Didn't Pull Out - Teen Dad blog » Parenting Tips and Help

Where to celebrate first birthday?

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:11:45 +0000

So you have made it past that first year. Now its time for your kid’s first birthday but you have no idea where to celebrate. Often that is the case with parents of their first child, like my wife and I we were also lost as to where to host our daughter’s birthday.

Here are some things to take into consideration when planning the first birthday.

- often the party is for the parents and not the child.
- pick a location where your child will be comfortable at.
- take into consideration everything you know about your child. Example: don’t invite a lot of people if your child gets dazed with a lot of people.

It was quite challenging choosing a location for my daughter’s birthday. At the end of the day we ended up celebrating at ChuckECheese.

ChuckECheese was ultimately chosen due to their great hospitality and reputation from others. They will host your party for 90 minutes and if you want to stay longer you can for no additional charge.

-TeenDad

Introducing your child to solid food

admin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0000

How do I know if my baby is ready for solid foods?

Babies are strictly on milk for the first six months. The breast milk or formula will give

your baby all the nutrients he needs up to the age of six months. There are a few generic indicators. Your baby is six months of age, your baby is not full with just milk, your baby is waking up through the night repeatedly, your baby opens mouth when you place a plastic spoon or your finger close to her mouth, holds head up on his own and your baby takes particular notice of you when you are eating. If all of these or some are happening, then speak with your paediatrician. It may be time to introduce solids.

When your baby is six months of age, you can start introducing solid foods. You may find that your baby is not full with just milk earlier than six months. If this is the case, see your paediatrician. You may be able to start giving solids earlier. The first solid food to introduce to your baby is baby cereal. Start with rice cereal, it tends to be easier on babies tummy than other cereals. Start with one tablespoon of cereal and either one tablespoon of boiled and then cooled water or formula or breast milk. The liquid that you add should be warm to the touch. The cereal should have a runny consistency at first. You can gradually thicken the cereal once your baby gets used to the taste. After a week of feeding your bundle of joy rice cereal, you can try baby oat cereal. Start with one tablespoon of the oat cereal just as you did with the rice cereal. Try rice cereal in the morning and oat cereal at dinner. It is preferable to give your baby plain cereal at first. Your baby will not be ready for fruit in the rice or oat cereal until he is a bit older. If your baby is irritable, more than usual, has a rash, a swollen tongue, diarrhoea or is constipated, stop giving the food that may be causing the problem. If you cannot figure out what is causing the problem, see your paediatrician. It could be an allergic reaction to whatever you are feeding your baby, but it is better to be safe. There are other cereals you can give instead, for example; Barley cereal. The reason for giving one new food item at a time is to catch any allergic reactions that may occur.

Other reasons for trying one new taste at a time is to give your baby time to adjust to the taste, smell and color. It is much easier to see what is causing an allergic reaction when you are only giving one item at a time. Your baby can also taste the fruit or vegetable on its own. What do carrots taste like? If carrots have peas with it, how do you know if your baby is refusing the food because of the taste of peas, carrots or the combination of the two? It is also harder to decipher whether your baby is allergic to peas or to carrots. Try To give a week to test any new food. This way you can pin point which food your baby is allergic to. If your baby has already tried rice cereal and you are trying beans for the first time, keep giving the rice cereal to your baby as well as the beans. Your baby is already used to the cereal. If there is a reaction at this point, you know that it cannot be the rice cereal because your baby has been fine with it up to this point.

Introducing & Feeding Solids – 12 Tips for Weaning Babies

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:18:38 +0000

Have you made the decision?

Have you set that specific date when you are going to start feeding your baby on solid food?

Here are 12 tips that will help you on this journey off weaning your baby.

You will make this choice to start introducing solids to your baby because she has got to the age when you have been advised that is what you should do or because she is really hungry and needs the solid food.

You will be faced with many alternatives and lots of advice as to how to introduce feeding solids to your baby. Babies’ do not come with an instruction leaflet that tells you exactly how and when to start to feed your baby on solid food. You may find the whole weaning thing to be very daunting experience especially if you are a first time parent.

I have instructed many parents as to how to introduce solids and here are twelve of my tried and tested tips.

Weaning tip 1

The best time to introduce a new taste to your baby is when she’s really hungry but not when she is tired and cranky. Don’t give her, her favorite food first otherwise she is less likely to want to try the new taste. In the beginning you may want to add a new taste to one she already likes but you then need to introduce the new taste on its own.

Weaning tip 2

It is easy and much better if you can cook food for your baby and not use jars too often. This can be done easily as you can cook just once a week and freeze the food. Cook the vegetables and fruit, puree them and put them into an ice cube tray and freeze them. Once frozen place them in labeled bags or containers in the freezer.

Weaning tip 3

When you first introduce a new taste to your baby she may react in a negative manner. This is normal. Parents may think that if a baby does not like a food taste the first time then it is best not to give that food to her for a few weeks. Instead try giving it to her for three or four consecutive meals and then she will often react a little more positively at each meal as she gets used to the taste.

Weaning tip 4

Don’t avoid giving your child a food just because you don’t like it. Children will often eat things that their parents don’t like if they are given it.

Weaning tip 5

You can introduce spices to you child’s food from an early age (not salt). If you do this you will raise a child who eats a wide variety different food tastes all throughout her life. As she gets older include a wide variety of different foods everyday and introduce your child to a well balanced diet from early in life.

Weaning tip 6

Sometimes a baby may not be very interested in eating off her spoon; it can help if you let her smell the food. It might be the spoon that she doesn’t like so using a different one may solve the problem. Never add solid food to your baby’s bottle unless instructed to do so by your paediatrician for medical reason.

Weaning tip 7

You do not have to heat up your baby’s food. If your baby gets used to eating food at room temperature it will be easier to feed her when you are away from home.

Weaning tip 8

Let your child enjoy exploring her food with her fingers, she will make a mess but this is part of the enjoyment. This is one of life’s rich positive experiences and most children will enjoy it.

Weaning tip 9

As soon as your child can sit confidently in her chair then think about eating as least one meal together each day as a family. Children learn a lot by watching and copying people. Set a good example to her by having a well balanced diet yourself. Try to make meal times a positive experience for all of you.

Weaning tip 10

Many parents start there baby’s on flavored yogurt this is not necessary. Instead introduce her to plain yogurt and fruit puree.

Here are some suggestions of the fruit you can use:

Apple sauce with a hint of cinnamon

Pear and apple

Cooked peach with apple, pear or banana

Mashed avocado

Apple or pear flavoured with blueberries

Weaning tip 11

Steam all your vegetables and then use the water for sauce or gravy or add to soups.

Weaning tip 12

Don’t give your child food to pacify her as this gets her to associate being calmed with food and this can become a habit for life.

Remember children learn more by what they see you doing so set a good example to your child.

Eczema home remedies

admin — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:15:00 +0000

Eczema is a chronic problem affecting the largest organ of the body…the skin. It is a condition that produces blisters, redness, scaling, flaking, weeping, crusting, color changes and itching that can be very annoying. At present, close to nine million Americans suffer from this unpleasant condition, making even the most mundane jobs painful and irritating.

People who suffer from this condition have a variety of options for treatment. In addition to prescription medications, there are many home remedies that are useful for treating eczema.

Oatmeal baths are commonly used to calm the skin. For the bath, simply pour 2 cups of colloidal oatmeal, such as Aveeno or any generic brand, into a tub of lukewarm water. Soak for at least 15 minutes. For use as a soap substitute, wrap colloidal oatmeal in a handkerchief, place a rubber band around the top, dunk it in water, wring it out, and use as you would a normal washcloth.

Homemade lotions are also popular in treating this disease. Use a lotion made out of blueberry leaves. This is proven to be fantastic for relieving inflammation of dermatitis. Calamine lotion is also good for many types of rashes that ooze and may need to be dried out. Calamine lotion with menthol or phenol added to it can be purchased over-the-counter at almost any drug store and seems to help itching more than calamine alone.

Skin washes that you can make at home are also good remedies. One example of a skin wash recipe is as follows:

Mix the following ingredients:

1 tsp. comfrey root.

1 tsp. white oak bark.

1 tsp. slippery elm bark.

2 cups of water.

Boil for 35 minutes use it to wash the affected area.

There are several preventative measures one can take to sooth eczema. Avoiding antiperspirants and quick changes in air temperature may drastically reduce itching. Staying away from baby lotions and fake nails can also help to calm your eczema. Baby lotions have a high water content that can further dry and irritate the skin as evaporation takes place. Some of the fragrances in baby lotions (lanolin and mineral oil) are common causes of skin allergy. Recent research at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation has shown that acrylic manicure products can cause “frequent and obvious cases of dermatitis.”

Keeping a close eye on your eczema is crucial. If you notice any changes or your eczema worsens, see you physician immediately for help or a change in diagnosis or treatment.

Which is the best baby formula: Milk or soy?

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Soy formula is best for infants who have a hard time digesting milk. During the first weeks of your infants welcoming into the world you may need to change formula a few times before finding the right one. This is because the digestive system of infants are still developing. The fat in milk can cause excessive gas and abdominal pain in infants which can cause colic.

It has been said soy milk can contribute to mood swings, hormonal imbalance and an early onset of puberty. It was also mentioned to be one of the leading causes of obesity but there isn’t any research to support these claims.

Soy formula also has DHA and ARA which is also found is breast milk. These nutrients are fats said to contribute to the infants visual and mental development of the brain.

I chose soy formula for my daughter because she wasn’t able to digest milk. This resulted in vomiting, excessive gas and a crying baby. We know an infants discomfort can also cause sleepless nights for both infant and parents. As a parent it is necessary to be aware of the vital signs.

Do your research

Research infant formulas because knowing what is best during an infants development stage is very important. The first 12 months are milestones. Always be aware of changes in your infant when trying new formulas. This will help the pediatrician guide you in the right direction.

There are milk based formulas, soy formulas and there are also formulas which contains neither soy or milk. There are other options as well such as lactose free milk formula which has less or no milk fat.

Also be knowledgeable of the brands and compare nutritional labels. Soy formula comes different brands such as Prosobee, Good Start and Bright Beginnings. Knowing these brands will also make you feel comfortable with making the right decision. We all want what’s best for our baby and being able to compare brands always made me feel comfortable in the decision process.

Be knowledgeable.

Be aware of allergy signs and changes in your infant’s behavior because this can allow you to make a wise decision in your infants health because you will be able to have answers to any questions you may have during doctor visits. Soy formula now has just as much calcium and iron as milk to prevent calcium and iron deficiencies. We have all heard breast is best but Soy is easily absorbed and digested by infants. Be sure to check with your pediatrician before switching to soy.

Ideal age to pierce childrens ears

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:40:00 +0000

Ear piercing is actually a very safe procedure that can be carried out at any age, as long as it’s done in the right manner and professionally. What matters more is the after care, to avoid infection.

Therefore, there’s no such thing as “ideal age” for ear piercing. Anyone can get their ears pierced at anytime. Then, what about a baby?

Some people believe that we shouldn’t pierce baby’s ears, because they might not want the ear piercing and some fear that the piercing spot may move over time, since baby’s ears haven’t grown enough. If we do the piercing when they have grown up, the piercing spot will not move. Besides, if they have grown up, they will ask for it if they want it. So, why not let them make the decision for themselves?

Other people prefer ear piercing to be carried out since infancy, because they aren’t old enough to remember the pain caused during the ear piercing. Some even believe that babies don’t feel the pain at all. Yes, I remember some babies don’t even cry at all when having their ears pierced. But I also remember some babies cry out loud for the same procedure. So, I don’t think we can generalize pain level on babies when getting their ears pierced.

I’ve seen some girls protested their parents why they didn’t get their ears pierced since babies. They fear the pain of ear piercing, and some fear it intensely that they haven’t been able to take the decision to get their ears pierced. It’s quite a pity actually, since the pain is not severe, and the joy of wearing earrings certainly exceed the pain.

Boys do better here. Once their parents approve their request to have their ears pierced, they go on without much hassles.

I personally recommend ear piercing since infancy for baby girls, at least after the babies complete initial immunization. This way, when they will be wearing earrings all the time since they ever remember something. They won’t even remember the pain caused by it. Some parents even pierce the ears of their baby boys as well (usually when both parents wear earrings). The boys simply know everyone in the house wear earrings, and take it as something common.

If by a rare chance they don’t like to wear earrings when they grow up, they can simply remove the earrings. Holes will not be apparent when left empty for a long period of time. Again, this is a rare case for boys and girls who already wear earrings since infancy. So, there’s nothing to worry. If you want it, keep it. If you don’t want it, remove your earrings and

Complete Information on Atrioventricular Septal Defect With Treatment and Prevention

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:45:56 +0000

Atrioventricular septal defects are a relatively common family of congenital heart defects. It is caused by an abnormal or inadequate fusion of the superior and inferior endocardial cushions with the mid portion of the atrial septum and the muscular portion of the ventricular septum. In the complete Atrioventricular septal defect, there is a large ventricular component beneath either or both the superior or inferior bridging leaflets of the AV valve. Atrioventricular septal defect is also a common part of more complex heart disease that occurs in heterotaxy syndromes. Atrioventricular septal defects can also occur with other types of congenital heart disease such as coarctation of the aorta or tetralogy of fallot. A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition. In most cases, there are no known risk factors for septal defects.

An atrioventricular septal flaw may affect bankruptcy of establishment of any or all of these structures. In the incomplete atrioventricular septal flaw, there is a flaw in the primum or substandard region of the atrial septum but no immediate intraventricular communication. Atrioventricular septal defects can be detected by cardiac auscultation, they cause atypical murmurs and loud heart tones. Confirmation of findings from cardiac auscultation can be obtained with a cardiac ultrasound and cardiac catheterization. The presence of a large left-to-right shunt and the associated increased workload on the left ventricle and high pulmonary artery pressure cause the lungs to become engorged with blood. Several candidate genes are being currently investigated. On the other hand, atrioventricular septal defect can occur in children with no other genetic abnormality.

Atrioventricular septal defects, characterized by an inadequacy of the atrioventricular septum, are a comprehensive spectrum of malformations presumed to ensue from irregular or insufficient fusion of the excellent and substandard endocardial cushions with the mid part of the atrial septum and the sinewy part of the ventricular septum. Smaller defects with little or no atrioventricular valve regurgitation may be asymptomatic during childhood. Partial atrioventricular septal defect is asymptomatic during childhood if mitral regurgitation is mild or absent. However, symptoms (eg, exercise intolerance, fatigue, palpitations) may develop during adolescence. Infants with moderate or severe mitral regurgitation often have signs of HF. Significant congestive heart failure, growth failure or a very loud murmur in a child with a partial atrioventricular septal defect can occur when the defect in the mitral valve leaflet causes this valve to be very leaky.

Symptomatic infants with atrioventricular septal defects may improve with medicine, but in all cases corrective heart surgery will be necessary. Treatment is surgical and involves closure of the atrial and ventricular septal defects and restoration of a competent left atrioventricular valve as far as is possible. Open surgical procedures require a heart-lung machine and are done with a median sternotomy. Infants born with atrioventricular septal defect are generally in sufficient health to not require immediate corrective surgery. If surgery is not required immediately after birth, the newborn will be closely monitored for the next several months, and the operation held-off until the first signs of lung distress or heart failure. This gives the infant time to grow, increasing the size of, and thereby the ease of operation on, the heart, as well as the ease of recovery. Placement of a pacemaker may be necessary.

Is being your teens best friend conducive to effective discipline?

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:05:00 +0000

Beside those who choose to vote what is your teen 's best friend conducive to effective discipline, I have this to say: It is understandable that you want to have an open and honest with your kids. It's also more than reasonable that I would take your kids like you. That, however, must never stop being a father. That is your number one job in the world of kids, from the parent. To lead, to teach, to love. That being voted that it was his teen 's best friend is not conducive to effective discipline, let me explain why. Our kids have only ever really a system for parents. Are sometimes lucky enough to have only one parent. Throughout their lives have thousands of friends who go in and out of their lives. Because of that, you need not add to the confusion. Your kids look to you for direction, for an example and to love. That love can come in many forms, but one of its most effective is stability. One of the other more desirable forms of love, structure. It is the capacity to be constant and direct your kids are looking for. You do the right thing because it makes it popular and famous? Or you do the right thing because its the right thing to do? It would be easy to say what is your Teen 's friend is good, if you can separate the lines between what is good for them, and what is good for you. The 'Friendly' father tends to be mostly passive, leaving the teenager makes decisions that are prepared to take just yet. They also generally do not follow any guidelines when it comes to discipline, so leave the kids at scavange for the structure and knowlegde in their own. As it can be ful of negligence. The pipe most of the 'Friendly' parents tend to be intrusive into the personal lives of their children. Yes, kids and teens have personal lives. They also make those lives deserve respect, to a degree. It's a thin line. You can 't wait to give it a complete game for the game of your life, even having a nice chat here and there on the world. The adolescent age is more than difficult for the teenager. When you decide to be your friend and not his father, you using them for a loop. Not to mention that but they are unprepared to be adults when the time comes. Do you really want to put your child in that position? Make them a favor, because asking to be your friend about being his father, you are being selfish because you don 't want to be the bad guy. Take some time to think over, you 'll decide on the correct answer for you.

Effective Teen Parenting is Challenging

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:00:00 +0000

We all know that the teen years can be viewed as a journey from childhood to adulthood, but consider that teen parenting can be seen as a similar journey. In the growing teen, they are dealing with getting older, accepting more responsibilities that they never had before, raging hormonal changes, discovering their own identity, and a struggle for independence. All of these things make teen parenting a challenge, since teens can go from one extreme to the other in the blink of an eye.

One more teen stress that needs to be considered is the inevitable want to fit in, to be accepted by their friends and peers. This force is incredibly strong, nobody wants to be unaccepted or shunned, so this is also something to consider when you are doing teen parenting.

Why are these facts laid out at the beginning? Because in countless studies of the conversations that take place in counseling centers across the nation, the phrases commonly heard by the teens regarding their parents are things like “you don’t understand” and “leave me alone”. It is true, as parents we tend to forget what our teen years were like just a few short years ago, where we had exactly the same issues to be dealing and struggling with, and understanding what is going on in the teen mind and what is important to today’s teen can go a long ways to having a better relationship and more open communications with your teen.

Teen parenting is also a struggle on walking a very fine line between enforcing rules and limitations without negatively impacting the teen’s sense of freedom. This is indeed a fine line and parents will inevitably cross that line sometimes, which can turn their once-cuddly little baby into a fierce alien from another planet. Teen parenting is not an easy task, and nobody will advocate just giving the teen free rein to do what they wish, since they seem to know it all anyway. Rather, effective teen parenting skills include patience, creativity, and courage to set and lovingly enforce the rules and boundaries that need to exist in a household.

This fine line should be seen as a challenge that you can overcome in order to teach your teen values and to know right from wrong. In the process of teen parenting, take the necessary steps to guide your child into adulthood by instilling social values, setting and achieving goals, which will aid their emerging independence and set a line for keeping things on the right track for the future. By all means, do NOT view this as a cumbersome task that you are just not up to. Teens will sense this and will stretch your patience to the breaking point. Maintain focus!

In teen parenting, it is critically important to keep a good solid and loving relationship in place, with a wide-open door of communications. While you are the parent, you can also be the best friend, someone they can feel free to confide in and to ask advice of. While not a topic to dwell on, let them know that you were once in their shoes, and you DO understand what they are going through and what they are struggling with. As strange as it may sound, that fact may come as a surprise to your teen, who might view you as never having been in your teens!

Evaluating the importance of the teen/parent relationship

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Teen-parent relationships are just as important, if not more so than they used to be in years gone by, given the much increased and varied range of problems a teen can and will encounter in todays society, and yet less and less are teens relying on or interacting with their parents these days.

The reasons for this are many, with increased independence for teenagers in general, and technology allowing them to communicate with anyone at any time, they are forced to socialize with their own families a lot less than they used to be purely for communication and geographical reasons. many more teens also have part time jobs these days, which means they spend less time at home anyway, as well as their social lives being more active than in yesteryear. Today parents too have less time to interact and maintain close bonds with their teens because of work constraints and longer hours etc, meaning the parent teen relationship is usually the first to suffer.

Teenagers who have closer bonds with their parents and families have lower rates of thins like underage sex, teenage pregnancy and drug addictions. They would also more likely go to their parents if they had a problem, and trust their parents judgment more in helping them overcome problems. Teenagers who do not have such a close bond with their parents however will be more likely to turn to gangs to find that similar feeling of family and belonging, as well as getting in more trouble with the law, and feeling they have to sort out their problems themselves rather then turning to their parents for help, which would often be the best course of action to take.

forging a strong relationship with teenagers will also help them to become better parents themselves when the time comes, and will help them to better bond with their children, from learning a lot of the lessons of child raising form their parents and following by example of how they were treated.

Because of society being so focused on everything at speed and being in a hurry these days as well as increased technological impact on how we live our lives, teen parent relationships seem to be suffering, and show no signs of getting any better, but are still of the utmost importance, and should be improved on at any cost.