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Moving can upset children of any age. It frequently causes them to feel apprehensive and insecure. But, dont despair; there are many things you can do to make the moving experience less scary for your children.

Involve Them from the Very Beginning.

Tell your children as soon as you know youre moving; dont spring it on them at the last minute. Explain why youre moving in terms they can understand. Do you need more room? Are you relocating because of a new job? Be sure to explain what will happen so theyll know what to expect. This will remove a lot of the fear and confusion they may be feeling. Tell them when the move will take place and how their things will get from the old house to the new house. Be sure and answer their questions as fully as you can. Remember that your attitude about the move will rub off on them, so stay upbeat and positive. To help prepare them further, you canchoose from among many childrens books available on moving. Just a couple of these are Berenstain Bears Moving Day by Sam Berenstain and Goodbye House by Frank Asch. Check your local library for more.

Make the Move an Adventure.

If you approach the coming move as an exciting adventure for the entire family, it will help to calm your childrens fears. The more positive you are about the move, the more positive they will be. Make sure they understand they wont be left behind. Ask for their suggestions and involve them in the plans. If its possible, show them the new house and let them spend some time exploring it. Show them where their rooms will be. Help them visualize where their furniture and toys will go. Show them the yard and help them imagine all the fun they will have there. If its impossible for them to visit the new house, take tons of photos so theyll know what it looks like and can become familiar with it. Talk about all the fun things the family will do there.

Let Them Help.

If you give your children an active role in the move they are much more likely to accept it and even grow excited about it. Let them pack some of their own belongings, even if you have to go back and repack them later. This will help them feel a part of the move. If there are old toys you dont plan to take, let the kids help decide which of them should be given away for other children to use and which should be discarded.

What to Do on Moving Day.

The best plan is to have the children stay with a family member or trusted friend on the day of the move. If this isnt possible, be sure and involve them in the moving activities. If you have a moving company, introduce your children to the workers so theyll know whos taking their stuff away. You can give them a box of their own to pack. This could be the box of special belongings youre taking in the car with you. It should include all the things your children cant live without ~ favorite stuffed animals, that special blanket, maybe their favorite pajamas. This will accomplish three things. It will keep the children occupied and feeling useful and it will also ensure that you know exactly where these special items are. You would never want to arrive at your new home not knowing where to locate Susies scruffy old bear or Johnnys favorite action figure! It will also help the children feel secure since they have their most important belongings with them.

Youre on Your Way to Your New Home.

If youre driving to your new home, make the trip exciting! If the kids can relate the move to family fun, theyll enjoy it so much more. If its a long drive, be sure and have lots of games or books to keep the children occupied. Maybe each person could tell their own story about what they think living in the new house will be like. Youll arrive happy and anxious to start this new phase of your lives.

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Teaching children is not an easy task. And yet, it is one of the most important responsibilities you hold as parents. It cannot and must not be delegated to others. But then, you may feel loss, inadequate or ill prepared to teach. Looking at the countless programs and methods available in the child education market, you may feel like you need a PhD in this area if you are to succeed. Then there are the other excuses too like I have to work and don’t have the time, or I don’t have the patience.
Well, here is your wake up call. Teaching can be simple, effective and doable. Reading to your children and using stories to teach is a technique that is within the capabilities of everyone. When we read to our children, we do not confine them to academic excellence but also extend into their emotional and behavioral learning.

The following are 5 reasons why using stories to teach is effective:

1.The child doesn’t feel threatened. It’s not another lecture.
When we read to our children, we are able to address a situation in a non-threatening way. What do I mean by threatening? Let’s take a look at some examples of habitual phrases we tend to use when teaching our lesson:

• You shouldn’t lie.
• You are so messy.
• You shouldn’t be scared. You are just being silly.
• You are not listening to me.

Usually this is done in a blaming or angry tone of voice. When we finger point and use the word you, children hear negative and the situation becomes tense. Some may even become defensive. Put yourselves in their shoes. If someone were to start attacking you with words, would you be in a teachable mood? I would think not. Rather than focusing on the solutions to the problems, children are focusing on their feelings of anger, hurt, fear etc… that they are experiencing at that moment.

Using stories to teach, we take out the blame and place less emphasis on the problem. We talk and discuss solutions and speak positively. So instead of a lecture, we now have a healthy discussion.

2.Working on prevention and cure.
When we use stories to teach, we can help our children work through situations they are currently experiencing. It also allows us to mentally prepare them for situations that may arise. Children gain experience vicariously through the stories we read. Children are able to learn from vicarious experience just as well as they learn from real ones. The only difference is that this kind of learning takes place in the safety of your home. For example, you could use a book about being bullied to teach your child what to do if and when they face such a situation.

3.The child has a model to follow. They identify with the characters in the book.
Children make connections with the characters of the stories you relate. You can help them further by asking questions such as:
Is there anyone in the book who reminds you of yourself?

• How is that character like you?
• Which character would you like to be?
• Why would you want to be that character?
• Relate the lesson to their own lives and experiences: Like the little pig who build a house of bricks (in the story of the Three Little Pigs), what would you do make your house strong?

After reading the story of The Little Engine That Could, my daughter began to identify herself with the Little Blue Engine who said I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. It served to be a good model for her to follow at times when she felt inadequate.

4.Children remember stories better than they remember reprimands. It’s a good way to catch their attention.
In Making Connections: Teaching and the Human Brain (Addison-Wesley, 1994), Renate and Geoffery Caine states, “There is strong reason to believe that organization of information in story form is a natural brain process… In a nutshell, neuroscience is discovering that the brain is wired to organize, retain and access information through story. If that is true, then teaching through story means that students will be able to remember what is taught, access that information, and apply it more readily.

Maybe this is why children can rattle off dialogs from their favorite shows but can’t remember what mom said about picking up their toys.

5.Allows for critical thinking.
Stories are a safe way for children to explore emotions and behaviors. A book like Jane Simmons’ Come Along, Daisy, encourages children to think about the importance of keeping close to parents when out and about . Use thought provoking questions that will lead them to identify problems and feelings such as How did Daisy get separated from her mother? and What was Daisy feeling when she found her mother missing?
The best kind of teaching you can employ is to teach our children to be authors of solutions. Ask leading questions that will underscore the point of the story such as How can Daisy avoid getting lost in the future? What a boost it will be to your children to know they can come up with such genius solutions.

Reading and sharing stories with your children can help you become a better parent. It opens the channel of communication and strengthens the parent-child bond. The magic of stories can be a powerful influence for good. Does that magic exist in your home? Start reading to your child today.

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We find every child a cute child. We enjoy looking at the children, love playing with them and share their happiness and innocence with joy. Why? Is it only because the child is a lovely child in looks? That is not true. We mainly enjoy being with children and love them because they are honest. We love children because of their innocence. We love children because we are sure that child will not judge us and that we can be totally free with the children without any fear.

Let us examine our relationship with grown ups. With most of our friends and acquaintances, we are guarded in our approach. We think before speaking. We try to hide most of our true feelings and try to act in a way that we believe will maintain a make believe relationship. How many times, have you thought of shouting at someone, but have refrained from doing so? How many times have you wished to laugh at someone’s dressing sense but have stopped that laughter? How many times have you really wanted to tell someone few things but stopped midway worried that it may spoil the relationship? Please think about the artificial way in which we relate with grown up people. We do all this because we are unsure of ourselves. We are unsure about the other person’s reaction and intelligence and we are unsure about the relationship.

With a child nothing of this kind exists. We are free to express ourselves in as many ways as we wish, without any reservations. That is why we love children and call them cute.

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There are many different kinds of dog trainer collars. How do you know you are choosing the correct one for you and your dog? There are many things to take into consideration, when making this decision. Sometimes knowing how to choose, the right trainer over so many others can be a bit overwhelming. Arent they all the same? Actually, many of them may look the same, and some of them even work the same way, but they are all different, to allow a variety for different kinds of dogs.

The most commonly used dog trainer collar is the collar with the remote. This particular collar will stimulate your dog in a safe and humane way to help you train your dog more effectively. The way this one works is to attach a collar to your dog, which is then ready to provide stimulation to your pet, to make him stop misbehaving and irritate him to the point that he stops and listens to your command. After so many times of using this collar and remote system, your dog will listen to you and respect your commands for fear of being irritated with the stimulation. This is a most effective way to train your dog with a collar. The difference in the many remote and collars available can be the range of the remote control, as well as the collar that is needed for your particular dog. This is many times based on the weight of the dog, as to which collar would work better on him.

Another dog trainer collar method that is used would be the one where you would bury a wire in your yard. You would bury this wire wherever you want to keep your dog out of. For instance, if you want to keep your dog in the yard, bury the wire around the perimeter of your lawn, and attach the collar to your dog. Your pet will learn very fast not to cross over the buried wire. When your dog gets close to the wire, a clicking noise will warn your dog about the stimulation that is about to occur. This method is most effective for the dog owner that is not always home to use a remote.

While looking for a dog trainer collar, try choosing the one that is best for you and your dog. You both will be much happier once your misbehaved dog is behaving like he should.

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SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome What You Need To Know

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a frightening fear for most mothers. SIDS is often referred to as crib death, and is the sudden death of an infant who stops breathing. It is rare, affecting less than 2 in 1000 infants in the US, but the fear of it plagues all new mothers.

Who needs to be worried?
SIDS was once thought of as random, striking healthy babies, which made it all the more frightening. But, in reality, there are some things that can indicate that a baby is at a higher risk for SIDS. The first is any baby that has previously had an episode where he has turned blue or had to have breathing revived. Premature or low birthweight babies are more susceptible. In addition, mothers who have had poor prenatal care or smoked during pregnancy are more likely to have a child with SIDS. Children with diagnosed heart or lung conditions are also at risk, and boys are more susceptible than girls.

So, what do I do?
First and foremost, take care of yourself during pregnancy and dont smoke. Have regular prenatal doctors visits, and follow your doctors recommendations. Secondly, put your newborn to sleep on his back, or his side. There does seem to be a connection between SIDS and babies who sleep on their stomachs, particularly if they sleep on a soft mattress. Dont put unnecessary items, even blankets in the crib with the baby, and dont let him get overheated. Learn infant CPR so you are prepared in the event you need to resuscitate your child.

What if my baby has had an episode?
If your child has an episode stops breathing or turns blue, notify your doctor immediately, even though you were able to revive him. Your doctor will want to run tests, and, if he fears that the baby is likely to have another episode (though 95% do not) he might suggest a monitor for the baby. These monitors will alert you in the event the baby stops breathing, but are only used in high risk situations. The monitors are quite cumbersome, and tend to have lots of false alarms, making Moms even crazier.

When Can I Stop Worrying?
The threat of SIDS is over once your child reaches his first birthday, and declines dramatically once he is six months old. In fact, most SIDS deaths happen between the ages of two and four months. Take some precautions, but unless your baby has an elevated risk, remember that SIDS is actually rare, and is not something to obsess over.

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As your baby grows larger, that little tiny counter top bathtub will become a thing of the past. But, putting a baby into a big bathtub can be frightening for both of you. Here are some ideas to make bath time fun and safe for you and your little one.

Take a bath together
Your baby will love having you play and splash with her, especially if she is a little afraid of the big bathtub. This works best when baby is old enough to sit up on her own, so you dont have to hold her the entire time.

Buy a bath ring
Bath rings are great for babies who cant sit unsupported just yet, because they keep the baby from slipping down into the water

Try an inflatable bathtub
Inflatable tubs fit snugly down inside your bath tub. They are soft, with big puffy sides that help keep baby upright. Plus, these tubs make the large tub seem a little smaller and less overwhelming to the baby. I found this to be a great way to transition my children into the big tub.

Buy lots of bath toys
If your child is a little fearful of the tub, the best way to deal with the fear is to take his mind off it. There are loads of toys for the bath, from a plain old rubber ducky, to battery operated fish that swim around, to paints designed for writing right on the walls. Find the right combination of bath toys, and only let him play with them in the bath, and you should be able to turn bath time into the favorite time of day.

Color the water
There are some great bath time products that can color your bath water. Children are delighted to be able to pick the color of the bath. Its a great way to teach colors, too!

A couple of final words about bath time – be sure you are using childrens bath products. The last thing you want is a child who is already fearful of the bath getting soap or shampoo in his eyes. Plus, adult products can be drying and cause skin irritation. And, never leave baby unattended in the bath, not even for a second. The bath can be loads of fun for your child, but only if its safe, too.

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In 1993, the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) granted American men and women up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off from their jobs for the birth or adoption of a child. This period of time off is generally known as family leave or parental leave. For women, it is commonly called maternity leave; for men, it may be referred to as paternity leave.

To be eligible for parental leave under the FMLA, a person has to work for a federal, state, or local public agency or an organization that has 50 or more employees working within a 75-mile radius. He or she must have worked for the organization for at least 12 months and for at least 1,250 hours during the past 12 months. If a person meets these criteria, the FMLA requires that his or her employer continue paying for employer-sponsored benefits during the family leave and allow the employee to come back to the same or a similar position upon his or her return.

In addition to the parental leave established by the FMLA, some states have their own family leave laws, which are often more generous than the provisions of the FMLA. Whats more, many employers also offer their own family leave policies.

Despite these gains in federal, state, and employer policies, many men are reluctant to take paternity leave. There are a number of possible reasons why this is the case.

Most importantly, perhaps, is the fact that many men simply cannot afford to take an unpaid break from work–let alone a 12-week unpaid leave. According to the National Partnership for Women & Families, 78% of individuals (men and women) who are eligible for leave under the FMLA but dont take it, dont take it because they cannot afford to do so. The arrival of a new baby means one more mouth to feed, and for many families, the loss of an income at this time would be devastating, particularly if the mother is already taking an unpaid maternity leave.

The fear of what will happen to their jobs when they return is another factor that may make men hesitate to take paternity leave. While it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee who has taken a leave, some male employees still have concerns about how they will be treated after doing so. If their coworkers havent already set a precedent for taking paternity leave, a companys male employees may not know what to expect if they try to do so themselves.

Another possible reason why men are reluctant to take paternity leave is rooted in social norms. While husbands and wives today commonly share the breadwinner role in their families, many men still feel an obligation to act as the primary breadwinner. For some, this is a hard role to give up, even temporarily.

The first few months after a baby is born are critical to the bonding that takes place between parent and child. Moreover, the National Partnership for Women & Families states that parents taking parental leave can provide long-term benefits to a child, including improved brain and social development and better overall health and well-being.

If you are a man who is starting to plan a family, look into the parental leave options that are open to you through the FMLA, your states laws, and your employers policies. If you cannot afford to take an unpaid leave, consider the other options that may be available to you. For instance, your employer may offer paid sick time or paid vacation time that you may be able to repurpose into a paternity leave. Taking some time off at the arrival of your new baby will be well worth it for you, your child, and your childs mother.

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Did you know that, according to figures from the RCMP, approximately 186 children are reported missing each day in Canada? That’s one almost every 7.75 minutes; recent US statistics are much more alarming, somewhere in the United States approximately every 40 seconds a child is reported missing. In fact, by the time you have finished reading this article, the odds are that another child has been reported missing or abducted.

The thought that a child could be taken or go missing is a very real fear that all of us, as parents, share. Naturally, we want to keep our children safe, but we can’t watch over them 24 hours a day. I am frequently asked by parents for advice on what they can do to protect their children. I’d like to share some advice with you so you can reduce the risk that such a tragic event will ever befall your family.

First, teach your child his or her full name, address, phone number and your full name. That way, if they are ever lost, they can give this information to a police officer. You should also teach them how to dial 0 or 911 in the event of an emergency. After all, the sooner they can make that call for help, the better. Whether going to school, band practice or a friend’s house, they should always follow the same route without taking any shortcuts.

A family password is another great idea to help protect your child. It should be something that is easy to learn and remember, and should be unique to your family. It could be tied to a special event- such as a birthday or vacation-or it could be your maiden or middle name.

Because there are bound to be times when your older children are home alone, there are a few simple rules they should follow. Make sure they understand not to let strangers in the house while you are gone. If someone calls, tell your kids to take a message, and that they should never say you are not home.

Safeguarding your kids when home alone is one thing, but how can you protect them when out in public at a mall, movie theatre or grocery store? One-way is to tell them to go to the information booth or checkout counter if you should become separated, and be sure your kids know where they are located. You should also tell the to yell and fight if a stranger should try to hurt them, or force them to go somewhere else. Creating a scene can prevent an attempted abduction.

One tip you may have heard from schools is to sew your child’s personal information into their clothes or personal items, such as backpack. Unfortunately, a stranger can use this same information to assume the role of a family friend and gain the trust of a child. A better solution is to contact and register with a child identification service that will provide you with coded iron-on identification labels.

If the unthinkable should happen, and your child is missing or abducted, contact your local police force immediately. In this situation, a Child ID kit, in which the childs fingerprints, recent picture, specific identification features as well as a hair sample, is truly the most helpful item parents can possess. In the event that this precaution has been overlooked, provide them with as much detail about your child as possible, including a recent photograph, a hair sample from a pillow or hairbrush and, if there is a search planned, a recently worn piece of clothing.

Finally, make the time to talk to your children regularly on ways to stay safe. It takes repetition and positive reinforcement for them to learn these tips. Activities and coloring books promoting safety are a very good idea for very young children, and the time you take to prepare them now will go a long way toward protecting them from harm in the future.

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New Internet Filter and Kid Safe Web browser keeps Internet safe for kids.

Finally there is a solution for parents and grandparents who want to allow their children the freedom to surf the Internet without the fear that they may stumble across the wrong things online. Childrens Educational Network has designed a very unique, free Internet filter and parental control multiple themed Kid Safe Browser which is the gateway to what they call TUKI.

Most everyone with children has either experienced first hand or knows someone with children who have stumbled across negative content (either innocently or intentionally). The Kid Safe Browser is designed to give parents the ability to have a say as to what their kids are looking at. Parents are given the tools to either delete or add (pre-approve) websites that they deem appropriate or inappropriate.

TUKI is the acronym for The Ultimate Kids Internet (www.TUKI.com) and this is the membership portion of the their service which offers many premium features. The one very important and meaningful benefit for you and your family is the educational aspect of the Kid Safe Browser. Management of the Company are committed to not only protecting children with technology but also offering educational messaging to teach children the ins and outs of being a responsible, safe web surfer.

This educational messaging is a real powerful feature that we found with TUKI and could not find any other Internet filter or parental control software that also offered an educational aspect.

The Kid Safe Browser gives access to thousands of pre-approved (by teachers and parents) websites that can be surfed (NASA, Nickelodeon, Disney etc.). If a child tries to go to a website that has not been pre-approved the browser displays a message that reads: This website is not in the Approved List.

Parents can then decide whether or not that site is acceptable for their child to visit and choose to add it if meets their approval. There is also a Internet Protection Lockdown feature that prevents the user from exiting the Kid Safe Browser and entering another browser (AOL, Netscape, IE etc.) that allows access to potentially controversial websites.

Yet, another concern for Parents is that they might receive unsolicited (spam) email. As part of the TUKI membership kids are issued a spam free and safe email account. Again, parents are given the keys to their childrens email box so to speak. Parents pre-approve who the child can send and receive email from. Parents can also add key words (to an already existent Ban List that a child cannot send out via email & chat. For instance, a child would be prevented from giving out private information such as a home address, home phone number, school name or sports team or any other bit of information that a parent might feel would compromise their privacy or safety.

Other features of the TUKI membership are Chore Reminders and Encouraging Words. Since each browser has its own (themed) animated talking Internet Guide, (The Noahs Net Browser has Noah The Mindstein Browser has Professor Mindstein) Parents can dictate some of the things that the Internet Guide will pop up and say; Mandy did you feed Fido today? Billy, Your Mommy loves you so much!

For the most part, the Kid Safe Browser is pretty easy to use. Mostly, your kids will love the talking animated characters; the many games included with the software, and homework sites that make keeping with their schoolwork easier. Meanwhile, you will love the fact that you can sleep at night knowing youve taken action in preventing your child form being exposed to sites and sounds that he or she shouldnt.

As a child advocate I recommend everyone to take action and get this new free Internet filter and parental controlled Kid Safe Browser. To get your own Kid Safe Browser visit http://www.tuki.com and download your very own Kid Safe Browser.

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Parents at times feel uneasy reading to their children. It could be for numerous different reasons. Perhaps they don’t take to reading themselves. Possibly their reading skills are not the best. Or maybe they feel like they have to produce comical faces and make un-natural sounds in order to read a little one’s book. So for fear of embarrassment, they pass on the reading assignment.

There are numerous ways to share books with your little one. Your reading skills do not have to be top notch. Just the one-on-one time alongside your little one is making a difference to them. The closeness and sharing of stories will pay off for years to come.

You want to try and read to your little one every day. You need to radiate an excitement about reading a story together so that your child thinks of reading as fun. There are a few ways to make reading fun. You can talk or sing about the pictures in the book. You don’t have to read it word for word. Occasionally it is more intriguing to add your own twist to a story. Talk about your own relatives or friends and add their names to the story.

Ask questions about the pictures in the book. Let your little one create their own take on the story. They may see the pictures speaking to them a bit differently than what the words depict. This will open up a vast dialogue and a chance for you to elaborate on things in the pictures and assist your child in discovering the world we live in.

Show your children the cover of the book and let them recite to you what they believe the book is about. If they are too young to do so, point out certain items in the pictures to help them learn the names of the characters that might be in the pages that follow.

Let your little one turn the pages of the book for you. This will help them interact with the book and get familiar with how books are laid out.

Children have a short attention span, so don’t get discouraged if they lose interest before you are finished reading the book.

Remember to have fun with reading, and your child will pick up on this positive reinforcement of reading.

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