Children : The greatest gift

Favourite song

2011-02-05T10:13:00.004+08:00

Hi there,

Today I wanna share about my kids. Their newest favourite song is 'We're brothers and sisters', sung by Raihan and Genius Aulad Talents.

Previously, they love Maher Zain, all songs in his album. Generally, Insyirah loves to sing ' InsyaAllah' and Najmi loves 'Alhamdulillah'. I think for the past 4 months, Maher Zain's cd was the only cd played in my car. I know that my kids don't really understand what the songs all about. But they really love Maher Zain. And my husband did buy a vcd of Maher Zain and this cd also kept played at home.

Well, about We're brothers and sisters, just happen since last week. I bought the cd at one of islamic book store at PKNS, Shah Alam. And both of them love this song very much, keep on repeating the song on and on. Some of the lyrics :

"Facing one qiblah
We should feel for one another
Share the fear and hope
In this small world we share
we are brothers and sisters
Help the world together"

Since the singers are Raihan and Genius Aulad talents, this song seems to be attractive to my kids. They feel like they are singing together with the Genius Aulad Talents, whom I believe at same age with my kids.

Do you know Raihan? Raihan is the famous nasyeed group from Malaysia. Their best selling album is 'Puji-Pujian', 3.5 million units sold todate. Their nasyeed is contemporary nasyeed and becoming the trendsetters and inspiring many local and international nasyeed acts.Their song also inspiring millions live to become better muslim

And what about genius aulad talents? They are the multi talents of genius aulad pre-schoolers and ex-pre-schoolers, age 3 to 12, picked up at random. So cute, am I right?

Well, in this cd, I do love 'The last train'. It is entertaining. I propose all of you to buy this cd and you can give it to your kids. They will surely love it!

Till then, bye

Favourite drama

2011-02-04T09:30:00.005+08:00

Hi....still in holiday mood. While waiting my husband finish his 'painting' mission, I just think to drop some notes here.

Well, now I'm watching the korean drama ' Personal Taste'. The story is different from other korean drama and the main actor is Lee Min Ho. I guess he has his own charm. I first watching him in 'Boys over flowers' which was airing in Malaysia last year. That drama made it own history, the rating was really good and the actors and actress are handsome and beautiful. Ok, back to Lee Min Ho, I think he is a good actor. In 'Boys over flowers', he's quite childish kind of person but in 'Personal Taste', he shows the maturity side of him

There are 5 more episodes to watch (Personal Taste) but I'm happy to see how the feelings grow between Jin Ho and Gae In. But I also realized that in this world, there are people like In Hee that will do everything to satisfy herself including using her best friend as the victim. So cruel right? But in the real world, there are people like that

Well, sometimes being too nice and too kind also is not that good. People will always take advantages on you. Just be careful, kay. We can be nice and kind, but make sure we are fully aware with other's intention. We have to take control k.

Till then, bye

Happy Chinese New Year

2011-02-03T21:41:00.002+08:00

Hi....today is a public holiday. Not going anywhere, just stay at home, doing routine houseworks : sweeping, mopping and doing laundry.

My husband paints our toilet, just to get different mood. And also to attract our kids go to bathroom. Well, I think we did a lot of colour combination for our house this year. I'll upload some pictures next time.

Well, to all my Chinese friends, Happy Chinese New Year. Hope this year will bring you and your family joys and happiness.

Halloooooo

2011-02-02T22:26:00.002+08:00

Halloooooooo....

So long I didn't post anything here. Just wanna inform all 'I'm back!'. My mission in 2011 is to update my blogs frequently. Funny right? But it is really my mission this year. My kids are grow up and I'm quite free after finishing houseworks at night. Can squeeze sometime to be here. Wish me luck k!

Beating the blues

2010-05-09T21:11:00.002+08:00

Well, I want to share this article, from Positive Parenting magazine, vol 1 2010. You can also visit this website for other interesting articles http://www.mypositiveparenting.org/

This article was wrote by Dr Tan Ay Eeng, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist

Feeling low after childbirth is common, but letting the feelings linger can be damaging. Find out how you can beat the blues before the blues beat you

Postpartum blues, also known as baby blues, are the common but mild form of depression a new mother experiences after labour and delivery. It usually develops within the first two weeks following childbirth. However, bear in mind that postpartum blues is not an illness and will automatically disappear on its own.

What causes it?

The exact causes of postpartum blues are unknown, but many believe that the dramatic physical dan hormonal chnages in the mother's body may produce chemical chnages in the brain that results in the blues.

Husbands, Take note!

The symptoms of postpartum blues are rather mild, yet they can take a toll on your wife. Women who generally have low self-esteem, lack emotional support and have unreal perceptions of motherhood are at higher risk for experiencing postpartum blues. Here are symptoms that you should look for if you think your wife has developed postpartum blues :

Depressed mood
Have difficulties in sleeping
Inability to enjoy pleasurable activities
Feelings of inadequacy as a parent
Fatigue

Chasing the blues away

After giving birth, you may feel exhausted, uncomfortable and sleep-deprived. Here are several steps you can take to beat the blues :

Ensure you get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can excerbate the blues. In fact, research has shown that sleep deprivation causes the brain's emotional centres to be 60% more reactive. So, make an effort to rest. Even a ten-minute nap can do wonders to lift up your mood
Talk to people. Do not be ashamed to share your feelings with your partner. When you share what you are feeling, it helps you to feel less overwhelmed. In fact, moms can consider joining support groups as this allows them to voice out their feelings and emotions in an educational and supportive environment
Allow yourself to cry. If you want to cry, let it out. Crying is actually a form off communication and believe it or not, crying is therapeutic and helps to relieve you of your tension and stress. Suppressing your emotions can only serve to prolong the blues
Eat healthy. What you can eat does affect your mood. Keep track of what you are eating. Studies have shown that foods that are high in omega 3 like soybeans, walnuts, tofu and sardines can help to elevate your mood

What happen if the blues worsen?

If the blues do not lift in two weeks, there is big possibility that you may be experiencing something more severe called postnatal depression. Seek medical attention immediately as staying in a prolonged state of postnatal depression can negatively interfere with your parenting experience

Tiring day

2010-05-03T11:48:00.002+08:00

Hi there,

Today is a tiring, boring day. Wake up so early, doing houseworks. Then rushing ironing and preparing my daughter's bag. And now at work, boring and fed up with non-sense problem : no internet connection, can't do printing, can't even send or open my email. So many tasks waiting in the list but nothing can be done.

What a full of boring stuff day!

Vacation to Cameron Highlands

2009-10-12T10:03:00.019+08:00

Hi there,

It's been so long I didn't update this blog. I'm very busy with works and kids. Well, I'm going to share my experience going on vacation with my husband and kids recently.

My husband was on outstation (Papua New Guinea) for more than a month in June 2009. Kids missed him very much. My daughter missed him more, I guess. She's having high fever and always cried searching for her father every morning when she woke up.

Due to that, my husband and I planned to go for 3 days vacation to Cameron Higlands, our most preverred place for vacation, after he came back from Papua New Guinea. we love this place very much and this is the place where we go for our first and second honeymoon.

So, the planned became real in early of July. This time we stayed at Equatorial Hotel which is situated at the highest accessible point at Cameron Highlands. If I'm not mistaken, this hotel is about 1,500 metres above the sea level. This hotel is surrounded by beautiful mountains and vegetable farms. It also has beautiful garden that is loved by my kids. They love to be there, running around while eating strawberry.

Surrounded by mountains and vegetable farms

Beautiful, well planted garden

Heritage Hotel

My husband and I used to stay at Heritage Hotel during our first honey moon trip. This is another beautiful hotel. It is a unique, tudor style hotel located at Tanah Rata. However, for this time of visit, Equatorial Hotel is our preferable choice.

Bharat Tea Shop

Our compulsory place to visit is the Bharat Tea Shop. It is situated just beside the main road between Tanah Rata and Habu and it is very easy to access. We can shop variaties of tea and souvenir here and can have a relaxing views of tea plantation while sipping tea.

My son is crying, waiting for his father, at Bharat Tea Shop

Vegetable stalls

Then, we went to Habu. We bought cabbage and sweet corn there. Habu is famous with vegetable farms and vegetable stalls.

Bee farm

This is another interesting place to go. Instead of it's bee farming, it also offers various product from honey. Here is my kids's foto, sitting calmly for the photo to be taken. They really enjoyed this vacation, with their father :)

Kea Farm

Is situated near to Equatorial hotel. Kea Farm offers various products which is locally produced. We can shop vegetables, fruits, shirts, souvenir, strawberry based products, strawberry pillows etc. We bought mugs with strawberry pictures printed on it :)

Butterfly farm

Another place we won't miss to go. This farm is situated not far from Kea Farm and Equatorial Hotel, along the way downhill to Tringkap. We can experience of having rabble of butterflies flying around. And not to forget, the rabbits!! My daughter loves 'em very much.

Rose Valley

The most memorable place for me myself. This is the place where our lovable pictureas taken during our honey moon trip to Cameron Highlands. The picture is still hanged beautifully, strategically in our bedroom, just to remind us on how sweet to be in love.

We can find more than 400 varieties of roses in all shapes and sizes here. I love the black and light blue rose.

Well, Cameron will always be the most preferable place for us to go for vacation. There are many other places which I don't put inside this blog. And this is the most enjoyable trip after being a mother to 2 kids.

Story of Miss India 2009- an inspiring story for every woman!!!

2009-06-17T16:01:00.005+08:00

Hi There,

I got this from my friend. To all mothers out there, believe me, it is not the end of the world living without husband. Please remember that the women's strength is not the husband but the children. But for husband or man, their strength is either the mother or his wife.

Read this story adn I hope it will inspire all women in this world!

Story from TIMES OF INDIA

Neera Chopra lived through abuse, poverty and some tough choices to make her once-unwanted girl child, Pooja Chopra, the Pantaloons Femina Miss Pooja Chopra with her mother.

I don’t know where to begin... they were terrible times.. My husband was well-placed, but the marriage had begun to sink almost as soon as it began. Like most women do, I tried to work against all the odds .My in-laws insisted everything would be alright if I had a son. My first child was a daughter, and that didn’t do me any good... but I couldn’t walk out.. I had lost my father, my brother was in a not-so-senior position in Bata.

I didn’t want to be a burden on my family and continued to live in my marital home in Kolkata.I looked after my mother-inlaw, who was suffering from cancer, and while bathing her, I would tell myself she would bless me and put things right.I don’t know how I tolerated it all. The least a man can do, if he must philander, is to not flaunt his women in his wife’s face. Then began the manhandling.

I still wanted my marriage to survive. I was a pure vegetarian and learnt to cook non-vegetarian delicacies thinking it would please him.Then, I was pregnant again. When Pooja was eight months in my womb, my husband brought a girl to the house and announced he would marry her. I thought of killing myself. I hung on the slight hope that if the baby was a boy, my marriage could be saved.

When Pooja was born a girl, for three days, nobody came to the hospital. There was a squadron leader’s wife on the opposite bed, who was kind enough to give me baby clothes for Pooja to wear. When she was 20 days old, I had to make a choice. I left the house with my girls ‘ Pooja and Shubra, who was seven then. I haven’t seen my husband since. I promised myself, even if we had just one roti, we would share it, but together.

I began life in Mumbai with the support of my mother, brother, who was by then married. It wasn’t the ideal situation, especially when he had children ‘ space, money, everything was short. I began work at the Taj Colaba and got my own place. How did I manage’ Truth be told, I would put a chatai on the floor, leave two glasses of milk and some food, and bolt the door from outside before going to work. I would leave the key with the neighbours and tell the kids to shout out to them when it was time to leave for school.

Their tiny hands would do homework on their own, feed themselves on days that I worked late. My elder daughter Shubhra would make Pooja do her corrections. .. This is how they grew up. At a birthday party, Pooja would not eat her piece of cake, but pack it and bring it home to share with her sister. When Shubhra started working, she would skip lunch and pack a chicken sandwich that she would slip in her sister’s lunchbox the next day.

I used to pray, ‘God, punish me for my karma, but not my innocent little kids.. Please let me provide them the basics.’ I used to struggle for shoes, socks, uniforms. I was living in Bangur Nagar, Goregaon. Pooja would walk four bus stops down to the St ThomasAcademy. Then, too little to cross the road, she would ask a passerby to help her. I had to save the bus money to be able to put some milk in their bodies.

Life began to change when I got a job for Rs 6,000 at the then Goa Penta. Mr Chhabra, the owner, and his wife, were kind enough to provide a loan for me. I sent my daughters to my sister’s house in Pune, with my mother as support. I spent four years working in Goa while I saved to buy a small one-bedroom house in Pune (where the family still lives). I would work 16-18 hours a day, not even taking weekly offs to accumulate leave and visit my daughters three or four times a year.

Once I bought my house and found a job in Pune, life began to settle. I worked in Hotel Blue Diamond for a year and then finally joined Mainland China ‘ which changed my life. The consideration of the team and management brought me the stability to bring them up, despite late hours and the travelling a hotelier must do.Shubhra got a job in Hotel Blue Diamond, being the youngest employee there while still in college, and managed to finish her Masters in commerce and her BBM. Today, she is married to a sweet Catholic boy who is in the Merchant Navy and has a sweet daughter.

I continue to finish my day job and come home and take tuitions, as I have done for all these years. I also do all my household chores myself.

Through the years, Shubhra has been my anchor and Pooja, the rock. Pooja’s tiny hands have wiped away my tears when I broke down. She has stood up for me, when I couldn’t speak for myself. Academically brilliant, she participated in all extra-curricular activities. When she needed high heels to model in, she did odd shows and bought them for herself.

When I saw Pooja give her speech on TV, I knew it came from her heart. I could see the twinkle in her eye. And I thought to myself as she won ‘My God, this is my little girl.’ God was trying to tell me something. Today, I’ve no regrets. I believe every cloud has a silver lining. As a mother, I’ve done nothing great.

‘I won due to my mother’s karma’Pantaloons Femina Miss India Pooja Chopra’s mother promised ‘One day, this girl will make me proud’. Pooja speaks on fulfilling that promise... When I was 20 days old, my mother was asked to make a choice. It was either me ‘ a girl child, or her husband. She chose me. As she walked out she turned around and told her husband, ‘One day, this girl will make me proud’. That day has come. Her husband went on to marry a woman who gave him two sons. Today, as I stand here a Miss India, I don’t even know if my father knows that it is me, his daughter, who has set out to conquer the world, a crown on my head. Our lives have not been easy, least so for my mother. Financially, emotionally, she struggled to stay afloat, to keep her job and yet allow us to be the best that we could be. I was given only one condition when I started modelling ‘ my grades wouldn’t drop..

All the girls in the pageant worked hard, but my edge was my mother’s sacrifice, her karma. Today, when people call to congratulate me, it’s not me they pay tribute to, but to her life and her struggle. She’s the true Woman of Substance. She is my light, my mentor, my driving force. My win was merely God’s way of compensating her

Who is rich and who is poor?

2009-05-29T11:06:00.005+08:00

Hi guys,

I got this beautiful story from my friend last year. She emailed me the story in a very beautiful power point slides presentation but I extract the wordings and put them here. Enjoy this....appreciate what we have and always think different from others, then we'll enjoy our life and always be happy.

WHO IS RICH & WHO IS POOR

One day

The father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son

How was the trip?
It was great, Dad.
Did you see how poor people live? the father asked. Oh yeah, said the son. So, tell me, what you learned from the trip? asked the father.

The son answered:

I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end…

…We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond

…We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them

The boy's father was speechless

Then his son added,

Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing?
Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have

Appreciate every single thing you have!

Najmi and doctor

2009-05-29T10:20:00.006+08:00

Hi friends,

Just to share with all of you the story of Najmi and doctor. My little, cute son doesn't like doctor at all. Sometime, the doctor is just touching him, asking him how many words he can talk now but he replies with crying traumatically. Being in the doctor's room for 10 minutes seems to be very long.

I've read an article from David Dixon about how to manage the children's fear in meeting the doctor. If I have the time, I'll post it here so that we can share the tips on how to manage the fear.

Till then, bye

FAMILY

2009-05-26T09:22:00.002+08:00

Hi friends,

Just to share this beautiful story about "FAMILY". I got this from my friend and I believe most of us have already seen this. However, enjoy this and hope this will giva big impact in our life.

FAMILY

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
'Oh excuse me please' was my reply.

He said, 'Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you.'

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
'Move out of the way,' I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed, God's still small voice came to me and said,
'While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use, but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise, you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.'

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
'Wake up, little one, wake up,' I said.

'Are these the flowers you picked for me?'
He smiled, 'I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue.'

I said, 'Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way.' He said, 'Oh, Mom, that's okay..
I love you anyway.'

I said, 'Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue.'

FAMILY

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think? So what is behind the story?

Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

My updates

2009-02-19T15:52:00.004+08:00

Hello my friends,

It's been so long i never posting anything in this blog. Just to share about my children's development. Insyirah now is 2 years and 3 months old, Najmi is 1 year and 3 months old. They are very active or I can say they are hyperactive.

Insyirah now too obsess with writing (although in actual she's just sketching and scrubbling on the paper). And she's talkative, love to talk, counting from one to ten (but always missing two and six, heheh) and she's now able to recite the 'doa makan' (although not complete but I can hear some of the words matching with the real doa).

Najmi loves climbing. There are few incidents where he falls down from sofa. How to control this hyperactive boy? Well, he also loves to disturb his sister, ending up with a very 'friendly pinch or beat' from his sister. But he's a little bit slow in talking. So far, these are the words we can hear from him :

Nak (when he wants something)
Ukak (Buka when he wants something inside the container or plastic bags)
Kakak
Mama (I train him to call me 'umi' not mama)

Well, their presence in my live really makes my life fully occupied and I never regret it. Thanks to Allah for giving me chances to have them in my lives. Now is my husband and myself's task to raise them properly with love and we hope they will be a candidates for 'SYURGA ALLAH". Amin

Understand to prevent : Taking the right steps towards prevention

2009-01-04T00:35:00.007+08:00

Child development is the process whereby a baby develops to become an independent functioning adult. According to Dr. Hussain Imam Muhammad Ismail development is about acquiring skills of increasing complexity leading to independence.

"Child development can be divided into four main areas : fine motor, gross motor,speech and languaage, and personal and social skills," says Dr. Hussain, the Head of paediatric department, Hospital Kuala Lumpur. "These four functional areas make a person a wholesome individual."

He define the four areas as thus:

Gross motor : A process by which a baby acquires independent mobility. It is like the hatching behaviour of chicks, innately programmed, rather than learned.
Fine motor : This has to do with the ability to use hands to manipulate objects, which requires visual-spatial skills.
Speech and language : Resolves around the need to communicate, acquire new ideas and exchange them and mature intellectually. It makes human beings go forward.
Personal and social skills : Require you to learn to interact with other people and yourself

Range of abnormality

Dr Hussain says that it's important for parents to know that there is a range of abnormality. For instance, some parents may think their child is slow, but this child could actually be functioning within the normal range of development.

"One should not hurry to label a developmental delay because it is usually determined over a few examinations, unless it is an obvious case of global delay as with Down syndrome," he says, adding that parents should follow the levels of progression and that any expectations should not exceed the normal pace.

"Children will only walk when they are ready to walk. Putting them in walkers at six months of agee does not make them walk any earlier and may result in serious domestic accidents,"Dr. Hussain emphasises.

Developmental problems are not uncommon, as 10% of children are affected by them. However, the vast majority of children are only middly affected. Children with mild developmental problems do get better and have a high chance of becoming independent adults with proper intervention, help and added attention. However, about 10 to 15% of children with developmental delay are severely affected with imparements that will limits their independence as adults.

Developmental warning signs

Gross motor : not rolling over by 6 months, not sitting by 8 months, not crawling by 10 months, not walking by 18 months
Fine motor : not fixing on objects by 2 months, not reaching for objects by 6 months, not transferring by 8 months, no pincer grasp by 16 months, not scribbling by 2 years, not drawing a circle by 3 years
Speech and language : Not cooing by 6 months, not pointing (using gestures) by 1 year, no single words by 18 months, no meaningful phrases by 2 years, not understood by family at 3 and by strangers at 4 years, does not understand what is said to him at 3 years
Personal and social skills : not smiling by 10 weeks, no sranger anxiety by 8 months, not spoon-feeding self at 18 months, unabale to dress self (except buttoning) at 3 years

Source : Positive parenting magazine, vol 3 2008, www.mypositiveparenting.org

Your child's speech development

2008-08-06T11:38:00.003+08:00

The development of your child's speech and language capabilities is one of the most natural as well as impressive. Help your child along the way with these suggestions.

Almost all children pick up on their speech capabilities at a very young age without any formal instruction. Human beings, after all born to talk and this trait is indeed an innate gift for your child. While they are not born to talk immediately, children as babies use cries and gestures to convey meanings. They also seem to immediately grasp whatever message you are trying to convey to them by making sense of your body language as well as your gestures.

Most children say their first words between 12 and 18 months of age. By age 4 to 5 years, they begin using complex sentences. As they hit the kindergarten age, your child should by now know most of the fundamentals of their language and be able to converse easily with someone at their level.

However, as a parent, you should understand that each child has different aspects of speech development. While one child may say his or her word at 10 months, another could do the same at 20 months.

Helping your child along the way

Not to worry - as a parent, you can play an important role when it comes to helping your child develop his or her skills. The first thing you should realise is that children learn at different rates. Some are fast learners, others are slow. To begin teaching your child, you should not judge based on speed but instead focus on whether your child's language development proceeds steadily.

The way you engage with your child will determine his or her language development, which is vital in the first five years. A few things to keep in mind are these :

Enjoy the process : Don't force your child to learn faster than normal or put stress upon the learning process. It should be an enjoyable process for both of you.
Keep it natural : Remember, you are talking to someone who is obviously not at the same level as you are. So talk in a natural way that your child understands and comprehends.
Listen to your child : Pay attention to what yous child is saying and listen to the sounds and words that he or she is saying. This way, you are able to better respond to your child and help him or her progress further.
Make it fun : Learning should be a fun process, not arduous. Do activities that will not only teach your child but also make it fun to do together. For example, read stories together and make communicating fun so your child is more eager as well as encouraged to learn.
Be mindful of your own language : Want your child to learn properly? Then, be mindful of the language that goes around in your household. Having bad habits will only mean your child pick up the same.

One important advice - don't pay too much attention on the "problems" (such as pronunciation). Most children generally outgrow such things, which is a common issue. However, if your child displays signs of not being able to comprehend you or taking longer than usual, then you may seek advice from speacialists in children's speech, language and hearing.

By : Ms Woo Pei Jun, Developmental Psychologist

More speech development ideas, as suggested by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association :

Make a scrapbook of favourite or familiar things by cutting out pictures. Go through the scrapebook with your child and name everything in it or talk about each picture.
Expand on vocabulary by naming body parts and identifying what you do with them. For example, say "This is my nose. I can smell flowers, brownies, popcorn and soap".
Acknowledge, encourage and praise all attempts to speak. Show your child that you understand by fulfilling the request, if appropriate.
Encourage your child to give directions.
Sing simple song and recite nursery rhymes to show the rhythm and pattern of speech.

Source : Positive Parenting Magazine, vol 1 :2008, www.mypositiveparenting.org

Encourage learning!

2008-08-05T08:09:00.003+08:00

The home is the best place to begin your child's learning. Here are some suggestions.

One of the best teachers a child can have is his or her parents. And the best place for a child to learn is in his or her home environment. Help your child develop skills, whether it is writing, reading, learning a new foreign language or simply just picking up new learning habits, with these easy - to - do tasks.

Talk, sing and dance with your child : Children love physical activities and nothing makes them excited than being able to do fun things with you. Learn some new songs and teach these to your child. Include the entire family in this fun - and - games session to help motivate your child more.
Read to your child : Children who are read to growing up often fate better than their counterparts who aren't. Reading is one of the fastest ways for a child to pick up learning skills and no one does a better job than a parent. Make reading athing to do every day, even if just for five minutes. A good time to do this is before bedtime. Make sure you read with fun in your voice to make it all the more exciting for your child. When your child is at an age where he or she can start reading, do this together with a favourite book.
Limit television viewing : The TV is often a bad excuse for parents who have no time so make sure you limit the hours your child spends on this. Instead spend them doing things together. Children need to hear and talk to adults in order to learn. Just watching television will not make this happen.
Have a positive attitute towards learning : Be positive and enthusiatic when your child comes back from school telling you of the new things he or she has learnt. Keep abreast of what is going on in school and take a pro-active approach in finding out your child's progress in school. Take an interest and if possible, try to enhance your child's learning progress with your own personal imvolvement.
Give your child the much needed praise : Children thrive on praises. So if your child has done well, let him or her know this. This will not only encourage your child but also shows that you care. Another good way to do this is by putting up drawings done your child on the refrigerator.
Encourage your child to use learning materials : Learning tools such as the dictionary and encyclopedia can be very useful indeed when your child is picking up new vocabulary or knowledge. Encourage them to constantly refer to these two when they want to answers to some queris they may have.
Take them out! : To the library, the museum, an exhibition or even the playground. Exposing your child to such activities will help encourage learning as well as motivate your child to learn more. Not only that, it is something fun for the entire family to do!

By Dr Goh Chee Leong, Cognitive/Developmental Pshycologist

Source : Positive Parenting magazine, Vol 1 : 2008, www.mypositiveparenting.org

How to childproof a home : part 4

2008-07-31T14:37:00.002+08:00

Childproofing your living room

Free Tips for Creating a Kid-Safe House : Living Room Safety for Kids: How to Childproof Your Home -- powered by ExpertVillage.com

How to childproof a home : Part 3

2008-07-29T11:09:00.002+08:00

Childproofing your bathroom

Free Tips for Creating a Kid-Safe House : Bathroom Safety for Kids: How to Childproof Your Home -- powered by ExpertVillage.com

Positive values for your child

2008-07-29T10:30:00.003+08:00

The one thing a parent wishes for is a child with positive values and morals. Here is how you can start instilling these values in your child from young.

Every parent worries about the type of person his or her child will grow up into. Will they be an honest person? What about confidence? The list can go on but one thing remains : how your child turns out to be can very much depend on the type of upbringing he or she will have. And the one person who is responsible for this is yourself.

A lesson in life

There are several ways parents can instil positive values in their child and it is not just a metter of strict discipline and regime. In fact, strict upbringing is perhaps the less advocated method as compared to the scare tactic which is often a bda method of teaching.

Here are several method to instil positive values:

Help your child understand by talking to them : Start at a young age to talk to your child about the importance of having morals. Share your experience, talk about other people and take the time to properly explain to your child. For example, if you want to talk to your child about the virtues of being diligent, explain to him or her in a languange that they will understand. Complete your teaching with anecdotes that make sense to your child. Guide your child and answer any questions he or she may have.
Be a good example : The saying "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" is a prime example when it comes to instilling positive values in your child. If you are teaching your child about patience, losing your top over the smallest issues is not going to help. Your child models your behaviour, after all, their minds are like cameras and they see and record everything that you do.
Encourage your child : Help instil positive values by giving your child praises. If you ctach your child doing something wrong, tell them so. In extreme situations, you can an should punish them for their bad behaviour. At the same time, why not instruct your child to start practising good behavious such as saving money or being responsible? Each time your child does something good, let him or he know it with rewards or praise.
Create a perfect environment : No point tecahing your child about being polite if the entire household speaks to each other in a rude manner. Ensure desired settings and wanted values in the family while eliminating undesirable actions. For example, if you want your child to have good manners, make sure you portray this within the family setting. Ask for the entire family to be polite to one another and make sure bad manners get punished to set an example. Remember, when it comes to teaching your child positive values, consistency is the key. Make sure you teach them the same thing over and over again so that they understand exactly what is desired. And lastly, the best way to improve your child's behaviour is by improving your own. So keep to positive values yourself to make sure your child sees how important it is with their own eyes.

By Assoc Prof Dr M Swamenathan, Psychiatrist

Source : Positive Parenting magazine, Vol 1 :2008, www.mypositiveparenting.org

MORE WAYS TO INSTIL POSTIVE VALUES

Encourage participation as a family in volunteering or community service : This will help your child develop a sense of moral obligation.
Share emotional times : Talk to your child about your feelings so that he or she may learn to identify their own.
Show respect for those in authority : This will help discipline your child when it comes to appropriate behaviour

Source : www. parenting.org

Interacting with your child

2008-07-25T12:49:00.004+08:00

One of the best ways to ensure a happy and positive child is by constant interaction with the parents. Here are some ideas on how you can promote healthy interaction with your child regardless of age.

Communication is the key to any relationship, especially when it comes to your children. Positive interaction has always been advocated by experts to start your child on the right track of effective communication. It can also build healthy relationships. However, interaction with children is not the easiet thing to do. Because of the different level of understanding, it can become frustrating, especially when dealing with very young children. And it doesn't become any easier when your child grows up into a teenager. Some parents swear it is the hardest years when it comes to parent-child interaction.

Here are some ideas on how you can promote positive parent-child interaction at the different stages of your child's life :

Talking with your baby

Start young : Positive interaction with your child can begin even before he or she is born! Start the bond by singing to your unborn child or even having min conversation with him or her. This way, your child will already recognise your voice and can react better with you later on

Laugh, dance, do whatever to enjoy each other's company : Relax! Just enjoy spending all this time with your child. Have a good time with your baby and communicate with smiles, touch, funny faces and generally being in good spirits. Establish a routine or a playtime that will be unique to the two of you.

Talking with your toddler

Do as much as you can : What your toddler learns in his or her first three years of life will mould him or her into the person they will become for the rest of their lives. Therefore, effective communication is important here as your toddler is at a stage when he or she will learn quickly and efficiently.

Schedule playtime: This is the time when your child begins to strengthen and develop motor skills. To help him or her develop further, sit down with your toddler every day for one-to-one playtime. When your child is slightly older, you may want to consider playtime with children around the same age.

Talking to your teenager

Treat them like adults : The biggest mistake you can do here is still treat them like babies. This can go wrong in two ways - your child will never be able to build self confidence or your child will rebel by acting completely out of line to establish the fact that he or she is no longer a young child.

But still be stern : Don't let your teenager walk all over you. Be an understanding parent but also realise that there will be times when you need to be stern as well, especially when your child has crossed the line. Be firm when giving out punishment so thay your child knows that you mean business. Involve your child in deciding the type of punishment to be imposed.

MORE IDEAS ON WAYS TO CONNECT WITH YOUR CHILD

Go on trips : Find time once a week to get the entire family together and go on an excursion. It can be a sort or a long trip but what matters most is that the entire family is together to spend quality time together.
Have dinners together : Studies has shown that kid who have regular and frequent family dinners are less likely to do drugs. Schedule mealtimes whereby the entire family can sit down together and share this special moment.
Game night : Instead of just turning on the television after every meal, why not arrange for game nights? This will allow your child to bond with you over board games and can be a fun time for all.
Pay attention to your child's interest : Is your child an artist? Bring out some large sheets of paper and start painting! Your child loves to bake? Spend time together to bake a cake for the entire family

By Assoc Prof Dr M Swamenathan, Phychiatrist

Source : Positive parenting magazine, vol 1 2008

How to childproof a home Part 2

2008-07-25T08:22:00.002+08:00

Electrical Outlet Safety for Children

Free Tips for Creating a Kid-Safe House : Electrical Outlet Safety: How to Childproof Your Home -- powered by ExpertVillage.com

How to childproof a home : part 1

2008-07-24T17:03:00.004+08:00

Well my friends, I think by watching the short video about how to chilproof our home will give us better understanding on how to start something at our home, for our little child. I've selected the videos from Valerie Lary. She's the expert.

About Valerie Lary :
Valerie Lary has appeared in several parenting videos on the subject of childproofing, and has childproofed her own home for the safety of her children

Free Tips for Creating a Kid-Safe House : Child Safety Tips: How to Childproof Your Home -- powered by ExpertVillage.com

Time with the family

2008-07-24T09:02:00.005+08:00

Research has shown that family quality time often contributes to a child's ositive upbringing. However, with our busy schedules, this is something that is lacking in today's families. Create family quality time again to help build a happy home.

A study published by the Canadian Social Trends showed that workers spent an average of 45 minutes less per day with family members in 2005 than they did 20 years ago. What this transltes into is that the more time you spend at work, the less time you have with your family.

Spending time with the family is important but this is something many of us forget as we are too busy wrapped up in our work, career, personal life and more. So often, we focus too much on the big things rather than the other more important little things in our lives. Before you know it, it could already be too late to do anything about this.

Remember this - time flies! You may think you can put off spending time with your child to another day but by then, your child would have already grown up and you are left wondering what happened to the little girl/boy who looked up to you so much.

Quality time & Quantity time

There is a huge different between quality time and quantity time. If you are spending time 'lecturing' your cild, you can be sure it won't be an enjoyable time for him or her. However, if it is time spent doing the things your child enjoys, then even if it is just 15 minutes of it, it will be time that your child appreciates.

Know the meaning of quality time, which translates into communicating with your child in an upbeat and useful manner. Watching TV in silence does not count as quality time. Bonding while watching TV is what makes the difference.

The more family time you spend together, the more close-knit a family becomes. This will result in reducing stress in the household as well as less arguments with each other.

Create these quality time

Here are some ways to start incorporating family time in your life:

Rethink your life

Think of what you would rather have - a happy family or one that is constantly bickering with one another while you hide in the office? Set your priorities straight and start rethinking your life and how you can make the changes to include more family time.

Give your child attention he or she deserves

Give your child the attention and interest he or she yearns for. Be positive about your child and be generous with your praises. Let yur child help around the household and make sure you praise hard work and effort.

Learn to make time

Be spontaneous in your life, the last thing you want is for your child to feel as if a scheduled appointment is needed to have your attention! Don't sweat the small stuff (unwashed dishes, dirty laundry, management presentations etc) and instead, think of the little but important things such as going to the park with your child, celebrating a birthday or even singing a song before your child goes to sleep.

Talk, don't nag

Don't spend whatever little time you have with your child nagging. Instead, learn to talk to your child as you would another adult and you could be pleasantly surprised at the reaction you may receive.

Take the effort to find out what is going on in your child's life - younger children can talk about their friends or school while older children can focus on what's occuring outside the home or neighbourhood. If possible, ask for opinions. This will make your child feel appreciated, which is exactly the effect you desire.

By Dr Anjli Doshi-Gandhi, Deputy Director-General (policy), National Population and Family Development Board Malaysia

Source : Positive Parenting Magazine, Vol 1 2008

Morning sickness

2008-07-21T12:20:00.002+08:00

Your body is behaving like never before; you're throwing up at the smell of beer. Not hungover? Guess you're pregnant then. Let us help you cope.

What is it?
A common and unpleasant part of being pregnant for many women. It can range from feeling queasy to finding it almost impossible to keep food down without chucking it up again. Women often feel most nauseous on waking, hence the term 'morning sickness', but it can actually strike at any time of day.

What's the cause?
In general, it's linked to the increased hormone activity of early pregnancy, while stress and exhaustion are also sometimes blamed. Symptoms can appear as early as the fifth week of pregnancy and last until the 16th week, but there is no firm rule here. Some women are unfortunate enough to suffer throughout the duration of their pregnancy.

Who is affected?
Sources show that 60-80% of pregnant woman experience symptoms. That queasiness means you're producing all the right natural chemicals to make the pregnancy progress properly - in fact, women who experience morning sickness are believed to have less chance of miscarriage.

Are there any risks?
Although morning sickness is regarded as a normal part of the pregnancy process, if you experience prolonged and severe vomiting then consult your doctor or midwife. You run the risk of severe dehydration, which makes vomiting worse. In rare cases, it could even cause kidney failure.

Deal with it
There are lots of ways to help keep morning sickness at bay. Every expectant mother will find their own method, but here are some popular methods. Just be sure to consult your midwife or healthcare provider if you're considering any of the following to be sure it's right for you:
1. Eat what you want, whenever you want it. However, try to stick to a balanced diet and avoid skipping meals when you're feeling grim, as food can often help to ease the nausea;
2. Steer clear of strong smells (as pregant women are often oversensitive to odours). When cooking, be sure to ventilate the room;
3. Avoid coffee and tea, or any caffeinated product. Peppermint tea is often said to ease morning sickness, as is food or drink containing ginger;
4. Eat before you get up in the morning, while you're still in bed (at least you've got the perfect excuse for brekkie in bed). Morning sickness sufferers recommned crackers or dry cereal;
5. Get plenty of rest, as some morning sickness sufferers find the condition is worse when they're tired.

Source : http://www.thesite.org/sexandrelationships/familyandfriends/pregnancyandparenthood/morningsickness

Teaching children to build self-esteem

2008-07-15T13:08:00.003+08:00

Self Reliance

Allow space for children to learn responsibility. It is important to introduce them to daily living skills such as cleaning up and self direction. Adults need to practice 'active listening' to help children recognize their feelings and be able to communicate them. The ability to articulate well will help children to say 'No' when they feel unsafe or threatened; to seek help when needed, to be aware of their own rights while respecting others

Self image

Children develop a positive self concept when adults take them seriously. Their questions are answered honestly and completely adn displays of emotion are encouraged. Self-assurance grows when they receive positive reinforcement instead of being reminded of behavious frowned upon. Valuing each child as a unique individual and not in relative terms preserves their self image

Self worth

Encourage children to be considerate of others and their property, to share what they have, to be polite and to take time listen so they would understand better another's worth as they would their own. Use every opportunity you can to help children appreciate differences; help them to take pride in the unique person they are while recognizing and learning from others who are different

Self discipline

Children ought to be aware of their own environment so they can better gauge their needs and desires to develop their own unique personality in a socially responsible context. Help them make choices so they see them as preferences rather than directed by rules. A child's opinions, desires and rights must be respected although it is the adult's responsibility to advise them of the consequences

Self motivation

A suitable learning environment will allow children to develop at their own pace, challenging oneself to do better the next time and make self-motivation an innate quality so that pride in one's accomplishement becomes a goal

Source : http://www.culturemagic.org/PDF/cValuesChildren.pdf

http://www.sitagita.com/view.asp?ID=2531

From : Mama to Mama magazine, Malaysia Edition, Vol 4/2007

10 tips to raise healthy, happy kids

2008-07-10T15:44:00.004+08:00

Our children are our most valued teasures. If we could just secure their well-being, happiness and success in life, we know we've fulfilled our mission and passed parenthood with flying colours.

WHERE TO START

Take charge in providing the best nutrition possible for your child from conception onwards. For them to learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, emphasis on clean, healthy living everyday should be set earlier on. For instance, regular visits to your trusted pediatrician for proper guidance and care should never be compromised.

Small gestures go a long way. Establishing good eating habits and making healthy food choices always put them on the right track to living a full life. And there's nothing like regular quality time spent with our kids to help us get to know them better, strengthen bonds of communication, and weave strong moral fibers of trust and honesty.

Here, some of today's top health experts take time to share with us wisdom culled from their many years of dealing with families and children. Consider what they have to say. After all, our kids deserve only the best love and care we can give.

Give yourself : Adequate maternal vitamins and supplements during pregnancy and breat feeding, and a well-balanced diet, complete childhood immunizations and quality time for emotional quotient.

Breast feeding from birth is best for a baby. This should be followed by regular checkups, immunizations and health examination under a dependable healthcare provider. This will ensure good health for your child.

Introduce proper diet to your children - start by breast feeding them [and emphasize] healthy eating in adulthood. Overfeeding should be avoided ; it may lead to obesity in adolescence. Fat babies are not healthy babies.

Accident-proof your home. potential hazards around the home should be identified, and safety measures should be implemented. Every effort should be made to emphasize accident prevention.

Start them young on good habits. Live healthy, live as an example!

Aside from providing good food ang nutrition, parents can be good role models for their children by eating a well-balanced diet and getting egular exercise themselves - to show how important good physical and mental health are.

Responsible parents should provide the best possible education - health education included. Teach them values like respect for elders, and give your utmost love and care.

Breast feed your babies.

Bring your children to their pediatician for checkups and be updated on current immunization procedures.

Be a best friend always to your children. Take good care of them and give them the support - physical, mental, emotional - they need. Do your best to be a good companion - someone they can communicate with who stays put and listens to them.

By : Mary Rose Abad Jimenez.

Source : HealthToday magazine, November 2005

The smart way to parenting

2008-07-08T14:37:00.003+08:00

Perfect parents may not exis but smart parents abound. There is always room for improvement and even more room to better our ways with the latest and smartest on parenting. Busy parents, good parents - we can all take away something from a list of basic principles on better parenting.

Doing what counts

What you do every day with your child, how you treat him or her should be a result of a conscious decision on your part. The consequences are wwhat you reap as a result of your actions.

Be generous with loving

You cannot love your child too much. Too much love is not the reason for a spoilt child but substituting rewards for love or compromising on things that matter can bring about indiscipline.

Participate actively in your child's life

Sacrificing time and energy is expected once a child enters your life irrespective of how busy or how good a reason you have for not being there. And always show a keen interest in whatever your child is doing.

Managing behaviour

You need to establish good behaviour patterns while your child is still young as this would be his code of conduct when he gets older. Parents must always be aware of where their child is, with whom and doing what at all times. And be consistent when establishing rules.

Keep an open line of communication

You need to get down to your child and explain your expectations. Encourage questions, use examples and analogies when explaining - what is obvious to you may not be obvious to him

Respect your child

Every child deserves the same courtesy and respect you would expect for yourself. Speak politely, respect his opinion and show interest in what he says. Children treat others the way their parents treat them.

This is not a scientific formula that has a ready answer to problems. But smart parenting plant the seeds of kindness, honesty, self-reliance and joy that would grow and nurture every child to become good individuals.

Source : Newswise/Temple University

http://www.chiff.com/a/good-parenting.htm

From : Mama to Mama magazine/Malaysia edition/Vol 4/2007

Pregnancy Diet & Nutrition

2008-07-03T14:42:00.002+08:00

What is a balanced diet?

Ensuring your diet has the right balance of nutrients is always important for good health - especially when you are pregnant.* The "food pyramid" is a simple guide to help you achieve a balanced diet. The pyramid categorises the foods into five main groups. You should eat a variety of foods from the five food groups:

Nutrients essential during pregnancy include folate, essential fatty acids (EFA), iron, calcium. Nutrients essentials for general health include vitamins and minerals.

The importance of folate
Folate is a B vitamin which is essential for a healthy pregnancy, but particularly in the first 12 weeks. This is because neural-tube defects which affect your baby’s brain or spinal cord (defects such as spina bifida) tend to occur 3 to 4 weeks after conception. Consuming enough folate in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy has been shown to reduce the likelihood of these defects.Folate is also essential for the formation of red blood cells. Pregnancy is a time of rapid additional blood formation, that is why your body’s folate requirement increases. lack of folate can lead to anaemia, which in turn has been linked to low birth weight babies and a higher risk of miscarriage. If you are pregnant with more than one baby or have closely spaced pregnancies, give more attention to your intake of folate, since you are more likely to have low folate stores.

The importance of essential fatty acids (EFA)

EFA are particularly important during pregnancy to help the development of your baby’s brain, eyes and nerve cells. EFA is the precursor of DHA and AA. EFA include linoleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid which are naturally converted by your body to DHA and AA. DHA and AA are some of the building blocks for brain and retina development. Your body cannot make these fatty acids; nor can your baby. Therefore, it is important that EFA be present in your daily diet.

The importance of calcium
Calcium is essential for building strong bones and teeth for your baby as well as for yourself. To ensure the sufficiency of calcium during pregnancy, your body absorbs 50% more calcium than usual, especially in the first 6 months. If you are not getting enough calcium from your diet, your body will get the calcium from your stores i.e. bones. This may reduce your bone mass and increase your risk of developing osteoporosis (brittle bone disease) later in life.Low intakes of calcium during pregnancy may also cause muscle spasms (eg. Leg cramps), while adequate intakes of calcium during pregnancy may help to prevent high blood pressure caused by pregnancy. These are the reasons why it is particularly important to make sure you’re getting enough calcium throughout your pregnancy.

The importance of iron
Your body needs iron for the formation of red blood cells. It is particularly important during pregnancy because your need for iron almost doubles. Lack of iron during pregnancy can lead to anaemia.

The importance of vitamin B12 and zinc
Vitamin B12 plays an important part in cell formation during pregnancy. Your daily diet may provide sufficient amounts of this vitamin, but if it does not, this may affect the neurological development of your baby.Zinc is essential to ensure the normal growth and development of your baby during pregnancy and after the baby is born. Low intakes of zinc may reduce vital statistics i.e. birth weight and the size of your baby’s head.

Source : http://www.anmum.com.my/main.php?m=Content&f=article&id=95

Your baby's development in the womb

2008-07-03T10:59:00.001+08:00

The development of your baby in the womb is a wonderful process. We have compiled a month-by-month timescale of what happens in the womb. But keep in mind that different pregnancies do develop at different rates. Also, bear in mind that the method doctors and midwives use to date your pregnancy means that you could be around two weeks out from this timescale.

In this description, we have adopted the method doctors use. For example, where we write "week 8" we have counted this from the first day of your last period - your baby will usually only be six weeks old at this point.

How doctors date your pregnancy
The average pregnancy lasts for 38 weeks from the date you conceive (this is called conception). However, doctors usually date your pregnancy from the first day of your last menstrual period - that is the day your last period started. Using this method a pregnancy is said to last 40 weeks (280 days).

Your due date is usually calculated as 40 weeks from the first day of your last period. However, fertilisation of your egg by sperm happens a day or two after ovulation, which occurs in the middle of a 28-day cycle, and then it is a couple of days before the fertilised egg implants in the uterus, so for the first two weeks of the 40-week "pregnancy" you are not actually pregnant at all.

Work it out the easy way - try our Baby Due Date Calculator.

First month
After the egg has been fertilised by the sperm, it starts to divide into more cells. This happens all the time it is carried along the Fallopian tube to the uterus. By the time it reaches the uterus the fertilised egg has become a cluster of cells which float in the uterine cavity until it embeds in the wall of the uterus. This implantation in the wall of the uterus is when conception is complete. This is roughly four weeks after day one of the last menstrual period if you have a 28-day cycle.

Second month
At five weeks the embryo is the size of a grain of rice (about 2mm long) and would be visible to the naked eye. It has the beginnings of a brain with two lobes and its spinal cord is starting to form. At six weeks of "pregnancy" (three to four weeks after fertilisation) the embryo has a head with simple eyes and ears. Its heart has two chambers and is beating. Small buds are present that will form arms and legs later. The beginnings of the spine can be seen and the lower part of the body looks like a tail.

At seven weeks, the limb buds have grown into arms and legs. Nostrils can be seen on the embryo's face. The heart now has four chambers.

At eight weeks, the eyes and ears are growing, and your baby is about 2cm long from crown to rump. The head is out of proportion with the body and the face is developing. The brain and the blood vessels in the head can be seen through the thin skin. The bones in the arms and legs start to harden and elbows and knees become apparent. Fingers and toes can also be seen.

Third month
What is known as the embryonic period finishes at the end of week 8 and the fetal period begins. This period sees rapid growth of the fetus, and the further development of the organs and tissues that were formed in the embryonic period.

At week 9 the head is almost half the crown to rump length of the fetus. Then the body grows substantially in length until by week 12, the head is more in proportion. By the time you are 12 weeks' "pregnant", your baby is just over 5cm long from crown to rump.

Its body is fully formed, including ears, toes and fingers complete with fingernails. The external genitals appeared in week 9, and now, by week 12, have fully differentiated into male or female genitals. By week 12 the eyes have moved to the front of the face and the eyelids remain closed together.

Fourth month
Your baby may suck its thumb now. By 14 weeks your baby will be about 9-10cm long. Its body is now covered with a layer of fine hair called lanugo. By 16 weeks its face is becoming more human in appearance, although the chin is small and the mouth is quite wide. Between 16 and 24 weeks you should feel your baby move for the first time - it may at first feel like butterflies.

Fifth month
The rapid growth that your baby has been experiencing now begins to slow a little. By week 20 your baby measures about 18cm from crown to rump and is half as long as it will be when born. The legs are now in proportion with the body and the fingernails are well developed. Faint eyebrows are visible. At this stage, you will feel your baby moving about a lot, often when you lie down.

Sixth month
By 24 weeks your baby's organs are fully formed. The baby now has the face of a newborn baby, although the eyes are rather prominent because fat pads are yet to build up in the baby's cheeks. The eyelids are fused until weeks 25 to 26 when they open.

The skin is wrinkled, red and thin with little underlying fat. The skin is covered with a waxy substance called vernix, which protects it while it is floating in the uterus. The body is well muscled, but still thin. The baby has become better proportioned, with the size of the body catching up with the size of the head.

Your baby's hearing is also well developed by this stage; the baby will respond to noise.

Seventh month
By 28 weeks lanugo hair has almost gone and hair is present on the head. Fat is being deposited under the skin.

Eighth month
Your baby is becoming plumper. By 30 weeks the toenails are present and by 32 weeks the fingernails have reached the ends of the fingers. The baby's eyes will be open when the baby's awake.

By about 32 weeks the baby will have settled into a downward position as there is no longer enough room left in the womb for it to move about freely. You will feel occasional vigorous jabs of the baby's arms and legs.
If your baby is a boy, his testes will migrate down into the scrotum in the eighth month.

Ninth month
Sometime between 36 and 40 weeks, the baby's head will engage - that is, the head will be lying just on top of your cervix. By 40 weeks, your baby should be plump and healthy.

The lanugo hair that had covered your baby has now mostly disappeared, although some hair may remain low on the forehead, in front of the ears and down the centre of the back. The toenails should have reached the tips of the toes.

Full term
By full-term, your baby should weigh about 2.7-3.5kg, although full-term babies can weigh anything from 2.5-5kg, and measure 35-38cm from crown to rump and 44-55cm from the baby's head to its toes. These are just average figures, though, and there can be wide variation in the measurements. So now, 38 weeks after conception, your baby has all its organs and body systems ready for the big moment when it is born into the world.

Article sourced from myDr, copyright CMPMedica (NZ) 2002.

Source : http://www.everybody.co.nz/page-c3852671-f7c9-43d0-8bd0-92c3329e23e9.aspx

Top Ten Dos and Don'ts for Pregnant Women

2008-07-03T10:44:00.003+08:00

From the Disney Family Editors: Being pregnant is an exciting time, and you probably have a gazillion things running through your mind and on your to-do list. Make sure your number-one priority is you.

Pregnancy is an exciting time, filled with anticipation and wonder. But keeping track of all the changes that are occurring to mind, body, and spirit not to mention routine can be hard, especially with a woman's first pregnancy. What you do (and don't do) during pregnancy can help you and your baby stay healthy, says Janet Whalley, registered nurse and co-author of "The Simple Guide to Having a Baby" (Meadowbrook Press, $12.00, www.meadowbrookpress.com). From "The Simple Guide," Whalley offers ten dos and don'ts to help expecting women stay on track for a healthy pregnancy and birth:

Do have regular prenatal care appointments with a health caregiver who can check on you and your baby.
Don't smoke, drink alcohol, or take street drugs.
Do take your prenatal vitamin each day.
Do follow your caregivers' advice about taking medications.
Don't be afraid to ask your caregiver or healthcare professional questions you have about your health, your pregnancy, or your baby.
Do try to stay away from toxic chemicals, like pesticides and some cleaning agents, by washing fruits and vegetables, wearing protective gear such as gloves or a mask, or asking someone else to do the task.
Do keep a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, and wearing a seatbelt.
Do get enough sleep and rest and try to reduce stress.
Don't take too much caffeine. Caffeine reduces calcium and water in your body, raises stress hormones, and can change your baby's heart rate. Do limit caffeine consumption to 1-2 cups a day.
Do create a birth plan describing your wishes, concerns, and how you'd like to be cared for during labor and birth.

About ModernMom.com: Modern Mom ( www.modernmom.com) features smart and practical advice on topics such as parenting, finances, career, health, wellness, beauty, entertainment and more. Read more at http://www.modernmom.com

Source : http://family.go.com/parenting/article-mm-77791-top-ten-dos-and-don-ts-for-pregnant-women-t/?CMP=KNC-YahSSPFamily

Great Expectations: Tips for Pregnant Women to Prevent Low Back Pain

2008-07-03T10:17:00.003+08:00

With that expanding tummy, a pregnant woman's posture will begin to shift forward, changing her balance and putting new strain on back muscles. She may not notice that she is gradually adjusting her movements with compensations that might actually cause pain. Some suggestions from Dr. Prather for expectant mothers:

When standing, work abdominal muscles to unload the back by pulling your belly button toward your spine. Avoid high-heeled shoes.
When sitting, ensure that your chair height allows knees to align parallel with hips.
When lifting, lower your body by bending at the knees and lift by pushing up with the thighs.
When sleeping, lie on your side with knees and hips flexed and a pillow between your legs and under your abdomen.

PM&R physicians advise that pregnant women may want to ask their doctors about a back brace or a special sling called a "sacroiliac belt." They can ease the tension on the spine by forcing the buttocks and hip muscles to contract in support of the pelvic joints and abdomen

Source : http://www.aapmr.org/condtreat/pain/prtips.htm

Chocolate Oatmeal

2008-07-02T16:07:00.002+08:00

Well, another simple recipe for us to try

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. butter
2 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 c. uncooked rolled oats

Boil together for one minute all ingredients except oatmeal. Remove from heat. Mix in oatmeal to thicken. Shape into balls, drop onto wax paper, cool 1/2 hour before serving.

Source : http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,199,149160-232206,00.html

Crystal Cookies

2008-07-02T10:00:00.002+08:00

Well guys, let's try this recipe.....Our kids will love it

Enjoy a family moment and treat yourself and the kids to some delightful crystal cookies which they can help you bake. They are going to have fun cutting out shapes and placing the candies in the cut-outs.

Have ready
a. Cookie sheet
b. Waxed paper
c. Mixing bowl
d. Wooden spoon
e. Sieve
f. Rolling pin
g. Cookie cutters
h. Sharp knife
i. Wire rack

What goes into the cookie (ingredients)
1/2 cup (120 g) softened butter
1/4 cup (55 g) superfine sugar
11/2 cup (175 g) all purpose flour - sifted
1 - 2 tablespoons of Enfagrow A+ milk - plain variant
Fruit flavored hard candies, broken up

What to do
1. Preheat the oven at 350oF (180oC). Line the cookie sheet with waxed paper
2. Beat the butter and sugar until it is fluffy
3. Add the sifted flour to butter and sugar and mix
4. Stir in the milk, then knead to form a soft ball of dough
5. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until about 1/4 in (1/2 cm) thick
6. Use cookies cutters to cut shapes
7. Cut a small hole in the middle of each shape and fill it with broken - up candy
8. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes until golden
9. Take the cookies out of the oven - DO NOT remove cooies from baking tray
10. Wait for meltd candies to harden ; then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling

Sorce : Mama to Mama magazine (Malaysia Edition) VOL4/2007 by EnfaMama Club

Top 10 Tips to ChildProof Your Home

2008-07-02T09:44:00.002+08:00

Childproofing a home is nothing but, keeping your house kid-safe. Kids are very curious about touching, handling and using or breaking the things that they come across. If you take some precautions and follow these ten tips your home will be a kid-friendly home.

1. Store spray cans such as perfumes, toilet cleaners and other products which are harmful to inhale or swallow in a locked container. These substances include but not limited to: bleaches, detergents, kerosene, petrol, spices, pesticides and some cosmetics.

2. Look around for easily breakable objects in your home. Store them in places somewhere out of reach for children.

3. Keep knives, sharp edged products in cupboards that are fitted with safety latches. Install safety latches if your cupboards do not have.

4. Does your bathroom door locks itself automatically? If so, please fix it so it can be opened from outside itself. I have heard terrible stories of kids locking themselves inside a bathroom or a restroom.

5. Keep your household plans and decorative bonsai trees away in the garden.

6. Put safety caps for electrical outlets and prevent an opportunity for young toddlers who like to poke their tiny fingers into the plug points.

7. In your refrigerator, do not keep any food items or vegetables that are not suitable for direct consumption by kids. Keep them in the first two containers well above the reach of kids.

8. Store lawn mowers, axes and other hardware tools in the garage and lock them. Children are curious to act like parents and such sharp tools cause life-threatening dangers.

9. Keep attics, basements and other spare rooms locked. Let kids not use them for playing hide-and-seek.

10. Finally, think like a kid. If anything is brightly coloured, children get attracted to them.

You have done all the things that you can now and it is the time to test if your home is really childproof. What a better way to test other than bringing a kid. When the kid comes for testing your home, follow the kid and allow the kid to play with only safe items. Anything dangerous, remove them immediately.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shalini_G

Smart Parenting

2008-07-02T09:25:00.002+08:00

That precious bundle of joy has just arrived and there is all kinds of excitement that you and Daddy are experiences. There are also concerns that you may face. The best thing that you can do right now is just learn as much as you can about the baby and you are well on your way to smart parenting.

You may find out specific problems and concerns about the baby right after he is born. It is best to not only go off instinct but to also ask the pediatrician as much as you possibly can.

Part of smart parenting is making sure that your child has all necessary items that they will need at home. Everything from diapers and cream to clothes. There is also the necessity of security in making sure that your child is being taken care of in a safe environment.

Make sure that the crib is properly assembled. You may also ask a specialist to check once you have it set up. There are other safety precautions that you need to consider before your child gets older and in his toddler years.

Smart parenting may include whether or not you may nurse or bottle feed. This is a very personal and important decision. Make sure that you know all of the advantages and disadvantages of it. It is proven that breast feeding is the best for a baby's over all health. However, not all mothers can or are willing to nurse. Of course, that choice is totally up to you. Baby's health is extremely important and also a big part of smart parenting.

Securing a future for your child even as an infant is smart parenting as well. For instance, something may happen to you and you would want your child to be cared for. Setting up an insurance policy on yourself and your spouse is securing his future. You may even consider opening a savings account to start saving for college.

Keeping doctor's appointments and regular check ups are essential for the well being of your baby. Making sure that he is all up to date on shots and physical check ups are a great sign of smart parenting. Make sure that you keep in regular contact with his doctor so that you can share all of the things that go on with your new baby.

Once you have recovered, choosing the right child care provider can be a big risk. Make sure that you know all of their credentials and also get references. It is part of practicing smart parenting skills. Don't be afraid to ask questions and make sure that you don't just go with one person.

You may even want to use a day care center. Sometimes that is not always a wise choice, however it may be your only option. Be sure that you are aware of the risks and illnesses that your baby may encounter. Bleach is used in most day care centers and is an extremely dangerous chemical. So know that when you are looking for someone to care for your baby.

Babies do not come with an instruction book. Practicing smart parenting skills start with you and taking care of your health as well. What good is a parent that is sick? Make sure that you get your regular check ups as well. Think positive, parenting can be as fun as you want it to be.

About the Author

Randy Jodoin is a recognized authority on baby care, His site: http://www.babycareecourse.com provides a wealth of Free advice and tips on methods that work and methods that don't work in baby care...

baby care doesn't have to hard ...if your ready...

check out my blog, http://newbornbabycaretips.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Jodoin

My first pregnancy

2008-07-01T22:53:00.006+08:00

Well, hi again. Today i'm going to share with all of you a little bit of my experience during my first pregnancy. Well, i knew i was pregnant as early as 6 weeks pregnancy. I was very excited because my husband and i were ready and really expecting to have a baby.
Entering 7 weeks pregancy, my whole life has changed. I started to experience these things: vomitting, couldn't eat at all, not even smelt the food, very bad backache etc. The worse thing was, i was hospitalized few times due to very bad dehydration. And could all of you just imagine that i lost weight of 8 kgs in just 2 weeks after i knew i was pregnant? And i've been experiencing all these until my pregnancy entering 8 months. Only then i gained weight,could eat, could go to work, could socialize as before i was pregnant.
But luckily, my baby girl was delivered safely as a healthy baby at 2.7 kgs.

Sleeping Comforts for Pregnant Moms

2008-07-01T08:54:00.003+08:00

Your most awaited event may not always be a breeze. The changes taking place is bound to upset other routines in your life including the much cherished sleep, the comforter of stress and anxiety. There are of course many reasons for this. Finding a comfortable position to sleep is one. Needing to visit the bathroom often is common but so distruptive, isn't it? To add on, there are leg cramps, nausea, backache - the list goes on. What can you do about it?

SHOWER OR BATH

A warm shower or bath just before bedtome can sooth the tired mind and body. Do be careful when getting in and out of the bath or moving around the bathroom.

STRESS BUSTER

Try not to get yourself into stressful situations and if you do, take some time out to do relaxation exercises - deep breathing, closing your eyes and mentally transporting yourself to a peaceful place like the beach and cool mountains.

FORTY WINKS

Cat nap if you have to make up for the restless sleep at night.

COMFORTABLE POSITION

Avoid sleeping flat on your back as it tends to put full weight on your uterus and the vein carrying blood between the lower part of your body and heart. Sleeping on the side shifts weight and reduces swelling of the feet.

PILLOW PROP

While sleeping on the side, tuck one pillow between your legs.

ROOM ATMOSPHERE

Use your room for sleeping only. The temperature should just be right and some relaxing music or a recording of natural sounds should do the trick.

EARLY BED-TIME

If you feel tired before your usual bedtime, then call it a day; especially if you had not had a restful previous night.

ENSURE UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP

Reduce the number of bathroom calls by not drinking anything for two or three hours before bedtime. If you have heartburn, it is important that your last meal for the day is many hours before bed time. Prevent bedtime cramps by gently strecthing your leg muscles just before turning in.

EXERCISE, EXERCISE

Unless otherwise advised, moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes daily will get you better sleep. You may want advice on the types of exercise and the duration the regimen should last.

Of course any condition that persists may require more support and advice. Don't hesitate to refer to your health care provider who is there to help you.

Source : http://www.marchofdimes.com/phnec/159_16044.asp

New Chapter Of My Life

2008-06-30T23:49:00.005+08:00

There is nothing more excited than being part of the excitement of being pregnant and having a big dream for baby. Although the first pregnancy was the toughest (i think) but it was the precious moment i won't forget. Morning sickness, losing appetite, vomitting, lost weight and all those sick feeling, all of them gone by the time i heard her first cry. Those moment : the smell of her body, the feeling i first touch her was the happiest moment ever in my life. Well, i think most of the women out there with the little 'mama' title will agree with me.