Contraceptive Birth Control Options and Disclosures

Contraceptive birth control prevents conception of children and can be a widely controversial method of birth control depending on religious, moral, and social opinions.  There are several different types of contraceptive birth control that we will describe here.  This is adult material meant for adult consideration.

The most common form of contraceptive birth control used today is a condom for men.  Contraceptive birth control using condoms is eighty to ninety percent effective when used in combination with spermicide.  Condoms are not full proof.  One of the major drawbacks to using condoms is that they can break or become stuck in the female’s vagina.  Condoms do not require a prescription and can be used to protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

Implants are another type of contraceptive birth control.  Implants have a ninety-nine percent effective rate.  They work by inserting small tubes containing progesterone into the woman’s body.  The progesterone is released in fractional doses and prevents the woman from releasing eggs from her ovaries.  When there are no eggs, there can be no conception.  Contraceptive birth control using implants generally lasts for up to five years.  As soon as the implants are removed, fertility returns. 

A medical procedure is necessary to implant and remove these devices.  Women with certain pre-existing medical conditions are not viable candidates for implants and there can be adverse side effects.

Diaphragms have been used for contraceptive birth control for quite awhile.  They work very simply by forming a barrier to stop sperm from reaching the cervix.  Spermicide is always used in conjunction with a diaphragm.  Diaphragms are believed to be about eighty-five percent effective as a means of contraceptive birth control. 

Diaphragms are believed to be safe and fertility returns when they are no longer used.  Diaphragms require a prescription and a medical professional must fit them.

You can now be injected with contraceptive birth control medicine.  The process is ninety-nine percent effective.  There are basically two types of injections available.  One must be done on a monthly basis, while the other injection needs to be repeated every ninety days.  Contraceptive birth control injections are thought to be safe and highly effective.  The injection needs to be administered by your doctor.  Normal fertility does not return until six to twenty-four months after discontinued use of injected contraceptive birth control.

The Pill has been the most popular form of contraceptive birth control for many years.  A woman takes a pill that contains two types of man-made hormones that imitate the natural hormones in a woman’s body.  The hormones are estrogen and progesterone.  These hormones prevent the eggs from full development and release from the ovaries and cause changes in the walls of the uterus and the cervical mucus that interfere with conception.

The Pill is ninety-nine percent effective, requires a prescription and must be taken every day.  Women with certain pre-existing medical conditions should not take the Pill.

There are many other types of contraceptive birth control available, from more prescriptions to sexual abstinence.  Whatever type of contraception you are considering, be certain to talk things through with your doctor before engaging in any type of contraceptive birth control.  

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/07/contraceptive-birth-control-options-and-disclosures/

Kids Healthy Diet Hinges on Substitution

You can give your kids healthy diet choices that will still keep them running to, rather than away from, the dinner table.  The secret to a kids healthy diet is often just substitution.  Instead of giving them foods in their diet that are high in fat or questionable in dietary benefit, substitute a few ingredients that won’t change taste but will keep your children healthy.  For instance, when making meatballs for spaghetti, it is a good idea to substitute whole wheat or bulgur breadcrumbs for some of the ground beef and bake the meatballs rather than frying them.

Other recipe ideas for a kids healthy diet include coating chicken tenders in an almond and whole-wheat crust and cooking them in the oven rather than deep-frying in oil.  This makes for crispy, delicious chicken fingers with half the fat of the usual ones.

Another kids healthy diet recipe idea is to make baked beans into a main dish by adding chicken sausage and spinach.  Baked beans are low in fat and high in protein, adding to a kids healthy diet options.

Using whole-wheat breadcrumbs and whole-grain cereal flakes, you can make your own homemade fish sticks.  Again, cook them up in the oven instead of deep-frying and save on fat and cholesterol as part of a kids healthy diet plan.

Update a Sloppy Joe as part of a kids healthy diet by cooking down chopped mushrooms and diced fresh plum tomatoes to make a zesty sauce added to lean ground beef.

Pepperoni pizza can get an overhaul by using whole-wheat dough, adding pumpkin puree to the tomato sauce for increased beta carotene and fiber, and substituting turkey pepperoni for the topping.

Cut pork tenderloin into long filets and bread it with the same coating as the chicken fingers for a delicious kids healthy diet dinner.

Stuffed cheeseburgers are a tasty alternative to sticking the cheese on top of the burger.  Simply form lean meat patties around cheese and cook as normal.  Using lean meat, real cheese instead of cheese processed food, and whole grain buns makes this meal part of a kids healthy diet plan.

Remember that at the heart of kids healthy diet recipes is the simple idea of substituting less healthy ingredients for more healthy ingredients.  You can do this with almost any of your children’s favorite foods.  Make sure to change ingredients that will not drastically alter the flavor so that your child will hardly notice the difference at all.  You might also only want to change the recipe slightly at first and then change it a little more each time it is served until they become used to the fully healthy variation.  For instance, when first making the pizza recipe above, you might want to only change to turkey pepperoni.  The next time you make the pizza, switch out the dough for whole-wheat and then, finally, add the pumpkin puree to the tomato sauce.  Your child may be less likely to notice the subtle change of the recipe over time than the full switch to a kids healthy diet recipe all at once.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/07/kids-healthy-diet-hinges-on-substitution/

Educational Kids Movies Help to Teach and Inspire

Educational kids movies can be a good developmental tool for your child.  There are plenty of educational kids movies out there and many of them are available as free downloads.  There are several sites on the Internet offering educational kids movies for free and at discount prices.

One of these sites is Watch Know.org.   Watch Know offers educational kids movies for children from the ages of three all the way up to eighteen.  They cover subjects ranging from English literature, math, history, science, social studies, languages, physical education, health education, arts, computer technology, life skills, ethics, philosophy, religion, to hobbies and crafts.  Watch Know even provides educational movies for teachers and parents.  It is truly a good site to find educational kids movies on a wide variety of subjects.

Brain Pop is another good site for finding educational kids movies.  This site is a little more child friendly and features graphics and interaction designed for younger kids.  Brain Pop provides animated curriculum-based lessons.  Brain Pop is used primarily to support educators with movies, experiments, timelines, and activities for children.

Safe For Kids is a good site for parents to locate and purchase educational kids movies and entertainment rated safe for children.  There are many options at Safe For Kids that allow you to choose from simple entertainment to educational kids movies.  There is also a section featuring games, activities, and crafts.

The modern educational kids movies are different than the ones you might have grown up watching.  Much more research has been put into modern educational kids movies than ever before.  Because of this, exposing your child to educational kids movies at an early age can be tremendously helpful in their development.  Even if your child is too young to read, he or she is not too young to benefit from educational kids movies.  Such movies help them to absorb beneficial information in a fun, fascinating manner.

One of the best sources for educational kids movies is Public Broadcasting.  Besides Sesame Street and other well-known kids television, PBS often broadcasts educational kids movies.  These movies are usually available on DVD so you can play them anytime at home for your children.  So, don’t forget to look for PBS produced DVDs when searching for educational kids movies for your child.

Online, Amazon and other book retailers are often a good source for educational kids movies, as well.  Many online stores like these offer entire sections of educational DVDs for children.

Educational kids movies do not always teach a subject or curriculum.  Sometimes they teach a life lesson.  These sorts of educational kids movies can be very profound in teaching children lessons in life and inspiring them to do special things and achieve exceptional goals.

When choosing educational kids movies, you probably want to do a little research first.  If possible, watch the movie before you give it to your child to watch.  If reviewing the movie yourself isn’t practical, go to the Internet and look for comment on chat sites and blogs about the movie.  You can often find professional reviews and commentary by parents and educators simply by Googling the title.

However you decide to go about your search, remember that educational kids movies can be an important part of your child’s progression and a way for them to discover that learning can be fun.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/07/educational-kids-movies-help-to-teach-and-inspire/

The Benefits of Educational Computer Games for Kids

Children these days are naturally disposed for interaction with computers and this makes educational computer games for kids an important part of their development.  With as much time as your child is going to want to be on the computer, it is important to expose them to educational computer games for kids early on.  The good news for parents is that many of these games, especially ones geared for elementary school children are free.

There is a website called ABCya! that provides free educational computer games for kids that you can access on the web.  ABCya! Games are all created by or approved by certified teachers.  The games cover grades kindergarten through fifth and feature titles like Alpha Munchies typing game, Create a Car, Paint, Railroad Patterns, Math Fact Shoot-out, and Raceway Number Values.

Another website providing fun and educational computers games for kids is called Learn 4 Good.  Learn 4 Good also provides links to books and other learning materials on subjects like the alphabet, math, science, social studies, reading, writing, languages, phonics, coloring, nursery rhymes, and more.  Learn 4 Good is not only a site where you can download hours worth of educational computer games for kids, but it is a beneficial resource for parents as well.

Another Internet site loaded with educational computer games for kids is Knowledge Adventure.  At Knowledge Adventure you can choose from a long list of educational computer games for kids.  Most of the games are age appropriate for toddlers to six-year olds and you can segregate games by your child’s age.  Knowledge Adventure even has computer games for the preschool set.

Another site with educational computer games for kids ages three through twelve is called Prongo.  Like all of the other websites with educational computer games for kids, Prongo has a wide variety of games covering many different subject areas.  Prongo even has an area with jokes for kids.

This list of educational computer games for kids could probably continue on and on, listing other sites like Wonder Rotunda, Mothergoose.com, Leap Frog, and Up To Ten.

Many of these sites combine free downloadable educational computer games for kids and games that you can download at a cost.  If you travel away from your computer screen and to your closest national chain toy store, you will find a selection of educational computer games for kids there also.  It is suggested that you make note of the games you and your child find most appealing and look for reviews of those games on the Internet.  Simply type the name of the game software and the word review into a search engine and you will come up with commentary from parents and educational experts that should be beneficial in aiding your search for educational computer games for kids.

Wherever you go to get educational computer games for kids it is good to have your children playing and learning as soon as possible.  As with any type of educational toy, educational computer games for kids can be a tool in the development of your child without their ever realizing that they have any application other than fun.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/07/the-benefits-of-educational-computer-games-for-kids/

Infant Educational Toys To Build On

Infant educational toys should be simple, like the building blocks that kept so many of us busy from infancy to when we became toddlers.  Infant educational toys like these have not lost their impact because of digital and computerized options.  There are specific mechanics that babies need to learn that are provided by the simplest of toys you can imagine.

One of the best infant educational toys is a mobile.  A mobile for baby provides stimulation that is vital from the onset of baby’s life.  A good mobile will feature plenty of attachment toys, music, bright colors and movement.  Mobiles are good developmental toys for babies because they stimulate the child at the same time as entertaining them.

Baby rattles are yet another one of the time-tested infant educational toys which are simple and highly effective for stimulating baby’s eyes and ears.  Babies use rattles for sound, sight, and texture exploration.  Once they learn to shake their rattles to produce noise, they become activity toys as well.

A baby mirror is another enduring one of many infant educational toys that should not  be overlooked.  Babies are always studying faces and studying his or her own face helps baby learn to focus.  Because of this, it is always important to seek out a baby mirror that has an accurate reflection and not one with a funhouse look.

Play mats and play gyms are important infant educational toys because they give your baby a place to be physical and to be safe at the same time.  Your baby is going to want to crawl and attempt to sit up as soon as he or she is determined to do so.  A play mat or play gym gives baby a cushioned, protective area in which to be as physical as they want.  These types of infant educational toys will help your baby learn to sit up, stand, and walk with confidence.

Nesting cups are simple infant educational toys with a variety of benefits.  They are cups, usually brightly colored, which can be easily stacked or nested together.  Baby can learn many things with the aid of nesting cups, such as to recognize colors and sizes, scooping and pouring, hand-eye coordination, and support in pretend play like practicing to drink.

Stacking rings are also simple infant educational toys with many of the same benefits as nesting cups.  They are generally brightly colored rings made of plastic and feature a cone for stacking.  They are excellent for teaching hand-eye coordination, size and color recognition, and support of pretend play.  Children rarely lose interest in stacking rings, even as they become toddlers.

This brings us t the most versatile of infant educational toys.  As we have already mentioned, building blocks never go out of style.  When your baby is very small, it may be best if their first building blocks are soft and you can move on to harder materials as your baby gets older.  Whatever type of building blocks you choose, they are safe infant educational toys that build visual stimulation, activity, and motor skills from your baby’s very first days of play and beyond.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/05/infant-educational-toys-to-build-on/   

Birthday Celebration Ideas for Children Follow Theme

If you need birthday celebration ideas for children, they aren’t difficult to find.  The main thing to remember is that most birthday celebration ideas follow a theme.  The simplest reason for this  is that it is easier to keep a young child’s attention focused on play more than anything else.  Birthday celebration ideas that follow a theme have play built right into them.  Children engaging in birthday parties with themes are already playing pirate, fairy, superhero, star wars, cowboys and Indians, or any subject you may choose.

It is always essential to shape birthday celebration ideas around themes appealing to the birthday boy or girl.  No one, including adults, wants to have their birthday celebration ideas themed after something they don’t like.  So, when considering birthday celebration ideas, always keep in mind the particular likes and dislikes of the birthday child.

Birthday celebration ideas should always include activities in which all the children can participate.  This will keep them focused on a particular game or event rather than having them all running about wildly, attempting to entertain themselves.  Engaging the children in arranged activities keeps them in one area and makes supervision by adults much easier to accomplish.  It also allows opportunity to set up and arrange the next event or competition without interference.  This is particularly helpful when preparing food or birthday cake and treats.

Children can be encouraged to come costumed according to the theme of the celebration.  Keep this in mind when considering birthday theme ideas because you do not want to choose something too elaborate.  Children love to play dress-up and parents can easily create a costume from clothing available at home if you keep the theme simple.  You don’t want to choose birthday celebration ideas that are so sophisticated as to force parents to rent costumes.

When considering birthday celebration ideas it is important to keep the theme age appropriate to all children in attendance.  For instance, children of a certain age may enjoy and even appreciate a vampire themed party, while very young children might become frightened and uneasy to be surrounded by costumed bloodsuckers.  The same goes for gender consideration.  If you are having a fairy themed party for a girl, you might want to suggest that wizards are fairies of sorts in order to make any boys in attendance more comfortable with the topic at hand.

Also, when developing menus as part of birthday celebration ideas, keep in mind that not all children are able to eat all foods.  Find out if anyone in attendance has any food allergies or aversions to certain foods that would not allow them to partake and prepare to have substitutions on hand.

Most of all, make sure that your birthday celebration ideas include plenty of events and entertainment to keep the children busy and happy.  If the party isn’t a surprise, include the children in creating birthday celebration ideas, as this will ensure that you are making choices you can be certain they will enjoy and it will make them feel part of the entire event.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/05/birthday-celebration-ideas-for-children-follow-theme/

A Wireless Camera Baby Monitor Helps Ensure Security

A wireless camera baby monitor is a versatile utility for parents.  Over the years, baby monitors have become commonplace in homes with small children.  Nowadays, the majority of these come in the form of a wireless camera baby monitor.  The reason this type of baby monitor has become so popular is its versatility.

A wireless camera baby monitor can be set up anywhere in the house.  Whether your baby is fast asleep in his or her crib, active in their playpen, or sitting in a high chair, you can have a camera on baby for security.  Add the option of a small handheld monitor or even an Internet connection and you have a truly portable means for keeping track of baby at all times.

Years ago people with baby monitors were accused of being inattentive parents who allowed the supervision of their children to be governed by a machine.  Thinking like this, however, has rightfully been dismissed with the realization that even good parents can’t be everywhere at once.  A baby monitor is now recognized as a tool for good parenting, rather than an excuse for poor parenting.  The most versatile of such tools is a wireless camera baby monitor.

A wireless camera baby monitor can be a money saving device as well.  Because of its great portability, you only need one wireless camera baby monitor on hand.  Without the wireless camera parents might be forced to install extra cameras at different locations throughout the house or forced to monitor their baby in only a single setting.  With a wireless camera baby monitor, the unit can easily be moved to any location.

A wireless camera baby monitor is also a device that travels well.  So, if you are taking baby to visit grandparents, aunts and uncles, or friends, you can take your wireless camera baby monitor with you.  In fact, your wireless camera baby monitor can travel absolutely anywhere you and baby might need it in order to ensure baby’s safety and security.

All parents want to be careful to guarantee the safety and welfare of their children.  To this end, a wireless camera baby monitor is not only a device for the security of your baby, but a device to ensure a parent’s piece of mind, as well.  While nothing is better than a firsthand presence to watch over your baby, it is just not practical to believe that you can be with your child, everywhere, at all times.  When you get suddenly called away or need to step out of the room for a period of time, it is good to know that you can still have a watchful, cautious eye on your child.

More recently, manufacturers are able to link your wireless camera baby monitor to a secure online site so you can even look after your baby when you are not at home.  Working parents who hire caretakers or have relatives watch their children at home find such devices extremely valuable.  With the combination of a wireless camera baby monitor and the Internet, parents can check in on their baby any time of day as long as they can access a desktop or lap top computer.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/05/a-wireless-camera-baby-monitor-helps-ensure-security/