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Kidz Things Blog
Welcome to our blog - we hope you will find the articles interesting! If there is a topic you would like to see covered here, please do contact us with your suggestions. If you are interested in writing a blog for the website yourself, please do contact us with further information about the subject you would like to cover.
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The White Ribbon Alliance: Making pregnancy and childbirth safe for all women and newborns
Did you know that over half a million women die as a result of pregnancy related complications each year, leaving an estimated 2 million children homeless? It seems incredible when we live in an age of such advanced medical knowledge that so many women could be losing their lives in this way. One of our Kidz Things members has brought to my attention the plight of an inspirational charity called The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (WRA). This organisation is “an international coalition bound together by a common goal: to ensure that pregnancy and childbirth are safe for all women and newborns in every country around the world.”
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Kidz Things - Our News
We recently sent out our first ever Kidz Things newsletter to our UK site members. Much of the news that applies to the UK site is also relevant to our South African website, so here is a bit about what’s been happening....
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Twitter – is it a useful tool for parents?
Having recently become a member of the massive online phenomenon and social-networking website, Twitter, it got me thinking about the benefits for parents of joining this new community, especially compared to other similar sites, like Facebook or MySpace.
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What do you know about Emotional Development?
When considering the Stages of Development that children progress through from birth to adulthood, we usually think of milestones like weaning, sitting up, crawling, walking, and talking. How often do we think about a critical area of development that spans across all the other developmental milestones and is fundamental to our ability to function in a social world? I’m talking about Emotional Development. One of our Kidz Things members has a keen interest in this particular area of child development and has very kindly written a blog on this topic for us. Click below to find out more…
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Post-Natal Depression – Spot the Signs…
There is no denying that having a baby is an incredibly stressful and emotion-filled time for nearly every new parent. While the arrival of a new baby is undoubtedly nerve-racking for the father of the child, it is predominantly the mother who undergoes the most intense psychological turmoil, fuelled by pregnancy hormones and thoughts of her impending new job of “mother” with all the responsibilities which that role encompasses. It is very common for new mums to feel a bit low, emotional and tearful in the first couple of weeks after childbirth – often referred to as the “baby blues”. This depressed mood usually starts to disappear very quickly as you get the hang of your new duties and start to feel more in control of your life. But for many new mothers the negative feelings they have initially continue to fill their minds for a longer than usual period and this could indicate the onset of a more serious mental health condition called Post-Natal Depression (PND).
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From a Dad’s Point of View
When asked if I would write about my experience of being a father, I thought it would be a relatively easy task. But, as I sit and write this now, I am struggling to put into words exactly what my feelings and experiences have been so far. When I consider the range of emotions that I have gone through over the past two and a bit years, I think it’s safe to say that every possible human emotion has been extensively covered – from utter frustration and a feeling of hopelessness to a love and protectiveness that has completely overwhelmed me.
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Kidz Things (SA) is FOUR MONTHS old!
Having launched Kidz Things (SA) at the beginning of December 2008, we can hardly believe that four months have passed by since then! Read the following blog to hear about our progress in the past few months and what new features we will be adding to the website in the near future.
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Change4Life - Eat Well, Move More, Live Longer
I have discovered a UK government initiative called Change4Life? It is all about encouraging people, especially children, to live healthier and longer lives by changing their eating and exercise regimes. The campaign provides loads of helpful ideas and advice about little changes that can be made that will have a huge impact on your health. To find out more, please see the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/change4life. While this is a UK campaign, its messages are certainly relevant to South African families too. In the following blog, I have summarised some of the “top tips” from a publication which can viewed in more detail on the Change4Life website.
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Does Day Care Enhance or Inhibit Development?
A major dilemma faced by many new parents is whether or not the mother should return to work at the end of her maternity leave. Particularly in the tough economic times we are all currently enduring, many families are finding it near impossible to meet their financial commitments without two incomes. Of course, if mum does return to work then baby will no doubt require some form of day care. If you are lucky enough to have family nearby who are willing and able to take on the huge responsibility of caring for your baby, then the decision is often made easier. But for many of us who do not have this option, the alternative is to find either a nanny, childminder, playgroup or nursery-style day care. There are so many considerations involved in making such an important decision, including financial (cost of the care compared to the actual earnings of the mother), location of the day care provider (logistics of getting there in the morning and collecting baby at the end of the work day), and the perceived quality of the care (has it been recommended by a friend whose child attends?). These considerations are very much subjective and therefore depend on the personal circumstances of the mother and father. In addition to these factors, perhaps a more fundamental question we must ask ourselves before reaching a verdict is whether or not we believe our child’s attendance at day care will have a positive or negative effect on their overall development. Over the years there have been many academic studies looking at this particular topic. The article which follows has been written by a Kidz Things member who has undertaken a study of the relevant literature on the effects of day care attendance, and has provided us with a ‘layperson’s objective summary of the data available’. The main findings from this review are that it is the quality of both the day care provided and the partnership between the parents and day carers – they must work together to ensure the child is nurtured according to its individual needs – which are critical to a successful developmental outcome. Please click the link below to read the full article.
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The most fun you’ll ever have!
When I told other parents that I was pregnant, they would often say to me “your life will never be the same again”. Wow - you can’t know how true that statement is until you become a parent!
