Custom Search
Friday, June 27, 2008
Disciplining your children.
What is the right way to discipline your children? With today's standards who is to say the right or wrong way. You have to be very careful because the laws now a days are really funny about what you can or can not do with your own children. I have found when it comes to disciplining your children you can make them listen and respect you without having to hit them. My children have never been hit by me (unless we were playing around), but they listen very well and are all around good children. I have had people tell me all the time how good and respectful my children are. I think if you make it so your children believe that you will smack them (even though you don't) it gives them the thought in their heads and this makes them think twice before they do something wrong. Now don't get me wrong, my children are not perfect by any means, but for the most part they listen very well and they don't do anything really seriously wrong. Now the biggest thing now a days is "Time Out", which is okay and will work in some instants and for some ages, but how are you supposed to put a 1, 2, or 3 year old on time out. When it comes to the younger aged children, "Time Out" just will not work. They do not understand the whole concept of "Time Out" and their attention span are so short that it just will not work. With the younger aged children you may have to smack their butts or smack them on the hands. You do not have to (nor do I recommend) smack them hard, just the act of tapping them on the butt or hands will hurt their feelings enough that they will usually stop doing what ever they were doing wrong. I do not think that younger children really need to be disciplined that much though, I mean really how much trouble do they really get in to. Now that does not mean you let them get away with murder, I am just saying that they do not do so much wrong that you need to beat them. I think as long as you are firm with them and you stand behind what you tell them, you with end up raising very good children. Now lets talk about how to handle the older children, I have a 6 year old little girl and "Time Out" work with her very well. I think that "Time Out" work the best for that age group. I also have an 11 year old girl and a 12 year old girl and I have found that the best way to discipline them is to take things way from them that they really enjoy or stop them from going places where they enjoy going. Today's children are very materialistic and are very into video game, so if you take their video games, computers, and/or televisions away from them, this will do more damage to them then any type of beating could ever do. These are the different ways I have found to discipline children for all age groups and still be politically correct.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Parents Secret Weapon
Parents of teens face numerous problems and difficulties, but what if I told you that there is one family activity that can help parents solve two of the most difficult problems that parents of teens will have to deal with.
According to a Columbia University survey, teenagers who have a sit-down dinner with their family are more likely to achieve higher grades in school and have a significantly lower chance of having substance abuse problems.
The study indicates that quality family time may be a key to curbing some of the inappropriate behavior that can plague those developing years. Specifically, the study found that teens who had family dinners five or more times a week were 42% less likely to drink alcohol, 59% less likely to smoke cigarettes and 66% less likely to try marijuana.
In addition, the study also discovered that teens who had regular family dinners were 40% more likely to get A's and B'ss in school.
Having dinner with the family used to be the normal thing to do. But with today's busy lifestyles, longer work hours, two-income families, and children who are involved in two or three after school activities, it's easy to see why only about half of American teens have regular family dinners.
Children are a parent's most valuable asset, and spending quality time them, even if it is 15 minutes at a dinner table, needs to become a priority. Parents should also limit the amount of activities their children are involved in, and rearrange their schedules to incorporate some quality time at the dinner table.
The teen years are the last stage of a child's development before they leave home and start their own lives. But mistakes made during those crucial years can have lasting effects for years to come. It is of the utmost importance that parents do everything in their power to ensure that their children have as many positives going for them and having regular family dinners is one of the easiest, yet most important ways to do that.
Tim Neumann is a proud father of four beautiful children and the owner of The Parents Field Guide, http://www.parentsfieldguide.com where you can find parenting articles, parenting advice parenting tips and product reviews to help you be the very best parent you can be.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Neumann
According to a Columbia University survey, teenagers who have a sit-down dinner with their family are more likely to achieve higher grades in school and have a significantly lower chance of having substance abuse problems.
The study indicates that quality family time may be a key to curbing some of the inappropriate behavior that can plague those developing years. Specifically, the study found that teens who had family dinners five or more times a week were 42% less likely to drink alcohol, 59% less likely to smoke cigarettes and 66% less likely to try marijuana.
In addition, the study also discovered that teens who had regular family dinners were 40% more likely to get A's and B'ss in school.
Having dinner with the family used to be the normal thing to do. But with today's busy lifestyles, longer work hours, two-income families, and children who are involved in two or three after school activities, it's easy to see why only about half of American teens have regular family dinners.
Children are a parent's most valuable asset, and spending quality time them, even if it is 15 minutes at a dinner table, needs to become a priority. Parents should also limit the amount of activities their children are involved in, and rearrange their schedules to incorporate some quality time at the dinner table.
The teen years are the last stage of a child's development before they leave home and start their own lives. But mistakes made during those crucial years can have lasting effects for years to come. It is of the utmost importance that parents do everything in their power to ensure that their children have as many positives going for them and having regular family dinners is one of the easiest, yet most important ways to do that.
Tim Neumann is a proud father of four beautiful children and the owner of The Parents Field Guide, http://www.parentsfieldguide.com where you can find parenting articles, parenting advice parenting tips and product reviews to help you be the very best parent you can be.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Neumann
Recognizing ADD in our Kids
ADD means attention deficit disorder. This is a disorder that causes someone to have trouble concentrating, they are easily distracted, but more than someone who is creative and tends to think about creative ideas. If a student has ADD he will have trouble pay attention to his studies. Of course, this causes him to have learning. Some people also are hyperactive, along with having trouble concentrating. This is called ADHD. Some people just say ADD for both.
When a student is easily distracted he will have a hard time finishing tasks. Someone with ADD will also seem forgetful, lose things a lot, find it difficult to follow directions, and seem disorganized. When you think about it, you can see why Add would cause a student to have problems in school. Besides having trouble concentrating, he's forgetful, so he may forget what he was suppose to be doing. He may loose his homework more easily or lose his supplies more often than others.
Following directions is a big part of working on class assignments and taking tests. So having a hard time following directions would harm his ability to do tasks in class. If he is having trouble with organization, then can make it hard to do a science project, write a paper or make a speech Id he was in the band being disorganized would make it hard to learn to play his instrument. Even in sports, organization, following directions, and paying attention are important. Add is a serious condition that has to be medically or therapeutically treated.
Don Rainwater has written 100s of articles and two published books on teaching the emotionally disabled or the oppositionally defiant child. For more information on the subject and to view books on the subject visit http://dkrainwater.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Rainwater
When a student is easily distracted he will have a hard time finishing tasks. Someone with ADD will also seem forgetful, lose things a lot, find it difficult to follow directions, and seem disorganized. When you think about it, you can see why Add would cause a student to have problems in school. Besides having trouble concentrating, he's forgetful, so he may forget what he was suppose to be doing. He may loose his homework more easily or lose his supplies more often than others.
Following directions is a big part of working on class assignments and taking tests. So having a hard time following directions would harm his ability to do tasks in class. If he is having trouble with organization, then can make it hard to do a science project, write a paper or make a speech Id he was in the band being disorganized would make it hard to learn to play his instrument. Even in sports, organization, following directions, and paying attention are important. Add is a serious condition that has to be medically or therapeutically treated.
Don Rainwater has written 100s of articles and two published books on teaching the emotionally disabled or the oppositionally defiant child. For more information on the subject and to view books on the subject visit http://dkrainwater.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Rainwater
5 Steps to Enjoy Motherhood
You could be a happy mum if the children would only stop fighting or did as they were told. You could enjoy motherhood more if your partner did more housework or gave you more time out. Or if you had more money, right?
Well, here's the thing. If you wait for the behaviour of your children/husband or your financial status to reach certain conditions in order for you to be happy, you are placing your happiness into someone or something else's hands, and thus it becomes purely by chance that you will experience happiness.
Why not put the power to be happy back into your own hands by becoming personally responsible for it? You cannot control another person's behaviour, but you can control your own. Here are just five tips that will help you to become a happier mum, enjoy motherhood and control how much happiness you experience in your life:
1. Observe your thoughts
What are you saying to yourself? Become the observer and analyse what you say to yourself and the effect it has on your emotions. Often anger arises when we continue negative dialogues with ourselves which escalates into external outrage. Also, we can get attached to an idea or picture we create of how something needs to be done or how an outcome should look. We often compare current life to the one we had before children. When you become a parent, housework cannot get done in 6 hour sessions anymore. You cannot take off for a weekend away alone without prior organising and planning. The reality is that life has changed and you have to consciously change the way you think about your current lifestyle. Consider whether your expectations are realistic or whether you are stuck in the past and the way you used to be able to do things.
2. Accept the NOW
Whatever you are experiencing, that is what you are experiencing. There is nothing positive that comes from wishing it were another way, or hating the way that it is. Become the observer to unenjoyable situations (eg tantrum, disobedience) with acceptance, rather than resistance. If you are angry, observe the anger. EXPERIENCE the event and all that it entails (your reaction, emotions, thoughts, circumstances) and accept it as it is. Resistance causes you to stay stuck in it, acceptance helps you detach, become more objective about it and handle it smoother. "Okay, it is what it is, so what am I going to do about it?"
3. Know what you want
We often get stuck in our problems because we don't take time to consider what we really want. Do I want more time out? Do I want to be calmer? Do I want to improve my relationship? Be specific about what exactly this entails. Do I want 4 hours of time out, or a day, or a week? Know what you want, so that you can then create a plan to get it.
4. Be Solution Focussed
Next, ask yourself, 'What do I need to do to get what I want?' then resource how to fix this problem and create a plan to achieve it. Find behaviour strategies, learn skills, take time- out if that's what you want. Put your attention on the solution and how you are going to move out of this unenjoyable situation, rather than staying stuck in the problem.
5. Personal Development. Discover the YOU Inside the Mum.
What about you? Take the time to learn about yourself, build your self-esteem and self-confidence. Find ways to overcome bad habits, handle past issues that often present themselves when becoming a mum, learn how you have become the person you are and consciously work towards being who you want to be.
The final piece to the Happy Mum puzzle is to seek happiness from inside yourself. When you learn true self-love and inner peace, it will radiate out into your external world and you will experience a happier life. You will interact differently with your children and that will be reciprocated in their behaviour. You will experience deeper relationships, overcome the lows of life quicker and experience more of the highs of life.
Enjoy motherhood by putting the responsibility to enjoy life back into your hands and discover yourself from the inside out.
Want more Self Help and Personal Development information specifically in the context of raising children? You can achieve calmness, balance, passion and happiness by putting yourself back in charge of your life. Vist http://www.selfhelpformums.com and find the YOU Inside the Mum Workshop, useful information, FREE membership and a mother's forum that supports members with questions and advice about their personal self help journey, all in the context of raising children.
The YOU Inside the Mum Workshop covers topics such as: Finding happiness, controlling your mindset, Handling anger and guilt, Discovering your personal identity, finding your passion, Time Management, Time Out, Creating the Ultimate Relationship & Four Friends that will have your Soaring through Motherhood. This unique and comprehensive workshop will have you living the way you desire, without having to wait for your children to reach a certain developmental age, go to school, or turn 18. Learn how to live a happy and inspirational life TODAY at Self Help for Mums.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Hall
Well, here's the thing. If you wait for the behaviour of your children/husband or your financial status to reach certain conditions in order for you to be happy, you are placing your happiness into someone or something else's hands, and thus it becomes purely by chance that you will experience happiness.
Why not put the power to be happy back into your own hands by becoming personally responsible for it? You cannot control another person's behaviour, but you can control your own. Here are just five tips that will help you to become a happier mum, enjoy motherhood and control how much happiness you experience in your life:
1. Observe your thoughts
What are you saying to yourself? Become the observer and analyse what you say to yourself and the effect it has on your emotions. Often anger arises when we continue negative dialogues with ourselves which escalates into external outrage. Also, we can get attached to an idea or picture we create of how something needs to be done or how an outcome should look. We often compare current life to the one we had before children. When you become a parent, housework cannot get done in 6 hour sessions anymore. You cannot take off for a weekend away alone without prior organising and planning. The reality is that life has changed and you have to consciously change the way you think about your current lifestyle. Consider whether your expectations are realistic or whether you are stuck in the past and the way you used to be able to do things.
2. Accept the NOW
Whatever you are experiencing, that is what you are experiencing. There is nothing positive that comes from wishing it were another way, or hating the way that it is. Become the observer to unenjoyable situations (eg tantrum, disobedience) with acceptance, rather than resistance. If you are angry, observe the anger. EXPERIENCE the event and all that it entails (your reaction, emotions, thoughts, circumstances) and accept it as it is. Resistance causes you to stay stuck in it, acceptance helps you detach, become more objective about it and handle it smoother. "Okay, it is what it is, so what am I going to do about it?"
3. Know what you want
We often get stuck in our problems because we don't take time to consider what we really want. Do I want more time out? Do I want to be calmer? Do I want to improve my relationship? Be specific about what exactly this entails. Do I want 4 hours of time out, or a day, or a week? Know what you want, so that you can then create a plan to get it.
4. Be Solution Focussed
Next, ask yourself, 'What do I need to do to get what I want?' then resource how to fix this problem and create a plan to achieve it. Find behaviour strategies, learn skills, take time- out if that's what you want. Put your attention on the solution and how you are going to move out of this unenjoyable situation, rather than staying stuck in the problem.
5. Personal Development. Discover the YOU Inside the Mum.
What about you? Take the time to learn about yourself, build your self-esteem and self-confidence. Find ways to overcome bad habits, handle past issues that often present themselves when becoming a mum, learn how you have become the person you are and consciously work towards being who you want to be.
The final piece to the Happy Mum puzzle is to seek happiness from inside yourself. When you learn true self-love and inner peace, it will radiate out into your external world and you will experience a happier life. You will interact differently with your children and that will be reciprocated in their behaviour. You will experience deeper relationships, overcome the lows of life quicker and experience more of the highs of life.
Enjoy motherhood by putting the responsibility to enjoy life back into your hands and discover yourself from the inside out.
Want more Self Help and Personal Development information specifically in the context of raising children? You can achieve calmness, balance, passion and happiness by putting yourself back in charge of your life. Vist http://www.selfhelpformums.com and find the YOU Inside the Mum Workshop, useful information, FREE membership and a mother's forum that supports members with questions and advice about their personal self help journey, all in the context of raising children.
The YOU Inside the Mum Workshop covers topics such as: Finding happiness, controlling your mindset, Handling anger and guilt, Discovering your personal identity, finding your passion, Time Management, Time Out, Creating the Ultimate Relationship & Four Friends that will have your Soaring through Motherhood. This unique and comprehensive workshop will have you living the way you desire, without having to wait for your children to reach a certain developmental age, go to school, or turn 18. Learn how to live a happy and inspirational life TODAY at Self Help for Mums.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Hall
New Mommy's
There is anticipation and excitement when you learn you are going to be a new Mommy. Whether it is your first, second or fifth child it is always a new experience. Will the pregnancy be easy, will I be nauseous all the time and when will that phase be over? There are so many things to learn. Will the new addition to the family be a boy or girl? Each woman knows the awe and responsibility of creating new life and it is daunting.
It is a good idea to rest and relax as often as possible. I found that sitting cross legged, sort-of Yoga style helps relax and stretch the pelvic muscles and makes for an easier delivery. This is not scientific but rather from personal experience. I started sitting that way at every opportunity as soon as I found out I was pregnant and had easy deliveries each time. Someone passed along that information to me and I found it to be true. And I have passed it along to others, too. In fact, I just did!
Now there are all the new things to think about and this is where all Mommys are individual. From staying home or working through the pregnancy to breast or bottle feeding, there is so much to consider. Each decision has it's own positives and negatives. Ultimately, the decision is yours, even tho you may have some "outside influences" who have their own opinions. The basic family unit, you and the baby's daddy must be the final decision makers for all the decisions in your children's lives.
This sometimes requires backbone or intestinal fortitude and when your feet are swollen and your back aches it is hard to see clearly. Mothers, Mothers-in-Law, friends and neighbors will all have advice. Ultimately, you must rely on your own good instincts that are growing and forming as fast as the baby inside you.
The best advice I can give is to cherish each moment of the nine months and celebrate your new Motherhood. The time goes so fast and then just when it seems it will never be over.....POP you have just entered into another new phase of life.
We are all different but so much the same,feeling the joy that we celebrate as Mommys.
This site is for fashionable maternity clothes with everything from tee shirts and jeans to bridal gowns. Petite and plus sizes in a trendy selection of tops, pants, swimsuits and dresses. Formal to casual wear in stylish designs and colors for all seasons. http://www.newmommyteesandjeans.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lenore_Zurwelle
It is a good idea to rest and relax as often as possible. I found that sitting cross legged, sort-of Yoga style helps relax and stretch the pelvic muscles and makes for an easier delivery. This is not scientific but rather from personal experience. I started sitting that way at every opportunity as soon as I found out I was pregnant and had easy deliveries each time. Someone passed along that information to me and I found it to be true. And I have passed it along to others, too. In fact, I just did!
Now there are all the new things to think about and this is where all Mommys are individual. From staying home or working through the pregnancy to breast or bottle feeding, there is so much to consider. Each decision has it's own positives and negatives. Ultimately, the decision is yours, even tho you may have some "outside influences" who have their own opinions. The basic family unit, you and the baby's daddy must be the final decision makers for all the decisions in your children's lives.
This sometimes requires backbone or intestinal fortitude and when your feet are swollen and your back aches it is hard to see clearly. Mothers, Mothers-in-Law, friends and neighbors will all have advice. Ultimately, you must rely on your own good instincts that are growing and forming as fast as the baby inside you.
The best advice I can give is to cherish each moment of the nine months and celebrate your new Motherhood. The time goes so fast and then just when it seems it will never be over.....POP you have just entered into another new phase of life.
We are all different but so much the same,feeling the joy that we celebrate as Mommys.
This site is for fashionable maternity clothes with everything from tee shirts and jeans to bridal gowns. Petite and plus sizes in a trendy selection of tops, pants, swimsuits and dresses. Formal to casual wear in stylish designs and colors for all seasons. http://www.newmommyteesandjeans.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lenore_Zurwelle
Thursday, June 19, 2008
What is too old for children to sleep with parents?
Some people will say that you should never let you children sleep with you, they say that it will cause them to become spoiled and not allow them to have their own identity. I do not believe this is true. Children that sleep with their parent do not become spoiled (not because of this anyway) or do not allow them to have their own identity. I think it gives the children a form of comfort and the parents to some extent a form of comfort. As long as it does not come between the parents, I think you should let them sleep with you as long as the parent and the children are comfortable. Don't get me wrong, I don't think you should allow them to sleep with you until they are teenagers, I think you will find that about the age of 2 you will find that it is time to let them start sleeping by themselves. My son is 19 months old and we have bought him a toddler bed which he seems to like, but he still feels better if he can fall asleep with mommy and daddy at least to begin with. Usually what we will do is to put him asleep in our bed (between us of course) then when he falls asleep we will move him to his own bed. This seems to work out very well for all of us, my son (Billy) sleeps better, I think because he feels more comfortable falling asleep with mommy and daddy and mommy and daddy fell better because the longer you can hold on to them the better. Lets face it, children grow up so fast that you need as much time with them while they are young as possible, before you know it they are teenagers and they don't even want to be seen in the same place as you. Cherish the time you have will your children while you can!
Constipation and Diaper Rashes
My 19 month old son has a real problem with constipation and diaper rashes. He goes for a while without being able to go to the bathroom on a regular basis and when he finally goes he breaks out in bad diaper rashes. I have found that "MiraLax" (which is now available over the counter) works the best. At this age a half a cup full works the best (if you give them more to gives them the runs and if you give them less it does not seem to work). It usually take about 1 to 2 days to work, but when it does it makes my son at least feel so much better. If you do not want to go to the drastic extreme of using the "MiraLax" you can try to old wives tail of "Cayro Syrup" just put a little bit in their bottles or cups of milk or juice. As far as the diaper rashes, I have found that "Aquaphor" (which is also available over the counter) seems to work the best ( it works like Vaseline, it ind of puts a nice coat over the entire area). Another thing that works if the rash is not to bad is "Butt Paste" (which is also available over the counter) it works kind of like "Desitin" but allot better. You may also want to try giving your baby a bath in baking soda. I use about a half a box of baking soda in a full size bathtub. This will help sooth the area with the diaper rash and allow your baby to sleep better and heal faster.
Childrens Clothes
This is Link to site I came across that has a Great selection of Childrens Clothes. I think you'll find almost anything your looking for on this site. The URL is :
http://www.myclassicchild.com
http://www.myclassicchild.com
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Check Out My "AMAZON" Store!
Hi everyone.
I wanted to let you know that I have opened a Amazon Store today & I want all my readers to check it out. It's located on the upper right hand side of this blog. I have assembled a Great collection of some of my many Favorite Boos for you to read & enjoy. The books make great reference guides and best of all my store has really great prices to save you $$$ and as a parent of 4 I sure know how to save a buck.
It's Great reading and great Prices so come check it out!
http://astore.amazon.com/howtoraisekids-20
I wanted to let you know that I have opened a Amazon Store today & I want all my readers to check it out. It's located on the upper right hand side of this blog. I have assembled a Great collection of some of my many Favorite Boos for you to read & enjoy. The books make great reference guides and best of all my store has really great prices to save you $$$ and as a parent of 4 I sure know how to save a buck.
It's Great reading and great Prices so come check it out!
http://astore.amazon.com/howtoraisekids-20
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Teaching your baby to fall fast asleep.
How do you teach your baby to fall asleep since you and your husband are sleep deprived wondering how long it will take before your little darling is sleeping through the night? Will it be 3 months, 5 months, 8 months, longer .... Well, I'm here to tell you that the sooner you teach your baby how to fall asleep on their own, the better off the whole family will be.
You can start as soon as week six or seven. Of course we can start off with the obvious reason. Mom and Dad get more sleep and the family is less cranky but teaching your baby to fall asleep on their own gives them so many benefits. First of all, they actually sleep better and longer because babies actually go through sleep cycles quicker than adults which they wake up many times through the night and in most cases when a baby knows where they are they are less likely to come to a complete waken state. Babies can sooth themselves back to sleep with a pacifier or the thumb. Mine were both thumb suckers. Second, I found by teaching them to fall asleep at their nap times through the day, they actually slept longer through the night. This gives them a more restful sleep and your baby is happier and more likely to eat better too. Third, and more importantly, it is so much healthier for your baby. We all know that babies grow while they sleep, plus it teaches them independence.
I know what your thinking, how do I teach my baby how to fall asleep on their own? I always started teaching my babies during their naps through the day. I used the three hour rule; when they wake up feed them, play with them and keep them up from the time they got up to their next scheduled nap for three hours. It might be challenging for babies six or seven weeks old, so try keeping them up for 2 1/2 hours. When the time is up and it's nap time, place them in their crib or cradle (on their backs) and gently talk in a soothing voice, stay with them for a couple seconds and walk away. Don't walk too far because you will need to walk in every couple minutes to let them know that your there but it is nap time so do not pick them up. Eventually they will cry themselves to sleep because we all know crying can be exhausting. Stick to this routine day by day and you will see your baby falling a sleep by themselves within a week. If you stick to this eventually your baby won't cry at nap time. They will know it's nap time and go to sleep. Another thing that I mentioned is your baby will be sleeping through the night sooner than later too. I know that this will tug on your heart strings and you absolutely need a good dose of patience but you will find that your baby will be on a great schedule which will allow you to work your business during naps and give you more free time to do the things you enjoy. It will truly be a win win for the entire family!
Learn how to make a six figure income working 20 hours a week from home. Also receive a free home business report at http://www.home-business-parent.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shannon_Jaklic
You can start as soon as week six or seven. Of course we can start off with the obvious reason. Mom and Dad get more sleep and the family is less cranky but teaching your baby to fall asleep on their own gives them so many benefits. First of all, they actually sleep better and longer because babies actually go through sleep cycles quicker than adults which they wake up many times through the night and in most cases when a baby knows where they are they are less likely to come to a complete waken state. Babies can sooth themselves back to sleep with a pacifier or the thumb. Mine were both thumb suckers. Second, I found by teaching them to fall asleep at their nap times through the day, they actually slept longer through the night. This gives them a more restful sleep and your baby is happier and more likely to eat better too. Third, and more importantly, it is so much healthier for your baby. We all know that babies grow while they sleep, plus it teaches them independence.
I know what your thinking, how do I teach my baby how to fall asleep on their own? I always started teaching my babies during their naps through the day. I used the three hour rule; when they wake up feed them, play with them and keep them up from the time they got up to their next scheduled nap for three hours. It might be challenging for babies six or seven weeks old, so try keeping them up for 2 1/2 hours. When the time is up and it's nap time, place them in their crib or cradle (on their backs) and gently talk in a soothing voice, stay with them for a couple seconds and walk away. Don't walk too far because you will need to walk in every couple minutes to let them know that your there but it is nap time so do not pick them up. Eventually they will cry themselves to sleep because we all know crying can be exhausting. Stick to this routine day by day and you will see your baby falling a sleep by themselves within a week. If you stick to this eventually your baby won't cry at nap time. They will know it's nap time and go to sleep. Another thing that I mentioned is your baby will be sleeping through the night sooner than later too. I know that this will tug on your heart strings and you absolutely need a good dose of patience but you will find that your baby will be on a great schedule which will allow you to work your business during naps and give you more free time to do the things you enjoy. It will truly be a win win for the entire family!
Learn how to make a six figure income working 20 hours a week from home. Also receive a free home business report at http://www.home-business-parent.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shannon_Jaklic
Parenting for defiant children.
It is very common that parents would seek for parenting skills after child's aggressive behaviors or anger outbursts at school. Parents may also experience being involved with a court system if school officials would decide that lack of parenting skills takes place in particular situation. Parents would come to see a behavior specialist and first questions are usually: "Why me? Why I am forced to learn about parenting skills? I raised my children all by myself, nobody helped me! Or I believe I am a great parent and if school has problems with my child they have to change a teacher or principal has to "fix" it or maybe school counselor does not do her job!"
These questions come up very often and behavior specialist has to work hard to gently and respectfully explain parent that it is not possible to blame school and school officials if your child can not follow simple rules. These rules, actually, seem to be simple for us but not so simple for a child who has been bullied and has to demonstrate self-control.
In most situations something definitely triggers child's behavior at school it can be teasing, bullying, low self-esteem and all kinds of other reasons. However, there is no reason for a child to be aggressive, violent towards other kids, teachers and teachers' ads.
When child has fights at school and gets suspensions every other day parents feel very stressed out, overwhelmed and they try to find therapist, counselor or behavior specialist to "fix" this child. Unfortunately many parents wait for "magic", wait for somebody who will come and "fix" child, somebody who would solve all problems in any way giving parents an opportunity to work, not getting calls from school all the time and be less overwhelmed.
It would be wonderful if somebody would come and "fix" all children but it does not work in this way. Counselors, therapists and behavioral specialists may do a wonderful job, but when child comes back to the same environment and parents do not want to change ways of disciplining and managing child's behavior we can forget about progress and positive outcome of the situation. This is the reason why if your child shows disruptive, aggressive behaviors at school maybe it is time to ask yourself: What do I do as a parent to contribute to this behavior? I spend with my child most of the time and may be there is something I need to learn and work on to help my child to be happy and successful in life?
Please, do not feel embarrassed or hesitated to seek for advice and to learn more about parenting if you feel that situation with your child's behavior goes out of your control. We learn about investments in our lives but we may forget that your own child is the best investment you ever made. Spending time to learn more about parenting skills would definitely help you to manage your child better and bring to the world successful person instead of raising the child who has problems with a court system due to poor self-control.
Dina Bakhitova is a Master's level psychotherapist, Board Certified Professional Counselor, Play Therapist and Certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapy specialist. Dina works with children, adolescents and families at the Behavioral Services Clinic.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dina_Bakhitova-Niazoff
These questions come up very often and behavior specialist has to work hard to gently and respectfully explain parent that it is not possible to blame school and school officials if your child can not follow simple rules. These rules, actually, seem to be simple for us but not so simple for a child who has been bullied and has to demonstrate self-control.
In most situations something definitely triggers child's behavior at school it can be teasing, bullying, low self-esteem and all kinds of other reasons. However, there is no reason for a child to be aggressive, violent towards other kids, teachers and teachers' ads.
When child has fights at school and gets suspensions every other day parents feel very stressed out, overwhelmed and they try to find therapist, counselor or behavior specialist to "fix" this child. Unfortunately many parents wait for "magic", wait for somebody who will come and "fix" child, somebody who would solve all problems in any way giving parents an opportunity to work, not getting calls from school all the time and be less overwhelmed.
It would be wonderful if somebody would come and "fix" all children but it does not work in this way. Counselors, therapists and behavioral specialists may do a wonderful job, but when child comes back to the same environment and parents do not want to change ways of disciplining and managing child's behavior we can forget about progress and positive outcome of the situation. This is the reason why if your child shows disruptive, aggressive behaviors at school maybe it is time to ask yourself: What do I do as a parent to contribute to this behavior? I spend with my child most of the time and may be there is something I need to learn and work on to help my child to be happy and successful in life?
Please, do not feel embarrassed or hesitated to seek for advice and to learn more about parenting if you feel that situation with your child's behavior goes out of your control. We learn about investments in our lives but we may forget that your own child is the best investment you ever made. Spending time to learn more about parenting skills would definitely help you to manage your child better and bring to the world successful person instead of raising the child who has problems with a court system due to poor self-control.
Dina Bakhitova is a Master's level psychotherapist, Board Certified Professional Counselor, Play Therapist and Certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapy specialist. Dina works with children, adolescents and families at the Behavioral Services Clinic.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dina_Bakhitova-Niazoff
What to expect the first month. New Babies.
The magical day finally arrived. My baby I and are finally here. She was a douzy at ten pounds. In a few days we finally got to take her home and were we in for a rude and constant awakening. As I write this she is screaming her lungs out for no apparent reason. That ladies and gentleman is the nature of motherhood. You can do whatever you think is possible to try and help her but in the end you cant understand her and she has no other way to tell you what's wrong or what she may need besides screaming and crying. I have a close friend that tried to describe to me the feeling she got when she first took her baby home. It may sound weird but this is what she said to me. She said "all this crying is driving me crazy; I just want to kick her out a window". Now we know she wouldn't even dare do any such thing but that point goes to show you what kind of guerrilla warfare goes on in a home the first month that a baby arrives.
If you are one of those type of people that cant function without 8 hours of continuous sleep than I urge you to never have a baby or to find someone to wake up in the middle of the night to take care of them. The first month we woke up every hour on the hour to give her her feeding and to change her. Even during the day it isn't any easier because she still needs to be fed and she still needs to be changed. She will wake you up to make sure that it happens. Essentially there is almost no sleep involved for you during the first month of parenthood. I know that's a tough pill to swallow but there really isn't anything you can do about it. You either go in knowing full well what is going to happen or you don't go in at all.
Reading this right now doesn't even begin to do justice to exactly what I am talking about because words can never describe the skull penetrating screaming and crying or the crippling effect of no sleep on the body and mind. It is something that you need to experience for yourself but it doesn't hurt to be forewarned about what terrors lie ahead.
I love my baby and watching her grow and mature is something that I can never replace in my life. She is amazing to me every day I see her and even though she will bring you to your knees from pure exhaustion I hope that your children bring you that kind of happiness.
This author lives in Flemington, NJ with her husband and 5 month old daughter and is an expert contributing author for a luxury baby shower party favors boutique offering variety of baby gifts, coffee baby shower favors, handprint footprint kits and more. This author and Babygiftstation is also dedicated to providing valuable and informative articles on childcare, baby safety tips, pregnancy health, parenting, potty training and more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Caroline_Miller
If you are one of those type of people that cant function without 8 hours of continuous sleep than I urge you to never have a baby or to find someone to wake up in the middle of the night to take care of them. The first month we woke up every hour on the hour to give her her feeding and to change her. Even during the day it isn't any easier because she still needs to be fed and she still needs to be changed. She will wake you up to make sure that it happens. Essentially there is almost no sleep involved for you during the first month of parenthood. I know that's a tough pill to swallow but there really isn't anything you can do about it. You either go in knowing full well what is going to happen or you don't go in at all.
Reading this right now doesn't even begin to do justice to exactly what I am talking about because words can never describe the skull penetrating screaming and crying or the crippling effect of no sleep on the body and mind. It is something that you need to experience for yourself but it doesn't hurt to be forewarned about what terrors lie ahead.
I love my baby and watching her grow and mature is something that I can never replace in my life. She is amazing to me every day I see her and even though she will bring you to your knees from pure exhaustion I hope that your children bring you that kind of happiness.
This author lives in Flemington, NJ with her husband and 5 month old daughter and is an expert contributing author for a luxury baby shower party favors boutique offering variety of baby gifts, coffee baby shower favors, handprint footprint kits and more. This author and Babygiftstation is also dedicated to providing valuable and informative articles on childcare, baby safety tips, pregnancy health, parenting, potty training and more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Caroline_Miller
Toddler Biting (OUCH!)
You get to the daycare and see on your report for the day that your little girl was biting. Oh no! You try to stop your toddler from misbehaving and he responds by biting your leg. Good grief! What's a parent to do?
First of all, try to remain calm. Most toddlers will do this at some point. So you know that it isn't something you've done. Toddlers are still teetering between being babies and being big kids. When they are frustrated or sad, it's still hard for them to express it with their words. So what do they do? Something they know will get attention. Hitting, biting, and throwing things. Sometimes, biting can be a sign of curiosity or affection. My daughter was lying on my lap and started nibbling on my leg. I thought it was cute until she dug her teeth in! Biting is a phase and it will pass. If your toddler is biting obsessively, however, you may want to speak with her pediatrician.
I knew a lady who said that when her son bit her, she bit him back so he could see how it felt. I honestly thought that was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard. How can you possibly teach your child not to bite when you're biting? Try to avoid this. This is the same with hitting your child to teach them not to hit. It just confuses your baby.
Also, don't laugh or say it's cute when your toddler is nibbling or giving little bites. I learned the hard way how that can turn painful. Plus this type of encouragement leads to more biting and not just with you. Another thing to avoid is playful chomping on their fingers and toes. I was doing this with my daughter's puppet until she mimicked me but used her mouth and real bites instead. Ouch!
If your toddler is biting, try offering a healthy snack. Give her some carrot sticks to sink her teeth into. Toddlers will bite sometimes when they getting hungry. If this is your child, load up the celery sticks before heading out.
Try to remember, this will pass. If these simple tactics don't work, try using a diversion or removing a privilege (no Elmo today because you bit).
Need more helpful tips? Discover the time-tested parenting techniques already proven by tens of thousands of happy families. Visit: http://www.ourtoddlers.com/
Kim Smithhttp://www.ourtoddlers.com/Tips and information about Our Toddlers
If you reuse this article, please include the author's name and URL.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_Smith
First of all, try to remain calm. Most toddlers will do this at some point. So you know that it isn't something you've done. Toddlers are still teetering between being babies and being big kids. When they are frustrated or sad, it's still hard for them to express it with their words. So what do they do? Something they know will get attention. Hitting, biting, and throwing things. Sometimes, biting can be a sign of curiosity or affection. My daughter was lying on my lap and started nibbling on my leg. I thought it was cute until she dug her teeth in! Biting is a phase and it will pass. If your toddler is biting obsessively, however, you may want to speak with her pediatrician.
I knew a lady who said that when her son bit her, she bit him back so he could see how it felt. I honestly thought that was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard. How can you possibly teach your child not to bite when you're biting? Try to avoid this. This is the same with hitting your child to teach them not to hit. It just confuses your baby.
Also, don't laugh or say it's cute when your toddler is nibbling or giving little bites. I learned the hard way how that can turn painful. Plus this type of encouragement leads to more biting and not just with you. Another thing to avoid is playful chomping on their fingers and toes. I was doing this with my daughter's puppet until she mimicked me but used her mouth and real bites instead. Ouch!
If your toddler is biting, try offering a healthy snack. Give her some carrot sticks to sink her teeth into. Toddlers will bite sometimes when they getting hungry. If this is your child, load up the celery sticks before heading out.
Try to remember, this will pass. If these simple tactics don't work, try using a diversion or removing a privilege (no Elmo today because you bit).
Need more helpful tips? Discover the time-tested parenting techniques already proven by tens of thousands of happy families. Visit: http://www.ourtoddlers.com/
Kim Smithhttp://www.ourtoddlers.com/Tips and information about Our Toddlers
If you reuse this article, please include the author's name and URL.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_Smith
Temper Tantrums
Here is a Link to a Great Article that I've read recently and I think you'll really learn a lot by reading it. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Tantrums+and+anxiety+in+early+childhood%3a+a+pilot+study.-a0178716827">Tantrums and anxiety in early childhood: a pilot study.
Welcome To My Blog
Hi my name is Karen I am 35 years old and I have 4 children, 3 girls and 1 boy. I have found that raising a boy is much hardier then raising a girl. (It is a lot cleaner though, girls are very messy) You would think that girls would be hardier because of all the drama that goes along with them, but even with all the drama, boy's are hard headed, stubborn, and defiant. Boys just seem to have a way of looking you right in the eye (with that innocent look) and do just the thing you do not want them to do. You know that they know what they are doing too, you can just see it in their eyes. Of course it does not help that my son is the only boy in my entire family, I have 3 sisters and they all have girls, so I guess you could say he is a little more spoiled then others would be. Now I have only reached the age of 12, 11 and 6 for the girls and the age of 19 months for the boy, but I have already hit the teenage drama for the oldest. My 12 year old is into the fashion scene and has a short temper when it come the her sisters (especially with her 11 year old). The 11 year old would prefer to stay a little girl and gives no thought to how she is dressed or if her hair is combed or her teeth are brushed. This really bugs the 12 year old, and the more she brings it up to her the more the 11 year old will do things just to annoy her. I have found that trying to make them get along is the worse thing that you can do though. The more I try to make them get along, the more they don't. I will intervene when things get out of hand, like the hitting, biting, punching, etc. For the most part if I just let them alone things will usually work themselves out. You see sometimes all they are looking for is some extra attention, but you have to be careful, because giving them the wrong kind of attention can be worse then no attention at all. The best advice I can give you is let things play out on their own until things get out of hand (you will know when that is). As for the fashion situation, just let them be their own person, everyone of my children have their own personalities, and the best way they have of expressing themselves is though their clothes. The most important thing is to allow them to stay young as long as they can, they will grow up fast enough as it is, and believe me they will grow up fast enough on their own. (Once they grow up you can not bring them back to the cute little babies you once held in you arms, enjoy them as babies as long as you can, before you know it they are all grown up and don't need you anymore.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
