Non-regular bedtimes tied to kids' behavior problems

NEW YORK - Kids without a regular bedtime tend to have more behavior problems at home and at school, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that when children started going to sleep at a more consistent time, their behavior improved as well.

"If you are constantly changing the amounts of sleep you get or the different times you go to bed, it's likely to mess up your body clock," said Yvonne Kelly, who led the study.

"That has all sorts of impacts on how your body is able to work the following day," Kelly, from University College London, told Reuters Health.

She and her colleagues analyzed data on more than 10,000 children. They were part of a long-term study of babies born in the UK in 2000 to 2002 that regularly surveyed parents about sleep and behavioral problems.

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or an autism spectrum disorder were not included in the study.

When kids were three years old, close to 20 percent of parents said their child sometimes or never went to bed at a consistent time. That fell to 9 percent among five-year-olds and 8 percent for seven-year-olds.

Children without a regular bedtime tended to score worse on a measure of behavior problems such as acting unhappy, getting into fights and being inconsiderate. The assessment is scored from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating more problems.

When children were seven years old, for example, those without a regular bedtime scored an 8.5, on average, based on their mothers' reports. That compared to scores between 6.3 and 6.9 for kids who had a consistent bedtime before 9 p.m.

The researchers said one to two points represents a small or moderate difference, but is "meaningful."

Teachers of seven-year-olds were asked to report on their behavior as well. They also gave worse scores to children who didn't have a regular bedtime.

Kids whose parents said they had non-regular bedtimes on every survey growing up had the most behavioral issues, Kelly's team reported in Pediatrics.

But when children went from having a non-regular bedtime to a regular bedtime on the following survey, their behavior scores improved.

That is encouraging, Kelly said, because it shows parents can make changes to affect their child's behavior.

Although the researchers accounted for other parent characteristics and family habits, it's still possible kids' behavior problems weren't directly caused by irregular bedtimes.

"It's very difficult to know whether or not from a study like this, is it literally the not having a regular bedtime schedule that was contributing to the difficulties or is it representative of a bigger picture?" said Jodi Mindell.

A pediatric sleep specialist from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, she was not involved in the new research.

Still, Mindell said, getting kids to bed early and at a consistent time is "really important."

Kelly recommended families avoid television and other screens before bed and get into a routine that includes a bedtime story and other calm activities.

"All of these things which are kind of just basic common sense are going to help," she said.

Having a bedtime routine that is quality family time also makes it something children will look forward to, Mindell told Reuters Health.

"I think that parents need to make sleep a priority, and they need to realize that it has huge ramifications not only that evening, but the next day, the next week, the next year," she said.

However, parents don't have to drive themselves crazy, Kelly said. "The odd late night is not going to cause harm either," she said.

source: interaksyon.com

Mothercare launches innovative feeding range

MANILA, Philippines - Mothercare’s new feeding range Innosense is a carefully researched and expertly developed range of feeding products that include 31 completely new lines to help parents find everything they need to feed their baby, in the way that comes most naturally to them.

Created with three years of expert insight, vision and passion, and in collaboration with renowned industrial designer, Daniel Weil, the innovative range has 21 design registrations and five patents pending.  Part of this innovation is the unique bottle with an off-center teat designed for better eye contact for bonding between parent and baby while minimizing air ingestion.

Paul Walker, Mothercare head of design, says, “Over the years bottle shape has evolved in the search for the perfect bottle but each has had its pros and cons.  We’ve worked closely with industry experts and mums, and gathered all our innovative know-how to produce this new and unique Innosense range.”

In independent two-week user trials of 210 babies using the new Innosense bottle, 84 percent of parents found the off-center teat helped to reduce burping and winding, 90 percent of parents stated the bottle was “easy” or “very easy” to use and 84 percent of parents found the bottle was “as good” or “better than” their current bottle.

The new Innosense range is available exclusively at all Mothercare stores in Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 5, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Magnolia, Shangri-la Plaza Mall, SM Masinag, Trinoma, Abreeza Mall Davao, Centrio Mall Cagayan de Oro and Harbor Point Subic.

source: philstar.com

Good penmanship begins with the right tools

MANILA, Philippines - Selecting pencils that a beginner can easily grip and work with is more important than most parents think, according to Cristina Caraig, marketing manger of Amalgamated Specialties Corporation (Amspec), exclusive makers of T-Pencil and Crayola in the Philippines.

For many beginners, the T-Pencil with large-sized hexagonal barrels are ideal. Others find the Jumbo model with round barrel in black — the standard pencil for kinder students in the ’50s up to the ’60s — easier to work with. Still other pupils are more comfortable with the T-Pencil with triangular barrel. The same model works well for left-handed youngsters.

Each child has his own preference, point out studies by Amspec, which has been making pencils for 50 years. It used to manufacture other pencil brands until it decided to develop its own label.  “The key is to help a child experiment — beginning perhaps with the hexagonal models with larger barrels,” says Caraig.

She notes that the best time to prepare a child to write is as young as 18 months or old enough to grip a crayon. The best precursor to a good pencil is a good crayon — one that is easy for little hands to grasp and at the same time will not easily snap. More important, a crayon should be non-toxic to avoid harming youngsters who tend to put things in their mouth.

Crayola’s My First Crayons were designed especially for toddlers and meet all of the above requirements. They are also deliberately not labeled so that kids don’t have to struggle peeling them off after long hours of scribbling. Like all Crayola products, they meet the European Union’s consumer safety, health and environmental requirements. They are also registered with the Philippine Food and Drug Administration and have been deemed safe by the USA Arts and Crafts Materials Institute.

“Drawing and writing are complex tasks for growing children to master,” says Caraig. Both activities require grasping an implement, holding the paper so it stays in place, and applying just the required pressure. A crayon that glides easily on paper facilitates mastery of this skill. In lieu of a crayon, markers made intentionally for pudgy hands like Crayola’s stubby Pip-Squeaks help a child hone the skill. With the right coaching, scribbling metamorphoses to writing with a pencil.



Crayons and pencils that are easy for a toddler to use also build his confidence. “A two-or-three-year-old, says Caraig, “automatically attributes the efficiency of his writing implements to his own abilities — and vice versa. When a crayon does not register well on paper or when a pencil’s lead snaps easily, he automatically thinks it is because he has done a bad job.”

source: philstar.com

Charlize Theron Not Too Hard On Herself As A New Mom

Given Charlize Theron's colorful, always-entertaining personality, we never know quite what to expect from the actress (other than being consistently entertained by whatever she does in her films, interviews, etc.). We expect the unexpected from Theron. Nevertheless, when news broke that she had adopted a baby boy named Jackson in March, we were pleasantly surprised.

Theron has kept the details of the adoption private, but when MTV News caught up with her recently during the press day for "Snow White and the Huntsman," we asked her about the adjustment associated with first-time parenting and how she plans to keep her potty mouth under control in front of her son.

"A lot of people have sent me these children's books, and there's this amazing book, a best-seller [called] 'Go the F--- to Sleep.' This book was fantastic for me because it made me realize that I don't need to judge myself right now," Theron said of getting used to parenting.

"The whole book is just basically, 'Please, go the f--- to sleep.' [Jackson] doesn't understand anything right now, and so he just wants my face to look a certain way."

Although parenting is a full-time job, we're confident that Theron will figure out a way to be a terrific mother and continue to be a terrific actress. You can catch the Oscar-winner playing Evil Queen Ravenna in "Huntsman," which opens June 1.

Speaking of "Huntsman," don't forget to tune in to MTV and MTV.com for our extra-special Sneak Peek Week, which kicks off Tuesday (May 29) with a screening of "Huntsman" and a very special Q&A with stars Kristen Stewart and Sam Claflin.

source: mtv.com

Mind Your Manners

MANILA, Philippines — Children are the reflections of their parents. Having manners is the most obvious way to see if a child has been brought up well. We are not looking for the impeccability of medieval times, just the basic Ps and Qs will do. Appropriate behavior on our part is very important when it comes to parenting, because our children learn from us. We cannot control the environment our children are in, making them exposed to all sorts of outside influences.

I had my first child at 19 and in a way it was good for me because I learned more about being selfless and considerate of others as well. Of course I didn’t learn everything right away; not during my first three or four children even. By the time I did, I was probably in my mid-20s already. Prior to that, I had quite a short temper and always wanted things to go my way. I saw it as a sign of self-improvement when I started feeling embarrassed for my kids when I would react impulsively in certain situations. I actually felt most proud when I would catch myself and say in my head: “Oops! These children are watching your every move and they idolize no one other than their parents!” That was the best and easiest way for me to make a quick turnaround and deal with the situation calmly BUT firmly. I wanted my children to learn the need for them to assert themselves, but in the most civil way possible.

When I was young, I was kind of spoiled. I wouldn’t answer back to my folks, but I remember stomping off and walking out when I didn’t get my way. Horrible! My parents were very strict with us, but they never curbed that attitude of mine, and although I can’t say I don’t blame them, that didn’t stop me from wanting to see a change in myself. I saw how difficult it was for me to get out of that type of behavior. That is why I often remind my children of how difficult it is to change as we get older. It’s even harder if you don’t realize it, or are in denial, because recognizing the problem is the first step to finding a solution.

Just like having good communication, instilling good manners cannot be learnt overnight. Appropriate behavior is learnt at certain life stages. These days, we notice that in our society even adults show very little respect and manners than in previous generations. Media has a lot to do with this, because it has a social responsibility. This is where good parenting comes in. We give children the foundation in order to discern right from wrong, so that they turn into responsible adults. A child must be consistently guided—mostly by the parents’ example—when being taught correct manners. We cannot just tell our children to do what we say because we say so; we need to explain to them, as we go along, why we make such judgments. We need to explain to them the end result, the reward we ultimately receive when we choose to do what is right. We also show them the value of making the right choices by praising them when they do well. The same happens when they readily admit to having made a wrong decision. We must also praise them for this because every mistake admitted is a lesson well learnt. Implementing rules—not just having them—is so important and should be equal for everyone, or else mutual respect will be lost. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the way parents act around their children. Here are the most basic of rules to guide our children so they grow with the right manners.

1. Everything begins with respect

No matter how much you feel like screaming at your children because you are overwhelmed, always remember to not let out words which you will later regret saying. Talk to your children with the kindest tone and they will naturally speak this way to others as well.

2. The value of sharing

Make it a habit to be generous with your children in even the slightest way, so they also automatically share their blessings with others.

3. Give compliments easily

Be generous in complimenting your children whenever they show the slightest act of kindness so they will want to hear your praises even more. Avoid criticizing them, especially in public, as they will lose self-respect.

4. The importance of being polite

Let your children form the habit of saying “please” and “thank you.” This is the most important way to bring up children so they do not feel entitled.

5. Know when to apologize

Make sure your children know that an apology is not an automatic offense eliminator. On the other hand, teaching them to own up while they are still young makes them learn the value of taking responsibility for their actions. Apologizing to your children when you have wronged them shows you respect them.

6. Patience is a virtue

Reacting on impulse shows a lack of self-control. Being patient helps build character.

As my children grow, I am still in awe when I see them making decisions on their own. These are the times I can tell myself that I have done a pretty good job in raising them.

Find out more about life stages at www.theonecore.com and support www.francismagalonafoundation.com for a better future for the Filipino youth.

source: mb.com.ph