Parenting | Parents Needed

The Value of Teaching Community Service

There is a great reward that comes with volunteering time to help others. It’s a feeling of pride and helping to make a difference. It’s even better when you get the whole family involved as well!

One benefit of having your family involved in volunteering together is that you get to spend quality time as a family. Today, many families aren’t spending time together due to work and school schedules, but when you make it a point to volunteer a small part of your time as a group, it can make a world of difference. You get the opportunity to spend rewarding time together as a family and help others out at the same time.

Helping out in a soup kitchen or shelter can instill moral values in your children. This can teach them about helping people that are less fortunate and show them how to give back with time or money. Also, children can lean better communication skills by connecting with others in a public atmosphere. It will build character so as your children become older they may even be inspired to start their own organization to help needy individuals. This is how organizations got started such as Good Will and Kars 4 Kids because values were instilled in the founders at an early age. Children also realise how easy their lives are compared to others.

The more you keep your family involved in activities that will bring you all together, the tighter your bond will be. As the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: Child, Family, Volunteer

Baby Shower Gift Ideas

Image by abakedcreation via Flickr

So, you’ve been invited to a baby shower. These are fun gatherings and a great way to celebrate the baby to be as well as the new mom. You will usually have a nice snack, and cake. You may play some games and you will defiantly socialize with friends and family. Yes, baby showers are a lot of fun.

However, one aspect of baby showers that give most people stress is the gift giving. It’s not that most people don’t want to give the mom to be a gift. It is just very hard to pick out something that you think they will be able to use, not be a complete duplicate of something someone else gives, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

In recent years many retailers have made this easy by creating gift registries. This allows the mom to be to sign up and scan items they need for the new baby. Then all you have to do is show up at the store, request a print out and choose a gift.

However, not every new mom wants to do things this way. If this is the case, you will have to choose a gift on your own. So, you may need some ideas.

One thing I never had enough of was burp cloths and bibs. Sure I got some as baby shower gifts, but on any given day I could go through a dozen of these necessities. They may seem boring but there are cute prints that will put a smile on mom’s face.

Baby books and toys are also great. You didn’t get much use out of them when baby was tiny, but a few months down the road, having these items handy was very, very nice.

Filed Under: Parenting, Resources Tagged With: Baby shower, Gift, Shopping

DVDs for Baby

One baby item that is available for sale that has caused much controversy are the Baby Einstein DVD’s. These are DVD’s that are specially developed for babies and are supposed to give them a leg up in the education department. However, scientists are split as to whether the videos actually help the babies out at all or if they may cause harm to the growing brain.

If you have never watched these DVD’s they are actually kind of interesting. They play a variety of classical music pieces while presenting an ever changing variety of images on the screen that would interest a baby. There are drawn designs in primary colors, toys, animals and things that just might catch an infant’s eye.

The series includes over a dozen different titles, each with a theme. Themes include animals, composers, shapes, water, colors, etcetera.

My feeling on the videos is that watching one very occasionally may provide the baby with something new and exciting to look at and likely won’t cause any harm. However, the current guidelines by the American Pediatric Academy are that children under age two should not watch any amount of television. Because of this, you may want to talk to your child’s doctor before you allow them to watch, even in moderation.

The main worries about these videos are parents that put their babies in front of them and then expect them to watch for hours on end. There is worry that this can be over stimulating for the child’s mind and could lead to problems later in life. I am sure we all have a friend or family member that uses the television as a babysitter. This is what needs to be avoided, especially when children are young and their minds are still growing at such a rapid rate. Babies need to see the faces of their caregivers and a variety of real things throughout the day to develop at a normal pace.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: Baby Einstein, DVD

Gifting in the Modern era Involves Electronics More Than Animals

In keeping your children in touch with the modern standards, it’s far more likely that you’ll do well by them if you look into getting them a computer than, for example, a horse. Horses represent what was a great gift in a bygone era. Now, a computer allows virtually everything tied to a better quality of life, and it’s important to get your kids ‘in the saddle’ at as young of an age as possible. But that means a whole realm of safety measures must be learned to help keep trouble from befalling your children. Once you’ve selected the computer model to purchase – you’ll do best to buy an active kid a portable laptop – it’s time to get the software programs set up.

Remember that, even as novice computer users, kids will learn fast. However, they may well make simple mistakes early on that adults have learned to avoid, such as opening malicious attachments on emails that appear to be from an acquaintance. To keep their computer operating smoothly, it’s essential to install the latest in computer protection. Keeping spyware, malware, and all forms of tracking software away from your child is necessary to not only ensure their computer usage is fun, but also to keep them safe!

With a slew of programs to choose from, it may seem as complicated as trying to figure out what color horse to get was in decades past. Fortunately, easily recognizable names such as PC Tools antivirus software contain the solutions to your dilemmas. With up-to-date options for keeping intruders out of your child’s machine, there’s little thinking to be done. When you’ve moved off the fence and towards the choice of giving your child a computer, do it right. Just as giving a horse without a saddle would be considered a mistake, so too is gifting a computer without essential programs such as antivirus software.

Filed Under: Parenting, Resources Tagged With: antivirus, Malicious Software, Security

Gift Registries for Baby Showers

Image via Wikipedia

Having your baby shower is one of the highlights of pregnancy. When I was pregnant I didn’t have any idea what all I needed for the baby, so I just let people use creativity when choosing my gifts and wound up with some of the best baby items this way.

In today’s life, it is much more common for people to sign up with the retailers on a gift program that will let guests print out a list of the items they would like to be given. This program is called a gift registry. This can be a great asset if you know what you need and want for your new baby. If you are still unsure however, you shouldn’t feel obligated to sign up for such a program.

If you do decide to go with a gift registry, it is simple to get started. Go to the customer service counter of the store you want to register with. They will get your information in their computer and provide you with a handheld scanner. Then you can go around the store and scan the items you want to be given. Once you are done, you turn the scanner in and then your guests visit the store and can request a printout of the items you requested. Many of these programs keep the list up to date, so if something is purchased for you it will be removed from the list so you do not wind up with duplicates.

There is a similar program on many online websites too. Amazon.com offers a wish list program that works in pretty much the same way. This is a great choice if you are expecting gifts from people outside your general area as it is easy to have items shipped from Amazon.com

Filed Under: Child Development, Parenting Tagged With: Baby shower, Gift registry, Mariah Carey

Bouncer Seats

When I was a new mom, the one item I couldn’t live without was our bouncer seat. This seat would hold my daughter in a semi-upright position and gave a gentle vibration effect. My daughter was very fussy when she was a newborn and this was pretty much the only thing I could sit her down in and have her be comfortable and calm for even a few minutes.

This bouncer seat was great so that I could get a bit of work done here and there. It was a gift in my case, but even if you wind up buying it yourself I recommend it highly. Bouncer seats come in a variety of brands, styles and colors. Ours was $39.99 at Babies R US. I had one of the Fisher Price models, but I have heard very good things about some of the other brands too.

If you work at home, or even if you just have housework you need to keep up with as a new mom, you will find this an invaluable tool. We also had a swing, which my daughter eventually grew to love, but as a newborn I think she found the swinging to be over stimulating.

I have a friend that purchased one of these, and in my opinion she over uses it. Every time I see her and the baby, the baby is strapped into its bouncer seat, often in front of the television. This is something you want to avoid, as this does not compare to being held by mommy or daddy. In my case I would estimate that I used it for a thirty minute stretch maybe twice a day. I always believed in giving my daughter many different positions to sit in with many different things to look at. I spent a lot of time holding her; she spent time in the bouncer, carrier, swing, crib, and on a blanket in the floor. Giving her variety worked out well for both of us.

Filed Under: Child Development, Parenting Tagged With: Bouncers, Fisher Price

Driving While Distracted

Driving with multiple kids in the car can be an especially tough job. You of course need to give your full attention to driving, but often there are things going on in your car that pull your attention away from the road. This can be a very dangerous problem, unless you know how to handle it.

An important rule you should make for your family in the car is that hands must stay to themselves at all times. If you enforce this rule strictly enough, many of your problems will never escalate to the point of being a major distraction. It is amazing how offended some children get when their brother or sister touches them, and they can become unruly themselves when this happens. This is one situation that is best eliminated before it even starts. As long as your children know that this is truly unacceptable behavior it will very seldom occur.

Many things that become problems in the car are simply caused by boredom. If you are taking a longer car trip, make sure and provide plenty to keep your children’s minds occupied. Many families will select a few books from the library that remain in the car. Then, each time they go back to the library, they can choose some different books. This creates a rotating selection of reading material in the car. Another option is a portable TV and DVD player. If you don’t mind your children watching a little additional television, this can be a great way to keep them busy on car trips. The library may also offer educational DVDs you can check out too.

As a parent, your number one rule to yourself is that you should never drive distracted. This may mean pulling over if things get out of hand in your car. You are never in such a big hurry that it is worth risking the safety of your family by driving while there is a “crisis” in the backseat.

Filed Under: Parenting, Safety Tagged With: Automobile, Driving, DVD player

Mom Goes Back to School

The definition of motherhood has changed greatly over the past few generations. Women have entered the workplace in greater numbers than ever before. Women make up a significant percentage of the American workplace, and it is impossible to imagine the American economy without the contributions of female workers. The term “working mother” has entered the lexicon as balancing children and a career, and this has become a part of life for professional women.

For women with young children, balancing work and kids might not be an option. Being a stay-at-home mother is enough of a job to keep anyone busy. For mothers that stay at home with their children, there are more options than ever before to keep skills relevant while raising a family. Attending school online provides mothers with the flexibility necessary to maintain a proper work and life balance. Online degrees might be the perfect solution for mothers who want to be with their children while still chasing their professional and scholastic goals.

Motherhood is no longer the end of a career and other goals. Mothers have more opportunities than ever before to attain the skill necessary for a successful career. The federal government offers grants and loans to stay-at-home moms to encourage them to pursue education. Pell Grants are available for low-income mothers, and other forms of financial support open doors for this new type of student.

Online universities have full-time financial aid staffs to help students find the best possible financial package to pay for school. Tuition and other expenses might seem like an insurmountable obstacle, but attending classes from home online takes away a lot of the cost of attendance. For the remaining expenses, stay-at-home moms and other students should look at all of their options and work with financial aid departments to turn the dream of a college degree into reality.

Filed Under: Need to Know, Parenting Tagged With: Child, Housewife, Mother

Responsibilities and Rewards of Being a Team Mom

One of the most rewarding tasks you can commit to doing is being team mom for your child’s sports team. If you have never been involved with youth sports, basically this is a mom who agrees to some additional responsibilities during the sports season. This can be a great way to get to know your children better and be involved in their lives.

Your responsibilities will vary depending on what sport and what league you are participating in, but generally you will be a bit more in the action than the other parents during practices or games. In baseball or softball you will be in the dugout, or in soccer and baseball you’d be right on the sidelines with the team. You will get to help the coach with the little things that come up during games and practice that would distract him or her from coaching. You may pass out drinks, apply Band-Aids, comfort a hurt or scared child, and help find lost equipment.

Outside of game time you will likely have some other responsibilities too. You may be in charge of getting the parents to take turns bringing snacks, and you may wind up planning the team party at the end of the year. This seems like a lot of responsibilities, but you have the opportunity to delegate to other parents who are eager to help but aren’t able to take the “full-time” role of team mom.

All of these tasks translate to more time that you get to spend with your kids. You will likely feel more attachment to the team, since you are an active player too. Another benefit is getting the chance to meet all the other children on the team and spending time with them as well. Knowing your children’s friends is one of the best ways you can be sure of what is going on in their lives away from you. As you can see, being team mom is a lot of work, but is certainly worth the time and effort you put into the job.

Filed Under: Parenting, Resources Tagged With: Band-Aid, Parent, Sport

The Essential Aid: Sleep Sacks

It’s been a slow gathering of essentials. You’ve scoured every store; you’ve tallied every purchase. A baby is soon to arrive and you’re perfecting a nursery, trying to prepare for any concern (there are so… many, you’ve discovered. A child offers far more worries than you ever anticipated). A crib has been chosen; a changing table has been selected; and all toys have been stacked upon the shelves. You think the room may finally be finished.

You’re wrong.

There are products that many mothers forget during their pregnancy, assume to be either unimportant or nonexistent. It is only until a child has come that they begin to realize how much they still need — and sleep sacks are among the most common items they pursue.

Sleep sacks (as their name suggests) are used in place of traditional blankets. The infant is placed within them, secured inside with a zipper. There are cut-outs for his arms to allow for movement but the rest of his body is kept swaddled. There is also a removable back that enables easy diaper changes — without having to strip off the entire sack. They are the kin of sleeping bags and are becoming popular among mothers.

And the reason is obvious: they take away the child’s ability to kick off blankets and expose himself to the cold. Infants are fragile, too easily defined by their environments. When they are not kept properly covered they can experience discomfort and potential illness. Too often, however, do they push away their bedding during the night. This leaves them unprotected and susceptible to complications.

Sleep sacks ensure that this is no longer a concern, though. They allow a newborn to remain bundled, enabling him to stay warm. This is vital for all babies — and parents will quickly become appreciative of it as well. There will no longer be a need to wake every hour, tucking blankets back and fretting over the impending sniffles.

Filed Under: Parenting, Safety Tagged With: Infant, Sleeping bag