Georgio Victoria's Parenting Articles

How To Set Parental Controls With Internet Explorer

2008-05-22T09:29:00.000-04:00

Are you the parent of a child or a teen who uses the internet? If you are, there is a good chance that you use Internet Explorer for your browser, as it comes standard on most computers. The good news is that if you are using Internet Explorer, which has the blue colored e icon, it is easy for you to set parental controls. These parental controls can block your child from viewing dangerous content online.

As nice as it is to hear that you can limit the websites that your child or teenager gains access to online, you may be curious as to how you can go about doing so. As it was previously stated, the process is relatively easy. Outlined below are a few steps to help get you started.

1 - Open a new Internet Explorer window. You can do this by clicking on that blue e icon that was mentioned above.

2 - Click on "Tools," from the drop down menu bar at the top of the page.

3 - Click on "Internet Options," and a new smaller window will appear.

4 - Click on the "Content," tab, as this is where you are able to set the controls.

5 - Under the heading of "Content Advisor," you will see an enable button, click on it and a new window will appear.

By following the above mentioned steps, you should get the point where you are able to enter in your preferences. You may first want to start with the ratings. Click on the "Ratings," tab.

When using the ratings feature that is provided through Internet Explorer, you will see at least four main headings, which include language, sex, nudity, and violence. You are able to determine what can be viewed on your computer based on levels. For example, Level 1 for violence is fighting, Level 2 is killing, Level 3 is blood and gore, and so forth. Remember that you can readjust these ratings at any point in time.

If you use the internet safety rating features that are provided by Internet Explorer, it is important to know that some sites can innocently be blocked. For example, a site that simply mentions the words "violence," or "kill," may be blocked, even if they are not violent websites. For that reason, you may need to make some adjustments. This can easily be done by clicking on the "Approved Sites," tab.

When you click on the "Approved Sites," tab you are able to enter in the websites that you would like to have viewable. This feature is nice to have if your child or teenager is using a family computer, like one that you and your spouse may also use. It addition to listing approved sites, you can also list the websites that you want to never make viewable. This is ideal if you are prohibiting your child from using a social networking website, like MySpace.

Aside from adding the websites that you and other adults in your household view to the approved sites list, you can also use a password. You can create a password for your computer and the parental controls by click on the "General," tab. Create a password that is easy for you and the rest of the adults in your household to remember, but one that is hard enough that your child or teen can't figure out themselves. In fact, do not give your child the password. An adult in your home can use it if they ask to have a safe site unblocked.

As you can see, it is relatively easy to protect your child online with the use of internet safety tools when using Internet Explorer. The many options that you have are also nice. Since the above mentioned tools and features are free for you to use, why not at least give them a try? If you are not using Internet Explorer, but rather another browser, like FireFox, you should be able to take similar steps to block potentially harmful or dangerous content from your internet using child.

Click the link for more information on protecting children when using the internet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tommy_Lee
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Managing ADHD In Children

2008-03-25T09:37:00.000-04:00

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By Jen Miller

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, do not fret. This is actually one of the easier disorders that parents can handle. What's more, there are so many children all over the world who have been diagnosed with the condition as well. Rest assured, your child is far from being alone in his plight with ADHD. And because of this fact, there are actually so many sources on the disorder that you can find. You can go to your local library for books and magazines on ADHD. You can also turn to the web and do your research there. It very much pays to be well-informed about the condition so that you can look into the remedies that you can use in handling the disorder.

There are medications that you can take to handle ADHD. Sadly, these often come with side effects. But you can also try natural remedies for this. These are highly recommended because they do not cause any unwanted side effects on your children.
Dietary changes are oftentimes effective enough to alleviate ADHD symptoms. Yes, this simple a change can significantly reduce the occurrence of ADHD symptoms already. Make sure to take out sugar and caffeine from your child's diet. These substances come with components that can keep your child hyperactive.

Also, your child just might have food allergies that are causing the manifestation of ADHD symptoms. Oftentimes, you are not aware of these food allergies in your child. Should this be one of your doubts, then you should have your physician do a medical checkup of your child. This way, the medical background of your child can be checked accordingly. Your child could very well be allergic to one or a couple of the following: wheat, preservatives, refined carbohydrates, and artificial coloring.

Massage therapy is another natural remedy that can be used to tackle ADHD. During bouts of hyperactivity, massage therapy can greatly help in inducing relaxation. Aside from massage therapy, you can also try music therapy and reflexology. These methods are very effective in keeping your child relaxed.

You can also try herbal remedies in dealing with ADHD. One of the herbs you can try is St. John's Wort. This particular herb is very effective in reducing levels of fear, insomnia, anxiety, nerve pain, and night terrors. Another herb, by the name of Kava Kava, can efficiently deal with tension, stress, muscle spasms, and anxiety. But before you do try out any of these herbal remedies, better consult your child's physician first. This is to ensure that the herbs are indeed safe for your child to consume.

Are you looking for more understanding about the ADHD In Children?
Perhaps you have a loved one who has ADHD? It is vital to have a good knowledge of the Causes Of ADHD and how to mange it.
To find out more about ADHD in children, CLICK HERE
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jen_Miller

Top 10 Baby Names for 2006

2007-05-24T09:50:00.000-04:00

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By Robin J. Derry

Every year Social Security's Office of the Chief Actuary publishes a list of the most popular names. It's become somewhat of a Mother's Day tradition. This list compilation started in 1997.

The list is derived from 4.2 million Social Security card applications in 2006. You can go to the Social Security site and view the 1000 most popular names plus the most popular baby names by state.

Top Boys Names for 2006

1. Jacob - Hebrew - Meaning: Supplanted

2. Michael - Hebrew - Meaning: Who is like God

3. Joshua - Hebrew - Meaning: God rescues

4. Ethan - Hebrew - Meaning: Strong, firm, impetuous

5. Matthew - Hebrew - Meaning: Gift of God

6. Daniel - Hebrew - Meaning: God is my judge

7. Christopher - Greek - Meaning: Bearer of Christ

8. Andrew - Greek - Meaning; Man, warrior

9. Anthony - Latin

10. William - Germanic - Meaning: Will, desire, protection

Top Girls Names for 2006

1. Emily - Latin - Meaning: Rival,emulating

2. Emma - German - Meaning; All-containing, universal

3. Madison - English - Meaning: Child of Maud

4. Isabella - Hebrew - Meaning: God is my vow

5. Ava - Germanic - also Hebrew - Meaning "life"

6. Abigail - Hebrew - Meaning: Father in rejoicing

7. Olivia - English - Meaning: Elf army

8. Hannah - Hebrew - Meaning: Grace, favor

9. Sophia - Greek - Meaning: Wisdom

10. Samantha - Aramaic - Meaning: Listener

Baby Naming Trends for 2007

63% of 5,000 voters preferred a unique name. 19% named baby after a family member. Names from the Bible were third with 10%. So the move is away from traditional and popular to "unique".

Baby Naming Tips

Always consider the baby's last name. Say the two names together - how does it sound.If the baby's last name is long ... how many syllables? A short first name will likely sound balanced.If the baby's last name is short ... a long first name will sound goodA name that will last the baby's entire life ... one day that name will be on a resume.Common names ... your child may go through school being know as John P or Mary HMiddle Names ... often honors a family member. But check on the initials - Gregory Oliver Dalton becomes G.O.D.Name meaning ... check into it. It may be important to your child.

Baby Strollers: http://www.wise4living.com/babystroller/
Infant Car Seats: http://www.wise4living.com/babyseat/
Author Robin Derry is publisher for http://www.wise4living.com/ a specialty knowledge site that gives insights and solutions on beauty and hair restoration, body health, household, sport, travel, footwear, education, certified financial divorce analysts, spendthrift trusts and family law legal needs, surround sound headboard and slipcover design, gazebo for hot tub designs, digital hearing aids, plasma and LCD TV stand design trends, wall mount and TV ceiling mount systems, cat fencing, underground dog fence solutions, wireless and radio dog fence technologies, dog runs and deer fence pet containment fences, outdoor deck planter box designs, deck lighting solutions, outdoor deck railing ideas, advice on building deck stairs, home and gardening projects such as decks and deer fencing, HDTV and home entertainment systems, specialty academic camps.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_J._Derry

3 Foolproof Ways to Keep the Kids Entertained This Summer

2007-05-21T09:46:00.000-04:00

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By Kristen King

School’s out in just a few more weeks. Are you ready for three solid months home with the kids? Here are some ideas to keep them entertained – and you sane – all summer long.

Enroll your kiddos in a community summer recreation program. Most towns have at least one, and they run anywhere from a week to a month. Drop the kids of at 9, and get four hours to yourself for housework, errands, or lunch with the girls while your offspring play outside, create crafts projects, and go on educational field trips. The cost is just a couple hundred dollars, but the value is priceless.Take advantage of your local library. Whether you’ve got toddlers or teens, your area public library offers a variety of programs and events to help them socialize and enrich their minds in the air-conditioned hallowed halls of “that place with all the books.” Reading challenges will guarantee you some peace and quite while they try to get through more books than their sibling/cousin/best friend and win the prize. And don’t forget to check out adult programs at the library, too!Surprise the family with inexpensive day trips. If you’re anything like me, you live near a ton of historical or otherwise interesting attractions that you’ve never visited. Check out the county museum or the hole-in-the wall art gallery down on Main Street. Hop in the car and head to the nearest city or cultural center for a matinee theatre performance.There are probably dozens of events and attractions in your area that you never think about because, hey, you live there, but they’re worth checking out with the kids – and they can make for a fun and inexpensive date, too!

Kristen King is a freelance writer-editor and consultant from Northern Virginia, and the host of b5media's http://www.LivelyWomen.com, a daily blog dedicated to helping women live whole, healthy lives. Visit Kristen online at Lively Women or at her professional website, http://www.kristenkingfreelancing.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristen_King

Aggressive Behavior

2007-05-19T10:48:00.000-04:00

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By Theresea Hughes

Far to many of our little darlings can be over energetic and without warning become frustrated then angry, in their state of rage the lovable teddy is not safe, toys are thrown just as tossing a ball, not to mention even throwing themselves to the ground.

Why? Because they are unable to compromise or reason, and by throwing teddy or other objects is much the same as throwing the tennis ball.

We as parents need to change this behavior as soon as possible by firstly talking to the child, explaining his aggressive behavior is a concern, and then explain to your child the acceptable behavior expected in the future.

Parents need to work together with the same rules and be consistent to enforce the guidelines, to ensure your child is on the way to appropriate behavior.

Note: If your child’s aggressive behavior continues and seems to be controlling his daily play and is disruptive to friends, family members and yourself, seek a professional opinion and advice

Prevention Is The Cure!!!

Keeping a close eye on playtime with friends. Put a stop to any aggressive behavior that may be present in the playtime, so as the child is not learning to display the same behavior in the future.
Don’t Be The Aggressive Roll Model…!

The age-old expression of monkey see monkey do, comes into play here.

If our children see us hitting or throwing things around while we are angry, they then get the idea that this behavior is acceptable because mum and dad do it, so for our children to change, we the parents must also change and be the responsible roll model.

Explain Why Aggression Is Not Acceptable…

To help your child realize how hurtful aggressive behavior can be for both sides, the aggressor and the victim, and how that type of behavior hitting, kicking, biting or bulling can make the other child feel.

Other Ways To Solve The Problem…

When aggressive behavior begins, talk to your child let him know there is other ways to deal with this unacceptable behavior, such as asking for help, letting someone know the problem instead of getting angry.

Positive Rewards…

Praise your child when getting along with others, like playing fairly, taking turns or sharing, always be definite about what you’re praising.

The more you praise your child with positive attention the more positive behavior will be repeated.

Keep It In The Past…

If you keep telling your child about their earlier incident doesn’t teach them acceptable behavior, because it then reminds the child how to be aggressive again.

Time Out…

If the aggressive behavior continues, further steps are needed and Time Out may be necessary, to reinforce your message with their behavior not being accepted.

What Not To Do…

There are two things to remember that you don’t do: Firstly, don’t use aggression to stop aggression.

Hitting your child or any other physical contact with your child will only teach your him to do the same to others in the same way.

Secondly: don’t let off steam when your child does, getting angry with your child when he hits only proves he can use aggression to have power over you.

About the Author: Article contributed by Theresea Hughes, creator of http://free-toddlers-activity-and-discipline-guide.com a site dedicated to providing parenting resource articles for toddlers activity & child discipline with positive parenting tips, free kids games, recipes, arts & crafts.

Source: www.isnare.com

Employment After a Baby - Solving the Daycare Issue

2007-05-11T10:03:00.000-04:00

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By Richard C Myers

There are many reasons why you, a parent, want or need to get back to work, whatever your reason, on of the biggest worries will be how to solve the day care issue. It is not really fair to expect other family members such as grandparents or parents to look after your child so you will need professional day care -- unless your employer is forward-thinking enough to provide a creche for its staff's children. There are several options open to you; day care facility, a child minder, au-pair or a nanny. But which is best for you?

Unfortunately, that is not an easy question to answer, it will depend on a variety of factors, not least how much you can afford and what services are available in your area.

Day care facilities offer certain advantages over nannies in that your child will get to interact with more children of similar age, as well as adults, developing their social skills. They will also interact with different adults during the day. With a nanny, the child will be interacting with predominantly one adult and will meet and play with fewer other children.

Whichever you choose, avoid being hasty, don't just go with the first one you find. Check them out - a good day care facility will be able to provide evidence of staff training and will not be shy to show you round. Try to visit when other parents will be there and make the opportunity to talk to them. Get their feelings about the place. A Nanny or au-pair will be able to provide you with references, but these alone are probably not enough to allow you to make the decision. Interview the candidates and probe to find out how you feel they would cope with emergency situations. Also try to get to talk with their previous employers and find out how they were and why they left. Using an agency can be helpful here as they should already have done the necessary vetting of the staff on their books.

So, in short, when going back to work, don't rush into the organisation of your child's day care, check it out carefully and only make the decision when you are satisfied with the service and credentials offered.

Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only, we can not accept any liability for any decision you make.

Visit http://www.superbabysitting.com for free babysitting tips, advice and how to claim a first aid book and babysitters handbook.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_C_Myers

Infant CPR Is The Greatest Skill Any Parent Can Poses

2007-05-03T09:46:00.000-04:00

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By Livia Monroe

Infant CPR refers to administering resuscitation to any child under the age of 12 months and is much more effective that the CPR rescue technique in the case of adults. This effectiveness is due to the fact that child’s body is capable of responding to CPR aid immediately after the heart collapses. For this reason, it is absolutely vital the CPR aid is applied in the shortest possible time, even prior to calling the ambulance, because those seconds of resuscitation are very likely to save the infant’s life.

First and foremost, it is very important that you follow the standard steps when administering an infant CPR, because the process must be thorough and accurate. The first thing to be done in infant CPR is a verification of the child’s responsiveness, by patting the infant’s back and feet. This is a very clear test which will tell you whether to start or not the infant CPR procedure. This way, if no response comes from the child, such as crying, stirring or moving, it is vital that you check if the airway is functioning properly. In many cases of heart arrests in infant care, the tongue can obstruct the breathing channels.

The technique of clearing the airway in infant CPR is similar to the standard CPR aid, with the specification that the head must not be tilted too far back, because of the lack of muscular strength of infants’ necks. Furthermore, if no response comes as a result of the airway step in the infant CPR, it is obligatory that you pass to the next stage and increase the level of oxygen by mouth-to-mouth breathing. You do not need any specific CPR supplies at this level, because the main strategy is to cover the mouth and the nose of the infant and try to pass oxygen into his body.

Very importantly, the infant CPR is based on a stimuli-response basis, so you need to let the child breath out the air after your mouth-to-mouth intervention. However, if the infant CPR proceedings taken so far show no response, it is compulsory that the pulse is checked, in order to establish whether the infant’s heart is beating or not. Keep in mind that panic is the worst enemy of the CPR aid, because when applying what you learned in CPR trainings you need to be fully aware and attentive to the physical responses given by the infant.

The step in the infant CPR procedure that implies chest compression is the key factor in infant care, because it is at this stage that the body of the child must respond to the pressure made to his chest. The compressions must be made at exact intervals of time, so that the heart of the infant can enter a certain rhythm. At this point, the infant CPR rescue attempt should have proved in some way effective, meaning that the blood circulation is re-established and the pulse comes back to normal.

However, it is imperative that a call is made to the emergency services and the ambulance, to put the child under infant medical care, and to make sure the infant CPR procedure has been fully carried out. Lastly, the infant CPR technique can be learned as an “ABC” of child care; where “A” is standing for airway, “B” for breathing and “C” for circulation. Once you have passed through all of these steps, the little victim will have regained his senses, ready to enjoy life.

Livia Monroe writes about critical health issues affecting women in their pregnancy, and the early growth phase of children.

Infant Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation Aid.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Livia_Monroe

Bullying in School and Destroying the Creative Geniuses

2007-05-03T09:43:00.000-04:00

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By L. Winslow

Many folks understand that unchecked bullying in school can really torment a young child if these events continue unchecked. Some bullying is part of growing up and it is as if they kids are merely establishing pecking order, theoretically nearly all species do this, so we should not be too taken aback. Yet, we need to understand why these things occur and eliminate chronic bullying in school.

Often when kids are bullied they avoid the rest of the groups in school and thus do not participate in all the activities. And perhaps during lunchtime they seek refuge in the library or wait until the very last minute to get to school or stay later and walk home a different direction. Maybe they run home a different way? All this to avoid bullying, which is getting more out of hand as violence in schools goes unchecked, as these choose students go out of their way to prevent being attacked.

Indeed, avoidance is a choice and those who choose to give up, have made that choice right? Of course as some students who have been bullied point out if they do not avoid the bullies they might get their nose broken and this has happened more than once. Is that the answer?

Should parents and teachers intervene or should they allow the kids to work out their differences? Perhaps a combination might be best and we also need to understand that a person is responsible for them selves and should not expect anyone to rescue them, they must rescue themselves.

These are all things we must consider because bullying in school is a fact of life and it will not go away until the kids choose to stop. Perhaps you should talk to your children about bullying and give them some pointers on defense.

If your children are the ones doing the bullying then perhaps you might explain to them that that person they are bullying may grow up and be someone very important someday - you just never know and our society needs them is much as they need you. They should be able to understand that. Kids aren't stupid.

L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur. Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=L._Winslow

Work or Stay Home Mom Dilemma, Why Not Do Both!

2007-05-01T09:48:00.000-04:00

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By Bee Ryan

Are you a work at home mom? If so, why did you choose to become one? If you want to be a work at home mom, what is your reason?

Why we become work at home moms varies from mom to mom. Some moms want to be home with their kids, but need to generate an income. Some have always wanted to be their own boss or have flexibility in a telecommuting job. While others, like me, want something to call our own and make a little money while doing it.

There are many reasons and thousands of options for moms. The key is to find a work at home job or business that you love and can build and grow. When you love what you do, you cannot help but be successful.

Being able to work from home brings together the two most important factors for moms. Working from home means moms can be home with their kids and not miss the important moments and still be able to contribute to the family finances and focus on a grown up endeavor. Work at home moms can achieve a great sense of pride in themselves by being able to take an idea and turn it into a successful business.

In the past, the choice was go to work outside the home or stay home. There was no in between. Many moms who worked felt they missed out on seeing their children grow up. Moms who chose to stay home, may have felt some regret once their children were grown and they didn’t have the skills necessary to go back to work after being home for so long. Today, this does not have to be the case. Moms can have it both ways by working from home if they so choose. Spending time with their kids and building new skills and a business.

Working from home is a challenge. Finding a balance between taking care of the children, the house, and growing a business is no easy task. It takes a lot of planning and organization, but when you find a system and make it work, it’s the best of both worlds.

Mom2Mom Magazine, http://www.mom2momlounge.com is an online magazine written by moms for moms. Find mom-relevant issues, insights, product reviews, fun ideas, fashion and beauty, family travel, health, recipes, humor and more. Each issue is filled with realistic, quick and easy reads that matter to Moms.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bee_Ryan

A Guide to Pregnancy

2007-04-26T10:56:00.000-04:00

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By Anupriya Jain

A guide to pregnancy is an invaluable tool for all first time mothers, who rely on advice that at times, may be misleading. Pregnancy is a period fraught with uncertainty and anxiety concerning the new life within you. This article is an informative guide to pregnancy for all would be moms.

The First Trimester

The first trimester of pregnancy covers the first three months lasting from week one to week twelve. By week four, the process of creation of a new life would have begun with the fertilization of the egg. This period sees organ development. The fetus is susceptible to infections and drugs.

Hormone changes are most evident in the early part of pregnancy. Morning sickness can be triggered through food odors, cigarette smoke and perfumes. Some women have morning sickness at night!

From week nine, tummy bulge becomes prominent and you may even feel movements within your body. The end of the first trimester generally sees the end of morning sickness.

The Second Trimester

The guide to pregnancy now dwells on the period that spans from week thirteen to twenty-seven. Considered the easiest phase of pregnancy, your baby’s heartbeat could be heard around the fourteenth week. The rapid growth of the internal organs and simultaneous covering of the fetus in fine hair called lanugo take place. The baby’s gender can be figured out through an ultrasound.

You may experience slight contractions- this is the uterus getting ready for the task it has to perform during delivery. By week twenty-four, your baby acquires fat deposits that help regulate body temperature post-birth. In addition to sensing light and darkness, your baby is now able to hear sounds from the outside world.

The Third Trimester

Week twenty-eight to forty make up the third and last trimester. Guide to pregnancy highlights the developments that take place during this period.

The brain, eyes and your baby’s head are almost fully formed. By the thirty-second week, only the lungs remain to grow completely. Your baby’s fingernails would have grown fully. The baby is now able to open and shut his/her eyes.

By week thirty-six, the baby could weigh up to four pounds and measure up to sixteen inches. The baby could be born anytime between weeks thirty-seven and forty. You are all prepared now for the imminent arrival.

We hope that the week-by-week guide to pregnancy may address a few of your doubts and concerns. This article has touched only the periphery of this fascinating topic. However, the best guide to pregnancy can always be your doctor and never forget to consult him/her to know more specific information regarding your pregnancy status.

Anupriya is the editor of free pregnancy resource http://www.pregnancy-period.com.
This site has been developed as your guide to pregnancy.
It explains various pregnancy stages and useful tips to enjoy your pregnancy.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anupriya_Jain

What Minerals Does A Breastfeeding Mother Need?

2007-04-24T09:53:00.000-04:00

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By Robin OBrien

A well-balanced diet is important for a breastfeeding mother as all her baby's nutrients come from her breastmilk. Minerals are the building blocks needed for your baby's development, now and for her long-term health.

Breastfeeding is the best way to give your baby all the nutrients she needs to grow and thrive. And, as a breastfed baby gets all her minerals from her mother's milk, it's important that a breastfeeding mother is getting her daily quota of minerals; you get out what you put in. But, if you're like many women, your diet may be less than ideal following the birth of your baby. You're mostly likely feeling tired and busy but a nutritious diet is one of the best things you can do for you and your baby. The good news is that a healthy diet is not too difficult to achieve; eating meat, dairy products 5 fruit and vegetables every day is all you need do.

Amongst other nutrients, such as vitamins and protein, minerals play an important role in your baby's development. A nursing mother should be aware of what minerals are important and what part of her diet provides these minerals.

Calcium is vital for the development and healthy maintenance of bones. Calcium is important for both a breastfeeding mother and her baby. Your baby is growing very fast and, at the same time, her bones are hardening. Calcium is needed for this to happen. Milk is one of the best sources of calcium, so if you like milk, now is the time to drink plenty of it. Milk is not only a good source of calcium but it's also a good source of protein, zinc, vitamin B2 and vitamin B12. Yu don't have to drink full-fat milk either; skimmed and semi-skimmed milk contains the same nutrients but with much less fat.

When breastfeeding your calcium requirement is the equivalent of drinking 1 2/3 pints of milk. So, if you drink plenty of milk and other dairy products you'll be getting all the calcium you need. Don't despair if the thought of consuming of that much dairy produce is off-putting or if you're a vegan, calcium can be found in non-milk foods.

The following are equivalent to consuming a third of a pint of milk:

2 sardines from a tin of fish in oil

One-sixth of a pack of tofu

1 glass (7oz) of calcium enriched soya milk

5 dried figs

6 medium slices of white bread

48 whole almonds

4 tablespoons of cooked spinach

Zinc is present in every part of the body and has a wide range of functions. It helps with the healing of wounds and is a important component of many enzyme reactions. Zinc is vital for the healthy working of many of the body's systems. It is particularly important for healthy skin and is essential for a healthy immune system and resistance to infection.

Zinc is not stored in the body so it needs to be replaced from the food we eat. Only about 20% of the zinc present in the diet is actually absorbed by the body.

The following foods are rich in zinc:

Red meat

Sardines are an especially good source of zinc!

Wholemeal bread

Baked beans

Cheddar cheese

Fruit yogurt

Pumpkin seed

Tahini paste

Peanut butter

Babies who are breastfed suffer far less iron deficiency in later life. Iron is important in the first year of life. Iron is needed to make haemoglobin, pigment that is found in our red blood cells. Haemoglobin carries oxygen around our bodies. Foods that are rich in iron are:

Lean beef, lamb and kidney

Dark chicken or turkey meat

Sardines

Eggs

Baked potatoes

Red lentils, chick-peas, baked beans, kidney beans

Green vegetables like broccoli, peas, spring greens, spinach, curly kale

Dried fruits like apricots, prunes and figs

If you eat a well-balanced and varied diet you will get all the minerals you require for breastfeeding your baby. The above minerals are not the only ones required for both you and your child but they are the most important. If you have doubts you should ask your doctor. Breastmilk is an amazing food source; it maintains the right amounts of nutrients required for your baby during its growth, even in women whose diet is not perfect.

Visit breast-feeding-information.com to find out more about a healthy breastfeeding diet. You can also learn more about the benefits of breastfeeding as well as getting advice on what is the best nursing bra for you.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_OBrien

Is There An Error Proof Pregnancy Test?

2007-04-24T09:52:00.001-04:00

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By Terry Edwards

Pregnancy testing has come a long way. It no longer takes a doctor visit and waiting days for the results. You can now purchase an over the counter pregnancy test and have your results in as little as five minutes. But do you know how home pregnancy test work? Do you know the best time to take a test? This article will answer these questions and give some good advice about error proof pregnancy tests.

The home pregnancy tests that you can buy today work by detecting hCG, which stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. This is a hormone that is secreted by the placenta shortly after a fertilized egg implants itself into the uterine lining. This implantation takes place about six days after fertilization. Then the amount of hCG starts to increase very rapidly. In fact, it doubles every two days. By the time you miss your period, the amount should be detectable in your urine. But if you want to increase your chances of an accurate result you should wait at least a week after you miss your period to take a pregnancy test.

It is important that you read all of the instructions thoroughly before you take your pregnancy test. These tests were designed to be very simple to use, but you should be familiar with the testing process and how long you should wait before you read the test. Some test require that you pee into a cup and then place a few drops of urine on the testing stick, while others let you pee directly onto the testing stick. It is very important that you follow the testing instructions to the letter if you want an accurate result.

All home pregnancy tests will have a control box that shows that the test is working properly. This should not be confused with a positive result. Make sure that you know where the control box or control line should be. If your control line does not show up on your test, throw your test out and get another one. The absence of a control line means that the test is not working properly and will not give you an accurate result. Always check the expiration date on the box. If it is expired throw it away and get a new test.

It is always a good idea to test the first morning urine. This is when your urine is the most concentrated and would have the highest levels of hCG. Over the counter pregnancy tests will say that you don't have to wait for the first morning urine to get a result, but if you want to be absolutely sure, testing the first morning urine is a good idea. The hCG could be diluted at other times during the day, especially if you drink a lot of water or other liquids.

If you have a negative result and still think you might be pregnant, wait a few days and do another test. Sometimes ovulation may have occurred later in your cycle. If the test is still negative and you don't have a period, see your doctor.

The most important things to remember when using an over the counter pregnancy test is to read the instructions and make sure that enough time has passed since your missed period. If you do these two things, your home pregnancy test can really be an error proof pregnancy test.

All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active and do not edit the article in any way.

By the way, you can find out more about Error Proof Pregnancy Tests on our blog, as well as much more information on what to expect each week during your pregnancy at http://www.WeeklyPregnancyGuide.com
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Old Wives Tales for Telling a Baby's Gender

2007-04-23T09:54:00.000-04:00

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By David Beart

There's one question that seems even more pressing than Hamlet's philosophical “to be or not to be?” At least for expecting moms and dads, that is. It is: “will it be a boy or a girl?” In today's day and age, the answer to that question is not quite as difficult to answer as Hamlet's. That doesn't mean it's all that easy either.

With a trip to the doctor's office, a soon-to-be-mom can find out the sex of her baby via an ultrasound, or through other means like chorionic villus sampling and amniocentisis. Chorionic villus is a diagnostic test that can cause problems in pregnancy and should only be administered if absolutely necessary (it is used to determine if the baby is likely to have have genetic abnormalities). Amniocentisis is another diagnostic test with slight risks. Ultrasounds are more popular, as they can be performed at any stage of pregnancy and unless there is routine exposure of the baby to an ultrasound, it is likely a safe method. However, an ultrasound is not meant to only help determine a baby's sex and in fact, it is not always accurate (especially during the early stages of pregnancy).

Thus, there are a slew of ways that have been devised to figure out whether an unborn baby will be a boy or a girl – some may have logical backing, but most – if not all – are completely baseless. But probably the most interesting methods of determining a baby's sex stem from old wives tales. So what are these tales and which ones have a grain or two of truth to them?

Well, the only real truth we know about old wives tales is that they are just that – rumors that have passed from generation to generation. Thankfully, they are innocuous rumors, unless of course one takes them too seriously and starts picking out clothes and furniture for a boy baby, only to greet a little girl on the operating table. Hopefully, the new parents kept those receipts. Another truth we know about old wives tales is that their origin is sketchy – who thought up each tales is pretty much unknown. But they sure are fun.

So, whether or not you're having fun playing the guessing game about your own baby or are just plain curious, here is a list of old wives tales to think about.

Do you sleep on your left or right side at night? If you prefer your right, then you just might be having a boy! If you sleep on your left, a girl could be on the way. Even the dryness or softness of your skin can help you predict your baby's sex – if you have soft hands, expect a girl; dry hands, a boy. Moreover, many pregnant woman crave interesting foods, but supposedly the specific kinds of food you crave can indicate what sex your baby is. If you constantly want salty foods, like french fries, you're due for a boy, whereas if you have a taste for sweets, like chocolate pie, prepare for a girl. And the old wives tales hardly stop there. Do you feel clumsy or elegant as a pregnant woman? If you're dropping your keys and stumbling over pairs of shoes, you might have a baby boy on the way, but if you feel graceful on foot, it's probably a baby girl. Even the size of your breasts can be a factor. It's common to have asymmetrical breasts, so by examining which breast is larger, you can also put the clues together to your baby's sex. If a pregnant woman's left breast is bigger, it's a girl; if the right breast is, it's a boy.

Furthermore, according to these recycled wives tales, morning sickness is not a symptom of every pregnancy, but only of those pregnancies of women who are carrying a girl. In other words, nausea means you better decorate the nursery pink. In fact, there are a bunch of signs you can look out for if you're having a girl. While soft hands mean you're having a girl, so do pesky breakouts on your skin.

And if you're craving citrus fruits, or become rather plump in your face, or experience several emotions throughout the day, then you are having a girl.

You can also guess your baby's gender by the way they sit in your uterus. You will feel heaviness in the lower area, if it's a boy, and if you feel pressure higher up, if it's a girl. As well, do you feel the baby in your front or in the middle? Boys, apparently, tend to take a seat up front, while girls prefer to situate themselves all around the middle.

As fascinating and fun as these tales are, they are just that – tales. They have no scientific substance to them whatsoever and should only be used for entertainment purposes! Especially considering that a lot of these tales (and these are just a handful of them) seem to be born of cultural stereotypes of boys and girls, not any clear logic, they should be approached with a healthy dose of skepticism.

But considering how ultrasounds aren't 100% accurate, why not play the guessing game? Ideally, it's best to wait far into the pregnancy to get an ultrasound or simply expect for the unexpected, but in the meantime, ask yourself – do you want a sweet cookie or some salty fried chicken?

David Beart is the owner of http://www.professorshouse.com. Our site covers such topics as raising children, family, relationships, dating and marriage.
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Exercising During Pregnancy

2007-04-23T09:53:00.001-04:00

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By P Banas

Exercising during pregnancy, pregnancy exercises,dad
Pregnancy can be a challenging phase for your spouse. Maintaining a healthy posture will help her keep back problems away. An exercise routine will especially help her to keep fit. Your spouse can begin an exercise routine even if she has never really exercised before. Walking, swimming, pre-natal yoga, and simple aerobics are ideal forms of exercise during pregnancy.

These are some of the things your spouse may need to remember if she is starting an exercise routine:
•All exercise programs should be begun gradually. Starting with about 15 minutes, three to four days a week is sufficient.
• She should resist the temptation to overdo it.
•She should avoid jogging, unless she used to jog regularly before her pregnancy.
•She should avoid doing sit-ups and other exercises, which involve lying on the back as they may decrease blood flow to the uterus.
•Exercises that involve standing in the same place for long periods can also decrease blood flow to the baby. It is better to keep moving or changing positions frequently.
•She should avoid strenuous forms of exercise, such as riding a bike.
•She should wear loose comfortable clothing and avoid overheating.
•She must drink adequate amounts of water to avoid dehydration.
•She should eat healthy foods to make up for calories lost during exercise.
•If, after exercise, she notices symptoms such as fatigue, pain, nausea, vaginal bleeding or discharge, or pelvic contractions, she should contact her doctor immediately.

Disclaimer: The above information is commonsense reflection drawn from general experience. If you are looking for expert medical advice, please consult your doctor.

About AuthorsResource Author is an expert author for dad and women related advices for e.g. Exercising during pregnancy . You can contact anytime for kids or parenting related issues.
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5 Keys to Raise Good Kids

2007-04-20T09:39:00.000-04:00

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By Lela Iskandar

Raising good kids is no easy task. Some parents leave the job to Elmo and the scriptwriters at Sesame Streets while others leave the responsibility to teachers.

For kids, teachers and TV icons may often achieve hero-like status and are always seen as a good role model to imitate. If you leave it like that, you’re leaving the golden opportunity to teach them your values.

It’s sad that most parents forget that it's what they encounter at home that counts the most. If you fall into this category, it’s time to take back the responsibility of raising good children.

If you want to raise good kids, these 5 parenting tips may help:

1. Praise Good Behavior
Too little praise devalues and depresses them, whereas too much praise pumps them full of unrealistic expectations. What you need is just the correct dose of praise. And more importantly, praise the right behavior.

Too many parents nowadays praise or reward their kids for lying. Asking your kids to tell the bible salesmen that mommy is not home and rewarding it with "Thanks!" or candies is the wrong way to nurture your little ones.

Praise only good behavior if you want your kids to behave. And criticize or punish bad behavior. This way you’re giving them reward at the correct place and your children will learn that bad behavior is not tolerated.

At the same time, there’s another thing about praise you need to remember. If you caught yourself sounding like a fake, you probably are pumping the kids unneeded praise. Praising kids is like watering your plant; you need just the right amount to nurture your plant. Too much kills it.

2. Decide Your Values
Social skills are the one important skill we always take for granted. We put our kids in school to learn how to read, write or excel in math. We spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars in books, educational toys or cd to make sure they are at par with their peers when it comes to intelligence and educational skills.

Unfortunately, we spend little time teaching them social skills, assuming this will just falls into place. Thus, many academically talented kids are socially challenged. That's why many parents are surprised to know that their kids end up being a school bully.

Don't neglect your kid’s social needs. Teach them about making friends, tolerating others, handling people and all the other social skills no textbook can teach. Spend time talking to them, it’ll change many things.

3. Take Advantage of Teachable Moments
Kids learn better when they see something in action. Thus, when there are teachable moments, grab the opportunity to educate your kids. This is one of the most neglected aspects of parenting.

When you see bad or unwanted behavior occurring in front of you, take your time to tell your kids why he or she shouldn’t behave like that. And when good things appear before your eyes, make sure your kids are also watching and grab the opportunity to educate them.

What appears in front of their eyes is more readily absorbed than countless nag by you or their teachers. As some say, action speaks louder than words.

4. Limit on Electronics
Pay attention to what they watch or play. Almost every year you'll read a news story about kids who jumped from their balcony trying to imitate Superman or injure themselves while trying a wrestling maneuver.

We are living in a time where visual stimulation is more than enough. A lot of kids don't go spending time playing baseball anymore because they can play it in their living room, thanks to Playstation or X-Box. Instead of reading a book, they’re surfing the net.

Put a halt on this problem. Limit their "electronic simulation" intake. If you restrict TV or their computer time, they'll eventually discover something to do that doesn't require buying more things. Not only this means saving you money, it could also save the children from unwanted influences.

Get your kids to the park or enroll them in a sports team. Spending 10 minutes playing soccer will be far healthier and more rewarding that spending 10 days perfecting soccer maneuver in a pc game.

5. Be Firm
Letting your kids to have her own way after crying and whining tells her that she can get away by making other people's life miserable.

Some parents will relent because they want to avoid a scene. However, in keeping with their terms, you’re teaching your children that fussing work. Thus, the next time they want something you’ll see the same tactics used.

One way to tackle this is by making them promise to you that they will not ask for anything, even before stepping out of the home. Teaches them about the importance of promise and the kind of action you will take if they break it.

Your job as a parent is to help your children. Having good kids is not an accidental thing. It takes time, patience and skills. The most important thing is you take the time to learn and apply them to your kids.

If you want to be a proud father or mother, start teaching your kids the right values when there are still small. Do not waste the golden opportunity to teach them while they’re absorbing your ideas without much resistance. Start while they are small and you wouldn’t have a big headache when they’re big. It’s as simple as that.

For more inspirational parenting tips and wisdom, head on to inspirational quotes for parents section at the Famous Inspirational Quotes website. To teach good values to your kids, head on to the inspirational quotes for kids section.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lela_Iskandar

Discover The Truth About Pregnancy Myths And Wives Tales

2007-04-17T10:01:00.000-04:00

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By Terry Edwards

It seems to happen to anyone who becomes pregnant. Inevitably someone will give you some advice and tell you a pregnancy myth or an old pregnancy wives tale. I'm sure you have heard many of them, right? Let's take a look at some of the most popular pregnancy myths and beliefs and see if we can sort out fact from fiction and discover the real truth.

Isn't it amazing at how everyone seems to know everything there is to know about pregnancy? From curing morning sickness to labor and delivery, everyone and their brother has some kind of advice or cure. Morning sickness is a good place to start. One of the oldest boy or girl pregnancy myth says that if you experience a lot of morning sickness then you will have a baby girl. Of course there is no medical basis for this myth. In fact, I had very little morning sickness with my daughter and later had severe morning sickness with my son!

Heartburn is another area that seems to generate a lot of myths about pregnancy. The most common one being that if you are having a lot of heartburn then you will have a baby with a full head of thick dark hair. You just have to laugh at this. Of course that case of heartburn has nothing to do with your just eating 3 supreme tacos from Taco Bell that you had been craving all day!

Your baby's heart rate is yet another area that produces several pregnancy myths. It is said by some that when you go in for a pregnancy well visit and your doctor listens to your baby's heart, if the heart rate is high then you will be having a girl. If it is low, then it's a boy. I will leave this to your own thinking as to whether this is fact or fiction.

One of my favorite pregnancy wives tales is how you are carrying your baby. You may have heard this one before. This boy or girl pregnancy myth says that if you are carrying your baby low it is a boy. If you are carrying high then it will be a girl. The scariest part of this is that there are people in the world who actually believe this.

Having to listen to these pregnancy myths can be good for a laugh or two, but just don't go out and buy your baby's new clothes based on them. To really get a good idea of whether you are having a baby boy or girl during your pregnancy is through an ultra sound. But even then, there are cases when it could be wrong. The one and only absolute positive way of knowing? When you deliver.

All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active and do not edit the article in any way.

You're pregnant? Congratulations! You can find out more about what to expect Week By Week Of Pregnancy as well as the many different pregnancy issues that can come up by visiting: http://www.WeeklyPregnancyGuide.com
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Pregnancy Signs - How To Deal With Common Pregnancy Signs

2007-04-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

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By Juzaily Ramli

You wake up one day, just like any other day, and you feel like something is not quite right with your body. You feel that your breasts are a little swollen and tender. Perhaps your period is coming. But then you find that you cannot stand the smell of coffee, or oranges, or any other food for that matter.

Perhaps you are ovulating, and your hormones are experiencing some changes. And then there are the very frequent visits to the bathroom. Add to that little aches and pains that you're now experiencing. Then you think, it could be nothing more than the signs that your monthly period is on its way. But wait a minute, you haven't had your period this month.

Now that would finally be the answer to your symptoms. Once this finally dawns on you, you realize for the first time that you could be pregnant! Signs of pregnancy at this stage would be hard to miss.

There are many common and uncommon pregnancy signs of that you could experience in the first and second trimester of your pregnancy. One very misleading sign is light bleeding or spotting that happens to a pregnant woman. When a woman is spotting, it is tricky to determine that it is a sign of pregnancy. This is because spotting or light bleeding occurs very early in the stages of pregnancy and usually happens during the time of the woman's monthly period.

Thus the woman might think of spotting as her monthly period and will not think of it as a sign of being pregnant. Why does light bleeding happen at this stage? Most of the time, when the fertilized egg implants itself in the endometrial lining of the uterus, light bleeding occurs.

This is very early in the stages of pregnancy that the woman will not realize that she is pregnant, unless she decides to take a pregnancy test when she feels that her flow is too light. Otherwise, she will not find out about her pregnancy until a few more weeks when she realizes that she has missed her period.

Another sign that a woman is pregnant is the frequent trips to the bathroom. To begin with, it is not unusual for a woman to have to urinate often. That is why this is another sign that could be missed as a sign of being pregnant. However, when the woman feels like she should have her own bathroom next to her at all times then something is probably amiss.

It could be a way for the pregnancy to make its presence albeit subtly. It is not impossible for a woman to miss this sign of pregnancy as it occurs as early as one to two weeks after the egg has been fertilized, which is much too early for the woman to have missed her period. Frequent urination is one sign that will last throughout all nine months of the pregnancy.

The one sign of pregnancy that everyone dislikes is the irritability. Irritability is the result of the sudden changes in the woman's hormones. This could also be the result of having to deal with various other changes that will happen to the woman's body during pregnancy.

It is also understandable for a pregnant woman to be irritated as she has to deal with other issues like heartburn, nausea and the frequent urination. Dealing with these issues can make most people a little cranky. The good news with irritability is that it only lasts in the first trimester of pregnancy and will usually fade in the second trimester.

By the second trimester, the hormone changes will become more stable and the pregnant woman has adjusted herself to some of the changes that her body is going through. Among the things that can help the pregnant woman in these difficult times is a lot of patience, plenty of good food and nutrition, and pregnant-friendly exercises. The pregnant woman should also get plenty of rest.

Pregnancy is not permanent. It is a nine-month period which will lead to the birth of a beautiful baby. In coping with these nine months, a little patience goes a long way in helping the expectant mother feel better in dealing with these pregnancy signs.

Juzaily Ramli owns a pregnancy website that discusses everything related to pregnancy and childbirth.
For more info on signs of pregnancy, please visit: Pregnancy Signs
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Pregnancy Symptoms - First Signs of Pregnancy

2007-04-17T09:58:00.000-04:00

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By Michelle Dixon

Could you possibly be pregnant? There are many fictional characters that are asked by an "old lady," “When are you due sweetie?” Even when the fictional character had no idea she was pregnant! In real life that does not happen very often.

The best way to find out for sure if you are pregnant is with a pregnancy test, of course.
Yet, you might not have had a chance to buy one. There are several first pregnancy symptoms and signs you can look for that are not absolute indications of pregnancy, yet may lead you to go ahead and buy a pregnancy test even before you have missed your period.

Your Breasts May Become Tender. Tenderness in your breasts or the feelings of heaviness or swelling may be the very first sign of pregnancy. This is due to hormonal changes your body is suddenly going through.

Feeling Unusually Tired. Another first pregnancy symptom is feeling overly tired when you normally should not be tired. Again, hormone surges, especially progesterone, play a part in making you feel tired or fatigued.

Slight Spotting Earlier Than When Your Period is Due. Some women experience slight spotting a day or two prior to when their normal period is due. The spotting can be attributed to the egg attaching to the lining of the uterus. The spotting is normally much lighter than a regular period.

An Increased Sense of Smell, Leading to Slight Nausea.. Some women experience a usual increased sense of smell from foods cooking, perfume, etc., which may lead to the feeling of Nausea.

Moodiness and Headaches. Unusual moodiness can be attributed to those inflated hormones that go with pregnancy. Frequent headaches may be blamed on the increased blood circulation due to (once again) hormone changes.

The above first signs of pregnancy are good indicators, yet can also be caused by a number of other physical changes in your body. Although, if you have missed a period and are experiencing any of the above symptoms, it might be a good idea to buy a pregnancy test and find out for sure if you are pregnant. That way, you can begin prenatal care as soon as possible.

By Michelle Dixon, Copyright 2007. Michelle Dixon writes about many different types of health and fitness subjects. For more information regarding A Healthy Pregnancy & Childbirth please see http://www.e-pregnancyguide.com
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All The Amazing Eczema Secrets – Probiotics For Infant Eczema

2007-04-03T09:42:00.000-04:00

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By Dane J Stanton

Eczema can be a terrible skin disorder for many infants and it often creates a feeling of irritability in the child as well as the parents. It is a terrible condition of the skin that researchers and medical professionals alike do not know the exact cause of although some experts have pointedly suggested allergies to be a main contributor of the condition. This is where probiotics infant eczema comes in to play because many professionals are beginning to believe that probiotics may help stave off infant eczema. In order to properly understand probiotics infant eczema let’s examine a little closer the cause and effect relationship.

Infant Formula Probiotics Eczema

It is studied and documents that probiotics infant eczema found in children that were being breast fed, in other words, the parents are doing all the right things for the baby that is known to be healthful and beneficial are still developing eczema. As studies will continue to be conducted and more information will be available on this subject, they was a study on probiotics infant eczema in which a team of professional medical researchers and scientists performed on a group of babies in the age group of four months, give or take a week or two.

All of these babies were being breast-fed and had developed infant eczema. They were all taken off the breast milk diet and placed on an infant formula diet that probiotics infant eczema seemed to react positively. Positively in the way that most of the babies showed a clear regression in the inflammatory allergic reaction that was believed to be giving the babies the infant eczema in the first place. Naturally, the babies had varying degrees of infant eczema and each one reacted differently however the babies did react in a positive manner towards the treatment. Probiotics infant eczema seems to be the key to keeping infant eczema at bay.

Of course, much more research and documentation is required before producing any concrete results however this is a great breakthrough in treating infant eczema as it doesn’t typically react well with any other treatments and therefore the professionals tend to try and treat infant eczema through diet as opposed to harsh chemical ointments and lotions that may irritate a baby’s delicate skin even more than the original case of eczema. Probiotics infant eczema will be studied more in the near future and in the meantime if you desire more information on the subject, simply type it in your search bar, as there is several published case studies.

If you want to learn more about eczema treatment. You'll find the best tips on everything to do with the cause of eczema
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How Do You Get Your Children To Listen

2007-03-27T10:45:00.000-04:00

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By Christobel Llewellyn

One easy way is to find quality kid’s music they can fall in love with. It works every time. Learning something naturally is really the best way.

The Body

Did you know that the “listening” part of our brain is the first to grow and is fully functional at 20 weeks in utero? However, a human being has to wait more than 7 months after this before their eyes work. Nature obviously thinks listening is more important that seeing. This is interesting especially now that we live in a totally visually obsessed world.

Learning

There are electronic screens everywhere. Children like adults have different styles of learning – visual, auditory or kinesthetic. Not all are visual therefore if we expose them to good quality kid’s music they will be able to absorb this with whatever style is their strength.

Our Very Own Memory Stick

With each new kids song they hear, their brain will grow a memory stick to store this information. All the while they are using their auditory facility and all the while it’s being strengthened. With each new memory stick, their brain is growing bigger and more capable. Whether they use this for learning music or not, this memory stick is there fully functional for the rest of their lives.

Brain as a Computer

It’s not just the memory stick that the brain grows……using their most natural way of learning, each child gets a faster processor to go with it. Every parent knows that a computer is only as good as it’s memory and speed. More memory and more speed is what we pay for. What’s so amazing about our very own computers ie. Our brains, is that our memory capacity is unlimited.

Physical Sound

Music is one of the few things in this world, in fact the only thing we have that uses both sides of our brain. It goes through our emotions bypassing the intellect so you don’t have to be bright to benefit. Because sound is physical…..it penetrates our brains in an instant. What we get our children to listen to is crucial as this is stored and used for life.
Parents want the best
All parents want the best for their children. All parents want their children to listen. Music is the easiest, most natural way.

Christobel Llewellyn is a mother of three and professional musician. She is the founder of KINDERJAZZ The Big Swing Band For Little Kids and is passionate about introducing children to quality kids music. Check out her web address at http://www.kinderjazz.com to get more information of how children learn and how powerful music is when used in this process. KINDERJAZZ has no less than 5 kids CDs teaching children about music and encouraging them to learn an instrument. It's all done via a Big Band and amounts to a lot of fun. There are
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Practical Help For Kids With ADD

2007-03-20T09:49:00.000-04:00

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My son, Sam is six and has ADHD and is on Ritalin. Everything is a battle with him. He fights. He swears. He kicks and screams and cries. Have you any tips on how I can handle him better? I always seem to be on his case. Any advice you can give would be appreciated. Thank-you. Karen.

Dear Karen,

This is a question many parents are asking these days. The struggles and frustrations you may be feeling at times are shared by a lot of parents I work with. That fact doesn’t necessarily make it easier, but it may help to remind you that your feelings and reactions are quite common and in essence…you are not alone!

Having said that, let’s focus on what you can do to make things better. Each tip that I offer is just that…a tip…it’s not the whole story. So please use this article as a foundation for these important strategies. It will get you and your kids started in a new and healthier direction.

The diagnosis of ADD brings with it a GIGANTIC story. The folklore of that story varies; depending upon which book you read and which expert you consult. For this brief discussion, let’s pay minimal attention to the “folklore.” Why? Because it pulls your energy and attention into a sphere of mental and emotional thoughts that are mostly out of your control. That can make you feel more and more out of control!

Instead, I will ask you to focus on your source of power…which is your own actions. This seemingly subtle shift brings you back to the only world you can really control…and that is your own.

So, rather than discussing your son…let’s talk about parenting your son. Here are five essential tips for reducing these frustrating moments with out of control behavior that you son exhibits at times.

TIPS FOR PARENTING THE CHALLENGING CHILD

1. Don’t take his actions personally. It’s not about you.

If you do his misbehavior personally, you will get caught up in “reactive parenting.” This will only make things worse. Likely you have seen the result of reacting with threats, yelling or even spanking. If you fall into this pattern with your son, he actually feeds on that energy. (Why he does that…well that’s another story. For now, just notice the truth in this conclusion.)

When you aren’t reactive, you can now be proactive. You can be mindful. You can be creative. You can be effective. You can even be a terrific parent who uses the tough moments to teach critical lessons. This of course…is only the beginning. Next, …

2. Make a list of “Weeds” and “Seeds”

What do I mean? Weeds are the actions, behaviors and emotions you would rather not have in your home. This is the negative stuff you want to get rid of. Write it down (in a private place).

Seeds are the actions and behaviors you value. This is the stuff you want to nurture and grow. Write it down, and BE SPECIFIC.

Contemplate these two lists as you consider this: Regardless of how or why your son carries the ADD diagnosis, his behavior (good or bad) expands based upon the amount of attention it gets. Many of the classic ADD behaviors tend to PULL you into them. You then give those “Weeds” lots of your energy. Thus, the weeds just multiply.

This leaves little opportunity to give energy to the “Seeds” of success and happiness. If you want things to get better, you must turn this dynamic around first. The success of every other strategy and approach will depend upon how this fundamental is handled. So, the next step…

3. Make a commitment to starve the “weeds”

Make sure you walk away for all the weed-like behaviors in your home. If it’s not threatening health or safety, walk away. Starve that weed.

When you do, things will get worse for a while. That’s right. It will get worse BECAUSE the weed is used to getting fed, and it will be screaming to pull you in. DON’T DO IT! When your son tantrums, you need to walk away…and stay away. You must resist getting pulled in, and instead…

4. Patently wait…and obsess on catching every “seed” you can find.

When you son’s tantrum is over, then casually walk by and touch him on the shoulder. Or you could just smile, or give him a “thumbs up.” Contrary to many of the books you read, it really doesn’t matter how you water the “seeds of healthy behavior”…. it’s just important to make sure that these moments start getting MOST of your energy.

We can predict the quality of your relationship with your son, as well as his success in school, based upon how this pattern unfolds. You have control…not on whether he tantrums…but on whether you feed the tantrum with your energy. Your energy is like water to that weed…. you keep feeding it…it keeps growing.

I didn’t make up the rules. It just works that way. Finally…

5. When and where you set limits, do so with action, not with words.

Up to this point, you may think that I’m a softie when it comes to consequences. I am not.

Consequences are critical in the learning process. Use them to teach limits, and make sure you don’t use feeble threats. Make your action speak the dominant message. When your son’s actions do pose a threat, or he is out of control, teach him with a firm consequence. Not a lecture. Not a frustrated look. Not a threat. Use action to teach these limits…especially for your son with ADD. He will thrive on these learning opportunities.

However, he will not get these critical lessons if you skip step three and four. These earlier steps create the environment where you son can now learn from his choices. You can learn more about the use of effective consequences on my website, at www.TerrificParenting.com.

In closing, keep in mind that this will not be easy. But it helps to remember that this is a learning process that takes time for you and your son to master. Don’t expect magic in three days. But you can expect real results in a few weeks, if you remain true to these fundamental principles. Best of luck Karen.

Dr. Randy L. Cale is a licensed psychologist and offers parental coaching through his website http://www.TerrificParenting.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Randy_Cale

Naming Your Baby

2007-03-19T09:43:00.001-04:00

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By Rob Ross

So you are planning or currently pregnant with your baby and have no idea what to name him or her. You have so many options and so many sources available to you. This article is meant to give you a few ideas on where to look and how to decide.

Method one: Your family history.

You have plenty of names available to you in your family tree. Some couples name their children after their own parents or grandparents. What a great way to honour your roots and where you came from. This is a great way to name your baby, so long as you like the names of your parents and grandparents. So what if you don't like your choices?

Method two: Buy a book.

There are hundreds of books available with lists of baby names sorted into various categories. The benefit of these books, is that you literally have tens of thousands of names at your fingertips. These books can be found in most libraries, bookstores and even online. If you like the idea of having a large selection of baby names to browse though, but don't want to buy a book, you're in luck. There's a third option.

Method three: Visit a baby names web site.

There are several web sites on the Internet that are dedicated solely to baby names. The benefit of these sites is that, unlike a book, you can search for baby names and select options to list more specific types of names. The most common choices are to search alphabetically, by nationality and by gender.

Either method you choose, naming your baby can be a wonderful experience. Your child deserves the best you can give. Following one of these three methods will enable you to select a name for your baby that you will be proud of.

Rob Ross is the creator of a website listing over 8,000 baby names. Visit Baby Names for your baby name search.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Ross

I'm A Stay At Home Mom, How Can I Socialize My Preschooler?

2007-03-19T09:39:00.000-04:00

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By Susanne Myers

Most children these days attend some kind of preschool program before entering mainstream education in kindergarten. Preschools have changed since I was in school. Now, they are geared towards preparing the children academically. When children stay home, they miss this and the process of getting to know other children.

If money is an issue, keeping a child at home instead of sending them to preschool seems like a good idea. You don’t have to pay for child care and you can make sure of your child’s surrounding environment. Unfortunately, your child will also miss out on playing with other kids their own age.

Most states offer federally funded preschool programs. If you enroll in one, there is no cost passed on to the parent. Your child receives preparation for kindergarten for free. Some even provide transportation within their own districts. The waiting lists for these programs can be long so you should get your child on one as early as a year before they are ready.

Federally or state funded programs are regulated. These preschools teach counting, color and shape recognition, drawing, physical skills like clapping and waving, and social skills like sharing. These are things that all children need to learn.

A stay at home parent can teach these skills, too. The problem is that the way a parent demonstrates the skill is not a realistic interpretation of how things will be with another child. At the age of two through four, children are self-centered. The universe revolves around them. If Suzy has a toy and Johnny puts out his hand to take it, Suzy may draw back and hold on tighter to her toy. What will Johnny do? He may cry or he may try to pull the toy from Suzy’s arms. An adult will not demonstrate this when teaching their child how to share.

Parents should consider sending their children to preschool at least two or three days a week. What do you have to lose? A free program costs you nothing, but your child has everything to gain. Learning how to interact with children their own age will prepare them for kindergarten. Preschool can give them the social etiquette necessary in relationships throughout their life. Children who interact with others are less selfish and more prone to situational problem solving. They learn the option of playing together as opposed to hogging a toy and not sharing it.

If you are a parent that is dead set against preschool or there are no preschool options in your area, you can introduce socialization into your child’s life if you are resourceful. Play groups offer children the chance to interact with other children. Local churches offer children’s groups. Neighborhoods that have stay-at-home mothers with small children can organize park days for playtime. While the mom’s get a much needed break, the children can learn to play together in the sandbox.

Get your child involved in sports. Tumbling or gymnastics groups not only teach physical skills but also camaraderie and team work. Kids can get involved with pee-wee soccer or T-ball. When situations arise between your child and another, you will have to be the one to explain to your child the right way to handle it.

All of these options are good alternatives. But, unless they are done on a regular basis, your child will not get the constant interaction that is needed with learning new behaviors. If you have younger children at home, it could become a burden for you to take on your preschool age child’s socialization all by yourself.

If you are concerned about the quality of your preschool, look into getting your child placed in another program. When it comes to giving your child a well-rounded education, check all your options. Socialization may seem like a small thing now, but not doing it could affect your child for the rest of their life.

For more information on raising your toddler or preschooler visit http://www.parentingzoo.com/articles/toddler.html and then take a moment to visit ParentingZoo.cm at http://www.parentingzoo.com and sign up for our online parenting magazine.
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Taming the Toddler Tantrum – How to Turn Drama into Cooperation

2007-03-15T13:54:00.000-04:00

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By Shelly Walker

This morning we had one of those toddler melt-downs. She was sitting on my lap at the computer looking at a picture of a baby flash across the screen. I needed to get up; she wanted to look at that baby some more. She had already decided what she wanted (to look at the picture) and how she wanted it (on my lap) and there was literally nothing I could do to change her mind. We melted.

The truth is that these things will happen when you have a toddler around. They’re working so hard to become independent people; but they don’t have the life experience and skills to do what they want to do. What a frustrating time for them – and us! The good news is that there are some simple ways to minimize the fuss and maximize the fun as your toddler works to develop those skills that he needs to be a successful human being.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is this: every tantrum has a real reason behind it and it’s up to us as parents to look behind the melt-down and find the root cause. Usually it’s one of the following: hunger, exhaustion, frustration or fear. When your toddler melts, it’s up to you to address the root cause, not necessarily the behavior itself. Telling a screaming toddler to “stop it or you’ll be in trouble” does absolutely nothing to mitigate the true cause of the tantrum. If anything, that kind of attitude only adds to your child’s frustration.

Here are some ways to avoid tantrums and some ideas on how to tame the tantrums that do occur:

• Keep to your schedule. Being on a regular schedule helps a toddler to feel secure. Having that security gives her the space to make new ventures in her little world. Also, being on a regular schedule means that you will limit the number of melt-downs that occur because of hunger and exhaustion. Here’s what a toddler schedule could look like: Wake up. Change diaper. Eat breakfast. Have play time with care-giver. Have snack. Have nap (if on a two-nap schedule) or more play-time (if on a one-nap schedule). Change diaper. Have lunch. Have reading time with care-giver. Have nap. Change diaper. Have play time with care-giver. Have snack. Have play time with care-giver. Change diaper. Have dinner. Have play time with family. Change diaper. Go to bed. And, for you stay-at-home parents who are wondering how to get your chores done… Toddlers love to help around the house! “Play time” could be sorting laundry, shopping, washing windows, gardening, sweeping, doing the dishes and cooking! As long as it doesn’t include power tools, include your toddler in your day. Also, keep nap-times sacred to (gasp!) ME-time. Read, nap, meditate, garden, write, paint -- use this time every day to feed your soul. This will keep adult-tantrums to a minimum.

• Be sensitive about transitions. Many tantrums happen because the child is not being prepared to switch tasks: he’s simply expected to stop what he’s doing and move on to the next thing. Imagine being in his world: one minute you’re happily stacking blocks then someone walks in and drags you to the car to go shopping without warning. How rude! Keeping to your schedule means that your toddler will be prepared to make smooth transitions from one activity to the next. But sometimes things happen and we have to be more flexible. Give your child a catch-phrase that you use during the day when it’s almost time to switch to something else. For our family, we give a five-minute warning. “Faith, in five minutes it will be time for nap.” Another phrase that works well for some families is, “We’re almost done with _______, and next we’ll be doing _______.” I’ve noticed that first-borns especially like to be well-informed on what’s going to happen next. Giving a warning helps your toddler to end one task so she can move on to the next gracefully.

• “Me do it!” Nothing makes a toddler angrier than when his care-givers won’t let him do things for himself. Create opportunities for him to have the independence he so desperately needs.

Make sure he has clothing that is simple to put on. Minimize buttons, snaps and over-alls. Make sure he has shoes that he can slip on himself.

Get him a set of toddler-sized house-cleaning tools. If he has the tools, he will use them!

Make sure he has stools at sinks so he can wash his hands and “help” with the dishes.

When he’s attempting tasks that are beyond his skills and strength, help him tactfully. “How about if I just hold this part of the box and you hold that part and we’ll carry it together?”

Sometimes, it’s okay to let him try and fail. How will he know what he can do if he’s not allowed to try the limits of his potential?

• Keep your sense of humor and an open mind! One evening at tooth-brushing time, my daughter decided that she simply wasn’t going to brush her teeth. We tried everything: we put on her favorite toothpaste (toddler toothpaste – without fluoride), we let her start by herself, we tried forcing her to let us help, we tried joking with her and tickling her to get her to open her mouth, we tried singing with our mouths wide open so we could trick her into opening up. Nothing worked. She went from stubborn to giggling to frustrated back to stubborn. Finally I remembered watching her try to spit in the sink after she’d seen her dad spit. I said, “Faith, do you need to spit?” Immediately, she got back in the game. She spat then she let me brush some more so she could spit again. We kept up this cycle of brushing and spitting until her teeth were clean. Enrolling cooperation is much more effective than forcing your will onto your toddler. I’ve become the master of marketing – to my children any way. I’ve learned how to manipulate their prejudices and preferences to get them to do what I want them to do, like try new foods, take showers and even brush their teeth. You know your children inside and out. Use that knowledge and your creativity to help tame the tantrums.

• Remember the four things to look for then your toddler does melt down. Is he hungry? Tired? Frustrated? Afraid? Your toddler is too young to control his emotions and he is just learning how to behave in situations. His behavior is a reaction to some internal event. Dig down and address that internal cause. Let him feel understood and loved as you help him to learn appropriate ways to handle his emotions.

Remember to keep cool in the heat of the moment. There’s no point in getting angry or embarrassed. Simply address the root cause of the tantrum in a loving, peaceful way. She’s not misbehaving; she’s just reacting in a totally appropriate toddler fashion to something that is very real for her. Love her, guide her and watch her blossom!

Straight talk from the mom who’s been where you are and knows how to help your family: Shelly Walker is the mother of two beautiful children and the author of Awakened Power and the upcoming book Parenting Keys. Shelly is passionate about children and believes that every child deserves healthy, happy parents.
For more information, go to http://www.parentingkeys.com
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Parenting - The Right Way To Communicate With Your Children

2007-03-14T09:56:00.001-04:00

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By Donald Saunders

Communication is a fundamental part of our day-to-day lives and, within the family setting, it is vital for parents to learn to communicate effectively with their children. This is not always as easy as you might think and there is certainly a right way and a wrong way to approach the subject.

One of the biggest problems we face with communication in general is that people vary so widely in so many different areas that there is no single way to communicate with others which will fit everyone in all circumstances. This means that there is no simple rule of communication which we can learn and apply. However, studies, together with many years of experience, do show that there are a few methods of communicating which are generally effective and which work better than others.

The first and most important rule in communicating with our children is honesty. Children are not stupid and they will very quickly spot a situation in which they are being lied to.

Now this doesn't imply that you must answer every question that is put to you in a totally frank and open manner. There are some things that your children don't need to know, and indeed shouldn't know, and you have your own right to privacy. How much information you share with your children will depend upon their age, their ability to understand the information being imparted, their level of genuine interest in the information and your own level of comfort in sharing such information. The secret however is to share that information with your children as and when it is appropriate, but not to evade the issue by attempting to lie your way out of it.

The second important rule of communication is to pick the right time to communicate with your children. For example, let's suppose that you are concerned about recent behavior with regard to other people's property and feel that your children need to understand that they have to respect other people's belongings.

Simply sitting them down and talking to them about the problem would be one option, but it is unlikely to have the impact you would wish for. However, waiting a while and watching for an example of the problem to arise outside of the family could yield excellent results. Witnessing an example on the television or while out shopping could provide just the right moment to open a discussion on the issue, perhaps along the lines of, "Hey, did you see what he just did?" and then inviting the child's comments with something like, "What do you think of that then?"

The important point here is that the issue becomes the subject of a relevant discussion within a real life context in which the child has the opportunity to express his or her point of view, as well as discovering what you think about the issue. The child will benefit far more from this approach than from a simple 'lecture' on the subject.

The third secret to good communication with your children is that of listening. Communication is very much a two way process and it's often easy to forget this fact.

One of the biggest problems in many households arises out of what children views as hypocrisy. A case of parents saying one thing and doing another, or telling children to behave in a certain manner while doing just the opposite themselves. The problem however is that, while the children see this and interpret the parents actions in this manner, the parents themselves don't always spot the problem.

Children see a great deal and are affected by everything that goes on around them but, unless you take the time to listen to them, how can you ever know what they are thinking and how they are feeling.

An excellent approach is often referred to as 'Stop, look and listen' and it is extremely effective. If one of your children needs to speak to you then stop what you're doing, look at the child and listen while he or she speaks. Giving your children your clear attention sends a powerful signal to them that you are interested in hearing what they have to say and that their thoughts, views and opinions are valued.

These are just a few of the basic rules of parental communication but they are extremely important and should form the foundation on which you build your own method of effective communication with your children.

Parenting4Dummies.com provides advice and information on child parenting and on a wide range of topics including only child parenting, the skill of parenting teenagers, step parenting, divorced parenting and the science of parenting.
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Tips to Help New Parents Care for Their Baby

2007-03-12T09:57:00.000-04:00

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By Janice Cheng

Being a new parent is a wonderful time in your life, but also one that is full of questions. You will find that no matter what you ask, you will get several different opinions from doctors, friends, and family members. Sometimes this advice is well received, and other times it is overwhelming. Most new parents second guess their own decisions at times. That is normal. Remember that you know your baby better than anyone else. Each child is unique, so what works well for someone else many not work well for you and your child.

It is very important that you remain calm while caring for your new baby. They can sense other people’s feelings. If you are tense and nervous they will feel it and react to it. A baby thrives in an environment that is safe and secure. You can help your baby adapt to its new environment by talking soothingly and by establishing a regular daily routine.

Eating is a very essential part of a baby’s life. You and your partner should make the decision together about how the baby will be fed. Some parents prefer breastfeeding while others are comfortable using a bottle and formula. Make sure the nutrients your baby is getting agree with their system. You may have to try various formulas to find one that your baby is able to digest comfortably.

Safety is very important with a newborn. Never leave them unattended no matter how small they are. A baby can learn to turn over or wiggle to the edge of a bed before you know it. Keep the home free of clutter as well so that you don’t run the risk of tripping while your baby is in your arms.

Janice Cheng is a mother of two and the editor of ParentWonder. The site offers parents and parenting tips. She also publishes a newsletter and a public blog for parents. For articles or to blog, visit her site at http://www.parentwonder.com
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How to Choose the Best Preschool Curriculum for Your Child

2007-03-09T10:56:00.001-05:00

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By Adela Osmond

So many mommies seek to find the most efficient preschool curriculum for teaching their precious preschooler.

I admit I was one of them. When my little girl was three years old, I began my quest. I wanted to be the best mommy ever, giving her a head start in academics. Especially reading!

A dear friend of mine, settled my anxious heart by simply saying, "take it easy, at her age there's no need to buy expensive curriculum, just go to a superstore and pick out a $7.99 preschool skill builder workbook, find free preschool activities online and make it fun!"

I took my friends advice, bought a few books, found some preschool websites and had lots-n-lots of fun building wonderful memories in which I want to share with you.

Our preschool schedule was easy and flexible. I used the skill builder activity book three days a week. In addition to that, we did lots of reading, singing, fun puzzles, educational videos, and explored several online websites together. I used it all as preschool curriculum. But really it was just time spent playing with her, guided by an educational purpose.

I planned two or three activities a day. The time that I spent in teaching was no more than 10 to 20 minute intervals. Just enough to keep her attention on the subject at hand, and then we moved on to "non-playing" tasks.

However, during our "non-playing" tasks, learning was taking place too. After all there was homemaking skills to acquire. (grin) When Jamie and I went to the grocery store I made it a learning experience for example: "Jamie, please count how many milk cartons we have in our buggy. You are right! 1-2-3-4-5 " - "What sound do you hear in the word egg?" eh, eh, eh,ggg? - "Will you get 5 round oranges for me and place them in this clear bag?"

When we did laundry, I had her sort the clothes by color. When she took a bath, we would play name that sound with a set of foam alphabet letters and so forth.

One thing I want to emphasize though, descriptive language is very important in teaching your preschooler. Talk to your child in such a way you would an adult using the proper names and descriptions for objects and experiences. Children have a natural affinity for learning. If you present them with intelligible words, their vocabulary and speech will grow abundantly. You can give your child a heads up in English class by simply starting now at the preschool age!

I learned very quickly in the early years of parenting, that a preschool child learns best in a relaxed atmosphere. When mommy smiles, speaks with a pleasant voice, and spends time playing with her child there is a special kind of bonding that takes place... the bond of love. So, let me gently remind you when irritation arises within, give yourself an attitude check and refocus your thoughts and lower your tone of voice. Your child will not only learn early academics from you but also godly character. (big smiles)

To sum it up... let me pass on the advice of which my friend gave me, take it easy during the preschool age. Buy some skill builder books, bookmark a few websites and make the learning atmosphere relaxed and fun!

Your preschooler will love being read to, seeing things, making things, creating things, talking about everything, asking questions and playing outdoors. Remember... enjoy this bonding time with them for it truly a blessing!

Listed below are a few items I've used with my first born. Please don't spend too much money on preschool curriculum you can get creative and find good resources for very little money online or at your local superstore. Don't forget to use the library too; their books are free but only for a little while!

Suggestive Preschool Resources to Used

Preschool Skill Builder/Activity Books

Preschool Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills - From School Specialty Children's Publishing. We used this workbook a lot. The pictures are rich in color, and perforated. Subjects include reading, mathematics, language arts, and writing. You can find this workbook at Amazon.com which you can find them as low as $2.00 a workbook. ISBN 1-56189-374-9

My Heavenly Helper Preschool Skill Builder and Activity Guide - McGraw Hill Children's Publisher offers a skill builder activity book that I found very helpful in teaching Bible lessons to my preschooler. This particular workbook focuses on concepts such as the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, sequencing, same and difference. Pages are perforated black and white. ISBN 0-7696-2907-5

A Must Have Preschool Educational Video

Letter Factory Video by Leap Frog - This particular pre-reading video is a must have for preschoolers. I recently noticed our local library with a copy. But I suggest you buy a copy for your family library. Your preschooler will learn letters, phonics and listening skills in no time. Creative production to say the least. ISBN 0-7907-8894-2

Free Preschool Curriculum Found Online

Starfall.com - An "absolutely" free website that teaches children to read. Perfect for preschooler too. You can put your preschooler in your lap and click through the alphabet shows. Be sure to let them click your mouse, they'll love discovering they can interact with the show! FREE printables too.

LetteroftheWeek.com - Letter of the Week was written and compiled by Katrina Lybbert. She created this site from her experiences teaching her 4 children at home. She offers free preschool curriculum. If you have children younger than preschool, you'll find her website very useful too.

Adela Osmond, is author of Plant the Word and co-owner of http://www.trainupchildren.com. Plant the Word activity guide (for ages 4 and up) comes with 100+ hands-on Bible activities to teach children how to draw close to God in word and in deed. Plant the Word CD accompaniment hold 179 Bible verse traceable worksheets, sow the word stationary, and 51 Scripture cards. Also, you can find free Old Testament Bible Lessons, activities, and worksheets at: http://www.trainupchildren.com/children/bible-lessons.php
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adela_Osmond

How to Handle Your Child's Temper Tantrums

2007-03-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

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By Colin Southgate

Every child undergoes a period when he is becoming less patient and is somehow frustrated at how limited his abilities can be. This disappointment and struggle to grasp greater control of things is vented through an activity referred to as temper tantrums.

Experts claim that temper tantrums often manifest in children aged one to three years. Temper tantrums are usually the nightmares of parents who often also grow impatient over their children's terrible behaviour.

Temper tantrums are manifested through crying, screaming, and breath holding, hitting and kicking. The loud screams and cries usually annoy people. The parents almost always want to just run out of the location where their child is throwing tantrums. Alas, they can never do that.

Psychologists remind parents that temper tantrums are a normal part of the child's growing up years. Some children may throw up regularly, but there are also some who occasionally burst out. It’s also true that some children are more prone to developing the habit of throwing temper tantrums and some tend to cease the habit.

Another setback to this behavioural problem in children is that you will never know when a child will suddenly burst out, and you can never tell where. You might have seen children throwing tantrums at places like the movie house, the grocery, and church or even at the bank.
That is why it is imperative that parents know the basics over handling temper tantrums in their children. First-time parents especially should be educated about the subject. All parents, even those who already have children, can also use a refresher.

Moreover, experts warn that not all parents are dealing with the temper tantrums appropriately. While others may be satisfied with their small strategies to pacify their children, it is not assured that those schemes are healthy.

Dealing with a child who is throwing temper tantrums

There are many simple means on how parents can deal with their
children amid a temper tantrum episode. Take note of the following simple guidelines.

Be sure to be firm and in control. Moreover, do not throw tantrums yourself. Spanking and yelling at the child during such episodes is not helpful. Doing this only triggers the child to cry and scream louder.

If it is clearly indicated that the child is having tantrums just to get something, remember not to give in to the child's demands. Children may be small and younger, but do not underestimate them. If you pamper them just to keep them quiet, you may develop an impression that he should just throw tantrums whenever he wants something or whenever he wants a person to do something for him.

When the child throws tantrums at home, just put him in a room or his crib, where he can scream, kick and cry as freely as he chooses. Let him ventilate his frustration. Within a few minutes, he will tire and realize that there is no point continuing the activity. It may be significantly annoying hearing the child do so, but endure it. If the child is put in a room, then close the room until crying ceases.

If you cannot leave your child alone while he is having an episode, just sit away from him. Do not lift a finger or try to pacify him, let him do it voluntarily. Avoid developing eye contact with the child during the tantrum episode.

If you happen to be in a public place when the tantrum occurs, take the child to the car. Put on his seatbelt and let him vent his frustration inside. You may opt to remain inside or step out of the car during the duration of the episode.

If, unfortunately, you are in a long line in a grocery store, let the child have his moment. Still, do not try to pacify him. He may be smart enough to capitalize on the fact that there are other people around just to get what he wants. Ignore the nasty comments and the glares of all other people in the line. It is funny how the line will move quickly when there's a child throwing tantrums. Of course, the cashier will aim to move faster just to get rid of the child. That way, you are doing everyone a good and practical favour.

Talk to your child after the temper tantrum episode. Emphasize that what he did was wrong and very inappropriate. Toddlers also understand what his parents tell him, so talk to him also as gently and as patiently as possible. Teach the child the habit of just saying, "I’m angry!" whenever he feels frustrated and disappointment.

Seeking experts' help

Of course, there are situations when the parent should start seeking professional help, like when the parent still feels his measures are inappropriate or when the parent becomes uncomfortable with the recommended responses to the episode.

Professional help should also be sought if the child starts hurting himself amid tantrums, or if he learns to be destructive and throws objects.

Sometimes, tantrums can also be mistaken as regular crying sessions, when the child could not express unbearable pain or discomfort. He may be feeling ill, so check the body temperature for any indication.

Children are born with tantrums. The best way parents can deal with the situation is to be in control. Remember that when your child throws another temper tantrum.

http://www.successful-parenting.blogspot.com
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Teenage Dating: 10 Tips for Parents

2007-03-07T10:14:00.000-05:00

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By Felecia Sheffield PhD

Dating among teenagers is a reality and seen by some as a right of passage from childhood to adolescence. Adolescence is also a time when your child wants to fit in, belong and be accepted. Parents must set appropriate boundaries to help their teenager come through this very challenging developmental stage.

1. Decide if your teenager is responsible and emotionally mature enough to handle dating.

2. Look at your teenager’s track record. Do they have numerous instances of lying, breaking rules, and not following through on commitments or promises? Past behaviors although not a 100% are strong indicators of future behavior.

3. Discuss which persons and places are off limits.

4. Discuss in advance which dates require adult supervision or chaperones.

5. Know who your teenager will be dating before they ring the doorbell on the first date and have contact information.

6. Set the night(s) on which your teenager can go out on a date.

7. Set an appropriate curfew time and make your teenager stick to it. Decide with your teenager consequences for curfew violations. Research shows that most children and teenagers set much tougher consequences than their parents.

8. Let your teenager know that under no circumstances are they to drink and drive. It is also important to stress to them that they are also not to get into the car with someone who plans to drive after drinking. Tell them to call home for a ride regardless of the hour and no questions will be asked.

9. Be open and frank with your teenager regarding dating and sex. Discuss safer safe practices including appropriate condom and birth control use.

10. Ask your teenager if they are having sex. Remember most teenagers are afraid to be honest with their parents for fear of their reaction. So don’t ask if you really don’t want to hear the answer.

Felecia D. Sheffield, PhD, is an author, trainer, international speaker and
life coach. Dr. Sheffield has over 15 years of experience providing services to parents, schools, colleges, universities, and social services agencies. For addtional parenting articles, ADHD, LD and college resources visit http://www.psychcore.com

Copyright 2004-2007, Felecia D. Sheffield. PhD. All Rights Reserved Worldwide in all Media. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article in your ezine, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, website, etc. as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, leave my name and bio box intact, and you follow all of the EzineArticles Terms of Service for Publishers.
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Should You Let Your Child Bodybuild?

2007-03-06T09:34:00.000-05:00

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By Eric Hartwell

My son likes to do body building. He does it everyday throughout the whole day and has been doing it for six or seven months. He’s only 13, but already he has got larger muscles than I could ever have imagined for myself. He has been doing this quite consistently throughout all this time and enjoys it very much.

The problem is that he wishes to pursue this further. However, medical opinion and other considered opinion suggests that it is not good or useful for a child of 13 who is growing to subject his muscles to huge weights and other strains. There is risk, they say, of muscle damage, burn damage, or other significant problems which can cause disability or other conditions in the future. I do, understand this. Being a loving father, I do not wish to have anything happen to my children which will make them worse. I try to protect my children just like any other loving parents would do, however, his love for body building is such that he wishes to pursue this further.

He has seen the pictures of the “world’s strongest kid”. This is Richard Sandrak, who is born in Ukraine. By the time he was 11, he could already lift twice his weight. My son is not at that stage, but he would like to be. So where do I stand? Do I allow him to keep doing this and push him further and further? The problem is that there are no gymnasiums or other supportive agencies in my area that will allow a 13-year old boy to undertake such strenuous activity. It is all very controlled and regulated. Health and safety, they say, comes before personal gain.

My son would enjoy the challenge of building his body and enjoying the challenge of being better than the next kid. Should I not allow him to be able to function in this way even if there is a risk of him damaging himself in the future? I find this a big problem. We are always told to allow our children to pursue their loves and aspirations. However, health and safety regulations in my country prevent me doing this. Meanwhile the world’s strongest kid “Richard Sandrak” has all the fame accolades and personal aspirations met that he could wish.

Visit us or share your opinions at the worlds best homepage or free content resource. Do you want to quit smoking? Visit Smokefree England for further information.
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An Introduction to Baby Car Seats

2007-03-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

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By Simone Butler

Becoming a parent for the first time involves a huge amount of learning, as there are hundreds of things involved which childless people will have had no reason to come across before, nor had any incentive to learn about. When you first learn of the impending new arrival, your thoughts will probably be taken up with decorating and equipping a nursery, buying clothes, bottles, and much more, but many people don't think of a baby car seat until later on in the pregnancy. It's very important to make sure you know what to look for in a seat, as after all, you'll need one on your baby's very first journey, from the hospital back to home.

For this first journey, you'll need a seat which faces towards the rear of your vehicle. This provides the best protection in the event of an impact for an infant who is unable yet to support the weight of their own head. The seat will be nicely reclined backwards, providing a safe and comfortable coccoon for your baby.

It's important to choose a rear-facing seat which is sturdy and dependable, yet light to carry. Young babies sleep a little and often, and the last thing you want to do after finally getting your child to sleep in a car journey is to wake them by removing them from their warm and cosy seat. Having an easily detachable model which is light to carry means you can ferry your baby from car to house with as little disturbance as possible.

These rear facing seats are only suitable for younger infants. Once they've grown to weigh around 20 pounds, or the top of their head is nearing the upper edge of the seat and thus no longer protected properly, you'll need to move to a forward facing seat.

These seats are much more upright, but better models can be adjusted to provide a more horizontal position to help your toddler sleep during longer journeys. Because of the upright position, it's essential that your child is able to sit up on their own before using this kind of seat. Forward facing seats are built to last for a fair few years, and most will be good until your child reaches the age of 4 or 6.

Before we finish, there are two extremely important things to bear in mind when buying a car seat.

Firstly, you should be very careful when buying one that isn't brand new. Although it might seem like an economy to get a second hand seat, there's no way of knowing for sure its history. It may have been involved in an accident at some point in the past, resulting in weaknessess that may not be visible to the naked eye. These weaknesses could endanger your baby even in a minor accident. You should only buy a used seat when you can be absolutely sure of the history - such as when buying off close friends or family.

Finally, baby car seats shouldn't be fitted in front seats where an airbag is fitted. In an accident, the inflation of the airbag could cause serious injury or suffocation to a child, so always fit car seats in the rear of the vehicle in this case.

Simone writes for Nappies From Hell, a guide for new parents, where you can read more about baby car seats and other aspects of moving about with your new arrival.
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Raising a Son to be a Man

2007-02-28T09:43:00.001-05:00

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By Laura Matthews

My son just came out different. My daughter, that sweet little girl who made every plaything a companion and sat quietly studying catalog pictures for hours, was my first child, and I have to say I got used to her. When she was 4 ½, Chris came along. Suddenly every object had projectile potential and even those toys with recognizable humanoid features turned into vehicles or weapons.

Initially, I was somewhat at a loss. I'm single, so it has fallen on me to nurture and encourage my son not only as a person, but as a man. However, qualities I respect in the men I admire—honesty, nobility, heroism—simply translate differently in the male universe, and I didn't quite speak the language.

One thing I didn't do, though, was wonder if my son actually had those qualities. I was sure he did—not out of maternal pride, but from a spiritual conviction that everyone shares equally in qualities that are good since the divine source of these qualities is universal and omnipresent. My job as "mother" would be to cultivate the expression of these qualities in my son. But, I wasn't always getting it right.

A guy friend, perhaps out of frustration over my lack of male-awareness, recommended a book to me—John Gray's Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus—when my boy was about three.

Gray's book gave me a whole new perspective on something I'd been taught in my youth—the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." My problem had been taking this rule to mean, "Do what you like/want for others and they will do what you like/want for you." Not surprisingly, this led me to many missteps, especially with men. For example, I like to be comforted when I'm upset, so I would try to comfort guys when they were upset, even when they said they wanted to be alone. Imagine my surprise when my comforting mostly just irritated them.

Reading Gray's book made me realize that to truly obey the Golden Rule, I had to see beyond my own literal wants. I had to learn enough about other people to treat them as they wanted to be treated. The insights into maleness from Gray's book hugely improved every guy-friendship I had. One friend noticed my behavior changing toward him so rapidly that he said it was like night and day—and we began to have a lot more fun together. It helped at work, it helped with my friends—and it helped me with my son.

Take shoes, for example. With my daughter, it was natural for me to say, "D'ya need some help, honey?" every time I saw her struggling to get those Velcro straps just right. She always accepted my help, and it made her feel loved.

My son, however, would resist. "No!" he'd snap. "I can do it myself!" He'd actually get irritated, even at the age of three. Gray's book gave me some insight into the male need for accomplishment and trust. So, I started something new. When the shoes were causing trouble and he'd get frustrated, I'd simply say, "You can do it, keep trying." That little drop of encouragement would be enough for him to regroup and succeed.

I began to appreciate more the role I have as his mother, even (or maybe, especially) when he was so young. A scary sentence from Mary Baker Eddy's Science and Health that I'd often read became easier to understand: "A mother is the greatest educator for or against crime." At first, this had seemed like an enormous responsibility because I thought I was going to have to come up with some kind of lesson plan against crime. But the same book also says, "Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear." With Spirit governing the process, it turns out that educational opportunities arise naturally, and with the right basis for response you can take advantage of them as they occur.

Once when my son was about five, we were in the dressing rooms after a day at the beach. Since he was so young, he was there with all us girls. The old-fashioned bathroom stalls had complicated latches, sides that went all the way to the floor, and only a few inches of open space under the door.

An eight-year-old girl was changing in a stall, and when she tried to come out, she couldn't work the latch. She was too big to fit under the door. She began to wail, and her mother began to panic. "We'll get you out! Someone call a custodian!"

As the only man on the scene, my son dropped what he was doing and sized up the situation (remember he's only five). I knew he'd figured out those latches as soon as we'd walked in, so when he looked at me, I nodded the go ahead.

In a trice, he wiggled through the crawlspace under the door, unhooked the latch, and set the girl free. I'll never forget the look on his face when he emerged, triumphant, from saving the damsel in distress. All the qualities of heroism, nobility, intelligence—manhood—that I could ever dream of for him were right there, in that moment.

As the girl ran to her own mother for comfort, my boy turned to me for my reaction. I said with genuine admiration, "Good job! You saved that girl!" The pride and strength on his face when I confirmed his good deed stays with me to this day.

Now, I could have said any number of other things—"Well, that latch wasn't that hard to open," or "That girl was really silly wasn't she?" I could, in fact, have stepped in to solve the problem myself. But because of Gray's book, I was ready to take full advantage of that moment to strengthen my son, and because of Eddy's book, I knew why it was so important to do so.

These moments come up frequently, even as my son is now navigating the unsettling shoals of adolescence. No matter what, I try to acknowledge and appreciate what I'm seeing in my son, to help him see and understand his own goodness and strength. My dearest wish for him is that he can one day see the manhood in himself that I've been cherishing for years. I know it's in him already.

Laura Matthews is a writer and Christian Science spiritual healer in the US Northeast. Visit her Website at: http://www.lbmatthews.com She also maintains a daily inspirational Weblog at http://www.lauramatthewscs.blogspot.com She'd love to hear from you!
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Teething Baby Tips

2007-02-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

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By Peter Bacon

Sharing a house with a baby who is cutting their first teeth can be a very stressful experience. Some babies can react badly and be constantly screaming the house down, while other babies will take it in their stride and it will seem that their teeth magically appear over night. While we might all pray for the latter, it's good to have some tips up your sleeve should your child have a bad teething experience.

This article will outline a few of our best teething tips, we have spoken to lots of parents about when their children went through the teething period and some tips are commonly used, we will share them with you here.

Put a clean cloth into your freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. Take it out and let your child chew on it, cold things to chew, bite and suck on have been known to take a lot of pain away from a teething child.

If you haven't already go get your self a good teething ring from your local baby shop, some supermarkets also sell them. They work the same way by first cooling them down on the fridge or freezer (always read the instructions on your particular product) and then handing them to baby to chew on.

Teething gels can provide almost instant relief, the only way you'll know is to try as some parents report that gels have been useless, once again every child is different.

Rub the effected gum area with your clean finger; this can be very soothing to a teething child.

Once baby's teeth have actually come through, you will want to keep them clean and brush regularly. Use fluoride toothpaste and try not to let your child spit while using it as this can reduce the effectiveness of the toothpaste.

Peter Bacon manages an up to date website about teething babies to help you cope at a time that is hard for both parent and baby. Click here for the best teething baby tip
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Biblical Meaning Of Names

2007-02-26T11:13:00.000-05:00

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By Dennis Estrada

The Old Testament is also known as the Hebrew Bible. Written between 12th and 2nd Centuries BC, the bible includes the histories, and prophecies of ancient times. Originally, the bible was written in classic Hebrew. So, the names in the bible are originally in classic Hebrew which is also known as biblical Hebrew.

The biblical Hebrew is a Semitic language which is popularly spoken from 1200 BC to 60 AD. The biblical Hebrew ceases at the end of the first temple. The first temple is more commonly known as the Solomon Temple. The temple is mainly for worships and sacrifices. This practice is popularly known as Kobarnot in Ancient Judaism.

The kingdom of Judaism was destroyed. The Jews cease the use of Hebrew language and adapts the use of Aramaic language. The Aramaic originates from Southwest Asia 1000 BC. In 20th Century, the Hebrew language comes alive as the language becomes the official language of the state of Israel. The book of Ezra, and Daniel were written in Aramaic in some parts. During the time of Jesus, the Aramaic is the spoken language. Until the time of Islam, the Aramaic remained the spoken language in the Middle East Asia.

The El which means God is dominant in the Hebrew names like Michael (God like), Daniel (God is my Judge), Joel (willed Jehovah is God), Noel (birth of God), Raphael (healer of God), and Gabriel (God is my strength). The prefix of Jeho, and Jo are common as well like Jonathan (Gift from God), and Joseph (God is add). The suffix of Jah and Iah are common as well like Elijah (Jehovah is God), and Isaiah (helper of God).

The rise of the Greek influence on Eastern Mediterranean paves the way to the translation of the Jewish Tanakh which is the Jewish Bible. And, the Jews started to adapt the Greek names. Nevertheless, the Septuagint which is the Greek version of the Jewish bible contains many Greek names.

The New Testament (which is written mostly by Saint Paul) talks about the teachings of Jesus and his disciples. The New Testament also includes some epistles letters. Originally, the New Testament is written in Ancient Greek. The names in the New Testament are a mix of Hebrew, Greek, and Roman names, but many of the names are Hebrew and Aramaic origin.

In Hebrew, Israel means a person seeing God as if God perseveres. In Greek, Israel is divided into three parts. Is means powerful. Ra means king. El means son of God.

The Jewish, Christian, and some Muslim use the Hebrew names. Nevertheless, Hebrew names are not purely Hebrew in origin. Many Hebrew names originate from Egyptian, Aramaic, Persian, Greek, Latin, Arabic, Spanish, and English.

The introduction of Latin into the Hebrew names is thru the Greeks. For example, Jesus and Maria are from Latin origin. Additionally, some Hebrew names are already Latin like Mark which is Marcus in Latin.

With the rise of Islam, the Arabic become the spoken language in the Middle East Asia. The Arabic went as far as North Africa. The Quran which is the Islam Bible contains many Hebrew and Aramaic origin. With some Jewish and Christian fell into the Arab Islam Rule, the Jewish and Christian adapts some Arabic names.

As James I of England orders the translation of Jewish Tanakh from Hebrew to English, it resulted in many more forms of Hebrew names. The Hebrew names resemble closer to Hebrew than Latin. For example, the Asshur (Assyria) and Shem (Sem) are name of place in Hebrew. During that time, some names already exists in English form such as John, Mary, and James. Those names do not need translation.

Dennis Estrada is a webmaster of unique baby names, ancient egyptian baby names, and ancient greek baby names where you can find the stories, origin, and meaning of names and babies.
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Celebrity Baby News: Baby Announcements

2007-02-23T17:27:00.000-05:00

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By Danny Concannon

Congratulations to Emma Bunton who’s expecting her first child with longtime boyfriend Jade Jones, ex-member of 90s boy band Damage. Emma suffers with endometriosis, so there was a question mark over whether she could conceive, but the fertility gods have blessed the smiley one with a summer baby to look forward to.

Meanwhile Pregnant Spice II, Mel B, is having a rough old ride. Dumped on live TV by boyfriend Eddie Murphy who’s subsequently denied that he’s the father of her unborn child and is demanding DNA tests. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Mel’s LA home is now under 24-hour police protection after a group of Eddie Murphy fans camped outside shouting insults and abuse.

Marcia Cross is under doctors' orders to put her feet up. The Desperate Housewives actress is pregnant with twins (not easy at any age, but when you’re 44 – sheesh). Production on the hit show has moved to her LA home to ease the strain..

Congratulations also to Paula Radcliffe who gave birth to a baby girl, Isla, on January 17th at Princess Grace Hospital. Says Paula ‘the birth certainly wasn’t easy but she is well worth it’.

Frank Lampard and fiancée Elen (our favourite table-dancing WAG) are also expecting their sercond child in June. Congrats guys.

It seems that the storks are going to be busy around celebrity circles in nine months time. Once the they have the newest addition of their family home it'd be a pefect time to let the world know about them with a birth announcement card.

Baby Says Hello is a unique birth announcement service with traditional printed cards and an online baby announcement with guest book.
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Solid Foods 101: Is Your Baby Ready For Solid Foods?

2007-02-20T09:53:00.000-05:00

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By Tiana Ponti

Is your baby constantly hungry and feeding more often and you think you should start them on solid foods? Doctors today are saying “Don’t be in such a rush”. Although you may think your baby is ready because of countless feeding and sleepless nights, he/she may not be neurologically or physically ready.

Pediatricians and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies are to be 4 to 6 months old before solid foods are introduced, and to remember, not every baby is the same and are ready to eat at the same times. If you introduce food too early they could have a allergic reaction, so “listen” to your baby and not the calendar or other friends. Also another important reminder is that until your baby reaches 12 months of age their main source of nutrients should becoming from milk, whether it be breast milk or formula, and never introduce peanut/peanut butter until at least the age of 3. Here are some guidelines you may wish to follow:

• Has baby doubled their birth weight?

• Has a growth spurt, or consumes more than 32 oz a day?

• Can baby sit up with little support and turn her head when she's full?

• Can your baby swallow with out spitting food out of their mouth?

• Have they developed the pincer grasp? (pointer and thumb finger)

• Does baby constantly put things in their mouth?

• Is baby interested in trying new tastes or textures?

• Imitates or watches you closely while you are eating?

Before starting any thing new with your child you should always talk to your pediatrician about your options first. These are only guidelines and should not be taken as medical advice

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Tips on Choosing the Right Breast Pump

2007-02-16T09:35:00.000-05:00

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By Connie Limon

If you are a breast-feeding mother, first of all, congratulations on your decision to breast feed your baby. Breast feeding has many emotional and nutritional benefits to help your baby get the best possible start in its new life with you. Breast feeding is also a 24 hour commitment. It is very likely a breast pump will become just as important as car seats and baby wipes. There are many choices of breast pumps.

You will most likely welcome the aid of a breast pump. As with so many of the wonderful products now available for us to use it may be difficult choosing the type of breast pump that is right for you. In this article I hope to give you some tips on doing just that – choosing the best type of breast pump for you.

Some breast pumps are hand-operated. Other breast pumps run on electricity. Designs vary. There are models that attach to only one breast. Other designs let you express milk from both breasts at once.

Start by asking yourself some of the following questions to help you decide which types of breast pump are best for you.

• How often do you plan to use the breast pump? If you will be away from your baby only occasionally, a simple hand pump may be all you need. Hand pumps are generally small and inexpensive. To operate a hand pump you simply squeeze the handle to express the milk. You can choose to pump one breast while your baby nurses on the other breast. An electric pump may be your best investment if you are planning to return to work fulltime or you are planning to be away from your baby for more than a few hours a day. One of the advantages of an electric pump over the hand pump is that they stimulate the breast more effectively. The more adequate stimulation helps to empty your breasts and protect your milk supply.

• How long will it take to pump each breast? Electric breast pumps are faster than manual pumps. A double breast pump helps to stimulate milk production while cutting pumping time in half. If you will have to pump breast milk at work or in other time-crunched situations, you may want to invest in a breast pump model that allows you to pump both breasts at once.

• Is the pump easy to assemble? If the breast pump is difficult to assemble, or take apart or clean you may experience more frustration, which can reduce your enthusiasm for pumping. It is important to be able to remove parts of the breast pump that come in contact with your skin or milk for cleaning after use.

• Is the suction adjustable? Choosing a pump that allows you to control the degree of suction will make a big difference in how comfortable the breast pump is in use.

• Is the pump heavy? The weight of your breast pump may be important if you have to tote it to and from work each day. There are light-weight breast pumps you can choose. Some breast pumps come with a convenient carrying case with an insulated section for storing expressed milk.

• How noisy is the pump? If it is important to keep the noise level down while you are using the breast pump, some electric modes are quieter than others. Check out the noise level before you purchase.

• Are the breast shields the correct size? Each breast pump comes with a shield to place over your breast. Check with the individual manufacturers to see if other sizes besides the standard size are available. And if you want to pump both breasts with the breast pump at once, make sure the breast pump is equipped with two breast shields.

• Do the electric breast pumps you are considering have a backup power option? Since an electric pump needs to be plugged in, if there is not an outlet accessible, you will need a rechargeable battery pack. Check to see if the models offer adapters that run on a car’s cigarette lighter.

• Where are some of the places you can purchase a breast pump? You can buy breast pumps from medical supply stores and most drug and baby stores. Some hospitals rent hospital-grade breast pumps. You will have to purchase the equipment that attaches your breast to the pump.

• What is the cost of a breast pump? At the time of this article writing, manual modes cost less than $60. Electric pumps that include a carrying case and insulated section for storing milk may cost more than $200. There is a small risk of contamination, therefore, borrowing a breast pump or buying a used breast pump is not recommended. Some health insurance plans cover the cost of buying or renting a breast pump.

If you are just not sure what the best choice in a breast pump is, a lactation consultant can help you make the best choice. A lactation consultant can also offer support as you start to use your new breast pump or if you run into trouble. Your doctor or hospital should be able to provide you with a referral to a lactation consultant. You can also find help from counselors at La Leche League and similar organizations.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Disclaimer: The information in this article is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about specific medical concerns.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. This article was written 2-2007.

Author: Connie Limon. Please visit our collection of Nutrition and Health articles at http://nutritionandhealthhub.com Articles are available for FREE reprint to your newsletter, website or blog. Please sign up for our weekly nutrition and health tips.
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Christening Gifts and Godparents’ Duties – Spare a Thought for The Queen

2007-02-15T10:11:00.000-05:00

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By Richard Hoare

How many godchildren do you have? Two … maybe three? Some of us may even be able to boast as many as half a dozen or so. Well spare a thought for The Queen. At the last count, Queen Elizabeth II had amassed a grand total of 30 godchildren.

For us mere mortals, choosing an appropriate Christening gift, remembering a birthday or finding another Christmas present, on top of providing the occasional piece of pithy moral and spiritual advice, can be taxing at the best of times. So how does The Queen manage with thirty little souls to guide?

Well, firstly we can assume that she doesn’t spend too much time pottering around the shops trying to find that special Christening gift. Similarly, an equerry will probably remind her when the next birthday is due and a Lady-in-Waiting or a Woman of the Bedchamber will be on hand to recommend the most popular Christmas presents for the little darlings. I think we are safe in assuming that the godchildren don’t come high on that list of forgotten jobs that keeps the rest of us awake at 3am in the morning.

The Queen has also spread her responsibilities over a few decades. To tell the truth, most of the little darlings aren’t really that “little” at all. The oldest godson is now well into his sixties, whilst the youngest goddaughter is already in her twenties. So, with a bit of judicious planning, The Queen has managed to dilute her godparent’s duties over time.

Part of a godparent’s purpose is binding ever-tighter links between friends and family. Never has this been more true than in the case of the old family firm that is “Royalty.” Look down the list of The Queen’s godchildren and it is easy to see ties and connections being strengthened and alliances forged. One of The Queen’s first godsons was Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, her last goddaughter was Princess Theodora of Greece. There are Barons, Dukes and Viscounts scattered about all over the place. And when you do find someone on the list who sounds just like the rest of us – take George Herbert for example – he turns out to be an earl … the 8th Earl of Carnarvon to be exact. Yes, becoming a godparent really is a case of “keeping it in the family.”

However, as The Queen so correctly observed: “Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters and of family disagreements.” So, if we look a bit further down the list of godsons, we find Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales. The Queen was present at his Christening on 14 July 1964 in the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey. It's worth considering, that the next time they faced each other in Westminster Abbey was at Diana’s funeral when Earl Spencer read his moving and rather controversial eulogy in front of a global TV audience of around 2.5 billion viewers.

As a final note, you should be aware that The Queen is not alone in taking on numerous godchildren. Prince Charles already has thirty-three godchildren, while Prince William started assuming godparental responsibility way back in 1999. His first chosen godson followed family tradition; he was Prince Konstantine Alexios of Greece.

Richard Hoare is a director of ASSERgerrard Limited, owners of http://www.christeningsilver.com where you will find the perfect sterling silver Christening Gift or Baptism Gift including silver Christening cups, egg cups, cutlery sets, napkin rings, rattles, jewellery and bibles. Although Richard lives and works in the UK, he does not think he is related to royalty and has yet to meet The Queen.
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Caring For Your Baby's Teeth

2007-02-15T10:06:00.000-05:00

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By Christine Albury

Keeping your baby's teeth clean may not always be easy -- when he clamps his jaws shut, it can be difficult to persuade him to open them -- but it is very important.

Ideally, you should start cleaning your baby's mouth from birth, using a piece of damp gauze or a soft, damp washcloth to wipe any milk residue from his gums and teeth. It's a good idea to start this early, as it gives your baby time to get used to the whole routine and may make him less likely to object to having his teeth brushed later on!

Once his baby teeth start appearing, it's crucial to clean them carefully at least twice a day. The bacteria that live naturally in your baby's mouth turn the sugars (including natural sugars) from foods into acid. This acid may then attack the enamel of your baby's teeth.

The importance of your baby's first teeth

Although your baby will eventually lose his first teeth, don't be fooled into thinking that caring for them is any less important than caring for his permanent teeth later on.

Baby teeth "reserve" a place for the permanent teeth to grow into. If a baby tooth is lost, the permanent teeth may shift, potentially leading to orthodontic problems later on.

Babies need their milk teeth in order to learn to speak clearly and correctly.

Baby teeth are needed for biting and chewing.

The excessive loss of baby teeth due to decay can affect your child's confidence at pre-school level -- after all, we all want to look our best!

Choosing a toothbrush

Once your baby has his first tooth, it's time to buy an appropriate toothbrush. A long handled brush with a small head is best at first, as this design makes it easy to reach all parts of your baby's mouth quite easily. The brush should have soft, rounded filaments and should be replaced every 10-12 weeks, or as soon as the filaments start to splay.

Alternatively, you could use the type of infant toothbrush that fits over your finger and some babies do prefer this -- but beware if your baby is a biter, as they don't offer much protection to your vulnerable finger!

When your baby is older and wants to hold the brush himself, then buy him a chunkier-handled design, which will be easier for him to hold -- although you will still need to do the bulk of the brushing yourself!

Toothpaste and fluoride

You don't have to use toothpaste to clean your baby's teeth -- the action of brushing is the most important factor in keeping them clean. If you do use toothpaste, then choose one specifically designed for infants -- these usually contain very little fluoride. The American Association of Pediatric Dentistry actually recommends that babies under the age of 2 should receive NO fluoride at all.

Although fluoride can help strengthen the enamel of the teeth, too much of it can lead to fluorosis - a condition which can cause white spots to appear on the permanent teeth. Young babies tend to swallow toothpaste rather than spit it out -- if you use an adult toothpaste, then they will be swallowing too much fluoride.

Speak to your child's dentist for more information about the fluoride requirements for your child.

For further information, see How Much Fluoride Is Enough?

Tips for brushing baby's teeth

If your baby is reluctant to open his mouth, try putting a brush in your own mouth -- babies love to copy whatever Mum's doing!

Try singing a musical scale with your mouth wide open (no-one's looking!) He may try to copy the singing -- or he may laugh -- but either way, he'll open his mouth!

Sit your baby in whatever position works best for you -- standing or sitting behind your baby as he looks up is a great position, because it enables you to reach all parts of his mouth very easily.

Be gentle -- firm brushing isn't necessary at this stage and can put your baby off the whole experience.

Visiting the dentist

So when should your baby pay his first visit to the dentist?

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and many other dental authorities worldwide, you should take him for a dental check-up at some point during his first year.

This gives your baby's dentist the opportunity to identify potential problems at an early stage and also to establish a good prevention program. It also gets your baby accustomed to the routine of dental visits and can help ensure he is calm on future visits.

Tips to keep your baby's teeth healthy

Avoid giving your baby juice. Nearly 90% of infants in the US are drinking juice before their first birthday. Yet whole fruit is nutritionally superior to fruit juice and contains dietary fiber, which juice lacks. Giving water to your baby is the healthiest option when he needs additional fluids.

If you do give your baby fruit juice, then make sure he drinks it from a sippy cup, not a bottle. Drinking juice from a bottle causes it to "pool" around your baby's teeth and puts him at a very high risk of dental decay.

Do not put your baby to bed with a bottle of juice or milk. The lactose in milk can react with the bacteria in your baby's mouth, forming the acids that attack tooth enamel.

Do not dip your baby's dummy/pacifier into any sweet substance.

Do not add sugar to your baby's food. (NEVER use honey as a sweetener for babies less than 1 year of age -- honey may contain botulism spores, which can be fatal to a young baby).

Ensure that baby's teeth get an extra good clean at bedtime! During the night, his natural production of saliva decreases, so its rinsing action diminishes too. This means that any harmful bacteria in the mouth are able to settle on the teeth more easily.

If your baby is receiving oral medication, give it to him before you brush his teeth, not afterwards. Almost all oral medications for infants contain sucrose.

Christine Albury is a mother of four and the author of Homemade Baby Food Recipes - your complete guide to solid feeding during baby's first year. Christine writes for many other parenting sites and a regional UK magazine. Homemade Baby Food Recipes, which was recently featured by the BBC, includes a very active blog - keeping parents up to date with all important baby food news - plus a free monthly newsletter.
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Vitamins For Your Baby

2007-02-15T09:50:00.000-05:00

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By Brooke Schuman

It seems that everyone has a different opinion when it comes to giving vitamins to your baby. This decision has to come down to you the parent. Some Dr's will say that your baby doesn't need vitamins, and others will say go ahead and give them a multi- vitamin, it depends on your doctor but for your babies safety you should definitely follow your Dr's advice.

When your baby is first born, your baby is healthy and doesn't need vitamins. Your baby is getting vitamins through breast milk or formula. It isn't until your baby quits breastfeeding or drinking formula that you may want to consider giving a vitamin supplement to your baby.

Once baby starts on solids it is more difficult to know that baby is eating a healthy diet. Baby may one day eat really good and the next take a couple bites of something and spit out all her vegetables. If my baby is anything like any of yours, he will eat the favorite food of the week and most of the time it is not the most nutritious thing for him to eat. But if you mothers are like me you are just thankful that he is eating something, anything! So if your baby is a fussy eater and you are not sure weather or not he is eating a healthy balanced diet, then I suggest a liquid multi-vitamin specifically designed for infants. You can find these sort of vitamins at your local health food store.

Stay away from gummy vitamins until at least the age of 3 or 4 . There are some things that your baby isn't allowed to have yet. Liquid infant multi-vitamins give dosage usually by weight which is good because then you know how much vitamins are safe for your baby. You never should give your baby adult vitamins as these contain a higher dosage of vitamins that is way to much for your babies body to handle. To much of anything can harm your body, with the exception of love.

Babies as well as adults do need some vitamins to stay healthy. Vitamin D for example. We get Vitamin D through the sun, so make sure your baby gets out at least 30 min a week. Of course in the winter time when there is frigid temperatures no one wants to go outside. That is why a vitamin supplement is so good. When looking for a vitamin supplement for your baby look at how much Vitamin D is in it. If the amount of Vitamin D exceeds 400 IU per day don't buy it. To much Vitamin D can be toxic to your baby.

Babies and Toddlers also need Iron and Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a great preventative vitamin, it boosts the immune system and is good to give when baby has a cold. They have vitamin C liquid drops for infants as well. Vitamin C can help the absorption of Iron so it has that benefit as well. Your multi-vitamin will have Vitamin C in it already so until baby is sick there is no need for extra Vitamin C.

Iron is essential for babies up to 18 months. An Iron deficiency can cause developmental as well as behavioral problems in infants. Although in some babies to much iron can be constipating, it is essential for there growth. There is iron enriched cereals and formulas for younger babies and iron will most likely be in your multi-vitmamin. You should always read the labels to make sure.

With our food and soil not being enriched with the vitamins and minerals it once had, I am all for giving my child vitamins. I feel good knowing that my son is getting all the things he needs to grow and thrive. Always cheek with your child's doctor before starting a vitamin regimen. I have noticed since I have started giving my son a multi- vitamin he hasn't been sick.

http://baby.ideas-from.us
http://all-about-babies.blogspot.com
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The Art of Saying "Yes" and the Art of Saying "No"

2007-02-14T10:14:00.000-05:00

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By Mark Huttenlocker

Conflict between you and your out-of-control teen can occur when he/she wants something from you (e.g., to acquire material items, receive privileges, gain attention, avoid following a rule, avoid doing a chore, avoid receiving a discipline, avoid meeting a parental expectation, etc.).

The Art of Saying “Yes”: When you kid wants something from you, and your answer is "yes," be
sure to use it as an opportunity for your kid to EARN the privilege. Here are some examples:

Child: “I’m going to Marquis’ to play some basketball.” Parent: “All right. As soon as you get your homework done.”

Child: "I'm hungry.” Parent: “O.K. Let’s cook something together, and then we both wash the dishes.”

Child: “Can Shaun spend the night Saturday?" Parent: “Yea. But your room must be picked-up.”

Child: “I want to borrow the car Sunday." Parent: “O.K. But first you must wash it and vacuum the inside.”

Child: “I need some money.” Parent: “How much ...and what are willing to do to earn it?”

The Art of Saying “No”: When your out-of-control kid wants something from you, and your answer is "no," here's the best strategy to use:

1st - Say “no” once -- and only once.

2nd - Your children will say “why not” and will want to argue.

3rd - State your reason for saying “no” only once, and let them know what they can do to earn what they are asking for.

For example: “I’m saying ‘no’ because _____. If you will _____, then you will be allowed to _____.”

4th - Your children will continue to try to whittle your “no” into a “maybe” and then into “yes.”

5th – Say “I am not going to argue” (put on your best poker face here - remember not to show any sign that you are angry).

6th - If your children threaten to ignore your “no,” then a clear warning should be given immediately:

“If you choose to ______ without my permission, then you choose the consequence which is _____."

7th - If the warning is ignored, then quickly follow through with the consequence:

"Because you chose to _____ without my permission, you chose the consequence, which is ______.”

8th - If your children refuse to accept the consequence, take everything away (or at least their favorite stuff and/or activities) and ground them for 3 days. If they have a rage-attack when they find out they are grounded for 3 days, the 3-day-discipline does not start until they calm down. If they violate the 3-day-discipline at any point, merely re-start the 3 days.

9th - Tell them exactly what they must do to get off discipline, but stick to the designated time limit:

“If you will _____, you will be off discipline in 3 days.”

Here's an example of how the art of saying 'no' plays out --

Child: Mom, I’m going to Kara’s house.

Parent: No, not tonight (say 'no' only once).

Child: Why not?

Parent: Because it’s 9:30 p.m., and your curfew is 10:00 p.m. The last time I let you go to Kara’s this late, you didn’t return home until nearly 11:00 p.m. You can go to Kara’s tomorrow if you have your chores done and you go earlier in the evening (here you are stating your reason for saying “no” only once, and telling your child what she can do to earn the privilege).

Child: I did not get home at 11:00 p.m. I got home just a few minutes after 10:00 p.m. (distorting the fact).

Parent: I’m not going to argue (with a poker face).

Child: I’m just gonna run over there and pick up my school book. I’ll be right back (sweetening the deal).

Parent: I’m not going to argue.

Child: Well, you let Sara go to her friend’s house after 9:30 p.m. the other night (applying a guilt trip).

Parent: I’m not going to argue.

Child: (mocking the parent) I’m not going to argue …I’m not going to argue …is that all you can say? You suck! (applying an insult).

Parent: (showing no emotion) I’m not going to argue.

Child: This is bulls__. You can’t tell me what to do! I’m going! (ignoring your request).

Parent: If you choose to go to Kara’s, then you choose the consequence, which will be grounding for 3 days and no phone privileges (parent’s warning).

Child: We’ll see about that (child leaves and returns at 11:15 p.m.).

Parent: (when the child returns) Because you chose to ignore my request, you also chose the consequence, which is grounding for 3 days and no phone (enforcing discipline).

Parent: You will be ungrounded in 3 days and get the phone back if you come straight home from school every day this week (telling child exactly what he/she must do to get off discipline).

Points to keep in mind:

Make your time-line anywhere from 1 evening to 7 days (3 days works best!). When disciplining strong-willed or out-of control teenagers, grounding and taking away all privileges (e.g., TV, phone, video games) work best. The 3-day-discipline works because it fits the way children think, not the way parents think (3 days is an eternity to a kid). If your child is grounded and breaks another
house rule, simply restart the 3 days.

For example: A kid completed 1 day of a 3-day discipline for getting suspended from school. On the second day, he sneaks out of the house to be with his buddy. The parent simply started the same 3-day
discipline over again. This keeps restrictions from piling up. He is more likely to hang-in when he can see light at the end of the tunnel.

You can't control your out-of-control kid, but you can control the things he enjoys (e.g., television, video games, freedom for activities, junk food, toiletries, favorite cloths, bedroom doors, cell phones, etc.).

While the out-of-control kid may not be willing to work for the things you want, he will usually work for the things he wants. By controlling the things he wants, you can influence him to change unwanted behaviors.

Where do I put the stuff that I take away from my kid?

Some parents designate a closet with a pad lock to store confiscated stuff. Some parents put the kid's things in the trunk of their car or at a neighbor's house. Others have been known to throw the less expenses items in the trash (toiletries, some cloths, junk food, etc.).

How am I supposed to get the kid's computer in the trunk of my car?

Be creative. There is always a simple way to confiscate. Just take the computer keyboard rather than the whole computer. Just take the cable cord to the television. Play Station controllers, DVDs, CDs, and cell phones are easy to hide. If the item is too big to carry out of the kid's room, just disable it (e.g., take
possession of a vital cord that connects the CD player to the speakers in the kid's entertainment center).

What it some of my stuff comes up missing?

If your kid returns the favor by taking or hiding some of your things, calmly tell him that the 3-day-discipline won't start until your things are returned. If he continues to keep your things, you may need to call the police and be willing to press charges in order to convince him that taking your stuff is
actually theft and has additional consequences.

Mark Huttenlocker, M.A., is a family therapist who works with teens and pre-teens experiencing emotional/behavioral problems associated with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder. He works with these children and their parents – in their homes. You may visit his website here: http://www.MyOutOfControlTeen.com/sl
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Newborn Baby's First Nights at Home: Tips to Help Your Baby Learn to Sleep throughout the Night

2007-02-12T11:11:00.000-05:00

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By Connie Limon

You have a new baby, oh what wonder and joy this little guy or gal is, however, you have not had a good night’s sleep since being home with this wonderful little creature. Don’t give up. You can help your new baby sleep all night, every night. And remember, you are certainly not alone. Sleepless nights are something common for most new parents.

Newborn babies often sleep 16 or more hours per day. Their sleep time, however, is often done in stretches of just one to two hours at a time. As your baby’s nervous system matures a more consistent sleep schedule emerges and he or she can go longer between feedings.

By the time your new baby reaches three months of age he or she will probably be sleeping for as long as five hours during the night. At six months of age, nighttime stretches of nine to 12 hours are most likely.

Look over the following tips to help your baby become a good sleeper:

• Encourage activity during the day: During the waking hours with your baby keep him or her busy by talking, singing and playing. Provide your baby with lots of light. This type of stimulation during the day can help promote better sleep at night.

• Monitor your baby’s naps: Allow your baby regular naps during the day and not large chunks of time that may cause your baby to stay wide awake at night.

• Follow a consistent bedtime routine: If you bath, cuddle, sing or read to your baby just before bedtime he or she will soon associate these activities with sleep.

• Put your baby to bed drowsy but awake: This technique helps your baby associate bed with the process of falling asleep. Place your baby to sleep on his or her back. Clear the crib or bassinet of blankets and other soft items.

• Give your baby time to settle down: If your baby fusses when you first put him to bed, allow him or her to find a comfortable position for falling asleep. If the crying does not stop within a reasonable amount of time, try speaking calmly to your baby and stroke his or her back to provide reassurance of your presence.

• Consider using a pacifier: If your baby has trouble settling down, try using a pacifier at nap time and bedtime to help reduce his anxiety. One problem of using a pacifier might be if he or she loses during the middle of the night and cries for its replacement. Guess who has to get up in the middle of the night to find the pacifier for baby?

• Expect frequent stirring at night: Don’t be alarmed if you hear your baby squirming and wriggle as they sleep. This is quite normal. Some babies can be noisy. All these things may simply be a sign of settling down. Unless you suspect your baby is hungry or uncomfortable (needing a diaper change or whatever), it is OK to wait a few minutes to see if he or she finally settles down. If not, then better check on baby.

• Keep nighttime care low-key: When you feed your baby or care for he or she during the night, use dim lights, a soft voice and very calm movements. This will teach your baby that it is time to sleep and nothing else.

Some babies sleep throughout the night the first night home. I know my baby slept through the night straight from the beginning of our nights at home. She was such a good baby I would always say.

However, not all babies are alike; respect your baby’s preferences. Take time to understand your baby’s schedule and ways of communicating. They will eventually settle down and sleep the whole night through. If your baby is still fussy at nighttime by age 6 months, ask your baby’s doctor for instruction and suggestions.

The goal here is for everyone to get a good night’s sleep. It is not a measure of your parental skill or a sign of a good or bad baby. I just always thought my baby was the absolute best at everything, and sleeping throughout the night was just one more reason I thought she was “perfect.” She has paid me back though as an adult, and what I got to say about her now is not the same…..At times I ask myself is this the same person I use to know as a baby, toddler and child?

Source: Mayo Clinic, personal knowledge

Disclaimer: The information in this article is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about specific medical concerns.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. Article written 2-2007.

Author: Connie Limon. Please visit our collection of Nutrition and Health articles at http://nutritionandhealthhub.com Articles are available for FREE reprint to your newsletter, website or blog. Please sign up for our weekly nutrition and health tips.
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How To Continue Breastfeeding After Returning Back To Work

2007-02-10T11:07:00.000-05:00

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By Julie Zarchi

Let’s face it - returning back to work after maternity leave is never fun! This can be especially true if you want to continue breastfeeding and are considering pumping while on the job! Most moms worry about keeping up their milk supply and wonder how to pump quickly and discreetly while still getting their job done.

Luckily, there are some great products to help you, which when paired with these valuable tips compiled by actual pumping moms, will help make your pumping plan a reality…

A double electric pump is a must. The double pump helps cut pumping time in half and also stimulates milk production.Invest in a good hands free pumping bra (Easy Expression makes two great ones).If you have your own office - schedule your time and save data entry, typing, reading and returning emails. These tasks can all be completed while pumping if you’re using a hands free bra.Leave your pump engine at the office if you do not use it at home. Saves you from taking it back and forth (it’s heavy).Make use of the small cold bag that comes with many pumps – purchase some additional freezer packs and use this to store the pumped milk discreetly under your desk!Who wants to display their pump parts while running down the corridor to the bathroom to rinse them out! Use a small cloth bag to store them (and also keep them dry). The Diapees and Wipees Diaper Wallets are perfect and just the right size.Try herbal tea products that help increase milk supply (Earth Mama Angel Baby More Milk Tea).Plan your schedule – try to schedule time to pump at the same time day although you may be busy. This helps regulate your milk production and will help you to get into a routine.Try using Mothers Milk Breast Milk Storage Bags. You can pump directly into the bags eliminating the use of bottles while pumping.Keep a large bottle of water on your desk – this will act as a reminder to keep drinking! A higher fluid intake is needed while breast feeding.Try using the Medela microwave sterilizer bags. These bags will let you quickly sterilize your pump attachments using the office microwave.Pack your pump bag the night before. All you’ll need to do in the morning is add some freezer packs and you’re ready to go.Most employers are happy to accommodate breastfeeding moms. Ask your Human Resources Department if they have a designated pumping area or any other resources available for you. Although pumping at work can be challenging at first, it is possible to succeed – and you may even be surprised as to just how easy it can be!

Julie Zarchi is a wahm and owner of http://www.supermomz.com a boutique which features Products for Today's Busy SuperMom. Julie has personal experience pumping on the job and utilized her extensive network of working mothers to compile the tips above.

For more information about Julie Zarchi and SuperMomz visit http://www.supermomz.com

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The Power of Play - What Children Learn by Unstructured Play

2007-01-19T15:24:00.000-05:00

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By Lisa Berman

As I watched my son in swimming lessons today, he was fascinated as he pushed the water up over the lip of the pool and it trickled down the spaces between the tiles - a drain of some sort. It caused me to reflect on the importance of play on learning. Children of all ages learn by play. Younger children start the learning process playing on the living room floor, the sandbox or even during bath time. Learning capacity grows for older children as their world expands to include making a treehouse or some crazy go-cart using assorted toys in the yard. Take a moment and think back to some of your favorite childhood memories. I imagine those memories consisted of moments that you were engrossed in activity, while marveling at the wonders of the world. Was it exploring the nearby brook? Watching sticks and leaves float in the current? Or was it the accomplishment of building an amazing structure from blocks or Lego's? Whatever it was, the opportunity for this free play provided long lasting memories and educational opportunities.

There is growing evidence that these experiences are vital to children's growth. A toy having the Parent's Choice Award designation does not ensure that it provides appropriate developmental opportunities. Children learn problem solving skills, social skills, self-regulation skills and self-confidence is gained as children are engaged in unstructured play. Children who learn to play creatively will grow into adults who can think for themselves and be creative in the workplace.

What this means for parents is that we need to allow our children to get dirty and make messes. Their science experiments or cooking experiments provide learning opportunities in physics and math. When they are engaged with others, social skills and negotiation skills are gained.

When we buy children gifts, we need to think about what toys will provide the most opportunity for open, unstructured play. These items include blocks, Legos, dolls, dress-up, and art supplies. Consider opportunities such as time in the woods, a field, or on a mound of dirt as wonderful experiences to engage child curiosity.

As we move into the new year I encourage all of us to find ways to increase our children's opportunities for open, unstructured play and minimize the structured activities, tv time and computer time

Lisa Berman is founder of Lighthouse Family Coaching, LLC. She has a master’s degree in counseling and psychotherapy and has worked with children and families for over 12 years. To learn more about her services or to sign up for her free monthly newsletter visit her site at http://www.Lighthousefamilycoaching.com

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2007-01-05T11:01:00.000-05:00

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Baby Health Tips Every Mother Should Know

2006-12-13T09:49:00.000-05:00

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By Lisa Lee

How to take care of minor problems.

CARE OF UMBILICAL CORD:

The end of the cord will fall off in a couple of weeks after birth.

Until it falls off, keep it clean and dry.

Keep diaper below cord so that the cord stays dry.

Dab with alcohol on a cotton swab 1–2 times each day.

Call your baby’s health care giver if it looks red, irritated, bleeds or oozes, or
has a bad odor.

CARE OF CIRCUMCISION:

A circumcision should heal in 7–10 days.

If the tip of the penis is irritated by the diaper, put a little bit of petroleum jelly
on the irritated area each time you change the diaper.

PREVENT DIAPER RASH:

Change diapers often.

Wash baby’s bottom with soap and warm water at each change.

Use zinc oxide paste or diaper rash cream on irritated areas.

TREAT DIAPER RASH:

Leave baby’s diaper area uncovered for a few hours each day. (Place several
folded cloth diapers under baby.)

Use zinc oxide or diaper rash cream on irritated areas after washing.

TREAT DIARRHEA:

If you are breastfeeding, continue to do so.

Call baby’s health care giver if your baby won’t take liquids, can’t keep them
down, has a lot of diarrhea, or has diarrhea for longer than 12 hours. (Diarrhea can be a very serious problem for little babies, who can lose a lot of fluid quickly.)

There are special drinks —called oral electrolyte solutions— that infants with diarrhea should be given to keep them from becoming very sick.

TREAT COLIC:

Make sure that your baby is not crying for some other reason (wet diaper, hunger, tight clothing, loneliness).

Hold baby, stomach down, across your knees.

Rock your baby.

Push your baby in a carriage or stroller.

TREAT A COLD:

Try to make your baby more comfortable.

Call baby’s health care provider if your baby has a fever.

When to call the doctor …

YOU SHOULD CALL YOUR BABY’S HEALTH CARE GIVER IMMEDIATELY
IF YOUR BABY:

Has breathing problems (has to work hard to get air in and out).Cries (more or differently from the usual), or moans as if in pain, or is very fussy.Has a temperature higher than 100° F.Vomits (more than a spit up) or has diarrhea (very watery, loose, foulsmelling stools) more than 2–3 times in a day.Has even one large, very watery bowel movement and is less than 3 months old.Passes blood or blood clots with urine or bowel movement.Has a convulsion (shaking arms and legs).
ALSO CALL IF YOUR BABY:

Seems weak, has no energy to cry as loudly as usual.Refuses to feed or nurses poorly (or doesn’t want more than 1/2 of the usual bottle).Doesn’t wake up as alert as usual, or for older babies, is not playful, even for a short time.Just doesn’t “seem right” and you are worried. When you call the health care provider about your sick baby, write down the advice you get. Have available the telephone number of a pharmacy in case your care giver wants to phone in a prescription.

For more helpful information about breast feeding, baby teething process and more baby care tips please visit baby-care-guide.info
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A Conservative Vaccine Schedule for Concerned Parents

2006-12-13T09:47:00.000-05:00

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By Christine Silva

After many months of soul-searching and multiple failed attempts to get information from my pediatrician, I decided to do some research on vaccines and the risks to my newborn. It was difficult to understand why my old vaccine record from 1974 had only seven vaccine stamps on it, but my pediatrician wanted to give my newborn over 40 vaccines over the course of the next four years.

The medical community recommends at least four polio vaccines, six hepatitis B vaccines, five DTaP vaccines (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), at least two MMR vaccines (measles, mumps, rubella), two influenza vaccines, three PCV vaccines, three HIB vaccines, and at least two varicella (chicken pox) vaccines, and two Hepatitis A vaccines. All together, these average over 40 vaccinations before the age of two.

Other medical communities have chosen to recognize possible dangers from vaccines. For example, in the late 1990s, over-vaccination was definitively linked to canerous tumors in domestic cats and dogs. At the time, I worked for a veterinary office, and the doctors were extremely concerned about the health of their animal patients. They decided, within a month, to modify their vaccination recommendations to a more conservative regimen, even though it would cause a decrease in income. The health and welfare of their clients was more important than the possible profit loss. It is unfortunate that human doctors cannot come to a similar consensus regarding infant vaccination. Until then, it is the responsibility of parents to educate themselves regarding vaccines and their risks, and make appropriate choices.

Why has the medical community deemed it necessary to vaccinate a newborn child over 40 times, when just thirty years ago, eight vaccines seemed an acceptable number? And, although the medical community refuses to link vaccines to autism, or Attention Deficit Disorder, it is extremely difficult to reconcile the fact that autism and vaccine reaction rates have skyrocketed in the last twenty years.

So, using my experience in education and research, I have compiled a more conservative vaccine schedule for my child based on risk factors. As a parent, I want to do whatever I can to protect my child from disease, as well as possible side-affects from any medication or medical treatment.

Many of the vaccines given to infants seem ridiculous and unnecessary, and the risks do not outweigh the benefits. For example, the tetanus vaccine is routinely given to newborns, even though the risk to newborns from this disease is infinitesimal. Tetanus is usually spread by the urine or feces of an animal on an outdoor object, such as a rusty nail. When an object enters the body, the bloodstream is infected by the toxin.

Now, I remember getting a tetanus vaccine as a young teenager after piercing my palm on a rusty hook. My father grumbled, looked at the wound, and took me to the hospital for a shot. My father received his first tetanus vaccine in his forties, after stepping on a rusty nail while clearing brush.

So, if this toxin enters the blood through a puncture wound, why does the medical community insist on vaccinating newborns against this disease, especially if they cannot walk, and probably have no contact with sharp objects, much less filthy outdoor objects that may be covered with animal urine and feces?

Fewer than 50 cases of tetanus are reported every year in the United States. That makes the possibility that your child will have tetanus in their lifetime about one in 220 million. Compare this with the possible risk of autism, which is about one in 220… period.

Now, another vaccine that seems risky is the varicella vaccine, which is the vaccine against chicken pox. This mild disease strikes thousands of children every year, and usually results in dozens of pimple-like itchy sores, mild fevers, and two whole weeks home with mommy. As children, my brother and I both had chicken pox, and I have a small scar on my cheek as a result. Subsequent lifetime immunity to chicken pox and shingles also came with my childhood bout with this disease.

The varicella (chicken pox) vaccine is one case where the dangers of the vaccine almost certainly outweigh the benefits. A child with chicken pox is a delightfully cranky inconvenience to working parents for two weeks. A child with a brain damage from a debilitating vaccine reaction is an inconvenience for a lifetime.

The influenza vaccine is only recommended for children that have very obvious risk factors, such as cardiac disease, sickle-cell, HIV, or diabetes. However, most doctors insist on vaccinating healthy children against influenza. Once again, a child with the “flu” is a great inconvenience to working parents—for two weeks. And, once again, a child with a brain damage from a debilitating vaccine reaction is an inconvenience for a lifetime.

The safety of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine is hotly contested. At a recent news conference, reporters asked England’s Prime Minister, Tony Blair, if he vaccinated his young child with the MMR vaccine, and he refused to answer. Although I believe that vaccination against measles, mumps, and rubella is necessary, I do not believe that these three vaccines should be given in combination. Especially since, in a combination vaccines, it is impossible to determine which of the three vaccines cause a serious vaccine reaction if one occurs.

Hepatitis B is another vaccine that is routinely given to newborns, even though newborns have almost no risk of contracting the disease. This disease affects about 320,000 Americans annually, and is mainly spread through unprotected sex and IV drug use. The vaccine is recommended for homosexual men, drug users, and anyone working in the medical field. Does your newborn fall under any of these risk categories? No? I didn’t think so.

Here are my recommendations—the recommendations of a concerned mother.

1. Try to request separate vaccines. Decline combo vaccines. Pay extra if you have to. It’s worth it.

2. Ask the vaccines to be “pulled up” in front of you. Make absolutely sure that the vaccine vial is a single-dose (the bottle should be really small, like the size of a brazil nut). If the bottle is big, a multiple-dose vial, refuse the vaccine immediately and do not return to that doctor! Multi-dose vials are cheaper, and they may contain a deadly preservative, thermerisol, a mercury-based preservative that is an actual human poison. Although vaccine manufacturers voluntarily stopped adding mercury to vaccines, these vaccines are not illegal, and no one knows how many thousands of bottles still exist on doctor’s shelves.

3. Eliminate all unnecessary vaccinations. Unless your child has actual risk factors, decline vaccines that are unnecessary. I have chosen not to vaccinate my newborn against chicken pox, influenza, Hepatitis B or tetanus. I received most of these vaccines in my teens, and I survived easily on chicken soup (and a mother’s love) through my childhood bout with the chicken pox.

4. Only allow one vaccine per office visit. Your pediatrician may protest, but I guarantee that most doctors will not vaccinate their own newborns with nine vaccines all at once. If you only allow one vaccine at a time, you can track any possible reactions.

5. Have an anti-inflammatory handy in case your child has a reaction. Ask your doctor for the safest (probably infant Tylenol), and have it ready just in case. If your child gets a reaction, such as a fever, give him the anti-inflammatory, and take him to urgent care. Don’t worry if they think you’re overreacting. Who cares what they think? Protect your child’s health at all costs.

6. If there is any way you can stay home with your newborn the first six months, and expose him to as few risk factors as possible (daycare, other sick children, etc), try to delay vaccination until your baby is at least six months. Enormous amounts of brain development take place at this time, and anything you can do to ensure your child’s protection against possible vaccine reaction, as well as disease, is a good thing. Beg, borrow, steal, use credit cards, whatever! Protect your child’s future!

7. And last, but not least, trust your own instincts. If you feel that your newborn is not reacting normally to vaccines, question your doctor, and if you get a condescending response, get another doctor.

As parents, we all want what’s best for our children. You are the final arbiter of your child’s health and wellness, and the more you can delay any type of intervention, the better. You have the choice to vaccinate your child conservatively, and there are risks to any vaccine, and also risks when you choose not to vaccinate.

However, if you are concerned, remember that many childhood diseases, such as chicken pox, influenza, and even the measles, are rarely fatal. However, severe autism can be a “death sentence” for a lifetime. Consider your options, do some research, and trust your heart as a loving parent.

Christine P Silva, BA, CRTP, lives in California with her husband, two children, and three spoiled cats. She earned her undergraduate degree from San Jose State University, and her advanced accounting certificate and California tax registration from Cosumnes River College. She is the founder of the Sacramento Volunteer Tax Preparation Clinic, a free service offering tax assistance to low income and Spanish-speaking taxpayers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Silva

Educational Toys Are Important For Infants

2006-12-07T09:55:00.000-05:00

By Low Jeremy

Every child has an instinct to learn, as evidenced by his or her ability to act like a sponge to every idea and visual stimulus that crosses his or her path. Because of this, people who say that play has no value whatsoever are eating their words right now. Toys and play, even experts say, play vital parts in children's learning and discovery.

Kids' development and learning abilities vary. Some might already be walking at just nine months, while some children learn late and start at only about two years old. There is nothing unusual about this. There are children that are adept at a particular thing, while other kids are more proficient at another.

What is common to all children, nevertheless, is the fact that they are all naturally born curious about the world around them. Babies, in particular, are ultimate learning sponges because they start out with a clean slate. We should, therefore, never be annoyed at kids who always ask the question "why", as this is an indication of their interest to learn new things and wonder about their environment.

And because infants are the best teaching subjects, great pains have been undergone to develop educational toys that would enhance their sponge-like abilities. Learning starts at home. It is the responsibility of parents and the people that surround infants to make sure these formative years are maximized by exposing their children to toys and things that would encourage and feed their hunger for knowledge.

Toys are what children almost always interact with, and exposing them to a number of well-chosen educational toys will boost their individual growth.

As parents and adults who choose these toys, however, we must realize that educational toys are made according to a child's age and learning pace. Thus, we must only purchase and gift toys that are appropriate for the kid we are giving it to, otherwise, our purpose of teaching and instilling knowledge will be defeated.

Infants, in particular, because their sensory abilities are not as developed as toddlers yet, need toys that stimulate their hearing, touch and sight. Strong contrasting colors and soft colorful objects and toys are best for babies to help them with their hand-eye coordination. Therefore, just when we think that these soft balls do nothing for infants, we need to think again. Any toy that stimulates infants' senses is considered educational.

Low Jeremy maintains http://educational-toys.articlesforreprint.com This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Low_Jeremy

How to Get Baby to Sleep Through the Night

2006-12-07T09:53:00.000-05:00

By Chris Towland

Few things, if any, match the overwhelming joy a baby can bring. But for many parents, the lack of a good nights sleep can sometimes tarnish that joy, just a little.

If you are in that situation where your baby is struggling to sleep and so you and the rest of your family are feeling more and more exhausted as every day goes by, here are a few ideas on how to get baby to sleep through the night.

Establishing a night time routine is one way to get baby to sleep through the night. Give him or her a bath, have one last feed and say goodnight with a warm kiss and a smile. Do not stimulate the baby, as this will make it a long drawn out process. Being consistent will also be important. The baby must know what is going to happen next and what bedtime means.

Another way to get baby to sleep through the night is to make sure that some one-on-one snuggle time is in your routine. You don’t want to just dump the baby into his or her crib without another word. Take advantage of your baby’s attachment to a blanket or cuddly animal. If they haven’t established this yet, help them to find something that will make them feel comfortable when you are not there. An object like this, often called a transitional object, can give your baby comfort and help him or her to get to sleep, both when first put to bed and also on waking during the night.

If the baby does cry for you in the night and you know she is not wet or hungry, avoid the temptation to pick her up and rock her back to sleep. She will quickly become accustomed to that and will want it every time she stirs in the night. That is not to say you cannot comfort her at all of course. Rub her back gently, speak softly but don’t pick her up. Babies learn very quickly what you will do to make them happy.

It is important that you stick to this for a several nights. Babies will often cry for a shorter period of time each night until eventually, the baby will learn how to sleep through the night. Be careful not to give in. Even if the baby has cried for an hour before you pick her up, you still must resist the temptation if at all possible. All this is going to do is teach her that you will pick her up if she cries long enough.

Let me just repeat here that this is NOT a suggestion that you just leave your baby to cry it out, instead the idea is that you are with him or her to provide comfort but just do not give in to picking your baby up to rock him or her back to sleep.

Did you know there's an easier way to get baby to sleep through the night? Take a look at The Baby Sleep Solution - The easy solution to your baby's sleeping problems at http://www.BabySleepSolution.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Towland

A Couple of Cool Baby Shower Cake Ideas

2006-12-07T09:51:00.000-05:00

By Tim Bock

Baby showers are special events indeed, and the host or hostess of the baby shower is always on the lookout for a great way to make the event even more memorable. One great way to add a lasting memory to the baby shower experience is to consider have a cake created specifically for the occasion. This article lists a couple of cool baby shower cake ideas, but really the only limit is the imagination of the host.

One of the best baby shower cake ideas is to have a cake created in the shape of a diaper, a rattle, or other stereotypical symbol of infanthood. Many bakeries and specialty shops have molds on hand that can shape the cake in this way. However, if you do not have such a shop nearby, consider using the internet to find a bakery that is willing to make the cake and ship it (be sure to give this process extra time) or you could contact local craft stores to see if they have or would be able to create the right kind of mold. You can then either bake the cake yourself or, for the culinary less adventurous, hire a baker to use the mold and create the cake.

Another one of the great baby shower cake ideas is to have an image of the baby (via an ultrasound film) actually printed onto the surface of the cake. As long as both the mom to-be and the guests all have good senses of humor (i.e. some may feel strange ingesting a likeness of the unborn guest of honor), this is sure to leave a lasting impression.

For more information concerning baby showers, please visit The Baby Shower Zone, a website that specializes in baby showers and cool baby shower cake ideas
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Bock

Mommy Burnout - 6 Ways to Lose It

2006-11-10T10:53:00.000-05:00

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By: Carrie Lauth

Feeling burnout as a Mom is very common. It does not mean that you are failing as a Mom. It’s mostly due to the isolation that a lot of Moms face in our culture, as well as the overscheduling and overwork that a lot of us deal with.

Here are 6 things you can do to prevent burnout and treat it if it comes up.

Find your tribe

Find a support group of like minded Moms. There are neighbors, people you worship with, family, Moms at storytime, the park, or anywhere else Moms hang out. It’s extremely important for Moms to have a social network. Talk about your feelings with someone who won’t judge you, and return the favor. Spend time with good friends, and don’t forget to nurture your relationship with your spouse.

Set boundaries

Setting good boundaries isn’t just about limits with your kids. Boundaries are something that protect you from being overburdened with other people’s responsibilities. Learn to say no to things that don’t honor your values, and don’t overextend yourself.

Lose the guilt

Don’t feel like you’re a bad Mom because you feel burnout from time to time. In fact, you are probably a very conscientious Mom who is neglecting her own needs! Be as forgiving and empathic with yourself as you are with your kids, and remember, when you take care of your own needs, you’re in better shape to care for your family. It’s kind of like when the flight attendant
tells you to put on your own oxygen mask first in case of emergency!

Take care of your body

Eating poorly leads to fatigue and stress. Nurture your body with healthy foods and avoid excessive caffeine and sugar, which only deplete you.

Exercise is also very important because it helps you deal with stress and floods your body with endorphins, the “feel good hormones”. Don’t make excuses! Get moving for 20 minutes a day. It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Walking is one of the best exercises you can do.

Exercise is also good for the kids because it helps them discharge excess energy that they may have from being inside too much.

Spending some time every day in the sun is also a good idea. Sunlight improves mood and helps
you sleep better.

Take a break

Nurture yourself every single day in small ways. Take a hot bath by yourself. Go outside for a few minutes and breathe deeply. Say your prayers, journal, pursue a hobby that you love. Even if all you can do are 5 minute increments, take the time!

Focus on what’s truly important

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself that the most important things on your to do list are your children, not the dishes or the dusty blinds. Put everything aside for 15 minutes and just play with your kids. Have fun, laugh together, spend time in nature together, and enjoy life. The rest can wait. Kids have a way of growing up despite us. And keep hugging those babies!

Carrie Lauth is a Mom of 4 and the host of www.NaturalMomsTalkRadio.com. For more information on having more fun as a Mom, visit: www.MomsWisdom.com

Bottle Feeding Baby - Keeping It Clean

2006-11-06T10:06:00.000-05:00

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By Robin OBrien

Breastfeeding mothers can have many problems but one thing they don't have to think about is keeping their milk clean and germ-free. Bottle feeding mothers don't have this luxury. Cleanliness is paramount when bottle feeding your baby.

If you've decided to bottle feed your child then you must first acquire the correct equipment. First on your list should be an adequate bottle sterilizer. There are several different types to choose from. The cheapest option available is to buy a bottle sterilizer that works by placing it in a microwave. Their big advantage is cheapness, but they do have a couple of drawbacks; first you must thoroughly clean your microwave after cooking spicy food. Secondly, portability can be problematic. A more expensive option is to purchase an electric bottle sterilizer. You simply wash your baby's bottle and then place them into a plastic tray, which is then placed into the sterilizer. This is the best way to sterilize your baby's milk bottles, however, be sure to place only the amount of water into the sterilizer as specified by the manufacturers - don't put more than is recommended. Finally, you can purchase an electric/microwave combination. Basically, this means you can place the interior tray into a microwave rather than using the electric unit. Whichever type you purchase, don't forget to wash it occasionally.

Ensure that you wash your baby's bottles correctly. Use a bottle washer especially made for cleaning babies bottles. Wash bottles in warm soapy water and use salt to clean the teats. Make sure use rinse thoroughly after cleaning. Never sterilize your baby's bottles with the teat or caps left on.

Germs require 3 things to thrive; water, sugar and warmth. Infant formula can provide ideal conditions for germs to breed. Always make infant formula just before you need to and discard any that is left over after feeding. Never give your baby milk that was made for a previous feed; would you like to drink milk that has been left standing for hours in a warm room? Also, when travelling, never make formula in advance. It is better to take hot water and mix the milk powder just before feeding. It might be worthwhile buying ready-to-use for long distance trips.

Never share your baby's bottle with another infant, even with other siblings. Sharing is the surest way to spread germs from one baby to another. Make sure your own hands are clean before you prepare your baby's formula.

Take care of your baby's teeth. Bottle feeding tooth decay is a real risk. Infant formula usually contains more sugar that breast milk. You should never put baby to bed with a bottle, which the baby can suck on for hours. The sugary liquid flows over the baby's upper front teeth and dissolves the enamel, causing decay that can lead to infection. The longer the practice continues the more damage to the baby's teeth and mouth. Treatment is very expensive.

Bottle feeding will provide your child with all the nutrients it needs. By following the guidelines above, you can also ensure that bottle feeding is as germ-free and safe as breastfeeding.

Robin O'Brien is founder of Baby Bottle Feeding. It offers advice on all aspects of bottle feeding, including what is the best infant formula and bottle feeding tooth decay.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_OBrien

Potty Training Resistance

2006-10-30T09:45:00.000-05:00

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By Diane Ball

Potty training, unfortunately, comes at a time in life when a child is learning to be more independent. Known as the ‘terrible twos’, your toddler may resist potty training altogether, dirty his or her diaper for spite, act differently about the toilet for different caregivers, and generally cause potty training to be a hassle for parents. However, don’t despair, potty training can still be accomplished even if this is the case, if parents remain calm and understanding and make potty training a fun activity.

First, be sure your child is ready and establish a potty training routine with your child. These two steps are the basis for quick and stress-free potty training. However, many children will still resist, so you are not alone if you are often faced with a screaming child or one who is learning early to talk back (good luck with him or her as a teen…). Refusing to potty train can be simply frustrating, or it can have real health consequences if they chose to ‘hold it’ for long periods rather than use the potty. Remember to consult your paediatrician if resistance continues for a long period of time.

Rewarding your child is an appropriate step in the potty training process, and one that will possibly make your child less resistant. Have him or her help choose the prizes. For example, visit the local toy store and purchase some new items that your child may not have until he or she meets certain goals. You may also wish to talk to your child about what he or she cannot do without being potty trained (staying the night at grandma’s, going to school, visiting friends, etc). Motivation is the key to successful potty training.

Talk with your child if he or she is normally well behaved, but extremely resistant to potty training. Perhaps your child is scared of using a potty seat. Have him or her use, instead, a small potty chair and decorate this chair with stickers. Some children, for example, are scared of the flushing noise a larger toilet makes. Wait until your child leaves the room to flush, or have him or her flush the toilet themselves, both when they use it and at other time in the day, simple to get used to the idea. You may also wish to have your child watch while you, older siblings, and family members use the toilet to show your child that it is not scary.

Punishment is appropriate when your child knows that he or she is acting inappropriately. For example, if he or she won’t let your change his or her dirty diaper, even though they have been previously telling you when they have to go, you may wish to punish your child. Also consider punishment for inappropriate behavior such as hitting or throwing temper tantrums.

Punishment is not appropriate for accidents, on the other hand. Remember that your child may simply not know he or she had to use the toilet. Even with older children, accidents sometimes happen, especially with urination during play as they get distracted until it’s too late to make it to the toilet. Try to be understanding about this so that your child does not continue to resist using the toilet.

There are many tools on the market to help make potty training fun. If you make it a fun activity, your child will not be as resistant, and the process will be much faster. Use a variety of games, songs, and activities to teach your child about using the potty and remember that each child is different and will learn toilet use at a different pace.

Diane Ball has an interest in Potty Training. For further information on Potty Training please visit Potty Training or Potty Training Symptoms .
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_Ball

Raising Kids - The Heartache of Infant Indigestion

2006-10-24T09:52:00.000-04:00

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By Jill Seimer

Any adult can tell you just how uncomfortable or even painful indigestion can
be. Now put yourself in the shoes of an infant. Can you imagine the pain they
must experience when they have indigestion? They cannot tell you so they just
express it by crying to show you something is wrong. Any mother will tell you
that they would gladly take on their baby's sickness if it meant giving their child
relief from whatever is causing them pain.

What is Colic? This is a common term used around children's health and is also
referred to as infant indigestion. Colic is seen by some people as infants just
being "fussy" and "cranky" which is a tiny bit shortsighted. Colic has no single
definition as such - we simply know that the child is in pain and needs help.
This discomfort is normally linked to the childs digestive process, which is
still in its formative stages.

In general colic begins when a baby is six weeks
old and lasts until they are about 3 to 4 months old. It's rare for colic to
continue past this age. What Causes Colic? Some people believe that colic is an
allergic reaction in the child whereas more agree that it most likely has diet
as its root cause. An infant being overfed or underfed is more than enough to
start a painful attack. Foods with high fat, sugar and protein content also seem
more likely to cause colic. One interesting fact is that breastfed babies suffer
far less from colic. Stress is also a major cause of colic in infants so parents
and carers alike should make every possible effort to provide the infant with a
worry-free environment to grow up in.

The Symptoms of Colic The first, and most obvious, sign of colic is crying - and
lots of it. This crying is also different to normal infant "sobbing" which they
may do for attention. This type of infant crying is painful and inconsolable.
Infant crying caused by colic is the type that no mother can stop - no matter
what she tries.

It's bad enough that your baby is in pain but the crying fit they experience
actually causes them further problems. When a baby cries in this way sudden
spasmodic abdominal cramping will occur, and the child will automatically draw
up their knees and clench their fists. Their tiny body is now tense and the
intense crying now sucks more air into their stomach which then causes them more
pain from trapped gas.

Colic Like Clockwork? Oddly enough most infants will develop colic around the
same time each day. This is normally in the late afternoon or evening and can
last for several hours. The crying fits can be trying on the most patient of
parents but keeping track of when the colic occurs will allow you to track it
and mentally prepare for it in advance.

JIll Seimer reports on health issues at RefluxLife.com covering on healthy natural lifestyle. Recently she discussed Natural healing for Acid Reflux from her experience on acid reflux disorder symptoms.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jill_Seimer

Infant Car Seats - What to Look for

2006-10-19T10:50:00.000-04:00

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By LynnMarie S.

Infant car seats should be purchased for any baby who weighs less than 20 pounds. It can be more cost efficient to purchase an infant-toddler car seat that can be converted when the baby weighs more than 20 pounds. But all experts will agree that babies are safer in infant car seat because they are designed for the smaller baby to give support in all the necessary places. Your baby should be comfortable. You should get a car seat that has lots of cushioning and plenty of head support. The Graco infant car seat is one of the most popular car seats for infants and range in price from $80 to $170.

These are some things to look for when you are shopping for a car seat for your infant.

It should be easy to install. It is very important that the car seat is installed properly and according to the manufacturer’s specifications. When buying a car seat, remember that simpler is better. If a car seat looks like it will be difficult to install, it probably is.

A smaller baby needs more adequate restraints to hold him in the seat. Look for infant seats that have a five point harness. These will have one strap for each of the baby’s shoulders, one strap for each of his thighs, and one between his legs. These straps are safer for an infant since they are more adjustable than plastic shields or T-bar restraints.

Avoid car seats that require you to fasten the seatbelt in the rear of the seat. The seatbelt adjustment should be easy to reach.

It must have the right anchors. Starting in September 2002, all new infant safety seats had to be compatible with the LATCH system (LATCH is short for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children). Rather than using a seatbelt to hold the infant seat in place, this system uses two anchors for the bottom of the seat and a one tether for the top of the seat. This makes installation of the seat easier and safer because the seat is attached directly to the car.

Babies are always a mess. Consider purchasing a seat with a removable infant car seat cover so that you can keep the car seat clean. It may be tough to find this feature because many car seats do not come with removable infant car seat covers. Be sure to check the car seat you are purchasing to see if the car seat cover can be removed.

The most important thing to consider what buying a car seat for your infant is safety. Remember, the car seat should be easy to install, have adequate restraints, and have the correct anchors for attaching it to the car.

About the Author

LynnMarie is On-Line Editor for Babyage.com which is one of the top online retailers of Graco Infant Car Seats including an extensive line of Infant Car Seats for infants and children.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=LynnMarie_S.

Weaning Your Baby From The Bottle - My Number One Tip

2006-10-14T09:55:00.000-04:00

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By Cassandra Germsheid

Weaning your baby from the bottle can be a very stressful time for both your and your child. If you're fortunate enough to be reading this before its time to wean your baby, you'll hopefully have an easier time of taking away the bottle and moving to solid foods exclusively.

I learned this tip from my own mother, and it worked so well that it took the stress and frustration right out of weaning. In fact, I hadn't even realized that my daughter wasn't drinking from a bottle until two days after she was fully weaned. She never fussed or asked for her bottle once during the transition from formula to solid food.

So, without further adieu, here's my number one tip. Starting today, don't let your baby hold the bottle. That's it - that's the magic formula. It worked wonders for me and if you start early enough, I know it can work wonders for you too, and here's why.

By letting your baby hold and play with their own bottle, they associate it with things other than feeding. This isn't a bad thing, but once you try and wean your baby from the bottle, they'll miss it as a toy or source of comfort.

During the period from 6-12 months of age, your baby will gradually be eating more solids and drinking less formula or breastmilk. If they only use the bottle as a source of food, they won't miss it once its time to wean because they'll be eating plenty of solid foods to satisfy them.

I held my daughter's bottle for her since day one. I had been dreading her first birthday because I assumed she would turn ornery every time she expected her bottle instead of solid food. To my surprise, she had transitioned from formula to solids so easy that I wasn't even aware the weaning process was over. By using this tip, I hope you will have the same experience as well.

Cassie Germsheid is the owner of BabyTipsOnline where you can find even more tips for weaning your child from the bottle. Don't forget to sign up for the free Baby Tips Newsletter and have tips, news, recipes and parenting advice delivered right to your inbox.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cassandra_Germsheid

Ways For Treating Babies That Have Colic Using Only Natural Ingredients

2006-10-10T17:10:00.000-04:00

Ways For Treating Babies That Have Colic Using Only Natural Ingredients
By Kerris Samson

For any parent whose baby has suffered or is suffering from colic can you tell, it is one of the most painful experiences that they have ever had to deal with in their lives? Nothing can be worse than seeing your own baby in pain and not being able to relieve it for them or even take the pain away. So finding a relief for colic has become a top priority for these parents. Today you will find that there are many types of colic remedy available that may come to your baby’s rescue. However each baby is unique and you may find that yours responds to some or a combination of colic remedies that are available. But us poor parents the only way of finding the right one for ours is by the trial and error method, which will hopefully provide the right amount of relief for them. But one thing is for sure that the days of waiting for it to pass have long gone, especially for those looking for the answer. No longer does your baby have to suffer needlessly and neither do you, but if you find that using the tried and tested techniques of proper feeding and burping are not working, then try some of the more effective remedies which are now readily available instead.

Firstly there is music and sound. Not only traditional lullabies, but both classical music which has been composed specifically for infants and the heartbeat/womb sound CDs are now becoming extremely popular as external remedies for helping to relax the baby suffering from colic. There are a number of websites around which can offer these types of CDs for you. Also other parents have found that by placing their baby in its car seat on top of a running dishwasher, washing machine, clothes dryer or close to a vacuum cleaner which is turned on seems to work. The other tried and tested method used by many parents is a gentle shhhhhing sound in the baby’s ear as well as soft whispers and humming or singing can also calm them.

The next thing to look at is the baby’s diet. Many baby’s who are bottle fed show an improvement when the formula being used is changed for a different one, say one may with soya. Also mothers who are breastfeeding should pay close attention to what they actually eat to ensure that their baby does not have a negative reaction to certain foods in their diets. By trying to eliminate items which seem to be common culprits of causing colic one at a time for week and see if there is any improvement in the colic to your baby. Such products you should consider eliminating from your diet are dairy, caffeine, chocolate and gas producing foods (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, peppers, melons, tomatoes, citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit etc), beans and peanuts).

You could then look at using gripe water, but check the ingredients contained in it before buying it. There are many that are on the market which claim to be natural but do include artificial ingredients and preservatives. Certainly many infants who have colic find that their digestive systems would rather not have these potential irritants placed in them. So it always better to read the label as not all gripe waters can help you, but there are many effective and safe ones that can, just carryout a search of the internet and you should find some that are suitable for your needs.

If you really want to do something different then give your baby and warm aromatherapy bath or massage. Just add a few drops of lavender oil to some warm bath water and then follow this up with a massage. It is best if you focus the massage on the stomach area to help relieve the trapped gas which is causing the pain. There are many books available that can help you learn these baby massage techniques as well as on the internet. You can also purchase specially oils made with lavender, chamomile and fennel which are specifically designed for using for massaging your baby and these can also be found on the internet. If you want you can also purchase a very popular baby massage tool called a Snukkles on the web as well.

Now we will look at swaddling. Many parents have found that there upset or distraught baby will become soothed when swaddled or held close to their mother or father’s chest as the sound of their heartbeats is reminiscent to the baby of the comfort and safety that they felt in their mother’s womb. Many mothers have found that their babies when attending nursery become soothed if upset by being swaddled. The methods of folding soft stretchy blankets are easy for you to learn and you will find both instructions and diagrams online as well as being able to get books and magazines on the subject. There is product already on the market called SwaddleMe which is ideal for this purpose and can be easily found on the internet.

The final method we are going to look at is motion. This involves the parent either walking, rocking or some other form of gentle movement which most infants/baby’s find very comforting. Some parents swear that a good old fashioned rocking chair is all you need to accomplish this. Whilst other parents have found that pushing the child around in their pram or out for a drive in the car also works. Another thing to try is putting your baby in a chest carrier or sling and just wandering around the house carrying out chores as it is all hands free. You could also walk with your baby facing down across your arm and with your hand under their abdomen and just apply gentle pressure, this is often known as the colic hold position and seems to be quite effective in some cases. However as many babies like to be outside and all enjoy being put in a swing, maybe using a combination of this with other things may be what bests suits your baby.

Kerris Samson a Work from Home Mum living in Spain who has set up a number of sites dedicated to all forms of natural treatments and remedies for the various ailments and illnesses that people are attacked by in today's modern society. If you would like to learn more then please visit http://www.remedy.wiki101.info.
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Dora the Explorer Only from Nick Jr.

2006-10-02T10:02:00.000-04:00

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By Low Jeremy

Nick Jr. is the official home of Dora the explorer. Whenever the episode of Dora the explorer is scheduled, you will find children from around the world glued to Nick Jr. and waiting for their favorite cartoon series.

Dora the explorer from Nick Jr. focus on pre-schoolers and toddlers that are old enough to enjoy a cartoon show. Nick Jr. went out on its way in creating Dora the explorer complete with colorful animations, interactive pauses and songs that children can easily memorize and love.

Nick Jr. made it as nature-based as possible by presenting natural settings with which Dora the explorer and Boots go to every time they are on their way to a new adventure. In all their trips, they are faced with small problems that need solutions. Dora makes it a point to have simple solutions available to help and solve the problems that they encounter in their way. This is one of the things that children love about Dora the explorer.

Dora the explorer is created by Nick Jr. as a young kid that is both tough, sweet and simple. The network wants to show kids that there is a solution in every problem. All that is needed is to look for ways and techniques that will be the answer to those things. This is one of the concepts that Nick Jr. wants Dora the explorer to have on the kids.

Dora the explorer is made with the Spanish language being used as one way of teaching children about the language. After English, Spanish is one of the widely used language around the world. Nick Jr. knows this. That is why they made a cartoon character that is bilingual. One that can converse and understand both English and Spanish.

This fact does not seem to make any impact on the how children perceive Dora the explorer. Even if those who have just seen Dora the explorer cannot understand any of the language being spoken, they get the essence behind the words by the actions that Dora makes.

Children watching Dora the explorer can relate and help Dora solve the problems that she encounters on the way to her journey. This one of the essence that makes Dora effective as effective to more and more children. They can easily get the zest of what Dora’s adventure is about and will go out of their way in helping her find the solutions that is needed for the problem.

Another factor that children likes about Nick Jr.’s Dora the explorer are the songs that is sung in every episode and in her every journey. It does not matter if the song is Spanish or English. What matters is that children can easily memorize the lyrics and melody and is singing along with Dora once the songs are played.

Adults would find that watching Dora the explorer tend to be repetitive and boring because of its simplicity. But the children definitely love every episode and every adventure that Dora the explorer goes through. This just shows that Nick Jr. never meant for Dora the explorer to be watched by those older children and even adults. The one customer they are catering to are the children from 3 to 5 years old.

As long as there are small children who enjoys Dora the explorer, Nick Jr. will continue producing more and more adventures for Dora to explore.

This content is provided by Low Jeremy and may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more info on Dora The Explorer, please visit http://dora.articlekeep.com
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How To Enhance Infant Protection From Infection And Disease

2006-09-29T11:10:00.000-04:00

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By Farrell Seah

In 1975, a pediatrician named Allan Walker reported a startling link between formula-fed infants and the occurrence of infectious diseases like neonatal meningitis and food allergies. In that report, he suggested that the this link was due to antigen absorption through the intestinal walls, and that breastfeeding infants for the first three months of life would prevent this absorption and decrease their susceptibility to disease.

He concluded that the passive immunity provided by colostrum and breast milk might play an important role in protecting infants from infection and disease by blocking the passage of pathogens and toxins through the intestinal walls and into the bloodstream. Dr. Walker's report initiated decades of further research, and we now know that he was right.

Colostrum and breast milk do much more than provide nutritional support. They also provide developmental support that is necessary for the maturation of the gastrointestinal tract, and immunological support that is vital for the continued growth and strengthening of the immune system.

Colostrum is the first milk provided to breastfeeding newborns during the first few days of life. This special milk is yellow to orange in color, thick and rather sticky, and very easily digested. It is richer in proteins than mature breast milk—both nutritional proteins for utilization in the body, and non-nutritional proteins that remain in the gut to aid in its closure to pathogens and toxins.

Infants who receive colostrum early and often have mature digestive tracts that are more robust throughout their first six months of life, and strong immune systems that are better able to resist infection and disease. Colostrum is the perfect source of nutrition for infants, providing them with the nutrients required to ensure proper growth and the development of the brain and nervous system.

Colostrum changes gradually to mature milk during the first two weeks after birth. During this transition period, the breast milk will become thinner in its consistency and whiter in its appearance. The concentration of antibodies in the transition milk will begin to decrease, while its overall volume will begin to increase.

The antibodies and other immune factors in mature human breast milk do not disappear completely; in fact, immunological protection against viruses and bacteria continues to be passed along from the mother to the baby as long as the baby continues breastfeeding. Like colostrum, breast milk is the perfect source of nutrition for infants, and tailor-made to their changing needs over time.

It contains an optimal balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat for energy, and it provides the digestive enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and hormones for a baby’s optimal health and continued growth.

Most commercially prepared formulas are based on non-fat bovine milk, whey protein, or soy protein. These formulas must be fortified with carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals in order for them to match the nutritional content of colostrum and breast milk.

But the active antibodies and other immune factors contained in human colostrum and breast milk cannot be added to these formulas, and they cannot provide the same developmental stimulus or immunological protection. As a result, babies receiving fluids other than mother's colostrum/breast milk for first three days of life have an increased incidence of diarrhea during their first six months, and formula-fed infants are more prone to a variety of common infections to which they are particularly vulnerable.

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How to Treat Common Ailments in Newborns

2006-09-27T09:59:00.000-04:00

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By Adwina D. Jackson

When your baby arrives, the days will be so much happier. However, you must also be prepared for bad situations.

Your newborn baby is very likely to face some of the common health problems in her early days. Moms usually get overly worried and panic finding their precious newborns sick.

Below are some of extremely frequent problems your newborn baby may face, with some easy, simple and effectual solutions to them.

1. Problem: Sticky Eyes

Most of the babies suffer from this problem, wherein a thick, sticky, yellowish mucous is secreted from baby’s eyes.

Solution:

Sticky eyes are generally the outcome of blockage of lacrimal ducts (the tear ducts) in the eyes. Babies have fine lacrimal ducts so they are blocked easily.

All you need to do is dab some cotton wool in slightly warm, sterilized water (water boiled for 20 minutes and then cooled) and massage the corners of your baby's eyes. Use different cotton wool for each eye to prevent cross infection. You may even consider applying cool tea. Place a tea bag in boiling water and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Let the water cool down and then wipe the corners of the eyes using cotton wool. You can also gently massage around the eyes with your finger to help free the tear ducts.

2. Problem: Spitting up and Vomiting

Solution:

First, it is important for the parents to understand the difference between the two. Spitting up generally occurs soon after feeding or sometimes up to an hour after they are fed, while real vomiting means throwing up of a large amount of the feeding and it is often forceful.

Spitting up is a normal phenomenon and goes on its own as your baby’s diet changes, i.e., with the introduction of solid foods in her 5th month.

Vomiting generally occurs due to inability to burp, when your baby is full, or when there is excess of mucous in stomach. Try burping your baby more often and feed her smaller amounts. Also, avoid playing with her vigorously. Another thing you can do in such a situation is to put the baby to sleep or give her few drops of gripe water. Even if she has vomited most of the feed, you do not need to feed her again immediately after she has vomited. Try to put your baby to sleep as sleep alone do wonders in making her well. You may wake her up a little sooner than usual for the next feed. However, if your baby is repeatedly vomiting, has green-tinged bile or blood in the vomit or is running a high temperature, take her to the pediatrician.

3. Problem: Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is a common problem in newborns, caused because of inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms of gastroenteritis include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, chills, and aches. It is a contagious disease caused by bacteria and spreads through oral-fecal route. It usually occurs in babies suffering from immuno-suppression. The symptoms generally appear within four to 48 hours of exposure to bacteria and usually last for a day or two but in severe cases can persist for up to seven days.

Solution:

The major critical consequence of this problem is dehydration due to excessive fluid loss by vomiting and diarrhea. Dehydration can be fetal. You, therefore, need to administer adequate amount of fluids to your baby. You can give your baby an electrolyte solution created for children (ask your pediatrician for a recommendation). Various unflavored/flavored oral dehydration solutions, commonly known under the brand names Pedialyte, Infalyte or Kaoelectolyte are available. However, consult with your pediatrician before you administer these fluids to your baby.

Continue breastfeeding or formula feeding, as that too would help preventing dehydration, and often alone are enough to keep your baby hydrated.

Warning! Never give your baby any anti-diarrhea medication because it can have potentially serious side effects and generally is no good treating gastroenteritis.

4. Problem: Baby Jaundice or Neonatal Jaundice

Baby Jaundice or Neonatal Jaundice refers to yellowing of baby’s skin and white of the eyes on second or third day of birth. It is a very common problem in newborns, affecting about 80-90 % of babies during their first week of life.

Solution:

Baby jaundice is caused because soon after birth, baby's liver is not efficient enough to dispose off a yellow pigment called bilirubin, formed by normal metabolic breakdown of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. As a result, bilirubin accumulates in the blood giving yellowish appearance to baby’s skin and eyes. Most of the babies do not require a treatment of jaundice, as it tends to clear up on its own when baby’s liver starts functioning efficiently.

You may fasten the recovery of your baby by the following:

• Give your baby a little exposure to sunlight in the early morning or late afternoon. Never expose your baby to the strong rays of the midday sun as it may cause sunburn.

• Feed your baby as often as possible as it would help excretion of excess bilirubin via urine.

You should always call your healthcare profession as sometimes bilirubin levels may be very high and your baby might have a specific treatment, Phototherapy. In this treatment, a baby is placed naked (with her eyes covered) in a special crib and is exposed to controlled amounts of ultra violet light. Ultra violet breaks down the pigment levels in the skin and helps recover jaundice. In another version of treatment, the baby is wrapped in a fiber-optic blanket called a bili-blanket or bili-pad. You may hire a bili-blanket with your doctor’s prescription and treat your baby at home.

5. Problem: Common Cold

Almost every baby suffers from runny nose very now and then. This is a mild viral infection that occurs very frequently in babies because their immune system is not very well developed yet.

Solution:

There is no medicine, which can kill the virus causing common cold and cure cold. However, you can comfort your baby and prevent infection go worse by ensuring that she gets plenty of rest and by giving a plenty of fluid (frequently feeding the baby).

You can ease her congestion by:

• Administer a few saline drops in baby’s nostrils to loosen up the mucous and after a few minutes suck the saline using a rubber bulb saline.

• Washing baby’s nose with warm water containing menthol or eucalyptus oil may also help unclog her nose. You can even make her inhale steam, either plane or containing eucalyptus oil vapors.

• You can make her sleep with head slightly elevated by placing a towel under crib’s mattress. This will help prevent postnasal drip.

• You can apply petroleum jelly outside her nostrils to lessen irritation.

• In case your baby is running temperature as well, you can give her infant's acetaminophen. Never give your baby aspirin because it makes babies susceptible to Reye's syndrome.

Warning! Never use nasal spays on babies unless prescribed by your healthcare professional.

6. Problem: Colic

Many babies have crying attacks in the evening, usually between 6 pm and 9 pm. They cry loudly, stretch their legs up and turn bright red. These attacks are termed as ‘colic’ and can last for hours.

Solution:

Colic or crying attacks are generally caused when the babies have excess of gas in their tummies. In this case, you can consider doing the following:

• Ensure that your baby is not swallowing air from a bottle.

• Burp your baby frequently even while breastfeeding.

• Try giving your baby gripe water, other herbal remedies including as weak teas brewed from fennel, chamomile, or carom (ajovan) seeds.

• Some babies also get gas due to inability to digest lactose, a constituent of milk (lactose intolerance). Changing baby’s milk can make the baby do better.

• If you breastfeed, try changing your diet since it has an influence on milk you produce. Try eliminating spicy foods, beans, potatoes, high-fiber grains and caffeine and see if your baby does better.

• If your baby is on formula, you can try Soy based formula as it is hypoallergenic.

You can make your baby calm by making her suck a pacifier, gently massaging, talking outside for a walk. You can also try feeding your baby since many babies cry and fuss from hunger.

7. Problem: Twitching, Acne and Dry Skin

Solution:

Most babies tend to jerk while asleep. This kind of twitching arises because their nervous system is still developing and does not require any treatment; it tends to disappear once baby’s nervous system is fully developed.

Many babies get acne, usually towards the end of the first month. This is particularly distressing to many new parents. The acne is most probably caused due to exposure of baby to her mom's hormones when inside mom’s womb. Treatment normally requires cleansing baby’s skin by clean, wet washcloth. If required gently wash your baby's face with mild baby soap once a day and avoid laundering the crib sheets in harsh detergents.

Some babies have a very dry skin that usually peels off especially on the hands and feet. You can massage/apply baby lotion. Put some baby lotion on cotton and gently apply on baby’s skin. However, since in some cases, it may be a severe condition called eczema, it is advisable to seek your doctor's advice.

Hope you get these tips helpful!

About the author: Adwina Jackson is a working mother of a gorgeous young boy. Join her guides about Newborn Guide at http://insparenting.com/guides/newborn-guide/ Visit her daily blog now where you can get helpful parenting stories and tips on http://insparenting.com/

The Five Stages Of Teething

2006-09-25T09:45:00.000-04:00

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By Robin OBrien

Baby teething is a major baby development milestone. The timetable of teething is different for each baby, although the vast majority will begin the teething process around the same age and the appearance of teeth will usually follow a certain order.

The appearance of milk teeth is the precursor to weaning; a physical manifestation of a child's burgeoning independence. Most children sail through the whole process but for some it can be a distressing and painful time. Many parents can feel helpless and somewhat taken by surprise when their baby begins to cut its first teeth. Understanding the physical changes and anticipating when, and how, is the key to helping your baby.

Stage 1. Teething discomfort can start well before teeth even come through - your baby is born with a set of 20 teeth hidden beneath the gums. Just before they erupt you should be able to feel the indentations of the teeth by running your finger along your baby's gums.

Stage 2. Usually, when your baby is between seven to twelve months old, the first four front teeth erupt through the gums. These teeth are called the incisors. It is usually the upper two teeth that emerge first. Although they look cute, and make every parents heart flutter when seen for the first time, they can hurt as they come through.

Stage 3. The appearance of the first molars usually takes place when the child is between thirteen and nineteen months old. The first molars sit just behind the canine teeth.

Stage 4. Somewhere between sixteen to twenty-two months of age, the canine teeth emerge - however, the first molar teeth can appear before the canines.

Stage 5. The second molars are just about always the last to emerge. This occurs around twenty-five to thirty-three months of age. These are the largest of the teeth; some children find the emergence of these to be the most painful.

During each stage of teething your baby will want different aids in soothing its discomfort. Cooling hot gums during stage one is a great relief, whereas finding the best object to chomp down on is preferred for the remaining stages. To ease hot gums you can purchase teething gels or simply give your child a pacifier or ring that has been cooled in the fridge. If you want to give your child a nursing ring to ease discomfort, you may need to purchase different types for each stage of teething. You can easily find these in most baby retail stores. Read the back of the packaging to tell if the ring is suitable for your child's teething needs - during early teething you'll want a teething ring that your child can chew its front teeth on, but during the final stages of teething, you'll want to purchase one that is most suitable for the back teeth.

Finally, your child will be in possession of all its teeth and you can then rest easy. Or can you? Just when your child has got all its milk teeth (deciduous teeth) it will start loosing them again, to be replaced by adult teeth. The first teeth to fall out are usually the front four teeth; this starts around the child's sixth to eight birthday. The rest of the other teeth fall out in pretty much the same order as the appeared; front teeth first, second molars last.

Robin O'Brien is founder of a website dedicated to baby teething. There, you can learn everything from teething symptoms to natural teething remedies.
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Basic Baby Swaddling Tips

2006-09-21T09:54:00.000-04:00

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By Alice Williams

Things go in and out of fashion and swaddling is definitely one of them. For millennia babies were swaddled but a couple of hundred years ago the idea that it was "bad" to restrict a baby's movement began to rapidly take hold in the Western world.

It was still out of my fashion when my daughter was born, but when my grandson was born I bought her a book that explained the benefits of wrapping a baby tightly. Why? Because there’s nothing like a decent night's sleep for both parents and baby.

Swaddling works because babies are born too soon! You’d think that nine months would be long enough but all those complex neurological processes really need longer to mature (about three months or more). Babies need to be born at nine months otherwise their heads become too large to pass through their mother's pelvis.

As a result babies are born at a time when they aren’t quite ready for the outside world. Naturally placid babies cope by switching off and are able to sleep most of the time. But many babies find life outside the womb more difficult. It’s too bright and distracting and they can't control their flailing arms and legs which they find distressing.

What they want is to be warm and restricted. Think how squashed a baby is for their last few months in the womb. Such a restricted environment may seem like a nightmare to you and me but to a baby it's what being safe and secure is all about.

Swaddling reproduces this feeling of being tightly restricted. The result is a more relaxed and less stressed baby. And that means a baby that’s more likely to sleep. Remember young babies need lots of sleep and so do their parents!

Here are a few tips that will help you with swaddling.

Practise before your baby is born. There is an art to good swaddling so you’ll need several goes before you learn how to do it well. Learning on a crying, wriggling baby is difficult. Borrow or buy a baby-size doll. If you need to repeatedly re-swaddling to get it right, dolls don't complain.

Swaddling needs to be tight. The most common reason a swaddled baby fails to calm down is because they don’t feel restricted enough. It seems strangely cruel to adults, and this is why they often swaddle on the loose side, but tight is good.

Choose your swaddling blanket wisely. You don’t want the material too thick as it'll make the folding difficult. Don’t choose silky material either as it's too slippery to keep in place.

If you buy a pre-formed swaddling blanket check that it does actually swaddle. They are often designed to fit a variety of different size babies resulting in a loose fit. You need something that swaddles not snuggles a baby.

Keeping a swaddling blanket tightly in place can be difficult especially if you have a wriggly baby. Parents have used anything from safety pins to duct tape. Strategically placed pieces of velcro can be an easy solution. If your swaddling blanket keeps coming undone find something that you feel comfortable with but always make safety your top priority.

Alice Williams runs http://www.baby-burp.com which provides all sorts of information about babies including baby swaddling.
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How To Choose A Good Potty Chair

2006-09-19T09:50:00.000-04:00

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By Susanne Myers

Your child is starting to show some interest in potty training and is at the right age. So you race to the store to get your little one a potty. If you’re like me, you didn’t realize how many options there are these days when it comes to potty chairs. You will find little potties that sit on the floor, inserts for a regular toilet, character-based potty chairs and even models that come with sound and light effects. Which one will be right for your child?

Narrow down your search by deciding if you would like to go with a portable model that can sit on the floor, or a potty seat insert that will sit on top of your regular toilet. Using one of the inserts will make cleanup a snap since all you have to do is flush and occasionally wipe the seat. Some kids seem to be afraid to “go” in a regular toilet at first though. Since these toilet inserts are rather inexpensive, this may be a good start for you just to try it out. After your child gets used to potty training, she will start using the insert. Plus this model is very portable. You can take it with you when you go visit grandma.

If you suspect your child may be scared of the “big potty”, start with a simple and inexpensive plastic potty that you can sit in the bathroom. Look for a model with a stable base and a little spatter guard in the front.

If your child is a big fan of a particular character like Dora The Explorer ™ or Elmo ™, you may want to purchase a potty chair with a sticker of her favorite. Of course you could also adorn any basic potty with a few stickers. This will make it a lot easier to convince a stubborn toddler to give potty training a try. Just tell her Dora send the chair and said it was time to get out of diapers.

If you have a few days or even weeks to choose a potty chair, shop around. You can find some great sales on potty chairs both at your local department and discount stores and of course online. Shopping around can make a huge difference if you (or your child) have your heart set on a more expensive model.

Now put that potty chair to good use and start getting your child potty trained.

For a free ecourse on potty training and plenty of potty training advice visit http://www.mypottytraining.com I look forward to sharing my best potty training tips with you.
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How to Stop Breastfeeding

2006-09-18T10:56:00.000-04:00

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By Robin OBrien

So you've decided to stop breastfeeding? But how best to stop? Especially as many children refuse to stop and demand that you continue nursing. There are many techniques, one of which should best suit you and your child.

Ask for advice as to how to go about weaning and you'll receive a variety of answers. Some responses range from just plain silly to potentially dangerous. Some people will recommend that you just change to bottle feeding whilst others will even recommend taking some form of 'drying-up' meditation; please avoid medication and there are better ways than switching to bottle feeding.

One school of thought - one that was quite common in our grandparents' day and is still common in some cultures - is for mother to take a vacation away from her child. The idea being that mother is far enough away not to hear her baby's cries and that when the mother returns after a week, the baby will no longer want to be nursed. There are some serious drawbacks to this method. The first being, that many children will not have forgotten about breastfeeding and will demand it upon mother's return. Secondly, and most importantly, is the emotional impact on the child when separated from mother. Adults may refer to the time spent away as 'separation', but the child will see it as desertion. There is nothing an adult can do to explain a mother's absence from a child less than 3 years of age. Each child has a threshold when it can endure a mother's absence; after this time a child will begin to mourn for the loss of its mother. The emotionally and psychological damage on a child shouldn't be underestimated. The damage can be life long. Many institutions and organisations now realise the harm done when a mother and child are separated; one only has to look at how many hospitals provide bedding for a child should the mother spend time in hospital. Weaning by separation is a risky strategy: avoid it.

Another 'quick and easy' method is to sabotage the sweat tasting breast milk. Mothers can purchase a foul-tasting liquid which is painted on thumb or nipple. In other cultures, mothers use various herbs and spices to bring about weaning. Igorot mothers in the Philippines have used ginger or chilli-pepper sauce. In the Eighteenth century is was quite common for mothers in European countries to apply mixtures containing alum, mustard or wormwood. Applying this type of quick-and-easy method of weaning is risky. For one thing, applying such mixtures must be painful for mother as well as child. Breastfeeding is as much about giving your child comfort as it is about giving nutrition. Breastfeeding is teaching your child to trust you, its mother. By suddenly, offering a bitter, foul-tasting liquid instead of the usual sweet, delicious milk will seem like a betrayal to some children. Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Greek physician Soranus expressed disapproval of the practice, citing the injurious effect of the sudden change, and that the bitter or evil-smelling substance could injure the child's stomach. Of interest is that the taste of breast milk changes when the mother becomes pregnant; many older children who were breastfeeding at the time have told how the once delicious milk changed to something less tasty. Although we don't know for sure, it may be Nature's way of weaning one child in preparation for the next. Anyhow, it doesn't always work as many children continue to happily suckle during pregnancy.

Ignoring a child's crying is hard for a mother. Nature has programmed children to cry when in discomfort or in need of something, and for parents to respond when their children cry. But ignoring a child's crying can be a good thing. This isn't to say we completely ignore our child's tears, rather, by occasionally not giving in, we are teaching our children a valuable lesson: we don't always get everything we want in life. We teach this lesson often to our children; by refusing to buy candy and the supermarket checkout, or by not letting them watch television past their bedtime. The secret is patience. You make the call; when to ignore a child's crying and when to respond. At first you can ignore the crying for a set time before soothing your child by nursing. Eventually you can allow your child to cry itself out, but to offer your breast the next time he cries. Given time, your child will come to terms with the diminishing amount of nursing she receives, and if you provide other stimuli and rewards the needs for mother's breast will fade out completely.

Robin O'Brien is found of Breastfeeding Information.com, which is dedicated to promoting breastfeeding. The site provides help and support for mothers with breastfeeding problems and gives tips on breastfeeding in public.
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Tips on Choosing a Homeschool Curriculum

2006-09-15T11:10:00.000-04:00

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by Carrie Lauth

Now that you’ve made the choice to homeschool your child, you’re faced with thousands of curriculum choices. How do you know what is right for your family? Here are some tips to help narrow down your choices and guide you to the best curriculum for your child.

Consider your objectives

Think about why you chose homeschooling. What is the most important benefit in your estimation? Are you concerned about the quality of your child’s education? Do you want to mesh your child’s secular education with religious instruction? Is it important to you that your child be accepted into a good college, or are you more concerned with teaching your child entrepreneurialism or respect for the earth?

What is truly important to you and how do you want to impart that to your child?
Answering these questions can help lead you in the right direction in regards to what curriculum to choose.

Consider your situation

Do you have 3 or more children? Do you work part time or have little support? It’s going to be especially challenging for you to spend time educating. A curriculum that requires minimal teacher preparation and supervision might be best, for instance the “All in One” style of homeschool curriculum versus unit studies.

What about your financial situation? If you are short on funds, you may lean towards an eclectic style. You can find homeschool materials cheaply or even free via the Internet, and even yard sales, thrift stores and online auctions. Conversely, if money is no object, you can go all out and pick a curriculum that includes all the craft and science project materials as well as hard bound books your child will be reading during the year. Teacher support via Internet or phone may be available also.

Consider your philosophy

Do you believe in a classical education philosophy that dictates a lot of copywork and memorization, or are you a proponent of a more experiential, hands on or informal style of learning? If you choose a curriculum that doesn’t mesh with your beliefs about education, you’ll find yourself frustrated and likely your child will be unhappy too.

There is no one “best” choice. You should be congratulated for being willing to invest the time and energy to educate your child at home. Don’t stress out about curriculum choices. As a home schooling parent you are free to change things whenever you want to. Finding the right curriculum for you and your child isn’t that hard once you know what you truly want from your home schooling experience.

Carrie Lauth is a homeschooling Mom of 4 and the host of www.NaturalMomsTalkRadio.com For more homeschooling resources, visit: www.Natural-Moms.com/homeschooling_articles.html

Article Source: http://www.ladypens.com

Free Potty Training Tip: Advice To Help Your Child's Development

2006-09-14T09:42:00.000-04:00

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By Mike Jerry

A free potty training tip or two may be just what you need to
make this step in your child's development a little bit easier.
Potty training is a challenge because, if you think about it,
the idea of using a toilet for waste management is a rather
abstract concept. To adults, this may seem like a simple task
that requires no more thought than walking or breathing but to
a child, this can be a great challenge. They have to answer
questions for themselves such as "Am I doing this right?", "Why
can't I just go in my diaper like I always have", or "What is
the purpose of all of this?". Therefore, it is only natural for
a parent to seek advice on how to make this whole process go by
more smoothly.

Initiating the Training

First, to train a child to use a toilet, you have to be
patient. As such, you should not begin toilet training until
you know you're going to have a few days to dedicate much of
your time to this task. Think of it like housebreaking a pet.
When you housebreak, or housetrain, a pet, you use many
techniques to aid in their learning. Among these techniques is
positive encouragement. Just as with a pet, you will want to
give your child great amounts of positive encouragement to make
them feel good about the fact that they are learning to use a
toilet properly. Fortunately, it is much easier to potty train
a child than it is to housebreak a pet, because children are
capable of cognition, allowing you the following advantages.

Demonstrations

If you're looking for hints or tricks to making this process
easy, demonstrating is what you need to learn to do. Take a
doll or stuffed animal and use it to demonstrate how potty
training activities work. This will show the child how they
need to sit, which is important for them to be able to do it
right. Also, throughout your demonstrations, talk about how
great it is that the toy is doing it right (which will make
your child want to excel, as well). Finally, do not chastise
your child if they can't figure it out right away, because that
can lead to anal-retentiveness (neat freak) or
obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Potty Training Tips

Here are some other tips to consider during this process. Do
not make your child feel ashamed of the waste products he or
she is producing. This can lead to your child feeling
self-conscious about using the toilet. Also, make sure that the
training toilet that you use is not too large or too small for
your child because you want your child to be as comfortable as
possible throughout this process. Finally, keep in mind that it
can take a few weeks or longer for your child to finally be able
to use the bathroom on his or her own. Patience is a necessity
for any potty training parent.

There are no secrets to making this process easier. Of course,
there are things you can do to make it easier, but in
actuality, you are simply teaching your child a life skill that
they will have to learn, eventually. No matter what, do not give
up and remember to guide your child every step of the way. After
all, once training is complete, you will never have to worry
about it ever again.

About the Author: Potty training your child is a challenging
task that can be made easier if you use the tips and tricks
learned from parents who have gone before you! For articles and
resources that can really help visit us at:
http://www.greatpottytrainingtips.com/
Source: http://www.isnare.com

Grandparenting Grandchildren

2006-09-08T10:53:00.000-04:00

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By Lance Winslow

More and more grandparents are caring for grandkids these days and well one has to ask if that is really fair, because it seems that the grandparents although responsible also need their own peace and quite and deserve a somewhat less problematic family situation at home. Raising kids and teens in this current up and coming generation is not similar to back then and kids have so many different needs, desires and complications.

September 10, 2006 is National Grandparents day and well they deserve their own day indeed. It is estimated that over six million kids and teens live with their grandparents on a permanent basis and that is huge number considering there are nearly sixty million grandparents still living in the present period. In fact that number will only grow due to the fact people are living longer too. It use to be that grandparents were living with one of their offspring in old age, but now more grandchildren are starting to live with their grandparents instead?

It would seem that we need to give these grandparents an award for all they do. Because if you consider grandparents taking on the responsibility of kids on a fixed income then you have to consider the lessening of their quality of life as well. This sacrifice should be rewarded and people should not have kids unless they can afford them. We have to stop and take a look at how all this is progressing and how it changes the American way of life and what those demographic shifts mean for the future of our civilization. Consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Getting Your Preschooler Ready To Learn To Read And Write

2006-09-07T10:02:00.000-04:00

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By Stephanie Foster

I recently took a class with my daughter I found very educational, and I thought I would share some of what I learned with you. The class was aimed at 3-5 year olds and was on helping preschoolers get ready to learn to read and write.

Obviously, and as any parent these days knows, one important thing to do is read regularly to your kids. However, only about half of the activities each day had to do with reading to the kids. The rest focused on helping the kids build the skills they will need as they learn how to read and write.

Muscle development is very important, but you can’t just expect a preschooler to develop their hand and finger strength out of the blue. First they need to develop their larger muscles. The first class they had us doing wheelbarrows (holding the kids by their legs or ankles and having them walk on their hands) or throwing a balloon for the kids to hit with a stick they held with both hands, one hand on each end.

Tactile play was also very important. Play dough, sand, salt, even shaving cream were all used as example of things to use to encourage kids to do things with their hands. The different sensations really engaged the children’s curiosity.

Some of the activities encouraged the kids to create their own stories. They warned all the parents to not change their children’s words as they wrote them down. Sometimes they would have stamps or magazines to cut up to make pictures for the stories the kids would tell and have their parents write down, but there would also be crayons or markers so the kids could draw their own pictures.

Making a book for your child is pretty easy. Take a couple pieces of paper, fold them in half, then staple the folded ends together, keeping the staples near the edge. Most of the children loved creating their own books.

One very important thing I noticed during these classes is how differently each child learned. Some of it was very distinctly related to age; the younger children simply had no interest in some of the activities, but there were always plenty of options.

These classes really emphasized that you are teaching your child skills that will help them learn to read and write even when you are not actually teaching them anything at all about their letters. There are many skills that must be learned first.

Everything I learned in the class was something that could easily be done at home. One of my daughter’s favorites, for example, was the day they had us fill a balloon with flour, then tie it off and let the kids squeeze it. Of course, my daughter wondered why I couldn’t make the balloon big, and I don’t know if she really believed my explanation. But she did have a blast squeezing it, which builds those hand and finger muscles so necessary for learning to write.

Helping your preschooler get ready to read and write is really not terribly difficult. Just take a little time and encourage them to play with things that build the muscles they will need and, of course, read to them every day.

Stephanie Foster has enjoyed being a stay at home mom since before her children were born. You can learn more about being a stay at home parent at http://www.homewiththekids.com/family/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephanie_Foster

5 Important Points for a Successful Potty Training

2006-09-01T10:02:00.000-04:00

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By Adwina D. Jackson

Potty training should not be an exasperating moment for both the parent and the child. As a parent, you know it’s not easy to potty train your child. Sometimes it’s even more frustrating for the child himself. You need to learn important things that are necessary to obtain a successful potty training.

These things include whether your child is ready to potty trained, which time is the best to begin it, and the most fun way to potty training. Read the details below:

1. Pre-Potty Training

Before starting to potty train your child, it’s best to get to know about the things that can make potty training successful. You can call it pre-potty training, which means finding out and recognizing the signs whether your child is ready for the training or not. These signs include:

• The ability to hold urine for long periods of time

• The ability to follow 1-2 directions at a time

• Knows when urination or bowels movements are about to start

When he shows these signs, it means you may start the training now. During this time –or better earlier- you need to set up a plan for the training process. Though there are some different opinions of how to potty train, it’s important that you choose the best method most effective for you, your child, and the family.

2. Knowing When Your Child is Really Ready for Potty Training

It can be difficult to find out when is the best time to potty train your child. It is as if the child who has the decision for it. Generally, children are ready to begin potty training between the ages of 18 and 24 months. You’ll know when they are ready because the signs will be there.

These are some of signs to look for:

- shows an interest to use the toilet

- tries to imitate other people in the house using the potty

- is able to tell you that they need to go potty or tell you they went already

- is able to pull their pants up and down by themselves

When they show the signs, it’s time for you to begin introducing them to the potty. It’s important to get a comfortable potty chair for your children so that potty training becomes a fun activity for them.

3. Start a Night Potty Training When Your Child is Ready

After you’ve finished your child’s day potty training, you can try to introduce him to the night training. This process can happen quickly for some children and more slowly for some others. Don’t push them to do it, as potty training should not be frustrating. Letting him stay dry during the night could be a harder effort for parents. As the first step, tell your child that he is allowed to wear a diaper or pull-up during night sleep, but take him first to the bathroom and let him to potty. Tell him to not to drink too much water before sleep. Putting the potty in his bedroom is also a very good idea, in case he needs to use it when he wakes up in the middle of the night.

4. Make Potty Training Fun

Making the training fun is easy if you can take some time to be creative. Children love things that are fun and interested to them. One of the tips to create a fun potty training is by using Potty Training Doll. It is a drink & wet doll, which can be used to help make toilet training fun and easy by demonstration.

5. Important DON’Ts in Potty Training

Make sure your child is well supported during the training. You should also maintain a positive attitude toward him if you want to ensure success. Here are some of DON’Ts in potty training your child:

- Don’t start the training before he’s ready.

- Don’t put too much pressure on the child.

- Don’t try it in a stressed environment.

- Don’t yell at the child or punish him if he makes mistakes.

Hopefully those points are effective for you and your child. Enjoy your potty training experience!

About the Author: Adwina Jackson is a working mother of a gorgeous young boy. Join her free e-mail guides about Easy Potty Training Tips at http://insparenting.com/reports/potty-training.php. Visit her daily blog now where you can get helpful parenting stories and tips on: http://www.insparenting.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adwina_D._Jackson

Is Your Baby Getting Enough Milk?

2006-08-30T09:57:00.000-04:00

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By Robin OBrien

One of the greatest concerns for breastfeeding parents is whether their baby is getting enough milk for her needs. The best guide you can use is your baby's behaviour and appearance.

Many first time parents get very worried when their baby loses weight in the first couple of weeks after the delivery. This is perfectly normal and, unless your baby's weight loss is severe or your baby looks unwell, you should not be too concerned. After birth your child should be weighed every week and you can discuss any concerns your might have with the health visitor or paediatrician. Also, expect any gains in weight to be irregular. One week your baby might put on a lot of weight and then the next there is hardly any gain in weight. This is perfectly normal in a breastfeeding baby.

A good way to judge whether enough is going in is to check what is coming out at the other end. Regular wet nappies are a good sign that your baby is getting enough. At least one diaper change per feed should be the norm. Also, check the quality of the urine. It should not have a strong odour or colour. Bowel motions can vary enormously between babies. Some will have a have frequent bowel motions whilst some only have one once a week. Both are normal. Again, it's quality, not quantity that matters. The stools of a breastfed baby are usually mustard-yellow in colour. Surprisingly, for some parents, the stools of a breastfeed baby do not have an offensive odour, as the waste products of breast milk are very limited.

Some mothers and babies have problems in establishing good breastfeeding. It is important that all mothers, especially first time mothers, have their breastfeeding technique assessed by a health professional. Getting breastfeeding right from the first day or two after birth really does eliminate many future feeding problems. Many women have weaned their baby unnecessarily when they have encountered problems.

The general appearance of your baby is the most important indicator as to whether she is getting enough feed. Each day you'll notice how your baby becomes brighter and more inquisitive about the world around her. So, if her complexion is good and she seems content then she is almost certainly getting enough milk.

Sometimes babies can have lactose intolerance or requires supplements to her milk. If your baby shows any serious signs of not feeding properly you should seek medical advice. It may not be necessary to stop breastfeeding altogether and you may be able to give your baby both breast milk as well as specialized milk formula. If possible, avoid offering a bottle to your baby during the first six weeks; this give mother a chance to establish good milk suppler you and gives the baby its mother antibodies and other nutrients, which are vital to ward of infection during the early days of a baby's life.

If you do have to give your baby a complementary feed of formula, always offer it after breastfeeding. It is rarely necessary to give your baby more than 60 ml of formula, so try to offer formula only when your own supplies are low; usually the afternoon and evening feedings.

There is no secret to knowing whether your baby is getting enough breast milk. As a mother you will know your baby better than anybody else. By carefully monitoring your child physical and mental health you will intuitively know if your baby is getting enough breast milk.

Robin O'Brien is founder of a site where you can learn about the advantages of breastfeeding. You can also read about breastfeeding and alcohol and other articles every breastfeeding mother will find of interest.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_OBrien

The Liberation of Bottle Feeding

2006-08-29T15:34:00.000-04:00

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By Robin OBrien

Caring for a newborn child is a full time job. A human baby is more helpless than just about all other mammals and the degree of care needed by both parents is extremely high, especially the child's mother. A new mother can feel enslaved by her child. She may love her child but she always wants – and needs – some degree of independence. Bootle feeding can help.

After years of planning and nine months of waiting, the much wanted and loved baby arrives. The sense of joy that parents can feel at the birth of the child can only be truly appreciated by other parents. Many parents, especially the mother, look forward to the responsibility of caring for a baby. The degree of dependence of a baby on its mother is unmatched. The mother quite often enjoys being totally depended on and doesn't resent the mundane tasks of feeding, changing diapers, bathing and entertaining her child. The long-term rewards are evident to any parent with grown up kids.

However, there does come a point when a mother will feel totally enslaved by her baby. This enslavement is a natural feeling and can is usually accepted. Accepted that is except for breastfeeding.

Unlike all the other tasks that a new mother has to undertake in caring for her child, breastfeeding also requires a physical bond between mother and child. And some mothers can begin to resent this type of enslavement. In fact, some mothers can find themselves feeling slightly antagonistic when their baby demands mommy's breasts. This feeling can be further exacerbated if the mother is suffering from sore or cracked nipples. Telling a mother that 'she is not getting the baby to latch on properly' can leave her feeling a failure and lonely. Getting a sense of independence can often help mothers who feel like this. Bottle feeding a child, rather than breastfeeding, can help some mothers to get some degree of independence and take away the strain felt at feeding times.

When a mother bottle-feeds, the physical bond still remains. The mother can still cuddle and talk to her child as she feeds. But the sense of physical enslavement disappears – along with any discomfort the mother may have experienced. The child still gets the attention it wants and, despite what some may tell you, the nutrition is needs. When a mother is liberated from her physical enslavement she relaxes and enjoys feeding her child. Her child will also relax more if mommy is also relaxed.

Not all mothers want to be liberated. Some are quite content to breastfeed their chid and feel no sense of physical enslavement. But, if you're a mother who feels enslaved and yearns to be liberated, then maybe you could try bottle-feeding. There may be those around you who will try to convince you to stay breastfeeding. If they give you the support you need, maybe you will stay breastfeeding. But if you still feel enslaved maybe it's time to find liberation through the bottle.

Robin O'Brien is a successfully webmaster and founder of bottle feeding baby, where he provides help, support and advice on bottle feeding.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_OBrien

Back to School Savings: Six Ways to Save Money During Back-to-school Time

2006-08-28T10:14:00.000-04:00

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By Jamie Jefferson

Back-to-school expenses can be overwhelming. Here are six simple ways to save money while giving your children what they need to hit the books this year.

1. Take a specific list for school supplies to the discount store or office supplies store. Watch the Sunday circulars and plan to find all of these essential school supplies in a single trip - while they are on sale. Make sure to stick to the official supplies list provided by the school. Then shop online (or comparison shop offline) for other items you might need, such as clothes and shoes.

2. Don’t spend too much on back-to-school clothes before school begins. Every child looks forward to having something new for the first day of school. That doesn’t mean each child needs an entirely new wardrobe. With many schools starting in August, the weather is too hot for the fall and winter clothes that they’ll need for the duration of the school year. And if you shop too far in advance, your child could actually outgrow an outfit before it’s time to wear it. Purchase one new outfit (or new single clothing item) for that first day to heighten the excitement – and save the rest of the wardrobe budget for a few months from now. If your budget doesn’t allow for a new clothing item for each child, treat your kids to something smaller – but still exciting: a new pencil bag or a new package of pencils printed with their name, for example.

3. Establish a clothing budget for each child. This allows your child to be in control of their wardrobe (under your guidelines, of course), and it requires them to make wise spending decisions. Help your child to comparison shop once they decide what they like. You can find lots of coupons online this time of year for apparel and shoes.

4. Shop the sales, offline as well as online. Many of the big online retailers, such as Overstock and Smartbargains – as well as Target and Walmart - feature savings this time of year on back-to-school items small appliances, even notebook computers and those specialized calculators that your older children may need.

5. Let your child give their old stuff a new look. With a few paper bags, sheets of construction paper, glitter, pens, glue, and stickers, they can make fun, personalized folders, supply tins, lunchboxes, notebooks, and book covers.

6. Plan a simple reward for the first day. Treat your elementary school student to a special surprise at the end of the first day (or at the end of the first week for middle school and high school students.) Take your children out for pizza or an ice cream cone and ask them to tell you all about their classes, their new friends, and what they think they are going to enjoy most about the year to come. They’ll cherish this simple tradition – and so will you.

Jamie Jefferson is a frequent contributor to http://www.momscape.com, a website devoted to helping parents celebrate life with children. Visit the site today for the latest Online Coupon Codes and special savings for the sites mentioned in this article, including Online Shoes Coupons.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Jefferson

"I'm Not Going to School This Year!" Four Back to School Tips for Parents with Kids Who Hate Change

2006-08-25T16:47:00.000-04:00

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By Dr. Charles Sophy

Kids are getting ready for school... and change. A new school year can mean new friends, a new teacher, a new schedule, or even a different school. All that change can be scary. Your child may be wondering, Will my teacher be mean? Will the kids like me? Will I be able to find my room the first day?

And how do you feel about these changes? Are you ready for a new schedule and daily obligations: morning routines, homework, reviewing the day’s events? How prepared are you to handle the coming school year?

To rev up for change, let’s take a look at some of the challenges and opportunities your child might face and how you both can make a smooth shift from summer to school.

Let’s meet Sam.

Sam is an easygoing 8-year-old boy who loves playing with his friends and family. He’s typically the first to answer the phone, plead for play dates, or keep the conversation going at home.

As summer ends, though, Sam is spending more time on his own. His parents monitor this change and increasingly find Sam alone on his bed staring at the ceiling. As the sunny days pass by, Sam sleeps more, eats less and doesn’t seem to care about much of anything.

Concerned, Sam’s parents ask him about his feelings, but he doesn’t want to talk. When they ask if he’d like to meet his school friends in the park he shrugs his shoulders and says he’d rather stay home.

Then one morning Sam refuses to get out of bed and announces that he’s not going to school this year. His parents glance at each other and ask if something bad happened at school. No, says Sam. I’m just not going. He rolls over on his bed and faces the wall. After a while Sam’s parents convince him at least to get out of bed.

Later that day, Sam’s parents contact his school and ask for advice. They’re relieved to learn that Sam’s behaviour is natural for kids returning to school. Even with school transition programs it’s common for children to resist going back at school.

Transition can be scary, and returning to school can be a big change after a carefree summer. Here’s what you can do to assist your child with the shift back to school... and how to cope with your own feelings about the coming changes.

Feel Good: Celebrate when summertime changes into school time. Start a fun back-to-school tradition your child can look forward to as summer ends. And praise your child when they do a good job. Focus on their effort, not on accomplishment. This boosts their confidence and makes it easier to face new events. And you get to feel good, too. The beginning of a school year means another successful milestone in your life as well.

Awareness: Ask your child’s teacher what he or she is teaching this year. Find out where your child excels and where you can help them improve. With a little preparation you can make homework sessions productive and fun. But don’t do your child’s homework, just be available when they need extra help. And here’s one for you: If you’re a stay-at-home parent you might feel a little lonely without your child around all day. Find ways to keep occupied or check in with other stay-at-home parents during the day for a little company.

Structure: Starting early with school rules, duties, and schedules can be a great way to ease into change. Begin your school-night sleep schedule a couple weeks early; assign a light chore; and play games with clear rules that encourage teamwork. Notice how these functions help structure the change that’s coming in your life, too.

Communication: Talk to your child about school well before it begins; listen to them, and watch for behaviour changes. When you talk to them, focus on what they enjoy at school, but be realistic about their expectations to avoid possible disappointments. Now here’s one for you: let you child know how these changes are affecting you, too. Help them understand that they’re not going through the changes alone and that it’s okay to feel a little uneasy. Also, attend school functions like meet the teacher nights. Get to know your child’s teacher, what they expect from students this year, and how to reach them if needed.

Dr. Charles Sophy currently serves as Medical Director for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), which is responsible for the health, safety and welfare of nearly 40,000 foster children. He also has a private psychiatry practice in Beverly Hills, California. Dr. Sophy has lectured extensively and is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California Los Angeles Neuro-Psychiatric Institute. His lectures and teachings are consistently ranked as among the best by those in attendance.

Dr. Charles Sophy, author of the "Keep ‘Em Off My Couch" blog, provides real simple answers for solving life’s biggest problems. He specializes in improving the mental health of children. To contact Dr. Sophy, visit his blog at http://drsophy.comArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Charles_Sophy

Helping Baby Sleep Through The Night

2006-08-22T09:42:00.000-04:00

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By Greg Edwards

Do you want your baby to sleep through the night? Are you tired of getting up several times during the nigh to coax your baby to sleep through the night? By teaching the babies to fall asleep on their own, without inducing to breast-feeding, pacifier, or bottle to suck and without rocking, cuddling or patting you can put the baby sleep through the night.

To make the baby sleep through the night, establish a routine for the bedtime and stick on to it without fail. A bath prior to the bedtime, a nursing session or bottle feed, story session with reading or telling sensible and suitable stories and a personalized “good night” to the baby and the pets if the baby is old enough to recognize such gestures will enable the baby to sleep through night without getting up in the middle of the night. Make sure that your method is soothing, consistent and not stimulating.

Include a “Cuddly” in the routine of making the baby sleep through the night. Try to make the baby develop such an attachment to a blanket or a stuffed animal.

When the baby is sleepy but still remaining awake is the correct time to put it in the crib. How to go to sleep is an important lesson to be learnt by the baby. Too much dependence on petting, nursing, singing, will make the baby expect the same thing again once the sleep is disturbed during the night. Hence, avoid the baby from expecting these routine.

Some experts advice the parent to remain in the room when the baby awakes during the night and without lifting the baby from the crib, make soothing gesture to make the baby return back to sleep. A different opinion is also prevailing which suggests to get away from the room but make frequent visits to the baby’s bedroom till such time the baby is assured of not being deserted. Select whichever method works for you to put the baby to sleep through night.

When the baby gets up in the sleep during the night, do not pick the baby. If necessary, make a quick diaper change, settle the baby back, and get away from the room.

If these methods are tried, the baby’s sleep pattern sets in and the baby will learn to settle into an undisturbed sleep.

A revolutionary baby sleep ebook guide offers an incredibly simple and gentle plan for helping to put baby sleep through the night, fast! Click the website link for instant access : Helping To Baby To Sleep Through The Night

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Edwards

Empower Your Child To Succeed - Teach Him/Her How To Think Independently, And Say No(When Necessary)

2006-08-21T09:58:00.000-04:00

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By Tayo Solagbade

Before entering my teens, my "social competence", especially where it had to do with thinking independently, and handling peer pressure - needed work, but I did not know it. ("Social Competence", is one of a number of skills described by Dr. Daniel Goleman as an aspect of "Emotional Intelligence" - in his similarly titled best selling book) .

At ten, I began leaving home daily, on my own, to attend secondary school quite some distance away(three bus rides, usually lasting an hour or more, to or fro). Within ONE year, I got into trouble by "blindly" following some class mates to do things that I knew were wrong, but which I felt compelled to do, in order to avoid getting rejected, and being called names like "coward, wet blanket, book worm" etc.

Let me share two stories of how being ineffective in handling my relationships made me engage in unbecoming conduct - and eventually got me into trouble. In the first story, I describe bad activities I engaged in, without getting caught. The second story describes an instance in which I (along with others from the first story) did get caught, with serious consequences.

The purpose here is to show you how easily my lack of proficiency in managing my relationships and knowing myself(who I was/wanted to be), lead me - and could lead any child with a similar inadequacy - to get into trouble.

Story One - I Join A "Bad" Group That Bullies, Steals And Cheats

During my first day in secondary school at the age of ten, I discovered that age (and possibly my growth rate then) put me at physical disadvantage compared to most of my new classmates. Virtually all of them were a head or shoulder taller than I was - and some were much older, and quite big! I quickly became a target for the big bullies in the school.

But, as time went on, some of them took a different kind of interest in me because they saw I always got good grades - while they tended not to. So, they would protect me from other bullies in class or school (especially during lunch breaks), and in exchange I would help them with their homework etc. It all started harmlessly enough until they began to demand that I pass them my answer script during the exams so they could copy from it into theirs, before I could submit to the teacher. I was so naive, that I even thought it was fun, and never imagined what would happen if we got caught.

Looking back, I think deep within myself, I enjoyed the feeling of being favoured by these big boys who were feared by most students - even teachers - and I would probably have done anything to retain my priviledged "membership" of their group. At a point, our group become so notorious that we even left the school's premises every once in a while to eat meals or buy things we never paid for!

For instance, we would go to a local food vendor(called "Mai Shai"), and ask to be served bread with fried eggs and tea for instance, for each person. After eating up, the big boys would ask me to walk away, while they used their sizes and mean looks, to intimidate the poor trader, before suddenly taking to their heels. Stories about these "feats" soon spread - leading to others in the school nicknaming me "Kukuru Danger"(literally translated to mean "small, but dangerous one")! Note that all of what I said here was never at any point noticeable when I was at home with my siblings and parents.

I was always the good boy who did as he was told, and never caused any trouble - at least not at home! Which is why you might want to get a little closer to your child, and try to develop a personal relationship with him/her. This closeness could encourage him/her to open up - more readily - to you in a way that would facilitate timely intervention in anything s/he is doing that could require your help and experience-based coaching.

Story Two - The Group Gets Caught For Cheating In An Exam

During the third term exams, I and my "big" classmates finally got caught: the teacher noticed an unusual similarity in the answers written by all five of us, and reported to the Principal. For about two weeks, we faced a panel of investigation individually, at least twice per person. To show you how "unaware" of the implications of my actions I was, I never once in those two weeks of facing the panel said anything about it to my parents, right until the last day of school when my mom drove down to pick me up, and also get my report card.

I'll never forget the look of horror on her face that afternoon, when she saw that despite scoring nearly all A's in the promotional exams, the Principal's handwritten comments, instead of being congratulatory, were: "To repeat for cheating during the exams"! (The panel had confirmed that I had given out my script to my classmates to copy, and even though agreeing that I had not copied from anyone, held me equally guilty of cheating, like the others - and rightly so).

If my mom was upset, I struggle to think of a word that best describes how my dad reacted when he learnt what had happened. To cut the long story short, my parents decided to withdraw me from that school and sent me to boarding school in another city, over six(6) hours away from home, where I started my secondary education all over again. That sobering experience has lived with me till this day, as has another that occurred later(Oh yes, there was "another" - Kids never seem to learn it all at once!). Those experiences, however paid huge dividends, in the sense that my memories of them helped me successfully overcome so many temptations that could have gotten me into spectacular trouble later on in my adult personal/work life.

Having said the foregoing, I will re-iterate that not everyone will be lucky to walk away, "in one piece", after engaging in childhood truancy or other bad behaviour. Which is why coaching your child to learn how to handle him/herself in relation to peers, and older persons, is a crucial necessity for you as a parent. Every time I see each of my kids, I cannot help recalling the mistakes I made while growing up, and how I was so blind to their possibility or the severity of their consequences, before I made them. This memory makes me stay resolved towards preparing my kids to do a better job of making mistakes, than I did as a child.

But They Will Make Their Own Mistakes Too

No doubt about that. In fact, it is important that they make THEIR OWN mistakes, because mistake making is itself an essential requirement for a person's balanced development. And just as it is important to help your child avoid making those you can anticipate(based on YOUR past experiences), how you react to the mistakes s/he does make, is even more important.

Don't make too much of a big deal about it when(not IF) it happens. Express your displeasure, but avoid making absolute statements like "You'll never amount to anything", or recalling every mistake s/he's made in the past at the slightest prompting. Failure to heed this warning can have a powerfully devastating effect on the frail mind of a young child, which could result in long lasting damage to his/her self-esteem. Most Important Reason To Take Heed Of This Warning: You could, literally speaking, drive him/her away from you, at a time when s/he is most needful of your forgiveness, and understanding. S/he could as a result stop confiding in you, and eventually get into even bigger trouble!

Everything I have said here, including the advice I offer, is based on my very personal experiences, and observations of real-life experiences of others, some close to enough to be called "family".

So, How Confident Are YOU Of Your Child's Ability To Stand Up To Peer Pressure?

This is an important question because:

(a). You will NOT always be there to stop him/her from being exposed to negative influences.

(b). You cannot hide him/her away at home for ever.

That leaves you only one option: teach him/her HOW to manage relationships effectively such that peers or friends know his/her position on relevant issues and respect it.

But maybe I should start by asking if YOU know how to say NO yourself? Many adults will recall some point in their past lives when because they felt the need to NOT appear "un cool", they consented to doing wrong things - ending up feeling miserable(I hope!) for days or weeks afterwards.

The inability to say "NO" and stick to it when people try to get us to do what we feel conflicts with our values, can often get one into trouble. When some people know that you do not know how to(or cannot) say NO to them, they can play on that weakness to take advantage of you. If you fail to deal with this inadequacy in your personality, your kids are likely to pick it up - and become "weaklings" for others to prey on at school or in life.

Incidentally, you can even say NO without actually saying it - i.e through your actions. For instance, when "they" invite you to "join them", you could say "I'll catch up with you later!", knowing you have no intention of doing any such thing. When next you do see them, you can offer a well thought out excuse for missing it. Soon enough, they'll stop asking you.

Signs That Suggest You Have Not Taught Your Child How To Say NO

If you always feel you need to be around to stop your child from being influenced to do the wrong things(e.g. you find it difficult to let him/her go far away from you with peers).

If you are never confident that your child has enough powers of discernment to KNOW when s/he should not do a particular thing, then you need to be VERY worried: YOU HAVE NOT EMPOWERED your child to function as an independent-minded person.

Kids are impressionable - that's true. But they can be successfully taught to be more discriminating in their choice of friends, or role models/heroes in a manner that is consistent with acceptable values.

The Role YOU Need To Play As A Parent

"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too." - Voltaire

I honestly believe that the best gift any parent can give a child is to teach her how to think for herself, and say NO, when it becomes necessary to do so, in order to ensure she achieves her desired goals consistently, and with integrity.

I know this because I had to acquire those abilities the hard way as I grew up. NEVER assume your child is familiar with, or already competent to handle any potentially unsettling life problem or situation, until you have sufficiently interacted with him/her to assure yourself of that fact.

Also, DO NOT EVER consider it too much work to make out quality time to deliberately but tactfully coach him or her, to handle possible dilemmas you know from experience s/he may be confronted with at times when s/he may not have ready access to you. Create the opportunities to do this yourself, if they do not appear often enough. (I call doing this Spontaneous Coaching for Self-Development™).

If you do not do the above, you might just regret it. In my case I was able to walk away in the instances earlier mentioned, with an opportunity to start over(for which I remain eternally grateful to my parents and teachers). Not every one will be lucky to have a second chance(s). Which is why you might want to use the ideas I offer below, to give your child the best possible stab at success.

What Does It Take To Say NO - And Think Independently?

1. Real-World Relevant Intelligence: Robert Kiyosaki shared his Rich Dad's definition of intelligence as "The ability to make finer distinctions". I believe that definition has universal relevance. To be able to say NO when necessary, one must develop the ability to "look" beyond the obvious in order to extract accurate interpretations, and deduce appropriate implications.

As I like to tell people "Sometimes the obvious thing is NOT necessarily the correct or most important thing". One way to understand this is to imagine you are a police detective assigned to a murder investigation. You wouldn't accept all "evidence" on face value, and risk putting the wrong person in jail for a crime s/he did not commit - would you? Same applies here. Help your child to develop real-world relevant intelligence by teaching him/her to ALWAYS look at issues with an open mind, from a multi-dimensional perspective. She will learn more that way, and increase her chances of success.

2. Healthy Self-Esteem Level: A strong knowledge and sense of self. As a nine year old, Bill Gates reportedly knew himself well enough to pronounce to a family friend that "I can do anything I set my mind to". A child who thinks this way is not likely to want to impress others(or avoid being mocked), by joining them to do something s/he does not want to do. Encourage your child to think this way.

3. Strong Values, Vision, and Purpose: Knowing that what's "popular" may NOT be "good". And that "consensus" does NOT equal "truth". Plus, being aware of what one's important goals are, will help a person decide when to say NO. Let your child KNOW this truth: If everyone is saying it's okay to do something you know deep inside your heart is not, you MUST follow your heart, not them.

4. Deliberate Exposure/Education: A little openness in answering questions about those curiosity-arousing issues(e.g. Sex, Drugs etc) will likely demystify them, and reduce his/her chances of seeking answers elsewhere(without your knowledge!). Cover it up in secrecy, and the child's curiosity intensifies, making her more willing to join others in "exploring" it when you're not there. Don't shush your child up when s/he gets curious about sensitive subjects.

5. Knowing That Age Has Nothing To Do With It: Older persons do not always do things in the interest of younger persons. Adults know this. Yet cultural norms sometimes cause us to set our children up(by asking them to show respect and be obedient) to be exploited by irresponsible adults. Teach your child what s/he can say NO to(and when/how), even if an adult is the one making a request of him/her. It could just save his/her life some day.

I strive daily to teach my kids how to think for themselves, and say NO(when necessary). It's the MOST important form of education I believe I can give them. What about you?

Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist – Tayo Solagbade - works as a Multipreneur, helping individuals/businesses develop and implement strategies to achieve their goals, faster and more profitably.

To get more useful Tips, Information And News that can help you do what you do more successfully, visit http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/news/sdacn_current.htm to subscribe to Tayo's "Five(5) Minute Read" Performance Enhancement Newsletter.

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Baby Car Seat Safety - Your Must Know Guide

2006-08-18T10:03:00.000-04:00

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By Joshua Poyoh

It is very important to use the correct type of baby seat when you have an infant on board. Most people do not know how to install a baby car seat safely. Do you know that some hospitals won't discharge a mom and new baby until they see the car seat? Fortunately, many kinds of infant car seats exist in the market.

The easiest baby car seat to utilize is the kind that has a base that is buckled securely to the car seat. This car seat itself can be lifted off and carried around by the handle. This is will be convenient to you because the baby can be carried to and from the house or wherever the child is going while strapped into the seat. These infant seats usually will only be safe for transporting babies facing backward, until the age of one year. When the baby is 18 pounds, and at least one year old, it is time for a forward-facing baby car seat. Plus, by the time the baby is that old, and weighs 18 pounds, he will be too heavy to lug around that way! You will want to get the baby out of the baby car seat, and carry him, or he may even be walking by then!

The next kind of baby car seat is called a convertible car seat. Many of these baby car seats can be placed in the backward-facing position for when babies grow out of their infant seats, but are not yet old enough, or at a heavy enough weight to sit facing forward. Then, the convertible baby car seat can be turned to face forward, and will seat the baby until the baby is 40 pounds or more. These have a 5-point harness that is buckled at the bottom and the chest.

Once the baby reaches 40 pounds, he will move to a booster seat. This seat is a small base that keeps the child secure, while allowing him to use the regular seat belt. The child can usually sit in this type of car seat until he weighs 80 pounds!

As a rule of thumb, babies and children below the age of twelve are supposed to be seated behind, not in the front seat. The safest place is the center of the back seat. This is because studies show that air bags in the front seat may cause injuries to children. So if possible, never allow a child to be seated in front.

Joshua Poyoh is the creator of http://www.automotive.resources-to.com where you can find out more independent information on Kia Recalls
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How to Deal With Breast-Is-Best Police

2006-08-17T09:40:00.000-04:00

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By Robin OBrien

Many mothers who choose to bottle-feed rather than breast feed are made to feel like dysfunctional mothers. It sometimes seems that the breast-is-best mantra has pervaded our society to such an extent that mothers are now more embarrassed to bottle-feed than breastfeed in public. If you bottle-feed, what can you do to combat such condemnation?

My wife and I recently went to a fashionable eatery and suffered the side glances of disapproval from the breast-is-best brigade. It’s very trendy place, with a laissez-faire attitude, which is reflected in its designer tables and chairs spilling out onto the pavement. The clientele is middle-class, well off and educated; the sort that prides itself on living life as one sees fit. Before the birth of our first child we would come often and notice mothers' breastfeeding their babies on the pavement. Little did we know that we would be made to feel like pariahs by merely bottle-feeding our child?

It was a Sunday and was one of our first outings as a new family. We sat down at a table and, a little later on, noticed two mothers, at two different tables, who were busy breastfeeding. When we first noticed the other mothers we felt a sort of camaraderie; a special club of new families.

Soon our child began to cry. He wanted feeding. Naturally, my wife reached for the prepared bottle of formula and placed it on the table. She then stopped and slouched back in her chair. I asked what was wrong but she refused to say. I kept pressing and she eventually told me that one of the other mothers - who were breastfeeding - had given her a rather dirty look. I told her she was imaging things and I began to feed our child. I looked about and, to my amazement, I also noticed that two women – the one who was breastfeeding and another who had been breastfeeding earlier – were giving me looks of disapproval.

We left soon after with my wife holding back the tears.

At first we put this down to a one-off. But sometime later my wife went to a mothers and babies group. The idea of these groups is for mothers to get to know other mothers and to exchange idea, tips and generally help one another. What my wife noticed was that the walls of the class were plastered with breast milk propaganda. Also, no mothers talked about bottle-feeding, what formula they used, or what was the best way prepare formula. Rather, the talked incessantly about breastfeeding, latching-on and sore nipples. My wife didn’t get the support that the group purported to offer and left the meetings altogether.

My wife ending up feeling embarrassed about bottle-feeding in public or even talking about bottle-feeding.

It was time to fight back. After all, formula milk is a fantastic alternative to breast milk. It has many advantages of that of breast milk; no sore nipples, you can stop fretting about how much milk she’s getting, you can eat whatever you want, you can still feed your child even when you get sick, and others in your family can feed your child.

My wife got a T-shirt printed; ‘Bottle-feeding and Proud’ and we paid another visit to the trendy eatery. We sat down and ate a very nice meal. Later my wife placed our baby’s bottle feeding paraphernalia on the table and then began to feed him.

I don’t know if we got many disapproving looks; I was too busy being a proud father and husband. I love my wife and seeing her bottle feed our child, I knew why I’d married her; she’s strong, independent-minded and a wonderful mother to our child.

Robin O'Brien is a successfully webmaster and founder of http://www.bottle-feeding-baby.com where he provides help, support and advice on bottle feeding baby.
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Can I Overfeed A Breastfed Baby?

2006-08-15T09:48:00.000-04:00

By Carrie Lauth Return to All Articles

Many nursing Moms wonder: Can I overfeed a breastfed baby? If you're worried about your pleasingly plump nursing baby, read on.

In answer to the question: No, you really cannot overfeed the breastfed baby. Firstly, you cannot force a baby to eat when he doesn't want to. If he is indicating the need to nurse, it's because he either needs the nutrition or wants the comfort of suckling. That's perfectly alright.

Since breastmilk is the perfect food for babies, it is easily digested. Mom's milk goes through the baby's stomach more quickly than formula. This is a good thing! It's like when you eat a salad versus a greasy hamburger. ;)

Babies are all different- some are petite and perfect, others are plump and pleasing. A lot of this has to do with genetics, not something you're doing right or wrong. If your baby is growing well and meeting developmental milestones on time, he's fine. Check with your baby's health care provider if you're worried.

One word of caution: if your baby nurses a lot and then seems fussy, gassy and spits up frequently, it may be because of feeding management issues. Something you might want to try is "finishing the first breast first". At the beginning of a feeding, your baby is getting the lower fat "foremilk" and later on, the higher fat "hindmilk". If you remove baby from the first breast before he pulls away and give him the other side, he may fill up with foremilk, causing some gassiness, fussiness, and spitting up.

Let the baby decide when he's done with the first breast, either by pulling away or falling asleep. If you have a very strong "letdown", or milk ejection reflex, then this is especially important. You may have an overabundant milk supply. Try keeping baby on one side for an entire feeding.

If your baby seems to need to nurse more frequently for a few days, he may be going through a growth spurt. Nurse him more often for a couple of days and try to take it easy, rest and nap with him if possible. Your milk supply will increase to meet his needs.

Carrie Lauth has been a breastfeeding counselor for 5 years. She is the host of Natural Moms Talk Radio (http://www.naturalmomstalkradio.com ), the internet's only talk radio show and podcast for the natural mom. For more breastfeeding tips, visit http://www.SexyNursingBra.com

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Decorating a Baby Boy Room

2006-08-12T11:22:00.000-04:00

By Rebecca Johnson....Decorate your Nursery

There are many great options available when it comes to decorating a baby boy’s room. Whether you choose to use a theme or to just keep it neutral, you can create a great room for your new baby boy.

If it’s a theme you are interested in, here are some popular ones for a baby boy nursery:

Western - lassos, cactus, horses, and cowboys help make a great room for your little buckaroo-to-be. It is also a theme that will carry well into a toddler and young boy’s room, saving you the time and expensive of having to redo the room in a couple of years.

Noah’s Ark - is a cute and popular nursery theme for a baby boy’s room. Animals in pairs and arks can be used to accessorize the room.

Sports - sports themes are another popular idea for a baby boy’s nursery décor. You could choose a specific sport such as baseball or football to base the room around or create a room using several sports as the theme. This is another room theme that would easily carry through to the toddler and early childhood years.

Things That Go - planes, trains, and automobiles are all wonderful items for decorating a baby boy room. Use them together as a combined theme or choose just one to focus the room’s motif around.

If a theme isn’t for you, choosing a color scheme to build the room’s décor around is a good way to go about planning the room. Don’t feel limited to the traditional shades of blue for a baby boy’s room. Consider choosing a nursery bedding set you like and then using the bedding to choose paint colors and décor. Shelves with knick knacks and mementos, growth charts, and art work can be found to compliment the paint and bedding. Large letters spelling out the baby’s name can be hung on the wall and a baby shadowbox could be created using such keepsakes as a birth announcement, footprint, hospital bracelet, a pair of baby socks, etc.

Take into consideration how long you want to use the décor in the room when planning it. If you want the baby nursery décor you choose to care over into a little boy’s room, then avoid using themes that won’t grow well with the child. Also remember to design a room that you will enjoy being in. Although your baby will be too young to appreciate your hard work, you will be spending a lot of time in the room also so create an atmosphere you will enjoy as well!

© Copyright Rebecca Johnson, All Rights Reserved

Rebecca Johnson owns and operates Decorating-Your-Baby-Nursery.com, a website that provides decorating and planning ideas for creating a baby nursery. Visit it for more baby boy nursery theme ideas and more baby room decorating tips.
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Parenting Concepts: Guides To Great Parenting

2006-08-11T11:18:00.000-04:00

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By Carl DiNello

Parenting skills are something that new parents can only learn on the fly. It is not really something that comes with a set of directions. What parents can do is make the commitment to invest the time, effort, and dedication necessary to raise their children to be honest, responsible people.

It would be impossible to draw up a list of list of hard and fast rules and methods for parenting. Simply because not all family situations are alike, and not all children respond to parenting methods in the same way. If this is so, does that make any talk of ‘learning’ about parenting useless?

Absolutely not! While methods may have differing effects, and every situation calls for a different set of rules, the things that should remain constant are the basic concepts each parent must learn. These concepts will help guide parents in their constant effort to be better parents.

Unconditional Love – Unconditional love is one of the concepts that should permeate every action and every interaction between parent and child. It is also one of the most misunderstood concepts. How a parent expresses this to the child may very well determine how the child views himself, and his/her worth.

Many children grow up with a low sense of self-esteem as a result of many different factors. They may feel that the love they are shown depends on their accomplishments. Or, they may feel unwanted, or unloved.

All parents should, early on, be certain to show their children how important they are, no matter what, so that they can grow-up loving in the same way. This concept is very important in building self worth.

Responsibility – Children should grow up with a sense of responsibility for their actions, and the things around them. Far too many children grow up to be irresponsible parents, friends, and family, not caring or not knowing how to care, and to accept their own responsibilities.

Children who grow without a sense of responsibility too often find themselves blaming other people for things they should be dealing with themselves. Alternately, lack of responsibility training could cause children to blame themselves for things that they have no control over. This is an opposite, but equally undesirable problem.

Responsible children learn to care for and properly manage their time and resources – and ultimately your time and resources as a parent as well!

Respect – Children should be taught to respect at an early age. They learn that there are people that they should answer to, and that there is organization within every social unit. They learn that no matter whom the person they are talking to, that person has worth and should be respected.

This will help make relationships grow smoothly; as respect is one of the foundations of any good relationship. Children who learn to give and expect respect in return, adjust better to other people than those who don’t.

Conclusion - As a parent one helpful illustration might be to think of raising children as being like flying a kite - you let the kite fly into to the wind, giving slack as the kite flies higher, and reining it in if overwhelmed by the wind. But, like the kite, if properly flown your children could accomplish greater heights of personal development with the help of your support and parenting.

Carl DiNello is an Article Author whose articles are featured on websites covering the Internet's most popular topics. To read more, please visit Parenting Resources & Tips!
You may republish this article on your website, or e-zine so long as none of the content, or author information has been edited or changed in any way, and all links are left active and unchanged.

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Social Skills Training and Self-Esteem: Fine-Tune Your Praise with Five Unlimited Ways

2006-08-10T16:42:00.000-04:00

By Ellen Mossman-Glazer
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There is nothing as powerful as well chosen words to make your child feel great. That internal sense of satisfaction of a job well done is a feeling money cannot buy. You may be reinforcing your child's positive behaviors with concrete items or special experiences or something else. At same time, it is important to be instilling a sense of self pride in your child that is itself, the reward.

Your comments and compliments are magical in building your child's sense of worth. How often do you stop to reflect on just the right way to praise? It is especially important to make your praise clear and specific with younger children and children who have diagnoses of Asperger Syndrome, Autism and ADHD. Here are five categories to help you fine-tune your praising:

1. Acknowledging Praise Words

You are choosing words that give your child acknowledgment of effort or success. This type of praising is helpful when your child is working on meeting a challenge.

"I knew you could do it!"
"You figured it out!"
"You put an incredible amount of thought into that project."

2. Complimenting Praise Words

These are the type of words that build self-esteem by celebrating success or effort. You are praising an action you have seen and your words will usually have a big exclamation mark at the end!

"Awesome job!"
"Super work!"
"A dynamite job!"
" I admire how hard you work."
"You are so creative!"

3. Encouraging Praise Words

These are words that you might use intermittently to keep your child moving along. Your child might be having a tough time and encouraging words can be comforting and motivating.

"You are catching on."
"You're on your way now."
'I knew you could do it."

4. Affection Praise Words

You are simply sending a 'thank-you' message but the message is wrapped in special caring or love.

"You are a joy to work with!"
"Give me a hug!"
""You made my day!"

5. Esteem Boosting Praise Words

These words comment on a personal quality.

"You are an excellent listener."
"You are dependable about following through with your responsibilities."
"You treat people fairly even though it's hard to lose at the game."
"I see you take your work seriously and that takes maturity."
"I love how you get things done!"

Final Tip: Be descriptive as possible about the action you are praising.

Ellen Mossman-Glazer M.Ed. is a Life Skills Coach and Behavior Specialist. She is the author of two on line e-zines, Emotion Matters: Tools and Tips for Parents, Educators and Caregivers and Social Skills: The Micro Steps.
Subscribe for free and see more about Ellen at http://artofbehaviorchange.com/ You can take a free mini assessment which Ellen will reply to with your first action step. Over her 20 years in special education classrooms and treatment settings, Ellen has seen the struggle that children and adults have when they feel they don't fit in. Currently she works in private practice helping parents, educators, caregivers and their challenging loved ones find the tools to thrive.

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Birthday Party Recipes - 5 Tips For The Perfect Princess Party Menu

2006-08-09T09:50:00.000-04:00

By: Annette Yen
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You're ready... your princess has invited the belles of the ball to the finest Princess Birthday Party of the year. You've purchased decorations, planned a few games and have some lovely take home gifts for your guests. Now it's time to plan the finest menu for your royal princess and her court. Let's make it so fabulous that the girls will remember this day when they're planning their future daughter's parties and one that will make your princess throw her hands around your neck and say, "Oh mom! You're the best ever!"

What follows are 5 tips for you in creating the menu of the decade for your princess birthday party.

1. Keep it simple. The last thing you need on a busy day is for you to be running around like crazy trying to make cherries flambé or tiramisu with crème fraise. However, with a little creative planning, you can make something spectacular and still be able to take photos of the lovely girls eating your birthday dainties. There are SO many recipes available at your fingertips that are not only delicious but easy to make with items you probably have in the house or can pick up in your local grocery store at minimal cost (another key!). One of my favorite recipe sites for quick recipes is http://www.freequickrecipes.com, or you can just punch a name of a recipe into your google search box and hundreds of recipes will pop up. Just keep it simple!

2. Presentation is everything. Think about it, mom. A peanut butter sandwich is nice, but, make that sandwich and cut it with petite cookie cutters into various princessly shapes and you have something spectacular. Even just cutting the sandwiches with a glass into a circle and then cutting the circles in half would work. Display them nicely on a glass plate with some red grapes or flowers and it's no longer just a boring sandwich but a delicacy that's a delight to look at AND eat.

3. Throw the "no sugar" rule out the window. Ok, I'll get hate mail for this one but c'mon mom! Your princess only has the bash of the century once a year, so break the rules a little and provide something sweet to eat. Balance it out with a lower sugar drink and other dainties that aren't sugar laden.

4. Make the drink pink! Pink lemonade, pink Kool-Aid, pink soda... anything pink in a clear plastic cup and you'll be the coolest mom on the block. Float a half of a strawberry in the cup and you may as well get a revolving door to your house. You'll be the hit of the neighborhood!

5. Work with a timeline and schedule for the day of the party. A checklist of what you'll be serving and when you need to pull it out of the freezer or fridge, what goes where, etc., and how long each thing takes will insure that you won't forget any of the details and insure that you won't go to open the fridge for a late night snack after your princess is in dream land and see the strawberries that you meant to put in the royal goblets.

The perfect, stress free Princess party menu is within reach, Mom. Just keep it simple, fancy, tasty and pink! Write out a checklist and you're all set for the finest party menu for your princess and her royal maidens.

About the Author:

Annette Yen invites you to her website http://www.iloveprincessparties.com to find everything you need for the perfect princess party! (** Note to Publishers: Affiliates of http://ILovePrincessParties.com may publish this article with their affiliate link for that program.**)

5 Tips on How to Survive Back-to-School Shopping

2006-08-08T09:47:00.000-04:00

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(NewsUSA) - If you are like millions of other time-starved moms, the thought of back-to-school shopping leaves you feeling stressed and wondering how you can possibly get it all done within your budget and in the limited time you have. Take advantage of these mom-tested, time-saving tips this year and get your children ready for back-to-school in record time - without busting your budget:

1. Start with a plan: Create a master back-to-school shopping list and budget for each child. Discuss the list and ask your kids what items or brands they want most. Let them help make the budget trade-offs. For example, if they want an expensive pair of shoes, they need to spend less on the backpack or clothes.

2. Closet-cleaning giveaway: Before you start shopping, clean out the closet. Sort through the clothes with each of your children, setting aside items that still fit and giving the rest away to charity.

3. Get the help of a free online personal shopper: Take advantage of PersonalShopper.com, and join over half of the moms in America who plan to do their back-to-school shopping online, according to a national survey by MedeliaMonitor. This free service saves you time and money by sifting through millions of products to find deals and items tailored to your family's needs and interests.

Your children can browse a selection of items from favorite brands, styles and colors and save what they love most to their online wish list. You can then review it together and make your purchases from the comfort of your own home.

4. It's best one-on-one: Schedule a back-to-school shopping date with each child, giving them your undivided attention. They grow up so fast, so invest your time in making lasting memories.

5. Snag sweet deals: Sixty-four percent of moms in the survey said that one of the biggest challenges is keeping themselves and their children within the set budget. Share with each child the amount you can afford to spend. Teach them to value your hard-earned money and how to stretch the budget as far as possible by making smart choices. They will soon learn that they can get far more for their money by searching the sales first.

For more information, visit www.personalshopper.com.

Lactivists Unite To Raise Breastfeeding Awareness

2006-08-07T09:50:00.000-04:00

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By Elizabeth Catalanotto

Each year breastfeeding advocates in over 120 countries celebrate World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) during the first week of August. WBW was started by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) in an effort to protect, promote and support breastfeeding on a global level. All around the world lactivists (lactation activists) will celebrate by engaging in letter writing campaigns, holding fundraisers and staging nurse-ins to raise awareness and support for breastfeeding. Find out what is being done in your community to promote breastfeeding and to support breastfeeding mothers by contacting the local La Leche League chapter.

This year's theme for WBW is Code Watch: 25 Years of Protecting Breastfeeding. It commemorates the 25th anniversary of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (The Code) which seeks to restrict aggressive marketing practices by infant formula companies. Proper implementation of the Code ensures that mothers fully understand the benefits of breastfeeding and are able to make an informed choice about how to feed their newborn. To participate in the Code Watch let the WABA know how formula companies are advertising and promoting their products in your area.

Lactivists promote breastmilk as the best source of nourishment for an infant because it provides a multitude of health benefits. Breastfed babies are less likely than formula fed babies to develop gastrointestinal, ear or respiratory infections as well as many types of allergies. It also reduces a child's risk of being afflicted by SIDS and childhood obesity. Breastfed infants that do become sick are able to recover sooner than formula fed babies since the breastfed infants receive antibodies from their mother's breastmilk. Children are protected by these antibodies until their immune systems mature.

Mothers that choose to breastfeed receive many health benefits as well. They experience minimal uterine bleeding and are less likely to develop breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis. Breastfeeding mothers are also able to lose their pregnancy weight faster since producing milk requires a mother to use more energy and burn more calories. Natural birth spacing is another result of exclusive breastfeeding. During the first six months after an infant's birth a breastfeeding mother is unable to conceive due to the absence of her menstrual periods. This pause in her cycle allows her to give her baby the necessary attention and care that he or she needs.

In addition to providing unparalleled health benefits to both a mother and her infant, a breastfeeding relationship allows the two of them to develop a close emotional bond. Experts encourage mothers to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months to ensure that their children receive the full health benefits.

As WBW celebrations grow each year, lactivists are able to educate more parents on the advantages that breastfeeding has to offer. By taking part in your community's celebration or planning an event of your own, you can help breastfeeding gain worldwide acceptance as the most nutritional method for feeding infants.

Elizabeth Catalanotto is a contributing writer for Breast Pumps Direct, a leading retailer of breast pumps and breastfeeding supplies.
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