ParentWonder

Helping Parents Succeed

Games and Activities to Teach Your Toddler Science and Nature

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You don’t need to go to a science center to teach your toddler science and nature. You can do it at home, through games and activities, with everyday items.

Why games? Because you can help your toddler to turn an otherwise boring subject into something to look forward to.

What can I say; you and your toddler can learn, bond, play, and have fun at the same time. To top it up, these games are free as you only make use of what you already have at home.

Activities and games listed below are best for children between 2-5 years old. Let’s get started.

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An Interview with Mac Bledsoe of Parenting with Dignity

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We are extremely glad to have him on this interview. He’s none other than Mac Bledsoe. Mac is the President, Founder and author of the parenting curriculum Parenting with Dignity. The Parenting with Dignity curriculum presents effective techniques for raising responsible, independent children. It’s available in the forms of DVDs and books.

Mac and the Parenting with Dignity curriculum has been featured on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s 20/20 television show, and on numerous national and local radio and television programs.

In this interview, Mac is going to cover a wide spectrum of topics concerning today’s parents.

Enjoy!

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Fertility Calculator: Can it Help You in Getting Pregnant?

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Anyone who knows the fundamentals of conception will know that it is more likely to occur during the ovulation part of a woman’s cycle when the egg is released from the ovaries.  In fact, just before and just after are the optimum times.  But how do you work out when you’re ovulating?

Some women can actually tell they’re ovulating by the cramps they feel – slightly different sensations to period pain cramps – and also by food cravings, slight flushes in temperature, lower back pain and a range of other symptoms, some common, and some peculiar to a handful of women.

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US warns about bed-wetting drug after two deaths

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U.S. health officials alerted the public on Tuesday about the deaths of two patients who were treated with a prescription drug to control bed-wetting.

The Food and Drug Administration said it was unclear whether the drug, desmopressin, had contributed to the deaths. But the agency said nasal versions were no longer approved for treating bed-wetting and doctors should consider other options.

Desmopressin is sold under the names DDAVP Nasal Spray, DDAVP Rhinal Tube, DDVP, Minirin and Stimate Nasal Spray. Makers include Sanofi-Aventis and several generic companies.

Other forms of the drug "should be used cautiously" in patients at risk of sodium imbalances that can be caused by over-hydration, the FDA said.

The agency reviewed 61 reports of patients treated with desmopressin who developed seizures related to hyponatremia, when sodium is too low. Two of the patients died.

Full report: US warns about bed-wetting drug after two deaths

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Try Honey for Children’s Coughs

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A teaspoon of honey before bed seems to calm children's coughs and help them sleep better, according to a new study that relied on parents' reports of their children's symptoms.

The folk remedy did better than cough medicine or no treatment in a three-way comparison. Honey may work by coating and soothing an irritated throat, the study authors said.

"Many families are going to relate to these findings and say that grandma was right," said lead author Dr. Ian Paul of Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine.

The research appears in December's Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

Federal health advisers have recently warned that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines shouldn't be used in children younger than 6, and manufacturers are taking some products for babies off the market.

Three pediatricians who read the study said they would tell parents seeking alternative remedies to try honey. They noted that honey should not be given to children under age 1 because of a rare but serious risk of botulism.

Full report: Try Honey for Children's Coughs

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