Browsing Tag

parenting advice

World Water Day: 20+ Facts to Know (INFOGRAPHIC)

Posted on March 23, 2015
Today is World Water Day. It’s a day to raise awareness about the importance of clean drinking water, especially for women and children worldwide. Here are some surprising and unfortunate facts from Water.org:
Surveys from 45 developing countries show that women and children bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households. This is time not spent working at an income-generating job, caring for family members, or attending school.
Diarrhea is the 4th leading cause of child death, a majority of which are water-related.
Diarrhea kills children at a rate equivalent to a jumbo jet crashing every ten hours.
An estimated 622,000 children under the age of five die each year from diarrheal diseases globally.
Reductions in time to collect water has been found to increase school attendance. A study in Ghana found that a 15 minute reduction in water collection time increases the proportion of girls attending school by 8% to 12%. Another study found a one hour reduction in water collection time increases school attendance by approximately 8% in Yemen, 18% in Pakistan, and 11% in Morocco.
Here are 20 more facts to consider from Able Skills.



View Interactive Version (via Able Skills ).

                


Planet Box offers a solution for what you can do to avoid wasting precious water that is so needed in developing nations worldwide: invest in a reusable water bottle. 
  • Save Money & Water: Americans buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week. It offers you to get rid of half full plastic bottles filling up in your house and fill PlanetBox’s BottleRocket with tap water that flows virtually free.
  • Garbage Be Gone: While single-use plastic bottles might be convenient,  they add up to a lot of garbage, which end up in our oceans and landfills and contribute to more global warming. Packing a waste free BottleRocket lightens your carbon footprint on the planet.
  • Stray away from dangerous BPAs:The BPA compound found in plastic water bottles is so harmful, several states are banning it. PlanetBox is made of food-grade stainless steal, making it BPA (and other harmful chemicals found in plastic) free!
Good idea and great concept!
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Earth Day: 30 Blog Posts to help you REDUCE your family’s Carbon Footprint

Posted on March 22, 2015

This winter, my husband went away to visit family and attend events at his native Trinidad and Tobago. While he was away, I woefully neglected to take out our recycle bin and forgot to ask our sons to do so as well. That meant, for two weeks, our pizza boxes, egg whites, milk cartons and such piled up and overflowed in the backyard. When I went over to tsk tsk shamefully and peer at it, that’s when I was struck at how large our carbon footprint is. The pile was so high. 
Lucky for me, I recalled GoNannies had submitted a guest blog post a little while back where it curated 30 blog posts that helped families like mine do a better job of using earth resources. This post is perfectly timed to share today for Earth Day and Earth Month is coming up this April:
As information about climate change and the damage it could cause continues to be discovered, more and more families are realizing the importance of managing and minimizing their carbon footprint. Making a difference in the health of the planet by making a conscious effort to reduce the ecological impact that your household has is the socially responsible, ethical thing to do. These 30 blogs all feature posts underlining the importance of that task, and offer tips, hints and tricks for turning your family a bit greener.
My family’s carbon footprint
Energy-Efficient Home Improvements
Not only will energy-efficient upgrades to your home help the planet, they’ll also save your wallet each month by translating into noticeable reductions in energy costs. These five blog entries detail some of the upgrades you can make to turn your home into one that has less of an ecological impact, and will also cost less to maintain.
Sustainable Dietary Habits
Making changes to your dietary habits is an effective way of reducing your carbon footprint while also enjoying healthier, more wholesome foods. These five blog posts detail not only the importance of sustainable eating, but also include tips for how to make the switch with your family.
Recycling and Repurposing
The environment created inside a landfill is one that’s typically anaerobic due to how tightly garbage is compacted. The lack of oxygen in this environment means that even biodegradable refuse may not break down properly, which is one of the reasons why recycling is so important. Repurposing items that you might ordinarily discard can also help you save money, and will keep them out of your local landfill.
Transportation
Changing the way that your family commutes to work, school and activities is a small but significant step in the direction of ecological responsibility. Carpooling, participating in ride share programs, and utilizing mass transit are all viable alternatives to driving a car with one or two occupants, and these changes do make a difference. These five bloggers discuss their experiences and share their knowledge about earth-friendly transportation.
  • Green Transportation Alternatives
  • Cars & Transportation
  • Ridesharing: Not Just Your Family Carpool Anymore
  • 10 Green Family Travel Tips
Reducing Waste
While keeping garbage out of landfills and managing your family’s carbon footprint is of vital importance, learning to manage and reduce your waste as a group is a great way to instill the importance of green living in children, teaching them responsible practices that they’ll remember in adulthood.
Teaching Kids Earth-Friendly Habits
It’s important for families to reduce their carbon footprints as a household, but it’s also important that kids learn the necessity of living an environmentally-responsible life as they grow up. Good habits start when children are still quite small, and these five bloggers tackle the issue of imparting green values to little ones.

Stay GREEN everyone!

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Thousands of adult adopted Ohioans got access to their birth certificates for first time today

Posted on March 20, 2015
The first four adoptees to get their original birth certificates today in Ohio.
Today, thousands of native Ohioans who were adopted as kids can get a copy of their original birth certificate for the first time.
The state’s Department of Health adopted a new law allowing persons adopted in Ohio between 1964 and 1996 to obtain their birth records from the state. Until now, persons adopted in Ohio between those years needed a court order to receive a copy of their birth certificate, thanks to a 1963 law that tried to stop the public from seeing adoption records too easily. 
When the doors opened at the vital statistics offices today, about 250 people crowded in to request their original birth records, a department spokeswoman confirmed. 
In 2013, the Ohio legislators voted to make the records available on request.
At a news conference in Columbus, state Senator Dave Burke who is an adoptee himself and sponsored the bill  said it was an “uphill battle” to change state law but a worthwhile one.
“Unless you’re an adoptee, you don’t have a whole understanding of how important this is to you,” Burke said.
The state has had a patchwork of inconsistent laws for years and today over 400,000 are free to uncover more about their past and history.
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30 blogs on parenting boys!

Posted on March 20, 2015
Because I have two boys, I am sharing this guest blog post from fulltimenanny:

Some people might tell you that parenting is parenting and there is no difference between parenting a boy and parenting a girl, but that one size fits all approach just doesn’t work for everyone. Raising a boy can be a whole new ballgame from raising a girl, and sometimes you may find yourself in need of a little extra help. These 30 bloggers have created posts that will help you determine what you need to do during different stages of raising a boy and how the roles that mom and dad play are different.

Mom’s Role
Mom can kiss his boo boos and calm his fears, and more often than not she is his safe place should he need one. The role that Mom plays in her sons life is drastically different than that of Dad, and thus requires her to fulfill different needs. At what point do boys really need a male role model?  These points and others are covered in these five blog entries.
Dad’s Role
Do you have to have a Dad in the picture to raise a great boy?  Not necessarily, but he does still need to have good male role models in his life.  Read through these five blog posts to see why a male role model is so important for your boy.
Toddler
When is raising a toddler boy different than raising a toddler girl?  Is it okay to let him play with dolls or get a play kitchen for his birthday?  Everything you should think about when raising toddler boys is covered in these five blog entries.
Tween
How do tween boys differ from teen boys?  Is there something you should be telling them or not telling them?  Look at these five blog posts to see what you might need to know about raising your tween boy.
Puberty
Puberty is a scary time for you and your son.  He will be freaked out by his own body if you do not warn him ahead of time what he should expect to happen.  Be pro-active and don’t wait for the school to tell him what’s going to happen to his body.  Take a gander at these five blog entries if you are a little unsure of what to say.
Teen
Everyone seems to pity you when you say you have a teenager, so there must be some reason why teenagers get such a bad rap.  If you are raising a teenage boy you need to check out these five blog articles.

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5 Ways a Positive Attitude Improves your Life

Posted on March 18, 2015
Guest Post

Hard times that sap your energy and leave you frustrated are an inevitable part of life.
Maybe you lost a job. Maybe your finances took a turn for the worse. Maybe your personal life is in disarray or a health problem emerged forcing a lifestyle change.
Such setbacks can leave people feeling afraid, uncertain, angry or unsatisfied, says Darlene Hunter, a renowned speaker and author of “Win-Ability, Navigating through Life’s Challenges with a Winning Attitude,” (www.darlenehunter.com).
Overcoming those emotions, she says, comes down to a person’s mindset and perspective.
“Your attitude is a critical factor that can either hold you back or help you move forward,” Hunter says. “Everyone needs to take the time to do a pulse check on where they are in their thinking. Is it positive or negative?”
A positive attitude comes easily when life is rosy. The real trick is persevering when things go awry so you can continue to strive toward your goals.
“The important thing to remember is that we cannot give up just because things do not work out the way we want,” Hunter says. “We must be persistent and press our way through to the end.”
Hunter offers five tips that can help change your thinking, which in turn will change your behavior and, ultimately, change your results.
1. Be a planner. To live your dream, you need to know what you want and have a plan for getting there. “Planning your day, week and month are critical ingredients to living your dream and purpose,” Hunter says. The “how” and “why” elements are important factors in planning, as they guide you in the direction you want to go.
2. Be goal oriented. Once you set goals, the next step is to work on completing them. That’s why it’s important to set goals you can accomplish. Each time you can check a goal off your list, you are one step closer to what you ultimately want to achieve. “The sense of accomplishment that comes from reaching even the smallest goals will help you keep moving and striving to get your desired end,” Hunter says.
3. Be driven for results. When you are driven, Hunter says, you have a compulsive and urgent desire to accomplish what you are seeking, whether it’s a bonus, a promotion, additional knowledge in a particular area or some other goal. The important factor is to always know what you are seeking. Results-driven people focus on meeting objectives and delivering on the goals they set.
4. Have a winning attitude. You must be determined, dedicated and devoted to succeed. “You should never give up on your goals and dreams simply because something goes wrong or you are not getting where you hoped to be fast enough,” Hunter says.
5. Be focused. When you are focused, you have a clear perception and understanding of what you want to accomplish and where you need to go to get there. “Think about long-distance runners who will run a 26-mile marathon,” Hunter says. “They find their pace and then they stay with it. They may get weary and tired, but they find their zone and stay focused and concentrate on what is needed to get to the end.”
“Plenty of stories can be told about people who failed in the beginning, but made it to the top of their profession because they did not give up after being told they weren’t good enough,” Hunter says.

“The ability to keep trying and pushing no matter how many failures or obstacles you hit is the power of perseverance and is what ‘Win-Ability’ is all about.”
About Darlene Hunter
Darlene Hunter, (www.darlenehunter.com), is president of Darlene Hunter & Associates, LLC, a motivational / inspirational speaker, author, life and business coach, and award-winning radio talk show host. Her new book, “Win-Ability, Navigating through Life’s Challenges with a Winning Attitude,” is her fourth on the theme of perseverance. She is the host of “The Darlene Hunter Show”, winner of the Fishbowl Radio Network 2013 Distance Show Of The Year Award. Hunter has been a top performer in management for more than 30 years.

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Designers Dolce and Gabanna call IVF & surrogate babies ‘synthetic children’

Posted on March 16, 2015
Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, creators of Dolce & Gabbana are getting flak over comments they made about same-sex parents and babies conceived via artificial insemination.
In an interview with Italian magazine  Panorama, the duo, who are also gay and were once a couple, said they didn’t think gay couples should have children. 
“You are born to a mother and a father. Or at least that’s how it should be,” Dolce told the magazine. “I call children of chemistry, synthetic children. Rented wombs, semen chosen from a catalog.”
He continued, “you are born to a mother and a father. Or at least that’s how it should be.”

Bellyitch: DOMA: 13 Gay Celebrity Parents and their Children

 The top designer of high-priced high end clothing then went on, “I call children of chemistry, synthetic children. Rented wombs, semen chosen from a catalog.”
Gabbana was also quoted as saying, “We oppose gay adoptions. The only family is the traditional one.”
Many couples, including same-sex and male -female ones, opt for conceiving a baby via non-traditional methods like intrauterine insemination, in which fertilized embryos are created in a lab from eggs and sperm and then implanted into a woman or surrogacy which requires sperm to be transferred into a woman using a catheter.
It’s a popular option for those who want to have kids with their own DNA.
Dolce &  Gabbana have released statements in response to the backlash. Read it here
Famous heteros who underwent IVF treatment include Céline Dion, Jaime King and Mariah Carey. 


E! Online reminds us that Miss World 2014 Rolene Strauss was conceived via IVF to a heterosexual couple, and is a “test tube” baby.
Elton John was the most outspoken celebrity to the remarks. He launched a social media campaign with the hashtag #BoycottDolceGabbana.
“How dare you refer to my beautiful children as ‘synthetic,'” John wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday. “And shame on you for wagging your judgmental little fingers at IVF – a miracle that has allowed legions of loving people, both straight and gay, to fulfill their dream of having children.”
The award-winning veteran performer remarked:
“Your archaic thinking is out of step with the times, just like your fashions,” said the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter. I shall never wear Dolce and Gabbana ever again. #BoycottDolceGabbana”
Other celebs including Sharon Stone and Ricky Martin, who is also gay and has a set of adopted twin children, spoke out in social media in support of John. 
John  married his partner David Furnish  in England in December 2014. The two are parents to 4-year old Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John and 1-year old Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, both born to a surrogate mothers. 
Following Gabanna’s Instagram reply  saying, “This is the real respect for a different opinion????”.  They’ve gotten supporters too who are using the hashtag #BoycottJohn. 
They’ve since released a formal statement in reply (mentioned above) saying it was not their intent to judge the choices of others.
Your thoughts?
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Pi Day is coming: 100 Pie recipes for families

Posted on March 12, 2015

March 14, Saturday is Pi Day and for the first time it is actually the first 5 numbers that represent the numerical value of pi, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter: 3.14.15.

(if you use the American way of writing dates).

Pi day is also an annual opportunity for math geeks, including nerdy parents all around, to make and eat pie with their family and friends!

We found from recipe curators over at our partners at Foodie over 100 pie recipes – from sweet, to pizza to fruit – for every taste and palette to consider making this Saturday!

Good luck!

Check out Pi Day!

by Damaris Santos Palmer at Foodie.com

Check out 12 Pretty Pies for Pi Day

by Karen Hartzell at Foodie.com

Check out 15 Delicious Fruit Pies for Pi Day!

by Ashley Sears at Foodie.com

Check out Pi Day Ice Cream Pies

by Kenda Smith at Foodie.com

Check out 12 Pizza Pies to try on Pi Day!

by Mel at Foodie.com

Check out Pi Day!

by Damaris Santos Palmer at Foodie.com

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I call BS on new study suggesting doting parents create narcissistic adults

Posted on March 10, 2015
So, this morning, I have seen many summaries, reports and reiterations of this new study which says helicopter parents layering too much praise on their children will lead to the unleashing of a new generation of narcissistic adults
“The Ohio State University suggests that constant – and perhaps undue – praise for our kids’ tiniest accomplishments, or non-accomplishments, may have the unintended side-effect of creating an over-inflated ego,” Forbes online summarizes.
In other words, telling Johnny too much that he is special is turning him into an egotistical monster that cannot be tolerated when he grows up.
So, the message is to tell your kid he or she is NOT that special after all?
You can read more about the study here but I’m calling BS on this one. 
I do NOT think we have a culture where parents are affirming their children and praising and uplifting their children’s natural abilities enough. Rather, it is my opinion from casual observance of parents in my circle and from studying interactions among parents I see everyday that the opposite is occurring.
I see parents comparing their children to other children, demanding more and more from them or not demanding enough and/or simply just accepting their child as they are, faults and all and going with the flow, but not necessarily telling them they are better than other children. 
I also note that this generation has pressures that are different that perhaps is the true contributor to narcissism in some youth today. 
To me, there seems to be a concerted effort to pinpoint where all the cocky narcissism is coming from in young people in Generation Y and Z today and this study wants us to believe it came from parents.  
I think it comes from our social media culture that enables children to be elevated to celebrity status among their friends and followers nationwide, and gives them them the similar type of ego boost that celebrities get from their hero-worshiping fans. Just my thoughts.
Nice try though. What do you think?

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Review: Kwena’s crocodile oil is great cure all for a pregnant belly,babies and entire family

Posted on March 9, 2015
I believe in the power of a massage. For babies, a gentle massage after a shower is great for several reasons: 1. It feels good and can calm a baby; 2. It reinforces a bond through the touching aspect of a massage connects the parent with the baby and works on strengthening connections; and 3. It lifts and enhances mood through the aromatherapy aspect of the massage if it is done with a fragrant emolient infused with calming scents like lavender, jasmine, mint, lemon or chamomile.
There are various products out there but I recommend going with an all natural balm with minimum chemicals.
I was sent all the way from the Nile in South Africa a few vials of some wonderful crocodile oil in a salve made by Kwena.
Used by the ancient Egyptians, crocodile oil is extracted from the fatty tissues of crocodiles and has been used as a preventative and treatment for a number of human ailments.
The mixture of the oil with grapeseed oil, beeswax  and tea tree oil is the perfect blend and texture for moisturizing hands and other body parts. It was mildly fragrant but not too overwhelming and the absence of excess chemicals means it likely wouldn’t irritate baby’s skin.
The moisturizer was not sticky but silky to the touch and could easily be incorporated into a daily moisturizing routine by a pregnant woman who is fighting stretch marks or trying to prevent new ones form forming in her second pregnancy.
It is said this ancient oil can heal several other skin conditions including burns, cuts, sores, sunburn, lacerations and lesions, ulcers, blisters, irritated skin, diaper rash, insect bites, razor burns, sports injuries, sore muscles, arthritis, sprains, stiffness, joint pain, gout and can help with rapid healing of viral and fungal infections like ring worm and athletes foot, warts, dandruff, rosacea, psoriasis and eczema!
Phew!
The name Kwena  is Sotho-Tswana for crocodile in Southern  Africa. No testing is done on animals and the oil comes from crocodiles farmed for other purposes.
Kerns sells their salve for $32 a 30 ml vial and all orders over $55 are free an shipped internationally.
And it only takes a little bit to do the trick which is good given it’s a bit costly.  You can certainly nurse it. I did with my one 15 ml sample jar which is lasting me several weeks and I still have plenty left over. Good stuff. Highly recommend!
If you can afford to get your hands on this exotic and rare find, you should.

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Dad blogger starts petition to turn ‘Amazon Mom’ to ‘Amazon Family’

Posted on March 9, 2015
After dad blogger Oren Miller of A Blogger and a Father passed away this past weekend, the lung cancer victim’s dad blogger pal Daniel Pelfrey took up on of Miller’s causes.
Pelfrey launched a petition to get Amazon.com’s Amazon Mom discount site to become Amazon Family. 
Pelfrey, who cares for he and his wife Laura’s 5 children full time while she works, created a Change.Org petition urging the company to change the name.
“Why are you choosing Amazon Mom instead of Amazon Family,” Daniel states in his petition addressing Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos. “It’s a small change, but it is, I think a significant one that Amazon could make to be inclusive to all families.”
Currently, Pelfrey has gotten about 6,000 out the targeted 10,000 signatures.
“To only act as if moms are the caregivers always struck me as odd,” Daniel told USA Today.

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