Saturday, May 15, 2010

Creative Ways to Teach Sharing; and How to Teach Independence

By Dr. Rossi Davis


Positive reinforcement in the form of praise, modeling, creative play and storytelling are all ways that can help your child learn positive behaviors such as sharing and autonomy.

Praise is something you cannot give too much of to a child. It is an incentive to do well and to excel and a way to acknowledge each child’s uniqueness. Parents often are so busy that they forget to praise a child for a job well done. To a child, nothing besides hearing “I love you” is as important as a parent’s praise. It helps the child develop healthy self-esteem, be proud of his uniqueness and efforts, and develop healthy and appropriate relationships with others. When a child is praised, he learns that people acknowledge his work and that more good work brings more positive feedback. A child’s sense of identity and worldview develops largely as a result of the feedback he receives from his parents starting at an early age.

Parents can allocate age related tasks and model to their child how something is to be done. This instills in the child a sense of pride. Autonomy develops in time with positive reinforcement. Children feel a sense of belonging and see that their actions produce desirable results. With younger children, parents can start to teach children about socially appropriate behaviors such as sharing, compassion and truthfulness through the use of storytelling and creative play. Praise and positive feedback are essential so the child can feel acknowledgement for their actions, which will further reinforce the desired behaviors.

The Aging Process Can be Slowed Down

"By Jeff McDougall

There is a new disease that is spreading panic among people; it is called “growing old.” While it is a perfectly natural process that is part of the lifecycle of humans, few are brave enough to accept it. After all, it is everyone’s dream to look young forever.

But why do we age at all?

Well, we live in an era of stressful and hectic lifestyles. Additionally, urban areas are generally impure and polluted. In the race to keep up with tight schedules, we can barely spare time to consume nutritious food. We survive on junk food. Water is no longer considered the elixir of life, a soft drink is! Thus, free radicals invade our bodies from the food we eat, the liquids we drink and the air around us. They damage cells and tissues, releasing toxins that result in aging. Today, even youngsters can succumb to premature aging.

Now, we cannot completely halt the process of aging, but with proper care and the right anti aging products, we can definitely delay its arrival. It is imperative that the anti aging products contain substances known as Anthocyanins. These are natural extracts of plants that can improve facial sagging to the extent of 82 . Secondly, anti aging products should have something known as anti oxidants that can battle these free radicals within our bodies.

After extensive research, cosmetologists came up with two breakthrough products that are 100 natural and produce wonderful results. One of them is known as the Acai Berry. It grows wild in South America. Agriculturists began cultivating it only recently, as it proved useful in blocking the growth of fat tissue within the human body. They profited, since this Berry was used to manufacture weight loss pills.

Further investigation revealed that Acai also contains Anthocyanins. It has the capacity to repair the molecular structure of damaged cells, cells that have succumbed to assault by free radicals. Scientists concluded that this Berry had the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbing Capacity) value of any plant type. Therefore, the strong anti oxidants within the Acai Berry could definitely combat the signs of aging.

With a slightly lower ORAC value than the Acai Berry, the second product is SIRT 1. This is a protein that is created within the human body itself. All humans have a longevity gene or SIRT 1 gene in their bodies. Chemical substances known as peptides activate the longevity gene or SIRT 1 gene; as a result, SIRT 1 protein is created. Being rich in amino acid minerals and vitamins, this protein is a wonderful anti oxidant. It has multiple functions, including the repair of damaged tissues in the skin.

So, the rejuvenating and replenishing of the skin are necessary to combat the visible signs of aging. And this is possible with the aid of beauty products that contain Anthocyanins and anti oxidants. It is much cheaper to use beauty products on a regular basis than to go in for expensive cosmetic procedures such as lifting of the skin, Botox injections, and so on. Just a word of caution, though—it is advisable to consult a dermatologist or professional beautician before going in for any kind of creams or lotions; each person’s skin is different and responds differently to materials used on it. "

Sunday, May 2, 2010

When You Should Begin Your Maternity Leave


by Martha


Many factors will need consideration before you can set an appropriate date to start your maternity leave. Primary among them is your own health. On your fifth month expect not only to have gained a lot of weight, but also to provide for the nutrition of your own body as well as that of your baby’s. This can drain your stamina considerably. One way to go around this bush is to eat nutritious foods and take supplemental vitamins. Onwards from your second pregnancy, you will have gained enough insight to know how far you can remain active while pregnant. During your first pregnancy, you need the supervision of a qualified pediatrician to keep at your work without getting ill. For the purpose of evaluating your maximum tolerance for work the pediatrician will have to consider the type of work you engage at.

Necessarily, legal regulations concerning maternity leaves influence your decision to start your maternity leave. While these rules vary from country to country, there is usually a specified deadline for sending in your application. In the UK this is 15 weeks before the estimated date of childbirth and the earliest date for the actual leave is 11 weeks before. If you are in the dark about this, consult your HR officer.

Another consideration for deciding when to start your maternity leave is the need to prepare the accommodations for the new baby. To avoid the necessity of taking an early leave just to prepare the house as a conducive environment for the child, you could start buying baby’s needs little by little long before you take your leave. However, if for some reason you are not able to stock diapers, blankets and baby food piece by piece, you should opt for an earlier maternity leave to give you time to prepare your nest.

Money wise, the earlier the leave starts, the sooner will your SMP(Statutory Maternity Pay) be consumed. The result of this is that after having the baby, you will have fewer paid days in your leave. This need not be a major problem. It will just be a question of not splurging your maternity pay when you receive it. Save it up to spend towards the end of the leave.

Last but not least, most women need some time to transform themselves from career ladies to mothers. This transformation can be drastic, all the more so because it is necessary for a successful maternity. Not only your physical activities will be altered but also you psychology and mentality. It may take a period of about a week to entirely adapt yourself to the new role and consequently might mean your starting your leave one week earlier. Given considerable flexibility, this should not be necessary for you and you could start your maternity leave at a later date.

Deciding when to start your maternity leave is a question of acting on three issues. The need to comply with legal guidelines concerning maternity leaves, the necessity of making adequate arrangements in the house for the new baby and acquiring the necessary adjustments in mentality to cope with the psychological and physical stress during and following birth.

About the Author: Martha cares a great deal about families and childhood. She would like for you to take a look at her Baby Bedding http://www.mybabybeddingshop.com/ and Glenna Jean Crib Bedding http://www.mybabybeddingshop.com/glennajean.