Parenting Children

Kids get bullied every day, there is no news there. But how they are being bullied is new, cyber bullying is now how most children grades 6 through 10, through the internet or phone calls.
According to the study by the National Institutes of Health, “20.8 percent of respondents reported being perpetrators or victims of physical bullying in the past two months; 53.6 percent were victims of verbal bullying; 51.4 percent were victims of relational bullying, which involves social exclusion, and 13.6 percent of cyber bullying on a computer, cell phone or other electronic device.”

Bullying was defined as hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving, locking a classmate indoors, calling someone mean names, making fun or teasing in a hurtful way, saying mean things about a person’s race or religion, spreading rumors or socially excluding others.
Cyber bullying — bullying through a computer or other communication device — is still a small phenomenon. Researchers found that 8 percent had received harassing computer pictures or messages, and 6 percent were bullied by cell phone. More boys were cyber bullies; more girls were cyber victims.

There is no way to stop bullying, it is so common especially in middle school. Being an active participant in your child’s life gives them confidence and a chance to talk to someone about their situation. While most kids survive bullying, you should make sure to talk to your child about kids who bully and being a bully themselves.
For more information, check out this web site.

cyber bullying, bullying, bullys, children, middle school, parenting, parenting children

These days blogs and social networking sites are a huge part of our every day lives. Whether you use a personal blog as your platform to talk about your family’s life, facebook to post pictures of your kids or twitter to swap stories, everyone is on the internet.
But not everyone is on those same networks and places for the same reasons we are. Most likely there are some bad people on those sites trying to collect information or pictures for their own use.

You may have noticed that I don’t post pictures of my kids on my site. There are many times I would love to share a picture with you or a video of my kids, but my husband and I agreed we will not post pictures of our kids on a public forum.
An occasional picture of my kids fully clothed and not of their faces is all you will get on this blog.

What if you posted a innocent picture of your child at the beach, in your home or in your backyard and happen to find out later it has been posted on a child pornography site?

Raising The Bar on TNT that will be premiering tonight, Monday June 29Th at 10p.m. (ET/PT), will talk about this very subject:
“A father is arrested when an innocent photo he posted of his son in the bathtub finds it’s way onto a child pornography site.”
I have received an advanced copy of this episode and I have to say, it is a great episode and raises many questions.

I want to know if you post pictures of your children online and why? Also if you do post pictures do you edit those pictures in any way, only post certain pictures or do you say “to hell with it” and post whatever you want?

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It seems like money is tight for everyone right now. I joke that it is a good time to have money because there is so many great sales and deals on vacations! Instead of sipping a frozen drink sea side on St. Barts we will be drinking Coronas watching our kids play in their pool in our backyard. We are taking a staycation!

As it turns out, more and more families are spending extra time at home because of the economy. According to a recent Clorox survey, over 60 percent of the Moms surveyed reported an increase in cleaning around the house as their families now spend more time at home! Just what we need- more cleaning!
Mom Central has teamed up with Mommy Docs to give you a list of Five Tips for Summer Staycations to keep your family safe (and your house cleaner too!)

Stay Safe at BBQs- According to a recent survey, 70 percent of Moms are cooking more at home and many are cooking outside now that the weather is nice.
Make sure your kids have a safe BBQ experience by keeping your children away from the flames and any sharp knives. Also, don’t forget to check that your child’s hamburger is fully cooked. Always keep a thermometer on hand to be sure all food has reached the appropriate inside temperature.

Keep the Pool Cool and Clean- If your kids love to spend hot afternoons in kiddie pools, you know the importance of cleaning the pool area. Dump out water after each session, and keep the pool clean by disinfecting it with a solution of ¾ cup bleach to one gallon of water. Don’t forget to rinse well and dry thoroughly after each cleaning. Never leave any water in the pool and I suggest turning it upside down so rain water doesn’t collect in it .
Be sure to always supervise children when they are in or around any water.

Staying Healthy and Hydrated- Spending time in the heat means kids will be more prone to becoming dehydrated. Remind kids to take frequent rest/drink breaks in the shade when playing outside and try to avoid activity during peak sun hours. Encourage fluids before, during, and after outside activities.

Having Peace of Mind at Playgrounds- Sometimes just getting out of the house is the best way to keep it clean, but before letting kids loose at the playground, ensure the safety of the equipment. Swing seats and slides can really heat up in the sun – test them out before your kids hop on to avoid burns. Be sure the playground surface is composed of a soft material to help prevent injury. All playground equipment should be routinely checked for any broken or loose parts.
As always, adult supervision is a must at all times!

Saving on Spills- Spending extra time around the house, especially with kids, often means more spills to clean up. Synthetic sponges and kitchen cloths can start to smell and carry bacteria, but you don’t have to toss them out after a few uses. One option to reduce bacteria is to sanitize sponges and dishrags by soaking them in a bleach solution (¾ cup of bleach* to a gallon of water) for 5 minutes in the sink. Don’t forget to rinse and dry when done. A wet sponge can also be microwaved to get rid of bacteria.
* Always remember to read and follow precautions and usage directions before using cleaning products

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When my twins came home from their last day of school, they each had a note from their teacher next year. Each letter reinforced the need to practise their reading and writing over the summer. It is something we knew we were going to do, but now we will step it up so the kids don’t lose anything.

Math
Everyday there is a new chance to teach math. At the store have your child look for the prices and add them up. Have them pay for their purchases with money and receive the change.
When they go outside, have them wear a watch and tell them what time to be back in the house.
Bake with your child and have them help with measuring and when the pie should come out of the oven.
Take sidewalk chalk and write numbers 1-10. Call out math problems and have yoru child jump to the correct answer.

Reading
Read, read, read. Read a book together every night or better yet, have your child read to you.
Have your child make a book. Buy an inexpensive journal or blank book and have them write about what they did each day.
It will make a great keepsake!

Science
Have your child help with your gardening or go on bug scavenger hunts.
Science is all around us. Buy a butterfly growing kit, or a bug house. Study the bugs or lizards under a microscope or magnifying glass, or other things like feathers, your hand or a coin.

Lastly if your children are into video games (and whose kids aren’t?) give them learning games like the ones from Vtech or Dream Box.
What do you do to keep your kids on track during the summer?

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My son had gone a little too far in the deep end in the pool last month and freaked out. He didn’t want to return to the pool without floaties. I would be fine with that if he wasn’t 6.5 years old and already knew how to swim!
What did we do? We signed him up for swim class to gain back his confidence.
It is working, at least it was working until he hit his face on the side of the pool yesterday and needed a stitch!

How can you teach your child to swim at your local pool, lake or Y? Follow these steps:
Hold the child beneath the armpits and walk him around in the water to develop a feeling of comfort in the water, your child already trusts you, so this will be easy.

Have them hold onto the side of the pool and practice their kicking, Remember to have them kick with their whole leg not just with their knees.

Have your child blow bubbles in the water, to get him used to putting his face into the water.
Gradually have her put his whole head under the water. If he is getting water up his nose, tell him to hum- this will not let water go in his nose.

Hold your child around his waist and begin having him stroke with his arms making his hand into a “cup” shape. Make sure he keeps kicking!

Let your child swim a short distance from the wall to you. Gradually increase the distance.

Let your child jump off the side of the pool to you, eventually adding distance.

Remember: Take your time with each step and don’t rush your child.
The first day, only do the first step. The second day, do the first step again and then add the second step. Start each new lesson with a review of the previous lessons and advance to the next step, but only if the child is ready.
Make it fun and don’t have the lesson last too long or it will take the fun out of learning!

Most important- make sure you are CPR and infant CPR certified!

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The official start of summer is here for us and I know how hard it is to keep kids entertained all summer long. I found that making a list on my calendar helped me pick a fun thing to do every day. Here are 45 cheap or better yet free, great ideas for summer fun for you and the kids:

Catch fireflies

Decorate t-shirts outside with paint or dye

Have a tea party outside

Make a birdhouse

Make your own ice pops

Bake a pie or cookies

Feed the ducks

Go swimming

Plant a garden or a herb garden

Play with water balloons

Play with water guns

Go on a scavenger hunt in your neighborhood

Play hide and go seek in the dark

Find a new playground

Have a picnic

Make S’mores

Learn how to knit and teach your kids, maybe even take a class

Visit the zoo

Visit a museum or children’s museum

Let your children play outside in the rain

Make a theme day, like a “red day” wear red eat only red foods (tomato, apples, strawberries, polish your nails red) or “dinosaur day” (read about dinosaurs, color dinosaur pictures, eat only veggies that day)

Write a letter to a grandparent or friend

Have a lemonade stand

Pick fruits or veggies at your local farms

Make an indoor sand or (Rice!) box
Find free movies in your town

Play hopscotch

Draw with sidewalk chalk

Make a tent indoors with blankets

Play with bubbles, have a biggest bubble contest

Race some bug you find on the ground

Join a reading club for grades 1-6

Have a “day of beauty” paint nails, have masks, give your kids a massage

Go to a free reading time

Buy a hammock and take a nap together

Play with a remote controlled RV or boat

Visit a day fair or carnival

Go for a hike

Can berries for the winter

Grab your sleeping bags and sleep on the floor together

Do some arts & crafts

Grow butterflies (My kids LOVE this!)

Visit a neighbor

Make a bubble pool in your backyard

Make ice cream

Check out free classes at Lowes or Home Depot

Make a trip to a board walk

Bowling!

Have movie day at home complete with popcorn and candy

What are your favorite family summer fun ideas?

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People are not born knowing how to share. It is a learned skill, and it is a skill. Many adults have still not mastered sharing and I am sure you know some of them. In the Pre-operational stage (Toddler and Early Childhood) egocentric thinking predominates, meaning your child does not know anyone else has needs or wants besides them.
You need to help your child learn to share.

Demonstrate sharing yourself. If you have a snack and your child wants some, let her have some and tell her “Oh, you would like some of my snack, okay I will share with you”. This lets your child hear and see that you are sharing.
Go off and play with one of their toys, they will come over and want to play with you, say “Let’s play together and share the toys”.
This is especially important if you have an only child, you have to be a peer and share for them to learn to do the same.

When they do share, praise them. Say “good job letting your friend have some crackers, that is good sharing”. Give them positive attention and you will get positive behaviors.
They will see that sharing gets a positive reaction and make them feel good.
Of course children will not always want to share all of the time and that is normal and okay. If you see your child doesn’t want to share or is having a hard time with sharing redirect their attention to something else and try again later.

sharing, teaching kids to share, toddlers, kids, parenting, parenting children, preschoolers

God sends children to enlarge our hearts, and make us unselfish and full of kindly sympathies and affections.
– Mary Howitt

The thing about being a mother, or a parent at all for that matter, is that it is hard. So very, very hard.
That is what they do not tell you in the pregnancy books or the motherhood web sites.
It is not all flowers and picnics on the front lawn. It is not all fairytales and sweet summer dress and hugs. It is also poop, and exhaustion and crying in the bathroom because you can’t have a moment alone.

The simple truth is, that caring for another human being is hard, exhausting and boring. It can wear on you. You can feel alone resentful or just too tired of the monotony of it all.

Then you get a night when your child crawls into bed with you and places his small hand on your chin, the same hand that held your finger moments after he emerged from your body, and says “You are the best Mom, I just love you”. That, is when your hear melts and although you don’t forget the bad times, they just finally seem worth it.
Like seeing a rainbow for the first time and appreciating its beauty.

That is something that they also never tell you in books, that you will have hard times, times when you doubt yourself, but with one smile it all gets wiped away.

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motherhood, moms, parenting, parenthood, first time moms, parenting children

I have written about how my boys are roosters many times.
They get up at the crack of dawn, they are hard to put to sleep and wake up in the night screaming “CUUUPPP OF MILLLLLK” or “WAAAAAAAAAH” way too often. I, like most every parent, hate the night time wails, I just can’t deal. I am a terrible nighttime parent, E is much better than I am but I can handle putting the kids to bed a bit better that my husband.

Baby K sleeps much better these past few weeks since I have been using your tips. I did what I used to do with the twins, we have a routine, I stick with it and put him awake in his crib. He is usually a dream to put in for a nap and slightly harder at bedtime, but not terrible.
E and I deal with the “not terrible” much differently.

I have my routine and if he cries in his crib after I put him down, well then, I just let him cry. He usually won’t last more than five minutes and he is asleep.

If K cries for more than 4 minutes and E is home, he marches right up there and does whatever he has to until the baby stops crying and goes to sleep.
He can’t take the crying.

It is not like I adore hearing my baby cry either, but I know that it is okay for him to cry a little bit and usually by bedtime, I am done with ALL of the kids and they need to stay in bed and I need a stiff drink.
This is why E is a dream night time parent because when anyone wakes in the night crying he is usually on top of it, while I lay perfectly still and pray/beg/make deals for the crying to end on its own.

No, it never works.

Who is the better night time parent in your house?

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Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 14.
Most happen in backyard pools or open water areas. Most drownings happen while children are being supervised. The SAFE KIDS study examined data from 496 child-drowning deaths from 2000 and 2001 from 17 states and found that 88 percent of the drowning victims were under supervision.

Children can drown in as little as one inch of water. That means that the bucket you have outside, your hot tub, toilet or wading pool are all potential dangers. “Two minutes following submersion, a child will lose consciousness. Irreversible brain damage occurs after four to six minutes and determines the immediate and long-term survival of a child. The majority of children who survive (92 percent) are discovered within two minutes following submersion, and most children who die (86 percent) are found after 10 minutes. Nearly all who require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) die or are left with severe brain injury.”

Do you feel confident about performing CPR? Could you do it accurately? What about your teenage babysitter or your neighbor?

No matter how many CPR classes I have taken, I know I still need a refresher course and I want everyone around my children to know CPR as well. With summer almost here and my knowing my kids will be exposed to numerous pools, oceans and water parks, I knew I had to do something fast. When I found this DVD, I was so happy, it was what I was looking for and I knew everyone in my life was going to get one as well.

The DVD is filled with step by step instructions on how to perform CPR on infants as well as children. It also has instructions on what to do if your child has an airway obstruction and how to keep your children safe in the home. The instructor is a registered nurse and a certified American Heart Association CPR instructor since 1991.

You can never be too safe especially when stories of children drowning pepper the nightly news and this video helps me feel confident I will know what to do and execute it properly while I wait for help to arrive.
I know we can review it as often as my husband and I need to. I will be buying one for the Grandparents, Aunt and Uncles. It also makes a great shower gift for an expectant Mother.

Order it now.
I hope you never have to use the skills you learn, but what if you do?

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When Mom Central had a blog tour about the American Heart Association and CPR Anytime, I wanted to participate. I am CPR certified but I wanted to brush up on my skills as well as have my husband brush up on his. You never know when or where you will need it, but it is great to know you are ready anytime.

With summer creeping up on us, I know my children will be around pools, lakes and oceans very soon. It makes brushing up on my CPR that more important. I received a CPR anytime kit which contains:
Practice DVD
Mini Anne CPR learning manikin
Choking and child CPR reminder card
Various spare parts and cleansing wipes

The DVD is very thorough and it taught us the Hands only CPR method. The DVD took us step by step through the CPR hands only method, the breathing and hands-on method, The CPR of both an adult and child, how to help choking victims and the use of AEDs.

The first week in June begins National CPR and AED Awareness Week, You can go to their site and find local CPR or emergency aid classes. You ca also order their CPR anytime kit for your home. I think this is great to get for Grandparents, caregivers or even your local church groups. The information you learn may save someone’s life and that someone could be me, or my loved ones.

You can also check them out on Facebook.

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All you hear about when you turn on the television or open a newspaper is the swine flu, H1N1. This week, I received an email from our town about swine flu, how to try and prevent it, and what will happen if it appears in any local schools. What I did think was funny was the recommendation, that in addition to handwashing, to use an alcohol based hand sanitizer.

I do not use alcohol-based hand sanitizers in my house because it can be dangerous with small children if ingested. A main ingredient in these sanitizers, Triclosan, is even considered a pesticide by the EPA. There is even a link to Triclosan and cancer- scary stuff!
There are other products that will help you, like CleanWell products- which I LOVE.

CleanWell products kill 99.99% of harmful germs inluding salmonella and MRSA. It is 100% green and 100% poison free. There is NO ingestion risk with small children. It also contains no synthetic chemicals. It can be found easily at shops like Target, Amazon and Whole Foods. The offer hand soaps as well as hand santizers and it will not dry your skin out like alcohol based sanitizers will.

You can check out the FAQ on swine flu here on WebMD. Please refer to the CDC website for daily updates on the outbreak and publication of interim guidance at: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

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I did sleep train my baby at 10 weeks old. We got the hang of it and did great. Now that he is thirteen months old we have to start all over again. He is dealing with extreme separation anxiety and is very clingy and hard to put to sleep. I don’t want to make the mistake of having him depend on us to fall asleep. I know too many parents that still have to rock, nurse or drive their children around in cars so they will fall asleep. But the question is “how do you sleep train a child?”

The goal is to have your child fall asleep by herself in her crib, but how you get to that point is up to you. You can start out by putting your child to bed and checking on them every once in awhile. Better yet, you can use your baby monitor to watch your baby. If your baby cries go in a reassure him that you are there, but don’t pick him up. Rub his back, comfort without holding and rocking him to sleep. Reassure them and leave again. I know it is hard and you just want the crying to stop, but I promise you are comforting and teaching them to soothe themselves at the same time. Within three to five nights, you’re bound to see a dramatic improvement in the bedtime routine.

OR you can go an alternative route: for three nights, you can sit next to the crib until your baby falls asleep, then three nights across the room, then in the doorway, and then in the hallway.

When you check on your baby, it’s better do it consistently, rather than waiting until they really start crying. If the baby cries in the night, respond to it. In two weeks you will have a baby that can fall asleep on their own.

infants, sleep training, bedtime, bedtime routines, parenting, kids, toddlers, putting baby to bed, bedtime, bedtime routine

The winter has finally gone and spring is here. With spring comes a new set of problems, ones that I will take any day, like where do I go with my kids every day to entertain them. Like every parent does, I turn to the good ‘ole playgrounds and parks. Now that I am in a new state, I have to learn where all the great parks are.
Enter KaBoom!, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding and creating play spaces within walking distance for every child!

KaBOOM! is a wonderful tool for every parent. You can seach for playgrounds, parks, and other play areas near you by city, state, or postal/zip code! Not only that but you can see the ratings of these playgrounds and read the reviews. Perfect for someone like me, who doesn’t know the area very well, or for summer travel!

KaBOOM! has embarked on a nationwide mission to help communities build playspaces. This proves critical for those many children living in neighborhoods without playgrounds or playspaces, or unable to use existing ones because of rundown conditions or dangerous neighborhoods. Mom Central has teamed up with KaBOOM! to help map online 100,000 playspaces in 100 days. Wondering what counts as a playspace? Any playground, field, a skate park, roller hockey rink, lake, dog park, community center, basketball court or ice rink - anywhere kids can just be kids!
For every play space entered into the KaBOOM! database on behalf of the Mom Central team, $1 will be donated to Jumpstart, a non-profit that brings at-risk preschool children and caring adults together to improve literacy.

KaBOOM! cares about the lack of places kids can just be kids and learn to share and have fun. They are an amazing, caring organization and a huge help for parents everywhere.

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Before I had children, I recycled, I bought a few Earth-friendly products, but that was 7 years ago, there weren’t very many products out there. Now that I am a parent of three, I want to do all I can to keep the Earth as clean as it can be for my children, and yours. As a parent, what can we do to help the environment?
Here are a few things that you can do as a parent:

Make your own baby food. It is so easy, just wash your (organic and local) fruit and vegetables, steam or boil them, puree, strain and you are ready for baby. If you don’t think you have time for that, there are plenty of organic store-bought baby and toddler foods available now like Gerber and Earth’s Best. Check out the freezer section for Plum Organics or Happy Baby.

Use non-toxic cleaners. Try water and the E-cloth of vinegar diluted with water for your tile floors, glass and counters!
Make sure you buy natural cleaners for your skin too, there are great natural baby products that are on the market now.

Buy toys made from organic fibers, wood, or other natural materials. Choose handmade, plastic-free, organic, non-toxic toys for baby’s first toys and teethers.

Go Cloth. So many moms are using cloth diapers these days. I didn’t, but wish I did. Check out natural diapers from 7th Generation or gDiapers — this new company makes a biodegradable, flushable insert that fits inside a breathable liner.

Lastly, recycle the clothes your baby grew out of, the toys he doesn’t play with or the baby bowls and dishes. Try freecycle, churches, Goodwill or your local shelters.

Tell me, what do you do to be a “green” parent?

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