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Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."     Matthew 19:14
 

Something to think about:

The incredible thing about children is they are so innocent and when they are first born they must rely on us for absolutely everything. What an awesome responsibility God has given us.  This little tiny baby that's only method of communication is crying until that day comes they look back at us and smile! Then comes a whole variety of new sounds, giggles, coos, almost words, and then almost before we turn around that first word comes out.

For months we carry them around or put them in a stroller. In and out of car seats, highchairs, bassinet, and cribs.  So many times we can't wait for these days to be over.  I ask this, SO WHAT's the HURRY? Children are children for a very short amount of time. 

I know both parents often have to get back to work because they just can not support their family without two incomes and with more single parents babies just have to go to day care and preschool. Sometimes it just can't be helped.

Babies soon crawl, then they become a toddlers, next thing you know they are off to pre-school, the first day of Kindergarten, Elementary school, Middle School, and then they go to high school.  Think about it all this happens between 1- 13. By 13 most children will be pretty independent and will want to be more like adults than children. 

Again I ask, WHAT's THE HURRY?

Between the ages of 13 and and 16 our children my start experimenting or having sexual relationships. By 16 some kids will be driving.  A percentage of these kids will not only be driving but they will be drinking and driving, and their will be some that are using drugs, drinking, and driving.  Not all will, those who chose not to won't! 

By 18  our children will be allowed the privilege of voting, enlisting in the military, going to work or university, and some will even live on their own.

Our children will always be our children, but they are considered children until the age of 21. At 21 they become adults!  Wow in 21 years children become adults with adult choices and privileges and then for the rest of their lives they are adults! 

Where you aware that a child goes missing every 40 seconds in America? Keep your children safe and be aware of what they are doing, where they are going, and what they are thinking. Meet not only their friends but there friends parents.

National Amber Alert, information provided by the Justice Dept. There are posters and flyers and lots of information available at this site.

Amber Alert, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, named after 9 year old Amber Hagerman. There is a wealth of information available here about children being exploited in many ways, how to know, what to look for, and more.

Are you concerned about keeping your child or teen safe on the internet?

 

Newborns and Babies: Just Common Sense and experience

Newborn babies, cry and sleep a lot.  Crying is their only way of communicating so don't get stressed.  They are hungry or need to be burped, need a diaper change, they may be uncomfortable for some reason, or they just simply want to be picked up. 

Breast feeding is great if you want to do it, but don't feel guilty if you don't. The formulas today are very good, you will still be able to bond with your child, and if your child doesn't do well with one formula there are others.  Some babies even have colic from breast milk so don't feel guilty. To help keep your baby from becoming gassy, make sure they are burped well, over the shoulder, just sitting them up in your lap and patting the back, or laying on the tummy. You'll find which works best.

Some babies like to be swaddled and rest better that way.  You'll figure out which works best. Most of the mommies in our family put their babies in sleepers with feet so they don't have to worry about them being covered.  They are also nice those first few weeks.  Swaddlers are available in several different sizes and at many stores.  There are different types as well.  They are really nice in cold areas.

  • Check the temperature of your water before you place a baby in it
  • Never leave your baby alone in or even near water
  • Never have your baby in bed with you when
    • you are sick
    • when you have been drinking
    • if you are using drugs
    • if you are a heavy sleeper

The links provided here I have spent time surfing, checking links, and information. 

  • Born Learning, a wealth of information is available here about turning everyday life into interesting, fun, learning experiences. A lot of common sense things and easy to do.  I am a firm believer in making things interesting for children so they want to learn and enjoy being helpful. Positive interactions in childhood build positive teenagers and adults.
  • Kids Health
  • FCC for parents
  • Special parents information network
  • National Network of Immunization Information
  • Children and Dogs

I was a new parent once, don't be stressed.  When I had my first baby when I was 27 years old, I had never even been around children.  I had one babysitting experience with a baby and I remember telling my mother, I never wanted to do that again.  I grew up as an only child and while I was around children at school I never really experienced being around children, much less being responsible for their well-being.

Today there is so much information available online and in books.  There will be lots of advice too from everyone and everyplace imaginable! Let your common sense take over.

Pregnancy is an interesting time and it is different from woman to woman. 

Some things you might or might not experience:

  • Morning sickness,  some have it all day, while others may have it at night Some woman don't ever experience morning sickness.  I had evening sickness for a couple of weeks.
  • Feel extremely tired during pregnancy and may need to take naps.
  • May feel like cleaning, organizing, changing things, this is commonly known as the "Nesting Instinct".
  • Some will crave certain foods.
  • Sometimes some women will spot or have light bleeding with or without cramps early, don't panic, call your doctor
  • Mood swings happen sometimes with the hormone changes
  • As the baby grows, you may experience discomfort; indigestion, constipation, frequent urination, and other symptoms.  If you are concerned chat with your doctor.

Links:

START EARLY:

If at all possible think about having children first and give it as much effort as you would your job.  There are decisions to made about what children will need, how to help them build character and learn, how will correction or discipline be handled, letting a child have different experiences, where do you want them to go to school, and more. Preparation will help when a child reaches the teenage years.

Today I am a grandmother that is listening.  Listening to my own grandchildren, listening to children in church, listening to children in stores, and everywhere I go. Children want us to listen to them and guess what if we don't get used to listening to them and letting them know it, they won't listen to us.  We don't bother to hear them, why should they hear us. 

When I grew up, every day we had dinner at the dining room table.  I helped set the table and then we sat down as a family to eat.  It didn't matter what was on tv we sat at the table, except for one night a week.  That night we didn't have dinner at the table, we had it in front of tv, all of us together. Yeah, I know you are thinking, but it was different when you grew up.  Yes, you are right, it was. My parents loved me and wanted me to develop character and reasonability. Dinner was the time I learned to communicate with adults.  We talked about my day, homework, tests, friends, issues and more.  It was clear to me at a very young age there was a difference between right and wrong, and what was acceptable and what was not.  Then we talked about their days.  I wasn't always happy we did this when I was growing up, but now I am.

I consider a child to be a toddler when they start walking around and getting in to things by themselves. I have read a lot about children over the years so I thought I would share some very simple common sense information and provide some external links for more information here.

Most children will learn from their experiences and things that they don't like or that hurt them, they are not likely to try again. First, before my daughters became toddlers I sat down on the floor and looked around so I could see things that my toddler would be seeing.  WOW! 

  • Electrical outlets, there are some choices here. If you are with your toddler and having a toddler willing to listen, NO, no DANGER, works well if done consistently.  If this is not working or is not practical for your lifestyle, there are a number of covers that you can purchase to make the outlets childproof.
  • Cords to pull on
  • Furniture to get under
  • The fireplace
  • Drawers and cabinets in hutches, kitchen cabinets, etc.
  • The dog or pet dishes.  YUMMY TREATS....
  • Things to climb on, book shelves, ottomans, chairs, coffee tables, furniture, and more.  Book shelves are a concern and should be secure! Glass tables and hard surfaces that children can run into.

Links:

 
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