Parenting Sites 411

I remember being pregnant and praying almost daily that my child would be born healthy and that their father and I could do our best to make them happy.  I think we’ve done fairly well, my children are rarely ever sick and they seem to be pretty happy and well adjusted.  One thing that neither of my children have is a notable birthmark.  I wonder about them when I see other children with obvious marks on their face and neck and of course after owning a daycare, I saw plenty of birth marks on other parts of the body.

Luckily most birthmarks are generally harmless.  I’ve never known anyone who had a birthmark that was dangerous to the person with the mark but apparently there are some problems that can be the result to a what is thought to be a simple birthmark.  Most of the birthmarks are apparent at birth but there are a few that occur after birth. The cause of them is always guessed at by many people who call themselves believers of old wives tale.  You know, things like it is a sign of a mother’s unfulfilled wishes, the result of something the mother ate during pregnancy, or the product of a traumatic birth.  These are simply not true.

There are birthmarks that have a genetic component but most of the marks are just random.  And believe it or not, having a birthmark back in the Middle Ages, you may have been accused of witchcraft but honestly, most marks don’t have serious or lasting effects. 

Birthmarks are generally categorized as pigmented or vascular.  Pigmented birthmarks are generally a result of an overgrowth of melanocytes which are the cells that regulate the pigment of the skin.  Moles are included in the pigmented type.

igmented birthmarks are a result of an overgrowth of melanocytes, the cells that regulate the pigment in our skin. Pigmented birthmarks are very common, including marks such as café-au-lait spots, moles, and Mongolian blue spots.

There’s much more to know if you or your child has a birthmark and you can read about it here.

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So, are you afraid?  I mean, I wasn’t too alarmed really.  I mean, I haven’t been to upset about the whole situation.  I have mono, for the second time in a year.  And my children haven’t caught it nor has my husband so it just wasn’t on my list of priorities.  I have been more concerned with this cast on my foot and my own mono worries.

Then a friend on Face Book made mention of being a bit concerned about the outbreak.  So, I read a little, asked a few questions and apparently for now, it’s still an issue in Mexico and no fatalities in the U.S.  Not that I’m saying it’s ok for it to be there, just saying…

Anyway, you know how kid are, you send them to school and the slobber and snot and germ all over everything.  A friend’s husband who is a med tech suggested that I wear a mask in the airport and on the plane.  I’m not flying for a couple of more weeks and we will see then how it all works out. 

In the meantime, what is your freak factor?

I eat for crap.  And, that is basically an understatement.  Some days my husband and I skip meals all together but when our kids are around, they let us know that “we haven’t even had breakfast or lunch”.  So, off we go looking for something to eat.  I’m all good to skip at least one a day and I know that’s a horrible habit to get into and I certainly hope my kids can learn better habits than we have already started. 

So, there’s a question and answer segment on Parents.com that you can look at.  People asking about how often to let kids eat cookies or ice cream or babies that like to nurse nonstop all day.  One question is about toddlers snacking during the day and that definitely happens at my house.  My 4-year-old would eat 20 little meals a day if you let him.  We have to watch him or every time we turn around that kid is in the pantry or digging in the fridge.

And, what happens when your kid is chubbier than his classmates?  Is it a problem by a certain age or is it all just something that’s predetermined?  How much should the kids be eating?  Generally in our house we don’t push the issue of finishing your plate.  I’ve never been forced to eat a certain food or a certain amount and I definitely have food issues.  So, I an only imagine what it would be like for a kid who was forced to eat food they didn’t like and finish all of what was put on their plate.

Go read about it though and see what you think, let me know what worries you most or least?

It’s been a while since I had a newborn, well about 4 years to be exact.  But, I’m sitting in a fast food restaurant right now, watching my own children play, ages 4 and 6, surfing and people watching.  And, included in that people watching is a family with a newborn.  I’m hoping that the woman understands that this play area is a germ invested hole just waiting to breed and grow on someone. 

Yea, I get it, if it is so bad, then why let my own kids here.  Well, because my own kids are probably part of the germ problem.  My kids are rarely sick and please don’t let that statement shoot me in the foot this week but they do well, they’ve been exposed since one is in school so really, it’s not that big of a deal when they get to be 4 and 6.

But at the age of this baby, and I do mean tiny tiny baby, it is so dangerous and so critical to help keep them safe.  And, with that, I’m going to toss some Parents.com links at you and hope that you find some of them helpful.

Naturally, I’m thinking about First Aid because any time we enter this place we come out with scrapes and bruises of all kinds.  And, then of course, there’s the parents guide to their kid’s health which is probably a better source of information than my overwhelmed watchful eye of that newborn over there.  And, finally, there’s Baby 911 which gives you some great tips on when to call the doctor, when to go to the hospital, etc.

Go ahead, check them out, let me know what you think, I’m curious if you guys are like me and laid back and easy going or are you overly protected.

Of course we (as in parents) are all into the parenting gig and it’s hard to find yourself doing much else.  Even parents with enormous careers that don’t involve children at all are constantly seeking parenting advice.  Just because you can run a huge company doesn’t mean you can do anything with a small child.

So, regardless of your child’s age, I have some links for you, nothing too fancy, or elaborate, just a few hot topics that might make your life easier.  For instance, if you are in that pre-baby stage and you want to read about getting pregnant, you should try places like Tips to Get Pregnant Faster, Boost Fertility:  10 Ways and then, once you get that little cherub here, you want to always be aware of car safety.  You can read about those ideas at 8 Car Seat Mistakes, 5 Facts You Need to Know, Be a Safe Driver and Car Seat Recalls.

And, as I’ve already mentioned, parenting isn’t easy, so when you are in need of support, try Teething Timeline, 7 Ways to Sooth Teething Woes, Little Pearly Whites, Cute Tooth Tools.

So, what more could you need to know?  Stay tuned til the next post….

Do you get up and fix your children a hot breakfast every morning?  I have a friend who has 3 children and she is up and at ‘em early making them a hot breakfast everyday.  She worked for me for a while and by the time she got to work, she had already put in a full days work.  For me anyway.  My boys eat cereal or pop tarts most of the time and on Saturday and Sunday, my husband and mother spoil them and they eat a hot breakfast. 

But, they do eat cereal and I have been guilty of feeding them that horrible sugar stuff if you just want to know the truth of the matter.  I grew up eating Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies which by comparison to Fruity Pebbles and Captain Crunch is a great breakfast.  My mom left for work before I ever got out of bed.  At age 7, I got up with an alarm clock, got myself dressed and caught the bus all alone.  No hot breakfasts for me.  And I really couldn’t care less.

But, I didn’t tell you all that to even tell you that, I’m told you that to show that cereal boxes are changing shapes…yea really, that’s why I told you all that.  What do you think?  Will they fit better in the pantry like this?  (We personally keep our in the fridge, but whatever). 

And, giving fair due, here’s where I first read the story, go participate in her poll….

It’s that time of the year for coughing, hacking, stopped up noses and general congestion.  And, if you are like me, you remember having your parents put Vicks Vapor Rub on you when you were a child.  I barely remember it but I do recall my grandparents using it a lot.  I remember it smelled bad, that’s about it.

However, once my babies were here and the congestion set in, I remembered something I had read about using Vicks Vapor Rub.  I read somewhere that if it was used on infants, the Rub should be put on the child’s back, not on the chest.  So, hummmm I wondered what in the world it matter.

The reason it matters is because the stuff is toxic if ingested.  And, if you put it on their chest, even with pj’s on, most kids can get their hands in it and then if you’ve ever seen a baby, you know the hands go straight to the mouth.  By putting the rub on the back, you are increasing the chance that the child will be able to touch the Rub and then put his/her hands in his/her mouth.

I found two different articles about this just recently.  So, I thought I would share.  One of them addresses not using the Rub at all for children under 2 and never to use it near the nostrils.  Again, I think we are talking a lot about the same reasoning but Mommy Babble can tell you a little more.  And, Thomas Maugh has some other thoughts on the matter as well. 

Enjoy and as always, feel free to discuss!

Here’s another site I heard about last week that I wanted to share with you all.

Play with Your Food!

Every Day With Rachael Ray Magazine is helping to extend Taste America, a celebration of food and all the ways it adds to the joys of our lives also invites, to children!

Taste America for Kids is offering an interactive website that gives children a fun way to learn the value of some of the most important foods and where they come from.  Log on to http://www.rachaelraymagtasteamerica.com/ to see some of the fun and educational activities and information that kids can learn from.

Harvest Heroes: Fruits and vegetables characters with great tips about healthy food and eating right.

Play with Your Food: A game where kids run must choose which foods to eat and which to run away from.

Did You Know?: A fun fact about the Harvest Hero of the month.

Downloads: Where your kids can go to get wallpapers, recipe cards, screensavers and more games

Any way we can educate our children about nutrition and help them have fun at the same time is aces in my book.  So if you think your kids would get a kick out of this, check out the site today.

Have you ever been induced?  Or have you always gone into labor naturally?  Or do you skip that all together and go for the c-section?  I can say I’ve done all three!  I saw this post on Parent Dish last week and it struck a chord with me.  I’ve only ever been induced once and that was the most bone shatteringly awful labor I’ve ever endured.  My next pregnancy, I went into labor naturally and I was so surprised by how “mild” the contractions were that I didn’t even believe I was truly in labor for half a day.  So obviously, from my experience, induction means horribly painful and constant contractions and natural labor means something much more tolerable.  Anyhow, this post asked the question, “Are induced labors always more painful?”  I honestly think it has a lot to do with the individual person.  Some people might not react to the pitocin as violently as I did.  Once that stuff took hold in my IV, I had strong and constant contractions with virtually no resting in between.  Five hours later, I was trying to push out a baby that was in some serious fetal distress.  I ended up needing an emergency c-section under general anesthesia.  So do I have warm happy feelings for induction?  Probably not.  But I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who have had completely normal labor and deliveries under pitocin.  If you’re one of those people, post and let us know.

At the BlogHer 07 conference in Chicago, I learned a lot about a website called FiveMoms.com. Perhaps you’ve heard of them too. It’s a collection of five mothers, all from pretty different backgrounds, who have one unfortunate thing in common. They all have children who have gotten in deep with cough medicine. No, not to make meth as the news media would have you believing. Just cough medicine itself. According to the website, over 2 million teenagers in the last year have used cough medicine as a way to get high.

The idea for action is easy and genius: one parent reads the website, learns about the dangers, warning signs, treatments, etc and then in turn educates five other parents with what they now know. And, thanks to the website, sharing the information is as easy as the click of a mouse. The website itself is well laid out and easy to read and understand. And it is a perfect example of how just a few people can change their world. They will even send you a gorgeous and well-appointed manicure set just for helping them spread the word.

Really, what do you have to lose? You (and your friends and family) could have everything to gain.

We got up late this morning. It was only 10 minutes late, but it could have been later. Someone called me and that forced me out of bed. I felt badly when I answered because I was still a little asleep, and normally I would have been wide awake.

Not that I don’t appreciate the extra sleep. We all need it from time to time.

I have a friend who says, “Sleep begats sleep” meaning the more kids sleep, the better sleepers they will be. She is a firm believer in routines and schedules, something I just couldn’t bring myself to do when Fuller was little. But, in the end it all works out. Fuller was a great sleeper once we got his position (he slept on his **gasp** stomach!) and cycle down. And then once he started sleeping through the night, after three nights of **gasp** crying it out, at 6 months, things got even better.

Now, at two and half, Fuller is a once a day napper. He goes down in the afternoon and sleeps solidly for 3 hours. Another friend of mine has had a rough time figuring out her kids sleep style, and finally just gave into the fact that he only takes cat naps.
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Growing up, the big thing about summer was the ability to go swimming. When we lived in Arizona, we had a house with an in-ground pool in the backyard. It was so much fun to spend all day in and out of the pool. We would have friends over and have a blast playing “Marco Polo” and water volleyball.

I have blurry memories of the first pool we went to, where I learned to swim. It was the community pool in Lexington, Virginia. My memories include lots of crying and the red kick boards that the swim instructor had us use. What I don’t remember is what exactly got me over my fright of the pool and what clicked to make me the swimmer that I am today.
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A few months ago our Bradford pear tree was in full bloom. The pretty white blossoms made our yard look like it was ready for a wedding or something.

But, lurking around that tree was a necessary menace to society: the bee. It is necessary because without the bee those blooms wouldn’t happen. It is a menace because of the sting that come from the flying bugger, a sting that can cause some real problems.

I have been stung by a bee before and nothing really came from it except a bunch of tears. I remember it being painful, and swelling a little bit, but my memory is fuzzy after that. Now that I am an adult, I tend to stiffen my back whenever a bee is near, like it is going to just go away if I am perfectly still.

I don’t really know how to keep Fuller from experiencing a bee sting, but it is possible that it might happen and that it might be more to him than a little swelling. What if a bee sting is lethal to my little boy?
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A few weeks ago a national news item really squicked me out and made me a little bit nervous to let my son outside. How did you react when you read this?

What began as a faint popping in a 9-year-old boy’s ear - “like Rice Krispies” - ended up as an earache, and the doctor’s diagnosis was that a pair of spiders made a home in the ear.

The boy had spiders in his ear! It gives me chills just to type that out.

But it does make me stop and think. Fuller has severe reactions to insect bites, a trait he inherited from his father. Once he is bitten by a bug (probably a mosquito) a welt forms that can get to be about an inch to an inch and a half in diameter. It is shocking to see, especially on a two year old. The good news is that the swelling goes down with in a half hour to an hour to a normal bite size.
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Fuller is over his illness. He was diagnosed with non-strep tonsillitis, which was really making him miserable. Once we got him on antibiotics he started to feel and act better over night. It was great to hear him ask for specific foods and drinks. And to see him interact with something other than the television was equally refreshing.

When Fuller was still feverish and in pain, we were dosing him with Tylenol and ibuprofen, as recommended by the nurse at our pediatrician’s office. We gave Fuller his doses via a syringe. During other boughts of illness, when Fuller needed some medicine, he would gleefully take the syringe from us and plunge the medicine into his mouth quickly. He liked taking medicine and we felt really blessed.
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