I was born and raised in Orange County, California, home to world-famous Disneyland. Until 1981, admittance to this beloved theme park included purchasing coupons, labeled A through E, for specific rides. E-coupons were always in highest demand (and were more expensive) because that was your ticket to the most exciting, the most adventurous, and the most gut-wrenching experiences in the park. As opposed to the A-tickets which were rides for “babies,” as I recall. If you’ve just learned (likely confirming your deepest intuition) that your child is, in fact, gifted, you’ve just found yourself on one of the most thrilling rollercoasters of parenting. A ride fraught with anticipation and anxiety, valid concern and moments of sheer bravadothis is an E-ticket ride!
In case you haven’t already noticed, gifted children are intense. What I mean to say is, gifted children are INTENSE! A good day at school becomes, “the BEST day of my life;” something built out of LEGOs is “The MOST Incredible Creation” and cannot ever be disassembled; while an argument with one friend and, suddenly, “EVERYBODY hates me”!
Life raising a gifted child is life on a rollercoaster of extreme highs and distressing lows. It is ironic that parents of the gifted are often accused of “pushing” their children when in fact, most are hanging on for dear life! How does one “push” in this cling-to-what-you-can-or-die-trying scenario? Seriously, though, the parents of gifted kids I’ve met and worked with aren’t living vicariously through their children’s intellect, they aren’t grabbing for attention from media or anyone else. They have very real problems and very real concerns that are easily overlooked by friends and family. After all, their children look normal.
So your daughter comes home from school and, in the safe cocoon of the kitchen where you are busy throwing together something that will pass as dinner before rushing off to get everyone to their respective lessons and sports practices, she wants to expound indefinitely on how every single man, woman and child she has ever met now hates her, her clothing is stupid (because Katie said so), her classes are too boring (or too hard or too stupid), and, oh, by the way, she’d like to pierce her belly button over the weekend because Jamie did it and at least she’s telling you in advance (unlike Jamie). Inhale. Exhale. Got that seatbelt securely fastened?
New rules: Yes, you are there to hear about every trial and tribulation your child faced that day, but first, she must initiate the conversation with between one and three positive comments on her day. We sometimes forget to share our joys with each other and, instead, wallow in commiserating. One positive remembrance of the day can turn the whole tone of the conversation around.
She must also learn to measure the words, “everyone,” “every class,” “all my clothes,” etc. with a more accurate accounting of how many, exactly who and precisely what. By the way, you should relish in the fact that your daughter is dumping the woes of the world on your lapshe trusts you and values your input. She is safe with you. This could very well be the basis for a long-lasting, trusting relationship that will survive when the going gets really tough: the teen years. Your daughter needs you to stay the course, rock solid, no matter what she comes home with.
With my own children, it’s those last few moments of being tucked into bed at night that open the flood gates of fears, worry, stress, and complete freaking out. Perhaps that’s when they can truly guarantee that they have my undivided attention. Or maybe it’s a way of extending the inevitable bedtime (never a hard and fast time in our household anyway) by just a few more minutes. It is typical for gifted children to reveal their deepest feelings just before falling asleep though, as that’s when the emotions surface, preventing sleep or even a relaxed state. Whatever the motive, the safety of bed and goodnight snuggling seems to bring out the darkest memories of the day for my kids or the fears and concerns for the next day. I can’t bear to send them into dreamland with all that worry, so I usually indulge. At least for a bit. I do insist on revising the assessments: Really? The WORST day of your life? I thought the time (fill in the blank) happened felt worse than this. I try and offer some perspective on the overall review of the day’s events, reminding them that tomorrow is another day, what feels overwhelmingly dreadful right this moment may be resolved by morning, etc. I don’t ever make light of their emotions, or of the very real feelings they are experiencing, I ask only that they balance the assessment of various disappointments with how devastating those events truly are. Sort of a “big picture” view, if you will.
Rollercoasters of our own creation
Be sure to avoid creating rollercoasters with your gifted children. For instance, if you know that your child responds negatively to large crowds or noises, don’t insist on a family trip to a crowded mall or large amusement park. You will likely be signing on for tantrums and frustration. Read your children’s cues about what they can manage as far as noise, lights, crowds, and other stimulations, and respond accordingly. If your son knows that throngs of screaming children will cause him great anxiety and make him want to hide under the table or cling to your leg, he should turn down the birthday invitation to Chucky Cheese. Perhaps he could offer, instead, to have his
best friend over for a private celebration. Help your children think up creative ways for circumventing situations that lead to stress and discomfort. A private lunch and play date will likely be better remembered and can be a lovely way to express birthday wishes while avoiding the noise and chaos of a public restaurant.
When my oldest was an infant, he would scream at the sound of the garbage disposal or the vacuum. So I always made sure my husband or I could take him outside or walk him in a stroller while the other took care of whatever offending chore needed to be completed. My mother would lecture me that I was pampering and acting far too overprotective, but I knew in my heart that extreme noises were actually painful to my son’s small and developing ears. In fact, many gifted kids experience heightened sensitivity to sound, they are not just crying for attention. Some children of high intellect experience sensation to light more intensely than others. And some gifted kids have tremendous tactile discomfort with clothing labels or socks that aren’t at the same height on each leg. (Look for Hanes® and other brands that have eliminated tags, altogether.) Research and be sensitive yourself (pun intended!) to the very real sensations your gifted child is experiencing; these extreme sensations and reactions are not unique among this population.
Gifted children love to build and create, whether it’s with pre-packaged toys such as LEGOs or K’Nex, or just a roll of Scotch tape and recyclable materials. Most have an emotional attachment to their creations and great difficulty discarding them. If you’ve found yourself in a fire hazard collection of inventions and art that your child is deeply connected to, you might try starting a scrapbook. A picture of The World’s Greatest Creation can easily be stored within the pages of a photo album, along with numerous other mementos, for later review and enjoyment, allowing you to discard those items blocking passage through the halls. There will likely be great debate about what to keep and what to toss, but a scrapbook may make the process easier.
Siblings
Research from the Gifted Development Center (www.gifteddevelopment.com) shows that 36% of siblings are within five IQ points of each other; 61.5% are within ten. If you’ve got one gifted child, you can almost bank on the others being gifted as well. There is probably no relationship more volatile among gifted children than that between siblings. If one gifted child is intense, justice-oriented and sensitive then two are exponentially more difficult to live with. Add a third or fourth child to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for disaster! One technique I’ve discovered to halt the rivalry between extremely frustrated children is to get out the digital or video camera. Sounds terrible, I know! Who wants to photograph for posterity your darling child ready to hurl something at his sibling or strike a blow at him, right? But it works! The moment they realize they are about to be the subject of a scrapbook page (one of my favorite hobbies), the action stops. It takes awhile to cool down and be able to laugh at what Mom almost caught on camera but it can turn even the ugliest of arguments into play. You can actually feel the mood of the room change as the frustration dissipates and the camera hams emerge in all their silliness and goofy smiles.
Where did this come from?
“The apple doesn’t usually fall far from the tree.” Parents are usually within ten IQ points of their children. By adulthood, you have likely managed to temper your reactions to noise and light, to moderate your responses to slights from others and to react in an “appropriate” manner to losses and disappointments. Now it’s your turn to guide your children in their responses. As your children approach obstacles, recall from your own experience growing up how you wish you’d been treated or received and offer that comfort and support to your kids. We each remember the devastation we felt when snubbed by a member of our peer group or if we earned a grade lower than we had worked toward. Don’t dismiss or belittle these episodes in your children’s lives.
Be a good role model for your children. Demonstrate acceptable responses to situations and support them through these seemingly uncharted waters. Show them how to politely navigate around situations that could create anxiety and, instead, make alternate choices that won’t leave themand youstressed out.
One of the gifts you can and should give your child is to recognize and appreciate your own giftedness. If your child were an accomplished athlete, her skills would be applauded. But American society consistently encourages us to hide our intellectual prowess and blend in with our class- and age-mates. Gifted children are the square pegs that struggle to fit within such holes. Make your home and family a safe place to be gifted; a place where intellectual pursuits are applauded and rewarded, where stimulation abounds and opportunities are plentiful. Indulge your children’s passions to whatever extent possible, while honoring their sometimes temporary but fervent quests for knowledge, knowing that another tangent is inevitable. Delight in your children and allow them to delight in you. You have much to share with one another.
Then, fasten your seatbelt, because this is an E-ticket ride!
Alexandra “Allie” Golon is Director of the Visual-Spatial Resource (visualspatial.org) and homeschooling consultant for the Gifted Development Center (gifteddevelopment.com), both subsidiaries of the Institute for the Study of Advanced Development, in Denver, Colorado. As a founding member of the Visual-Spatial Resource Access Team, a former G/T teacher, and homeschooling parent to two gifted visual-spatial learners, Allie brings a wealth of experience to her books, Raising Topsy-Turvy Kids: Successfully Parenting Your Visual-Spatial Child and, If You Could See the Way I Think: A Handbook for Visual-Spatial Kids. Her upcoming release, The Visual-Spatial Classroom: Differentiation Strategies that Engage Every Learner, is a rich source for classroom strategies that will help every student succeed, regardless of preferred learning style. Allie has been invited to present on teaching and parenting visual-spatial learners and on homeschooling issues at state, national and international venues. She can be reached at alex@visualspatial.org.
Pregnancy is a time where women really need to be sure that they take extra good care of themselves. A growing fetus is very demanding on the body of a woman, and if she isn’t sure to take great care of herself it could prove devastating for herself and her child. Mostly, a woman must be in touch with her body, open to suggestions from her doctor, and willing to do things a bit differently than she would if she were not pregnant.
First, a woman should seriously consider taking prenatal vitamins. You can buy these over the counter in almost every drug store, or your doctor can write you a prescription. These vitamins are considered essential by many experts as the developing fetus will often rob the mother of the vitamins and nutrients that her body needs to maintain its own health and stability.
A balanced diet is very important, as well. Most women will naturally crave balanced meals that consist of calcium rich foods, fruits, vegetables, as well as proteins. If you do not normally have a balanced diet because of your food preferences or religious beliefs, you need to consider how this will affect your growing baby. If you do not eat meat or you have an aversion to fruits and vegetables you should let your doctor know this so that he or she can work with you or set you up with a nutritionist so that you can have a healthy pregnancy. Not only does your baby need you to eat a balanced diet, you need you to, as well!
Exercise is a part of a healthy pregnancy, as well. While your regular exercise program may be safe in the beginning of your pregnancy, you will need to discuss your exercise regimen with your doctor. A lot of women think that they need to give up exercise during pregnancy, and for most women this simply is not true. In fact, the better shape you are in when you deliver the easier the delivery will be and the faster you will recover. If for some reason your doctor thinks you need to modify your exercise program you can do that, but most women can continue to exercise normally for most of their pregnancy as long as the exercise is neither too invasive or does not engage the abdominal muscles.
A positive outlook and support from friends and family is essential for a healthy pregnancy. While pregnancy is usually a very hopeful and exciting time, it can also be quite overwhelming, and even scary. If you have the help and support of family and friends, those scary and overwhelming feelings will subside quickly so you can continue to care for yourself and your baby during your pregnancy.
There is no doubt that pregnancy is one of the most physically and emotionally challenging times of your life, only outdone by parenthood itself! Taking care of yourself during pregnancy requires caution, care, and planning, but it can be done quite simply. Having open communication with your doctor and those around you will help you be well informed so that you can make the decisions that will lead to a healthy pregnancy. Websites such as www.pregnancysafe.com can help you plan for the most healthy pregnancy possible.
Learn how to stay healthy during your pregnancy at http://www.pregnancysafe.com.
79 Ways for Kids To Exercise - Indoors or Out
Do you spend all your free time watching TV or playing video games? Two hours of TV or video games a day should be your limit, if you want to be healthy and strong and develop your creativity. Here are some exercise ideas!
1. Walk your dog
2. Walk your neighbor’s dog (with permission from your parents and your neighbor, of course)
3. Fly a kite
4. Toss a Frisbee
5. Ask your parents or grandparents to take you to a state park or other area where you can take a nature hike. Look for unusual plants, insects or wildlife and take samples or pictures for your science class or show and tell
6. Ride your bike
7. Skate
8. If you have a yard, pick up sticks or trash
9. Pull weeds
10.Rake the yard or garden
11.Play tag 12.Play hopscotch
13.Have a hula hoop contest, and see who can keep the hoop up the longest
14.Learn to juggle
15.Jump rope (boxers do it, and look how strong & healthy they are!)
16.Visit the zoo, amusement park or museum (lots of walking)
17.Wash the car
18.Have every family member wear a pedometer, and have a daily challenge to see who can take the most steps. Losers do winner’s chores the next day!
19.Shoot hoops
20.Play soccer
21.Play softball
22.Play badminton
23.Have a water balloon fight
24.Put on your bathing suit and run through the sprinkler
25.Go swimming (never without an adult to supervise!)
26.Give the dog a bath. The bigger the dog, the more exercise you’ll get!
27.Sign up for a charity walk-a-thon with your parent, grandparent, or other relative. You’ll help raise money for a good cause and get in shape at the same time. If your town doesn’t have a walk-a-thon, start one for your favorite charity
28.Do jumping jacks
29.Do push-ups
30.Put on an exercise video and get a good workout
31.Do sit-ups
32.Learn to play golf, or caddy for someone else
33.Play tennis
34.Play miniature golf
35.Go bowling
36.Learn to twirl a baton
37.Take a class in martial arts and learn to defend yourself
38.Build a fort and play cowboys and Indians
39.If you have a two-story home or a home with a basement, carry out-of-place items up or down stairs, one item at a time
40.Run the vacuum
41.Wash windows
42.Clean your room
43.Ride your skateboard
44.Learn yoga, either at a class or from a video
45.Race-walk
46.Have relay races with your friends or family
47.Play touch football
48.Learn ballroom dancing
49.Learn hip-hop dancing
50.Take classes in ballet, jazz or tap dancing
51.Join a clogging or Irish step-dancing club
52.Learn to play an instrument and join the marching band
53.Join a gym or work with a private fitness trainer
54.Practice turning cartwheels in the yard
55.Walk on the beach and collect shells
56.Set up an obstacle course in your back yard, and practice going faster and faster through it
57.Have a tug of war
58.Get several parents & kids together and have one-legged sack races
59.Learn to water ski (again, make sure you have adult supervision at all times!)
60.Learn to surf (same as number 59)
61.Play hockey
62.Climb the monkey bars or a climbing wall
63.Go horseback riding
64.Learn gymnastics
65.Play volleyball
66.Play table tennis
67.Use normal household items and form a rhythm band. March around the house or neighborhood playing your instruments
68.Pull your little brother or sister around the yard in a wagon
69.Play croquet
70.Have a long-jumping contest with your friends, and see who can jump the farthest
71.In the winter, you can ice skate;
72.Ski- - either downhill or cross-country
73.Build a snowman
74.Build a snow fort and have a snowball fight
75.Go sledding
76.Shovel snow off your sidewalk or driveway
77.Take your dog outside and play fetch in the snow. Most dogs love snow!
78.Take a walk in the snow, then try to step in your own tracks all the way back
79.Shovel snow off someone else’s walk, either as a favor or to earn money
What are you waiting for, kids? Start moving!!
Bev Grey is founder and president of Grandma’s Healthy Kids Club, Inc., an in-home program to help children lose weight safely or just improve their eating and exercise habits. See our website at http://www.grandmashealthykidsclub.com
This article may be reprinted in its entirety as long as credit is given to Bev Grey and Grandma’s Healthy Kids Club and the URL is shown.
The method know as three dimensional ultrasound is used when a woman is in early pregnancy, it provides 3d pictures of the fetus. Most of the time these ultrasound images are quickly collected and combined and animated to make a 4d ultrasound scan.
Three dimensional scans works in a similar way to the normal ultrasound scanning methods except that the ultrasound waves can be sent from many directions. The waves can be redirected back and captured and provide information to construct a 3-dimensional image in very much the same way as 3d pictures. 3 dimesional ultrasound was started by stephen smith and olaf von ramm.
It’s important to understand that sonologists worldwide have always pictured three-dimensional images of anatomy or pathology in their minds while doing 2d scans. However, until recently it was not possible to do this type of reconstruction on on data using ultrasound. With the introduction of baby scans for the first time allowed us a view into the thinking of a sonologist and hence letting us see the images on the ultrasound machine.
3d/4d imaging should utilize ultrasound energy following the same limits as conventional 2d ultrasound to create the 3d images. There is no data to suggest harm due to 3d ultasound scanning, its use in none essential situations needs to be undertaken with the understanding of the risks.
Remember, store your unborn childs umbilical cord stem cells by using people like cells4life.
EXERCISE SAFELY
The first thing to understand when you exercise during your pregnancy is to take extra care. This doesn’t mean exercise less, rather be sure to know and understand your body limits. Even though exercising during your pregnancy can be beneficial, there are certain risks involved that may be detrimental. Be sure to check in with your doctor or midwife to ensure that you are able to exercise during pregnancy.
Once you have the go-ahead from your physician, keep them updated with how you are doing. Are you experiencing fatigue or pain while you are exercising during your pregnancy? Be sure to let them know if that’s the case. It’s important to have caution while exercising, and if you’re in doubt, check in with your physician. It is also very important to remember that exercising while pregnant isn’t mean to improve your physical fitness, rather maintain your physical condition.
While choosing an exercise to do during your pregnancy, be sure to consider ones that involve a partner - be it your spouse, or a friend. Pick pregnancy exercises that you enjoy, as that will help you to stay motivated to exercise during pregnancy Stay away from pregnancy exercises where you might be in danger of falling, losing your balance or getting hit in the abdomen, as these might increase the chance of something going wrong during your pregnancy.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD WORKOUT?
Finding a pregnancy exercise that you enjoy and being able to fit into your schedule is important. You’ll soon notice that once you start to experience the benefits of exercising during pregnancy, you’ll want to ensure that you exercise regularly. Keep in mind that the best resource for exercise while pregnant will be your healthcare provider.
Two stages of exercising that are important are warming up and cooling down. Even with an exercise such as walking, this will help you to avoid and prevent muscle soreness and stiffness. Try to include 5 to 15 minute sessions of warming up and cooling down while you exercise during your pregnancy.
The best warm up activity is one that is kept at a low-intensity, rhythmic activity, such as walking, or riding a stationary bike. Follow that up with slow, controlled stretches, before proceeding with a higher level of activity. A gentle cool down is also important as you exercise during pregnancy. In order to have an effective cool down, stretch each muscle, one at a time. Gentle toning pregnancy exercises are safe if you keep them to a moderate level. You might also try to include relaxation or deep-breathing exercises as well.
Below is a short list of signs that you should stop exercising:
1) Bloody discharge or any gush of fluid from the vagina
2) Unexplained pain in the abdomen
3) Persistent headaches, changes in vision, faintness or dizziness
4) Marked fatigue, heart palpitations or chest pains
5) Sudden swelling of ankles, face or your hands
HOW MUCH EXERCISE SHOULD I DO?
The best way to decide how much and how often you should exercise during your pregnancy is to follow the FITT principle - Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.
FREQUENCY
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, women who are pregnant should not exercise for longer than 30 minutes. Even though you may feel good, and that you can keep going, your pregnant body can only handle so much. A good workout program at the beginning of your pregnancy is one that is performed three times a week.
INTENSITY
Throughout your pregnancy, you should aim to exercise moderately. Again, the idea is not to improve your physical fitness, rather to maintain. Overtraining can be damaging to you and your body, as well as your baby’s. Learn how to take your pulse, and do not exceed 15 to 20 beats per minute more than normal. If you find it difficult to talk while you are exercising, you might be exercising to heavily while you are pregnant.
TIME
Be advised that you should begin your exercising in short workouts. Pushing yourself to quickly might result in soreness of the muscles, as well as exhaustion. During the first few weeks of your pregnancy, you should exercise no more than 15 minute sessions. Once you feel comfortable with that duration, exercising for up to 30 minutes during your pregnancy should benefit you greatly. This increase in time shouldn’t occur until you are into your second trimester, however. It is important that you listen to your body if you exercise while being pregnant. If you find yourself tired and sore after a workout, cut back until you can feel comfortable with the amount.
TYPE
Whether you prefer to exercise during your pregnancy alone, or with a friend or group of friends, it’s important to decide which type of activity you will perform. Some activities that women who are pregnant find helpful are swimming, walking, stair-climbing, stationary cycling, and special prenatal aerobics and aquatic classes. Some of these activities such as walking and swimming, can be done in moderation even up until the day you deliver.
Brian Gardner is the Founder of PregnancyEtc.com - An Online Pregnancy Resource For 9 Months & Beyond. Having recently experienced pregnancy firsthand with his wife Shelly, Brian has dedicated his efforts towards pregnancy research. The development of http://www.pregnancyetc.com was to ensure that expecting parents had a place to find information on pregnancy and babies.
Everything starts out wonderfully. You have a brand new baby who is absolutely adorable. And then IT happens. Around three weeks of age, he starts screaming and there is nothing you can really do to help him calm down. This screaming can last for hours and usually happens at the same time of day every day. Both you and your baby are very stressed. Unfortunately, it sounds like you have a colicky baby.
Colic will rear it’s ugly head in about 25% of all newborns and the causes can be very varied, from immature nervous system to an immature digestive system. The colic will slowly disappear, usually around the age of three months, but the time between three weeks and three months can cause many tears and much stress for both the baby and the parents.
For the formula fed baby, a main cause of colic can be a sensitivity to the protein in cow’s milk or, in fewer cases, the sugar in milk based formulas. The baby may not have enough of the enzyme required to break down milk protein which results in a build up of gas in the intestines. This build up can cause the intestines to go into painful spasms.
If you formula feed, there are some steps you can take to help alleviate the colic. Many times changing the type of formula you are giving your baby can make a dramatic change. Be sure to keep the communication with your pediatrician open during this colic period. She will be able to make sure that cause for the colic type behaviors is not a more serious illness.
Please note: It can take up to a week for the formulas to create a change in your baby. Rapidly changing from one formula to another will most likely create a temporary situation where the colic is worse, not better. Also know, that there may be a day or two where the colic seems worse instead of better while your child’s system gets used to the new formula.
One of the first formulas you can try on your quest for a less colicky baby is Carnation Good Start. This formula has “Comfort Proteins” and the proteins are then broken down into smaller pieces, within the formula, to be easier to digest in baby’s? stomach.
If you baby has a true sensitivity/allergy to the proteins in cow’s milk then the particular formula will not be effective. Either your baby will be much better after you start using this formula or the screaming will get much worse. Unfortunately there is no real way of telling which result you will have until you try it.
The next step on the formula trail is to move onto soy based formulas. This may work for some babies, but about half of the infants that are allergic to cow’s milk will also have a reaction to the proteins found in soy based formulas.
If the above formula changes don’t work for your baby, there is a third type of formula to try. Hypo allergenic formulas like Nutramigen and Alimentum can make a huge dent in the colic symptoms. The major down side of these formulas is the cost. A can of Nutramigen can cost around $22.00, very expensive but well worth if it helps calm the colic.
In an attempt to defray some of the cost of these formulas, it is highly recommended that you sign up for their mailing lists. They send coupons out every so often that can make a substantial difference in the cost of a can of the formula.
Another suggestion is to buy the formula in bulk. A store, like Babies-R-Us, sells Nutramigen in a case and the cost comes out to about $3 less a can.
If you meet the income requirements, you may be able to get this formula through WIC, a Federal grant program. You need to check it the WIC offices in your state and you may have to get your pediatrician to write a prescription for Nutramigen, because WIC will most likely provide Carnation Good Start otherwise.
Vickie Barnes is a colic veteran of two colicky babies. Please visit her website ColicHelp.com, for more support and resources for dealing with colic.
This in my opinion is the best gift parents can give to their children. And it doesn’t cost anything, causes no botheration.
The events that I am going to describe started when my daughter Shruti was about 6 years old (now she is 17). One day she came rushing to me back from her school with a request. “Papa will you please write a story for me? I have to submit a story in my English assignment.”
My first reaction was that thoughts like these flooded my mind - “Is it right for me to do her assignment? Isn’t she supposed to do it herself? Will I suppress her creativity if I help her? Should I enforce discipline more strictly?”
In spite of my apprehensions, which I tried my best not to show, I readily agreed to write a story for her. I didn’t exactly write the story, I dictated it to her. During dictation there was some discussion and final outcome was with our mutual consent. In her next term exams she got highest marks in her class which gave me some consolation that my doubts were perhaps unfounded.
This trend continued for several years. Very often Shruti would approach me to help her in home assignments and I was always quick to respond. Jointly we wrote several stories, essays, real life incidents, biographies. But those nagging thoughts were always at the back of my mind. However, Shruti continued to get highest marks in her class and I didn’t think it necessary to change my approach.
Gradually Shruti started doing more and more assignments by herself and in last two years or so she has not asked for my help. She still tops in her class and has turned out to be an exceptionally talented person.
When I look back over the years it gives me lot of satisfaction that I did not waver from my precept of upbringing a child.
What was it that Shruti wanted when she asked me to write a story for her? Was it only a story that she wanted from me? Certainly not. Story was only a medium to share her excitement with me.
What she wanted from me and what I gave to her can be best described by this term - INVOLVEMENT. This is in my opinion the best gift parents can give to their children - involving them in your affairs and getting involved in their little affairs. Everyone wants to feel important and everyone wants recognition - even the child. Involvement with your child emotionally is one way of acknowledging that the child is an important member of the family.
What really matters is how the child perceives and interprets the situation. How parents perceive the situation is of little consequence even if parents feel that their intentions are the best in the world. By establishing an emotional bond parents can ensure that the child gets the correct message. This helps the child in developing emotional maturity, attaining emotional self-dependence and imparts confidence in dealing with people.
The child may not visibly seek attention from the parents all the time. But whenever the child approaches the parents or other elders, the child deserves to be given proper attention. If for any reason parents cannot immediately give time, this can be explained to the child honestly. Remember to be truthful to your children - they can detect when people are not honest with them and then start feeling unwanted.
Here in this article I have narrated how I helped Shruti with her assignments. But whenever she approached me for anything, I always tried to give her my fullest attention. I believe this approach helps child to develop the skill to reach out to people and get favorable response from them. This is an important element in the development of interpersonal skill.
Early formative years decide a person’s attitude later in life. Emotional growth of a child is as important as physical and mental growth. This is what forms the basic character of a person. Parents need to ensure that child’s own self-image is properly created by proper emotional inputs.
To sum up, the most precious gift which can be given to the child is the sense of self-esteem, self-respect. This is a quality or attitude which prepares the child to face the world with confidence. To help children attain this quality the role of parents can be vital. They need to demonstrate truthfully how much they care for the child’s feelings.
———-
Sanjay Johari regularly contributes articles to several ezines, mostly on small business. He invites you to most trusted business opportunity, one of the best training programs and personal mentoring. Find out for your self:
http://www.sanjay-j.com/empowerism.html
mailto:sanjay-johari@sanjay-j.com
Baby showers are generally held in the later stages of pregnancy (in the last 2 months, for instance). There are, however, certain cultural beliefs that make people purposefully wait for the baby to arrive before having a baby shower. Adoptive parents, at times, wait until after the adoption is final and the baby has arrived in their home.
Baby showers are generally organized by close friends, relatives, or co-workers of the expectant parents (because baby showers center on gift-giving, it is considered inappropriate for a family member to host such events).
In its early form, baby showers were held exclusively for mothers-to-be, and only women were invited to attend the party. In addition, baby showers were traditionally held only for the first child. Today, however, many people arrange baby showers for both parents, and they can now be also arranged for every succeeding children (even children who have been adopted).
Activities in a baby shower typically include games, special activies, presents, and, most especially, food.
Below are some of the most common baby shower recipes:
Pizza Sandwiches
Pizza sauce (can be store-bought or homemade)
Cottage cheese (lowfat)
English muffins
Parmesan cheese
1. Mix 2-3 tbsp of pizza sauce with 2-3 tbsp of cottage cheese.
2. Spread the mixture onto one half of the English muffin.
3. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
4. Broil for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve.
Creamy Tomato Soup
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 can tomato soup (condensed)
Milk
1 tbsp basil
Mozarella or croutons (for toppings)
1. Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan.
2. Add the tomato soup.
3. Add milk (approximately the same amount as that of the tomato soup).
4. Add basil and cook slowly on low heat (do not boil).
5. Top with a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella and croutons. Serve.
Cheese Balls
lb cheese (cheddar or grated)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 pack cream cheese
4 oz Tabasco sauce
2 tsp onion
Chopped nuts
2 tsp catsup or chili sauce
1. Mix all ingredients together using a mixer or a food processor (the cheese should be at room temperature).
2. Empty mixed ingredients on small bowls lined with plastic wrap.
3. Refrigerate overnight.
4. To serve, remove wrap and sprinkle with nuts. Serve with assorted crackers.
Chicken Puffs
4 tbsp butter
cup boiling water
cup flour
2 eggs
cup shredded cheese
2 cups cooked chicken
2 tbsp olives
2 tbsp wine
cup mayonnaise
1. Melt butter in boiling water.
2. Add flour.
3. Stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball.
4. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
5. Add egg and beat briskly until smooth.
6. Stir in cheese.
7. Scoop 1 tsp dough into a greased baking sheet.
8. Preheat oven to 400F.
9. Bake the puffs for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, and split.
10. Combine the remaining ingredients with the finely chopped cooked chicken, pimiento, and olives.
11. Fill each puff with 2 tsp of the mixture. Serve.
There are just some of the baby shower recipes, there are numerous others to choose from - from sandwiches & finger foods, to snacks and dips and sweets - appetizing, yet simple and very easy to prepare.
Visit www.babyshowerguidebook.com/ today and download your free report on baby shower invitations and baby shower favors.
Proper postnatal nutrition for mothers is important to serve the essential needs of breastfeeding a newborn baby. Although breast milk is capable of fulfilling the nutritional needs of newborns on its own, there are a number of common concerns about nutrition that face breastfeeding mothers. This article will address proper caloric intake during breastfeeding, achieving safe and normal weight loss, mixing formula supplements and the questions about fluid intake.
One of the biggest questions on the mind of mothers is how many extra calories they should consume to compensate for the natural production and supply of breast milk. In most cases, a woman should be able to attain a reasonable caloric intake by simply following their appetite. It is not unusual for a baby nursing to make mothers feel hungry more frequently than normal. Calorie counting may be necessary in your particular situation. If you are counting calories, remember that research indicates that a daily intake of eighteen to twenty-two hundred calories will allow you a sufficient supply of breast milk. A breast feeding mother will require between three and five hundred more calories after pregnancy than she did while carrying her child.
Each mother’s individual need for calories will vary. Your level of exercise, prior nutritional status and body weight will all affect the number of additional calories you need. Some mothers feel the need to begin the process of losing weight during the first weeks following a pregnancy. While weight loss is a reasonable concern, studies show that mothers who are both breastfeeding and consuming fewer calories actually lose more weight when their child is three to six months old. In order to allow your body to properly recover from childbirth, you should give yourself at least two months before attempting to lose weight.
Weight loss during the first two months is accomplished normally by simply eating a diet that satisfies hunger. After two months you can raise your level of activity by walking a half an hour each day. With proper dieting and physical activity it is reasonable to achieve the gradual loss of about a pound a week. Always consult your pediatrician before undertaking any form of weight loss strategy, as it could affect your child.
Another concern for mothers who breastfeed is whether it is necessary to force fluids in the weeks following childbirth. Just as maintaining a healthy diet requires eating to hunger, fluid intake should be at a level that it comfortably satisfies your thirst. By paying attention to your body, you will know when it is appropriate to drink fluids. One recommendation by breast feeding experts is that mothers keep water or some other fluid nearby at all times. This helps prevent you from ignoring thirst should it arise at an inconvenient time.
There are advantages to mixing breast milk with baby formula. Mixing allows you to both increase the supply of breast milk on hand and also supplement the natural immunological benefits of breast milk.
The best way to artificially express breast milk safely is with a breast pump. Breast pumps are helpful for a number of reasons. First, they can help ensure that you keep an adequate supply of milk available for your child when you are separated from him or her. They also give your nipples a chance to rest if they have become sore from normal nursing of your baby. It is important to choose a quality electric breast pump with a double pump kit to ensure that you have all the tools you need for expressing milk for a baby formula supplement.
In the end, your first line of defense in the world of breastfeeding nutrition is simply listening to your body and acting when you realize you are either hungry or thirsty. Weight loss should be achieved gradually at first and is more effective three to six months after your baby is born. Supplementing your breast milk with baby formula is an acceptable method of keeping your baby healthy, but it may require the use of a breast feeding pump. By practicing tips for proper postnatal nutrition you can help ensure that you and your child will successfully enjoy the loving connection that results from breastfeeding.
(c) 2005 NaturalNursing.com
Clara Parks is a former nurse practitioner, mother of three and author of articles written for Natural Nursing. Natural Nursing provides postnatal mothers breastfeeding information and support.
There is no doubt about it. We are an electronic society. From our cable television sets to our satellite radios, our cell phones to our beepers, our global positioning devices to our palm pilots, and of course the world wide web - we are a truly connected society.
There are opportunities for educational and interest driven activities all around us but no where are they more readily available than on the World Wide Web. I wonder if we parents are prepared for the global reach of these intrusions into our parenting practices?
Our children no longer depend solely on the advice of their closest friends. Friends that we as parents can get to know and trust as not more or less worldly than our own children. There is so much information available to our children today on the internet, in the privacy of our homes, that it is often easier for our children to look for answers to personal questions on the web than risk the inquiry and concerns of their parents.
Children today are tech savvy - so we parents had better be too! Often our children are independent on the computer before we are. Writing their own web pages, downloading their own pictures, getting into chat rooms and sometimes circumstances that their limited experience hasn’t prepared them for, gleaning advice from young or uneducated individuals or people with different values than those of your family.
Of the many potential hazards on the internet faced by our children the sites with the biggest potential for causing the most serious harm are the teen advice web sites. These kind of sites have the ability to give out incorrect information to a stunningly large number of individuals by posting questions and the answering reply right to their web page. Only one teenager need ask the question and many more will believe the answer, correct or not, because it’s written right there in front of them and they are often too afraid or too embarrassed to look for another opinion. These question and answer sites are most often presided over by young, inexperienced or barely experienced, teens. These teen “counselor’s” are typically ages 13 and up. They give free, solicited, advice on everything from health care, sex and birth control, mental / emotional health concerns and legal issues.
These sites rarely have adult preceptors. Most sites do have a disclaimer stating that they are not responsible, nor liable for your teen’s life or any further problems your teen may experience in relation to the advice given. Those simply worded disclaimers won’t protect your teenager from the potential harm of an often-misinformed “teen counselor” who dishes out incorrect and possibly dangerous information.
Anything your teen wants to know and may not want to ask you about is available on the internet. These teen advice sites cover just about every subject you can imagine and many you wouldn’t want to. There are “Pro-Anorexia.” sites - dedicated to the encouragement of anorexic and bulimic behaviors. Sites specifically to give advice to young teens on methods of birth control (one of these I was presided over by a sexually active, 13 year old, girl). Gay, lesbian and straight sexuality sites. Sites for the practice of self-abuse and mutilation, Sites for finding ways to get high and more.
In reading some of these I was most amazed by the sheer volume of incorrect, often potentially life-threatening advice doled out by these “teen counselors.” They covered such topics as how many additional birth control pills to take if your partner didn’t use a condom. How to maintain a successful anorexic diet. The best way to purge and getting the cheapest high from everyday, household items. Do these internet sites serve a useful purpose? Yes, I think they can if they are catalysts for discussion between parents and their children. We have all read the flood of warnings about the internet hazards our children face, there seems to be a plethora of new ones daily, but these hazards can be educational tools as well. You can turn them into unique opportunities to increase our children’s knowledge and self-confidence. You can empower your children to find and make the right choices for themselves and to learn to trust their inner voices.
Give your children guidelines on what you find acceptable. If they want to explore something outside of those guidelines tell them it needs to be done with a parent so you are able to talk about any issues that arise. Teens want, need and deserve privacy and showing them where to get high quality, up to date information will help empower them to make safe choices.
Not all-teen sites should be grouped into one negative category. I found some high quality sites, for very young children up through the teen years, which offer complete, correct, and responsible information. Though no one site will match everybody’s family values and preferences it may be a good idea for parents to search out some of the sites they feel are best suited to their own family and email or bookmark them for their children.
Here are a few sites to check out:
Kids Health, Everyday Illness and Injuries: http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/ This is a great site for younger children to gain comforting information about common childhood questions, illnesses and injuries. Great basic information without the “fear-factor”.
CoolNurse: http://www.coolnurse.com/ Lots of high quality teen information! As a nurse myself I was gratified to see this site up. It’s upbeat and packed with information that is up to date and complete on just about any topic a teen could wonder about. This comprehensive site is also written in a modern, straightforward, non-condescending style that all age groups will appreciate.
Teen Advice On-Line: http://www.teenadviceonline.org/ This site has many articles with teen oriented topics. Seems conservative without preaching. Most of these counselors are 18 to 24 years in and they are from all over the globe.
About The Author
Angela Butera Dickson is a full service, freelance copywriter offering some of the best prices on the web. From articles to brochure copy, ghostwriting to marketing letters, she can help you cultivate a polished, professional business image. www.angeladickson.com
angela@angeladickson.com
