Parents Guide to High Chairs

If you are looking for the best kind of high chair for your toddler or baby. This high chair is very cleanable, durable, and has many other good simplicity features that are available today to entertain your child.

 

The known number one best high chair that everyone seems to agree on is the fisher price healthy care high chair. This high chair has a vinyl cover that can be very easy to wipe off when it is dirty and it can also be machine-washed which is a very good feature to have. Also the cushion vinyl cover on this high chair is very comfortable that your child will actually want to set with you at the dinner table and eat actually meals with you.

 

The high chair frame is a very sturdy frame and can be folded for easy storage and is portable. It also can be adjusted to several different heights to fit your child. It also comes with a feature for those busy moms that only have one hand to spare; the bottom part of the food tray can be removed easily and is dishwasher safe so you go not have to do it the old fashion way of washing the tray. The seat of this high chair is very roomy and can recline back if your child ends up falling asleep in it to use it like a reclining chair for nap times. There are many different kinds of fisher price healthy care high chairs out there and some of these chairs come with some very fun toys for your child's entertainment. The cushion on the chair is going to make your child comfortable.

 

This fisher price healthy care high chair usually, depending on what store and depending on what type of a healthy care high chair you get like if they have toys or not, cost around about sixty to little over one hundred dollars. The fisher price healthy care high chair also can convert into a booster seat for your growing toddler. Another fisher price healthy care high chair is the aquarium highchair, which has a water filled toy tray, which can be removed at feeding time, that has floating bubbles, swimming fish, and a sights and sounds feature that is activated by your baby. This high chair plays four sound effects and plays six different songs. The wheels for this fisher price healthy care high chair also lock out so your baby's movements will not move the high chair when he or she is in it. Furniture for children is great for your home, and for keeping your toddler seated.

 

Some other features that a fisher price healthy care high chair includes are a five-point restraint, a durable steel frame, convenient towel bar, and a footrest. When storing the high chair away the tray just snaps onto the back legs. You can keep your high chair for years, and it will then become an antique.

 

 

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Parents Getting Early Start on Kids' Supply Lists

Early Start

 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 55 million students will return to school this year, and moms aren't waiting until the last minute to start their shopping. A 2005 back-to-school survey by Parenting® magazine's Mom Connections® revealed that nearly 90 percent of moms begin their back-to-school shopping at least two weeks or more before the first day of school-with more than half starting their shopping one to three months ahead of time. And more than 50 percent of moms say they look forward to taking their children to buy school supplies.

 

The Basics

 

"Our mothers are using this time to reflect on their youth and to fondly remember when their mothers took them back-to-school shopping," says Cheryl Wilbur, market researcher at Parenting magazine.

 

So what are moms buying? Certain tried-and-true products, such as Elmer's Washable School Glue and Glue Sticks, still show up year after year. Moms say certain brands, such as Elmer's Glue, No. 2 pencils and Mead® notebooks, make them feel nostalgic for the first day of school. Most moms buy at least two bottles of white glue and three glue sticks per school year. Other list must-haves include folders, notebooks, lunchboxes, scissors, glue, pencils, rulers and calculators.

 

Moms aren't skimping on school supplies either. "The average American family is spending between $35 and $50 per child on back-to-school supplies," Wilbur says. More than 75 percent of moms say their children need more items for school than they did as children, with nearly 50 percent of moms saying their children need more than twice as many supplies.

 

 

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Parents, Kids and Time Alone

“What are some of the ways in which you explain to kids that mom and dad need time alone, without feeling guilty about it?” A journalist, writing an article on having time alone and couple time when you have kids, asked me this question.

 

Parents will feel guilty only when they believe that they are doing something wrong by spending time alone and couple time without their children. This is a false belief.

 

The truth is that children grow up far healthier emotionally when their parents are happy and fulfilled, even if it means that their parents spend less time with them. When parents understand that they are being good parents by taking loving care of themselves and their relationship, their children will understand this.

 

One way of helping children understand this is to introduce the concept of “time alone” very early in a child’s life. By the time a child is three, he or she can easily understand the concept of time alone. If, each time you spend time alone with your child, you say, “This is our time alone,” your child will begin to understand the concept. When you have time to yourself, you can say, “This is my time alone with myself.” When you spend time with your partner, you can say, “This is Mom and Dad’s time alone together.” Parents can tell their children, as soon as they are capable of understanding the words, “We need time alone with you, with each other, and with ourselves. All of us need to respect this about each other.”

 

Our three children fully understood the concept of “time alone” because we spent time alone with each of them. They came to understand and respect at a very young age the need for time alone.

 

If you put yourself aside and don’t spend time with yourself and with your partner, you are giving your children unhealthy role modeling. You are teaching them that others are always responsible for meeting their needs. You are teaching them to feel entitled to your time and attention rather than helping them learn to respect others’ time. You are teaching them that it is okay to demand that others put themselves aside for them, which may create narcissistic behavior.

 

Healthy parenting means finding a balance between being with your children, being with your partner, and being with yourself. For your children to grow up taking responsibility for their own needs and feelings, they need to see you taking responsibility for your needs and feelings. Constantly sacrificing yourself for your children does not role model personal responsibility.

 

Children need to experience you and your spouse enjoying your time with each other, as well as with yourselves. They need to see you pursuing your work, hobbies, creativity and passions in order to understand that they also need to find their passions. If you are always there to meet your children’s needs, how can they discover who they are and what brings them joy? Always being there to meet your children’s needs for entertainment creates a dependency on others rather than finding these resources within themselves.

 

Many people grow up not knowing how to be alone with themselves. Because they were either always in front of a TV or being entertained by their parents, they never discovered how to “play by themselves.”

 

Of course it is very important to have enough time alone with your children. But it is equally important to have enough time alone with your spouse and with yourself. When you understand this, you will stop feeling guilty about taking your time alone. When you no longer feel guilty, your children will learn to stop guilting you and respect your needs.

 

 

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Parents' Involvement in Schools Is Critical

One way to help your child to succeed in school may be to drop by for a visit. A little involvement can go a long way, say experts at National Parent Teacher Association (PTA). You don't have to spend hours at school each week. Even a monthly visit can make a difference.

 

When parents get involved:

 

Students have better attendance records.

 

Students achieve higher test scores and grades.

 

Students have higher graduation rates and are more likely to pursue higher education.

 

Students build stronger relationships with parents.

 

According to National PTA, only one in four parents are actively involved in their children's education. For working parents, that number drops to only one in nine.

 

"When parents take an active role in their children's education, it has a very positive effect," reports Warlene Gary, CEO of National PTA. "Parents need to stay involved from kindergarten through high school to assure that their children get the kind of education that will help them succeed."

 

National PTA and The Advertising Council have launched a campaign encouraging parent involvement in schools. Through various forms of media, the campaign encourages parents to join PTA and offers a Web site to connect parents with simple tips and ideas to get involved in their children's school and education.

 

Here are a few ways to get started:

 

Talk to your child's teacher. Let her know all about your child's interests and ask how you can support learning at home.

 

Plan a lunch date with your children in the school cafeteria.

 

Attend parent-teacher conferences.

 

 Join the PTA.

 

Go to school events such as back-to-school night.

 

Keep current on school policies, schedules and rules.

 

Attend school board meetings.

 

Check your school's Web site.

 

Talk to your child's school counselor if you have any concerns or questions.

 

 

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Parents – Exercise Your Control

Just as it is your job to protect your children in everyday life, it is your job as a parent to protect your children online. Parents who wouldn’t allow their children to go out with people they don’t know often think nothing of letting their children spend hours online chatting with strangers. Today, online crimes can easily enter your home, so it is your responsibility to make your child aware of the online dangers that exist. In addition to communicating with your child about online safety, pro-active parents can purchase software that may prevent potential problems.

 

Filtering programs such as Net Nanny and Cyber Patrol can offer some restriction to inappropriate web sites that might contain pornography. However, these programs aren’t foolproof and do not provide real-time alerts and notification. Your child may still be able to access some pornographic sites and some legitimate sites may accidentally be blocked.

 

If you are concerned about your child’s online activities, a parental control service by Online Safety PAL and program like Online Safety Shield can be used to help ensure online child safety when you are not around.  These programs and services are set-up to record and monitor all computer activity and provide real-time alert notification. Parents can create a list of certain specific forbidden words, such as pornography or sex. If any of these words are typed during a session, the program automatically records it. The online monitoring feature can give parents peace of mind by being able to view online recordings. Working parents can even set the program to send them alert emails to their computer and text messages on their mobile phones to let them know when there has been any improper use of the computer. If your child attends after school care that has Internet access, be sure to check with them to see if they use a control or filtering program.

 

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Parenting Styles

The most difficult job in the world is to be a parent and it's the one job that no one does any training for. New parents get tons of advice from family, friends and experts in the media. All this advice is sometimes contradictive and it's very confusing. Sometimes, you just have to follow your own instinct. After all, no one knows the child like his or her own parents. If a strong bond is forged between parent and child in the early years, the family will survive the difficult teenage years, which will surely come. Parents have different parenting styles when it comes to the thorny issue of discipline. Debates rage on which methods are the best.

 

One of the constant arguments is over corporal punishment, to smack or not to smack. Smacking was commonplace when I was a kid and it was part of life. It was probably overused and some parents did it out of habit, rather than as a well thought out strategy to instill a sense of right and wrong. I tended to be smacked when I was being a nuisance rather than for the times when I was actually doing something bad. It was an unthinking response of the older generation, a lot of the time. Sometimes, it was calculated of course, and more like going to the Head Teacher's office to get the cane. The next generation started to question parenting styles and a lot of people rejected smacking altogether.

 

If smacking is outlawed in the home, what can replace it? There are different measures, which parents employ, according to their choice of parenting styles. Stopping TV for a week or two is one way, or grounding a child may do the trick. It's really a mercenary act of getting them where it hurts. Some kids will prefer a quick smack to being grounded and not being able to see their friends. Sending a child to his room doesn't seem to work like it used to. These days, children's bedrooms are full of the latest gadgets and home entertainment centers. It's not exactly a place of punishment or quiet reflection!

 

Parents are very busy people, running a home and holding down jobs. It's tempting to give in to children's demands when you come home exhausted from a day at work. Kids can sense weakness and know when to strike! Parenting styles may have relaxed over the years and no one wants to go back to the Victorian severity when children were seen and never heard. However, it's important that we don't tip too far the other way. We don't do our kids any favors by giving in to their every whim, and what they need most of all is our attention.

 

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Parenting---Roots and Wings

I’m sure many of you have heard that old Hallmark card adage that goes something like this: Parents give their children two great gifts---one is roots, the other is wings. This is what I address in this article.

 

As parents, we pray for our children’s safety, health and happiness. We do everything we know to help make these things happen for them.

 

At some point in our lives, we developed the principles and values that guide our life decisions. Our parents and/or caregivers certainly had influence over this but not complete determination. Some of us gladly adopted the values of our parents and continue to live by them today. Some of us so completely rejected our parents’ values that our decisions are determined by doing the exact opposite of what we believe our parents would do.

 

Most of us, however, are somewhere in the middle---we have accepted some of our parents’ values and rejected others. This is a normal process of development. As parents, though, we really fight that period in our children’s lives when they are attempting to differentiate themselves from us.

 

Maybe it is because we fear for their safety in their decision-making. Maybe we can see that they are engaging in unhealthy behavior or heading down a life path that will ultimately lead to unhappiness. Whatever the reason, we get scared if our children’s values differ too much from our own.

 

What can we, as parents, do? First of all, as we raise our children, we are helping to strengthen their roots. This is the first gift a parent gives their child. How does one strengthen roots? We tend, we nurture, we feed, and we cultivate---all to develop strong roots.

 

Sharing our value system with our children is critical to this process. In sharing values, remember that people pay more attention to what they see, as opposed to what they hear. Therefore, if you are a parent who tells your children it is wrong to smoke while you are toking on your cigarette, know that their interpretation of smoking will likely be different from what you are verbally espousing.

 

A developmental task of adolescence is separation and individuation. This is the time when children are attempting to separate themselves from their parents to an extent. It can be a very frightening time for parents. What do we do? This is the time for the second parental gift---wings.

 

We want to give our children gradual “flying” lessons. Children are not ready to go from the total and complete shelter of their parents’ protection to being absolutely out on their own. This must be a gradual process.

 

Dr. Nancy Buck, in her book Peaceful Parenting, says it best. “We limit freedom for as long as it takes to teach responsible behavior and then we give back the freedom.” We want our children learning the precarious process of making decisions while they are still under our semi-protection.

 

During the teen years is the perfect time to allow our teens to begin the process of deciding what their own set of values will be. If you have done a good job with the roots and you handle the next part with a minimum of confrontation, then the value process will go relatively smoothly.

 

Remember, your teen is doing nothing different than you did. The only difference is that you were wrestling with your parents’ values and your teen is wrestling with YOUR values. It has a very different feel to it, but it is the same nonetheless. You may say that your value system works just fine for you and your teen needs to see things the same way you do. However, the reality is that you cannot know what is best for another person, including your children. You are not them. You do not occupy their skin. Only they can truly decide what is best for them and then they will have to live with the consequences of their decisions.

 

I remember when my oldest son was sixteen and working as a waiter in a local diner. He became involved in a confrontation with a customer over a racial remark the customer made. When hearing the story, I was extremely proud that my son stood up for equality and fairness but was actually mortified by his immature, locker room behavior that he displayed! No, I will not print exactly what he did but suffice it to say that it was not a proud maternal moment.

 

My son and I had several conversations about this incident over the next few days and I was unable to get him to understand that what he had done was inappropriate. Finally, he said to me, “Mom, I know you want me to say that I was wrong but I’m not ashamed of what I did. In fact, I would do exactly the same thing if the situation presents itself again.” Wow, I guess he told me!

 

I had to practice what I preach. His value system was not matching up with mine. It was very clear to me that he was “wrong”, however, in his world at that time, he did the “right” thing for him. When you give your child wings, you need to allow them to do things their own way even if you are sure a better way exists. You can offer your better way in the form of a suggestion, but then get out of the way and allow your child to make the decision and to manage the consequences that occur because of that decision.

 

This process helps our children become better decision makers. We talk with our children about all the choices that exist, and then examine the pros and cons of each choice. After that, we must step back and allow our children to make the decision that’s right for them. Then, we can talk to them about how things worked out but never protect them from the consequences of their decisions. This is where the learning takes place.

 

You are there to support them and help them manage the consequences but don’t intervene on their behalf and also don’t assume that “I told you so” attitude. That does not teach your child anything but not to come to you to talk things over anymore.

 

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Parenting Groups

Parenting Groups

 

We all know parenting is hard, though some moms and dads refuse to admit they have any problems. When the going gets rough, it’s always good to have someone to talk to about your problems, and to get advice from those who have already been through what you are facing. Parenting groups were designed for just this reason, and you can find them online in great numbers, and you may also find them in your community. No matter what parenting throws at you, there is someone out there to help you out. If you can’t find any parenting groups near you, you may just want to start one yourself.

 

There are parenting groups out there for everyone. You can find ones that are full of moms nearby, or you can chat with parents from around the world. You never know, you may find some of your closest friends this way. Parenting groups also tend to cater to a certain age group. Many groups are sectioned off so that parents of young children know where to find each other, and parents of rebellious teenagers know where to post to find the most support. No matter what problem you are facing, there is someone who has been there, and they may have the best solution for your problem.

 

There are also parenting groups in your community and online that deal with very special issues. If you have a special needs child, you have a whole host of issues that some other parents may not have been through and cannot fully understand. Any parent can keep you company and offer you compassion, but the real help comes from other parents with special needs children. They may offer you information you may not have found on your own, as well as teach you coping skills to help you and your family to deal with your unique family situation.

 

You can also find parenting groups for conditions and problems. If you have a child with a medical condition, there are other parents just like you out there who are more than willing to offer you support and guidance. If you have a teenager who has a drinking problem, or who keeps running away, there are parenting groups out there just for you. It won’t take you long to find them, and you will be glad you did. Sometimes having someone to talk to helps, even if they can’t solve your problems for you.

 

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Parenting Tips Teenage Risk-taking

Why do teens think that it’s so okay to do things that are so risky, like driving recklessly or taking drugs or doing things that really put their lives in jeopardy?

 

Adolescence is really a time of so many changes. One of those is that teenagers are seeking to identify who they are as an individual and a part of that process involves risk taking.

 

So, the first thing we need to realize is that risk taking is normal during adolescence.  However, risk taking can be positive such as trying out new sports or creative activities. Or it may be negative and these are the activities we see, notice and really worry about.

 

These worrying activities may be a risk to our teen’s health. You know things like using drugs or alcohol, unprotected sex, staying out late at night and thinking “Oh nothing will happen to me,” or maybe even staying out all night.

 

Although a teenager may have the body of an adult it has recently been proven that their brain is not fully developed until they're in their early twenties - about the age of twenty-four in most young people.

Because of this they usually don’t rationalize what they're doing. They also have a belief that they won’t die until they're old and that nothing bad will happen to them.

 

As parents we need to first have a look at our own risk taking behaviors. Remember, teenagers are always watching their parents and imitating them. We also need to remember that drugs include things like alcohol. Many parents forget that alcohol is a drug, so therefore don’t consider that they're modeling risk taking behavior.

 

Let me give you an example. Jared came to me and he was worried when he found out that his son was going off to the local park with his friends and drinking alcohol almost every night. They were just sitting in the park and chatting and drinking alcohol. When he returned home he was often intoxicated.

 

So, after some discussion with Jared in one of our sessions I found out that for years on a daily basis when Jared arrived home from work his wife gave him a whisky to relax. And that’s how it was described. “I just have a whisky to relax after my long day at work.”

 

We had a long hard talk about this and the next day after work Jared sat with his son and said to him, “Hey I’ve realized that I’ve developed a really, really bad habit. I’m having a drink every day and I’ve decided I’m stopping straight away. I really don’t need to drink to relax and I’ve got myself into this habit.”

 

So what Jared had done was to show his son that he wasn’t infallible and that he was able to correct what he was doing. He also showed him “Hey son, I mess up sometimes too but I’m able to look at it and change what I’m doing. I don’t have to just stay on that same pathway.”

 

So, rather than be judgmental of his son he was able to say, “Learn from me son. Don’t develop a bad habit that may be hard to stop.”

 

Teenagers are learning from us all the time, learning bad habits and learning good habits. You know teenagers generally look to their parents for advice, modeling and how to assess risks. So, communication’s got to be open and without ordering or judgment. So teens are going to listen and learn how to assess risks.

 

Let’s face it. There are risks in everything we do whether it’s just getting into a car. When I get into my car to drive to work, that’s a risk. It’s a risk that I assess just the same as if I was getting into a car with a group of teenagers. That would certainly be a different risk assessment for me!

 

What you need to teach your teens is that there are a variety of consequences for every risk you take. Some risks are okay because they're not going to generally result in serious injury to your health.

 

Most smoking, drinking and drug taking takes place in a peer group. So, one of the most important things you can do is encourage your kids to bring their friends home so that you can see what they're doing, and so you know their friends. It is essential that your children have a good group of friends who are healthy role models.

 

Your teens also need to have good self-esteem. This gives them the confidence that when they are in a situation of peer pressure they are able to say NO when they really want to.

 

Risk taking however can get out of hand, and this is when I sometimes get to see at risk teens in my practice. When unhealthy risk taking falls into a pattern and is no longer something that you and they can work through with open communication you need assistance.

 

Dangerous teenage risk taking, especially when it’s frequent and it includes a number of behaviors all at once, like drinking, driving recklessly, excessive dieting, drug taking etc is a warning sign. When risk taking is accompanied by depression and falling of grades at school it is time that you need to urgently talk to the school, find out what’s happening there, also see your doctor as soon as possible to discuss your fears. Your doctor will most likely refer your teen to a psychologist.

 

However, you’ll have serious problems getting them there if you haven’t kept the communication lines open. You need to be able to talk to them in terms of feelings. “You look like you're really down today.” “I can hear you're not really happy.”

 

So, unless you’ve got communication lines open, if you’ve been angry with them and judgmental, you will not get them to see a psychologist, not effectively. A lot of kids can visit a psychologist or therapist and play the game – that is give the expected answers. However to have them really listen and benefit they need to be there because they can see they need help.

 

It’s very distressing because I’ve seen excessive risk taking and depression escalate into suicide. It is very important that parents don’t push their teens away at this time. It’s not the time for ordering or issuing out ultimatums. Because if you do you might drive your teen into running away, and then you will have no influence at all. You will not be able to help.

 

Remember it’s better to know what they are doing and be able to talk to them about it and get them to help. It’s not an easy job, being the parent of a teen. The most important advice to parents is to stay connected and keep the communication lines open. Make sure that your child knows they are loved, that they are appreciated and valued.

 

It’s a very difficult time. But unfortunately around the world things like teen suicide are realities. And sometimes we don’t see the warning signs and we don’t push them to suicide but we push them away in terms of being judgmental and talking in terms of ‘you should have,’ ‘you ought to,’ ‘it’s your fault.’ You know sometimes parent say, ‘let me tell you what happened to me.’ Well that’s not the way to do it.

 

Using language like, “It sounds like you're very frustrated,” “I can see you're really upset by the class change, is that right?” “It’s your choice. What can I do to help you?” “Oh you are so competent. You make me so happy when you…”

 

So, you can see the difference in the language. And straight away you get a different response from your teen.

 

It is the whole community’s responsibility to help the teens really get through the hardest years of their life. Remember throughout the teenage years they have all the extra hormones and other pressures going on as well as dealing with what’s happening in the world. They really get affected in a way that sometimes we just don’t understand.

 

 

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