son, or daughter, get his, or her, room organized. How so? Well, it is because they are available in all sorts of types and designs. For instance, maybe your son has a lot of books and video games to go along with that TV of his. Then, what would be a good fit for his room would be an armoire that could double as an entertainment center. It spacious cabinet area is idea for placing that TV, plus, you could get one that has both shelves and drawers. The shelves would be ideal for stowing away those games and books or putting DVD or CD players along with cable boxes while the drawers are ideal for placing anything else that might need putting away.

In addition to the armoire, there are many other kids bedroom furniture selections for your child’s space, making it easy to help your child get organized. Some of the other options include dressers, nightstands, desks, vanities, mirrors, and bed frames with drawers.

When purchasing kids bedroom furniture, make sure that your child is part of the process because change can be a big thing for a kid. If it’s done without their input, not matter how big or small that input is, they won’t feel a part of the process and probably will end up not liking their new digs. Some of the different ways they can get involved is with the style choices of the furniture. Like, does your child like simple or things that have a jazzed up look? There are plain options that feature just a basic white or wood type finish or there are extravagant choices like those that are multicolored or others that have hand painted designs on them.

For an easy way for you and your child to check out all the kids bedroom furniture choices that are available, all you have to do is plop in front of the computer with your kid and just start shopping away on the Internet. It is a stress free option for taking in all the choices and when the both of you do decide on something, it will be shipped right to your home. Now, that is convenient.

In the end, if you want your child’s space to be in order, purchase kids bedroom furniture that makes doing that easy. There are many choices available, all of which will have that room clean in no time.

By: Jennifer Akre

About the Author:

Baby Furniture

Deciding what kind of Wallpaper Borders to put up for your kid’s room can be time-consuming. It’s important that you choose a theme that your child will appreciate. A great Wallpaper Border decoration for kids does not need to have multiple designs. A simple, yet interesting design can really enhance your kid’s room decoration. Here are a few simple, yet great ideas.

Kids, especially boys, love Movie-themed Wallpaper Borders. For example, if your kid is a Star Wars fan, you might want to buy Border patterns decorated with the movie characters, spaceships and other gadgets used in the movie.

Wallpaper borders with Story Book or cartoon characters can really add color and light to your kid’s room. Choose from a variety of fairytale or comic book characters like the little mermaid, Peter Pan, Puss in Boots, Garfield, Asterix etc.

Transportation themed Wallpaper Borders can also be fun. You can get Borders that feature your kid’s favorite automobiles. For example, if your child likes trains, it’d be a great idea to put up train track borders on his wall.

If your kid has a favorite animal, he’d love to have pictures of it on his wall. There are hundreds of animal Wallpaper Borders to choose from such as horses, lions, dogs, tigers, cats, etc. Go for the colorful ones because some Animal Borders may not be specifically designed for kids.

You can do a lot with colors too. Camouflage Borders can give a very nice army-themed room decoration while blue, tan and ivory combined with a blend of various wild animals can produce the perfect Safari look. Little girls also love colors. So if you have one in the family, get Borders dotted with pink hearts, colorful little elves, butterflies and fairies.

By: Peter Emerson

About the Author:

Get Credit

Your child’s room should be a haven of imagination. If should be bright, beautiful, and comfortable so that all of the castles, cars, fairies, and farm friends that are featured in books and captured in your child’s heart can come to life with ease. Parents, help your child’s dream come true by purchasing the ideal bed.

There are many choices to consider when choosing the right bed for a child: children’s metal bunk beds, kid’s solid wood bunk beds, kids’ bunk beds that fuse a twin bed with a futon, and many, many more. Nightstands and toy chests are offered to match many of these kid’s beds. Most styles are offered in twin size and full size. Many of the bunk beds actually separate, creating two distinct pieces of furniture.

Today children’s beds come in a variety of styles that include bunk, loft, canopy, sleigh, captains and daybeds. Besides the “cool factor” of kid’s bunk beds, there are several practical benefits to choosing one for your child’s bedroom. Whether it’s one kid or two, bunk beds are a great space saver in any kid’s room. They generally have storage (making them an economically wise choice), work well for sleepovers, and can stimulate the imagination as your child’s bed becomes a pirate ship or dollhouse. Loft bunk beds are perfect for students. They feature a comfy bed up above and a desk, shelves and bookcase down below. They are great space savers too and work best for sleepovers and families with two or more children sharing a room.

Futon bunk beds feature a twin size bed on top and a full size futon on the bottom. The futon on the bottom can be converted from a full size bed to a couch, giving you great flexibility while maintaining ease of use. They also come in different styles and finishes (just change their covers to get new looks for your room). A daybed with an optional trundle drawer makes a handy extra sleeping space. Just pull the drawer out and put a mattress inside whenever you need an additional bed for sleepovers or overnight guests. Captain’s kid’s beds offer additional storage for clothes, toys and extra bedding with several spacious drawers. Your child’s room will have a rich, elegant feel with a sleigh bed. A canopy bed, on the other hand, will lead your child into a world of fantasy to live his/her dreams. Expand these with a decorating theme - a race car, golden coach, sailor’s private boat - and you have a winner on your hands.

When decorating a child’s room, it can be difficult to make everything come together. Children’s bedding sets can really help to set the tone for your child’s bedroom. They are great for infants and for teenagers alike. They make it convenient to choose the style that you and your child like best. Children’s bedding sets are versatile. With reversible comforters, neutral sheet sets and a couple different accessories, a room can easily be changed as the interests of the child changes. A bedding set for your child will also be easy to clean and offers the child a chance to express his/her individuality with ease. Additionally, shopping for bedding is significantly easier, as the sets contain everything one needs and eliminates the need to match colors or styles. Today there are choices galore: character beddings, bed linen, accessories, quilt covers, curtains, wallpapers, borders, blankets, beach towels, rugs, wall clocks, alarm clocks, mirrors (Disney, Postman Pat, Cinderella, Winnie the Pooh, Bratz, Walt Disney, etc.) and more, depending on your budget and imagination.

Whatever you decide on, make sure you put time and effort into choosing the perfect beds for your children, so that your whole family can sleep tight.

By: Anthony Mangia

About the Author:

Fix Your Golf Swing

Do you remember how much cred (credit) you got in college if you pulled an all-nighter? Your friends looked at you with mad respect. Staying up all night is impressive, but you were young, and you could lose a night’s sleep. Even back in college, however, there were a few things to remember about all-nighters:

They Happen Infrequently. If you stayed up every night, you were considered a freak, and probably on your way to being kicked out of school. All-nighters were so awesome and impressive because they were rare.

They Were Saved for Serious, Special Occasions. Nobody pulled an all-nighter to read! You pulled an all-nighter to finish (uh, start?) a term paper or cram three months’ worth of information into your head for a final exam.

You Had to Crash the Next Day. Right after you turned in your paper and bragged about how you cool you were, it was time to fall into your bed (usually with your jeans on) and hibernate for the next two days. Crumpled clothes, bed head and a ripe smell extended the all-nighter aura.

Enough reminiscing about the Good Ole Days! The point is that all-nighters are for college students. 18 to 22 year-old young adults. Younger students- we call them ‘kids’- are supposed to be living at home with parents that MAKE THEM GO TO BED!

Kids need sleep. Lots of sleep. They need consistent bedtimes and regular sleep hours. It’s easy to convince parents of the benefits of sleep when their children have stayed up hours and hours past their bedtime. The next day our little angels are cranky, miserable, and unreasonable. Want to know why teachers hate when the day after Halloween falls on a school day? Students are sleep-deprived, exhausted and coming down from a sugar-high. They can’t think, they don’t listen, they won’t cooperate and play nicely-it’s horrible. For teachers, the day after Halloween is definitely trick, never treat.

Staying up late once in awhile is not the problem. It’s the day after day, chronic sleep deprivation that causes the problems. Studies show that children that regularly go without enough sleep don’t grow, don’t learn, don’t get along with others. I recently read in Reader’s Digest that “teens that don’t get enough sleep are at an increased risk for depression, rage, us of stimulants and alcohol, low grades and car accidents.” Sheesh.

So, how much sleep do our children need?

Age 3-6: 10 to 12 hours a night
Age 10-12: 10 to 11 hours a night
Age 12-18: 8 to 9 hours a night

Do your children get enough sleep? Probably not; most don’t.

As parents, we must say, “Enough is enough!” and make our kids go to bed. I’m talking about every night, not just once in awhile. And, please do not use homework as an excuse. If your children have so much homework that they are staying up late night after night, then they need to get started on it earlier. (You also need to meet with the teacher and figure out what is going on.) And, no, they cannot “make up” sleep on the weekend.

Your children need sleep. You need peace and quiet. Bedtime is sacred, and you cannot allow homework to interfere with it.

Save the all-nighters for college.

By: Angela Norton Tyler

About the Author:

Get Mortgage

Children rarely wet the bed on purpose. Take the time to listen to their fears and concerns. Children deserve an explanation of what is happening to them. Many children hide the problem and think something is wrong with them. Children are usually upset and ashamed when it happens. Do not punish the child.

Bed-wetting that continues past the age that most children have nighttime bladder control,typically at 5 or 6 years of age,also it will usually stop over time without treatment. If not, home treatment may be all that is needed to help a child stop wetting the bed. This is not your fault. Kids who wet the bed don’t do it on purpose. Bed-wetting is common in young children. Children grow and develop at different rates, and bladder control is achieved at an individual pace.

Children that have problems wetting the bed may be doing so because they are experiencing a medical condition that causes them not to get the necessary warning to get up go to the bathroom. Another medical reason that the child may be wetting the bed is because he or she sleeps very deeply. Children in this age group should be praised for dry nights and should take an active role in cleaning up after wetting. Children achieve bladder control at different ages. By the age of 6 years, most children no longer urinate in their sleep.

Bedwetting is common in children, and can affect adolescents too. It affects twice as many boys as girls, and can cause embarrassment and stress for children and their families. Bedwetting usually does not require treatment since most kids outgrow it in their late childhood. However, there are some treatments available to those who need help in outgrowing bedwetting (or enuresis, or sleepwetting. Bedwetting does not result from laziness. It is not due to poor parenting skills.

By: Greg Wadel

About the Author:

Bulldogs

Furniture is an integral part of a kids world. They are not just pieces of wood or metal, but something that make up their world. So furniture is something that a kid can call his own. Not all kids have same likes and dislikes, but most kids like things that are colorful, bright and whimsical.

When decorating a kids room, one usually does not want to invest huge sums of money because their needs change so much until they reach their teens. Now the problem are where, when and how we can get cheap kids furniture.

Where we can get cheap kids furniture? We can get cheap kids furniture in resale shops, outlets, or from wholesalers who are willing to sell to the public without going through the retail middleman, and also cheap kids furniture is easily available in online web stores. Online Kids furniture store is any web store which is dedicated to providing good quality and interesting furniture that would please children.

When we can get cheap kids furniture? Basically, there are a few times a year that are ideal for finding cheap kids furniture. The best time is after the holidays are over. Not only has the Christmas buying season passed, but the year has ended as well. If you go shopping for cheap kids furniture in January and February, it will be easier to get a deal than at any other time during the whole entire year.

when you are shopping that quality furniture is most important. So that these furniture last for a long time and in good shape. You should look out for a Kids furniture store that has something that interests your little one. As long as you have great kids furniture you don’t have to worry about the color and designs because these can easily be changed and the quality and beauty of the furniture will shine through for years to come.

By: Reza Desita

About the Author:

Sewing

Your little baby is growing up fast! It seems just like yesterday you were putting together a crib. Now, your child is ready for the next stage of life. And with just a little planning and research, your child’s next bed can be as safe for him as his crib was-and a lot more fun!

1. Closing the gap

Fatal deaths associated with bunk beds are not usually caused by the child falling from the top bunk. Fatalities occur, usually, when a small child is strangled between the gap between an ill-fitting mattress and the bunk bed frame. Never allow a child under 6 to be on the top bunk. Measure any gap you find between the guardrail and the mattress: if it’s greater than 3 inches, a child could slip through be fatally injured.

2. Check your supports

It might be just a result of normal horseplay, but many bunk-bed related injuries are caused by kids in the bottom bunk who push up at the top bunk. This type of activity can be lessened by ensuring that the top bunk is supported by sturdy supports that are fastened in place by secure hardware. Please, no floating board support systems; these tend to move around a lot, and increase the likelihood of injuries.

3. The right mattress

This is very scary, and very important: children have been strangled in the US and throughout the world by falling through openings between a bunk bed mattress and its frame while they’ve been sleeping. Make sure your mattress fits snugly. A gap greater than three inches anywhere spells trouble. Ask your dealer for help if you’re not sure.

4. Rails on both sides

Bring your ruler when you go shopping, because the lower guard or safety rails should be no more than 3.5 inches above the height of the mattress. Any higher than that, and little children may be able to slip out. On the top bed, guard rails should run on both sides of the bunk-and the top safety rail should be at least five inches above the top of the mattress to prevent your child from tumbling out. Eventually, all of us learn how to sleep without tumbling out of bed, but children have not yet learned this.

5. Horseplay

Yes, bunk beds are fun, but parents, please take a moment to teach your children the hazards of rough play, and the consequences for participating in rough play. Make sure children are using the ladder properly, and not sliding down the ladder, just for the fun of it.

6. Metal Beds

Metal bunk beds may be more prone to collapse; constant motion tends to jiggle the bolts loose. Regularly inspect your metal beds for breaks or cracks. Also, keep an eye on the fin tabs-those support devices located in or near the beds eight corners. If your bed is damaged, stop using it immediately and contact your dealer for advise on repair or replacement. Reputable dealers offer a lifetime warranty.

We hope your new bunk beds bring many hours of enjoyment and comfort to your life. Good luck!

By: Don Vanpelt

About the Author:

Mesothelioma Asbestos