Fewer than two-thirds of couples trying to conceive succeed within six months. Fortunately, 90% of women trying to get pregnant do so within 18 months.

There are dozens of factors that affect the odds of conception, some more important than others.

Caffeine intake does affect fertility for both men and women. Brewed coffee has between 100-300 mg of caffeine, while cappucino has between 300-400 mg and decaf (not surprisingly) has only 1-8 mg. Those concerned that caffeine might be an issue should limit themselves to no more than two cups per day.

Conditions in both men and women are about equally likely to be the reason pregnancy doesn’t occur.

A small percentage of men have low sperm motility, a condition in which sperm cells don’t actively move enough to make the trip up to the egg. Caffeine or excessive alcohol consumption can have some small effect on this, but in general the condition is either genetic or a temporary condition due to disease.

Or, a man may have a low sperm count, though again this is true of fewer than 10%. Heavy alcohol use can be a factor, but here again it’s generally the result of inheritance or recent illness. In some cases this is due, for example, to high fever.

That’s the true part of the statement that heat causes low sperm counts. This is temporary, though. The mythical part of the ‘heat produces low sperm count’ is the belief that hot tubs or underwear affects sperm count.

The myth grew out of common laboratory observations that high temperature reduces sperm count in tests. But the temperature required is much higher than the shift produced by wearing jockey shorts or other lifestyle choices.

Fertility odds can be affected by issues women may experience, as well. ‘Infertility’ is often a matter of degrees. Very few women are completely infertile. For some women, the uterine environment causes implantation to be less likely.

Endometriosis, a condition in which tissue from the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, is responsible for about 15% of low female fertility. Irregular ovulation is a problem for others. In about 20% of low fertility cases, some issue with the fallopian tubes is responsible.

For some, it’s simply a matter of keeping better track of the menstrual cycle. Maintaining an accurate chart of basal body temperature and monthly events can help. They should be recorded at least once daily, preferably twice - once in the morning, once in the evening.

Being considerably overweight reduces a woman’s chances of pregnancy, since it affects ovulation and overall hormonal factors. Body fat levels 10-15% over the normal range produces excess estrogen, which affects fertility.

Hormonal imbalances in general, producing an irregular cycle or very heavy periods, can shift the odds. Anti-depressant and other medications can affect female fertility, as does heavy tobacco or alcohol consumption.

For those cases where the condition is not temporary, fertility treatments are an option. Most physicians won’t intervene, however, unless the couple has been trying natural methods for at least 18 months. Fertility treatments themselves are not foolproof, nor are they entirely without risk.

If you’ve been trying to become pregnant for over a year without success, your first best course of action is to consult a physician.

Read this to find out how these options are different”¦

When you hire a babysitter you can do that just for the time that you need the help. You can go for this option when you want a live in nanny to help you take care of your children all the time, when you want somebody to come and take care of your children when you want a weekend off, or just occasionally when your boss wants you to do overtime.

Often daycare is a more consistent solution.

You can just arrange that your children are being taken care of by these specialists that do that kind of work in a daycare center.

Your child will learn how to interact with children their age and will get better at coordination and motor skills. Basically it means that you extend your children’s school experience by bringing them to a daycare.

What are the benefits and disadvantages of both these solutions?
The cost of that kind of service depends really on what you need. When you hire a babysitter that comes to your house you will have to pay accordingly. They come and help you out for a day or sometimes just a half day and besides doing whatever basic care is needed they will also assist with other activities: rides to activities after school or homework help. Overall it is more expensive to bring them to the home of somebody who babysits several children at her house.

They will have to share the attention of that babysitter with several other children and they will learn how to associate with their peers, just like at a professional daycare. The lady who babysits at her house will not have as many children as what they take care of in the daycare so this option is still more personalized. These babysitters can only take care of four children at their home at any given time, while professional daycares accept ten to twenty children per teacher.

Daycare providers have to interact more professionally and you are the one that will have to pay for that. It is a good idea to have all the facts clear about expectations and commitment. They also have to know all the individual aspects of your child’s care. It has to be understood very well what the structure is of the employment, including hours and scopes, and both the parent and the provider have to agree on limitations. Make sure that you take care of all the paperwork that needs to be done. After all we are talking full time jobs here.

The care of a specialist

Your child will learn from this other adult that will be committing time. Agencies usually screen the babysitters they work with really well and so their good care is guaranteed. These are people who know what they are doing and they will respond appropriately to any kind of emergency. Overall they are not just here to help you educate your child. They soon become part of the family. They take care of all the needs of your child whether it they are at an intellectual level, emotional assistance or taking care of physical needs.

These people are usually very knowledgeable when it comes to the psychology of the development of a child. They are legally not allowed to provide these kinds of services unless they can successfully pass some testing. They will help you bring all the capabilities of your child to the right level by helping them to develop their talents.

Consistency

While children get used to changing teachers all the time, they will stay attached to their babysitters.

Daycare centers are more education oriented, but a babysitter will train your child to become a success in life. Daycare teachers are done for the day when they clock out, but a babysitter will see to it that the child is happy with all aspects of life and they will take part in the bed time ritual. A babysitter will help you raise your child as if she is taking care of her own child. A teacher in a daycare does not have that kind of commitment.

We used to hear about obesity striking primarily adults, and then more recently, obesity in teenagers. But now, we are increasingly hearing about obesity in infants and toddlers.

What’s to blame for all this obesity? As this research rightly points out lack of exercise is a major factor: apparently these toddlers are already couch potatoes, spending only 20 to 25 minutes a day engaged in some form of physical activity. But the biggest influences, no doubt, the diets of these toddlers. Many are raison candy and soft drinks from a very young age.

They’re given an access of carbohydrates from their parents, many of whom are, themselves, addicted to sugar and other forms of refined carbohydrates.

What these toddlers need is the same thing their parents need: a low-carb dietary approach that eliminates sugar from their diet and increases the intake of healthy oils such as olive oil, flax oil, and coconut oil. What these people need-both the toddlers and their parents, usually-is a nutritional plan that really works.

Note that the US government is little help in this area, since the USDA-which publishes the food pyramid guide -is essentially the marketing and advertising branch for the US grain industry and therefore heavily promotes the consumption of grains in all its forms: White flower, refined white rice, quick oats, and other foods that are increasingly being tied to metabolic disorders and obesity. As a nation, we are facing nothing less than an epidemic when talking about obesity.

The incidence of obesity continues to rise, and more and more people are interested in losing weight as adults. In fact nearly all the predictions state that the weight-loss industry will continue to expand in the years ahead, just like the waistlines of most Americans.

About the author: Mike Adams is a holistic nutritionist with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, impacting the lives of millions of readers around the world who are experiencing phenomenal health benefits from reading his articles.

http://www.NaturalNews.com/000726_obesity_diets_toddlers.html

I think the best way to introduce ClickNRead and ClickNSpell to you is to let you read for yourself what some others have to say.

Technology & Learning Magazine, Product Review by Iris Obille Lafferty, Ed.D.

“ClickN KIDS newest release, designed as an intervention to support students without a solid foundation for reading, is the epitome of a captivating and systematic beginning reading program. ClickN READ’s graphics and quick animated segments are vibrant, but without unnecessary bells and whistles. The program’s uncomplicated interface falls to the advantage of less experienced computer users or learners who are easily distracted from the task at hand - focus stays on the lessons.”

Power To Learn Magazine, Product Review by Diane S. Kendall

“The program ClickN READ Phonics offers children the chance to practice the skills they need in a pleasant, non-competitive environment. Children learn at their own pace as they see and hear letters, words, and sentences on the computer and find them on the keyboard. The program’s teacher, ClickN KID, is an appealing little dog dressed like a canine of the future. He helps children gently through the lessons. If they make a mistake, he is patient, giving them the time to digest their learning.”

“ClickN READ Phonics should work well with most of the reading series that children are using in school. Teachers and parents can use the lessons to supplement textbook material, to enrich studies for those who are ahead, or to provide remedial help for those who need it. Children can use the lessons on their own with little or no parent or teacher guidance.”

Stacey Boggs, Parent, Fort Myers, FL Top

“My son started his alphabet at an early age. By 2 he knew his alphabet backwards and forwards, literally! This website has set him to reading things that just amaze me. He is 4 now. He can sound out most words he doesn’t know, even fairly complex words. He is so proud of himself and of course, I and his Daddy couldn’t be happier.

My cousin, who teaches elementary school, signed up her two boys who are three, and she loves what it is doing for them, not only in their ability to read, but also in their self esteem. This is a great site and I am so glad I checked it out after seeing the commercials.”

To find out more Click Here

Assuming you don’t have the option of stopping work, it’s essential that you learn how to spend quality time with your baby - both before and after she is born.

Essentially, education begins from the moment a baby becomes aware of his surroundings. A baby’s sense of hearing becomes fully developed in the fifth month of pregnancy.

As busy parents, you only need to invest a little time every day in talking, reading and singing to your baby. Not only will such activities stimulate your baby’s brain, but studies have shown that babies are soothed by the sounds of familiar stories and songs. They will even respond positively after birth to stories and songs heard regularly in the womb.

The first few years of life are a critical time in terms of brain development. As synapses (connections) between neurons (brain cells) are created and eliminated at a rate never to be seen again, it is well within the grasp even of busy parents to provide high-quality, high-frequency stimulation.

Very young children have an unrivalled ability to learn, and no matter how busy parents are, it is their duty not to let this opportunity slip away.

During pregnancy, there are several simple ways to stimulate your baby’s brain that require minimal effort on the part of busy parents. For example, expectant mothers can play relaxing music while they are working. From the fifth month onwards, the baby will be able to hear the music you play, and you will both benefit from the reduction in stress such soothing sounds bring.

The benefits are there even when the music is too quiet for your baby to hear. When an expectant mother is stressed, the hormone cortisol is released into her blood, and in turn, her baby’s blood. Too much cortisol - which activates the body’s fight or flight response - is bad for the baby’s nervous system.

And it can be bad for parents too: studies have shown that babies whose mothers were stressed during pregnancy tend to be more irritable after they are born. When choosing music, it doesn’t need to be classical, but do pick something melodic and soothing, rather than frenetic or dissonant.

Aside from auditory stimulation, tactile stimulation is also valuable. Again, only a small amount of time is needed each day - and the mother can do a great deal herself, even from her desk in the office. Many mothers naturally respond to the kicks of their baby by gently pressing back.

This is a subtle yet powerful first form of communication between mother and child. Busy parents, once they are home, can also enjoy massaging their baby once the child is large enough to be felt through the mother’s belly - sometime around the seventh month of pregnancy.

Of course, it’s just as important for everyone, including busy parents, to provide a healthy prenatal environment for their child. The mother should eat a balanced diet, and should avoid smoking, drinking or taking recreational drugs. She should also check with her doctor before taking any prescription medications.

After the birth, busy parents should find a little time each day to read and sing to their baby. If and when they have time, busy parents can use massage to encourage their little one to sleep better and for longer. If at all possible, the baby should also be breastfed. The longer, the better (the World Health Organization recommends up to two years of age), but even a few weeks of breastfeeding is far better than none.

As busy parents, remember to foster the development of your baby’s motor skills as well. Give your baby regular tummy time to facilitate her crawling skills. Get down on the floor with your baby and give her plenty of encouragement.

Remember, no matter how busy you are, to leave your worries at the door and above all, enjoy your baby. Career is important, but focusing too much on your career could cause you to miss an amazing opportunity to maximize your child’s development - and smell the roses.

About the AuthorMF Patrick is a writer for BrillBaby.
Go to BrillBaby.com to learn more on early learning for busy parents.

There’s the obvious weight gain and changing shape. Over time, it will be more difficult to maintain a regular exercise regimen of the same type as before pregnancy.

Less obvious changes are taking place, too. Estrogen and progesterone levels are increasing. All those, and many more, carry both physical challenges and emotional implications. And, all this at a time when expenses are going up.

Faced with all this, women have a right to be disgruntled. But many women report that being pregnant is (or was) the best time of their lives. They have many resources that can be used to lighten any burdens and others to help them celebrate the fact.

For those who want to become pregnant, but haven’t yet achieved their goal, there have been great advances in fertility treatments. The knowledge of the risks of those treatments has improved along with the treatments themselves.

Home pregnancy tests allow women now to predict early, and with great reliability, whether or not they are really pregnant in the first place. Several of the leading manufacturers offer tests that are now easier to read (and harder to mis-read). They have tests that are now so sensitive that some women will need to exercise prudence in using them too early, to avoid false positives.

Once pregnancy is confirmed, choosing the right physician and hospital becomes a big concern. But there are so many channels of information today that the choice is made much easier than ever before. Personal recommendation is still hugely important. But the Internet has made finding out information about who is good and who isn’t (and what ‘good’ really means) simple.

Some women choose to forego a regular physician, at least for delivery, and select a midwife instead. These are no longer the wise village elder woman, but trained professionals with close relations with a licensed OB/GYN (OBstetrics and GYNaecology). They have the experience and training to assist in a birth, and often the time to devote exclusive attention to a woman on that critical day.

Women will want to pay close attention to developing a good exercise and nutrition plan during the time of these changes. Maintaining optimal health for both mother and baby is a natural goal. Here again, the information available is top-notch and plentiful. As always, a critical eye is helpful to sort the wheat from the chaff, but there’s plenty of wheat around.

An expectant mother will want to plan her pregnancy carefully, including (and especially) that final phase - labor and delivery. She’ll want to investigate Lamaze or other training courses. Pain control options, whether to use anesthesia or have a Caesarean, and other issues can be complex. But taking the time to carefully weigh the pros and cons will be high on anyone’s list.

Getting information about possible danger signs such as vaginal bleeding, severe cramps and other not-so-common, but still possible, events is a good thing to do. Forewarned is forearmed. With adequate knowledge, most things can be treated to keep potentially serious problems down to minor annoyances.

It sounds like a big course of study - and it is. But mothers have a big incentive to dig in to find the resources they need to handle these big changes. Then, they can start in anew to learn all about parenting.

Life is change. Some are bigger than others.

But developing good strategies for good communication, based on sound ideas, is extremely complicated. Individuals differ so widely in age, temperament and circumstances that outlining a ‘one size fits all’ approach is guaranteed to fail at the outset.

Does that mean that every parent has to start from scratch and simply improvise for 20 years? Fortunately, no. Both cognitive studies and generations of experience have shown that some methods do work better than others.

One essential element is suggested in the short list above. Since individuals differ in those ways and so many more, a method that accepts that fundamental fact has a better chance of producing healthy results.

An effective communication approach between parent and child will start with openly recognizing facts. Just as good communication between adults requires honesty, so will that between parent and child. Children, as any parent knows, are very intuitive. They sense very quickly when they are being lied to.

That doesn’t imply that parents must, or should, be so frank as to answer fully every question put to them. Parents are individuals too and are entitled to a sphere that respects their privacy.

How much to share, and in what manner, will take into account the individual child’s age and level of genuine interest. For example, when communicating ‘lessons’ about appropriate behavior with respect to other people’s property, picking the time and place is helpful.

Using a shared experience, such as a TV program being watched or something seen while on a joint shopping trip, can be a good springboard. At the same time, approaching the talk in a way that makes it a discussion rather than a lecture will benefit both parent and child.

The child sees that his or her viewpoint is respected while they benefit from the experience and ability to articulate that the parent has in greater abundance. Despite their occasional bravado, children know they don’t know as much as adults and look to them for input. When that input is delivered in a respectful, honest manner most children will respond appropriately most of the time - provided the approach is followed consistently.

Children are also very intuitive about sensing hypocrisy and observant about any inconsistency between ‘the rules’ and the parent’s behavior. Sometimes embarrassingly so!

Part of that process involves being willing to listen attentively and fully to the child’s point of view. Most parents know the delight of hearing the wisdom ‘out of the mouths of babes’ that children can exhibit. The child’s honest appraisal of what they observe is often insightful and refreshing.

Echoing back, in the parent’s own words, what the child has said will help both parties. The child observes that they have been listened to, while at the same time gaining additional insight from the experience of the parent. The parent gains the deep satisfaction of observing his or her child develop and the joy of interacting with an individual who is immensely important to them.

One form of this is sometimes called the ’stop, look and listen’ approach. It entails - when feasible - stopping what the parent is doing, looking directly at the child and listening completely without interruption before responding.

It helps the child practice communication in an atmosphere of respect and allows the parent to get hugely important information about what their child is attending to and how he or she is processing that experience.

The phrase is overworked, but this is one approach that is truly a win-win situation.

More helpful information on comunicating with you Child Click Here

The symptoms of chicken pox are red bumps on the body that turn into blisters and that increase in quantity over several days.

The bumps may look like insect bites or a rash and is often difficult to diagnose the first few days. Often, it is accompanied by a fever.

Watch the bumps to see if they turn into blisters and if more bumps emerge over a few days. If so, it is likely chicken pox.

Most cases of chicken pox do not even need a consultation with a physician and are easily treatable. However there are times when consulting a doctor is advisable.

If after three days you are still unsure of the diagnosis, consult a doctor. If the child is an infant, you should bring the child in for diagnosis. If your child’s bumps seem infected or are located on eyelids, it is best to get it checked.

Also, if your child seems unusually ill, has severe headaches, a high fever that lasts more than five days, or if the child develops other cold like symptoms such as a cough a doctor’s opinion should be sought.

Chicken pox is highly contagious and the child should be quarantined for the duration. Do not allow the child to interact with peers at school or with friends.

Once the child starts getting spots, it will take approximately seven days until he or she is no longer contagious. The day after all the spots have scabbed, the child will no longer be contagious and can resume normal activity.

The accompanying fever should only be treated if it is above 101° F. Studies indicate a slight fever will help the child heal. Motrin, Advil or Tylenol can be used to treat the fever. Use only acetaminophen and ibuprofen products for fever but do not use aspirin. A child can have a severe reaction to aspirin during this time so it is important not to use it.

The child should try not to scratch the bumps because it may cause infection. Take greater care to keep the fingernails short and clean during this time.

Frequent baths will help soothe the itching. Adding oatmeal to the bath will also help. Brands such as Aveeno are ideal for this. Benadryl or other off-brand topical antihistamines can be used as needed and greatly reduce the itching. These are readily available over-the-counter at any pharmacy.

Children who have chicken pox and who have a slight fever but otherwise seem well typically do not need to see a doctor.

Ensure they stay isolated until the ailment passes and they are no longer contagious. See a doctor if unusual symptoms occur or if the child seems very ill. Chicken pox is a common ailment, easily treated, and quickly recovered from. Most people only get one case of chicken pox in a lifetime.

They simply don’t know they are spreading germs nor how to cough and sneeze without spreading dangerous germs.

That’s where Germy Wormy comes in.

The Germy Wormy Germ Smart for Kids DVD entertains as it educates kids how to “Protect the Fort” against bad germs with Germ Stoppers 5 and Germy Wormy.

The Germy Wormy Disposable Sleeve gives kids a fun place to give their germs to – instead of everywhere and everything else! Germs are like ice cream to Germy Wormy and he is sooo hungry. May he please have all your bad germs?

Kids have so much fun “feeding” the Germy Wormy they won’t even realize they are learning a healthy habit and keeping germs from spreading.

You can tell a child a million times to wash their hands,cough into their elbow and keep germs from their face but this tactic seldom leads to changed behavior.

Alternatively, when you show them why they should do it in a fun and appealing way, they jump on the bandwagon willingly!

• Customers report up to 50% reduction in illlness for children and those around them.
• Kid Friendly Fun – they get to “feed the worm”
• Increases children’s willingness to practice good hygiene habits
• Quickly empowers children with the knowledge of what they can do to stop the spread of colds and flu’s
• Go from germs everywhere to germs in one place and disposable!
• Catches the germs as they are released - less germs in the air or on surfaces
• Protects their clothes
• Ends chasing children around with a box of tissues!

Kids as young as two years old quickly learn and accomplish all of the healthy hygiene habits recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC):

Protect kids from the Spread of Colds and Flu Fun, Fast, Easy and Highly Effective Click Here to find out more

If you have experienced this, you might want to consider one of the following techniques to make bedtime a peaceful time.

Be consistent about bed times and waking times. Your toddler is more likely to respond positively if he’s used to a specified schedule.

The earlier your child’s routine is established, the easier it is to put them to bed without incident

Make the activities the same every night, and make the time before bed quiet and peaceful.

Whether a parent tells the child a story, provides a bedtime snack, puts in a short video, or plays quiet games before putting the child in bed, consistency is the key.

Try not to lie in bed with your toddler until he falls asleep. This might actually have the opposite effect, and might encourage your child to stay awake, and ask for drinks of water and more bedtime stories.

An alternative might be telling your toddler you’re going to complete a chore and that you’ll come back in and check on them in a few moments. It’s most likely that the child will fall asleep while waiting for mom or dad to return.

You might also want to talk about your child’s day with them. Keep your tone soft and quiet, and try not to excite your child in the process. Turning this into a nighttime story with your child as the main character is a fun option as well.

As the child grows older, if a consistent bedtime is maintained the task will become easier. The most important issue is consistency and repetition.

If the child can expect the same thing every night, and these customary tasks are pleasant, bedtime can become a delightful family ritual.

If however, your child is continually resisting sleep, talk with your child’s pediatrician, as their might be a medical problem at the root of it.

A great guide on this subject is Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler and Preschooler: The Ultimate No-Worry Approach for Each Age and Stage

• birthday party supplies,
• cake decorations
• baby shower party supplies

Their range covers over 2,500 different items which are always in stock ready for shipment at any time.

With over 10 years dependable family service and same day shipping available this is the ideal place to shop for your next Family Celebration.

Their Brithday celebration packs include a selection of Thank You Notes, Dinner Plates, Dessert & Beverage Napkins, 16 Lunch Napkins, Hot/Cold Beverage Cups, Plastic Re-usable Tablecover, Mini Treat Boxes, Pea Pod Mylar Balloon, Plastic Re-usable Fringed Banner and much more.

I have listed below some of the different themes available but there are dozens more to choose from.

Baby Einstein — Backyardigans — Bambi

Barbie — Batman — Beach Ball Fun (Pool, Beach)

Beauty and The Beast — Bee Movie

Birthday Party Room Decorations

Bob The Builder — Bolt — Bratz

Butterflies and Flowers — Buzz LightYear

Care Bears — Cars (Disney) — Cats & Kittens

Cinderella — Cowboy - Western

Daisy Duck — Dinosaurs Diggin — Disney Princess

Donald Duck — Dora the Explorer — Dumbo The Elephant

Elmo — Fantastic Four — Finding Nemo

Firefighter — Garden Party — Golf

Hannah Montana — Happy Feet — Harry Potter

Indiana Jones — Little Mermaid — Kung Fu Panda

Monster Truck — Power Rangers —

High School Musical — Kung Fu Panda — Lion King Friends

Madagascar Island — My Little Pony — Ocean Adventure

Sesame Street — Shrek — Sleeping Beauty — Snow White

Spiderman — Star Trek — Star Wars

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — Thomas The Tank

Wiggles

And if you want a special shaped or designed cake for your Childs birthday they have a full range of

• Cake Pans
• Cake Toppers.
• 3D Sugar Shapes
• Sugar Images for Cake Tops

Honestly they have so much to choose from all I can suggest is that you take a look for yourself.

One of the questions many parents come up with during the early growth of their new child is “when will I have to start thinking about shoes for my baby?”

Obviously, when the toddler begins walking, it will depend a lot on how much and just where he of she is walking as to what kind of shoes to purchase, but one thing is certain and that is baby shoes won’t last very long as you the young offspring’s can grow faster than a house plant.

Correctly fitted shoes are important to anyone at any age but especially with a tot as their feet need careful care and attention as they develop. Having said that, far too many parents spend far too much time debating shoe brands, designs, styles and colors for their child considering they are redundant in a few weeks or months at best.

Additionally, the child is oblivious to the fuss surrounding their feet and so couldn’t care less what they look like or who makes them, so long as they are a comfortable fit.

Even so, baby shoes are a major consideration for today’s proud parents. A baby always in your arms and unable to walk or crawl will have completely different footwear to a baby that has started scurrying around independently.

As there are different stages of growth to a growing baby, then there is a need to be mindful that these different stages will require several changes in footwear both in quality and design.

If you read some reports from pediatricians, many will recommend that your baby does not wear shoes until they reach at least 15 months of age. But this is just a general guide as not all children are the same and you need to take into consideration whether your baby is walking or not. Some babies are up and about at a surprisingly early age.

You may have noticed that some parents buy shoes the moment their baby pulls his or herself into a first tentative stand, whereas others heed the advice of pediatricians and wait as long as possible so as not to constrict their children’s feet during early months.

But if you feel the time has come to purchase babies shoes for your pride and joy, then it’s always a good idea to look for something soft and flexible that will allow baby to use the movement of his or her feet to maintain balance and to toddle.

Most baby care stores should be more than qualified to assist you with the correct footwear for your child.

Another thing you might want to take into consideration when buying baby shoes is to opt for not only very soft, but very breathable material too, and perhaps more important than anything, make sure that the shoe is plenty big enough to allow for natural movement of the foot and toes and to allow for a bit of growth.

Footwear for babies and young children can be a costly business due to the need to replace it so often, so although you might be tempted to skimp on the price, remember that quality is important for the early development of young feet.

In your kitchen, you should be sure to install safety latches on cabinets and drawers. This helps keep them out of the everyday household chemicals you use to clean your home and dishware with, and also keeps them from grabbing sharp objects like scissors or knives from inside the drawers.

Use the back burners when cooking on the stovetop, and keep the handles of your pots and pans turned out of a curious child’s reach while cooking.

Safety latches should be installed on cabinets and drawers in your bathrooms as well to keep them out of unsafe household cleaning products and medicines.

Be sure to unplug any electrical appliance such as a blow dryer or curling iron directly after use and put out of a child’s reach. Teach them early that electricity and water do not mix and that no electrical appliances of any kind should ever be immersed in or placed under running water.

Toilet locks should also be used in homes that have small children to keep lids down. Young children are ‘top heavy’ and can easily fall into a toilet if they lean in to play in it.

Since a young child can drown in less than just an inch of water, it is imperative to closely supervise them in the bathroom at all times.

Around your house, be sure to secure furniture such as bookshelves and heavy furniture that could tip easily to the wall using brackets. Use doorknob covers to keep them out of rooms with potential hazards and to keep them from leaving the house unsupervised.

Make sure your window blinds do not have looped cords on them as they can present a strangulation hazard to a young child. And always cover your electrical outlets with protective covers to keep small fingers from them and small objects from being inserted into them.

Check your house over carefully for other potential hazards and address them immediately. With these precautions and some common sense, your household will be your child’s haven.

Traditional methods were questioned, in many cases rejected, and a spirit of experimentation resulted in the adoption of many alternatives.

Many people during the 1960s began to believe that the restrictive, almost Victorian parenting styles of earlier generations were unsuited to a modern society. Many converging views led to that conclusion, including Dr. Spock’s books and those of other influential child psychologists.

The results of those ‘experiments’ has now been observed for the past 10-20 years and after a generation of experimentation, some have come to believe that the traditional ways were not so far off after all. The pendulum has begun to swing back to more traditional views of parenting.

But are those the only alternatives? Are the only possibilities a harsh and unreasonable discipline versus a soft and mindless lack of discipline? Many contemporary psychologists envision a third way.

Parenting is an enormously complex undertaking, requiring huge amounts of patience, struggle (both emotional and financial) and a long-term commitment. But that effort can be made much simpler by some relatively simple observations about human nature.

The first thing that will strike any parent is the unabashed joy that a child takes in exploring the world around him or her. Babies are fascinated by sights, sounds, movement and a variety of sensations. As the child matures, asking questions becomes a virtual mania, at least for a few years.

If a parent responds with enthusiasm to those early gropings, they are recognizing and supporting the fundamental attribute that young humans are using: curiosity. But, curiosity is another way of saying that the child is seeking to use his or her mind to understand and deal with the world.

Developing that faculty provides the foundation for other essential aspects of the child’s personality, including self-esteem, empathy, enjoyment of life and other positive characteristics.

To develop a healthy self-esteem, it’s necessary to feel that one can understand and deal with the challenges life brings, even to the young. To deal with others fairly, and to empathize with their circumstances and reactions, the child has to be able to understand what it’s like to ‘walk in their shoes’.

To enjoy life, the young person - just as do adults - has to be comfortable with their ability to achieve the values - both material and spiritual - essential to a successful life.

Parents can help in that effort by leaving open all the options that modern society can offer an individual. There is no need to return to the socially restrictive views of a hundred years ago, with its conformity, rigidity and frequent disapproval of individual choice.

But neither do parents need to succumb to moral anarchy or relativism and regard all options as equally valid. Human nature is not infinitely plastic and the demands of the real world will require facing facts.

The third way can represent the best chance a developing individual has for a positive life.

For more information on Positive Parenting Click Here

Although the cause of these cognitive impairments is still unknown, UF researchers suspect the metabolic disturbances obesity causes could be taking a toll on young brains, which are still developing and not fully protected, they write in an article published in the Journal of Pediatrics this month.

It’s well-known that obesity is associated with a number of other medical problems, such as diabetes, hypertension and elevated cholesterol,” said Daniel J. Driscoll, M.D., Ph.D., a UF professor of pediatrics and molecular genetics and microbiology in the College of Medicine and the lead author of the study. “Now, we’re postulating that early-onset morbid obesity and these metabolic, biochemical problems can also lead to cognitive impairment.”

Researchers compared 18 children and adults with early-onset morbid obesity, which means they weighed at least 150 percent of their ideal body weight before they were 4, with 19 children and adults with Prader-Willi syndrome, and with 24 of their normal-weight siblings. Researchers chose lean siblings as a control group “because they share a socioeconomic group and genetic background,” Driscoll said.

The links between cognitive impairments and Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes people to eat nonstop and become morbidly obese at a very young age if not supervised, are well-established. But researchers were surprised to find that children and adults who had become obese as toddlers for no known genetic reason fared almost as poorly on IQ and achievement tests as Prader-Willi patients.

Prader-Willi patients had an average IQ of 63 and patients with early-onset morbid obesity had an average of 78. The control group of siblings had an average IQ of 106, which falls within the range of what is considered normal intelligence.

“It was surprising to find that they had an average IQ score of 78, whereas their control siblings were 106,” Driscoll said. “We feel this may be another complication of obesity that may not be reversible, so it’s very important to watch what children eat even from a very young age. It’s not just setting them up for problems later on, it could affect their learning potential now.”

While performing head MRI scans of subjects, researchers also discovered white-matter lesions on the brains of many of the Prader-Willi and early-onset morbidly obese patients. White-matter lesions are typically found on the brains of adults who have developed Alzheimer’s disease or in children with untreated phenylketonuria, the researchers wrote.

These lesions could be affecting food-seeking centers of the brain, causing the children to feel hungrier. But they are most likely a result of metabolic changes that damage the young, developing brain, Driscoll said.

More studies are needed to understand what is causing these cognitive impairments, said Merlin Butler, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri and chief of genetics and molecular medicine at Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics.

“This could be a really significant observation,” Butler said. “It’s an interesting concept. It’s a whole new area of investigation.”

The findings are preliminary and additional studies are planned, Driscoll said. Jennifer Miller, M.D., a UF assistant professor of pediatric endocrinology and the first author of the study, and other researchers from UF, All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Baylor College of Medicine also took part in the research.

Although there was no known genetic cause for early-onset morbid obesity in the subjects studied, Driscoll said there are likely genetic and hormonal factors at play that researchers have yet to discover, particularly since these children are becoming obese at a time when their parents still control what they eat. The researchers studied several sets of fraternal twins where one twin was lean and the other morbidly obese, yet their parents reported that each ate the same amount of food. In one case, the obese child actually ate less, Driscoll said.

Driscoll is also careful to point out that adults or children who become obese later in childhood are not at-risk for these cognitive impairments because their brains are sufficiently developed to fend off damage from obesity.

“We’re all mindful that this is an obese society,” he said. “We all need to be more careful with respect to what we eat, but in particular, that’s very important for children under 4.”

Contact: April Frawley Birdwell afrawley@vpha.health.ufl.edu 352-273-5817 University of Florida

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At first the infant should be washed daily with warm water; and a bath every night, for the purpose of thoroughly cleaning the body, is highly necessary.

To bathe a delicate infant of a few days or even weeks old in cold water with a view “to harden” the constitution (as it is called), is the most effectual way to undermine its health and entail future disease.

By degrees, however, the water with which it is sponged in the morning should be made tepid, the evening bath being continued warm enough to be grateful to the feelings.

A few months having passed by, the temperature of the water may be gradually lowered until cold is employed, with which it may be either sponged or even plunged into it, every morning during summer.

If plunged into cold water, however, it must be kept in but a minute; for at this period, especially, the impression of cold continued for any considerable time depresses the vital energies, and prevents that healthy glow on the surface which usually follows the momentary and brief action of cold, and upon which its usefulness depends.

With some children, indeed, there is such extreme delicacy and deficient reaction as to render the cold bath hazardous; no warm glow over the surface takes place when its use inevitably does harm: its effects, therefore, must be carefully watched.

The surface of the skin should always be carefully and thoroughly rubbed dry with flannel, indeed, more than dry, for the skin should be warmed and stimulated by the assiduous gentle friction made use of. For this process of washing and drying must not be done languidly, but briskly and expeditiously; and will then be found to be one of the most effectual means of strengthening the infant.

It is especially necessary carefully to dry the arm-pits, groins, and nates; and if the child is very fat, it will be well to dust over these parts with hair-powder or starch: this prevents excoriations and sores, which are frequently very troublesome. Soap is only required to those parts of the body which are exposed to the reception of dirt.

During childhood.

When this period arrives, or shortly after, bathing is but too frequently left off; the hands and face of the child are kept clean, and with this the nurse is satisfied; the daily ablution of the whole body, however, is still necessary, not only for the preservation of cleanliness, but because it promotes in a high degree the health of the child.

A child of a vigorous constitution and robust health, as he rises from his bed refreshed and active by his night’s repose, should be put into the shower-bath, or, if this excites and alarms him too much, must be sponged from head to foot with salt water. If the weather be very cold, the water may be made slightly tepid, but if his constitution will bear it, the water should be cold throughout the year.

Then the body should be speedily dried, and hastily but well rubbed with a somewhat coarse towel, and the clothes put on without any unnecessary delay. This should be done every morning of the child’s life.

If such a child is at the sea-side, advantage should be taken of this circumstance, and seabathing should be substituted. The best time is two or three hours after breakfast; but he must not be fatigued beforehand, for if so, the cold bath cannot be used without danger.

Care must be taken that he does not remain in too long, as the animal heat will be lowered below the proper degree, which would be most injurious. In boys of a feeble constitution, great mischief is often produced in this way. It is a matter also of great consequence in bathing children that they should not be terrified by the immersion, and every precaution should be taken to prevent this.

The healthy and robust boy, too, should early be taught to swim, whenever this is practicable, for it is attended with the most beneficial effects; it is a most invigorating exercise, and the cold bath thus becomes doubly serviceable.

If a child is of a delicate and strumous constitution, the cold bath during the summer is one of the best tonics that can be employed; and if living on the coast, sea-bathing will be found of singular benefit.

The effects, however, of sea-bathing upon such a constitution must be particularly watched, for unless it is succeeded by a glow, a feeling of increased strength, and a keen appetite, it will do no good, and ought at once to be abandoned for the warm or tepid bath.

The opinion that warm baths generally relax and weaken, is erroneous; for in this case, as in all cases when properly employed, they would give tone and vigour to the whole system; in fact, the tepid bath is to this child what the cold bath is to the more robust.

In conclusion: if the bath in any shape cannot from circumstances be obtained, then cold saltwater sponging must be used daily, and all the year round, so long as the proper reaction or glow follows its use; but when this is not the case, and this will generally occur, if the child is delicate and the weather cold, tepid vinegar and water, or tepid salt water, must be substituted.

The mechanics of active listening are simple, though a parent may need to remind him or herself of them when interrupted during a busy day.

Focus on the child’s eyes, but keep aware of the child’s posture and movements, tone, rhythm and other physical factors. Stifle - for a few moments, at least - the urge to immediately respond with a ‘quick fix’ or piece of advice. Often, the goal isn’t problem resolution as much as simply hearing what the child has to say. Like adults, children want to be heard.

With active listening a parent is positioning him or herself to carry out another important aspect of communication: echoing back what has been said. But ‘echoing’ doesn’t mean ‘parroting’. In order to truly hear, you have to engage the brain, not just the ears.

Reflecting back what has been said, in the parents own words, demonstrates that not only has the child been heard, but - more importantly - understood.

Sympathy may or may not be part of the equation. A parent does not have to feel obligated to be sympathetic to a child’s expression of a desire to punch a sibling. But neither should one be immediately dismissive of any expression of ‘negative’ thoughts or feelings. Responses such as ‘You don’t really mean that’ may be true and honest, but they are not always helpful.

It isn’t necessary to be morally or emotionally neutral, simply objective. Before words - and the thoughts and feelings behind them - can be evaluated, they have to be understood.

Some conversations will be spontaneous. But parents have lives, too. They can’t reasonably be expected to instantly drop everything they are doing. Those goals may well be important to both them and the child, even though the child may not be able to grasp that.

Still it’s important to both parent and child to be open to hearing the child when he or she has something to say. Too many ‘tell me later’ episodes will erode trust and the child’s interest in communicating.

Fortunately, there are creative ways to deal with this dilemma.

For those old enough to do so, one method may involve having the child write out thoughts and feelings and place it in a cookie jar or send it via email. This should be reserved for those times when the parent is unavailable due to work and other important activities. It should not be a regular occurrence, lest it become a way of avoiding face-to-face communication.

However the listening is carried out, it’s important to allow the child the freedom to express him or herself completely. Any subject or viewpoint should be allowed.

Once again, it isn’t necessary to be morally or emotionally neutral to any and every statement. But children don’t always have the moral knowledge or experience of adults. What an adult knows instantly to be wrong, a child must learn - preferably from an active listening adult.

Before we start talking about a bookkeeping business let’s distinguish between a bookkeeper and an accountant.

A lot of people interchange the words bookkeeper and accountant often times not realizing they are two different things. In reality they are two very different things.

For the most part a bookkeeper doesn’t have a college degree in accounting where as an accountant does. A bookkeeper does more basic type duties such as data entering. This can include things like creating and mailing invoices to the customer, entering bills, paying bills and processing payroll data.

An accountant is going to handle the more detailed oriented type tasks. They will take care of handling expenses that have occurred but haven’t been entered by the bookkeeper.

These entries will need to be adjusted by the accountant. An example of something like this would be bank loans (interest that has incurred since the last payment). Another example would be money earned (wages) by the employees of a company that will be paid next week.

It could also include things like miscellaneous expenses, etc. There’s several different things. The other important aspect that the accountant will do that the bookkeeper doesn’t is they will prepare financial statements and work with upper management on understanding these things.

Now that we have distinguished a bookkeeper and an accountant let’s talk about a bookkeeping business and what makes a good bookkeeper. Here are five characteristics that a good bookkeeper should possess.

*Enjoys working with numbers
*Detail oriented
*Time Management skills
*Familiar with current technology
*Analytical

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Establishing healthy eating patterns is important to avoid problems such as obesity and eating disorders later in life. Various strategies can help your child accept a wider range of foods.

It may be necessary to offer a food to your child as many as 10 different times before they choose to eat it. The problem is, many parents get frustrated and give up before the fourth or fifth try.

Try to make foods fun. Colorful foods like carrot sticks, raisins, apples, grapes, cheese sticks and crackers can all be fun and healthy choices for your growing toddler. Explain to them that eating good food is important so they’ll grow big and strong, and how it will help them run faster and play longer.

Children learn behaviors from their parents. If you restrict yourself to a narrow range of foods, your child will take notice and mimic your caution. Don’t limit your child’s food variety to only those foods you prefer.

It may be that your child’s tastes are different to yours, and perhaps you are simply serving them foods they don’t happen to like. Try to set a good example and try a variety of foods in front of your child. It could motivate them to do the same.

If your child seems healthy and energetic, then they are eating enough. If you are still concerned, keep an eye on how much food they actually eat over the day. Children tend to graze constantly, rather than restrict their eating to three meals per day like adults.

You may be surprised how those little handfuls and snacks add up. For further reassurance, check your child’s growth and weight charts, or check with your child’s pediatrician.

Try not to worry, and remember, that unless a child is ill, they will eat. Children are very good at judging their hunger and fullness signals.

Try to stay relaxed about mealtime and offer your child a wide variety of foods, and most importantly, remember to set a good example by trying a wide variety of foods yourself. You may discover you and your toddler share a new found favorite food!