Parenting Guru

There is evidence that shows in nearly all cases, except in certain medical circumstances, that breastfeeding is the best food that you can give your newborn baby girl or boy. After pregnancy and labor you will no doubt want to return to a more normal lifestyle again and if you previously enjoyed an alcoholic drink or two could probably do with a glass of your favorite tipple. The question is will this alcohol be passed on to your baby and will it affect them?

At first glance there seems to be conflicting advice on this subject depending on what information that you read. Some says that a couple of drinks will be okay, some that it’s okay if you wait a period of time before breastfeeding and some that you shouldn’t drink at all. The advice depends mainly on the age of the information but some common sense should prevail.

Firstly you need to understand that there are 2 hormones involved in breastfeeding, Prolactin and Oxytocin. Prolactin stimulates your breast to fill with milk while Oxytocin is responsible for pushing the milk to your nipple allowing your baby to suckle.

A study in 2005 found, that after drinking alcohol there is a rise in Prolactin and a decrease in Oxytocin. This translates simply to the mother feeling like there is a fullness of milk in the breasts but may mean that it is harder for the baby to suckle.

This is where the common sense needs to prevail. Early on your baby is drinking a substance called colostrum and this is vital for lots of reasons for your baby, which is why medical advice is to breastfeed for the first six weeks. A newborn baby’s liver isn’t fully developed at this time and finds it harder to process small amounts of alcohol.

During this time it would be advisable to not drink any alcohol at all but if you really have to have a drink then it should be just after a feed so that the alcohol has time to pass through your body before your next feed. Alcohol is not trapped in breast milk and therefore any small amount passed to your baby will depend on how much is in your bloodstream at the time of feeding.

Later on having a couple of drinks shouldn’t be a problem and again waiting before feeding your baby would be advisable. Obviously later on there is the option of expressing milk to avoid having to feed from the breast and this may be your solution.

Bear in mind that as with any different food or drink your milk may smell and taste different to your baby and they may be put off feeding by this difference. Whatever you decide after reading this, congratulations and enjoy your first drink!

Get your free Complete Breastfeeding Guide at http://www.notjustbasics.com/breastfeed/

Moms are mourning all around the world. We’ve sighed in relief that Greg Page, the founding band member and “yellow Wiggle” is not living with a life-threatening disease, and yet he has resigned due to a chronic illness called orthostatic intolerance or POTS. For some time it’s been a mystery illness, but in late November, he officially announced that doctors had solved the riddle of this illness, he shared his symptoms, diagnosis and sadly, his resignation.

I have a 3-year-old son and was introduced to the Wiggles when my baby sat in his boppy seat and I turned on the Disney channel for something lively. The brightly colored shirts and healthy songs about fruit salad caught my attention, and we’ve been fans ever since. I’ve been to two concerts and have acted pretty silly singing “Quack, Quack, Quack-a-doodle-doo” determined to get our money’s worth and make sure my child had fun.

But I’m also a mom who has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for the last thirteen years, and I admire how Greg Page kept up the fast-paced, exhausting touring, jumping up and down with Wags the Dog.

Whenever the Wiggles perform, whether in concert, or in an interview on the Today Show, they are in character, so in some odd way, the Wiggle’s illness makes him more human. Whenever a celebrity goes public with an illness, I feel like they have joined my club.

As Greg Page, i.e., the yellow Wiggle turns over his yellow turtleneck, I can’t help but think that he must be worried about little ones out there in TV land who will ask, “who is that new guy in the yellow shirt?” (Mommies, that is Sam Moran, a longtime Wiggles understudy.) And it’s not the millions of dollars on his mind, but the millions of kids who will ask that question. (And yes, they do make millions. Last year they earned more than famous fellow Australians Nicole Kidman or Russell Crowe made!) But when it comes to your health (or illness) all your choices about your future and coping with your chronic illness revolve around what is best for yourself and your immediate family–your own children, of which Greg has two.

The Wiggles web site states, “Greg has been suffering symptoms for many months, affecting his ability to perform. The condition is related to blood pressure and while in no way life threatening it affects his balance, breathing and coordination at unpredictable times and with varying severity. Greg has discovered he is genetically predisposed to this condition and that he now needs to focus on managing his health.”

Greg states, “This emotional decision was one which was very difficult, as I have dedicated almost half my life to the Wiggles, and with a question mark over my health, I feel that this is the right decision. I will miss The Wiggles and the other guys very much, as well as seeing all the children in the audiences that we perform in front of. I wish the guys continued success, and welcome Sam Moran with open arms to the Yellow Skivvy. I know he is a great performer, and is well equipped to be the Yellow Wiggle.”

According to statistics given by the National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week, nearly 1 in 2 Americans (133 million) has a chronic condition. That number is projected to increase by more than one percent per year by 2030, resulting in an estimated chronically ill population of 171 million.

Surprisingly, 96% of people who live with illness have a chronic illness that is invisible. These people do no use a cane or any assistive device and may look perfectly healthy. Such is Greg Page-jumping around with the energy of a two-year-old, yet suffering with a condition known as orthostatic intolerance. The Wiggles web site explains, “when Greg stands up, his heart does not compensate for the change in posture by pumping more blood around his body for it to function properly.” Not good news when you have to sing and dance for two hours at a time.

So, when your child asks, “who is that guy?” pointing to Sam Moran, what do you say?

(1) First, explain that Greg Wiggle had some owies with his heart and he needs to take care of them. He’s going to the doctor and will have to take some medicine, but he needs to stay at home and rest right now, just like kids have to stay home and rest when they are ill.

(2) “Will he come back?”
“I’m not sure. He may decide he needs to stay home and get better, but he will always be in the videos and on the CDs. I’m sure his friends will miss him too, but they will still call him and go visit him.”

(3) “Did he quit?”
This might be a good time to explain what the word resign means. “Well, he resigned. Resigned means he had to stop working with the Wiggles because his body was sick.” In simple terms, yes, he quit, but when you are having a discussion later with your little one about “let’s not quit, let’s try harder,” it will make it sound like Greg Wiggle could have tried harder if he’d wanted to. Too many adults believe that people with invisible illness quit too easily as it is and need to just try harder. Make sure your child learns this compassion and awareness that sometimes illness makes us have to change our schedules, even when we don’t want to.

(4) “Will he be okay?”
Yes, the doctors say he will be okay. He will just have to take medicine and maybe not jump around so much. Remember when your hamster had that illness? Maybe we could make Greg Page a get-well card.” This might be a good time to reach out to someone else you know who has a chronic illness. You can say, “You know, Greg lives far away, so we can’t go visit him, but I bet he’d really like it if we took a card and maybe a nice plant over to ____ and let her know we are thinking about her too. I think Greg would be happy to know that kids like you care about him and that you’re making someone else who is sick feel better too.”

(5) “But he doesn’t look sick.”
“I know. A lot of times people don’t look sick, but they are. People’s bodies are really amazing and sometimes something on the inside can be hurting, but on the outside they look good. Remember when you had a tummy ache, but you still looked fine? We should always remember to be nice to people, because we never know who may be hurting.”

We like to protect our children and never have to explain things like chronic illness, critical illness, terminal illness, cancer and even death to them. But regardless of how hard we try, they are exposed to the realities of life. This is a great opportunity to use this band member of the Wiggles’ illness situation to talk about it and learn how to be compassionate to people who are ill.

Lisa Copen is founder of Rest Ministries and HopeKeepers, an organization and magazine that serves the chronically ill. For 505 ways to teach your kids how to creatively reach out to those who aren’t feeling well, see “Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend”

Even if you do not have suffered from a jealous sibling or have acted like a jealous vindictive spoiled kid against your sister or brother when you were young and immature, you have probably heard that jealousy between siblings can be a very powerful emotion leading children and parents to deal with all sorts of unexpected “thrills.” Neglected older children or “babies” that cannot get over the fact that they are not alone in world compete against each other in order to gain their parents’ attention. This annoying situation can become an endless source of competition and rivalry between siblings. Thus, the following five tips were collected to assist parents in managing jealousy and bringing harmony back into their homes.

- Treat children as unique individuals
Siblings do not to be treated exactly the same. When it comes to family, democratic guidance is usually advisable, but it should not be considered a
“golden rule.” Giving exactly the same amount of love and attention is not always feasible and in many cases it is not even wise. This is supported by the fact that children become suspicious instead of being satisfied with what parents are able to offer. Treating kids as individuals instead of equals can reduce them from counting every single act and making comparisons.

- Avoid comparisons at all costs
Never compare the acts of one child with that of the other! Instead of telling them what they should be doing through using an example like that of their “good” sister or brother, it is preferable if you just state your reasoning and provide sound arguments for your position, as speaking to an adult. Creating guilt to your child will never bring the desired results and you will be facing in the future lifelong resentments and grudges that will follow them forever.

- Cultivate the unique skills of your children
In order to build your child’s self-esteem, foster his or her skills in a different way from that of his/her brother or sister. Children that enjoy the outcomes of their special efforts together or through the exact same way are prone to feel less loved or neglected. Set your children’s successes apart and keep the necessary balance.

- Spend time alone with each kid
Before regretting not spending more time with your kids, make this precious time your priority and focus on finding the time and the energy to explore the vast possibilities of spending some quality time together.

- Decide and draw the necessary boundaries
Respect each other’s stuff and premises is of extreme importance. Teaching your kids what it means to show respect to the personal space, like bedrooms, or needs, like time alone to relax, is of extreme importance in wisely parenting your children and helping them build character.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including
Kids And Teens, Society, and
Aging

Think inflatable rentals are only for little kids? Perhaps you haven’t seen the new face of inflatable rentals and inflatable outdoor games! Everyone, whether age 8 or 80, loves to have fun-they just need the opportunity. In this article, we’ll look at some of the most popular inflatable rentals by age group that are sure to liven up any birthday party.

Little Kids: Ages 2-10
You’ve seen inflatable bouncers at countless birthday parties-that’s because kids love them! There’s no better way for kids to burn off all of that extra energy created by gobs of cake and ice cream than to spend hours jumping in an inflatable bouncer.

Older Kids: 8-14
Older kids often crave more action than just repetitive bouncing. For them, there’s the inflatable slide / bounce house where they can run as fast as possible before hurling themselves through the inflatable slide in this inflatable rental. For even more entertainment, there is also an inflatable slip and slide that intensifies the fun for this age group.

Teens and beyond: 13-25
Teens are adventurous, daring, and they demand thrill seeking fun. For this young group, human bowling, inflatable boxing, bouncing around in inflatable sumo suits, and competing with friends through the ever popular inflatable obstacle course slide, are all perfect party activities. These aren’t the toddler’s inflatable outdoor games! These inflatable rentals are fun, exciting, and will really create memories at your teen’s birthday party.

Adults: Ready for Action
Adults don’t stop craving fun and excitement after high school. Many of us just don’t get the opportunity to do much more than the mundane things that are part of “adulthood.” But that’s why birthdays are so much fun; they give your guests an opportunity to let their hair down and truly enjoy themselves. This group will enjoy the always popular inflatable obstacle course, inflatable jousting, and wrestling in inflatable sumo suits.

Adults: A bit mellower
Those in this age group may not want to be hurtled down an inflatable bowling alley inside of an inflatable bowling ball, but there are lots of other more mellow, yet exciting inflatable outdoor games out there today like the inflatable rock wall, the inflatable sports center, and the super-sized inflatable slot machine that guests can walk inside of and test their luck.

Kids still love the inflatable bouncers, but inflatable outdoor games have come a long way since the bounce house. It seems that most people really never outgrow that love playing in a gigantic, air-filled inflatable, whether it’s maneuvering through an inflatable obstacle course or challenging friends in inflatable sumo suits. If you want to really make an impression on your guests and put on an exciting, fun-filled birthday party, be sure to look into inflatable rentals in your local area.

Christine is a freelance copywriter. For more information on inflatable amusement
rentals, visit http://www.allforfunrentals.com.

Bullying, is not the easiest of subjects to talk about, I know. Except this week I’ve heard from so many people who are or have been a victim, or perpetrator of bullying.

The reason I’ve received all the emails is because of the recent Channel 4 series of reality TV show, Celebrity Big Brother. I also know from personal experience how bullying has unfortunately been a taboo subject for far too long.

To be honest, the programme proved painful viewing, reminding us how inconsiderate and cruel some of us can be. Magnified even further when committed by previously cuddly celebrities ‘live’ for all to see, it showed us in condensed form just how bullying develops and can spiral out of hand.

I was bullied at school and in my first job, so know first hand how debilitating being stripped of one’s dignity can be. For myself, through Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching, I was able to move on from its effects. Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky.

Nowadays I work with people caught on both sides of the line; the victim, and the bully.

Bullying is usually only discussed in the hushed confines of late night television or the 3am slot on local radio. However, these past two weeks have seen a major shift here in Britain and in India, assisted by the international cast of Celebrity Big Brother, resulting in the subject pushing its way to the front page of every newspaper, top story of radio and television news reports – it has even been discussed between heads of governments in both Parliaments.

Well meaning advice given, to ‘just stand up to them’ seldom works. I remember when I was 14 the school headmaster told me to just ‘be stronger’, even suggesting I punch them on the nose seemed impossible considering the state I was in.

What I’ve learned since however, is the one most important area to begin working with for anyone being bullied is in rebuilding his or her sense of self esteem. Because that’s the one core belief persistent bullying grinds down, the right to exist and be happy in the world.

For the next little while if this debate causes one victim to muster the courage to speak up and begin rebuilding their self esteem, if it causes the rest of us to step in and stop it when we see it happening, and if it causes one bully to recognize what their doing isn’t fun, it’s not ‘big’ – in fact the bigger thing would be to stop it and change the situation, then we will have all moved a huge step forward.

Steps to stop bullying happening:

1. If you are being bullied, never accept it’s what you deserve, that it’s your fault; you somehow caused this to happen. The truth is you didn’t.

2. Rather than face the bully head on, look for allies, others who can boost your position in a crowd, support you, be your friend, and if needed be the strength you may presently be lacking

3. Report the bullying to an authority figure, and again get support when you do this. If the figure takes no action, go to their manager and so on until you are taken seriously.

4. Get professional help to support yourself. There are many organizations and support groups which are invaluable in both assisting in the practicalities of stopping the bullying taking place, and also begin rebuilding your sense of self esteem and confidence.

5. If you are an observer and notice it happening, step in and do something to stop it. You have no idea how much you’ll help, and also how good you will feel that you did.

6. If you are a parent, guardian, colleague, or friend of someone who is being abused – which is what bullying is – take the victim seriously. Support them, and be as constructive as possible, as one thing bullying takes away is clear judgment.

7. If you realize you have an anger issue, or that something intended as fun developed into aggression, and that you are now perceive as a bully, immediately step back and begin to take stock and understand your actions.

8. Finally, if you realize you cannot change your actions, be brave enough to admit your actions are now bigger than you are, and ask for some help. Again, there are a host of organizations – many voluntary and free – willing, ready and able to help you develop a better set of social skills.

Find out how you can overcome bullying, increase confidence, and be more brave right now affecting all parts of your life visit http://www.mikeblissett.com.