Did you hug your child today?

The past week I am pushed from within to ask parents the following questions:

Did you tell your child that you love him or her to-day?

Did you affirm your child to-day? Parents leave a legacy that endures by being an encouragement to your kids. Paul wrote this simple instruction to the church at Colossae. Fathers, do not embitter (provoke) your children, or they will become discouraged. The Message translates this verse like this….
Parents, don't come down too hard on your children or you'll crush their spirits.

Did you hug your child to-day?

A hug for everyday. You don't have to look for a reason to hug your child. Don't wait till your child's birthday or till he scores good marks or gets home a trophy. For no reason can be bigger than love.
A hug for every age. Where parents give their chubby little children kisses and hugs like their daily dose of milk, it's when children grow up they think maybe it's alright to skip hugs from the routine. But children need and love hugs, at all ages

A hug for confidence. Your child will feel wanted, cherished, and important whenever you hug him. This kind of expression of love by parents adds to the child's confidence and self esteem.
A hug for love. Cuddle your child, embrace him in your arms to show your love without having to say 'I love you'. He too would learn to be more expressive about his feelings for you or for that matter anybody. 

Tia Wessels

Significance

Wondering what message I could give to fathers on Father's day I found a parenting course that I presented 10 years ago. And I quote a few statements that I made:

Father and mother I want to remind you of what Albert Schweizer said  " I do not know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: The only ones among you that will really be happy are those who sought and found how to serve "  What a statement!!   We always talk about the wonderful Be More volunteers who come and serve and give to Thamsanqa. I am so blessed by our volunteers who really know how to serve.  They are such an example to me.

But that day I said fathers and mothers be servants.

I talked about the importance of serving others but to start in your own home. Another interesting question I asked them was:  are you on your way from survival -to stability - to success - to significance?

I believe that helping and serving  others is the most significant contribution anyone can make in life -  serving  your family members first and then helping them toserve others. Significance in the family means rallying over a family member now in need.  Significance in the family is where all is so well in your family that you can reach out to others.

Parents can do much to help a child with ADHD.

It is exam time here in Port Elizabeth and I believe that there are ways you as a parent can help your child with ADHD. The first thing is patience and peace and joy in the home. I  have seen so many impatient parents .  Picture a team. To win, everyone must work together. It is the same with helping a child with ADHD. You can be like a coach. And patient, caring, understanding coaches often get the best results. But the best coaches are also firm and fair, and they expect those they are helping to stick to the rules. Fairness is very important to the ADHD child. When you can mix caring, concern, firmness, and fairness, ADHD children can learn to do better. And they feel better about themselves. This reduces the stress on you as a parent!  Parent do not provoke your child. I really think this was specifically meant for the parent with an ADHD child. Now during the exams please try and ensure a peaceful atmosphere.

Encourage your kids to reach for the stars,

John Maxwell is this year  in the news with his keadership summits etc. In 1996 he wrote a book Breakthrough Parenting. He encourages parents to encourge their children to reach the stars. On the back page of the book the following statement is made: Every child is a powerhouse of undeveloped, unlimited potential. Tucked beneath the teddy bear sheets down the hall may lie a president, a world-renowned neurosurgeon, or a missionary who will proclaim the name of Jesus in a distant nation. Perhaps your child is a Straight A student getting ready to go off to college, or a rebellious youngster hanging with the wrong crowd. Regardless of their age or stage, all kids have a wealth of possibility just waiting to be released.

The most exiting lesson that I learnt from him was.: When the road gets bumpy, sonme parents withdraw from their kids emotionally. But during difficult times, children need emotional suppiort. They can survie without their parents' money or advice, but they do not do well without love. And if they are not getting any at home, they may go look for it in inappropiate ways.
Even when your kids have messed up badly or hurt your feelings, give them hugs and other signs of affirmation and affection. Show them you are glad they are yours. That assurance can carry them through the tough times. And it may help you too.

Healing

What about me and my healing: My testimony on 22 May 2011.  

Yes people I am wonderfully and fearfully formed and created  by the God who created the universe. Yes I was formed by the God who placed the earth in the Milky Way. Just to get passed our Milky Way subdivision takes 100,000 light years.

Psalm 33 from verse 6 “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth”.

Psalm 139 verses 13 and 14. “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, Then verse 16 says All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came together”.  

This wonderful God talked to me on the 14th of September 2010 during my quiet time and warned me about a serious illness awaiting me. On the 19^th of September I discovered a lump under my arm. On the 29^th I was diagnosed with cancer which seemed to be aggressive. Since then I had the lump removed, I had chemo-therapy which was surely the most difficult time of my life.  I had a mastectomy and I am now awaiting radiation.

In the beginning I prayed for an immediate miraculous healing. I then understood from the Lord that I will have to go through the process as planned by the doctors. This is what is happening now. I clearly heard from the Lord that I must change. It is as if I was given a second chance to live my life to the fullest – to be in God’s perfect will. This is my message to you today. God told me that I must become meeker and kinder and more righteous. The meek shall inherit the earth.  To a much greater extent do I look for the will of God in my life. Daily I die to self. It also became very clear to me that I do not follow my calling to go and tell. I have also not got to my retirement plans to do parenting courses and rewrite the parenting course that I have always presented.

I also had to change my lifestyle and eating habits. No white sugar, no fat, no pork, very little meat, no white flour, lots of fresh or steamed vegetables and fruit. I enjoy the fruit so much – because no work involved. And then everyday 3 spoons of smooth cottage cheese mixed with 1 ½ spoons of flaxseed oil. The last is the most important of all. Very little dairy products.

I believe that I am healed and as Dr. Jansen said the radiation is to ensure that no cancer cells linger behind.

I do believe that God gave me a second chance to put my life in order. If He now comes to fetch me or all of us I am ready to go. When cancer was first diagnosed I said I put myself in God’s hands and that has never changed. I am in His hands – the hands of the creator of Heaven and earth – the hands of the one who created me – who loves me and cares for me. I prayed for healing and I believe that I am healed but for me it is more important to be in right standing with Him, to live my life as He wants me to do and to go tell. And for that reason - for me to go and tell I believe that God healed me. Unfortunately I have no clear cut answers from the doctors now but I believe that I will have it soon. So my plea to you today is do not leave if you need salvation or if you need healing. Come let us pray together. We are entering a time of miraculous living! Come and be part of it!

Wednesday at the hospital

Wednesday morning when my daughter Irene drove me to the hospital, I was not feeling too well after a week of being in high spirits and feeling very well. . I was lightheaded with a bit of  a cough and I was wondering whether I should have Chemo like Dirk taught me the correct English pronunciation Keemo-.  The drawing of the blood was very easy  so I took my file to the Chemo section early. I was the second one in the que. Myself and the first one went up together. The young woman with me is 34. She had cancer in her one eye when she was a baby and was 33 years clean and now she is back with breast cancer.  They called her very soon  and she went in for her chemo, I chatted with the new one now sitting next to me. At 9h30 they came to tell us two that our blood tests have not come yet. I then knew that there are problems. A few other were also sent back. Finally we heard the outome. The old story for me, my white blood cell count was too low but doctor said they must quickly weigh me. The sister fiddled with the scale again and again. I had to get off and on again. Then she said to me you have lost eight kilos. I thought they would be glad as every time they askme I must loose weight. I told her about the pdroblems with my stomach that I had after the previous chemo. You must stay within the diet, dont strain yourself and stay in bed on Tuesday and we hope that you will then have your chemo next Wednesday.  That is the second last.
I phoned Louise to come and fetch me. While I was waiting for her I sat reading and praying and God gave me this wonderful scripture Deuteronomy 30 verses 19 to 20.
I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days: and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to give to them .
It blessed me tremendously . And enabled me to go on. I will just cling to Him. He is my healer!!!

We are starting a playgroup called Thamsanqa Toddlers.

I was wondering where I should put this information about 3 year olds that I have given to the staff and volunteers who are going to start the Thamsanqa Toddlers. I feel that many  parents will enjoy information on three year olds.

Our plan is to provide in their needs and go beyond!!!

 

Thamsanqa Toddlers. Information to caregivers.

To the staff at Thamsanqa Toddlers:

We want to nurture, care for and stimulate the children in our care. 

The 3-4 year-old is full of wonder and spends a lot of time watching, observing, and imitating. Their days are filled with busy exploration of their world.

Three-year-olds are interested in perfecting motor skills, and it is common for them to spend the entire morning going down the slide or riding a favourite tricycle.

 
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

- weight: 15+ kilograms
- height: 34-43 inches +- 88cm
- develops a taller, thinner, adult-like appearance
- develops a full set of baby teeth
- needs approximately 1,300 calories daily
- sleeps 10-12 hours at night
- sleeps through most nights without wetting the bed (occasional
accidents are still quite common)
- uses the toilet with some help (many boys may not be ready for toilet
learning until sometime during their third year)
- puts on shoes (but cannot tie laces)
- dresses self with some help (buttons, snaps, zippers)
- feeds self (with some spilling)
- tries to catch a large ball
- throws a ball overhead
- kicks a ball forward
- hops on one foot
- walks short distance on tiptoes
- climbs up and down a small slide by self
- pedals a tricycle
- walks on a line
- can stand, balance, and hop on one foot
- - can feed self with spoon and small fork; often butters bread with knife
- can use toilet independently
- can brush teeth, wash hands, get a drink
-
INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT

- talks so that 75 to 80 percent of his speech is understandable
- talks in complete sentences of 3-5 words. "Mommy is drinking juice.
There's a big dog."
- stumbles over words sometimes - usually not a sign of stuttering
- enjoys repeating words and sounds
- listens attentively to short stories and books
- likes familiar stories told without any changes in words
- enjoys listening to stories and repeating simple rhymes
- able to tell simple stories from pictures or books
- enjoys singing and can carry a simple tune. Repeat the same song every day even when you start with new songs go back to the old songs.
- understands "now, soon, and later"
- asks who, what, where, and why questions
- stacks 5-7 blocks
- enjoys playing with clay or play dough (pounds, rolls, and squeezes
it)
- can put together a 6-piece puzzle
- draws a circle and square
- recognizes common everyday sounds
- matches an object to a picture of that object
- identifies common colors such as red, blue, yellow, green
- can count 2-3 objects
- can solve problems if they are simple, concrete, real, and immediate,
and if wants to
- interested in similarities and differences
- can distinguish, match, and name colors
- interested in features of animals that make them unique
- has good self-knowledge; can understand difference between self and
younger children, but not between self and older children
- can say his age

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

- seeks attention and approval of adults
- - accepts suggestions and follows simple directions
- - can make simple choices between two things
- enjoys making others laugh and being silly
- enjoys playing alone but near other children
- spends a great deal of time watching and observing
- enjoys playing with other children briefly, but still does not
cooperate or share well
- enjoys hearing stories about self
- enjoys playing "house"
- enjoys imitating other children and adults
- answers whether he is a boy or a girl
- expresses interest in ethnic identities of self and others if exposed
to a multicultural setting

IDEAS FOR CAREGIVERS

- Be patient with toileting. Many children (especially boys) will not be ready for toilet learning until after age 3. Accidents will happen for a while; treat accidents calmly and matter of factly. Avoid shaming a child.

- Encourage development of hand-eye coordination by providing large buttons or old beads to string on a shoe lace.

- Play ball - show children how to throw, catch, and kick balls of different sizes.

- Show children how to hop like a rabbit, tiptoe like a bird, waddle like a duck, slither like a snake, and run like a deer.

- Talk frequently with children; use short sentences, ask questions, and listen.

- Add new information to children's sentences. "Yes that's a flower
- it's a tall, red flower and it smells so good."

- Teach children to memorize first and last names.

- Provide books for children to read, and read the same books to them.
Read poetry and nursery rhymes. Encourage a child to repeat a story and discuss the ideas and events. Read titles and point to important words
on pages, packages, and street signs.


- Count objects of interest; for example cookies, cups, napkins, or
dolls. When possible, move one at a time as you and the children count.
Measure, and have children help measure and count as you follow a
recipe.


- Provide sets - toys and other objects that go together. Discuss
similarities and differences. For example, point out sequences in
cooking. Let children experiment with faucets, tools, light switches,
knobs, latches, and toys that come apart.

- Sing simple songs. Make simple rhythm instruments: oatmeal box or
coffee can drums, rattles of dry beans in a box, etc. Encourage a variety of body movements and dance to music of many kinds. Play musical games such as "London Bridge," "Ring-around-the-Rosie," and "Farmer in
the Dell."

- Encourage free expression in art projects. Avoid asking "what"
children are drawing. Three-year-olds may not know or care, but simply enjoy the process of drawing. Do not ask a child under 4 what they are drawing.
……………………………………………………………………

Uncooked play dough

1 cup of flour
1 cup of boiling water
2 tablespoons of vinegar
a half cup of salt
1 tablespoon of oil
Directions:
Simply mix all the ingredients together! Be careful as it can be quite hot.Use 3 drops of food colouring in each half a cup of dough.
Most playdough recipes are cooked, and here is one example.