Bed Wetting

Parenting is a great responsibility and it involves handling numerous problems. One common problems faced by parents is bed-wetting by the kids. Also known as sleep-wetting, this refers to involuntarily bed-wetting by the kid while he is sleeping. Normally, a number of kids are not able to control the flow of urine or lose control over bladder in sleeping condition. It has been found to be a common problem in the children till the age of five or six. According to one study, among all the bed-wetter kids, 60 percent ate male. A high percentage of 90 percent children in this ratio wet the bed almost every night.

Children who bed wetting are normally psychologically affected. The prime reason is shame factor attached with it. Parents need to be sensitive to such plight of the kids. Some of the parents also punish their kids for wetting their bed. That’s definitely not a very ideal thing to do. Some other children face peer pressure and some other face the risk of being ridiculed by their brothers and sisters. A child having such problems runs the risk of losing his self-worth in case he is not getting sufficient help from his parents.

There are certain things parents can do to solve this problem. The first they need to do is to cut down their child's consumption of water or any other form of liquid. Child should also be habituated to go to the loo to pee before he goes to sleep. Parents can also think of waking up the kid at least once during nighttime so that he can go to washroom and empty his bladder. Finally, tackle this problem with love and patience.

Shaken Baby Syndrome

So what is Shaken baby syndrome? The origin of this term stems from shaking babies to cause certain effects. It could be a gentle rocking so that a crying baby stops doing so and feel relaxed. Most of the time, it works. The shaking could be side to side or up and down in the arms and there is a soothing effect on babies. Some of the parents prefer to use vigorous rocking motion but that can be very dangerous. There have been cases of babies dying from dangerous shaking or getting seriously injured.

The problem starts when parents feel frustrated with constant crying of the babies. Sleeping becomes a thing of the past and patience soon starts to wear off. So what do parents do? Simple shake the baby in most vigorous way and let out the frustration. But then, that’s where you are perhaps making a huge mistake.

According to statistics, 50% of babies who are shaken up to the point of serious injury, are so shaken by their natural parents and the rest 50% is caused by baby sitters, siblings and stepparents etc. the data also says that shaking is responsible for no less than 15% of baby deaths and males contribute 80% to it. Those are some real eye opening facts! So if you want to calm down your baby, gentle rocking will be sufficient and is also the safest way possible. Try to be patient with your baby and you will have more reasons to be proud of your status as a parent.

Stay At Home Dads

Staying home at traditionally been responsibility and prerogative of mothers. Fathers used to provide the family monetarily. But things are changing and they are changing fast. The modern era is witnessing the role reversal. Women are venturing out and men are taking the reign from women. Now, men don’t feel shy to don the chef cap and acting as full time stay at home fathers. However, it is a different debate that who among the both gender is better at nurturing kids. Men are giving their best to prove the earlier theory wrong and they are also seeking pleasure in watching children grow. Right from changing nappies to helping kids in completing their home works, dads are doing it all. Men are very well capable of providing child a caring, educational and safe future.

However, it is easier said than done. To achieve this task, Patience must be the hallmarks of stay at home dads. Things like unkempt cupboards, broken dishes and spilled milk are sure to disrupt your peace but they must take things in stride. Slowly but steadily, you will learn to take things easily.

Stay at home dads also need to be positive to handle the conflicts and occasional anxiety. Scolding kids should be avoided and should instead focus on diverting the mind of the child. Parents have many hassles and in such cases being positive will help you overcoming those problems. Keep your child close so that they feel protected and secure. Take good care of child’s health and related factors like water, food and hygiene. Finally, keep yourself busy with things like magazines, books, journals or news. Stay employable and enjoy the blessings of fatherhood.

Step Parenting

Yes, parenting is a tough job but what about step parenting? Well, needless to say, it’s even more difficult. Step parenting comes with some additional responsibilities but like every other thing in life, it is not impossible to manage. There are always some ways and strategies to tackle an issue as sensitive as step parenting. The whole gamut of relationship between step parents and child is very complex. The basic understanding is of gauging the mindset of child. The case of step families takes place only when the first family was dissolved because of death ad divorce and both situations are extremely damaging for the child. We can’t really blame kids for expecting their step parents to love him the way his first family did. In the light of such expectations, it is the duty of the parents to redefine relationship and build a fresh relationship.

Step parents need to make the child understand new dimensions of the family. The integration of this new bond takes time and sometimes even years. It is difficult to build an instant attachment both for the parents and kid. But parents should ensure they are treating child with respect and affection and that will certainly be reciprocated. Parents should make sure that they are not making any derogatory comments about child’s biological parents or siblings. Act patiently and that is the main key of generating love and affection in the long run. Devote great amount of time to your kids and soon you will be relishing the blessings of parenthood.

Child’s Attention Span

A child’s mind keeps wandering. Now studying and suddenly he feels like playing or watching TV. Kids are normally very restless and overactive. Unlike adults, child‘s attention span is quite less. So what are parents supposed to do in order to increase child’s attention span? This factor needs even more importance during the times of examination. The problems gets magnified when an exam or project report is due in few days and child is not willing to sit for more than an hour on the study table. However, parents should not panic in such condition. It is a normal event that takes place in every household.

The first thing parents should focus on is setting a routine. As per the examination timing, child’s study routine must be defined and followed. The benefit of a set routine is if this habit gets inculcated in your kid he will be ready to face new challenges even in the future years of his life. Studying demands concentration and mind cannot study unless all the distractions are gone. Do not disturb while the child studies. Try to identify when your child feels better in studying. It could be morning or evening.

Parents must arrange for an appropriate study table for the child. He will able to concentrate better while sitting on a chair-table compared to a sofa where he is more likely to feel sleepy. Set some goals for the kid while he studies. Try to avoid any sort of distractions like loud music or TV set. Finally, make your child eat light foods. That way he will keep feeling more enthusiastic and fresh.

Independent Children

Children grow up to become independent humans. That’s how the cycle works. It also implies that parents need to impart such skills in their child so that children grow up to become young, confident and independent individuals. In fact, attaining independence is a very crucial part in child’s growth. They cannot rely on their parents or siblings for every small need of their life. The trick for parents is to inculcate a self-determining attitude in their kid.

One of the first steps parents need to take is to avoid spoon feeding. It’s one thing to help the child whenever he needs it and it’s an altogether different thing to support him in every small thing. That makes him reliant and dependent. Help the child only when it’s needed. Simultaneously, parents’ can work on making child confident. Independence always comes with confidence. Both go hand in hand. Teach him basic things and slowly start to assign him small tasks. This way he will start to become confident and self-reliant.

The quality of independence demands decision making ability. Parents should push child to face the world on his own. Don’t try to be over-protective. This might save him in initial run but will prove to be a poor decision in the long run. Allow him to face the realities of the world. Make your child feel secure. This can be done by instilling confidence in him that parents are always there for him if in case something goes wrong. Finally, allow your child the freedom to make decisions on his own. This way he will learn quickly.

Tips for Parenting Child With Down Syndrome

Quite a number of kids suffer from Down syndrome. It is basically a chromosomal abnormality. Down syndrome occurs because in 21^st chromosome of the baby, an extra copy of genetic material is present. This factor leads to several physical as well as mental disorders. Physical abnormality is a common side effect of this syndrome. Apart from that, problems like esophageal complication, gastro-intestinal anomalies, mental retardation and congenital heart defects are other problems occurring from Down syndrome. Children afflicted with Down syndrome are not supposed to have a normal life but there are exceptions. It has been found that if parents devote themselves to these unfortunate kids, there are chances that kids will be able to lead normal lives.

The first thing parents need to understand and accept is these kids are not liability. Yes, it’s true that they grow a slow pace but they do grow. It’s up to the parents to raise them in best possible way. Such children often face trauma in several spheres’ of life. Parents must give them proper love and care. Children with Down syndrome have specific talents and capabilities like other children. It is the job of the parents to nurture such talents and bring out the best in them. The results will be very positive if parents can push themselves. Kids affected by Down syndrome must be fed with anti-oxidants diet. It is very beneficial for them. Yoga is another good idea to improve the health of such kids.