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Print This! Vaccination Schedule for Children

Wondering what shots you can expect at your child’s next well visit or check up? Here is a list of the most common vaccinations given along with the recommended ages of when children should receive them. It is a vaccination schedule you can print and take with you to your pediatrician’s office. While most children will follow this shot schedule, keep in mind that your individual child’s health profile may require different guidelines for vaccination. You may have the option to combine vaccines or have them administered separately. This information is taken from www.cdc.gov/vaccines/chedules/index.html. Hepatitis B Three inoculations Birth 1-2 … Continue reading →

The Importance of a Routine

In my original blog, which started this “series,” I looked at defining the word housekeeping and introduced the concept of being the manager of your home. I then went into the three main tasks of a manager…planning, coordinating and organizing. Now we are going to look at the second definition to housekeeping, which is “the routine tasks that must be done in order for a system to function or to function efficiently.” In this blog we will focus on the importance of a routine and in my next blog we will focus on “functioning efficiently” in the home. The word … Continue reading →

Helping the “Parentified” Child

My last blog talked about children who have assumed responsibilities inappropriate for their age, and now must learn to be children—to trust, to explore, to play, to allow the adopted parent to parent any younger siblings. Most older children go through a “honeymoon phase” with their new family. When newly placed, they greatly desire to please these new adults who have the power to care for them and the hope of a family to offer. During this phase, behavior is generally fairly good. “Parentified” children may be uncommonly good at chores and self-care activities. Conflict in the early stages of … Continue reading →

The Importance of Routine for a Young Child

As a person, I usually thrive more on the spontaneous rather than the routine. I tend to get inspired and follow those inspirations rather than doing the same things at the same time on the same days. That said, even I can recognize the benefit of a routine, especially when there are certain things that just need to be done. Even within a routine there can be some flexibility and spontaneity, but having a routine can make life with little ones much easier for everyone involved. Why is a routine so important for young children? Well, for one thing, a … Continue reading →

The Importance of Family Time

Numerous studies have shown how important it is to children to have quality time with their parents and siblings. From research that shows that children who have a regular family dinner time are less likely to be involved with drugs, to surveys of children that say that the one thing they really want more of is time with their parents, there is no doubt in my mind that family time is very important. There really is no time that is too early to establish the routine of family time. You can start with eating together at a meal. If you … Continue reading →

Children’s Television Shows to Promote Exercise?

Way back in the Dark Ages (by that, I mean, before electricity) children worked out on the farms with their fathers. They hoed and weeded, milked cows, carried hay bales, and got scads of exercise. They ate fresh produce, meat and eggs, nothing came out of a box, and they were trim. When television and computers came along, advertisers spent quite a bit of money calling attention to themselves until every home had at least one television and then at least one computer. Children began spending more and more time inside with their noses glued to screens, and they began … Continue reading →

Summer Bedtime Battle

If you have young children, getting them to cooperate at bedtime can be a challenge during the school year; however, during the summer months, the conflict typically intensifies. In my home, bedtime battles are as heated as the Sahara sun. If even a sliver of daylight can be seen on the horizon, my 8-year-old thinks she should be wide awake and as far away from a bed as possible. So, you can imagine how brutal bedtime is when the sun rises just after 5 a.m. and doesn’t set until nearly 9 p.m. Summer’s extended daylight is great for farmers, but for … Continue reading →

Are You Sleeping?

I’ve struggled with getting a good night’s sleep from the time I was a young teenager. When I became a single mother the problem only intensified. As a single parent it felt as if the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I had so much to worry about and was finding myself up at all hours of the night unable to get the sleep that I needed. I had tried all kinds of sleep aids, but to no avail. As the problem continued I found myself more exhausted than ever. I was unable to do the things that … Continue reading →

Dividing Your Time

One of the strategies that I use to make sure I get enough time to rest and get things done is I divide my to-do list into two categories: things I can do when my son is awake and things I must do while he is asleep. There are certain tasks, like washing dishes, that are best performed when he is awake. He can play in the kitchen, and if I give him a few clean pots and pans to play with, he is a happy camper. Writing is something I need to do when he is asleep. I need … Continue reading →

Adventures in Sleep Training (Day 2)

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Eighteen minutes. That is how long it took my little guy to fall asleep tonight. When I first decided to teach my son how to fall asleep by himself, I was fully prepared to wait an hour or more. I’m so glad this has not been the case so far. Today was very difficult, yet everything confirmed my suspicions that he was not getting enough sleep. Last night he fell asleep a little after 8:30 and he did not wake up to eat until 11:30. He awoke at 3am, 6:30am, and 8am. He slept nearly 12 hours instead of his … Continue reading →