This is sad.

As a parent, I am very fortunate to know the joy of knowing that there are little people that came from you. It’s hard to explain the feeling that these little men (that’s in my case, I have 2 boys) will soon become their own individual self and will become part of the social community.

I am very thankful that God blessed us with these two wonderful boys. And now I pray for those want to be parents for them to have their own child. Because having them truly is fulfilling.

Are you struggling to get pregnant? Are you frustrated, or feeling angry for not being able to conceive despite all your efforts ? If you answered yes, then let me tell you that I know exactly how you feel, because I personally had gone through the same experience years ago. I have battled with my so called infertility for more than a decade until I have finally found a cure, got pregnant twice and now am a proud mother of two beautiful healthy children.

That is a quote that I took from someone who is selling an electronic book that promises couples that they will become pregnant. I cannot contest and say that this is true but I still want to share it to you in case you’re interested. Check out her book on “How To Get Pregnant”.

My name is Lisa Olson and over the past 14 years, through a long process of trial, error and experimentation, I have developed a sure-fire, 100% guaranteed, clinically researched system that is backed by 60,000+ hours of nutritional expertise and Chinese medicine research for getting pregnant quickly and naturally. This is a very rare, highly unique and potently powerful Infertility healing system, which very few women even know exists…

How To Get Pregnant?

Most couples think they know how to get pregnant. Well, speaking for myself, I thought it was easy. But like I said before not all couples will meet this challenge with success. Infertility not that uncommon and we have statistics to prove that infertility affects one in every six couples. The information on this post will try to help infertile couples become pregnant quickly and naturally.

• Start taking folic acid now. You reduce your chances of giving birth to a baby with a neural tube defect (for example, anencephaly or spina bifida) by 50% to 70% if you start taking at least 0.4 mg of folic acid each day two to three months before you start trying to conceive.
• Make love often during your fertile period (the five days leading up to ovulation). If you’ve got the stamina to make love at least every 48 hours, you will ensure that there’s a fresh shipment of sperm waiting in the fallopian tube at any given time. Of course, you can get too much of a good thing if your partner has a low sperm count, so if you’re aware of a pre-existing fertility problem, you’ll want to talk this issue over with your fertility specialist.

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Matt and Sean had a good time as well as me and my wife (plus my mom was with us). We saw all sorts of fish and other marine life. What stuck on my memory are the sharks. Sharks frightens me.

Anyway, we spent our Saturday all day in there just enjoying the views and relaxing. Although there are many was to celebrate a child’s birthday, this is how we celebrated the birthdays of my sons.

For those searching for ideas on how to spent birthdays, here are a couple of ideas for you to think about.

• Children Parties
• Pool parties
• Amusement park
• Kids Zoo
• Theme Parks

If you have any other suggestions on how to spend or celebrate a kids birthday, please comment below and let our readers know.

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Sean Timothy Saturno Palad was born on a calm Tuesday afternoon on February 26, 2008.

Time flies and just like that 2 years have passed! I remember the day he was born and it really felt like yesterday and now he’s all grown up.

Although he can recognize letters, he still can’t talk yet, may a few more weeks.

Happy Birthday to my dear boy, Sean.

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1. Sean’s First Few Letters

Sean will be celebrating his 2nd birthday this coming February 26, 2010 and Matt will be turning 4 on March 1, 2010. I remember when Matthew was 2 years old, he can recite the whole alphabet and he know each one by heart.

Now, it’s Sean’s turn to learn his alphabet. He’s a little late learner, but that’s alright. We are individuals and we are all unique. Sean can’t even speak yet but he is trying to recite and learn ABCs already. When he sings the alphabet song, he can barely say the words and just hum along with the tune but you can know distinctively that he is singing the alphabet song.

My classic tips in teaching toddler alphabet will be a big help for now on. When Sean can talk, we can start applying the technique we used to teach Matt the Alphabet. But sean is learning in his own pace. I am also very proud of him.

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So, how do you stop night time coughing in toddlers? Most of the answer you would find online is to use Vicks vaporub. Of course, this will not actually cure the coughing but it will suppose to help them breath to when they have a cold or their nose is stuff.

Another common answers that ‘experienced parents‘ gave is the weather or the room temperature. This one I could agree. In our case, it is true that the rough, barking cough starts during night time when we are about to go to bed. Being in a hot tropical place, we always turn on the air conditioning for a more relaxed and pleasant sleep.. but apparently this is the one that’s causing my boy to cough.

One parent advised:

Coughs seem to be worse when it’s cold. Yes the house might get a little warm but your child will sleep better and it will only be for a night or two. I tend to raise mine to 69-70 degrees.

I think that I’ll be following that suggestion first. Let’s see if that would work.. but I am expecting a sweaty night.

What else do you think that might be causing all those coughing? Appreciate any inputs.. Thanks!

No related posts.

We are still feeding them with foods rich in fiber as well as avoiding drinks or food that can cause constipation but we cannot stop milk for now. They are still small and babies.

We are now considering using stool softeners. I am now wondering if there is such a thing as stool softeners for children.

What does this kind of medicine do? Well, according to the authority site, Stool softeners soften stools, making them easier to pass. They are taken on a short-term basis to relieve constipation by people who should avoid straining during bowel movements because of heart conditions, hemorrhoids, and other problem

How it should be taken: A stool softener comes in the form of capsules, tablets, oral liquid, and syrup form. The label tells you how much to take at each dose. Take capsules and tablets with a full glass of water. You may obtain a specially marked measuring spoon to be sure of an accurate dose of the syrup.

Special Instruction :
1. Do not take stool softeners if you have nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain; contact a doctor.
2. If sudden changes in bowel habits persist for longer than two weeks or if your stools are still hard after you have taken this medication for one week, contact your doctor.
3. Do not take stool softeners continuously for constipation and do not take more medication at each dose than as directed.
4. Frequent or prolonged use of laxatives can make you dependent on them and can cause your bowels to lose their normal ability.
5. Special dietary instructions should be followed. To prevent constipation, drink plenty of fluids, exercise regularly, and eat a high-fiber diet, including whole-grain, cereals, salads, fruits, and vegetables.

Side Effects :
1. Mild, temporary stomach or intestinal cramps; throat irritation. Contact your doctor if these effects are severe or persist.
2. Skin rash. Stop taking the medication and contact your doctor.

Other Precautions :
1. Do not take aspirin or mineral oil while taking stool softeners.
2. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, do not take over-the-counter stool softeners or any other nonprescription medication without obtaining your doctor’s advice.

Storage Conditions : Keep this medication in the container it came in and out of the reach of children. Store it at room temperature.

With that information from front page of Google, I wonder if this is applicable to toddlers

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1. Baby Constipation: Tips Cure and Remedies

I remember when my son was learning the alphabet. He was less than 2 years old then. I just realized that learning numbers addition is harder to teach that alphabet.. well, it probably depends on the child.

I have tried the tips in learning the alphabet from experience in teaching addition to my son but I still feel that he is struggling to learn the concept of addition. The tips in learning the alphabet that i applied are, repetition, watching educational DVD, using props and posters, rewards and complements and still my Matt doesn’t want to do addition.

Addition is one of the first mathematical concepts that children learn and one of the fundamentals of all math study. If you know how to teach addition, you can help your child succeed in school.

Old Fashion Tips in Teaching Addition

• Abacus addition

Addition on the abacus involves registering the numbers on the beads in the straight-forward left-to-right sequence they are written down in. As long as the digits are placed correctly, and the carry’s noted properly, the answer to the operation immediately presents itself right on the abacus.

That’s a little hard to comprehend and I’m sure a lot harder to explain to the kids. What Abacus basically is to count the beads and put them beads together to get the sum.

• Line Number addition

Line number method of teaching addition in toddlers is probably the most famous and easy way to teach addition to kids. The child basically draws a line with equal division that represents a single digit. To further illustrate check out the figure below:

Modern Tools in Teaching Addition

• Internet

There are many websites in the internet today that offers free tutorial for children. These tutorial range from simple arithmetic to other more complex topic. There are also games that is very helpful in teaching toddlers addition.

One website that I would recommend that my Matthew is using is Kidzui.

• Iphone/Itouch Application for Addition

There are many free and $1 apps in the Apple that lets you install it in your itouch or iphone. There are games about mathematics too. Currently I have 3 or 4 apps for addiction and will be trying those out with my son. Will try and post the result of it here.

• Youtube Tutorial on Addition

Here are some useful yutube videos that I found that may be a big help in learning addition for children. It introduces tips and techniques that are already listed above but this time it’s visual and you can watch it for yourself.

How about you? What tips can you share in teaching your child addition?

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Matt is turning 4 years old now and his little brother, Sean, will be turning 2. That is why this topic on baby constipation is a little late. Good thing (NOT) that my sons sometimes still suffer constipation which reminded me to browse the web and search for remedies for constipation.. specific for babies and toddlers

(image credit – everything-daddy.com toilet training)

Constipation in Toddlers

Constipation is when the stool gets super hard that it takes extreme amount of effort to get it out there. Or basically it refers to the passage of hard stools (poop, poo). We parents assume that our child is experiencing constipation when there is no bowel movement for 3 or 4 days.

Constipation is a common and frustrating problem in children. Before I search information about it, I thought that my sons could be in a very serious situation.

Causes of Constipation in Toddlers

Constipation is most commonly caused by a diet that is low in fiber. This is true for both adults and children. For toddlers, aside from eating food that is low in fiber, constipation can also be caused by drinking too much milk specially in my case where my 4 year old is still drinking plenty of milk while my 2 year old is still breastfeeding. Breastfeeding or breast milk (in excess) can also cause baby constipation. Another common and obvious cause is not drinking enough water or waiting too long to go to the bathroom.

Cure and Treatment for Constipation

How do treat constipation? What are the popular or effective remedies for it? Let us list some tips, cure and remedies for child constipation below. Since we are talking about toddlers, we will only write natural medicine or remedies that are safe for babies and toddlers.

Let’s list down some of the natural ways or safe ways we can do to help our child and prevent constipation

Foods Rich in Fiber

Since one of the causes of constipation is lack of fiber, or eating food that is low in fiber, one thing we can do is to regularly add a fiber rich foods in their diet.

Let us enumerate some foods, fruits and vegetables that are fiber rich and could cure, treat or even prevent constipation in children.

Here are some foods that are rich in fiber:

• Potato
• Raisins
• Pineapple
• Karo Juice
• Prune or Prune juice
• Beans
• Sweet potatoes
• Peas
• Raw tomatoes
• Corn (or even popcorn!)
• and others…

How much fiber is enough for a 2 or 4 year old? Or is there such a thing as fiber overdose?

Children require (age in years + 5) g of fiber per day up to a maximum of (age in years + 10) g per day.

So a 3 year old needs 8 g and should have no more than 13g of fiber per day.

There is about 2g of fiber in:

* A serving of bread or cereal
* A small fruit
* ½ cup of vegetables
* 1 medium potato

Ensuring your child has enough fiber in the diet will help toddler constipation.

source

Drink Lots of Water and Decrease constipating foods

Constipating foods include milk, yogurt, cheese, cooked carrots, and bananas. Drinking too much milk (your child may only be drinking 2-3 cups a day, but it may be too much for his system to handle) is heavily associated with being constipated. Switching to soy milk has been shown to soften stools. If your child is unable to drink milk, then offer a daily multivitamin or other sources of calcium.

Those are just a few things we can do to help relief them from the pains of constipation. Another thing we can to is to encourage the child to sit on the toilet after meals. Try to add this to their daily routine. Toddlers maybe often reluctant to sit on the toilet if they have already experienced the painful bowel movement, but still try to add it up to the routine.

My wife and I have discussed this and will try to do the suggested tips. I hope you do too if you are in the same situation as we are.

Do you have any other suggestions in relieving the kids from constipation? Share them here if you want. Thanks!

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My son, Matt who is 4 years old as of this writing, (he’ll be reading this when he’s 20 or older I guess , ha been experiencing nose bleeds in the past couple of days and because of that I have searched the internet for information about nose bleeds in children and toddlers, the causes of nose bleeds, preventions and first aids for it.

Nosebleed Background Information

Nosebleeds can be dramatic and frightening. That is absolutely true! The first time I saw Matt with his nose bleeding and some of it on his hands I was frozen still and could not think of the things I should do. That time I didn’t know that most nosebleeds are not serious and usually can be managed at home. My wife didn’t think so. I was worried too, but she was more worried that I am. She suggested that we see our pediatrician and have Matt checked out.

My wife’s suggestion was reasonable. I myself was relieved when the doctor said that Matt is fine. Of course we can’t help it since there was blood involved and most definitely sometimes medical intervention may be necessary.

Nosebleeds, or in medical term called ‘epistaxis‘,  are categorized based on where they originate, and are described as either anterior (originating from the front of the nose) or posterior (originating from the back of the nose).

Nosebleeds can occur at any age, but are most common in children aged 2-10 (that’s my concern and the topic of the blog post for today – ‘nosebleed for children’) years and adults aged 50-80 years.

Stop Nosebleeds – Treatments

You will find many information in the internet on how to treat or stop nosebleeds. Most of them are basically the same but the most important one is to just stay calm. Staying calm, even if you the one who’s having nose bleed or your child. This is the first step. After that:

• Sit up straight
• Lean your head forward.
• Keep your head above your heart. This will slow the bleeding.
• Lean forward so the blood will drain out of your nose instead of down the back of your throat. Tilting your head back will only cause you to swallow the blood.
• Pinch the nostrils together with your thumb and index finger
• Don’t let go for at least 5 minutes. If it’s still bleeding, hold it again for another 5 to 10 minutes.
• Spit out any blood in your mouth.  Swallowing it may make you vomit and can irritate your stomach.

Tips in Preventing Nosebleeds

• Keep children’s fingernails short to discourage nose picking.
• Counteract the drying effects of indoor heated air by using a humidifier at night in your bedroom.
• Quit smoking. Smoking dries out your nose and also irritates it.
• Open your mouth when you sneeze.

Hope some parent find this tips helpful if ever they experience nose bleeding either to himself or his child.

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sp8graphics/3781265659/

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Here are 5 things that you must be aware of with regards to your baby’s health and safety. These 5 Must Do’s came from expert pediatricians interviewed by CNN (see credit link below).

• Not Waking (and Feeding) the Baby Every 4 hours – Every new parent should take note of this advise and put it on the top of their ‘Parenting Tip’ list. You should feed your baby every four hours regardless if it’s daytime or night time. Remember, sleepless nights are to be expected for caring that sweet little angel. Don’t be glad when you’re baby sleeps all night long and flaunt, “‘The first night home from the hospital she slept all the way through the night!’” Dr. ance Goodman, a pediatrician in Boca Raton, Florida will tell you “She’s not supposed to be doing that!’ “Our pediatricians’ advise: Parents need to wake up their babies to eat every four hours. With a few rare exceptions, newborns should not sleep through the night for the first two weeks of life.Why do we need to wake up babies for their milk or feeding time? Babies who go too long without eating could become dehydrated. Plus, sleeping eight hours at a stretch might be a sign of severe jaundice. Sleeping all night could also mean that the baby is week, lethargic and can’t arouse himself to feed. This should be checked by a Pediatrician.So when is it OK to let your baby sleep through the night? “At the two-week checkup, if your baby is gaining weight and sleeping through the night, hallelujah! Go enjoy it!” says Dr. Ari Brown, author of “Baby 411″ and a spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• Not Feeding When Hungry – Reading the first fact may and could confuse a new parent. If the baby is crying and hungry, the mother errr.. parent should feed him. The ‘feed the baby every four hour’ is a schedule but it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t feed the baby if he’s hungry after 2 hours from feeding him.Pediatricians say new parents sometimes make the mistake of wanting baby to eat on a strict schedule. The doctors say as long as a newborn is eating at least every four hours, they should keep whatever schedule they want.”A baby is smarter than any grown-up,” says Dr. Robin Madden, a pediatrician in Silver Spring, Maryland. “Whether breast-fed or bottle-fed, they know when they’re hungry and they know when they’re full.”
• Taking Baby to Crowded Places – Don’t do it. Do not take a baby in too crowded places, specially public places. Who knows how many, or what kinds of germs are all flying around the area.Exposing a baby to lots of germy people is a problem for two reasons. One, he could get a life-threatening bacterial infection. Two, even if he gets a fever from a virus (which is less dangerous), doctors will still have to hospitalize him to make sure it’s not something more serious.
• Don’t Confine Baby at Home – Again this may sound conflicting on the previous tip or advise, but there is also a bad thing in confining your baby in the house for a long period of time. Like they say, everything in excess is bad for you.How much is too much?According to the expert Pediatrician, it is a mistake to stay home 24-7 for six weeks with your newborn. They recommend parents to take their newborns for walks outside. They also tell them if they need to take the baby to the grocery store, to pick a time when it will be less crowded.
• Trust Your Inner Voice – This means trusting your motherly (or fatherly) instincts. A book about new fathers-to-be (The New Father’s Panic Book by Gene Williams) mention there that there is such a thing as  motherly instincts that shows even before the baby is born. One such example is the ‘nesting’ stage of pregnancy.Pediatricians said too many new parents don’t trust their inner voice. It’s all about listening to yourself and trusting yourself.

I hope that this advises for new parents and parents expecting to have a baby.

To to wrap things up, here are three more mistakes parents of newborns make, according to our experts :

• They put their babies to sleep on their sides or stomachs.

• They don’t vaccinate their babies even though the pediatric academy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and virtually every scientific organization recommends it.

• They don’t bring a baby with a fever to see the pediatrician. Any newborn with a fever needs to be evaluated by a doctor

Hope this article helps those parents that are looking for answers, tips and advises. If there’s something on your mind, please do put it the comments below.

Source

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