Quiet time can be hard to come by in a house full of children, but it is important for your kids’ well being. Whether the time is spent relaxing and decompressing from an eventful day or focusing on homework, your children should have an uninterrupted block of time worked into their daily routine where they can find complete silence. Turning off televisions, cell phones and MP3 players should be strictly enforced, and here are some of the reasons why.

1. Kids Get Stressed Out, Too – Though many adults idealize childhood and think of it as a carefree time, for many modern children, this simply isn’t true. The American Psychological Association conducted a survey indicating that children worry about their family’s financial situation and their grades, with older children showing marked stress over issues such as college acceptance and funding. This survey also showed that parents consistently underestimated the stress level of their children by 12-24 percentage points.
2. Quiet Time Can Help Control Symptoms of ADD/ADHD – In order to properly concentrate on schoolwork, kids with ADD/ADHD need an uncluttered and quiet space to unwind and focus on the work at hand. Outside stimuli can greatly affect your child’s ability to keep their mind on one task; blocking out noise that can distract them and hinder productivity is a must.
3. The Pursuit of Individual Interests – Quiet time is a chance for your child to explore self-contained activities and interests, boosting their independence. In the absence of video games and cartoons, your kids can focus their attention on reading, working on artistic projects or other relaxing hobbies. The ability to entertain themselves with limited outside stimuli will serve them well later in life.
4. Improving Sleep Patterns – A child that spends their day being bombarded by over-stimulating noise and activity will often have trouble decompressing before bed without the aid of quiet time. This sleep disruption can affect everything from their mood to their physical health; setting aside a period of winding down before bed can help kids relax  instead of jumping into bed with a racing mind.
5. Preserving Parents’ Sanity- Your children are affected by your mood and stress level, and you are just as susceptible to the crankiness that comes from constant over-stimulation as they are. While your children are enjoying their quiet time, you’ll have the opportunity to decompress a bit as well; as a result, you’ll be better equipped to deal with the minor crises that crop up throughout the day. Keeping your cool in high-pressure situations will help them to do the same, so everyone wins.
6. Quiet Time Can Be Family Time – Instituting a policy of “Quiet Time” in your household doesn’t have to mean that everyone retreats to separate rooms to isolate themselves. Spending your quiet time together can be just as relaxing, and it will help you maintain your connections to one another. Younger, excitable children may need the occasional reminder to be calm, but everyone can benefit from peaceful time spent together.
7. Escaping The Demands of Siblings – Older children can be taxed by the rambunctious behavior of younger siblings, causing them to act out of anger when they’ve been pushed to their breaking point. A period of quiet time can give your older children a much-needed break from the little ones, helping them to treat them better and enjoy interacting with them more as a result.

Tailoring your Quiet Time to the needs of your family is essential to success; there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. Working out a schedule and guidelines can be approached as a family, giving your children the chance to give their input as well. They’re more likely to respect a plan they helped to create.

Many parents are concerned about exposing their children to alcohol and carefully monitor products they come in contact with. What most people don’t realize is that there are many different forms of alcohol that are used in common household items and even food.  An alcohol is any organic compound in which is bound to a carbon atom, usually connected to other carbon or hydrogen atoms. The three basic alcohols are ethanol, isopropyl alcohol and tert-butyl alcohol. The fundamental properties of these compounds have numerous applications, so here are 10 safe uses of alcohols for kids.

1. Rubbing alcohol – Isopropyl alcohol is the main ingredient in rubbing alcohol and can be found in just about every home. It’s used as a disinfectant, antiseptic and can also be used to cool and soother the skin. When kids get their immunization shots the nurse will first disinfect the surrounding skin with alcohol.
2. Ink – Most people don’t realize that alcohol is used in the production of the ink in the pens and markers kids love to use. Butyl acetate solvent has many industrial uses and one of them is in the manufacture of inks.
3. Paint – Butyl acetate solvent is also used in the manufacture of many paints. Children love to paint, so alcohol plays a big role in enriching their lives.
4. Ice cream – Believe it or not, alcohol is also used in many food items including ice cream. Kids love ice cream even though a form of tert-butyl alcohol is used safely as a synthetic fruit flavoring.
5. Candy – Sorbitol, Mannitol, Xylitol and Maltitol are sugar alcohols used in many sugar free candies and gums. Of course parents want to limit the amount of sugary candy their children consume to prevent obesity and cavities. These sugar free alternatives are safe for kids to consume in moderation.
6. Baked goods – Another use of tert-butyl alcohol is in many baked goods with synthetic fruit flavoring that kids love. Of course home made muffins with real blueberries are best, but can be expensive and time consuming. Chances are any pre-packaged baked products or mixes contain safe amounts of an alcohol subset.
7. Cheese – This form of alcohol is even used in the flavorings for cheese. Most kids love cheese and parents can’t object to their kids consuming this healthy dairy product.
8. Medications – The biggest concern parents have is for alcohol found in children’s medications. However, the reason it’s in many cough and cold medications is because alcohol is used to kill germs and dilate tissues in the throat for a warm, relaxed feeling. The lower percentage used in children’s medications are considered safe, such as the alcohol used in some teething medications.
9. Hand sanitizer – Most schools, clinics and other public places encourage the use of hand sanitizer to limit the spread of germs. Alcohol based hand sanitizers are more effective at killing germs than soaps and don’t dry out hands as much.
10. Lotion – One popular baby lotion lists cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol and butylenes glycol in the ingredients. Small amounts of these various alcohols are used in many lotions to soothe the itching and redness of dry skin while remaining gentile enough for infants.

Alcohol is a nearly universal solvent used to mix together various chemicals. You would be amazed at how many different products have some form of alcohol used as an ingredient or in their production. Of course parents don’t want their children drinking alcoholic beverages, but they need not be concerned about the many safe uses of the various forms of alcohols in common products and food items.

The battle between parents and their kids when it comes to getting dressed is the stuff of legend. Even from a young age, most kids have fairly strong opinions about the clothes they like to wear, and the ones that they absolutely don’t. Here are a few of the things that parents love to put on their children, and children hate having to wear.

1. The Sailor Outfit – Kids past toddlerhood almost universally hate the sailor outfit, and the choruses of “Oh, how adorable!” only make them more cranky.
2. School Uniforms – Parents love the affordability and time-saving nature of school uniforms. School administrators love that uniforms take the focus off of clothing and help keep it on academic performance. Kids hate uniforms. They hate the loss of individuality, the typically-uncomfortable fabric and the bland colors.
3. Enormous Hair Bows – There’s a particular kind of parent that likes to put disproportionally large bows on a little girl’s head, even during infancy. Adults may ooh and ahh about elaborate bows, but most kids hate them.
4. Frilly Dresses – While some little girls love to dress up, most don’t like the itchy lace and restrictive nature of a very fancy dress.
5. Anything With a Matching Hat – Try to put a hat on an infant, toddler or even a preschooler. Chances are, they will take it off and hurl it to the ground immediately. That adorable Easter outfit with a matching bonnet may be adorable on the hanger, but don’t count on it staying in place for more than five minutes.
6. Things That Require Turtlenecks – Kids hate turtlenecks. They’re uncomfortable, and can even make some children feel overheated and claustrophobic.
7. Seasonal Sweaters – Most kids aren’t wild about any kind of sweater, but their dislike will quickly skyrocket to furious hatred if a sweater has a snowflake, reindeer or other holiday motif. If you want to cause a really impressive tantrum, try to put a turtleneck under it.
8. “Kiddie” Clothes – At a certain age, most children decide that certain styles of clothing are too young for them. When they reach this point, no amount of cajoling will convince them to happily wear a pastel shirt with ducks on the front.
9. Cutesy Animal Costumes – There’s a reason why the pink bunny costume in A Christmas Story is a cultural icon: it represents everything that children hate and parents find adorable.
10. Bulky Snowsuits – Parents in colder climates love the snowsuit because they’re confident that their children will stay warm and comfortable. Kids, on the other hand, hate the bulky and clumsy nature of a puffy snowsuit. Putting it on is a chore, getting it off is even worse; if nature calls while your child is wearing one of these, be prepared for panic.

As with adults, likes and dislikes vary from child to child. One little girl may love frilly dresses, the more elaborate the better; her sister may have quite impressive tantrums any time she’s approached with one. It’s a good idea to respect your child’s individual clothing taste as much as possible to help foster a sense of individuality, but also to stand your ground when a particular style of dress is absolutely necessary. Striking this balance can sometimes be difficult, but your children will appreciate the effort.

Historically, the distinctions between male and female characteristics have been clearly defined by society and only recently have the lines been blurred. Now the societal roles of men and women are not as rigidly delineated as in times past, so the tendency to insist that boys be boys and girls be girls is in some ways an arcane ideal.

Labels reinforce negative self-images, such as calling a boy a sissy for behavior that has traditionally been more associated with girls. We’re going to share ten reasons why you shouldn’t call your son a sissy.

1. Instilling the notion in your son that he’s a sissy for crying will force him to subjugate those feelings for fear of ridicule, usually resulting in his acting out in other ways to compensate.
2. Labels can be self-fulfilling for a young mind. Eventually he becomes what you’ve programmed him to believe what he was already.
3. Dissuading him from self-expression or engaging in activities that may not agree with your concept of masculine behavior will discourage him from developing skills that would have otherwise brought fulfillment and even a vocation as an adult.
4. Trust is a huge factor in a parent-child relationship. You can irreparably sever this bond by violating his trust with what he will see as rejection.
5. What may just be a passing phase or innocent exploration on his part might transform into a fixation by virtue of your declaring it taboo.
6. You’re in essence sending a message that it’s not OK for a boy to express things like sensitivity, fear, or compassion. These are not incompatible with genuine manhood, and should be encouraged, not judged.
7. Labels also have a tendency to spread; and when they start at the top, from a parent, they roll downhill quickly and with a big head of steam. A parent’s words carry so much weight with a child and can last a lifetime. It’s important to choose them wisely.
8. What we teach our children with our words and deeds is transferred to future generations. Negative labels perpetuate stereotypes.
9. Many of the virtues that we have historically attributed to the female gender can also benefit males as well as society at large; but they need to be not only nurtured but permitted in your son at an early age.
10. We are not so much at risk of raising effeminate children by allowing them to develop their minds and hearts naturally, as we are in danger of handicapping them from healthy relationships and a sense of self-worth if we continue to prohibit  them from doing so.