Chronicles of a “Mr. Mom”

“If you want to reduce the likelihood of obesity in your children, start thinking about the hormonal consequences of your diet, before your child is ever born. He or she will be thankful that you did” - Dr. Sears.

New York, NY (PRWEB) January 1, 2009 — Recent reports have indicated that childhood obesity is set in place by the age of five, but, “Actually, it starts in the womb,” says Dr. Barry Sears, one of the world’s leading experts on the impact of diet on hormones and gene expression.

Dr. Barry Sears says obesity has a strong genetic component and starts in the womb. Bestselling author of The Zone, he founded MedWell Foods to help people lose weight. His new book is Toxic Fat.

“Obesity has an exceptionally strong genetic component. Couple that genetic predisposition with the wrong hormonal mix in the womb, and the child is destined to a life-long struggle against obesity and its health consequences,” added Dr. Sears, whose MedWell Foods was founded to help people lose weight.

“One solution to this problem is to make sure that the mother is controlling the dietary environment of the child,” said Dr. Sears. “Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, as it is likely that the mother has the same genetic predisposition as the child in the womb and more than likely is eating the types of junk food that ensures an obese child.”

Dr. Sears rose to prominence when he wrote The Zone, a New York Times #1 bestseller. He also wrote Toxic Fat, the just released book about obesity that addresses the causes of obesity and offers solutions to help people struggling with their weight.

Dr. Sears says, “It is often easier to change one’s religion, than to change their diet.”

Therefore, he set out several years to invent a new technology that could provide healthy comfort foods that would alter the gene expression of both the mother and the child in the womb.

He founded MedWell Foods, which offers products that are a result of new food technology that allows the production of once “forbidden” foods that normally cause people to gain weight, such as breads, pasta and desserts that now have been developed to decrease hunger instead of promoting it.

“By simply substituting the MedWell equivalent for the foods that people like to eat, you are ensuring a dramatic increase in appetite suppression along with beneficial changes in the genes that would otherwise promote obesity.”

MedWell food products can be ordered directly from the company at Medwell123.com.

Kids catch onto the importance of money in life pretty quickly as they watch us use it. The way to show your child the value of a dollar is by teaching them the different ways a dollar is used.

Begin When They’re Young

Begin explaining to your child how money works from a young age. It’s important for kids to know you get money by earning it. Items (or services) in life are given in return for money, and the value or worth of that item varies according to the seller. If you do not have enough money, you can not purchase the item.

A follow-up to this is talking about saving money. A child with a couple dollars could go buy a piece of candy (that’ll be gone in 10 seconds) or an inexpensive toy (that will be broken in 10 minutes or completely forgot about the next day). However, if that child decides to save those dollars, a better item can be purchased that may have more meaning and last longer.

Have A Savings Plan

One way to teach children about savings is setting a percentage they should save every time they earn money. Ten percent is an easy sum to learn; simply move the decimal point one space to the left. For every $1.00 earned, $0.10 will be saved ($23.48 earned, $2.34 saved).

This savings isn’t for a better short-term item, but for a “rainy day” or even a car or college fund. The remaining $0.90 can be used for the candy or “better item” as mentioned above. This principle can teach the child self discipline for very long-term savings (i.e. a house or retirement when they’re an adult).

Sure, a six-year-old won’t understand the “rainy day” concept, and driving in ten years may be discouraging. But after saving 10% over the years, it’ll add up. This teaching is especially helpful when they get their first job and are already in the habit of saving that 10% for long-term use.

You might also set aside a certain percentage for charitable giving, so kids can also learn about this important aspect of managing money.

As Your Child Grows

When your child is more mature, take him or her to the bank with you and open a line of savings in their (and your) name. Once or twice a month, take your child to the bank so they can deposit their money into their account. Let them see the bank statement and watch how their money is growing with the help of interest.

Interest is a huge part of using money. Either it’ll make you pay more than what your item was originally worth (credit) or it can help you make more money. Teenagers need to understand that unless you can pay off that debt within 30 days, you’ll actually be paying more for your purchased item.

One way to show how detrimental or great interest can be is by doing some role-play. Pick an item your teenager currently wants to purchase on a credit card. Make a chart showing how making only the minimum payment affects the total debt (you’ll also need to explain APR), how long it takes to pay off the debt with minimum payments, and how much interest is paid in total.

On that same note, take the number of months it took to pay off the credit card and show how much interest he/she’d be making in a savings account while putting money away to save for that item. The amount of interest isn’t much, but the point to make is if you save money to purchase the item, you will only pay that sum without the additional cost of interest.

When children understand how money works they’ll (hopefully) be more inclined to use responsibility when making money decisions.

Laura Nelson-Smith is the resident editor of Career & Finance at Schmoozins - an online magazine for women that gives all women a voice. Join us as a contributor, schmoozer or just hang out a while.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Nelson-Smith

“Rules of traffic” models

It is an instructional approach to upbringing. Parents explain to their children how to behave, assuming that they taught the rules of behavior as they did the rules of traffic. What you try to teach a child doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll get through to them. For example, a teenager was told “a thousand times” that stealing was wrong yet the teen continued to do so. The problem of parenting, in this case, is not that they tried to teach him/her the right thing, but that they considered parenting as a single, narrow minded method of parenting, without fulfilling the range of parental duties.

“Fine gardening” model

Parents believe that children have positive and negative qualities, the latter of which parents should “weed out” or “prune” into an appropriate shape. The problem in this parenting method is that parents fight with the faults of their child rather than appreciate their current achievements and/or capabilities; a method which may continue through their whole life without success.

“The models “rules of traffic” and “fine gardening” are especially dangerous because we, following our best motives, constantly quarrel with our children, destroy relationships, and all our parental work becomes a hopeless effort. Moreover, we don’t understand why this has happened.” S.Soloveychik, [2]

“Reward and punishment” model

“RaP” is a most popular model of parenting based on logic: for a good action - a reward/praise and for a bad action - a punishment/scolding/reprimand. To teach a child by this logic is relatively easy and can even be effective, especially if it is done consistently. It is because it forms a sense of justice in a child’s mind that it works. But, simultaneously, it imparts the child’s universal image of the reward and punishment and when real life doesn’t prove to be just it undermines the child’s faith in justice, according to S.Soloveychik. He writes “It is dangerous for the future of children. It may happen that a man, grown up by this model, facing the first serious failure or first trouble, would lift his arms and ask, “Why me?”

Source

What were they thinking?

• Apple
• Bronx Mowgli
• Sunday Rose

More about these names right here…

More stories:

Store Refuses to Make Birthday Cake for Adolf Hitler

Here’s one more:

6 Baby Names You Probably Shouldn’t Give Your Kid

Parents are usually considered to be a child’s first teachers and role models. But, a study has some dampening news for today’s generation of
Parents

Researchers at the Children’s Society in Britain have carried out the extensive study and found that children aren’t acquiring basic moral values nowadays because today’s parents are actually poor role models.

For their study, the researchers questioned 1,176 people — they found that two thirds of adults believe that the moral values of young people have declined considerably since the time when they were young, ‘The Times’ reported. According to the society, the rise of the celebrity culture and weakening family bonds are undermining traditional moral values among young people.

Full story: Parents, poor role models for kids

An incredibly heart-warming story of courage and perseverance and strength. A must-read.

My daughter was born 33 years ago. I did everything more traditional. I worked full-time. My daughter had before-school and after-school care. She was a latchkey kid in fourth grade. We lived in a small block where everyone looked out for her. She went to private school and now is a nurse. It was more traditional for her; I was paying for child care where needed.

….

With my second daughter, my oldest was in her first year of nursing school; she was 18. I just knew that I didn’t want to do things the same way. I would turn 40 when she was born. I couldn’t see going through the same thing. I would have had to work a job and a half to put her through school and do the different things that I’d done with my oldest child, and I didn’t have the support I had with the oldest child. A lot of things had changed. Not as many women were staying home. Families had ventured out. Two to three generations were no longer living in the same house.

Full story: Lessons From a Single Mom

(ARA) — During tough economic times, it can be hard to find money in your budget to donate to charities. But there are many other ways to give back to the community that allow you to support charitable causes throughout the year.

The need for charitable donations this year is even greater because of the faltering economy — just as nonprofits fear donations will be decreasing, the demand for their services is increasing. All of this is happening as charities enter their key fundraising period of the year — between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day — when up to half of all individual donations are made.

In fact, 2008 and the following year are expected to be one of the most challenging periods charities have seen in some time. According to a survey released by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, donations to charities in 2007 grew by less than they had in years past. While almost two-thirds of charities raised more money in 2007 than 2006, the size of their gains dropped. With daily headlines reminding us that this economic climate will only get tougher, could there be a more compelling reason to give, be it a donation of money, time or skills?

“Families are stretched to the breaking point, and that has strengthened our resolve to do even more,” says Madonna King, president and CEO of Children’s Home Society & Family Services. “Contributions from donors and volunteers are essential, and their generosity makes it possible for us to continue our vital work on behalf of vulnerable children and families, here, at home, and around the world.”

As you look into your wallet and your heart during tough economic times, there are many meaningful ways to give back to the community. Here are some suggestions from nonprofit organizations, including Children’s Home Society & Family Services.

Stretch your holiday dollars to help others
Some stores donate a portion of their holiday sales to charity. It’s a way to increase the impact of your holiday gift giving while doing something good for the community. Another way to help others is to donate to charities in lieu of giving gifts. If you choose to do so, the charity may give you a tax receipt for your donation.

Your time is as good as gold
Choose to donate another precious commodity — your time. Volunteering for a good cause enables nonprofits to handle increased demand for services, and also allows you to give back in a very personal way. No matter how much time you have to give, you will be welcomed with open arms by those in need.

Where to find volunteer opportunities  
Many companies and organizations make volunteering part of their work culture, such as Foresters ™, a leading fraternal benefit society that provides members with innovative life insurance products and benefits of membership. Foresters customers are known as members and get together locally for such projects as Habitat for Humanity home-builds and to refurbish Ronald McDonald Houses. Last year Foresters members donated 950,000 hours to help more than 400 charities.

Make giving part of your family’s DNA
The holidays are an important time to give back, but don’t forget about the rest of the year. There are worthy nonprofit organizations that offer volunteering opportunities on an ongoing basis. Find a local or national organization that supports a mission you and your family believe in and find a way to be involved regularly. It will help your kids understand important life lessons, help you meet other people and lend a helping hand to those who need your help the most.

Even if your wallet holds less for charitable donations this year, pick up the phone or stop by and volunteer your time wherever you can.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Our baby was having a huge meltdown the other morning while my wife was already at work. As I dropped my older son in front of the television and picked a Bob the Builder cartoon from On Demand, I wondered how my parents raised me and my sister before VCRs and DVR players and YouTube. Did they simply have to hope there was a “Sesame Street” episode starting on KQED when the toddler-related chaos hit DEFCON 1? How did they entertain us when “Electric Company” wasn’t on? Elaborate puppet shows?
I’m perfectly happy to take this for granted.

This is a thought I have almost every day. Whether it’s jumpy houses to wear my kids out at the Farmer’s Market or technological developments such as portable DVD players on plane trips, I frequently salute the parenting inventions that have come along during my lifetime.

Full story: The greatest parenting invention of your lifetime

Sometimes, the best way to teach kids to become good leaders is to put them in situations that require such skills. Lance D. Shaw proposes to raise the bar a notch higher: to put kids in the actual parental role. He shares his real-life experiences on this theory in Parenting Dad (&/or Mom). This began in Silicon Valley, when they were preschoolers.

Following the belief that learning and influence in the family should be a two-way street, Shaw discovers a radical way of teaching his two kids to become good leaders — that is, to switch roles with them as the parent. His children took turns with him at being Dad — or Mom, as the case may be — on a daily basis. He saw this as the perfect way to train his children’s creativity, initiative, judgment and decision-making skills, encouraging an open-minded albeit unconventional environment.

Full story: Dad Teaches Kids to Play Mom and Dad

US teen lives 118 days without heart

An American teen-ager survived for nearly four months without a heart, kept alive by a custom-built artificial blood-pumping device, until she was able to have a heart transplant, doctors in Miami said on Wednesday.

The doctors said they knew of another case in which an adult had been kept alive in Germany for nine months without a heart but said they believed this was the first time a child had survived in this manner for so long.

Full story

- Ravi Jayagopal
RavisRants.com