Parenthood HQ

“Just eat a few saltines and you’ll be ok”.

I don’t know about you, but as someone who suffered with prolonged, severe morning sickness (which I affectionately call morning noon and night sickness), when I hear someone say this, I just want to slug them!

If you’re suffering with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, you’re not alone. Most women experience it to some degree during their first trimester. If you’re one of the unfortunate few whose symptoms last longer than the typical 6-12 weeks, I empathize. I’ve had the same experience with all 4 of my pregnancies. I have learned a few things that helped however, and I hope you can get some relief with these tips.

Q: Our son has been in honors classes all through school up until his junior year last year, when his grades took a dive. What could be going on and what can we do about it?

A: The cause of suddenly declining grades in school can often be found in one of seven categories.

Many times it’s not just one issue, but a combination of issues.

Seven deadly reasons and then what to do about them

‘And all because of a damned cat! It’s only a cat, for God’s sake!’

I’ll never forget the wracking sobs of the girl sitting before me, and the disbelief on the face of the mother who uttered these words.

I was a Guidance Counsellor in a city high school, and the girl’s performance had slumped in recent weeks. Her mother couldn’t believe it might possibly be related to the loss of the girl’s pet cat.

It became obvious that there wasn’t much of a bond between mother and daughter. So over the years the girl’s need to receive and GIVE affection had been transferred to her cat. Now that the cat had passed on, the girl was devastated.

How on earth can you help your family cope with the anxiety and fear that natural disasters strike into the heart of everyone?

In early 2005, for example, the world was rocked by the tsunami in South East Asia that killed thousands and left many homeless and orphaned.

Yet, at the Edinburgh International Festival yesterday I saw a group of Sri Lankan children, all victims of this natural disaster, perform a dance routine based on a play by Shakespeare.

Their smiling faces and youthful exuberance left no one in any doubt that these kids had not only survived, but had been helped to grieve, move on, and live life to the full again.

As a new Mom, you are probably wondering about many things: how will he react to his new surroundings? when will she sleep for more than 2 hours? what can I expect in the following year? an so many other questions…..

Each baby is different. Your baby’s rate of growth, appearance, and personality, will all be unique to him or her. As you embark on this journey with your new baby, take time to enjoy their presence in your life.

Here are some of the milestones to watch for in the first year of your baby’s development:

On a bright Sunday morning, a couple of weeks ago, I went to South London to receive a message sent from Nigeria. As I entered the lift, I saw a couple, apparently in their early 20s, smoking marijuana while their young son sat comfortably in his push-chair. As I was going down through the staircase, I saw another three children in their teens smoking marijuana and drinking beer.

The above situation depicts the state of our children abroad. What values are we giving our children in foreign lands? Is it the environment or our work that forbids us from giving our children good values, home training, love and care? Or did we dump the values we were brought up with at the airport as we boarded the aircraft to England?

I am a single mother of a 17 year old boy. He has turned out so great. Honor Student. Just a loving person. I attribute this to the way I brought up my son. I can’t say I never yelled at him–that would not be true but I did not hit my son. Hitting is just a way of getting out your anger quickly. Verbal abuse is just as bad. So what can a mother do to raise her children in a loving way.

Youth Sports Goal Settings
 by: Ken Kaiserman

New Year’s day means different things to different people. Certainly, spending time with family and friends and watching some great college bowl games. In our house, a new year also means making resolutions.

It started about 15 years ago when my wife and I were on a ski trip together - before kids. It was one of those days in Taos, New Mexico where the snow was coming down so heavy that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. For some people, the fresh powder might make for great snow conditions, but for us, it was a great day to sit by the huge fire in the ski lodge and “plan our lives”.

The biggest complaint you hear from parents about their children is “they don’t listen to me and I have tried everything”

Then when you start talking, you find out that parents give in at the end because it is just too exhausting to be consistent.

For example–you want your child to go to bed at a certain time. Instead of sticking to that time and being consistent, your child starts begging or screaming or taking a fit to stay up later and you give in. What you need to do is just stick to the time for a short while and your child will adapt after 4 or 5 times.

I know as a single parent or even with 2 parents, it is hard raising a teenage girl or a boy.

I noticed throughout my son’s teenage life, his emotions were different than mine. There is a difference between girls and boy. The book that came out I think in the 1980’s - Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus really made sense. If you haven’t read that book, you could get the book or tapes and just get an idea of how we are different.