I was talking to the husband yesterday and we had a little historical chat about parenting.
It seems there was a time when finding a baby changing station away from home was a major ordeal — and more or less impossible if a parent happened to be male. Even today, changing a badly soiled diaper can still require all of a dad’s resourcefulness since changing stations are still less common in men’s rooms than in ladies’ rooms. However, taking your infants and pre-schoolers to such public locales as hotels, amusement parks, and convention centers has gotten much easier over the last few decades because changing tables were once all but non-existent in men’s rooms.
Even today, as we all know, a parent of either gender might occasionally have to wait his or her turn behind another parent dealing with an unhappy, wet diapered babe in arms. A few decades back, however, a guy taking his diaper-wearing toddlers out for the day was a disaster waiting to happen. So says hubby and and so says any grandpa you’re likely to meet.
Say what you will about the 1970′s and the women’s movement, but the wider availability of changing areas never would have come along without it, since it directly led to men being asked to perform more duties around the house. Though fathers have never exactly gone away, they were once practically strangers in their own homes as child rearing was considered to be strictly “women’s work” and when divorces happened — and, starting in the 1960s, they happened a lot — fathers had few rights.
The 1979 movie, “Kramer vs. Kramer,” about a suddenly single father who has to fight for his rights, started a minor revolution in acknowledging that dads were just as much parents as moms. And, the good news for moms is that now dads no longer have an even half-way decent excuse to get out of a trip to ye olde baby changing station.
Category Archives: Parenting
Baby ! You’ve Changed !!
How to sustain a continuous baby supply bottle?
How many do you have to run to the kitchen every time the child cries out for milk? Not anymore with Yoomi as they call it. It has won the innovation and research awards for its genius to heat the milk in the feeder to a temperature equal to breast milk only with a touch of a button and in just 60 seconds.
We are getting ours at USD40 plus shipping charges. Now no more sleepless night. Amazing!!
The Malaysian Immunisation schedule
These are the compulsory schedule:
At birth: #BCG # Hepatitis B
2 months: # Hepatitis B # DTP (diphteria,tetanus & pertusis) #Hib(Haemophilus influenza type b) # Polio
3 months : # DTP # Polio # Hib # Hepatitis B
5 months: #DTP # Hib # DTP # Polio
6 months : # Measles (if in Sabah)
12 months: # MMR (measles ,mumps,rubella)
18months: # Polio # DTP
7 years old: # Polio # BCG(if no scar) – for tuberculosis #MMR # DT(Diphteria and tetanus
Combination Vaccines
Parents are normally confused on what do Healthcare Professional mean by Combination Vaccines.
Below are a few examples:
1) Bivalent Vaccine = Offers protection against 2 types of vaccine-preventable disease eg. hepatitis A & B
2) ) Trivalent Vaccine = Offers protection against 3 types of vaccine-preventable disease eg. tetanus, diptheria, whooping cough, measles,mumps,and rubella.
3) Quadrivalent Vaccine = Offers protection against 4 types of vaccine-preventable diseases eg. mumps, measles, chicken pox and rubella.
4) Pentavalent Vaccine = Offers protection against 5 types of vaccine-preventable disease eg. tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b(Hib), diphteria.
5) Hexavalent Vaccine = Offers protection against 6 different types of vaccine-preventable disease eg. tetanus, diphetria, whooping cough, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae b(Hib), polio.
These are combination vaccines because a single vaccine can protect against more than one type of vaccine-preventable disease.
4) vaccine
Vaccines-What are vacinnes made of?
Many children in the world especially in 3rd world countries are missing out of vaccinations..its a pity and to all mummies and daddies, INVEST on vaccinating your precious little ones!
I’ll share with you in a few parts on vaccinating your children and concerns.
So, what are vaccines made of?There are different ways of making vaccines:
1) Attenuated vaccines: made with live virus or bacteria that are weakened in the laboratory.The bacteria or virus are not able to cause diseases but because they are alive, they stimulate a particularly strong immune response.Vaccines made these way include the oral polio vaccine, vaccinnes for measles,rubella ,chicken pox and mumps.
2) Killed vaccines : Made from whole virus or bacteria that have been killed using chemical processes or heat.Eg. vaccines for influenza and polio
3) Subunit vaccines: Made with using only a part of a virus or bacterium.Eg. is the hepatitis B vaccine
4) Others : Uses toxins or proteins that are made by virus or bacteria.These can stimulate the body to create antibodies to a toxin or help the body to identify and destroy microbes that can otherwise evade the immune system.Eg are the vaccine against Haemophilus influenza type b(Hib) and the tetanus vaccine.
Most of the time, babies or children are injected with these vaccines to boost immunity and defense.
What Sparks A Childhood Memory
All it takes is to hear the catchphrase, as in the title of this article, or to hear the theme tune of an old television programme and immediately you are transported back to your childhood. Romper, bomper, stomper, boo was what the hostess of Romper Room used to say when she looked through her mirror to see all the children in television land. I can remember it as if it was yesterday.
Constant disappointment marred my childhood when I would faithfully watch children’s programme, Romper Room, every day yet the hostess never read out my name. I tried to be a good girl as she advised, I asked my mum to write in which she assured me she had, and I watched and played along, acting out all the things that went on in the programme. Still my name was never read out but I still have fond memories of that time.
And it’s not just the TV programmes. There are sights and smells that can immediately transport you back to your early years. My parents brought my old teddy bears out of their loft retirement recently for my grandson to play with. However, while I’m quite sure they didn’t smell like that, my parents assure me that they did, due to my insistence that they weren’t going to be released long enough for a wash.
The smell of liver also does it for me. I am back to my childhood once again, about seven or eight years old, and remembering the fantastic liver and onion meals my grandmother used to cook for me. There is nothing quite like a grandmothers cooking!
Looking back on my childhood with such fond memories, I can’t help but worry about the children of today and what sort of memories they will have. Of course, where I was all excited when we got our first modern trim phone in the house, today’s youths will know that they got the compulsory mobile for their fifth birthday. I remember the day trips to the seaside and today’s youngsters will remember the stranger danger talks. I remember the days of hanging out at the park with my mates and they will remember the lecture on not to go near the strange man that watches them through the railings.
Of course, it is essential that we teach our children common sense and safety but have we gone too far the other way? Have we taken away their innocence with the fear that someone else will? Have we wrapped them in cotton wool to the degree that they will never fully understand the risks in life until it is too late?
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents say that we are protecting our children too much. They say we should make our environment as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible. They say that it is vital that children take part in activities that may well lead to some strains and sprains, that this will not cause them any lasting danger other than to toughen them up and help them to learn how to judge risks and deal with them themselves.
My own childhood memories consist of running through fields unencumbered by worries of strange men, although I’m pretty certain there would have been some around and I’m pretty sure I would not have gone off with one should they have approached. Nowadays, we have ridiculous events like foam floats being removed from the swimming pool in case they hurt someone and goal posts removed from a football pitch in case someone runs into them. This is what ruins childhoods and hinders memories and that, in the long run, will detract from their quality of life.
Childcare expert Catherine Harvey looks at the way TV programmes such as romper room leave lasting memories.
Causes of Childhood Insomnia – Dealing With Insomnia in Children and Teens
More than likely you have heard of insomnia, but usually you think of it as an adult problem. Insomnia is very common in adults; however, often kids have sleep problems as well. If you happen to have a child who is having trouble sleeping they may be dealing with childhood insomnia.
When it comes to adult insomnia, figuring out the causes can be a bit difficult; however, usually with children there is usually a cause that is quite obvious. So, here are a few of the causes of childhood insomnia you need to be aware of.
Cause #1 – Upset Stomach – One very common cause of insomnia in children can actually be an upset stomach. If your child is dealing with an upset stomach or constipation that is dealing with stomach pain, this could be causing the insomnia problem. Take time to figure out whether your child is eating right and going to the bathroom regularly.
Cause #2 – Stress – Many of adults deal with insomnia that is caused by stress, and stress can cause insomnia in children as well. Talk to your child and try to find out what is going on in their lives. Are they dealing with a tough time in school, are things tense around the home, or is your child having problems with a bully? There can be many things that stress out your child, which can lead to insomnia.
Stress is also a major cause of insomnia in teens. Teenagers in high school are usually under a great deal of pressure to study long hours. They may also be dealing with relationship problems and competition on the sports field or in the classroom. Extracting information from a teenager isn’t easy, but it’s worth persevering. Counselling is also available.
Cause #3 – Sleep Apnea – Believe it or not, children can be affected by sleep apnea as well, which is when they stop breathing during their sleep. If you think that this could be the problem with your child, they may need to be evaluated medically to see if this is really the problem. If your child is constantly tired despite sleeping long hours, sleep apnea may well be the culprit.
Cause #4 – Pain – Pain is another common cause of childhood insomnia, and the pain can come from a number of different places. Children can get fibromyalgia, childhood rheumatoid arthritis can hit or growing pains may even be the problem. If your child is playing sports, muscle cramps could even be causing pain that keeps them up at night.
As you can see there are a variety of causes of insomnia in children. No doubt you want to find ways that you can help alleviate the problem. Well, in many cases, it’s as simple as finding a natural cure.
There are a variety of natural cures out there today that can help treat childhood insomnia . You won’t want to give them prescription medications or over the counter treatments that are full of chemicals and dangerous drugs, so consider some of the excellent natural options that can be found to treat insomnia in children.
Find out more about child sleep and teen sleep, as well as natural ways to help your child overcome insomnia. Visit Child Sleep your resource for good sleep advice and articles. The author Wendy Owen is a health researcher and author.
How To Correctly Install Your Car Seat
The first step is to become familiar with the locations of the airbags within your vehicle. All new automobiles are installed with driver and passenger air bags for the front seats. With the combination of seats belts, air bags are very effective in preventing major injury or even death from a car accident. However, air bags can be very dangerous to little children, especially those sitting in rear-facing car safety seats, and to children who are not properly positioned within their seat belt. If your automobile with active front passenger air bags, children riding in rear-facing car seats only should ride in the rear seat. Tests of shown that, ven in a relatively low-speed crash, an air bag can deploy, striking the car seat, and causing brain and neck injury or even death for the child.
Automobiles without a rear seat, are not the best choice for traveling with children in car seats. But some cars do have the option to deactivate the front passenger air bag, for the use of car seats in the front seat of the automobile. It’s highly recommend to review your vehicle owner’s manual for complete information.
Additionally, many new automobiles have side air bags for improved safely during a side-impact crash. If you automobile has side air bags, review both your vehicle owners manual and the car seat manual for instructions on proper car seat placement.
The second step is proper latching or attaching the car seat to the vehicle. Many vehicles have a LATCH system that eliminates the need to use seat belts to secure the car safety seat. Vehicles with a LATCH system have anchors located in the back seat. Car safety seats that come with LATCH have attachments that fasten to these anchors. Nearly all passenger vehicles and all car safety seats made on or after September 1, 2002, come with LATCH. However, unless both your vehicle and the car safety seat have this anchor system, you will still need to use seat belts to install the car safety seat.
If you have questions or need help installing your car safety seat, find a certified CPS Technician. A list of certified CPS Technicians is available by state or ZIP code on the NHTSA Web site. A list inspection stations where you can go to learn how to correctly install a car safety seat is available in English and Spanish at Seat Check’s Web Site.
It only takes a few minutes to properly install a car seat, and only a few second to safely buckle up your child. It’s a small effort to ensure your child is safe.
Will Smith is an avid ecommerce strategist and promotes consumer awareness within the online market place. Increase your awareness of the
Taby Tray by visiting http://www.tabytray.com
Television – Its Sweet And Bitter Sides
Many educational programs, shows and documentaries are very informative in the sense that they are scientific proofs. There is everything from learning alphabets and cooking to building spaceships. Television can help discovering new cultures; learn about other parts of the globe and other things that we cannot find in our community.
Television affects both children and adults. Children get brainwashed and adults become confused of their own opinion about a subject after watching a TV program.
The mind is temporarily dead when one watches TV. While reading a book the brain works and we picture in our mind what is in the book, but when watching TV the brain doesn’t work. While reading books one tries to figure out the looks of the characters and scenery whereas on TV, it does it for the watcher.
TV dictates the way one eats, sleeps, bathes, dresses, talks, behaves, walks, etc. The freedom to act according to one’s desire doesn’t matter as long as TV tells one how to do it. And of course, there is the world of advertisement. Advertisement is the main reason why this medium exists. Advertisement is global. It affects people through movies, news and everything that comes up on TV. It makes one want. There’s no advertisement on things that we need because it is obvious that we are going to buy them. They advertise things that we don’t need and they brainwash people in a way to make them think that they need all that is being advertised.
Some studies link early TV viewing with later attention problems. Another study found that kids below the age of three have cognitive problems later in life if TV influences them at such an early age. In many cases TV has discouraged and replaced reading. TV has become a central point in many people’s lives. Reading helps in developing the brain whereas TV just makes it stagnant and dull for the brain doesn’t work; it just absorbs what it sees. Kids growing in families where the TV is on most of the time cannot read properly as they grow up. According to the AAP, “Extensive research evidence indicates that media violence can contribute to aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, nightmares, and fear of being harmed.”
Devotees should educate their children from the early age and provide them only with God-conscious programs. A wide variety of such programs are available on the market ranging from animated movies to proper movies including comedy shows.
Children should be media-educated so that they don’t become affected and influenced by what they see. Some studies have shown that kids who receive such education are very selective in what they watch and how to handle it even after watching violent scenes.
Watch with the children. If some undesirable scenes turn up the parent can educate the children on the spot without letting them linger there and contemplate about it and then doing nonsensical things later. Control what the children watch. Some broadcasting companies offer the option of filtering programs.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for Krishna art, religious gifts from India, and Hare Krishna books. You can find the best marketplace for Krishna art, religious gifts from India, and Hare Krishna books at these sites for Television art, Televisiongifts from India, and Television books.
Baby Car Seat Safety Tips for the New Mom
As a new parent, keeping your child safe is the most important thing. When it comes to transportation, picking the right baby car seat is a prime concern. The thing is sometimes it’s difficult to know what to do or where to go to get good information. With all the data out there deciding which way to go and what to pay can sometimes be confusing. Don’t worry, here are some very simple things, very commonsense thing that you can do to make sure your baby is safe in the car.
When you are getting to ready to install your car seat, take a few minutes to really understand how to secure it in the car, and make sure you understand how to secure your child into the seat. The two important things here to note are that your child is secure in the seat and the seat is secure to the vehicle. If either of the two are not present, then the seat will not do it’s safety job.
Remember that at the end of the day, the baby car seat is a safety piece and not a fashion piece. Although there are many beautiful and cool looking seats available, when you are making a decision based on one that looks better, and one that is safer, don’t forget that looks don’t save lives.
Make sure the seat you are buying is the right size for your child. Size charts come on the manufacturers box, and know that the wrong size can be fatal. Don’t try to skimp thinking you can let your child grow into the seat. That kind of logic is pound foolish.
If your car’s seat belts are not working, fix them, or get another car. It doesn’t matter how good the child seat is if it won’t stay secure in the car.
Most experts agree that the the safest spot in the vehicle is typically the middle of the rear seat. When you think about it, this location is typically the most centrally located point of the whole vehicle. This is the spot that is most protected from frontal impacts. It is directly in the center from left to right and directly in the center from front to back. When a vehicle impacts something, everything moves toward the point of impact. By having a child directly in the center, the child is in the best position.
Do not place the child behind frontal airbags. If the child is an infant or a toddler, they should be in the back seat. In many states there is legislation to prevent you from putting a child in the front seat. Air bags are designed to cushion of adults from an impact. Since a child is much smaller, the deployment of an airbag would be right in the child’s face, where it would be supporting an adults chest area. If you are going to put an older child in the front seat, most late-model vehicles have the ability to paste able to passenger airbag. As always, consult your owner’s manual but typically you are going to want to disable the airbag. As a rule of thumb, keep children in the back seat.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all infants ride in rear-facing car seats (in the back seat of course) until they are both one year old and weigh at least 20 pounds.
Lastly, you can also research if the car seat your are looking to buy has been involved in a product recall. This information is easy to locate. Usually, you can find this information on the website of the manufacturer of the baby car seat.
For a great selection on baby car seats, visit http://buybabycarseats.com they have a large selection of cheap Britax car seats and also cheap Graco car seats.