3 Ways to Create Me Time in Your Day - Guest post

The ultimate Holy Grail for mothers. Just a bit of me time!
Coffee in a coffee shop usually does the trick for me, but I am always eager to learn about more ways...

Guest post by Janice Windt, MD of the Working Mothers Expo:

Somewhere in the far reaches of my memory I can recall the concept of Me time: A moment that involved me, a book and a cup of chamomile tea on the two-seater couch that just fitted in my tiny first apartment...  A breeze would gently blow the sweet sound of children’s voices in through the open window.  I would lie peacefully, my knees over the couch armrest, dreaming of the day when I would be married with children of my own…

Today, Me time is the three minutes I get on the loo to check Facebook before one of my sons bursts through the door to see what I am up to.  It’s my drive to work – a luxury many stay-at-home mums would give anything to have – even once a week.  Me time is the thirty minutes I get here and there when I just leave everything – dishes, dirty clothes, toys strewn into every nook and cranny.  Sometimes I just look at it all and say “no, not right now” and I escape to my writing.  Sometimes, me time is a coffee, uninterrupted, during work hours.  That is a dream too – I know that and I appreciate every creamy sip.

So, what can you do, amidst the chaos that is your schedule, to create more Me time in your day? We have some suggestions for you below but we would really love to hear yours in the comments… because the truth is that we are all in this together:

Playing the attention game, by Nikki Bush

 I don't know how parents do it with more than one child? The universe must have known we could only give attention to one at a time, and even then we are struggling to keep up...
Little Miss is demanding our undivided attention all the time!
Or maybe it is because she is the only one, and she has no siblings?

I made a pledge to a safer internet, and got this in my inbox from Safer Schools.
Nikki Bush is a renowned creative parenting expert and thought leader, and I am happy to share her thoughts here! These are some great tips, even for us with only one! We also have to handle them when she is playing with friends...


Playing the attention game - Nikki Bush

On a recent holiday we had seven children ranging from four years of age to 14 and it was fascinating to watch them when they were in a group with no adult in sight. They all just got along, the little ones trusting the big ones, the big ones caring for the little ones, no-one whinging, whining or complaining, everyone playing happily together – until an adult came along!!! Now how does that work?

I have a theory about this strange occurrence and what happens to the group chemistry when an adult is added to the mix. Suddenly there is a power play taking place and the children start vying for attention – your attention. Each wants to find a way to stand out so that you will notice them and fill their emotional cup. Things like this start to happen almost immediately:

. one child will hurt another
. someone will say something to upset another
. someone will have an accident
. someone will tell tales
. someone starts to whinge
. someone is suddenly desperately hungry or thirsty and can’t begin to help themselves

Sound familiar? When you figure out this pattern and understand the reasons behind it, it becomes more amusing than irritating. Another perfect example of this is the tantrum-ing two year old who stops yelling the minute you leave the room only to start up again as soon as you come back into view. Often children behave badly for our benefit, either to manipulate us or to get our attention.
You need to be wise enough to know the difference.

Write your own children's book

Katherine Graham on Amazon

Do you have a children's book inside of you, just waiting to be converted into words and images? Self-publishing could be the best route, but don't worry – it's not as scary as it sounds, writes guest blogger Katherine Graham.


It's funny how having a child can be compared to a near-death experience. Not something you'd see in a feel-good nappy ad, for sure, but with both my pregnancies as the due date approached, I felt some of the fear that you probably experience before dying. And then, once the baby makes its entrance into the world, it's like you're given your life back again, albeit with dirty nappies, sleep deprivation and all the rest.

I also felt that with this near-death experience, I gained such a clear sense of what my purpose in life was. Up until then, I'd had a foggy sense of what I should be doing, but when I became a mother I-knew-like-I-knew-that-I-knew that my God-given purpose in life was to write. Not just articles, which is what I'd been doing up till then (and still do to make a living), but to write books. And so my journey as an author began.

Whenever you start something new in life, you have to brace yourself for the challenges that go with it. You have to expect a certain level of resistance to your ideas. After I'd written my first two children's books, The Dummy Fairy and Alfonso the Tooth Mouse, I had to endure months of waiting and rejection letters that came from publishers. I suppose that is the point at which many people give up, but something told me I needed to carry on fighting.

I had engaged the services of an illustrator friend, Wendy Paterson, so I had a bunch of great illustrations for both books, plus I had the text which I had written. I got an e-mail from writeforkids.org telling me how now was such an exciting time to be self-publishing children's books on Amazon – it's easy and free and the royalties are better than traditional publishers – so I figured, Why not?

That's how my journey into self-publishing began last year and it's been an interesting ride. Yes, it is fairly easy to get published on Amazon, I've learned, but marketing your own books comes with its own challenges. It's been a very steep learning curve for me, but I'm happy to say that I now have three children's books under my belt – The Poofiest Pong is my latest release and is a huge hit with young kids – and am busy working on my fourth, a magical story set in Lesotho about a flying unicorn called Moonshine. I'm hoping that once I get into a routine and rhythm, the books will just keep popping out and more and more children will read them and enjoy them.


If you'd like to write your own children's book, here are some tips for getting started:

1. Keep a journal where you write down ideas for stories and characters.

2. If you have children, pay attention to what they say and what engages their imagination. Use those ideas to fuel your own creativity.

3. Join a writers' group and try to nurture your writing skills. Remember, talent is an asset, but skill as a writer will always trump that.

4. Flex your creative writing muscles by “working out” i.e. writing for at least half an hour every day. (You can take Sunday off!)

5. Look at the work of other children's writers – Julia Donaldson, Roald Dahl and Shirley Hughes come to mind. What do they do in their books that makes their stories so appealing? Is it the rhyme, the plot, the characters? Bear in mind that children relate most to stories which are told from a child's point of view.

6. Once you've written your story, show it to others whose opinion you value. Read it to your kids or kids you know. Make changes if necessary. It must be thoroughly polished and error-free before it goes to print.

7. If you're going the self-publishing route, you'll need to find and pay for your own illustrator. (A traditional publisher would source one for you.) Contact the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators to find a good one – www.scbwi.za.org – or perhaps you could do the illustrations yourself to keep costs low. You might even know a friend or family member who would be willing to help you.

8. Download Kindle Kids' Book Creator, which is free software, onto your computer. This will help you build your book for Amazon.

9. Next, you'll need to register with Kindle Direct Publishing – www.kdp.com. Once you've done this, you can upload your book title onto Amazon.

10. You'll need to be responsible for your own marketing, which means you'll need to build up a social media presence – a Facebook author's page, Twitter account, Goodreads author page, etc. Having an active blog also helps to engage with your readers. Organising readings at schools or libraries is another great idea.


A journalist by training, Katherine writes regularly for a number of South African magazines. She has published three children's e-books, The Dummy Fairy, Alfonso the Tooth Mouse and The Poofiest Pong. The Lemon Tree, which was longlisted for the Golden Baobab Prize in 2014, is due to be published by Penguin Random House next year. She lives in possibly the world's most beautiful city, Cape Town, is married with two boys and a ginger cat, and loves peaceful, uninterrupted moments sipping tea and reading. She blogs at www.wordcount.co.za.

Related posts:

- Who makes The Poofiest Pong? 

- Children'sBook Giveaway: ThePoofiest Pong, by Katherine Graham

How to Plan the Perfect Playdates at Home: Building Lasting Friendships for You and Your Children

Guest post by Kaitlin Krull

Making friends with other children and their parents can seem even harder than dating. Juggling the social interactions of your kids as well as your own is a complicated dance, and many parents often end up feeling lonely and without support. Here are some tips to planning play dates in your own home in order to foster friendship for you and your children.


Build a friendship group

If you’re searching for friends for you and your children, consider local playgroups and preschools. Your children are most likely to play well with friends and kids they see often, so utilise the resources you already have and chat to parents at the school gate or playground. Playdates are just as much for parents as they are for children, so invite parents you’d like to get to know better or have things in common with already. If you can, arrange to meet parents one evening without your children, so you can get to know each other properly and start to form the bonds without little ones tugging at your sleeves. A wine bar, casual dinner, or movie night are all great bonding opportunities, or choose another event you will all enjoy.

via Local Ecologist

                                     

Rotate playdates

By setting up a playdate schedule, you and your children will feel a sense of regularity and come to expect and look forward to playdates. Scheduled playdates have the added benefit of spreading out hosting duties. When you play at other’s homes, offer to bring snacks or toys to help out other parents, but most parents will likely prefer to take turns and prepare their own snacks when they host. When your turn to host comes around, try to be flexible about your home: remember that the happiest homes are often the messiest, or your guests will pick up on your stress level. Keeping calm and relaxed helps everyone to have a great time!

via Creative Kid Snacks

Create a child friendly play space

If you have children, your home will likely already be set up for child friendly play. Designate a safe space for children to play semi-independently (a playroom or part of the living room work well) while adults chat and hopefully find a little time to relax. The best playrooms have separate areas for different kinds of play. Art stations, quiet/reading corners, dressing up areas, and building tables are all vital parts of the playroom. Set up a few activities at the separate stations to foster independent play for your children and their guests.

via No Time for Flashcards

Theme playdates

Once your children have met a few times and are comfortable with each other, a regular playdate may start to seem a bit boring. Spice things up by offering themed meetups, such as teddy bear picnics, tea parties, or dressing up parties. You don’t have to go to too much trouble to satisfy your child’s imagination, but the little details do make a difference. Cut the crusts off some cucumber sandwiches, dress up with your fanciest jewellery, and get involved with your children during snack time to make their regular play dates feel extra special.

via Lillypaul Designs

By planning your own play dates, you can control your social schedule and your children’s play environment at the same time. Find a solid and reliable social group, rotate play dates, and keep things interesting with themed events. With any luck, you and your kids might just make a few lifelong friends.


For more tips and tricks, head to Modernize.com

Domestic violence is a dance of avoidance for the victim

No more!

After I saw the movie Safe Haven on Sunday night about a women escaping out of a domestic violence situation, I was again struck by the way she had to try and sidestep the pending violent situation. But no matter what she did, it escalated!

I wrote a guest post on Blog Share Connect this week about domestic violence, because I learnt some valuable lessons in a previous lifetime...

Read here: Domestic violence is mostly about trying to avoid the violence

Preserve your family memories this season - guest post

We all have family photos and memories stored in boxes and albums, but it is mostly not well taken care of. As an archivist I also have an extra interest in how to preserve and take care of these treasures.

Live Oak Legacies founder Kathryn Gonzales shares simple tips for organizing and preserving your priceless family stories this season.

With Easter Monday just around the corner, now is an ideal time to gather family photos and videos from your basements and attics and maybe even take a trip to your parents’ or grandparents’ homes to gather their media as well. As is the case with many precious heirlooms, these photos and recordings may be in various states of disrepair and could use some love and attention to keep from falling apart.

If you’re a mom lucky enough to have your parents or grandparents with you, we guarantee it will mean the world to show interest in preserving their memories. Furthermore, whether or not your family elders are with you, your children will be thankful to be able to access to these items when they get older. We hope that all of the original photos, documents and videos you have in your family will remain intact forever. However, should something happen to these items such that they are damaged beyond repair (flood, fire, etc.), if you take the time to digitize and protect these memories now, you’ll rest easy and avoid regret if you lose the originals.

We know you’re busy and it can be difficult to find a starting point, especially if these items fill several boxes and have never been organized. Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. REMOVE ALL PHOTOGRAPHS FROM 60’s/70’s “MAGNETIC” ALBUMS
A great first step in protecting your family photos is removing them from the sticky albums that were especially popular a few decades ago. The adhesive used in these albums contains acid, which can have detrimental effects on your photographs. Not only does the adhesive cause yellowing, but it can also erode the photos or adhere so strongly that the photo cannot be removed from the album. Here’s a great video demonstrating the best practices for removing these photos:


2. SIFT THROUGH YOUR PHOTOS, SCAN THEM AND SAVE THE DIGITAL FILES
Decide which ones are important enough to digitize, then organize stacks by person or year. If possible, and with an acid free pencil, make note of any information you or your loved ones can remember about the photo on its back. Next, scan the photos at the highest possible resolution and save each photo to a hard drive as a .jpg file. It is best to include photo information [subject(s), date, location, etc.] in the filename itself. Then, if possible, upload those images to a service like Dropbox or Google Drive which will allow you to access your photos from anywhere and is an ideal back-up should anything happen to your hard drive or computer. We recommend storing the hard drive in a safety deposit box.

3. PLACE YOUR ORIGINAL PHOTOS IN AN ACID-FREE PHOTO STORAGE BOX
Once you have digitized your photos, place the originals in an acid-free storage box and ensure that you use acid-free folders or paper for any special photos that you wish to keep separated from the others. Place a label on the outside of the box with any helpful information about the contents of the box. Follow steps 1-3 with any other important documents or news articles you wish to back-up. Remember, once you have a digital version of the image, you can always get it reprinted if you ever lose the original.

4. GATHER YOUR HOME VIDEOS [VHS, 8MM CASSETTE] AND GET THEM DIGITIZED
Unfortunately, most people do not have the equipment necessary to properly digitize video to a format that can be converted to a DVD and stored on a hard drive or online, so this should be done by a professional. Price out services in your area, but make sure to inquire whether or not the service provider will be sending your videos overseas to be digitized. You may not wish to take that risk with your prized possessions.

Once you have your photos and videos digitized, not only will you be able to rest easier at night, but you have limitless opportunities for displaying these items in video, book or web formats so they can be shared with your family and friends now, and passed on for generations to come!


Live Oak Legacies is a family story capture service based out of the United States that specializes in gathering and preserving our senior loved ones’ most important memories. We offer digitizing services and produce legacy books, videos and private family websites. For more information or to set up a complimentary consultation, visit: www.liveoaklegacies.com or email info@liveoaklegacies.com

Motherhood, Crazy Beautiful

Ghezzi is responsible for the guest post this week. She is a contributor (Mom blogger) at Pregg.net
She is a work at home mom. She does freelance writing and graphic designing. She has a 5 year old daughter who's doing well in preschool. She loves arts and crafts, surfing the internet and collecting scarfs.

Pregg.net is a blog for newbie parents as well as more experienced ones.
Pregg.net believes that parenting is something you never stop learning.

We all can attest to the crazy duality of being a mother. I love how she describes it!

Ghezzi

"The day that you found out you’re pregnant was one of the most momentous days of your life. The excitement is beyond compare and you are just too excited to know the gender of your baby. You spend time thinking and wishing that your baby must get your nose or your eyes, your lips and all beautiful facial features you have and those of your husband. The name has to be perfect and meaningful. Once you know the gender you go shopping for clothes and baby stuff right away. You picture everything to be beautiful.

Here comes the day of the baby’s arrival, and I'm sure you will never ever forget how labour pain feels like. It’s like a wrecking ball inside your tummy forcing to get out from your uterus. How you wish it could just be over. Good thing there is a method for painless birth but it’s not really 100% painless. It’s okay, if I were to ask, experiencing the pain of childbirth is beautiful, painfully but perfectly beautiful.

As your baby grows, month by month, you get to deal with their cuteness and funny antics, but don’t forget, you also must deal with their tantrums and their clinginess.  There are times you find yourself laughing hard because of the silly things they do, but there are times you find yourself crying when they get sick and you don’t know what to do. 

When your baby starts to socialize and join activities outside the house, you feel proud as a mom when they get recognized for an achievement or when they do something smart. But there are also countless times you want to cover your face with a paper bag when they do something embarrassing like saying out loud in public how important brushing your teeth is because if not, all your teeth will fall out And while saying those lines, you noticed your child is looking at the man near you with the exact description of what he was trying to say...

Oh Motherhood, crazy beautiful."

Ghezzi

Feed Maxi - an interactive speech-language app for children

Feed Maxi 

This guest post comes from Pamela Mandell, the creator of Feed Maxi.
She is the mom to two rowdy boys and a speech-language pathologist who has been working with toddlers and preschoolers for over 14 years. She created Feed Maxi as a means to improve language skills in little ones in a fun, creative, and meaningful way.

Pamela with her e-learning department staff: Maxi Monkey,
Marty Macaw and Freddy Frog 

"Feed Maxi is an exciting new interactive speech-language game app for iPad that is captivating toddlers, preschoolers and kids with special needs with its high quality graphics and 3D animations. Children "feed" the adorable and very hungry Maxi the Monkey requested food items from a field of one, two or three foods that are child friendly (i.e., "goldfish crackers, yogurt, etc."). Maxi responds by commenting and engaging in endearing animations to show his pleasure. During the game, children love to give "FIVE" to Maxi and they look forward to the end scene where they get to explore a rainforest and pop balloons filled with food. 

Joy when playing with Feed Maxi 

The app is unique in that Maxi the Monkey uses simple sign language combined with verbal requests to get the foods he wants. The graphics are gorgeous and the app is highly interactive and intrinsically motivating for kids. Feed Maxi is completely customizable and keeps score for up to 5 children at a time. It utilizes real-life pictures of food items that toddlers can easily relate to & identify.  Feed Maxi enhances all aspects of communication including receptive, expressive and pragmatic language skills - all in one app! Feed Maxi also helps with vocabulary, problem solving, attention span, picky eaters and emergent literacy skills. 

Speak Eazy Apps is a member of Moms With Apps, a parent friendly group of mom & dad app developers that support children's safety and privacy. In Feed Maxi, there are no in-app purchases, pop-ups or advertisements. The only links to outside sources, such as our website & the App Store, are kept behind a parent gate that only adults can enter."

------

I was given a promotional code and played around with Feed Maxi as well. 

At $2.99 it is a very reasonable app.

What struck me about the app is that it can be used for second language learning as well. 

My preschooler will definitely broaden her vocabulary of the English language, while having loads of fun. I also like the fact that the spelling of the words are shown when the right object has been selected. 

Photos supplied by Pamela Mandell. 

It’s fairly easy to get your hands on information about parenting

Caring for Your Child blog

Tamsin Haley from Caring for Your Child is responsible for today's guest post:

There are often times during our lifetimes that we look for information. Whether it’s about tertiary education options, to buying our first car, to looking for somewhere to live, or even just to find out what celebrities may be up to, we constantly want more information. This never changes, though maybe the topics we search do change. From the moment we find out about being pregnant, there is so much more information that we may need. And this doesn’t change as our children grow up. Sometimes it’s just great to get a second opinion, or to find other mothers that think the same way that you do.

This is where Caring For Your Child comes in. We are focused on becoming your one-stop-blog for information regarding parenting. Our easy to search through categories cover the different stages that children go through as they grow up. Different articles are placed under the different categories so you can find what you are looking for. To gain access to the main body of our site, you do need to sign up as a member – this sign up process is free and always will be.

However, we realise that we cannot cover all the topics you could wish to know about. But we have a solution to this. Our discussion forums are available to all members of our site, and you are more than welcome to start new topics or join in the current conversations. If you would like information for a topic that we have not covered, please ask us here, and we can see what we can find to help you.

We also know that mothers are busy people, and sometimes you don’t have the time to go searching for answers to your questions. So we bring the information to you. We send out a newsletter every two weeks, covering topics that are relevant to the busy mom right to your inbox!

Visit our site to sign up at www.caringforyourchild.com and join us on Twitter @Caring4UrChild!

The Importance of Teaching Children to go Green

I really want to focus more on going green, and how to teach it to my children. I want my children to be responsible adults who will consciously make a positive difference in their environment.

This guest post is a kick-in-the-butt reminder of why and how.

Going green has become a huge trend in today's society. Some people are doing it because they really care about the environment, and others are because they want to learn more about doing so. Teaching your children to go green is crucial to make sure this trend isn't just a fad, and the following reasons explain why:

Our Future: Here

Consider the future of the planet. We simply can't continue consuming the resources at the pace we are now if we want to survive. In other words, it's vital  for us to be proactive. As this generation begins to pass away, the planet is going to be left in the hands of the people who are still on earth. It is OUR responsibility to teach children about going green - each of us has a part in carrying on sustainable traditions into the next generation. Otherwise, the planet and our grandchildren will suffer as a result.

The Everyday Benefits

Let's say you're not currently living in an environmentally-friendly home. Maybe you don't recycle, or perhaps you've not been turning off the lights when you leave a room. That's all right - most families don't. However, if you're willing to talk to your children about the importance of going green, you have the ability to create a productive, team-focused atmosphere in your house. By working together, your family can become much more tight-knit and environmentally conscience. That way, whenever they grow up and move out, you can know that you did more than just raised them right - you made the world a better place.

Future Visions

Though you might not realize the potential that your little ones have, you should definitely note that they can make some major changes in their life. If you talk to them about going green, they might be inspired to start a green project, whether they plan out a day where all of the residents of your community get together to pick up garbage in the park or perhaps raise money to clean up a local body of water. They may join clubs at their school that are dedicated to the environment or study environmental studies in college. Who knows, but they might need a bit of a kick-start to light the fuse. Be the spark!

Future Opportunities

Speaking of which, there is an endless amount of jobs and opportunities in the green sector. Companies will always want to save money on energy, and they will always be eager for PR-friendly solutions they can brag about. Besides, we live in a world of limited resources - we won't always have oil to rely on! People are interested in discovering energies of the future NOW so that when they're in demand, they'll profit from them! 

Finances

It might seem selfish or simple, but the truth of the matter is that green families are frugal families! Investing in green technology and solutions on a family level will save you money down the road in infinite ways. Turning off lights, unplugging unused machines, replacing old light bulbs with CFL bulbs and more will all lead to savings over time (of both money and time).

Teaching your children to go green is a goal that you should have for your home. You might be amazed at how much information your little ones are able to absorb and where they take these ideas.


Joseph Rodriguez writes about all things related to parenting and education. His recent work is on earning an online education degree.

Creative and fun ways to get your kids up and active

I was sent this guest post by Ivy Delfin, because I posted a trampoline photo.

I was intrigued by the videos of "exercise heaven" (my phrase) after I looked at some of the videos about BounceInc.

Why don't somebody bring this to South Africa?

For kids, exercise means playing and being physically active. Kids exercise when they have gym class at school, during recess, at dance class or soccer practice, while riding bikes, or when playing tag. But once they’re at home and on holidays, it can be difficult to get them to leave the couch when video games are enticing.

Active kids enjoy a range of health benefits such as stronger muscles and bones, less chance of becoming overweight, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and a better, healthier outlook on life. There are 4 different types of exercise that kids should focus on. Aerobic activity gets their heart pumping and lungs working harder, it also releases those feel good chemicals! Muscle strengthening obvious works the muscles and gets them working a little harder. Bone strengthening exercises like jumping helps them grow and keep them strong. Finally, stretches make their muscles more flexible, helping them reach and bend and turn better, it also helps to avoid injury. It is important to encourage your kids to get up and get active to keep them healthy and fit, and it feeds their natural curiosity of the world but being out and about.

There are a bunch of ways you can encourage your kids to get active, if they are reluctant you will have to make the activity seem particularly exciting. Play hopscotch with them or practice skip rope. Involve yourself in the activity so they know that they have your full support and attention. You could take them for a day trip out to an area where you can do a light hike together and explore nature, teaching them about the forest at the same time. Have a dance party in their room, fairy lights are affordable and easy to come by and make a great DIY disco. Don’t be afraid to embarrass yourself, they will be glad that you are involved and taking the time to play with them. Get them to put on their favourite songs and get the lights flashing, dancing is a great fun way to get active without even knowing it!

During the holidays especially there are often organizations that offer activities that your children and family can enjoy. One place that is open all year round is BOUNCEinc, they offer a series of trampolines where your kids can jump and play for hours in a fun and safe environment. Jumping is an excellent form or exercise, and something that kids are often very good at but often don’t realize it’s helping them keep fit.

 Play is a really important component of a child’s life, so incorporating as much active play as possible is going to positively impact their outlook on life and create long lasting happy memories.

The ultimate nightmare, or daymare should be more fitting!

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt....
Lice! 
And my head starts to itch already...

I have gone through it already with the first-born. The note in the school bag, the rush to the chemist, and the washing and the combing...
Later on we used to spray each time we washed the hair, and it kept the lice at bay...

But I am now feeling uncomfortable about it being too much pesticides... What with all the stuff we used to wash her hair with, and she sitting in the bath in it!
(Bad mother! I was working with the "best knowledge" I had at the time. I got the stuff at the chemist!)

So far we haven't had an episode with the Missy, and I hope it stays away!
I got an eco-friendly spray the other day at the hairdressers where Little Missy got her first haircut.
It doesn't smell very inviting, but hopefully it works!

The following guest post highlights the fact that it is nothing to be ashamed of, and it is just something that's need to be taken care of right away!


What to do When Your Child Gets Lice

The first thing you should do when your child comes home from school with lice or you get a phone call from another mom who tells you your child may have lice is not to panic!

Take a minute and think back to when you were a child. Do you remember your experience with lice? Chances are you do. Also remember children and lice go together like peanut butter and jelly, poor analogy probably but a very true one!

When your child gets lice consider it a milestone, one that will hopefully only happen once because let’s face it, lice are not much fun for your child or anyone they have come in contact with. Do not be embarrassed, almost every child has had or will get lice.

The first thing you need to do is check yourself, your spouse, and other children in the home to see if they too have lice. Then it is off to the drug store.Depending on how many of the family members have lice will depend on how many boxes of lice killing shampoo you need, buy one box per person.
Follow the instructions on the box and the lice should be gone with one treatment. Check your child again in 24 hours to make sure the lice are gone.

In the meantime, if your child has spent time with another child or you believe they may have picked the lice up at school or a birthday party you will need to make a few phone calls. Again do not be embarrassed just dial the number and talk to the school nurse or the parents of the other children.
In the event you child picked the lice up at school, the school nurse will go to your child’s class room or call the children down to the office and she/he will check the children to see if they too have the lice. 

If you think, your child picked the lice up from a party or friends you will want to call their parents and let them know. Chances are they already know. Just because you are the one making the phone call, does not mean your child gave the other children the lice. The same is true if a parent calls you, that does not mean their child started the lice-spreading event.It just means they are good parents, like you, and want to make sure you are aware of the situation. 

The next thing you need to do is fire up the washing machine. You will need to wash you child’s linens (lice crawl not fly or jump.) They could have crawled on to the bedding and not just the pillowcases.The same is true for any clothes your child has worn recently and towels and wash clothes. Use hot water and a good detergent and use the long cycle. Use hot to dry the lines and clothes as well.

The last thing you will need to do is replace all hairbrushes, combs and hair accessories your child may have worn prior to finding out about the lice. 


Tammy Mahan has been writing medical and health for over 20 years. Writing for Healthline.com allows her to share her medical knowledge with others.

A Story of Cancer Survival: How I Made It as a New Mother

A guest post by Heather Von St. James, who is trying to raise awareness about a deadly little known cancer, which is totally preventable, and also about the dangers of asbestos!

As a mother and friend to many who have been through this challenge, I hope you are never diagnosed with cancer. I was 36 when I was informed that not only did I have cancer, but I had a case so specific that it was going to be a real challenge to overcome. The year that I was diagnosed, I went through extreme highs and lows. The happiest day of my life was when I gave birth to Lily on August 4th, 2005. She was my husband Cameron and I's first and only child. However, just a few months later, we would experience a devastating blow to our new life together. 

I had an incredibly smooth pregnancy. Everything leading up to my cancer diagnosis never could have prepared me for what was going to happen. When Lily was born, we brought her home and prepared to share every moment with her, raising her to be a successful and kind woman. I realized soon after we got home that things didn't feel right. I didn't have any energy and often felt as if I was exhausted with the basic tasks. On top of everything, I was losing weight. It grew to be too much, and when I couldn't work any more, I had to go in for tests. 

About three months passed before the tests results came in. It was just three days before Thanksgiving. We were in the full holiday swing of preparing for baby's first Christmas as well. Sitting in the doctor's office and listening to him say that I had malignant pleural mesothelioma, I immediately felt myself going into a breakdown. On top of that, I was only given 15 months to live if I didn't go in for treatment right away. I simply couldn't believe it. I stared at my husband, tears in my eyes, shaking, and he realized that I needed help. The doctor was giving us a variety of treatment options, but I couldn't even think straight. All I could see was Lily growing up without a mother and missing all of the memories that I had thought of as a new mother. It was devastating. Cameron, seeing me in my state, listened to each treatment option and knew which one was best right away. I had to see a specialist in Boston who had a history of successfully helping mesothelioma patients. 

My treatment was going to be a challenge from the very beginning. The cancer had infiltrated multiple parts of my chest. I had to lose one of my lungs, parts of my heart, chest and diaphragm with a surgery called an extrapleural pneumonectomy. It would take me over two weeks to recover from the surgery in the hospital. Then, I would face the next challenge. I had to go through two months of chemotherapy and radiation. Even then, it was unclear whether I was going to beat mesothelioma. I had the highest of hopes, however. I continuously thought of Lily and how no matter what, I had to be there for her for as long as I could possibly be. It was even more difficult because I wasn't able to see her for many days while I was in treatment. The dreams that I had as a new mother seemed so far away, but I never lost sight of them. 

Lily lived with her grandparents during part of my treatment in Boston. Cameron was working full time. Such a sweet man, he was my rock and caregiver during this time. He never wanted me to know what was happening, but he needed help, too. When I went to live with parents and Lily in North Dakota to recover from my treatment, he continued to work and support our family. He was only able to visit once during this time. It was then that help started to pour in from other family members, friends, co-workers, neighbours and even strangers. I met people who had been through similar experiences or knew what it was like to go through cancer treatment, and all of those experiences made me even more hopeful that I would get through cancer treatment and be the mother I needed to be for Lily. 

Finally, I started to get ahead of the cancer breaking down my body. With mesothelioma, 95 percent of those diagnosed don't make it. I was able to not only beat cancer, but seven years later, I'm still cancer-free. I can never thank the people who came through for my family enough. They did so much to ensure that we had everything we needed to get through this battle. 

Now we have a healthy, beautiful family and a growing seven-year-old girl who just loves to tell people how she saved my life. I can't argue. It was the thought of her that got me through so many tough moments.

More can be read about Heather's story on her blog: http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/heather/

Birthday suit bandit - the toddler and undressing

My guest post about the toddler who loves running around naked is up at Authentic Parenting. Go check it out.

Mieka, our toddler, loves unbuttoning and unzipping her clothes and taking it all of. To try to put it back on immediately afterwards. Or simply just running around in the nude is a great pass time...

What are your thoughts about letting your toddler roam around in the nude?

The joys of breastfeeding a toddler

Dionna at Code Name Mama asked me to write a guest post about the joys of breastfeeding a toddler. Please check it out.
She is “publishing a series of posts dedicated to the beauty of nursing toddlers in an effort to normalize this healthy and beneficial nursing relationship.”

She and Paige of Baby Dust Diaries are now running a Carnival of Breastfeeding in Public. The closing date is the 30th of June 2010, next week. The requirements are very easy. I will be taking part in some way! (I have to now! Thanks, Dionna! Wink smile)

The past week we have been on holiday and the toddler was not as impressed with the beach as we hoped she would be! She got comfort from breastfeeding right there on the beach, and fell asleep each time. I have noticed that when I do not make a big deal about it, and just latch her, nobody even noticed. But I did try to keep a blanket ready to cover up if necessary. It is actually so unnecessary to have to feel a bit apprehensive about feeding and comforting your own child...

Related posts:

Breastfeeding and Booby traps
Breastfeeding the toddler: positives and negatives
Breastfeeding blues
Expressions and lactations