Archive for October, 2008

As couples spend their wedded lives, one of both of them might ponder over this question at some point in time. Being wedded calls for a constant improvement that will always benefit both of you no matter how strong the relationship is. For marriage to be kept animated and active, both the partners should do their part in giving out the best efforts that they can for the relationship. Some easy things to consider that will help you and your spouse work through your issues are:

Try To Identify the Problem In The Relationship

You and your spouse first and for most need to have a heart to heart and recognize what the problems are. This can tougher than you think, as this requires some amount of self-analysis. It is possible that we hate to see what we see, but if we can identify it, we can discuss candidly with our spouse, and that is the first step towards reconciling the issue.

Be Open And Interact With Each Other

Any relationship thrives on significant and sincere communication. Maybe the lack for intimate time can be attributed to this since you are too busy with your responsibilities at work, to your children and other concerns concerning the family. It needs to become a daily habit of quality time and you need to make time for each other and communicate. The essence of truthfulness is one chief aspect that you and your spouse should take into consideration. While communicating, we must recall that we ought to listen too and lend a shoulder to our partners whenever needed. The only way to reach out and find this nook is when you interact with each other.

Having High Values For Each Other Equals Respect Do You Have Any?

Respect is another fundamental factor to consider. Is fighting with each other already a part of your daily routine? Do you often swear, call each other names and point fingers at each other as if its just the most natural thing to do in your relationship? It is easy to get to that space at times when things are not going well. When you regard your partner in high esteem, you can actually bypass and amend several errors of the past. Was there any difference with your manner of treatment as well as the degree of your tenderness to each other from the first time that you met until these days? Can you think of the things that may have made the changes?

Work On Attachment And Tenderness

When marriage tends to face the tough times it is often resulted to the lost of such big aspects of relationship which are the connection and intimacy with each other. In most cases, what can actually help couples to deal with any issues is their mere loyalty to each other to find ways and time to be close and have that particular connection made even stronger each day. Sexual intimacy is also another way to gain back the intimacy you have lost. It may be awkward to think about sexual intimacy if you’re having trouble with your relationship, however, if you see to it that you have time to be close with each other, then you can somehow bring back the moments that have spiced up your life. If both the couples would do their part in giving efforts and time to fix the issues involving their relationship, then saving it from a disaster won’t be that hard to achieve.

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Am I the only one in the world that has issues getting my kids ready for school in the mornings? Sometimes it seems to be an endless battle. I know that the dynamics in each family are different according to how many kids verses how many parents. But I thought I would share my ideas in the chance that they might help some parents.

I have an ongoing difficulty with my 10 year old daughter, Rebekah. It doesn’t matter what time she wakes up in the morning, she seems to end up pottering around and then being late to school on a regular basis.

The first thing you should do with a child reluctant to get out the door to school is to talk to them about what happens at school. Are they being bullied? Is there a reason that they don’t want to go to school ? Once you have eliminated anything there, then you will need to come up with a plan of attack for how to turn this problem around.

It is important to find a positive way to deal with the problem if at all possible. Perhaps a sticker chart or something that they can get every day to start off with, depending on the age of the child. But early on the rewards should be pretty immediate. Then as the child catches on the rewards can be a bit further apart.

You need to exhaust all the possibilities of positive consequences before thinking of turning to a negative consequence as positive consequences really do work better. Unfortunately for my daughter I had to use a negative consequence this morning, on account of her throwing a tantrum. That was something I would not have expected to see from a ten year old.

Becky is finally gone to school now and it’s time to dream up her consequence. Because she chose to throw a tantrum like a little child I have decided to deprive her of some things that are reserved for older girls. I shall be taking away her favorite earrings and also a few random items of “grown up” clothing. They will go up into my top cupboard. Beck will be devastated but I will explain to her that those kinds of things are reserved for girls who act their age and don’t throw tantrums.

Always try to match the crime to the punishment. In my case I am letting Becky know that because she threw a tantrum she should not be wearing grown up clothes. Make sure that you talk through it with the child so they understand why you are doing what you do.

Even though this may seem harsh, I will give Becky a chance to lessen her consequence very quickly. Our job as parents is to help prepare our kids for the outside world when they grow up. Even convicts in jail have the chance to lessen their time behind bars for good behavior. So our kids should also be provided with this opportunity to lessen a consequence wherever possible. If Becky does the right thing for perhaps two days, she will get her earrings back and so on until she has earned everything back again. This way she fully understands that she is responsible for making things happen in her life. And that’s the way I want it to be.

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It is a big day! Your teen daughter or son came home from school and told you that tonight they are going on teen dating! Not so excited, are we? Yes, there is a lot of worry involved from a parent, but stay cool about it!

Maybe you remember coming home crying because your date turned out to be too aggressive, or made a mean remark about your outfit. But not all your dates turned out that way. Some dates were thrilling, with compliments and fun from beginning to end. So it’s not all bad news.

There will be ups and downs, and your job as a parent is to be there for your teen and guide them in this new interaction with their peers.

The best preparation for teen dating starts at home. Young people base their expectations on the model you provide. Long before teen dating comes into their consciousness, kids see how their parents interact. Issues like respect for each other, compromise, privacy and assertive behavior are demonstrated at home between parents. When you and your partner have arguments, they are usually resolved in a compromise, with a little give and take on both sides. These are social skills that will help them in the teen dating scene.

Confidence is key in your relationship with them. Talk to them like you talk about everything else, without making them feel cornered. Wait for them to open up to you and you will be rewarded for your patience.

Encourage double dates or group activities for starters. This makes it easier for your child to get into the swing of teen dating. A double date at the county fair allows both girls and boys to be more relaxed with one another and just have fun. Both boys and girls have someone of their own gender to chat with if self-conscious or nervous feelings surface. A group of boys and girls going bowling or to the skating rink is another good choice. It will help them build confidence in teen dating.

It is not working if you cannot help being intrusive. Let them have their privacy and don’t pester them with all kinds of advices and hard words. It is easier for them to gain confidence on their own than without you being on their shoulder all the time. Accept that they will not be talkative anytime you want to, but they will turn to you when needed.

Being non intrusive does not mean that you should let everything blowing in the wind. Try to approach your child with care, don’t scare them away and start up a conversation about teen dating and the aspects involved with it. Let them know that alcohol and drugs will get them into trouble and teach them how to stay away from them. Assure them that they can call you and ask for your help whenever something like this happens, without them feeling scared that they will get a severe punishment when they get home with you.

Put your best foot forward in guiding your teen, and chances are their teen dating experiences will be happy ones.

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This morning two of my kids wanted to go on the computer before they left for school. Now we do have a rule that the computer doesn’t go on before school. But Sam and Kieren came to me with tidy rooms, their chores had been done, they were all ready for school with lunches packed. Everything had been done. Then they came to me and gave me a big cuddle and said:

“Mum, can we pleeease go on the computer before school?” I thought about my rule and then I thought about the outstanding things that the kids had done already this morning. I wanted to let my kids know that good behavior gets rewarded so I said to them, “OK, guys, it’s 10 to 7am. If you can come up with a game plan that will allow you both to have your turns on the computer and be off before 8am , and you are both happy with it I will agree and allow you on the computer”.

Now I was doing two things here. First I was letting my kids to practice their negotiating skills and seeing if they could figure it out for themselves. Second, I was getting them to police one another so I didn’t have to. The last thing I wanted to do was to say to the kids, “you have to get off the computer and leave for school now”.

The end result was that the kids came up with their solution. Kieren said that Sam could go on for the first half hour and Kieren would take the second half hour. Both kids got to enjoy their computer time and were out the door to school in plenty of time. They proved to me that they knew how to negotiate and work together so I think I might even give them the same privilege another day should they continue in their outstanding behavior.

Parents, this is what you need to know here: your kids, no matter what their age, need to learn that the quality of their life will be in direct relation to the effort they put into it. If you work hard your boss might give you a raise. If you don’t work well he will give you the sack. That is the way the world operates. And when we teach our kids how the real world operates they will be well equipped to function in the world as adults. They will also thank you later on life.

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My parents were great and I had a great childhood. We were poor but happy. We did lots of things together. Our family activities included camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, cooking and gardening weekends together, card games and shared reading. My parents showed each other a great deal of respect and love.

I want to be a better dad and be as good as my father was. We have two children already and another one on the way. I want to be a truly great father. I know that good communication and shared time is a good start. Unfortunately my work time seems to leave the little spare time for my wife and family.

When our new baby arrives home I want to make sure that I’m able to support my wife properly. I’ve had two children to practice on being a good father but I think you need more help. With more strategies I’m sure I can be a better dad.

Every day I see happy kids and happy dads. In the stores we are bombarded with magazines that display photos of celebrity dads and their kids. How do they do the best job they can? They listen, watch others, read and do things that show their family they love and cherish them.

It’s the little things that often count. Bringing flowers home for your wife, arranging a babysitter for an unexpected outing, cooking dinner, bathing the kids, supervising homework, suggesting take outs. It’s the surprise element that makes your gestures thoughtful. Think of ways you can help and support the running of your home and the nurturing of your family.

The kids will love it when you come home early and take them to the park. An ice-cream treat is always a winner! Kids love to spend time with their dads and moms love dads to share the parenting role. An early morning walk with the kids really hits the spot with their mom as it allows a leisurely start to the day. Organize the kids to get breakfast in bed for Mom.

Even if they aren’t very effective, most fathers try very hard to be good dads. If you are going to change, make sure it is a long-term change rather than just a week when you turn into this new fantastic father. You have to maintain being a super dad. Your kids will be very unhappy if you turn on good fatherhood for a few days and then become the old grouch that you used to be.

Like anything else, if you want to improve you have to plan and set goals. Why not try some lateral thinking like Edward de Bono? Corrupt three Collins and had them there’s Positive, Negative, and Interesting. As you start to investigate being a better father, note down the things that seem to be effective, ineffective, or need to be considered later. Make up a working list of good activities and put into place.

Work through your planned list carefully and don’t try to do everything at once. When you do try a new strategy, find out if the family appreciates what you have done. You’ll be pleasantly surprised when you notice how much more positive they are about you. More importantly, you’ll know that you’re doing your job well and that you’re working hard to be a better dad.

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Do you ever wonder what you have done wrong when your child does something wrong? Well, this morning I couldn’t get my daughter motivated to get ready for school. She just stayed in her bedroom and pottered around and I was getting quite concerned about the time.

It was 7.55am when I finally turned up the pressure by saying to her, “OK, Becky, if you want a lift to school I am leaving at 8.15am. You have 20 minutes to get dressed, have breakfast and pack your bag”. Then I went away again.

She finally emerged right on 8.15am and started running around furiously as she hadn’t eaten breakfast and was hungry. I simply said to her, “what a shame you will have to miss out on breakfast this morning as we have to leave now”. I started to walk towards the car and poor Becky realized that mum meant business and she would be going hungry.

I drove Becky to school and she was pretty quiet in the car. Becky knew that she had done the wrong thing by trying to test the boundaries. And if she tries that again she will get the same result. I will not waver in my boundaries for her sake.

Sometimes kids will try to control adults by dawdling like this. We have no control over that. All we can control is our reaction to their actions. Becky knows now that there will be a sad consequence of no breakfast should she try to dawdle like that again. A valuable lesson for any child to learn.

I know it is sad to have to do that but if I keep on saving Becky she will never learn that the world requires people to be on time. I had to leave for work. I had to earn money to feed my children and pay the mortgage. And that’s the way life is. Becky had a responsibility to be at school on time.

We need to allow our children to learn through their mistakes. I could have easily whipped up some breakfast or waited another 3 minutes for Becky. But the issue here was that Becky knew the boundaries and still defied me by being on a “go slow” to purposely try to annoy me.

The end result was that Beck was very hungry until morning tea break today. But I think perhaps she will think twice about doing the same thing again. Why? Because she didn’t like the end result. She experienced the consequences of her poor choices this morning.

It was heart breaking to see a hungry child going to school. But I had no control over Beck’s actions. She made some bad choices today. But when we allow our kids to make mistakes and learn from them they will thank you later on in life. I guarantee it.

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by Michael Richmond

With all the news about hazardous ingredients in your favorite cleaning products, do you wonder at the constant barrage of advertisements that convinced you that these products were ?New and Improved?? The drive to create and market more powerful cleaners has displaced the greater concern for the health of the public using those products. People are now asking the question whether they can trust these companies who mislead us before.

After years of hard-sell advertising, breaking away from your favorite cleaning product may be difficult. First of all, what can replace this old friend? Ignorance is part of the reason that change is difficult. Naturally Green Clean provides an easy and powerful way to completely change your shopping habits while keeping your home both clean and safe. It is possible to dig through hundreds of magazine articles and thousands of Internet website, but Candace Richmond has already done this and provide readers with the twelve crucial ingredients to clean nearly anything.

Candace Richmond’s book is Naturally Green Clean, and it is filled with exciting and practical information. This 90 page downloadable book will quickly become your best resource for safe and effective cleaning solution for your home. Cleaning is a fundamental need. This study is not about buying CFL bulbs, starting a compost pile, or adjusting the settings on your thermostat. You will learn in a first hand fashion how to easily clean any part of your home. Most people will be surprised to learn how well these Naturally Green Clean processes work, but that is only the start.

Candace Richmond has teamed with Green Clean Institute to provide a professional certification for anyone taking this course. A 25 question exam is included that is faxed in for grading. Once you pass the exam, you are issued a Green HomeMaker certificate that shows the world that you know how to really care for your home and your family.

While it is enough motivation to protect the health of the family, it is also noteworthy to understand that most natural products are far less expensive than products bought in the store. Just calculate the cost of advertising, shipping, and management to understand that shoppers are paying 300-400% more for products that they shouldn’t buy. Each of the twelve ingredients in this book are easy to find and inexpensive.

There is another compelling reason to go to natural cleaning products. Each year tens of thousands of accidental poisonings happen to the children of Americans. The cause can be traced back to the numerous harmful and dangerous products we keep within easy reach. While some advise parents to keep these things out of the reach of small children, it is better to simply get rid of them. This book provides the answer to a horrible family tragedy.

This book is just too good to overlook. Naturally Green Clean is written to the average homemaker who wants a healthier family, a Green Home, and less harm to the family budget. Other readers report surprising results using these simple to use products. Get it, read it, and live it. There are no losers in a truly Green Home.

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by Christo Fouche

Do you know what?: Not many people find travel books as fascinating reading. People indeed do find other places interesting, there’s just not much that can be said for books which contain a just hundreds obscure facts about different countries crammed into a book. As a fact this might sound like fun for a trivia geek, it just sounds boring to other people. The book Club Expat: a Teen Guide to Moving Abroad, however, shows that there still is hope for the travel book industry.

This book, authored by the brothers Aniket and Akash Shah, certainly has caught people by surprise. It is part biography, part travel guide and a whole great guide to life. What separates it from other books, however, is the prose. The authors wrote the book in a unique style that just promises to grab the readers and suck them into the world within the book. They let the readers experience a ride full of wonder, loops and leaps and dives.

Moving overseas will always be hard on a teenager. It would be like saying goodbye to a world which they have only begun to explore. It is often the case that a teenager will feel cheated as though you gave him or her some hope and then dashed it against the rocks of reality. In times like this, a teenager needs reassurance that everything will be okay. They need to know that their lives will not end simply because they are moving overseas. The book Club Expat: a Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas definitely does the job!

Club Expat: a Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas teaches teenagers how to embrace what life throws at them. It teaches them how to look at the move from another perspective. It teaches them to find the core of stability within the whirlwind caused by the decision to move.

The book Club Expat: a Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas is a must-read for any teenager moving overseas. The book will help them see the move as a new adventure. It will help them see the move as a fresh start in life. It will help them realize that it isn’t really as earth-shattering as they fear.

A lot of people found the books very helpful because of the informational tips and bits of advice that can be found inside. This is information that can help teenagers survive the little challenges of life as an expatriate.

When reading the book at first, it seems to be a simple guide for teens on how to survive moving. However, reading it further, people will realize that the ultimate lesson found in this gem is the lesson of life itself. There are certain events which happens that people cannot do anything about. We cannot always change what happens in our lives. What we can change is the way we react.

The whole book Club Expat: a Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas is a heartwarming book filled with useful lessons regarding life and living. It tells us how you should recognize and embrace every opportunity life can give you. It shows how you should take a look at what life throws at you and recognize how you can use those projectiles for your growth.

Club Expat: a Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas is a great read, filled with lessons that can help you face life with confidence.

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by Victor Raff

The exact causes of ADHD are not know yet. It is known that ADHD is connected to the brain’s neurotransmitters. Chemicals that the brain uses are called neurotransmitters. Two of these chemicals are called dopamine and norepinephrine.

When a child’s dopamine and norepinephrine levels are abnormal, they have ADHD. These abnormal levels can be caused by both environmental and biological factors.

ADHD is linked with causes like: Prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke, even smoke in a child’s nearby environment, Premature birth, Lead poisoning, Usage of substance during pregnancy (Drinking alcohol, cocaine, other drug), In the early stage of development having low iron, high blood lead, significant under-nutrition. And rarely: after a serious brain infection / trauma to the brain.

How to treat ADHD: The treatment plan includes medication to control their symptoms Most common medicines used are methylphenidate (some brand names: Ritalin, Concerta), dextroamphetamine (brand name: Dexedrine), pemoline (brand name: Cylert), atomoxetine (Strattera), and a combination drug called Adderall. These medicines improve attention and concentration, and decrease impulsive and overactive behaviors. Never use these or other medicines without or against your doctor’s advice!

Parent naturally want to know how to help their child. Children with ADHD need a structured routine and to know what is expected of them. Parents, teachers and doctors should team together to create open communication. Speaking with an ADHD specialist or getting the child counseling along with medication would benefit the child, as well. Speak with your doctor and come up with a plan together.

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by Christy Cuellar-Wentz

1. Donating sperm may have been easy, but learning to be a great lover takes time and patience. Becoming a great father is no different. Learning the ropes may take some time, but I guarantee the life-long rewards will be more than worth the effort!

2. Hands-on fathering is good for you, your partner and your baby. It’s not just about changing diapers. Feeding, bathing, holding and talking to your little one helps you bond together and gain essential on-the-job training.

3. You have undoubtedly discovered that your wife isn’t much fun right now. She may be weepy, stressed, and a bit less groomed than she used to be. This is normal. The good news is that she will return to something like her old self again once your little family has navigated the gauntlet of new parenthood.

4. It may look like all your wife cares about is the baby, but she actually needs you. A lot. The amazing person you coupled with nine or ten months ago is right there inside the stressed-out new mom. Stay close and keep the faith.

5. Your sex life may have taken a nose dive, but you will be able to engage in some adult fun, with your wife, soon.

6. Postpartum disorders are no one’s fault. It is normal for new moms to experience some sort of postpartum mood disorder. It’s not your fault, or hers either. Some symptoms are temporary. All are treatable.

7. Sleep heals. Mothers typically take the brunt of sleepless nights, but you’re probably not getting as much as you need either. Whoever came up with the phrase “sleeping like a baby” didn’t know babies wake up a lot! One proven way to help both of you feel better is to support each other in getting sleep whenever possible.

8. Trust your gut. Everybody, from the guy at the gym to your baby’s pediatrician, will give you different advice. Even if you’re new at this, your instincts are good. Your wife, your baby and your instincts will let you know what you need to know if you pay attention.

9. Your baby needs to play with you. Here is a case where having fun is the right thing. Playing stimulates your baby’s mind and body to develop in healthy ways. You may feel more playful right now than your wife, so go for it.

10. The advent of a new baby is stressful. Even miracles create challenges. Things should get smoother with a little time. If your lives don’t get better, or if you or your wife feels worse, ask for help!

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