Friday, June 23, 2006
UK extends gene screening of embryos
The genetic screening of embryos for a wider range of diseases, including breast, ovarian and colon cancers, has been approved by the UK's fertility authority.
Source: www.newscientist.com
Special Offers on Children's Clothes
We are pleased to be able to offer you discounts at Boden and the White Company. Both these companies offer high quality children's clothing. The White Company also sells children's bedroom accessories.
Source: www.studholme.net
Building a home business while raising a preschooler? Make life easier on both of you! Try these ideas today!
So you've made the leap.
You've decided that working from home is the plan you want to pursue.
Maybe you've worked out telecommuting arrangements with your current job.
Or perhaps you've decided to begin a whole new business and you've found the one you know will be a perfect fit for you.
But now reality sinks in.
You've got a toddler!
Perhaps this little creature is the very reason you decided to stay home in the first place. To be there day by day. To see the 'firsts'. To ensure yours is the main voice in your small sweetie's life.
All valid reasons for working from home.
All reasons that will have you tearing your hair out before very long!
Take heart!
People ARE making home-based businesses work! But you'll have to lay some ground rules for yourself and your toddler if you want it to work for you!
The keys? Organization and Patience!
You're going to be running two different operations at the same time for this scenario to work. You'll need to run your work/business schedule as well as your parenting/household schedule. This means you need to plan out both completely and then merge them appropriately. For example:
- plan out your toddler's days. Monday through Friday. 8-5 (or whatever your work hours will be). Make it fun and entertaining for the maximum effectiveness!
- plan out your work days, also for the full week. Focus on results so that you aren't wasting valuable time on busywork.
- merge the two schedules and see where they naturally work together and where they won't work together at all!
- then adjust, and adjust some more.
Helpful hints:
- build small breaks into your daily schedule and use one whenever a meltdown occurs.
- realize some days will go smoother than others. And let it go.
- plan a variety of what I call 'Focused Workdays/Focused Play Days. This is a day or two a week (or whatever you need) where your child is involved in a super-fun activity for them. Could be a playgroup, preschool, or simply a day with Grandma. Or find another at-home parent with little ones who would like some extra cash and pay her/him to let your toddler spend the day with their kids. Then, while your baby is busy and cared for, YOU get busy! Focus on your business the whole day and you'll be amazed at the results you can accomplish!
- be patient with yourself. Toddlerhood is a fleeting time; choosing to be a part of it is very rewarding, but not in the same manner that a successful business is rewarding. Both endeavors deserve your best commitment and focus; obviously neither will receive 100 per cent of your time! Don't make the mistake of missing your child when you're working your business and wishing you were working while you're showing a young human being the wonders of the backyard.
So...relax! Everyday may not go perfectly but at the end of each day you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you are producing results, both personally and professionally.
And you'll have the paycheck and smiles to prove it!
About the Author
Colleen Langenfeld delivers deals, tips and creative resources to working moms who want the most out of their homes, families and careers at http://www.paintedgold.com . Sign up for our FREE online newsletter and get a digital Creativity Toolkit as our gift to you!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Customer Review: Great toybox for the price
Best quality toybox I found for the price. Sturdy, easy to clean and has a safety feature to keep k...
Customer Review: Great Toy Box
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It's a fact of life that we live in an electronic age and computers are a bigger part of our lives than ever. It's unlike anything we've seen in the past and kids are learning to use computers at younger ages. There are steps a parent can take to ensure that their toddlers receive important skill-building benefits from their computer experience.
"Kids that had some access to a computer, either at home or at a family member's house they went to frequently, had higher estimated IQ scores and higher school readiness scores than kids that did not have access to a computer," said Melissa Atkins, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Ohio (source: Azcentral.com).
On the other hand, some experts argue that young children may experience negative effects of computer use, including interference with cognitive development and social development. The key, for any parent, is to supervise their children's activity on the computer and to place time limits on use.
When small children use computers, parents should ensure the safety of their data. According to Alice Seba, owner of MalcolmsWeb.com (a resource website for parents of babies and toddlers), "To keep files safe there are programs available that will allow you to 'lock' the contents of your C drive so that important components can't be deleted accidentally."
Parents should also make the computer easier for little hands to use. They can purchase a child-size mouse, programmed for one click use, and a keyboard with large letters that doesn't include the extra characters a young child might find distracting.
There are many programs suitable for toddlers and parents should evaluate the abilities and interests of their children. Some programs teach basic skills such as colors, counting and the alphabet. Others include more advanced skills like reading, math and strategic planning.
"It's important that parents choose a program appropriate to their child's education and skill level. Even more importantly, it's important that their child is enjoying the computer experience for maximum benefit. With moderation and parental supervision, a computer is an invaluable learning tool for young children" says Seba.
About the author:
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Parents can pick up a free report to toddler-proof their computers and learn about educational computer programs at http://www.malcolmsweb.com/computertips.html
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Softplay: St Oswalds, Ashbourne
Marie is trying to get St Oswalds softplay sessions running again on Thursday afternoons and is looking for a team of parents to help out on a rota basis. If you can help please contact her.
Source: www.studholme.net
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It almost sounds too good to be true, work-at-home while at the same time taking care of your small children? While you've daydreamed about this, you never really thought it was something you could actually do.
I started working at home for this very reason. I didn't want to have to put my baby in daycare. Fortunately, I found a business as a writer where I could do just that. However, not all home businesses are as compatible.
Here are 3 ways to make working at home with the kids around work for you.
1) Find a business you will LOVE running and will be possible with the kids around.
Sure, you might be able to get a job as a telephone order person for LL Bean from home. The only problem is your 5 month old may not agree.
Your first assignment is to figure out what exactly are your priorities. They could be anywhere from not wanting your kids in a daycare for 12 hours a day to wanting to raise your children yourself.
2) Daycare
There are days where I say to myself, "Liz, you could sure get a whole lot done if you didn't have your kids around the house all day long." However, that's why I'm here in the first place. My goal has always been to be here for my kids. So I work around their schedule.
It maybe totally different for you. A good friend of mine is a word processor. There is no way she could get the amount of work done that she does if she was having to watch her children all day long too. So she has someone come into her house to watch over her children.
You have so many options to make your home business work: full time or part-time daycare; a live-in nanny; someone that just comes into your home a few hours a day; bartering childcare with other work-at-home moms; getting your relatives to watch your kids jut a few days a week; hiring a 12 year old (they love playing with younger kids) to watch your kids just an hour or two a day. You have so many options, which one will work best for you?
3) Be creative
There are times when you have an important phone call and those charming children of yours are around -- what do you do? As that cute little show, Blue's Clues says, "It's time for the thinking chair."
A) Just don't answer the phone. Is it best that you talk to them with a screaming kid in the background or to call them back when things quiet down?
B) Get little Johnny his own little play phone/computer/desk. Kids love to pretend they are just like Mom and Dad. So play on that little factor. If you want, pull out the play phone, etc., only when you really need it.
C) Bribe them. I know, I can't believe I'm telling you this either. But I'll admit there have been times when I may have been on a phone call and raided the freezer for an ice cream bar for my girls. I may have even been known to give them a couple bars if it was a really long conversation.
D) One-on-one time. How many times have you said, "Just one more minute". I've said it way too many times. But those times that I've gone and taken a walk with my girls, had a tea party or played Playmobile... those have become wonderful memories; and when I'm done, they're more than happy to go off and play by themselves for awhile.
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About the Author
Liz Folger is the founder of http://www.bizymoms.com. Bizymoms.com is the leading online resource for work-from-home ideas. The site offers home-based business start-up kits, online classes, e-books, chats and enthusiastic support for moms who want to have it all - a family and a career. Visit http://www.bizymoms.com for more information.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Customer Review: ???
I for the life of me could not get the seat to stay in place. It has five straps you have to pull th...
Customer Review: Grandma's Salvation
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It was one of the most anticipated vacations ever. I had spent over 8 months researching and planning our Disney World vacaction down to the last detail. My 3-year old daughter had already given up napping, was potty trained, extremely adventurous, and was used to spending the occassional night away from home. All we needed was good weather and we were going to have a great time exploring the Disney parks togethernot!
It was one of the most anticipated vacations ever. I had spent over 8 months researching and planning our Disney World vacaction down to the last detail. My 3-year old daughter had already given up napping, was potty trained, extremely adventurous, and was used to spending the occassional night away from home. All we needed was good weather and we were going to have a great time exploring the Disney parks togethernot!
She spent the first 3 days of the trip clinging to my leg and whining non-stop. She was afraid of many of the tame attractions. And what did she want to do more than anything? Swim. We had flown 1,000 miles to swim!
After speaking to a lot of other parents, my storys not unusual. So, whats the moral here? Well, its not dont take your toddler to Disney World. Because despite a rocky start, we had a great time. And you can too, with a few helpful strageies:
Leave your expectations at home. Every child is going to react differently to a Disney World vacation. If your child has not traveled much, being away from their familiar surroundings is completely overwhelming, even in a child-friendly place like Disney World. Your hope of spending long days in the parks hitting all the rides wont work with a child who is tired, hot, and out of sorts. Having a go with the flow attitude will serve everyone in your group much better.
Move at a more leisurely pace. Disney World is one of those vacations where you can come home feeling more tired than when you left. Youre up early to go the parks, walking all day, rushing to get to dinner reservations on time This type of pace is more than most toddlers who are away from home can bear. Plan a morning or two to sleep in. And dont try to see everythingchoose the top five attractions youd like to see at each park and see them first. Anything else you get to experience in addition is gravy.
Take a break from the parks every day for swimming and naps. Not only does it give your toddler a great time swimming and some much needed rest, its also a good strategy for dealing with the Florida heat. Get to the parks when they open, tour until noon or 1:00, head back to your hotel for a break, then hit the parks again around 4:00 or 5:00.
Stay in a Disney resort. In addition to their superior theming and service, the Disney resorts provide the best locations for easy commuting to and from the parks. Youll also find large swimming pools (some spectacularly themed), kiddie pools, playgrounds, and on-site laundry facilities. Several of the Disney resorts also have child care centers if youd like to have a grown-up night out.
Take advantage of what Disney World offers beyond the park attractions. Most of the Disney World resorts have facilities for boating and bike riding, in addition to elaborate swimming pools. Visit Downtown Disney to shop for kids of all ages. Go miniature golfing. Even inside the parks, theres much more to do than wait in lines for attractions. Watch the afternoon parade, take in the evening fireworks at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot or Disney-MGM Studios, or take in the live entertainment throughout the parks.
Go to a character meal. Disney World has almost a dozen different character meals where you can meet your favorite Disney characters as you dine. If your child is afraid of the characters, try going to a character meal with the face characters like the Disney princesses, which dont wear the large head masks that frighten many little ones.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Monday, June 19, 2006
Toddlers are adults in the making, let's not forget that they are people too.
Toddlers are adults in the making, let's not forget that they are people too.
Its humorous and sad at the same time that our childs first word learned is usually no. I started to wonder myself if I knew any other word besides no when it came to talking to my child. I dont recall ever hearing stories of children needing therapy because all they heard is no as a child. So lets not feel so bad about having to say no a lot during those crucial curious years.Toddlers are mini adults in the making, what a wonderful time to start molding them. Why not start teaching them about making choices and decisions? Instead of always saying no, maybe we need to explain to them the consequences of their actions, or maybe let them do something you normally wouldnt let them do. Of course as long as its nothing that could harm them or someone else. Instead of saying no, dont touch that candle, what if we said that candle is very hot, you could burn yourself, you dont want to hurt yourself do you? What if you said yes to finger painting instead of worrying about them getting messy, isnt that the fun of finger painting to begin with?
I have found that allowing my toddlers a little more freedom with decision making, they are more likely to clean up after they make a mess, or brush their teeth when its bed time. Toddlers are people too; they like to be able to choose what they will wear, what they will eat, and what they will play. If we are always saying no to our children, then our children want to always say no to us.
Let your toddler feel important, let them have a voice and let them become the adult they will one day be.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
