Give Your Child the Gift of Self-Esteem
December 31, 2006
Much has been said about the “gifted child” but in truth every child is born with unlimited potential. As expressed so well by Orison Marden:
“Deep within man dwell those slumbering powers; powers that would astonish him, that he never dreamed of possessing; forces that would revolutionize his life if aroused and put into action.”
This statement can be true for your child. Not just if he’s a “gifted child” but any child. Indeed, perhaps we should consider a “gifted child” to be a child whose parents have gifted him with a high self-esteem.
Children with high self-esteem are happier and more successful. Low self-esteem is common in children who are performing badly at school, have behavioural problems and suffer from depression.
The Newborn
The “helpless” newborn baby actually comes into the world well equipped with the power to get what she wants. Not only do her cries bring her parents running to tend to her; she also uses her body and facial language to get what she wants. It’s no coincidence that babies learn to smile while they are still very small - it is an essential tool in their armoury of communication. A baby with a disarming smile can frequently wrap mommy or daddy round her little finger!
Keeping the Stress out of Single Parenting
December 31, 2006
Researched through personal experience!
Budget Your Money. Even if you are living paycheck to paycheck like most of us, knowing how much money goes to where can be a big help. This gives you the relief that the bills are being paid, with a feel of how much you can spend on allowance, school photos, birthday gifts, entertainment or just You!
Keep a Daily Schedule. Time is important, so teach that to the kids by implementing a routine. Put together a schedule reflecting chore & homework time. If the kids know their daily routine then it gives them something fun to work for when the Room is clean or the garbage is taken out. Don’t be afraid to make your own chores so that your children see you set a positive example.
Let Your Kids be Kids. Even though taking on Single Parenting has sometimes forced you to become serious and lacking laughter, remember those precious children never asked to be in this situation. Don’t force them to grow up any faster and deal with the "Single Parent Issues" that we have to deal with. They are still kids and they shouldn’t have to worry about anything other than "Kid Issues."
Baby Shower Invitations Add Style To Baby Announcements
December 31, 2006
Baby shower invitations set the tone for the big day
Baby shower invitations reflect the joy you feel at this special time in your life. Pregnancy is often a time for people to reflect on the meaning of family. A baby shower is an opportunity to gather family for laughter, stories, celebration and advice.
Shower invitations share the joy
Shower invitations and especially printable baby shower invitations should be of the finest quality. Shower invitations are not simply devices of practicality. If they were, you would just make the announcements to everyone via e mail. People send printed shower invitations in order to commemorate the importance of the event and make baby announcements in style.
For style, for beauty, and for durability, handmade shower invitations are the best. Acid free paper ensures the shower invitations will last a lifetime. Mass-produced shower invitations can show age within decades and by the time your child is grown, the shower invitations may have yellowed or faded. With acid free shower invitations, you know that your children may see these shower invitations and announcements in the future.
Fuzzy Names, Sweet Names
December 31, 2006
As with everything, names go through cycles of change with passing generations. I also tend to think that names have improved immensely since the first Elmas, Minervas, Bufords, and Alfreds graced the baby’s room wearing appropriate nametags on their cribs.
A country of tradition, we still hold tightly to such commoners as Becky, Wendy, Mike and Bill. And being the trendsetters of a diverse time, we also like originality. Girls are acquiring sophistication with names such as Breanna and Kyla while boys are being called Dusty and Cameron, cute yet charming. I do like these names. I even think that the not-so-unique ones are fine. These names have humility and, most importantly, can be spoken without cringing, gagging, or regurgitating. When was the last time you could actually say "Bunny" and control the ruffling of your nose and the higher level of intonation in your voice? (Not to mention avoiding the picture of this girl nibbling on a very orange carrot.) I put her into a category I like to call the ‘itty bitty Bunny and Kitty committee.’
Five Tips for Successful Grandparenting
December 30, 2006
1. Boundaries are necessary for control and safety.
All children need and must learn to respect boundaries. Being clear about expectations before an activity begins frees you and the child to enjoy the event and ensures the safety of everyone involved. If you observe the boundaries are being violated, don’t be afraid to remind your grandchildren again. Restate the rules as many times as necessary. Writing the rules and posting them or bringing them along is a good idea. If a rule is violated during the activity, ask the child to repeat or read the rules again.
2. Gift giving is not a requirement of grandparenting.
Establish a practice with your first grandchild and stick with it; what you do for one doesn’t necessarily have to be done for all. Financial and family situations change as our children grow. If a family experiences loss of a job or divorce, don’t be afraid to make temporary changes. Gifts are gifts especially when they are unexpected. Surprise gifts are the best. Gifts don’t have to cost a lot. Research supports the fact that "time together" is the best gift we can give. Travel provides time for the grandparent and grandchildren to discover and appreciate each other’s gifts.
Early Signs of Pregnancy
December 30, 2006
Think you may need to do a home pregnancy test? Pregnancy can be a life changing event. Here are some of the early signs of pregnancy to help you decide if it’s time for that all important test:
Often, your family will notice that you are irritable or moody before you even begin to suspect that you’re pregnant. Hormonal surges during the early stages of pregnancy can cause mood swings worse than those from PMS. You might also feel tired, another of the early signs of pregnancy, but fatigue can be a sign of may other conditions as well.
Morning sickness, characterized by nausea and vomiting, can range from a slight queasy feeling to vomiting. It may occur at just one time in the day, perhaps mornings when hormone levels are highest, or all day. Morning sickness is often accompanied by changes in appetite and food cravings, both of which may also continue throughout the pregnancy.
Your breasts may feel swollen and tender, or especially sensitive. Changes in the breasts are very early signs of pregnancy and should disappear after a few weeks.
How Children Learn
December 30, 2006
Nurture and Teach
The single most important thing caregivers can do for a child is provide a nurturing environment. By doing this, we influence children’s brain development and their ability to learn. Introducing nurtured children to learning opportunities every day will help them become happy, well-adjusted adults. In all stages of child development, each experience builds on the one before it. The most basic foundations can serve as the basis for the comprehension of more complex ideas in future years.
Learning Begins at Birth
We are born with billions of brain cells ? in fact, all we will ever have. What is missing is a large amount of connections ? synapses ? between those brain cells. Synapses start developing based on a child’s experiences. Children’s brains develop faster from birth to age three than any other time; and more learning takes place during this time than any other. The more learning opportunities parents provide for their children from birth until school age, the more synapses are made. The connections will serve as a pool of knowledge for a child to access in later years.
Responding to Criticism Without Being Defensive
December 30, 2006
In an actual war, to be attacked means to have our survival threatened. Thus, we might chose between surrender, withdrawal, or counterattack. When we feel attacked (criticized or judged) by others in conversation, we often move into that same kind of survival mentality and automatically defend ourselves. But conversation is different than war. When we defend against criticism, we give more power to the criticism and the person dishing it out than is warranted.
While we might need to set some limits if someone is verbally abusive, I think we often ward off criticism far too soon, discarding anything that is valid, as well as what is invalid. The person’s words may hurt, but they will hurt less, I think, if we ask questions, decide which pieces we agree with (if any) and which ones we don’t agree with. We can just think about it, we don’t have to fight it as if we were being attacked with a lethal weapon. I watch people’s self-esteem increase simply from becoming less defensive in the face of criticism and judgement. Besides, we may find a priceless gem in with some junk.
The War Model: When someone attacks, you surrender, withdraw, or counterattack
Baby Shower Themes For Your Special Baby Shower
December 29, 2006
Do you want to provide a baby shower that is great fun for guests, inviting and welcoming and also really relaxing for the mom-to-be? Read on about selecting and delivering a baby shower theme with confidence.
The big question is should your baby shower have a theme at all? And this is really up to you as the host and to the mom-to-be. You may find creating a theme too much work or not the style of the mom-to-be, but having one can make the party seem more organized and more enjoyable for the guests.
The use of a theme tends to improve your overall shower and adds a memorable touch for the guests. A theme will help focus attention on the event and provide a unifying factor which will pull the whole event together. Themes help set the general tone for the baby shower. The shower theme can have implications on the decorations you use, gifts given to the mom-to-be, and invitations sent out. Not all showers have themes, but they can be a lot of fun and especially great if there will be multiple showers or if this isn’t the first baby. Information about the shower’s theme should be included on the invitation and indeed shower themes are often based around the invitations.
Spelling Games
December 29, 2006
The following spelling games can be used by parents to reinforce spelling in children:
SPELLING GAME 1: USE BOARD GAMES, SUCH AS MONOPOLY
Play any game that is normally played with dice with the child — Monopoly, for example. The parent can continue to move her token forward in the normal way by throwing the dice, but the child must orally spell a word to move forward.
To select words that can be used, the parent can use words from the child’s schoolwork that he often misspells. She must make word cards of these words. It is best to use not fewer than 20 words and not more than 30. When playing a board game, the same 20-30 words can be used, or if the child already knows how to spell them, other words can be selected. The parent must thoroughly shuffle the word cards, and then put them in a pile upside down on the table between the two (or more) players.
