Why You Need To Moderate TV viewing in Your Children

In  the age of increasingly accessible technology I’m sure you have the same problems as I do—how to control how much media your child has access to in a day.  Some parents often question why they need to do so—after all, considering the saturation of digital and traditional media that we undergo as adults, isn’t it futile to prevent this in our kids, when that is the kind of world they will be growing up into?

Studies say it is not as futile as we see it.  The first two years of a person’s life is the most critical, when brain functions and activity develop.  When subjected to the TV, the child may have less time in activities that provide the right stimuli, and more importantly, values.  The time before a child turns two is the best time to instill in him the fondness for play, for building relationships and introduce to him the basic concepts of critical thinking.  Are parents really willing to turn over this responsibility to a machine?

TV is of course not at all that evil.  In fact it is amoral—it has no values of itself.  Any semblance of value that it may have should be the values of gatekeepers—people who choose what will be shown on TV.  They are the editors of TV programming.

Unfortunately, decisions made by these people are no longer governed by values but of profit.  Violence and sex sells.  Even the whole structure of TV is dependent on the show’s ability to sell products in its time slot.  So there are no longer any gatekeepers—anyone who wants to make money can rush through that proverbial gate.

As saif however, TV is amoral and merely a tool.  Nuclear fission may be used to power cities and communities at low cost, or it may be installed in a military device that can be used as leverage when negotiating in the international scene.  Used the proper way, the television can be used to augment the ability and function of educators.  It is a force multiplier.  Imagine how many people are able to learn the alphabet when it is presented via television, as opposed to a teacher teaching a student one on one?

Shows on things that matter—like current events, nature and man’s role in degrading it among other things are subjects that can be spread easily through the medium of television.  We have come such a long way from the 50’s—and one of the more obvious indicators that communication and the transmission of ideas has evolved is the existence of memes.  Memes are packets of culture that are passed along—and these days, memes travel quite fast.  One meme generated from one end of the globe can readily spread to another continent within seconds thanks to the Internet.  Imagine if that tool used to spread memes can be used to spread all sorts of beneficial ideas.  It is happening now but there is a problem of gatekeeping that has been mentioned awhile ago.

So why limit a child’s TV viewing activity?  Well you have something called ubiquitous assimilation.  Has media ever come to a point for you where you suddenly want to shut everything off?  That’s one of the explanations why people have to take a break from Facebook every once in a while.  The bombardment of all these ideas and images may be too much and the mind needs to be able to do its own editing or process what it receives.  With ubiquitous assimilation, even the most useless of information is crammed by media into the heads of people, that the person in question’s ability to think critically, to form sound opinions and speak is impaired by the barrage of invading ideas.

You can strengthen your child’s mind by building his sense of values and ability to think critically at an early age, that he can be the gatekeeper of his mind in his own right.  And you can start that by training him to choose what he watches on TV.  

Don't Do Baby Talk

I've just come across an article saying one shouldn't indulge children in baby talk.  Overall, the article said that it hampers the growth of the child's linguistic skills and that's one of the culprits, says a study.

Most parents think baby talk is a good form of communication that meets a child's linguistic skills halfway but that's not true.  You see the child is still developing at that age, and to him the way you speak is something he ought to mimic.  Developing the right skills to pronounce specific syllables goes down the drain when you gurgle and squeak around your baby.  It's cute, but you're setting your kid's development back!

Don't baby talk!

Choosing Baby Bottles

Even a breastfed baby will likely need bottles- for pumped breast milk, for a supplementary bottle of formula, feeding in public during long travels, and maybe an occasional serving of water or juice.

The Classic Glass Bottles by Evenflo- using Glass means its BPA-free

Baby Bottles are made of clear, semi-transparent, colored plastic or glass. You may buy nipples separately. You may also see novelty shapes- such a football shape bottle with a hole in the center that serves as a handle that the baby can hold onto when feeding.

There are also baby bottles that boast of aerodynamic flow that prevents colic.

Playtex Vent Aire Baby Bottles promises to prevent Colic after feedings with its special airflow system.

The expensive baby bottles tend to emulate the natural breast of the mother to encourage feeding;

Mimijumi and Avent have breast-like rubber nipples

Hence the baby bottle has very large and wide nipples. The popular makers of baby bottles are Ansa, Gerber, Playtex, Avent and Pigeon.

How to Choose Baby Bottles:

• Try out different types to see which type you prefer: Standard baby bottle, angle-necked baby bottle, or disposable.
• Buy half a dozen small bottles when you decide on a type you like. 
• Observe your baby and how the child responds to the bottle during feeding time, consider nipple flow. You can readily buy nipples that are for fast or slow feeders. 
• Invest on a good quality bottle steamer with a timer. This will save you time and money. Because the bottles are properly timed and sterilized, you avoid the risk of melting plastic bottles in boiling water (if you are the forgetful type and leave things on the stove for too long). With a bottle steamer, the nipples, bottle rings and baby bottles are properly segregated.
• Avoid novelty shapes, which are hard to clean and hard to replace if the item goes out of stock.

That Call Finally Happened! I Need All The Luck in the World

My excitement is building~ woot! woot! I've got a job interview Monday so I need to spend the weekend prepping so I'm ready to get it! Wish me luck... (you could be looking at the new manager of the FrizCorp!)

Hey kids, yah know mom loves you, but I'm gonna skip the bike trails unfortunately. Kisses!

Win 500 Pounds with Panda365

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Each game is unique in itself and explores different worlds in its themes: Theme Park goes classic carnival, Airport is an interesting take on a place normally seen as a transition point between places, Las Vegas is self-explanatory, Pie Rats—perhaps the strangest theme among the lot—mixes pastries and seafaring rodents in an adventure game, Bingo Spin—with the most reels among the seven—is a fine take on an old game, Flaming Sevens has a lot of secret levels embedded within the game while Six Shooter is all about guns and the wild, wild West.

Players who are looking for a venue for clean fun in online slots machines can find what they’re looking for at Panda365.  Equipped with Thawte Security, which is one of the most trusted providers of internet encryption in the world, players can enjoy safety in playing the games they love online.  Gone are the days when one has to go to a physical casino in order to play—now, anywhere there is a computer and an internet connection, one can get into slots gaming anytime.  And with the coming of applications on mobile internet devices like iPads, it will not be long before casinos and online slots machines become truly part of the mobile lifestyle.

Trust, innovation, entertainment and security, are the values Panda365 upholds as its company values.  It aims to be the most innovative slots gaming site on the web, planning newer and more unique games as upcoming offers to players old and new.  Players can expect newer and better games as they go along, so why not start by creating your account at Panda365 and experiencing its array of games?

Finally, Panda365 upholds clean and fair play in online gambling, incorporating responsible gambling systems into its system.  Panda365 wishes to attract a lot of players in its site, but wishes quality playing over quantity, which is the reason why it has measures to keep online play a positive experience.  Also, it offers customer support that promises prompt action in case problems occur in the Panda365 gaming experience.  With all these and more in store for Panda365 players, it won’t be long before the site becomes number one among the online slots sites these days!

Vintage Delights

These antique rag ribbons are just lovely! If you're doing Eco-theme wraps for Christmas, these would fit in nicely!

For all things rustic, head on to Olive & Manna Paper Goods

Buncha Mason jars: Perfect for my kitchen!

Baby Talk: Developing Language Skills

Your child doesn't have to start talking out loud to demonstrate language skills. In fact, by 12 months, children can already understand several words and associate them with how they look like.

There's an early test on language skills that's called the Object Identification Test, which can be done on children 12 months old. Here objects can be called out by name and the child is asked to point to each of them. Performance in this test is an indicator of language skills, which studies show, are linked with good performance in school later on.

You can help improve your child's language skills as early as 0-12 months through proper nutrition. Well-developed language skills are important indicators of academic success.

Just Bounce It!

If it wasn't time to go home, the kids would still be at it, this inflatable contraption is the ultimate kid magnet. Trust me, you have to pick them off it one at a time. Some kids don't get off it without a fight, some moms have to take them away kicking and screaming.

But by the time, I do get my kids off it they're so tired anyway. They've been jumping, bouncing and rolling all day and they could go on and on, energy without end on this cushy paradise. I can't blame them though, it really is a lot of fun.

Milk Allergies

Not all babies take to formula than they do with easily with breastmilk. An infant has cow's milk allergy when his body mistakenly thinks that milk protein is bad. The body will try to fight it off, triggering an allergic reaction. Unfortunately, most infant formula contain milk protein.

Here are some warning signs:

• Colic
• Diarrhea or Constipation
• Vomiting
• Rashes
• Bloody Stool
• Spitting out food or milk
• Pale complexion

If you see any combination of these symptoms, your child may be suffering from cow's milk protein allergy.

Suze Orman's Prepaid Mastercard

Moms can learn a thing or two from Oprah's money evangelist and debt advisor Suze Orman.

Just this year alone, the Suze has come out with her very own Approved Prepaid Mastercard tauted as a safer than cash alternative for splurgers like me. Like any prepaid card, you can only spend whatever amount you have on the card

"The card comes with a lot of free perks, including: unlimited access to your credit report and credit scores from TransUnion (one of the three big credit reporting agencies), credit monitoring and identity theft protection. You also get unlimited free use of Allpoint ATMs across the country each month, if you make a direct deposit or bank transfer to the card of $20 or more. Allpoint ATMs are in major retailers, like Costco, Target, Walgreens, Kroger and 7-Eleven."

I love the Suze, but like any debit card, its still about how you spend your money. If you can't control your spending habits then just use good 'ol cash so you can avoid running up unnecessary credit charges every time you leave the house.

Lactose Intolerance in Newborns

Cami, my newborn niece hasn't been responding well to formula, her face is breaking out with red rashes and cries a lot because of colic, leaving my sister with too many restless nights. For almost 2 weeks, they kept bugging the pedia, it can't just be colic- how can a baby just cry like this? Irritable after every feeding. Her pedia finally said it could be lactose intolerance. But we have to see and monitor how this plays out, if she responds well to the new lactose-free milk or not. Or if its a severe allergy, that she can only take in breastmilk, my sis has to go to the La Leche league or local milk bank. She doesn't have an adequate supply of breastmilk right now to feed Cami.

So for the uninitiated, what exactly is Lactose Intolerance?

An infant with lactose intolerance cannot produce enough lactose n his body. Lactase breaks down lactose, the sugar found in cow's milk and other dairy products.

When this happens, the undigested lactose stays in the baby's gut. This causes gastrointestinal problems. It may not be dangerous, but it is very distressing. It could mean that your child cannot properly digest milk.

Signs of Lactose Intolerance:

• Bloated Tummy (like a balloon)
• Gassiness
• Nausea
• Tummy Pain
• Fussiness/Irritability after feedings

 If your baby is not responding well to his infant formula and he is not breastfed, do ask your pediatrician to possibly recommend infant formula that is lactose free.

Everything on a Budget: Living for a Bargain

I'm a sucker for a good bargain. I want every penny to count. Real bad. I'm the type of person that's hogging the line at the check-out counter trying to cash in free coupons. Yes, people may stare all they want, but I'm getting my free can of chunky tomatoes or discounted bran flakes.

I'm a tight-fisted, budget-savvy monster who never gives into my kid's sudden wants, even when they get into a raging tantrum while out shopping at the mall. Mommy never caves in, the card stays shut- minted and never swiped. Unless, it is an absolute emergency and utmost necessity. Hmm... That's just me being me.

My hubby is my exact opposite. I wouldn't call him a big spender or impractical to the point of impulsive. But compared to me, he can't simply stay on budget, I think he's quite easily suade when it comes to these big ticket items like the latest gadgets.

He's a bit of a geek, so I understand why he's soo unto these touchscreen thingamagigs. So whenever he asks me if he could break the bank and go get one of these gizmos, the unthinkable happens- I can't say no to him. Though he gets a feeble 'Yes' from me, he's quick to race out that door, leaving me no room to change my mind. What can I say? His personal happiness costs money

And lately, and oh boy do I mean lately! I have seen his credit card bills and where he's been at online. I do understand how the web can be so addictive at times particularly if you're in the hunt for something or if a good deal is at stake. I've been telling my honey, if he's gotta shop- never at online retail stores, go for the auction sites and always as a cardinal rule, read reviews about the product you intend to buy. Call it a compromise of sorts, at least I'm trying to tame the gadget lust by letting him wander into online bargain bins.

The Right Side of the Fence

I am thinking of taking the kids out to Pam's for Pizza. But I feel too swamped at work. No one wants to be in the thick of things, the landscaping pace is going quite well and I just that fence repaired.

Finally, some of the partitions are up. Definitely needs a good coat of white.

The wood palettes for my garden are ready. I got my brother Josh to do the measurements.

There's nothing like that power buzz from a trusty hand drill haha! The noise drove our dog chester crazy at first, now he's so used to it, he's hanging around the fence as they install the slats.

There's Josh and Mark prepping the wood framework while Chester found his own comfy spot in the shade.

Now ain't that a smart little pooch, guess he really knows what the fence is for.

The sand pile is the new neighborhood playground.

Awesome they got the wrought iron window installed on the side gate. We got these cobble stones for the whole pathway. I am hoping with the new fence, I'm really keeping those nasty dogs out from attacking Chester. Well then again, it's also to keep the postman safe from Chester.

Call Mommy!

Call Mommy for everything you'll ever need in life :p