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Archive for the ‘Parenthood’ Category

The different types of child-care providers.

The daycare industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the US today. This has been brought about by the need for parents or single-moms, a place where they can safely leave their kids as they work for a living.

There are many different types of child-care providers that parents can consider for the care of their children. Let us discuss each one of them:

1. Connecticut day care centers. Daycare is the most common type of child-care provider. In this setup, the parents bring their kids to the center which is mostly open from 8 AM to 6 PM. The daycare has competent and well-trained daycare staff which is tasked to take care of a group of kids. They provide not just an environment where kids can play, but can be considered as a CT preschool as some of the staffs are designated as the teachers giving individualized instructions for the kids where they can learn the alphabets, numbers, colors, and more. One advantage of a daycare is it provides a good venue for kids to learn socialization skills as they can interact with many kids of their age in the center as it is required that at least 12 kids are enrolled to be considered as a daycare center.
2. Family Daycare. This is a small scale version of a daycare and in this setup, parents bring their kids to the home of the child care provider instead. A minimum of 8 kids should be enrolled to be considered as a family daycare. An assistant to the primary child care provider is also required to help in taking care of the kids. One advantage of a family day care is that is also provides a good environment where kids can interact with other kids to help them build their social skills. The disadvantage though is that the staff of a family day care might not have a formal training on child care as compared to the training received by staff of a CT daycare.
3. Baby Sitter / Nanny. This is a one-on-one type of child care where the baby sitter or nanny will come to your house and take care of your kid for the time required. This is the most expensive type of child care service as most nannies charge by the hour. The disadvantage of getting a baby sitter, though they can offer more time and attention to your child, is it lacks the socialization that the other type of child-care services offer.

Which type of child-care service is the best? There is really no definite answer as every child and parent has each of their own child-care needs which can be met by any of the child-care providers mentioned above. Each type of child-care services has their own advantages and disadvantages and it is up to the parent to weigh these to help them choose the best setup for their kids.

How would a first-time parent know when her child is ready for schooling? Are there clear cut rules on when to send them out the world? In my case, a lot of people are saying that I am pushing my DD too much when it comes to learning new stuff. We may not have enrolled her this school year but I believe she is ready. See, she is fairly interested in a lot of things. She is just 28 months and yet she points and asks “What’s this?” or “What’s that?” And she easily remembers the things she learn each day. I also admit that I have scouted pre-schools around, even searched the internet for schools like Pre Schools Stepaside.

But then again, the indicators may be different among children. I stumbled upon this list of signs your toddler is ready for school:

• Is your toddler fairly independent? Can she take care of herself when it comes to basic things like washing hands and going to the potty?
• Has she spent considerable time away from you? Separation anxiety is apparent among toddlers, and it is important that she is trained to be away from you for a few hours each day.
• In school, they will be asked to do crafts on their own. Will she be able to handle that?
• There is circle time in school, will she be able to participate in group activities?
• Does she have a routine at home and is she used to following a schedule?
• Does she have the energy to last her the entire school time? Stamina is important.
• The most important of all is, the reason you want him to start with school.

Remember that these are just guidelines. Your toddler may exhibit all, or just few, or none of the indicators. The final decision always rest upon you as the parent.

Thanks to Jhari for sharing an article in her blog. The article is about the signs that says a toddler is ready for potty training. This got me interested because I have a 28-month old toddler and have not started potty training yet.

Here are the five signs a toddler may be ready for no accidents

1. Staying dry longer. When this happens, staying nappy-dry for at two hours, it means she is already able to control her bladder. Check also if her diapers are not too saturated as she wakes up in the morning.
2. Showing physical signs before going. She grunts, makes faces, tries to take off diapers, or better yet says it out loud when about to go.
3. Disliking soiled diapers. When she shows that she does not like being in soiled diapers and says it too.
4. Showing interest in the toilet. She is curious about the washroom habits of parents, siblings or friends. She may also imitate these habits.
5. Wanting to wear big-kid undies. When she refuses to wear diapers already.

Personally I am not pushing the little one yet to be fully potty trained. I believe that sooner or later, she will learn that, in her own time. She is already showing some of the signs as listed so I know we are on the right track.

Autism, a complex and mysterious brain disorder. Being so, science have not provided explanations about why and how it happens. It strikes one in 110 children in the United States and affects four times as many boys as girls. And most often than not, it is detected at around three years old. Just imagine how parents may feel upon learning that their kid has Autism. I know a single parent who recently found out that her son has developmental delay, she was devastated (but have moved on since then).

A recent study however claims to detect autism at an earlier stage in life. On Thursday, US researchers reported that “A five-minute screening test could help detect autism in babies at 12 months of age, giving parents and doctors far more time to intervene.” This is good news because it has been established that early detection is better since intervention can be done right away. The author of this study is Karen Pierce of University of California, San Diego, funded by National Institute of Mental Health c/o Dr. Lisa Gilotty who heads the Autism Program. The study will appear in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Click here for more details.

I found these tips in Project Small Feet, when considering a Preschool for your toddler:

• Credentials of the School and Teachers – research and ask around about the qualifications of the school and its educators. Remember that they will build your child’s foundation, so it is important that you entrust your kid with people who knows what they’re doing.
• Class Hours – an early morning class, for instance might not work for us because DD tends to wake up late in the morning.
• Disciplinary Styles – Is the style similar to your style at home? You don’t want your kid to get confused, right?
• Safety – Will you be able to leave your child and not worry about her safety?
• School’s Philosophy or Teaching Methods – Progressive versus Traditional?

I can’t say that finding these tips is timely as I still have a full year to wait before the little goes to school. But these tips will sure come in handy next year.

For the past few nights, I find myself awake in the middle of the night watching out for DD who co-sleeps with us. See, she would get upset and throw tantrums for a few minutes. For all other parents, who experience the same, this can get pretty frustrating. For what can a toddler possibly be dreaming about that can make her seemingly angry, right?

Have you heard of the term, Night Terror? I believe this is the one that occurs while DD sleeps. Kids would “wake up”, cry even scream in the middle of sleep. with hand thrashing about. Consoling them is futile. The only thing parents can do is to wait it out because kids usually go back to sleep on their own. And usually, kids will not remember it ever happened when they wake up the next day. This is one of the differences between a night terror and a nightmare.

The main difference of the two occurrences would be the time by which they happen. Night terrors are likely to happen during the first three hours of sleep, while nightmares occur during the later part of the night’s sleep, nearing the morning. In nightmares, kids tend to wake up being scared and would allow an adult to comfort him’.

Night Terror is an interesting topic. I will probably post more about it in the next few days.

I honestly did not know anything about Cord Blood Banking (until now, actually, I am trying to understand it) after I gave birth to my DD. I would hear about parents asking other parents. Incidentally, there is little information on this part of the world because the system is too expensive and only one company offers the service for now. There is also little assurance that that cord blood will still be potent in case of need in the future. If my understanding is wrong, then let me know and correct me

Anyway, according to what I’ve read, in the 70s a study revealed that umbilical cord blood could supply the same kinds of blood-forming (hematopoietic) stem cells as a bone marrow donor. So when a baby is born and her cord blood is collected and stored, she may potentially be saved from a future serious illness. A perfect match may also use it. Like a bone marrow transplant, the blood from the cord may fight off the bad blood cells and help the body create the blood needed by the body, or at least the stem cells will do that. The time for storage and potential usage is still being determined but some stored blood for nearly a decade were successfully used in transplants.

Parents consider this service if there is an illness that runs in the family. Some diseases that more commonly involve bone marrow transplants include certain kinds of leukemia or lymphoma, aplastic anemia, severe sickle cell anemia, and severe combined immunodeficiency. Otherwise, the risk that a child may need her cord blood in the future is very slim. And the procedure of stem cell transplant is usually just ideal for babies and young children because adults require more stem cells that  cord blood may not fully provide.

The service goes for $1000-$2,000 on top of the annual storage fee.

With these factors, I guess you can already decide if this will work for you. The best decision may arrive after you have studied facts first before the baby is born. Good luck!

When I introduce formula to my then 3-month old baby, her bowel movement went ballistic. As with all babies, it is normal not to move bowels for about three days, and then boom! At first I was not worried that she was constipated because of the said reason but when she did, she had a hard time. Poop was literally hanging there and would not slide out. I was panicking and crying at the same time.

Looking back, I realized that this occurrence – constipation in babies – is not a major cause for concern as it happens all the time. Other signs include:

• fewer bowel movements
• stool is hard and dry
• straining and pain when moving bowels
• larger stools
• abdominal/tummy pain
• bloated feeling (though babies can’t say this yet)
• blood on stool

When the baby is constipated, increase water or juice intake. Consult with the doctor about juices like prune and pear juice especially if the kid is constipated for at least a week. You may also increase fiber in the diet. Oatmeal or fruits rich in fiber may help. It will also help to massage the tummy in circular motions and doing leg exercises (movements as if riding a bicycle).

A few days of hearing the little one cough made me worry. I was almost ready to bring her to her Pedia so she could be prescribed some medicine but I came across an article that lists the nine medicines to give a toddler:

1. Aspirin
2. OTC Cough and Cold Medicines
3. Anti-nausea Meds
4. Adult medications
5. Any med prescribed for someone else
6. Anything expired
7. Extra Acetaminophen/Ibuprofen
8. Chewables
9. Ephedra/Ephedrine (Chinese herb ma huang)

Most parents already know about the first on the list. Even first time parents are usually reminded to stay away from aspirin because this is not for kids. Numbers 3-6 are self-explanatory and common sense. Acetaminophen is okay but it has to be prescribed by the doctor and extra dosage must never be given. Chewable tablets are obvious choking hazards. Herbal Meds have adverse results even in adults, much more on toddlers.

Since DD had coughs and colds (she is better now), number two got my attention. SO after reading the article, I am relieved that the ‘mommy-doctor’ mode in me did not meddle. I was right to follow the Pedia’s orders. DD’s doctor is kinda old-fashioned and would rather have his patients go the natural way. He does not prescribe cough medicines and we just follow the water therapy and good old “pat the back” remedy

Growing up, I remember visiting my ENT every few months to have my ears cleaned. See, I had an “accident” when I was little where a doctor (not an ENT) cleaned my ears of stubborn wax and causing my ear drum to break. My mom got traumatized for me so she knew better from then on. I think I brought that trauma with me even now that I have a kid of my own. You can count the times that I actually looked into her ears, I just clean the outer part! I plan to bring her to a pediatric ENT soon because she has started to complain already. But knowing me, I delayed that trip to the doctor, waiting it out. Luckily, the complaints subsided and there seems to be no impacted was in the ear.

That did not stop me from researching for home remedies on ear wax removal. These tips not only apply to children, fyi:

1. Never, as in not in any circumstance., should you use a cotton bud to clean the inner ear because the wax may just as well be pushed into the canal even more.

2. Soften the was by dropping mineral oil, use an eye dropper to do this. This will not soften the was right away, you need to do this in the course of 5 to 7 days, twice a day or once in the morning then at night. Tilt the head, put oil in the ear and keep the head tilted until you feel that the oil has seeped in.

3. When the wax has loosened you may now use tap water to remove it. Use a rubber bulb, the one that is usually used as a nasal aspirator for babies. Fill the bulb with body-temperature water. Cold water may cause pain, while if the water is hotter than body temperature, you may feel dizzy afterwards.

4. Tilt your head down, pull the top of your ear up, and insert the bulb syringe just into the ear canal. Then, squirt the water into the ear canal, adding pressure but not too  much lest you hurt yourself. Allow the water to flush out of the ear by tilting your head further down, over the sink. Repeat the process until the wax has been flushed out.

5. Dry your ear, without using a cotton bud of course, by wiping the outer ear with a towel. Use a blower if you must.

This is fairly easy but I guess I will have to wait a few more years before I can do this to DD. If she complains again, I will do the first step of softening the wax then I just might bring her to the doctor, so the ENT can flush the wax out.