fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Sick Kids and Working Moms
By: Angela Henry
Tags: Working Moms, Sick Kids, Moms

It’s definitely a juggling act

“Ok, I hope they feel better”. I could actually “hear” my boss rolling her eyes at me. Now comes the guilt. I call it the Mom Guilt.

Being a working mother with three children can be stressful — I’m not even going to lie. My husband, who is amazing, works long hours so most of the time it’s me and them. It’s sad to say that whenever they get sick, my first thought wasn’t always on them, it was that instant feeling of panic because I know I would have to call in sick.

I’ve often thought about this and wondered why I feel so guilty when I have to stay home? Is it the fear of how I will be perceived by my co-workers? “Oh, there she goes again, taking another sick day”, or the fear of losing my job? Then I ask myself, am I faking it? No. Is my kid really sick? Yes. Then why in the world do I care what people think?! After I’ve brought this reality back to myself, I can focus on my sick child and helping them get better.

Kids getting sick is something that happens no matter how hard we may try to prevent it. The solution to coping is to be as prepared as you can to deal with it.

First thing I must say is try not to let your child know that you are feeling pressure. Even if we don’t say it, it can come out in our actions. Children are very observant and can pick up on our emotions. This can lead to them feeling guilty that we are home with them and that is something they should never, ever feel.

Having back up plans in place is a great thing to have as well.

If you have family or friends that live close by and are willing to help you, set up a plan that works for all of you. Should you bring them to their home or will they come to yours? Can they watch them for a few hours or the whole day? Planning these details will be a huge time saver when it actually happens.

Most employers are allowing their employees to work from home these days which can be a lifesaver in situations like this. You won’t need to use any sick days and you can also keep them home with you. All you need to figure out is how to balance work and the work of caring for your sick child. :)

Use your vacation days. This one is tough, I know. I’ve used up many of my yearly allowances on my little ones but at the end of the day, it’s reassuring to know you have them available to use and you will not be losing any income while you are at home.

Some daycare providers allow children with mild illnesses to come to the centre once they are not contagious. Just be sure to give them a heads up and have a plan if they get worse while they are there.

Back up plans are great, but nothing replaces the care a child receives from their parents. Throw away the Mom Guilt and be thankful you can be there with them when you can. Even though cleaning up vomit and other fluids is not an ideal situation, realize that it can also be a time of bonding for both of you.

Make the best out of every moment!
Best Baby High Chair
By: Susan Urban
Tags: Parents, Baby, Baby Food, Parenting, Moms

Is this time to start introducing solid foods? So it is definitely the right time to get the best baby high chair you can find! I hope you have my How to introduce solid food to your baby guide for all the information about the food. I’m having few thoughts on the high chairs as well.

It’s crucial to have a spot for your little one that is safe your the baby and easy to clean for you! Without the high chair prepare for a gigantic mess to be made. Do what’s most important while looking for the best baby high chair?

Safe and comfortable

Your baby is going to be spending a lot of time in the chair so it should be safe and comfortable — to sit and to use.

There are bigger, standalone chairs that you can sit around your table, or anywhere you need at the time. There are also ones that come with their own tray, and you don’t need to have a counter. Can you have a full-size high chair? Or maybe the best option is the one that can be folded? There are also high chairs that attache to one of your kitchen chairs or the edge of the table — great if you want to use it in different places. Always the first rule is — never buy the cheapest one when it’s about your child’s safety.

Solid

There is going to be a lot of displeasure exhibited, so it has to be solid.

It is often a matter of price but not only. Check the used materials, take a look at the stitches at the sitting cushion, see if the plastic is not too soft.

Easy to clean

The mess is inevitable so the chair should be easy to clean.

You can get a basic, plastic model that’s super easy to clean but not always comfortable. The best idea is to find one with a plastic tray, without unnecessary grooves and easy-removable sitting place that you can machine wash. There are seat pads that can be easily wiped too.

Well-designed

You’re going to have if for a long time so it could be well-designed for your pleasure.

In fact, the best baby high chair is not designed for you to like it, it is intended to be useful. But try to pick the one that you’re not going to hate in a week!

Fingers crossed for picking the best baby high chair existing and have a lot of fun using it!

Susan Urban
Dadding For Keeps — #1. If I had a blog, this would probably be…
By: Brian Mercer
Tags: Christianity, Dads, Christian Living, Parenting, Moms

If I had a blog, this would probably be the name. Partly because it sounds OK but mostly because I can’t think of anything else better on short notice, and it turns out I’m impatient.

But this will be my first time writing on Medium, and the first time I formally write about something which has grown into a fiery passion that burns inside me: being a father. Maybe I’m writing because I find it cathartic, perhaps because there is purpose to be found in it, or maybe because I have too many thoughts raging through my head like tiny electron-sized bulls and I want to organize them. The truth-shaped grain of sand is in there somewhere, but the reality is a combination of the three plus a few thousand other reasons… but I digress.

You see I have, at the moment, two boys aged 3 and 6 months and I desire what parents do for their children: the best. And what I’m seeing and hearing around me scares me, frankly. Where are we going as a society? As a race? There seems to be so much destruction, hatred and negativity all the time. And what kind of a place is that for children? What do I tell my sons?

The straw the broke the camel’s back to finally put pen to paper? I was reading from one of my favorite news aggregators today and starting getting depressed at how many negative headlines there were. Again. So I went back and counted how many ‘negative’ sounding headlines there were out of the first 50. The answer: 34. A full two thirds! And article #50 ended the search with ‘Mother Guilty of Murder After ‘Throwing’ 2 Month Old Son into Crib, Causing Skull and Rib Fractures.’

I’m not reading that article. Can’t. My heart bleeds for a child I don’t even know. But this is what we see, hear, and read about all the time. It saddens me but at the same time resolves me to be the best Dad I can so my sons (hopefully) have a solid example upon which to model their lives. And I am a Christian man so I have my Father above as the foundation upon which to build my life. And that brings me much comfort. Psalm 121:8 says ‘The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.’ My sons will one eventually know and understand that. And may they be a force for good one day!

So maybe this will help organize some of my parenting related thoughts. Eventually perhaps my children can read about some of these thoughts instead of me saying them for the 10,000th time. My voice will have gone hoarse anyway, so perhaps writing is better anyway. Silver lining! The rest of you, however many there eventually are, will be along for the ride, like it or not (although I’m pretty sure you can just exit out of the tab if you don’t like it…).

My hope is that it brings you encouragement and that my children can be of benefit as well. Everett and Brennan, I love you guys. And you too, Jen, light of my life.

Happy reading everyone.
Wholeness. Hope.
Tags: Fitness, Wholeness, Health, Hope, Moms

I was just done. I was finished. So annoyed with the inner narrative that was on shuffle inside myself, “I’m a mother of 4 kids, I work, I’m a wife, there is no time to get strong. There is no money to eat real food. There is no point.” Fed up with feeling so tired, with feeling sick and in pain. Yet, the cycle would continue. The cycle of not giving a crap about what I put in my body. The cycle of then blaming God for how horrible I felt.

In desperation, I prayed. Yes, I prayed. I asked God to help me to want to work out, to give me an ounce of motivation. Help me to not crave all the sugar, all the bad carbs, all the pandan waffles, and all the milk tea. Nothing really changed the next day. Or the day after that. Or the days or weeks after that. Until one day I committed to do a 10 minute workout and to start drinking 96 ounces of water a day. And that is where I started. Slowly, I made sure I drank that water (and always was near a restroom because of all the pee). Daily, I made sure I did a minimum of a 10 minute workout (prayed my way through). It wasn’t anything to be too proud of, well, at least not in that moment, but yet I was proud of myself. Not necessarily because of the actual work out, but rather what it took for me to get there.

If most people knew how hard it is to just show up. Show up to the gym, show up to the track, show up to the dojo, and for me, to show up to… my bedroom with my free YouTube workout, as I push all the clean, unfolded clothes to another area on the floor. My husband is in the living room trying to calm and comfort my 4 year old who is non-verbal and autistic. He (my son, not my husband), is having a melt down, for what reason, we don’t know, because he cannot say what his needs are. I try to tune that out, to not let it drive me absolutely bonkers, because any parent knows how annoying it is to hear a kid screaming their head off, for like an hour, while trying to focus on something for yourself.

Photo by Peter Conlan on Unsplash

You see, the social media posts exclude all of that. All of the tears, the yelling, the tears (oh wait, I already said that), the exhaustion, and the melt downs going on while I am trying to push through that last circuit. Holding that split squat is killing my legs, but once that timer goes off, the sweet victory I feel of having completed a work out!

For me, the victory is in the fact that, despite all the hell I went through that day, that I still showed up. While I have been on this journey since mid January, I am still just getting started. You are invited on this journey of failure, fear, struggle, sarcasm, joy, anger, healing, wholeness and hope.
The Day Has Come: We Are Launching Prospectors on the EOS Mainnet
Tags: Eos, Mmo, Dapps, Games

Toot-toot — do you hear the sound? This is the first ship nearing the land of Prospectors. The lucky owners of the Golden Tickets are ready to make a landing. Everyone else will have to wait three more days, until June 29, to enter the game. That’s when the hunting for gold begins, and everyone can join the bonanza!

LOG IN

The easiest way to enter the game is to use your Google or Facebook account and EOS account. You can log in with your private key or Scatter. As we’ve emphasized earlier, we don’t save your private key.

You have an initial map at your disposal which consists of 2500 plots. Each of them hides the riches in its depths, but even we don’t know what exactly can be found there. All in all, Ten million PGL are buried in the earth’s depths.

GAME ASSETS

Those who purchased the game assets — your time has come! This is the launch of Prospectors on the mainnet! So drag out your Researcher’s and Beginner’s sets, get your tools ready, and construct the buildings. You are the kings of these early days — those who will speed up the development of the world’s economy.

All your assets will appear on the central plot with the coordinates 0/0, where the state buildings are located. To get your asset, send a worker to the plot and take your belongings from the administrative center warehouse. If your purchase is too heavy to carry all at once, don’t worry, you can return for your assets as many times as you need. Find the preferred plot and then move and transport everything to it, until all your purchases are where you need them.

MINE GOLD — BUILD YOUR WORLD

You may want to bring some PGL into the game to convert into Gold, the currency for the game. This way, when you come across a plot rich with deposits, you can rent it straight away. Visit the Newdex exchange to buy PGL.

Remember, only after the exploration of a plot will the existence and volume of resources there become known.

LET’S PLAY!

We will answer your questions on the gameplay and UI in the Academy FAQ, and our Youtube channel, where we’re posting the walkthrough videos and guides for beginners https://play.prospectors.io

We won’t hold you any longer — may Lady Luck smile on you!

_______________________________________________________________

Join the testing now https://prospectors.io/

Telegram: https://t.me/prospectorsgame

Telegram News: https://t.me/prospectors

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Prospectorsio

Follow us on Twitter!: https://twitter.com/prospectorsgame

Steemit: https://steemit.com/@prospectors

Trybe: https://trybe.one/members/prospectors/blog/

Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/3HdcTRA
To my Love…
Tags: Mothers Love, Love, Poem, Mom

I was looking all around for unconditional love, care and attention.

Sometimes I closed my eyes not to see someone right there beside me, looking at me like I am her precious gem!

She was ready to sacrifice anything she had just to see me smile,

She became the google to all the stupid ‘Why’ I asked for,

She acted to be the stupidest person to make me look like I was the smartest one,

She believed when no one else did,

She became the queen of the world just by seeing me smile,

She was someone who can say I was hungry, sad or hurt… even before I realized I was!

They said I am a kid, with so much values and maturity,

They said I am a guy, with so much of ethics and respect,

They said I am a person, who cannot think bad for others and cannot hate other person.

They said don’t change….

Oh! my darling I am wondering what they will say if they meet you, the person from whom I learnt everything that they said!

How could I not owe everything I am now to you when you made who I am today!

Happy birthday Mom!
Naomi Campbell once again she is a new mom at age 50
By: Jawad Al Afnan
Tags: News, Trending, Naomi Campbell, Celebrity News, Moms

Naomi Campbell,Welcomes her first child, a baby girl

The 50-year-vintage wiglet has showed she has welcomed an infant into the world, as she gushed approximately the “lovely little blessing” and “mild soul” in her existence.

Taking to Instagram, she shared: “A lovely little blessing has selected me to be her mother.

“So honored to have this mild soul in my existence there aren’t any any phrases to explain the lifelong bond that I now percentage with you my angel. There isn’t any any more love. (sic)”

Meanwhile, Naomi formerly insisted 2021 might be “a first-rate year”.

Whilst she recounted there are “some extra bumps to get through” amid the coronavirus pandemic, she admitted she changed into assured matters might be super once more through the stop of the year.

Naomi stated in advance this year: “At the stop of 2020, my most important reflections have been on the want for us to transport upward and forward. We must upward push to each undertaking and stroll through it. And we can get through it. 2021 goes to be a super year, we’ve simply been given some extra bumps to get through first. Nothing disappears overnight, however we simply want to get through this primary quarter. After that, I accept as true with that that is going to be a first-rate year. Actually, I don’t simply accept as true with it might be; I sense it might be.”

Celebrities and lovers alike congratulated the brand-new mother.

“OMG!! Congrats mother! Love you,” Ryan Destiny commented on Instagram

Actress Zoe Saldana wrote: “oh my goodness congrats lady! What a blessing!!!”

Fashion dressmaker Marc Jacobs additionally expressed his pleasure at Campbell new infant.

“Oh my God!!!!! Today is the day?? How sincerely incredible. How fortunate she is and the way fortunate you are! What an awesome Mother you may be. Blessings all around,” he commented.

Naomi had formerly spread out approximately, maintaining herself occupied throughout the coronavirus lockdown.

She stated: “I haven’t any time for boredom. I’ve loved the time of now no longer having to hurry to be somewhere, to mirror at the matters that be counted and who’s crucial in my existence.

“If you love someone this site also for you ”
The breaking of the mom tribe, it is happening all around moms these days.
By: Prairie Soul Mom
Tags: Motherhood, Toddlers, Parenting, Pregnancy, Moms

The breaking of the mom tribe, it is happening all around moms these days. Facebook Mother groups, I feel, are very much so too blame. As mothers, we are there to build each other up, offer advice when asked for, and be comfort within a very vulnerable time. I rarely see any of what I mentioned, happening.

I have probably made every single mistake a mother could make raising my two year old son. We have another on the way, and yes, I admit, I still will be making those same mistakes because it worked for us. I shouldn’t have to walk on egg shells, or before posting make the comment “no rude comments please”. I wish we could all just be in understanding that we as humans, make mistakes.

Usually topics I avoid religiously are breastfeeding/formula (fed is best), and blankets during sleep. When we had our son, we stayed in a basement suite, and it was a very cold winter here in Alberta. The basement got equally as cold, so a blanket while my infant son slept was vital. He was fine, because he would always keep the blanket off of his face. But yet, the backlash began online. Why does it have to be this way?
Dear Dad 3.10.21 Cold, Mom, Hospital
By: Terry Mcintire
Tags: Cystitis, Vaccines, Mom, Radiation

Dear Dad 3.10.21 Cold, Mom, Hospital

3/10/21

Dad,

I guess I was wrong when I suggested it might never be as cold again as it was in the 1960s. I am amazed by how many have frozen pipes or other freeze-related problems. The kids lost power, but no frozen pipes. We had a house as full as if it was a holiday for a few days. Nice to have all together even if in a bit of a trying time.

Thanks for getting your COVID shot. We will all feel better visiting or going out with you now.

I am out of the hospital as I write this. My problem was a side effect of the radiation I received 11 years ago for prostate cancer. The fancy name for the condition is radiation-induced hemorrhagic cystitis. This means blood and blood clots in my bladder making it impossible to pee. It was very uncomfortable, painful, and scary. But, it seems to have mostly subsided. I am walking around with a catheter and bag for a few days. Then, next week to the urology clinic for some more tests followed up in about a month by having the inside of my bladder examined with a camera.

Austin and Haley are coming to see you soon (this weekend or next). They want you to meet baby Emory. It makes me sad Mom is gone. She would have really enjoyed meeting and holding the baby.

One of the times I think about the Mom the most is when I am out and encounter a baby or small child, especially at a restaurant. Remember how Mom would focus all of her attention on getting the attention of whatever baby/small child was within a couple of tables away. She seemed to always be successful in soliciting a smile or laugh.

Another time I always think of mom is when I am driving by myself, especially in the morning. As you remember, I used to talk with mom on the phone while driving to work almost every day.

We remember and reminisce about past events and conversations — but what we genuinely miss in my opinion are the events and conversations we didn’t have yet and will never get to have. All of us must see or hear something daily we would share with Mom if only we could.

Hope you are doing well. As soon as I get rid of my catheter and the accompanying bag, I need for a few more days, I will be out. And, as soon as you have your 2nd shot let’s get out and try some of the restaurants in the surrounding small towns (think 20-mile radius). Maybe if your camping group is meeting again, we can go to one of their meetings and perhaps play a few rounds of dominos.

love,

Terry
Help your Child Kick the Thumb Sucking Habit
By: Purple Bees Day Nursery
Tags: Motherhood, Childcare, Parents, Parenting, Moms

Thumb sucking is a concern many parents have. Toddlers suck their thumbs because it’s comforting and calming. It’s probably something they did before they were born and revert back to it when they are nervous, agitated, scared or ill. They may also use it to lull themselves back to sleep in the middle of the night.

Parents shouldn’t concern themselves unless it continues after the age their permanent teeth begin to appear, around six years old. Experts say that it’s the intensity of the thumb sucking and the tongue’s thrust that deforms teeth and makes braces necessary later. Children who rest their thumb passively in their mouth are less likely to have difficulty than children who suck aggressively. If you’re concerned, closely monitor your child and analyze his technique. If they appear to be sucking vigorously, you may want to begin curbing their habit earlier.

Punishing or nagging your child to stop won’t help because it’s usually an automatic response. Attempting to curb it by putting an elastic bandage on his thumb or another method will seem like unjust punishment, especially since they indulge in the habit for comfort and security.

Try to wait it out. Children usually give up thumb-sucking when they’ve found other ways to calm and comfort themselves. Consider offering them other alternatives to comfort themselves such as a soft blanket or lullaby toy

The key is to notice when and where they are likely to suck their thumbs and offer an alternative. If it happens while they are tired, try giving more naps. If they suck their thumb frequently while watching television, try to distract them with a toy that will keep their hands occupied.

Older children may need gentle reminders to curtail thumb sucking while in public, and praise should be given freely when the child finds and uses an acceptable alternative. Your child’s pediatric dentist can offer other suggestions for helping your child kick the thumb-sucking habit.
There’s Always Poop
By: Marie Mcdaniel
Tags: Toddlers, Kids, Funny, Parenting, Moms

Portrait of a 32 year old me.

I am a mom. I wouldn’t have always started with that, but lately it’s hard to imagine having ever been anything else. There isn’t a minute of my day that I am alone. A sleeping baby in the living room dreaming while the smells of dinner fill the house. A tiny body strapped to my leg as I try to get through the warm up stretches before Beastie number two helps his brother pin me on the ground; my 40 minute workout always had been a long shot in the dark by a lost blind woman. In the shower, trying to find peace, a little pair of peaking eyes find me, wondering if Mommy is almost done because he misses her. We’ll skip the toilet scenes for now.

And yet, if you asked me how to be a mom? What do you when your child is screaming over a snack that never actually existed but continues the melt down anyway (long after a reasonable truce was offered)? How do you stop an ADHD driven toddler at the peak of their swing to not drink the bathwater that you know absolutely has poop in it from at least one of these beasts? I’d laugh and try not to think about the seemingly endless failures I’ve experienced with a shrug. No f-ing clue.

Hopefully more than less agree with me here. Being a teacher, tutor, and coach gave me the knowledge I needed to understand a child’s physical and mental development and put it into practice, but on a day to day basis, you simply must make the best choices possible… Like in those tough situations when your child simply won’t stop screaming crying over the cereal you thought he wanted that accidentally went into the cart in the spot where the actual correct cereal should have gone and is now somehow tainted. No matter how many breathing techniques we trained, deescalating phrases we prepared, that blue raspberry lollipop just does the damn trick every time.

But, when I keep that name Mom at the heart of me, sanity typically decides to stick around. Dad being synonymous throughout this entire article too. (Really most of these I’s are we’s and I give my husband all credit for my sanity still being intact!)

So, a quick toast (because there’s always time for a toast) to Mom’s and Dad’s (it’s capital on purpose); On the days it doesn’t feel like you are glowing with love, or you lost your temper and screamed, or you just wanted to cry because you could’ve done better today, the fact that you have those thoughts at all makes you a good Mom or Dad. There’s always poop, but we can still be a better Mom and Dad tomorrow.

Keep checking in with me for tips and knowledgeable sources for all the poopy moments of adulting.
How to Motivate Your Family to be Healthier
Tags: Healthcare, Love, Love Yourself, Family, Moms

YOU should be focused on a sound way of life

Before you can urge your relatives to take up a better way of life, you need to focus on one yourself. On the off chance that you’re not after a solid, dynamic way of life, what’s to say your family will follow one since you advise them to? Concede to getting fit as a fiddle, practicing good eating habits, and following a daily schedule, if you are upheld by others. Your relatives will put forth a note of the attempts you’ve made when you converse with them about it, causing it more probable that they’ll to emulate your example.

Be chivalrous of the present status of your relatives

Perhaps you’ve seen that a portion of your relatives are unfortunate and rusty. Be that as it may, instead of condemning them for their present status, energize them, and show them evidence of exactly how far they can go. You likewise can converse with them concerning why you have decided to lead a sound way of life and how doing so can assist them with welling. By keeping away from analysis, your relatives are more averse to be guarded and closed down your solicitation.

continue reading here How to Motivate Your Family to be Healthier (healthifyme02.blogspot.com)
WOMAN MOTHER TEACHER
By: Heather Lowey
Tags: Mommy Bloggers, Pandemic Response, Teaching And Learning, Teachers, Moms

WOMAN — MOTHER — TEACHER

Jacqueline and her husband, Brett, have two sons, Hudson (5.5 years old) and Camden (almost 3). She also currently teaches second grade.

Here is what Jacqueline had to say about being a woman, mother, teacher, wife, daughter, ALL THE THINGS… oh, and let’s throw in a pandemic.

What has this last year been like for you?

Interesting… (said with chuckles, laced with some exasperation!)

Less than a week after Camden’s second birthday party, the world shut down. It was shocking obviously! Without a doubt, the first week was ROUGH.

Anyone else relate?!?

We found ourselves completely out of routine. Uncertainty. Absolutely running the gamete of emotions in a very short amount of time.

Then came the routine. “We walked the dog DAILY without fail.”

As she shared their rain, shine, snow mentality of sticking to their daily walk, I immediately pictured the postal service motto! “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night…”

Then I noticed a pointed shift in how Mrs. Miller described life in the early days of the pandemic:

“We focused on enjoying the little moments.”

The bus lot near their home became an exciting walk-to destination for the kids to see all of the buses.

This made me laugh. I remembered back to when preschooler Jake (now almost 12) LOVED buses. The sight of a bus elicited squeals of joy from the backseat. So much so, in the car despite being BY MYSELF, I pointed out a bus. “Oh look! A bus!!” Yep, the little moments stick with you.

The firehouse also became a Miller adventure destination. Including a guessing game of how many fire truck doors would be open.

In general, slowing down life and NOTICING. Recognizing a beautiful sunrise and discussing all of the colors with Camden.

Not something we typically make time for in a morning of running from point A to B to C in the rat race, is it?

How did the boys do with the uncertainty and routine disruption?

Hudson called COVID “the germs.” They are both really good about wearing masks and understand it’s done to keep others safe. Their grandparents especially.

As an educator, I knew the importance of routine for the boys. Days starting with screen time ended in DISASTER. Applying the slow start method in the morning at home worked just as well as it does in school.

For those like me, not in the know… slow start focuses on games, puzzles, blocks, and interactive play without the use of technology. In the school setting, it’s utilized to teach children to interact and learn to play together. Additionally, giving students a chance to ready themselves for the school day.

I’m guessing this may be a giant ah-ha moment! It was a great take-away for me as well.
Digital Baby Monitor Tips
By: Susan Urban
Tags: Moms, Dads, Gadgets, Parenting, Baby

For the new parents, a baby monitor can help get better sleep at night. It detects when a baby cries without you regularly checking it yourself. You can have a good sleep and still make sure you are a good parent. This little tool is just standing there and waiting… At first, all of the special functions may seem useful and worth paying for. But let’s take a deep breath and have a look at basic features and most useful gadgets.

Do you need one?

It is amazingly useful, but it is not a must-have. It always depends on your situation and living conditions — if you have a small studio with the crib in the corner of having a 3-floor villa with huge garden. I guess somewhere in between, but you see the point now. If you have a quiet life in a small apartment you may not need the baby monitor; you will just hear if your little one needs you.

Why digital baby monitor?

The signal is encoded between the transmitter and the receiver, so there is no risk of cross-signaling. You may also consider wireless, but you need to have a good internet connection, and this may be a problem sometimes (on vacation or out of town).

Is audio enough?

Most of the time — it is enough. But with video, you’ll immediately know if the baby is already awake. It is also worth considering having more than one baby, especially in one room.

Is sound-activated light necessary?

It flashes when it detects noise, so you can keep track of your baby while talking on the phone, having friends over or listening to music. It is not the first need but nice to have.

Do you want a belt clip?

Back to the size of your house. The main point of using digital baby monitor is to have it by your side. If you’re going to use it every evening walking around the house, without the belt clip, you’ll leave the tool in one place and forget. With a belt clip, you have your hands free but also your mind!

Talk-back or at least lullaby?

There is a chance that talking to your baby through the monitor may calm the little crier, but it is a question of luck if you’re baby is going to react to that. The other option is a monitor with a little audio-player inside and a few lullabies recorded. The music may work sometimes. But let’s face it — crying baby wants to see mommy, not hear the distorted voice.

The digital baby monitor may also be good for you and your sanity! It’s good to have one before sleep training — not to get into to the room when the baby is learning how to self-soothe. If you want to sleep train with a gentle method — pick mine Hold With Love one, from How to teach a baby how to sleep alone guide. Good luck!

Susan Urban
[real-life chronicle of a student mother]
By: Aline Nardi
Tags: Chronicle, Students, Literature, Brazilian Literature, Moms

I am balancing between breakfast and lunch. I notice that the child starts to get restless. When I focus, I start a dive and enter the tunnel of the concentration wave… bam !: Mommy, I’m hungry!

Ahhhhhh !!!!! No!!!!!!

Cookie, a fruit not to weigh on the conscience. Let’s go again. The climb begins: I put on my boots of disposition, I wear the backpack of availability, I peak the mountain of research with the tip of my pick of perseverance and bam!!!: Mommy, I want to pee!

Ahhh, you know how to do it yourself! Remember?!

The child goes to the bathroom. I’m already a big guy, he says, but he often forgets. He comes back, I still float on the surface of a sea that I really would like to enter. But I can not. I’m drifting, I’m lurking. The noise of the music on the cell phone irritates my thoughts. This program may not be appropriate for your age. No, the little tiger will not release the bone.

I take a deep breath, watch the time. The deadline flashes in my mind. Balance researcher student mother. There is an idea, I know there is. It is there, somewhere in my mind. I try to catch it with a butterfly catcher. Words fail me. The little song, the jumps, the screams, the idea, the drain, everything going away.

Mom!

It’s nothing, he just wants to take my concentration. But so what? I stand here paralyzed watching it fly away. I wanted that idea …

I spy the window, cloudy, cold, good, I can’t wash clothes, I have nowhere to dry, everyone at home, nobody needs clothes; that idea, the deadline, the comparative analysis, the bibliographical references!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lunch time. Research: what do we have in the fridge? I haven’t been there yet: there is a child climbing on my legs to sit on my lap and stand in front of the computer pressing the keys, erasing what I wrote, opening the developer screen… ahhhh !!!!!!!!!!!!

Image Credits: Competition Strategy

Check the portuguese brasilian version here.
HADIZA❤❤❤
Tags: Mom

HADIZA❤❤❤

I don't single down alone because am never lost around your arms .

Lullabbys will sound rhythm of joy and tender touch to our soul but you bring solace and a woman have been searching all my life ,

If its a confession God wouldn't hold m a sinner ,all I know is your joy and happiness surrounding me since I lost my mom.

You haven't been special but you have treated me like your own and love like a son ,flutters my heart because all I see when am with is my mom and how awesomeness can't define your worth in my life

The world won't buy the space for me to fill but I feel the happiness within my heart far off away anytime I see your face..

Maybe If its everything ,I wish to stay by your side till ever .because all I know is you

You bring my heart a reason to smile and live again because your nothing like mom but a cheerful soul I wouldn't forget afterlife ,

I come again I still choose your love mayowa ..

These words are mere but probably you fill my spirit more than you can imagine love..I always pray and thankful to God for you in my heart ❤.

I will love you forever more and our paradise sounds seek happiness because our cheers comes to solidify our glow glitter and awesomeness you bring to me ❤❤🥰
Why is my Baby’s Poop Green? · Dr Dad
Tags: Pregnancy, Parenting, Kids, Moms

It isn’t a very uncommon phenomenon to spot green-colored poop in your baby’s diaper. This can happen time and again while your baby is still a toddler and can be a cause of great worry for the parents. Poop discolorations in babies are quite prevalent and can happen due to various reasons. Green-colored poop is one such popular case of poop discoloration. You need not wrack your brains trying to figure out what caused this because we are here to serve you with all the answers that you need.

Why is the poop green in color?

Green poop shouldn’t cause you a lot of worries because, more often than not, this doesn’t signify some very serious trouble that your baby might be going through.

Rather, this points towards the fact that your child has consumed something out of the ordinary such as a particular high-dose medicine or a certain kind of vitamin which is causing your baby’s poop to be green.

Other than this, the first poop of your newborn, called meconium, can sometimes appear in shades of green and tarry black.

A baby that feeds on your milk the whole day can have increased levels of bile in his stomach, causing the green poop.

Green poop can also symbolize tummy troubles due to an imbalance in foremilk and hindmilk in your baby. Your baby might become gassy or intolerant to some food items owing to this.

If your baby’s poop is green in color and also has streaks of blood in it, then do not panic. It only means that something in the mother’s diet is causing a type of allergy in the baby. Consuming green-colored foods such as green vegetables in a lot of quantity can also cause green poop in your baby’s diaper.
I see YOU, Momma.
By: Jessica Monroe
Tags: Kids, Mommy Bloggers, Mompreneur, Stay At Home Mom, Moms

I see YOU, Momma.

This is not for the weary. Not for the weak. Playing the same song on repeat for the day, watching the same show all. day. long. Being asked for snacks- all. day. long.

Being at home, so you feel like you should be able to keep a tidy abode. And failing at keeping the place cleaned up- because well, your daughter decided to smear applesauce from head to toe and there’s smashed pieces of goldfish in the rug now. You can’t even run to the bathroom for five seconds without being screamed for. Forget brushing your teeth. What even is lunch? Just grab another cup of coffee and hope to chug it down warm.

Even though you feel like you are going around in circles all day… you are busy doing VERY important work. You are kissing boo-boos. You are having dance parties. You are bringing art to life. You are raising the world’s future. You have the most important job of all-being their mommy. Teaching them how to find peace in the chaos. Teaching them how to be human. Teaching them it is okay to feel- whatever emotion they want to feel. Teaching them not to be afraid of this big, complicated world. Teaching them how to be a nice friend, and hopefully a pretty decent human being.

It may not always seem like you are doing enough…But you are doing the very best work. Being a mom is not an easy job, there are times you want to literally run away. But that is a fleeting feeling because you are the center of the world for the sweet little sour patches. It won’t always be like this. Be strong, and believe you are doing your very best work for the day. Even on those lazy days, the hard days, the yelling days, and the crying days. You are doing your very best for that day- remember this, momma.

And just let me repeat this one more time- You are doing the very best for that day, momma. Read it, hear it, feel it, and embrace it.
Spice It Up With Language Honey
By: Jodi Urgitus
Tags: Millennials, Language, Exercise, Lifestyle, Moms

Spice It Up With Language Honey

Photo by Anastasiya Pavlova on Unsplash

I am not easily offended by peppery language provided it is not aimed directly at me. In fact, in certain situations, I find it absolutely necessary and stress-relieving. So, when my twenty-something daughters invited me to join them for an indoor cycling class I was only slightly surprised at the zealous language of our instructor.

“Are you all fu$@ing ready for this!! Let’s get going and kick some ass!”

Okay, I’m feeling ready, clipped into my peddles in my special (rented) cycling shoes, and I feel the energy in the room buzzing. The average age in this class is surely no more than 26. I am by far the oldest person in the room at 54. That’s okay. I can do this. I think.

Any time I can spend with my two adult daughters I take it. They are busy working women with full lives. We often connect through exercise and find classes to go to together. I have been to cycle classes many times before, and love to bike outdoors.

I didn’t expect this class to be so much different. But I was wrong. Of the many differences that are apparent in millennials as compared with boomers, one in particular stands out. Spicy language, four-letter words, casual swearing.

I grew up working out to Jane Fonda videos. I loved them and credit those tapes for starting my life long love of exercise. It makes me laugh to think of Jane screaming into the camera, “Come on ladies! This is going to be fu&$ing awesome!”

Our instructor is a petite, blond, super-fit dynamo who starts her class with heart-pounding bass from her perch at the head of the class. Music blasts from speakers that seem to be right above my head but perhaps are located strategically around the room. Legs start pumping, my heart races, and I’m starting to sweat.

“Fu&$ yeah Jodi!! Keep up the good work!”

I’m immediately jazzed up that I got called out and pump my legs harder.

Profanity-laced rap music fills the studio repeating words I was taught never to say. But we pedal ferociously and lift in and out of our seats to the beat of this thunderous tune. Lyrics so offensive my own mother would be horrified, the song carries us to the end of a strenuous session.

Our energetic instructor, who looks like she could be a kindergarten teacher, screams above the music “you all fu&$ing killed it today!”

The lights come on, we clip out of our bikes and go get a smoothie.

I’m feeling f&$ing fabulous.
How The Words “Wait till your father gets home.” Damages Everyone
By: Caitlin Homer
Tags: Parenting Advice, Dadspective, Childrens Stories, Parenting

“You need to correct them, Cait. I’m tired of being just the bad guy in their eyes.”

As we were laying in bed one night, I heard the children in their room saying something along the lines of, “Okay, I’ll spit it on you next.”. Immediately, I look over at my fiance with my “They’re doing something they shouldn’t be, go fix it.” look. As I did that, I got that response from my fiance.

Now, I am the type of person that words linger in my head that didn’t feel right in my heart. I take those words and I seriously think about them. So, my brain began to wonder. He’s not wrong, the kids always relate daddy to the bad guy. Not the fun one they want to play with. My kids automatically come to my side of the bed or to me for affection. And it’s not because I am their mother, it’s because, over the years of me threatening my children with daddy, they have become accustomed to him being the bad guy. The one always disciplining. Not the one they want a hug or a kiss from and I know how bad that affects him.

He’s their daddy and he loves them with every fiber of his being, just as I do. They make his world spin around. He spends every moment making a life for them to continue to have all of their hearts desires. When he comes home, he’s not wanting the kids to reject his request for hugs and kisses and I don’t want that for any of them, daddy included.

My Dad Was The Disciplinary, Too

As children growing up in my household, my dad was the disciplinarian for us, too. I remember always wanting to hang out with my mother, without him. I really didn’t want him to be in the house, because he was always the one to get onto us for anything that we did wrong. It painted that picture for me and my sisters, too.

I couldn’t see him in another light until I got older. I felt like he sucked the fun out of everything.

Now that I have grown up and had children of my own, I completely understand it. My dad always tried to do the same thing. He wanted to take us out to do things, and it was disheartening for him when we dreaded going because he wasn’t our favorite parent. We didn’t want to sit with him for a car ride, we wanted nothing more but to just be with our mom because we had more fun that way.

It was natural to me that daddy does the hard things that I don’t want to do. When my kids aren’t listening it was easier just to say, “Please tell them no.”, “Please go deal with them.” and maybe it was for my mom, too.

When my dad would say no to my request, I’d just go ask my mom. And I’m sure that was infuriating for him and I am seeing the same pattern with my children.

My dad and I have a great relationship now, I actually am always calling him for his opinion on things, or calling him to vent. He’s always there. I’ve learned now that it’s not because he wasn’t when I was little. My dad wasn’t absent. I just painted him in the light of the “mean dad”.
The Argument Against “Child-Rearing”
By: Jordan Warman
Tags: Child Rearing, Parenting Tips, Parenting Toddlers, Parenting Advice, Parenting

New and experienced parents frequently search for an answer to the question, “What method is best for raising our kids?”. And, according to renowned psychologist, Alice Miller, the answer to this question is essentially, “no method”. No method.

Consideration of this suggestion is likely much easier if one has read some of Alice Miller’s works, which I highly recommend to everyone, and not just new parents.

The idea here is that children will be best served by parents who hold no ideas about how their children ought to act or be, other than themselves.

And, I understand the shock that such a suggestion might induce in the reader, but, I hope you will let me explain further.

I can hear readers shouting, in their head, “But, what about discipline?”

Any “method” we use on our children will necessarily entail some kind of manipulation. That is, if we start with a goal of having our kids behave a certain way, then, any method we use to achieve this end, will entail manipulation; any method we use, will constitute a training regime, conditioning. And, in most cases, the child will have no idea that he is being manipulated, not as a child, nor in later years.

And, further, we cannot use manipulation in the upbringing of our children, and then expect that this manipulation will have no ill effect, and that only the targeted behaviour will remain.



The suggestion here is not to let your children do whatever they want whenever they want; that would be dangerous and ridiculous. But, consider that the realities of your lives with your children will naturally provide constraints on their behaviour.

I hope you will consider the assertion that humans need no training in order to grow up. That is, parents need no artificial constraints in order to help their children mature.

In her book, For Your Own Good (2002, p. 100), Miller discusses what children do, in fact, need from their parents, and I’d like to simply provide a direct quote:

But an honest rejection of all forms of manipulation and of the idea of setting goals does not mean that one simply leaves children to their own devices. For children need a large measure of emotional and physical support from the adult. This support must include the following elements if they are to develop their full potential:

1. Respect for the child

2. Respect for his rights

3. Tolerance for his feelings

4. Willingness to learn from his behavior:

a. About the nature of the individual child

b. About the child in the parents themselves

c. About the nature of emotional life, which can be observed much more clearly in the child than in the adult because the child can experience his feelings much more intensely and, optimally, more undisguisedly than an adult¹

[¹]: Miller, A. (2002). For Your Own Good [Kindle for Mac, v. 1.30.0]. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Retrieved from amazon.ca