Continual Vigilance

What do you mean average? Not good? Just doing good enough?

That’s what came out in Joshua’s report card recently. Looking back, I wasn’t too bright a child either. Sure, I did well enough in the BIG exams but my toes curl in fright when I think about MY OWN report cards when I was younger. Let’s just say there were more reds than blues (or blacks) in there and my favorite letter begins the word “Favorite”.

My parents did not see much of my report cards, during those days because I would hide them in my closet. I would go back to school telling my teacher that I lost my report card. My teacher would issue me a new report card the next semester. The cycle repeats itself the next semester.

This is not the first time I am receiving my son’s report card. I received the first one last semester and we (my husband and I) giggled over it a little. I looked, relooked, analyzed and checked everything in the report. Was I proud of the report? Erm, half-half. I was proud that my son made it this far and it warrants a report. I mean, someone is GIVING me a report…not the other way around.

It sort of makes me feel like a President or something, you know. And it confirms my status as a “Mother-with-a-school-going-child”. But I was rueful about what was actually IN the report. I gripped the report tightly in my hands and stared at it - someone is reporting my son’s progress to me and this is dead-serious business!

This is what the teacher had to say about Joshua’s performance in school. “Joshua’s progress is slow but steady. He is proficient in his numbers and phonics but weak in his motor-skills”. My focus was on “slow” and whatever the teacher said next in the report was irrelevant.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY SLOW? A thousand things went through my mind: You mean, he’s not good enough for you? Do you mean he’s not even average? Does it mean he’s not performing as fast as he should? Did she mean that his other classmates are performing far better, a little better or outrageously better than him? Why did she start off with “slow” and then end with “weak”? Does this mean she thinks he really sucks in school?

Then my mind wandered off to other kids in his class? How are they doing? Are they able to form words by themselves without help? Can they READ? Can they do simple maths already when my son is still struggling to differentiate between 6 and 9? Can the other kids count to 100 when my son can only count to 10? WHAT WHAT WHAT?

Yup, this mother is worried that she is raising an under-average kid? Is it her fault? Not enough fish? Too much chicken? Not enough pork? Not enough vegetables in his diet? Maybe I should give the kids three tablets of Multivitamins instead of One.

It bugged me, to say the least. It shook me and made my mind whirl uncontrollably to think of the possible contributions I have made to his slow progress.

But you know what? Does it matter?

Joshua is THREE and a HALF years old!!! What was I doing when I was 3 ? Did I even realize that when you place letters together, they form words? Can I even count to FIVE (I am quite sure I can count to THREE)? Is there actual pressure on my poor son to perform in KINDERGARTEN? He’s not even due for kindergarten yet.

To my knowledge, there are parents who send their toddlers (18 months old) to school and I am like, what? These parents may be using the preschools for various reasons and most of them are valid ones.

Then how come time for the report card, and everything catapults out of place?

Give the guy a break! He’s not even dry by night yet and you expect him to spell “Mississippi”? I can’t even spell it right without using the Thesaurus function in the Microsoft Word program, ok?

But I AM definitely proud of that tyke. For instance, he can count till 15…except for the three-teen, two-teen, one-teen, five-teen….etc. But it works for me. Does it matter now?

He knows “M” makes the sound “mmmm…”. Does it matter when I say “M is for Mommy” and he says “No, M is for Monkey” and I say, “M is for Mommy too” and he shouts and growls like his tail is on fire. Does it matter?

Probably not. “M” can be for “Monstrous”, for all I care.

Marsha Manung is a freelance work at home graphic designer and writer who resides in Selangor, Malaysia with her husband, Peter, and 2 kids, Joshua and Jared. She is the author of “Raising Little Magicians” and “No products to sell” and other work at home books. Visit http://www.marshamaung.com for more information.

Q. How often should I nurse a newborn infant?

A. No fewer than 8 times per day, depending on how long he gives you at night. If he can go 4 hours, you’ll probably see two feedings in between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. If you tank him up right before you go to bed, you may only have one.

Q. How often should I nurse an older baby?

A. Depending on your child’s age, you should be on a 3-4 hour routine during the day. Remember, as your child gets older, the frequency of nursing sessions will drop off, but he will be eating more at each session. If you are committed to nursing past 6 months of age, it’s not recommended that you drop below 5 feedings per day. If you believe your milk supply is waning and you don’t want to stop breastfeeding, add a feeding or two to your daily routine in order to increase your milk supply

Q. How do I drop a feeding as my baby grows?

A. The most common changes are moms who want to switch from a 3 to a 3.5 hour routine or a 3.5 to a 4 hour routine, babies who are ready to drop their middle of the night feeding, or parents who are ready to stop the late-night feeding.

Most often you’ll know when your baby is ready to switch by a change in his sleep patterns. A baby on a 3 hour routine typically takes 3 naps per day (morning, afternoon, late afternoon) and the switchover to a 3.5 hour routine will see a shortening of one of those naps or the dropping of the last nap of the day. Babies are generally ready for this switch by about 12 weeks of age.

Dropping the middle of the night feeding is most often accomplished by the baby himself between 7-14 weeks of age. You’ll know your baby is ready when he doesn’t wake you up until 6:00 a.m. or so, and you’ll probably wake in a panic that morning, realizing you weren’t beckoned in the middle of the night. He will require more food during the day from this point on, and your breasts will likely be overly full for several days, but it’s all good!

Stopping the late night feeding is typically the trickiest to do. Many parents are reluctant to drop it, thinking that if they do, their baby will wake in the middle of the night, starving. If you think he cannot drop the feeding completely, back it up in 15-minute increments until you arrive at your desired time. If his last two feedings of the day are closer than your flexible schedule says it “should be,” don’t worry. It’s a temporary fix, and that’s what flexibility is all about. The routine serves you, not the other way around!

Kirsten Hawkins is a baby and parenting expert specializing new mothers and single parent issues. Visit www.babyhelp411.com/ for more information on how to raising healthy, happy children.

The method know as 3d ultrasound is that can be used during early pregnancy, it provides 3d pictures of the fetus. Most of the time the ultrasound pictures are rapidly collected and combined to make a 4d scan.

Three dimensional scanning works in the same way to the normal ultrasound scanning methods except that the ultrasound scanning pulses are sent from multiple directions. The waves are redirected back then captured to provide info to construct a 3d picture in in the same way as 3d movies. 3d ultrasound was devised by olaf ramm and stephen smith.

It’s important to understand that sonologists around the world have always pictured three-dimensional images of the body in their minds while doing 2d scans. However, until recently it was almost impossibel to do this type of reconstruction on on information using ultrasound. The advent of 4d baby scans for the first time allowed us a view into the thinking of a sonologist and allowing us to reconstruct the images on the ultrasound machine.

The 3d/4d ultrasound image should utilize ultrasound energy following the same limits as conventional 2d ultrasound to create the 3d images. There is no data to suggest any harm due to 3d ultrasound, its use in none medical situations needs to be undertaken with an understanding of the risks.

Being a mother of 5 children, ranging in age from 5 to 15 years, our household could get out of hand really quick. Before I had put my suggestions into play myself, some days were unreal what my children would argue or fight over. I would like to share suggestions that will help keep children’s wondering minds from making the household utter disaster like mine once was.

• Try your best to get a routine going in your home. Stick as close as you can to that routine. I know that sometimes things come up like an unexpected guest comes over, but try to stay with the routine. This is the most important one.

• When your children are in school or preschool by the time they arrive home they are usually very tired. I always try to have a healthy snack waiting for them and it gives the child a chance to unwind from the days events.

• Give each child a chance to tell you about their day. Let them explain to you what all they did at school and always ask questions. This also lets the child know that you are interested in what they have to say. It makes the child feel important that mom or dad would ask questions that only he/she can answer.

• Give your child a chance to show you their work or crafts that they had made at school. I have found in my children that The more proud I act over their work they always try harder to do their best. They feel that if they can make mom and dad proud they will try their best each and every time.

• Have a special project for you and your children to do together a few nights a week. Even have them help out in the kitchen with some minor supper duties. Anything that allows them to be involved with you the parent.

I know that all these things seem like a lot but really each one only takes a few minutes. The main thing that I have found is that getting a routine and staying as close to it as I can keeps my children’s minds from wondering on fighting and arguing. Sticking with the routine keeps your child’s mind on the routine and they know what is suppose to happen next and therefore is focused on the next task. I still have the occasional day that will go astray. That one day is better than having everyday go wrong. I hope these few suggestions will help bring a little more peace into your life.

Shannon Miller is the mom of 5 children. Stop by her sites and share in some of her experiences as a parent.
http://www.parentingfroma-z.com and http://www.asthmainfosite.com

“What age should my child start school?”

This is a common question that concerns many parents. It is complicated if your child’s birthday happens to fall near a closing date for new school enrolments.

There are many factors to consider including: a child’s gender, his or her general readiness and maturity and also family circumstances such as sibling proximity.

However as a general rule I advise parents not to rush children down the academic track. It is tempting to get children off to Pre School or school at the earliest possible age, particularly if your child is socially aware and generally a bright spark.

It is a mistake to assume that an early start in any area is a good start. The Finnish experience stands out as a beacon for parents and educators all over the world. Even though Finnish education authorities have delayed the start of school until as late as seven years there appears little or no gap between educational performances at the later end of school. In fact, in terms of dropout rates and readiness for further education those kids seem streets ahead.

Currently, in many Western countries we seem to hell-bent in shaping environments for kids from the earliest possible ages to maximise learning and child development. Nothing wrong with that per se but we must keep it in perspective and remember that kids need time, space and opportunity to be kids. That means that they shouldn’t always be in an adult-structured environment or live in a childhood that is an adults’ version of what a childhood should be. They need space and time to explore, climb, hide, balance, bounce, and use their imaginations. And adults don’t have to do all that much to allow this to happen. Kids will climb and bounce on furniture, hide behind chairs and turn a living room into a space ship given half a chance and the television off.

It is tempting to underestimate the importance of parents’ as a child’s first early teacher. Pick up a parenting magazine and you will see all sorts of advertisements for early childhood classes ranging from movement through to music classes. Okay, there are some experiences a parent can’t provide but I am unsure of the wisdom of cluttering child’s early lives with music, ballet and tennis lesson and neglecting the chance of giving them a chance to daydream, explore and just muck around.

Children’s basic needs don’t change. The foundations of early social, physical and mental needs are laid in the first seven years - and it is through play that children develop most.

What has changed is the amount of time a child spends sitting rather than being active, the ever-shrinking age that stress can kick in and how some kids barely have time to be kids.

Providing opportunities for outside play and activity at home is important. One-to-one interaction with a parent is important to boost confidence, promote language development and teach problem solving and perseverance.

The best start for a child is to have the chance to grow up in a relaxed atmosphere with the time and space to explore his physical and social environment; to mix with his peers in a mixture of structured and unstructured environments and plenty of language and experiential rich one-on-one time with a trusted and caring adult. It sounds a lot like home!

Michael Grose is The Parent Coach. For seventeen years he has been helping parents deal with the rigours of raising kids and survive!! For information about Michael’s Parent Coaching programs or just some fine advice and ideas to help you raise confident kids and resilient teenagers visit http://www.parentingideas.com.au

The most important thing not to be forgotten at a baby shower party to make it a success is to remember the reason behind the get together and that being is baby.

What is a baby shower, well let me tell you it is an occasion to celebrate the newest edition to the family. Originally baby showers were intended for first-borns, but in the modern world baby shower parties are practised for every baby born into the family and why not every baby deserves just as much attention as any other.

Baby showers normally have close relatives at hand tending to all the planning alongside mum/dad to be. Remember there are some cultures and religious beliefs that believe certain things like parties or belongings to baby brought into the home before the birth is considered unlucky.

Alias names for Baby showers as such have come under titles like Daddys shower, Men-only party for dads-to-be, Diaper showers or baby sprinkles, whatever this is all about welcoming the new baby. Guests invited to babys party bestow and shower gifts, hence the name baby showers. Not forgetting Grandmas shower where party guests bring baby items such as collapsible cribs and changing pads these gifts stay at the home of the grandparents, need I say any more. This is most probably where the famous saying comes in left holding the baby, well thats what grandparents are for.

Parents love a theme behind there baby shower party and why not something to get excited over secondly to that of the birth of baby. Essential needs to get the party into full swing include games the feast and presents and last but not least the cake which at a baby showers party is considered not complete unless this bakers confection is present.

To make your babys day extra special why not bake your own cake, dont worry if you have no experience in this department ready made mixtures for cakes are available with recipe instructions made easy to follow. The hardest part about baking your own is choosing the flavour. Butter cake/ Chiffon cake/ Cupcake/Chocolate cake/ Cheesecake/ Fruit cake/ Carrot cakes are just a few to mention.

A good idea is to bake the main cake of your choice with a couple of others that differ in ingredients. Good and simple choices and inviting to the taste bud is the Butterfly cake/ Gingerbread/ Spice cake/ Sponge cake, the list is endless. Remember this is your babys shower party so you get to choose.

Specially selected baby shower cake ideas

1. Why not try the belly cake a cake designed to look like that of a pregnant belly You can do this by placing a round cake in front of a square cake then sprinkle icing sugar over them both thus resembling that of a rounded belly.

2. Then we have the popular Toy Blocks Cake. Another fabulous idea that goes down well at baby shower parties, bake the cake to look like childrens toy blocks (one large block accompanied by 3 to 4 smaller blocks). Enhance the Toy block cakes by surrounding them with candies or little novelty toys. Make sure these are removed when eating.

The cake centre piece will stand out in the memories of the parents-to-be but never near as much as to why the reason behind why the cake stands there in the first place.
Congratulations.

If this day is to be remembered for as long as ever after then be sure to browse this fabulous site for fantastic ideas/themes. All you could possibly want to announce babys presence can found here at www.good-baby-showers.com