Clammy hands. Racing heart. Clenched stomach. If I could give my children one gift for their lifetime, it would be to manage stress. I wish they could learn techniques so that they could be confident and grounded in any situation. In our society, parents are continually bombarded with the current health buzz. We are so careful about not eating unpasturized cheese while pregnant. We ditch the carpet lest our kids are affected by off-gassing, and we work incessantly to make sure there are no parabens in our shampoo, nitrites in our meat and dust in our pillows. Doing the right things for our children can not only be time-consuming but stressful as well. And we’ve also heard the buzz about the long-term health consequences of stress. What better gift could we bestow on any human being than the gift of a healthy coping mechanism? Child and youth clinical counsellor Michele Kambolis is the Vice Chair of the BC Mental Health Foundation, and saw the need for a program for children to learn the coping skills for stressful situations thoughout their lives. Enter CHI Kids. It needs more than a drumroll.
The Tiny Light Foundation pairs photographers with families of children faced with life altering diagnoses, and gives them the opportunity to capture their joy, strength and courage in photos. These photo sessions may otherwise be out of mind for families faced with expensive medical costs or overwhelming obstacles above the call of an average parent.
I never get flowers on Valentine’s Day. I made the decision long ago that I’d rather a bouquet every month for no reason than an overpriced bunch of roses on February 14th that won’t last long. Really, what do men and women need? To feel loved and cared about. Flowers, chocolate and all of the commercial trappings pushed on society once a year don’t always translate into a feeling of being loved. Why not try some of these ideas that will cost next to nothing but make your partner feel truly cared about? Here are some Easy Ideas for Year-Round Romance. Feel free to add your own.
AAAH-CHOO! I hab a cold in my node. And I just raided the kid’s medicine cabinet to fix it! I always used Boiron’s Camilia for the teething pain, so was thrilled to hear that they’ve developed natural medicines for children’s cough, cold and flu. Boiron’s Stodal for coughs is specifically formulated for children 1 year and older, tastes like honey, is toxin-, dextromethorphan- and guaifenesin-free and boasts no alcohol, no artificial colorings or flavorings. MMMM. www.boiron.ca
Paraben-free, salt-free, and sulfate free. ‘Nuf said? Nope. This stuff leaves your hair silky, shiny and soft. Please excuse us if we sound like a crazy shampoo commercial, but we really like it. Alcove doesn’t feel soapy and filmy on the hands, and it smells good. The official ‘science’ is that micro-encapsulation encloses ingredients in microscopic capsules. This allows your hair to receive exactly the nutrients it needs to prosper. Lovely. www.oligoprofessionel.com
Recently I took my youngest son, who is nearly two, to a cafe known for it’s “kid-friendly” play area and colourful cupcakes (his big brother was at preschool). I met a friend there for coffee, and a few kids were already making use of the place’s toys and activities. Before we left the vehicle, I made a point of asking him to leave his truck in the car. “We don’t want another little boy or girl to take it home by mistake.” I said. He understood this because it is our habit – when going to a public play area we don’t take “outside toys” in with us. Why risk a problem when we can avoid one?
Waldorf schooling for your child emphasizes the role of the imagination in learning, developing thinking that includes a creative as well as an analytic component. Studies of the education describe its overarching goal as providing young people the basis on which to develop into free, moral and integrated individuals, and to help every child fulfill his or her unique destiny
Every fall, luxury brand Louis Vuitton publishes gorgeous and super-helpful guides for some of the greatest cities in the world. We tried the European editions (surprise surprise), and were able to discover off-the-beaten track lounges in Paris and family-friendly, hip gems in Rome. Note to self: they also look great on your bookshelf, and they’re nice and light to pack.
Image Courtesy: www.luxuo.com
This is fun. (Mainly because my kids actually sleep now) and it brings back so many memories of bad mommy dates when ‘Sleep Training‘ disagreements happened. I felt isolated, alone, tired and fed up with everyone else proffering their ‘advice’ and ‘tips‘. (It’s actually one of the reasons why I wanted to run UrbanMommies.com and UrbanDaddies.com.) Nobody should preach to you. But you should have the info that you need in an easy-to-read format. And nobody should feel alone as a new parent. It’s the hardest and best time, and that’s when you need the support. That being said, Elizabeth Pantley wrote “The No-Cry Sleep Solution” and has some fabulous gentle methods. Here’s an overview of baby sleep methods from Elizabeth Pantley.
Want to see a bunch of new moms come to blows faster than teams in a Stanley Cup playoff? Mention infant sleep training – and then talk about Richard Ferber. We review his ideology so you can pick a side for the fight. Just remember, you are the parent and your own instincts blended with your baby’s cues cannot be preached at by anybody, no matter how much of an offence they can play. (And moms also reserve the right to change their mind if their first choice doesn’t work). Here is an overview of Baby Sleep Methods from Richard Ferber.
The Ferber Method
Infant sleep problems are what a lot of parents are normally confronted with as a challenge in raising their children. Dr. Richard Ferber, in an attempt to help solve these problems proposed a couple of methods to be used in sleep training for infants and children. These methods are now popularly referred to as Ferberization techniques. In a nutshell? The parent leaves the baby to cry for a predetermined time before giving external comfort that will put the baby to sleep.
The wide array of techniques for infant sleep training as proposed by Richard Ferber includes taking steps to prepare the baby for sleep. This involves a number of day time and bed time activities – a routine that the baby can easily associate with sleep. It also entails leaving the child in bed and leaving the room at bedtime. The parent can return to comfort the baby at progressively increasing intervals without picking the baby up. This should be done till the baby falls asleep. As the days go by, the intervals for returning to comfort the baby should be increased progressively. Ferber is often misunderstood. He does condone flexibility, such as when a child is ill, traveling or has a babysitter, but stresses the importance of the routine and the lack of positive reinforcement that a baby receives for crying in order to be soothed to sleep.
The Sleep Training Controversy
This ‘training’ usually takes place between 4 and 6 months of age. However, different parents may get different results using these techniques. The controversy comes about when experts try to determining whether infants become insecure and are scarred for the future if they are left to cry at all.
Whatever your opinion, bringing up the topic in a group of new moms is always quite exciting. Just be prepared to win or lose friends..
For more information about training a baby to sleep, visit: www.childrenshospital.org