Parenting Guru

A baby monitor is an essential purchase for expectant parents, as it will give you the peace of mind of being able to check on your sleeping baby wherever you are in your home. Unfortunately, these monitors are the kind of device which you are unlikely to have any experience of until the time comes when you need one, and it can be difficult to know which type to buy.

There are three basic kinds of monitor: audio, video, and movement or breathing.

The audio monitor is the most popular kind, and at its most basic consists of a transmitter that you place in your baby’s nursery, and a receiver that lets you ‘listen in’, alerting you if your baby starts to cry or otherwise shows signs of waking. The very cheapest modules will have a fixed receiver that needs to be plugged into a wall socket for power, but most models nowadays have a rechargable mobile receiver which you can carry from room to room, or even outside so long as you stay in range.

The range of your monitor system will depend on a number of factors, including the construction of your home – thicker walls will reduce the range – and any sources of interference such as neighbouring monitor systems, computer wireless networks, and even microwave ovens with some models.

Interference is less of a problem these days, as most models will now let you select from a range of channels to operate on, so if you do encounter interference problems, you can switch to a new channel to hopefully clear things up. Some units only feature two or four channels which you have to manually select, while the more advanced designs now have hundreds of channels which will be selected automatically to minimize interference in the current conditions.

The more modern monitors, like so much else these days, use digital technology. What this means in practice is a clearer signal, and an increased range of operation.

Those are the basics of audio monitors, but there are other features available depending on the model. A popular one is an intercom or talkback system where you can talk to your baby through the monitor, helping you to soothe her back to sleep without the disturbance of going into the nursery. Other models may have nightlights or lullabies which you can set to play either automatically or by hand, again without entering the room, while another common feature is temperature alerts where you can see how warm the nursery is, and be alerted if it falls outside a safe range.

For most people, an audio monitor is sufficient, but some people value the extra security of having a video monitor where you can actually see your baby on a TV screen built into the receiver. If you decide to get a video monitor, make sure it has night vision capability, or it won’t be much use when it’s dark!

For complete reassurance that your baby is slepping safely, you can also get a breathing and movement monitor. This consists of a pressure pad placed under the cot mattress, which will sense if your baby stops breathing or shows other signs of distress, and alert you immediately.

The final point to consider when choosing a monitor system is price. The range is enormous, from only a few dollars up to a few hundred. For something as essential as a monitor though, it’s worth getting the best model you can afford, as after all, if the system doesn’t work well and you can’t trust it, then it’s effectively a waste of time.

Simone runs a baby guide site with information on baby monitors and many other aspects of caring for a new arrival in your family.

If you are wondering if you are emotionally healthy, here are the key things to consider.

People who have good emotional health have control over their thoughts and their behaviors and their feelings. Emotionally healthy people feel good about themselves and have positive relationships.

If you are emotionally healthy you are able to keep your problems in perspective, not building minor difficulties all out of proportion or failing to realize the seriousness of major issues. If you are emotionally healthy you are aware of yourself and you have self control. If you exhibit all of these traits then you can be confident that you are emotionally healthy.

Teens often have trouble maintaining emotional health. A very difficult time in their life, the teenager could become overwhelmed by the combination of physical and emotional changes he or she is going through. If you are a teenager wondering if you are emotionally healthy, know that this is not uncommon.

You can endure many pressures as a teenager. You feel a lot of pressure from your peers to fit in , and their pressure can be counter to the pressure your parents, teachers and other adult caregivers are putting on you. Sometimes you wonder if you are emotionally healthy just because you are torn between trying to be cool for your friends, get good grades for your future and your parents, and excel at sports or other extracurricular activities.

When you are a teen you are transitioning from your childhood into adulthood. You want to depend on your parents but you want to be independent too. All this struggle, and all these changes may make you wonder, are you emotionally healthy?

If you are the parent or caregiver of a teenager and their emotional health is in question what you need to do is look for the warning signs that something is wrong emotionally. Not recognizing and acting on these signs can lead to alcohol or drug abuse, unprotected sex, eating disorder or depression.

Teens who are not emotionally healthy may seem agitated or overly restless. They may lose or gain weight at a greater than normal pace. They may exhibit unusual problems in schools, getting poor grades when they had excelled before, or playing hooky or getting into fights or arguments. They may seem to have trouble concentrating.

Teens who are not emotionally healthy may seem sad most of the time, and may stop caring about people and things that used to matter a lot to them. They may seem like they are no longer motivated by the things and activities that used to excite them. They might quit the football team or give up cheerleading. They may seem always tired, and seem to have only a fraction of the boundless energy they used to exhibit. They may seem to suffer from low self-esteem and their hygiene and wardrobe may suffer. They may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or both.

Jane Saeman runs a membership site that features thirty Private Label Articles on the topics of dating and relationships. http://www.DatingNicheArticles.com

Many of us come into the world and see it as an exciting, interesting place. Others see it as frightening, sometimes overwhelming. If the world is infinitely interesting one discovers ways to embrace complexity and to enjoy the constant exposure to opportunity. Those who encounter it as a threat may see the world as a set of situations that need to be controlled.

We can imagine that whichever one becomes is a complex process. It depends on heredity, where one grew up and with whom one developed. We all arrive with a different set of characteristics and vulnerabilities.

Small children who later become anxious children are those who closely observe the world around them and take it in mostly by using their senses and less by using thoughts. They literally feel the world around them and if that world is too loud, too dangerous, too threatening they react to protect themselves. But they are too little to do very much so they endure. Others observe but do so with more selective sensation and a developing ability to balance with reason and therefore become able to erect boundaries around experiences that might overwhelm them.

Anxious kids experience sensation mixing to the point of overload. They seek ways to control input as they evolve brain capacity. In part this is how temperament develops. Kids who sense too much discover that they cannot control the input but they can at least try to control those around them. That is, they can’t stop their body from sensing the tags on their underwear but they can scream at mom for choosing that particular pair of underwear.

Other kids seek comfort from another person as a way of quieting sensation. They reach out for help and in so doing develop trust in other people and establish relationship. The angry anxious kids don’t reach out. They try to manage by themselves. They discover that becoming aggressive immediately affords them a way to focus energy in a way that creates the illusion of control. They believe they can make a situation come under their control and this feeling of power takes away fear, anxiety and frustration.

These characteristics develop for all kinds of reasons but we probably need to assume that there is some heredity involved. That’s called a predisposition. It might also be that nobody was there to whom they could turn or that those there believed it was better for the child to learn to take care of things alone.

Some of us just come with a greater potential to develop certain traits given exposure to certain circumstances. Mix in any variety of circumstances at pivotal points in development and the result might be a complicated, temperamental, angry, anxious child.

A lot of these are boys. At least in times past the girls were better about seeking out nurturance, or maybe it was that parents were better about offering nurturance to the girls. The problem is that the boy does something to get noticed and that something isn’t usually recognized as a sign of his being anxious. It is often something that attracts the wrong kind of attention.

That might be why kids like that so often shout about how unfair the adult or the world is to them. They are focused on the first thing they experienced as a threat to their well being. They are not focused on what they did in response.

The world sees the last thing that happened. The world sees that child yelling or hitting or throwing and isn’t so concerned about why it happened. But the boy is and when he perceives a world unwilling to listen he gets angrier.

The behavior often begins with a sense of being trapped or overwhelmed and unable to manage. Experience showed him that shifting to aggression made him feel more in control. That’s when thought kicked in and the thought is that getting aggressive works. It makes no sense to him that everybody is so focused on what just happened. He wants to make them understand how it all started and he’s unlikely to stop until he does make them understand.

Consequences as a remedy for these kids need to start with at least an understanding of who that child is and how he encounters the world. If he is an anxious boy who manages his anxiety by becoming angry then the consequence needs to include some way to let the boy know that he is understood. Otherwise he will be unable or unwilling to accept any limits or to understand that his actions were an inappropriate response.

The stakes are high. Angry anxious boys grow into angry anxious men. Then we no longer have the luxury of trying to reshape his behavior with empathy and understanding.

Ted Lobby is a clinical social worker in private practice in Edina, MN. He works with all ages. He is the author of two books, one to help small children with bad dreams and the other to help adolescents become self regulating. http://www.anxiouskids.com

A swimming pool can be a very hazardous place for people and animals of any age, but is especially dangerous where children are involved. As a swimming pool owner you have to be aware of the risks and take extra precautions especially for the sake of children.

Here are a few swimming pool safety tips for parents of kids.

It Is Never All Right To Leave Your Child Unattended – Ever. no matter what the age, you should never leave your child in the pool unattended without you or another responsible adult close by. Even if you just have to run to the restroom, or grab the phone. You don’t know what might happen in that couple minute you’re gone, and that’s really all it takes for something disastrous to happen.

Place a Fence Completely Around Your Pool – Separate the pool area from the yard and play area. Most drowning accidents occur when young children slip and fall into a pool. Make sure the fence is at least 4 feet high, and the the self-latching gate is well out of reach, so that your child or children cannot open it without the help of a grown up. Setting clear ground rules for not going near the pool area will not be enough, because children often wish to test their boundaries with such things.

Remove All Toys — Make sure to remove all pool tools from the pool after you and your child are done swimming, and keep them out of their reach. Sometimes a young child who is left unsupervised near the pool will want to swim, even though you’re not around – making this as hard as possible will discourage this activity.

Instruction For Your Babysitters – Make sure your babysitters know the rules of the pool, and the safety measures that you have put in place – it’s a better idea to not allow your child to swim when your babysitter is there period, though, just in case.

Blow up’ Flotation Equipment Should Not Be Substitutes– Blow up flotation devices aren’t substitutes for a life vest. You can find many different color life vests, and ones that are very cute for young children to wear – ‘wings’, tubes, and other products are no substitute and should not be used when a child doesn’t have a life vest on.

Safety Covers

Having a secure swimming pool cover is an essential piece of equipment for swimming pool owners that have children. When purchasing a swimming pool cover, remember to ask your supplier about the locks and latches that come with it, these fillings should be flush to the side of the pool so that your child can not heart themselves on any protruding parts, they should also be child proof so that your child can not open the pool at any time when you are not around.

And Finally

Remember that your child isn’t resistant to water, and that drowning deaths in home pools and spas is the fifth leading cause of children under five. Always make safety a first priority with children, and remember to keep emergency equipment and a phone close at hand at all times.

Find out more information on swimming pool safety and equipment at Swimming Pool Accessory Guide to the Best Swimming Pool Equipment and
Swimming Pool Safety Covers – Which Cover Gives the Best Protection