By Michelle Bery
Good parenting can not be clearly defined, as it is very often a subjective concept. One parent’s definition of good parenting may be another’s definition of poor judgment. Cultural differences impact parenting standards enormously as do a myriad of other things. Luckily there are a few fundamental standards that are held by society as a common measure of good parenting.
As parents, the most basic of our responsibilities are to keep our children safe and healthy to the best of our abilities. A parent who struggles to feed their child because of economic reasons, or a parent who lives in a less than safe neighborhood can hardly be considered a bad parent. The key here is the “best of their abilities” – good (or bad) parenting can often be defined by intent. The care a parent provides for their child – that is consciously intended to be beneficial can help us define good parenting.
For our purposes, a child who is clean, well fed, and healthy as a result of the care provided to them by their parent’s best efforts is said to be the product of good parenting.
Additionally, a child’s emotional well being is just as important as their physical well being. Good parenting means making yourself emotionally available to your children – encouraging them and supporting their journey through life. A child who is emotionally healthy – happy, secure, and self-confident – can often attribute their emotional health to good parenting.
Conversely – a child who acts out behaviorally, inflicts harm on himself or others, and is emotionally shut down is often missing good parenting. Keep in mind, however, that many of these warning signs can be the result of depression and other medical conditions. But when none of these conditions are present, the parenting of the child should be addressed.
Schools will often become involved in assessing the existence of good parenting when danger signs become evident within school. A child who is noticeably neglected physically – comes to school unkempt, unclean, and otherwise unhealthy on a consistent basis will raise red flags. Additionally, a child who appears emotionally unstable, suffers from poor grades, depression, and/or social problems will also be noticed.
Children who are the product of good parenting will often be noticed as the children who excel in school, have many friends, and are happy, functioning members of the school community.
Good parenting can set the tone for a child’s whole life to come. Providing a physically and emotionally safe environment in which a child can flourish will provide that child a lifetime of confidence and emotional health so that they can pass good parenting along to their children
December 30th,2008
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By Steven Carlson
When parents divorce or separate and a child is involved decisions about where the child will live, how the child will be raised, and the routine decision making about the child’s upbringing is often a difficult and emotional issue for parents to sort out in the mist of their divorce. With so many decisions that need to be made in the context of a divorce and child custody situation it is not uncommon for the parents to become frustrated, stressed, and overwhelmed especially if they do not know where to begin. So where does a parent involved in a divorce and child custody begin? You can begin by working on a parenting plan separately or together that takes into consideration your child’s needs and also reflects what you believe to be in the overall best interest of your child.
A parenting plan is a document that outlines the parenting schedule or timeshare and can include each parent’s responsibilities to raise their child. A parenting plan can be lengthy and detailed or it can be brief and simple. A parenting plan should include the standard parenting schedule, which can include where the child will live during the week and weekends and who will be responsible for taking and picking the child up from school and other activities on certain days. Additionally, the parenting plan can address the holidays, summer vacations, and how other special days during the year will be divided between the parents. Regardless of what is included in your parenting plan it should be predictable, clear, and easy to understand. Further, the parenting plan should take into consideration the needs of the child and reflect his/her overall best interest.
Because the family dynamics vary from family to family there is no one-size-fits-all parenting plan that works well for all families. Some parents may have a shared parenting plan, which allows the child frequent and continuous contact and/or to live with each parent 50% of the time. Other parenting plans may limit one parent’s contact to every other weekend plus a mid-week visit or mid-week overnight. Other parenting plans may be further restrictive allowing for dinner visits but no overnights.
Although it is wise to create a parenting plan that you believe reflects the best interest of your child, it is also wise to consider consulting an attorney to learn where you stand legally on your particular matter before entering into any proposed parenting plan agreement. This is especially important in cases where you believe the other party has ulterior motives or is not working in good-faith to build a parenting plan that truly reflects the overall best interest of your child.
December 30th,2008
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By Lucy Bushman
Being a new parent comes with several different responsibilities along with many unanswered questions. There are so many things that you as a new parent will need to know and while others will gladly offer you advice, whether you want it or not, there is nothing that can answer questions like taking a parenting course.
Why do I need a parenting course?
Upcoming and new parents will have many questions and fears. By taking a parenting course you can not only be in the company of parents just as yourself but also parents that also share some of the many concerns, questions and fears as you do. Parenting courses not only offer support from other parents but also give you a trained professional that can help you along the way.
Are there different kinds of parenting courses?
There are several different parenting courses available such as a parenting course for new parents, parenting course for parents with toddlers, parenting course for parents with elementary age children and on up until your child reaches high school age. There are also several different parenting courses that you can take for children with special or different needs such as those who have disabilities, children affected by divorce and so many more.
Will the parenting course be expensive?
The expense of a parenting course will depend on several different things. Many churches will offer different parenting courses and many times those are free of charge. You can also call your local counseling office or therapy clinics to see what types of different courses they offer.
Can I take a parenting course online?
With the new wave of technology sprouting up all around us you can now take many parenting courses online. Some courses will even offer you a certificate of completion that you can print out at home or have mailed to you. By taking a course online you will benefit from the fact that you can sit in the comfort of your own home while still getting the information you need. Also for many people they like the idea of being anonymous when asking tough questions.
The downside of taking a course online is the lack of real interaction with other parents. Many online courses will offer message boards where parents can discuss different topics and chat with each other so for some parents that is enough while others like the idea of having people in your own communities to talk to. You should also be aware that if taking a parenting course has been court ordered they may not allow you to take the course online. Check with your advocate before you sign up.
You are not alone in the desire for more information about being a parent and by taking a parenting course you will not only get answers to questions you have but be able to hear questions and answers you might not have even thought about yet. For many new parents a parenting course is a win-win situation for everyone.
December 30th,2008
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By Donny Lowy
Parenting strategies can help produce energetic, intelligent, and positive children.
Many parents who research and then apply proven parenting strategies have found that they are quite effective at helping them raise their children.
While I’m not a parent yet myself, I can tell you that by observing my parents, and other successful parents, I can see that there are shared parenting strategies that are being used.
Many of these parenting strategies can be attributed to common sense, or tradition, but I can assure you that they as effective as any parenting strategies produced by thousand dollar an hour experts.
Here are some of the parenting strategies that I have observed successful parents using:
1. Spend time talking to your children. The conversation might seem one sided, but your kids will definitely be listening, and learning.
2. Engage your children in creative activities. When children are engaged in creative activities they will be igniting their desire for learning. This desire can lead your children to a successful life.
3. Let your children build. Games and activities that allow children to build seem to lead to a sense of accomplishment in children. This sense of accomplishment will lead them to want to continue doing productive activities that give them a sense of accomplishment.
4. Avoid negative topics, stories, and events. There is enough time for children to learn the realities of life. As a parent you can help your child develop a positive attitude by only exposing him or her to positive ideas.
December 30th,2008
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By Ed Whit
Keeping your baby fashionable is not hard to do with Baby Clothes. The consumer market is full of various baby clothes in all assorted shapes, styles, and sizes. You baby can be the fashionista of the block with their clothes.
Clothing for your baby is quite often affordable, and well worth the money paid for them. Many companies offer baby garments for a very reasonable price, mainly because babies will grow out of the clothing at an alarming rate. As much, the clothing that is offered for babies are highly durable, as clothing manufactures are aware of the messes that a baby will have with their clothes.
Baby Clothes make a great gift for an expecting mother. Since the children grow so fast, many people will purchase baby clothes that are larger than what the baby is currently at, as they can then grow into the clothing. Many large department stores offer a clothing section for babies, as they are high demand items.
The baby clothing industry will always be popular, as there are babies that are born every day. More so, many baby outfits will be paired together, saving you, the parent, even more money on the clothing. Baby Clothes have been, and will be clothing that is sure to stay.
December 29th,2008
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By Sheri Lynn
Good news for breastfeeding mothers: doctors keep finding more and more reasons the “Breast is Best!” for babies.
We all have heard of all of the health benefits that breastfed babies enjoy over their formula-fed peers. The advantages include fewer stomach or intestinal infections, fewer ear infections, digestive problems, skin diseases and allergies. They also have linked breastfeeding to fewer instances of diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.
A new study adds one more benefit to the list. The research is based upon a long-running Framingham Heart Study including babies who were breastfed for at least a month after birth. It found that adults who were breastfed babies are better off in two important heart disease risk factors than their bottle-fed peers. They have higher levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and a lower body mass index.
So the benefits of breastfeeding last far beyond the first few years of life. In fact, adults who were breastfed were fifty-five percent more likely than their bottle feed peers to have high average levels of HGL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol throughout adulthood than to have low levels. According to the American Heart Association, having a higher HDL is protects our systems against cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.
Adults who were breastfed babies also had a lower average body mass index, or BMI, as adults – 26.1 compared to 26.9 for those who were bottle fed as babies. (An adult with a BMI index above 25 is considered to have a higher risk for heart disease.)
So now breastfeeding moms have one more reason to breastfeed those babies!
December 29th,2008
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By Sjona Lindquist
Anemia is a deficiency of the red blood cells required by the body to carry hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is necessary because it carries oxygen through the blood into all parts of the body keeping it alive. Hemoglobin levels should be higher than 15 grams or it is considered too low.
Low levels of red blood cells are quite common among premature babies, and many times preemies require a transfusion of red blood cells, especially premature babies under 1,000 grams. There are a many reasons why a premature baby may develop anemia. First of all, during the first few weeks of life premature babies’ bodies do not make many new red blood cells, and the red blood cells their bodies do have do not last as long as older children.
Blood loss is another reason that a premature baby can become anemic. Premature babies can have bleeding problems that can increase their risk of developing anemia, and one serious problem is Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH). A premature baby can also develop anemia if her blood is drawn too frequently.
Studies are being done on iron supplements for premature babies, and how they will be administered if they are found to be effective. Right now transfusions are the best and safest way to increase the iron in your premature baby’s blood. Symptoms of anemia (low iron in the blood) are pale skin, lethargy, poor feeding, tackypnea, and tackycardia.
December 29th,2008
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By Kristy Annely
Sleep is vital to the health and development of babies, particularly during the early stages of life. Baby pajamas are developed for your baby’s natural sleeping postures and temperature regulation. Babies ought to be dressed adorably and kept warm and comfortable during sleep. Baby pajamas are one of the foremost baby items; most parents do not want to miss out on selecting their babies’ pajamas when they begin to assemble the wardrobe.
Comfortable material is the key element in selecting baby clothes. Hence, parents should select pajamas made from the softest and most durable fabrics featuring the cutest designs. Such pajamas are gentle to touch and trouble-free for the baby to wear. Babies and parents alike will love the trendy one-piece pajamas. Parents can also consider two-piece pajamas, as these pajamas allow a parent to speedily change a diaper or pants without having to completely undress the little one. As your baby gets older, it will be necessary to shift to two-piece pajama sets. Unique baby pajamas are not only attractive to look at but also ensure maximum comfort. Baby pajamas with built-in feet covers will ensure that the tiny toes of the babies are kept warm.
Baby pajamas can be expensive; as the babies grow at a speedy rate in the first couple of years, these pajamas can be used only for a limited period of time. Baby pajamas are available for both boys and girls. A great range of fine quality pajamas are available for babies both at the stores and online. Baby pajamas vary from classic designs to those with fun themes. Buying the right pajama set is important for the comfort and safety of your baby. Major factors to bear in mind are to avoid pajamas with drawstrings and to select pajamas that are fire retardant. Baby pajamas are available for winter and summer. Baby pajamas are one among the many gifts that can be presented to babies.
December 29th,2008
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By Neil Payne
Recent trends have seen a move towards the use of sign language with babies and more and more parents are embracing this practice as an opportunity to develop communication and interaction with their baby.
The following article presents some key facts related to the practice of baby sign language:
What is Baby Sign Language?
Baby sign language is the practice of signing with babies prior to the acquisition of verbal speech. As an example, a young baby would be unable to verbally generate the relevant language to tell you that he/she was hungry and as such, the parent would need to interpret a series of cries and protestations to arrive at this realisation. However, a baby who as acquired the use of baby sign language would be able to make a simple sign relating to hunger which is easily interpreted and understood by the parent.
What is Baby Sign Language derived from?
Baby sign language is based on British Sign Language (BSL).
BSL is the second most widely used language in the UK and the first language of approximately 70,000 people. It is a visual-gestural language which makes use of three dimensional space and the movement of hands (and other parts of the body) to convey meaning and it has its own vocabulary and syntax.
The key signs used in BSL are easily transferred to both hearing and non hearing babies alike.
What are the Origins of using BSL with babies?
Prior to the popular uptake of sign language with babies, it became clear that the Deaf babies acquired language (i.e. BSL) far more quickly than their hearing peers. This observation was the key driver for trialling BSL with babies.
What are the Benefits of using BSL with Babies?
Firstly, babies who learn BSL in early life are more likely to exhibit the following characteristics (when compared to their hearing peers who did not learn BSL) when older:
* Greater confidence with language
* Broader vocabulary range
Are there any Negative Effects in respect to using BSL with Babies?
No, there are no negatives effects in respect to using BSL with babies. Many individuals are under the impression that learning sign language could impede the acquisition of normal verbal speech. However, this is not the case and in reality, the baby actually gains a far richer vocabulary in respect to the spoken language as opposed to his / her hearing counterparts who have not learned BSL.
December 29th,2008
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By Kendra Spencer
You commonly hear of newborns having jaundice, but what is it exactly? The word jaundice comes from the French word for ‘yellow’ which is ‘jaune.’ It describes the yellowish appearance of the skin and whiles of the eyes of a newly born baby.
The cause of jaundice is a build up of biliruben in the babies bloodstream. Everyone has biliruben in their blood, which is created when red blood cells break down. The hemoglobin in the red blood cells changes into biliruben which is then removed by the liver and excreted into the stools. Babies are born with an excess of red blood cells and often times their livers aren’t developed enough to filter out the biliruben.
Because biliruben is ultimately removed in the babies stool, increasing feeding times is recommended. For breastfed babies at least eight to ten daily feedings is suggested.
If a newborns jaundice level increases to a certain amount your pediatrician may recommend that your baby spend some time under the Bililights. These are a series of flurescent lights that are placed over a baby’s incubator. Bililights change the structure of the biliruben making it easier to be excreted by the liver. A little time spent in sunlight also helps as well.
About 50% of all full term babies develop jaundice within the first two or three days after birth. It will most commonly disappear within a week. The rate of jaundice in preterm babies increases to 80% and often can last longer. In either case, the jaundice usually is so mild that there is no reason for concern and with clear itself up by itself.
December 29th,2008
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