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Keeping Your Dust Allergy Under Control

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:43:36 +0100

Little dust mites can be a big problem when dealing with allergies. Check out these indoor allergy tips to learn how you can decrease the amount of dust in your home.

Dust in the home can be a major irritant for people with allergies. But the dust itself is not the most likely cause of sniffling, sneezing, and overall discomfort; dust mites are. These microscopic insects thrive in dust, and they're the ones that are triggering your “dust” allergy – more specifically, the proteins contained in their droppings are probably triggering it.
Indoor Allergy: About Dust Mites

Every home has dust mites, says Bradley A. Becker, MD, an allergist at Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis and associate professor at the St. Louis University School of Medicine. They are pretty much unavoidable, but you'll never see them — they are invisible to the naked eye.

Dust mites are considered the leading cause of indoor allergy. These mites can thrive inside throughout the winter, particularly if it is warm and humid in the home. They tend to flock to bedding, upholstered furniture, and carpets and they feed on skin scales from humans and pets, as well as on pollen, fungi, and bacteria they find in your home.

"If you're not at a high altitude, they're in all the bedding after a few months," Dr. Becker says. "They also find their way into upholstered furniture and carpet after a few months."

Indoor Allergy: Bedroom Control

It’s practically impossible to completely rid your home of dust mites, but there are ways to reduce the amount of dust mites in your home.

Your bedding is the place to start. "If you’re allergic to dust mites, you're basically sleeping face-down in what you're allergic to," Becker says.

To make your bed less appealing to dust mites, you should:

Encase your pillows, mattress, and box spring in zippered allergy-proof covers so the mites can’t get inside them.
Wash your sheets, pillowcases, and blankets every week. "They used to say to wash in hot water, but the best way to kill the mites is to dry in high heat," Becker explains. That's because the water needs to be at least 130 degrees to kill dust mites, a heat that can scald hands if your hot-water heater is set at that level.

Indoor Allergy: Other Controls

Here are some other steps you can take to make your house mite-resistant and improve your indoor allergy symptoms:

Control the humidity in your home. Dust mites thrive in houses that have humidity greater than 50 percent. Becker recommends keeping the humidity level between 30 percent and 49 percent. "In humid parts of the country, like St. Louis, one would need to keep the windows shut, and use heat and air conditioning for comfort, as necessary," he says.
Vacuum your carpets and upholstered furniture. Be sure you use a vacuum equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, or you'll just keep stirring up the dust mite allergens around your house. "Dust mite protein is very small and it basically blows in and out of any vacuum that’s not equipped with a HEPA filter," Becker says.
Dust often. Be sure to use a damp cloth or furniture polish to dust, so you aren't just tossing dust up into the air. If you dust before you vacuum, the vacuum cleaner will help pick up whatever particles your cloth fails to capture.
Use an air filtration system. Again, you'll want to use a system equipped with a HEPA filter that can catch the dust mite matter in the air. HEPA filters have been proven to work better atridding the air of allergens than electrostatic air purifiers.

Even if you can’t entirely rid your home of dust mites, these tips will help you significantly reduce their impact on your allergies.

Working Parents And Kids Health

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:54:06 +0100

Meeting the demands of career and family is a challenge for working moms and dads. Get ideas to create the right work-life balance.

Less than 60 years ago, 56 percent of U.S. households had only one parent working outside the home, leaving the other parent to manage the home and family. Today, with only 33 percent of households in that situation, achieving a work-life balance is a challenge for many. And not only are there more working moms and dads now, they are also working longer hours than in previous decades. That adds up to less time for the kids and family life.

With busy careers and seemingly endless family responsibilities, from cleaning the house to preparing healthy meals and carting the kids around to their activities, it's easy for working parents to become overwhelmed, stressed out, and wondering if striking the right work-life balance is even possible.

Work-Life Balance: You Can Have Both!
Rest assured, working moms and dads, a happy family life and a successful career can be yours simultaneously. Here are some simple guidelines for working parents who want to reduce stress and maximize their time and energy.

Be realistic about what you can accomplish. You can't get everything done in a day. Prioritize what's most important and schedule everything out over the coming weeks. Your daily routine needn't be back-to-back tasks; instead, make sure it allows for at least a small dose of downtime.
"Having a schedule is crucial. Routines help children transition and with behavior problems. They also help parents with time management," says Arlene Kaufman, director of Temple Trager Preschool in Louisville, Ky., and a mom who has found ways to balance a hectic life and career. Her advice: "Take time for yourself — whether it's a bath, reading a book, or working out."
Learn how to say no, even at work. To achieve a healthy work-life balance, working moms and dads often have to make difficult choices as to the responsibilities they can't take on. "The most practical preventive approach is to know your limits. That means saying no to things that you might want to do or that are otherwise important, like chairing a fund-raiser. Too many parents get involved in too many things. You need to set limits at work, even if it means slow (or no) advancement. Decide how much you can travel or work late, and stick to it," says Scott Ries, associate professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.
Evaluate how you spend your time. Once you have a good schedule in place, you can sit back and "relax" by focusing on whatever you are involved in at the present moment. "For instance, when at work, work; when at home, pay attention to family members. It may be difficult to pay attention to the 50th consecutive game of Candyland, but children know when you are 'present' and when you are distracted," says Ries, who recommends reading Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, a book that outlines some ideas for maintaining a work-life balance.
Ask for help. What's a family for, after all? Working moms in particular shouldn't stress themselves out over cooking dinner or cleaning the house all by themselves. To help find that essential work-life balance, delegate some work to your spouse and kids. Household chores can take less time and be less stressful when the whole family contributes. Also, consider hiring someone to help you with cleaning or babysitting a few hours a week. If finances permit, treat yourself and your family to dinner out or takeout occasionally.

By acknowledging that you're human — not an automaton — you can set some healthy limits on your schedule that will keep you from spiraling out of control, something both your family members and your co-workers will appreciate. Achieving that work-life balance is within reach.

STORY : Parents' Poverty, Not Deaths, Lead To Flooded Orphanages

Indonesian Parents Forced To Give Up Kids

Yulianto's parents are still alive, but the 13-year-old has spent half his life in an orphanage. Looking down at the ground, he quietly explains why: His mom and dad are too poor to feed him and put him through school.

Yulianto is far from alone. A major survey of Indonesia's child care institutions released this month found orphanages flooded with children separated from their parents not by death, but because of poverty.

"I just want to be with my parents, even if it means I cannot get an education," said Yulianto, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.

The study by the U.S.-based charity Save the Children and the Indonesian government was the first detailed look at children's homes in the country. It surveyed six provinces and analyzed the legal and political issues facing the institutions.

According to the report, up to 500,000 of Indonesia's 85 million children live in institutions, one of the highest rates in the world. Of those, 90 percent still have one or more parent alive.

In the 36 homes surveyed, the children spent much of the time when they were not at school cooking, cleaning and looking after younger children because the institutions were under staffed.

Staff quoted in the report were not worried about this, saying the children were receiving free food and education and would almost certainly be working in the fields or helping their parents if they had remained at home.

"The staff are about managing children, not providing care," said Florence Martin, a child protection adviser with Save the Children in Jakarta. "Institutions think their purpose is providing education, so children's needs at the psychological level are not on the agenda."

The survey found government policy was in part fueling the surge in parents giving up their kids.

As part of efforts to combat poverty, the government has for five years funded orphanages based on the number of children they register. The aid has led religious and social organizations to establish new institutions and existing homes to actively "recruit" children, the survey found.

As evidence, the survey pointed to a dramatic rise in the number of orphanages in Indonesia - as many as 8,000, up from 1,600 in 1998.

"If you wanted to be mean, you could say running an institution is a pretty good business," said Martin. "When you've got 10 children coming out, you need to find 10 children to come in."

The report says most children have little contact with their families - perhaps a brief visit home once a year - because they are too poor to travel. Some institutions discourage relationships between children and their families because "it is believed the moral guidance children get in institutions would be weakened by contact with parents," Martin said.

Yulianto lives in the Parapattan Orphanage in central Jakarta with 65 other kids. The home encourages families to visit, but many parents say they cannot often do so because they lack money and work long hours.

The buildings are clean, but signs of wear and tear are everywhere. Paint peels from the walls and grass grows up between cracked concrete flooring. In the yard, boys use sandals to bat plastic balls over a shredded net.

The report makes it clear that the parents give up their children because of poverty.

World Bank figures show about half of Indonesia's 235 million people live on less than US$2 a day. Martin said the soaring prices of staple foods and a recent 30 percent increase in fuel costs would surely lead to more parents giving up their kids.

"I know my children are angry with me, but I try to convince them that is the best choice for us," said Tinor Niang, a 38-year-old noodle vendor who brought her two sons to Parapattan nine years ago.

"As a mother I want to take care of my children but I cannot be selfish. I want the best future for them, so I have no choice but to leave them."

Almost all of Indonesia's children's homes are privately run, many by Islamic organizations in this majority Muslim country. Nearly half operate on less than US$10,000 a year, the report found.

Makmur Sunusi, director general for social services and rehabilitation at the Welfare Ministry, said the government was aware of the problem and was looking at ways to help poor families without breaking them up.

Farm laborer Noldi Jacob held back tears explaining why he left his children at Parapattan.

"The economic situation is getting more difficult and I cannot depend on my brothers and sisters to pay for my children," he said. "As a father it pains me to admit that I cannot finance my children, but I believe this orphanage can guide, love and teach them."

Reading Activities for Preschoolers

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:19:17 +0100

Teaching children at an early age to be interested in reading is something they'll carry with them as they get older. The following tried-and-true activities will help your kids learn to enjoy reading.

Preschoolers enjoy listening to cassettes or CDs while they read, especially when it's their voice. Read a story with your child and make a recording of it. For example, the parent reads the story and at a certain point in the book the child can read a line. Have a copy of the recording and the book on hand so they can listen to the tape/CD and read along by themselves.
Set up a library in your home to teach your children about libraries and to show them the variety of reading materials available. Let your child take a turn being the librarian. Make a list of your child's different interests and look for books on those subjects. Stock your library with picture books, story books, magazines, greeting cards, atlases, song books and pamphlets.
Hang index cards around your house to name different items. For example, hang the cards on a shelf, the wall, the door, a clock and a desk. A part of reading is memorizing the words. When your child can see the word every day, he'll learn to read that word easier.
Grouping coupons is another fun reading activity. This teaches kids to read different words, such as milk, chicken, corn and juice. When they learn these words from the coupon, they'll remember the word when they see it elsewhere.
Make printouts of street signs. Show them how S-T-O-P means "Stop." Street signs teach them words such as "bridge," "school," "slow" and "turn." While they're outside or riding in a car, they'll see the signs and remember these words. They'll later associate those words when they see them in books.
Make books together:
• The "Alphabet Book" is a fun and popular activity for preschoolers. Associating the word and the letter sound to the picture is the first step to learning to read.
• Make a "Cereal Book." Collect cereal boxes and read different parts of the box with your child. Cut the words out and paste in the book.
Have a reading picnic in the living room! Use a picnic basket, lunchbox or cooler and paper plates. Lay out a blanket and serve sandwiches, juice and fruit. Have your child choose several books to read and make an afternoon of it. Create fond memories by making it a "teddy bear reading picnic" or a "beach time reading picnic," and reading books about teddy bears or families at the beach.
Teach your children some words in sign language. Show them how to make the sign while you say the word. Young children pick up sign language rather quickly. When you're reading a story and see the word that you've taught, act the word out in sign as you read it. Check out the American Sign Language Browser at http://aslbrowser.commtechlab.msu.edu/ for videos of signs/words.
Read the book, A New Home for Snowball, by Joan Bowden. This book tells the story of a child who built a house for his pet, Snowball, and was trying to find the perfect word to put above his door. He realized the perfect word was, "Snowball." After you read the story, make a sign for your child's wall or a name plate for her door. Make a "favorites list" using her name by taking each letter of her name and writing a word of something she enjoys. For example, Megan is: Monkeys Eggs Giraffe Angel Naps.

Source : Charlotte Hopkins is a mother, freelance writer and job coach from West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania.

Be A Kids Model

Wed, 13 May 2009 06:46:16 +0100

Babies are most probably the thing guaranteed to bring a smile to your face before anything else.

And of course no baby is more beautiful than your own :-)

There is great demand for baby models.And the fortunate thing about this particular "modeling industry" is that it is most probably the safest and most professionally run.

There are strict laws around the world for how long a baby can actually work for - and the babies needs are put first in any commercial or film shoot.

What is also heartening for the parents - again using the word "safety" is that baby models are safe from predators, unlike unfortunately the child modeling world.
Because given the age of a baby - the mother MUST always be present so there is not any opportunity for any unsavory behavior.
And again there are very strict laws as to how to work with a baby for commercial purposes.

Having said all of this - if you have a baby that you would like to get into modeling. Or you have a friend who has a baby that you think is just too beautiful for words and would get booked in an instant...

Whatever is your reason for reading this - it's still important to know where to go, where to find the best Baby Modeling Agency.

And what you need to do as a parent to make sure your baby is:

A) Protected

B) Given the best opportunities/jobs

C) Is paid handsomely for it

It is also worth your while to become fully acquainted with your rights as the mother/baby when your child is modeling. And it is of course better that you know this - as opposed to relying on the 'professionals' at the agency to tell you.

You want to feel in control of your baby's infant career, as well as working positively with the agent, bookers and companies hiring him/her (as honestly playing the "Stage Mum" will not get you very far, and will harm your baby's chances).

To find out ALL you need to know about Baby Models and Baby Modeling go here: http://true-info-now.com/babymodels/

http://hubpages.com/hub/Baby_Models

Always Like Plane

Fri, 01 May 2009 07:10:09 +0100

Plane,,,, I Like It,,,,,,,,

Back to years behind,,, me and my parents went to my grandma village.. To reach that,, we have to go by plane. That was a small plane and with the long delay flight as well as use to be the custom in this country.. I won't tell you how damaged the industry rather than to share you a moment that I enjoy the flight.

It was a shock experience at first time to flight,,,try your self then,,, Once that thing in the air,,,,, I felt good..c'os I remember my favorite toys,,, superman,,( I used to call it emen,,). My Mom's showed me the blue sky and guess what else,,,,, My curious tell me that I have to grab something outside that windows,,, Wooups,, my Mom's didn't allow me to did so,, Something out there make me wonder,, I have to feel it,,,,

Hourly flying,, of course didn't make me feel better,,, I miss the land,,,,,,,,,,,
Journey to grandma,,, inside the iron bird,,, tell me the nice one,,,,,,,,,,,

Someday,,,,I will be a pilot,,,,

My Blue Baby Bike

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:45:06 +0100

My "Nice Blue Baby Bike"

Someday before, my Dad's came from work. As usual,,, I heard his bike sound (''broom,,,brooomm,,, what a big bike I knew"). Somehow I always thinking that Dad's brought me something I can taste (like my favorite chocolate,,,hmmmm,,tastyyy). Then I found that my Dad's brought me a "nice blue baby bike"

I love it,,,,,,,woow,,, I can't hardly believe it,, finally I can ride my own bike. He,,,he,, don't you see,, I enjoy ride it event I didn't realize bumped a wall.... Well my experience was so good at that time ride it.

Somedays.... I'll become a good bike rider,,, like motobike rider I used to watch on my small TV with my lovely Dad's. Off course my Mom's won't let me ride by myself at first,,, she played with me and try to feed me as well ( you know,, Mom's always feed me while I was busy with my toys,,,).

Well I hope you all can understand why I am so exciting about my first bike.... That gift was my first happy impression about,,, Parents always give the best for their kids event not in your bhirthday,,, What ever my parents give me,,,, there must be excite me,,, hmmm except they try to feed me my medicine ( I guess you have the same reaction as well)... Happy ride,,,watch your feet ,,, (my dad's warn me) ,,, and Ride,,,,ride,,,ride,,,,

I Wanna Be A Biker

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:11:52 +0100

My Dad's has a bike that we used to go around. For me, it is too big to ride.. but I always wanna try to ride it..It is always fun when my Dad's and Mom's took me along with that bike.... I can feel the wind, and fresh air (of course if there is no other big vehicle in front),,, Seeing the road and the environtment along the ride will be very pleasure experience while you are at my age.

Once, we did ride in a small village in West Kalimantan. At first, it was a good travel, suddenly the weather change very quickly,,, and here came the big rain.... Wooow,,, what a troule we have... My Dad's decided that we have to step by,,,, so we went to a small store and wait for the rain over there...

Now,,, we live in a big town,,, my Dad's change his bike to a small one,,, efficience and don't take much effort to ride it he said... In fact, in my city, there are millions bike at the street.... You can image,,, seems that every people in my town has a bike,,,,,,, There will be frustating if you ride in my town, cause you will be surrounding by bike,,,,,

Hhh,,, I think automotive has a good industry in our country,,, there are many factories from several brands.... For me as a kid,,,, I just hope that my friend (age like me) won't get hurts from bump the bike which is too many in the street.... Be carefull as I do,,,,

Somedays,,, I wanna be a biker too,,, not just as usual,,, but I wanna try to race... Hmmm,,, I hope my Dad's doesn't hear my wishes......

Check out my photo and make a comment:
http://www.childmodelsadvice.com/i-always-communicate.html#comments
http://www.childmodelsadvice.com/laughs-is-a-better-medicine.html#comments
http://www.childmodelsadvice.com/my-first-heat.html#comments

When I Feel Upset

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:21:29 +0100

It's already day 4th, when my Mom is sick. She seems so weak and pale.... I don't know what really happened to her,,, my Dad took her to hospital (the place that I usually avoid,,). She met the doctor and adviced her to took a blood test in to the Lab,,, It seems so scary when you see the doctor and they advice you to take a blood test,,, I do have the experienced, while I was so little,,, My parents always took me to the hospital to see our family doctor,,,especially when I got fever... I should took a blood test to find out and figure what's really wrong with my fever.... Hhhh,,, you can imagine that,,,

After take several hours,,, my parents finally got the blood test result,,and attach it to the doctor again,,, well,,what the doctor said about the test,,,, my Mom got thypus,,,, she has to get rest for several days,,, At first, I am really happy because my Mom at home all the day,,, I can play with her and give her my new song from playgroup.... Not long,, my Dad told me that I have to care about Mom, because she was sick and maybe can not play with me for several days even she's home,,,,,

Wooww,,, it upset me,,, I don't think of that,, all I know if my Mom can stay at home,,it's the sign that I can play with her all day,,,, Now I can't sing with my Mom while she's still sick,,,,, Oh,, I pray God for my Mom's health,,,,

My First Heat

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 06:42:45 +0100

One day, my Mom gave me a heat that I have to wear while we were out... Since we were travel by Dad's bike,, so they thought that I should wear something to cover my head... That is,,, the heat,, I really like it so much,,, so I wear it reversed,, to make me cool hah,,,

Look,,, I think,, I am fit with this heat,,, well,, along with my red jacket,, I thing that's good combination... maybe someday,, I have to consider be a dress consultant,, oh no,, my Dad's used to told me that I should be an army one day like my grandpa,,,and seems my Mom disagree about what my future carer since I should go along long way a head,,, still, she keen to be an artist for my carer.... He,, he,, he,, I thing both are love me, so they though their own carer for me,,, What a parents..........

I Always Laughs,,

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 06:31:00 +0100

I always laughs,,,even I enjoy it... My Dad always tell me that laugh is a better medicine,,,so if I laughs,,I've got a better medicine.. It will strenght my heart, and give me a fresh simulation in my body.. Well,, I lauhghs louder and fell free for my self,, after all I am just a little baby..

Of course I am crying too,,, that's natural isn't it... nothing wrong with crying... at night, that the time I used to cry... there are so many reason to make me cry,,, pissing, bite by ant, mosquito or when I feel sad if I haven't found my parent beside me,,,

He,, he,, he,,, fell free at any time by laughing................