Parenting Questions and Answers

There was a study conducted by a researcher in Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia that suggests that children in Asian countries get less sleep, have later bedtimes and tend to share rooms as compared to those in Caucasian countries.

According to the study, there is a huge disparity in numbers that indicate the fact that some children from Asia have minor or severe sleeping problems as compared to those in the Caucasian nations. Actually, there are also some parental problems that can be seen. However, there were no clinically significant differences in night wakings and naps.

In this cross cultural comparison, there is the tendency that the difference may be because of the culture and the timezone difference. More studies are being conducted to find out more about the sleeping problems of children all over the world. But then there is a clear fact now that the sleeping behavior of kids are somewhat affected by the way their parents sleep.

Back pains make an adult stay awake at night looking for the most decent position that they find in order to sleep. Back pains in children is different than that of adults particularly for those who are aged 4 and below. It indicates an underlying problem which could be fatal.

If your kid complains of having an aching back, never take it lightly. Always consult your doctor especially if the following symptoms can be seen.

1. Fever
2. Weight loss
3. Numbness or a feeling of weakness
4. Difficulty in walking
5. The pain extends to the legs or if it prevents your child from sleeping
6. Bowel and bladder issues

There have been many speculations and news that there are toxins in breast milk and that switching to formula is needed. Actually, there is no need to do so. Why? There is no chance that we can escape environmental toxins each day. There are indeed chemicals in water, food and in our homes. When mothers are exposed to chemicals, there is a chance that it can get into the bloodstream and into their breast milk.  While research is still ongoing, there are still no major evidence that it can do harm. Meanwhile, there are studies that show the benefit of breastfeeding for babies.

Breast milk is still naturally easy to digest, it strengthens the immune system and the general health of babies and it stimulates the brain development. Bottom line is, breastfeeding is still best for babies.

Kids love ice creams. That is a given fact. This time, try making those delicious ice creams more nutritious and fun. They can also lend a helping hand in making the fruit pops. This is a fun activity and a very summer-ry snack.

Here are the ingredients:

1 cup fruit juice
6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons sugar
Drop of vanilla extract
6 ice-pop sticks
6 paper cups

To do the snack:

Place the cups in loaf pan to help keep them stay upright. Fill each halfway with juice and freeze it for 1 hour. Mix cream, sugar, and the vanilla extract in a small bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon of the cream mixture over the partially frozen juice. Insert a stick into each of the cups and push down into the juice section. Freeze it again for one hour. Pour the remaining juice and freeze until it is hard for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Peel the cups off and then serve.

This is very easy to prepare and it is a very delicious treat. Have fun!

Bill Cosby makes a roaring return to Rialto yesterday stressing on good parenting. His message was addressed to the audience mainly composed of parents. He noted that most people are allowing kids to have a lot of games, TV, music and others. He said that this is not parenting. He noted that it is all about staying with the kids and loving them and working really hard to make them grow into strong and loving individuals and hopefully, they could pass the tradition to their own families.

Cosby is known for his controversial attacks on some black people. He criticized this as the thug admiration. He attacked the way teens behaved and how they dressed which often lead to teenage pregnancy.
 
He urged and complained that parents must supervise their teens well. Its a good thing that there are a couple of people like Cosby who plans to enlighten parents.

Some kids really do appreciate modern art. Some would even want to drag you to museums to look at paintings, artifacts and other inventions. However, some are more laid back. Modern art teaches a lot of lessons to kids. It enhances their creativity and many more.

Here are some tips on how you could introduce your child to  modern art.

1. Know when to go. Plan ahead of time and choose the weekends so that it would not bother your office time and their school time. Check the websites of museums and choose the most convenient time for you to come for a visit.
2. Know what you are looking at. Always be knowledgeable at what you are looking at. You may never know what to answer when your kid bombards you with a barrage of questions.
3. Look for special programs. Some museums offer kids and parents day. Take the opportunity and learn a lot with your kid.
4. Feed your kid. Always feed them before entering the museum. Most of the museums do not allow outside food and some even have their own restaurants.
5. Check out gallery tours. Tours are great because someone will be available to explain everything that you see.

Speech delay is a sign of a much deeper problem. Children who are slow to speak or talk as much as others of the same age may be having this problem. Some children eventually recover from this problem while others do not.

It is best to consult your doctors if you think that your child is having a speech delay problem. It is best to know the root of the problem first so that the problem will be easily treated.

Here is a list of the possible problems that caused speech delay.
1. Hearing loss
2. Delayed development
3. Mental retardation
4. Cerebral Palsy
5. Lack of time talking to adults.
6. Having a twin
7. Autism
8. Does not want to talk.

There are a lot of pregnant women who want to do all the hard labor for their child who will soon set their eyes on earth. These women want to paint the nursery, move stuff to and fro, buy clothes, shoes and many more. But then before doing all the hard work, they must talk to their doctors first. According to the American Pregnancy Association, here are some safety suggestions:

1. It is always safe to avoid painting during pregnancy.
2. Ask your doctor before even attempting to paint anuthing or use any kind of paint.
3. Wear a mask an protective clothing if you decide to paint or if your doctor allows you to.
4. Paint only for short periods over a few days. Do not do too much.
5. Avoid latex paints which may contain chemicals such as ethylene glycol ethers or biocides.

Who would have thought that spending time playing outside could give more benefits that expected? This is one of the major breakthroughs of a recent study regarding type 1 diabetes.

The researchers of the University of California, San Diego have analyzed that type 1 diabetes incidence rates are found mostly in people who are living at higher latitudes (high above the equator) where there is less sunlight.

As everyone probably knows, vitamin D is something that we get from the sun. Vitamin D is also associated with the reduction of incidence of type 1 diabetes all over the world. The study suggests that children with type 1 diabetes should spend a considerable amount of sunlight at noon for about 5-10 minutes.

According to researchers, this is a very important finding because health professionals will be able to prevent type 1 diabetes and its consequences when children become adults. This disease can lead to blindness and kidney transplants.

We all know that second hand smoke is much more dangerous than smoking the cigar itself. However, there was a new study that was conducted in Hong Kong that found out that babies who are exposed to second hand smoke are at a great risk of being hospitalized due to infections.

The risk itself are great among babies who are 6 months old and younger however, it moves up until the children become 8 years old. Those who are premature babies or lower in weight were more vulnerable.

It was also said in the study that second hand smoke exposure does not just harm children’s respiratory tracts but it affects their immune system too.

To summarize, the study found evidence that there is a greater vulnerability to second hand smoke exposure in early infancy which will then lead to infectious diseases not just respiratory but it may have larger and more long–lasting effect as children grow older.