Sunday 9 February 2014

Clean Teeth for Kids

The kids dental clinic (aka Dental Nurses) recommend that we brush our kids teeth for them until they or six or so.  I see an irony here, as their precious adult teeth are arriving at the same time they have to come to grips with their own dental hygiene.  Yikes.  So here is how we manage the joys of teeth brushing time in our house.

1.  Keep 'em handy.  We have toothbrushes and paste for the kids in both the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms.  In the evening teeth are brushed during bath/shower time.  In the morning we do it in the kitchen where we eat breakfast, straight after breakfast.

2.  Use Technology.  We find some of the toothbrush timer apps are fun, and you can also buy a little Barnabee timer on-line (picture and link below).  This helps make the two minutes pretty clear for all concerned.  For my older son, we use the kitchen timer whilst he stands at the sink - no arguments over how long as it is digitally dictated!

Apps:

Maclean's Nurdle, Free Apple or Android App.
This little guy does a song and dance with instructions on how to brush.
Just ignore the bit about rinsing as it goes against current recommendations.

https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/macleans-nurdle-time-nz/id528168742?mt=8

Barnabee also does a song and dance and is rather cute.  My daughter objected to him on moral grounds as he almost uses a word for bottom that rhymes with gum.
You can play his song online, so we just bookmarked the page rather than buying the app.  We did buy the little timer and it was popular with my son for a while.

http://shop.beehealthy.org.nz



3.  Use games.  I like the one where you pretend to be a Zoo keeper and need to brush the Lion's (or Crocodiles, or Hippos etc) teeth!  You'll find lots of other great ideas on the web too, especially imaginative games you can play with preschoolers for toothbrush co-operation.  We do these ones in the evening for my daughter.  For my son we often brush his teeth in the evening to ensure they get at least one good clean a day.

How do you manage tooth brushing for kids in your house?






Monday 3 February 2014

School Book Covering

It is that time of year again - back to school.  A lovely bundle of fresh stationary represents all the possibilities and excitement that a new school year offers.  I must admit to having a bit of a thing for stationery!

One  thing I am not so keen on is the process of covering the school exercise books.  The adhesive book cover stuff and I do NOT get along.  In the course of covering the book I end up with myself, and possibly my cup of tea attached to the stuff, not to mention the air bubbles, toast crumbs and hair that sneak in as well.  It sticks to the scissors and just does not end up looking nice.  It kind of spoils the new book look!

And then at the end of the year, or whenever you get to it…. that clear stuff makes the books hard to recycle, and face it, that is where a lot of them will end up, sooner or later.  I've no doubt the emotional attachment to pages of alphabet, blend and math practice will wear off.  Story writing is another thing altogether, those we keep!

So how excited was I when I read of an alternative!  Re-useable book covers!  Oh yeah, bring it on!  I used them last year and can happily report that:

  • They lasted the year
  • They were easy to put on and remove
  • We will be able to reuse them (size dependant)
  • They are handy to switching to a new book later in the year
  • My son liked them
They have patterned, coloured and clear ones.  I quite like the clear ones as they are easily reusable from son to daughter, whereas the patterned ones seem to have gender focused designs.  We personalise the books by making on the computer a 'bookplate' which includes my son's name, class, and some favourite pictures.  We paste this onto the exercise book, and then put the clear cover on top.  Easy peasy lemon sneezy!

I've seen them at Warehouse Staionary (or was it Officeworks?) but I buy mine from ezcover.co.nz, they are quick and good value.