Elephants and Teenagers
December 26, 2006
Something eerily familiar happened in KwaZulu-Natal’s Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park in Africa recently.
The adult elephants were taken away and the orphaned youngsters were left to fend for themselves.
The youngsters started the path to sexual maturity. The young boys were going into lengthy ‘musths’, as a dog would go into heat, much longer than a normal elephant in a normal setting.
The boys ganged together. They started raping and killing white rhinos, an endangered species. They were displaying extreme aggression. The park authorities were very concerned.
Someone had the idea to bring in ten adult bulls to “straighten out” the gang of elephant thugs.
Sure enough, the mature males put the band of so called ‘delinquent juveniles’ in their place. The adults were reintroduced, and life turned back to normal. No more killings. The elephants and rhinos were at peace again.
Obviously, strong male and female presence’s are needed in these elephants lives. The young elephants needed the adults from when they were defenseless babies through the time they were in their elephant ‘teenage’ years.
Help Your Children to Love Reading
December 26, 2006
It is so important to create an environment that promotes the love of reading. Not only is reading necessary for survival in today’s world, it is educational, it sparks imagination, it is a stress reliever, provides entertainment and enjoyment, the list goes on.
Here are some ideas to help you help your child love reading.
Am I Pregnant?
December 26, 2006
Am I pregnant? This is often one of the most important questions a women can ask. If you suspect you are pregnant, getting good prenatal care early is very important, so finding out as soon as possible is vital.
Am I pregnant? Have you missed a period? Are you bloated? Are your breasts tender? These may be early symptoms of pregnancy. Have you spotted, but never gotten your period? Do things smell and taste differently? Are you tired?
If you can answer yes to at least one or two of these questions, you may be pregnant. However, some women never suspect that they have conceived. As soon as your period is late, you can perform an at-home pregnancy test inexpensively and privately. These tests can be found at your local discount or drug store. The at-home tests claim 99% accuracy, and false positives are rare, so if you test positive you are most likely pregnant. Since these tests measure the level of pregnancy hormone (HCG) in your urine, it’s important to follow the instructions carefully and repeat a negative test a few days to a week later just to be sure. Sometimes hormone levels don’t rise high enough to be detected right away.
6 Tried & True Fun Ways to Educate and Entertain Your Preschooler
December 26, 2006
1. New Word of the Day
Introduce your preschooler to a new word each morning at breakfast and define it for him. Keep it simple by using synonyms for words he already knows. Example: vehicle can be another word for car, truck, van, etc. Make a game of using the word as many times as possible each day. This is a fun way to build your child’s vocabulary.
2. Create a Reading Hide-Away
A large cardboard box can become anything your child wants it to be. Spend a fun-filled afternoon fashioning a reading hide-away with your child. A miniature house, a castle, or a cave are just a few possibilities. It need not be fancy to catch your preschoolers fancy! Large pieces of construction paper can be taped to the outside to represent stone or siding. Place a rug, some pillows or child-sized furniture and a few age-appropriate books inside. Be sure to design a skylight into the top of the box. Your child will spend many hours “reading” or playing in their special spot.
3. Her Very Own Scrapbook
Tips for Keeping Packed Lunches Fun and Interesting
December 25, 2006
? Let the child choose his or her own lunch box or reusable lunch bag. Encourage the child to add decorations, too.
? Children like finger foods. Cut chicken, cheese, or meat into bite-sized pieces for easier handling.
? Sandwiches don’t have to be boring. Use a variety of breads and fillings. Cut sandwiches into squares or triangles, or use cookie cutters to cut out fancy shapes.
? Insulated containers make it possible to keep foods hot or cold until lunchtime. Soup, casseroles, and salads are interesting alternatives to sandwiches.
? Muffins, biscuits, rolls and bread sticks are all good substitutes for slices of bread.
? Pack fruits and vegetables ready to eat. Peel and cut them at home, if necessary. Vegetables can be cut into strips, chunks, or flowers. Try including raw vegetables such as yams, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower.
? Lunch "treats" don’t have to be cookies or candy. Raisins, peanuts, popcorn, and pumpkin or sunflower seeds are fun to eat and provide more nutrients.
About The Author
Missy Severson, Beaufort, South Carolina
Friends Are A Gift You Give Yourself
December 25, 2006
My oldest boy is fifteen and was a real jerk about a month ago. He had gotten pretty full of himself and acted like he was too cool for the rest of the family. Pretty typical teenager behavior, but I didn’t like it. I had gotten to the end of my patience with him and laid into him about how lousy it felt to be treated that way. We ended up in a huge fight. He argued that he wasn’t acting any different than normal and that I was just choosing to see things negatively. So, I laid out numerous examples of his selfish “me me me” behaviors without stopping to take a second breath. He hates it when I go off like that, but once he was ready to really talk, I came down off of my soapbox. He was close to tears. Apparently, I’d hit a nerve. He confessed that his closest friends at school had been trying to tell him the same thing recently and he wasn’t hearing them. Now he suddenly knew what it was they had been trying to say. He felt awful and began to make immediate changes in his behaviors towards others. He really hated the idea that he was hurting anyone’s feelings by being cold and uncaring.
Better Health and Happiness for Your Baby
December 25, 2006
The design of your home has an amazing affect on the health and well being of your baby. If it is in harmony with nature, it will have a positive influence on young children. If not, problems will become apparent in subtle and ways.
According to the science of Vastu Shastra, all five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) have an impact on your baby’s room. Vastu Shastra is an ancient architectural science that balances the five elements within one’s environment and supports the growth of strong, happy babies. Due to their size and developing immune system, infants are far more susceptible to the consequences of poor air quality and indoor pollutants than adults.
Over the years, I have seen how flooring, decorating materials, mattresses, toys, molds, toxic gases, pesticides and electronic equipment can all degrade the air an infant breathes, even if you, as an adult are not affected.
Epidemiological studies suggest a link between pollutants and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In 1966, a New Zealand chemist, T.J. Sprott, began a study of over 100,000 babies. None of the children were exposed to toxic off-gasing from mattresses. None of the babies died of SIDS. In 1988 a British chemist, Barry Richardson, performed a study on mattresses of children who died of SIDS. Of the 200 mattresses tested, he found all emitted chemical nerve gas agents such as phosphine, arsine or stibine when brought to blood body temperature.
How To Potty Train In Two Days
December 25, 2006
Ah, potty training! Go to a local bookseller and you will find dozens of books on the subject. Search the Net and there are thousands of websites with information on how to do it stress free. There are even people who are capitalizing on a parent’s frustration with potty training by offering to do it for you, for a hefty sum! I honestly can’t imagine anything more unseemly than paying someone to teach my child to “go”.
Ewwww!!!
I have successfully potty trained two out of 3 kids so far, baby number 3 is only 14 months so she is off the hook for a few months at least 
I seem to be the envy of the playgroups when other Moms see that my 3 year old son has been in whitey tighties for over a year. My oldest was also 2 when he potty learned.
Teen Dating Tips
December 24, 2006
Teen Dating Tips
by: Mark Else
Introduction
No doubt that at some part of your life so far you have had a crush on someone, maybe that is why you are here now.
You might also be here to find out how to tell what true love is or how to tell if he/she is the “perfect” match for you, well to be totally honest, noone can tell you who mr/mrs perfect is, and noone can tell you what true love is, because “true love” and “perfect” both mean different things for different people.
There is also two different types of love, i got taught these by an ex-girlfriend and didn’t really understand them at the time.
Type one is “loving” someone, anyone can love someone, but love is just a word, and i love my mates/mum/sister/etc but it dosn’t mean they are my perfect partner.
Type two is “being in love” with someone, the main difference with this one is that its not just a word, its a feeling, a feeling that you feel for a certain person. Being in love is the one that makes your heart jump into your mouth, the one that gets you excited everytime you see them, and being in love is the most important thing in a relationship, if you have two people that are totally “in love” with each other then the chances are they will have a long, strong and happy relationship.
Remember The Generation Gap?
December 24, 2006
The techniques of managing relationships between parents and their children is as old as.. well, parents having children. It’s not an easy job, either for the parent or the child. But, the key to any relationship inside or outside the family is the ability to relate; to have an empathy that allows us a slightly special way in which we can communicate with one another in order to understand, and to be understood. We make friends because of the similarities we may have in certain areas and we sometimes can build lifelong relationships on that basis. But, having children means we do not have a choice to make that relationship as we might have in meeting a perfect stranger. It’s a relationship forced upon us, albeit willingly in most cases. We as parents accept that as part of parenting. After all, as parents we have the opportunity to influence the development of our children to be just like us.. thus creating those similarities that enhance a lifelong relationship. Now, note that I used the word ‘opportunity’ in that sentence. I think as parents we all realize that in spite of what we do to manipulate their young lives our children will turn out as individuals just as we did with our parents. And that could very well mean that the relationship you have with your child is not based on similarities but more of accepting the respective family roles of parent and child.
