Tea 'healthier' drink than water

I love tea and just had many doubts what if I drink tea for 3-4 times a day. Than I just found this article which is very nice and told by experts. So friends you can check this out…….
The researchers recommend people consume three to four cups a day
Drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits, say researchers.
The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates.
Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found.Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health.

Healthy cuppa
These polyphenol antioxidants are found in many foods and plants, including tea leaves, and have been shown to help prevent cell damage.    
Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so its got two things going for it 
Lead author Dr Ruxton.
Public health nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton, and colleagues at Kings College London, looked at published studies on the health effects of tea consumption.
They found clear evidence that drinking three to four cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack.Some studies suggested tea consumption protected against cancer, although this effect was less clear-cut.
Other health benefits seen included protection against tooth plaque and potentially tooth decay, plus bone strengthening.
Dr Ruxton said: "Drinking tea is actually better for you than drinking water. Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so it's got two things going for it."
Rehydrating
She said it was an urban myth that tea is dehydrating.
"Studies on caffeine have found very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a really, really strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still have a net gain of fluid.
"Also, a cup of tea contains fluoride, which is good for the teeth," she added.
There was no evidence that tea consumption was harmful to health. However, research suggests that tea can impair the body's ability to absorb iron from food, meaning people at risk of anaemia should avoid drinking tea around mealtimes.
Tea is not dehydrating. It is a healthy drink 
Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation
Dr Ruxton's team found average tea consumption was just under three cups per day.
She said the increasing popularity of soft drinks meant many people were not drinking as much tea as before.
"Tea drinking is most common in older people, the 40 plus age range. In older people, tea sometimes made up about 70% of fluid intake so it is a really important contributor," she said.
Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation said: "Studies in the laboratory have shown potential health benefits.
"The evidence in humans is not as strong and more studies need to be done. But there are definite potential health benefits from the polyphenols in terms of reducing the risk of diseases such as heart disease and cancers.
"In terms of fluid intake, we recommend 1.5-2 litres per day and that can include tea. Tea is not dehydrating. It is a healthy drink."
Source(BBC News)

Correct Age For The Children To Get Cell Phone

Cell phones have become a must-have for kids, and the ways kids use them are not always obvious to parents. If you answer “yes” to most of the following questions, it may be time to get a cell phone for your children.

• Are your kids pretty independent?
• Do your children need to be in touch for safety reasons?

• Would having easy access to friends benefit them for social reasons?
• Do you think they’ll use a cell phone responsibly – for example, not texting during class or disturbing others with their phone conversations?
• Can they adhere to limits you set for minutes talked and apps downloaded?
• Will they use the text, photo, and video functions responsibly and not to embarrass or harass others?

souce(commonsensemedia)

Burping Baby–Very Important

Hello mom’s this is very important topic you need to know. After feeding your baby its very important to make them burp. At first even I didn't understand so just had a check with all articles and found this will be useful for all new moms..

• Over-the-hand burp. Sit baby on your lap and place the heel of your hand against her tummy, with her chin resting on the top of your hand. Lean baby forward, resting most of her weight against the heel of your hand to provide counter pressure on her tummy, and pat her on the back to move up the air bubbles.
• Over-the-shoulder burp. Drape baby way up over your shoulder so that your shoulder presses against her tummy, then rub or pat her back. Hold baby securely by hooking your thumb under her armpit. If she's on your right shoulder, do this holding with your right hand.

• Over-the-lap burp. Drape baby over one thigh (legs crossed or spread) so that it presses upward against her tummy. Support baby's head with one hand while you pat or rub her back with the other hand.
• The one-arm burp. This position is particularly helpful when you're busy and baby needs to burp. You can simply stroll around the house and have one hand free. The only drawback is that spit-up may go on the floor or down over your arm and baby's legs.
• Sling burping. If the air just won't come up, place baby upright against your chest and wear her in a sling until the air comes up.
• Night-time burping. Burping is often not necessary during night feedings, since babies feed in a more relaxed manner and therefore swallow less air. If a trapped air bubble seems to be causing night-time discomfort, you can avoid sitting up and going through the whole burping ritual by draping baby up over your hip as you lie on your side.
• Burp and switch. Some babies are more comfortable if they burp when changing sides. Getting the air up makes room for more milk. This can help avoid large spit-ups when a bubble gets trapped under the milk.
• Knee-to-chest burp. Sometimes babies need help not only getting air out the top end, but also out the bottom. The knee-chest position (flexing baby's knees up against her chest) helps baby pass excess gas.

Baby Colour Moods–Choose Good Colours

As babies are sensitive and especially they are new-borns we have to take care in all aspects. Not only in choosing good colours for rooms but in all means.

• Colours are divided into warm, cool and neutral categories with each category setting its own mood.
• Cool colours include blue and green. They have a calming effect and give the perception of space making them a good choice for a smaller baby room.

• Warm colours include red, pink, orange and yellow. They have an inviting effect and give a feeling of cosiness. This makes them a good choice for larger nurseries.
• Neutral colours include white, cream, ivory, beige and brown.
• They can be used as an anchor for bolder colours or to tone down an otherwise overwhelming colour scheme.
• Neutral colours also give the perception of space.

Source(creativebabynurseryrooms)

Choosing Colour Of Your Baby Room

A couple of basic baby nursery colour pointers:

• Boy's nursery rooms can cope with any colour on the colour wheel except shades of pink and purple.
• Girl's nursery rooms can accommodate any colour including blue and red as long as they do not dominate the colour scheme.
• Gender neutral nurseries should not have pink or purple or a predominance of blue or red in their colour schemes.
• To be on the safe side, keep your baby nursery colours simple with two main colours and an accent colour or two. Obviously this is a guideline, not a rule - if you feel adventurous go to town! Think about using one colour for the lower half of the wall and another colour for the top half with a border between the two, or consider three walls in one colour and one focus wall in a second colour.
• Keep your main nursery colours within the same family, for instance bright with bright, pastel with pastel, muted with muted.
• Add interest by adding splashes of accent colour from another family. For example, use muted shades of blue on the walls and add splashes of bright red around the nursery in the form of cushions, lamp shades etc.
  

Jaundice In New-born

Jaundice is characterised by a yellowish tinge to the skin and eyes. It is caused by an excess of a chemical called bilirubin, which is normally eliminated by the liver. However, a new-born's liver takes a few days to process this chemical .About six out of 10 new-borns have jaundice to varying degrees, while the condition is more common among premature babies.
If the baby is full term and healthy, mild jaundice is nothing to worry about and will resolve by itself within a week or so. However, a premature or sick baby, or a baby with very high levels of bilirubin will need close monitoring and medical treatments. Other causes of jaundice in babies include blood group antibodies (Rh or Rhesus factor & ABO incompatibilities), haemolytic anaemia, hepatitis and galactosaemia.









Symptoms of jaundice in babies

• The symptoms depend on the cause and severity, but may include:
• Yellow tinge to the skin, usually appearing first on the skin of the face and scalp
• Yellow tinge to the white parts of the eyes (sclera)
• Yellow tinge spreading to the skin of the body in moderate jaundice.
• Palms of the hands and soles of the feet turning yellow in severe jaundice
• Unusual drowsiness
• Feeding difficulties
• In some cases, light-coloured faeces and dark urine.
• Physiological jaundice explained
• Red blood cells are red because of the protein haemoglobin. Old and damaged red blood cells are broken down into their chemical components, which are then either recycled or eliminated from the body as waste. The chemical bilirubin is produced as a by-product when haemoglobin is metabolised (used) by the body. The liver helps to eliminate bilirubin as waste.

In the mother’s uterus, the baby's bilirubin is sent down the umbilical cord and eliminated by the mother's body. After birth, the baby's liver has to eliminate the bilirubin. A baby's liver may take a few days to function at full speed; in the meantime, the excess bilirubin in the baby's body causes the characteristic symptoms of jaundice.
Every new-born has elevated bilirubin, but only around 60 per cent of full-term babies will have noticeable symptoms. Treatment isn't usually necessary, unless the baby has very high bilirubin levels, or is premature or sick.

Other causes of jaundice
Jaundice can also be caused by a range of other conditions and events including:

• Breast milk – the mother's breasts produce small amounts of colostrum in the first few days after childbirth. Until the milk comes in, the limited amounts of fluid received from breastfeeding may hinder the functioning of the baby's liver. Certain enzymes in breast milk are also thought to contribute to 'breast milk jaundice'.
• Neonatal hepatitis – some of the viruses that can trigger hepatitis in babies include cytomegalovirus, rubella, and hepatitis A, B and C. In around eight out of 10 cases, the cause isn't known, but viral infections are suspected. The baby was either exposed to the viral infection in utero, or within the first month or so of life.
• Rh (Rhesus) and ABO blood group incompatibilities – the mother may produce antibodies that can attack the baby's red cells during the latter stages of pregnancy. This means that higher than normal levels of damaged red blood cells have to be eliminated from the body, which in turn triggers high bilirubin levels. The baby may be born anaemic and develop severe jaundice within hours of birth.
• Haemolytic anaemia – the inherited types of haemolytic anaemia are autoimmune disorders, characterised by the destruction of red blood cells by the immune system. Haemolytic anaemia can be a complication of other disorders, such as malarial infection.
• Galactosaemia – galactose is a milk sugar. A baby with galactosaemia lacks the enzyme needed to metabolise galactose. The high levels of milk sugar can cause cirrhosis of the liver and subsequent jaundice.
• Biliary atresia – the ducts that allow the flow of bile from the liver to the small intestine are destroyed, for reasons unknown. Without bile ducts, bile accumulates within the liver and causes the characteristic symptoms of jaundice.

Diagnosis of the cause of jaundice 

• The underlying cause of jaundice in babies must be found. Some of the diagnostic tests may include:
• Physical examination
• Blood tests
• Ultrasound scans
• Liver biopsy
• Exploratory surgery.
• Treatment for jaundice

Treatment for jaundice in babies depends on the cause, but may include:

• Mild physiological jaundice – if the baby is otherwise healthy and well, no treatment is necessary. The baby's liver will take only a few days to process bilirubin properly.
• Moderate to severe physiological jaundice – options may include phototherapy (light therapy). This helps to transform the bilirubin in skin into a less harmful chemical. In severe cases, a blood transfusion may be needed, but this is very uncommon.
• Breast milk jaundice – breastfeeding is almost always continued. Phototherapy is usually the primary treatment.
• Neonatal hepatitis – there is no specific medical treatment. Options may include vitamin and mineral supplements, or drugs to improve the flow of bile.
  Haemolytic anaemia – treatment depends on the cause. For example, infection with malarial parasites can cause haemolytic anaemia and treatment includes anti-malarial medications.
• Galactosaemia – the principal treatment is to make sure the baby's diet contains no galactose or lactose (another milk sugar). Typically, this means stopping breastfeeding and necessitates the use of special formulas.
• Biliary atresia – involves surgery to connect a tiny section of the liver to the small intestine to allow bile to drain effectively. Around 75 per cent of patients will experience good to moderate bile flow. For the remainder, the only option may be a liver transplant.

Where to get help

• Your doctor
• The Maternal and Child Health Line is available 24 hours a day Tel. 132 229.

Things to remember

• Jaundice is characterised by a yellowish tinge to the skin and eyes.
• About six out of 10 new-borns have jaundice to varying degrees.
• Jaundice is caused by an excess of a chemical called bilirubin.
• Physiological jaundice will resolve by itself once the baby's liver is functioning at full speed.
• Other causes of jaundice include haemolytic anaemia, hepatitis and galactosaemia.

Source (better health.vic.gov.au)

Tips For New Moms

Being a new mom can bring so many emotions & challenges all at once. This article highlights the top 15 tips for new moms on baby sleeping training, swaddling, teething, feeding, colic & more!

• Sleep when the baby’s sleeping. You need rest just as much as your baby does.
• Take a bath with your infant. Make sure your husband is around for the handoff, so you can relax until the last minute. (Don’t forget to smell your baby right afterward!)
• Babies up to 4 months old love being swaddled; it recreates the warm, cozy feeling of being in utero.
• Run water, a noise machine or the overhead stove fan to calm a colicky baby.
• Pre-fill new-born dipes with ointment before bed to save time during middle-of-the-night changes.
• Keep glasses or bottles of water handy if you’re nursing; breastfeeding makes you naturally thirsty.
• Your baby needs tons of attention, care and love, but so do you! Hand off the baby to your hubby, family member or friend, even if it’s just for an hour, to decompress, get a pedicure, or even sleep.
• Don’t worry about buying everything new for baby. Browse second-hand shops for gently-used gear.
• Unless you’re worried about the quality of your water, washing baby bottles and parts with soap and hot water is fine.
• Put your baby in a carrier while you do things around the house; the motion is soothing for babies and reminds them of being the womb.
• Pop a cold, peeled cucumber in a mesh teether, or use a frozen washcloth, to soothe sore gums.
• Lay your baby on your chest; skin-to-skin contact is comforting and encourages bonding, plus it strengthens your baby’s neck muscles.
• Not near your baby’s jumper? Hold your baby under the arms so her feet are just brushing the floor; she’ll love the bouncing motion.
• Keep extra diapers, wipes, ointment, a changing pad and a clean outfit in several places around the house; if you need to do a quick diaper change everything you need will be on hand.
• Put your baby to sleep in his crib while he’s drowsy and let him fall fully asleep on his own. This will teach your baby to fall asleep without you rocking or feeding him every night.

SOURCE(NEWMOMOASIS.COM)

Why Kids Talk To Themselves

Hi mom’s..wanted to share this article with you . I saw many kids ie. my cousins kids etc.. I just found that toddler was talking to himself while playing with his toys alone. I came across the same situation with atleast 2-3 kids. I wanted get some good answer about this, so i got this article and wanted to share with you.
At both ends of the age spectrum, young and old, people talk to themselves."Private speech," as psychologists call it, emerges almost as soon as kids learn to talk. Not long after, toddlers begin to chatter to themselves just before they fall asleep, animatedly describing things that happened during their day and re-enacting conversations. This form of private speech (also called "crib speech") typically occurs between 18 and 24 months and serves two purposes: It helps kids practice language skills and allows them to reflect on daytime experiences. (It also entertains their parents, who eavesdrop via the baby monitor.)
At 2 or 3, kids start using private speech to help themselves control their impulses. Tempted by something forbidden, many toddlers and pre-schoolers will verbalize the warnings they've heard from their parents. A 2-year-old, for example, might make a beeline for an unprotected electrical outlet — then stand there saying to himself, "No touching! No touching!" "A lot of parents think that it's socially unacceptable or weird if a child talks to himself," says Laura Berk, professor of psychology at Illinois State University and author of Awakening Children's Minds (Oxford University Press, 2004). "But in fact it's normal and typical, and we find that children who engage in task-relevant private speech generally perform better over time."
Self-chat really heats up when kids are dropped into a challenging new situation, such as when they enter preschool. Classrooms are often abuzz with kids talking to themselves as they work through new puzzles or remind themselves of new rules.
In the early elementary school years, kids begin to transition to self-talk that's mostly silent, but audible private speech never really disappears. It continues to pop up when children (and adults) face difficult tasks or stressful circumstances. Just try finding your lost keys without talking yourself through it.
Written By Jennifer Eyre White

Best Age To Have A Baby

Until recently, the average age for women to give birth was 27 and it's easy to understand why. This decade is still considered by many to be the most natural time to have a baby.

Pros

• Your fertility reaches its peak in your early 20s.
• You are fit and full of energy.
• You're young enough to cope physically with the demands of a new baby.
• You are more likely to be in a stable relationship with a steady income.
• Your body is ready for pregnancy. But because you're still young, it's supple and flexible enough to recover quickly too.

Cons

• Your social life will suffer. You can't go out clubbing with your mates every night.
• Work might just be taking off and it will have to take a back seat.
• You've just got used to having your own money to spend on yourself now it's going on a baby.

Handling New Born

We are always said by our elders, how to handle our little and precious new born. We are very excited seeing babies at home but we forget the things what to do before handling them. To keep them healthy, we should know all these important facts.
If you haven't spent a lot of time around new-borns, their fragility may be intimidating. These are very important things to be followed when we are having new born at home.

• Wash your hands (or use a hand sanitizer) before handling your newborn. Young babies have not built up a strong immune system yet, so they are susceptible to infection. Make sure that everyone who handles your baby also has clean hands.
• Be careful to support your baby's head and neck. Cradle the head when carrying your baby and support the head when carrying the baby upright or when you lay him or her down.
• Be careful not to shake your newborn, whether in play or in frustration. Shaking that is vigorous can cause bleeding in the brain and even death. If you need to wake your infant, don't do it by shaking — instead, tickle your baby's feet or blow gently on a cheek.
• Make sure your baby is securely fastened into the carrier, stroller, or car seat. Limit any activity that would be too rough or bouncy.
• Remember that your newborn is not ready for rough play, such as being jiggled on the knee or thrown in the air.

How To Calculate Gestational Age

Knowing how to calculate gestational age will help you know your due date

You are pretty sure you are pregnant. At least, the six pregnancy tests that you took said so.
So when is your baby due? With your obstetrician's guidance, you will learn how to calculate gestational age.
When you go for your first medical appointment, you will be asked the date of your last menstrual period. (Note to women: You are supposed to keep track of this sort of thing.)
Let us say your last period was May 1. The doctor will count back nine months to February 1 and add a week. Your due date is February 8.
Or you can add 280 days to the first day of your last period. If your last period started on (let us make it easy) January 1, add 280 days and you will discover that you are due on October 8.
Another way is to add seven days to the last menstrual period, subtract three months and add one year. If your last period was April 10, 2011, add seven days, which makes it April 17 and now subtract three months. You are due on January 17, 2012.
Of course, the doctor actually has a wheel-like apparatus that makes it easier for her to do the gestational age calculations, as if counting back three months and aging a week is difficult even for the most mathematically challenged.

Swaddling New born–Wrapping Baby

Wrapping is soothing for some babies. It can also reduce the risk of SIDS by keeping babies on their backs during sleep. Babies can be wrapped from birth up until they can roll onto their tummies (4-6 months).
Not all babies like to be wrapped. Follow your baby’s cues, and don’t wrap if baby resists. An infant sleeping bag is a good alternative. Like wrapping, it helps keep babies on their backs, which reduces the risk of SIDS.
It’s not recommended to wrap babies who bed-share with their parents. This can cause overheating (a known cause of SIDS). Dress baby as you would dress yourself in this situation.

How to wrap your baby:

• Lay a blanket on a flat surface and fold down the top-right corner about 6 inches.
• Place your baby on his back with his head on the fold.
• Pull the corner near your baby's left hand across his body, and tuck the leading edge under his back on the right side under the arm.
• Pull the bottom corner up under your baby's chin.
• Bring the loose corner over your baby's right arm and tuck it under the back on his left side. If your baby prefers to have his arms free, you can swaddle him under the arms. This gives him access to his hands and fingers.
• Just make sure to keep the blanket away from the baby's face.

Tips to wake up in the morning

• Get up a half hour to an hour before you need to. This may sound ridiculous since the whole problem is that you don't want to wake up early but it's going to give you the time that you need to ease yourself into the day. Use this time to snooze the alarm once or twice and then get up and get going slowly.
• Do breathing exercises in bed. Many people find that a good way to get the blood flowing in the morning is to do some basic breathing exercises in the bed.
• Start stretching and get moving. In order to wake up, your body needs to get going. When you get out of bed, you should do some basic stretching. Try going out for a walk or doing some exercise indoors.
• Cool off. Your body wakes up easier if it's cool. Open some windows in the morning or turn a fan on. If you stay in a heated house with the blankets on, you're not going to want to wake up.

• Coffee. Some will say it's bad for you but it's a stimulant that will get you going in the morning and it's one that works for a lot of people. If you want to avoid coffee, try black tea or at least a big cold glass of water.
• Develop a routine. You should get up at about the same time every day no matter what your schedule is. You should also develop a morning routine that you always follow. You'll get used to just getting up and doing this and you'll be able to wake up and get going more easily.
• Make your bed. This should be a part of your daily routine. It gives a start to the day, makes you feel ready and makes it a lot harder to get back in there and sleep.
• Give yourself a reason to get up. Many people find that it helps to create a To Do list for the morning, something that you need to get up and be ready to do. Of course, it has to be something that you're not dreading so you won't want to avoid it. Plan to call a best friend (or better yet, meet her for breakfast) or plan to work on a fun project in the morning.
• Make sure you had enough sleep. Sure, there will be times when you have to wake up early after a long night but don't make it a habit. Make sure you go to bed early when you have to get up early so that you've gotten enough sleep and you can wake up.

Things To Know To Give Bath To Your Infants

Its very difficult to give bath to your infants without guidance. So I hope these tips will help all the moms to give bath to their infants. Its good to know about things attend them. My kid (Abhi) loves water and having bath.

Gather all of the supplies you will need and place them within arms' reach of where you will be bathing your baby.

• Adjust the temperature of the room you will be bathing baby in to make sure it is warm enough to comfortably accommodate a bare baby (around 75 degrees).
• Fill the infant tub with no more than 2 inches of warm water.
• Test the temperature of the water with your elbow, wrist or thermometer to ensure that it is only warm and not hot. The water should be no more than 100 degrees.
• Some infant tubs even come equipped with a special built-in thermometer that indicates if the water to too cold or too hot for your little one.
• Some infant tubs even come equipped with a special built-in thermometer that indicates if the water to too cold or too hot for your little one.
• Undress your baby and gently set him in the tub while making sure to keep him in a partially reclined position. You can purchase a bath sling to help keep baby positioned correctly.
• Keep one hand on your baby at all times. With your free hand, wet a soft washcloth or sponge and begin gently cleaning your baby. It's best to start with the "cleanest" parts first and save the diaper areas for last.
• Gently dab each area with the washcloth, instead of rubbing, which can irritate baby's sensitive skin. As you move to different areas of the baby, try to use a different spot on the washcloth on each part.
• Don't forget to pay special attention to the folds in baby's legs, arms and neck. These areas tend to build up "gunk" rather quickly so it is important to thoroughly them.
• Turn baby over on your arm to wash her backside. Be extra careful; a wet baby is a slippery baby.
• Use a second washcloth for rinsing your baby. Try rinsing each spot immediately after it has been cleaned, if you are using a mild soap and make sure to rinse completely clean.
• Washing your baby's hair, or scalp if he's a baldy, should be limited to once or twice a week. Use only a mild baby shampoo and rinse thoroughly.
• Remove baby from the tub carefully with both hands and immediately wrap in a dry towel or terry cloth infant robe. Pat her dry, don't rub, and redress her immediately.

A Touching Story of A Mother's Love

My mom only had one eye. I hated her... she was such an embarrassment. My mom ran a small shop at a flea market. She collected little weeds and such to sell... anything for the money we needed, she was such an embarrassment. There was this one day during elementary school, I remember that it was field day, and my mom came. I was so embarrassed. How could she do this to me? I threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school..."Your mom only has one eye?!" and they taunted me.
 
I wished that my mom would just disappear from this world so I said to my mom, "Mom, why don't you have the other eye?! You're only going to make me a laughingstock. Why don't you just die?" My mom did not respond. I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, it felt good to think that I had said what I'd wanted to say all this time.
 
Maybe it was because my mom hadn't punished me, but I didn't think that I had hurt her feelings very badly.
 
That night... I woke up, and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. My mom was crying there, so quietly, as if she was afraid that she might wake me. I took a look at her, and then turned away. Because of the thing I had said to her earlier, there was something pinching at me in the corner of my heart. Even so, I hated my mother who was crying out of her one eye. So I told myself that I would grow up and become successful, because I hated my one-eyed mom and our desperate poverty.
 
Then I studied really hard. I left my mother and came to Seoul and studied, and got accepted in the Seoul University with all the confidence I had. Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. Then I had kids, too. Now I'm living happily as a successful man. I like it here because it's a place that doesn't remind me of my mom.
 
This happiness was getting bigger and bigger, when someone unexpected came to see me. "What?! Who's this?!"... It was my mother... Still with her one eye. It felt as if the whole sky was falling apart on me. My little girl ran away, scared of my mom's eye.
 
And I asked her, "Who are you? I don't know you!!!" as if I tried to make that real. I screamed at her "How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter! GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!" And to this, my mother quietly answered, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address," and she disappeared. Thank goodness... she doesn't recognize me. I was quite relieved. I told myself that I wasn't going to care, or think about this for the rest of my life.
 
Then a wave of relief came upon me... One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. I lied to my wife saying that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went down to the old shack, that I used to call a house... just out of curiosity there, I found my mother fallen on the cold ground. But I did not shed a single tear. She had a piece of paper in her hand.... it was a letter to me.
 
She wrote:
 
My son... I think my life has been long enough now. And... I won't visit Seoul anymore... but would it be too much to ask if I wanted you to come visit me once in a while? I miss you so much. And I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I decided not to go to the school... For you... I'm sorry that I only have one eye, and I was an embarrassment for you.
 
You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with only one eye... so I gave you mine... I was so proud of my son that was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye. I was never upset at you for anything you did. The couple times that you were angry with me, I thought to myself, "it's because he loves me." I miss the times when you were still young around me.
 
I miss you so much. I love you. You mean the world to me.
 
My world shattered!!! Then I cried for the person who lived for me... My Mother
Source (fast forward.com)

Stylish Nail Art Designs

Nail art is an art of decorating nails with different decorating materials available in market. Nail art is a modern mode of decorating nails. In the span of last ten years, nail art has become widely popular.

Why Kids Are “Stubborn”

Some kids are just built to butt heads with their parents. Call it stubborn or strong-willed or whatever you like. If you're living with one of these guys, you know that straight forward methods of getting them to follow directions or behave often don't work. They want to be in charge. But, of course, so do you!

Instead of resorting to the usual verbal combat (aka yelling or pleading), try my so-called sneaky or judo parenting strategies instead. Being sneaky doesn't have to mean being underhanded or manipulative with your children. Rather, "'sneaky parenting' is actually 'smart parenting,'" explains parenting educator Sharon Silver of Proactive Parenting, in Tucson, AZ, and author of "Stop Reacting and Start Responding". "It means approaching your kids sideways instead of straight on, and using calmness, respect, and creativity to get what you want to accomplished."
Some useful tips:

• Identify the problem and involve your child in seeking a solution. You will cease to be the enemy and she will feel that you are both on the same side.
• If you want your child to do something, try to time your request so that it does not interrupt her while she is doing something else. This is one way of avoiding conflict.
• If your child is not very happy about change, give her adequate notice so that she knows what to expect and is willing to cooperate.
• Be assertive when asking your child to do something. You are not asking them for a favour. Also, make clear the consequences of non-compliance.
• Keep in mind that your requests should be reasonable.
• Praise her when she is cooperative and well-behaved.

Being sneaky doesn't have to mean being underhanded or manipulative with your children

8 Infant Sleep Facts Every Parent Should Know

Hi friends.. I came across this article, when my kid ( Abhi ) use to be awake in the night. But we wonder why this babies don’t sleep and has many questions and worries in our mind, if we don’t have sound sleep. So this will be useful for you to know the facts.
In order to better understand the how-to's of getting you and your baby to enjoy going to sleep and staying asleep, here are some important principles of sleep that every new parent needs to understand.

• How you sleep. After dressing or undressing for bed, most adults help themselves relax for sleep by performing various bedtime rituals: reading, listening to music, watching TV, or having sex. As you drift into sleep, your higher brain centers begin to rest; enabling you to enter the stage of deep sleep called "non-REM" (non-rapid eye movement -- NREM), or deep sleep (also called quiet sleep). Your mind and body are quietest during this stage of sleep. Your body is still, your breathing is shallow and regular, your muscles are loose, and you're really "zonked." After about an hour and a half in this quiet sleep stage, your brain begins to "wake up" and start working, which brings you out of your deep sleep and into light sleep or active sleep, called rapid eye movement or "REM" sleep. During this stage of sleep your eyes actually move under your eyelids as your brain exercises. You dream and stir, turn over, and may even adjust the covers without fully awakening. It is during this sleep stage that you may fully awaken to go to the bathroom, then return to bed and fall back into a deep sleep. These alternating cycles of light and deep sleep continue every couple hours throughout the night, so that a typical adult may spend an average of six hours in quiet sleep and two hours in active sleep. Thus, you do not sleep deeply all night, even though you may feel as though you do.

• How babies enter sleep. You're rocking, walking, or nursing your baby and her eyelids droop as she begins to nod off in your arms. Her eyes close completely, but her eyelids continue to flutter and her breathing is still irregular. Her hands and limbs are flexed, and she may startle, twitch, and show fleeting smiles, called "sleep grins." She may even continue a flutter-like sucking. Just as you bend over to deposit your "sleeping" baby in her crib so you can creep quietly away, she awakens and cries. That's because she wasn't fully asleep. She was still in the state of light sleep when you put her down. Now try your proven bedtime ritual again, but continue this ritual longer (about twenty more minutes). You will notice that baby's grimaces and twitches stop; her breathing becomes more regular and shallow, her muscles completely relax. Her fisted hands unfold and her arms and limbs dangle weightlessly. Martha and I call this "limp-limb" sign of deep sleep.

• Baby is now in a deeper sleep, allowing you to put her down and sneak away, breathing a satisfying sigh of relief that baby is finally resting comfortably. 
• Babies have shorter sleep cycles than you do. Stand adoringly next to your sleeping baby and watch him sleep. About an hour after he goes to sleep, he begins to squirm, he tosses a bit, his eyelids flutter, his face muscles grimace, he breathes irregularly, and his muscles tighten. He is reentering the phase of light sleep. The time of moving from deep to light sleep is a vulnerable period during which many babies will awaken if any upsetting or uncomfortable stimulus, such as hunger, occurs. If the baby does not awaken, he will drift through this light sleep period over the next ten minutes, and descend back into deep sleep. Adult sleep cycles (going from light to deep sleep, and then back to light sleep) lasts an average of 90 minutes. Infants' sleep cycles are shorter, lasting 50 to 60 minutes, so they experience a vulnerable period for night waking around every hour or even less. As your baby enters this light sleep, if you lay a comforting hand on your baby's back, sing a soothing lullaby, or just be there next to baby if he is in your bed; you can help him get through this light sleep period without waking.
• Babies don't sleep as deeply as you do. Not only do babies take longer to go to sleep and have more frequent vulnerable periods for night waking; they have twice as much active, or lighter, sleep as adults. At first glance, this hardly seems fair to parents tired from daylong baby care. Yet, if you consider the developmental principle that babies sleep the way they do -- or don't -- for a vital reason, it may be easier for you to understand your baby's night time needs and develop a night time parenting style that helps rather than harms your baby's natural sleep rhythms. Here's where I'm at odds with modern sleep trainers who advise a variety of gadgets and techniques designed to help baby sleep more deeply through the night -- for a price, and perhaps at a risk.
• Night waking has survival benefits. In the first few months, babies' needs are the highest, but their ability to communicate their needs is the lowest. Suppose a baby slept deeply most of the night. Some basic needs would go unfulfilled. Tiny babies have tiny tummies, and mother's milk is digested very rapidly. If a baby's stimulus for hunger could not easily arouse her, this would not be good for baby's survival. If baby's nose was stuffed and she could not breathe, or was cold and needed warmth, and her sleep state was so deep that she could not communicate her needs, her survival would be jeopardized.
• Night waking has developmental benefits. Sleep researchers believe that babies sleep "smarter" than adults do. They theorize that light sleep helps the brain develop because the brain doesn't rest during REM sleep. In fact, blood flow to the brain nearly doubles during REM sleep. (This increased blood flow is particularly evident in the area of the brain that automatically controls breathing.) During REM sleep the body increases its manufacture of certain nerve proteins, the building blocks of the brain. Learning is also thought to occur during the active stage of sleep. The brain may use this time to process information acquired while awake, storing what is beneficial to the individual and discarding what is not. Some sleep researchers believe that REM sleeps acts to auto-stimulate the developing brain, providing beneficial imagery that promotes mental development. During the light sleep stage, the higher centres of the brain keep operating, yet during deep sleep these higher brain centres shut off and the baby functions on her lower brain centres. It is possible that during this stage of rapid brain growth (babies' brains grow to nearly seventy percent of adult volume during the first two years) the brain needs to continue functioning during sleep in order to develop. It is interesting to note that premature babies spend even more of their sleep time (approximately 90 percent) in REM sleep, perhaps to accelerate their brain growth. As you can see, the period of life when humans sleep the most and the brain is developing the most rapidly is also the time when they have the most active sleep. One day as I was explaining the theory that light sleep helps babies' brains develop, a tired mother of a wakeful infant chuckled and said, "If that's true, my baby's going to be very smart."
• As they grow, babies achieve sleep maturity. "Okay," you say, "I understand this developmental design, but when will my baby sleep through the night?" The age at which babies settle – meaning they go to sleep easily and stay asleep varies widely among babies. Some babies go to sleep easily, but don't stay asleep. Others go to sleep with difficulty but will stay asleep. Other exhausting babies neither want to go to sleep nor stay asleep.
• Babies still wake up. When babies mature into these adult-like sleep patterns varies among babies. Yet, even though babies achieve this sleep maturity some time during the last half of the first year, many still wake up. The reason? Painful stimuli, such as colds and teething pain, become more frequent. Major developmental milestones, such as sitting, crawling, and walking, drive babies to "practice" their new developmental skills in their sleep. Then between one and two years of age, when baby begins to sleep through the above-mentioned wake-up stimuli, other causes of night waking occur, such as separation anxiety and nightmares.

Even though you understand why babies are prone to nightwaking, you realize it's still important for parents and babies to get a restful night's sleep, otherwise, baby, the parents, and their relationship won't thrive.

source: (Ask Dr Sears)

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