ParentWonder

Helping Parents Succeed

Cooking with Kids 101

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If your school-aged child expresses an interest in learning to cook, you’ll want to nurture that interest along.  Here are some tips on getting them started in the kitchen:

  • Make sure that you have a kid-friendly work area.  If the counter is too high for them to work at comfortably, consider having them work at the kitchen table instead.
  • Plan to be on hand to supervise and to lend a hand when needed.  Cooking is a skill that requires time to master.  Besides, the kitchen is one of the most dangerous spots in the house, so you don't want to leave the budding chefs in your family on their own while they're cooking up a storm.

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Parrot Imitates Fire Alarm, Saves Family

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A noisy parrot that likes to imitate sounds helped save a man and his son from a house fire by mocking a smoke alarm, the bird's owner says.

Shannon Conwell, 33, said he and his 9-year-old son fell asleep on the couch while watching a movie. They awoke about 3 a.m. Friday to find their home on fire after hearing the family's Amazon parrot, Peanut, imitating a fire alarm.

"He was really screaming his head off," Conwell said.

The smoke alarm had activated, but it was the bird's call that caught Conwell's attention.

"I grabbed my son and my bird, and got out of the house," he said.

Full report: Parrot Imitates Fire Alarm, Saves Family

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Marriage Problems: 5 Tell-Tale Signs Your Marriage is Going Down

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Does your married life feel like it is on the skids lately?  It may very well be on the skids, which means it is headed towards divorce court.  But how can you really tell if you are on the right track?  What can you do if you are heading in to dark and choppy water?

Following is a list of things to take inventory on in your marriage.  Do you agree on some, all or none of these issues? [Read more…]

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk: A Review & Mind Map

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The night before, I lost my temper. I felt so helpless and useless.

My daughter made a big fuss before she slept. I lost my control. I ran out of ideas how to talk to her in a friendly manner so that she could listen to me and lie down.

On the other hand, I was worried if I was not stern enough, soon there would be another spoiled child in this world.

I felt so bad and guilty for losing my cool and the punishment I imposed on my daughter.

I got to do something to improve my poor parenting skills.

I was wandering in a bookstore the following day. As I was browsing at the shelf of the “100 Must-Read Titles,” one book really stood out from the rest. As if the book was yelling at me and said, “Pick me up. You need this.”

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Studies find acupuncture cuts post-surgical pain

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The use of acupuncture before and during surgery reduces patients' post-operative pain as well as the need for pain-killing medication, researchers said on Tuesday.

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina analyzed the results of 15 clinical trials on the effectiveness of acupuncture — a practice that originated in China of inserting thin needles into specific body points.

They concluded that it is valuable for pain control in surgery patients.

The 15 trials showed that patients getting acupuncture before or during various types of operations had significantly less pain afterward than patients who did not get acupuncture.

These patients also required less morphine or other opioid pain medication after surgery, which reduced the side effects like nausea and vomiting from these types of drugs, the researchers said.

Full report: Studies find acupuncture cuts post-surgical pain

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