Posts in category: Tips

Summer has arrived and it's time for our little fish to spill out onto the beaches...

From the very first day at the beach, most babies have a great time. However, don't be discouraged if your child is scared or shows no interest at all.

There are many reasons why a child might be "scared" when they see the vast sea and the sand they are not used to for the first time.

Below we will give you a few instructions for the sea for safe and happy swimming.

1. Don't be disappointed if the child gets scared!

First, it's good to put ourselves in our child's shoes. If you were stepping on sand for the first time, how would you feel? A little ticklish, a little strange? Well, that's how children feel too! Show them how to play with sand and talk about hygiene rules (e.g. we don't eat it, or we put a towel on to sit on the sand). Also, for babies, the sea looks like a vast living landscape of water that moves non-stop... and it's a little cold here, by the way! So, if you give them some time to adjust to the new conditions, they're sure to love it.

2. Enjoy the water with him.

Children are very strong receivers of our energy. If we are relaxed, the child will be able to overcome any fears he may have. Only in this way will we have a good time with him, but we will also bond more. The best thing you can do in the first baths is to show him the properties of water with your hands (e.g. lifting water with your fingers to make a waterfall, or look! this is how waves are made by pushing the water hard, or look how I float! Look how I dive, etc.)

3. Never pressure your child for anything!

Children, no matter what age, only learn through play, so it's a good idea to use all our imagination to make a trip to the beach enjoyable.

For infants, 10 minutes is enough for a first contact with the sea. As they grow older, children themselves show us how much time they want to spend in the water. However, no matter how much they want to, excessive exposure to the sun – with or without a hat – or too many dives should be avoided.

4. And yet! Let's avoid the armbands!

When the time comes and your child feels ready to enter the sea, don't use armbands but spaghetti! Armbands are anti-swimming as they don't encourage arm movement. The child rests and doesn't learn to clap their hands. After all, spaghetti has a thousand and two uses for water games.

5. The rules of eating

It is recommended that children not eat at least 2-3 hours before, but not during, swimming, because if we eat, blood concentrates in the stomach for the digestion process, and if we enter the water, we force the heart to work harder, to get blood to the stomach and muscles for swimming.

Liquids, on the other hand, are highly recommended!

6. Sun protection

Sunscreen with an SPF of up to 30 – which does not have additional chemicals – is most recommended by experts.

It is best not to use sunglasses until the age of seven, because the eye gets used to them and becomes "lazy".

7. Your eyes are fourteen!

The macaroni, the board and other lifebuoys do not replace supervision.

Therefore, be careful throughout your child's stay in the water, no matter how familiar they are with swimming! Usually, children who know how to swim have learned to respect the water and know their limits. So if your child doesn't want to go in the deep end, even though he swims, be happy, because he has learned to believe in himself at a healthy level and has learned to enjoy the water with respect for it.

And don't forget! The boldest are also the most feared, Be careful of mattresses and balls that are blown away by the wind at sea and can carry the child away from a safe place.

Do not allow your child to swim when there are waves or sea currents, which are not only dangerous for children, but also for us adults.

The child should swim in the shallows. Remember! An arm's length is the only safe distance between you and the child, so you can pull it out of the water if needed.

Do not allow your child to dive unless you have made sure that the depth in that part of the sea is safe and there are no rocks or stones protruding.

8. Sea time.

It is best to go to the sea in the morning hours of 8:00-11:00 and in the afternoon from 18:00 onwards when the sea is warmer but also calmer.

9. Don't overdo it.

If the child's lips turn blue/purple and he or she shows signs of fatigue, remove the child from the water immediately and wrap him or her in a dry towel.

10. Let your imagination run wild!

Make circular movements, let the water run down the child's body, Put it in a supine position - walk it around.

Do not splash water on your face and especially your eyes because the salt water can sting and scare them.

Find your own toys that will excite them!

11. Buckets, inflatable pools, boards and balls make the game even more imaginative!

If you have the courage to carry – in addition to the essentials – your entire dowry to the beach, then don't forget the buckets to create your own sand dynasty! The boards also have many uses, such as a sand chair and a boat for the sea. The pools and the balls that fly here and there, just come to take the game off! Also, for the familiar children, remember to take goggles that will give the children an extra incentive to dive to see the bottom. Not to mention that their eyes won't sting and the child will be more comfortable.

Have a wonderful summer, full of new experiences and memories!

Read more tips for new moms

Ideal bathing conditions for the baby

The other day before I gave my little one a bath, I realized that her body smelled the same as the last meal I gave her. Strawberry smell! UNBELIEVABLE!

She was so happy about the bath that was coming. I made sure the room temperature was stable, put on some soft music, and the games began. Suddenly, I accidentally splashed her face. I could tell from her expression that she didn't like it at all.

Observation is our most accurate advisor

Therefore, it is very important to understand that our child is the one who guides us in what pleases them and what does not.

Bathing is such an enjoyable and relaxing process for babies, due to the fact that they spend a large amount of time during the months of pregnancy in the liquid element. We must take many things into account, such as the fact that every child is different.

The right water temperature

The ideal water for bathing your baby is lukewarm water, around 36.5C, which is our body temperature. At first, we can use a special bath thermometer or the inside of our arm. As the child grows and his skin begins to tighten, the water can be less hot than before. Don't be afraid of bathing! If the conditions are right, believe me, your child will enjoy it as much as you do!

If you want to learn to swim, in addition to bathing with your child, see information about it here. baby swimming.

How to stop using a pacifier? 7 Ways to do it.

You should know that there is not just one specific method that you can follow to immediately get your little one to part with their beloved pacifier. There are different ways that many parents have experimented with and eventually succeeded, depending on what suited each person's psyche.

You just have to remember that this process shouldn't be traumatic for the child. And if at times you think you can't possibly stop him from sucking, take comfort in the thought that no adult walks around with a pacifier in their mouth.

1. Cut it out gradually. Start reducing the use of the pacifier during the day. Usually the child craves the pacifier because he has nothing else to do. Keep him busy with toys, books, other activities and limit the pacifier to bedtime until you eliminate it completely.

2. If your toddler is in daycare, explain to him that none of his friends have a pacifier. Encourage him with words like, "You're a big boy now" or "You're a big girl and you don't need a pacifier anymore."

3. More traditional ways to stop your little one from wanting a pacifier are to cut off the tip of the nipple so that it doesn't particularly enjoy using it.

4. Put something with a bitter or sour taste in the pacifier.

5. You can announce to him that the pacifier is lost forever. (The kitty took it to give to other children who don't have pacifiers)

6. Agree with your toddler that you will "leave the pacifier to the fairy."

7. Finally, you can simply throw it away.

Read more useful information here tips for new moms!

How wonderful it is to spend Christmas with your family! You all decorate the Christmas tree together with lots of ornaments and lights. The children write letters to Santa Claus, while Dad struggles to light the fireplace. Mom makes warm cookies and the whole house smells delicious! Then you all take a walk together in the city where it is decorated with lots of lights and beautiful, towering Christmas trees. This way, the children have really gotten into the Christmas spirit!

 “Christmas for children is the best day of the year and the most magical time of the year. They look forward to it with impatience, because they don’t have school, because they wait for the gifts that Santa Claus will bring them, because of the special decorations we make at home and especially in the city. For all these reasons, Christmas for children is the best time of the year,” psychologist Chrysoula Mavraki tells us.

 Armed with...Beautiful Memories!!!

“Children will keep memories of happy Christmases for their entire lives. These days help children keep beautiful memories that they will have as an arsenal during the bad times of their lives. Through these memories of happy childhood Christmases, they will find strength and courage for any difficulty they face,” emphasizes Ms. Mavraki.

 Parents and… consumption

“Parents approach Christmas precisely with the awareness that it is an amazing day for children and they try to create a program for them that includes activities. They buy them lots of gifts and do everything they can for their children. The bad thing is that they do everything they can for their children within a consumerist mindset. In other words, they believe that with lots of gifts, lots of games, lots of outings… they have made their children experience a wonderful Christmas,” the psychologist points out.

 "The message of Christmas is love, philanthropy (loving others), companionship and giving. We should see Christmas as a time when we will stay at home more, be more relaxed, be able to play meaningfully and communicate with children, listen to them and talk to them."

 "But first, let's listen to them, because all the rest of the time we don't hear them in the rush from here... to there, from school to daycare, from daycare to another daycare. It's not easy to listen to our children, nor to discuss with them. We need to show them that the spirit of Christmas is the spirit of giving and not just the spirit of consuming and demanding gifts."

 Some tips!

-Make gifts with your children. Cards, handmade crafts, sweets... Wrap them beautifully and give them to loved ones.

-Don't spend money thoughtlessly on gifts that anyone can find in any store.

"Thus, we accustom the child to a spirit that does not have consumption in it, but passion, a personal stamp, caring. He learns that a gift is love and thought. Not that a gift is an obligation and if you don't give me a gift or a great gift, you are not a good dad, godfather, Santa Claus," emphasizes the psychologist.

-Visit grandparents, godparents, and all the people you see little of in everyday life.

-Take beautiful walks so that they can fill their eyes and ears with beautiful sights and beautiful sounds.

-Get plenty of rest, take a nap... because this is the spirit of the days and not the spirit of fatigue, staying up late, eating too much, and spending too much.

Finally... CAN'T WE BECOME CHILDREN AGAIN THIS CHRISTMAS WITH OUR CHILDREN?

 by Angeliki Christopoulou

With the collaboration of psychologist Chrysoula Mavraki