If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child learns to feel shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement he learns confidence
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
He a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Win the Seat Battle With Toddlers
By Beth Whitehouse(c) 2007, Newsday
MELVILLE, N.Y. -- Sometimes, when I try to put my toddler into his car seat or stroller, he arches his back and fights me because he doesn't want to get in. How do I get him to cooperate without causing a public scene?
Forget reasoning with him, says pediatrician and University of California, Los Angeles Assistant Professor Harvey Karp. Your little guy is -- and these are Karp's words -- "a Neanderthal" who cares not one iota about highway safety statistics or your need to make it to an appointment on time.
"Toddlers are not so much little adults as they are little cavemen. They're uncivilized. They're primitive," says Karp, creator of the DVD and book "The Happiest Toddler on the Block: The New Way to Stop the Daily Battle of Wills and Raise a Secure and Well-Behaved One- to Four-Year-Old."
Therefore, you have to communicate in a way they understand. Here's what Karp would do: Even though you might feel like an idiot, get down to your child's level and imitate his words, actions and feelings. Say, "No, no, you don't want to get in the car seat, do you?"
"The goal is not to make them laugh, not to be funny or clownish, but to empathize with them," he says.
He predicts the tantrum will stop in 50 percent of the cases. Then, you can negotiate with your child. Yes, he does advocate a little negotiation in this case. "You're not a general and they're a soldier," he says. "When you're out of the house, they've got you over the barrel."
So, he recommends making a little agreement once they quiet down. Say, "OK, we'll run to the wall and back together three times, and then you have to get in the car seat."
Then, it's time for some prevention homework. You can reduce future battles by making the car seat or stroller a more fun place to be, Karp says. Take the car seat or stroller into the house, and let the child play in it. Read him stories while he's sitting in it.
Select a special treat -- a cookie or a song or a story -- that he only gets to eat or hear in the car seat or stroller.
Then, next time you're out and he doesn't want to cooperate, you can entice him with the only-when-you're-in-the-car-seat treat. "In a pinch, you use all the tools in your tool chest," Karp says. "Use diplomacy as opposed to brute strength."
Distributed by the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service
MELVILLE, N.Y. -- Sometimes, when I try to put my toddler into his car seat or stroller, he arches his back and fights me because he doesn't want to get in. How do I get him to cooperate without causing a public scene?
Forget reasoning with him, says pediatrician and University of California, Los Angeles Assistant Professor Harvey Karp. Your little guy is -- and these are Karp's words -- "a Neanderthal" who cares not one iota about highway safety statistics or your need to make it to an appointment on time.
"Toddlers are not so much little adults as they are little cavemen. They're uncivilized. They're primitive," says Karp, creator of the DVD and book "The Happiest Toddler on the Block: The New Way to Stop the Daily Battle of Wills and Raise a Secure and Well-Behaved One- to Four-Year-Old."
Therefore, you have to communicate in a way they understand. Here's what Karp would do: Even though you might feel like an idiot, get down to your child's level and imitate his words, actions and feelings. Say, "No, no, you don't want to get in the car seat, do you?"
"The goal is not to make them laugh, not to be funny or clownish, but to empathize with them," he says.
He predicts the tantrum will stop in 50 percent of the cases. Then, you can negotiate with your child. Yes, he does advocate a little negotiation in this case. "You're not a general and they're a soldier," he says. "When you're out of the house, they've got you over the barrel."
So, he recommends making a little agreement once they quiet down. Say, "OK, we'll run to the wall and back together three times, and then you have to get in the car seat."
Then, it's time for some prevention homework. You can reduce future battles by making the car seat or stroller a more fun place to be, Karp says. Take the car seat or stroller into the house, and let the child play in it. Read him stories while he's sitting in it.
Select a special treat -- a cookie or a song or a story -- that he only gets to eat or hear in the car seat or stroller.
Then, next time you're out and he doesn't want to cooperate, you can entice him with the only-when-you're-in-the-car-seat treat. "In a pinch, you use all the tools in your tool chest," Karp says. "Use diplomacy as opposed to brute strength."
Distributed by the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service
Monday, November 19, 2007
~~ Winter-Wonder-Pack ~~
Nov 15, 2007 - Dec 31, 2007
Happy New Year! This promotion has now ended, please continue to watch our blog for more EXCLUSIVE specials!!!
Shop now @ http://www.thebabyloft.com/
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Sleep trouble not an inevitable part of pregnancy
By Anne Harding
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pregnancy doesn't have to mean nine months of sleep deprivation, a noted sleep expert says.
Myriad factors can disturb sleep throughout pregnancy, from getting up at night to urinate to trying to accommodate a giant belly comfortably, Dr. Jodi A. Mindell, associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told Reuters Health. However, she added, "almost all of those things you can manage at some level."
And getting enough sleep is important for an expectant mother's health, as well as that of her fetus, added Mindell, whose book "Sleep Deprived No More: From Pregnancy to Early Motherhood," will be published November 15.
She points to a study that found women who got less than 6 hours of sleep a night for their last month of pregnancy had longer labors (29 hours vs. 18 hours) and a greater risk of having a C-section compared to women who logged at least 7 hours of sleep nightly.
Mindell is a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which is seeking to increase awareness of the importance of sleep for pregnant woman as part of its National Campaign for Healthier Babies Month this October.
She offers several tips for pregnant women to help battle sleep troubles:
.. Get daily fluid requirements before dinner to prevent frequent nighttime bathroom trips.
.. Eat a snack before bedtime to stave off nighttime hunger and nausea.
.. Use plenty of pillows to get comfortable in bed; a pillow to support the belly and another between the legs to support the hips can help.
.. Stay away from caffeine after lunchtime
.. Use good sleep hygiene -- have a soothing pre-bedtime ritual, make the bedroom a comfortable haven for sleep, and try to keep a consistent sleep schedule.
One in four women will develop restless legs syndrome during pregnancy, noted Mindell, which is "a very uncomfortable, creepy crawly feeling in the legs" that can only be alleviated by moving them around. The syndrome can be related to iron deficiency, which becomes increasingly common after 20 weeks of pregnancy, so women who are experiencing it should get their iron levels checked, she advised.
Getting enough sleep after baby is born is essential, too, but more difficult, especially in the first six weeks of an infant's life, says Mindell. New moms should follow the time-honored advice to sleep when their baby does, and should get all the help they can, she adds. Being sure to get outdoors into bright light, especially in the morning, can also help new moms sleep better, according to Mindell.
"You've got to make sleep a priority -- you really need to put aside those visions you have of being the perfect new mom with the perfectly clean house and gourmet meals on the table," she said.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pregnancy doesn't have to mean nine months of sleep deprivation, a noted sleep expert says.
Myriad factors can disturb sleep throughout pregnancy, from getting up at night to urinate to trying to accommodate a giant belly comfortably, Dr. Jodi A. Mindell, associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told Reuters Health. However, she added, "almost all of those things you can manage at some level."
And getting enough sleep is important for an expectant mother's health, as well as that of her fetus, added Mindell, whose book "Sleep Deprived No More: From Pregnancy to Early Motherhood," will be published November 15.
She points to a study that found women who got less than 6 hours of sleep a night for their last month of pregnancy had longer labors (29 hours vs. 18 hours) and a greater risk of having a C-section compared to women who logged at least 7 hours of sleep nightly.
Mindell is a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which is seeking to increase awareness of the importance of sleep for pregnant woman as part of its National Campaign for Healthier Babies Month this October.
She offers several tips for pregnant women to help battle sleep troubles:
.. Get daily fluid requirements before dinner to prevent frequent nighttime bathroom trips.
.. Eat a snack before bedtime to stave off nighttime hunger and nausea.
.. Use plenty of pillows to get comfortable in bed; a pillow to support the belly and another between the legs to support the hips can help.
.. Stay away from caffeine after lunchtime
.. Use good sleep hygiene -- have a soothing pre-bedtime ritual, make the bedroom a comfortable haven for sleep, and try to keep a consistent sleep schedule.
One in four women will develop restless legs syndrome during pregnancy, noted Mindell, which is "a very uncomfortable, creepy crawly feeling in the legs" that can only be alleviated by moving them around. The syndrome can be related to iron deficiency, which becomes increasingly common after 20 weeks of pregnancy, so women who are experiencing it should get their iron levels checked, she advised.
Getting enough sleep after baby is born is essential, too, but more difficult, especially in the first six weeks of an infant's life, says Mindell. New moms should follow the time-honored advice to sleep when their baby does, and should get all the help they can, she adds. Being sure to get outdoors into bright light, especially in the morning, can also help new moms sleep better, according to Mindell.
"You've got to make sleep a priority -- you really need to put aside those visions you have of being the perfect new mom with the perfectly clean house and gourmet meals on the table," she said.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Grandma's point of view...
If your baby is beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on demand, an angel all the time, you're the grandma ~~ Theresa Bloomingdale
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Moms-to-be often anxious, depressed
By Megan Rauscher
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - It is not uncommon for expectant mothers to feel anxious and depressed, new research shows, and these feelings can have serious consequences for mom and baby.
"Mental health problems in the postpartum period have received much attention in the past decade," Dr. Antoinette M. Lee of the University of Hong Kong told Reuters Health, whereas mental health problems in the period before birth, known as the antenatal period, have received considerably less attention.
"Our study," Lee said, "shows that anxiety and depression during pregnancy should also not be overlooked, given that both are highly prevalent and strongly associated with postpartum depression."
Among a consecutive sample of 357 pregnant women, Lee and colleagues found that more than half (54 percent) had anxiety and more than one third (37 percent) had signs of depression at some point during their pregnancies. Anxiety was more prevalent than depression at all stages of pregnancy.
Between 12 and 17 percent of women in the study were found to have both anxiety and depression at various stages of pregnancy, the researchers report in the medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.
"Both antenatal anxiety and antenatal depression were found to be more prevalent and severe in the first and third trimesters," Lee told Reuters Health. Anxiety and depression levels decreased from early to mid-pregnancy, but increased again late in pregnancy.
However, the data also indicate that new cases of anxiety and depression can emerge at any stage of pregnancy; therefore, doctors need to continually assess the mental health of women throughout the course of pregnancy, Lee said.
Younger age and a history of drinking were strong risk factors for anxiety and depression during pregnancy. As mentioned, women who were anxious or depressed before giving birth were also at significantly increased the risk of suffering from postpartum depression.
Mental health problems during pregnancy are "serious" issues that need addressing, Lee and colleagues conclude, because they are known to have a negative impact on women and their children.
SOURCE: Obstetrics and Gynecology, November 2007.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Welcome to our newest Blog friend!
Join an old friend of The Baby Loft on her blog...
Ethan Boy - http://mrbulat.giddytigers.com/ - dedicated to her son
Giddy Tigers - http://giddytigers.com/ - personal blog
Kaki Shopping - http://kakishopping.giddytigers.com/ - all shopping related
The Giddy Tiger has been shopping at The Baby Loft for the last 2 years, and shares her shopping experience on her blog as well...http://kakishopping.giddytigers.com/2007/11/07/baby-stuff-at-the-baby-loft/
Ethan Boy - http://mrbulat.giddytigers.com/ - dedicated to her son
Giddy Tigers - http://giddytigers.com/ - personal blog
Kaki Shopping - http://kakishopping.giddytigers.com/ - all shopping related
The Giddy Tiger has been shopping at The Baby Loft for the last 2 years, and shares her shopping experience on her blog as well...http://kakishopping.giddytigers.com/2007/11/07/baby-stuff-at-the-baby-loft/
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Julia Roberts with a baby sling
Pretty Woman walking down the street... ...
Julia Roberts carries baby Henry in a sling...probably strategically positioned to hide baby from the cameras? :)
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Breastfeeding leads to higher IQ in babies with the right gene
CHICAGO, Nov 5, 2007 (AFP) - Scientists have identified a gene which leads children to have higher IQs if they are breastfed, according to a study released Monday.
The study took a bite out of the nature versus nurture debate by showing that intellectual development is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors.
"There has been some criticism of earlier studies about breastfeeding and IQ that they didn't control for socioeconomic status, or the mother's IQ or other factors," said study co-author Terrie Moffitt, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at Duke University and King's College in London.
"Our findings take an end-run around those arguments by showing the physiological mechanism that accounts for the difference."
Researchers examined more than 3,000 breast-fed infants in Britain and New Zealand and found that the child's IQ was an average of 6.8 points higher if the child had a particular version of a gene called FADS2.
This difference remained after researchers were able to rule out the influence of socioeconomic status, the IQ scores of the mother, birth weight and gestational age as factors.
"The argument about intelligence has been about nature versus nurture for at least a century," Moffitt said. "We're finding that nature and nurture work together."
Ninety percent of the children had at least one copy of version of the gene which yielded higher IQ if they were breast-fed.
The IQ scores of the other 10 percent were not influenced by breastfeeding, according to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The gene was studied because it produces an enzyme found in breast milk which has been associated with higher IQ. The enzyme helps convert dietary fatty acids into the polyunsaturated fatty acids that have been shown to accumulate in the human brain during the first months after birth.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Air pollution raises preterm birth risk
By Megan Rauscher
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A study conducted in Los Angeles County and published today shows the harmful effects traffic-related air pollution can have on pregnant women.
The data suggest that women who live in areas with high carbon monoxide or fine particle levels - pollution caused mainly by motor vehicle traffic -- are roughly 10 to 25 percent more likely to suffer preterm birth (delivery before 37 weeks of pregnancy), compared with women who live in less polluted areas.
This is especially true for women who breathe polluted air during the first 3 months of pregnancy or during the last months and weeks before delivery. Importantly, researchers report in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the association between air pollution and increased risk of preterm birth persists after accounting for other factors that might influence preterm birth risk such as smoking, exposure to second-hand smoke and alcohol use.
"Air pollution in Los Angeles County remains a major public health problem affecting everybody, particularly pregnant women," Dr. Beate Ritz from the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles noted in comments to Reuters Health.
Ritz and colleagues collected detailed information for more than 2,500 women who gave birth in Los Angeles County in 2003. By conducting one-on-one interviews with the women, the researchers were able to separate the air pollution risk from other preterm birth risk factors.
"Our research group had previously reported on the effect of carbon monoxide and fine particles, but because we relied on birth certificates, we did not have detailed information about other risk factors that some people suspected might bias our research findings," Beate explained.
This new study, she said, "helps confirm the results we reported previously - that air pollution mainly caused by vehicle traffic increases the risk of preterm birth even when we take other risk factors into account."
Research that identifies the harmful effects of pollution, Beate added, can help policymakers "in weighing the costs and benefits of reducing air pollution, both in terms of dollars and human health."
SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, November 1, 2007.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Fun Halloween game
Halloween is on Oct 31st! It is a fun-filled festival in some countries and everyone dresses up in costumes. In Malaysia, few people celebrate, but you can join in the fun with this game with your kids!
One person is 'IT', the others must sit or lay as motionless and expressionless zombies. The person who is 'IT' must do whatever they can to make the zombies smile, giggle, or wiggle in any way without touching them! When 'IT' gets a zombie to wiggle, giggle, or smile, that zombie then joins 'IT' in trying to get others to smile, giggle, or wiggle. The last zombie wins!
One person is 'IT', the others must sit or lay as motionless and expressionless zombies. The person who is 'IT' must do whatever they can to make the zombies smile, giggle, or wiggle in any way without touching them! When 'IT' gets a zombie to wiggle, giggle, or smile, that zombie then joins 'IT' in trying to get others to smile, giggle, or wiggle. The last zombie wins!
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