Parenting Blog

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Lara

How to Make Your Pool Safe For Kids

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pool safety

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If you’ve put in a pool or moved to a house that has one recently, you’re probably wondering where you can get some toys to give the kids to play with in the water. But there’s that voice in the back of your head reminding you that the pool can also be dangerous. And indeed, everyone’s heard at least one horror story about a hapless child falling into an unattended pool. The results are never good, so it’s always a good idea to look into pool safety.

First things first: some residential zoning authorities have regulations pertaining to pool safety. These vary from place to place, so check your local laws, but they normally involve placing the pool a certain distance from your property line or installing a protective fence (normally it’s required to have a locking gate and be at least four feet tall). So, the first thing you’ll want to do is to make sure that your pool is up to code. If it is, you can start to think about what additional safety measures you’ll want to employ. [Read more…] about How to Make Your Pool Safe For Kids

5 Tips for Talking to Your Pre-Teen about Hygiene

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It can be challenging or even embarrassing to talk with your pre-teen about their hygiene, but it’s important to address this conversation in a positive way. An open and honest discourse will set the tone for your future conversations about more intimate matters, so this conversation requires some preparation.

Be as Specific as Possible

Know what you’re talking about and try to be as specific as you are comfortable being. Instead of just telling a young lady that she will need to start shaving under her arms, lead into the conversation gently with some facts about what is happening to her body. She probably has some questions that she’s wanted to ask and she needs to know that everything happening to her is completely normal and that her feelings are valid. [Read more…] about 5 Tips for Talking to Your Pre-Teen about Hygiene

5 Halloween Safety Tips for Children and Teens

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Halloween has long been a time of costumes and candy and chilly evenings. Given the commotion and all of the fun, it’s important to make sure that everyone is safe and aware of situations that can come up. Even teenagers need to be reminded that Halloween is an unusual night and they’ll need to be more alert to their surroundings.

halloween safety tips

Guidelines For Halloween Safety at Any Age

It’s an oldie, but a goodie….Don’t take candy from strangers. That means that kids and teenagers alike should only go to the homes of people they are familiar with and to homes that are well-lit. An obvious exception to that would be if you are going to be with them the whole time or if it’s a facility of some sort that has been set up to allow trick-or-treating. [Read more…] about 5 Halloween Safety Tips for Children and Teens

Impromptu Gatherings Made Easy With Recipe Finder

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Recipe Finder Home Page
Recipe Finder Home Page

Some people were born hosts/hostesses, but for others, entertaining at home can be a pain in the butt. For the former group, the logistics of entertaining at home is not a source of concern. For the latter, it can be quite a nightmare. Even more so if the gathering is an out of the blue one. You know, when your partner or kid calls and tells you that they are coming home within a couple of hours, and can you please prepare dinner for their friends as well?

When faced with this situation, you can either go out and get food from a restaurant or hit the kitchen and get cooking. While the first option is always convenient, it can also mean big bucks. If I were you, I’d go for the second option and make sure that you have the right tools to make your impromptu gathering a success. [Read more…] about Impromptu Gatherings Made Easy With Recipe Finder

Parent Guide to Preparing for School

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Back to school

Children can feel a little overwhelmed when they start school for the first time – or even when they go back to school after having a break all summer. What they don’t often realize is that their parents can feel overwhelmed, as well.

School costs a lot of money. While public schools are free to attend, the school supply list just gets longer and longer. Each year it seems like it costs more. And for parents with more than one child that can mean hundreds of dollars just in supplies. Most children need at least some new clothing, too, because they’re growing so quickly.

Use the Internet to Find Deals

Fortunately, the Internet has allowed parents to have another way to get clothing and supplies for their children and save a little bit of money in the process. With discounts and special codes, like Overstock coupon codes, parents can save big.

If you’re a parent and you’re looking for ways to cut down on how much you’re spending for your child’s back-to-school items, don’t ignore the power of the Internet. If you look carefully, you can often find deals that give you free shipping. If you combine those deals with other offers (where that’s allowed) or use those deals when sales are running, you can get a lot of supplies for very little money.

Save All Year Long

Rather than wait until the last minute to get school supplies, make sure to plan for them all year. Put school supplies into your budget and save a little bit each month. That way, when school comes around you’ll already have the money available.

You won’t have to worry where the money for supplies is going to come from, get a loan from friends or family, or use your credit cards. It can be a great feeling to be able to pay for your children’s school supplies from savings that you’ve accumulated.

Less Stress After Shopping

Saving and planning all year long can also help your children feel more comfortable. They won’t see you stressed out and worried about how you’re going to pay for the things you’re buying. It’s good to be able to get your children what they need and not spend months afterward concerned about paying off the accumulated bills. If you want to save for back-to-school time, add up how much you spent last year and then add 10 to 20 percent to it.

Account for Inflation

When you do add in the extra percentage, you’ll account for inflation and rising prices. If you find great deals and use savings techniques, you might not spend as much money as you had set aside. That’s a great thing, though, because you’ll have some left over for a special treat for yourself or your children. You can also put that money back so you won’t have to save up as much over the course of the next year. That might free up some of your cash each month that you can use to pay down debt or spend on other things that you and your family need and want.

Photo via She Knows

Expecting Mums: Games To Keep You Busy

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This post is dedicated to our reader, Betty, who is expecting her baby next month. For many mothers-to-be, the last month or so of pregnancy can be the hardest period for many reasons. If you are a working mother, and you get to stay at home during the last couple of months (or even the last month) of pregnancy, the respite from work is very much welcome. After a while, though, you might find yourself wanting to do something – anything – to help you kill time. Even if you’re a stay at home mom (and maybe even more so), you might be interested in alternative ways to bide your time while you wait for your bundle of joy to arrive.

Here are some web sites that you might like if you’re the type who would want to spend some time on the computer playing games.

Fupa.com is a web site that features tons of flash games. They have a parenting section, which has many alternatives to choose from. Some of the more interesting ones that I saw are Childs Play Word Search Game and Parenting Word Search Game, which I think are perfect if you’re the kind that likes word games – and I sure do. There are also games for little kids, which are pretty safe for your tiny ones. You do, however, have to register for FREE. It’s like an online community of its own, with some benefits.

Another fun site that I discovered is BabyYum.com. There is just one game – Baby Yum. It’s a pretty easy flash game, where you can practice your multi-tasking skills. I love the stork, which is actually your character. For some reason, the game reminded me of that old Game & Watch game where you caught eggs that fell off the shelves, which you can find left and right. Maybe it’s the set up of the graphics. In any case, I think this is a great game to play when you have some free time.

Of course, there are other countless games that you can play online – not necessarily parenting games, but still games that are worth your while. And, if you’re on Facebook (I know very few people who aren’t), you can have all the games that you want to keep yourself busy. If you like cooking, go for Restaurant City and Café World. If you’re into fantasy, try Castle Age.

For you mums who are not into games, what do you suggest?

For Moms Only: What’s Your Dream Getaway?

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Practically every blog or news web site that you visit today will send across one message: Happy Mother’s Day! I will not go against it – because I believe that this day should be taken seriously and that we should honor mothers (including ourselves) with the utmost respect. However, I will also not go with the flow – I will not write a post about my musings on the significance of Mother’s Day.

Instead, I will write a list. You know, one of those things that we mothers seem to always have around. We have grocery shopping lists, to do lists for the children, to do lists for the house, and so on and so forth. The kind of list that I have in mind right now is quite different, though, and it’s geared towards moms. So, mommies out there, read up!

Let’s say you were given one day (or a week) to take a break from everything that you do daily. You do not have to worry about the kids – they will be taken care of excellently. You do not have to worry about your husband – somehow, he’ll be okay. You do not have to worry about your job – you are to be given time off (paid!). What would you want to do?

While this would probably not be happening to me anytime soon, I thought it would be a fun exercise in day dreaming. Here’s my list.

1. Go to a beach resort with modern enough facilities but without too many people around.
I’d want to spend at least a day just enjoying the sun, the sand, and the sea. I would want to spend it alone with a good book and drink some refreshing drinks while enjoying the warmth of the sun. I would want to end the day with a soothing massage and go to bed totally relaxed.

2. Attend a cooking class.
I’d want to learn new things. Some programs are offered for a single day – even less – and there are programs (such as those offered in Thailand and Vietnam) for a week. I would love to learn the real deal in terms of cuisine from these countries.

3. Spend the whole day in the spa.
Get a massage that lasts for hours, use the sauna, get a foot spa, have a manicure/pedicure – the list can go on and on. While some people take the spa for granted, full time moms (not to mention working moms) rarely have this opportunity.

Now, why don’t you tell me what’s on your list?

Top 5 Parenting Issues And My Take On Them

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We don’t call being a parent the toughest job on earth for nothing, do we? Any parent knows that this job can very well take all that you’ve got to give – and then some. New parents will also learn – very quickly, I must add – that they will be judged no matter what they do. From feeding habits to toys to education – these issues will always be raised, and controversy is not far behind. Here are some of the top parenting issues today (at least based on my experience) and what I think of them. Don’t hesitate to join in the conversation and let me know what you think!

#1: Spanking
I’ve already written a post on this, and I know just how divided parents are over the issue. Some experts say that spanking can cause children to become more aggressive as adults, while others think that disciplining them in this manner can make them understand the principle of consequences. I lean towards the latter, as long as it is clear that the emphasis is on discipline and not punishment. I know a LOT of people who were spanked as kids and turned out pretty well as adults. 😉

#2: Co-sleeping
Ahh, children need their own beds and their own bedrooms, right? Proponents of co-sleeping highlight the fact that children do need a psychological blanket, and parents serve as that. However, co-sleeping presents various problems: risk of asphyxiation for young kids, too much dependency, etc. I think that co-sleeping is fine from time to time, but it must not become a habit. You would want your kids to grow up learning how to sleep alone, wouldn’t you?

#3: Medication for behavioral problems
These days, a lot of children seem to be diagnosed for ADD and other similar problems. There are doctors who will not hesitate to prescribe medication to treat certain conditions. Should you immediately take their advice? I am a staunch believer in the power of medicine, but I would hesitate if my child were to be prescribed medication for behavioral problems. I’ll get a second, even a third, opinion; and then look for treatment options that do not involve medication.

#4: Breast feeding
The general consensus is the breast feeding is still best for babies (and mommies). Medically speaking, there is no point for debate. However, breast feeding simply doesn’t work for some women. My take is that we should breast feed when we can, and if it doesn’t work, then use formula. Simple.

#5: Underage drinking
My stand on this is very clear: no alcohol till you’re of age. Some parents bank on the premise that the kids are going to do it outside of the house anyway, so might as well allow them to do it at home. At least they can keep an eye on the kids, right? I don’t buy that, do you?

So, let’s get the ball rolling. What are your thoughts on these issues?

Book In Focus: Parenting Well In A Media Age

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We cannot deny it: we are living in a media age. Think back to when you were growing up. It might be that you didn’t have television, or perhaps if you did, your viewing time was limited. The chances are that you didn’t have Internet access. After all, the Internet didn’t really become widely used till the last decade or so.

Today, however, our children are bombarded with information from all sorts of media: TV, radio, and the Internet. There is no way that we can shelter them from these, is there?

One question enters my mind: is it really necessary to shelter children from the information available to them? After all, we cannot overlook the fact that there is a lot of useful information to be had. I suppose the trick lies in us knowing how to handle the amount and quality of information that our children access.

This is where this book, Parenting Well In A Media Age, comes into the picture. I haven’t had the chance to read the whole book, but I came across it on Amazon; and the title was enough to catch my attention. The product description reads:

This illuminating investigation takes a fresh look at the role of media in children’s lives. An overview of the formidable challenges parents face and creative ways to overcome them are included, as are strategies for turning a home environment from “high-tech” to “high-touch.” Moving beyond demonizing the media, this work, like none before it, articulates the difficulties of parenting in our depersonalized society. It offers hopeful alternatives for all parents wanting to protect children from, and teach children about, media’s impact.

I like the way the contents were described – it does not pinpoint media as “bad” in general. Instead, it highlights the fact that our society can become depersonalized even more because of the way information is presented. I am sure that no one will disagree when I say that parenting is a highly personalized job!

Then again, due to our busy schedules, it is quite easy to fall into the trap of providing our children with entertainment alternatives more than we ought to.

Go watch this education DVD while I make dinner. Go play with your PS3 or Xbox360 while I finish some paperwork. Go on the Internet to find the answer to your question.

These are some common “commands” some parents give their children too often. Perhaps in this book, we might find ways to handle various situations better. I am quite interested in getting my hands on a copy.

Has anyone read the book? Or maybe, you have your own pointers on how to become a good parent in this media age.