Becoming a new parent is both a life altering experience, and a financial investment. There are many expenses involved in having a new baby. One of the most costly is decorating the baby's room. Stocking the nursery, although fun, can be quite frustrating. The mom on a budget not only has to make every penny count, but she also has to determine when to invest more, and when to invest less.

It was such a great family weekend getaway. Not only was it a great trip but cheap too!

Last weekend, I took my wife and two preschool kids to Deerland Park and Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary – both situated in Lanchang, Pahang, Malaysia.

I have never been SO CLOSE to animals. No, I am not talking about pets. I am talking about wild animals! Bears, deer, and even elephants.

You hear a lot about docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for growing children today. But then again, how much do you understand? It is not only the amount of fat that is important for growing brains, it is also about the type of fat. Children need the right kind of fats to achieve optimal neural development (brains) and visual acuity (eye development).

There’s new advice for older men who want to preserve their sexual function: have sex, and have it often, researchers say.

In a study that followed nearly 1,000 older Finnish men for five years, researchers found that those who were regularly having sex at the start of the study were at lower risk of developing erectile dysfunction (ED) by the study’s end.

In fact, the more often the men had sex, the lower their ED risk.

The implication, say the researchers, is that men should be encouraged to stay sexually active into their golden years.

Dr Juha Koskimaki and colleagues at the University of Tampere in Finland report the findings in the American Journal of Medicine. The study included 989 men who were between the ages of 55 and 75 at the outset.

Full story: More sex means less chance of ED for older men

In a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press, Paul Freundlich, a publicist for her husband, Keith Urban, said: "Nicole and Keith Urban are delighted to announce that Nicole Kidman gave birth to a baby girl on Monday morning, July 7, 2008, in the United States. Sunday Rose Kidman Urban weighed 6 pounds, 7 1/2 ounces. Husband Keith was by Nicole's side and mother and baby are very well."

Urban posted a message on his Web Site that said: "Earlier this morning Nic gave birth to our beautiful baby girl, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban. We want to thank everybody that has kept us in their thoughts and prayers. We feel very blessed and grateful that we can share this joy with all of you today."

Full story: Kidman gives birth Monday to girl named Sunday

Sometimes a weekend getaway is just what a couple needs to reestablish their relationship and make a new connection. Making this weekend getaway a romantic adventure can further enhance the benefits of the getaway. Engaging in adventurous activity can have the affect of drawing the couple closer together. Try finding an activity that is new to both of you and you will be able to bond while tackling new challenges and adventures. A romantic adventure may include exploring a new location, enjoying the outdoors or taking flight in a hot air balloon or glider. Whatever option you choose, a romantic adventure is sure to rejuvenate your relationship.

As your children continue to get more toys with each passing birthday, Christmas and other special occasions, space becomes a premium, and clutter can begin to take over.  So how do you keep it in check and still enjoy giving them new things?  You have to balance "out with the old and in with the new". If there are toys that are broken, or games and puzzles with missing pieces, they can probably be thrown away.

Children have fears just like adults, so if you’re thinking about sending your children to a daycare center, then know how to prepare your children for this new and potentially scary change in their lifestyle, this is especially true for children that have never been in a daycare situation before. By being prepared for their new adventure, you’ll get prepared for the change too. There are some very simple steps that you can make which will make their daycare experience a happy one.

John LeSieur is in the software business, so he took particular interest when computers seemed mostly useless to his 6-year-old grandson, Zackary. The boy has autism, and the whirlwind of options presented by PCs so confounded him that he threw the mouse in frustration.

LeSieur tried to find online tools that could guide autistic children around the Web, but he couldn't find anything satisfactory. So he had one built, named it the Zac Browser For Autistic Children in honor of his grandson, and is making it available to anyone for free.

LeSieur's quest is a reminder that while the Web has created important communication and educational opportunities for some people with cognitive impairments, computers can also introduce new headaches for families trying to navigate the contours of disability.

The Zac Browser greatly simplifies the experience of using a computer. It seals off most Web sites from view, to block violent, sexual or otherwise adult-themed material. Instead it presents a hand-picked slate of choices from free, public Web sites, with an emphasis on educational games, music, videos and visually entertaining images, like a virtual aquarium.

Other programs for children already offer that "walled garden" approach to the Web. But LeSieur's browser aims to go further: It essentially takes over the computer and reduces the controls available for children like Zackary, who finds too many choices overwhelming.

For example, the Zac Browser disables extraneous keyboard buttons like "Print Screen" and turns off the right button on the mouse. That eliminates commands most children don't need anyway, and it reduces the chance an autistic child will lose confidence after making a counterproductive click.

Full story: Grandfather builds Web browser for autistic boy

Children steal for a variety reasons. Some steal for comfort, others to impress a group of friends, get back at their parents, or to get the things they want. Sometimes they steal just because it is exciting. Probably as many as one in four children have deliberately stolen something at some time. Most, of course, never do it again. But those who do, do so for one reason: it works. Whatever their core need: attention, money, or excitement, the stealing provides it for them.

You may not have considered using play time to help your new baby grow and develop, but that is exactly what healthy infants need!

Not only is visual, auditory and sensory stimulation important for your child’s development, but if you offer your child this kind of stimulation from an early age, your child will become more involved in the world around him and his natural curiosity will lead the way.

Japanese youngsters are getting so addicted to Internet-linking cell phones that the government is starting a program warning parents and schools to limit their use among children.

The government is worried about how elementary and junior high school students are getting sucked into cyberspace crimes, spending long hours exchanging mobile e-mail and suffering other negative effects of cell phone overuse, Masaharu Kuba, a government official overseeing the initiative, said Tuesday.

"Japanese parents are giving cell phones to their children without giving it enough thought," he said. "In Japan, cell phones have become an expensive toy."

The recommendations have been submitted from an education reform panel to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's administration, and were approved this week.

The panel is also asking Japanese makers to develop cell phones with only the talking function, and GPS, or global positioning system, a satellite-navigation feature that can help ensure a child's safety.

About a third of Japanese sixth graders have cell phones, while 60 percent of ninth graders have them, according to the education ministry.

Most mobile phones in Japan are sophisticated gadgets offering high-speed Internet access called 3G, for "third-generation."

But the panel said better filtering programming is needed for Internet access to protect children.

Some youngsters are spending hours at night on e-mail with their friends. One fad is "the 30 minute rule," in which a child who doesn't respond to e-mail within half an hour gets targeted and picked on by other schoolmates.

Full story: Japan urges limiting kids' cell phones

Unfortunately all too soon after the birth of a child, the mother starts thinking about how quickly she can lose weight after the pregnancy. Possible part of this problem stems from the Medias obsession with celebrity mothers and how quickly they lose the pounds they put on during pregnancy. The point that is always neglected about their miraculous weight loss after pregnancy is they can have a team of specialist to help tem because their public image is so important.

Tickets, check. Passports, check. Luggage, check. Baby ... oops.

A family boarded a flight on Monday in westernmost Canada, and forgot their tot at the Vancouver international airport, media said today.

The 23-month-old boy's family had just arrived in Canada from the Philippines, but they were forced to repack their overweight bags before catching a connecting flight to Winnipeg, causing them to run late.

In their sprint to the gate, the family became separated.

The boy's father Jun Parreno, told local media he had thought his son was with his wife and the boy's grandparents, who ran ahead. They thought the boy was with his dad.

On the plane, the family members were seated separately and so did not immediately realise they had left the child behind.

Full story: Parents board flight, forget toddler at airport