Shaken Baby

What do you do when the baby just won't stop crying? Great efforts have been taken to inform young parents on topics such as car seat safety, feeding, bathing, and changing a baby. However, the most frustrating and stressful part of caring for a newborn is the lack of sleep combined with the constant crying of the baby, it is the leading reason for Shaken Baby Syndrome. Let's address and better prepare our future parents for the reality of functioning with very little sleep and a constantly crying baby in addition to life's every day demands on you and your time.

Co-Sleeping

This is a huge problem in our country that is just starting to surface through media to the public. Parents who choose to sleep with their babies or allow siblings to share a bed with an infant are setting themselves up for disaster. Babies are dieing at an alarming rate. We need to be having discussions about solutions to problems such as limited space and limited money. There are resources available to provide bassinets or cribs for these infants. All of the babies that die through suffocation in this manner didn't have parents that were high or drunk and they passed out on them. Many parents make a choice, after much discussion, that this is a good idea as it will promote bonding and is nurturing. Imagine your devastation upon waking to find your baby is dead due to suffocation!

Toddler Tantrum

If you are going to raise children you will experience the tantrum situation many times. It often happens when you least expect it and find yourself in a hurried state. Tantrums often take place in a public area, so that others will witness your reaction. So how do we cut down on these situations and can we learn the warning signs that a tantrum is about to erupt?

Potty Training

Every parent will have to tackle this task at some point. This takes tremendous amount of patience and consistency. That means, as the parent, you will have to allow more time prior to everything that you do i.e. before running an errand, getting involved in a phone conversation, and stopping what you are doing often to place the child on the potty. Remember it is called potty "training". This doesn't happen over night. Many factors come into play; most of which the child has no control over i.e. their personality, maturity level, health and biological factors.

Bedtime

Transitioning the child from the crib to the big bed. Once a child has reached about 35" in height they, for safety reasons, need to be moved to a big bed. If they have figured out how to climb out of the crib prior to this, the transition should happen sooner. It takes most toddlers about 5 seconds to figure out that they are no longer confined by the railings of the crib. Now...let the games begin.

Homework

Schools are doing a wonderful job of preparing our children and youth for the real world by including homework as a part of the daily activity. The student is challenged to keep a planner, refer to the planner at home, and then to complete an assigned task. This is as much about preparing for life as it is actually practicing a new educational concept. Often though the parent will need to be involved. Just one more stressor added to your already hectic life.

Negative Parenting

A parent doesn't have to be loud, verbally abusive, or intimidating to be utilizing negative parenting techniques verses positive parenting. If a child is shown everyday of their life only the negative on how they have completed a task, the one mistake they made of many decisions, or the one error they made on the test, how will this affect their adult personality? Is a child that grows up in this type of environment likely to reach beyond after all they might fail?

Inappropriate Dress

All pre-teen and young teen women will go through a faze of testing and experimenting with make-up and clothing. Many of their decisions at this point will be based on what is cool, what is in, what their friends are doing, and not necessarily what looks good on them. This can be extremely stressful for the parents. Many times their choice of clothing and make-up are inappropriate for their age, or they are unaware of unstated messages they may be sending. The parent's reaction may be more about their own past than what the child is actually doing. Remember, the child is just trying to figure things out. She is transitioning from the girl to a young woman. She may need firm guidance, but we can easily cross the line.

Is your Child Telling the Truth

Occasionally, the parent will be in a situation where they find themselves very frustrated with the child. However, when they confront the child the child is only in a position to offer an explanation, but can provide no proof. Is your child telling the truth? Can you keep yourself under control until the child has a chance to defend him/herself? Example: You receive your child's report card on the weekend and there is an "f" grade. Can you remain under control until your child can prove there has been a mistake?

Sexual Abuse

The effects of sexual abuse on a child are extremely traumatizing and penetrating. This is only exacerbated if when the child reveals this to their parent and they aren't believed. What are the signs of sexual abuse? Non-offending parents will always have to be on guard for the signs. Babies, toddlers, young children are not sexual. They do not understand what is happening to them and they certainly do not have a vocabulary to explain it. They are all told not to tell and are often threatened. Fear changes everything.