Parenting

The Seven Keys to Child Obedience
 by: Anthony Kane, MD

Learning obedience is an important part of child development. This is the tool that allows you as parents to train your child. Through obedience your child will learn self-control and develop other positive character traits that he will need as an adult.

However, obedience cannot be forced upon the child. Parents who simply command their children will foster resentment, which will eventually lead to rebellion. In fact, some researchers feel that poor parenting techniques contribute to the development of oppositional defiant disorderin some children. Although you can punish a child for not obeying, this will not foster any long-term obedience. When the child reaches his teen years and becomes more independent, punishment will only serve to destroy the already faltering parent child relationship.

Our goal then is not to force our children to obey us, but to get them to want to obey us. This willingness to obey will only come about if the parent’s commands are based upon seven principles.

1-Loving Concern for the Child

Spelling Success for Back to School
 by: Kayla Fay

Back to school. Whether you approach this time of year with anticipation or dread, it’s about to happen. Your child will have new teachers and classes, different rules and expectations. Children and parents can easily be overwhelmed with excitement and anxiety. Below are six ways to send your child back to school with success.

S - Supplies - Most schools provide a list of essentials for each child to bring on the first day of class. Make sure your child has exactly what is requested, and save enough cash for those supply needs that crop up the first week of class. Stock up on all types of paper, writing utensils, art supplies, notebooks and folders during the back to school sales. Gather an assortment of calculators and reference books. There is nothing that gives confidence like the satisfaction of having just the right tool for the job. (Email us at supplies [AT} goaskmom.com for our comprehensive list of back to school supplies.)

Fizzy Sherbet - A Sweet Science Lesson For Your Kids
 by: Lindsay Small

Fizzy sherbet in a paper bag with a strawberry lollipop was probably my favorite treat as a child, but I never knew what was in the sherbet and why it sparkled and tingled on my tongue! Try making some with your kids and enjoy a mini science lesson in the process.

The basis of the sherbet is icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar). 50g will make enough for about 6 children. For that amount you will also need a scant teaspoon each of bicarbonate of soda and citric acid. You can buy the latter, in the form of a white powder, very cheaply in small quantities from your chemist or pharmacy. Children will also enjoy having a lollipop or liquorice stick to dip into the sherbet.

Simply mix all the powders together thoroughly, divide into separate containers, and provide something to dip with. Fingers will do at a pinch, but there will be a lot of stickiness involved! Let the kids try dipping into some plain icing sugar as well as the sherbet mixture, to compare the two. They will be amazed at the difference.

Do You Want Your Children to Be Like You?
 by: Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

There is an old saying regarding children: “Do as I say, not as I do.” Whoever coined this phrase didn’t know much about children. Children often do not “do as we say.” We are the role models regarding how our children learn to treat themselves and others. We are the role models regarding whether or not our children learn to take personal responsibility for themselves - physically, emotionally, financially, relationally, spiritually, and organizationally.

Do you avoid responsibility for your own feelings with substances, activities, or with shaming and blaming behavior toward yourself or others? Are you always late and is your desk a mess? Do you eat poorly and lack exercise? Are you always in major credit card debt? Do you lack a relationship with a spiritual source of love and guidance?

Those Old TV Shows
 by: Mark Rigney

With a very few notable exceptions, TV programming in the last decade… or three… has been relatively lame. Huh? You disagree? Let’s not forget “Supertrain,” or “Meet the Parents,” “Am I Hot,” “When Animals Attack,” or any of the brilliant sludge created and perpetrated by Fox.

But - ask any child of the 60’s about Gilligan’s Island, I Dream of Jeannie, The Andy Griffith Show, or any of the dozens of other programs we were weaned on, and you’ll see an instant smile and wink of recognition.

Why doesn’t today’s TV programming bring out the best in us the way the classics do?

My belief? TV reflects the times, and those were far more innocent times. Much of it was before the Kennedy assasinations, all of it was before Watergate, and as a people, we still believed in fairy tales.

I know that may sound cynical to some, but TV now has a harsh, friendly and often mean edge to it, while TV-Land still celebrates an age of innocence that I think most of us might still yearn to return to. After all, what HONEST parent will admit to allowing their kids to watch anything in prime time any more?

How to End the Misery of Bedwetting
 by: Graham Jones

When a child wets the bed they worry. Children tend to become dry during the day more easily than at night. During the day they are awake and aware of their feelings and can go to the toilet normally. However, at night, when they are asleep, the usual feelings of a full bladder aren’t sufficiently strong to wake them. The result is a wet bed. Or, young children have to continue wearing diapers at night.

Fairly soon they realise this is not normal. They wonder why they don’t need a diaper during the day, but do need one at night. They might also talk to siblings or friends and discover that they don’t need a night-time diaper. This will only compound their worries.

Throughout childhood, your son or daughter is trying to establish their identity; they are trying to find out who they are. They also want to make sure they ‘fit in’, that they are just like everyone else and that they are not abnormal. As soon as they discover that wetting the bed is not usual, they worry.

Bed Wetting Alarms Can Be Useful
 by: Graham Jones

Whenever parents discuss how to deal with bed wetting, the topic of alarms inevitably gets raised. Bed wetting alarms can be useful devices, but in spite of the popularity with which they get discussed, they should not really be considered a first line option. Bed wetting alarms are highly useful, but they are probably only worthwhile once you have tried a few other methods.

Children all develop at different rates. A child who hasn’t been able to master staying dry at night, may well be able to do some other task that a ‘dry’ child cannot do. Never forget, if your child wets the bed, they are almost certain to be better than other children at some other developmental achievement. All children are different.

That’s why patience is the best option for dealing with bed wetting. In most children the condition goes away naturally; the child grows up. That’s why bed wetting alarms are not always necessary. Not because they don’t work (they do) but because you will be spending money unnecessarily. Bed wetting alarms that get children to be dry at night may be helpful, but if your child was going to be dry anyway (as most children will be), you could well have wasted your money.

More Water, Not Less, Will Help End Bedwetting
 by: Graham Jones

Children are notoriously bad at drinking enough liquids. They are so busy playing they sometimes ‘forget’ to drink. Sometimes, children seem like camels - able to go for ages without having a drink. Obviously, when they are thirsty they will rush indoors for a drink. But often they look for sugary, caffeine-laden drinks which are great for quenching thirst, but do little for the body’s fluid levels.

That’s because the caffeine in many drinks leads to extra urination. The result is that more liquid goes out of the body than is taken in. And therein lies a problem. Your child’s body has inbuilt mechanisms to maintain the liquid levels. A lack of liquid intake, combined with the effects of caffeine in fluid output, means your child’s body requires more liquids to maintain the right balance. In other words, their body starts to demand more liquid.

That demand for extra liquids usually starts at the worst possible time - early evening. Your child is home from school or from a day playing with friends and they suddenly want a drink. They gulp down whatever you give them and demand more - and more. This is because their hydration levels are low and their body’s self defense mechanisms have kicked in to ensure that they don’t become dehydrated.

Top 100 Baby Names And Helpful Tips To Consider When Naming Your Baby
 by: Christy Hollis

Are you an expectant parent anxiously waiting for that little package of joy? Yet, you and your spouse are still looking for that perfect name? Well…fret no more! The list of the top 100 baby names may be the answer to your prayers.

Searching for your baby’s name is loads of fun, whether you’re seeking a name for your soon-to-be baby boy or baby girl, wondering about the popularity of your own first name, or just curious about what names in the top 100 are currently hot.

What is particularly interesting is tracking the popularity of baby names over the decades. In looking through baby name lists from 1880 to the present, some amusing patterns emerge, particularly in regards to baby names for girls.

For example, in Victorian times, Biblical names such as Mary, Sarah and Ruth were very popular for baby girls. There were also many baby names that are now considered very old-fashioned like Martha, Alice, Bertha and Minnie.

Tips for Buying Baby Gear
 by: Eric Koshinsky

Buying baby gear can be a frustrating experience for new parents who want to have the best for the baby without breaking their budget. You need to buy baby furniture, such as a crib or bassinet, a change table, high-chair, and a playpen. Parents also like to purchase a baby swing and a stroller for taking the baby for a walk. A cheaper alternative to a stroller is a baby sling where you can carry the baby comfortably and still keep him/her nestled close to you.

Other supplies that you need include baby clothes. When you are buying for the new baby, just remember that although an outfit may look cute, the baby needs to feel comfortable in it. Babies grow a lot in the first few months, so it is really a waste of money to buy a lot of brand-new outfits in newborn sizes. You are better off buying in the 3 - 6 month range at first. You will find that the baby will quickly outgrow even these. You also have to look at the material to make sure it won’t shrink after the first wash. Also buying gender neutral clothes that suit either a boy or a girl is a good choice. Chances are great, the baby will grow out of it long before it is worn out so you can pack it away for the next baby.