Calming Tips for Hyperactive Children

Parents of hyperactive children know the Would you please just settle down?! phrase well, and likely use it on a regular basis.

There are a number of tips to help parents settle their hyperactive child down. These quick tips and relaxation techniques take the same amount of time as yelling and scolding but produce incredibly different results in hyperactive children.

Quick Calming Tips:

Try quick tips to calm a hyperactive child down during temper outbursts or unusually rowdy days. These calming tips are not novel to adults by any stretch. How many times have you heard Take a deep breath and count to 10 or Calgon, take me away. What works for big people works for little people as well. Deep breathing is one of the simplest ways to calm the body. Teach your children to take deep breaths (in through the nose, out through the mouth) when they begin to feel frustrated and out of control. Parents, you do this too!

Draw a warm salt bath or bubble bath to wash away the hyperactive child's stresses of the day.

Take your hyperactive child for a walk or send them around the block on their own if they are old enough. Not only does walking burn off excess energy, the repetitive thump, thump, thump of feet hitting pavement brings the mind back into focus.

Give your hyperactive child a mini-massage. Touch is very important to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder children. Massaging their temples, giving a shoulder rub or lightly running your fingers through their hair can calm children quickly.

Put together a Boredom Box that provides creative outlets for your hyperactive child. Fill this box or plastic storage bin with paint sets, coloring books, crossword puzzles, modeling clay, jewelry making kits and other artistic areas of interest. Hyperactive children bore easily and their fast spinning minds need extra stimulation. In the absence of nothing better to do, hyperactive children will lean on their own devises and you don't want them doing that. Better that they draw than set the cat on fire...

The quick-fix calming techniques work to sooth the hyperactive child after they already became too stressed or active. There are also techniques that parents can teach their hyperactive children to help them get the stuff out before it builds up and explodes.

Create a calming home environment:

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder children have difficulty remaining calm in a hectic environment. Clearing the clutter and taking a less is more approach to decorating can reduce the sensory overload on Attention Deficit and hyperactive children.

The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder child's bedroom especially should be free of clutter. Use plastic bins to organize and store all those precious little plastic treasures (that we adults commonly refer to as junk) and small toys. Open the curtains to provide natural lighting. Keep posters and wall hangings to a minimum. Paint the child's bedroom in calming muted colors instead of bright primary colors.

If you play music in the house, opt for soft elevator music or classical music instead of rock. Try to avoid loud clatters and noises when your Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder child is at home.

Follow a Routine:

All children thrive in homes that provide routines, consistency and structure. Attention Deficit and hyperactive children especially need structure and schedules to feel secure in their surroundings. For these children, a more military approach to routines works better. Waking up, eating meals, doing homework, and bed times should all occur at about the same time every day, with few surprises to upset the Attention Deficit or hyperactive child.

A Place to Relax:

If at all possible, find a space in the house to designate as a relaxation space. It does not have to be a large space but it does need to be away from high activity areas. This little corner (or even a portion of a walk-in closet) can have a beanbag chair and a few books, coloring books or other quiet time activities.

Encourage your child to go to this space when they become angry or out of control, but never make this a place of punishment. This special spot in the house is a positive place where they can go to settle down, sort things out or just hang out when they need to be alone.

Journaling:

For the child who is old enough to write, journaling is an excellent way to untangle frazzled minds and get things off their chest. This technique allows hyperactive children to spill their internal stresses outside themselves and onto paper.

Develop a daily habit of having your child write a page or two, depending on their age, about anything that comes to mind. They can write I hate school, the dog just drooled, the baby's crying is driving me crazy... - whatever comes to mind. Eventually, they will get to the guts of what is going on inside them. Then rumple or tear the paper up and throw it away.

These private internal thoughts are not for you or anyone else to read, ever. Please respect their privacy and let them know they can write anything down without fear of reprimand.

Taking a mini-vacation with Guided Imagery:

Guided imagery is a powerful relaxation tool for hyperactive children that pulls their focus to positive thoughts, all the while encouraging creativity in your child. You can check out books on this technique at your local library if you want further information on the subject.

Last, but certainly not least, diet:

Some parents find that reducing or eliminating sugar from the diet goes a long way in calming the hyperactive child. If your child is a finicky eater, you will need to supplement the diet to make sure your Attention Deficit or hyperactive child has the fuels needed for his body to function well.

Starting the day out with a healthy breakfast balanced with proteins, fats and carbs is important. An egg sandwich, peanut butter toast and fresh fruit, protein shakes and fresh fruit smoothies are great ways to start the day for Attention Deficit and hyperactive children.

Sugar cereals are quick and convenient but should not be used as a breakfast mainstay. Fruit juices are high in calories and sugar and not recommended for children, especially those with Attention Deficit or hyperactivity. Instead of juice or sodas, get in the habit of offering plain old H2O. With plenty of bottled waters that offer fruit flavors and vitamin enhancements, getting your children hydrated is easier now than ever before.

About The Author

Jeannine Virtue is a freelance journalist and mother of an Attention Deficit son. Visit the Attention Deficit Disorder Help Center at http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com for information about treating Attention Deficit Disorder without the use of Ritalin or other ADHD medications.

jvirtue@add-adhd-help-center.com

A Guide to Cleaning Your Bedroom

Keeping a bedroom clean and fresh poses quite the challenge for many people. Some individuals are simply naturally messy individuals when it comes to their living spaces. Yet it is still imperative that these people try to maintain a respectable level of cleanliness in their home and in no room is that more important than the bedroom. Since many of us spend much of our lives in the bedroom, keeping it clean and fresh smelling is a must. Whether this involves a little light dusting every so often or involves a complete overhauling depends on the individual.

A simple fifteen- minute cleaning routine is, in many cases, all that is necessary in order for a bedroom to appear presentable. There are, however, a number of regular cleaning and hygiene tips that one can follow to ensure that the amount of time spent cleaning each week is minimal. Taking dirty clothing from your floor and putting it into a clothes basket is paramount. Allowing dirty clothing to pile up in the middle of your bedroom floor not only looks unsanitary but also contributes to the formation of a foul odor in your bedroom. Odors may become trapped in carpets also and as such vacuuming should almost be compulsory.

Once we have eliminated the source of odors in our bedroom, we can move on to trying to maintain a degree of neatness. Putting things back in their original position once we have finished using them is crucial when trying to preserve a neat living space. If one fails to do so, a neat bedroom can quickly turn into a disaster zone. Things can easily become misplaced also and very difficult to find once you go looking for them. Last but not least, once you have succeeded to this point in the quick cleanup you may notice that your bed is still unmade and in order for the bedroom to look its finest you have to make your bed.

If you need House and Home information or have articles on House and Home issues, visit our House and Home section for more in-depth resources. Free reprint articles

The Basics of Solar Power For Your Home

Solar power is an alternative energy source with tremendous economic and environmental benefits. If you?re considering it for your home, here are the basics.

Sunning Your Home

Put simply, solar power works by converting free sunlight into usable energy. This process involves using photovoltaic tiles or platforms to capture the energy inherent in sunlight. The photovoltaic materials consist of positive and negative slices of material, often silicone, that react to the sun. As the sunlight hits these cells, the energy ?slices? off negatively charged ions. This creates a magnetic field, a form of energy. The energy is then captured in small wires, which forms an electric current. The wires are connected to an inverter. The inverter converts the energy into a usable power source.

The beauty of solar power is it is a free source of energy. Historically, the cost of capturing and maintaining solar power wasn?t cheap, but this has changed dramatically in the last ten years. Systems are now much more efficient, with the total cost usually involved in the purchase and installation. Depending on the system, there is almost no maintenance cost and most systems have a 40 or 50 year life span. Not bad, eh?

Going solar is also more attractive now because of laws passed by numerous states. Initially, homeowners can get a tax rebate for installing solar. On top of this, more than half of the states now mandate a concept known as ?net metering.?

Net metering is all about saving tons of money on your utilities. Essentially, you are now allowed to ?sell? power back to the utility companies at the same price they charge you. With solar power, this means you can simply feed your system into the utility grid during the day and then use regular energy at night. Since your utility meter runs backwards, this effectively means you will dramatically reduce, if not eliminate, your electricity bills. This process alone can save you thousands of dollars a year and $40,000 to $100,000 over the life of the system, depending on your typical monthly bills. With such savings, you can see why solar power is becoming more attractive.

When it comes to solar power, the question isn?t whether you should use it. The real question is why you aren?t using it already!

Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com, a directory of solar energy companies. Visit us to read more articles on solar power and renewable energy.

Weaning Your Baby From The Bottle My Number One Tip

Weaning your baby from the bottle can be a very stressful time for both your and your child. If you're fortunate enough to be reading this before its time to wean your baby, you'll hopefully have an easier time of taking away the bottle and moving to solid foods exclusively.

I learned this tip from my own mother, and it worked so well that it took the stress and frustration right out of weaning. In fact, I hadn't even realized that my daughter wasn't drinking from a bottle until two days after she was fully weaned. She never fussed or asked for her bottle once during the transition from formula to solid food.

So, without further adieu, here's my number one tip. Starting today, don't let your baby hold the bottle. That's it - that's the magic formula. It worked wonders for me and if you start early enough, I know it can work wonders for you too, and here's why.

By letting your baby hold and play with their own bottle, they associate it with things other than feeding. This isn't a bad thing, but once you try and wean your baby from the bottle, they'll miss it as a toy or source of comfort.

During the period from 6-12 months of age, your baby will gradually be eating more solids and drinking less formula or breastmilk. If they only use the bottle as a source of food, they won't miss it once its time to wean because they'll be eating plenty of solid foods to satisfy them.

I held my daughter's bottle for her since day one. I had been dreading her first birthday because I assumed she would turn ornery every time she expected her bottle instead of solid food. To my surprise, she had transitioned from formula to solids so easy that I wasn't even aware the weaning process was over. By using this tip, I hope you will have the same experience as well.

Cassie Germsheid is the owner of BabyTipsOnline where you can find even more tips for weaning your child from the bottle. Don't forget to sign up for the free Baby Tips Newsletter and have tips, news, recipes and parenting advice delivered right to your inbox.

Complying With the OH&S Act by Testing and Tagging Electrical Appliances in Accordance of AS3760

The Occupational Health and Safety Act places a duty of care to provide a safe workplace. Failure to maintain electrical equipment in a safe condition or to use equipment in accordance with manufacturer's instructions may result in injury or death to yourself, employees, or other parties. To meet the duty of care it is necessary to ensure that risk of injury from lectric shock for all people at the workplace is reduced as far as is reasonably practicable. A method of achieving this duty is by testing and tagging electrical equipment, and implementing procedures for use of electrical equipment.

Portable electrical equipment, including flexible cords need to be regularly inspected for wear and mechanical damage, and periodically tested for earth continuity and insulation resistance. Procedures for testing of electrical leads, tools and equipment and the frequency of these tests can be found in: Joint Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZ 3760 In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment

Energy Safe Victoria, Regular Checking of Electrical Equipment, September 2005

Inspection and Testing

Electrical equipment needs to be Inspected and tagged on a regular basis. Inspections are to be carried out by a person certified as competent to undertake the testing. Testing and tagging needs to be in accordance with the performance specifications of:

Australian Standard 3760: 2003 In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment.

In-Service procedures

Where applicable, in-service testing and inspection shall include:

External inspection of the equipment and the connecting facilities (eg flexible supply cord)

Protective earth continuity tests for Class 1 equipment, power boards and cord sets

Insulation testing, which may be achieved by measuring insulation resistance, or leakage current

Confirmation of the correct polarity of live connections in cord sets with re-wireable plugs and cord extension sockets.

Checks for damage to flexible supply cords that include:

The inner cores of flexible supply cords are not exposed or twisted

The external sheaths of flexible supply cords are not cut, abraded, twisted, or damaged to such an extent that the insulation of the inner cores is visible

Unprotected conductors or the use of banding insulation tape are not in evidence.

Unsafe equipment

To meet your duty of care under the OHS Act and to comply with the Australian Standard 3760:2003, equipment that may be unsafe should be withdrawn immediately from service and have a label attached warning against further use. Arrangements should be made, as soon as possible, for such equipment to be disposed, destroyed, or repaired by an authorised repair agent or competent person. The owner or person responsible for the safety of the site shall determine the choice of remedial action, disposal or other corrective action.

Mark Grech
All Safe Workplace Inspections Technical Director
http://www.allsafett.com.au

All Safe are Melbourne based electrical testing and tagging specialists, servicing Victoria wide, with a range of Occupational Health and Safety services in accordance with Australian Standards AS3760.

Humor for Women What A Mom Wants For Mother's Day

Every year my family asks me what I want for Mother?s Day. Every year, I give them the same answer that I learned from my mother. I say, ? I don?t need anything.? Of course my family knows I?m not serious. I?d be very disappointed if they actually didn?t give me ANYTHING. So I usually end up with some perfume or smiley-face socks. That?s nice but it?s not what I really need.

So this year I decided to ask my family for what I really want. I?ve asked for gift certificates. But I don?t want gift certificates from a store. I want personal gift certificates. Here?s what I want:

Step over Certificate

This would allow me to ignore and step over all socks, jackets, shoes and anything else that gets tossed on the floor. I wouldn?t be expected to pick up anything. And even better, it would mean that other members of the household would actually have to pick up the items they dropped. They couldn?t step over them without seeing them like they normally do.

I Don?t Need to Find It Certificate

Why does my family think I have little treasure maps in my head showing the locations of all the items they misplace? When I hear questions that begin, ?Where are my??, I can just show my certificate. Whether it?s homework, a favorite toy or my husband?s tie, I don?t have to worry about finding them.

First Seconds Certificate

I?m sure you?re familiar with the concept of family hold back. That?s when family members (especially moms) offer extra food to someone else even when they want it, in order to make sure everyone else gets their fair share. That?s fine when we pass around the spinach, but when it comes to chocolate cake, I want to be able to show my certificate and go for seconds before anyone else does.

Whining Certificate

This is a two-for-one certificate. If someone else is whining, they must stop when I give them the certificate. Or I can use it when I feel like whining to make everyone else listen to me (and not roll their eyes or make faces).

Refrigerator Clean Up Certificate

Someone else can have the fun of getting rid of the droopy carrots and little bits of leftovers that I was pretty sure no one would eat but I felt that I had to wrap up anyway. And this has to be done before they become unrecognizable science experiments and start to erode the plastic containers that I put them in.

Days Off Certificate

I just want some days where I can relax and have fun with my family without feeling guilty that I?m not getting anything done. I want someone else to worry about the wrinkly shirts sitting in the dryer or the blobs of toothpaste hardening on the bathroom sink Most importantly I want other people in the family to take care of these things so I don?t have to do twice as much the next day to make up for my day off.

Will I get what I ask for? I hope so, but whether my family gives me a certificate or not, I?ve decided to take a few more days off this year to relax with my family. That will be my present to myself.

Don?t wait for a certificate. You can cut this page out, hand it to your family and use it as a certificate for you to take a few Days Off too. That?s my present to you. Happy Mother?s Day.

This article comes with reprint rights providing no changes are made and the resource box below accompanies it.

Laura Browne is the author of a practical & easy-to-use book for women, Why Can?t You Communicate Like Me? How Smart Women Get Results At Work. To register for her Free Teleconferences on various topics such as: Are You An Invisible Woman? How To Get Heard, go to http://www.inyourfaceink.com (This book is available at the website and at Barnes & Noble online.)

When Laura isn?t writing, she helps women be more successful through WOMEN Unlimited, a nationally recognized resource for cultivating leadership excellence, http://www.women-unlimited.com

(This article was originally printed in Cranberry Magazine.)

After Making Herb Vinegar From Your Herbal Gardens Freeze And Dry Your Herbs

A way to use your amble herb crop from your herbal gardens is to make flavored vinegars. To make herb vinegar, wash and dry your fresh herbs thoroughly then pour warm vinegar, not hot, over them in glass jars. You can use any type of vinegar but distilled. Be sure that the fresh herbs are completely covered by the vinegar. Seal the jar and allow them to sit for a month or two to mingle the flavors. Do not allow the herb vinegar access to direct sunlight.

After the herb vinegar has steeped remove the fresh herbs that you used and add new ones for a fresher look. If you want to add garlic or chili peppers to the herb vinegar, thread them on wooden skewers so that they will stay submerged.

There are no herb vinegar recipes that have strict rules. Use your imagination when pairing fresh herbs to be used in your herbal vinegar. Here are a few that go well together.

Cinnamon Basil and Whole Cloves
Lemon basil by itself
Cinnamon sticks with Whole Cloves Nutmeg and Allspice
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme ?no kidding
Dill flowers with Peppercorns
Basil Garlic and Peppercorn
Hot Peppers alone or with Pearl Onions

When you start to use your herb vinegar, as the level of the liquid goes down take out any of the herbs that are exposed to the air in the jar. If you leave them in the jar they may form a mold. Never use metal tops on the jars, they will rust from the vinegar.

Your herbal gardens have been a success but now you have so many herbs you don't know what to do. You've already made several herb vinegars. Still your herbal gardens have produced so much basil you can't think of any other ways to use it. You've garnished every plate this summer with parsley from your herbal gardens and you still have a bumper crop. It is one dilemma that many herb gardeners have had over the years. There is a fix for abundant herbal gardens.

From your herbal gardens you can freeze herbs or dry herbs easily and by utilizing these methods you will have herbs long into the winter months. A favorite method is to wash and dry the herbs. Put them in the bottom of plastic ice trays, fill with stock and freeze. Anytime you make soups or stews just pop in as many as you wish. Once frozen put them in Ziploc bags and label with the name of the herb. If you were diligent about pinching your herbs back during the growing season you should have a lot of herbs from the herbal gardens. Pinching applies to oregano, chives, basil and thyme. Woody herbs like rosemary should be cut vigorously to keep them from getting too woody.

To freeze herbs without the stock, wash and gently dry the herbs. Put them in a Ziploc bag that can withstand the freezer. As needed you can take out your herbs and chop them for your recipes. The herbs will no longer be of use for garnishing but they will retain their flavor, they just won't be as intense as fresh herbs from the herbal gardens.

To dry herbs is pretty simple. Pick the herbs from the herbal gardens after the dew has dissipated. Harvest from your herbal gardens just before the herbs bloom. That is when the herbs are at their peak flavor. Gather them into a bundle and tie a string around them. Hang them upside down in a room with good circulation and no light. This will take a bit of time. Drying time varies with humidity and temperature of your climate and the item that you are drying. Most of the time about 14 days will do it. To check pull off a leaf, if it crumbles easily it is ready. Once they are dried put them in a tight sealed container away from light.

You could use the microwave to dry herbs. Once again, harvest your herbs from your herbal gardens after the dew is gone. Wash and gently dry the herbs. Put them between two pieces of paper toweling. Two paper towels on the bottom and two on the top. Cook them on high for one minute and then check them. If they are still moist, cook again at twenty second intervals. You must watch this very carefully. Hot spots could occur and the towels catch on fire. Once they are crisp seal in an air tight container in a dark spot. Now you will have dried herbs from your herbal gardens all winter long..

Another alternative is to dry herbs in your oven. Turn the oven on to its lowest setting. Spread the herbs out on cookie sheets, put them in, prop open the door and check in about an hour, if they are not done continue drying, check ever thirty minutes. If possible leave the herb leaves intact. If you crush them before storing they will lose flavor.

When you go to use your dried herbs the rule of thumb for usage is that for every tablespoon of fresh herbs you would use, only use ? teaspoon of dried.

This was to help you use up the abundance of herbs that you grew in your herb garden this summer. Enjoy!

Good Luck and have fun!

Copyright ? 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com http://www.GardeningHerb.com and http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com

Give Your Dog the Right Training

An untrained dog is a direct reflection on you, the pet owner, and how much you care about the dog. In fact a dog that is not trained becomes a nuisance to the owner and the environment. You can probably give to your dog basic obedience training, i.e. teaching it to respond to simple commands. Whether it's a puppy or a fully-grown dog you can teach them with a little effort on your part.

Dogs are intelligent animals. They have been trained to do specific tasks like sniffing out drugs and explosives and performing search and rescue missions. All these are possible by the efforts of the dog owner. But how can you train your dog to obey you?

First, you need to know about the genetic make up of your dog. Like wolves, dogs are hierarchy conscious. They instinctively gravitate toward living in pack under a leader. Your family is your dog's pack and it needs to understand that you are the leader.

Even as a puppy, your dog can learn that it is subordinate to you. How? Try holding its gaze with your eyes until it looks away. Also, rubbing the dog's belly while on its back is a good exercise, as this puts it in a submissive position. If your dog is being a nuisance and does not stop when you say 'No', try ignoring it or leaving the room.

When your dog responds to your commands, it is acknowledging that you are in charge. If you, as the owner, do not establish your position of leadership, your pet may conclude that it is equal or superior to you and this might affect its behavior.

To teach your dog basic commands, you will need a collar, a leash and plenty of patience. For successful training, you will have to follow the steps below:

a. Give a simple, one-word command, b. demonstrate the desired action and c. immediately give praise when the action is done. Your tone of voice is more important than the word you use. A command should be given in an affirmative tone and praise be given in a happy, affectionate tone.

Physical punishment, such as hitting or kicking, is not necessary. Simply say 'No' in a sharp tone, prolonging the vowel, so that the dog will know that you are displeased with its performance. A dog is intelligent enough to know when you are rewarding or reprimanding.

If anything more drastic is needed, you might grasp the dog by the scruff of its neck and shake it lightly while saying 'No'. Reprimands should be given during or immediately following the undesirable behavior. Remember, a dog cannot discern why it is being scolded if scolding occurs minutes or hours after the act. Neither does it understand why a certain action is acceptable on one occasion but not on another, so be consistent.

Training of a dog is a continuous process, but the nucleus for all obedience is the command 'Sit!' if your dog understands this basic command it becomes quite easy to train your dog in the other basic commands. For example, you can tell your dog to sit when it begins to jump on visitors. To teach your dog to sit, put the leash on it and give the command while pushing down on its hindquarters and gently pulling its head up with the leash. Give praise immediately. Repeat these steps until the dog obeys the command on its own.

To teach your dog to remain in the position, use the command 'Stay!' while standing in front and putting your hand out with the palm facing flat toward the dog. If the dog moves, say 'No' and place it back into position. Repeat the command and praise the dog when it stays sitting for a short period. Gradually increase the time it sit and then the distance between you and the dog as it responds to the command.

The best way to teach your dog to come to you is to use a long leash and give a gentle tug while calling your dog's name and giving the command 'Come!'. Back up as the dog moves towards you and continue to praise. Soon it will respond to your call without being prompted by the leash. Never use the word 'Come' for a negative reason, such as to reprimand. Your dog must learn that responding to 'come' will bring pleasurable results, whether praise or a food treat. If you lose your patience while teaching this command, your dog will learn that coming is unpleasant and will be avoided.

You can teach your dog to walk by your side without pushing ahead or lagging behind. To do this without stress, use a link-chain training collar and a short leash. With the dog on your left, give the command 'Heel!' and step out with the left foot. If your dog attempts to push ahead or lag back, give a quick, sharp jerk on the leash and repeat the command. Give praise for compliance.

Remember, a dog is a social and intelligent animal. Long period of confinement can lead to excessive barking, hyperactivity and destructive behavior. But with training, your dog can become a delightful, loyal companion instead of a nuisance.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Dog Training

Planned Parenthood Prevents Teen Pregnancy

Planned Parenthood is an alternative for teenagers when they do not know where else to turn. They offer education on parenting, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted teen pregnancy precautions and offer support for individuals who want to terminate their pregnancy. Teens are provided guidance and education from trained staff members rather than receiving all their information about sex from their peers.

Many Parents Are Against Planned Parenthood

Many parents are against their children seeking out the services in Planned Parenthood facilities, feeling it promotes sex rather than abstinence. Typically parents opposed to Planned Parenthood are parents who do not educate their children on the risks of engaging in sex. They promote abstinence without discussing any other options with their children. Planned Parenthood provides education about the dangers of engaging in sex as well as options should the teen choose to engage in sexual activity.

Many Teenagers Feel Safer Talking To A Planned Parenthood Staff Member

Many teenagers feel safer talking to a Planned Parenthood staff member about sexual relationships rather than with their parents. It is surprising to hear that many teenagers have not discussed sex with their parents. When asked where they go to find their information the majority of the teenagers say their peers.

For pregnant girls who are too afraid to approach their parents, the staff at a Planned Parenthood facility offers a supportive environment for anyone who is questioning whether or not to go through with their pregnancy. Many teenage girls find the facility non judgmental and easier to discuss all their available options.

Planned Parenthood Coming To A School Near You!

Planned Parenthood has facilities throughout the country. Some schools also encourage staff members from Planned Parenthood to come to their schools to educate students about the dangers of engaging in unprotected sex. With the education the facilities provide, more teenagers are aware of all their options and therefore tend to make more informed decisions about sex. Armed with more knowledge teenagers are better equipped to make intelligent decisions about sex. Whether a teenager chooses to abstain from sex or use protection, every parent generally agrees that a decline in overall teenage pregnancies is in everyone's best interest. I encourage parents and teens to seek out the services of Planned Parenthood, as parent and child alike would benefit from the education these facilities provide. If you are a parent having a difficult time talking to your child about sex, contact the Planned Parenthood facility nearest you.

Lisa Dunning is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Specializing in Parent/Child Relationship issues and the author of Good Parents Bad Parenting: How To Parent Together When Your Parenting Styles Are Worlds Apart. She provides expert advice for television and radio programs throughout the country and speaks to various parenting groups. To learn more about Lisa Dunning visit her website at http://www.LisaDunningMFT.com

Baby's Christmas Wish Let Me Live Another Day

Christmas the jolly festive season for good will gestures kindness and happiness is upon us once again.

December 25th the lord's birthday is a day for family gatherings where relatives even strangers unite to celebrate his invisible presence. If Christmas were every day where the atmosphere is filled with joyous and harmonious people? What a wonderful world this would be.

Children prepare for Santa's arrival with a thank you plate of biscuits and a glass of milk. The bigger kid's like mum/dad intend to over excite themselves too watching the kids unwrap their presents. Then we have the belly bursting feast of turkey with all the trimmings followed by apple pie and custard. But sadly to say all the joys that Christmas brings is not bestowed on every one.

Unfortunately some children celebrate Christmas from a hospital bed due to saddening events which may have taken place where instead of receiving a kiss and a cuddle on Christmas day they received a merciless beating. No joyous moments for babies on a mortuary slab.

Innocent of any crime the weakest links will suffer more pain under the hands of their abusers. This ongoing torture for toddlers/wife's partners etc is escalating out of control causing an epidemic of sadism which has to stop. To many merciless beatings have caused death to a victim all because the abuser needs his/her daily fix of fulfilment where they celebrate Christmas with blood on their hands and a smile.

Help is out there for those looking for the reason behind why they cause so much sorrow and pain on their defenceless loved ones. Talk to someone and by doing this you have taken the first step in your quest to make every Christmas from now on happy ones.

Then we have the inhabitants of famine stricken countries suffering from starvation seeking to survive on flour and milk alone. Our flour comes in the shape of a loaf, our milk churned into butter/cheese.

Before keeping up with tradition where you get to stuff your self with roast parsnips and turkey be sure to say grace and to take in the meaning of every word. Bless us O Lord for what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen

Far from our thoughts are the less fortunate so remember to say a prayer. And for the innocent victim of abuse who's cry for help go unheard. I ask you as a friend or neighbour to be extra vigilant of any situation that may give you reason for concern for a child's safety.

By doing this you may be giving that child the best Christmas gift ever and that is to live for another day.

Online education wrapped up in the form of a computer for a child at christmas will be the best gift ever.Teach your kids to teach themselves. Browse this amazing site with proven results http://www.allaboutonlineeducation.com

Preservation and Making Copies of Your Scrapbook

You put a great deal of time, thought, and effort into your scrapbook pages. Scrapbooks often are very personalized creative works that are very meaningful to the creator. Therefore, you should try to protect and preserve your work.

The most important way to protect your pages is by using lignin free and acid free products. Lignin free and acid free protects will reduce yellowing and crumbling. Also, use colored paper or ink that is resistant to fading due to age, exposure to light, heat, and other unfavorable conditions.

To protect your page from the outside world, use Mylar or page protectors. Special page protectors for three-dimensional pages are also available at most craft stores. These protection pages not only protect your objects but also reduce indentations caused by three-dimensional objects.

Copies can be easily made and placed into your scrapbook. Also, copies of your scrapbook pages can easily be made for other purposes.

The great thing about modern technology is that you can make copies of your baby announces, recipes, and calendars without a great deal of hassle. This reduces time and money. Furthermore, the ability to copy scrapbook pages allows more scrapbooking uses.

Simply scan and print pictures onto paper or vellum. Then, paste your pictures onto cardstock and add a ribbon or other embellishment. Quickly and easily you have another copy of your baby announcement, recipe, or calendar.

Mia LaCron is the founder of 101-scrapbooking-tidbits.info - http://www.101-scrapbooking-tidbits.info - devoted to helping individuals record, store, and preserve their most cherished memories via the art of scrapbooking.

Stop Your Dog From Pulling You Down The Street

From the first day of life on a leash, most dogs learn that by pulling on it, they get to where they want faster. Its the behavior that so many dog owners struggle with. Its a simple solution - just stop walking. Although, somehow your dog doesn't learn its just that simple. Or maybe we aren't teaching it effectively enough. Or say, you have taught your dog that, except when they want to sniff the fire hydrant, or meet your neighbors dog, or chase a squirrel.

I have decided as an owner, that the only way to walk my dogs is by using either a gentle leader or a gentle leader easy walk harness. I still enforce the rules - the dog pulls, I stop. The dog pays attention and walks with me, I move forward and often give treats and praise for doing so.

The reason I use and recommend these two items is simple, prevention and safety. If the dog does pull, they don't continue to go forward, they are instead turned around and facing me again. It helps me stay consistent.

The Gentle Leader is a great tool. The fit is a bit tricky and most dogs fight it when they get it on - EW something is on my FACE! Ignore it. If you just keep going, stay happy and reinforce them not pawing at it, it will go away. Some have argued that the Gentle Leader can cause damage to their head / back. I think this is only true if the dog is running and you snap the leash. Do not use the tool this way. I prefer a shorter leash and never yank or pull the leash. Instead, just stop, so their head is guided, not forced back around.

The tool I recommend and use is the Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness. Its an easy fit, the dog doesn't mind it, and it works really well. There is no issue of the dog escaping, and no damage since you are controling the body.

Amy Dunphy, CPDT Owner of The Dog Trainer Search Find dog training information, advice, tools and supplies

Custom Rugs: What Do They Have To Offer?

If you are in the market for new carpets or area rugs you've got thousands of carpets to choose from. However sometimes things just don't seem to fit and you can't seem to find that right carpet. You may need to think about custom rugs. So what do custom rugs have to offer?

1. Size

Custom rugs can made to fit any size no matter how unusual the size might be. You can also get custom area rugs made as well. Some houses just weren't built for the traditional carpet off the roll and even with seaming as an option but if you need too many seams it may not be an option you care to use. Custom rugs are certainly worth considering.

2. Color

Are you trying to match a home decor shade that just seems impossible with off the roll carpet. Not a problem! With custom rugs you can have an exact match to the colors you are working with. High tech matching equipment will determine the colors in your room and find a lighter or darker shade that's appropriate to get that look you are trying to achieve.

3. Pattern

Who would have thought with all those patterns available on the market you still can't find exactly what you are looking for. It's more common than you might think and that's why manufacturers offer custom rugs. If you just can't accept the off the roll patterns then draw up what you want including the colors you want and they'll be able to make it exactly to your requirements.

4. Texture

Found the perfect color but can't find it in the right texture. No problem. That's an easier custom job than you might think. After all they already have the dye color in their standard off the roll products so now they just need to apply it to the appropriate texture carpet you are looking for. The only problem you might run into is that the dye is not compatible with the fabric of the texture you are looking at.

5. Fabric

Did you find the perfect carpet but it's only available in a synthetic and due to allergies you need it in a Berber or wool carpet. No problem. A custom rug can be built using the carpet you found that you like but out of a natural material of your choice.

6. Shape

Looking for an unusual shape. Need a triangle and all you can buy is an octagon. A custom rug can be cut to any shape you need and they can make sure patterns and designs match up correctly.

Custom rugs give you choices that simply are not available off the roll. That said if you are in the market for custom rugs or carpet realize that they are going to cost more than off the roll. How much more will depend a great deal on what your custom requirements are. However if you just have to have that perfect rug there is no better option than custom rugs. Why settle for anything less when you can have exactly what you want!

John Murray makes it easy to go through the carpet buying process and provides tips to keep your carpet lasting long. To learn more and receive your free mini-course visit the carpet rugs website.

Building Your Own Kitchen Cabinets

If you have ever considered building your own kitchen cabinets and aborted the idea by convincing yourself that you have no woodworking tools, or I know nothing about wood staining and finishing, or little about cabinet making in general, then read on and believe me when I say it can be done with minimal tools.

With the rising price of lumber and plywood on the market today a set of kitchen cabinets bought pre made, or custom made is becoming an unreality for some home owners. Consider building your own and saving money.

Now it would be nice to have a complete woodworking shop all ready to just punch out a set of kitchen cabinets on demand, but that is probably not the case and here is the alternative to the solution.

You can measure and layout on paper the design of your kitchen using the existing kitchen as a example of how things are constructed then break it down into a parts list forgetting any doors, drawers, or hardware for the time being. Just concentrate on the shell.

When you have your parts list ready you can buy the materials and hire a cabinet shop to cut and mill the parts for the boxes and what your left with is assembling the boxes. This is not uncommon practice in cabinetry now days as more cabinet manufactures are farming out there work so they can produce more. The cabinet shop will package the order for each box making it easier to identify the cabinet and understand the assembly.

When your kitchen cabinets are assembled you measure the door and drawer opening and take your list to a company that specializes in building just doors and drawers.

Once the cabinets are assembled and the drawer slides installed to cabinet box and drawer it is a good idea to dry fit all parts before installing your kitchen cabinets.

At this point you need to decide what type finish and top coat you want to use on your kitchen cabinets and how it should be done. We are not going to discuss in detail how to finish your cabinets in this how to because it is a separate issue altogether, but suggest you install the cabinets and hire a professional painter to do the final step.

Another alternative to save money, labor and error factors is to buy Ready to Assemble cabinets from companies that specialize in this area. The savings may not be as great as doing it all yourself, but Ready to Assemble cabinets cost less to ship than pre made kitchen cabinets and usually provide professional assistance in design.

You can read more detailed information on Building Your Own Kitchen Cabinets at our website in the Interior Home Improvement section.

Chet Holcomb of Home Improvement Handyman is a experienced carpenter and contractor with many years doing home repair and specializing in cabinetry and considered an expert in the field of home improvement.

Save Time & Money Doing Your Own Basic Electric Wiring

Hiring a professional electrician can be very expensive and is often the reason why people try doing their own basic electric wiring themselves.

I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly results of these efforts and I have come to the conclusion that basic electrical wiring is not something anyone should do without proper guidance, tools and confidence.

It is so important that before attempting any of these basic electrical wiring projects that people are aware of how dangerous electricity is and how important safety is for you and for your family and family home.

90 percent of the time I recommend hiring a licensed electrician over doing your basic electrical wiring yourself. Not doing this will usually end up costing even more money than before and increase the risk of bringing your family into danger without even knowing your doing it.

But doing your own basic electric wiring really isn?t that hard to do if you ?educate? yourself on the topic.

Licensed electricians had to learn the stuff themselves too. So as a ?do it yourself person? this isn?t different. There is no escape possible.

You will see that the more you read about it the easier it will become and the more confidence you will get.

Just to give you an idea, here are 3 questions I recently got from people just like you who tried doing their own electric wiring:

Question 1: I installed a grounding probe in your aquarium and every time anyone in the house turns on or off the lights, the fish jump. What's going on?

A couple of suggestions:

1. (easiest) Pull out that grounding probe and return it from whence you purchased it.

2. Check the wiring on your outlet. You may actually have 'Neutral' instead of 'Ground'.

3. Check the wiring throughout the rest of the house. There are some people out there that insist on doing their own home repairs, yet don't understand basic electrical wiring.

Outlets are easy to check by getting a $7.95 outlet tester from the hardware store. Wired-in appliances, lights, heaters, etc. are tougher.

4. Check all your electrical fixtures to make sure they aren't leaking some voltage to Ground.

Question 2: What is the NEC? Where can I get a copy?

The NEC is a model electrical code devised and published by the National Fire Protection Association, an insurance industry group. It's revised every three years.

The 1993 version has been released. You can buy a copy at a decent bookstore, or by calling them directly at 800-344-3555.

The code exists in several versions. There's the full text, which is fairly incomprehensible. There's an abridged edition, which has only the sections likely to apply to most houses.

And there's the NEC Handbook, which contains the ``authorized commentary'' on the code, as well as the full text. That's the recommended version. Unfortunately, there's no handbook for the abridged edition. And the full handbook is expensive -- US$65 plus shipping and handling.

Question 3: Can I do my own wiring? Extra pointers?

In most places, homeowners are allowed to do their own wiring. In some, they're not. Check with your local electrical inspector. Most places won't permit you to do wiring on other's homes for money without a license. Nor are you permitted to do wiring in commercial buildings.

Multiple dwellings (eg: duplexes)are usually considered semi-commercial or commercial. However, many jurisdictions will permit you to work on semi-commercial wiring if you're supervised by a licensed electrician - if you can find one willing to supervise.

If you do your own wiring, an important point:

Do it NEAT and WELL! What you really want to aim for is a better job than an electrician will do. After all, it's your own home, and it's you or your family that might get killed if you make a mistake.

An electrician has time pressures, has the skills and knows the tricks of the trade to do a fast, safe job. In this FAQ we've consciously given a few recommendations that are in excess of code, because we feel that it's reasonable, and will impress the inspector.

The inspector will know that you're an amateur. You have to earn his trust. The best way of doing this is to spend your time doing as neat a job as possible. Don't cut corners. Exceed specifications. Otherwise, the inspector may get extremely picky and fault you on the slightest transgressions.

Don't try to hide anything from the inspector.

Use the proper tools. Ie: don't use a bread knife to strip wires, or twist wires with your fingers. The inspector won't like it, and the results won't be that safe. And it takes longer. And you're more likely to stick a hunk of 12ga wire through your hand that way.

Don't handle house wire when it's very cold (eg: below -10C or 16F). Thermoplastic house wire, particularly older types become very brittle.

As you can see, getting the right answers to your questions can make the work a lot easier.

You save time by doing it ?the right way? from the first time and you save money because you won?t need to hire an electrician to either do the entire job or to fix your screw-ups.

In any case, no matter what you, be very careful when working on electricity! If needed cut down the entire power of your house just to be sure.

Keep It Safe,

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Nico De Baere is a licensed electrician with over 10 years of experience with home and industrial electric wiring. He is the author of the ebook Basic Electric Wiring which gives answers to 77 of the most ask questions on basic electric wiring. Visit his site now at http://www.basicelectricwiring.com

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