Things to Consider When Choosing Your Baby's Name

Naming a child is an extremely serious affair. A name stays
forever and, if the child hates his name during his growing
years, it can adversely affect his mind and psychology.
Therefore, it is very important for parents to give their
child a name that he will not find embarrassing when he
grows up. Here's one example of disastrous child naming:
Bruce Willis has named his daughters Rumer, Tallulah and
Scout. This is a clear case of forcing a personal choice
down the throats of children who have no worldly experience
of knowing what is right or wrong for them.

So, lesson number one: parents must think from the child's
angle and ask themselves this -

* Will my child be proud of his name or will he be
embarrassed by it?
* Will the name give a chance to potential leg-pullers to
make life miserable for my child during his growing-up
years?

Once you are clear that you have to think from the child's
point of view, here's what you must do:

1. The basics of naming a child are that the name must
sound positive and must conform to the child's gender. This
goes without saying, and we're sure you'll be up to it.

2. If you are bound either by religion or tradition when it
comes to naming, then the buck stops there, as you have to
select the name from a given set of names. In this case,
you must make a list of the traditional or religious names
and shortlist the names that you like the most. After that
it boils down to choosing the name you think suits your
child the best.

3. If you're looking beyond religion and tradition, then
you can really get creative: you can base your child's name
on his physical traits or on his personality. For example,
if your child has a strong bone structure, you can choose a
"strength" name for him; if he appears creative to you, you
can go in for an "arty" name, and so on. Maybe you can name
your baby after your interests, but whatever you choose to
do, remember not to make the name sound weird or
complicated. There's this website, AmericanBaby.com
(http://www.americanbaby.com/babynames/index.jsp), which is
a favorite for name seekers - try it out, it may give you a
whole lot of ideas.

4. You can also choose to name your child after your
favorite singer or actor. However, you must remember that
many such celebrities are law-breakers, do not have much
ethical sense, and are into abusing substances such as
drugs and what not. Be careful to base your child's name on
a celebrity who stands on a high moral ground.

5. You must also analyze how the name will sound when the
last name is added to it. This is important because the
child will be known by his full name once he begins his
schooling.

6. Here is a small list of DON'Ts:

(i) The initials of your child's full name (first, middle
and last) may sometimes make a word. For example: Billy
Uriah Balboa makes BUB. So, if the name you have chosen
ends up making an offensive word out of the initials, avoid
it.

(ii) The spelling must not be too complicated and the name
should be easily pronounceable.

(iii) Avoid very long names!

Once you have made a list of your favorite names, go ahead
and choose, and remember to choose well because that name
will be stuck to your child for whole life. Make sure to
see that your child is proud of your superior choice. We
wish you all the luck in the world.

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Patricia Bennett publishes a wealth of information on this
subject.
See http://www.freepregnancyresources.com

What the Baby Boomers Can Teach Paris Hilton

Are you tired of the celebrity driven circus revolving around Paris Hilton? Does the hotel heiress deserve to be behind bars for her flagrant disregard for the law? As a popular media figure, should she be responsible to set an example for the impressionable teenagers who emulate her?

The Baby Boomers or so called 'Me Generation,' on some level, weren't all that different. They were often seen as egocentric and self absorbed, as having a sense of entitlement. But, along the way, they developed the capacity for self reflection. Now, entering the retirement years, they are serving the greater good and are often referred to as the 'We Generation.' Paris Hilton can learn a lesson or two from the changes in their attitudes and behavior:

1. Taking a step back helps you see the situation from a different angle and develop a new perspective. Listening to your inner voice can provide comfort and reassurance as you recognize how your basic character strengths support you. Focus on what's important, and try to integrate core values and personal ideals into how you view the world.

2. Let go of your concerns about the present moment and look at the big picture. Time passes quickly - use it to your advantage and make different choices about your future. Set new long range goals as well as short term objectives. Commit to a process of change - then move forward, step by step.

3. Look to satisfying others instead of only giving yourself pleasure. Learn that gratitude is a very powerful emotion. Tell others what you appreciate about them. Watch their positive reaction to what you say and see how that makes you feel.

4. Increase your capacity to be resilient. Releasing tension through humor will help you begin to bounce back. It is not easy to maintain your sense of optimism when the circumstances are complicated. But focus your thoughts on what you can accomplish and manage, rather than on what you cannot.

5. When problems seem too hard to handle, giving back provides a welcome diversion. Find your spirit of idealism and make a contribution to those less fortunate. Be generous with your skills and time as you become involved with social activism. Change society for the better and you'll eventually transform yourself.

Back in jail and feeling a little less vulnerable, Paris Hilton seems to be singing a different tune. She now says that she will serve her time, not cause any more trouble and use her power to make a difference. More spiritual already, she sees herself growing from her jail experience.

Only time will tell if she is truly ready to roll up her sleeves and set an example for the young people who look up to her. Instead of focusing on the latest clubbing venues, perhaps she will use her flair for self promotion in a more positive way. Let's hope so, for her sake and the sake of our children.

(C) Her Mentor Center, 2007

Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D. & Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. are founders of http://www.HerMentorCenter.com, a website for midlife women and http://www.NourishingRelationships.Blogspot.com, a Blog for the Sandwich Generation. They are authors of a forthcoming book about Boomers' family relationships.

Babysitting Service Can Be a Lucrative Career

There are a huge number of people who are into babysitting services either because they adore kids or they just want to earn some money. Some people benefit from this babysitting service as it is supposed to be the gateway to being a nanny, which is considered to be a very profitable position. Nannies that have potential are likely to earn a big sum and they are continuously in demand.

Regardless of the financial position of any family, trouble with taking care of a child can put pressure and anxiety to a huge number of households. All the families would want to have an excellent babysitting service but only some can. Almost everyone faces trouble with babysitting service at some point or the other.

Reason for High Income

The chief executive of companies has high income as they undergo a lot of stress in the office. If they can find a reasonable and trustworthy nanny then will have some load off their minds. It may so happen that an urgent business trip crops up and it is a good feeling to know that you have a good nanny to take care of your children. As such, they don't mind paying much for a babysitting service.

Qualifications

If you have a degree in child psychology, nursing or education then your scope for earning huge income is more. Actually, you will find that most of the babysitting service agencies are hiring nannies, which specialize in nursing, education and child psychology, from colleges. Majority of the nanny's salary begins with thirty thousand dollars and this amount can double after working for a few years.

Individual Preference

There are certain people who prefer their nannies to have some training as well as practice. Likewise, there are also people who do not require these qualifications. Training is offered by certain babysitting service agencies.

Being Reasonable is Invaluable

It is remarkable to see your nanny showing initiative. If the nanny is willing to take the automobile for service or keep everything at home in order or pick up dry cleaning, then she is suppose to be a preferred nanny. There are also various talents, which are preferred, are having know-how on the most recent childcare, knowledge of CPR and swimming.

It is the job of the nanny to make the family's life easy and as such she is expected to work for a long time, about sixty hours in a week. She is also expected to do the job during the holidays.

Other Advantages

Houses where the nannies usually work are often lovely.
You can expect good standard of food.
You can expect a car from your employer, as it may be a portion of the work package.
The income is usually exempted from tax.
Expect trips abroad. Even though you will be working, you can expect high-class trips abroad, posh restaurants, amazing shopping spree, amusement parks, museums, etc.

MJ Batta writes babysitter service related topics and hosts a baby sitter research site at http://www.sitter-city.net/info/findababysitterservice.htm

How to Make a Baby Mobile for Fun, Learning and Saving Money

One thing I find strange is how many parents want to make a
baby mobile despite all the fancy, high-tech ones they can
buy in shops.

I've often wondered why.

If I disregard saving money, the only conclusion I reach is
that you can actually make a very good learning toy if you
do it right. Unfortunately few parents know how to make one
or even what to look for when buying one.

The sad thing is that many parents still believe that
commercial baby mobiles are far superior to homemade ones.

But that's not true!

If you make a good one...

- You can vary and change how much stimulation your baby
gets

- Prevent your baby from losing interest and keep his
attention, thus getting much more "play and learning value"
from your mobile

- It's a simple technique for increasing and growing visual
stimulation

- It gives you the right way to encourage grasping with one
hand and using both hands together at a very early age, and.

- Very few other baby mobiles give your baby the chance to
discover the textures and shapes of different objects

So, how do you make a good learning baby mobile?

Step 1: Find a long dowel rod (at least 12mm/half inch
diameter) or even a normal yardstick to use as suspender
bar for the baby mobile's crosspiece.

Step 2: Fix this dowel or yardstick (suspender bar) to the
top of the cot approximately above your baby's chest.

Step 3: Use a piece of cardboard or plastic tube, wooden
clothes hanger (removing the wire hook) or even rubber hose
as the crosspiece. No sharp objects allowed.

Step 4: Tie a strong piece of string to the middle of the
crosspiece. Tie the other end to the suspender bar at the
top of the cot.

Step 5: Tie a piece of string to each end of the mobile's
crosspiece.

Step 6: Tie small objects to the end of the string tied to
the crosspiece. The object must dangle at the distance of
Baby's outstretched hand when lying in the cot.

Step 7: Tie other small objects to the same crosspiece,
making sure the crosspiece still balances.

Step 8: Finally. make sure that the swing of the crosspiece
is such that when Baby grabs an object, he can handle,
touch and feel it.

What are the best objects to hang from the crosspiece?

Everyday toys like colorful booties, blocks, rattles,
squeaky toys, small plastic bottles and teething rings work
well. In fact. you can use almost any child-safe object as
long as it's colorful, have different textures and
contrasts light and dark colors.

If you want to get even more from your baby mobile.

Tie only a few objects to the crosspiece at a time, but
change them more often. maybe once or more often per week.
This keeps your baby's curiosity and interest for much
longer.

The thing I like about this baby mobile is that it
encourages and teaches your baby to use his senses to work
together - one of the first skills all infants must master.

Only once this skill has been fully mastered will he
automatically further explore and discover the crosspiece
objects.

----------------------------------------------------
Discover the proven secrets, tips and practical advice your
baby needs for a bright future.
http://www.babydevelopmentnews.com/rb5

Infant Massage Helps Babies with Colic

What is Colic? Websters Dictionary defines Colic as:
Paroxysms of pain. This condition usually occurs in the
abdominal region but may occur in other body regions as
well.

(Paroxysms - . A sudden uncontrollable attack; "a paroxysm
of giggling"; "a fit of coughing".)

But really that doesn't answer your question. In terms of
babies, we know that colic causes babies to cry and cry,
much more than other babies who are not suffering from
colic. What are signs of Colic? When babies with colic
cry, they may draw their arms and legs in tight toward
their bodies and appear to be in pain. Or other times they
stretch out their arms and legs and stiffen, then draw up
tight again. You may notice that baby's face turns bright
red from excessive crying.

Babies are diagnosed with colic when their crying lasts for
more than three hours a day. You may find that colicky
babies get fussier toward the end of the day, but colic can
happen at any time.

A baby with colic may cry for long periods or may cry
almost all of the time. And you may have already noticed
that when your baby cries, they may swallow air. This
swallowing is likely to give your baby uncomfortable gas.
Having an extra amount of gas in your baby's tummy will
make it look swollen and feel tight, which can of course
make your baby more uncomfortable. What Causes Colic? This
has long been a question without a definite answer. Still
no one is quite sure what actually causes colic. Babies
with colic are healthy, so it does not appear to be caused
by a medical problem. And colic is not caused by the way a
baby is cared for. Without a doubt it is not any fault of
the parent.

A milk allergy was once considered to be a possible cause,
but now doctors believe that this is rarely the case, as
breastfed babies can get colic too. Many believe that colic
is caused by excessive gas in the tummy which is the result
of baby swallowing too much air while crying. How long
will Colic last? Colic usually starts when baby is three to
six weeks old. And will typically go away when they are
around three months old. If your baby still appears to show
signs of colic after three months of age, they may be
experiencing a reflux disorder and you may wish to visit
your baby's physician for guidance. How can I help soothe
my colicky baby? There is no one treatment which has been
proven to make colic go away, but there are some simple
things you can try to soothe your colicky baby. For example
many babies calm when they are gently rocked, bounced or
held closely to their parent's body. By being held close,
your baby may feel more warm and secure, and your body
movements may help to calm. Try also swaddling. Being
swaddled for many babies helps them to organize. You may
also try singing or humming a calming tune to your little
one. This soothing sound may also calm you too!

And without a doubt, try massaging your baby's tummy. In
some cases, gently massaging baby's tummy has helped to
move uncomfortable gasses out of the intestinal tract
relieving tightness and discomfort. Massage should be
given to baby in a clockwise circular motion using your
full soft hand. This massage specifically pinpoints the
digestive tract and should help to ease your baby's pain by
helping them to pass painful gas. How to cope when your
baby has colic? If your baby has colic, surely your family
life has been turned upside down. You may find it extremely
stressful and upsetting when your baby is crying for hours
and cannot be easily comforted. Of course like many
parents, you may feel guilty even though you are not the
cause of your little one's colic. No one wants to see their
baby in pain.

Caring for a baby with colic can be extremely frustrating,
so be sure to take care of yourself, too.

Don't blame yourself or your baby for the constant crying -
colic is nobody's fault. Try to relax, and remember that
your baby will eventually outgrow this phase. It is
absolutely okay if you need a break. It may be necessary
for you to call on friends or family as reinforcement.

If you're unsure whether your baby's crying is colic or a
symptom of another illness, call your doctor.

----------------------------------------------------
Looking for the best ways to care for and comfort your
little one? Find answers to all your questions about infant
and children's massage at http://www.liddlekidz.com . With
over a decade of service to children and families, Tina
Allen, founder of leading children's health and nurturing
touch organization Liddle KidzT, has become an
internationally respected parent educator and expert in the
field of infant massage and children's massage therapy.