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Talking About Strangers…

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  A parent’s worst nightmare: your child goes missing. No one saw anything, no one knows what happened. One minute your child is there, then they’re gone. How can you prevent this from happening? There are approximately 2,100 reports of missing children filed every day. As alarming as that sounds, the majority of children make it through their childhood safely. My husband and I talk to our son all the time about strangers. When he started talking and interacting with others, he never met a stranger. He would smile, talk and wave to anybody. After his second birthday, we started talking to him about going with other people. It is important to make sure your child understands that they do not go anywhere with anyone except those you, as parents, have deemed safe. In our case, he knows it’s okay to go with his grandparents and his aunt. Now, of course, he overly wary of anyone he doesn’t know. If we are in his grandmother’s antique store and he sees someone new, he immediately hides
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Your One-Year-Old's Development

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      The first birthday is always exciting to celebrate. If you're a new parent, this event always lingers in your mind and you just probably can't wait to invite your families and friends to have fun in the extraordinary occasion. Day after day, you've seen them growing bigger and smarter. Each time they're able to reach the next developmental stage, you and your spouse are indulged in great happiness. One of the most cheering moments about this is when you see them make their first steps alone. You'll get into the unspoken emotion just like other parents do. However, some of you perhaps haven't been going through this feeling as your one year-old baby isn't able to walk yet. Actually, you shouldn't be worried about this. Each child is unique and has a different development from the others. Then, what things babies can do when they reach their first year of life? Generally, here they are: 1. Take their first steps alone - Once you see
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How to Balance Having Both Family and Career

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  Are you a successful businesswoman who also happens to be a mother? If you are, you may be dealing with a variety of problems. Many women, including yourself, find it challenging to strike a balance between work and family life. While doing both is certainly doable, it can be overwhelming at times. One of the numerous problems that working mothers face is figuring out how to balance their time. When mothers need to work or complete a project, they frequently do so, but they may feel bad about missing out on quality time with their children or romantic partner. It can also happen the other way around.   Many working mothers are terrified of losing their employment if they put their families first in certain scenarios. If these are challenges that you have dealt with in the past or that you are currently struggling with, you should continue reading. Setting aside time for both your family and your vital work is one of the numerous ways you may balance a family and a career. For
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Effect Of Birth Order On Children

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    Older sister, younger brother, or middle child are more than just labels that people have in a family; psychologist say that birth order has an effect on all aspects of a child’s personality. First Born: First born children are born as natural leaders. They also tend to be perfectionists, reliable and conscientious people. First born children do not react well to surprises and can be aggressive, however are often people pleasers. Children who are first born have a strong need for approval by others. Examples of first born children include Oprah Winfrey, Peter Jennings, Rush Limbaugh and over half of all U.S.A presidents. Only Child: Only children are similar to first born children. The characteristics in an only child however are typically three fold. They are even bigger perfectionists, are more responsible and tend to get along better with older people than individuals their own age. Examples of only children are Robin Williams, Natalie Portman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, F
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Can You Stay Home?

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  One of the first things you have to figure out when you realize that you want to stay home with your kids is whether or not you can afford to do so. You are probably used to living on two incomes, so making the switch to a single income may not be easy. However, it may not be as hard as you think. If you have children already, the first thing that goes away when you decide to stay at home is the cost of daycare. However, if you work at home, part of that cost may remain, unless your work is such that you can keep the children home with you. Take a look at how much of your income right now is going to daycare. That cost alone may prove to you that you don’t need a high-paying work at home job to stay home – a simpler one may suffice. There are several other costs that will drop if you stay at home. You’ll be in a different tax bracket. You’ll probably drive less, eat out less often and you won’t need clothes for work, which can save both on shopping and on dry cleaning bills.
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Breastfeeding Your Child

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    Breastfeeding refers to the process by which a mother feeds her infant with milk directly from her breasts. Assuming the mother does not have certain illnesses, breast milk is widely believed to be the most beneficial for feeding young infants. It is even said that breastfeeding can strengthen the bond between mother and child. Still, some mothers choose not to participate in breastfeeding their infants and opt for store bought formula instead. There are a number of benefits, which result from breastfeeding for infants. Among them, immediate milk that does not have to be heated as it is already at body temperature. In addition, some experts believe that breastfeeding decreases the risk of certain ailments, while increasing the healthy development of teeth and gums. Along with the infant, there are positive results that stem from breastfeeding for the mother. Among them, a nurturing feeling toward her infant, a quicker return to the mom’s pre-birth weight and may help to pre
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Music And Your Child’s Development

  As the mother of a two year old, I am always looking for activities that encourage learning and development. I find that most of the activities we do together that result in learning are purely by coincidence and luck – not by any skill or training I have. As of late, my son has shown a real passion for music. He has even begun to differentiate between styles of music he likes and dislikes – his preferences are Contemporary Christian and Country, of course those both fall behind any song done by The Wiggles. But I digress. The point is, he is drawn to music and feels the need to express himself in many ways when he hears it. For example, he has learned different dance moves from the television characters on his favorite programs, as well as from good old mom and dad. He recreates those moves into his own little dance routine whenever he hears a song he likes – even in the car. He is using his creativity and memory to express himself, which I believe is helping build his character
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Help Protect Your Child's Vision From UV Rays and Eye Injuries

   For children, sunshine and warm weather equal outdoor activity. For parents interested in their children's eye health, it's also the right time to get kids sunglasses and protective eyewear. Many parents don't think about getting sunglasses for their kids, but everyone is at risk for eye damage as a result of exposure to the sun. And children might be at a higher risk because their developing eyes may be less protected from the sun's ultraviolet rays than those of adults. Wearing sunglasses that block UV rays can help prevent eye problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration - two leading causes of blindness. Since UV damage is cumulative over a lifetime, it's important for kids to start wearing sunglasses as early as possible to potentially minimize this damage. Sunglasses must block 99 percent to 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays to be effective. The darkness of the lens is not an effective indicator of how well the glasses protect eyes from UV light.  Cons
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Protecting Your Child’s Self Esteem and Identity During a Divorce

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Children experience an array of emotions when they find out their parents are getting a divorce. It is no different from what the adults feel yet they may not have all of the facts. This can result in children blaming themselves for the divorce. They will remember all of the times their parents had a conflict over them.  It is very important to talk openly with your children about the divorce. They need to know that they aren’t the cause of it. This will help them to have a very good sense of self worth. Many children from divorced families end up with low self esteem as they grow up being unsure of their role in all of it.  Each person needs to have their own self identity, and that is even more so when they parents have gotten a divorce. Children need to be able to follow their own dreams and engage in activities that make them happy. Trying new experiences can also help them to cope with what is going on as well.  Every attempt should be made by both parents to keep some common thin
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How to Overcome Power Struggles with Your Child

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  Doing what's best for your child when it comes to parenting sometimes leads to a power struggle between the two of you. If you get kids out of something once by arguing and throwing a tantrum, they're probably going to do it again and again. Don't let that happen. In order to prevent power struggles with your children, here are a few tips.   Offer Choice to Them When they feel overpowered or helpless, kids sometimes act out. It is possible that actually asking your children to do something they do not want to do would encourage resistance. So, when it comes to getting stuff done, give them options. For instance, if you're questioning your child about completing homework after school, give two or three different times to actually get the homework done. This does not mean, of course, that you are giving all the control in the situation to them. Make it clear to them that they won't be able to make the option again in the future if they don't hold up th
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