Why do we always feel the need to be productive? Always having to be on the move or keep our mind occupied. It feels like any time there is silence we have to fill it with some thing, god forbid there be a moment of uncomfortable silence to reflect in. It almost appears as though we are scared to spend a moment in silence. As though we’re afraid of what we might come to realize during our silent contemplation.

To reflect on your own personal reality is one of the most effective ways to get in alignment with your goals, desires and passion. Most people are not even aware of what they want to experience in life; they’ve become caught up in being “comfortable” keeping busy in order to continue being “comfortable” that they forget that there is an entire universe of possibilities awaiting them.

Silence is the key. From the silence can we begin to see cleary what we want to create in our reality. We must have the idea before we can start to build. The art of contemplation breeds change. We humans are not meant to be like gerbils, running on the treadmill of life. We must be still and listen to ourselves for a change in order to surpass the lifestyle and experience of previous generations.

Can you sit still in complete silence with your eyes closed and your hands in your lap? Could you do that for 15 minutes a day for the rest of your life? Try! Do it and see what happens. I guarantee you will see change in your life if you do this. You will begin to build a relationship with yourself that you once had when you were a child, before your mind became poisened by preconcieved notions. But don’t beleive me, do it yourself!

This simple yet underestimated way of experiencing reality is one of the missing pieces to bringing a grander experience of life to every one. Being in complete silence alone or with other people allows you to just be. They should teach a course in school called “Silience: The Art of Being”. We must go back to our infant nature and stop trying to fool ourselves in to thinking that we have it all together and understand all aspects of reality.

If we allow the idea that “we have to always be productive” to be prominate in every moment of life it will only hinder our growth as human beings. We’ll never take a moment to look and say, hey wait a minute if we keep walking the path we’re walking its only going to create more and more suffering, maybe we should change course. With out moments of silence, with our breaks in unconscious mind patterns, we won’t be able to co-create a new reality for all human beings to live in. We need to take that time and experience the simplicity silence.

Maybe we’ll all finally realize that we’re just children convinced that we’re adults.

Sit.

Shane Lamotte
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/silence-the-art-of-being-36794.html

As every parent knows children can be very picky eaters and can consume junk foods that have little nutritional value. Does this mean that every child should be taking a multivitamin? The answer to this question is not necessarily, as long as the child is getting a balanced diet he or she can receive the nutrients and vitamins they need through food intake. The problem arises when a child is eliminating a whole food group from their diets, suffers from a chronic disease, is not getting the proper amount of sunlight in their daily activities or does not drink vitamin-D fortified milk. This is when supplementation is probably a good idea. You should always consult your physician before starting your child on a multivitamin. 

What Should You Look for in a Childs Multivitamin?

You should always choose a multivitamin that is specifically formulated for children. Giving a child a supplement formulated for an adult is not a good idea. Children have smaller bodies and require fewer nutrients. For example, studies have shown that too much iron can be harmful to developing bodies. You need to be aware and follow the recommended daily dosage and remind the child that this is not candy. Always administer vitamin supplements under the supervision of a parent, even if the child is responsible enough to do it themselves.

What Vitamins and Minerals are Important to Your Child’s Health

Vitamin A – Milk and infant formulas are a very important source of vitamin A. A deficiency can occur in children with fat malabsorption or a very poor diet

Vitamin C – Many parents provide too much vitamin C to prevent colds and upper respiratory problems. Lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy which is uncommon but can occur in children under the age of one year. 

Iron – This is important in a child’s growth because it promotes strong muscles and blood production. It is good to feed children a diet high in iron. 

Calcium – This is a very important mineral for producing and maintaining strong bones. It is also an important mineral in preventing the onset of osteoporosis as we age.

Vitamin K – This is important in proper blood clotting. It can be deficient in newborns that did not receive a vitamin K shot or are being exclusively breast feed.

Fluoride – Children need fluoride after the age of six months to prevent cavities. Normally tap water is a good source of fluoride. If a child is only drinking bottled water or well water you may want to talk to your doctor about supplementation.

Zinc – This is a very important mineral for adolescents as it promotes sexual maturity.

In conclusion, it is very important that we, as parents, are aware of the nutritional requirements of our children during different stages of development. A decision needs to be made if the child is receiving proper nutrition through their diets or there are holes in the eating habits which would better be dealt with through supplementation. Remember to always consult your child’s doctor before putting them on any supplements.

John Bradstreet
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/are-vitamins-really-necessary-for-our-childrens-health-and-good-nutrition-926262.html

There are so many books, citations, mere mentions on how a thought is all what it takes to change your life.

Having read so many of these books in recent past, I’ve always found myself stuck in the simplest question – believing in what you intend to have in your life.

To begin with, there’s are many reasons why you see this around – about thinking ‘happy’ and ‘positive’ thoughts. But how do you achieve that and remain in that frame I mind constantly?

Life will always push and nudge to bring in realities that don’t match up to your intention of success, your sanity.

I’ll share with you a very simple experience.

My current state of life, as I’ve known it, has been quite amazing over the last couple of months. I’ve been quite content ‘overall’.

Now the one thing that I’ve known to flip out and stress massively on is anything got to do with finances.

Having had made some pretty serious financial mistakes a few, infant years ago, I’m still in the middle of correcting my mistakes. 2 days ago I realised of some major payments that were to be made, ones which I had conveniently forgotten recently. In a bit of a crunch recently with the interstate move and the decision to ’start from scratch’, I woke up this morning with only the thought of ‘how the hell am I gonna pull this off?’

I could not quiet my mind no matter what I tried. I worried endlessly and was constantly pensive in thought.

I consciously tried to remove myself and to visualise better things, to meditate… Everything just felt ‘lame’ at that moment.

Now yesterday, I had messaged a friend of mine just generally expressing my state of mind. This morning she had replied to the message saying ‘Dev, I want you to actively try to guide your thoughts away from what you don’t have in your life right now, to what you DO have currently on your life.’

I was standing in the balcony, stressing unconsciously when her message arrived.

At first, I scoffed at it. My thoughts – ‘what does she know?’ and ‘how the hell is that going to make any difference to my worry right now?’

But then I noticed another thought. A little voice speaking within saying to me, “Dev, it all begins in the mind. Granted you don’t have a solution right now. But how will stressing on the situation help? Let’s try and make a mental list of all that you DO have in your life right now.”

With that thought I made an attempt to make a mental list of everything I am thankful for. Honestly speaking I could not think of anything at all. I could not break away from the worry I had at hand. Then I heard my own voice trying I command my thoughts… ‘Dev! Think! What are you thankful for in your life right now!’

With that, I felt like I had to just pretend to convince that voice, and maybe make something up so I could shut it up. So I thought, real hard… and as silly as it sounded, I came up with the first thing that I felt I was thankful for in my life right now. It was a stupid reason, and I laughed at myself when I thought of it, but I was thrilled that I did it. So I tried to come up with another one. Every single moment I kept questioning how the hell is this gonna help, but I kept going.

The worry didn’t fade away. But it definitely felt ‘tamed’ after a while.

I started feeling comforted within, an unrealistic comforting surge of faith that I can pull this off. I don’t know how, yet… But just the trust in that faith helped me feel way better than I was feeling!

What happened here?

Let me be very clear. By no means this ’solved’ the problem at hand.

What this did, is that it put my mind at ease. Filled it with hope… And eventually gave me a perception of strength to be able to perceive solutions which otherwise I would’ve spent in nothing but fruitless worry and pile ups eventually.

Simply put, here are the INSTANT steps you can take to put a stop to gnawing worry and just feel centered:

1. Shut your eyes real tight. Tell yourself, ‘I am only gonna take 2 minutes from this worry to think of something else’
2. Now tell yourself ‘I’m going to count the number I times I breathe out 10 times’ – with that, do that!
3. Now think of the one thing you’d like to do if everything in your life was perfect. It may take a while, but that’s all you have to do, just pick any 1 thing that you would love doing, knowing when everything is perfect as you’d like to have it in your life.
4. Finally, blank out everything in your head and say thanks for that 2 minute experience to your mind. Be grateful to your mind that it listened to you and gave you those 2 mins you asked for peaceful day dreaming

That’s it! There’s nothing more to it.

Yes I know you’ll be like, ‘How the hell is this gonna solve my issue?’ or maybe you read this and scoff at it, saying under your breath, ‘Dev, my problems are far greater than this insignificant thing!’

I urge you to try this for just 3 days. Can you do that? As I said before, you only have to do it for 2 mins. You can do it as many times you can remember to do it in a day if you want.

I’d like to know if you did try it, what were your experiences?

As a closing line, I’d like to dedicate this post to someone I recently “met” in the online world - Carla White, the creator of The Gratitude Journal iPhone App which you can check out at http://www.happytapper.com. Thank you Carla for such a simple, yet an effective application for the world.

Devesh
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/4-steps-to-eliminate-worry-702007.html

Are you a parent who is thinking about sending your Brookline infant or toddler to a daycare program? If so, here are some tips for evaluating daycare programs in Brookline–whether it’s a preschool in Brookline, Brookline family daycare, or Brookline daycare center.

1. Choose a Licensed Facility.

An important consideration for many parents when choosing a preschool in Brookline, Brookline family daycare facility, or Brookline daycare center for their Brookline infant is whether it is licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. While licensing is not mandatory, it may give parents peace of mind knowing that the day care in Brookline they have chosen meets certain standards of quality.

2. Programs and Policies

Call the teacher or director of the Brookline daycare center or preschool in Brookline that you are interested in and ask about the focus of their program. Is it mostly free play or is there some organized curriculum such as practicing writing letters or their names, drawing pictures, or learning shapes and colors? Parents looking at day care in Brookline should also find out what the hours of operation are, when school holidays occur, and whether there is an after school program (if you need one).

3. Schedule a Visit

Prospective parents should schedule a day to visit the classroom and facilities of the Brookline preschool or Brookline daycare center they are considering. In addition to talking to the teacher and staff members, take a look at the physical premises. Is the building or home well maintained? Are the bathrooms, floors or carpets clean and the classroom area neat and tidy? Is the outdoor play area safe and secure? Does each child have a cubby or place for her personal belongings? If you have doubts, you might want to make a surprise unannounced visit.

4. Staff Members

Observe how the staff or childcare provider interact with the children. Does she seem fully engaged with the children? Is she warm and caring, taking a personal interest in each student? Does she have any teaching certifications or experience at another day care in Brookline? Consider how the provider’s style of interaction would fit with your child’s personality and needs.

5. Activities and Learning

Talk to the teacher and observe what educational materials are used. Find out if there is a set routine or if the curriculum scheduling is flexible. If there is an educational focus to the program, then classroom materials should be up to date and age appropriate.

If everything appears satisfactory, you may have found just the right facility for day care in Brookline for your child.

Jane Bartlett
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/tips-for-evaluating-daycare-programs-696159.html

Hand, foot, mouth disease is a strangely named disease that sounds archaic, like something out of the middle Ages. But don’t worry, it is a simple viral infection that is not dangerous and is quite common in infants and children. It presents with fever and blister-like sores in the mouth and a rash over the skin. Hand, Foot and Mouth disease is sometimes confused with Hoof and Mouth disease, but they are unrelated.

Conventional medicine has nothing to offer in the way of treatment for this disease, only medicaments loaded with side effects to subdue symptoms. In natural medicine, we avoid this antiquated method of medicine in lieu of remedies that benefit the sufferer, not add to suffering at a later date from side effects.

The worst part of this disease is the pain experienced in the mouth from the sores. And the best method of treating the ulcers is with Calendula and Myrrh directly on the mouth sores. Both herbs, in an alcohol base, can be found in health food stores. Although we don’t want an infant or child to ingest alcohol, these are not swallowed. The formula is as follows: 10 drops each of myrrh and calendula in 4 ounces or more of water. If the sores in the mouth are in an older child, then the mixture should be swished in the mouth like mouth wash and spit out. The herbs are not dangerous, only the alcohol is a concern. For a younger child or infant, place the mixture in a bowl and soak a clean, flannel cloth in it, then dab on the sores.

Nothing should be put on the rash. My rule of thumb is that nothing should EVER be applied to the skin unless it is 100% edible. For example, butter without salt, olive oil, coconut oil, plain yogurt are all acceptable salves to soothe and soften the skin.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is often accompanied by fever. Fever should rarely be treated. In natural medicine and homeopathy, we view fever in an acute illness such as this as an opportunity to cook off the virus. In other words, any attempt to “relieve” a child from fever is an opportunity lost. Surprisingly, we needn’t interfere as much as modern medicine would have us believe. Generally, the only concern around fever is that a child can dehydrate rapidly. To avoid this, simply keep him hydrated with plenty of water, un-pasteurized milk, freshly made juice, popsicles that are made from fresh juice and the like.

In short, just say “no” to drugs. Instead, use your common sense, mother’s intuition and simple tried and true methods of a more intelligent life style and Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease will be one more notch on your belt of success without meds.

Joette Calabrese

It is common knowledge that smoking is dangerous for your health. Smoking has also been proven to be fatal to your baby – this fact can never be overly emphasized.

Smoking is an obvious risk factor for baby colic. Studies imply that pregnant women who smoke 10-15 cigarettes a day are more likely to have give birth to infants with ailments, including baby colic. The possibility of such health risk is increased by as much as 50% as compared to women who do not smoke during pregnancy.

Baby colic is a condition that is evident in children 3-months old and below. Even as early as one week after childbirth, babies can show signs of baby colic. Symptoms would include irritability and long hours of crying you could notice a pattern in infants suffering from it. If they cry for hours for more than three days in a span of one week, and if such pattern goes on for more than three weeks, then your baby is suffering from baby colic. Although there is no known cause for such condition, medical experts attest that smoking poses a great risk for infant colic.

An adult who does not smoke would have a coughing fit once exposed in a room where people smokes excessively so you could imagine a three-month old child in the exact situation. The effects would be more adverse and more serious. Studies suggest that maternal smoking have an adverse effect in your child’s gastrointestinal tract. Smoking can aggravate your baby’s respiratory passageways and may disrupt airflow. If this happens, it is most likely that an infant would suffer from colic.

To prove the argument that smoking can trigger colic, a study was conducted in Denmark where 1800 women where invited to be observed. They were asked about their smoking habits and lifestyle. Researchers conduct a check-up during the 16th week, 30th week and 8 months after they gave birth. Thirty percent of these women are smokers. The study concluded that 11% of the children are diagnosed with colic.

The most sensible thing to do if you want to prevent your child from suffering such an ailment is to simply quit smoking. If you can’t totally eliminate your craving to puff a cigarette, then do so in some place away from your child. This simple sacrifice is not just for the sake of child’s health, it can do you good as well. Smoking is never good for anyone.

Jason Rickard
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/how-smoking-increases-the-risk-of-infant-colic-53439.html

Having to raise a baby can be quite expensive once you factor in costs such as food, clothes, toys and other miscellaneous items. So even saving money on infant jogging strollers can go a long way as you can use the funds for other things. Here are 3 tips to getting discount prices on top brand name strollers from Baby Trend to Schwinn.

1. Take advantage of clearance items at department stores

Each year new models of jogging strollers get released which means that department stores will need to room for newer inventory. This can easily translate into savings for you by taking advantage of items that go on clearance and shopping towards the end of the year. Most stores will be more than happy to negotiate with you as they need to find a way to quickly get rid of old inventory anyway.

2. Purchase online for comparison shopping

Other places to find discount prices include shopping at online retail stores and even auction sites so you can compare prices on a wide selection. This allows you to easily determine the best prices available without ever having to leave your home. Be sure to do your research ahead of time as it helps a great deal to know exactly what type and model you want.

3. Check local classified ads

One final place to find top brand name strollers at affordable prices are by checking your local classified ads. While a majority of the items are likely to be used, you can still save a great deal of money but be sure that the product is still in good condition. Going through local sellers also allows you to connect with families in your area that share similar interests.

Saving a little money here and there on baby accessories can be extremely beneficial as you can use the additional funds for other necessities. Being patient while shopping is important as you never know when you’ll come across an item at an excellent price.

Rachel Adams
http://www.articlesbase.com/babies-articles/infant-jogging-strollers-3-ways-to-get-discount-prices-1152685.html

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disease that is characterized by low or non-coordination of muscles to body movements. The disease is caused by a partial or total damage to the brain during the early stages of life. There are instances that infants that are not yet born, those still inside the womb may acquire such disease when proper care of the mother is not done.

The word cerebral is a term used by medical people to talk about the brain. The word is an adjective of cerebrum, a part of the brain that is responsible from sending neurons to the muscles. It is the one that lets human move. The term palsy on the other hand, means posture or movement disorder. Summing up the two terms and their meaning, one can arrive at one concrete meaning. Cerebral palsy based on the analogy is a disorder or imbalance in the muscle movement due to low or non-coordination of the brain.

Because the disease mostly develops during the early stages of life, the primary victims of such disease or disorder are the infants. When an infant experiences difficulty in breathing, in suckling or can bowel easily during first weeks of child birth, the same must be carefully observed. The following biological process involves the movement of the muscle. If those processes respond negatively there is a higher possibility that the child has cerebral palsy.

Infants are generally not easy to take care of. They have no natural communicating device except their baby cries. Cerebral palsied infants need extra care due to their low or non-reaction of the brain. Here are some tips to be done in proper caring for a cerebral palsied infant:

• Do not be intimidated or be shy in asking your paediatrician for the proper care of your child. There are special treatments that must be done to affect infants but you need to know it through your paediatrician. Since cerebral palsy is directly connected to body movements and the brain, there are brain and muscle therapies that are needed to be done but with the supervision or upon the prescription of professional practitioners.

• Be sensitive to your baby’s movements or reactions. Infants affected by cerebral palsy may cry often due to inability to physically react to brain. You must not take your child’s needs for granted.

• Treat your baby the normal way. Play with him. It is very important to have time for your child when you can bond with him. Psychologically, it will help your child.

Cerebral palsied infants are no ordinary babies but need to be regarded as normal. Special care and attention is needed. You can have them treated fully or at least partially.

Low Jeremy
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/proper-care-of-a-cerebral-palsied-infant-56036.html

I mean when do you start putting your infant directly in stroller as opposed to keeping the baby in carsear and then putting the car seat in a stroller. I have a 5 month old who is able to hold his neck. My husband wants to put the baby directly in the stroller. Just want to know what do other parents do. Thanks in advance!

Once my daughter got good control over her head and neck she sat in just the stroller. I think even before then, I just reclined it a little more. I never used the carseat with the stroller, however, my daughter was born in the winter so we never used it when she was real little, unless I was cooking or something.

I am constantly reading on reviews that a lot of babies grow out of their infant seat a lot sooner than 1 year. When did your little one weigh too much or was too tall for their car seat?

my son wouldnt have officially outgrown his infant seat till after 6 months, but i moved him to a convertible seat at 4 months because he was too heavy for me to carry around in the carrier, and i liked the convertible seat better

most convertibles you can use from birth, so you could always skip the infant carrier and go straight to a convertible to get the most use out of it