When to Use the Cross-Cradle Hold The cross-cradle hold for breastfeeding is an easy nursing position to learn. It is a great position when you are first starting out with breastfeeding because it allows you to easily view your nipple and your baby’s mouth. This position also works well for breastfeeding preemies, newborns, or babies who have trouble latching on to the breast. You also may want to use this position if your baby does not have strong sucking skills or is having trouble staying latched....

Self-Awareness Your cross-cultural communication will be improved by your willingness to really know yourself and to understand your reactions. Your perceptions of the world and your values affect your interpretation of what other people are saying and doing. You have to understand yourself and what you are bringing to the stepfamily (good points, old baggage, values, expectations, and beliefs) to understand the others. You can improve your self-awareness in so many ways (and I’ll give you one way in the “Slants and Rants” exercise later in this article)....

Does your child complain about the seams in his socks? Put her hands over her ears when the movie starts in the movie theater? Have trouble sitting still? Get moved almost to tears by a piece of music or work of art? These are signs of overexcitabilities (OE). Psychomotor Overexcitabilities The psychomotor OE is common in gifted children. It is characterized primarily by high levels of energy. Children with this OE seem to constantly be on the move....

If this is your first time dating, seeing mom or dad with someone new can be a shock and discomforting to many kids. The good news is there are ways to introduce your significant other post-divorce while meeting your children’s needs. Steps to Take Before Dating Again Dating after a divorce or significant breakup feels daunting to some, while others are ready to jump back in and find new love....

Level: Moderately easy Time involved: Two hours, plus overnight to dry Materials: Sculpting clay (Sculpy or Fimo clay are popular brands.) Thin wooden dowel, chopstick, or thick wooden skewer Exacto knife Cookie sheet Small cardboard box White craft paint Paintbrushes White glue Paper cup Blue, red, green, and yellow tissue paper Black marker Clear acrylic finish spray

“You are stepping into a beautiful but also challenging time,” says Victoria Tenenbaum, a board-certified behavior analyst who holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in applied behavior analysis. She adds that babies learn from their environment, and parents and caregivers are the role models that they observe and follow in order to learn about the world around them. Knowing how to set boundaries, encourage positive behaviors, help them explore their environment, and let them get a little messy every now and then will help you enjoy this transitional phase to toddlerhood....

A: Keep in mind that your goal as a team is to give your children limits. Your children must have consistent discipline from both of you. It’s very confusing if each of you disciplines differently. You must put your differences aside and make a plan. If you cannot come to an agreement, you might find a book on discipline helpful. A: If you find yourself starting to yell, take a deep breath and count to five....

Researchers at the University of Southern Maine identified several stages of an impending adoption failure: Sometimes the adopters ask the agency or attorney to take the child back and place him with another family. In other cases they request that the state social services department take over the child’s case (however, if they do so, they usually lose control over what happens to the child). These situations are referred to as disrupted adoptions....

It’s useful to create a chore chart that will work for your household. Some items on the chore chart will probably be standard, and others will be specific to your home. You and your spouse need to sit down together to make a list that will work for both of you. If you are currently doing the majority of the housework, your spouse may not be so enthusiastic about working out a new system with you....

With the emphasis in the media on age and fertility, it’s not hard to see where people may think that infertility is limited to older couples. Just about every month there seems to be a news story reporting on women over 35 and their diminishing fertility. So when a couple in their 20s or early 30s has trouble getting pregnant, it may come as a surprise. However, infertility in younger women is not so uncommon....

What works and what doesn’t when it comes to potty training is entirely up to you and your child. Still, it never hurts to learn about the pros and cons of using various undergarments during potty training. Underwear Pros and Cons Cloth Training Pants Pros and Cons Disposable Training Pants Pros and Cons You may choose one method exclusively, which is often recommended so that it promotes consistency and eliminates any confusion....

hCG is made by placental cells that provide nourishment to the egg after it has been fertilized and attaches to the uterine wall. It is the same hormone that home pregnancy tests can detect in urine about 12 to 14 days after conception. Blood tests are more sensitive and can detect the hormone as early as 11 days after conception. In most healthy pregnancies, hCG levels, measured in milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL), will double about every 72 hours, which is why physicians will order two consecutive tests taken two to three days apart....

Gifted Children This practice is especially problematic when talking about gifted children, who often feel different from other kids in their class, and sometimes don’t feel accepted. In order to fit in, or to avoid being bullied or singled out, some gifted children will deliberately not perform as well as they can in school. They may intentionally miss questions on a test, fail to turn in homework, or say they don’t know the answer to a question if the teacher calls on them when in fact they know the answer quite well....

According to the bible, the Garden of Eden was God’s gift to the first humans, Adam and Eve. As the story goes, it was a luscious garden that God intended for Adam and Eve to live in peacefully, contently, and innocently as they effortlessly reaped the fruits of their paradise. The Garden of Eden contained a special tree called the tree of knowledge of good and evil and Adam and Eve were forbidden, by God, to eat its fruit....

Let’s explore more information regarding parental rights as it pertains to the acknowledgment of paternity. Purpose An unmarried father should sign an acknowledgment of paternity form to establish legal paternal rights to a child. Without a signed AOP, an unmarried father does not have rights to a child and would have to go to court to establish paternity at a later time. If parents cannot agree on signing an acknowledgment of paternity, they may need to later participate in a court hearing in order to establish paternity....

Effort: Quick and easy – no sewing required Materials: Pink blanket sleeper (roomy, with feet) Sunglasses Drum (toy is suggested) and drumsticks Wide blue webbing for neck strap Pom-pom for tail (purchased, or made from yarn) Safety pin to attach tail from inside of costume Empty oatmeal container covered in tin foil for the battery Duct tape Instructions: Dress your child in the outfit. Attach the “battery” to the back of the sleeper with duct tape....