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Healthcare Knowledge Helps You as Parent

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It’s a collection of innocent sounds–a tiny sneeze, a lingering hiccup, a too-slow breath. Logic deems them simple symptoms of an equally simple problem. Panic, however, sparks far worse thoughts. So, parents gather their children, hurrying them to hospitals, demanding treatment for diseases and conditions that may not even exist in their child.

Without question, children will get sick. However, you don’t have to assume that every cough will lead to disaster. Gaining an understanding of the human body offers many rewards for parents, especially those who tend to have a strong reaction to every sniffle.

Symptom Recognition

There are many signs that a child is getting sick. Choosing to fear them all, however, isn’t productive for parents or children. You don’t have to seek healthcare employment to learn to separate serious symptoms from routine ones. For example, you can learn that all fevers are not equal and only those above a certain point require immediate medical attention.

Calm Disposition

It’s easy to fret because it gives you something to do. However, it’s not a good use of your time or energy. Choosing to stay calm, no matter the situation, should be the goal of every mother and father. Health knowledge will help you meet that goal. You’ll stay calm with illnesses that are quickly curable and when you have to make informed decisions about treatments. The idea is to replace panic with good judgment.

Doctor Discussions

Helplessness is all too common in hospitals with parents unable to process information and unable to communicate with physicians. Healthcare knowledge combats this problem, though. Discussions become easier because you have some basic information and you can better understand the options.

Gaining some healthcare knowledge provides relief because parents can distinguish between what’s typical and what’s cause for concern.

Making Those Hard Decisions

Planned Parenthood is an ideal organization for those who need a bit of help in making those hard decisions. Often, having a child can be one of the best experiences a person can have. In other cases, though, it can be very untimely. What your personal beliefs are in having children, or the amount of control you should have over it, are important to explore. Then, reach out and get help and guidance if you need it.

Child receiving the final touches of facepaint...

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What to Think About

Before having a child, consider all aspects of it, including the massive changes it will have on your life. Take a close look at yourself but also consider the following things.

Are you healthy enough to have children? Many people spend a great deal of time trying to conceive and find out that they are not healthy enough to do so. Get a physical from your doctor before you begin this process.
Learn about your ability to create a family. Bringing a child into this world is not as easy to just getting pregnant. You also have to be able to provide a healthy family for your child to prosper in. Learn how to have a strong family.
Pregnancy itself can change you, and your body. For this reason, take the steps necessary to learn about these changes. You may want to explore how those changes make you feel, too.

If you decide to have a child, realize that you will learn as you go. There is no guide that will give you all of the information you need for every situation that happens. However, most parents will learn to make the right decisions.

Filed Under: Parenthood, Planning Tagged With: Child, Health, Planned Parenthood

Planning for Your Adopted Child’s Basic Needs

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Adopting a child is as challenging as it is rewarding. This is especially true for older, adopted children who have often had to deal with moving from family to family before landing on their feet with parents who are in it for the long term.

If you are new to the adoptive experience, there are a few points to consider when taking an older adoptee under your wings. Of course, treating your adopted child as lovingly as you would your own child is crucial, as is giving them the tools they need to succeed. Below is a list of a few basic things that are important to do when you adopt an older child.

Make sure your child has the right kind of clothing that is suited for each season: winter clothes for winter, summer clothes for summer, etc. Shorts, jeans, light jackets, overcoats are all essentials. Companies like Rocawear and Levis provide some affordable and durable options for the adoptive parent.
Have a way for your child to get around. Buy him or her a bike or a bus pass. Establish boundaries and restrictions, but do so within reason and in consideration of your child’s needs. Giving them freedom communicates trust, and boundaries communicate care.
Come up with some good eating options. Learn what your child likes and doesn’t like to eat. Make them dishes they know and encourage them to try to new things. Nothing builds relationships like conversation shared over a hearty, happy meal.
Keep open lines of communication. The most important thing that parents can do for any child is to keep communication open. This might mean investing in a family cell phone plan so they can get in touch with you (and vice-versa) whenever necessary. It also means developing an environment of trust on both ends.

Everyone with children will tell you the challenge of parenting is worth the reward, not matter how old the child is.

Filed Under: General, Parenthood Tagged With: Adoption, Child, Rocawear

Can You Afford More Children? What Does Your Tax Return Say?

If you’re ready to start a family – or you want to add to the family you already have – one of the things you really need to consider is whether you can afford it. Even if you really love children, you probably don’t want to have them if you can’t pay for what they need in life and take care of them properly. That would be unfair to them, and also unfair to you to have to struggle and be stressed out over money all the time. The best way for you to figure out if you can afford a child (or another child) is to take a serious and realistic look at your finances.

For example, who does your 1040 tax preparation? He or she can’t advise you whether you should have children, but you can talk with that person about what you’re really making, how much you’re taking home, and if there are ways to lower your tax burden legally. You can also find out about tax breaks that you might be eligible for if you did have a child. Money shouldn’t be your sole determining factor, but it should be an important one.

Also, consider the size and quality of your home. Is it big enough for a child or more children? Is it safe, solid and appropriate for kids? Be honest when you look around. If there are repairs that need to be made, you may want to consider putting off having a child until you take care of any home problems. That way, you’ll be able to bring a little one into a very safe environment that you and your family can be happy with. Your health is another consideration, because you don’t want to have a baby if your body can’t take it. Check with your doctor before you decide to get pregnant.

Filed Under: Advice, Parenthood Tagged With: Child, Family, Tax preparation

Tools for Parents

For many parents, the discussion of contraception, pregnancy, disease, or other topics related to sex can be an uncomfortable one. Many parents end up simply turning a blind eye to the behaviors of their children, just to avoid talking about it. However, the first step to safe sex and the health of children must be taken in the home. Children and teenagers should be taught that there will be consequences to their actions of having unsafe sex, especially if it is with multiple partners. Planned Parenthood clinics and their website have many tools available for parents to aid them in having this difficult conversation. A free, step-by-step tutorial is available online for parents emphasizing the best way to start the discussion, what specific points are the most necessary to emphasize, and when is the best time for children to learn this information. For example, the tutorial explains ways to lead into the topic, such as watching a favorite television program where a character begins puberty, or pointing a friend or family member who is pregnant and discussing how it happens. The website also features books and magazine articles, written by child psychologists and sex experts, that can be used by parents to best explain these important matters in frank and serious ways.

Planned Parenthood clinics also have counselors available to parents to help them through the conversations with their children. Additionally, some clinics offer group classes which parents and children can attend together to have questions answered in a comfortable and non-threatening setting. Without this crucial knowledge, children and teenagers may not ever learn the potential implications of having unprotected sex. Even parents who try to simply teach abstinence only may be surprised to find that their children are still engaging in unprotected sex. All parents should emphasize that unwanted pregnancy and many diseases can result from sex, and should offer the tools necessary to prevent their children from being unsafe

Filed Under: Contraception, Parenthood, Pregnancy Tagged With: Abstinence-only sex education, Birth control, Child, Sex education