Author: Katie Baker

Family

Is There a Safe Sleep Aid While Breastfeeding?

As a breastfeeding mom, especially if this is your first baby, you would go through a whole lot of new things. Most of these would be reduced peace of mind, anxiety from wondering if the baby is hungry again, and most commonly, sleep deprivation.

Sometimes you just want to fall on the bed and find the shortest route to dream Land as quickly as possible but it just doesn’t seem to be coming does it. This is where you’ll need a sleep aid.

In this article, we will talk shortly about what a sleep aid actually is and what it does. Then we will see if there is a safe sleep aid while breastfeeding.

What is a Sleep Aid?

As stated earlier, the main goal after a long day of doing your usual thing and seeing to it that your little prince or/and princess is well fed, the next thing you want to do is find some sleep so that you can continue tomorrow.

Sleep aid is what actually helps you to sleep; however, there are only very few of them you are safe for breastfeeding mothers. Sometimes breastfeeding mothers are scared of the side effects of some of the sleep aids and effects they would have on them and on their babies.

The first question to even answer at all is whether or not it is safe to use sleep aids while breastfeeding. And the answer to that question is that it depends on the sleep aid that you’re using. Let’s attempt to answer the question now.

Are There Really Sleep Aids that are Safe?

The simple answer to that question is yes. There are sleep aids that are safe for breastfeeding mothers and as you may already have guessed, they have side effects. Some of the side effects of these drugs include drowsiness. Yes, and that actually pushes in the sleep for you.

One thing that you must know as a breastfeeding mom is that, the side effects that these drugs bring other than drowsiness may include itchiness, dehydration, overall body weakness, allergy signs like colds, fever, and some others.

Antihistamine-based sleep aids are some that you can trust to not cause any harm to your baby. You rest assured that sleep would always come calling when you need it.

What is the Best Time for Breastfeeding Moms to Use Sleep Aids?

You must note that what works for your neighbor may not work for you. If you do a remote job where you get to wake up at night a lot, you don’t want to be like your neighbor who says she prefers to take hers at night.

The favorite time as far as I’m concerned is just as soon as the baby is breastfed and tucked in bed for a peaceful sleep. That is when you should take your own nap. So it is advisable that you do it just moments before breastfeeding.

Always remember to drink a lot of water, as some of the drugs may dry out the breast milk. I do hope this helps you.

Health

Special Education Eligibility: When is a Speech-Language Impairment also a Disability?

Has your child’s school teacher recently called to let you know that your son or daughter may need special education? Is this due to the fact that they think the child is having a hard time following in class? Well, isn’t this what so many kids in the country face at the moment?

A lot of teachers believe that the moment a child isn’t following in class, whether due to their comprehension of the language or shyness, they are having a disability. This isn’t always the case.

With proper direction, monitoring, and coaching, we have seen kids who were already getting ready to be moved actually pick up and even do better than the ones who have been the teacher’s all-time favorite.

The United States has stated the criteria or, permit me to say, requirements for getting special education. If your child hasn’t met these criteria, nobody should tell you that they should be dragged out of their normal life into special schools.

What is Speech-Language Impairment?

This is a discourse that may have had a lot of people mistaken. Parents, guardians, and teachers alike all have their own personal perception of what they think speech-language impairment is. Here we’re going to try to explain it for everyone to understand.

Speech-language impairment has to do with a disability on the part of the child as regards speaking or hearing.

As it concerns speaking, a child may have some deficiencies like stuttering, inability to pronounce certain words, inability to speak at all, fluency with the language, and a host of other factors.

Language impairment would include difficulties in organizing though, ideas, and mental pictures of what to say. A person with language impairment would less likely be able to express themselves with words because they cannot seem to find the right ones to use.

As it concerns a child, we all know that children can take several years before actually finding themselves. We cannot push them into a world where they are made to believe that they are different and not like the other children when actually they’re just passing through a phase just like everybody else.

When is speech-language impairment also a disability?

With all that has been said on the matter, we can agree that the mere seeing of a child’s current incapability to do some things does not qualify that child for a special school.

When then can we call speech impairment a disability? I strongly believe that a child should be allowed to grow into an age where they can fully get a grasp of what real-world situations are like.

Before a child can be deemed to be disabled, an interdisciplinary team would be committee would need to access the child.

This team would collect data from the child’s parents, teachers, and doctors about medical history. When all these have been done, they can then decide whether or not to term the situation qualified to be treated as special.

Family

How to Calm Down a Hyper Child

Having a hyper child can be a blessing and a real problem. Unfortunately, some kids go over the top. Caregivers and teachers are the most hit, since kids spend the most time at school. Can there be any remedy? Are there ways to calm a hyperactive kid? In this article, we will consider a few ways to combat the traits.

What is the Meaning of Hyper?

Hyperactive is a synonym for hyper, which means to be extremely excited or active. It can also be described as a state of being abnormally active. These traits can help one get things done swiftly. Someone who is hyper is considered to be a fast learner. With this advantage, intricate and complex things can be learned quickly. This individual can perform tasks in record-breaking time.

However, when it is a child that has these traits, it becomes a liability instead of a blessing. A child’s hyperactive behavior could pose a huge risk to a child’s cognitive reasoning. It might serve as a hindrance to the child’s mental development.

Common Characteristics of a Hyperactive Child

A hyperactive child will not have the will power to sit in a place and take informal education. He or she unwittingly gets distracted at every opportunity. As a result of constant movement, a child who is inattentive could:

·       Find it difficult staying put in tasks and play.

·       Appear not to listen, even when talked to.

·       Experience trouble while trying to organize tasks and duties.

·       Make careless mistakes as a result of not paying attention to details.

·       Forget to do chores.

·       Get distracted.

·       Hate any task that will require him or her to sit in place.

·       Fidget.

·       Feel nervous.

·       Exude aggressive behaviour.

·       Have impulsive behaviour.

What could lead to such a severe health condition? Here are just a few reasons.

What Causes Hyperactivity

Mental or physical conditions can trigger hyperactivity. Medical conditions that could affect the thyroid or the central nervous system can lead to hyperactivity. The common causes include:

·       Brain disorders

·       Nervous system disorder

·       Hyperthyroidism

·       Psychological disorders

·       ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive disorder)

Sometimes, patients with ADHD may be diagnosed when they are already adults, many are usually diagnosed at an early age as a child.

If your child or anyone is seen with symptoms of hyperactivity, the best and safest thing to do is speak with a doctor. Doctors will help to ascertain if it is as a result of new or existing conditions. If it is a result of the side effects of medications or hormonal imbalance.

How to Calm Down Hyper Kids Naturally

1.     Help them practice relaxation.

2.     Before a big task comes up, allow the child time to play.

3.     Be consistent and patient.

4.     Break down some house chores with activities.

5.     Follow instructions of health personnel.

6.     Gradually form a habit.

There are few ways  to treat hyperactive kids, it includes:

1.     Therapy. There are two types of therapy provided for hyper kids – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Talk Therapy. CBT is used to change the line of thinking and behavior of hyper kids while Talk therapy is a discussion between the patient and the therapist. Suggestions are then given to help the patients.

2.     Medications. Medications prescribed by a medical doctor have a calming effect. Caffeine and nicotine should be avoided.

3.     Supplements. Try natural mood balancing supplements like Calm Kids from Terry Naturally.

4.     Essential Oils. Try diffusing a few drops of essential oils in water using a KidSafe Diffuser to help calm your child. Lavender Essential Oil from Plant Therapy is especially calming.

Prevention of Hyperactivity in Kids

·       Pregnant women should refrain from anything that could interfere with the development of the unborn child like the use of recreational drugs, alcohol, and smoking of cigarettes.

·       Parents should shield little children from pollutants and toxins such as led paint or third party smoke.

These few tips will surely go a long way to provide relief as suggestions are being applied. Depending on the level and the cause, it can be treated swiftly or managed properly.

Blog

What are the Top 5 Sororities?

Today many of the people championing women’s rights have actually progressed in their activities, equalities, and public service work. No wonder the enrollment of sororities has grown.

Below are the top five sororities, check it out!

1. Chi Omega

Based on numbers, Chi Omega is the top one sorority. It has over 345,000 initiated members, 243 alumnae chapters, and 180 collegiate. The Chi Omega is known for its popularity. Celebrities and famous people are also part of this sorority. It was founded in the year 1895 at the University of Arkansas. The Chi Omega is the most known sorority and so this makes it the top one.

2. Alpha Kappa Alpha

Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded in the year 1908 at Howard University. This is No. 2 because of its long-term existence and number of members. There are also celebrities in this Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and stands out to be the oldest. The women involved in this sorority are Katherine G, Maya Angelou, Phylicia Rashad, Wanda Sykes, Althea Gibson, Star Jones, Alice Walker, Rose Parks, Kamala Harris, and many more.

This society supports its members through professional and personal development. It enhances social change and is of service to all mankind. It has a total number of 290,000 members coming from across the globe. In the year 2016, the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority donated a sum of $5 million to different community organizations through scholarship and also served more than 2 million families yearly.

3. Kappa Alpha Theta

Kappa Alpha Theta is the No. 3 sorority, and it consists of many numbers of celebrities and famous people. There are over 220,000 international women that are part of this sorority. The celebrities who are part of this society and have pledged to it include Sheryl Crow, Tory Burch, Barbara, Bush, Jenna Bush, Laura Bush, Melinda Gates, Sarah Clark, Claire McCaskill, Katie Lee Joel, Amy Grant, Ann Margret, Dylan Lauren, Cindy McCain, Stephanie Marsh, Rue McClanahan, Kerri Strug, Lynne Cheney.

4. Alpha Delta Pi

Alpha Delta Pi was founded in the year 1851 and is automatically known as the oldest. It was founded at the Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. It is also known as the country’s first secret society for women. In the year 1905, this sorority got the name Alpha Delta Pi. The sorority has grown to 155 chapters active including in the U.S. and Canada.

5. Delta Sigma Theta

Founded at Howard University in the year 1913, Delta Sigma is known as the largest Greek alphabet sorority for black women. Just two months after it was founded, the sisters participated in the women’s suffrage march in Washington D.C.

Over the last century, Delta Sigma Theta has grown to about 1000 chapters and joins in the “five-point,” which includes economic development, international awareness, educational development, political awareness and involvement and physical, and mental health.

These sororities are all important in their own way. They help in socialization and communication, assist others through volunteerism and philanthropy, and make provisions where others can benefit.

Family

Best Parenting Group Activities

In order to acquire good parenting skills, you need to take part in parenting activities like playing outdoors with your kids, or spending quality time indoors. It will help you see the shortest paths to win the heart of your children and to be the best parent you can. 

Proper parenting helps you create a vision for you and your family and even helps you to deal with difficult times. When your family is experiencing a difficult situation, your ideas and plans are what they need most. 

You can as well discuss your goals and actually form a plan with your family. Whenever there is a misunderstanding, try to talk things through with your family. Talk it out and agree on a specific plan so as to strengthen your family’s relationship. Below are some necessary parenting activities you need in order to be the best parent for your family.

Always stay positive

Dig out ways to encourage yourself and your family’s positivity, because this may help them to stay positive and act accordingly. Do not only focus on the bad situations that are happening in your family, but always stay positive and think of the good things that have yielded from being with your family.

Always communicate with your family

Learn to communicate with your family. This would boost the love in the family and the cheerfulness. There are situations where parents would have used better communication but didn’t. So always ensure that you communicate with your family with an open heart, ears, and mind.

Give directions lovingly

Sometimes parents give their children directions that may seem a little bit rash and difficult. And as a result of this, your child may not follow this direction. Do not be harsh whenever you give directions, they may not understand what you are talking about, so let them know to help them to see things in your perspective and everything would go fine.

Apply discipline

Discipline is very important while parenting. It might be tough while responding to children, because they appear to be stubborn or annoying, so use loving discipline and teach them the correct standards. 

Kids get frustrated when they are not sure of what to do or how to go about doing something. So always see the need to set aside time for the family. Kids are creative, so always set time for your kids and take some time to enjoy playing with them.

There are many activities you can carry out when parenting, but these few ones mentioned earlier can go a long way to help your family and help your way of parenting. Try hard to keep these things in mind and you will make a good family.

Family

Best Kids Footwear: The Shoes that Light Up and More

Kids are fond of flashy, unique gifts. Even though toys are ideal, the shoes that light up also offer a lot of fun for kids!

The shoes that light up are comfortable and functional and can be worn at home or at school. This aspect really makes kids happy. Below are some of the best shoes that light up.

The Skechers Twinkle Toes

These shoes sparkle and it will affect your baby positively. Twinkle toes light up and are really comfortable. The shoes have a stylish aspect as well. Boys and girls can wear these twinkle shoes, but it best fits girls. These shoes are made of breathable, flexible fabric and offer comfortable low-top designs.

The Uantasy Fashion Sneakers

As the name implies, this is a fashion-forward pair of sneakers for kids and is comfortable for them. It also has light and breathable, stretchy fabric that fits most kids. If your kid loves clothing but does not have shoes to match, you can select some fantasy sneakers like these. They come with different colors and will make your kid happy. It is also available in different sizes, is super fun and easy, due to its stability and design. It is made of a thick rubber sole and stable lace designs.

The SLEVEL LED Light Up Shoes

The SLEVEL light up shoes are unique, stylish, and most of all last for a very long time. The footwear is easy to wear and it is comfortable. If you are looking for stylish light up shoes, then check these out.

The shoes’ light up design comes with a rechargeable battery that helps the lights to last long, and kids love this because they do not get disappointed at the end. It is made of many colors, rechargeable battery pack, absorbing rubber sole, and comfortable slip-on designs.

The Nsasy Roller Shoes

Nsasy roller shoes are another unique light-up pair of shoes that are cute, weather-resistant, and made with tough fabric and leather. The shoes have durable designs and colors that do not fade.

In order to be sure of comfort, the Nsasy has fitted a very thick rubber sole on the shoe with lights that boost the beauty and charm. Your kids will be impressed. It is made up of bright LED lights, multi-styles, beautiful and admirable colors, and a thick rubber sole.

The Gleam N’Dream Sneaker-Skechers Kids

This sneaker is 100 percent textile quality with a comfortable shaft. It can be worn and removed easily. It has a very strong sole made of fabric and it lights up brightly for a long time. Kids can wear it to school, parties, or any occasion. The shoe is made of a durable synthetic sole, colorful lights, and sporty designs.

This is the best kid’s footwear, and kids would love it. It is a shoe design that lights up and would be even more delightful, because they will wear it to school and to parties as well.

But while they move around in this footwear, they will be needing a supplement that will help sustain them. In the case you are looking for a suitable supplement, try Vita Chews for Kids by Neurobiologix for children’s health support.

Get your kids suitable footwear and suitable supplements to keep them going.

Family

What You Should Know About Emotional Maturity and Parenting Styles

Parenting is a task that is highly underrated in terms of difficulty and maturity levels. If being a parent was a job, most parents would be underpaid because nobody would be able to pay for the problems you have to deal with.

Remember being young and wanting to have your own kids? How you envisaged the whole thing, I bet you even mapped out a plan on how you would raise your kids. Things are quite different now, aren’t they?

Kids are lovely creatures, at the same time, they could be a major source of worry for parents. You have to worry about their health, their attitudes, their growth, as a matter of fact, you worry about them more than you get to think about yourself.

In dealing with these kids and the issues that they face, you would need a good level of emotional maturity or you would end up getting things wrong and getting yourself misunderstood.

What is Emotional Maturity?

Emotional maturity simply means your ability to guide and have a good level of control over your emotions. How do you respond when you’re anxious, what do you say when you’re sad, what do you do when you’re angry? Do you appropriately think about your actions before you display them?

Considering the above questions, if all of your answers directly relate with good control, then you can say you are emotionally mature, otherwise, you might need to work on that.

Emotional maturity is what helps you ensure that you give the appropriate reaction to the actions of your children. So many parents probably don’t even know that their emotional maturity is what determines what parenting style they use.

What is Your Parenting Style?

As mentioned earlier, most parents don’t actually sit down to decide what their parenting style would be, as a matter of fact, there is no assurance that choosing a particular parenting style would work for you. The simple reason for that is, our emotions usually always come to play in our decision making and taking strict guidelines for training your kids may not be easy.

Nonetheless, here are some parenting styles that you may already be using without even knowing.

Authoritative: This is an authoritative parent is one who sets down rules for the kids, makes the kids aware of what the rules are, gives them some freedom of expression, and also enforces the rules, making sure that adequate punishment is meted on defaulters.

Authoritarian: This style of parenting leaves only very little freedom for the child with very strict rules which aren’t even properly explained to the kids. This kind of parent expects the child to know what is right or wrong from the punishment they previously received. They also expect so much from the child.

Permissive: Some parents may decide to use this method sometimes for their children when they want to study the behavior of the child. A permissive parent gives the child so much freedom and little strictness. The kids are able to completely express themselves even to their parents and peers.

Uninvolved: This parent has little to no time for parenting. They don’t care about the behavior of their kids and they don’t care how their actions affect the children. The children are allowed total freedom to do whatever they want. No form of discipline is involved, nothing.

It is important to know that your emotional maturity would help you with any parenting style you choose or are already using. The ideal parent is one that has control over their actions, especially when interacting with their kids.

Health

Chalk Dust Health Concerns for Children

Are you considering using blackboards for a homeschool? Or do your children attend a school that uses blackboards that require the use of chalks? Here is what you need to know before you make a decision.

As paramount as the education of your kids may be, ensuring that they are also healthy is even more important.

Children have immune systems that are still in the process of development. This means that there is a higher chance that some substances that may not affect a healthy adult could result in serious issues for them.

The answer to whether chalk dust could pose a health concern to your kids is a simple “yes,” and if you want to know why that is, you should follow me through the article.

Possible Dangers of Chalk Dust

Writing with the chalk may not pose any threat, since the majority of the dust is glued to the blackboard. The actual problem begins the moment the blackboard gets wiped with a duster.

The dust that was formerly on the blackboard gets wiped, and the dust now is trapped in the air for a while before it falls to the ground. Now imagine in an enclosed classroom with about 20 students that have to breathe or interact regularly, how much of that dust would they have in their lungs before school hours are over?

It is easy to worry about the kids, but the person who is at a greater health risk is the teacher who stands close to the blackboard and talks all day long while teaching the kids.

There are several chalk dust health concerns that could eventually result in more serious issues in the long run.

Naturally, chalks are nontoxic, a long term inhalation and exposure would create a mold of the dust inside the respiratory system, and organs such as the lungs and throat. This may not pose any immediate threat of challenge, but in the long run, it could lead to something much worse.

Some health problems associated with inhalation of chalk dust include lung problems, which occur as a result of clogged airways; asthma in kids with milk allergies; it can result in some skin rashes if the child is directly exposed to it.

In recent times, there have been developments in schools and training centers. More and more people have begun to realize that it is much better to take precautions than to allow something they’re not totally sure of to ruin their breathing.

Both public and private schools have now chosen better alternatives and are surely not going back on that.

Some better alternatives to blackboards include the use of magnetic whiteboards on which you can easily write with a disposable marker and erase with ease; canvas; desire to learn, also popularly known as D2L; presentation lectures using MS PowerPoint; among a variety of other ways.

In conclusion, chalk dust on blackboards may not really pose a big health issue, since the chalk is made of natural substances. What this means is that you shouldn’t have chalk dust health concerns if you are only exposed to it once or twice. The major problem comes when this exposure is constant like in a classroom.

Family

Does Parenting Affect Mental Health?

Being a parent has to be the most hectic long term job to do. Seeing these little beautiful kids grow from infants to adults, all the love, all the sweet times, and all of that has a positive effect on mental health, but the bad times may also make their mark.

It is not all rosy, because raising kids can be really big trouble sometimes. Living with somebody who doesn’t have the level of understanding that you have and trying to ensure that they grow up to be great is a task that should require a big salary. However, we are parents for the love of our kids.

A lot of parents do their best for their children, but not all of them have the knowledge and skills to raise a child in the way that his or her mental orientation isn’t affected. Parenting styles are different, and these styles may either make or mar a child in the long run.

What Parenting Styles are There, and How Does Parenting Affect Mental Health?

Your parenting style has to do with the ways you raise your child. Different parents have different styles, and most often times it is not because they chose the style they want, it is usually a reflection of their own personality.

Here are the four major parenting styles. It is possible that a parent combines one or more of these styles.

4 Common Parenting Styles

Authoritarian parenting: You know you’re an authoritarian parent if you train your kids with specific rules and ensure that they follow these rules to the letter. In situations where the rules are not properly attended, punishments follow.

Authoritarian parents usually don’t give so much room for the children to express their emotions, as the communication is usually one-sided. The child has little freedom and flexibility and is expected to do exceptionally great.

Now, different kids have different mental receptiveness; some may grow up okay and strong, and others may develop several social and mental disorders if this style is overbearing.

Uninvolved parenting: Unlike the authoritarian, uninvolved parenting affords the children way too much freedom to do whatever they want. Some parents do this deliberately to study what their kids would do if they had total freedom; others do this because they don’t even know what to do.

Uninvolved parents mostly don’t care what their kids do. They are not bothered and they don’t train the kids, they just let them live whichever way they want. This might result in serious social issues.

Authoritative parenting: This is a more educated and self-aware authoritarian parent. They set their rules, let the kids know the laid down rules, and give their children an adequate chance to express themselves, while at the same time giving the appropriate punishments when rules are disobeyed.

Permissive parenting: This type of parent is a tiny percentage of authoritativeness and hugely uninvolved. With this style, there are no rules or regulations; however, there may be punishments once in a while. Sometimes the punishment may not be calculated well enough and kids may get punished for what they didn’t even do.

Choosing the appropriate parenting style would most definitely help your child grow into what they should become and not what you decide. Remember that in order to become the ideal parent you can choose a combination of one or more of these, as long as it is what works for you and your child.

And when it comes to mental health for parents, try all-natural nutritional supplements for mood health from Pure Encapsulations’ NeuroMood Pure Pak and BrainMD Serotonin Mood Support.

Family

Homeschool Parenting Tips to Teach Third Grade while Schooling from Home

In these unprecedented times where parents, guardians, and loved ones are stuck at home till this pandemic ends, we need to know how to homeschool our young ones as they would have to continue schooling at home.

Gather your peace of mind and check out the tips below for homeschool parenting to teach third grade and others grades while schooling from home.

Homeschool Parenting Tips to Teach Third Grade while Schooling from Home

Learn Your Homeschool Options

You can start up at any time, even if your children have several years of schooling or if they are toddlers. Some parents have learned that the ending of a school year is a good time to begin their research, because then they get enough time to know all the homeschool options and begin their research in autumn.

Learning the various options a parent can take is one of the best ways you’ll know the type of decision you want to take and what you desire for homeschooling to teach third grade would accomplish at home.

Learn the State’s Requirements for Homeschooling

The rules of homeschooling and its regulations are completely different according to the state. In a place like New York, for example, the parents of the child have to file an annual declaration of intent to the local superintendent around the first of July or two weeks before the homeschooling can begin. Also with a properly made home instruction plan . All these parents have to obtain attendance records, conduct standardized tests, and to submit quarterly reports.

Join a Local Homeschooling Group Online

Meeting more homeschoolers in your area will help you gain more information. At this point, you’ll get other families who can help you with more answers to your questions because they have experienced it. They also allow you to review all their teaching habits from home. They also show you how schooling at home works for them. You could also learn about activities that are proper for the age of your children and the ones they would like to participate in, these include clubs, sports, tutoring, and others that suit the interest of your child.

During weekly meetings online, parents could opt into teaching a particular subject like one that is foreign or to create a science lab for a group of students.

Get Your Own Homeschooling Space

Your classes can’t be conducted on the table in the kitchen; you’ll need a desk and a board for writing on. Also, you’ll need empty wall spaces where calendars, schedules, and completed work could be posted. You’ll need a computer nearby that’s connected to the internet for research. You need to get organized and purchase bookshelves and cabinets for your third grader. If you want to keep loose school supplies handy, you’ll also need organizational baskets too.

These unprecedented times are difficult, but there are plenty of resources to help you teach third grade while homeschooling your kids.