At The Family Place » Parenting

Child Discipline - Explaining The Spanking Approach

hlgiles — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:10:58 +0000

If you have a child acting up, a really effective way to get him to behave would be swift swats to the backside. There’s been a study done in the US on hundreds of children. Would you believe it, it’s been found that children who are spanked grow up to be not as bright as their friends who are not given a hot bottom. In an age of overparenting, where anxious parents want nothing more than to see their children grow up to be extra smart overachievers, keeping in mind this little detail about spanking might actually help that come about. But one wonders if the study inadvertantly looked at children who come from families that are poor and have little education and therefore, more commonly, use methods of child discipline like spanking?

This post originally appeared At The Family Place.

Child Discipline - Explaining The Spanking Approach

Separation Anxiety Disorders

hlgiles — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:56:42 +0000

A psychoanalyst named John Bowlby researched extensively in child development and came up with the idea of attachment theory, which is still very influential today and has been built upon since. The idea has to do with how infants bond with their caregivers and how that affects their development. In its very basic form, attachment theory classifies individuals into 3 different attachment styles: secure, anxious/ambivalent, and avoidant. If the infant’s caregiver (primarily the mother or parents) is responsive to their needs, the infant develops a secure attachment style. If the caregiver is inconsistently responsive, sometimes there and sometimes not, the infant develops an anxious/ambivalent style.

This post originally appeared At The Family Place.

Separation Anxiety Disorders

Getting Your Toddler Out Of Diapers

hlgiles — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:29:10 +0000

One of the things you are almost guaranteed to succeed in child training is potty training. After all how many teenagers do you see in diapers? Thus, the following tips on potty training are simply guidelines on how to go about and not so much on how to succeed. Going straight into the tips on potty training, the first thing you will want to do is evaluating your child’s understanding of verbal skills. If the child is able to understanding basic verbal instructions and carry them out, the child may be ready to start on out on potty training. Since toddlers love to do things on their own and will sometimes resist if you try, say to pull their pants, consider starting the training from that perspective.

This post originally appeared At The Family Place.

Getting Your Toddler Out Of Diapers

Beer Wench Costumes for Halloween 2009

peter1943 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:03:06 +0000

The maiden of the renaissance was a girl in a hurry. She was expected to be wed long before she was twenty years old and so she had to be forward when it came to men. The renaissance beer wench costume allows you to be as brazen as you please this Halloween. Any wench costume will allow you the same freedom to take the lead in encounters with men this Halloween.

The beer wench, otherwise known as the tavern wench costume is the image of the dingy eighteenth century English tavern with its carousing, beer and rum drinking. In the young United States and on the east coast of Australia, the same wenches were serving the same drinks to the same type of customer, the loud, foul-mouthed, brazen seamen that have frequented these taverns since the beginning of time. The tavern wench costume hides a sexy, knowing, buxom beauty.

The personification of the sexy powerful woman in our history is the pirate wench. She is a woman who makes her own mind up an all subjects and maps out her own destiny. She can deal with any man in any situation and is in all respects the equal of any man. If you’re in a pirate halloween wench costume you can expect to be showered with gold and jewels plundered on the Spanish Main. A pirate child costume will bring your girl great happiness at Halloween

This post originally appeared At The Family Place.

Beer Wench Costumes for Halloween 2009

Important Facts regarding Baby Nursery Decoration

fcoetsee — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:49:05 +0000

Are you about to begin with your baby nursery decoration project? Don’t even consider your colors until you have read these important facts.

Newborn Eyesight
This is primitive to say the least. They can distinguish light and facial features, although only in a very fuzzy way. Think about it: looking at anything is really hard work at this extremely young age. Your aim should be to make it as easy as possible for little one to develop this important ability. For this reason it’s essential to plan.

High Contrast Visuals
Include some patterns like black and white or black and yellow. Think of this as you would watching something easy and familiar on television. Did you know that the best present for a new arrival is a panda soft toy? Bold, contrasting images will help baby see better.

Sophisticated Thinking
Babies are more sophisticated thinkers than we realise. Some newborns can imitate adults sometimes at only a day old by sticking their tongue out in response to an adult doing it.

Memory
It might seem that kids don’t remember much at such a young age (apart from recognizing family members’ faces). Not true. Research shows how a 3-month-old baby can register what the decor of her nursery looks like.

Long Lasting Effects
Research shows that babies who perform better at memory tests in infancy also perform well in memory tests later in life. Whether this is due to an innate ability at this age or the likelihood of being in a nurturing, stimulating environment is not clear, but it’s best to err on the side of caution and assume that there is a link.

Mix It Up
The answer is to change elements of your baby nursery decor scheme on a regular basis. This gives your baby more to remember, more mental gymnastics to work out to.

This post originally appeared At The Family Place.

Important Facts regarding Baby Nursery Decoration

Nursery Furniture - Info on the Crib and Mattress

fcoetsee — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:35:02 +0000

Without doubt, the most important piece of nursery furniture is the crib. Not only is it the centerpiece of the room, it’s the whole reason you’ve built the nursery! If you’re on a budget, devote most of your resources on buying a good quality crib and mattress. Because baby will be spending more time here than anywhere else in the house, you will need the crib to last, to be comfortable and, most importantly, to be safe. Due to updated safety guidelines, it is not recommended you buy a second hand crib.

Look for hardwoods like ash, maple or oak, and a mattress base with metal or sturdy wooden supports. The bars should be spaced no more than 2 and 3/8 inches apart to prevent baby from getting stuck. The same can be said for any decorative cutouts. To extend the life of the crib, look for a model where the mattress base can be lowered to accommodate a growing infant who can stand. You could go further and purchase a convertible crib that transforms into a regular bed, but enquire in advance if the company charges extra for the convertible parts.

For the mattress, make sure it fits tight inside the crib, with no more than 2 finger lengths of space (preferably less). Foam mattresses are the most popular for both costing fewer than an innerspring and their lighter weight, which can be a godsend when cleaning it after a midnight accident. It should be no more than 6 inches thick, and the surface must be firm. Features to look for are vinyl surfaces for easy maintenance and vent holes to keep the mattress free of odors.

This post originally appeared At The Family Place.

Nursery Furniture - Info on the Crib and Mattress

Deciding Between Used or New Kids Furniture

fcoetsee — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:35:38 +0000

There are many ways to shop and find low priced pieces to use to decorate a room. Wholesale kids furniture will often be much cheaper than buying from a retail store. These items can often be purchased from wholesale stores and warehouses. Finding great deals can also be accomplished by paying a visit to yard sales or garage sales held by families. There are usually some opportunities to buy pieces that have not been used much by the family. Taking into consideration that most babies spend only a few weeks in bassinets and generally no more than 2 years in a crib, it is very wise to invest as little as possible in this type of expense.

For those who prefer new over used items, finding wholesale pricing is a great way to find quality pieces at a reduced price. Wholesale kids furniture may be available from a wholesale outlet store. This type of store can be found throughout the country, most often in larger cities. Using the yellow pages can lead an individual to find a store that will offer quality cheap kids furniture that is new. There are a number of malls, stores, and warehouses where items can be purchased at wholesale prices. This can be a great way for consumers to find wholesale baby furniture for a child’s room.

A yard sale, garage sale, or rummage sale may be another fantastic place to find great values. Used pieces are a less expensive alternative to buy furniture if you are willing to look at pieces that have already been used. These types of sales can usually be found in the late spring, summer, and early fall months. Often sales will be held on the weekends for individuals to stop at the family’s home to purchase furniture. Finding a sale will be easy if one knows where to look. Local newspapers, radio announcements, and signs will be utilized to advertise and promote these sales where cheap kids furniture prices can be found.

This post originally appeared At The Family Place.

Deciding Between Used or New Kids Furniture

Open Your Eyes And Heart When Addressing Teen Problems

hlgiles — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:22:24 +0000

Most parents have some trouble remembering what it was like to be a teen, with teen problems. Being the parent, your usual focus is keeping up with the good advice and proper discipline. Don’t you remember your own parents giving you what seemed to be endless lectures? They probably seemed like old fogeys, out of the loop and totally uncool. You probably tolerated their good intent and then went ahead and did what you wanted. It is difficult to go back in time in this way, due to your own daily responsibilities and the role of parent. Spend some time revisiting your own days as a teen. It’s likely you’ll have both humorous and trying memories.

This post originally appeared At The Family Place.

Open Your Eyes And Heart When Addressing Teen Problems

Anger Management - Let It Out or Control It?

smithmary185 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 06:55:29 +0000

In these days, we have progressively become a society of very angry people who have been fed the mindset that to back down from a fight or retreat makes them weak or even worse, a coward. Society has taught us to stand up for ourselves, to react when we are angry, and to get back at whoever made us angry in the first place. The let it all out way of living has created a society of people who need help in the form of anger management so that we can become the polite society we once were.

This post originally appeared At The Family Place.

Anger Management - Let It Out or Control It?

Parenting And Family

hlgiles — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:48:20 +0000

Going in for parenting and family counseling was an admission of defeat, but at the same time it was a way to start on the road to a brighter future. Parents and teens occasionally fight, but since our twins hit their preteen years, everything has been a nightmare. We have always been a very traditional, faith-based family, so this has been a hard pill to swallow. I used to think that the key was to have strong ground rules and a firm hand, but this seems to only make things worse. My parenting and family troubles would increase every time I would shout at my daughters, ground them, or tell them that they had to do what I said because I am the father. I finally realized that it was time for outside help.

This post originally appeared At The Family Place.

Parenting And Family