Pass it on: Picking up and carrying a crying infant will automatically calm the child.
Today’s words of wisdom …
while I am on vacation
I will be posting some parenting tips each day.
Have a great Monday!
“It’s a Small World After All”
The world seems to be getting smaller every day…so how do we teach our children about diversity and empathy.
As a social worker and therapist it is inherent that I have the ability to be sensitive to the feelings and life events of others. A good therapist also has to be culturally competent and understand the dimensions that culture adds to a person’s life
At a very early age, I remember my grandmother making me sensitive to the feelings of others.
She grew up in NYC and was very sensitive to the many cultures that lived around her. She herself was Irish, and lived in a diverse area of Brooklyn where in the early 1900’s. At that time her neighbors were mostly, Irish, Italian and Jewish immigrants.
Uniqueness of every person and family and cultural differences were all things to celebrate. One of the ways my grandmother did this, was to enjoy the diverse foods in her neighborhood.
As a child, I did not realize that I was learning to understand others and appreciate differences rather than be afraid of them…if someone did not speak English it was not really a problem…there was always some way to communicate. Different was simply different!
So how is it these days, that we as parents and grandparents teach our kids and grandkids to be tolerant of the vast diverse population that we find ourselves living amongst?
The article below suggests some ways that we can teach young children empathy which will help them to become good listeners and problem solvers in the future.
Please, also take a look at www.startempathy.org
Start Empathy, an initiative of Ashoka, is a community of individuals and institutions dedicated to building a future in which every child masters empathy.
Some easy things you can do to promote an understanding of diversity and empathy:
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I can’t force my daughter to not whine or have tantrums over what we, in our mature adult POV, believe is just plain silly, but we can teach her empathy, which is simply the ability to be aware and sensitive to the feelings of others.
Start Empathy, a collaboration of social entrepreneurs, educators and parents – has realized that by teaching our children empathy we are giving them a “crucial skill for leading a successful and happy life.” Empathy provides a strong foundation for listening, communications, collaboration and problem-solving – critical skills in a rapidly changing and diverse world
I do not believe in spanking or any type of shaming, belittling or corporal punishment. Here are the opinions of two experts regarding their thoughts on spanking.
All of us experience anxiety which is driven by fears of the future. Even our young children can be anxious. This is a wonderful video explaining a technique that a child or for that matter an adult can use to eliminate anxious feelings. We can teach it to our children while also benefitting from using this method ourselves.
Vegetable-based infant formula offers health benefits.
A new study has revealed that InFat – a vegetable-based fat for infant formula with a similar structure to breast milk – provides beneficial effects for the health and well-being of formula-fed infants.
http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Ingredients/Speciality-fat-for-infant-formula-boosts-gut-health
If you are planning to breast feed your baby, you must plan for it. It is not always as easy as it looks for many reasons that are different for so many babies and moms. So research and educate yourself about breast feeding, find out how much support your hospital offers and perhaps get the name of a lactation consultant ahead of time and speak to her before you deliver. If you might be considering breast milk from other moms you should do so carefully and this article will help give you an idea what you should do to make sure that the milk is indeed safe.
A brouhaha broke out on Instagram recently over a picture of a 3-year-old eating ice cream while taking a bath. The issue was not about eating ice cream in the bath tub — truthfully I think the concept is brilliant — but instead, everyone freaked out about the blogger publicly posting a full frontal nude photo of her child for the viewing pleasure of her 25,000-plus followers.
via Sharing ‘cute’ naked photos of your kids online: Just don’t – TODAY.com.
I have written before about children whose lives are being shared on the internet.
It seems that there is little thought given to how these kids will feel when they are older and happen upon these “stories” about themselves and their families.
It seems that there should be more thought given to the impact that this life sharing can have on a child…this is really uncharted territory. There has never been a generation that has experienced their lives being basically “open books” much less shared with basically the whole internet world with their mom commenting on it.
The therapist part of me says that in the not too distant future this is going to pose a problem for today’s children especially when their lives have been the topic of a mommy blogger since they were born.
In particular, I would pay particular concern to those children, whose lives are basically being exploited by their own parents…by that, I mean that their family “business” or “dirty laundry” so to speak has been blogged to essentially any and all who choose to read it. It is like “Honey Boo Boo” without the cameras. In the not too distant future these kids will be able to read what has been said and commented on…what are they going to think?
I guess what I might do is ask everyone who blogs about their family to read their posts very carefully and ask themselves if it is something that they will want their children to read in the future. Will it follow them around like a big shadow that they simple cannot shed and will they resent you for it in the end.
Parenting carries with it a huge responsibility and keeping your child safe is something that should not be taken lightly…”15 seconds or really a life time of internet fame” …is it really worth it?
Calm before the “Perfect Storm”
As my friends and family on the East coast get ready for yet another “Perfect Storm” now known as “Frankenstorm”, I am concerned for all of them. Here are some helpful tips on how to get ready if you are a mom or mom to be. The March of Dimes has a list for you from News Moms Need.
Halloween is coming and so, apparently, is a storm to match The Perfect Storm. Radio and TV weather reports have hurricane Sandy set to impact millions of lives all along the east coast of the U.S. Are you ready? Are you taking precautions should your basement flood or you lose power for several days?
Kids Apps
This past week I attended a parent meeting at our school which was a discussion on screen time and media time and kids. Since then I have noticed a few bloggers talking about the same topic. Where exactly do you stand on how much is too much screen time for your kids?
Many parents feel that screens have taken over their family’s lives. While few could argue about the benefits digital devices offer, as parents, it’s important that we establish guidelines for their use so they remain tools, rather than a source of endless distraction from real life.
It’s Friday, so here are some quick, informative reads that I came across this week.
Top 5 things doctors wish you’d do for your preschooler | BabyCenter.
1. Don’t make potty training a battle
2. Have two-way conversations
3. Stop germs at the sink
4. Enforce the helmet law, even at home
5. Don’t use the doctor as punishment
What does a punishment-free home look like?.
What we have in our home is a lot of love, a lot of respect, a lot of empathy, and a lot of communication.
Should Your Child Be Using an E-Reader? | CSH Greenwich Middle School Parent Blog
Adults with e-readers and tablets continue to report that they’re reading more, a trend that we can hope trickles down to younger readers. After all, we should always be happy seeing children reading, no matter the format.
10 Reasons to Consider Having Your Nanny Homeschool Your Children | Nanny Jobs.
Did you ever consider “homeschooling ” your children?
I never did but my girls are older now and well out of high school and college.
Back in the day…homeschooling in our little town was mostly done by moms that were a little “weird” when it came to their kids. I cannot even explain what a “little weird” means since I admit, I never got to really know any of these moms or their ideas about education.
In hindsight, perhaps I should have…but, I never was that patient to even consider “homeschooling”.
However as a grandmother, I am realizing that there are definitely some reasons and benefits to homeschooling your kids.
Today while reading, I came across this article which touts some reasons to actually consider having your “nanny” homeschool your kids. Now, that is a concept that I could have grasped when my kids were school age, since it would not have been me doing all the work 24/7 with my girls.
What about you?
Would you consider hiring a nanny who could also homeschool your children if you could afford the costs?
There are some good reasons why homeschooling might be appropriate for your child…do you have a child that fits into one of these categories where homeschooling would be beneficial?
I would love to hear your opinions even if you don’t have kids…what do you think about this concept?
NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY!
In early January, we noticed Brady was coming down with a cold. But when his fever spiked to 104, we had to rush to the ER for a whole bunch of tests. But after a while, they sent us all back home. After a scare like that, I started to send out Facebook posts to keep our friends and family updated on how Brady was doing.
If you have read this blog for awhile you then know that I recommend giving the full complement of vaccines to your children.
This story is something you, as a parent, should read if you are thinking about not vaccinating your children.
The reason there has been so little incidence of pertussis is that the last generation has been vaccinated against this deadly illness. But currently children who are not vaccinated are at risk of contracting pertussis…”whooping cough”.
“Whooping cough” is a horrible disease and death from pertussis is equally horrible and uncomfortable since it seems that a child dies from suffocation or not being able to breathe and get enough oxygen into their tiny body.
I have witnessed children dying…it is one of the most emotionally painful things that I have done in my career as a nurse. To stand by and know that there is nothing more that medicine can do to prevent a child from dying is excruciatingly frustrating and sad. To watch a family witness the death of their child is more painful than words can ever describe.
If you are questioning whether or not to vaccinate your children, please read Brady’s story. Do legitimate research and stay away from celebrity opinions because they are just that opinions…find a doctor that you trust and listen to him/her.
Resources:
Infections, Immunization, Vaccines
Vaccinations for Children, Why and When.
Related Posts:
Yesterday, I witnessed a very disturbing scene in an urban playground.
It was a beautiful fall afternoon in Chicago, at a playground nestled among the skyscrapers near Millennium park.
Our extended family was there with the youngest among them, a 2 year old little boy and 4 year old little girl. Both, fortunately, remained oblivious to the inappropriate activity encouraged by the parents and nanny of two seemingly unrelated boys.
The young boys seemed to be around 7 or 8 years old…one was several inches shorter than the other but they were evenly built….they were “duking it out” in the middle of the playground.
At first the other “parents” yelled at them to “cut it out” and “stop”, but the boys seemed intent on throwing punches and kicks to the body and groin paying no attention to the bystanders.
I watched somewhat in horror…especially when I noticed one boy’s parents watching and encouraging their son in this activity. They were not phased by any of the other parents’ comments.
I realized the taller boy was there with a nanny and toddler sister when he ran to his sister’s stroller to grab his sword out of its sheath. The nanny quickly took it away but sent him back into the “ring”. This was probably the only appropriate adult behaviour that I witnessed.
Finally…I could not contain myself as I watched this scene unfold and I approached the dad…
“Do you speak English?”…I asked.
He mumbled…that he did. I then told him, that what he was doing was inappropriate and that other children in the playground should not be made to witness this…his response was …”then don”t watch”…I then said that we could not help but witness the fighting, and this was a “playground” where we teach our children not to fight.
At that point, I walked away and approached the nanny, who was also just watching from another vantage point…I essentially told her the same thing and said that it was shameful of her to encourage this activity.
The nanny gathered the boy fighter and little girl and quickly left the playground…then other couple hung around watching their son play nicely with some other kids on the playground equipment .
I am still processing this scene and wondering if what I did really mattered…no other parents stood up to this man…did this mean that they were not appalled or was it urban apathy and “don’t get involved” that was playing in their heads?
I will never know for sure…but what I do know is that I basically stood alone facing this dad…speaking my mind…and I would probably do it over again.
What would you have done if you witnessed an activity like this at a playground?
I felt like I was watching a “dog fight”…and I had a flashback of an episode of “Law and Order SVU” where a child died of a ruptured spleen under suspicious conditions.
It was later found that the young boy was encouraged to fight by his dad and there were other dads, who brought their boys to a group at night in a park and set them free to fight…it was a disgusting show… but now I realize it seems that it is all too real.
