How to Reduce Parental Stress

Parental stress can have a huge impact on an infant’s development, says a new study. A major study from Trinity College Dublin is being published today. 11,000 five-year-old children were studied to see how different situations effected their development. It found that parental stress can result in less sensitivity towards children, meaning parents are less likely to respond to their needs and help them in times of distress.

Parenting is a challenging task. The reality is it may have nothing to do with what the parent is doing, the child may be, by their nature, more difficult. It’s about the parents learning about how their baby is and appreciating them as individuals. What works for one baby, may not work for another.

Chronic tension affects each of us differently. Depending on the person it can cause sleep disturbance, increased or decreased appetite, headaches, stomach aches, poor concentration or irritability. Some diseases may be caused by or made worse by chronic tension. Also, our immune system can be weakened. thus, making us more susceptible to colds and other infections.

52 Proven Stress Reducers

1. Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning. The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful.

2. Prepare for the morning the evening before. Set the breakfast table, make lunches, put out the clothes you plan to wear, etc.

3. Don’t rely on your memory. Write down appointment times, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc. (“The palest ink is better than the most retentive memory.”- Old Chinese Proverb)

4. Doing nothing which, after being done, leads you to tell a lie.

5. Make duplicates of all keys. Bury a house key in a secret spot in the garden and carry a duplicate car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring.

6. Practice preventive maintenance. your car, appliances, home and relationships will be less likely to break down/fall apart “at the worst possible moment.”

7. Be prepared to wait. A paperback can make a wait in a post office line almost pleasant.

8. Procrastination is stressful. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.

9. Plan ahead. Don’t let the gas tank get below one-quarter full. Keep a well-stocked emergency shelf of home staples. Don’t wait until you’re down to your last bus token or postage stamp to buy more, etc.

10. Don’t put up with something that doesn’t work right. If your alarm clock, wallet, shoe laces, windshield wipers, whatever are a constant aggravation, get them fixed or get new ones.

11. Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments. Plan to arrive at an airport one hour before domestic departures.

Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments. Plan to arrive at an airport one hour before domestic departures.

12. Eliminate (or restrict) the amount of caffeine in your diet.

13. Always set up contingency plans, “just in case.” (“If for some reason either of us is delayed, here’s what we’ll do..” Or, “If we get split up in the shopping center, here’s where we’ll meet.”)

14. Relax your standards. The world will not end if the grass doesn’t get mowed this weekend.

15. Pollyanna-Power! For every one thing that goes wrong, there are probably 10 or 50 or 100 blessings. Count’em!

16. Ask questions. Taking a few moments to repeat back directions, what someone expects of you, etc., can save hours. (The old “the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get,” idea).

17. Say “No!.” Saying “no” to extra projects, social activities, and invitations you know you don’t have the time or energy for takes practice, self-respect, and a belief that everyone, everyday, needs quiet time to relax and be alone.

18. Unplug your phone. Want to take a long bath, meditate, sleep, or read without interruption? Drum up the courage to temporarily disconnect. (The possibility of there being a terrible emergency in the next hour or so is almost nil). Or use an answering machine.

19. Turn needs into preferences. Our basic physical needs translate into food, water, and keeping warm. Everything else is a preference. Don’t get attached to preferences.

20. Simplify, simplify, simplify…

21. Make friends with non-worriers. Nothing can get you into the habit or worrying faster than associating with chronic worrywarts.

22. Get up and stretch periodically if your job requires that you sit for extended periods.

23. Wear earplugs. If you need to find quiet at home, pop in some earplugs.

24. Get enough sleep. If necessary, use an alarm clock to remind you to go to bed.

25. Create order out of chaos. Organize your home and workspace so that you always know exactly where things are. Put things away where they belong and you won’t have to go through the stress of losing things.

26. When feeling stressed, most people tend to breathe in short, shallow breaths. When you breathe like this, stale air is not expelled, oxidation of the tissues is incomplete and muscle tension frequently results. Check your breathing throughout the day and before, during and after high pressure situations. If you find your stomach muscles are knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax all your muscles and take several deep, slow breaths. Note how, when you’re relaxed, both your abdomen and chest expand when you breathe.

27. Writing your thoughts and feelings down (in a journal, or a paper to be thrown away) can help you clarify things and can give you a renewed perspective.

28. Try the following yoga technique whenever you feel the need to relax. Inhale deeply through your nose to the count of eight. Then with lips puckered, exhale very slowly through your mouth to the count of 15 or for as long as you can. Concentrate on the long sighing sound and feel the tension dissolve. Repeat 10 times.

29. Inoculate yourself against a feared event. For example, before speaking in public, take time to go over every part of the experience in your mind. Imagine what you’ll wear, what the audience will look like, how you will present your talk, what the questions will be and how you will answer them, etc. Visualize the experience the way you would have it be. You’ll likely find that when the time comes to make the actual presentation, it will be “old hat’ and much of your anxiety will have fled.

30. When the stress of having to get a job done gets in the way of getting the job done, diversion (a voluntary change in activity and/or environment) may be just what you need.

31. Talk it out. Discussing your problems with a trusted friend can help clear your mind of confusion so you can concentrate on problem solving.

32. One of the most obvious ways to avoid unnecessary stress is to select an environment (work, home, leisure) which is in line with your personal needs and desires. If you hate desk jobs, don’t accept a job which requires that you sit at a desk all day. If you hate to talk politics, don’t associate with people who love to talk politics, etc.

33. Learn to live one day at a time.

34. Every day, do something you really enjoy.

35. Add an ounce of love to everything you do.

36. Take a hot bath or shower (or a cool one in the summertime) to relieve tension.

37. Do something for somebody else. Make a meal for someone who is in need.

38. Focus on understanding rather than on being understood; on loving rather than on being loved.

39. Do something that will improve your appearance. Looking better can help you feel better.

40. Schedule a realistic day. Avoid the tendency to schedule back-to-back appointments. Allow time between appointments for a breathing spell.

41. Become more flexible. Some things are worth not doing perfectly and some issues are well to compromise upon.

42. Eliminate destructive self-talk; “I’m too old to…,” “I’m too fat to…,” etc.

43. Use your weekend time for a change of pace. If your work week is slow and patterned, make sure there is action and time for spontaneity built into your weekends. If your work week is fast-paced and full of people and deadlines, seek peace and solitude during your days off. Feel as if you are not accomplishing anything at work? Tackle a job on the weekend which you can finish to your satisfaction.

44. “Worry about the pennies and the dollars will take of themselves.” That’s another way of saying: take care of the today's as best you can and the yesterdays and the tomorrows will take care of themselves.

45. Do one thing at a time. When you are with someone, be with that person and with no one or anything else. When you are busy with a project, concentrate on doing that project and forget about everything else you have to do.

46. Allow yourself time-everyday-for privacy, quiet, and introspection.

47. If an especially unpleasant task faces you, do it early in the day and get it over with. Then, the rest of your day will be free of anxiety.

48. Learn to delegate responsibility to capable others.

49. Don’t forget to take a lunch break. Try to get away from your desk or work area in body and mind, even if it’s just for 15 or 20 minutes.

50. Forget about counting to 10. Count to 1,000 before doing something or saying anything that could make matters worse.

51. Have a forgiving view of events and people. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world.

52. Have an optimistic view of the world. Believe that most people are doing the best they can.

Overnight, the Atmosphere in the Classrooms Changed - Swaddling for Babies

For four years, it has been common practice at one Texas day care to swaddle infants, burrito-style, for nap time. But in December, child-care providers there were told there were new licensing standards and that they needed to stop wrapping babies altogether. 

Day cares around the country have been quietly moving away from swaddling since 2011, when the National Resource Center on Child Health and Safety, in conjunction with the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Public Health Association, released its third edition of "Caring for Our Children," a set of safety guidelines for early care and education programs. 

According to those rules, swaddling can increase the odds of serious health outcomes, particularly if a baby is placed on his or her stomach to sleep, and can also increase the risk of hip problems.

Swaddling is an effective way to calm infants, especially in the newborn period, and is generally used in the first three months of life, however, that in a child-care setting, multiple people care for an infant and not all of them may be sufficiently trained in proper swaddling. 

If the infant kicks the blankets off, or the swaddling blankets are not applied correctly, loose bedcovers would be in the crib, which is against AAP policy.

Benefits of swaddle 

1. The babies fell asleep so quickly. It changed how much they slept, and how much better they slept.
2. Reduce crying in babies 
3. Fewer scratches.
4. Reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Risk of swaddling the baby : 

1. Swaddling may interfere with beginning breast-feeding
2. Swaddling may affect a newborn's healthy weight.
3. Swaddling may affect a baby's body heat. 
4. Swaddling may increase risk of hip dysplasia

How to Swaddle Your Baby

1. Spread a receiving blanket flat on the bed or other flat surface.
2. Fold one corner of the blanket over a few inches.
3. Lay the baby with her head on the corner of the blanket you just folded.
4. Wrap the left corner over his arm and body and tuck it under the other side of his body.
5. Take the bottom corner and bring it up over his feet.
6. Take the right corner and wrap it around his body and bring it around to the back.
7. Only the baby’s head and neck should be exposed when you are finished

A growing segment of the pediatric medical community sees swaddling as a crutch for parents, even though it might not be what’s best for the baby. And similar to driving around the block until baby falls asleep, once swaddling becomes part of the routine, it’s difficult to stop.

For information, read http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/03/swaddling-ban_n_2885662.html?ir=India

No Affordable Childcare for Post-Docs

The low income of young researchers, their temporary contracts, and required high mobility have often been lamented, for example recently by the National Academy of Sciences, in Science Magazine, in the Scientific American, in the Boston Globe, and very entertainingly in Issues. As a postdoctoral research fellow, my net income is $2,700 per month. My gross income of $45,000 per year puts me just above the de-facto national standard pay for postdocs of $42,000. Having a Ph.D., my gross annual income is slightly less than the median income of 24 to 34 year-olds with Bachelor’s degrees. The median income of those with a Master’s degree exceeds my income by one third.

So much about the income side; now the expenses. That is easy. If I had a child, there would be a single item on my expense list. My net income equals the full-time child care costs for one infant or one and a half pre-schoolers at one of the six child care centers on Harvard campus. Rent, health insurance, retirement savings? Food? You better find yourself a well-earning spouse. 

A spouse that stays home with the children is not going to suffice. In that case, the single item on your expense list is going to be your rent. The rent for a two bedroom apartment hovers around $2,500 per month in Cambridge or surrounding areas. Prices for Harvard housing range from $2,100 to $3,100 per month for a two-bedroom residence. A spouse who is a postdoc herself or himself is not going to do the trick either. Rent and full-time child care for an infant would pretty much consume two post-docs’ incomes.

Are you thinking that it cannot be that bad, that I must be missing something? Maybe I could apply for financial assistance? In fact, I can. Harvard awards Child Care Scholarships that reimburse up to $7,500 of child care costs. A year. Taxed at 40 percent. At the very best, that lowers the monthly costs of Harvard-affiliated infant care by just $375 or around 14 percent.

The solution is to keep your child as far from Harvard campus as possible. Community child care centers and licensed care providers who watch after the little ones at their home cost less than Harvard-affiliated or other private child care centers. 

The cost of a licensed care provider averages $1,400 per month in Cambridge and $1,200 per month in Somerville. Great, that is only half of my net income. Assuming that my spouse would pay half the child care cost and rent, we had only one child (beware of twins!), and I spent $15 per day for food, that would leave me with roughly $500 per month to pay for health insurance (roughly $100), utilities, cell phone–oh, and the baby’s needs. With strict budgeting, we could just manage.

In its benefits brochure for postdocs, Harvard proudly boasts that it “has invested over $10 million in child care infrastructure, and commits over $4 million per year to ongoing dependent care programs and services.” 

In reality, these facilities do not cater to the whole Harvard community, but mainly to the established who earn the salary that Harvard is not willing to pay its postdocs. Without a second job or a well-earning partner, the most highly educated two percent of 25-34 year-olds at the nation’s leading academic institution can barely afford even one child.

Simplifying the Hunt for Child Care

Becker County Human Services has just launched a new initiative that will essentially pair up parents in need of childcare with licensed childcare providers who actually have openings. Childcare providers leave their basic information and what kind of openings they have.

The problem has been that parents will get these lists of around 100 licensed daycare providers in the county, and it’s two pages of addresses and phone numbers, but no way of knowing which ones have openings, from there, parents would begin the overwhelming process of calling all of those numbers in search of openings. 

And then child care providers, who are busy trying to care for children, are having to answer all these calls, and they try to help the parents any way they can, but they don’t always know who has openings either. One of the challenges that child care owners face is to provide affordable child care services to parents. If they can implement latest tools and technology for running their business like for example a child care management software for managing the activities, they can cut down on staff costs, and provide exemplary service to parents.

“Parents will tell you they’ve called 60 providers and no one has openings,” said Torma, who says they’ll ask her what they’re supposed to do. “I tell them it’s hard, and you need to look as soon as you know you’re expecting.” Torma says there are some childcare providers who won’t take babies and toddlers because of all the rules and regulations, which creates even more of a crunch.“I have a waiting list — sometimes I’m full with infants and toddlers for a year,” said Torma.

This new initiative can’t do anything to address the childcare crunch, but it will at least make it less frustrating by taking that long list and whittling it down to a much shorter list of actual options.The way it works is, Becker County has set up a line where both parents and child care providers can call to input their needs.

Parents leave their names, numbers, town or area they’re looking for, number of children and ages.“It’s a win-win situation,” said Donna Richjels, social services supervisor for the family and children’s unit. “We want to support parents to be able to work and support their families, and with modern-day technology, this is one way we could make it easier.”

In an attempt to generate more options for parents, Richjels also says Becker County is waiving childcare licensing fees for childcare providers who are willing to provide “odd” hours, like overnight, as well as providers willing to care for special needs children.

Signs of a Good Home Daycare

Child care software simplifies management of child and family information in a variety of business settings including: child care centers, daycare providers, preschool and after-school programs, school districts, enrichment programs, gymnastics clubs, child activity centers and similar facilities. Child care software to unify inquiries in one place: note phone calls, capture emails, log tours, and website forms directly

It is really important to look at the childcare centers telltale signs but we do tend to ignore those signs. It might be small signs but due to our tight schedule we parents may tend to overlook these signs.They might be as follows:

Have you parents experience these words

• "Mom my teacher beat me today for no reason or dad i don't want to go to the childcare center."

or

• If you don't hear good things, and it doesn't feel right when you're there, keep looking. 
• If a home daycare is poorly organized and has lax or nonexistent rules, it's not likely to be right for you. 
• If your child won't get a wide range of age-appropriate activities, move on. 

A good reputation

The daycare should have a welcoming, friendly atmosphere and be known for its nurturing environment. Ask the provider for names and numbers of current clients, and call them for references. Also, your own first impressions definitely matter here.

Established ground rules

It's important for a home daycare to be flexible—letting you pick up and drop off your child at different times, for instance—but it should also have clearly established regulations for everything from operating hours to how to handle emergencies. That way you know the provider takes her responsibility—your baby—seriously.

Sick-child policy: Look for a provider with a strict sick-child policy. Find out which illnesses mean your child has to stay home and for how long (See When is my child too sick for daycare?).

A tough policy may inconvenience you if your child is ill, but keeping sick children (and adults, for that matter) away from each other makes sense. A good home daycare helps cut down on illness by requiring all children and caretakers to have current immunizations and get regular checkups.

Open-door policy:A provider that doesn't have an open-door policy and encourage parents to stop by unannounced could have something to hide. A great caregiver will go beyond merely letting you in by inviting you to come along on field trips, help out with activities, and become part of the "family."

Food policy: If you have to bring your child's food, find out the provider's guidelines. Some may request that you not pack nuts or that you pack only nutritious foods. That's okay—caregivers who don't restrict certain food may not have your child's best interests at heart.

If the provider does offer food, find out what she serves at meal and snack times (and make sure she's aware of your child's allergies). Does she encourage healthy eating habits and cover all the food groups? If not, keep looking.

A stimulating curriculum

The best home daycares have structured schedules that include plenty of time for physical activity, quiet time (including daily story time), group programs, individual activities, meals, snacks, and free time. Television and videos should play little or no part in what your child does all day.

A well-thought-out curriculum stimulates your child's development and makes daily life more fun. Also, look for a home daycare that offers regular outings that are well supervised, stimulating, and age-appropriate (like trips to a park or museum). These are good for your child and are often something a large center can't offer.

Look for a provider with a wide range of age-appropriate toys that encourage your child's development and, as she gets older, stimulate creative, imaginative play. See our lists of the best toys for each age group.

Children should also have the chance to play outside every day (weather-permitting, of course). Running, jumping, and skipping are good for them physically, mentally, and socially.

As with outings, make sure children are adequately supervised while they play outside. If you live in a city, where many houses don't have safe outdoor play yards, make sure the home daycare has the next best thing—a spacious indoor area.

Parents Dig Social Media for Child Care Services

Child care experts say they're concerned about a growing trend in central Indiana of people using Facebook groups and other social media sites to find babysitters, nannies and day care providers for their children.

In Indiana state, many child care centers with child care management software is doing a exemplary job in providing outstanding service to parents and community.

That might be one place to start, but it's only a starting place, Parents do not know if that's a safe environment. Before you parents place your child in a childcare center ,do more investigation into where you should place your child .Online groups can provide a false sense of trust, so people use social media to find child care services.

The major difference between licensed and non licensed day care is that : The child care provider wants to remind parents that unlicensed day cares do not have to submit to things like background checks, CPR and first aid training, safe sleep practices and drug testing.

Licensed home child care providers are required to have training in early childhood, CPR and first aid, and safe sleep training,Nannies and babysitters are not regulated in the state of Indiana.However, some sites do offer background check services.

Try having them in your home and starting out doing care while you're there, for example, working in the office.As part of the trend, people are soliciting to provide others with babysitting services using Facebook and other social media. Many do not realize the responsibility and impending dangers involved in watching multiple children at once.

When you bring in three or four extra children into your home, there's a lot to know and a lot to do Child Care Answers provides a free search where you can look for licensed providers within a certain mile radius to your home or work.You can also check inspection reports of licensed day cares on the state's Family and Social Services Administration website.If your provider does not come up, they are likely not licensed by the state of Indiana.

Au Pairs Childcare

An au pair is a young adult from another country who lives with your family for a year and provides in-home childcare (like a nanny, but better)! Au pairs work up to 45 hours per week, in exchange for the opportunity to live with an American family. Because au pairs provide live-in childcare, they offer greater flexibility, caring for your children at times that accommodate your family's individual schedule. Au pairs can fulfill a variety of roles that help your family thrive and grow. Over and over, we hear amazing stories from our families and au pairs about what an au pair really

Benefits

1. Convenient Location 
2. Cost 
3. Flexible Schedule 
4. Culture Exchange/Language Learning 

Au Pair Responsibilities

• Entertaining your children and teaching them about a new culture 
• Preparing your children's meals and cleaning up after their mealtime 
• Helping with homework, packing lunches and taking your children to school 
• Driving your children on outings to parks, playgroups and other activities 
• Assisting with light household childcare related tasks such as doing your children’s laundry and keeping their rooms tidy 
• Bathing and dressing your children 

Your child will receive more focused attention with an au pair or nanny, as the ratio is based solely on the size of your family. Day cares have higher caregiver to child ratios that may be good for children as they approach school age but can be overwhelming for some younger children.

Since au pairs provide live-in childcare, they are able to help with things many other caregivers may not, like preparing children’s meals, assisting them in getting ready for the day or for bedtime, taking them on outings including lessons and play dates, and so much more.

Owatonna Woman's Family Child Care, Foster Care Licenses Revoked After Infant Death

Do every daycare centers needs safety requirements are they well trained in SUID and Abusive Head Trauma (AHT)? The simple answer is a resounding YES! More than that, it is also recommended that these childcare centers have child care software for their operations in managing the staff and the bookkeeping in the center.

Just look at the following incident which happened in daycare center .After reading this article if you haven't made any enquiries regarding your kid's daycare center then its an eyeopener.An Owatonna woman’s child foster care and family child care licenses have been revoked by the Minnesota Department of Human Services after an infant death occurred in her home last November. 

According to documents from the Department of Human Services, Joleen Anderson of Owatonna was found responsible for serious maltreatment or neglect of a child after Steele County Human Services, Rice County Social Services and law enforcement investigated an incident last year.

The documents state that on Nov. 15, 2013, Anderson placed an infant on its stomach with a blanket in a mesh-sided crib with a sheet that wasn't tight-fitting. She then left the infant on the lower level of the home and went to the upper level, and left the infant’s supervision to another individual for about 15 minutes. 

When Anderson went to wake the infant about 30 minutes later, she found it face down and unresponsive. Anderson immediately began CPR and called 911, but emergency responders were unable to resuscitate the infant, and the child died.The Commissioner of the Department of Human Services determined that the health, safety and rights of children in Anderson’s care were in “imminent risk of harm,” and her family child care and child foster care licenses were immediately suspended temporarily. 

But because of these violations, the Department of Human Services revoked Anderson’s family child care license as well as her child foster care license — a license she shared with her husband, Michael — on Aug. 20.

The Andersons have 10 days to appeal the license revocations. However, if they don’t, they will be disqualified from receiving licenses for seven years under state law.But Anderson also has charges pending against her in Steele County District Court.In June, Anderson was indicted by a grand jury in court on charges of child endangerment, including one gross misdemeanor and one felony. Because of the indictment, details on the proceeding are sealed. According to a document from the Department of Human Services, on June 21 a “vulnerable adult” left the Dornquasts’ facility without supervision and was gone for about two hours before he or she was found by a community member who called 911.

Although facility staff weren’t disqualified as a result of the maltreatment determination, the Dornquasts were fined $1,000.