Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

6 Ways to Memorialize Your Pregnancy

Nine months of pregnancy seems an eternity when you get that little pink positive on the test stick. In this day and age, we no longer have to wait until we start having symptoms of pregnancy, which can start as late as 8 or 10 weeks for some. Instead, we have pregnancy tests that will determine a positive just days after conception. This can make the pregnancy journey seem even longer!While. . .

Are YOU Killing Your Baby?

Pretty harsh title isn’t it! Most of us parents make it a daily priority to keep our children safe from all sorts of hazards. We worry about the food they are eating, the beverages they drink, and if they are warm enough or cool enough. We teach them about not talking to strangers and how to cross a street safely. We teach them the hazards of drugs, smoking and drinking. But, even if you d. . .

Baby Name Meanings

Speaking as a Michael (a Hebrew name, meaning "Who is like God"), I'm really proud of my name. And I think that I - mostly - live up to the title! Of course, my mother would probably disagree; I think the phrase "little devil" would probably pass her lips if she was describing me during many stages of my childhood. But then, my mother has her own issues; apparently her name (Kathleen) is a Cel. . .

Baby Stroller Reviews

One way of deciding if a particular stroller is right for you and your baby is to test it out. Another way is to look at reviews of the baby stroller to see how it stands with those who have already used the same model you are looking at. The reviews of four different stroller types will address the pros and cons of each particular stroller.The Graco Duo-glider - Metropolitan Standard Stroller. . .

Building Self Esteem in Children with Autism and Asperger...

"If you had a brain, you'd take it out and play with it" were my father's words to me as I was growing up. This wasn't a compliment or encouragement of my questioning nature. Through my early years, my self-esteem was low for a neuro-typical child. As Yoda would say, "Devastated, I was, from years of deep emotional abuse." After finally realizing that I couldn't be "that bad", in my early 30's . . .

Hey! Want To Know How To Get Your Kids Off The Couch And ...

Is it just me, or do kids these days not seem to do anything but sit around watching TV and playing computer games? Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we should go back to the Dark Ages, but a bit of exercise wouldn't hurt, in fact it would actually be good for them.I know you're probably getting a bit fed up of everyone telling you that your kids should be playing actively out in the fres. . .

Finding The Right Child Care For Your Baby

If you’re planning to go back to work after your baby is born, child care is a major concern. Your childcare provider will be spending a lot of time with your child, so it is critical that you be comfortable with the environment and the style of care your child will be receiving. There are several alternatives, each with pros and cons. Spend some time evaluating each option, so that you can . . .

Helping Children Cope With Fear & Anxiety

Whether tragic events touch your family personally or are brought into your home via newspapers and television, you can help children cope with the anxiety that violence, death and disasters can cause.The Caring for Every Child's Mental Health Campaign offers these pointers for parents and other caregivers:• Encourage children to ask questions. Listen to what they say. Provide comfort and assur. . .

Managing Fatigue After Your Baby Is Born

Those days right after your baby is born can be grueling. You’re likely in some pain from the delivery, and the baby is keeping you up all night. Here are some tips to help you cope in those first few weeks.Let some things goPrepare yourself ahead of time to focus on yourself and the baby, and let some things go undone. If you need a clean house in order to relax, have someone come in and clean. . .

Make Valentine’s With Your Kids

Homemade Valentine’s are great for your kids to give to the really special people in their lives like Grandma’s and Grandpa’s, Aunt’s and Uncle’s, brothers and sisters, best friends and of course, Daddy! But unless you start them at Halloween, we suggest you stick to boxed cards for all their friends at school! Here are some fun and easy ideas to make Valentine’s Day cards with your kids…Hearts. . .

Fun And Funny Baby Shower Invitations

In this day of high technology, you may not even need paper baby shower invitations. In fact, you may just prefer to call your guests and invite them over for cake and presents and call it a baby shower. But if you have the time to invest in choosing baby shower invitations, whether you make them yourself or buy them, or send them online or via snail mail, these little introductions to your bab. . .

Parenting Guide To Crohn's Disease In Children

Any type of chronic disorder may be especially difficult for a child to cope with. Likewise, being a parent to such a child may leave you feeling helpless and cheated. Unfortunately, the presence of Crohn’s Disease will not be any easier to bear or deal with, as it has particularly unpleasant side effects.Crohn’s Disease is a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease which occurs when the immune syste. . .

Toddlers and Productivity -- Top 3 Ways To Make It Work

It almost sounds too good to be true, work-at-home while at the same time taking care of your small children? While you've daydreamed about this, you never really thought it was something you could actually do. I started working at home for this very reason. I didn't want to have to put my baby in daycare. Fortunately, I found a business as a writer where I could do just that. However, not all. . .

We’ve Ruined Sports for Kids - The Curse of Athleticism o...

How much is too much? When it comes to youth sports, it appears the answer is nothing is too much. The average professional hockey, basketball, or soccer player plays around 80 games a year - another 20 if he or she is on a championship team. Ten-year old kids often play the same number, along with practices and weekend tournaments. So what’s going on?What’s going on is that adults have stolen . . .

Baby Showers - Poems To Use At Baby Showers

Poetry is such vibrant means of communicating. It is one’s creative way of expressing emotion, intellect and aspirations. It is filled with sentiment and mirrors the individual’s true inner being. Such channel of expression is befitting an equally elating occasion: the anticipated arrival of a newborn. Here are ways of incorporating poems into the momentous event, the baby shower.Invitation Poe. . .

Learning To Manage Your New Life

When you’re a new mother, life can seem overwhelming. Your life is full of new responsibilities, yet the old ones haven’t gone away. This is a period of adjustment, so recognize it as such. Here are some ideas to help you cope with this transition period, and create the life you envision. First, set your priorities. There will be many days when you just can’t get everything done, so know in . . .

Dealing With Fevers And Colds

When your baby has a fever or cold, your first urge is to run right to the pediatrician. But, mild colds and fevers are common, and often don’t require a visit to the doctor, just some at home management. Here are some techniques to help manage colds and fever at home, and some information to help you know when to call the doctor. First, most doctors don’t consider a fever under 100°F a fever a. . .

Best Online Parenting Advice

All of us want to be the best parent we can be, but we sometimes doubt whether we are doing what's best for our children. Good parenting skills are learned; we're not born with them. But where should you go for parenting advice and tips? There are hundreds of parenting websites. Which ones offer the best parenting resources? Take a look at these sites for valuable parenting tips.1. Gerber . . .

Playing the Sporting Game

SOFTBALL, SOCCER, BASKETBALL, horseback riding, swimming, hockey, or volleyball—the sport doesn't matter. The guidelines for parents remain the same. To show support for your child while encouraging and teaching, consider the following: 1. Find out who will be coaching your child. Has the league run background checks on the coaches? Sadly, in these times the person you least expect could be a p. . .

Going Back To Work When You’re Nursing

If you’re planning to return to work after your baby is born, you may be concerned about managing both effectively. It is a time consuming choice, but many women do continue nursing even after they go back to work. And, in spite of the amount of time and dedication it requires, most women who have tried it, have been happy that they did. Here are some tips to help you manage the two successfu. . .

The Four Parenting Styles

The following article offers some insight to those involved in the wonderful world known as Parenting.There are just as many parenting styles as there are a number of parents. Experts believe the parenting styles fall into 4 different and identifiable styles: authoritarian, indulgent, authoritative, and uninvolved.Let's examine this more closely. The first parenting style is that of the authori. . .

A Cavity, an Astronaut's Mask, and a Date at McDonald's

It's been almost two years since I last attempted to take my son William to the dentist. Until then, I had no idea a kid could clench his jaws shut with such steely determination. On the second and last try, the dentist managed to count his teeth - but she lost a pair of plastic sunglasses in the deal and William left with teeth no cleaner than they'd been when we arrived.William's four now, an. . .

Acknowledging Your Emotion: Why Is It Important?

Recognising and acknowledging emotion is a skill that is important for personal growth. This skill, once acquired, is useful for life. Here's a personal story I'd like to share about why it is important to acknowledge our feelings.A couple of days ago, my seven year-old daughter performed in a dance concert. It was her first public performance and we were all very proud of her. She was very exc. . .

10 Reasons To Read To Your Child

We all know that learning to read is important, but as parents what do we do to facilitate this milestone?Reading to your child has many benefits one of which is simply having time to snuggle together.Here are 10 reasons to read to your child.1.When you read to your child, he/she will learn that reading is important to you, therefore reading will become important to him/her.2.The more your chil. . .

Parenting Tip - How to Use Your Children to Get Things Done

If you have children over the age of eight or nine years old, here is a parenting tip on how you can get things done quicker and easier with the help of your kids. It will cut your chores in half and give your children the opportunity to learn how to participate in the “daily shuffle” of things.Help with Laundry Laundry is a never-ending chore for Moms and Dads, so make it easier on everyone . . .

Staying At Home Or Working- Which Is Best For You

Most mothers struggle with the question of whether to stay at home with their children or work. If you’re trying to make that decision, you know that it can be very difficult, because there are advantages and disadvantages to both sides. Here are some things to consider when making your decision.Can you afford to stay home?This one seems obvious, but the question requires consideration. There . . .

Single Parents and the College Financial Crunch

The price of gas and college continue to go up, up and up. The cost of college and university attendance is twice as expensive as eight years ago. Gas prices may ease, but financial experts are not predicting any drop in college expenses within the foreseeable future. Congress is cutting back on loans and government sponsored scholarships. Industry has also cut back on the amount of scholarship. . .

No Kidding-Preparation The Key To Preventing Abducted, Mi...

Did you know that, according to figures from the RCMP, approximately 186 children are reported missing each day in Canada? That's one almost every 7.75 minutes; recent US statistics are much more alarming, somewhere in the United States approximately every 40 seconds a child is reported missing. In fact, by the time you have finished reading this article, the odds are that another child has bee. . .

Children's Birthday Parties - A Timeline For A Great Event!

Having the best children's birthday party shouldn't be a stressful thing. Follow the timeline below and your child and you will be the hit of the neighborhood.About a month before your party you'll want to:Talk with your child and choose a party theme and/or decide what your “entertainment” will be for the party. This will help you determine your party budget as well.Create the guest list. Don'. . .

Breast Feeding or Bottle Feeding Your New Baby

Breastfeeding Is NaturalBabies need to eat often — every 90 minutes to two hours. Feed your baby when she begins to show signs of hunger, such as rooting or sucking on her lips, fingers or fist. Try to feed her before she cries. Feeding your baby often won’t spoil her. It will help you learn to become more aware of your baby’s needs.Don’t limit feeding times. Babies need different amounts of fo. . .

Be There For Your Kid

Finding time to bond with your kid is an important thing...and also a tough one. With a demanding job, pressing appointments and only 24 hours in a day to spend, it is not unusual that a parent can hardly find time to be with his children.The usual parent would be up early in the morning, take his breakfast and rush off to a 9 to 5 job, and to beat the traffic, this would be an early exit from. . .

Transitioning From Bassinet To Crib

If your baby has been sleeping in your room in a bassinet, you may have some concerns about moving her to her own room and her crib. But, don’t worry; you will probably both sleep better once the transition is complete. Most babies are ready to move to the crib at around six to eight weeks of age, or whenever he is sleeping for longer periods during the night. Be prepared that the crib might f. . .

Parents Need to Vent Anger! 4 Steps to Serenity

Parents are losing their self-control to their own anger. A friend called me today and told me a very troubling story. She had seen on a T.V. news program the story of a mother driving with her four-year-old child. The mother became angry with her child and couldn’t cope anymore with her child’s misbehaving. Finally the mother abruptly braked, stopping the car on a busy highway. She pulled. . .

Parents - Experience A Child’s Playful Heart

Playtime between a parent and a child creates a deep emotional bond. It’s the bond that sets the path for joyful, creative, cooperative times by being together. Adults seem to shun fun and games in their daily lives. As adults, we often get so caught up in “grown up” business that we can forget how to have pure fun. Some parents just don’t know how to play with their children or feel they d. . .

Praising The Goodness Of Your Child

Praise can be a word, an expression on your face, a gesture, or a statement that encourages pride, joy and accomplishment in your child. When you give praise you are giving your child a feeling of positive feedback, which increases their sense of confidence, self-worth and competence.Not bad, huh! When you praise your child, you are pointing out the significance of their abilities, achievemen. . .

How To Prevent Your Child From Having Problems At Daycare...

Let’s face it: As a parent or guardian, your child means everything to you. When putting your child through daycare or school, it is important to make sure that nothing goes wrong to harm your child – either physically or mentally.Additionally, your child’s health and safety should be one of your top concerns. If your child is enrolled in a day care or school program and something goes wrong, y. . .

Baby Clothes: 7 Money Saving Shopping Tips for New Parents

Perhaps the biggest problem with baby clothes is that they don't last. Not because they wear out, but because your baby quickly out grows them.It's important to plan your baby clothes shopping around the growth of your baby. If you don't, you could be wasting money.Keep in mind these seven tips while you plan your baby clothes shopping:1. Wear a Larger SizePeople say babies grow fast, and the. . .

Coping with a Birth Disorder in your child

If you have a child who has been diagnosed with a serious birth disorder, this is an extremely trying time in your life. You have many challenges ahead of you, both physical and emotional. Right now you are probably on an emotional roller coaster ride, and are having difficulty just getting through the day. Here are some tips that will hopefully help you deal with the adjustments in your lif. . .

What Does Your Newborn See in His First Few Days

A young baby is aware of a lot more then we used to think in the past. In fact some of the capabilities of very young children are astonishing. In the “Good Old Days” people thought that a newborn was almost blind. They thought a baby couldn't focus and was more or less colorblind. Meaning that a newborn is only aware of a fuzzy colorless world. We know now that this is not the case.A newborn i. . .

New Baby Care 101

New parents face many problems and issues that they are expected to understand and deal with immediately. Unfortunately, newborns do not come with an instruction book so here are a few topics that you may need to know about. Bathing your baby: Until your baby’s umbilical cord falls off one to two weeks after their birth, only give her sponge baths. A cotton ball or cotton swab dampened with. . .

Potty Training Your Toddler

Getting your toddler to perform toileting independently is a welcome milestone for any parent. Few of us want to be changing diapers much past the child’s second birthday. However, children vary greatly in their adoption of the potty routine which is influenced by a child’s innate ability, aptitude and maturity. However, there several tips and techniques you can use to hasten the blessed day wh. . .

Playing With Your Baby – How To Make An Impact

If you’re wondering how to interact with your baby in the early days, just think back to your own childhood. Games your mom played with you are not outdated. In addition to making baby smile, silly baby rituals like “this little piggy went to market” teach your child some important early skills. Here are some favorites, and some things you may not know about them.· Peek-a-boo – This is one of t. . .

“They Should Have Beat Me More” - The Cycle Of Physical A...

In December, 2005, I conducted a two-day workshop with men who had recently been released from prison for domestic violence. With the men were their wives, as well as the father of a batterer who was still in prison.The father, Douglas, sat in front of me, sharing his childhood experiences. “My momma was a very loving woman – a big-hearted, hard working loving woman,” he told me. From my many y. . .

Easy Tips To Keeping Kids Quiet While You’re On The Phone

One of the easiest ways to get into the telecommuting industry is to get a phone job. These phone jobs are more readily available than other telecommuting jobs and usually pay pretty well. When you first start working on the phone from home, keeping the kids quiet can be a bit of a challenge. There is a fine line between keeping your child quiet and stifling the fun that kids should have every . . .

5 Steps To Raising Optimistic Children

I had just completed a session with 17-year old Julie who suffered from severe depression. Julie believed she was a total failure and would never be able to change anything in her life. Julie also felt all her shortcomings were her own fault. Where, I ask myself, did such a young person acquire this negative and fatalistic thinking?The answer soon became apparent when I invited her parents into. . .

“I’M OVERWHELMED” 5 Tips For Taking Control Of Your Life

Are you feeling overwhelmed being a parent? Do you want to feel more relaxed and empowered raising your child? Working parents, stay-at-home parents, visiting parents – it doesn’t matter which one you are because these days almost every parent feels overwhelmed by their daily day. Parents every day experience anxiety, stress and despondency because they feel as if they are losing control of . . .

Choosing a Formula

If you’ve decided on formula as the choice for feeding your baby, you might be a bit confused about all the choices. There are lots of options to help you find the type that will best suit your baby’s needs and your lifestyle. When you are in the hospital, if your baby is getting formula, it will likely be pre-mixed in one serving disposable bottles, and will be a name brand, milk based formul. . .

Getting Your Baby On A Sleeping Routine

It’s not unusual for newborns to have unusual sleeping habits, particularly for them to want to sleep during the day, and stay awake at night. Remember, in the womb its dark all the time, so night and day mean nothing to them. If your baby’s sleeping habits need some adjustment, here are some ways to get him on track.· Don’t keep quiet during the day when he’s sleeping – When he sleeps during . . .

Visiting With The Pediatrician – What To Expect

In the first year of your baby’s life, you will be visiting your pediatrician about every other month, for well check ups and immunizations. Here’s a rundown of how those visits go, and approximately how often you’ll need to visit. Two week visitSome doctors schedule a visit earlier than two weeks, but most pediatricians begin at the two week mark. Your baby’s weight, length and head circumfe. . .

Nanny Salaries - How Much Should You Be Paying?

Let’s face it: you can’t always be there to take care of your child. In your place, you want someone who you can trust. Someone your children can rely on and who will give them the personal time, attention and loving care that they deserve. You’ve decided that a nanny is the right choice for your family's childcare needs. Now, the only thing left is figuring out whether hiring a nanny is ri. . .