February 23, 2012

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Keeping Your Child Aware of the Medical World

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It is said that the majority of accidents happen at home. And as many parents will attest, children are often looking for new and interesting ways to hurt themselves. Since accidents or injuries of some kind are almost inevitable, it is wise to educate your children about the medical world and what to do in the case of an emergency.

Not all parents have careers in medicine and are thus not trained to treat many injuries. Even so, families should be able to treat certain simple injuries. A well-stocked first aid kit should be accessible in the home, and the family should know how to use it. A good first aid kit should include adhesive bandages, gauze, tweezers, disinfectant and more.

Have a set of emergency procedures in place in case of medical problems. Teach your kids how and when to dial 911. Try unplugging the phone temporarily and practice dialing 911 so they know what to do. Some hospitals offer CPR training courses. It’s good for even kids to know how to perform CPR.

Some children are scared of doctors’ offices or of doctors. If possible, try to help your children trust people in the medical world. Or rather, do what you can to lessen their uneasiness about doctors. Children are more likely to talk to a doctor about what is wrong if they are not afraid of the doctor.

Parents, if you have any medical problems like epilepsy or heart problems, make sure your kids know what to do if you have an incident.

Keeping your children aware of the medical world and first aid will help them be able to deal with and treat simple medical problems, whether they happen in the home or elsewhere.

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: , , ,

Help Your Child Become A Professional

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As a parent, you want the best for your children. Whether you are just starting out raising babies or have a house full of teens, there are many issues that parents face. Financial planning, special needs, medical care, and even helping your child develop into a professional are subjects that many parents struggle with on a daily basis. Take time to review available resources and develop a plan to help your child grow into their potential and land a high paying job. This can help remove some of the stress.

The End Game

While we all have a desire for our children to be happy and healthy first, we also want them be successful in the career they choose. You may hope that your child develops an interest in becoming a lawyer or doctor or selects one of the highest paying jobs available. While we cannot force our children to develop interests in particular fields, we can make it easier for them to do so by providing them with a solid basis in education, behavior, health, and financial planning.

Whole Child Development

One approach is the concept of raising men and women. Instead of focusing on your child’s short term development, remember that you are raising a little person who will one day be an adult. Start instilling the qualities that professionals possess from the very beginning. This isn’t barbaric when you think about it. Professionals in the highest paying jobs are hard-working, ethical, motivated, and diligent. Whole child development simply means focusing on these qualities from the beginning.

 

Filed Under: Childhood, Resources, Teens Tagged With: , ,

Moving the Family to a New Home

Moving the family to a new home is more than just packing boxes and crates, loading them into vans and cars and trucks and taking off to your new residence. Moving also involves a lot of changes.

Even a move across town (say, no more than 25 miles from your former residence) can entail changes. HOA management personnel in your new neighborhood may have already provided you a list of what is and isn’t allowed at your new home; this can mean not being able to take your child’s trampoline, swing set, or other outdoor play equipment.

If you can replace the equipment with some that is approved, then the problem may not be bad at all. If, however, you are not allowed to have any play equipment on your property, you will need to explain this to your children.

If this is the case, take your child to the neighborhood and find the closest play area. Then, promise them (and stick to your promise) that they will have ample opportunity to use that play equipment.

Moving the family to a new home may also mean a change of school, place of worship, and even youth sports venues. To make this easier, ask HOA management personnel if they can provide information on those things mentioned as well as other things that may affect your child.

Armed with this information in advance, you can start looking into registration processes, programs and activities that are available, and other things. Your child may even be able to start attending or participating in some activities even before the move happens, if transportation issues allow for this.

Filed Under: Family, Resources Tagged With: , ,

Finding Justice for Your Child

Many people have lost babies and the reasons are as varied as the children lost, but what is done about the loss remains an unanswerable question for some.

At times doctors or nurses have made a mistake that caused injury or even death to the babe. To make it through an entire gestation of 9 months just to have the baby die within hours or days or months is beyond heart wrenching. Most parents are not doctors and do not know whether their child is getting adequate treatment or not. Asking someone about parental rights, like a Los Angeles malpractice attorney, couldn’t hurt.

Doctors and Nurses Are People Too

Many parents feel like the doctor and nurse are authorities, and you don’t disagree with them. However, they‘re human, and unintentional deaths or even lifetime maiming can occur. Parents should talk of these possibilities before treatment.

It would also be good to get a second opinion so the parents can get unbiased answers. One doctor cannot speak for another, but they can tell about usual treatments and medicines. They know if something went very wrong or possibly even calm the nerves of an upset parent searching for information.

Doctors and nurses are people just like you, and they shouldn’t be put up on a pedestal, as being above us. They simply have an area of expertise that the parent doesn’t have, but they are still just people. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and ask all the questions that come up.

Don’t be afraid to stand up for your child; nobody else will.

 

Filed Under: Childhood, Family Tagged With: , ,

Should Your Child get an Allowance?

Some parents may approach the question of allowance with some trepidation. These hesitations are understandable, as of course you don’t want to spoil your child or go about it in an incorrect manner. Deciding on an allowance and, if appropriate, the specifics of the allowance, can be difficult.

Most experts agree that an allowance is a good idea. It promotes the ability to make money-related decisions, which can be developed at a young age (some say as early as three or four years of age). That is actually one of the more surprising conclusions from experts: that an allowance could (or should) begin that early. Money recognition does begin at an early age though, which lends the support of an allowance around this time frame.

You may want to spend time looking at specifics of the allowance. For instance, you may not be surprised to learn that the weekly amount is agreed to coincide with the age of the child. However, most experts propose not tying the allowance with housework, citing that children need to feel that they are contributing (and not “working”). These and other issues should be carefully approached.

An allowance will hopefully allow your child to acquire important skills they will use later. Perhaps your child will save up money to purchase American girl doll clothes, which will teach them valuable habits.

Take some time to approach this topic as a family. An allowance can certainly play a valuable role in their development, from learning how to count money to saving and fiscal responsibility. Perhaps an allowance is right for your child.

Filed Under: Childhood, Teens Tagged With: , ,

Should you Save for Your Child’s College?

Children in Jerusalem. 

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A lot of parents look at their child, seemingly so helpless and unable to do anything, and they naturally want to build the child a road through the clouds. The Earth no longer seems good enough for their baby. But while showing your child lots of love is great, at some point you have to encourage your child to become independent. You won’t be able to do this if you fight your child’s battles for him or her.

One of the hardest things you are going to have to do is instill a sense that at some point, your child is going to be on their own. At some point, no help will be forthcoming, and your interests will shift into your financial needs and not theirs. Far too many parents assume that they have to pay for their children’s college. But while helping your child to develop skills and apply for grants is wonderful, simply handing them the money to go to school is counter-productive. If you say, “be independent” and just hand them money, the lesson will be lost.

However, if you slowly wean your children off of your support in their teens, by 18 they will understand that they will have to hustle up their college fund for themselves. Do not assume that your children will take care of you when you’re old- they will have their own responsibilities by then. If you teach your children about the efficient use of loan money, the value of a dollar they have to actually earn, and the amazing power of grants, they will ultimately be more successful in handling money.

Filed Under: Childhood, Teens Tagged With: , ,

Tips for Positive Parenting

You’re a parent, a parent who wants the best for your children. But sometimes you are angry and impatient, at other times you are so loving and accepting you’d make even Mother Teresa proud.

Unfortunately, today is not one of those days. You’ve yelled more than you’d like to admit, and have spent more than the regular hours tending to the needs of your growing brood. You’re wiped out.

How can you be more positive?

  • Get the grit as well as the joys on positive parenting through various online resources.
  • Make it a point to pre-decide how you are going to respond to your child who disobeys before the incident occurs. When it does, stop for a moment before you react and go through your pre-planned response.
  • Focus on the positive. When you’re child does something well, reward them with a sticker or some other treat.
  • Teach your child how to do a particular task instead of assuming they know how to do it by watching you. Put up a step-by-step chart in their room following your tutoring.

Image Courtesy:http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebuckdaddy/4233374822/lightbox/

  • Smile. Have consequences for your children, but don’t let this interfere with your positive attitude.

Positive parenting is rarely a daily event; it is a moment by moment opportunity, an experience that is made more positive, or negative, depending on how you choose to react to it. Children can be taught the rules, can be given direction, can be helped on their way, but it’s up to you to decide how you are going to respond when their response is less than positive.

Filed Under: Childhood, Family Tagged With: , ,

Learning Things as a Parent

Being a parent is as much of a learning situation as being a child. There are things that every parent will learn or in some cases unlearn because of their children. Here are a few great examples of things parents don’t always expect to learn.

Group of children in a primary school in Paris

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  1. How to clean formula off a wall. Babies have a tendency to spit-up and sometimes it will end up on the other side of the room.
  2. Zippers are fantastic. Children go through a TON of cloths and having something that is easy to take on and off makes it much easier on you.
  3. Don’t wash Velcro with anything else. Velcro sticks – unfortunately to everything including that expensive piece of silk lingerie you love. Oh yeah by the way that is now ruined.
  4. Storage is key. Being a parent enables you to pack 90 bags worth of things into a diaper bag and purse.
  5. Always have a stroller. Strollers are not only a great place to put your child in when you get tiered of carrying them everywhere but they also work very well as a catch-all for bags and purses.
  6. Sleeping while standing up. Sleeping becomes something you only get when no one else is looking, the minute they see that you are asleep they instantly need something.

Being a parent never ceases to be an interesting adventure. And there is no telling what you may learn especially when you are not quite certain of what your child may or may not do next.

Filed Under: Childhood, Family Tagged With: , ,

The Teenage Years: Hard on a Parent’s Wallet

Babies are very expensive.  Although raising a child is often costly, the next most expensive time arrives once your child reaches the teenage years.  Here are some expenses to keep in mind when your child is approaching their teens.

Driving

Once your teen gets license they are going to want to drive.  Even if you can’t afford to get your child her own car or think that she is too young to deserve a car, she is still going to want to drive your car.  Don’t forget about the extra gas that your teen will be using and the extra mileage that will be added to your car.

Prom

Proms have become ridiculously expensive.  What once was a nice milestone has now turned into an excuse for teens to wear expensive gowns, want to ride in a limo and spend money on after prom parties.  It is important to work out a prom budget with your teen to avoid the situation getting out of control.  There is also the price of prom tickets to take into consideration.  The school usually sets the ticket prices.

It Costs to be Cool

When your child is in the second grade, you can dress your child in any outfit of your choosing and the kid will just go with it.  High school kids on the other hand want to wear what their friends are wearing and sometimes those stylish outfits come with high price tags.  Try to offset these costs by shopping at outlet stores or asking your teen to get a summer job to help save up for their school wardrobe.

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Tips for Raising a Handicapped Child

Raising a handicapped child can be difficult for the entire family.  Although challenging, with planning and time, you can provide a great life for your handicapped child.

Plan for the Future

If your child has a permanent disability, it is important to obtain adequate life insurance so that he can be taken care of after you are gone.  Although this is a difficult situation to think about, there are some disabilities that may be able to leave a child unable to work for life.

Make Your Home More Accessible

If your child has a disability which can be made easier by making some accommodations in the house, it is important to do these things so that your child can be more independent.  If you have a child who is short in stature due to a disability, provide stools so that she can reach sinks and help with the dishes and brush her teeth.  If your child is wheelchair bound, get her a tool to help her reach objects.  Kids like to feel like that can do tasks and contribute.

Test the Waters

Not all children with every disability are created equal.  When it comes to schooling, see what makes your child comfortable.  Some children may prefer to be home schooled or go to a special school to avoid teasing by other children.  Other children may have an easy time fitting in despite their disability and enjoy time in a regular public school.  Don’t hold your child back because you are afraid of what he can not do.  Let him try things, you can always change the arrangements if your child is unhappy.

Someone to Relate To

Help your child to make friends with another child with the same or a similar disability.  As your child grows into his or her teen years, it will be nice to have a friend who he or she can relate to.

Filed Under: Childhood, Family Tagged With: , ,
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