More Reasons Not To Spank Your Children
June 29, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Violence begets violence. A recent meta-analysis of various spanking studies done over the years concluded that children who were spanked, slapped, hit or on the receiving end of objects thrown at them, were more likely to engage in criminal and anti-social behaviors as adults. This included domestic violence, sexual violence and child abuse.
There was a ….”93 percent agreement among studies that spanking can lead to such problems as delinquent and anti-social behavior in childhood along with aggression, criminal and anti-social behavior and spousal or child abuse as an adult.
“There was a ….”93 percent agreement among studies that spanking can lead to such problems as delinquent and anti-social behavior in childhood along with aggression, criminal and anti-social behavior and spousal or child abuse as an adult.
The researchers suggested that children whose parents spanked, slapped, hit or threw objects at them may have a greater chance of physically or verbally coercing a sexual partner, engaging in risky sexual behavior or engaging in masochistic sex, including sexual arousal by spanking. The researchers warned, however, that this is not a one-to-one or causal relationship.”
If you are a regular to our site, then odds are you are an attachment parenting type who does not need a lecture on why to avoid spanking. If you are visiting however, you may still subscribe to the “spare the rod” mentality. Positive discipline is actually less stressful for both the parents and the children. Not only is it in keeping with the basic golden rule but it also teaches children from the beginning that violence is not an answer to your relationship problems. It does not take a leap of logic to see how a child who is physically hurt by the ones they love will grow up to equate pain with love.
A common misconception of positive discipline and attachment parenting in general is that kids can do whatever they want to with no discipline or boundaries. The opposite is in fact true. The cornerstone of effective positive discipline is fast, swift and consistent boundaries no matter what your actual technique for dealing with the situation. The child learns that there is a consequence to their action from their first tantrum or act of defiance. That consequence may be a naughty chair or time out but they will learn that something happens every time they are naughty. They learn not to be naughty without being physically assaulted by the people who are supposed to be protecting them.
For a great read, check out the Love and Logic series by Jim Fay. They are fantastic books offering real life advice and easy to follow examples that can get you started on a positive discipline path and regain control over your home even if your children are already teenagers. The books are highly recommended and they really work. Whatever you do, don’t hit your kid unless you really want to play roulette with his or her adult life.
The Cloth Diaper Choice
June 27, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Some choose to use cloth all the time, others use cloth as the rule, with exceptions made for traveling, outings or nighttime, while others will use disposables all the time. There are important reasons why we chose to use cloth and with the fabulous products that are currently available, it is easy to do so with very little fuss and a much lighter footprint left upon the environmental future of our children.
We used cloth 99.9% of the time. For the first month, as we adjusted to life with Terran, we used a diaper service. While they were fabulous and I would probably go that route again if we were to have a second child (though maybe just 2 weeks next time around), it is far more economical to own and wash one’s own set. We also used one pack of Tushies brand disposables on a two-week trip we took, but we also took our cloths with us, and alternated between the two as convenience and washing opportunities presented themselves.
One point to mention here is that if it is economically viable, you will probably find that the investment in a really good set of diapers is well worth it (and they can always be found at consignment shops for a fraction of the new price). We found some with built-in liners, velcro fastenings, and snaps that allowed the diaper size to grow with our babe. There are many different types on the market and whether you’re investing in or inheriting a set, it may be a good idea to stop by a good diaper store and discuss which type of wraps go with which type of diapers and the liner options available (generally bio-degradable disposable or reusable).
Why Cloth?
Number one factor in our decision to use cloth was quite simply health. There are no chemicals in cloth diapers therefore there aren’t chemicals in constant contact with baby’s bottom. As we hear more and more about the detrimental effects of various chemicals and toxins in our world, I feel strongly about eliminating those we can for our son.
There are a number of chemicals, perfumes, and dyes in disposable diapers that can irritate babies’ bottoms. One chemical in particular, dioxin, though found only in trace amounts in most brands, has been classified by the World Health Organization as a Class 1 Carcinogen (which means it is a known human carcinogen). Dioxin is a by-product of the paper bleaching process and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that skin rashes, liver damage, weight loss, and a reduction in the effectiveness of the immune system have all been attributed to human exposure of dioxins. I just could not bear the thought of exposing our baby to even trace amounts of such a chemical almost constantly for the first 2-3 years of his life (the time in which his immune system is developing rapidly).
Another of the chemicals found in most disposables is called sodium polyacrylate, which is the chemical that was removed from tampons because of its link to TSS (toxic shock syndrome) in 1985. It is used to make diapers more absorbent (it can hold 100 times it’s weight in liquid), but some sources say it can cause bleeding in the perineal and scrotal tissues of some babies and has even been found in the urinary tracts of some infants.
Hmmm…not a comforting thought for our babies’ bottoms, is it?
Another strong factor in the diapering decision is the environmental impact. It takes about 500 years for disposables to decompose - if they are exposed to sun and air (how long will it take them to decompose if singly wrapped by the Diaper Genie, then put in another, bigger plastic bag to go to the curb in, then dumped into a landfill and piled with tons and tons of other garbage?). They are piling up in our landfills very quickly. From birth to potty-learning, each child will undergo 6000-9000 diaper changes. That literally translates to over one ton of waste entering the solid waste system per child. Disposable diapers are landing in the landfills and besides not decomposing, they contribute to the contamination of the soil, water supplies and create air pollutants. Feces in the disposable diapers can carry over 100 viruses to landfills, and those same chemicals that were next to the baby’s bottom (including dioxins) are also transferred to the land.
Economically speaking, cloth diapers again win hands-down over disposables. Depending on the cloth system employed by families (fitted, flat, pre-folded, all-in-ones, etc.), the costs can range from $150 to $500. Disposables will easily run well over $1500 – for each child. Should you have more than one child, a good set of cloth diapers will likely be able to see another babe or two through their diapering days.
Makes a rather strong argument for the cloth system, doesn’t it?
Breast Fed Babies Likely Create Leaner Kids
June 16, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
British researchers have linked lower body mass index in 4-year-old children to being breast fed longer as infants.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, suggests breast-feeding duration and the weaning diet shapes a child’s body composition.
The findings revealed children who had been breast fed longer had a lower fat mass not explained by differences in family background or the child’s height.
The study used dual X-ray absorptiometry — which measures bone mineral density — to make direct measures of body composition in 536 children at age 4. Their diets as infants had been assessed when the children were 6 and 12 months old using food frequency questionnaires administered by trained nurses. The weaning period was defined as the transition in infancy from a milk-based diet to one based on solid foods.
“Most studies linking infant feeding to later body composition focus on differences in milk feeding, but our study also considered the influence of the weaning diet,” study lead author Sian Robinson of the MRC Epidemiology Resource Center at the University of Southampton in England said in a statement.
“We found that, independent of the duration of breast feeding, children with higher-quality weaning diets, including fruits, vegetables and home-prepared foods, had a greater lean mass at 4.”
New Advice to Keep Baby Safe
June 13, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Parents often worry that they will not be able to tell when their baby is unwell. After a few weeks, once you get to know your baby and his routine of feeding, sleeping and waking, you will be able to tell if the baby is behaving differently. If you feel that the baby is not his normal self consult your doctor immediately. Either take the baby to the doctor or speak to him over the phone. If you are calling him, write down all the things that you want to ask about. Make a note of all the important phone numbers like your doctor’s, health clinic, hospital, a good taxi service and numbers of friends who would be willing to look after older children in an emergency. If you are asked to bring your baby to the hospital at night do so, as it is better to take the baby there than, treating him at home.
Whenever they are taken outdoors babies and small children need special care. Their skin is so delicate that the sun and wind can burn them easily. If there is any tanning on your babies skin it means that there is some skin damage. Special care must be taken of babies when they are taken abroad where the weather is different from that of his home country. The mildest of sunburns is very painful for the baby and studies have shown that skin cancer is related to sunburn in childhood. Here are some tips to protect the baby from the sun:
Dress your baby up in long-sleeved T-shirts and trousers made of cotton. This will be cool and protect the skin from the sun.
Do not let your baby out in the sun especially at noon, as the sun is the strongest at this time.
Use a sun block every time you take the baby out. The sun protection factor should be at least 25. Apply this cream every two hours. Studies have show that people should be using thrice as much cream as they are using now.
Use a broad rimmed straw hat when you take the baby out in the pram. If the canopy of the pram is small, attach sunshades to protect the baby from the sun.
If your baby does get sun burnt give him a cool bath and apply calamine lotion. It is always safer to consult your doctor first.
Ensure that your baby is drinking a lot of fluids. Whether it is breast milk or water especially if it is very hot so that he doesn’t get dehydrated.
Sometimes babies can have a heat stroke due to over exposure to the sun. The common symptoms are vomiting, listlessness, headaches and drowsiness. Give your baby plenty of fluids and consult your doctor immediately.
Protect your babies from the wind as harsh wind can damage their delicate skin as well. Keep you baby well covered while taking them out.
The Teething Stage
June 13, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
For the most part most babies are bothered by teething in the night. If they are it is usually when the molars come through and then only for a few nights. Typically, babies who wake in the night due to teething are more likely to have suffered from colic and have developed poor sleeping habits.
If your baby is teething and waking in the night but quickly settles back to sleep when given a cuddle or a dummy, teething is probably not the real cause of his waking. A baby who is gen uinely bothered by teething pain would be difficult to settle back to sleep. He would also shows signs of discomfort during the day, not just at night. It’s a good idea to check the section on excessive night waking and early morning waking to eliminate other reasons your baby may be waking. Usually at around six months of age many babies begin to kick their covers off, which can cause them to wake in the night. The major ity of parents who contact me regarding their baby’s teething and night waking report an immediate improvement when they follow my advice and put their baby in a sleeping bag at night.
How to cope with teething in babies
If you are convinced that your baby’s night-time wakings are caused by severe teething pain, I suggest you seek advice from your doctor regarding the use of paracetamol. While genuine teething pain may cause a few disruptive nights, it should never last for several weeks. If your baby seems out of sorts, develops a fever and suffers from loss of appetite or diarrhoea he should be seen by a doctor. Do not assume that these symptoms are just a sign of teething. Often what parents thought was teething turned out to be an ear or throat infection.
