Computers And Tech For Kids – How To Raise A Child Who Can Code

 

Teaching kids how to code can be a challenge, especially for parents like us who do not have any technical background in computer science. But, thanks to new learning materials, apps, and software, we do not need to have extensive knowledge in the subject in order to guide our kids in their learning journey.

Nowadays, online learning tools and programs are becoming more and more accessible for everyone. On top of that, many parents are now starting to realize the importance of coding in today’s digital age.

With that said, we have created this guide to help you raise and guide your kids towards their learning journey to coding and programming.

 

Provide Access to Different Learning Tools

Gone are the days when kids have to learn coding by memorizing blocks of code just to print “Hello! World.” When you look at the modules or course syllabus for many coding programs these days, you would find that they no longer rely on the traditional method of teaching. Rather than read off of textbooks, beginners are now being introduced to the world of coding through programs and software like Scratch, Blockly, Swift, and so on.

That said, it would be a big help if you would help your kids gain access to the learning tools that they need. Doing this would not only make the learning process a lot easier but it would also give your kids an impression that you are supportive of their learning journey as well.

 

Make it Fun

Many parents often support their kids' interest in coding by enrolling them in different learning programs.

But before you enroll your kids in any coding for kids programs, you have to make sure that the learning program is good enough to sustain their interest in the long run. One of the many reasons why kids often quit halfway is because they start to get bored with the lesson and start to lose interest in coding.

So to avoid this, you have to make sure that the learning program is fun and enjoyable. Thankfully, several online coding programs are a lot more fun these days because they make use of games for educational purposes like Roblox, Minecraft, and many more.

 

Let them Explore on their Own

Given that coding is more of a trial and error process, it mainly teaches kids soft skills like perseverance and patience. But, other than that, coding also enables your kid to be more creative, curious, and independent.

Remember that coding is a complex subject and there are lots of areas to explore. For instance, they can learn different coding languages like Python, C, Java, Lua, Ruby, and many more.

Once your kids finally learn the fundamentals of coding and programming, you should start to introduce them to other areas that they might be interested in. Even if they are still undecided which coding language or subject areas they want to learn, it is still a great idea to keep their option open and let them know that there might be other topics that are more suitable for them.

 

Encourage them to Share Their Projects

The great thing about learning how to code these days is that there are tons of kids who are interested in coding as well. That said, the community around beginners and kid coders is vibrant and very encouraging.

So to boost your kids' confidence, you can encourage them to share their projects for other people to play or use. Doing so would not only boost their confidence, but it might also motivate other kids to learn to code as well. Other than that, other coders might also recommend a few tweaks that might make their project even better.

That said, sharing your kids' projects online is a win-win situation for everyone. It would boost your kids’ confidence, make them learn from other coders, and even motivate other kids to start learning how to code as well.

On that note, we, as parents, still have a big part to play in our kids’ learning journey to being a coder. Because no matter how interested they are in the subject, it is still up to us to keep their motivations up so that they can successfully learn.  

 

The Social Skills Every Child Should Learn

 

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As a parent, you undoubtedly want to do everything you can to make your child’s life as easy and fulfilling as possible. If that is the case, along with teaching them to read, write and do their arithmetic, you should also be teaching them social skills.

Social skills allow your children to have better relationships with their peers when they are young, and as they get older, they help your children to get along with teachers, employers, and just about anyone they need to get along with to succeed in life.

With that in mind, here are the most important social skills to teach your kids right now:

Listening

If you have young kids, you’ll know that they are awfully keen on talking, mostly about themselves and what they have done, and less keen on listening to their parents. This is fine when they are little and they are only talking with family members, but as soon as they have to be around their peers, it may not help them to make friends.

When they’re talking be sure to listen to what they have to say, but do not be afraid to point out when it’s someone else’s time to talk!

Sharing

Teaching your kids to share is so important. Not only does it encourage them to play nicely with others, but it also teaches them the importance of being kind. the act of sharing with a friend or family member can also boost a child’s self-esteem, which is really important as they grow up too.

Co-operation

Co-operation is a really important life skill. It teaches kids that they need to get along with the people around them, whether they be classmates at their preschools, family members at home, or people in the wider community. It also sets them up for the world of work where collaboration is often vital.

You can teach your kids to co-operate by playing with games and toys that have scope for multiple participants to get involved, such as Lego. Assign each child a smaller task that is part of a bigger whole and encourager them to talk to each other throughout.

How to respect personal space

This is a big one. No one likes having their personal space invaded, and kids, or adults even, who do it regularly will often be given a wide berth.

How do you teach your kids about personal space? Put boundaries into place. Snake rules about keeping hands to yourself or knocking before entering a room, and enforce them. Some kids will need lots of gentle reminders, but they will get there in the end.

Manners

Teaching your child the prevailing manners of the place you are living in is so important. If you fail to do so, they may come across as being rude when really they just haven’t been taught what they are supposed to do. So, practice at home regularly.

Teach your children these key social skills and you will be helping them to get more smoothly through life whether it’s interviewing for a new job or being popular with their friends. So, what are you waiting for?

Top Tips For Being More Organised In 2022

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There is never any harm with being more organised - it will mean you fare better with anything you do in your daily life, know where things are and aren't late for appointments that you need to be at. Being more organised is a very common new year's resolution for many and if you have decided that this year it’s something you want to do then there’s no better time to start than the present. Here we have put together some top tips for being more organised in 2022.

Sort out your finances

Money can often be one thing that people find difficult to get in order and often find the process of sorting them out stressful. If this is you, then it’s important to take some time to tackle them head on. Try to work out what debts you have (if you have any) and make a resolution that in the future you will try to only pay for things that you can afford and avoid putting anything on finance. If you are purchasing a car for example, check out a dealer such as Edmunds for a bargain where you can buy both new and used cars depending on your budget. You should also try to overpay each month so your debt is paid off quicker. See if there are any areas of your life where you can cut back and pay your debts off.

Have a place for everything

If you find you are constantly losing things and don’t have enough space in your home for items, try to re-sort and have a de-clutter. Get rid of items that don’t add value to your life or are getting in the way. It can be a good idea to invest in a label maker to easily organise your items into drawers and boxes and keep them out of sight when not in use, but still easy to find. Ensure that everyone in your house knows where things are meant to go and that you have a simple system to sort this out. 

Keep to-do lists

To-do lists are a fail-safe method of keeping your life organised and sorted. Try to write things in order of priority, with your most urgent tasks at the top and the ones that aren’t so time-dependent at the bottom. If there are things that will take a long time, try and get those out of the way as soon as possible. It could be tempting to get your easy, quick tasks done first but if you do the opposite it means your day will get easier as it goes on and is a lot easier to manage your time effectively. 

These are just a few top tips to help you to be more organised in 2022. What are some top things you like to do to ensure you are kept as sorted as possible? Let us know in the comments below we would love to hear from you. 

Turning Your Caring Capabilities Into A Possible Career

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‘Transferable skills’ refers to a set of capabilities and interests that can, in large part, help us from job to job, or even life task to life task. We have many of these skills without realizing it. For instance, your ability to listen and respond briefly to questions on the phone could potentially be a golden skill in a customer support environment. Furthermore, if you’ve managed a family, odds are you could manage a small team. 

Organization and timekeeping are also essential skills that factor into many other daily efforts, and we’ve all had to plan those at some point or other. Turning our caring capabilities into a possible career path can be an essential consideration to think of, then, because once we’ve been a caregiver, or have fulfilled that role, then it’s not unwise for us to take that experience and invest it elsewhere.

To start with though, it’s important to think about what kind of career path would be suitable for us. In this post, we’ll discuss how to think about this process and what kind of roles you may wish to go for. Without further ado, let’s begin:

Consider Who You’d Like To Help

Of course, your caring efforts can only really help in a few certain directions at one time. It’s important to consider who and what you’d like to invest your efforts in. For instance, you may find that becoming qualified for older adult fitness certifications can help you help with senior training, and may even serve as a prerequisite for a physiotherapist’s course. Or, perhaps you’d prefer to help children, or veterans. What matters is having a direct focus on your contribution, and that often means deciding what field we’d like to contribute in.

A Sustainable, Enjoyable Career Path

It’s good to enjoy a sustainable and rewarding career path, and to figure out where that can be applied. Perhaps, for example, you’d prefer working in care environments where you help the elderly get the best out of their social life. You could work for a charity that provides access to puppy dogs on weekday afternoons, so they have fun and some time with the animals. It might be that your caring skills has helped you become a perfect skills tutor at a primary school. There are many applications caregiving can fit - make sure to approach this knowing you can do it.

The Maximum Good You Can Achieve

It’s important to think about the maximum amount of good we can do, but remember, caring for one person in a profound sense is just as good as caring for many in a suitable manner. For instance, it might be that you’re happy to become the daily caregiver, companion and aid for someone who has become newly disabled, allowing them to unlock their quality of life via your assistance. That in itself can provide maximum good, and help your efforts be as effective as possible, gaining the most worthwhile results in the long run.

With this advice, you’re sure to turn your caring capabilities into a possible career.

Playroom Ideas To Keep Your Children Safe

 Nothing is more important to a parent than for their children to be able to play and learn freely in the comfort of their own home. If you don't want your children to play in every room in the house, you may designate a playroom for them that is absolutely safe and where you can watch them learn and develop into their own individuality. Here's how to make the ultimate playroom for your kids.

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Remove sharp edges

The first thing you should do is clear the room of any sharp objects that could injure them if they fall. Tables, cupboards, and large chairs fall within this category. This eliminates the possibility of their tripping and injuring themselves accidentally. This will also free up your time so that you can spend it doing other things around the home, because you know your children are in the safest space possible.

However, even once you’ve removed sharp edges, this doesn’t mean your children are immune to accidents. Broken toys, for example, could easily create a cut on your child, and it’s important to learn more about what to do in this situation to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Add details to their play

It's highly probable that your children already have a plethora of toys to choose from, but adding small features to their existing toys will increase the amount of enjoyment they will derive from their toys in terms of stimulating their creativity. Imaginative play will be greatly encouraged by items such as dolls house accessories, which will help your children to imitate what they see their parents doing with their toys. Alternatively, a race track rug might be laid out on the floor for them to use as a driving surface. These are commonly accessible both online and in many toy stores. These small details can help your kids get the most out of their existing toys!

Build storage

Make wall-mounted storage for your children instead of relying on movable shelves that they could trip over and injure themselves with. This way, their toys are safe and secure until they need them again. Because the storage container is mounted to the wall, they won't be able to injure themselves any further through accidentally pulling the unit onto themselves..

Use soft, neutral colors.

If you have children of both sexes, this is terrific advice because it prevents squabbles over the color of the walls while also making the space appear more open and airy. Depending on the ages of your children, you could hang age-appropriate artwork or even paint a wall mural to match the decor of the room.

Play mats can be used as flooring.

Play mats in the form of tiles can be purchased and laid out on the ground. Not only will they provide hours of safe play, but they'll also brighten up any area with a splash of color.

Take these five suggestions into consideration, and you'll find yourself with the perfect playroom for your children!