October 8, 2019 - Raising World Children

4 US Cities with the Best Art Museums for Kids

One of the great pleasures of traveling to other parts of the United States is in visiting the wide variety of art museums that house great artworks from every age of human history. America is blessed with a population that not only understands the value of art, but also creates beautiful environments in which to enjoy these works. Here are four US cities that offer art museums worth your vacation investment.

New York City, New York

As one of the largest and most renowned cities in the country, New York City also earned its title as one of the centers for art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the Guggenheim, and the Frick museums should be at the top of your list, but there are a number of smaller institutions that are also worth adding to your itinerary for art viewing in NYC.

Chicago, Illinois

This large midwestern city offers art lovers a broad range of visual experiences, from its public art to its smaller, specialized museums. The Art Institute offers a permanent collection of work that is world renowned, with a number of periodic, traveling exhibits that both residents and visitors to the city enjoy on a regular basis.

Washington, DC

Washington, DC offers many interesting attractions for group travel tours, and it also provides art lovers with many opportunities. The Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Gallery of Art are the top favorites, but a number of other museums, such as the Hirshhorn Museum and Freer and Sackler Galleries are also worthwhile stops for extraordinary art viewing.

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles has a large population of art lovers and their commitment to preserving extraordinary works is evident at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, fondly referred to as “LACMA.” Marked at the front with its iconic collection of streetlights, a million visitors come to enjoy its collections of art from around the world and various periods in history. The Getty Museum is another institution that houses a wide range of artworks for the public to enjoy, making L.A. a must-see stop on any traveler’s tour of U.S. museums.

The United States is rich in artistic treasures that are available to everyone who wants to see them. If you and your family are interested in travel and art, you have a wide range of opportunities to see works of all kinds. These four cities offer some of the best art viewing in the country, to suit every taste.

Anica is a professional content and copywriter who graduated from the University of San Francisco. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. You can connect with Anica on Twitter @AnicaOaks.

4 Ways to Help When a Child Has Chemically Sensitive Skin

Chemical sensitivity is a difficult condition to diagnose. With all of the same hallmarks of allergies, such as rashes and irritated skin, but no common allergen to blame, it can be difficult to see it as more than just ‘sensitive’ skin. However, many suffer from this condition where their body reacts to harsh chemicals and heavy metals with an allergic or even auto-immune type response. While it may feel that your child is allergic to the world, there are steps you can take to make your home a safe haven for them. In addition to learning what the worst irritants are and carefully reading labels to avoid the culprits, here are ways to help your child’s skin problems.

Avoid Harsh Cleaners

Irritating preservatives prevent microbial growth but unfortunately can cause irritation to the skin. Preservatives are known to be the second most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Dyes tint products to match skin colors, disguise an undesirable ingredient color, or to tint a product to appeal more to the consumer. Formaldehyde releasers, parabens, and others preserve a product against mold, bacteria, and fungus contamination but also can cause irritation. Surfactants are known for their cleaning or detergent use and for foaming action, but some are skin irritants and sensitizers.

Install a Home Water Filter

Many people install kitchen water filters to counteract the effects of hard water for drinking, but children with particularly sensitive skin may find themselves with dry, itchy skin after every encounter with hard water at every home faucet. In this case, it is simpler to install a whole-home water filtration system to cover all of the water in your home, including showers and bathroom faucets. It filters any sediment, the chlorine odor and taste, and other undesirable elements that may be causing your child discomfort when washing their hands or bodies. Any residential plumbing service will be able to install these, and as the filters rinse and clean themselves, it is a fairly straightforward addition to your home’s plumbing.

Keep Surfaces Wiped Clean

Washing and disinfecting your kitchen surfaces and hands regularly is an important step to help your family’s health. FoodSafety.gov advises taking steps to clean surfaces, utensils, dishes, and hands with hot soapy water before, during and after preparing and eating each food item. Wiping should never be in a circular motion as that causes a dirty wipe to be passed over an area which has just been cleaned. The best technique is to wipe in straight horizontal lines overlapping the previous one and should be done from back to front, from top to bottom, and from cleanest to dirtiest.

Avoid Body Soaps and Shampoos With Artificial Scents

Fragrance may be used to cover up undesirable odors in some of the ingredients in chemical shampoos. Use a natural shampoo that will give clean hair and is free of offending chemicals. A natural shampoo combines essences, essential oils, botanical products, super-hydrating herbal extracts, and nourishing vitamins and minerals that not only moisturize and clean the scalp and hair but also maintain pH balance. The fewer products, the better in terms of caring for your child’s sensitive skin.

Protecting the surface of the skin from inflammation and irritants and providing calming and gentle formulas for skin and hair care will go a long way towards giving your child welcome solutions to everyday necessary chores.

6 Decor Ideas That Enhance Learning

An environment that induces motivation and energy, as well as exudes an aura of professionalism properly infused with appropriate levels of comfort, is significant to enhance the process of learning in students. In this particular stage of life, when kids soak up everything around them, every minute detail should be monitored and carefully implanted into their surroundings, especially in a learning environment like a classroom. An aura that harmoniously incorporates all the significant aspects required for a student to be inclined to learn, develop and think out of the box is one of the best methods to help the entire process of grasping and understanding knowledge.

In the list below, you’ll find 6, briefly explained ideas to help you choose, decide and develop the kind of environment you want to nurture the kids in as per the needs and requirements of their personalities. From posters, charts and quick notes to wall decor and 2D diagrams or 3D structures, the bar is set to explore, to play with and to be leveraged to your aims and goals. So, brainstorm, choose and decide, the future of the nation rests on these decisions.

Posters :

Visual effects have drastic effects on the psychology of the child. As compared to hours and hours of long lectures, an aesthetic poster that conveys the information creatively proves to be comparatively very effective and efficient. Therefore, choosing to decorate the room with posters will benefit in the learning process exponentially, as well as, at the same time, enhance the environment by shifting it from bland and clinical to a bit more friendly and inviting.

However, you must have a clear perspective of the environment you want to create, based on which the posters to be put up will be chosen. Thus, choose wisely.

Student Work Display:

Throughout the academic year, students are handed a lot of projects and assignments about the respective subjects. The works submitted by them thus can be chosen to be carefully decorated on a wall that is specific for student work display only. This method proves to kill two birds with one stone. How? You may wonder, well, it’s simple; displaying their hard work gives them a sense of ownership and on top, gives them the motivation to give their best. This technique instigates a sense and environment of healthy competition necessary for growth and learning.

Class Community Wall:

The importance of this particular method is like no other. The seeds from community learning, such as in a class are, can only be reaped when the bond between the group is strong and healthy as well. This is where the ‘Class Community Wall’ idea comes in.

Decorating a wall with inspiring photographs and messages from one to another will tend to develop a nurturing environment. This wall, however, needs to be carefully monitored and maneuvered since the tiniest of misconduct can lead to unwanted troubles and misunderstandings.

World Map Posters :

World maps can prove to be extremely informative as well as decorative for walls. A world map scratch poster, for example, can prove to be one of the best ways to use up space on your classroom walls to decorate in an aesthetic yet very informative way. Scratching off the gold foil while learning something about a new place altogether and then to reveal colorful states and lands below, can be a very creative way to grasp hold on geography

Start with a World Map Scratch Poster, the kids will enjoy scratching it while learning about places.

3 D Structures:

As stated before, visual aids have a huge impact on the mind. 3 D structures, therefore, take the concept of posters and diagrams to a whole new level. The understanding of a visual intensifies when you make the children inhale the concept through 3-dimensional diagrams. The bar of imagination becomes extraordinarily magnified through this particular technique. Be it a 3-dimensional structure of the human DNA, a skeleton or the solar system, the creativity level states the sky as the limit. Furthermore, the structures help elevate the learning vibe and aura of the classroom to yield a more practical mindset and approaches.

Wall Art and Murals

Wall Art and murals help bring a change of scenery to the very ‘set and systematic’ environment of the classroom. This change of scenery can act as a breath of fresh air in many cases and thus help uplift the level of energy in the surroundings. This can further aid in making the kids more receptive to what is being taught in the lectures as well. These murals can range from being mere decorative paintings of ecosystems and nature to messages related to diversity and love, depending on the incentive.

The environment of the classroom, besides the teacher and the techniques used to teach, influences the learning of the children studying in it exponentially. Thus, it becomes imperative to choose and make wise decisions and take significant towards enhancing the rooms and yield extremely productive results accordingly.

4 Ways to Help Your Child Process Your Divorce

Divorce is often hardest on children, who may feel a lack of control over what happens in their life. After living with both parents for years, it can be devastating to suddenly watch as your home is split into two. Younger children may be confused regarding what divorce even means, and older children may become resentful about the changes that occur in their life. Being aware of your child’s emotional response to the divorce helps you to enact these four strategies that help them process what is happening in positive ways.

Keep Communication Open

Once a divorce is inevitable, most parents sit their child down to have an honest discussion about the future. This is a great way to start off your child’s awareness of the divorce, but it is also important to make it clear that this is not the only and final conversation. During this talk, let your child know that you and the other parent are open to hearing about how the child feels as things progress. Let him or her know that no question is too silly or small to ask, and try your best to respond to each one with understanding. Allowing your child to vent emotions and ask questions helps you stay on top of any new issues that arise.

Seek Help from a Therapist

In some cases, you may not be able to work through this process on your own. Your child may need to talk to another trusted adult, and collaborative therapy provides children with a safe outlet for figuring out how to process their emotions. You can participate in this type of therapy as a family, or your child can attend individual sessions. Either way, giving your child a professional therapist to work with adds new coping strategies to his or her tool kit that helps him or her make it through the transition to having two parents living in different houses.

Be Honest About What Will Happen

You need to establish trust right now, and that means being honest. Your child will naturally have questions about the future such as where he or she will live, how overnight visits will work, and if he or she will have to change schools. If you already know the answers for sure, then tell your child the truth. It is also okay to tell your child that certain things are not decided yet as long as you are willing to communicate once they are decided.

Continue to Check in with Your Child

Your child still needs your support as he or she continues to work through the process of accepting the divorce. Be sure to ask your child how he or she is doing from time to time. Since some children may not reach out, you also need to watch for signs that he or she may be struggling, such as having trouble in school or having a sudden change in friends.

As you help your family navigate their way through this challenging time, remember that things can change rapidly regarding your child’s mindset. Be willing to reach out to your support system if you find that you or your child is struggling. By being proactive, you can make sure that your child emerges from the divorce stronger and with the knowledge that he or she has your support.

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. She recommends for businesses to look into IT consultant companies near them. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan

Secret for Social Gatherings Where Kids Interact, Device Free

You go to a party and witness kids sitting together, each playing on their own device.

What do you do to curb this ?

One simple rule – When you are at a party, no matter how bored you are, no devices. When you are with your friends on a play date , no TV or gadget use..if you want to watch TV, no need to go on play dates or have friends over….Might as well stay at home and do the same by yourself.

PLAY together. inter Act!

(The only time I Do allow my kids is if it’s late in the night at a party and I know they are tired and it will be another 15 mins before we can leave … )

It is just sad to see kids sitting together and busy on devices in stead of interacting and building off each other’s creativity.

Options you can give them, instead of devices are –

Create Art
Make videos
Put up a play
Play a board game
Charades
Pictionary
Dance Party
Read books together
Ice breaking games

Encourage other adults who come to your home to help you in enforcing this rule. Yes, it’s awkward but trust me they will thank you when they see the beauty that comes from the kids play … Last month the kids go bored together and ended up making a play … Other times they play chess … Still others they just sit around and talk while doing their own thing. And learn to talk !

Also, your kids will pester you. Oh! Yes they will!

Stand strong on this. Specially if they see other kids whose parents let them play on devices at a party. Tell your kids that if you want to play on phone, let’s just go home, else find a way to keep Yourself busy. OR sit with us adults and listen to conversation (for kids 7 and older ) OR take a book to draw in or read in a small bag as a boredom buster.

In my book I have talked in depth about balancing technology and gadget use for kids and teaching kids moderation …

Please let’s raise a generation of kids who interact and are not just using phone for substituting human interaction.

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