Upon hearing the unsettling news of my kids’s condition (my four-year-old was
also developing the rash and complaining of “owies” in her mouth), I dutifully rang my friend M, whose kids were scheduled to come to my place that afternoon for playgroup.

Funnily enough, she was really cool about the entire “Hand Foot Mouth” thing, and said her kids probably had it too by now so another day wouldnt make a difference anyway, so would it be ok if they came over as planned? Oh, ok then.

But for Moms who are probably more OC about hygene like I am ( and I can name a couple), it pays to know how to prevent this kind of thing from happening.

Here’s what I found, also useful for any other infectious disease our kids are exposed to in this big wide world of ours, courtesy of the National Center For Infectious Diseases:

“Specific prevention for HFMD or other non-polio enterovirus infections is not available, but the risk of infection can be lowered by good hygienic practices. Preventive measures include frequent handwashing, especially after diaper changes (see “Handwashing” in: An Ounce of Prevention: Keeps the Germs Away), cleaning of contaminated surfaces and soiled items first with soap and water, and then disinfecting them by diluted solution of chlorine-containing bleach (made by mixing approximately ¼ cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water. Avoidance of close contact (kissing, hugging, sharing utensils, etc.) with children with HFMD may also help to reduce of the risk of infection to caregivers.”

[tags]Hand foot mouth disease,infectious diseases children, kids health, coxackie[/tags]

My sincere apologies for the disturbing images, but sadly this is what I’ve been faced with lately. You see, my two kids were just diagnosed with Coxackie virus, otherwise known as Hand Foot Mouth disease. And, NO it has nothing to do with the mad cow thing (Foot and Mouth)- which I had to reassure my husband of vehemently when I told him the news.

It all started when I noticed some strange, blistery, pimply spots on my son’s hands and feet. When it didn’t disappear in a day (as many of these rashes do), I dutifully visited our pediatrician Dr. J, thinking she might as well check it out since he was due for a shot anyway.

One look and she told me he had HFM disease, which was obvious as he also had another big symptom - losing his appetite lately with solid food and saying “owie” when he ate. When Dr.J that it was no big deal (in spite of its rather sketchy name), fairly common in babies and young children, and self-limiting (read: no meds necessary except for paracetamol in case of fever, which neither of my kids got), I honestly felt more “ICK” than anything else, especially when I realized that this icky virus was probably spreading among the kids at school, playgroup or even at Gymboree. Ick!!

Dr.J then advised me to tell the Moms and teachers that my kids had (gulp) “it”, and to keep them away from other kids for another 5 days or so as it was HIGHLY contagious. Although, contagious kids may never even develop symptoms, or just have some of them.

[tags]Hand foot mouth disease,coxackie virus,kids disease,kids health[/tags]

Today my son had his first day of “school” at Gymboree. At 20 months, he joined the “Level 4″ class for twice a week sessions, one of which is “play“, the other being “music”. Before anything though, I’d like to advice new Moms from getting over-excited and enrolling their babies until they’ve tried out the classes several times.

All babies are different, and no matter how adorable (and baby brain-enhancing) Gymbo’s classes look, it doesn’t make sense to do it unless your child is ready and happy doing it.

Anyway, this wasn’t really his first day. His first try at Gymboree was at the tender age of about 9 months. He refused to crawl (which continued until he just got up and walked at nearly 1), and looked pretty stressed out when the very perky teacher cajoled him into going through a tunnel.

We tried again at about a year, this time for the music class, but still he looked a bit weirded out by the whole thing. Fast forward to about 5 months later, and this time I thought we’d give it a go again, but just for “free play” with his big sister. Well, he finally seemed to be enjoying it. And when we did another trial class last week, lo and behold - he LOVED it.

He must have been the most giggly, excited and pro-active kid there. He had the time of his life!! So now, I’ve finally signed him up for the next 2 months (in case you were wondering, it cost me about $200 for 16 sessions - but this includes unlimited play for as long as the enrollment is), and I’ll be letting you know how we get along. Fingers crossed, I hope it’ll last!

[tags]Gymboree,Play,Music,Babies,toddlers[/tags]

Playgroup is the lifeline of a lot of moms. New moms, old moms, expat moms, native moms…whatever. If you have kids who don’t go to “big school”(read:full time elementary), a playgroup is the answer to not just keeping the little ones busy, but the best way to spend time with kindered spirits of the “hood”.

The problem is, some members of the “hood” can’t help but take advantage of the situation. I just got an email from the coordinator mom of one of my kids playgroups with list of guidelines and rules. Very necessary, she said because of the certain way things were going lately. There were rules like:

“No leaving your kids without supervision. This is NOT a daycare. If you cannot be around, you must okay it with the host first”.

These new rules were especially pertinent when at a playgroup at my house the other day, one mom texted me at 5.00 pm (the set time for pick-up) and asked if it was ok if she left her 2 kids (4 years and 2 years) with us until “around” 8.30 pm because she and her husband had gone to some far-off place to buy fish for their aquarium and would “probably” be stuck in traffic. Grrrrr….

First of all, I didn’t know her that well (our kids are Kindergarten classmates), and second of all, anyone with young kids should know that from 6-9 pm is the “crunch” time of the day to get your kids fed,bathed and put to bed - and not still be in playgroup. I was seething. Probably because I knew in my heart that she probably could get them earlier if she wanted to, but decided to go shopping instead with the hubby. Double grrrr.

[tags]parenting,kids,playgroup,protocol,toddlers,kindergarten,moms[/tags]

My 20-month-old son has NEVER slept through the night. I can’t help comparing him to my 4-year-old girl, who within a few days of taking her home from the hospital slept for 8 hour stretches. Well here’s some news: thats the first rule to assume when you have kids - siblings will always be different, especially when they’re of the opposite sex. I guess that’s why they tell you to avoid comparing, which isn’t too easy.

So my little boy, who is an utter sweetheart in every other way, can be a real nightmare when it comes to sleep. No fail, every single night (save two or three in his short existence, where I prematurely rejoice thinking he has done it- but the next day its back to the old), he’ll wake up two or three times a night, crying miserably to be rocked, danced or fed.

I am determined to stop this exhausting life for both our sakes (miraculously his sister sho shares a room with him sleeps like a log throughout), as I’ve also heard that bad sleep patterns this early and life can be taken into adulthood. Think of all those adults who have to rely on sleep medication, sound effects etc. Come to think of it now, there must be at least 3 people in my extended family who have this problem. Oh dear.

Here’s some advice I found from Dr.Greene when a desperate Mom with the same exact problem wrote in:

“….The first step in helping Nicholas fall asleep at night is to develop a bedtime ritual. This may include an evening feeding at least one-half hour before bed, bath time (a warm bath right before bed tends to make children sleepy), putting on a fresh diaper and clean pajamas, having Nicholas lie in his crib, and reading a bedtime story. Add one new element of the ritual per week for several weeks until you have established a routine that works well for your family. Not all of these steps are necessary, but you may find many of them helpful. At first you will need to stay by Nicholas’s crib, and perhaps keep reading to him, until he falls asleep. Down the road, you will be able to read for a set amount of time and then leave him alone to fall asleep. In the transition period, it is helpful to give him a children’s cassette tape player with a tape of his favorite stories being read by Mom and Dad. Often when children can turn the tape on and listen as long as they want, they will fall asleep very rapidly. This is particularly true when you tell them that you’ll come back in and check on them in a while.”

[tags]toddler,sleeping,sleep problems,sleeping through night[/tags]

My little girl has a LOT of energy. I’m not sure if its just her age (4 1/2), or if this is something I will have to contend with for the next 15 or so years. With school just running from 8 a.m. to noon, I have to cook up other activities for the rest of the day or she’ll be scaling the walls until bedtime. And speaking of the dreaded hour when parents are praying for the beginning of peace in their day, I’ve found that if every little bone in her body isn’t tired enough, she’ll be using every excuse in the book to scrounge another few hours of awake (read play) time. Try “mom, my leg is itchy” or ” mom, I’m really thirsty” (this is an effective one that gets a trip to the potty too) or “mom, its too hot in my room” etc etc.

So aside from signing her up for the “extended day program” at school a few times a week, she also has playgroup on wednesday afternoons and football practice three times a week. Not that the latter means I get tuesdays, thursdays and saturday afternoons free to shop or get a direly needed pedicure, but on those days I get to sit on ant-infested bleachers for two hours with Readers Digest. And if I take my 20-month-old toddler along to the playground adjacent, the whole exercise becomes a full-on workout. Such is mother’s life!

[tags]kids,kid problems,fathers,moms,energy,hyperactive[/tags]

Here is small selection of divorce books for parents worth checking out at your local bookstore.

1. Child Custody: Building Parenting Agreements that Work
by Mimi E. Lyster

A practical guide for dealing successfully with this touchy issue. Checklists and worksheets make the whole process with its somewhat daunting legal implications a lot simpler to face.

2. Its Not Your Fault Koko Bear
by Vicki Lansky

This is a heartwarming storybook for parents to read together with young children when facing a divorce. Parents with young kids have given this book glowing reviews saying how it helped their child get in touch with and understand their feelings when going through this difficult time. Kids really relate to this one. Highly recommended.

3. Dinosaurs Divorce
by Marc Brown

This time its dinosaurs taking on the emotional turmoil of divorce, but in a way that will engage kids and hopefully have a positive influence with its cheerfull illustrations. Its on the long side (31 pages) and the different chapters tackle issues from “What is Divorce” to “Living in Two Homes”. A good way for parents and children to open up honest dialogue.

4. Difficult Questions Kids Ask And Are Afraid To Ask About Divorce
by Meg F. Schneider

Parents with older kids (after preschool) were reassured with this book and claimed that the questions hit very close to home. The subjects and ages vary though, so an overall good range for parents.

My 18-month-old son is the most beautiful boy in the world. He clings to me like glue, looks soulfully into my eyes and is never happier then when we are snuggled together reading “Goodnight Moon”, his tiny hand in mine. He then chants ‘mama…mama” sweetly as I read, and I just melt with love (like Elvis and doting Mama Gladys in pic).

Unlike my 4-year old girl who was Miss Independence since day 1 (dont get me wrong, we have a special bond too, but its just different), he just seems more vulnerable and more needy of Mom than my girl ever was. These days she’s more into her football or friends at kindergarten, but I can’t ever remember her being like my son. It just got me thinking. Is my son doomed to be a Mama’s Boy? Was it like this with all mothers and sons?

Take my Grandmother for instance. When my aunts come for lunch at her apartment, they’ll have to make do with whatever is on the table (or cook themselves more likely). But when my Uncle (only son, mind you) comes for his weekly visit….the best steak is laid out and all his other favourite dishes! And when the aunts complain, Grandma just shrugs and says “well, he’s my son!”.

When I asked girlfriends and aunts who had sons about this strange mother-son phenomena, they all heartily agreed that indeed, things were always different with their sons - there was definitely some kind of love affair going. And that to understand it with our daughters, you had to realize that the same thing was going on with their Daddies.

I spent quite a few years of my childhood in England, and one of my most cherished books from the time are the Topsy and Tim books by Jean and Gareth Adamson. I’m not sure of it was the simple, colourful illustrations or the storylines which were pretty ordinary but interesting at the same time. Whatever it was, its held its magic for the past 20-odd years as my old dog-eared copies are among my 4 year-old’s favourites.

Today most childrens books and indeed, toys, are based on the commercialised marketing of big names - like Thomas the Tank Engine, Barney, Barbie and so on. Yes, my kids love those two, but the magic of two ordinary kids undoubtedly have a special pull of their own.

The Topsy and Tim books were written by Cambridgeshire author Jean Adamson, and her late husband Gareth and first published in 1960.

Jean, now 74, believed that children created there own magic and that the decision to make them twins was so the boy and the girl could have “an equal place”.

“We don’t need magic because all the world is magic to children.
…Let’s do something for the modern world with real-life children’.”

As the series developed Gareth and Jean’s three children influenced and Jean would see how the children reacted to situations which were mirrored in the book.

“When we started we didn’t have any children and then we had our own three children in quick succession and the children almost wrote the books for us,” she said.

Since it was first published in 1960, more than 130 Topsy and Tim titles have been published with sales of over 21 million copies.

New editions was released in 2003, and although my daughter loves them just the same, I definitely miss the wonderful illustrations of the old editions.

Nat now seems to be recovering, and the phlegmy cough is at least far less scary that the high fever she had yesterday.

While doing research though I stumbled upon an article which may be interesting for any Moms out there experiencing the same thing (new moms - dont worry you will!). I’ve condensed it.

Fever in Children by Len Leshin, MD, FAAP.

Fever is the body’s reaction to infection. Through mechanisms that aren’t known well, some aspect of infection and/or inflammation causes the brain to reset its “thermostat.” There are many theories for why this happens, including the idea that most germs can’t replicate well at higher body temperatures and that some parts of the immune system works better at higher temperatures. When the body has reset its thermostat, any temperature below that is considered by the body to be cold; so if the thermostat has been reset to 104 F, a temperature of 102 F will actually seem cold, and the body starts shivering to increase body heat: that’s why we get “chills.”

While fever is considered a rise in body temperature, not everyone’s body temperature is the same. The common average cited is 98.6 F (37.0 C), but your actual “normal” temperature may vary. Regardless, in infants and small children, fever is regarded as anything 100 F (37.8 C) or higher; in school-aged children and above, 99.3 F (37.4 C) or higher.

Here’s the important point: Fever is NOT dangerous! The amount of temperature required to hurt the human brain is over 107.6 F (42 C). Fever due to infection very rarely goes over 106.2 (41.3 C), and while scary to parents, is not harmful. (Temperatures over 107.6 F are usually due to heatstroke, head trauma, toxic ingestions or anesthesia side effects.) Seizures due to fever can occur in the age range of 4 months to 6 years, but is most often associated with an abrupt rise in temperature, rather than an extremely high fever. And while seizures due to fever are frightening, they are short (less than 5 minutes) and are very rarely harmful to the child’s brain.

Important note: while fever is not dangerous, it is a sign of infection, and there are some infections that are dangerous to children. How high the fever gets may not tell you how dangerous the infection may be. Infants 3 months of age and younger may not show serious signs of infection until it is too late, so these infants should always be seen by a doctor when febrile. For older infants and children, they should be seen by a doctor or other health care provider if you feel the symptoms may indicate that your child may have a serious infection, or if you are unsure if your child’s symptoms are serious or not.