Very Important Information about Education And Reference, Entertainment And Music And More

I went to a lovely party the other day. It was a baby shower. I was quite worried about the baby shower gifts as I was hoping that I wouldn’t be getting something that anyone else was going to buy. It is quite a tricky thing to do really but in the end I opted for a knife, fork and spoon set. I went for something useful as it can be tricky when you just get lots of toys and teddies and nothing that you can use.

The party was lovely with really great decorations and flowers. They had lovely food and even had some baby shower favors on the table. I didn’t know that you could get ones for this sort of party and they were really cute and such a good idea. It was lovely to have something nice to take home and have a few sweeties! I thought this type of thing was just for weddings or bridal shower favors but having them for all sorts of other parties is such a great idea and I think that I will do it for some of my parties and it is lovely.

My 7 year old son has had problems in school the last two years, and everyone was stumped because we had no idea why. He is an extremely bright boy, but he has a hard time reading. After tons of evaluations and testing, we discovered he is sorely lacking in visual skills but extremely advanced in auditory skills. The school is making adjustments for him (such as having someone call out the questions to test rather than him having to read them), but I want to know what I can do. We have been busy during the summer trying different methods. However, while some work wonders, others have no affect. Does anyone have any ideas on different teaching methods that are strictly auditory. I want to make if fun for him, but I am running out of ideas

Unfortunately, I think what he really needs is the chance to improve his visual skills in a lower stress environment than schools tend to provide.

Take him to the bookstore or library and have him pick out whatever book he wants to read. If it’s something he is interested in, he will be less likely to become frustrated with it. You could also pick up two copies and take turns reading out loud and following along.

Really, repetition is everything. Try to link his auditory activities to something visual. Ask him math problems, and after he answers, have him pick a card with the number printed on it.

Just try to find things that he enjoys, and figure out how you can involve learning in it.

My 8 month old son is contipated and i tryed many things to get him to go but hes still not going.i have started to give him more solids and am still breast feeding lately.And i thought that is why but he doesnt seem to be going still..what could i do or when should i worrie..??

try giving him 4 oz of apple juice…. if he goes more then three days without a BM then i would contact the dr.

i am doing the babys room as como and trying to find thing that are camo

I have never seen any stuff in camo - are you a handy sewer? Or do you have any relatives who are good at sewing who could make you some baby items you need? I’m terrible at sewing so I’ll hit up some good friends for something if I really need it - or I’ll ask them to help me make it and hope that they’ll just take over for me…

You could also check e-bay (www.ebay.com) or craigslist (www.craigslist.org) - it’s like an online garage sale.

check out http://www.unique-baby-gear-ideas.com/ca… for more ideas

http://www.beyond-bedding.com/camouflage…

Or just google “camo print baby bedding”

If you’re only nursing every 3 hours, that is probably the problem. The average baby needs to nurse at least 10-12 times in 24 hours–and that’s *before* you want to increase your milk supply. If you’re not nursing that often, it is very likely that you will never have enough milk.

So the first thing to do is to nurse more often. If it’s been 2 hours since the *beginning* of the previous feeding, pick up the baby and nurse, even if you have to wake her/him. Try offering a *little* less formula (about 1/2 to 1 ounce less per feeding) and nursing more often like this for the next 3-4 days. If baby is still having the same number of wet and dirty diapers as previously, offer a little less again (and continue to nurse every 2 hours). Keep going this way, and you will probably be able to eliminate the formula entirely at some point (but there is no way to know just when that will happen).

At the same time, call a local La Leche League Leader. She will be able to give you ongoing help and support. All this help is *free* (although offer to make a donation to the organization if you can). See sources section below to find a Leader near you. Keep in mind that LLL Leaders are all volunteers working from their own homes while raising their own kids, so if you don’t get through, try another Leader or call back later.

You do *not* need to “drink a lot of water”. It won’t help, and one study showed that forcing liquids actually *decreased* milk production. Drink if you are thirsty.

Do *not* use “mother’s milk tea” or any other herbal blend that is intended to increase your milk supply. If you need help from a medication, you can use fenugreek or a prescription medication (see below). Herbal blends are all based on fenugreek anyway, but the extra herbs can cause various problems (side effects and/or allergies). In addition, most of them contain fennel–an herb that can increase the milk supply for some mothers, but actually decreases it for others. It is risky and could cause more problems.

Do not pump if you can nurse. No pump is as effective as a nursing baby. Before you pick up the pump, nurse; the only reason to pump is if baby refuses to nurse, in which case it’s better than nothing. But if you do pump, use the most effective pump you can. The best is a hospital-grade rental pump (preferably one that pumps both breasts simultaneously), then a battery-powered pump (even if used on wall current); manual pumps are the least effective type of all. Never use a pump made by Gerber, First Years, or Evenflo, or any pump that has a rubber bulb to operate it. They could do damage to the breast that may make end your breastfeeding career–at least for this baby.

If you want to try a “galactagogue” (something that increases milk production), the only herb with any scientific evidence of its effectiveness is fenugreek. Take 1 capsule 3 times a day for 3-4 days, then increase to 2 capsules 3 times a day for a few more days. Keep increasing this way until you are taking an effective dose *for you* (typically 2-4 capsules per dose); you will know that you are taking enough when your sweat and urine smell like maple syrup. Keep taking that amount until you have enough milk, then stop gradually (the same as starting). Fenugreek is not recommended for mothers with asthma or diabetes. And if either you or baby has an allergic reaction (very rare), stop taking it.

If you prefer a prescription galactagogue, there are 2 to choose from. Most women use metoclopramide (Reglan) because it is more readily available in the US, although domperidone (Motilium) has fewer side effects. Metoclopramide can cause stomach upsets and depression, although neither one is common (if you have a history of depression, you probably don’t want to use it, though). Neither drug has been shown to have any side effects in the baby.

Arts and crafts are always fun. I used to work at a daycare with children of all ages, and no matter how old they were, they loved doing crafts. The girls could make bubble paper: all you need is dish soap, food coloring, straws, tin cake pans, and plain paper. Fill the pans about 1″ deep with water, add a few drops of soap and whatever colors you wish to use, then mix it up. Give each of the girls a straw and let them blow bubbles in the pan of colored water. Next, all they have to do is lay the paper on the bubbles. Once they have created the patterns and color combinations they like, just set them aside to dry. (Be sure to write their name on it so each girl gets the one she made.)

They could also make jewelry out of pasta. They can just paint the pasta (any pasta with a hole in it; like macaroni) then thread yarn through them when they dry.

You could have them make carmel popcorn balls or marshmellow squares to enjoy while they watch a movie, like Chicken Little.

They could also play games like simon says or mother may I. And of course, if they like stories, they could sit in a circle and one girl would start a story then “pass” it on to the next girl, and so on until all of the girls have contributed to creating an enitire story. (The daycare kids loved that one!)

Be creative and hang in there! You’ll do just fine!

If you’re only nursing every 3 hours, that is probably the problem. The average baby needs to nurse at least 10-12 times in 24 hours–and that’s *before* you want to increase your milk supply. If you’re not nursing that often, it is very likely that you will never have enough milk.

So the first thing to do is to nurse more often. If it’s been 2 hours since the *beginning* of the previous feeding, pick up the baby and nurse, even if you have to wake her/him. Try offering a *little* less formula (about 1/2 to 1 ounce less per feeding) and nursing more often like this for the next 3-4 days. If baby is still having the same number of wet and dirty diapers as previously, offer a little less again (and continue to nurse every 2 hours). Keep going this way, and you will probably be able to eliminate the formula entirely at some point (but there is no way to know just when that will happen).

At the same time, call a local La Leche League Leader. She will be able to give you ongoing help and support. All this help is *free* (although offer to make a donation to the organization if you can). See sources section below to find a Leader near you. Keep in mind that LLL Leaders are all volunteers working from their own homes while raising their own kids, so if you don’t get through, try another Leader or call back later.

You do *not* need to “drink a lot of water”. It won’t help, and one study showed that forcing liquids actually *decreased* milk production. Drink if you are thirsty.

Do *not* use “mother’s milk tea” or any other herbal blend that is intended to increase your milk supply. If you need help from a medication, you can use fenugreek or a prescription medication (see below). Herbal blends are all based on fenugreek anyway, but the extra herbs can cause various problems (side effects and/or allergies). In addition, most of them contain fennel–an herb that can increase the milk supply for some mothers, but actually decreases it for others. It is risky and could cause more problems.

Do not pump if you can nurse. No pump is as effective as a nursing baby. Before you pick up the pump, nurse; the only reason to pump is if baby refuses to nurse, in which case it’s better than nothing. But if you do pump, use the most effective pump you can. The best is a hospital-grade rental pump (preferably one that pumps both breasts simultaneously), then a battery-powered pump (even if used on wall current); manual pumps are the least effective type of all. Never use a pump made by Gerber, First Years, or Evenflo, or any pump that has a rubber bulb to operate it. They could do damage to the breast that may make end your breastfeeding career–at least for this baby.

If you want to try a “galactagogue” (something that increases milk production), the only herb with any scientific evidence of its effectiveness is fenugreek. Take 1 capsule 3 times a day for 3-4 days, then increase to 2 capsules 3 times a day for a few more days. Keep increasing this way until you are taking an effective dose *for you* (typically 2-4 capsules per dose); you will know that you are taking enough when your sweat and urine smell like maple syrup. Keep taking that amount until you have enough milk, then stop gradually (the same as starting). Fenugreek is not recommended for mothers with asthma or diabetes. And if either you or baby has an allergic reaction (very rare), stop taking it.

If you prefer a prescription galactagogue, there are 2 to choose from. Most women use metoclopramide (Reglan) because it is more readily available in the US, although domperidone (Motilium) has fewer side effects. Metoclopramide can cause stomach upsets and depression, although neither one is common (if you have a history of depression, you probably don’t want to use it, though). Neither drug has been shown to have any side effects in the baby.

There were a lot of children in my family, so we had to finance everything ourselves. I was working full time at age 15 just to buy clothing and shampoo. It was tough, but I don’t regret it, it gave me character. **

I think that things are definately different for children now… 100 years ago, 11 year old boys were running a farm — or at least doing a good share of the work. Now, I am happy if I can get my 11 year old son to pick up his socks and lower the toilet seat. Our expectaions for children have changed, lowered. As a result, they are living up to what we expect. **

I think one of the most important things we need to teach children is personal responsibilty. Children need to grow into adults that accept responsibilty for their actions. If they are always saying, “I am this way because of my circumstance” or “I am not this way because I wasn’t ever given a fair shot” they will never succeed. They need to learn that they are in charge of their own destiny. THey decide how their life will turn out. Events and circumstances may steer them one way or the other, but ultimately, they decide what and who they are going to become. If they can grasp this, then they can go on to provide for their families, emotionally and financially. They need to learn that success comes from how we treat others, not how much money we make. **

 Arts and crafts are always fun. I used to work at a daycare with children of all ages, and no matter how old they were, they loved doing crafts. The girls could make bubble paper: all you need is dish soap, food coloring, straws, tin cake pans, and plain paper. Fill the pans about 1″ deep with water, add a few drops of soap and whatever colors you wish to use, then mix it up. Give each of the girls a straw and let them blow bubbles in the pan of colored water. Next, all they have to do is lay the paper on the bubbles. Once they have created the patterns and color combinations they like, just set them aside to dry. (Be sure to write their name on it so each girl gets the one she made.)

They could also make jewelry out of pasta. They can just paint the pasta (any pasta with a hole in it; like macaroni) then thread yarn through them when they dry.

You could have them make carmel popcorn balls or marshmellow squares to enjoy while they watch a movie, like Chicken Little.

They could also play games like simon says or mother may I. And of course, if they like stories, they could sit in a circle and one girl would start a story then “pass” it on to the next girl, and so on until all of the girls have contributed to creating an enitire story. (The daycare kids loved that one!)

Be creative and hang in there! You’ll do just fine!