The whole country is trying to go green, it seems, and it’s time to join the parade! Did you know that using ‘green’ household product not only save trees and precious petroleum resources, it also is safer and healthier for you, your family and your pets?

Commercial cleaners contain harsh chemicals that can irritate the skin, eyes and nasal passages, as well as damage your home. Green products use natural cleansers to keep your house bright and shiny without these harmful additives.

Twenty Mule Team Borax is one of the best products on the market for cleaning bathrooms. Phosphate and chlorine free, this powdered cleanser is safe for septic tanks and easy on hands. Tubs, showers and sinks come clean with less effort than many brand name cleaners!

Seventh Generation Free and Clear boasts an impressive line of laundry and dishwashing products. These glycerin based detergents come in powder or liquid form and leave no residue to irritate your skin, and the softener is gentle and effective. Dish powder and gel leave your plates and silverware clean and grease-free. Their toilet paper, also green by virtue of its minimum 80 percent post-consumer content, is comparable to non-recycled brands.

Begley’s Best is a line of carpet and upholstery cleaners that is biodegradable and non-toxic, so you need not fear for your pats and children. Perfect Planet’s floor cleaners and polishers take stubborn dirt up off of hardwood floors and out of grouted tile joints with a strong but safe.

Each of these products can replace a commercial cleaner in your home, including those containing chlorine, ammonia and phosphates. Eliminating such toxic chemicals from your personal living space can only be beneficial, and helping conserve natural resources is a wonderful plus!
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Mothers Day is the best time to show how much your mother and grandmother mean to you. The gift for Mothers Day shouldn’t be expensive. It should be thoughtful.

Few ideas:

1. A mini notepad. There is no denying that women do their job 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They do all household chores, manage your finances, take care of their husbands and their children, and even report their own office jobs for 8 hours in 5 days.

2. Mini photo album. It is a great project for kids. Come up with the theme, choose cute pictures and put it in the small photo album.

3. Make a picture of your mother or grandmother and put it in the nice frame.

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Enjoy funny video!  
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Very often you can hear about green living, green houses, green cars, etc. It is important to live green and learn more about it. In our time, when pollution is everywhere, we have to be aware that raising green children is crucial for their health. The knowledge about a green life approach will help parents to prioritize they choices about food, products and services. There is great help you can receive from green pediatricians.

Moms are asking what is the exact different between a regular and a green pediatrician.

The green doctors are using green medication and products. To raise a healthy child it is a whole process from choosing the vaccination to using glass bottles. Not all the people know that the regular vaccine contains mercury and the liquid absorbs chemicals from the plastic bottle. One of the basic chemical compounds of plastic baby bottles and nipples is bisphenol A (BPA). Bisphenol A is now considered an endocrine-disruptor, which mimics the naturally occurring hormone estrogen. Studies have linked low-dose BPA exposure with such effects as: permanent changes to the genital tract; increase prostate weight; decline in testosterone; breast cells predisposed to cancer; prostate cells more sensitive to hormones and cancer; and hyperactivity.

Avoid the plastic bottles, which are made from #7 polycarbonate since these tend to leak BPA. A less-toxic options available is made from #5 plastic. You can find the plastic number on the bottom of most bottles.

The safest option is tempered glass since there is no chance of any leakage of any kind. More and more companies are starting to manufacture glass bottles once again and consumer demand is at its highest. Some of them are producing bisphenol free plastic bottles. 
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Few days ago I was talking to one of my friends. She was complaining about her son’s sleep problems and how it affects her daily life. It made me think about how sleep is important to everybody and what we should do to maintain right level of sleep. When we sleep, we rest and gain energy for a new day. We also process all the events of our daily life. After a night without enough sleep we feel exhausted and irritable. But after a good night’s sleep, we feel rested, refreshed and full of energy. No wonder that it is so important to parents that their child sleeps through the night. It influences the entire family’s life and wellbeing.

Newborn babies sleep up to 16 hours per day. Children between one year and five years old sleep up to 12 hours each day. Northwestern University scientists studied two- and three-year-old children. They find out that children who are sleeping less than 10 hours in a 24-hour period were consistently at greatest risk for behavior problems such as oppositional or noncompliant behavior, “acting out” behaviors, and aggression.

 

There are few “sleeping “tips for moms:

 

·      Limit active play, television and video game play before bed.

·      Make bedtime a special time.  It should be a time for you to interact with your child in a way that is secure and loving

·      Try to set a consistent schedule for your child and make bedtime the same time every night. His sleep patterns will adjust accordingly.

·      Make sure your child is comfortable. Have a night-light left on, or the door left slightly open.

·      Try to avoid letting your child sleep with you. This will only make it harder for him to learn to settle himself and fall asleep when he is alone.

·      Try not to return to your child’s room every time he complains or calls out. A child will quickly learn if you always give in to his requests at bedtime.

·      The most common cause of nighttime awakening is a change in routine. Changing rooms or beds, losing a favorite cuddly toy or blanket, or taking a trip away from home may all disrupt his sleep. If he’s ill or cutting a tooth, he might wake up more often. Also, between twelve and fourteen months he’ll begin actively dreaming, which can startle or frighten him awake. These are all valid reasons for him to wake up but not for you to pick him up or bring him to your room. He needs to put himself back to sleep, even if it means crying a bit first. If your child is used to getting lots of nighttime attention, you’ll need to retrain him gradually. Let’s say you’ve been giving him milk when he wakes up. It’s time to change first to diluted milk or water, and then to stop it entirely. If you’ve been picking him up, restrict yourself to calming him with only your voice from a distance. Above all, don’t get angry with him if he continues to protest. You’ll need to show him some compassion, even as you remain firm. It’s not easy, but in the long run it will improve your sleep as well as his.

·      Make sure your kids have interesting and varied activities during the day, including physical activity and fresh air.

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I would never think that I would feel that way but after giving a birth to my second child I started to feel differently. First, I thought that I am just having bad days but in six weeks I figure out that it cannot be it. Generally, I am very happy person. I love my life. I enjoy having wonderful relationship with my husband and my children.  But that time I felt said and miserable all the time! I felt that I am a bad mother and I do everything wrong. How do I feed or play with the baby, change the diaper, etc. My newborn daughter had a lot of colic. The doctors were telling me that it is normal but I blamed myself. I also thought that I couldn’t give enough of attention to my 4 years old son. I felt ugly, unattractive as a woman and useless as a mother. This caused insomnia. I could spend 2 to 3 hours trying to fall a sleep but sad thoughts wouldn’t let me to relax. Of course I felt so tired in the morning that I was constantly late to take my oldest son to the preschool, which made me feel even worst. I didn’t know what to do. I was confident that nobody would understand how do I feel. I was afraid to share with my husband. I was sure he would think I am crazy. One day change it all. I met another mom on the playground.  We had children almost the same age. Our oldest sons were playing together and we started the conversation. For some reason I felt that I can trust her. I told her about my problems and found out that she feels the same way as I feel. We talked for two hours! We become friends and started to make play dates for children and dates for ourselves. We started to read books and research on Internet about postpartum depression and how to overcome it. I am writing my story because I think it is crucial for moms who have postpartum depression do not afraid to ask for help. I was lucky to meet my friend and we can go through this together. I would advise moms to find mothers groups in your neighborhood and seek for support.

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To find the correct a childcare or preschool for your child is very important. The best time to look for childcare is 6-8 months before you need it. Some of the facilities have a long waiting list. It is better to make you choices in advance.

First of all you have to identify your priorities. What are the most important factors? Where would you like the childcare/preschool to be located: in a recreational area, a private home or a special designated building? How far do you want to walk or drive? Which educational program do you prefer? Are hot lunches important for you?  What hours of operation are suitable for your family?

After you are clear on your research: Internet, friends, newspapers, magazines, etc. Pick a few of the most preferable choices and schedule the appointment. I would highly recommend bringing your child with you for the appointment. By your child’s behavior and interaction with the staff and other children you will see if it is the good fit. It is the best test you can do!

Talk to the director and ask as many questions as you can. Do not forget your child is going to spend time in this facility. Your child has to feel comfortable.

Check references about the facility you like and make a choice.

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We all want to find the right childcare for our children. The childcare not only has to feet your child personality but also your budget. Childcare services are expensive. Therefore, you want to make sure you’re making the best investment. Before figuring out your budget, take some time to learn about different program which may help you to pay for childcare.

 

·      State Child Care Subsidy - You may be eligible for state-funded subsidy for childcare. There are programs in every state. However the rules are very depends on the state. Typically, childcare subsidies are available for families who earn low income. Some state public schools offer free or low-cost Pre-K programs for 3- and 4-year-old children for all income families .

·      Local Programs - United Way or other community organization may provides child care scholarships or assistance

·      Employer/College Assistance - Ask if your employer provides scholarships, discounts to certain programs, or on-site child care at a reduced rate. If you are a student, you may find similar incentives on-campus or through your university.

·      Head Start/Early Head Start - Head Start and Early Head Start are federally and sometimes state-funded programs. Families who use Head Start must meet federal poverty guidelines. Head Start is free and may be either full or part-day. Head Start’s goal is to help children meet health and school readiness guidelines.

·      Tax Credits:

Federal Earned Income Tax Credit - If you qualify for the EITC, you may be able to lower your taxes and possibly get money back.

 

Federal Child Tax Credit - Parents with children under age 17 may be eligible for the Child Tax Credit. You may receive money for each child for this credit. Income limits for the Child Tax Credit are much higher than the EITC limits.

 

Federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit - If you have a child under the age of 13, and you owe federal taxes, this credit may help you cover a portion of these taxes.

 

State Earned Income Tax Credit - Many states offer their own Earned Income or Child Tax credit. These credits are similar to the federal EITC.

Dependent Care Assistance Programs - Some employers may offer Dependent Care Assistance programs. These programs allow you to have money (up to $5,000 a year) taken out of your paycheck for child care, tax-free. These programs help lower the taxes you pay during the year.

 

Military Child Care Assistance - Through a partnership with the Department of Defense, NACCRRA offers military families childcare assistance. This partnership allows active duty and/or deployed service members childcare fees if they are unable to access childcare on a military base.

So as you see there are some ways to save money on childcare. Good Luck!

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I still remember one day, eleven years ago when my daughter’s preschool was closed and she spent day at home with me. I entered my daughter’s room and got horrified. Cute little Sofia was sitting in the middle of the chaos. All her toys were on the floor, the clothes from the closet were all over the room, on the bed, on the chair, even on the bookshelf. A few stuffed animas were in the sink full of water and Sofia was drawing pictures with my lipstick. It was the last straw! I was determined to change my daughter’s attitude.

 

I assigned to her task to do in her own room and around the house. With my persistence and her understanding things have changed and now she is the neatest person I have ever seen. She is helping me a lot around the house. What I especially liked is that she really enjoys keeping our house clean!

 

Children have to know their responsibilities from early. When they are two or three years old they can start putting their toys in the bin and feed the pet. At four and five: they can make their bed and put their clothes in the pile in the closet. At six and seven: help with dishes and keep their room tidy. The more moms will spend time in helping their children to understand the responsibilities around the house more mature and independent the child will be in the future. So be patient ages and you will love the result!

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