DadTrends » Tips and Secrets

10 tips you must know to stay fit during pregnancy

community — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Stay fit during pregnancy (yes pregnant mums, you too! ).
Exercising in pregnancy is great for you and your baby, as long as you are sensible and follow some guidelines. Not only does exercising release endorphins which will make you feel great, it is also great to prepare your body for labour and birth. Many studies have shown that mothers who are fit generally have a far easier labour and delivery than mothers who are unfit. It doesn’t have to be a lot of exercise, but every little bit helps. Below are some tips for exercising while pregnant. Please note though, that for both yours and your baby’s safety, you should always consult your Lead Maternity Carer (LMC),or the medical professional overseeing your pregnancy if you are not in New Zealand, about what exercise is appropriate for you to do while pregnant.

Timers – the ultimate ace up your sleeve

stefan — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:02:47 +0000

Some days parenting comes down to a very simple question. How do you get your kids to do something they don’t want to do? So we come up with tricks, treats, threats and cheats. Sometimes they work, then they don’t … and because there are always days when nothing works it’s useful to have a few tricks up your sleeve that you only use in real emergency situations.

One of the ultimate tricks (we found) is using an egg timer (or any timer / alarm clock). A timer suddenly adds a sense of urgency to a given situation. When it goes off there’s a clear signal that something else needs to happen. Combined with an element of competition (“I bet you can’t get dressed before the timer goes off”) often works a treat for ambitious preschoolers who are only too keen to show off.

Sequence of how baby teeth come out

stefan — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:23:24 +0000

We originally posted this article 3 years ago. It’s been super popular ever since so I thought it’s useful to have it up on the home page again for a while. Enjoy – Stef

Now that our little champ has pushed out his first two teeth and we are (anxiously) awaiting the next ones to emerge I was wondering what the usual sequence for teething is anyway. Well – as it turns out the good people of the “Journal of American Dental Association” already did some research back in 1974 to answer exactly that question.

[image by sedron.com]

Eruption Sequence of baby teeth (also called “Deciduous Teeth” or “Primary Teeth”) in months after birth:

Practical tips to prevent shaken baby syndrome

stefan — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:21:37 +0000

“Shaken Baby Syndrome” is a term used to describe a set of injuries that result from shaking a baby. For examples in New Zealand around 20 babies are admitted to hospitals every year with injuries resulting from shaking a baby, many more are admitted with other forms of abuse. One in five of these babies die, many have other injuries including brain damage, paralysis, blindness, deafness, fits, learning and behaviour difficulties. More babies are admitted to hospital with a recognised head injury which is probably the resulting of shaking.

Why is this happening?

Tackling toddler tantrums

community — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 02:23:48 +0000

I’m currently marking research papers for a class I teach within the Communicative Disorders Assistant program at Durham College. In class we discuss enhancing communication for individuals with autism, Down’s syndrome and other special needs. It’s inspiring! ‘Baby sign language’ is becoming more and more common place and parents of children of any ability are more comfortable with the idea of signing with their children. Whether someone uses speech, text, sign or pictures … any communication helps!

Baby signing makes a big difference during the first two years with a child. My daughter’s first sign was “NO” at 11 months and at 18 months she had over 80 words (a combination of spoken words and signs). Typically, toddlers at 18 months have about 10-20 words. That’s a big difference when it comes to communicating with your child.

Trick and treat

stefan — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:28:34 +0000

Here’s a tip on giving your kids treats … guilt-free! Get your hands on some gummy bear vitamins … they are available in most pharmacies or even super markets (various brands). Check for age suitability and FDA approval etc – then give them to your children as a treat (usually about 1 – 2 a day – not more) . Most of the vitamin gummy bears taste just like other treats but they have the added bonus on supplying your kids with additional vitamins. This is especially useful in winter and the cold & flu seasons when it’s sometimes hard to find fresh fruit&veg to supply vitamins.

We found this literally works ‘a treat’ with our little one!

Enjoy

-Stef

The Amazing People Club

stefan — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 22:57:41 +0000

Check out “The Amazing People Club” (amazingpeopleclub.com) if you are looking for some inspiration with history lessons for your kids (or just any inspiration). They publish inspirational stories about amazing people in history and bring you “face to face” with individuals that have helped form the world we live in today. It’s a different take on just reading books or Wikipedia entries.

There’s a free eStories/Audios give away every month for people who join (which is free). This month are giving away the ‘Thomas Edison – Father of Invention’ eStory. If ever you needed an example for your kids of a guy who just wouldn’t give up to achieve his vision (literally) – Thomas Edison would be it.

Enjoy!

-Stef

DIY with dad – toddler stilts

community — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 23:23:42 +0000

I was talking about stilts with a friend the other day, and remembered the old coffee can stilts that were popular when I was a kid. For Jack and Tess, I thought the tall coffee cans would make me a little too nervous, so I used some pieces of 2×4 wood instead. They were a huge hit. It was so funny to watch them in action. And when they get really good at it, I can make them a little taller.

To make them, I just drilled a hole through the wood and tied on some rope. Simple!

By Joel Henriques
Madebyjoel.com

World Oceans Day 2011

stefan — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 21:50:42 +0000

Hey, did you know it’s World Oceans Day today? Yup it is and so today is a day to celebrate all the amazing things that the oceans provide to life on earth. Perfect opportunity to amaze your kids with some fun facts about oceans and marine life – here’s our list of 20 things you didn’t know about oceans:

Some fish can walk on land.

Some fish can change from female to male.

You can tell the age of some fish by counting the rings on their scales.

Fish can’t close their eyes.

The Arctic Ocean produces up to 50,000 icebergs a year.

Blue whales are the largest animals that have ever lived-they’re even bigger than dinosaurs!

A blue whale’s heart weighs up to 2,000 pounds.

A blue whale’s tongue can weigh as much as an elephant.

The male orca whale’s dorsal (back) fin is almost six feet high-the height of a tall man.

A baby orca is usually born tail-first.

Children’s allowances – when to give and when not

community — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:55:11 +0000

By Andrew Lendnal

Do you consider giving your children pocket money or an allowance essential? Is it bribery to ensure basic chores get done, or does it teach them budgeting, saving and basic money management skills? In truth, it’s probably a bit of both, and I don’t think either is a bad thing.

Children watch and learn all the time, so start as soon as you can to model these money skills. Let children handle money and use the language of money when talking to them about shopping, or even a trip to the cash machine. In these days of credit cards, eftpos and internet banking, children rarely see money going out. But it comes in via ATMs, and of course eftpos cash-out – they could easily think you go shopping and get paid to do it!