The Info Examiner

The market provides various safety seats for children. Regulations inform the market to such a degree that choosing the safest for your son is nowhere near as simple as it seems. First of many steps in using these convertible car seat reviews and finding your ideal safety seat is to become au fait with the various styles. 20 pounds, 12 months old - this is a standard maximum for the bulk of high-quality chairs on offer from the big, reliable brands. Don’t forget, when choosing between potential products, to determine your preference between rear facing chairs and seats which can face in either direction to avoid selecting a chair that doesn’t suit your requirements. Every parent knows that bringing your baby from your car back into your home while they sleep will almost inevitably lead to their stirring - however, as these seats often double up as baby carriers, the chance to avoid this improves. Seeking something your children won’t grow too big for so swiftly? If that’s the case, look at the convertible style. Useful throughout the years in which these chairs are called for, the more expensive price tag is made up for by being useful for more time. If you like the idea of a convertible seat but also want a baby carrier, you’ve often got a tricky decision ahead of you.

Safety chair comparisons are the best way to gain a comprehension of precisely what all the models offer as well as which features are the most useful. Due to their independent status reviews like these have the distinction of being bias free, which means you can safely depend upon them.

Booster chairs are produced specifically for children who weigh from thirty or forty pounds until they reach eighty pounds. Having reached this age, your little ones can play a part in this selection: if you have them test both styles (divided by how the child’s fastened in, employing either a five-point harness or the car’s own safety belt) and see which they find a more comfortable fit. You will probably with safety seat reviews, these chairs also offer a number of extras designed to make it easier to concentrate on your driving by distracting the little one. Your family’s needs, your budget, the life you lead - these are all factors that must be addressed when you buy one of these seats, and this guide was intended to make it simpler. Begin with convertible safety chair and baby seat comparison reviews to find the cream of the crop.

Visit and visit this terrific website for Disney best infant car seats infos!

Safety rules must be the paramount concern when acquiring a seat for your daughter, but the style variations aren’t just aesthetic, and you need to understand just what ramifications your selection will carry before making your purchase. The best child car seats, manufactured by brands including Safety 1st, Graco, Disney, to name but a few, are created with babies of up to twenty pounds or twelve months in mind. As the bulk - not, we should point out, all - of these face backward exclusively, you’ll have to decide which will be best for you and check when buying that what you choose fits the bill. Employed as a baby carrier, a chair like this one makes it simpler to convey your child from place to place - without waking.

Looking for a chair your baby won’t be too big for so swiftly? In cases like this, look at the convertible style. Your baby will only be in these seats a short time, but it is still more than twelve months. Convertible seats cost a little more but will last the full time. If you like the idea of a convertible seat but you also need a baby carrier, you’ve often got a decision to make.

A good first move when you’re looking at desirable car seats must always, always be to read all available reviews as no two chairs are identical, individual combinations of features are not equally useful for each individual family. Plus, you’ll discover that studying car seat reviews contains a solid third-party perspective assuring you that you’re definitely buying a top quality seat.

Larger children can rely on the booster seat between around thirty to eighty pounds. You have two key choices in fastening: the five-point harness and a design using the car’s own safety belt: and I advocate trying both approaches with your child in the booster seat to confirm which one suits the best while keeping the child comfortable. As you will notice with the reviews, child booster chairs often come with many extras to make it easier to concentrate on your driving by keeping your toddler occupied. It would be hard to deny you’re faced with a tough decision, due to the importance of finding a chair which matches your family’s needs, and your budget and lifestyle are also significant concerns. As you can see, the ratings from independent parties comprise the best resource you will find.

Big Foot Relay. Get the children bring 2 shoeboxes with them. Tape the lids onto the corners, then cut a one-inch-wide and four-inch long slit in every top. Get the contestants slip their feet into the slits in the boxes and race.

Frisbee Tower. Buy a bunch of mini Frisbees and station them in a pile in the mid of the yard. Have the guests split the Frisbees among themselves. The first player begins the action by sending one of his or her Frisbees on the ground. Each of the following players places his or her Frisbee on top of the first Frisbee, and the action continues until someone causes the growing tower to topple.

Cross Step. Draw a ten-by-ten grid on the sidewalk or patio with chalk. Have each player stand on a different square. One at a time, each participant must move to a new square after crossing out the square she or he was once standing in. The trick is that players cannot step into a square that is populated or crossed out. If a player cannot move to a different square, he or she is out. The game extends until one player is left.
Kill the Cockroach. Part the actors into two teams. Line them up, one in front of the other and set an odd object in front of the first players in line. They must kick the object across the yard and the across the finish line to win a point for their team. Kick things like a pillow, empty can, a sock, and so on.

Intelius, an information commerce company founded by Naveen Jain, sponsored the SMART Girls and GOOD Guys programs of the Boys and Girls Club of Bellevue. The event saw more than 200 youth participants gather for an afternoon of programs South Bellevue Community Center last March 20, 2009.

The program, implemented nationally, has ties with the Boys and Girls Club of Bellevue’s “Be Great” campaign. Both activities focused on empowering the youth to become more self-confident and responsible. Participants in the Intelius-supported activity were children and teens aged five to 16 years. The activity helped open the eyes of the country’s younger generation to the truth that making positive choices and monitoring one’s health are important factors for achieving success.

Children and teens who participated in the SMART Girls and GOOD Guys event came from different housing sites and associate schools. The activity ushered in the celebration of the National Boys & Girls Club Week.

The information commerce company, through the leadership of Jain and his wife Anu, actively participates in several corporate philanthropic missions. In fact, one of the incentives given to Intelius employees is a paid leave when they go out of the office to serve a specific charity for an agreed period.

Intellius, a 5-year supporter of the program, believes that the “Be Great” program has a huge positive impact on the American youth. Through Intellius Vice President of Community Relations Anu Jain, the company has pledged to continue sponsoring the program and strengthening their relationship with the Boys and Girls Club of Bellevue.

“Be Great” and Boys & Girls Club of Bellevue have been giving hope to many young people for over 100 years now. With clubs spread throughout the country and in various US military bases around the world, the Boys & Girls Club has successfully helped thousands of youths develop their potentials as productive citizens.

Planned Parenthood is an alternative for teenagers when they do not know where else to turn. They offer education on parenting, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted teen pregnancy precautions and offer support for individuals who want to terminate their pregnancy. Teens are provided guidance and education from trained staff members rather than receiving all their information about sex from their peers.

Many Parents Are Against Planned Parenthood

Many parents are against their children seeking out the services in Planned Parenthood facilities, feeling it promotes sex rather than abstinence. Typically parents opposed to Planned Parenthood are parents who do not educate their children on the risks of engaging in sex. They promote abstinence without discussing any other options with their children. Planned Parenthood provides education about the dangers of engaging in sex as well as options should the teen choose to engage in sexual activity.

Many Teenagers Feel Safer Talking To A Planned Parenthood Staff Member

Many teenagers feel safer talking to a Planned Parenthood staff member about sexual relationships rather than with their parents. It is surprising to hear that many teenagers have not discussed sex with their parents. When asked where they go to find their information the majority of the teenagers say their peers.

For pregnant girls who are too afraid to approach their parents, the staff at a Planned Parenthood facility offers a supportive environment for anyone who is questioning whether or not to go through with their pregnancy. Many teenage girls find the facility non judgmental and easier to discuss all their available options.

Planned Parenthood Coming To A School Near You!

Planned Parenthood has facilities throughout the country. Some schools also encourage staff members from Planned Parenthood to come to their schools to educate students about the dangers of engaging in unprotected sex. With the education the facilities provide, more teenagers are aware of all their options and therefore tend to make more informed decisions about sex. Armed with more knowledge teenagers are better equipped to make intelligent decisions about sex. Whether a teenager chooses to abstain from sex or use protection, every parent generally agrees that a decline in overall teenage pregnancies is in everyone’s best interest. I encourage parents and teens to seek out the services of Planned Parenthood, as parent and child alike would benefit from the education these facilities provide. If you are a parent having a difficult time talking to your child about sex, contact the Planned Parenthood facility nearest you.

Lisa Dunning is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Specializing in Parent/Child Relationship issues and the author of “Good Parents Bad Parenting: How To Parent Together When Your Parenting Styles Are Worlds Apart”. She provides expert advice for television and radio programs throughout the country and speaks to various parenting groups. To learn more about Lisa Dunning visit her website at http://www.LisaDunningMFT.com

With divorce and remarriage becoming increasingly common, there are an ever-increasing number of stepfathers today. Because children usually remain resident with their mothers after divorce, there are far more resident stepfathers than there are stepmothers. Of course, there are reasons other than divorce & re-marriage for a stepfather to exist, such as the premature death of the birth father.

In 1993, approximately 1 in 8 children would experience living in a stepfamily during part of their childhood. The statistics today are more likely to be closer to 1 in 6.

The ‘Evil Stepfather’ image of storybooks is generally not the case today. Stepfathering has come of age, with the average stepfather able to lay his hands on a wide range of materials for advice, and Family Support Groups and Associations recognising the demand for information, support, and advice to Stepfathers.

Issues
There are specific issues involved with stepfathering, and not least of these are the emotional ones - yours, your partners’, and those of the children involved. The emotional issues can appear trivial at times and may often go unrecognised and unheeded. In the aftermath of divorce, remarriage, or repartnering, emotional issues can become buried. This particularly applies to younger children, who may be quite confused by what is going on. Although divorce and repartnering is often quite appropriate, and our approach to it has come a long way in the past few years, there is still very little work done with younger children to counter the effects on them of divorce and repartnering.

Advice
As a stepfather of some seven years, I would like to suggest the following as general guidelines to any stepfather. Many of you may have already discovered similar guidelines from your own experiences.

If you are having difficulties in a stepfather role, or are ‘new’ to stepfathering, take a mental step back and try to see what those difficulties are really about. The chances are they are about power (who is in charge?), or change and adjustment (differing sets of rules about home life). There may have to be adjustments on your part as well as others.

Do I hear you worrying that your stepchildren do not love you? Perhaps they should be aware you do not want to be their new DAD. I have known Mums introduce their new husband or partner to the children as ‘This is your new Dad’ or ‘This is James, and you should call him Dad from now on’. Personally, I feel this is a big NO. Do try not to insist on the children calling you ‘Dad’, because you are not really Dad, and it could be a recipe for an emotional disaster. The child or children do have their own father in any case, (unless he is deceased) and if you have children of your own, you are already someone else’s Dad.

The best you can genuinely hope for is that you will be their friend. So tell them that is what you want. Ask for nothing but friendship and if you gain that, you may eventually gain their trust and their love.

Let your children, whatever their age, know that it is perfectly OK to talk and that you are always happy to listen to any concerns they may have, whatever the subject. Perhaps they will discuss with you their personal issues. Then again, they may be quite unwilling to talk about the things which really concern them, so don’t pressure them to talk. Just make it safe to do so when they are ready.

Small adults
Do let your children make mistakes - you cannot be a universal stop on anything ever going wrong. Mistakes are good for learning and are an essential and unavoidable part of life. Do not ‘give in’ every time there’s a showdown. You have something to offer in this family, not the least being an alternative way of looking at things.

Be yourself; and Remember, children are just like adults really, but a lot smaller and more scared.

At times there can be conflicts, or potential conflicts between you and the children’s’ natural father. On these occasions you might find that the safest (and probably most common) relationship between step and birth fathers is one which commands a healthy distance and respect of the other’s feelings and views. If contact arrangements exist, try not to get in the way of them, but actively support those arrangements if you can. Where arrangements for the children to be with their natural father do not exist, and there is no good reason, see what you can do to bring them about. Do not spend too much time wondering or worrying what ex-husband thinks of your role in the family. Make a sincere attempt not to come between your stepchildren and their own father. This includes staying out of conversations that may be derogatory about him. They have their own relationship with him and any problems here are perhaps best left between the children and their Dad to work out for themselves.

Teenagers
You know teenagers. On the other hand, maybe you do not. There are probably two essential things to remember where teenagers are concerned:

One: They are growing and changing at a very fast rate, physically, mentally, and emotionally. This is nature at her most powerful work. Do try not to stand in the way because there is a high chance you could come off considerably worse for wear! It’s your ‘job’ to guide and assist where it’s appropriate, but do not stand in front and say ‘I know better than you and you will therefore do as I say…’ it just does not work! My experience with teenagers has shown me that no matter how shaky and makeshift it may seem, they usually have some kind of road in front of them which they are proceeding along. Learn to swallow hard and clench your teeth!

Two: Teenagers need space. Space to think, feel, grow, make a mess, and not least, space to make mistakes - you name it, they need space for it. Give it to them.

You may remember your own teen years. I certainly recall mine very well and I only in recent years have I begun to understand how my parents restrained themselves from homicidal acts where my moods and attitudes were concerned. I will be eternally grateful that I was allowed that space to grow.

Quality Time
“Quality time” is an American expression brought about to describe the phenomenon of allotting specific periods of time to genuinely pay attention to others in an age when work, paying bills and social activity becomes overwhelming and eats up all available concentration. Personally, I do not understand why any adult would need to set aside ’special time’ weekly to ‘pay attention to their children’. What it does take is making the effort on a day-to-day basis to be sincere in your approach to children, to ask sincere questions and pay attention to what your children are saying to you. Observe their smiles (or lack of them), and be aware of what is happening to your children. Forget about “quality time” and make all time with your children count for something. If you want to be a parent, guardian, stepparent, or any kind of person with responsibility for one or more children, know this: it is going to age you, it is going to be demanding on you and it is most certainly going to require your attention!

The role of Father
Stepfather is a role. It is not who you are. If a child’s natural father is not around, and if you have some, any, or even all of a father’s attributes; if you are in regular contact with a child, you may find yourself taking on a stepfather role to them, either intentionally or by default. If this is you, may I suggest the following as basic guidelines?

If a child sees you in a ‘parent’ role to him or her, be aware of it and do what you can to be a good role model to them. Realising this is how you are perceived may come as a shock - and you may not really want the role of course. However, responsibility comes to us all at some stage in life and it doesn’t have to be onerous. Enjoy the role you have, and make time for it amongst your other activities. In the years to come, sooner than you may think, you will be glad you did. If you can have some effect in aiding and assisting a younger person to grow and develop, aside from the good it will do the child; it will make you feel very good about yourself. It is about empowering another, not asserting your own power. That is a subject in itself, and one that can be a difficult issue for men. Like any attribute worth having, you have to work at it!

Personal
This is a poignant time for me to write about fathering & Stepfathering. In the past year I have been able to resume contact with my own two sons after some six years of being out of touch. Six years? I hear you say. Yes, six years is a long time to remain out of touch with your own children.

Throughout those six years I had reasoned that the boys would be all right. I had few doubts that their mother was a good mum, and I got on with my life in my new family with my new wife and three stepchildren. Because I was unable to see my boys during that time, I focused on my ‘new’ family and did all I could to be a good Stepfather, including writing a book on the subject. My three stepchildren are all in their teens now and if I were to re-write the book, it would be quite different, which I suppose, is a testament to the changing nature of childhood.

Adults change, Children change - almost continuously, it seems. My own two boys had changed out of all recognition after six years and I am still getting used to the way they look now.

Children need Dads
I resumed contact with my boys after the youngest attempted suicide at twelve years of age. Even now, it is hard to be certain of exactly which event or series of events hastened such an occurrence. He was being bullied at school, a school that was quite inappropriate for him, and there were other issues also; but I did conclude one very clear message: Children need their fathers. Let us be quite clear about this: Children need fathers. At the very least, they need someone to ‘be’ their father.

Naturally
Many aspects of the Stepfather role do come naturally. I try to keep to a golden rule: When I am with the children, I find out what it is they want to do, and (providing it is not something too inappropriate), I try to do just that with them. One of my children loves to mess around on the PC. At twelve years of age, he knows more than I am likely to understand in the next ten years, and I really learn from him. Another of my children is an ‘expert’ (from my point of view) with video games, and as much as I discourage violence, I find a certain childish pleasure in destroying armies and blasting my way out of guarded rooms with a twenty-millimetre Superlaser Cannon.

It is easier for an adult to understand a child than it is for a child to understand an adult. Adults have been children, but children have a way to go before they have had your experiences and develop into adults. So give in and play those games. Preserve a small part of you that relates easily to a child. You may be ‘only young once’, but I’ve always stashed away a small part of me that’s “immature forever” and bring it out just to play around with once in a while with the kids!

In life, it is easy to get the feeling that you should automatically ‘know what to do’ - as if we have all had experience in handling everything life can throw at us. Many things do come naturally. Many do not. Perhaps the major factor is whether you love the children enough to really want it to work, to really want to help them grow into mature and capable adults.

Stephen Kaye is an Author and businessman. He owns www.kaymexdirect.co.uk.

Until recently, traditional parenting techniques such as consequences, points and rewards, and spanking have been used by parents throughout the world as effective measures of correction for behaviors deemed socially inappropriate. In fact, schools continue to use all of these, including spanking, as a measure to deter problem behaviors in children. New findings from the field of neuroscience are demonstrating that such measures may in fact be detrimental to healthy brain development in children and may even be one of the major causes of the over-prescription of medication.

What Science Reveals

The amygdala is an almondshaped cluster of nerve fibers which is located at the base of the brain. According to New York University neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux, author of The Emotional Brain and Synaptic Self, it is the fear receptor of the brain. It is primarily responsible for sensing threats in the environment. As such, the amygdala is not a part of the higher evolved thinking brain, but rather controls the emotional hemisphere of an individual. This area of the brain is directly linked to the first place stress hormones released from within the neural system, scientifically known as corticotrophin releasing factor. Parenting techniques which are threatening, fear-based, lacking in empathy or parental compassion can cause the amygdala to release large amounts of stress hormones into the brain and body system. In many instances, this release, if occurring routinely, without sufficient interruption, can create the experience of trauma.

Trauma

Trauma is defined as any stressful event which is prolonged, overwhelming, or unpredictable. Traumatic levels of stress hormones distributed via the amygdala have the potential to create neuronal damage to another area of the brain responsible for clear thinking and short-term memory. In fact, research points out that during times of high stress, thinking processes become confused and distorted, and the short-term memory is suppressed. Findings from the field of neuroscience indicate that during critical times of development, the use of such punitive techniques for behavior control may initiate the early framework for difficulty interacting in important social arenas such as in school and with peers. These social struggles are most often noted by behavior described as hyperactive, depressed, or aggressive. These behaviors then become the basis for medication being prescribed to children. In this instance, not only may the medication being prescribed mask a deeper challenge for the child, but it may possibly be being administered for all of the wrong reasons.

Information regarding the connection between punitive behavior management, stress, increasingly disruptive behavior and the routine prescription of medication to children for the purpose of promoting behavior that the adult world can more readily tolerate is not often discussed within parenting and educational forums. The field of neuroscience has been less successful in sharing their message than pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, parents are being encouraged to educate themselves both about the use of traditional parenting techniques and the use of psychiatric medication in children.

Copyright© 2006 Dr. Bryan Post. All rights reserved.

For an updated list of recommended readings on the subject, please visit the: Beyond Consequences Institute. To learn more about positive parenting techniques, visit www.postfamilysystem.com and
www.parentingtheadoptedchild.com .
B. Bryan Post PhD, LCSW, is an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of children and families struggling with issues related to trauma, attachment and bonding.