Category Archives: Parents

Back-to-School with Coronavirus | Corona, CA

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Summer is officially coming to a close and it’s time to start preparing for a new school year. But what kind of school year are we preparing for? With this new way of getting an education, there are going to be lots of changes to look forward to. But it can be a scary time for our little students – with the new classes and schedules to get used to. Let’s help our tiny scholar’s off on the right foot with these back-to-school tips:

Meet the new teacher. If you are going to be exposed to in-house classes, there will be lots of changes to the typical classroom experience. Take advantage of any of your school’s open house or back-to-school night. Some teachers welcome phone calls or e-mails — take advantage of the opportunity. Open house is also a great way to get your child familiar with the new areas they will be using on a daily basis. Together you can meet their teacher, find their desk, or explore the playground.

Connect with friends. A familiar friend can make all the difference when heading back to school. If there’s a change for a socially distant play date, it could help ease fears about the changes.

Tool up. While keeping the class supply list in mind, allow for a couple of splurges like a cool notebook or a favorite-colored pen. These simple pleasures make going back to school a lot more fun.

Ease into the routine. We have been living inside for a long time now, schedule changes will take a minute to get used to. Balancing in-house and home school sessions will take some time.

If you would like to learn more about back-to-school, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.

When It’s Time for a Parent to Step in | Corona, CA

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No one wants their child to be bullied. Unfortunately, we are in a world that is full of bullies. Until we come to a point where bullies no longer exist, we need to do our parts at home. To protect them from potential bullying, sit your child down and ensure them that they can come to you if they ever feel like they’re being bullied. In fact, while you’re at it, make sure they know it is never good to be a bully either. Not only can bullying make a child’s daily life very difficult, but it can also affect them down the road in life. If you find that your child is being bullied, there are a few things you as a parent can do about the situation:

Provide them with comfort and advice. Knowledge is power and this is no different. Provide your child with tips for avoiding such harassment. You, as a parent, should listen calmly and carefully if your child does approach you about being bullied, meaning you shouldn’t overreact. Take your child seriously and avoid laughing the situation off, or again, they may cut communication in the future. Your goal should be to show your child you care and understand the challenges of being bullied. Assure that you will stop the bully together as a team.

Contact your child’s school. If you find that your child is being bullied at school, contact the teacher and/or principal. Adult intervention is a necessary step in bringing the bullying to an end. Before you approach anyone, make sure that you know the bully’s name and the specific instances when the bullying occurred.

If you would like to learn more about bullying prevention, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.

Family Dynamics: Sibling Rivalry | Corona, CA

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Unless you are an only child, you have to deal with siblings. They could be the same sex, they could be opposite, you could have a mixture of both. But no matter what the equation, siblings enrich a family’s dynamic in some of the best ways. It also spurs a little something we call sibling rivalry.

Let’s be honest – even the closest of sibling will fight. It’s gone on since the beginning of time and will likely never stop. Friendly competition is a good thing. Challenging each other helps us grow. But there is a difference between sibling rivalry, and bullying.

But ordinary skirmishes over the remote or a certain toy are one thing. But constant physical and verbal abuse is another. A study involving children and adolescents around the country found that those who were attacked, threatened or intimidated by a sibling had increased levels of depression, anger and anxiety. And now that we are all stuck together in a house due to COVID-19, it is important to analyze these behaviors and make changes as soon as possible.

Normal rivalries with siblings can encourage healthy competition but when the line between healthy relations and abuse is crossed it is cause for alarm. When one child is consistently the victim of another and the aggression is intended to cause harm and humiliation, it is then to be considered a serious situation.

Overall, a third of the children in the study reported being victimized by a sibling, and their scores were higher on measures of anxiety, depression and anger. During this time, let’s take a moment to enjoy our time together and make improvements to solidify your family bonds.

If you would like to learn more about sibling rivalry, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.

Keeping Everyone in a Routine | Corona, CA

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If you’re like the majority of us, the days of you and your family were planned out and jam-packed with activities. Sports, PTA meetings, hitting the gym we always had somewhere to go and something to do. These days, however, our activities have taken a back seat to self-quarantines. But this is a time to have a sense of normalcy, so our daily routines should remain as normal possible. Here are some tips:

Give yourself time. How many times are we tempted to hit the snooze button over and over? Working from home isn’t time to lounge around in bed. Use that time to get up, make a cup of coffee or catch the morning news before the kids are awake.

Prep the night before. Take a moment the night before to help your kids set out clothes for the next day and their schoolwork ready. Meal prep to keep routines in place. These little things won’t take you long during the evening but can make a huge difference to your mornings.

Write it down. It’s always easier to stay organized when you know what you need to do. Create an age-appropriate chores/responsibilities checklist for the refrigerator to ensure everything you need gets done.

Set daily goals. Now that we have the time, make goal setting a family affair. Have family talks about what they want to accomplish that day, and help them set realistic, enjoyable goals.

Stay calm. Finally, don’t sweat it if things don’t do exactly as planned. It’s an uncertain time, but there is no need to overreact to the changes. Keeping calm will also help your little ones to cope with things easier.

If you would like to learn more about coping mechanisms, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.

Compassion Is Vital | Corona, CA

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As much as we hate to admit it, summer is passing by so quickly. Soon the kids will be back at school and all the business of autumn is with us. Back to early mornings and after-school routines will be in full force, so many of us begin to adjust our schedules accordingly before the end of summer. This way, the transition is a bit easier once these school days are upon us. While we are preparing for waking up earlier and growing a bit smarter in the upcoming year, make sure that you also address the attitudes that will begin the year as well.

There’s no denying the fact that bullying is running rampant throughout our world. But it doesn’t need to trickle into our little human’s mind. They need to begin their next school year excited and ready to learn.

So, this school year we would like to encourage you to help your children become sensitive to the feelings that they see in their classmates, friends and family. Your sensitivity will be a big part of their developing it within themselves. If you are already helping a friend or family member as they are dealing with a problem, let them see what you are doing. It could be as simple as their knowing that you have been sitting with that friend or family member. When they begin to understand that you will always be there for them, perhaps not having to solve the problem, but just letting that person know they are cared for, your child will be on a great journey to compassion and caring that will serve them all their lives. Be that great example for your children at home.

If you would like to learn more about bullying prevention, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.

Beware of Halloween Scares…for Your Teeth | Corona, CA

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We’ve finally made it – it’s Halloween, the day that we get to be anything we want for an entire day. Bonus? It involves free candy! Here’s the problem – it isn’t all that great for your teeth. But far be it for us to tell you not to enjoy the greatest holiday? Let’s just leave you with this… These are the best and worst candies for your teeth. Pick and choose your favorites and have a safe Halloween:

Sugar-free candy and gum. Was there a surprise here? Sugar-free gum may be the best treat this Halloween season because it leaves no sticky residue that can cause cavities.

Chocolate. It’s true! Chocolate, without sticky fillings, won’t stick to your teeth and therefore is a much better option if you’re craving something sweet.

Hard candies. Hard candy like lollipops or jawbreakers may not stick to your mouth, but they take a long time to dissolve, giving sugar plenty of time to attack your teeth.

Sour candies. We know it’s a child favorite. But sour candy is bad for your teeth because it has a higher acidic content, which can break down tooth enamel. They may not require chewing but contain nothing but sugar and can lead to cavities.

Sticky candies. Taffy and candies filled with caramel, coconut, or nuts are the worst kinds of candy for teeth because they stick to everything inside of your mouth, including the grooves of your teeth. Because it’s tough to get out of these crevices, sticky candies are the worst option for your sweet tooth.

If you would like to learn more about safe Halloween candy, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.

Can You Hear the School Bells Ringing? | Corona, CA

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Summer is officially coming to a close and it’s time to start preparing for a new school year. We get our supplies ready in our brand-new backpack and set our bedtimes back in order to get enough sleep. But it can be a scary time for our little students – with the new classes and schedules to get used to. Let’s help our tiny scholar’s off on the right foot with these back-to-school tips:

Meet the new teacher. For kids, one of the biggest back-to-school fears is their new teacher. Take advantage of your school’s open house or back-to-school night. Some teachers welcome phone calls or e-mails — take advantage of the opportunity. If your child’s teacher sends a welcome letter, be sure to read the letter together.

Tour the school. Open house is a great way to get your child familiar with the new areas they will be using on a daily basis. Together you can meet their teacher, find their desk, or explore the playground.

Connect with friends. A familiar friend can make all the difference when heading back to school. Refresh these relationships before school starts by scheduling a play date or a school carpool.

Tool up. While keeping the class supply list in mind, allow for a couple of splurges like a cool notebook or a favorite-colored pen. These simple pleasures make going back to school a lot more fun.

Ease into the routine. Avoid first day of school mayhem by practicing your routine a few days in advance. Routines help children feel comfortable and establishing a solid school routine will make the first day of school go much smoother.

If you would like to learn more about back-to-school preparations, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.

Can Sibling Rivalry Cross a Line to Bullying? | Corona, CA

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Siblings have been documented as fighting since the time of Cain and Abel, but is it possible for it to go beyond sibling rivalry and into more of a bullying issue? New research suggests that even when there are no physical scars, aggression between siblings can cause psychological wounds as damaging as the suffering caused by bullies at school or on the playground. The findings offer an unusual look at an area of family life that has rarely been studied, in part because fighting among brothers and sisters is widely considered a harmless rite of passage. Unfortunately, in this day and age, it is difficult to distinguish what is harmless teasing and what is deeply affecting a child at home.

Ordinary skirmishes over the remote or joystick are one thing, constant physical and verbal abuse is another. Normal rivalries with siblings can encourage healthy competition but when the line between healthy relations and abuse is crossed it is cause for alarm. When one child is consistently the victim of another and the aggression is intended to cause harm and humiliation, it is then to be considered a serious situation.

Nationwide, sibling violence is the most common form of family violence. It occurs four to five times as often as spousal or parental child abuse. According to some studies, nearly half of all children have been punched, kicked or bitten by a sibling, and roughly 15 percent have been repeatedly attacked. But even the most severe incidents are under-reported because families are reluctant to acknowledge them, dismissing slaps and punches as horseplay and bullying as kids just being kids.

If you would like to learn more about sibling rivalry, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.

Wrap Up the Sunny Season as a Family | Corona, CA

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As we bring this season to a close and embark upon a new school year, it’s important to send your little one’s off with a happy heart and plenty of family memories. It’s the perfect opportunity for many families to enjoy each other company, while engaging in fun-filled activities. Family Fun Month is a wonderful time to take advantage of enjoying your families company, while bonding over whatever activity you all choose to partake in. Here are some of our favorites:

  • Order pizza and watch a movie in your backyard
  • Take a trip to the beach and collect sea shells
  • Take a day trip to the zoo to learn about the animals
  • Go on a camping trip to a new and exciting place
  • Learn about stargazing and then try to identify as many constellations as you can
  • Pretend to be pirates for a day. Dress up, plan a treasure hunt and talk like a pirate
  • Throw a backyard luau with family and friends
  • Have a themed karaoke night
  • Cook a delicious meal together
  • Bake cookies to make ice cream sandwiches
  • Have a little picnic at your local state park
  • Take a family bike ride
  • Go hiking in your local national forest
  • Have a water balloon fight
  • Take a family vacation to somewhere new
  • Have a talent show night
  • Take a fishing trip
  • Enjoy a backyard campfire and tell ghost stories
  • Build a fort in your backyard
  • Volunteer at an animal shelter or nature center

If you would like to learn more about Family Fun Month, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.

Accidents Happen: Pool Safety Edition | Corona, CA

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With summer in full swing, we have all begun to seek refuge from the heat in their backyard or community pools. Pool and spa submersions and drownings happen quickly, especially when they involve children. Be alert to the hazards of drownings, non-fatal submersion injuries and drain entrapments—and how to prevent them.

An adult should actively watch children at all times while they are in a pool. For infants and toddlers, an adult should be in the water and within arm’s reach, providing “touch supervision.”  For older children, an adult should be paying constant attention and free from distractions, and must know how to swim.

If you have a pool, insist that the following rules are followed:

  • Keep toys away from the pool when the pool is not in use.
  • Empty blow-up pools after each use.
  • No tricycles or other riding toys at poolside.
  • No electrical appliances near the pool.
  • No diving in a pool that is not deep enough.
  • No running on the pool deck.
  • Always watch your children when they are in or near a pool or spa.
  • Teach children basic water safety tips.
  • Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments.
  • Have a portable telephone close by at all times when you or your family are using a pool or spa.
  • If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first.
  • Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors.

If you would like to learn more about Pride Month, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.