Baby-Info

Minggu, 03 Februari 2008

Five essential baby shower gifts

by: Jessika Ryder

Ask first time parents-to-be what baby shower gifts they would like to receive. Watch their response -- you’ll quite likely see a look of real confusion on their faces! Or maybe they’ll come up with a stock answer like “diapers” or something similar.

Exactly what a new arrival needs is not obvious to someone who’s never had a baby before. And many times, guests are in no better position either, when it comes to deciding on baby shower gifts.

Of course, there’s a lot more to baby showers than just gifts. But helping parents to stock up for the new arrival is an important part of these celebrations.

That’s why the following list of top five baby shower gifts can be quite useful.

Top gift #1: Monitors

Monitors are excellent anxiety-busters, especially for first-time parents. That’s why they hold the No.1 position on this list.

Once they can listen to the baby from anywhere in the house, parents find their confidence levels zooming. The latest monitors are very sensitive and can pick up the slightest sound from baby, even her breathing.

If your budget allows for it, take it one step further and buy a video monitor. That’ll really ease anxiety. However, they are much more expensive, so perhaps this can be a joint baby shower gift from two or more guests.

Top Gift #2: Playtime mate for baby

Babies love to play. Anything that helps them play and be active not only keeps them engaged, but also stimulates all round development.

One of the best products for them is an activity gym or playpen. This is a soft cloth mat surrounded by a baby-friendly structure of bars and arches with many different toys suspended from various points. Baby gets to play in a safe environment.

Basic activity gyms are excellent baby shower gifts. There are also more advanced ones that include noisemakers and a variety of toys. The suspended objects have different colors and textures to help develop baby’s cognitive abilities.

There are also excellent portable gyms and playpens available to help parents move around with baby. These are lightweight and designed to be easy to carry around.

Top Gift #3: Baby sling

Most babies love being carried around in a sling. It’s the next best thing to being cuddled in mom’s arms. Many parents have had the experience where babies get restless and cry while they use other types of carriers, but immediately calm down when put into a sling.

Baby slings are believed to foster a closer parent-child bond. Whether that’s true or not, slings do have another great advantage -- they leave your hands free to do other things. That’s definitely a big plus and is a reason why this baby shower gift is highly appreciated.

Top Gift #4: The baby travel pack

Moving around with baby can be a chore -- you have to pack a seemingly endless array of baby stuff even for short outings.

One way to ease this problem is to have one or more baby travel packs handy. What’s a travel pack? Essentially, a diaper bag filled with baby necessities. It can include disposable diapers, a small toy or two, bib, complete change of clothes for baby, safety pins, and other supplies.

It’s a great advantage if the parents receive more than one travel pack. Then one pack can always be kept ready whenever they want to go. No need to mess around with picking up and stuffing items into a diaper bag at the last minute.

Top gift #5: Car seat

Lots of parents say that a well-designed car seat is a wonderfully useful baby shower gift to receive. In fact, it’s useful from the moment they leave hospital with the baby.

There are infant car seats available as well as infant-toddler convertible seats. The former can be used only till the baby is up to 22 pounds or so (typically). While the latter can usually be used till the first birthday.

Want more special gifts for showers? Check out this page for more information: http://www.baby-showers-advisor.com/diaper-cakes.html

Make sure these top five baby shower gifts are part of the event you’re hosting. The guest of honor will end up thanking you long after the party gets over!

About the author:
Jessika Ryder is a successful writer and party enthusiast providing valuable information on baby showers. See more articles on baby shower gifts , invitations, party planning and other aspects of these celebrations at:

Facts You Should Know About Baby Shower Etiquette

by: Jessika Ryder

Whether you’ve hosted baby showers before or not, chances are you’ve got some questions regarding the right baby shower etiquette. You want to create a truly special time for the guest of honor without any unintended faux pas. This guide was specially created to help you get there.

The real basics

Take the wishes of the mom-to-be into account at every stage. That includes the games, food, invitation list and all other aspects of the baby shower.

You can have baby showers either before or after the baby is born. Generally, they’re held 1 or 2 months before due date. But they’re also held after baby arrives because of medical or other reasons.

These days, it is perfectly ok for a close relative or even the couple themselves to host a shower. Those “rules” about only non-relatives hosting a baby shower are quite dated now.

Before deciding on the kind of baby shower you plan to have -- girls-only or coed, theme or no theme and so on -- consult mom-to-be and find out what she prefers.

Who can be invited? Generally, anyone the mom-to-be feels she should call. She’s the best guide here.

Do you always need to send written baby shower invitations? It is usually the better choice. With a written invitation, guests have all details at their fingertips and need not rely on memory. Plus, you can (and usually should) include directions on how to get there.

At the same time, it is fine to just inform people on the phone. Do tell them well in advance, though. So they have enough time to buy gifts, arrange for a baby sitter, etc. And leave your contact numbers with them so they can reach you easily if they need any clarifications.

Can you hold a surprise shower? Sure. It can be a wonderful feeling for the expectant mother. But do consult someone close to her (mother, sister, etc) to know about her likely preferences in all areas.

The devil is in the details

Here’s more in depth information on baby shower etiquette that’ll help you host a truly great party.

Send out shower invitations at least 3 to 4 weeks in advance. Send them even earlier for out-of-town guests. Request an RSVP by a date 2 weeks before the baby shower.

If you’re having a coed shower, you might turn the guys off if you send frilly baby pink invites full of baby talk. Stick to attractive, stylish invitations.

Greet all guests at the door as they walk in, provide them with name tags (if there are many guests) and introduce them to others to get conversations going.

Register for gifts at only one place. Even if there are reasons like another store being closer to some guests. Else mom-to-be may end up with duplicate gifts she may have to return. And guests will be disappointed if they find that someone else has chosen the same gift they have.

While giving gift suggestions, include items at a variety of price points, not just high-ticket items. And do suggest that guests can get together to purchase higher priced items.

If there are older siblings, make sure they receive a gift each. They may already be feeling somewhat left out with a new baby on the way, so this is a great idea.

Irrespective of whether it’s a coed baby shower or not, buy a gift specially for dad. He should feel that he was remembered too.

Record who gave each gift. Essential information when the time comes to send thank you cards! Sending thank you cards is essential baby shower etiquette.

Hand gifts to mom-to-be for her to open and take it from her once she’s done with it. This will save her the hassle of continually getting up and moving about to pick up gifts.

Sometimes, some guests may need to leave early. They’ll appreciate it if mom-to-be will open presents while everyone is eating.

Food and related arrangements deserve special attention. For one thing, expectant mothers can’t eat everything they normally would. See this page for more guidelines on food at baby showers: http://www.baby-showers-advisor.com/baby-shower-food.html

Start the baby shower on time and keep it fairly short. Don’t get bogged down in any one segment like games. Be sensitive to mom-to-be’s energy level and any signs of fatigue she may show. End the party if she’s beginning to feel run down. Walk guests to the door as they leave and be sure to thank them for coming.

Don’t expect perfection. No party ever is perfect. There’s always the unforeseen -- power goes off just as gifts are being opened, you forgot to dust one corner of the room, the pack of baby shower favors you opened just before the party turns out to be a different color than you ordered and so on. You can’t control it all.

Special situations

You might have a friend or relative who just lost a baby, or is infertile despite all treatments. Should you call her for your baby shower? Attending may be a challenge for her. Being confronted with another’s pregnancy may be difficult for her to bear.

The rule in such situations is -- ask. Check with her and find out if she is up to attending the baby shower. Don’t just send an invitation in the mail. On the other hand, don’t presume that she can’t come and not call her at all. If she’s close to the mom-to-be, she may well want to come. Or at least, she may send her good wishes and a gift.

But if she tells you that she can’t make it, accept the situation with grace. Never hold it against her in any manner. Even if she said she would come and later backed out. Remember, it is probably one of the most difficult times she’s ever had, so be generous and supportive.

Once you’ve understood these simple baby shower etiquette guidelines, you’ll be far more confident about hosting a baby shower. Have fun, and create a special time that will live on in everyone’s memories!

About the author:
Jessika Ryder is a successful writer and party enthusiast providing valuable information on baby showers. See more articles at:

Get back in shape after the birth of your baby - a gentle 10 point plan

by: Janice Elizabeth Small

1.Be especially kind to yourself in the first weeks after your baby is born. Your body has gone through huge changes and it's unrealistic to expect that you can snap back into your old shape straight away. Unrealistic expectations sets you up for failure and disappointment, but you CAN get your figure back if you are patient and take it one step at a time.

2.Forget drastic dieting and treat your body to healthy nourishing food and gentle exercise to get back in shape. You will naturally lose some weight during the first few weeks as your uterus shrinks. Breast feeding alone will allow you to lose weight at 1lb a week if you eat normally and healthily as it uses up 500 calories a day, but you do need to eat enough so that your milk does not dry up. Plan on losing the remainder at a gentle pace.

3.Your tummy will look very sad after the birth, flabby and saggy. Don't worry you can soon get things looking good again. Do all the post-natal exercises and gentle exercise recommended by your health-care professionals during the first 6 weeks to get your tummy back in shape. After that check with them that it is Ok if you want to embark on a more strenuous exercise routine. Once your doctor says its OK to exercise, one of the best ways to retighten your muscles is a simple yoga move. Stand with your feet apart, hands on thighs. Breathe out fully and then pull your tummy muscles in and up as hard as you can, holding for a count of 10. If you do this a few times a day before breakfast you'll soon see results. Don't do this during pregnancy.

4.The first few weeks with your baby are precious and not the time to start injuring yourself by doing too much too soon. Whatever you decide to do, don't go mad in the first week you're allowed to exercise normally. Build up gradually as if you'd not exercised before.

5.If you are not able to get back to the gym or to do whatever activity you used to do now that you have a baby to care for, investigate home-exercise programs and videos you can do while your baby sleeps or organise your partner or friend to watch your baby for a short time while you exercise. You will need to be a bit more resourceful and determined to fit in your exercise but you can find a way if you really want to.

6.Walking with your baby is always great – you both get fresh air and out of the house and you get fitter while your baby is soothed by the movement of the pram. You could also use a baby carrier to keep your baby close to you while you walk. This is especially soothing for a restless baby. Aim to walk for 30 minutes to an hour each day.

7.You may find yourself tempted to snack more if you are alone at home with your baby especially if you are used to being out and about at work every day. Make sure you have lots of healthy snacks around such as fruit and avoid buying unhealthy snacks so you are not tempted. You may be better to plan 5 or 6 mini-meals rather than snacking all day AND having your usual lunch and dinner.

8.Take the time to plan simple meals for the next few days before you go shopping. This will help you avoid the "What's for dinner"/"Oh no, I haven't defrosted it?" / "Better send out for pizza again" Syndrome. This is not the time to plan elaborate recipes but try and avoid too much processed junk food because you do have time for a simple omelette, pasta sauce, baked potato or salad

9.If you start a plan to get in shape and it all feels like too much, simply restart it when you feel up to it – there's no need to beat yourself up over anything. Most women feel a bit tired and stressed with a new baby so don't put more pressure on yourself. All in good time. If you feel really down remember and seek help - post-natal depression is very real and quite common.

10.Reward yourself. You've been through a lot – your body has changed, your hormones are in disarray. Whatever you do that helps towards getting back in shape (a walk, a healthy snack, your tummy exercises or whatever) give yourself a pat on the back. A few moments to yourself can be a great reward if you have someone who will care for your little one for a while.

Bonus tip: Above all relax into your new life with your baby. You'll achieve nothing by worrying about your shape. Take time to rest and pamper yourself as much as possible. Sometimes you can feel quite neglected because your baby makes so many demands and this in itself can lead you to eat for comfort. Take care of your own needs. Ask for support from your partner. If you look after yourself by eating healthily and keeping up some gentle exercise you'll be fine and your weight will naturally rebalance itself over time.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

About the author:
Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and author of "The Diet Exit Plan". Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at TODAY!

How to Choose a Baby Bathtub

by: Jackie G. Maxwell

Choosing a baby bathtub is likely one of the easiest decisions you'll have to make when it comes to acquiring supplies for the new arrival. Basically, if it holds water, you're all set.

There is little in the way of advantages to baby bathtub designs. Your basic tub shape, made of sturdy plastic, preferably with a drain plug in the bottom, will do you for quite a while. About the only essential differences, are whether the tub comes with one end that is built up so you can lay an infant back against the elevation, while washing them with water from lower down in the tub.

This style of baby bathtub, may come with a non-slip padded surface that doesn't mildew with use, but which may take a while to dry afterwards. Alternately, you can get “chairs” that are frames with terrycloth covers that create a tilted rest for your child, so you can wash them with ease, and rinse out and hang the cover when you're done.

Any tub that has a reasonable lip to it, for easy moving or carrying, is handy, although sizes do vary some, and you may want to measure them against where you plan to bath your baby. If you have a bathroom counter that will allow the space for a tub and laying the baby afterwards, you're all set. But if your space is limited, and standing at a sink is more comfortable, you might want a tub that is sized to fit in the sink itself, so that you can lay the baby on the cupboard afterwards. Working this way is also easier on a parent's back, than placing the tub on the bathroom floor.

Some parents will also choose a baby bathtub that folds up, for when they are traveling or visiting relatives. If you are interested in these, surf the Internet for the brand name, and see what consumer reports and user reviews have to say. Check for essential points such as whether there is leakage where the ends of the tub fold in, and if the tub comes with locking mechanisms that prevent an accidental collapse.

About the author:
Visit and sign up for free weekly tips that will
take the mystery and fear out of parenting your precious little one.

Grandparents! Help Your Grandkids Do Math!

by: Kenneth Williams

This may come as a surprise.

But despite all the advances in education, many kids still struggle in the math class.

Math is an important subject, yet many kids just don't "get it".

Teachers can only devote a limited amount of personal attention to each student.

And parents are so busy with their own work nowadays, they don't have time to help their children with school work.

That's where YOU, the grandparent, come in!

Grandparents teach their grandchildren through example and play a role in encouraging them to be successful and set goals.

Grandparents are naturally forgiving and patient, and children sense that.

As a grandparent you can help right from the time your grandkids are toddlers, by asking them questions involving numbers, and showing them how important math is to our lives:

- Ask them number-based questions, like: "How many books do you want to read tonight?"

- Or: "How many miles to grandma's house?"

- Show them basic fractions by dividing groups of jelly beans into halves and quarters.

- Bake cookies together and teach them how to measure ingredients.

- Make something in the wood shop and teach them how to use a ruler.

The time you spend with your grandchild is a blessing for both of you. If you work with your grandchildren and teach them the simple basics of math, they will develop a natural talent for it and move to the head of the class.

It is important to be positive, patient and enthusiastic. You have a whole lifetime of experiences to share with them. You can be there for them if they become discouraged in school.

Don't be negative about math - be positive and enthusiastic. Your attitude will greatly influence them. You can help them over the bumps by showing them that math is simple if you break it down to the basics and build from there.

Show them that math is nothing to fear, but rather something to enjoy. Show them how good it feels to solve problems and how wonderful learning is.

Teach your grandchildren that math is a tool we use everyday from working at our jobs, using checkbooks, going to the store, furnishing our homes, eating in restaurants, planning vacations and converting our currency.

Being a grandparent is one of the miracles of life. There is a natural bond of human affection between grandparent and grandchild that brings a lifetime of joy and love to you both.

Spending time with them and really helping them will make all the difference in the world, and it will make math fun for them, too.

Successful students will remember spending time with their grandparents and learning life's lessons.

From precious baby to challenging teenager, they will remember you were there every step of the way.

About the author:
Kenneth Williams is a math teacher with over 31 years teaching experience. He is also author of the popular "Fun With Figures" mental math course, which shows anyone aged 8 to 80 the easy way to do impressive mental calculations. Visit the website today for more details at:

Handling Weather Emergencies. Part 2; Home Security, Evacuation and Emergency Kits

by: Graham

Part 1 of this article on preparing for weather emergencies discussed forming an emergency plan to reduce the stress and worry of facing a full blown weather crisis.

The focus was on safeguarding your family by planning well in advance of any threat.

This, the second half of the article, looks at two things.

Preparing your home to survive severe weather, and securing it in case you have to leave.

Coping with evacuation or temporary isolation, and assembling one or more emergency kits.

Home Security

Some forms of weather related emergency are capable of destroying your home no matter what you do - floods, tornadoes and Category 5 hurricanes come to mind.

But long term preparation and a clear plan for when severe weather is approaching can do a lot to protect your home from damage or destruction. Or to protect you if you are inside.

So put together a plan about securing your home and loading valuables and essential supplies into your vehicle in case you have to leave quickly.

Such tasks are made easier if you have been able to assemble suitable tools and equipment well before the problems arise.

Long term plans could include adding roof ties or even strapping down your house if strong winds are likely, or reinforcing an interior ground floor room to provide refuge from destructive winds.

Between a threat developing and dangerous weather arriving, there is usually some time to add protection to your home. Boarding up windows if faced with strong winds, or cutting back flammable vegetation and cleaning gutters if faced with a wildfire are worthwhile tasks if you have the time.

And as a last minute job, store outdoor furniture securely - apart from the probability of loss, a strong wind can turn them into effective missiles that could be directed at your home.

Finally, know how and where to turn off utilities - water, gas, power - and make sure other family members know it too.

Emergency Kits

An Emergency Kit is a pre-packed container which you can grab instantly if faced with a threatening situation. It should hold everything you will need if you are cut off from utilities and supplies, and should be kept separate from products and tools which you use everyday or for recreation.

It is also worth considering permanent kits for your car and workplace, but let's focus on those kept at home.

Depending on the types of threats you may face, you could need two sorts - one if you have to leave and another if you are staying.

They should be designed to meet the particular needs of you and your family in the sorts of emergency you are most likely to face. For more information, visit the FEMA website, and check out their excellent manual at http://www.fema.gov/areyouready

Here are a few suggestions.

If you have to evacuate, your destination will probably provide food and shelter. Clothing and special needs - baby and infant needs, prescription and basic medical supplies - are the most important. Include extra warm clothes - heating may not be efficient. Food treats and special toys will make things easier for children. Some basic food and a couple of gallons of bottled water are always worth including just in case. A "keep your hands off" supply of emergency cash is also a great idea.

Alternatively, if you are likely to be isolated and unable to leave your home for a while, assemble a kit which will keep you supplied for at least three days. Assume you will have no power, heat, water or waste disposal.

The essentials are plenty of water - allow 1 gallon (4.5l) per person per day, of which half will be drinking water. Commercial bottled water is a good choice. Include non perishable food, preferably low salt, and don't forget a manual can opener. You'll need a battery powered radio and a flashlight, both with plenty of extra batteries, and a first aid kit.

A camp stove and gas bottles are a great addition, and you'll need some cooking gear and some matches in a water proof container. Make sure you have enough infant or special needs, plus any necessary medication. And warm clothes should be included, plus strong shoes.

Now much of this gear will be in your house anyway, but the point of this kit is that it can double for an evacuation kit, and will be ideal if your destination is somewhere other than relatives or an emergency shelter.

And Finally.....

OK, you've given up some of your valuable time and made your plans for all likely eventualities. Chances are you'll never have to use them, but things happen, and the hundred year flood may turn up next year. You can now relax and know you've done your best to protect your family and your home.

One more thing. Include in your plans some time in a year or so to review everything, to make sure everyone understands the plan, and to go through the emergency kits and replace anything that's damaged or out of date. It won't take long, and you'll be ready for anything.

About the author:
©2005, Graham McClung. This article is adapted from a free special report on weather emergencies. It can be downloaded from

While you're there, check out the rest of the site for more information on dangerous and spectacular weather.

Guide to Easy, Affordable Baby Shower Decorations

by: Jessika Ryder

Great baby shower decorations are more about using your imagination than your pocketbook! You can create a wonderful party mood with simple, high-impact arrangements. This article details some of the best ideas for baby shower decorations.

Use balloons artfully

Balloons make it feel like a party! Always have balloons at your events. Here's a money-saver tip -- your local 99¢ store will usually have balloons at a much lower price than most party stores.

A basic use of balloons is to create color spots around the room or area where you're holding the baby shower. Tie a bunch of helium balloons to an anchor. Use baby items like booties, soft toys or baby bottles filled with water as anchors. Always use an odd number of balloons in a bunch.

If you have multiple tables, get a few baby items like shampoo, lotions, bottles, diaper packs, wipes, refill packs, baby formula packs, soft toys, etc and place them in the center of each table. Tie a bunch of balloons to them. Each table now has a color spot.

If you have large gifts like strollers or cribs, tie balloons to them to create a special look. Choose balloon colors according to the sex of the baby. If that’s not known, use both pink and blue balloons.

Use balloons to decorate mommy's chair. Tie balloons in bunches to her “throne” and treat her like royalty! Also add streamers, satin bows and ribbons to her chair to give it a special look.

If you're using a specific table for gifts, make sure it has several balloon bunches floating over it. That helps to create a focal point for the gifts.

How to use tubs and umbrellas for baby showers decorations

Use baby tubs as a punch bowl. Get one of those tubs that look like a whale. Fill it with clear punch and put in a small rubber ducky. The tub makes a wonderful present for mom-to-be after the shower.

Here's another way to use the tub -- fill it with individually wrapped presents. That can include diapers, shampoos, lotions, washcloths, etc. For an added effect, put some balloons into the tub too -- they will look like floating bubbles! And fix a rubber ducky atop one of the balloons using ribbons.

You know what's a perfect fit for any baby shower? Umbrellas. After all, it's a shower, right? Here's how you can use them.

Collect several different umbrellas from your home. Open them up, fix streamers in various colors (not just pink and blue, though those are fine too) to the umbrellas. Next, fix the umbrellas so that they hang upside down from the ceiling, and the colored streamers flutter above your heads. This makes a great sight!

You can also fill up umbrellas with balloons or even yarn in pastel colors. Hang them upside down at strategic points.

More baby shower decorations that enchant

Here's a centerpiece idea that's perfect for these celebrations -- baby shower cakes. Not sure what those are? Baby shower cakes (also called diaper cakes) are essentially diapers arranged in multiple tiers to look like a cake, with many small baby products tucked into them. They're very eye-catching gifts, just right for baby showers. Place one on a table as a centerpiece.

Here's how to make your tables more appealing. Place small boxes of different heights on them. Drape baby items like receiving blankets over them. Your tables will end up with a more interesting look and feel thanks to varying levels.

Spice up your tables by sprinkling confetti on them that says "It's a boy" or "It's a girl." If the baby's sex is not known, use both.

Instead of piling gifts onto tables, try using a large item like a stroller or a baby crib to display gifts. This is just right for a baby shower!

Another tried and tested idea is to string a clothesline across the room. Use wooden clothespins to hang cute baby items from the line. Use diapers, baby clothing, booties, socks, bibs, hats, toys and other such items. These products make excellent gifts to mom-to-be after the shower.

Alternatively, hang disposable diapers on the clothesline and using permanent marker, spell out the baby's name. If the name is not known yet, just write 'BABY SHOWER'. Clotheslines with names and baby items on them are quite common at showers, yet they invariably become a conversation piece -- they look quite cute!

If you're having a baby shower around Christmas, try this one. Buy an artificial Christmas tree and decorate it with little baby items. Like diapers, clothes, booties, socks, small bottles of lotions and so on. Use twinkle lights as well. This is a wonderful centerpiece for the room.

You can even do miniature trees on each table, similarly decorated. It creates a lovely effect.

There are no limits to the number of ways you can create dazzling baby shower decorations. Combine the above ideas, add your own twist and create an unforgettable shower!

About the author:
Jessika Ryder is a successful writer and party enthusiast providing valuable information on hosting baby showers. See more articles at: for party planning tips and other useful insights.

Guide to the Greek Orthodox Wedding Ceremony

by: Emmanuel Mendonca

The wedding service in the Greek Orthodox faith is an ancient and beautiful ceremony, which has been celebrated in its current form for centuries. The wedding ceremony is full of symbolism and is a great experience if you have never attended one before, because it is likely to be quite different from other weddings you have attended in Western Europe. The service is also rather unique because the bride and groom do not make vows to each other – their presence together in the church is taken to mean that they are serious about getting married.

The Beginning of the Wedding

In most cases the wedding guests will wait with the groom outside the church until the bride arrives (a few sneaky wedding pros will go into the church early to secure a good seat). In the Summer, when most weddings take place, it is not unusual for ceremonies to be arranged back to back, so the guests attending a marriage will often stand around with those who have just attended the previous wedding as they prepare to leave. Wedding dress commentators among the crowd will get to consider and discuss at least two brides and maybe even a third as they leave the church – bargain! Meanwhile, the nervous groom waits for the bride at the entrance to the church, often holding her floral bouquet. He hands it to her as they meet and they then go inside together followed by the guests. There is no separation of the guests into guests of the bride and guests of the groom – everyone sits together and in the case of small churches, many people prefer to stand in a spot where they can get a good view of the proceedings.

Service of Betrothal

The wedding ceremony itself is in two parts: the Service of Betrothal and the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage. The exchanging of rings is the focus of the Service of Betrothal. The priest blesses the rings by holding them in his right hand and making the sign of the cross over the heads of the bride and groom. The rings are then placed on the third fingers of their right hands. The “Koumbaro”, the couple’s religious sponsor, then swaps the rings over between the bride and groom’s fingers, three times. A number of rituals in the ceremony are repeated three times and this symbolises the Holy Trinity: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage

This Ceremony consists of several key parts. First, several prayers are said and then as they come to an end, the priest joins the right hands of the bride and groom. Their hands remain joined until the end of the wedding ceremony, which symbolises the couple’s union.

The Crowning

The bride and groom are crowned with thin crowns, or “stefana”, which are joined by a white ribbon and have been blessed by the priest. The crowns symbolise the glory and honour that is being bestowed on them by God, and the the ribbon symbolises their unity. The “Koumbaro” then exchanges the crowns between the heads of the couple, three times.

The Common Cup

The crowning is followed by a reading of the Gospel, which tells of the marriage of Cana at Galilee. It was at this wedding that Jesus performed his first miracle, changing water into wine, which was then given to the married couple. Wine is given to the couple and they each drink from it three times.

The Ceremonial Walk

The priest the leads the couple, who are still wearing their “stefana”, three times around the altar on their first steps as a married couple. The “Koumbaro” follows close behind the couple holding the “stefana” place. At this point the couple (and anyone standing nearby) is usually showered with rice, which was earlier handed out to the wedding guests. The priest will often make use of the bible he is holding to give himself some protection!

The Removal of the Crowns

When the Ceremonial Walk has ended, the priest blesses the couple, the crowns are removed and he then separates their previously joined hands with the bible, reminding them that only God can break the union which they have just entered into.

Wedding traditions

Much of the information available on Greek Orthodox wedding traditions is a little outdated and contains generalisations that give the impression that certain traditions are followed by everyone who gets married. Some of these traditions are set out below

- Rolling a baby on the marital bed to encourage fertility.

- The throwing of money onto the marital bed.

- The pinning of money onto the bride (and sometimes also the groom) at the wedding reception.

Although these rituals are seen as traditional, fewer and fewer young people marrying today are following them, because they are seen as old-fashioned. Many people do not wish to put their guests through the ordeal of other people being able to see how much money they pin on the bride, for example. Although money is still a very common, as well as practical, wedding present it is often given to the couple before the wedding day or to a third person at the wedding reception, for safe-keeping. Greeks living in the more remote parts of Greece and abroad, who will naturally feel more strongly about doing things the traditional way, are more likely to follow these traditions than those living in Athens, for example. Like weddings everywhere, Greek weddings are changing. At the time of writing, there is a growing fashion to go and get married on an island and I recently heard someone say that he was looking into getting married in a ski resort. He was wisely advised by a friend “You had better first ask the priest if he wants to perform a marriage up a mountain”!

About the author:
Emmanuel Mendonca moved from London to Athens in 2004 and is getting to grips with life in Greece. Emmanuel publishes Greece travel and living articles at

Heartache Hurts - God Do You Hear

by: Kacy Carr

What is heartache? It is pain. There are two kinds of pain, one where you take a tumble, cut a finger or bump your head. This type of pain can be eased with the help of a band aid or ointments, but heartache is not an easy task to remedy.

For a broken heart there is no cure

I would say a great many of us has suffered heartache where we have endured pain over the kids family even work colleagues. This form of heartache is just a minor tremor to the earthquake of sorrow that forces it self on some people

Take the mother who outlives her child, what could be more agonizing for mummy to be at the bedside of the baby she nurtured from birth only to have that child taken from her.

Then we have the poor unfortunate heart broken fathers who lose their children all because mother thinks it is in the children's best interest to be without a dad (In some cases this action is necessary) but for many dads who still want to be part of there children's lives, I ask moms to think again for the kids sake.

How many times has an engine been turned on with a hose to the exhaust which daddy uses as an inhaler to end it all, and in some sorry events taken the kids with him?

The heartache when informed a loved one was killed in battle. It is painful when it is time to say goodbye to mum/dad, when they leave to make a new life in land beyond the sky.

Lord hear the prayers of the world to put a stop to these 21st century atrocities that is causing so much heartache.
Tsunamis, Tornadoes, Earthquakes, and Hurricanes, what on earth can you possibly have up your sleeve to spring on some poor country next?

They say God works in mysterious ways and have his reasons. We understand you may not be happy with the sinners of today like the muggers and murderers walking the streets, but why on earth do the poor unfortunate innocent people have to suffer because of the actions of others. We need construction not destruction in our lives

There is no turning the clock back as the damage is done, so many people have had there fair share of pain and suffering and it needs to stop. It would take a miracle to sort out this whole sorry mess that the world is in today.

You gave focus to the blind you even rose from the dead, and we all know miracles are made in heaven.
So we ask you God for the last time for one more miracle and that is to turn back the hand of time.

About the author:
Do not suffer in silence, talk to someone if you have had the misfortune of losing a loved one or traumatised by some of the worlds disasters. My information page has helpful resources.

Here's What to expect at a Baby Shower

by: Mike Yeager

A baby shower is a great way to welcome a new child and congratulate the new mother. Many mothers appreciate the help in purchasing the items they will need for their new baby. Commonly, baby showers are given only to new mothers or mothers who have not had a child in a long while. This way, friends and family, can help give the family the things babies need.

Baby showers are a tradition, but what happens at a baby shower is less formal for sure. Sometimes, friends and family members will hold a baby shower for a new Mom as a surprise. Often times, new mothers will get several showers thrown for her first child from different groups, such as one from friends, one from the mothers side of the family, and maybe one from her friends at work. Regardless of how many, these get-togethers are a great way for people to welcome the new child.

Planning a baby shower can be a lot of fun. For baby shower ideas, try checking online at the many websites that offer new parent information. Another place to get some ideas is at craft supply stores where there are aisles and aisles of ideas. Some things to consider for your baby shower are baby shower invitations and baby shower favors. Other things to think about are baby shower decorations! Baby shower games can make a boring party a lot of fun. Most of these can even be free baby shower games by using items from around your home. For example, you can take a roll of toilet paper with you to the party. Each guest has to guess how many individual sheets it will take to circle the mother to be. Giving away small gifts can make these games even more fun.

Planning a baby shower and attending them can be a lot of fun. Take a trip to the craft store and look around at all the baby shower decorations, games, and favors they have to offer. Pull together some friends and plan a few baby shower games and make your own decorations. Pinks and blues in streamers and tablecloths can fill a room with excitement. Either way you are sure to make the mother to be happy and feeling loved.

About the author:
Mike Yeager
Publisher

HEM Support Group News- July 2005

by: Mary Nix

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````
HEM SUPPORT GROUP NEWS - July 2005
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````

~JULY'S HIGHLIGHT
~ISSUES TO WATCH
~COMMUNITY SERVICE
~CONFERENCES
~WEB UPDATES
~HEM RESOURCES AND MORE

```````````````````````````````````````````````
JULY'S HIGHLIGHT
```````````````````````````````````````````````

This month's highlight is Valerie Bonham Moon and her website, The Military Homeschooler. Valerie Bonham Moon homeschooled her three younger children in Europe from 1990 until 1998 while her husband served there with the United States Army. She now lives near Kansas City with her husband.

Valerie's sense humor, excellent wit and wisdom are evident at her Military Homeschooler Web Site -- http://www.militaryhomeschoolers.com/ . Each month Valerie offers new information at her site and The Military Homeschooler presents a wealth of information to not only the military homeschooler, but for all homeschoolers.

Here is the interview:

Mary: Valerie, thank you for agreeing to discuss Military Homeschooling. When did you first create "The Military Homeschooler" website?

Valerie: "The Military Homeschooler" was first uploaded in September of 2003. I played around with the website program for a few months before I felt that the site was decent enough to put out in public. It's still fairly simple with no bells or whistles, but since text is so 'small' I can get more information onto the server than with a technically fancier site.

Mary: What prompted you to create the site?

Valerie:The main questions asked by military homeschoolers don't change that much, so the same answers were given out each time new members joined any of the email lists. It seemed easier to provide a URL to the information than to send out the same kind of messages each time a new person subscribed. Also, military homeschoolers have concerns that I didn't see addressed on other homeschooling sites. NHEN has good military information, but the breadth of information needed by military families exceeds NHEN's home education bounds. Parents want to know about shipping pets overseas, dealing with deployments, and whether it's better to live in government quarters or 'on the economy' (which means you live in a civilian neighborhood).

Mary: Does the Armed Forces have an opinion about those in the Armed Services home educating their children?

Valerie: No. According to the DoD Education Activity (DoDEA) in their 6 November 2002 policy memorandum on home schooling:
http://www.dodea.edu/foia/iod/pdf/02OD002.pdf,
"It is DoDEA policy to neither encourage nor discourage DoD sponsors from home schooling their minor dependents. DoDEA recognizes that home schooling is a sponsor's right and can be a legitimate alternative form of education for the sponsor's dependents."

The services have no opinion on whether a family uses a public school system in the U.S., or the DoD dependent schools overseas, or chooses to pay for private schooling. In the same vein, homeschooling is just another educational choice.

Mary: What makes homeschooling in the military different from civilian homeschooling?

Valerie: I don't know because I never homeschooled as a civilian. What's it like?One guess as to how the two differ is that each military homeschooling parent must depend on herself for homeschooling support more often. Because families may be joining servicemembers at a remote area with few other military homeschoolers, and perhaps without even an English-language community nearby, they may need to make do with fewer resources and to improvise.

Mary: Can you point out the benefits of homeschooling while in the military?

Valerie:
* New field trip opportunities with each move
* The possibility of foreign travel
* Consistency in education because schools around the country vary not only in size,
but also in curricular content and delivery.
* No loss of learning time during a transfer from one assignment to the next, and the move itself is instructional.
* Smoothing of some of the ups and downs of military life. After a deployment a family can reintegrate the returning parent into the everyday life of the family at their own pace and can eliminate outside interruptions if they want. Also, if a parent has a job in which he or she travels often, the children can 'do school' while the parent is away, and take a break when the parent returns.

Mary: Can you point out some of the challenges of homeschooling families in the military?

Valerie:
* Moving from an 'easy' state to a 'hard' state. Military families usually don't have a yes/no choice when orders to move arrive. Servicemembers fill out "dream sheets" stating where they would prefer to be assigned but, as always, the needs of the service are paramount. If the service needs you to move from Ft. Sill, Oklahoma to Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, then that's what you do.
* Deciding what to keep before a move. The weight of household goods is subject to limits based on the servicemember's rank. The weight allowance is nothing new, but the addition of schoolbooks to families' household goods has undoubtedly enriched the selection of items at installation Thrift Shops during the summer PCS-season. [PCS = Permanent Change of Station, ie, a move]

Mary: What is the biggest challenge a spouse faces when the other spouse is deployed?

Valerie: The problems are probably similar to those of other single parents such as finding 'alone time' when you're on-call all day, and all night. When do you take a shower? Another problem is 'logistics.' A half-inch of milk in that lonely milk carton in the refrigerator isn't going to magically become three half-gallons in the evening when The Other Parent comes home from work. Planning and scheduling can be helpful, but if a baby has you up all night long, all the foresight won't keep you from feeling wrecked the next day, while having to get up and put one foot in front of the other.

For families who will be facing deployment, a good informational website is:
http://www.hooah4health.com/deployment/familymatters/emotionalcycle.htm
Other deployment information is at:
http://home.kc.rr.com/milhmschlhq/military_deployment.htm

Mary: How does having a parent in the military while homeschooling affect the children in these families?

Valerie: For Brats (as children in military families are affectionately called sometimes), military life is normal. At the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis I lived away from any civilian town with jets screaming over the housing area, and having to sit in our stopped car at a 'plane crossing' (instead of a train crossing) to wait for B-52s to take off. All the dads wore uniforms. In 1977 during the military exercise REFORGER, our older son watched columns of tanks rumble down the road of the German village where we lived near the East German border. All the (American) dads wore uniforms. Our younger kids showed their ID cards at anti-terrorist checkpoints to get into our housing area in Munich during Desert Storm (and took homemade cookies to the guards) while their brother served in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Ninety-nine percent of the Dads wore uniforms, and some of the Moms did, too. Except in times of crisis, military 'stuff' is background noise to Brats.

Now what all those anonymous civilians with no nametags on their clothes or houses get up to, that's a big mystery. And did you know that in civilian theaters The Star Spangled Banner isn't played before each movie, and the entire theater doesn't stand to attention? Weird.

Mary: What is the biggest challenge the children face when their parent/parents are deployed?

Valerie: Besides television news? The feeling of powerlessness to change the situation, and worry about the safety of their parent can be overwhelming for children. A surprising problem is feeling happy. One mother said that her daughter was devastated to find, after a month or so into the deployment, that she'd 'forgot' her dad and was laughing with her friends. The little girl wanted to keep her daddy in her thoughts at all times. Some children have to be told that it is good for them to be happy and have fun while Daddy is deployed, because when that child's happiness is sent to Daddy in letters and pictures, Daddy feels better. Deployed Dads (and Moms) are safer when they aren't distracted by the welfare of their families.

Mary: If they wish to, what can other homeschoolers do to support Military families who might live near them?

Valerie: Be a friend. It's the simple, everyday things that can be a pebble in the shoe that gives rise to a blister that can't heal; an everyday thing such as getting the mail. During one five-month separation while my husband attended a school in America, I remained overseas with 'twinfants' and a ten-year-old (who was old enough to be helpful, but not old enough to babysit). To do anything outside our quarters (including laundry, since the building's washroom was in the basement) I had to carry one baby, while wearing the other in a backpack. Going anywhere entailed a trek down the stairs from our 2nd-floor quarters. For errands I had to walk to the on-street parking, bundle the kids into the car, drive to where I wanted to go, find a space in the always-too-small parking lots on the installation, wrangle the twins into both their strollers if my son was with us, or, if I was by myself, wear one in the pack and put the other in the stroller, and then repeat everything to get home again. To get mail, I had the additional steps of signing-in to a controlled-access building (with stairs) - with the kids - and picking up the mail from the unit mail room. I was spared this (at least for getting mail) because a kind sergeant in my husband's office brought me the mail every day on his way home. His help was a godsend and that was one pebble out of the shoe.

Mary: Is there anything else others wanting to offer support could do to help?

Valerie: Seriously?
* Offer to mow the grass. Every week.
* Offer to babysit during the day so Mom gets out for a little while.
* Have the family's kids over to play in the back yard.
* Stop by to see if Mom needs anything from the store.
* Ask if there's any necessary maintenance work Mom needs done around the house or with the car.
* Be close enough to the family so the kids feel comfortable being left when Mom has to go to the emergency room with (the inevitably) injured child.
* Bring meals.

Mary: Is there anything others wanting to offer support should not do?
Valerie: I threw out this question to members on one military homeschooling email list and the following are some of the responses:

Laine: Sometimes the best thing anyone can do for any spouse of a deployed servicemember, not just a homeschooling one, is to talk about the weather! Sometimes we just want to chat about something OTHER than the fact our husband is overseas, and we're home trying to hold down the fort till he can come home again and do his normal duties around the house, and we won't have to do his and ours anymore--until the next deployment comes along.

Jessica: Don't show up expecting that Mom can run out for coffee at the drop of a hat. A friend may think that Mom 'needs' to get out of the house, but someone's got to watch the kids.

Cindy: Don't say, "How do you do it? I could never do this. It's impossible!" It is fine to say, "I am impressed with how you are doing -- amazing!" Positive comments are fine, along with offers of help, but don't get tears in your eyes when some child says daddy is in Iraq -- the child will notice and it does not help.

Mary: What do you feel was the best advice you were ever given about home education?

Valerie: The reassurance from all the writers in Home Education Magazine, that, "Yes, you can do this."

When I began homeschooling in 1990 I was the only one I knew who was trying such a stunt. Two years into our homeschooling we moved from Munich to Heidelberg, and still there were no other homeschoolers. Slowly, though, homeschoolers arrived at the local installation and I met one, then another, and we supported each other. A group grew and, for about a year, I had homeschooling friends. Then we moved to Belgium, and I was back to being the Lone Stranger. Throughout that time my subscription to HEM kept the magazines arriving at the unit mailroom with the message that, "Yes, you can do this."

Mary: What do you feel is the best advice you can share with new home educators?

Valerie: Know thy regs. Wherever you are, you will have greater confidence in what you're doing if you have a solid understanding of the rules in place around you.

Mary: What do you feel is the best advice you can share with veteran home educators?

Valerie: Pass along your collective wisdom to new homeschoolers through mentoring.

Mary: Finally, what was the benefit for your family to have the choice to home-educate available to you?

Valerie: Memories. Our eldest son was publicly schooled because I didn't hear about homeschooling until he was a senior in high school. After he graduated from high school he joined the military, just like his dad, his mom, his granddads, his grandmothers, an aunt, uncles, some cousins and probably more people in our family than I know about. He was sent to Saudi Arabia and Iraq and, through the wonders of technology, I was able to sit in my Munich living room watching the live-feed CNN broadcasts from Saudi Arabia patched into the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service. [note to families with a deployed servicemember: do not try this at home - stress, stress, stress]. As I sat there with his by-now-homeschooled siblings wandering around our quarters, I wondered where his school years had gone. What happened? Yes, we'd had evenings, weekends and summers together but, during most of that time, what had he done (besides go head-to-head with me and his dad during the teen-culture-wars)? Where had he been?

As I write now, his younger brother and sisters are the same age he was during the Gulf War, and I know exactly where their school years went. We had a family life, not just a passing acquaintanceship as we all grew older and became involved in activities away from each other. Just like their big brother the younger kids had friends and teen adventures, and went to rock concerts (Pukkelpop, anyone? No, nothing to do with upset tummies, it's just the name of a rock fest near the Belgian town of Hasselt).

Kids are supposed to grow up, leave and have their own adventures. That's life. But it sure is nice to really know them before they go off on their own.

Mary: Thank you Valerie, your words ring so true. I suggest folks bookmark your site for out of the country and general homeschool information, wit and humor.

Valerie: You're welcome.

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
ISSUES TO WATCH ~
Access to public school programs for homeschoolers
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Homeschooler access to public school programs has been a controversial issue for many years. Recently the subject has been in the news again:

CNN.com - Should home-schooled have access to public school programs? - Jul 1, 2005 http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/30/colb.home.school/index.html

Homeschool Athletic - Rules Even though the State Supreme Court upheld the ban on homeschoolers in public school athletics, there are still are a few ways they can participate Posted 7/8/2005
http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=3814

Homeschoolers seek access Charlotte Observer, NC Jun 13, 2005
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/living/education/11881126.htm

A-Z Homescooling offers a list of sport programs for home educators at:
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/sportsprograms.htm

And finally, here are some thoughtful articles on the subject from the Home Education Magazine Archives:

Why the Question of Homeschoolers' Playing Public School Sports Affects All Homeschoolers - This article by Larry and Susan Kaseman was originally published in the May-June 2000 issue of Home Education Magazine: http://www.homeedmag.com/HEM/173.00/mj_clmn_tch.html

One Problem... And One Possible Solution - This article, by Peggy Daly-Masternak, was originally published in the July-August 1997 issue of Home Education Magazine:
http://www.homeedmag.com/INF/FREE/free_sprts.html

```````````````````````````````````````````````
COMMUNITY SERVICE
```````````````````````````````````````````````

Would you like to get involved in a community service project, but you need some ideas? Here are a few sites to visit that might be of help:
* Homeschoolers Educating, Assisting, & Reaching-out Through Service - During the months of July and August, home educating families with H.E.A.R.T.S. (Homeschoolers Educating, Assisting, & Reaching-out Through Service) will be gathering school supplies for donation to local children in need. Hundreds of homeschoolers throughout the United States are expected to participate in this project in their own communities. Supplies- such as paper, notebooks, book-bags, lunch boxes, and filled pencil cases will be donated, collected, and delivered. Donations will be made to benefit children in homeless shelters and domestic violence shelters, as well as through other agencies assisting children in need. Past school supply collections have found home educators hosting very creative events such as backyard fetes - and "Tye Dye for School Supplies" events. For more information on this project please visit the H.E.A.R.T.S. website at:
http://www.h-e-a-r-t-s.org/SchoolSupplies.html

******************************************************
H.E.A.R.T.S. is also encouraging participation in Pinwheels for Peace. Here is a link to the Pinwheels for Peace page on the H.E.A.R.T.S. website:
http://www.h-e-a-r-t-s.org/PinwheelsforPeace.html
Homeschoolers throughout the country, under the auspices of the H.E.A.R.T.S. program, are joining the international Pinwheels for Peace project. Locally, home educators plan to create pinwheels and to "plant" pinwheel gardens with messages of peace at libraries, churches, and other gathering places in celebration of International World Peace Day. Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started by two art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, as a way for students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives. The Pinwheels for Peace website points out that "Peace doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with the conflict of war, it can be related to violence/intolerance in our daily lives, to peace of mind. To each of us, peace can take on a different meaning, but, in the end, it all comes down to a simple definition: a state of calm and serenity, with no anxiety, the absence of violence, freedom from conflict or disagreement among people or groups of people." All members of the community are encouraged to join this project. For more information on participating with H.E.A.R.T.S. (Homeschoolers: Educating, Assisting, & Reaching-out Through Service) in the Pinwheels for Peace project please visit the website at:
http://www.h-e-a-r-t-s.org/PinwheelsforPeace.html
* Community Service Ideas from 4-H
* Roots and Shoots
* ASPCA

If your group is involved with a project and you'd like others to know about it, or to make it available for others to participate, email me at groups@homeedmag.com and please put "Community Service" in the subject line.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
WEB UPDATES, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESOURCES
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Kudos and a warm welcome to Daryl Cobranchi who has joined Home Education Magazine with his blog: Home Education & Other Stuff:
http://homeedmag.com/blogs/heos/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like the Pheonix, VAEclecticHomeschool rises out of the cyber-ashes and becomes VAEclecticHS!

The VAEclecticHS List is the rebirth of VAEclecticHomeschool, which was a large, active list for in-depth discussion of issues affecting homeschooling, and for news about media articles and programs, proposed legislation, research, conferences and other information of interest to Virginia homeschoolers.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VAEclecticHS/
VAEclecticHS-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kudos to Noelle Scelina, Sam Weldon, Brianna Marasco, Tar Marasco, Jeremy Whitson, Jacob Whitson, Mieks Steven, Alli Steven, and coach Teresa Steven, all members of the inclusive Ohio HEART support group who recently received a TOP AWARD at toy challenge national SHOWCASE. They were one of 300 teams that participated from across the country and they went on to tie for second place at the TOYchallenge Final Judging and Awards Ceremony held on June 27 at Hasbro's headquarters in Pawtucket, R.I. with their innovative game called "Trash It". Trash it is designed for those 8 and up and encourages recycling.
Again, congratulations to each of you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Military Homeschooler was updated--7 Jul 05

As your read in this month's highlight, The Military Homeschooler is not just about the Military, but it also offers a wealth of information on homeschooling outside of the United States and General Homeschool Information. Read the articles, with linked references, at:
http://www.militaryhomeschoolers.com/

```````````````````````````````````````````````
CONFERENCES
```````````````````````````````````````````````

The Learning In Our Own Way Conference
August 12 - 14, 2005
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Woburn, MA
Voice: 781 - 395-8508 Fax: 781-874-1053
www.learninginourownway.com

The 9th National Rethinking Education Conference is
September 1 - 5: Labor Day Weekend
"To Thine Own Self Be True"
www.rethinkingeducation.com
HURRY - REGISTER by July 15 and save $20 per person!

Visit HEM's Conference Calendar at http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/calendar to find other conventions coming to an area near you. If you are having a conference, seminar or perhaps a getting started homeschooling meeting, here are some FREE resources from Home Education Magazine:
· Getting Started: http://www.homeedmag.com/gettingstarted.html
· Questions and Answers: http://www.homeedmag.com/wlcm_hsinf.html
· HEM’s Free Information and Resource Guide:
http://www.homeedmag.com/ORD/mtrlst.html
· Home Education Magazine Resources:
http://www.homeedmag.com/HSRSC/hsrsc_gn.html

```````````````````````````````````````````````
UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS
```````````````````````````````````````````````

August- Annette Jurczyk and her National Charter Schools Watch (NCSW) list

September- Midsouth Eclectic Homeschool Network and its founder Jeanne Faulconer

October- Shay Seaborne and Amy Wilson share the history of their grass roots victory in
Virginia!

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
HEM RESOURCES, HEM BLOGS and MORE
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Home Education Magazine's Editorial Blog: The weblog of Helen Hegener, co-publisher
and managing editor of Home Education Magazine:
http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/editorial/

Home Education Magazine's News and Commentary Blog: Homeschooling in the
national media, with commentary by Ann Lahrson Fisher. Also provides space for continued commentary and discussion of news items by the weblog readers:
http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/newscomm/

Home Education Magazine's Support Group News Blog: Ongoing encouragement and resources for support group volunteers, including a monthly newsletter, coordinated by HEM Support Groups Liaison Mary Nix:
http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/groupnews/

Home Education and Other Stuff: Cyber-charters are NOT homeschools, Daryl Cobranchi's HEM blog:
http://homeedmag.com/blogs/heos/

Home Education Magazine's Resources Blog:Learning resources reviewed and described, with space for comments by homeschoolers who use the resources, and links to the company web sites:
http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/resources/

Home Education Magazine's Conference Blog: A listing of conferences, conventions and other events, with contact information and links:
http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/calendar/

HEM's Online Newsletter:
http://www.homeedmag.com/wlcm_hemnewsltr.html

AHA Weblogs Blog - The AHA's blog showcasing homeschooling weblogs:
http://aha.typepad.com/weblogs_blog/

Subscribe to Home Education Magazine:
https://www.homeedmag.com/ORD/_frm_order.html

```````````````````````````````````````````````
```````````````````````````````````````````````
Thanks for taking the time to read this month's newsletter. Be sure to bookmark Home Education Magazine's Support Group page, which can be accessed at:
http://www.homeedmag.com/wlcm_groups.html

Listing your group on the HEM Support Group web pages is a free service provided by Home Education Magazine. To list your group, fill-in the form at
http://www.homeedmag.com/groups2.html

Looking forward visiting with you all next month!
Mary Nix
HEM's Support Group Liaison
http://www.homeedmag.com/groups.html
http://www.homeedmag.com/wlcm_groups.html

Subscribe to HEM SUPPORT GROUP NEWS here:
http://www.homeedmag.com/news/

This service is available free. Read the newsletter at:
http://www.homeedmag.com/groups/groupnews.html

© 2005 Home Education Magazine (All rights reserved). This newsletter is provided as a free service of Home Education Magazine. Readers are encouraged to forward this newsletter in its entirety, including headers and footers, to others who might also find its contents helpful.

About the author:
Mary Nix lives in Ohio where she enjoys living and learning with her family.

Guide to choosing toddler toys

by: Eugen Lisov

The play has many more functions for toddlers than for adults. For toddlers, play is not just a way to relax but it is also the best way to learn and perfect skills like walking, balance and controlling the hands.

Through play, the child discovers the objects and their functions and learns some social behaviors. For him, the play is similar to the work of the adult: the toddler imitates the work of his mother, father and grandparents.

He repairs the car like his father and he cleans the house like his mother.

His work “tool” is the toy. If for the little baby the toy is mostly a decorative object, for the toddler who is just starting to walk and talk, toys are absolutely necessary.

The parent must make sure to offer his child adequate toys to his age and skills level. The most indicated toddler toys ( http://www.child-toys-guide.com/toddler-toys.shtml ) are the functional ones, who develop and stimulate different processes and mental activities (knowledge, inventiveness, imagination).

In fact, we can consider as toys all the objects that help a toddler’s play, many of which can be found in our house.

Moving games are one of a toddler’s preferred activities.

It is very good if near your house is a park with a designated place, with special structures for toddlers.

Small sized slides, wooden or plastic material cubes, arranged in a pyramidal shape helps toddlers develop their musculature and agility.

If it is possible, the family members, using non-expensive materials, can make these arrangements in the backyard. The children will use them until they will grow older.

Another open-air game for toddlers that requires manual skills is sand play. This game requires the toddler to make different sand shapes and even complicated constructions.

At the sand box, the toddler uses different plastic shapes (stars, cookie), shovels, little buckets, toy cars and kitchen vessels.

Don't hesitate to let the toddler play in sand just because he might get dirty or because sand play is a germ source.

Dress the toddler adequately and keep a watch on him not to put something in his mouth during the play. Sand play is so important, that I advise parents to arrange a sand box inside the house!

If you don’t think you can find a box good enough to be used for this purpose, or sand to fill it, you can also buy one.

A toddler also requires toys to play inside the house

For the interior, the most important toys for toddlers are the cubes. They are used by the toddlers as load for toys trucks.

These cubes will later take part in construction games that help develop hand maneuverability, the capacity to concentrate and the imagination.

Toddlers, both boys and girls, love animals and dolls made of different materials. It is a mistake to believe that at this age dolls are specific only to girls.

Dolls help toddlers to identify the role of the mother and father in the family and learn the different body parts that a person has.

From the list of toddler toys, we must not exclude books.

For toddlers, beautiful colored books, with few images but well outlined, help enrich the vocabulary and verbalizing perception.

As a parent, you can create short stories based on these images, using words that the toddler can understand, with similar activities and experiences to the ones the child has experienced.

After showing him the images and explained what they are, we can ask the toddler “What is this?” “What does it do?” This way you test the things he learned.

The child likes this because he can see the satisfaction a parent has when he answers correctly.

Besides enriching his vocabulary, this game wakes up in him feelings of trust and security.

You can find the original article located at http://www.child-toys-guide.com/toddler-toys.shtml

About the author:
Eugen Lisov is the creator of , a site that helps parents worldwide to choose the best toys for their children. Please feel free to browse my site; it will only help you when choosing toys for your child.

Common Childcare Myths

by: ARA

(ARA) - Most new parents get a lot of advice from family and friends, before and after the baby is born. Although it is well-intended, in some cases, it may not be completely accurate.

There are a number of common misconceptions that are often passed along to new parents. Here are some of the more widespread childcare myths:

* Some people believe that taking too many flash pictures of a baby can damage his eyes. Fortunately this isn’t true.

* It’s not true that vinyl toys could expose children to harmful levels of substances. The Consumer Products Safety Commission recently found “no demonstrated health risk” from vinyl toys for children.

* Despite what you might have heard, you cannot spoil a baby by tending to her in the middle of the night, or by taking her out of the crib for feeding. The truth is you cannot spoil a baby, and in fact, you are providing some security and comfort when you answer their midnight cries.

* Another myth is that you can’t use plastics in the microwave oven. If the manufacturer says it’s okay to microwave the plastic, then go ahead and do so. But, be careful about the temperature of the food. There are hot spots in microwaved food and you don’t want to burn the inside of your baby’s mouth.

Parents have to be very careful where they get their information. The Internet can be a great source, but you have to be skeptical. There are a lot of good resources on the Web, but there is also a lot of misinformation. The best advice is to get a good pediatrician who can help you sort through all the “advice” about your children’s care that comes your way.

Courtesy of ARA Content

About the author:
Courtesy of ARA Content

Baby Bedding Wants Vs. Bedding Baby Needs

by: Beverly Marshall

If you walk into any baby store or online baby site you will find a multitude of styles and designs of baby bedding available. There is something for every nursery décor ever thought of by a new mother. If it’s animals you want, there’s everything from apes to zebras. If you want an angel motif, there are a hundred styles of angels. If you want nursery rhymes, just pick one and you will find a matching motif. What about cartoon or Disney characters? You can find anything and everything when it comes to baby bedding. You will also find all of the pieces you want such as comforters, bumpers, dust ruffles, pillows and more. They are all matched and some of are the most luxurious you can find. So, now you see all this stuff and are tempted to buy. The cute patterns are obviously for the parents to enjoy because the baby doesn’t know the difference but what does the baby actually “need”? That’s a whole different story.
If you are considering a bumper for the crib, this is a strip of padded cloth that is pretty or cute, but they are used to keep the baby from hitting their head against the bars of the crib. Some think bumpers will add to the risk of suffocation by pressing their face against the bumper. If the bumper is tightly fitted against the drib the possibilities of that happening are much less. Make sure all of the ribbons and ties are short and to the outside of the crib so there are no chances of getting entangled. Bottom sheets are sized for the crib with elastic corners and should fit snugly against the crib mattress. If the fit is correct they won’t pop off and this also lessens the chance of suffocation. I would recommend leaving the top sheet at the store unless it comes as a set. Your baby only needs light blankets in the beginning and it is best if they are cotton. They also don’t need more covers or warmth than we do. We all know diapers leak at night so sheet protectors are a wonderful idea for the busy mom. A sheet protector is a piece of cloth with cotton on one side and waterproof on the other. If there is leakage at night, just pull one sheet protector off and put another one on. This will save you on laundry and time. You can do the same thing between two fitted sheets. Put the protector between the two so it protects the bottom sheet and the top one is easily peeled off if there is an accident. If you like, try the new heavier pajamas for baby so they will stay warm without kicking covers off. You only need a few outfits in the beginning. If you want perfectly white sheets, don’t get too excited because colored would be best if you are trying to camouflage the inevitable staining that will happen. If you even think about buying a pillow, stop. There is no need for one for the baby. They aren’t safe, your baby can suffocate and they can’t really lift their heads enough to use one. It is found that babies sleep better when flat.

In the early months babies will be constantly interrupted because their patterns are not yet established. It takes time for them to sleep without these interruptions and to fall back to sleep easily and quickly. When if comes to helping your baby sleep with the choice of baby bedding, consider safety to be the only true criteria. It doesn’t matter how cute the bedding set is if it doesn’t fit right or isn’t safe.

About the author:
Beverly Marshall is a successful freelance writer offering guidance and suggestions for consumers buying bedding, duvet covers, bedspreads, mattresses, and more. Her many articles can be found at She gives information and tips to help you save money, make informed buying decisions and common sense ideas for changing your life

Baby Cold Symptoms and How to Give Care

by: Leroy Chan

Remember how miserable you felt when you last had a cold? Can you imagine what your baby must feel when he experiences a cold for the first time?

Viruses are responsible for causing colds. Infected people spread the viruses when they sneeze or cough nearby healthy people. The virus gets into the nose and throat where it multiplies.

What Are The Symptoms?

When your baby has a cold, there will be a number of symptoms. He will be sneezing and have a runny nose. He may have a sore throat and it may be difficult for him to swallow. His glands may become swollen.

He may not feel like eating much and he could become irritable. A cough may develop. He may get a slight fever or have a body temperature of 101 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

When to Seek Medical Advice

If your baby is three months old or less and has cold like symptoms, you should contact a pediatrician immediately. Cold like symptoms in a baby three months old or less are misleading and could lead to a serious ailment.

On the other hand, if your child is more than three months old you should contact a doctor if you notice that he is breathing loudly and his nostrils expand out with each breath. His nails or lips are becoming blue. His mucus is thick, runny and green. He has a cough that hasn’t gone a way for more than a week. His ears ache. His temperature is more than 102 degrees Fahrenheit. He has become more drowsy or grouchy.

How to Care For Your Baby

Medical experts tell us there is no cure for the common cold. However, there are ways to alleviate the miserable symptoms your baby undergoes.

Make sure he gets plenty of rest and extra fluids. If he has a fever, give him acetaminophen or if he’s older that six months he may take ibuprofen (but don’t give it to your baby if he is dehydrated or continuously vomiting).

If your child has a cough and is under three years old, don’t give him a cough suppressing medicine unless it was prescribed by a pediatrician. Coughing rids the lower respiratory tract of mucus.

If your baby has nasal congestion, you can use a rubber suction bulb to draw out the mucus from his nostrils. If the mucus is too thick, you can apply saline nose drops to soften the mucus before extracting with the bulb. A humidifier can also be used in the baby’s room to help liquefy the nasal secretions.

Concluding Thoughts

The best way for your baby to avoid a cold is to not have him near people who are infected. But if your baby gets a cold, the best thing you can do is make it comfortable for him. Soon his cold symptoms will disappear and he’ll be back to health, that is, until the next episode. But by now you’ll be ready for that, won’t you?

To learn more about newborns and what you can expect during your baby’s first year visit: http://www.firstyearbabyadvice.com

Baby Name Meanings

by: Michael Barrows

Speaking as a Michael (a Hebrew name, meaning “Who is like God”), I’m really proud of my name. And I think that I – mostly - live up to the title! Of course, my mother would probably disagree; I think the phrase “little devil” would probably pass her lips if she was describing me during many stages of my childhood.

But then, my mother has her own issues; apparently her name (Kathleen) is a Celtic name meaning “Little Darling”. Hmmm, that isn’t the way I used to think about her during those regular occasions when she was punishing me for my “not like God” behaviour…!

And that’s the fun of baby name meanings – parents make naming decisions based on many, many different reasons, including family traditions, religion, culture, uniqueness and “it just sounds really nice.” But – in the Western world – we rarely do any real research into the history or real meaning of names. So when the poor/lucky child finally finds out the meaning of his/her “really nice sounding” name, the results can be interesting, ironic, unfortunate or just sometimes hilarious.

You can have a lot of fun thinking up family/friends names, finding out the meanings and trying to make a connection between the two. For example, my eldest brother Clive is apparently “a cliff dweller”, which is coincidental, since he lives at the top of a very long steep hill! Or why not play the game with celebrities – consider the following:

Badu (as in r n’b singer Erykah Badu): African name meaning “Tenth born child”

Winona (as in actress Winona Ryder): Sioux name meaning “Firstborn daughter”

Aaliyah (the late r n’b singer): Arabic name meaning “High, exalted”

Hilary (as in actresses Duff/Swank): Latin name meaning “Cheerful”

Some cultures have very interesting traditions when it comes to baby name meanings. For example, Hindu names usually have connections with very positive things such as truth, beauty, happiness, blessings, etc, or one of the Hindu gods. In the Sikh culture, girls traditionally have the middle or surname “Kaur”, meaning “Princess”, whilst the boys have the middle or surname “Singh”, meaning “Lion”.

An African friend of mine once mentioned that many Africans are given a second name corresponding to the day of the week on which they were born. I think is a really nice tradition, but in my case, my middle name would be “Sondo” (born on Sunday)!! Hmmmm…

Whatever type of name you have chosen, or are thinking about for your “bundle of joy”, its worth doing a little research into the meaning. And it’s never been easier, with the wealth of Internet resources and books available, including my own site at www.all-about-baby-names.com, which is jam-packed with resources, tips and information on baby names, baby name meanings and baby products.

Your search may yield some surprises; for example, the lovely-sounding name “Malory” is French and means “Bad luck”. You could get round this by spelling it “Mallory”, but this means “Without good fortune” in Old German!

Alternatively, you may end up a little confused by different meanings of the same name; for example “Leah” is a beautiful girl’s name, but what does it mean? Well…

• In Hebrew it means “Cow” or “Weary one” – uugghhh! • In Greek it means “Glad tidings” • In Assyrian, it means “Mistress, ruler”

And a final warning: if you are planning to go for a funky, unusual-sounding name, be sure to avoid “Bacia,” – its Ugandan meaning is “Family deaths ruined the home!”

For more information and advice, check out the baby name meaning resources at www.all-about-baby-names.com.

Enjoy your search and happy baby naming!

About the author:

Michael Barrows is a web publisher specialising in niche marketing. Check out the wealth of baby resources and pick up his FREE ebook "Baby Tips for New Parents" at his website;

Baby Nursery Furniture A Booming Market!

by: Teresa Schahczinski

Baby nursery furniture and baby crib sets are a growing category, representing $1.1 billion at retail last year, and expected to grow to $1.4 billion by 2009. Today’s baby furniture varies quite a bit in style, price and selection, and at over a billion dollars, there is room for a wide range of manufacturers in the nursery furniture field.

There are many top manufacturers in the nursery furniture category. The baby furniture category includes nursery furniture for children from birth through 2 years, including painted baby furniture, nursery crib furniture, bassinets, a baby table for changing diapers, glider rockers, rocking chairs, dressers, chests, armoires and bookcases. Basically anything you would purchase at a baby store while furniture shopping.

Although most of the parents claimed that they mostly shopped at discount stores they admittedly would make more extravagant purchases at a specialty baby store if there was something they really wanted. A Gen X mom talked about children strollers. She paid $300 for a stroller because she liked the features. So if a parent is willing to spend $300 on a stroller which is typically a smaller ticket item in comparison to nursery furniture what are they willing to spend on a nursery crib, an item that’s use is far more than the use of a stroller.

Things like blankets, strollers, a nursery crib mattress, a toddler bed and accessories or items that would be bought for nursery gifts or baby gifts, or furniture for children over the age of 2 are not included in the category being discussed as leading infant bedroom furniture manufacturers. This is primarily nursery furniture for babies 2 and under in the strictest sense of the word.

According to Kids Today’s exclusive Buying Trends Survey, 2.2% of U.S. households bought a nursery crib in 2004, and 2.7% bought other baby furniture. The median price point for a nursery crib in 2004 was $150, with those consumers planning to buy a nursery crib in 2005 saying they planned to spend a median of $200. Even still, 18% of consumers who bought a nursery crib in 2004 paid $500 or more.

What this tells me is that although 18% of parents purchasing a nursery crib probably planned to purchase practically but when push came to shove they were willing to spend on average and extra $300 above and beyond what they initially planned to spend. Why is this? Is it because we are seduced by all the new-fangled cribs such as the newer style of the round crib and the BRAND-NEW Corner cribs (shaped to fit in a corner)? It is common knowledge that the median prices of these specialty cribs cost much more than the traditional rectangle cribs. As far as infant furniture goes round baby cribs are a fairly new concept. I do not even remember them being available when I had my first child. Since a separate room for a baby nursery is not always an option some parents feel that the round baby cribs and corner cribs which is a new concept is the way to go, they are both big space savers.

It could also be because parents are willing to purchase the top of the line 3-in-1 cribs in hopes that they will save money in the long run? Or quite possibly is it because parents will spend just about anything on their children, trying to provide everything they were never given?

Obviously a nursery crib is the most important purchase you will make for your child…along with the rest of the nursery furniture. Nursery Furniture Manufacturers know this and cater our need to give our child “everything”. That is why nursery furniture and nursery crib sets are such a booming market!

© Copyright Best-Baby-Furniture.com, All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
Teresa Schahczinski is a frequent contributor to Best Baby Furniture. For more Articles and tips on Selecting Childrens Furniture, Baby Cribs and Kids Furniture visit