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Colic Remedies-10 Easy Solutions

July 28, 2008 By

This article was written by Guest Blogger Christina Havens of Pure Baby Living.

Colic is defined by its symptoms as opposed to a certain cause. Symptoms usually begin around 4 weeks of age and can last as long as 6 months or in rare cases longer. It is believed to affect 1 in 3 babies.

Jacob has had enough of Steve!Colic sometimes looks like there is abdominal pain and is frequently accompanied by gas. However, the gas is said to be a bi-product of swallowing air when crying. A baby is described as having colic if he or she has episodes of uncontrollable, inconsolable crying over three hours a day and at least three days a week.

Colic and infant gas can be very frustrating and upsetting to both parents and baby. Fortunately you are not alone and there are ways to soothe your baby and possibly eliminate the symptoms. Below you will find 10 easy solutions for infant colic and gas. Enjoy!

1. Be Aware Of Food Allergies: Get familiar with high allergen foods such as Milk, Soy, Corn, Wheat, Nuts, etc. Most commercial baby foods contain at least one of these high allergen ingredients. Many parents have fussy babies and have no idea that is related to what they are eating. Talk with your care provider if you suspect this to be an issue. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: , , ,

How To Reconnect With Your Family

June 30, 2008 By

By Guest Blogger Aurelia Williams of Real Life Guidance.

People complain all the time about how busy they are with work, school, and activities. Family time seems to come in last place or is completely forgotten as the family becomes consumed with its responsibilities and activities.

Rather than becoming a family of strangers, simply take 30 minutes a day to reconnect. It doesn’t have to be a big event; in fact, being spontaneous with your activity will invite some giggles and everyone will be more relaxed.

Here are some simple tips for spending more family time together:

Television is one of the biggest distractions in our modern homes. The bigger the screen, the more entranced we become. Make a habit of turning off the television, especially during family dinner time, and spend time talking and listening to your family members.

Remember the “good ol’ days” by taking a walk down memory lane. Pull out the old family photo albums and share funny stories or remember a beloved relative who has passed away. [Read more...]

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Why You Must Talk To Your Kids About Sex, Drugs & Alcohol

June 23, 2008 By

Sex, drugs and alcohol are not easy subjects to explain to your teens and many parents avoid the conversations and awkwardness altogether. However, you’ll want to talk about these topics with your children before there is a problem. As a family, you can establish boundaries and consequences and come to a common understanding of what is acceptable.

Statistics show that teens who did not feel comfortable talking to their parents about sex engaged in high-risk sexual behavior by age 17-19. Those with a close parental relationship were more likely to abstain or use condoms.

Talking to your kids about sex is not giving them permission to do it; rather, it is preparing them to be responsible when that day comes. Teens will have sex whether they have our permission or not. Preparing our teens to make mature and responsible decisions can only help keep them safer.

Many professionals agree that when parents talk openly about the risks of drugs and alcohol, those conversations help form their child’s attitude toward drugs and alcohol. Again, talking about the risks is not giving permission; it’s part of keeping them safe.

Educate yourself before trying to educate your kids. You will need more than “Drugs and alcohol are dangerous.” Be prepared with facts or stories that realistically show the real dangers of substance abuse. Try not to lecture and don’t forget to listen to what your child is saying.

As always, keep it casual. If you spend time with your teenagers and keep the lines of communication open, bringing up the subject is much easier.

Signs of Drug & Alcohol Use:
• Loss of interest in family and other usual activities.
• Not living up to responsibilities.
• Verbally or physical abusiveness.
• Coming home late.
• Increased dishonesty.
• Declining grades.
• Severe mood swings.
• Big change in sleeping patterns

Please understand that many of these signs or symptoms can mean multiple things. Don’t accuse your child if you suspect a problem. Instead, try to connect with them and hear about what is happening in their lives.

About the Author: Aurelia Williams is a Certified Life Coach, author of the Journey to Joy ebook, and host of the Parenting My Teen podcast.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: , , , ,

6 Ways to Bond With Teens and Tweens

June 16, 2008 By

Even though I am not a mom, I know how hard it can be to get kids—especially angsty teens to connect and open up to parents. Writing a parenting blog from a teen’s perspective has forced me to look back at my own teen years (only 3 years ago) and feel really, really bad for my parents.

My moods, like most teens, ranged from benevolent to furious to exhausted. We can be horrible. Parents today have to be a mix of a hotel concierge, taxi service, maid, technology spy and health food marketer. I wish we were all less hormonal, but that probably will not happen anytime soon so here are a few ideas for bonding with your teen.

1. Always Have Conversation Starters Ready
Instead of asking the standard questions about school and weekend plans in car rides home or at the dinner table always have some thought provoking questions at the ready. These will help you bond and get to know your child, as well as helping them learn to articulate their feelings. Try:
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Or
What is the greatest song ever written?
Or
There is a whole list of teen and tween conversation starters here.

2. Take A Usual Activity and Turn It Upside Down
This works really well with teens or tweens who are really resistant to trying anything new. If they are couch potatoes, make a TV scavenger game where in an hour of TV whoever can catch the most cliché phrases, brunettes or “likes” in a Disney Show gets to go to Ice Cream. If they are really into Baseball or Tennis have them put together a free clinic for younger kids on your street. If they love to talk on the phone and gossip with friends about shopping, have them start a new fashion podcast with you. This will show them you want to do something they like, but you want them to do something with it and with you!

3. Have them Plan Something
Giving your teens complete control to plan something can actually be a great bonding activity because you are empowering them to make choices for you, which can reverse the roles and have them act more adult. Have them plan a day trip where they can decide where and when you go, where you eat and how to decipher maps. While this is going on they will be in a more take-charge mode and you can make awesome conversation.

4. Do A New Activity
Take a dance/sushi/soccer skills class or workshop together. Anything you can do to get them out of their habit will help open up new conversation for you and them. You can also both learn new skills.

5. Bond With Their Friends
You can learn a lot about your child from their friends and you can earn some serious brownie points from them if you make an effort with them. Host a game night or movie night for their friends with the stipulation that you get to run some of the Ice Breakers that they play with you as the host. You might have a little trouble getting started, but once you start playing some of these games, everyone will get into it—including you!

6. Find a Cause
This one is important for their development as well. Appeal to something they are passionate about whether it is the environment, pets, music or reading and decide to make it your cause together. If they like music, there are great programs that bring music into lower income schools or encourage music lessons in violent areas who always need music and instruments. You and your kid can volunteer or start an instrument drive. If they like puppies have them take your dogs to local hospitals or elderly homes. This is good for the community and your relationship.

About the Author: Vanessa Van Petten is the teen author of the parenting book “You’re Grounded!” She writes a parenting blog from a teen’s perspective to help parents understand what is actually going on in the mind of kid’s today to make life a little bit easier. Her awesome parenting tips have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Daily News, Fox 5 New York, CBS 4 Miami and much more!

Filed Under: Entertainment, Parenting Tagged With: , , ,

Helping Your Teen Find A Summer Job

June 9, 2008 By

With many students just days away from summer break, many teens will be looking for a way to earn extra cash. Some teens need to work to help support their families while other teens save their money for college, cars, or additional expenses they may incur over the summer.

As parents, we are responsible for raising independent and self-sufficient adults. Having a job as a teen is important in this process because it teaches responsibility at an early age, but more importantly, prepares them for when they become full-time members of the work force. Developing a strong work ethic, learning to work along with others, understanding what is expected of them, and having the opportunity to work in different types of businesses can help them succeed in their chosen career.

Guiding your teen towards finding a summer job is very different from doing the work for your teen. By this age, your teen should be asking all the questions and doing all the interviewing alone but parents can certainly help do job research, connect them with coworkers, or even role play to prepare the teen for an interview.

The first and easiest place to inquire about summer jobs is your own company. Perhaps the place you work may need someone to help with filing or other office duties; or if your teen is pursuing a specific area of interest you can get the contact names at other companies in that particular field who are seeking interns.

As a parent, you can also contact your friends and family members who may need additional help in their respective companies. In addition, there are plenty of jobs offered at summer camps where your teen can apply for a position as a counselor. Even if you provide your teen with these contact names, it is not up to you, the parent, to get the job.

Encourage your teen to consult with the school counselor about any corporations who are hiring teens as part of a school-wide program; contact local department stores, small boutiques, or stores within malls who need assistance during the summer. They can also contact your local state and city government to determine what summer jobs they have available. In fact, some of these jobs may be outdoors, which your teen may find more suitable.

For a teen, working a summer job brings a certain amount of experience they could not obtain anywhere else. Understanding how specific businesses operate, the ability to take orders, and establishing a foothold in one area or another gives them the opportunity to decide what field they may want to pursue in college.

As parents, we want the very best for our teens and helping them to find a summer job is the first step on their path to learning the rules of the game. This experience is priceless in helping them think about their career choices. The more teens are exposed to, and become part of, the work force – the easier the transition will be when they graduate from college.

Article by: Aurelia Williams invites you to visit School’s Out! Plan For the Perfect Teen Summer to gain more ideas on creative ways to help your teen find a job and how your teen can start a business over the summer and beyond.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: , ,
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