Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

Popular Baby Names in the UK in 2005

Although its popularity is declining, Jack is the most popular boys name again in England and Wales - that's 11 years at the top! However, 14% fewer boys were christened Jack last year, so we could see a change at the top in 2006. In Northern Ireland, Jack was again top and Lewis retained top spot in Scotland, with Jack the runner-up.Jessica was the most popular girls' name in England and Wales. . .

Child Identification- Thinking of Fingerprinting Your Chi...

When speaking to parents about child identification, the first things that come to mind are fingerprints and DNA information. However, there seems to be a complete lack of awareness regarding fingerprints and the crucial need in updating them on a regular basis.Most parents, with the exception of people who have studied medicine or criminology, believe that their children’s fingerprints remain . . .

Focus on the Family: Can Working Mothers Have Their Cake ...

Not long ago “bringing home the bacon” was the father’s role but now working mothers are “bringing home the bacon” too. Today, 50% of the mothers in our country (with children living at home) are working full time and most experience the stress of trying to balance it all especially when it comes to parenting. Sound familiar?The Only Way Working Mothers Can Have It AllAlthough working mothers b. . .

Teach Kids About Money And Saving - The 10 Vital Lessons ...

Your 5-year-old daughter has started asking for money to buy sweets and toys. She obviously has a good understanding of the concept of exchanging money for items she wants or needs, but what are the important lessons you should teach kids about money and saving. You want to make sure that she doesn't grow up into one of those kids that are constantly pestering mom and dad for money, running up . . .

A-B-C’s Of Parenting

Common sense in parenting is a rather relative idea. Some parents simply do not have it and they need to be told just how to parent. That is why there are so many bestselling parenting books out there. There is nothing wrong with needing a little help in the area of your kids, parenting is difficult during the best of times and if those books can help you then go ahead and get them!There are so. . .

MMR Vaccine - Is It Safe Or Not Safe - Or Is There A Bett...

The MMR Vaccine is a very controversial subject, leaving a large percentage of Parents of young children at best confused,and at worst a number of people frightened.This is a compound vaccine which innoculates against Measles, Mumps and Rubella all in one go.It is understandable to be fearful of something which has not yet, it seems, been clearly dismissed from being the cause, or partial cause. . .

Overcoming Fear Of The Dark

"I'm at my wits' end. I just don't know what to do withher."This comment came, not from a parent whose teenage daughterwas causing havoc, but from one whose teenager was stillexperiencing fear of the dark. And the problem was gettingworse rather than better.The fear was also affecting the girl's school life. Shelacked confidence in herself, was exceptionally timid, andwas easily threatened b. . .

The Top 7 Tips On How Kids Can Save Money And Stop Wastin...

Your 10-year-old son has just come back from the candy store, the day after you gave him his allowance with his pockets full of candy. Not that there's actually anything drastically wrong with that, as long as he brushes his teeth after & still eats his dinner there shouldn't be any real problems - apart from the fact that he spent ALL of his weekly allowance on that candy. Within a few days, h. . .

The Mom Connection

The Mom Connection - the place for support and guidanceIn our hearts we all are like children, there is always room to learn. Therefore it is my intention to present a weblog that can be a forum for advice and support. I call it Mom 2 Mom, where moms can write looking for guidance. Think of me as the Ann Landers of motherhood. I strive to be like a girlfriends guide column, but with a whole dif. . .

Choosing a Safe Babysitter

You want to go out - just Mommy and Daddy. That's perfectly normal, but you can't find a family member that is available to care for your children. So you decide to hire a babysitter. Hiring a babysitter can be one of the most important choices you have to make for your children. There are a couple of steps that should be followed before hiring a babysitter. You first and most importantly . . .

Giving The Unborn Child What It Needs

The unborn child is fully dependent on its mother for everything.Therefore most of the food she eats will be used by the unborn child so it can grow and survive inside her.A great many things are essential for both the mother and her unborn baby.What Does Baby and Mother Need?Good nourishing food. The mother should eat well balanced meals.A well balanced meal should consist of:Proteins Carbohy. . .

When a Child is Born

When your child is born, it is the most wonderful moment ofyour life. No one can explain that feeling fully, and whenyou first come home and that tiny bundle is wholly yourresponsibility, that is an awesome feeling.And that tiny bundle already has it's own mind and believeit or not, knows just what he or she wants and right thereand then, without you realising it, sets about getting it.We can . . .

What Parents Need to Know About Child Safety and Identifi...

There seems to be a general misconception concerning child safety and child identification. In speaking with parents, one thing becomes very clear. Parents commonly believe, that by recording their children’s fingerprints and DNA information, they have taken all the steps necessary in order to protect as well as provide identification for their children.Unfortunately, this could not be further . . .

Four Alternatives to Hitting Children

National surveys show that over the past twenty years, more than 90 percent of parents with small children admit to using one or more forms of corporal punishment.Corporal punishment includes pinching, shaking, slapping, punching, a spanking, hitting, and beating children with an object such as a belt.Studies have shown that using these methods can result in serious and tragic longer-term effec. . .

The Beauty and Benefits of Breastfeeding

In recent years, there has been a lot of debate surrounding the issue of breastfeeding. While the decision to breastfeed is a personal one, there are countless benefits for both mother and child that ought to be explored. One of the most significant reasons to breastfeed your child relates to the quality of food your child is ingesting. Although baby formula may meet the nutritional requirem. . .

A Little Creativity in an Old Process

Naming your child is never an easy process. Not only is there pressure from your family and friends, but society will also help accept or disprove of the child’s name very quickly. There are so many possibilities and options, like naming it after a loved one, or famous person, or literary icon, etc. But hopefully, above all, there is one thing you will be with the name: creative. Sure a lot of. . .

Tracking Children

With today technology, it is enable parents to know exactly where their children are. GPS technology offers an exciting new means by which parents can ascertain their children's whereabouts at all times. A deep seated concern for children is instinctive. It's the reason so many parents have spent late evenings pacing the floor waiting for a teenager to return home. And the cause of lingering co. . .

11 Effective Ways to Make Playtime Fun for Children with ...

To get the most from playtime activities you have to stick to a set of rules. The rules may change according to the child but generally these rules help to achieve constructive play gaining the benefits listed above.Play it their way - Encourage them to pay the games they like to play. If they show an interest in a certain sport or activity then GREAT! Let them play their games and so that t. . .

How To Get Your Kid To Clean Their Room

Here is a simple plan to help your child/teen keep their rooms clean. Don't worry if the room is a disaster. Just set the timer for 15 minutes each day and get started. Continue clearing clutter each day until you find the tops of the dressers and the floor. By the end of the week, you will be amazed at the progress! When you are ready… start the weekly plan. During the first few weeks, you may. . .

A New Diet For a Baby

It seems nothing else can be invented in this eternal sphere of baby’s nutrition. Juices, fruits, semolina… However, science moves forward. Unfortunately, ecology too. There’re more and more babies today, who cannot bear protein food that we think is so necessary for a growing organism. But, alas, almost all babies don’t “accept” cow's milk now, and many of them even “refuse” from the most hypo. . .

Helpful Tips For Overcoming Sleep Problems For Your Baby ...

Sleep needsDid you know that newborn babies need 21 hours sleep a day and children from six months to two years of age need at least 12 hours sleep? Sleep deprivation can cause problems for everyone in the family: fractious babies during the day, exhausted mothers and an anxious, stressful atmosphere.Sleep deprivationSleep starvation is a huge problem for today’s parents. A survey of 2,000 new . . .

Getting a Tax Credit for Your Kids

As you know, raising a family is a full time job and can put stress on your finances. Fortunately, you can claim a tax credit to help cut your IRS bill if you have kids.Getting a Tax Credit for Your KidsWith a tax deduction, you are reducing the total amount of adjusted gross income you have. For instance, if you earned $50,000 dollars in 2005 and take a $1,000 deduction for something, you’ll h. . .

Millions Have Misused ADHD Drugs

A study released this week estimates that more than 7 million Americans have misused Adderall, Ritalin and other stimulant medications used to treat ADHD, and that 75,000 showed signs of addiction to stimulant medications. This recent study, published in the online journal “Drug and Alcohol Dependence,” culled data from a 2002 national survey of about 67,000 households. Research found that m. . .

Tips for Staging A More Professional Puppet Show

Puppet shows on your own puppet stage are not only great fun for children, but are also rich with developmental benefits that include nurturing creativity, teaching pretend play and allowing positive reinforcement. Puppet shows are also dramatic performances, and some simple rules of thumb will help make performing easier and more rewarding for the children, as well as clearer to understand fo. . .

Eight Tips For 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. . .

Your Guide To Peg Perego High Chairs

The usual cost for a Peg Perego high chair costs around about one hundred to about two hundred and fifty dollars. There are many different types of Peg Perego high chairs such as the Peg Perego diner exclusive high chair, the leatherette rocker high chair, the Prima Pappa baby high chairs and much more. The Peg Perego high chairs come in many different styles, shapes, and colors. Some of the di. . .

Seventeen Reasons To Homeschool Your Kids

Homeschooling was once a rare educational method. Today it is well known and an accepted way to education your kids. Most parents thinking of homeschooling have a difficult time deciding whether to do it or not. The following is a list 17 reasons why other parents are homeschooling their kids. And, there is one important question you must answer correctly if you expect to succeed in homesch. . .

Helping Your Child to Make Friends

No matter how you decide to educate your child with Down syndrome, there will still be the issue of socialization – making friends. One of the biggest worries of parents with a Down syndrome child is: Will my child be teased? How will I help my child with this and any hurt feelings?Believe it or not, it is not typically the children you have to worry about – it is their parents. Most children w. . .

These mysterious biorhythms

We can hear more and more often such words as “biorhythm”, “biologic clock” in our life. What does this mean? How do a child’s biorhythms form? What do they depend on? Can we speak about future mother’s biorhythms’ influence on future baby’s biological clock? According to which biorhythms a baby lives before birth, in mother’s belly? How to organize a baby’s life after birth, to provide him wit. . .

Build Character with Knuckle Power and Free Your Child fr...

If your kids worry, feel anxious or fearful, you might hear them say, "I can't.” This can be hard on you and your child. If you want your child to take reasonable risks and try new things, let Knuckle Power come to the rescue. It's a great parenting technique I learned years ago from NLP Classes. Knuckle Power (my term) can change "I can't" into "I can." Let's find out how.I remember a six-ye. . .

Teens And Blogs - Internet Safety Wake-Up Call

In November of 2005, I read that a Roman Catholic high school in Sparta had ordered its students to remove personal blogs from the Internet, in the name of protecting them from cyberpredators. Which brings me to an important question, just how can you keep your child safe online?The Internet is a "gateway" which leads the adult predator to your child. Parents need to recognize the need to bette. . .

Parenting---Roots And Wings

I’m sure many of you have heard that old Hallmark card adage that goes something like this: Parents give their children two great gifts---one is roots, the other is wings. This is what I address in this article.As parents, we pray for our children’s safety, health and happiness. We do everything we know to help make these things happen for them.At some point in our lives, we developed the princ. . .

Pushchairs, Strollers, Buggies – Important considerations...

Should a pushchair by practical or pretty? How about easily collapsable or extremely cheap? With hundreds of pushchairs/strollers/buggies available the only way to know what is most important is to ask the parents?There is a myriad of pushchairs and strollers on the market. Wonderful sounding names such as Bugaboo and Cosatto. Most parents will know of Mamas and Papas - but what are the most im. . .

Should You Take Ritalin?

At least 3.3 million Americans currently take medications to ease the symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder. The majority of these medications are amphetamine-based stimulants. The doctors prescribe these drugs, but that does not mean they are necessarily safe, says the Federal Drug Administration which is currently looking at placing strong warnings on stimulant ADD medications like Rita. . .

Breastfeeding - Helpful Tips

BenefitsBreastfeeding has many benefits for your baby. If your baby can be breast-fed for at least 6 months then the risk of allergies, such as eczema, are reduced, ear infections and stomach upsets are also reduced. Mother's milk seems to boost your baby's immune system generally.How does breast milk do this?Well breast-milk, unlike formula milk, contains antibodies designed to prevent an imma. . .

Learning To Breastfeed Can Be Such a Vulnerable Time

Learning to Breastfeed Can Be Such A Vulnerable TimeLearning to breastfeed can be a difficult and frustrating timefor first-time mothers and their babies. Under the bestcircumstances, most of us have patience and determination tolearn a new skill. However, after the physically drainingeffects of labour and birth, breastfeeding can easily becomefrustrating if the baby is slower to learn to lat. . .

Children with ADHD

There is a perplexing state of affairs in today's society, there lies a strong correlation between the affluence of a society and the amount of disease that is present. There is also another correlation that troubles many a people and that is with affluence comes disease at an Earlier age.Working with children and the parents of these children I often get asked the question, 'Why are Children w. . .

Parenting - Find The Right Balance!

Parenting can be a daunting prospect even for the most accomplished and the most prepared. Good parenting is a balance of many different factors and you will need to discipline as well as spend good, quality time with your child. In this modern age, time is of a premium. Even when parents do find they have some spare time to interact with their children this time is often spent worrying about w. . .

A Covert Marketing Tool For Parent Buyers – The Kiddie Ride

Choosy mothers choose Jif. But what do choosy kids choose? "Automobiles and electronics," says Mark Snyder, senior vice president of brand management for Holiday Inn. "Children very much get to participate in making those purchasing decisions." Let's face it. Anyone who has ever stood in a checkout line in the supermarket knows that kids have always had a say in purchasing toys, food and other . . .

Looking At Metabolism in Children with Down Syndrome

Research suggests children with Down syndrome have a lowered Basal Metabolic Rate, which is the rate a person burns calories for fuel when completely at rest - or sleeping. This means that children with Down syndrome use less energy when they are resting or sleeping. Let’s look at an example. If you child is with a “normal” peer and eats the same amount of food and does the same activities, he . . .

Some Unusual Causes Of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

On the list of horrifying things that can happen to a family, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is near the top. SIDS occurs when a baby between the ages of one and six months mysteriously dies in its sleep.There are several causes for SIDS, and more are being discovered each year. Being suffocated by bedding is certainly one of them, as is being rolled on by parents and being a passive infan. . .

Raising Children With Choices

It's undeniably difficult raising children in a changing world. You want the best for your children and you want them to fulfill their potential with each new activity that they undertake but, in a society where certain endeavors are still too often considered to be the domain of males only or of females only, it may take a bit of effort to create a maximum of opportunities for your children, w. . .

How Will I Cope? How Relaxing helps you and your Baby - f...

PregnancyYou’re in the final trimester of your pregnancy. Up until now you hadn’t felt so bad. Now, though, you feel enormous and there seems no end to it. Baby has started kicking on a regular basis and is so active at bedtime that you rarely get a good night’s sleep. You start to worry how you will cope once the baby is born if you feel so tired now. Your digestion is dreadful, you seem to ha. . .

Ten Books Every Boy's Gotta Read

Boys don't read - hundreds of reports and newspaper articles have made that clear.The mantra of the literary community is to just get boys to read anything, even the back of a cereal box.This message ignores the fact that literacy is not the real problem. Boys can read - they just choose not to. The dumbing-down of literature will not solve the problem of boys not reading. We need to inculcate . . .

The Shocking Secret Behind Your Math Blocks

You're smart, witty and intelligent.You've overcome many challenges in your life.And yet, you can't do simple math sums in yourhead.Ever wonder why not?In this short article, you're going to discoverthe ONE reason you struggle with mental math.And I promise you, it's NOT the reason you thinkit is.You see, it’s NOT your natural math ability, orthe way you were born, or any of the other lameexpla. . .

Parenting Tip: The 7 Step Guide to Child Development Usin...

Child stories are an excellent way to promote child development. You can use teaching material along with children's stories to teach moral lessons, factual knowledge or emotional intelligence.The beauty of using child stories in this way is that children learn without feeling like they're "learning"; they learn by osmosis.Using stories to teach also gets children to really think about things. . . .

Practical Tips To Survive The 1st Trimester Of Pregnancy

So, you’ve gotten over the elation of being pregnant. Now, despite the joy of having a little one growing in your belly, you (and your husband or boyfriend) need to deal with the nagging symptoms of pregnancy. Here are just a few tips to help you to survive:1. Get plenty of rest: Most likely, you will be more tired than ever before during the first trimester. Listen to your body and go to bed o. . .

Finding A Pediatrician For Your Newborn

Congratulations, you’re pregnant. As the count-down to the birth of your new child approaches, you should consider finding a pediatrician who will work the best with your soon to be expanding family. Having a pediatrician on-hand though the formative weeks and years of your child’s life is in the best interests of both you and your child. Waiting until your child gets sick or needs a check-up i. . .

Top-Ten Boy Books - How To Get Our Boys Reading Again

Boys don't read - hundreds of reports and newspaper articles have made that clear.The mantra of the literary community is to just get boys to read anything, even the back of a cereal box.This message ignores the fact that literacy is not the real problem. Boys can read - they just choose not to. The dumbing-down of literature will not solve the problem of boys not reading. We need to inculcate . . .

Attention Shoppers, We Have a Small, Lost, Three Year-Old...

Have you ever been shopping in a busy mall, stopped to look at something only to discover that in the brief time it took to do so, your child has wandered away from you? If in reading this question you are able to answer no, you undoubtedly know someone who has been in this situation. Each minute, somewhere in the country, a parent is separated from their child. These separations sometimes last. . .