Training Our Children in Life Skills

It begins when our children are babies. Teaching a child to do without a pacifier or to use a potty and then a toilet and imparting table skills should be as natural as breathing to responsible parents; yet it is not in so many, tragic cases.

Modern parents often have the attitude that such things are 'picked up' along the way in a child´s development. Of course this is complete nonsense. Indeed such niceties may be picked up from other children but usually only when the child has already experienced feelings of rejection for displaying appalling manners in front of others.

For those who have absolutely no idea when to start their children on the learning curve of life, here are some guidelines.

1 Your child is not, as so many people think, unable to toilet train. At a remarkably early age, the young of the human species are able to comprehend it is much nicer to use a potty or toilet than to soil a diaper or even clothing. The process of teaching can be time consuming and inconvenient and many parents feel they cannot spare the time. Rubbish. When your child reaches one year old it is time to gently begin introducing a potty into the bathroom, then a training seat, and so on. Perseverance is guaranteed to win the day in this case. After all you do not wish to see your son or daughter heading off to the office in training pants, do you?

2 A pacifier is a comfort to children but it is not essential to their further development after the age of one to two years. Children aged three and above with a dummy or pacifier stuck in their mouths are the victims of bad parenting. Get rid of it. Make up stories if necessary, send dum-dum overseas if you must, but get rid of it.

3 Use of tableware is mandatory once your child passes the 'fingerfood' stage. If your child is still in the finger food stage at ten, then something is going badly wrong and you need to attend a parenting course. Once your child reaches around two the habit of throwing food and sticking food in hair etc is seriously unfunny. Give your child a blunt knife, fork and spoon at as early as two, along with a napkin. Keep handing your child the tools of the table and showing him or her how to use them and eventually something will click. Do not abandon these vital life lessons, they are imperative to your child´s healthy social development.

4 There is a time, hopefully known to the individual parent, when a child´s screaming and shouting in public becomes unacceptable. Once this time is past, no longer accept it, unless you want some serious difficulties on your hands in terms of behavioural problems.

5 Teach your children road sense, even if you have no intention of allowing them onto the roads unsupervised. Teaching road skills after the age of ten is enormously difficult, so start at five or six. There is no reason why an intelligent kid cannot understand basic road sense even though you will be in attendance for some years to come.

Jan Gamm writes reflections on life with an emphasis on world travel. She has lived in many countries and traveled extensively in the Far East, the Middle East, America, South America and throughout the South Pacific. She writes for fun and for money whenever she can manage it.

Causes of Infant Thrush - Why Did YOUR Baby Get Thrush?

Thrush has become extremely common - and there are reasons why it's become so common. While infant thrush can occur even without any of these risk factors, the follows factors can predispose you and your baby to thrush:

1. Antibiotics: Millions of women receive antibiotics in labor every year - either as prophylaxis (prevention) for Strep B or in the case of a c-section. Antibiotics wipe out your natural yeast defenses and set both you and your baby up for thrush.

2. Mom has yeast infection: Babies can catch the yeast coming through the birth canal or in other ways too if you have yeast overgrowth yourself. Yeast infections are extremely common during pregnancy, compounding the risk. If you're predisposed to yeast, it may even grow in your breast ducts and be transferred to your baby through your milk. (Note: don't stop nursing if your afraid this is the case! Breast milk is still the healthiest choice and there are completely safe and natural ways to get rid of the yeast.)

3. Pacifiers can harbor yeast: Babies who use pacifiers are more likely to develop oral thrush. Personally, I'm not a big fan of pacifiers anyway, as that soft plastic leaches toxic chemicals into your baby's mouth. If you do choose to use a pacifier, be sure to boil them frequently to kill any yeast that may be present. (This will also help reduce the amount of toxic chemicals that your baby may ingest.)

4. Prescription steroid use: Any kind of prescription steroid use, either for your baby or yourself (during pregnancy or while breastfeeding) can also lead to thrush. This is because the steroids suppress immune response, making it easier for yeast cells to invade.

5. Premature birth: Babies born prematurely are more at risk for any kind of opportunistic infection, including yeast, due to having immature immune systems.

There are the most common factors that predispose a baby to infant thrush. With 15 years of experience in natural health and having dealt with yeast problems with myself and my two children, I firmly believe the only way to treat infant thrush permanently is to treat it holistically and naturally. Otherwise, you end up creating further imbalances, which is what caused the thrush to develop in the first place.

Rebecca Haworth is a professional health writer with more than 15 years of experience in the alternative health industry. Her ebook, "The 3 Day Thrush Cure" is specifically designed to help breastfeeding mothers and babies suffering from thrush to "cure infant thrush" quickly and naturally. Visit http://www.GetRidofThrush.com for more information.

Mom - Your Baby at 6 Weeks of Age

If your little one has not started to drool, he or she will probably do so soon. Your baby's salivary glands have been working since he or she was in the womb, but now everything goes into the mouth and your baby is probably producing more saliva than he or she can swallow. It's time to break out the bibs! These are not the larger bibs you use when your little one starts to eat, but the smaller, more comfortable ones, that even might have come with an outfit or in a layette set you received. Many of you may choose to permanently attach a bib in order to keep your son or daughter's outfit dry and reduce your laundry burden, but remember to take the bib off while your little one is sleeping. Strangulation by bib is not really common, but it is not unheard of either.

And here's a little bit of information that you probably didn't know-your baby's drool coats toys and any other thing that goes into his or her mouth with disease-preventing proteins. That's a good thing, as everything ends up in children's mouths right up through toddlerhood. It is also being discovered that our children's natural immunities are being compromised by our obsession with making sure that everything is 'hospital clean and sanitized' when it comes to our babies. Common sense is the rule here. No, you don't want your child gumming the handle on the shopping cart unless it has been well disinfected (Yuck!), but disinfecting the pacifier or toys every time they hit the ground at home is not a necessity. A quick rinse if it has dust or pet hair on it should be sufficient, and that is not absolutely necessary either. Every place you take your child may not be as clean as your house, and by 'hospitalizing' his or her immediate environment, you may be making him or her much more susceptible to the most common germs and illnesses. It is okay to be protective of your children, but experts are warning that over-protection can actually put your little one at risk for serious illnesses and more often for common illnesses and excessive allergies. Relax! You will drive yourself to distraction worrying about everything that goes in your little one's mouth and you'll end up running to the doctor's office much more frequently. DO, however, pay attention to small items. These can be a choking hazard and should not be within your infant's reach. The rule of thumb is that if it will fit through a toilet paper roll, your baby can possible swallow it and get it lodged in the wind pipe. You certainly don't want that to happen.

Your son or daughter is most likely sleeping for longer periods of time too. Breast fed babies may be going from eating every 2-3 hours to waiting 4-5 hours between meals, while bottle fed babies may be going as long as 6 hours, especially at night (well, hopefully at night). Most babies will have two to four longer sleeping periods with longer awake and alert periods in between. It is also interesting to note that sleep patterns tend to stay the same through childhood. A light sleeper will remain a light sleeper, while an early morning riser is liable to stay that way. If your little one is a long sleeper or prefers shorter power naps, that tendency may remain the same, sometimes until reaching puberty. You can adjust the daytime/nighttime schedule a bit by keeping your baby up for more hours during the day so that all of you can get more rest at night, but that is liable to mean you'll be dealing with a really cranky baby come early evening...and in some cases this doesn't work at all, because some babies can sleep through anything. Again, it is trial and error to find what works best for your family and at this point your little one is pretty much in charge of the schedule.

Your baby is learning to rock! At this age most babies are starting to roll from their back to one side or another and back again. It will take another month or so for the full roll-over motion as stronger development of the neck and arm muscles are needed to accomplish that feat, but it does mean that you can no longer leave your little one unattended on an elevated surface. If in an infant seat, securely strapped in, this is still okay, but at this point you need to be aware that he or she can move and topple off of surfaces like the bed, a sofa or the changing table. Some babies are so wiggly you'll have to keep one hand on their tummy as you change diapers and before you know it you'll be chasing your son or daughter to get a diaper back on after bath time as he or she learns to roll and then to crawl and finally to walk!

Along with being a proud father, Joseph enjoys writing and gardening. One of his favorite web sites is Garden Harvest Supply which offers perennial mums and mulch mats.

Mom - Your Newborn at 3 Weeks of Age

You have probably heard about instant 'bonding' with your baby and you may be feeling somewhat disappointed that this magical delivery room moment did not happen to you. That is actually so much gobble-d-gook and more than half of new mothers will tell you that feeling connected takes just a bit longer. Yes, it will be love at first sight, but learning to understand your baby's cries, your son or daughter's immediate needs and feeling that connection that only a mother and child can have takes a little time. This is a learning experience for both of you, especially if you are a first time Mom, have not spent a lot of time around babies, and have not actually been wholly responsible for one before. Anxiety and worry can escalate to such a point that you feel anxious or depressed all the time. Be patient. Empathy with your little one will help immensely. Just imagine how it must be not to be able to communicate by any means except crying. As a newborn and up to the point where your son or daughter can start reaching for something or telling you what it is they desire, crying is how it's done. So, simply learn the different cries your baby makes. At first there will be the hungry cry, the dirty or wet diaper cry, the cranky cry or the 'I'm in pain cry'. There also might be the 'I'm too cold cry'. So, you learn by trial and error. You just keep trying to make your baby comfortable until such time as something works. In time you will learn to identify the different sounds and really look forward to smiles and cooing, when that starts happening.

Baby's also love and need to suck. This is what they do. It is perfectly natural and some doctors even recommend a pacifier, especially at bed time, as there is evidence to suggest that using a pacifier may reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). But, doctors are also quick to say that you should not put the pacifier back in your baby's mouth if he or she is still asleep after it falls out. If the 'binky' is unavailable, then a clean finger is a good substitute and as your little one grows, he or she will no doubt find that thumb or finger of his or her own. There is no need to be worried about children's reliance on the pacifier as most will voluntarily give it up on their own. If your child doesn't and you feel you need to break them of it, break them from the bottle first and then move onto the pacifier. This can be a really tough time for all, so be prepared...but this is at least a year off yet. For the most part, making your baby feel secure and loved and in a stable environment will make their going without the pacifier much easier.

Hearing your little one cry can be extremely frustrating and exhausting. Your partner, or even pre-teen and teen age siblings can help out. You might want to enlist the help of a well-known teen in the neighborhood if you do not have a partner at home with you or other family members that are available to help out. And...if all else fails....which means that you know your baby just ate, that his or her diaper is dry, that a diaper pin is not sticking him or her and that he or she is not running a fever...then set your baby down in the crib or in the infant seat, take a short break to go to the bathroom, or to have a quick cry yourself, take a few deep, calming breaths and then go back to your child. It will not hurt him or her in the least. On the other hand, if the crying sounds like shrieking and he or she seems to be in pain, or if your baby has stopped gaining weight or has a fever, or if the colicky symptoms go on past 3 months, then make an appointment with your pediatrician. It can be hard to pin point issues, especially if this is your first child, but if symptoms persist, then you should persist also.

A few words about fever. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and most pediatricians agree that a normal temperature for a baby is between 97° and 100.4°F. If a rectal reading is above this, your baby has a fever. You also need to be aware of other factors such as behavior and appearance, as these can be really helpful in diagnosing a problem. Sometimes a slight fever is a sign that your baby is fighting an infection, which can be a good thing. Also keep in mind that everyone's temperature rises in the late afternoon and early evening and usually falls between midnight and early morning. Guess when doctors get the most calls about fevers! The best advice is to ask your pediatrician when he or she thinks you should be worried about a fever. In most cases, if your little one is under 3 months old and has a temperature above 100.4°, it is considered worrisome enough to have him or her checked. For babies between 3 and 6 months, the threshold is 101°F and for babies 6 months or older it is 103°F. Regardless, if infant formula Tylenol or Motrin (sometimes one will work if the other doesn't) does not bring the temperature down, then call the doctor and be prepared to give the time it started, what medication you have given and what results it had and if there are any other symptoms, such as not eating, being listless, or if he or she is noticeably flushed or pale looking. Any dramatic changes in behavior or appearance should be reported when accompanied by a fever. And, for peace of mind, if you cannot deal with 'not knowing' that everything is okay, then by all means, call the pediatrician. They are quite used to new parents, and in fact, will expect calls from you if you are a new parent.

Along with being a proud papa, Joseph enjoys writing and gardening. One of his favorite web sites is Garden Harvest Supply which offers seed planters and pepper plants for sale.

Acupuncture for Endometriosis - Cure or Pacifier?

For practitioners and enthusiasts of acupuncture, endometriosis is simply another illness to deal with and cure. For scientists, however, acupuncture may be a pacifier, or a means for patients to believe that they are being cured. The thinking is that women may be seeing results from acupuncture treatments due to the consequent positive thinking that a prospective cure can bring. Is acupuncture for endometriosis a real solution?

In order to understand if there is a link between acupuncture and easing endometriosis pains, one needs to understand the underlying concepts of acupuncture.

A component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture works with a universal store of energy known as chi. Chi is present in all nature, and flows through our bodies.

Uninterrupted, chi can bring good health and can put humans in harmony with their environment. When the flow of chi through our body, or in nature is disrupted however, illness and destruction can result.

Acupuncture seeks to allow chi to flow through normal channels once more and, in so doing, reverse sicknesses or bring relief to those in pain. Acupuncture does this through the use of tiny needles, which are inserted in strategic points of the body where the chi flow can pass undisturbed.

If chi balance is restored, acupuncture promises, healing can begin. This promise has long drawn the busy Western World to this medicine of the East; in fact, enthusiasts of acupuncture testify to its ability to make them relax and think better, even lead healthier lives.
In order to see what acupuncture can do for endometriosis, it will help to understand how endometriosis happens.

During a woman's monthly cycle, her uterus forms an inner lining called the endometrium, which is designed to nurse a fetus should incoming sperm fertilize an egg. If no fertilization occurs, the endometrial lining will pass out of the body during menstruation.

In some cases, however, the endometrial lining passes to other parts of the body, causing internal bleeding, scarring and disruption to normal bodily functions. This condition is known as endometriosis, and those who suffer from it also experience intense, progressive bodily pain.
Doctors can treat endometriosis by controlling the levels of estrogen in the body, or by prescribing pain medication so those women can deal with the pains that come with the disorder. Surgery is another option that can remove the misplaced endometrial tissue and associated scarring and adhesions, although this may only offer short-term relief and a number of surgeries maybe required.

Due to the lack of comprehensive medical and surgical treatment a number of women seek alternative means to treat their condition or to compliment other treatments.

When attending a session with a TCM practitioner they will ask you many questions regarding your menstrual cycle and also about your life. The treatments are very much targeted to each individual and the acupuncture points chosen will vary from person to person. Common points are on the neck, ears, back, abdomen and legs.

Alongside the acupuncture sessions, herbal remedies will be given too. These are also tailored for the individual and act in conjunction with the chosen acupuncture points.

By rerouting the chi, the inserted needles can supposedly make people with endometriosis feel better and stronger - strong enough to deal with the pains of their disorder. In other words, acupuncture helps endometriosis, but does not heal it.

It is thought that acupuncture helps in a number of ways, it can relax a woman and make it easier to deal with the pain and discomfort, increase blood flow to the abdomen which promotes healing and may act as a pain reliever by releasing endorphins into the system.
Discover more information on natural alternatives for treating endometriosis by signing up to the newsletter below.

If you are interested in using acupuncture for endometriosis pain relief, then consult with your doctor first and talk about what other therapies are available. If you are given the go ahead for acupuncture, look for licensed acupuncturists in your area, or consult with fellow endometriosis patients on the acupuncturists they have gone to.

Sign up for Shelley Ross' free Endometriosis newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you discover more about endometriosis treatment [http://www.treatendometriosis.com?source=ez]. In the newsletter you'll receive regular information like this article on overcoming Endometriosis [http://www.treatendometriosis.com/endometriosis.html?source=ez] along with additional natural treatments to help alleviate pain.

Toddler Skills for Personal Responsibility

There are three skills that are very important for our little ones to learn
early in their lives.

1) Children need to be able to fall asleep on their own. Infants and
toddlers who are always rocked to sleep, or breastfed or bottle fed to
sleep, learn to depend upon others for falling asleep and do not develop
their own falling asleep mechanism. This can cause much distress for
parents who go through the nightly nightmare of trying to get their infant
or toddler to sleep. Instead of always picking up and rocking a crying
little one, which only reinforces the child's dependency on you putting
him or her to sleep, try patting the child and then leaving for a few
minutes. If you keep coming in, patting your child and reassuring him or
her that you are here, eventually your child will stop depending upon
you to rock, hold or feed him or her to sleep.

2) Children need to learn very young to play by themselves and amuse
themselves. It is not healthy for children to be constantly dependent
upon others, or upon the TV, to amuse them. I work with many adults
who never learned to "play by themselves." These adults feel lost when
they are alone, having no idea what to do with themselves. Instead of
turning to creative or learning opportunities, they may participate in
addictions such as eating, drinking, drugs, TV, work, spending, and so
on. When children learn to play by themselves at a young age, they tend
to be more self-sufficient and creative as adult.

3) Children need to learn how to self-nurture. This means that they need
to learn how to take some responsibility for their own feelings. Infants
often self-soothe with their blanket, thumb, or pacifier. But as they grow
older, they need to learn other ways of self-nurturing because they will
not be taking their blanket or pacifier to school.

Even children as young as 2 1/2 years old can learn to attend to their
own feelings. You can help your young children start to take
responsibility for their feelings by giving them a doll or stuffed animal
that represents their emotions. You can tell them that the doll or stuffed
animal is the baby inside them that has a lot of different emotions. When
they are feeling sad or angry, they can learn to talk to the baby inside
and find out what that baby needs from them or from you. As they get
older, they can learn to connect their thoughts with their feelings. They
can learn that if they judge themselves by telling themselves that they
are bad or stupid or ugly, they will feel very badly.

It is vitally important for all of us to connect our thoughts with our
feelings. Most of us grew up believing that others caused all our good
and painful feelings. If someone yelled at us or told us we were bad or
stupid or ugly, we certainly felt badly, and if someone approved of us,
we felt good. So we learned to believe that all our feelings are being
caused by others. It is important for children to learn that their feelings
are also affected by what they tell themselves and how they treat
themselves. For example, if an older brother tells his younger brother
that he is stupid, the younger child might start to tell himself he is stupid,
without realizing that he is causing himself to feel very badly. By talking
with his "baby", he might realize he is treating himself in a way that is
hurting him.

He also might also be able to understand that his brother is not telling
him the truth. The way he can learn to realize this is by learning to
access his "Source of Love and Truth."

Small children can easily learn to open to a powerful Source of Love
and Truth. You can ask them to imagine a wonderful friend, a guardian
angel, or a fairy godmother. It is very easy for most children to imagine a
wonderful being who is here to love them and guide them. They can be
encouraged to ask questions of this loving being, such as "Is it true that I
am stupid?" They can learn to bring through true and loving statements
to themselves when they open to learning with their spiritual Guidance.

These skills, learned early in life, will do much to foster personal
responsibility in our children.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" and “Healing Your Aloneness.” She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or email her at margaret@innerbonding.com Phone Sessions Available.

Tips for Weaning Your Toddler Off the Pacifier

Pacifier, paci, pac pac, binky, whatever you call it, there will come a time when you want to start weaning your toddler off his or her pacifier. But be warned, this is not usually an easy task.

Babies and toddlers find pacifiers to be a soothing mechanism that they rely on to help put them to sleep and calm them when frustrated.

As parents we might find it easier to just let them have the pacifier and let them out grown it themselves, but honestly the longer you wait to wean them off the pacifier, the harder it will be.

Some studies have shown that pacifiers can affect speech development, and also the alignment of their teeth as they get older.

Whatever the reason you might have, there are a few things you can try to help wean your toddler off the pacifier.

1) Snipping a very small hole in the tip of your toddler's pacifier will let all the air out making it more difficult for them to suck. Using the pacifier will become less enjoyable for them and eventually they won't want it anymore.

2) Cut back on your toddler's use of the pacifier. Start using it only at nap and bedtimes and never bring it with you when you are away from the home. Slowly transition to only at bedtime and not during the day at all. From there use it at bedtime when absolutely necessary until it is no longer needed. This is a slow transition that may take a few months.

3) Try trading your toddler's pacifier for another soothing object like a blanket or stuffed animal. Explain to them what you are doing and that they are getting something else in return for trading in their pacifier.

4) Offer little treats and rewards for every time your toddler goes without the pacifier, especially nap and bedtimes. Once your toddler sees that they are getting something in return on a regular basis in exchange for giving up their pacifier they are more likely to keep this momentum going for treats. Once your toddler has successfully given up their pacifier offer them a big reward for their job well done.

These are just a few ideas to help wean your toddler off the pacifier. Doctors have stated that it is not an absolute cause of concern for your child to give up their pacifier until around age 5. I know for many parents this is just too long to wait! Remember the sooner you get started, the easier the time you will have getting your toddler off the pacifier.

Stefanie Fauquet owns the blog Tips for Toddlers where you’ll find tips, activities, recipes and more fun for moms with toddlers. Visit http://www.tipsfortoddlers.com

Four Tips For Getting Rid of the Pacifier

One thing that can be difficult is finally breaking your child of the pacifier ("binky").

Research indicates the pacifier is best removed sooner than later. If not, the child may develop speech problems and teeth problems.
But how exactly does a parent remove the pacifier? Here are four tips for getting rid of the pacifier to consider.

1. Go cold turkey. Just take the pacifier away. Believe it or not, this can work. When my child was young I yanked it. She didn't seem to notice after a while.

2. Cut the tip off the nipple of the pacifier off. The suction action stops and the child loses interest in it. They may carry around their "broken" pacifier for a while, but they will eventually give it up.

3. Tell you child about the Fairy who comes in the night to take the pacifiers from big kids to give them to the new babies. She rewards the big kid with a special gift. Wrap up the pacifier and leave it by the bed. When they wake up the Pacifier Fairy has left them a special gift.

4. Helium balloons. You can tie your baby's pacifier to a helium balloon and tell them you are going to release it into the sky so it can be delivered to the new babies that need a pacifier.

Getting rid of the pacifier is tough, speaking from experience. Almost all parents go through this stage.

Try one of these four tips for getting rid of the pacifier and you're sure to have success story to tell.