(Lets face it kids are full of honesty, they say it as they see it. This is a new column written from the ‘HONEST’ observations from our children. It touches on all aspects of the process of growing up and how we as parents can improve ourselves from a child’s point of view)

I believe in you SANTA, do you believe in ME?

“Hey heyhey, it’s the long weekend” Dad goes. I know what you’re up to “Just Dad”, that will be hours spent infront of T.V, shall I lend you some of my diapers then we can negate the necessity for getting up for toilet or food…ouuu and please can I share some of the pureed gunk that Mummy dearest insists that I consume? PLEASE DAD, please DAD, PLEASE…I feel the need to share my icky porridge with you.

“Not so fast”, Mum shouts, we’ve got to decorate the house for Christmas, otherwise Santa won’t know whether to stop by here or not. Big Sister and I look on in horror, whilst “Just Dad” rolls eyes. This is surely a sad state of affairs, no Christmas décor, no Santa, what a horrible world we live in.

Alright I better take charge of this soon to become a disastrous situation, I scream at Dad, whilst Big Sister runs off with the T.V remote. Okay I think we’ve got his attention, let me eat some tinsel just to show Dad that we’re talkingChristmas decorations, it’s imperative that he puts the right décor up, I mean I lurrve the Easter Bunny and chocolate eggs, but Santa does fill stockingswith candy and we get tons more pressies, sorry Estaer bunny, Santa’s one up one you peace brother!...

Okay, “Just Dad” drags himself to the storage cupboard, we have progress, CRASH, BANG, watch out wayward cockroach, SPRAYED…right Christmas tree has been found. What a wonder!...I stand in my playpen sign languaging out orders, I think my signing’s a bit better than that fellow at Mandela’s funeral for Dad manages to correctly follow my instructions and set the tree up in the corner.

Great just in my line of vision, now I have complete security coverage over said tree, great lookout for Santa or his elves, if they decide to make an early appearance. Big Sister, annoying child, jumps around hanging up decoration….SIGH, am I the only one with any artistic talent in this family, she’s hung about twenty baubles on one branch..TIMBERRRED there collapses the tree on “Just Dad” who was bending down trying to unravel the lights.

He was initially swearing silently under his breath when he saw the lights, but with the tree falling on his head, a few unnecessary expletives did our little ears overhear.

Better be careful Just Dad, don’t think my nursery teacher would like to hear me say..SH*(* or FRE*%$^ H#$!…oh no worries here come’s Mum to the rescue. She’s brought hot chocolate as well, right tree uplifted, décor hung, lights unraveled, we all sit on the couch sipping hot chocolate, our eyes glazed by the twinkling, blissful lights happy except for Big Sister croaking out silent night at the top of her lungs…humph…, don’t encourage her Mum she sounds like some strangedledelf..I wonder if I can give Santa a pressie and send of Big Sister to the North Pole. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!
 

Is T.V really THAT bad?

When it comes to TV and kids, questions abound. Alarming headlines about the harm of television on young, impressionable minds has parents panicked and guilt ridden, but it hasn't made them turn off the tube. According to a 2006 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 74 percent of infants andtoddlers watch TV before the age of 2. With on-demand services, 24-7 cable kid channels, and heaps upon heaps of baby-oriented programming, we now have constant access to media that specifically targets very young children.

So there's more TV than ever, more warnings than ever, and certainly more confusion than ever before. Limiting screen time to no more than two hours daily, as the AAP suggests for kids over 2, sounds simple.  In a study of kids 1 to 3, researchers at the University of Massachusetts found that background TV shortened the intervals that kids would play with toys and made imaginative play less likely.

And experts warn that there's reason to believe constant TV in the background may interfere with toddlers' language development.

Am I a bad parent if I give my child candy?

The effects of candy on our children are twofold. There are biological effects that we all know about, such as the adage "candy rots your teeth," but there are also psychological effects of binging on all that well-marketed candy.

The effects of candy have compounding ramifications as children get older. The more tooth damage that occurs, the earlier people have issues with their teeth as adults in terms of crowns, root canals, extractions or implants -- or all of the above.

Baby Sign language

Baby sign language can be an effective communication tool. Teaching and practicing baby sign language also can be fun and give you and your child an opportunity to bond. Limited research suggests that baby sign language might give a typically developing child a way to communicate several months earlier than those who only use vocal communication.

This might help ease frustration between ages 8 months and 2 years — when children begin to know what they want, need and feel but don't necessarily have the verbal skills to express themselves.

By Mayuri Jayasinghe