HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: rweisbe@starfleet.nswc.navy.mil (Bob Weisbeck)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: creeping and crawling
Date: 17 Dec 92 13:44:32 GMT
Organization: Naval Surface Warfare Center


  I have a brother who is mentally slow (retarded if you perfer).  He
is not serverly disabled.  My parents took him to a place in western pa.
to have him evaluated (can't remember the name of it but it was well
known at the time for working with the learning disabled). The doctors
said that he missed a stage of his development as an infant and that
creeping and crawling now would help stimulate his learning abilities.
This was all back in the 60's. And being about 11 at the time and a big
protector of my immediate younger brother (I was one of 8 kids) I would
do what ever it took to help Greg out. So every evening after dinner 
Greg would creep and crawl back and forth across the living room rug
as dad and mom read/watch tv and got down on the floor to encourage 
Greg to keep going for 1/2 to 1 hour each night. I and the younger
kids often got on the floor and did it with him. He hated it. My Grandmother
lived with us and she didn't understand it. She felt it was just
demeaning to Greg.   

   RESULTS?????    Who knows. Greg was 9 years old at the time with
a 1st grade reading level. In 2 years he got up to a 4th grade reading
level. Now at 35 he has a 6 grade reading level and a 3rd grade math level.
Did the increase result from creeping and crawling?  I don't know. At
the same time he got a new teacher at school who was very good, I 
personally took responsibility to spend hours (painfully long hours) to
help him read, and it might have just been that he matured some during
that time period.   In hind site I feel it was a mistake because
it caused a lot of problems between Grandma and my parents about
Greg. Grandma always stuck up for Greg (right or wrong) because
she was convinced that my parents were out to embarass him. As 
she got older it got worst and Greg took advantage of her when
ever he didn't want to do something. I don't blame my parents for
trying. I would do the same to help my children for anything that I
thought would help them.   And yes that includes letting my 2 year old
watch Seseme Street and Barney (in moderation which is the key to
TV).

Bob
From: schwartz@ces.cwru.edu (David G. Schwartz)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Thank-you note idea
Date: 15 Dec 1992 21:15:14 GMT
Organization: COMPOSERS Logic Programming Group/CWRU
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: bach.ces.cwru.edu

I know that Miss Manners would say a handwritten thank you
note is a must, but with newborn twins and an 18mo old, it 
seems that we'll never have the time to write the 50+ people
who sent us gifts or otherwise helped out.

I think the note below is appropriate - I mean if *I* got it
*I* would understand.  What do you think?  

        a. Social faux pas
        b. Acceptible alternative
	c. Good idea, bad poem
        d. Good poem, bad idea
        e. Bad idea, bad poem, don't quit your day job
        f. Other: ______________

Your comments on the idea will be appreciated - just don't expect an
individual acknowledgement!!!  Of course comments on the quality of
verse are welcome as well.

Thanks!

David
------------------------------------------------------------------

       (1)                                          (3)
However you showed                          We wish we could send you
your excitement and joy,                    a handwritten note,
at the birth of our second                  to say how we loved
and third baby boy,                         the nice card that you wrote.
we thank you for sharing                    But we hope you'll forgive us
your feelings with us -                     for sending this rhyme
it's amazing how twin boys                  for you see, with new twins,
can cause such a fuss.                      there is hardly the time!

       (2)                                          (4)
If it was cake or a                         One thing's for certain,
wonderful meal you prepared,                life will never be dull
we want to say thank you,                   now that we're blessed with
for showing you cared.                      our Noam and Tal.
The gift that you sent,
clothing, toys, or some other,              Fondly,
will be put to good use,                    Ronit and David Schwartz,
by the boys and their brother.              Ariel, Noam, and Tal

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Schwartz - Case Western Reserve University - schwartz@alpha.ces.cwru.edu

Newsgroups: misc.kids
From: Tammy.Vandenboom@launchpad.unc.edu (Tammy Vandenboom)
Subject: tubes in ears (update)
Organization: University of North Carolina Extended Bulletin Board Service
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 13:43:20 GMT

For those of you who responded to my question about ear tubes. . .Thanks!!
All those positive stories really made me feel better about our decision
to go with tubes.  

Anyway, Cameron did great!!  An hour after the procedure you would never 
even known she had just had surgery.  Amazing. From the time they took
her from me to the time she was awake in my arms was 20 minutes max.
By the time we were back home eating breakfast she was her normal silly
self.  So much better than holding her down making her swallow medicine.
I know it's not a miracle cure, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that
it will be better.

Thanks again!!

 
--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
Newsgroups: misc.kids
From: elambert@qualcom.qualcomm.com (Eber Lambert)
Subject: Re: How Do You Celebrate Hannukah?
Organization: Qualcomm, Inc., San Diego, CA
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 22:35:21 GMT

yasu@ll.mit.edu (Alan Yasutovich) writes:



>	I buy a Christmas Tree.

Gee... and I refrained from my follow up about getting hammered and driving
around town trashing Nativity scenes and putting the figures in various 
compromising positions.

So much for being sensitive.

eel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What kind of shower gift is frankincense anyway?"
__________________________________________________________________________
From: janem@hpfcdc.fc.hp.com (Jane Marcus)
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 18:41:49 GMT
Subject: Re: Christmas Gift Suggestions For All Age's
Organization: HP Fort Collins, Co.
Newsgroups: misc.kids

>PS.  A tangential comment/question:  my niece's birthday party was at a local
>children's museum and was fairly large (20 kids).  Her mom did not open any
>presents at the party.  Instead, after the birthday cake she gave all the gues
ts
>goody bags, sent them home and carted all the gifts home to open later by
>themselves.  The explanation was that, at this age, kids get too worked up
>seeing one child getting such a gift bonanza.  Hmmm, I have to say here that
>although I can see some logic to this, it was disappointing to me (don't think

This seems like a good idea for young kids.  I went to a birthday party
where it took quite a long time for the birthday girl to open gifts
and it was really very boring for the other kids to sit still for it.

Jane Marcus
jane@apollo.hp.com
Newsgroups: misc.kids
From: girl@slavery.EBay.Sun.COM (Mary Smith)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Help my heads killing me!
Date: 18 Dec 92 22:07:04 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: slavery.ebay.sun.com



I'm sorry if this is a FAQ but this is my first day
in the group out of sheer desperation I ask!!!

Is it normal to have a killer headache every afternoon!
I'm in my 7th week of pregnancy.
My doctor didn't have much to say but take a Tylenol.
Now my book says do not take any pain reliever!
So I have just been suffering through every day!!!!

Is this normal?
Is there anything I can do???

Direct email appreciated

mary.smith@EBay.Sun.COM


Thanks!!

--
-----------------------------------------------
Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead.
Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow.
Do not walk beside me, either, Just leave me alone.
Newsgroups: misc.kids
From: J.Osborne@cam.compserv.utas.edu.au
Subject: Re: cookie making worries
Organization: University of Tasmania
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 92 02:35:19 GMT

Shock! Horror! You poor old Yanks!

I've been reading your stories of Salmonella in amazement. I would never think
of not licking the bowl out after making a cake or biscuits (I'm English,
living in Australia) - not to mention having several tastings as I'm mixing up
the dough.

I remember there was a Salmonella scare in England a few years ago and the Egg
Marketing Board suffered a massive drop in sales. I've never heard of
Salmonella in eggs in Australia since I've been here. How long has it been
endemic in the US?

And for any other Australian readers out there - is this a problem anywhere in
Australia?


Jo

('return to' or 'mail followup' doesn't work - either post to newsgroup or mail
to j.osborne@esd.utas.edu.au)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
From: nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson)
Subject: Re: A few facts about circumcision
Organization: Clarkson University, Potsdam NY
	<1992Dec17.142721.9611@nynexst.com>
	<1992Dec17.183316.2815@math.ucla.edu>
	<1992Dec20.192503.14010@newstand.syr.edu>
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 02:36:23 GMT

In article <1992Dec20.192503.14010@newstand.syr.edu> kgatling@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Keith E Gatling) writes:

   *Rational* responses, anyone?

Sure.  X% of men getting circumcisions end up getting their penises cut off.

Not a risk I'd like to face again, nor one I inflicted on my son.

Yes, X is a small number (don't remember the exact number), but it's decidedly
nonzero.

--
--russ <nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu> Businesses persuade; Governments force.
Newsgroups: misc.kids
From: allen@tessi.com (Allen Warren)
Subject: Re: Exercising While Pregnant
Organization: Test Systems Strategies, Inc., Beaverton, Oregon
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 16:51:17 GMT

clare@nynexst.com (Clare Chu) writes:

>  I'm curious how much exercise is good.  I'm 5-1/2 months
>  pregnant and used to do 30 minutes on the StairMaster
>  every other day.  About a month back, I started walking
>  the treadmill, since my uterus would get tight when I
>  used the StairMaster.  Now, even walking the treadmill
>  would cause me to tighten up, and get sore on the
>  lower side of my uterus.  I've heard of people jogging
>  until their delivery, but I was wondering if others
>  have the same symptoms I have.  I supposed I could ride
>  the exercise bicycle...

>  Any experiences, comments, thoughts???

Clare,

There are some researchers who have done studies on extremely
athletic women who get pregnant and exercise throughout the pregnancy
up until birth day.  Each researcher has concluded that if a
women who exercises with a daily exercise regiment continues this
regimen throughout her pregnancy, monitoring her heart rate and 
watching that she doesn't get too heated, does not suffer nor does
the baby suffer.

My wife and I are pregnant with our third.  My wife is an avid 
exercise person who runs on average 4+ miles every day and has done
this for the past 13 years.  She is presently 31.  The ONLY time off
she has taken from running was two days about 8 years ago (leg injury)
and 9 days off after the birth of each of our other two boys.  She
has run up to the day of giving birth for our other two and both
boys came out very healthy and definitely NOT underweight.  Both boys
are in the 90-95% range for height and 75-80% range for weight on 
the growth charts.  My wife watches her heart rate and closely 
listens to her body.  She does experience pain in her joints and
legs, but mostly attributes this to her hips and other joints
softening as a natural consequence of her body adjusting to the
pregnancy.  We are fortunate to have the ob/gyn that we do, 
because he was the ONLY one we found who was willing to take a 
chance with my wife in not telling her to stop running.  Of course
my wife is running during this pregnancy, the doctor is completely
satisfied with the baby's health, and I see no reason why my wife
won't continue running up until giving birth, will taken her 9 days
off from running, and then will probably, no make that I KNOW she
will start running again.  Sigh . . . sometimes I wish she'd take a
day off, but I know better than to expect that.

Oh yes, my wife does get sore like you speak of, and you should probably
consult your ob/gyn about this.  If you ob/gyn doesn't know, please
feel free to contact me and I'll put you in touch with my wife's ob/gyn.

Good Luck!

allen
From: dudding@sallyride.crd.ge.com (Kate Dudding)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Re: Christmas Tree
Date: 17 Dec 92 16:34:22 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: GE Corporate R&D Center

Before our son was born, I tended to be rather fussy about my Xmas tree, placing
ornaments just so, tinsel hung THE CORRECT WAY, etc.  A friend felt similarily,
and had gotten each of her children (ages 3 & 5) their own Xmas trees to decorate
as they wished.  WIth their own, they also tended to leave HER tree alone. 
(Theirs got redecorated several times a day for the first few days :-)

So I did this with my son, starting when he was 2 1/2.  I've also mellowed out a
lot about 'sharing' the big Xmas tree BTW.  For him, now 7, it's his special tree
and takes only minutes to set up (it's artifical and the lights 
stay on it even when stored in the attic).  His special ornaments are on it, as
well as several paper ones that he created a few years ago.  He'll take all his
ornaments with him when he (eventually) leaves our home for his own.  Probably
the tree too, should it last that long...

He's also planning on moving his tree to his room before his 13 month old cousin
arrives...
-- 
Kate Dudding                                   dudding@crd.ge.com
GE Corporate Research and Development
Bldg. KW, Room C315
PO Box 8, Schenectady, NY 12301                (518) 387-7164
Newsgroups: misc.kids,talk.politics.medicine
From: xtkmg@trentu.ca (Kate Gregory)
Subject: Re: AMA Calls for Ban on Infant Walkers
Keywords: Anecdotes, Overreaction?
Organization: Trent University, Ontario
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 16:10:08 GMT

In article <1992Dec16.175240.18771@newstand.syr.edu> kgatling@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Keith E Gatling) writes:
>I've heard a few people warn me not to use a walker because they're
>"dangerous" (meaning that the kid could head right for the nearest staircase
>and take a serious tumble), to which my basic response is that the same
>thing could happen if the kid were walking on her own and *you weren't
>watching her*. 

Apparently (I never put Beth in a walker) they can go way way faster
in a walker than they could toddle alone. I have heard adults tell me
they could not catch up to a child in a walker who had a short head
start. If that is so, it's an important difference. Kids walking on
their own walk slowly. By the time they can move as fast as an adult, they
have far better judgement than they did at 8 months.

Kids die every year when they and their walkers fall down the stairs,
or when the extra height their walkers provide allows them to pull
things off the stove. They catch their parents by surprise with a
developmental surge, as all kids do all the time, but instead
of rolling off the bed where they were left, or crawling to the
bookshelf and eating a book, they do something very very dangerous
or even fatal. That's why walkers are dangerous.

As for why they are banned, that is another issue. Does the danger
outweigh the benefit? Is there any benefit? Can alert parents
counteract the danger? Are there other disadvantages to walkers
besides the danger (funny walking style, less body contact with the
caregiver, whatever)? I don't want to address those or the issue
of banning. I just want to point out that they really are dangerous
and children do die because they were in a walker. Enough Canadian
children died from walkers alone to single them out as a hazard
of infanthood here.

Kate

Newsgroups: misc.kids
From: klj@cbnews.cb.att.com (karen.l.carr)
Subject: Re: Fussing, sleeping, stimulation in 1 month old (long)
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 18:59:06 GMT

In article <1992Dec10.213628.15761@colorado.edu>, mwalker@taimyr.Colorado.EDU (Marilyn Walker) writes:

I suspect that some babies get over-stimulated very easily.  What you might
think as quiet could be very noisy for them and just too much to handle.
How much noise is there in your household right now?  Is the TV on?  The
radio?  Is there very much outside noise?  Also light could be a problem.
How much light is there in the rooms you frequent?

Occassionally, I found I had to go into a darkened room, close the door,
either hope the house would stay quiet or had to generate some white noise,
and just sit with Alison.  Rocking seemed to be okay, but too much movement
also could be a problem.  If this works for you and your baby, you might
then want to slowly reintroduce the baby to the normal aspects of your
household in a controlled fashion, but pull him (or her -- I forgot if you
had a girl or a boy) back into this "isolated cocoon" whenever things
seemed to be too much for him.  The front carrier seems to give the baby a
chance to block out the world; he can see very little, and can hear mostly
only your heart beat -- which is very comforting to him.  That could allow
him to sleep or to bring himself under control.  This, then is similar to
the cocoon I've talked about, but is mobile.

I suspect that something like this is happening, where your baby is just
unable to block out stimulation when it overwhelms him.  One of your jobs 
is to help him learn how to do this.  Of course, over-stimulation might not 
be the problem.  If it is, then you could do this and help the baby learn to
live with your environment slowly.  If its not, well, then ignore all of
this.

	Karen

PS  While Alison really isn't on par with your baby, even now when she is tired
we have to go into her bedroom, have either no lights or just her
nightlight, shut her door and rock her.  I use the nightlight, but she can
see then and will continue to look around the room until finally she is
able to stop herself and put her head down on my shoulder.  At that point,
I can put her in bed and she'll go to sleep okay (most of the times).  

She just gets over-tired and over-stimulated and can't stop herself from
listening/seeing/doing enough to go to sleep.  Oh, she is now 7 months
old.
Newsgroups: misc.kids
From: casper@tsoft.sf-bay.org (Johanne Kaminski)
Subject: Re: Seeking a decent baby carrier
Organization: The TSoft BBS and Public Access Unix, +1 415 969 7958
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 20:07:36 GMT

In article <Byr3x3.4L0@deshaw.com> siegela@deshaw.com (Andrew Siegel) writes:
>I am in search of a decent Snugli-type baby carrier for my month-old
>son (who just started smiling yesterday!).  We tried a Snugli Caress,
>
>I'd like to hear about your experiences with carriers.  I prefer
>carriers with nylon straps, rather than soft cotton, and I'd also like
>a strap arrangement that doesn't put all of the baby's weight around my
>neck.  The baby also needs head support -- Sara's Ride would be
>perfect, except for this.  I'm eventually going to buy a Tough
>Traveller Stallion backpack-type carrier, but first my son has to be
>able to sit up.
>Andy

Buy a sling type carrier!!!
We had a snugli-type carrier (ours was a kangaroo), but after the 3rd or 4th
month most all babies hate these because they want to look out, and not at
your chest.  We had something like Sarah's ride (ours was called a
Baby Bear) which was ok for some times.  We had a backpack,  and one other
carrier that is too hard to describe.  We tried them all (we are firm 
believers in carrying ones small children, and we love going on hikes).

My son (when he wasn't out crawling/walking on his own) spent infinite hours
in a sling (ours is called a Kocoona-  it is very deep, adjustable,  washable,
the weight is carried on the shoulder, not the neck, it is most comforable 
for both perant and child.  You can put the weight on either shoulder by 
simply turning it inside out, and it comes with a sewn on zippered pocket
for little things like tissues, keys, etc.)

My son use to love sleeping in it, going on hikes in it, being in it while 
we shopped, houseworked, etc.  It literally seemed like we were like
kangeroos (and we loved it): when he wanted out to play, he was out of it;
when he wanted in the pouch, in he went and we could do what we needed.
He enjoyed it until he was about 2 1/2, when he got to be a bit too heavy,
and better able to be on his own two feet.

We highly recommend something like our Kocoona sling/pouch type carrier
for both babies and toddlers!

Johanne

Newsgroups: misc.kids
From: davew@willow03.cray.com (Dave Wagner)
Subject: Re: A few facts about circumcision
Originator: davew@willow03
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: 16 Dec 92 16:31:36 CST


In article <1992Dec16.193651.8553@advtech.uswest.com>, ken@advtech.uswest.com (Kenny Chaffin) writes:
> 
> 	I'm sure there are a lot of people with the same _opinion_. My 
> opinion happens to be different, and neither are necessarily right or wrong,
> but my argument against it is that it is a medically unnecessary procedure.
> It is only done for social/vanity/religious reasons. And for me that is not
> a good enough reason to invoke such a procedure on babies.
> 
But unless you're not going to do anything for social/vanity/religious reasons
(like shave, cut hair (yea, I know there are medical reasons for not having
 hair dragging on the floor - but is that why you cut it), etc), we're back
with your _opinion_ as to how strong the social/vanity/religious reasons
are verses it's impact.  Not that I'm stressing on view over another, we're
still deciding what to do with our 2nd (1st was girl) if it's a boy, but 
the above reasons are valid to do some things.  The question of "does it
outweigh the temorary pain, or the chance of complications, or..." is still
an _opinion_.
-- 
Dave Wagner                               "Tongue-tied and twisted,
davew@cray.com , uunet!cray!davew          just an earth-bound misfit, I"
(612) 683-5393                                  -- Pink Floyd
Newsgroups: misc.kids
From: sgauch@ccs.northeastern.edu (Susan Gauch)
Subject: Re: After the Stork catalog
Organization: College of CS, Northeastern U
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 15:04:26 GMT

In article <1992Dec11.230358.7973@digi.lonestar.org> gpalo@digi.lonestar.org (Gerry Palo) writes:
>In article <Bywqzp.9AH@acsu.buffalo.edu> birgenom@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (T.B. Shows/ Maureen Sion) writes:
>>Hello.  I have just received the After the Stock sale catalog.
>
>My wife has found that their quality is pretty good, but they
>have botched up so many orders and been so late so often that
>she has stopped ordering from them. 

I find the quality okay, the sizes tend to be small.  However, they
will tell you the dimensions of the item over the phone so that
you can adjust your order appropriately.  The cotton tends to be thinner
than Hanna Anderson, but then so it the price!

Re late items - when I order they tell me if anything is on back order.
If not, the goods arrive within 1 - 3 weeks.  The back ordered stuff 
usually has an expected date on it.  You can call to cancel things
that you no longer wish to receive or simply not order them at all
(or order a larger size) if the delay will be too great.  I haven't
been surpised by the lateness of an order.  However, yes, several
items tend to be on back order.  I guess they keep prices down by
limiting the stock they keep.  When items are likely to be really late,
I've received cards asking me if I wish to cancel the order or
continue waiting, however I'm not sure if that was ATS or some
other company.
-- 
Susan Gauch
sgauch@flora.ccs.northeastern.edu
Newsgroups: misc.kids