Photo: chrisroll | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Here comes summer. For some families, that means a big upswing in the amount of time and energy kids spend running around — as it should be!

We’re giving away a sample pack that will help you keep up with your children’s increased nutritional needs, plus a little extra. Here’s what you can receive:

• USANIMALS (www.usana.com): Supplements just for children. Supports healthy immune function and helps create strong, healthy bones. Easy-to-eat chewables stamped with fun animal shapes.

• HINT Water (www.drinkhint.com): A fruit-infused all-natural essence water that contains no calories, sugar, artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Kids need to stay hydrated — but what if they’re not water-drinkers? Forget the unhealthy soft drinks and pick up a bottle of HINT instead. It’s not flavored water, it IS water.

• Smart for Life Cookies (www.smartforlife.com): Healthy ingredients, all-natural, preservative-free and made from 60 percent organic ingredients. Not only are they tasty, but they increase bone health and improve intestinal health.

• Medical ID Marketplace (www.hopepaige.com): What if your child has a food allergy or diabetes? How do you make sure your child is safe when they are on a field trip or on a play date? Medical ID Marketplace is one solution to that problem. Fashionable, trendy and cute medical ID bracelet that blend in with everyday pieces and only stands out to first responders in case of an emergency. These accessories come with a customized engraving (emergency contact info, health condition, etc.) so health officials will know how to react in a worst case scenario. Also with hundreds to choose from, there is an option that fits for every child’s colorful personality.

Want a gift pack filled with samples of the above? Like PureNaturalMom on Facebook, and post a comment below with your ideas for a kid’s perfect summer. We’ll pick a winner next week, and their Healthy Summer Pack will be on its way.

Photo: www.pkr101blogspot.com

If you have several children, chances are good that at least one of them challenges your sanity. You love him (or her), but truth be told you don’t always like them. They do not only push your buttons, they stomp, tap dance and karate kick them until your last nerve is hanging by a thread. Then you snap and say something you wish you hadn’t and the situation escalates into a full blown drama.

If this cycle sounds familiar, I can commiserate. The latest cycle with one of my own resident button pushers got me thinking and reflecting once again on how I can get to the root of my own emotional responses so as to diffuse the situation earlier the next time.  Here are some of those thoughts.

Acknowledge the buttons

Know what your hot buttons are.  As the saying goes, “there’s no smoke without a fire”.  If you’re upset about something your child is or isn’t doing, it’s probably because you are the very same way.  Your child is lovingly mirroring your own limited behavioral response, subconsciously hoping that you will see it and heal it in yourself. { read more }

Photo: Flickr, OliBac

Take a look around the room in which you’re sitting right now. What do you see? Odds are good you saw at least one or two things which to you aren’t the least bit threatening, but which to a curious toddler can be very dangerous. The power cord that is charging your phone and dangling from your side table, a curtain that drapes down just far enough for little stretched fingers, a top-heavy stool — any of these is a potential hazard to a child. But what can you do about it? Follow these do’s and don’t's for some tips and tricks on how to child-proof your home.

Do get down on your hands and knees

The best way to child-proof your home is to think like a child, and the best way to think like a child is to see the world from his eyes. Get down on your hands and knees and look around for a bit. What are those things on the wall that look like smiley faces (and, more importantly, what’s around here that I can stick in them)? What can I reach? What can I get tangled in, fall over, or bump into? What can I put in my mouth? What can I swallow? It won’t be the most comfortable experience of your life, but it just might be the most important one. { read more }

Photo: Flickr, peterme

We’ve all been there: you’ve changed your baby’s diaper, fed/nursed her, put her down for a nap, played with her, rocked her, sang to her, and pled with her, but still she won’t sleep! Dealing with a cranky baby can leave both parents and baby in a pretty fussy mood, and it can cause a lot of anxiety. Thankfully, though no two babies are the same, there are some tried and tested tactics you can employ to soothe your cranky newborn.

Bounce the newborn

No, I don’t mean bounce her off the floor in frustration. I mean bounce her in your arms. Rocking is a solid standby, but when my daughter was a newborn she wavered between liking to be rocked and liking to be bounced. And she punished her mom and me if we opted for the wrong choice. To make matters worse, her preferred bouncing method varied, too. Sometimes a gentle bounce in my arms sufficed, while other times she preferred a more vigorous bounce in my arms on an exercise ball. When you have a cranky newborn, you have to be willing to try anything. { read more }

Photo: Carolina Türck, Flickr

When an expecting mother is preparing herself for delivery day, using a birthing plan can ease nerves about delivery and facilitate a better birthing experience for mom and baby.

A birth plan typically include details regarding the type of birth desired, pain management and what comfort items to remember. However, many birthing plan
templates do not include important information about birthing positions, umbilical cords or what mom should expect when she sees her baby for the first time.

Labor and birthing positions

Mothers who choose to give birth naturally and without an epidural usually find that frequently changing position during labor helps them to relax and control pain. Standing, walking and swaying can also speed up labor. There’s no perfect position for labor, but frequent changes of position during labor can help women relax and stay in control of the pain. { read more }

Photo: LAURA MARDON, Flickr

For many couples, conceiving a first child is a “normal” experience, involving the cessation of birth control measures and resulting in the birth of a baby. After that, however, couples may face difficulty conceiving a second or third child for whatever reason, and this is called “secondary infertility.” When this happens to you, it’s confusing and disheartening and may leave you asking questions. { read more }

Photo: Flickr, elbragon

No parent likes to leave their child in someone else’s hands. But as hard as it can be on you, odds are good it’s even harder on your child. Read on for a few tips and tricks to help your toddler deal with separation anxiety.

Do the prep work

Before simply dropping off your child suddenly, lay the groundwork for a smooth transition. If possible, talk about the separation far ahead of time, and be as specific as you can. Children feel better when they know what to expect, so tell them exactly what they can expect to happen: where they’re going, with whom, and for how long. And, of course, always follow it up by telling them when either you are their other parent will be back to collect them.

Don’t dawdle at drop-off

Kids pick up on cues from their parents. That’s not to say you toddler will be all smiles at drop-off time just because you are; but the odds are better than if you sulk and show anxiety about it, too. So put on a happy face, use positive words and good body language, tell your toddler how much fun he’s going to have, make the drop-off, and then make a hasty getaway. But don’t run.

Leave him with a keepsake

If your toddler’s separation anxiety is especially peaked, consider leaving him with a little keepsake — a reminder of you. It can be anything from a photo of your, to a blanket with your scent on it, to a special something the two of you share. And, of course, if he has a security blanket or stuffed animal, bring that long, too.

Don’t diminish your child’s feelings

It’s all too easy to forget that toddlers don’t share our sense of the passage of time. Hours can seem like minutes when they’re having fun (five more minutes, mom, please?), or days when they’re not. Try to resist the impulse to rationalize what’s going on, as doing so can give them the message that their feelings aren’t valid.

Remind yourself that these strong reactions aren’t simply a toddler being dramatic; your toddler’s feelings, no matter how irrational, are nevertheless real to him, and must be taken seriously. Empathize with him by acknowledging his feelings and telling him it’s okay for him to feel them. And then remind him how much better he’ll feel when you come pick him up.

Be patient

Most toddlers go through a stage of separation anxiety at least once, and many experience it several times. Remember to be patient with your child, and remember that even though it’s heartbreaking to leave your child when he’s sad, it would be even more heartbreaking to leave a child who doesn’t care that you’re leaving.

Photo: woodleywonderworks, Flickr

Spring is here and opportunities are abundant to start teaching your children about growing food, organic gardening or the growing cycles of plants. It’s never too early to start your child down the path of learning where food comes from and how difficult it can be to raise a “crop.” These days many families are trying to be more connected to their food and no matter where you live, there are ways to incorporate gardening and growing food into your life.

Use planter boxes for growing food

Even if you live in a small space, there are ways to make gardening a part of your child’s life. One sunny window is all it takes to grow herbs, and if you have a small space on a patio or fire escape, you can plant a container garden of carrots, peas, sprouts or herbs. { read more }

Photo: duron123, FreeDigitalPhotos

Your choices about treating depression during TTC times are based on an unknown future: You make the best decisions you can in hopes of both optimizing your fertility and providing the safest environment for your anticipated pregnancy. But once that pregnancy test turns up positive, suddenly your choices carry a more serious tone.

Maternal depression during pregnancy must not be casually addressed, and its treatment cannot be over-looked. But as many women learn, the information on both safety and efficacy of depression treatments during pregnancy is both limited and confusing.

One crucial point in the decision-making process is how the data — that is, what is known or significantly indicated about treatments and their impact on both mom and the developing baby — is constantly changing over time. { read more }

Have you heard the term “choice mom”? It’s easier to say than “single mother by choice” and it was coined by writer Mikki Morrissette, who became a mother in 1999 and published “Choosing Single Motherhood: The Thinking Woman’s Guide” in 2008. She also founded an online community for other women who are at different points in their family-building journey sans partner.

There are so many ways that women come to decide that being a “choice mom” is their path. There’s also more than one way to bring a baby into your life. Accordingly, the information on ChoiceMoms.org is split into stages: Thinking, Trying, Waiting, and Becoming. { read more }