Health, Fashion, Parenting and Women Related Issues

There’s no denying it: Parents and grandparents don’t always see eye to eye on important issues like discipline, feeding or safety. Here’s what you need to prevent minor disagreements from exploding into full-blown intergenerational warfare.

Be prepared for an outpouring of advice—both good and bad. Most grandparents feel this powerful need to share all the wisdom they accumulated during their own time in the parenting trenches. Unfortunately, they may not recognize the fact that some of their ways of doing things have long since gone the way of the dodo bird (for example, we no longer start toilet training when a baby is one month of age!). Rather than getting freaked out because the advice you’re receiving is wacky or even downright weird, simply accept it in the spirit in which it was offered (with only the best of intentions) and then quietly ignore anything that no longer holds water today.

Don’t be afraid to stand your ground on the issues that really matter. You may need to gently remind your child’s grandparents that you’re the one in charge when it comes to making important parenting decisions. They’ve already had their starring roles in that long-running melodrama known as parenthood. Now you’re the one at center stage. Read more

Given how high the standards are that we set for ourselves as parents, it’s hardly surprising that we sometimes find ourselves flirting with burnout.a

Though parenthood is certainly a job that can wear you out, there are a number of things you can do to recharge your parenting batteries.

Here are a few ideas:

Learn how to spot the early warning signs of parent burnout. If you find yourself becoming obsessed with the frustrations of parenting, second-guessing your parenting decisions most or all of the time, feeling trapped or hopeless, or starting to experience some of the physical symptoms of stress (for example, headaches, heart palpitations, chronic colds or sinus problems, dizziness, nausea and so on), you could be experiencing burnout.

Make a point of keeping up some of your pre-baby interests so that you have something to focus on other than your role as a parent.

Designate part of your home as a child-free zone. That way, you’ll have a small refuge to retreat to if you’re feeling swallowed up by demands of parenthood.

Make sure that you take breaks from your child on a regular basis, even if you have to hire someone to buy yourself a little time away.

Find creative ways to recharge your batteries.

Recognize that some parents face greater parenting challenges than others and, therefore, face a greater risk of burnout.

Although it’s unreasonable to expect to agree with your partner on every possible parenting issue—you will, after all, have made thousands of parenting decisions by the time your child grows up and leaves home—it’s important to come up with a game plan for managing those differences. Here are some tips on managing the types of day-to-day disagreements that can lead to marital meltdowns:

Accept the fact that you’re each going to have your own unique parenting style. Not only were you raised in different households, but you’re also entirely different people. Perhaps your partner feels most comfortable taking a boot-camp approach to parenting, while you prefer a much more laid-back approach—or vice versa.

Identify those areas where you actually are in agreement. Chances are you and your partner don’t go head-to-head on every conceivable parenting-related issue. It can be reassuring to discover that you and your partner are on the same wavelength with big-picture parenting issues and that your disagreements tend to center on relatively minor points, like how to handle your 2-year old daughter’s recent conversion to nudism. Read more

Having a baby can turn the most social parent into something of a homebody. (Hey, it can be a lot of work to get that little baby out the door!) And while you really should do your best to get up and at ‘em when you can, sometimes you really do end up stuck in the house. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of it!

We’ve got some tips for making your time at home beneficial, productive… and fun:

If you haven’t yet, join our online community of awesome parents. Get tips from celebrity moms and dads, find expert advice on everything from diaper rash to baby sleep issues, check out cool baby products and laugh your butt off as other new parents regale you with the trials and tribulations of parenthood!

Forget window-shopping, it’s all about online shopping when you’re a new parent. You can get great deals on diapers, books, toys—anything you ever dreamed of (and a ton of junk you never did!). Just don’t spend your kid’s college fund on Amazon!

If your feeling cooped up and baby is a little fussy, entertain him with some fun stay-at-home activities. Try educational singing games, tummy time games, gentle newborn neck stretches and baby massage.

Now if only someone would baby you and give you a little rubdown!

Here are some things you will want to know if you have a negative child:

When it’s a good thing:You’re likely to be very tuned in to the needs of a child who displays a consistently negative attitude. Given how much complaining a child like this tends to do, what choice do you have but to hear her grievances?

When it’s not such a good thing: A consistently negative kid can be a major challenge for any parent. No matter how much you do to try to make her happy, you may not be able to turn her negative attitude around. You also may find that this particular child demands more than her fair share of the attention in your family—something that can cause conflict within the family.

Bringing out the best in your child: Accept the fact that your child’s mood may be hardwired and you may not be able to alter this aspect of her temperament, no matter how hard you try. That doesn’t mean you should abandon all efforts to try to encourage her to see the sunnier side of life; it simply means that you should stop blaming yourself or your melancholy baby for her down-in-the-dumps moods.