Toddlers

“Sleep is the power source that keeps your mind alert and calm. It recharges your brain’s battery, increasing one’s brainpower and attention span, as well as allowing you to be physically relaxed and mentally alert at the same time. Then and only then can you function at your personal best.” as stated by Paediatrician Marc Weissbluth.

Signs of sleep-related problems may show up in a number of ways with kids, including daytime sleepiness, weakened immune systems, inattention, poor concentration, moodiness, behavioural problems, weight gain, irregular social skills and poor academic performance. According to Dr Avi Sadeh, a loss of one hour of sleep is equivalent to the loss of two years of cognitive maturation and development.

To understand the critical nature of sleep to our children’s growth and development, let’s take a look at the essentials needed for healthy sleep and what interventions we can put in place in our homes to encourage better sleep routines.

Essentials of Healthy Sleep

Healthy sleep allows for optimal alertness when we are awake. This is the state in which we are most receptive to and interactive with our environment – when our attention span is at its best and the most learning can occur. You can see this in a child who is calm and attentive, pleasant, wide eyed, absorbing everything, and socially interacts with ease. Altered states of alertness interfere with a child’s learning and behaviour.

Healthy sleep thus requires:

• Sufficient amounts of sleep to grow, develop, and function optimally. How much is right for your child varies by age.
• Uninterrupted (good quality) sleep allows good growth and development of the body’s nervous system.
• The proper number of age-appropriate naps optimize alertness, learning and development. Naps serve a different purpose to that of night time sleep, but are as important. Thus timing is essential, making sure they are planned and in sync with your child’s natural biological rhythms.
• A sleep schedule that is in sync with the child’s natural biological rhythms (internal clock or circadian rhythm). This allows for effective restoration and long term memory development, but being out of sync can lead to difficulty falling asleep or simply staying awake. Children then become overly tired and stressed. So it is important your child’s sleep needs are met and that you adjust your schedule to be in sync with theirs. If, over time, any of these essentials are not optimal, symptoms of sleep deprivationand fatigue may occur.

How can we help our kids get the proper amount of sleep?

1. Limit bedtime activities- a routine of relaxing activities like reading or listening to classical music can help most children sleep better. Make sure all electronics are removed to avoid further stimulation.
2. Establish a sleep schedule- similar to routine activities, experts recommend consistent times to go to sleep and wake, ideally not differing much during the week or on weekends.
3. Create a Conducive Environment- children will sleep faster and deeper when the room is dark, quiet and cool.
4. Promote Regular Exercise- A minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity for children each day can yield many benefits, including better sleep.
5. Limit Caffeine- it’s advisable to limit all forms of caffeine, particularly late in the day, which includes tea, soda and chocolate.
6. Avoid late afternoon or Early Evening naps- later naps can result in later bedtimes and less critical sleep for older children.

As parents, it is our responsibility to be sensitive to and protect our children’s sleep, just as we do their safety. We are primarily responsible for their sleep habits so it is important to start healthy ones early; it is much easier to instil good habits than correct bad ones.

Thus infuse the importance of sleep with daily attention to it and you will likely have a happier, self-assured, less demanding, and more sociable child. And who knows, you might just get some more sleep yourself!

Written By: Danielle Forsyth (Trinityhouse Heritage Hill, Educational Psychologist)

Before I go any further, let me emphasize that this article is not meant to be a guilt trip for moms and dads. We have enough of that already. Instead, it reframes the issue as one of parent behaviour as much as toddler behaviour which can actually be really empowering—especially for control freak moms like me—because it means we can actually do something about it!

From the moment a child is born it observes and starts to learn to imitate its caregiver’s behaviours, being quite compliant at the start. But once it hits the toddler years, however, that power struggling personality starts to develop in order to create their own individuality. We all know that toddlers are prone to misbehave. Screaming, whining, not listening, as well as throwing that hour long tantrum in the grocery store, are all par for the course when you’re dealing with a tot. Some of it is downright unavoidable. Toddlers are toddlers.

So why do toddlers really misbehave? To answer that question, we must first understand the root cause of those annoying, frustrating, maddening behaviours.

Children, teens and adults, for that matter, have a need for belonging and significance. It’s just the way we’re wired. Belonging refers to the emotional connection and positive attention we need with one another. Significance refers to one’s sense of autonomy, capability, and need to make contributions in meaningful ways. Think of “significance” as a form of possessing personal power. Without both of these innate needs being met, children will misbehave. In some cases where the need is identified parents want to be proactive and implement strategies that will positively and proactively fill that need. However, without knowledge of WHY the children are misbehaving and WHAT strategies to use to address and correct the misbehaviours, parents naturally rely on their instincts and some of the “popular” parenting techniques they’ve read or heard about. This can lead to an escalation of the misbehaviours and seldom corrects them permanently.

Clash of personalities

Parents unknowingly encourage and escalate misbehaviour in two ways — their personality and their choice of discipline strategies. For example, a parent with a “controlling” personality typically communicates with children by doing a lot of ordering, correcting and directing — “get your shoes on, brush your teeth, turn off the TV now — it’s time for school.” No one likes to be told what to do, when or how to do it — including children! The more we order, correct and direct, the more likely our kids will “dig in their heels” and engage us in power struggles. It’s their way of saying, “you’re not the boss of me.”

A parent with a “pleasing” personality style may invite helplessness from children because as soon as the child says “NO” to the request, the pleasing parent avoids conflict and does the task for the child. The good news, however, is that once parents understand their personality style and how it impacts behaviour, they can choose more effective ways to communicate and to correct behaviour.

Here are some ways parents can trigger their toddler’s less-than-angelic side, plus tips on how to fix it.

• ‘I need more of your time and attention’
  When a child doesn’t feel a strong sense of belonging, she will act out in ways that she (mistakenly) believes will give her the emotional connection and positive attention she craves. For example, a toddler who isn’t getting enough positive attention from mom and dad will act out with attention-seeking behaviours like whining, clinging or acting helpless. So as to avoid a scene many parents give in to these behaviours, thus giving their toddlers the response that they need and achieving their end goal.

Fix It: Make sure you’re giving your toddler plenty of undivided attention when she’s behaving well. I’ve found that focusing solely on my almost-two-year-old for just fifteen to twenty minutes makes her more content to play independently when I need to get something done.

• You modelling bad behaviour

For better or worse, imitation is one of the key ways children learn how to behave. So if your three-year-old hears you use a swear word or sees you yelling at your spouse, it should come as no surprise when he follows suit.

Fix It: Develop a constant awareness that your tot’s eyes are on you, absorbing everything you say and do.

That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect; when you do mess up and model bad behaviour, use it as a learning opportunity to explain to your child what you did wrong and how you’re going to correct it (instead of just crossing your fingers and hoping you weren’t heard or seen!)

• ‘I need some power of my own’
  A young child feels stripped of his significance when mom and dad do things for him, that he is capable of doing himself. Or, perhaps they call all the shots and make all the decisions — robbing him of having some personal control over his life. These parent behaviours (which are natural and extremely common) then strip the child of his sense of significance or personal power.

If his hard-wired need to feel capable, important and to have some say over his own life isn’t met, he will fight back with power-seeking behaviours like tantrums, talking back, not listening, and other power struggles occasionally leading to defiance in tweens and teens. The child really wants positive power, but the negative power-seeking behaviours are the toddlers’ or tweens’ way of saying, “you aren’t the boss of me! I need some power of my own!

Fix it: provide more space for the learner to do things independently. If they request your help you are welcome to assist, but in most cases encourage that independence and provide a lot of praise when he starts to do things for himself.

• Your expectations are too high. 

If your toddler is constantly breaking a particular rule, consider the possibility that there’s a problem with the rule itself. For example, expecting your two-year-old to remain perfectly tidy at dinnertime is setting her up for failure—toddlers are, by nature, messy eaters because their fine motor skills are still developing. And let’s not forget that children actually learn faster when they’re getting messy! 

Fix It: Make sure your expectations for your child are fair and developmentally-appropriate. For me, this means not expecting my son to sit still throughout the entire church service or remain quiet during dinner with friends. (That’s not to say I don’t hold him to a certain standard, it’s just a standard that fits his age and abilities.) It’s kept both of us from getting frustrated over and over again!

Why a ‘time out’ is a waste of time…
Time Out is one of the most widely used strategies for disciplining children. It is defined as sending a child to his room or to a designated Time Out spot for a period of time so the child can “think about his behaviour” or “learn a lesson for next time.” Sadly, these two goals are not accomplished with Time Out.

Beyond the age of three (or younger), children understand that they are “independent beings” and using “Time Out” only intensifies the power struggle. When we attempt to “control a child” by forcing him to stay in Time Out, he will instinctively fight back by refusing to stay in Time Out or throwing a tantrum to prove that “you’re not the boss of me!”

Children who are less headstrong may do as they are told and remain in “Time Out” for the prescribed time, but it begs the question … what are they learning from this punishment? Are they sitting in “Time Out” thinking about their misbehaviour and about how they’ll make a better choice next time? Probably not! Most likely they are brooding over how unfair Mom or Dad are for sending them to “Time Out”! Perhaps they are planning their revenge on the sibling that got them in trouble! Most often, Time Out becomes a battle of wills between parent and child. But more importantly, it doesn’t teach the child to make a better choice in the future, which is what we are ultimately after in the first place.

What can we do instead?
One of the strategies we recommend is the use of EFFECTIVE consequences. An effective consequence is one in which the child learns to make a better choice for the future AND the parent isn’t the bad guy!
For consequences to do their job — to teach our kids and parents from being seen as the bad guy, they should include the 5 R’s:

• Respect — our goal is not to make the child suffer — but to have him learn to make a better choice in the future. When parents inflict blame, shame or pain as part of a “punishment”, the child is focused on “self-protection,” not learning for the future. An effective consequence is respectful to the child.
• Related to the Misbehaviour — for children to learn for the future, the consequence has to “make sense” to the child and should be related to the misbehaviour. For example, the consequence for throwing blocks around the room is to lose the privilege of playing with the blocks for the day. The consequence for not turning off the video game when asked is to lose video/gaming privileges for the day/week.
• Remain Reasonable in duration based on the child’s age.
• Revealed in Advance: The consequence must be revealed to the child in advance, so he can make a choice between the appropriate behaviour and the consequence. Unless he knows ahead of time what the consequence will be, the parent will always be the “bad guy.” Make sure to also make eye contact and bend down to the child’s height level to instil better understanding and focus from your child.
• Repeated Back to You: To ensure that the child is perfectly clear on what is expected and the consequence for not following your rule, ask him to repeat it back to you. For example, “Just so we’re on the same page, can you repeat back to me our rule for turning off the video game when asked and the consequence if you choose not to do that?” Once the child repeats it back to you — you have a verbal agreement! (For younger children — use very simple language, but as long as they are verbal — they can repeat back to you.)

Put the monkey where it belongs!
Now the onus is on your child. He knows the rule; he knows the consequence for not following the rule. It’s up to him now to make the right choice or live with the consequences.

If you follow the process of the 5 R’s, your child will most likely make the appropriate choice. If not, that’s fine too — it will be a learning experience for him. Continue to remain calm AND don’t give in! Instead, very calmly say, “I see you choose to lose your video/gaming privileges for the day. You’ll have a chance to try again tomorrow.”

Experiencing consequences is then a wonderful way for kids to learn to make better choices in the future, and everyone can then feel more positive about the disciplining process.

ake time out and play.

Create a secure and loving home environment with clear boundaries. Children feel secure when they know who is in charge and who is boss, and it can never be them!

Focus on things that your child is good at – always promote a positive self-image. Children begin to build their self-image by seeing themselves reflected in the mirror of adults’ reactions

Listen to your child’s thoughts and feelings. Take the time out of your busy schedule to stop and really listen.

Assist your child with age-appropriate chores or tasks instead of doing them for them.

Embrace mistakes (yours and theirs) and encourage learning from them.

Lead by example – behave how you want your child to behave.

Follow through will rules and consequences. It doesn’t help to constantly make threats without following through with appropriate consequences.

Stick to routine as much as possible. Often routines are unpredictable with little children around. It’s important to lay down rules for your children so that you don’t have to keep reminding them of what they must do during the day.

Although not always easy – avoid losing your temper – Losing your temper will make you feel bad and send the wrong message. It’s fine if an 8-year-old — “who’s old enough to know better” — sees that her behaviour has made you cross, but it’s key that you stay in charge of your anger. Children take it for granted that anything their parents do is okay. So, if you yell, throw things, or grab your child, you’re teaching her all the wrong ways to behave.

Be realistic about the behaviour you expect. Expectations of your child must be age appropriate.

Always make time for play. Young children learn best through play. Through play, children can develop social and cognitive skills, mature emotionally, and gain the self-confidence required to engage in new experiences and environments. Have fun together as a family, take time out and play.

The result of this sort of thing is a stressed and worried youngster arriving at school, who will not give of her best at school for the day. Not only that, but you as a parent are probably also stressed and up-tight knowing that you are going to be late for your eight thirty appointment.

The secret is to do as much as you can the afternoon/evening before and look at the various aspects of a school day. To do this you need to have a school calendar, fixture list and make sure that you are up to date with school happenings. Reading the school newsletter and keeping up to date with the homework diary will give you a head start. As with all things, planning and preparation are the key. A well placed white board with all the week’s happenings is also a very good idea.

Preparation is the key:

Time needs to be spent every afternoon or evening listening to reading, helping with whatever homework that there is and generally ensuring that your child is up to date. Make sure that you have read the homework diary and that everything needed is in the bag for the next day. This includes stationary, library books and any items such as a toy for “show and tell”. Do all of this in conjunction with your child so that they can learn about planning and independence.

Check the diary or fixture list and see if any sports clothing is required. In summer there may be days when swimming takes place and it is essential that the costume is in the bag. Throw in a towel and warm clothing if needed. If there are regular item such as hats or sunscreen, make sure that these are in the bag. Leave the bag in an easily accessible place near the front door. Once again, involve your child in the process.

Get that lunch box and juice ready. Either have it in the fridge if there is something perishable, or actually put it in the school bag.

Set out the clothes and shoes for the next day on a chair in the bedroom to ensure a speedy get up and go session in the morning. This will avoid the shock of discovering in the morning that all her socks are still in the washing machine.

Other tips to avoid problems include making sure that all clothes, sporting items and all personal possessions are labeled. Hopefully this will cut down on items going missing and causing more stress in your preparation.

Plan the breakfast and set it out if possible the night before. If you can encourage your child to get started on their breakfast without supervision, this in itself will save you precious time.

With time, hopefully you will be able pass on many of these responsibilities to your child so as to create an independent and responsible youngster who can do things for themselves. As parents it is vital that we teach children how to look after themselves; however they do need to learn these processes. These are not skills that children will just acquire, but rather that they need to be taught.

Kids who know their strengths and weaknesses and feel good about themselves seem to have an easier time handling conflicts and resisting negative pressures. They tend to smile more readily and enjoy life. These kids are realistic and generally optimistic. Taking responsibility and pride in who you are as parents is a sure sign of healthy self-esteem and the greatest gift you can give to your child.

By Lynn van Jaarsveld (Principal of Trinityhouse Pre-Primary Little Falls)

Reading to your child from a very young age, creates a positive reading environment. Listening to stories and allowing your child to read out loud, exposes your child to correct phrase and sentence structure and encourages the development of their language skills and their own ability to express themselves.

The common noun reading (pronounced as /ˈriːdɪŋ/) may refer to: Reading (process), the cognitive process of decoding symbols to derive meaning (“reading a book” or “reading music”) obtaining information from devices such as sensors (“taking/obtaining (a) reading/readings”) (Wikipedia)

Research has identified five early reading skills that are essential

• Being able to hear, identify and play with individual sounds in words
• Being able to connect the letters of written language with the sounds of spoken language
• Vocabulary- the words used to communicate
• Being able to comprehend with understanding and meaning
• Fluency

Utilizing the opportunity to read with your child, be it the newspaper, and article in a magazine, a “read along story” in a downloaded app, or sharing the reading sent home daily from school, not only teaches your child that reading is important to you, but gives you the opportunity to talk about the content and opens discussion and conversation with you and your child.

The reading of factual knowledge develops confidence in a child’s ability to discuss the gained knowledge with others and encourages discussion and opinion, and often inspires older children to read. Sampling material from traditional print or e-readers, “homework’ set readers to children’s classical novels, fairy tales and modern stories, getting your child to read is not about not being able to read but more about not being able to find the right material for your child to read. It is more important that your child has the desire to read than own immediate intense ability to read.

Developing a confident reader through exposure to reading matter gives children the opportunity to use their critical thinking skills in areas of problem solving, cause and effect, conflict resolution and often learning personal responsibility through the content of the story. Mysteries allow children to come to logical conclusions and often gives them an opportunity to out-wit the plot in the imaginative mind, not omitting the important ability to predict the next scene or the final outcome.

Get your child on the road to reading. Take time each day to read to your child, set their imaginations free, open the exciting world of fantasy and reality.

The building blocks of life are spoken and written words. We are the result of the words we have heard and read.

Your local library and bookshops are always willing to advise you and your child on the latest arrivals of good reads. Utilize the sites given to allow you to read an excerpt from age appropriate books

www.goodreads.com

www.imaginationsoup.net

www.imagination.net

www.theguardian.com  (list to boost young boys to read)

Happy reading!!!

Written by: Sally-Anne Henegan, Principal of Crawford Preparatory North Coast

Montessori

The Montessori schooling programme focuses on nature, creativity and hands-on learning with guidance from teachers. The learning style prioritises senses, character, practical life skills and academic ability.

Waldorf

This type of education is centred around a rigorous approach to education by integrating arts in all academic disciplines. The aim is to inspire life-long learning and to enable children to fully develop their unique capacities.

Nova Pioneer

These schools focus on developing innovators and leaders. Their approach is on developing a child’s full potential through a rigorous and innovative approach to education. Lessons are centred on creativity, energy and engagement, Children are encouraged to ask questions and solve problems from a tender age.

Public and private

Every suburb in the country has public and private schools which cater for children in the area that they live in. These government and private schools offer Grade RR up to Grade 0. Depending on the school, the approach is varied and includes creative, sports and academic activities to prepare little ones for their academic career.

Yvonne Siphuka, mom to three-year old Nonhle says she finds tights, t-shirts and pumps a great combo for crèche wear.

“Tights and t-shirts are my favourite because it’s easier to buy as they always come in pairs. When they are playing, they feel comfortable and that’s a priority for me, that my daughter has fun and is able to play without any hassles.

“Dresses are for occasions in my house. At times, my daughter wants to feel like a princess and dresses make her feel special but she knows that they are reserved for certain outings and events like birthdays.”

Zimkhita Mfecane has a two-year old toddler whom she enjoys dressing in leggings and dresses.

“I prefer darker colours because I know my daughter loves playing and that means she will likely get dirty.”

Vuyo Dlamini says she prefers shorts and tank tops for her son and daughter because they are simple clothes to wash and maintain.

“I am a regular at the shorts and t-shirt section because I know how durable and uncomplicated these items are. I love the fact that I don’t have to but these same pieces of clothing over and over and that I can buy a mix of colours to keep my kid’s wardrobe fresh and interesting.”

Watch which summer clothing items are essential for the summer season below

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wiD7JdhFQ98

Share with us what your favourite clothing items are for your toddler?

Ntando Duma

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjUfDKOB_XG/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1wm2ep0ktwjez

The actress and TV presenter welcomed her adorable daughter, Sbahle last year. With her own Instagram page and a following of thousands, Sbahle and Ntando have shared cute moments on video. We identify with Ntando because at 23, she is a young, single mother who manages to work hard, stay focused and career driven while parenting her daughter on her own.

Tshepiso Da Costa

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmOOVcVnPuF/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=16b43a06mz1aa

Since giving birth to her daughter, Assa last year, model Tshepiso has embarked on a fitness journey to get her pre-baby body back. Her routine has consisted of intense training at the gym, a healthy diet and walking with her daughter. We love how confident she is in her own skin and how she celebrates herself by showing off her post baby gym results.

Tumi Morake

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkGgACCnFM2/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1iidid795dhgs

Mom to two sons and a daughter, comedian and TV host Tumi shared her own experience of how motherhood can be challenging and demanding. The presenter got candid as she explained that running her own household, being a wife and working fulltime has taken its toll and she has had to go to therapy to cope, showing that sometimes moms don’t always have it all together and it’s okay to look for help to keep things moving.

“My job is to entertain, make light of things…lately it has taken a real effort to do that. I am back in therapy because I am a weird combination of exhausted, on edge and looking for answers. For the first time this week, I have taken on a more active role with the kids and I felt like I must have been an absent parent all along.

“I kept messing up their schedules this week. Shortly after I took this picture I had to get them all to bed because we had work to do. Afia begged me to sleep with her, Lesedi started crying for a cupcake and Bonsu was upset I got his book request wrong…We are all trying. We are all human,” Tumi wrote on her Instagram page.

DJ Zinhle

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjwSVz7lSPQ/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=d3zgzx1c2pcc

Since becoming a mom to Kairo who turned 3 in July, Zinhle Jiyane has taken her fans on her parenting journey and shared how she manages to successfully co-parent with rapper AKA. We relate to how honest she is about her life, how she strives to maintain her own identity while mothering Kairo and how she stays motivated to be the best mother she can possibly be. On her blog www.momentsbydjzinhle.com, she offers readers an in depth look into her life and how she is able to uplift herself by reading self-help books, journaling and listening to podcasts by Oprah.

Ntando Duma

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjUfDKOB_XG/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1wm2ep0ktwjez

The actress and TV presenter welcomed her adorable daughter, Sbahle last year. With her own Instagram page and a following of thousands, Sbahle and Ntando have shared cute moments on video. We identify with Ntando because at 23, she is a young, single mother who manages to work hard, stay focused and career driven while parenting her daughter on her own.

Tshepiso Da Costa

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmOOVcVnPuF/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=16b43a06mz1aa

Since giving birth to her daughter, Assa last year, model Tshepiso has embarked on a fitness journey to get her pre-baby body back. Her routine has consisted of intense training at the gym, a healthy diet and walking with her daughter. We love how confident she is in her own skin and how she celebrates herself by showing off her post baby gym results.

Tumi Morake

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkGgACCnFM2/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1iidid795dhgs

Mom to two sons and a daughter, comedian and TV host Tumi shared her own experience of how motherhood can be challenging and demanding. The presenter got candid as she explained that running her own household, being a wife and working fulltime has taken its toll and she has had to go to therapy to cope, showing that sometimes moms don’t always have it all together and it’s okay to look for help to keep things moving.

“My job is to entertain, make light of things…lately it has taken a real effort to do that. I am back in therapy because I am a weird combination of exhausted, on edge and looking for answers. For the first time this week, I have taken on a more active role with the kids and I felt like I must have been an absent parent all along.

“I kept messing up their schedules this week. Shortly after I took this picture I had to get them all to bed because we had work to do. Afia begged me to sleep with her, Lesedi started crying for a cupcake and Bonsu was upset I got his book request wrong…We are all trying. We are all human,” Tumi wrote on her Instagram page.

DJ Zinhle

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjwSVz7lSPQ/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=d3zgzx1c2pcc

Since becoming a mom to Kairo who turned 3 in July, Zinhle Jiyane has taken her fans on her parenting journey and shared how she manages to successfully co-parent with rapper AKA. We relate to how honest she is about her life, how she strives to maintain her own identity while mothering Kairo and how she stays motivated to be the best mother she can possibly be. On her blog www.momentsbydjzinhle.com, she offers readers an in depth look into her life and how she is able to uplift herself by reading self-help books, journaling and listening to podcasts by Oprah.

General information:

1. Names of all family members and their contact numbers
2. Names of neighbours, and their children
3. Your exact address
4. The exact location of the first aid kit
5. Contact number of the closest person or relative to call in case of emergency
6. A list of things, including food items or medication, to which your child is allergic

Specific contact information:

1. Your cell phone number
2. Information about where you will be while you are out
3. The name, address, and phone number of someone else to contact in case of emergency (if you can’t be reached)
4. Local phone numbers for police, fire, poison control, and emergency services (internet-based phone systems, like Vonage, and cell phone systems do not necessarily work with local 911 services)

Medical information:

1. A photocopy of your child’s health insurance card
2. The name, address, and phone numbers for your child’s paediatrician
3. The name, address, and phone number of a nearby hospital
4. Information about any over-the-counter or prescription medication your child takes (including dosage)
5. The name, address, and phone number of the vet, if you have pets

Other Information:

1. A list of the house rules (what TV programs kids can or can’t watch, what kids can or can’t eat, bed times, anything that is not allowed, etc.)
2. Homework information, if necessary, in order to help school-age children
3. A cheat sheet of where important items (first aid kid, flashlights, medications, fire extinguisher, emergency preparedness kit, etc.) are located in the house
4. What to do in case of fire or other emergency