2008 March Archive at The Village Stream

Monthly Archive for March, 2008

Does Music Calm a Fussy Baby?

Published

on March 15, 2008

. 8 Comments

When the first of my three sons was born, he was beautiful, healthy, and……well…. …fussy. I would nurse him, rock him, gently lay him down, only to hear him begin to cry within about 2 minutes or less! I had him to the doctor, checked my diet, used better diapers even though there was no rash, called all my friends for the latest up to date advise, nothing worked. I realized that there was only one desperate measure left and I had to resort to it…I called Mom!

She gave me the craziest advice I thought I had ever heard, she told me to get out the vacuum cleaner and sweep the floors! I was sure that I would never try it, how could that do anything ? Was she just trying to keep busy so I wouldn’t lose it..or had she lost it already?

I went on with my routine feeding, changing, rocking,gently laying down, and when my baby started to cry, you guessed it, out came the vacuum cleaner ! I wondered of course if I was drowning out my child’s cries while working off my own frustration, and if it made me a bad mother. So I swept my way to the bedroom door and peaked in. To my surprise, my son was wide awake with an expression of wonder on his face, he was enjoying the noise ! My carpets were never dirty, and my son got out of the routine of fussing.

Today my children are grown, and I have spent years in child care. One of my clients recently adopted two boys. One of these boys was fussy. He was even fussy in the car. I popped in a C.D. of some calming music while on an errand one day ( to keep my own nerves calm while driving ) and to my surprise, the baby stopped crying!

I have since tried this same music at nap time and have had amazing results. The children are content to lay down and happy rather than demanding when they wake up. I then tried many other types of music but did not have the same results. I told the musician about the effect that his C.D. had on children and asked him if he would please consider making one for babies, and bless his heart, he did.

If you have a fussy though healthy baby and you don’t want to wear out your sweeper much less take it in the car with you, this C.D. is for you.. and here is a link to the site where you can find it and listen to some of it as well.

http://hiddenstreamsproductions.com/

May sweet peace be with you and your baby!

What’s In This Baby Food Anyway?

Published

Pam

on March 13, 2008

in General

. 4 Comments

So, is that food with no flavor better for our children, or just cheaper to produce? It is soooo convenient, it took me a long time to think to ask.

Do we know if first quality foods were used? The World Watch Institute, Healthy Child Healthy World Organization, and Greenpeace U.K., all have some interesting information on this and other things in our baby’s daily grasp that may or may not be so safe. Even some of the organic foods are on the Greenpeace list of brands that contain harmful ingredients or toxins.

If this is enough to get you cooking, you can find some good tips and recipes here..

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

If you go with the jar I would highly recommend organic.There is a buzz going around that foreign investors are bidding to buy some of our baby food companies. The list is said to include China which has had food stuffs pulled from our shelves for metal fragments and toxins.
Do your homework! Check out what company you are trusting your baby’s health with. Find out who owns the company.You will be glad you made the effort.
You may also want to see if biotec foods are used since we do not yet know the long term effects of eating altered foods.

Happy cooking or happy shopping!!

Daddy-Mom The Emerging Breed

Published

Pam

on March 8, 2008

in General

. 6 Comments

Has anyone noticed more and more single dads with full custody of even tiny children? To see this is encouraging, though I am sorry to see so many broken homes. As a daycare owner, I have had the opportunity of late to work with several of these dads and, having spent several years as a single mom, I have been both compassionate and amused.

One of my daycare parents was a man who had first endured a divorce where his ex-wife had the full custody of their two daughters. He had little compassion for the load she was carrying and was resentful of the support payments he was making. He married again a much younger woman who, through unfortunate circumstances, left him with full custody of two small children, one of which was less than a year old.

The first thing he noticed was how expensive it is to come up with a safe reliable daycare in order to work without worrying all day. He then saw first hand the clothing and medical expenses and realized that he used to complain that women just liked to spend money. Soon, he realized that after working all day, it left very little social time, and to do anything, it involved even more childcare which also meant even less time for the children who needed so much attention already, having been away from him all week.

I think one thing that was cute yet sad was when he came in to ask advice because his children were starting to call him Mommy. How many of us who have been single parent women have lived this in reverse! My response was, “You are Mommy, and Daddy, one day your children, though confused right now,will realize that you loved them enough to take up both rolls rather than to pursue your own ambitions or conveniences, and they will be able to say thank you.” Should this man ever marry again, I can tell you that he will be a much better father and husband.

For all you single Dads out there facing this roll, stand strong, the sacrifice will be worth the effort. Even if your children go through a season of struggle, you will always know it is not because you left them, and when that season is over, you will have a relationship anchored in faithfulness and earned trust. I salute you !