Is your teen watching to much tv?

Television and sexuality

According to a September 2004 study by the RAND Corporation, "Adolescents who watch large amounts of television containing sexual content are twice as likely to begin engaging in sexual intercourse in the following year as their peers who watch little such TV." In addition, the National Institutes of Health-funded study found that these children's sexual behavior was akin to those adolescents who were 9 to 17 months older, but who watched only average amounts of TV with sexual content.

"Television habits predicted whether adolescents went to 'second or third base,' as well as whether they had sex for the first time," said Rebecca Collins, a RAND psychologist who led the study. "The 12-year-olds who watched a lot of television with sexual content behaved like the 14- or 15-years-olds who watched the least amount of sexual television. The advancement in sexual behavior we saw among kids who watched a lot of sexual television was striking."

This alarming trend occurs within the context of ever-increasing amounts of implicit and over sexual content on television. As reported by the Parents Television Council, "In a sample of programming from the 2001-2002 TV season, sexual content appeared in 64f all TV programs. Those programs with sexually related material had an average of 4.4 scenes per hour. Talk of sex is more frequent (61vs. overt portrayals (32ž One out of every 7 programs includes a portrayal of sexual intercourse." According to the RAND study, talk of sex had just as much of an effect on adolescent sexual behavior as overt behaviors.

Sexual behavior among U.S. teens is on the rise. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 46f all high school students have had sexual intercourse. The National Institutes of Health has found that, each year, one of every four sexual active teens contracts a sexually transmitted disease. Teen pregnancy in the U.S. is also the highest among industrialized nations.

Now, more than ever, parents need to be concerned about what their children are watching on television. The first step parents need to take is to monitor the content of the shows their adolescents watch. According to RAND researcher Collins, "The impact of television viewing is so large that even a moderate shift in the sexual content of adolescent TV watching could have a substantial effect on their sexual behavior."

Other important steps you can take to curb or mitigate your children's exposure to sexual content on television include:

1. Watch TV with your children and discuss your beliefs about sex and about the sexual behaviors portrayed on TV. Develop TV-watching guidelines for your children and enforce them.

2. Limit the amount of time your children watch TV. Instead, use family movie reviews to rent movies with appropriate content.

3. Encourage and reward your children for reading instead of watching TV.

4. Encourage your children to find and develop non-television related hobbies and interests.

By taking these simple steps, you can help to ensure that your adolescents' attitudes and beliefs about sex more closely mirror your own, and that their sexual initiation is delayed.

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Listen to this exciting podcast

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onlinehelp/2007/10/19/My-special-guest-this-week-is-Treasua-Stepp

Introducing my special friend... Treasua Stepp

http://www.southernbelleinvitations.com

My name is Treasia Stepp and I am a WAHM. I am married to a wonderful man and have been now for a little over one year. I have two lovely children ages 24 and 17, boy and girl, respectively. I also have two grandchildren, again boy and girl ages 4 and 1. As well as two step children, girl and boy ages 10 and 8. I attended a very small school in Arkansas. I have lived here most of my adult life and wouldn't change it. In high school I thought I wanted to be a secretary when I grew up. I took all the courses that I could for this goal in life. Instead I married right out of high school and became a wife and mother. I did not attend college until after my divorce in 1995. I had worked for many years in the health care field as a CNA in a nursing home. I loved health care. So I attended a course and received my state license in Respiratory Therapy. I worked as a respiratory therapist for 6 years and throughly enjoyed it. However it took almost all of my time away from home. I wanted more homelife. I changed careers at the age of 38 and became a legal secretary in the small town I grew up in. I done this for 3 years and enjoyed it as well. I still had not found my true passion in life as far as my dreams of working for myself. After meeting my soon to be husband and moving to Marked Tree, AR, where we reside now, I custom designed and handcrafted our wedding invitations and all of our stationery for our wedding. I done this as a way to make our wedding more personal as well as affordable. I fell in love. Not only with my husband but the craft and desiging aspect of weddings and cards making. I was hooked. I started doing this for friends and family and it became my passion. At this time I worked as a sales associate in a large company. I hated it. lol. I still longed for my dream of owning my own business and working from home so as to spend more time with my family and children, and grandchildren. When my husband decided to become an OTR driver and knowing he would be gone for weeks at a time he pushed and prodded me to open my own business. He gave me the encouragement I needed to start. I started my business on a shoe string budget. Planning and doing it as I had the money. I designed some invitations and when I felt I had enough to start I then designed my own website and published it on the web. This was in February of 2007 and I am still going strong and growing more each day. I am continually adding new designs and my customer base is growing as well. I do all of my own designing, crafting, graphics, marketing, advertising, and packaging. I couldn't be happier with my life now. I am living my dream at the age of 45 and it can only get better.

sit back an take a moment and listen , then send us your comments

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Listening is an art

How do we listen take these steps.

.

In one of the Family Circus cartoon strips, the little girl looks up at her father, who is reading the newspaper, and says, "Daddy, you have to listen with your eyes as well as your ears." That statement says almost all there is to say about listening. Being a good listener means focusing attention on the message and reviewing the important information.

Listening can be considered an art, as well as a skill, and like other skills, it requires that you exhibit some discipline to be effective. However, in today's world where multitasking is considered essential to surviving in the workplace, it is not uncommon to be talking on the phone while we are reading mail or sending e-mail, and simultaneously conducting hand signals with a co-worker who needs your input about something important.

However, when it comes to communicating with your teenagers, you have to separate yourself from this multitasking communications style, and learn how to focus 100 percent of your time on her when she needs to talk to you. If you do not, she will perceive this distracted behavior as a lack of interest in her.

Thus, during your conversations with your teen, you must ignore your own needs, demonstrate patience, and pay attention to her. Hearing becomes listening only when you pay attention to what is being said, and can contribute to the conversation.

So how good are your listening skills?
Answer the following "yes or no" statements honestly:

1. I make assumptions about my teens feelings and thoughts
2. I bring up past issues during current disagreements
3. I interrupt my teenager's conversation
4. I respond to a complaint with a complaint
5. I respond to my teen with phrases like, "That's ridiculous."

If you answered "yes" to any of these statements, then there is some room for improvement in your listening skills.

What to do
Use the following guidelines to help improve your listening skills:

1. Maintain eye contact with your teen during conversations. Good eye contact allows you to keep focused and involved in the conversation.

2. Be interested and attentive. Your teen will sense whether you are interested or not by the way you reply or not reply to her.

3. Focus on "what" your teen is saying and not "how" she is saying it. If she is upset, for example, she may be exhibiting body language that may be distracting.

4. Listen patiently and avoid getting emotionally involved in the conversation. If you do so, you will tend to hear what you want to hear, as opposed to what is really being said. Your goal is to remain objective and open-minded during your discussions.

5. Avoid cutting your teenager off while she is speaking. This will show her that you respect her right to have an opinion, as well as to freely express it.

6. Avoid distractions or trying to multitask during your conversations. This may be okay at work, however your teen may perceive that you have a terminal case of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). :)

Exercise
It may be helpful to have a practice conversation with your teenager rather than wait to try and be a better listener when she comes to you with a "real world" problem. Inform her that she is really important to you, and that you want to be a better listener. Then tell her that you need her help.

Referring to the above guidelines, have her tell you about her day while you demonstrate your listening skills. Then ask her how you did and what you could have done better. Remember not to get defensive and conclude by thanking her for her help. Doing this on a regular basis will not only improve your overall listening skills, but also will make your teenager want to talk to you.

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Nancy Macdonald
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New babies fussy with Colic and those early months , read now

ALL ABOUT INFANT GAS, COLIC AND GRIPEWATER

Crying is a baby’s only means of communicating. Holding or carrying your baby will help you become familiar with their needs. Often a baby is not truly colicky or gassy but still cries for certain periods of the day. It is normal for a baby to have a daily fussy period. Babies like to have close body contact, so carrying your baby is usually comforting.

WHAT IS COLIC?

Colic is a condition in which an otherwise healthy baby cries for more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week. Colic usually begins around 3 weeks of age and lasts until 3 months of age. For some babies this condition may take longer to subside, but it will go away.

The possible causes can be”

An immature gastrointestinal and/or neurological system
Temporary lactose intolerance
Intolerance to high protein foods through the mother’s breast milk
Digestive intolerance due to smoking during or after pregnancy

INFANT GAS EXPLAINED

A majority of babies have discomfort from infant gas usually following feedings. They may cry intensely until they are able to release the gas.

The possible causes can be:
Cow’s milk and certain formulas
Eating too fast
Swallowing air while crying
Introducing new foods into the baby’s diet

HOW CAN I HELP MY BABY WHO HAS GAS OR COLIC?

Do not be afraid to hold, comfort, or rock them often.
Decide to breast feed until the baby is at least a year old
Allow your baby to comfort itself on the breast, even if it is just for a few moments.
Try not to over stimulate your baby.
Introduce white noise to calm them. Try the vacuum cleaner or washing machine.
Take the baby for car rides, or stroller walks.
Place the baby over the arm, known as the “gas hold”.
If you are bottle feeding, check that the nipple hole is not too large, as the baby may swallow too much air.
Burp your baby occasionally during bottle or breast feeding.
If your baby has acid reflux, be sure to place them in an upright position following meals, and give them smaller frequent feedings.

Always check with lactation specialist or doctor before discontinuing breast feeding or going to or changing formulas.

A dose of Baby’s Bliss GripeWater may ease your baby’s discomfort due to gas colic, hiccups, teething or acid reflux. Most babies stop crying in 5-20 minutes.

We can make a difference in our childs life

Homeschool a place for your child

Nancy Macdonald

Home-schooling provides children with a superior education. Parents can quickly teach most kids the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic using excellent, creative, learn-to-read, or learn-math books, programs, or computer learning software. Once children become proficient readers, they can then study subjects they love in greater depth. If a child needs help on a special subject, parents can occasionally call in a tutor.

Many studies confirm that home-schooled kids learn more, learn better, and learn faster than public-school children. Christopher J. Klicka, author of "The Right Choice: Homeschooling," cites a nationwide study of more than 2,163 home-schooling families conducted in 1990 by the National Home Education Research Institute:

“The study found the average scores of the home school students were at or above the 80th percentile in all categories. This means that the homeschoolers scored, on the average, higher than 80 percent of the students in the nation. The home schooler’s national percentile mean was 84 for reading, 80 for language, 81 for math, 84 for science, and 83 for social studies."

Several state departments of education also conducted their own surveys on the academic achievement of home-schooled students. In 1987, much to its embarrassment, “the Tennessee Department of Education found that home-schooled children in second grade, on the average, scored in the 93rd percentile, while their public school counterparts, on the average, scored in the 52nd percentile on the Stanford Achievement Test” (the SAT-9 is a well-respected battery of multiple-choice academic achievement tests for public-school students).

These studies, and many others, confirm the fact that home-schooling parents can give their kids a superior education. This shouldn’t surprise us. Home-schooling parents succeed where public schools fail because parents give loving, personalized attention to their children, use innovative free-market educational materials, and nourish a love of learning in their kids.

how to make a no sew blanket

A smile is warm and the first thing a person notices about another. Share your smile with someone today, take just a moment to let them know you care. I invite you to stop by www.preciousbabysite.com

Snuggly fleece blankets try one today! Buy one of my blankets today, WONDERFULL GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS or BIRTHDAY Just $19.95 plus shipping . Make your paypal payments to :
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Supplies Needed:

A pair of good scissors (If your scissors are dull, it will take a lot longer to complete!) OR rotary cutter and mat

Ruler or tape measure

Two coordinating pieces of any fleece . . .
• for a baby or toddler, purchase 1 to 1 1/2 yards (in each of
• two fabrics)
• for a child, purchase 1-3/4 yards (in each of two fabrics)
• for a teen or adult, purchase 2 yards (in each of two fabrics)
• Note: If you have a taller or bigger person that will be the
• recipient, buy more fleece! Large blankets are always
• appreciated!

Remember:
• Fabric is usually 54 inches wide or greater.
• You need two separate pieces of fabric for the blanket; one will
• be the front, one will be the back. You can choose two
• coordinating fabrics or the same fabric. The choice is yours!
• Double-check the widths of the two fleeces to make sure they
• are the same.
• Fleece panels look very nice, but be sure there is enough
• material at the edge to cut the fringe without cutting into the
• pattern.
• Watch for sales at your fabric store, as you can save a lot of
• money that way, often more than 50%.
Directions:

Cut off rough selvage edge on both sides. (This is the side that is machine finished, not cut.) Trim only as much as necessary, usually not more than 2 inches on each side. At this point, make sure that your cut sides are relatively straight. (They don't have to be perfect!) Do this on each piece of fabric.

Lay your fleece wrong sides together, with edges matching up. (Often times with fleece, it's hard to tell which side is the wrong side and it often doesn't matter which side you use as the front or back.)
**Some people choose at this point to pin the layers together; this is a personal preference. I've found it quicker not to pin, and I've never had a problem with slippage or keeping the sides aligned.


Cut a 4x4" square (or 5x5" square for a longer fringe) out of each corner (through both layers of fleece) and discard. If you want your fringe longer (not recommended for a baby or toddler), make your square bigger. It really does help to cut out your square from each corner before proceeding.

Cut all 4" (or 5") into fleece at 1" intervals around all four sides. Tie overhand knot close to blanket edge by using one strip from the front and one strip from the back to create finished fringe edge. Repeat around all four sides.
Several notes here:

To help make your strips approximately wide (again, it doesn't have to be perfect), you can use a tape measure across the top of your four inch section so that you not only make your cuts about 1" apart but also only four inches deep.

To make the tying look more even, I tie every other one, all the way around the blanket, then flip the blanket over to the back and tie the rest. That way neither side is really the front or the back!

Experiment with the way you tie the knots for different looks. You can make the knot show in either fabric as well as the fringe in either fabric.

The nature of fleece makes two of the sides stretchy. Don't fear! Just be gentle when tying those sides (the selvage sides) so that your fringe isn't stretched out of shape! The knots do not have to be tight to remain tied and keep the blanket together.

Web design and hosting, go check this out

Ava is the owner of AvaHosting.Biz - Marketer of Quick Podcast, and Founder of the non-profit SMILE - Single Mothers In Loving Entrepreneurship network and Podcast. A single mom owned and operated full service Internet Services and Telecommunications Provider featuring Web Hosting, Toll Free ISP, DSL, and T1. A Technology Company that you can know and trust, with many services and products including cellular, local and long distance phone service, toll free, voicemail, calling cards, and much more! Ava has many years experience with computer/internet consulting, marketing VOIP, teaching small businesses how to include social media and web conferences into their meeting schedule and educating them about podcasting. Are you a single mom with your own podcast or business or would like to help
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Insomnia and depression

Study: Insomnia linked to causing depression

Sleep disorders have long been cited as a symptom of depression, but new research suggests insomnia may in fact lead to depression.

A study conducted at the University of Rochester's Sleep and Neurophysiology Research laboratory concluded that depressed seniors grappling with insomnia were 17 times more likely to continue being depressed a year later than those without insomnia.

A second study at the clinic found that seniors who weren't depressed, but experienced insomnia, were six times more likely to be depressed at some point in their lives than seniors who were not insomniacs. "What we know is that insomnia is a risk factor for depression, it precedes depression and it seems to make depression resistant to treatment," said lab director Dr. Michael Perlis.

The research was recently presented at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies annual meeting in Colorado.

The first study examined more than 1,800 people over the age of 65 who had been diagnosed with severe or mild depression. The second study looked at 147 people over the age of 60 who did not have mental illness prior to the study. Of these people, 34 had persistent insomnia and 47 had a milder form of insomnia.

In the second study, researchers found that 12 of these people - 10 of whom were women - experienced new-onset depression during the year of the study, suggesting that chronic sleeplessness may trigger a higher risk of depression.

"These findings suggest that persistent insomnia may be both a precipitating and perpetuating factor of new onset and recurring depression (MDD)," the study concludes.

The investigators did not have an explanation regarding why there was a prevalence of depression-related insomnia among women. Results indicate people with persistent insomnia who tend to wake up during the night are most likely to develop depression.

The researchers said more studies are needed to explore the links between insomnia and depression, and that the sample in these studies was too small to render a meaningful conclusion.

Statistics show that about 40% of Canadian seniors struggle with sleep difficulties, and that 10% to 15% exhibit depressive symptoms.

www.preciousbabysite.com/online-tele-health

family violence

Does a parent ever stop loving their children
Current mood: calm

The question at hand is does a parent ever stop loving their children?

If so what brings on these feelings is due to the parent having drama and trauma going on in their life that prevents loving a child?

Is it that in a woman hormones cause the woman who is ordinary a stable loving caring parent, reach out an hurt a child?

Hurting the child by unkind words and emotional abuse and also unwanted kicks to the little child?

Then calling up the Grandparent and saying I am sorry umm this is what I have done.

This behaviour could have been stopped with one phone call, by the so called grown up. Then to send the child who is six years old out to walk two blocks alone on a very busy street . A walk the child has never done alone?

I am finding these actions so deplorable they make me physically sick to think of this poor child, subjected to the rage of her mother.

I would like feed back on this on what should be done?

For the safety of the little girl and for help for her mother.

Thanks for taking the time to read this message.please click and respond email me

writing is an art take time with your child

Encouraging Your Child To Write

By Nancy Macdonald

How in the world do you get your child to write? This is the battle cry of many parents. A lot of imagination, with a little bribery (or praise) is all you need to get your child writing. We'll supply the imagination. The praise and bribery is all up to you.

Grocery List: Enlist your child's help in making the grocery list. Walk around the kitchen, naming things you need from the store. Ask your child to write everything down. Your child can also suggest foods you might need from the store and he can add those, too.

Old Checks: If you've recently switched banks and have checks that need to be destroyed, first let your child play with them. Give him some envelopes and he can pretend to pay bills -- while getting him to do some writing. Of course, destroy the checks afterwards. If you do not have checks available, you can just give your child some blank pieces of paper and he can make his own checks.

Cards: If your child is interested in Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh cards, then give him some index cards cut in half and have him design his own cards. Encourage your child to give the characters names and special abilities on their cards.

Fictional Journal: Sometimes it is hard for children to write in a journal. What is there to write about? Instead of a standard journal, give your child a fictional journal. He or she can pretend to be anything they'd like to be and write a journal as that person. Your child could write from the perspective of an Astronaut discovering a new planet, Prince or Princess on an Adventure, Archaeologist finding a new species of Dinosaur, Famous Athlete, President of a Country, Passenger on the Titanic. Your child could write from the perspective something instead of someone, a mailbox, an animal, a pen. The possibilities are endless.

Letter-writing: Have your child write a letter to Santa, the Easter bunny, or the Tooth Fairy. Or, your child could write to their favorite athlete, fictional character, or movie star.

Alphabet Game: Take a piece of paper and write the letters A-Z in the left column. Then, choose a category from the following or make up one of your own. Vegetables, Fruits, Animals, Musical Instruments. For older children, the categories can be narrower and more difficult, like Countries, Characters in Literature, Presidents, etc. Set a timer and you and your child both list as many of the items in the category as you can for each letter. The trick at the end is that you have to cross off anything on your list that your child has listed. (for instance, if you both have "apple" for an "a" fruit, then the parent crosses theirs off.) Whoever has the most words wins.

Character Game: Tell your child to pick a character from a book or movie that he's familiar with, and you do the same. Then, ask several questions and you each write the answers to the questions on a piece of paper. When you've finished asking the questions, then have your child read the answers and try to guess who he was pretending to be. You do the same and see if your child can guess who you were. Whether you are pretending to be Peter Pan or Shrek, you and your child will have fun and your child won't even realize he's practicing his writing!

www.preciousbabysite.com

Swim suits and summer

Trends in Stylish Swimwear

By Nancy Macdonald

Do you remember when the only choices for swimwear were a bikini or one piece? Those days are long gone. Nowadays, swimwear features more styles and color selections that people often choose to own not one, but several different styles. If you need any confirmation that there is variety in swimwear, just visit MySwim.net and you can find information and specials for just about every type of swimsuit available in the world. Swimwear has become so fashionable that you may not be aware of all the styles that are available.

One of the more popular types of stylish swimwear available is the tankini. This swimsuit features a top that looks similar to a blouse. The bottom part of the swimsuit is a traditional bikini bottom. This style of swimsuit is available in a wide array of colors and patterns. If you purchase several pair you can easily mix and match to create your own style. If you’re not interested in exposing much skin, you can easily find a tankini that covers more of your skin. In addition to being fashionable, tankinis are also designed for comfort. Since the top part of the bathing suit resembles a blouse, some of these swimsuits are available with cushion or padding.

Are you planning to attend a private gathering or are you feeling daring? Exotic swimwear is probably the option for you. Exotic swimwear includes bathing suits that expose more of your body or that are designed with unique shapes and styles. You don’t have to feel compelled to expose your body the entire time you’re wearing the bathing suit. There are a variety of cover-ups available on the market. You can even find exotic swimwear with a cover-up option.

When you think of exotic swimwear you probably think of women. The website mySwim.net features exotic swimwear for both men and women. The styles for men feature swimwear made of very sheer material. This type of swimwear is designed for men who are confident and daring. Thong and string bikinis are popular among those who choose exotic swimwear.

In addition to exotic swimwear, mySwim.net offers traditional swimwear for men and women. Men can find swimming trunks in trendy prints and styles. You can choose between various materials, such as spandex and lycra, that offer comfort and flexibility. The bikini and one piece have been the traditional styles of swimwear for women. Myswim.net offers a completion selection of this swimwear. There are numerous styles that are based on traditional patterns, but feature unique features, such as a one-piece swimsuit with a hollow front.

Think swimwear is only for those with perfect bodies? Wrong. Designers of stylish swimwear realized that they were missing out on market potential and began producing a wide range of swimwear. Clothing for pregnant women is such a huge market now, that there are shops that sell maternity wear exclusively. The good news about maternity swimwear is that it too is stylish. Another expanding stylish swimwear market is plus sizes. Like maternity wear, there are shops just about everywhere that offer clothing for plus sizes. Swimwear in plus sizes are available in colorful and stylish choices.

About the author:
Nancy Macdonald offers an a view from a parenting point of view,the new online "anne Landers", on issues that effect the family . For woman and the growing and changing aspects of lives.

Http://www.preciousbabysite.com

buying gently used baby items

Buying Gently Used Baby Clothing By NANCY MACDONALD Remember that adorable outfit you bought for your newborn - the one that cost you nearly $40, and got worn three times before it no longer fit? For such tiny things, baby clothing is expensive - and as fast as babies grow, they seldom see much wear. For parents on a budget, those are potent arguments for cutting costs where you can when dressing baby. Designer duds for baby DO make sense though - and by designer, I mean the elite in the baby design field: OshKosh and Baby B'Gosh, Carters, Sweat Pea and other top-of-the-line baby clothing manufacturers. They concentrate on the little details that cheap clothing manufacturers skimp on - little details that make a major difference in fit, appearance and comfort. You want to take advantage of nice, flat seams that don't irritate, and nylon snaps that don't scratch or pull through fabric. But you don't want to pay $30 for a sleeper! The answer is shopping around for gently worn using baby clothes and checking with friends and relatives for outgrown hand-me-downs. Yard sales are a great source in the spring and summer months. You'll often find great clothes that are barely worn in sizes for the next couple of years. Check the newspaper for upcoming yard sales - baby clothes are often one of the advertised items. Another great place to buy designer baby clothes at rock-bottom prices is a good consignment shop. Strike up a relationship with the owner, and she may even put aside items that she knows you'll love and give you a call to let you know what she's got. In addition, you can often sell the same baby clothes BACK, or trade them in on the next size up when baby outgrows them. How about a place to get gently used baby clothing for the cost of the gas to go pick them up? Freecycle.org is a national movement of community bulletin boards who are committed to the concept of 'one man's junk'. Check http://www.freecycle.org to see if there's a chapter near you, and join up. Seldom a day goes by that someone doesn't offer a few bags of baby and children's clothing in various sizes. The quality varies, but the younger the baby, the more likely that the clothing is still in excellent shape. Don't overlook church and community thrift shops as sources of good, well-cared for baby clothing. If there's a Junior League thrift shop in your city, you'll find beautiful clothing for baby at bargain basement prices. When you do pick up used clothing for baby, launder it as soon as you get it home. Pretreat stains if there are any, and wash with a gentle laundry soap meant for baby. Add borax to the water for extra whitening power, and be sure to rinse at least twice if you use bleach. By the time you're done, you'll have one of the best-dressed babies in town - without breaking your piggy bank. www.preciousbabysite.com