Child Safety Fireplace and Wood Stove Screens

Child safety screens for your wood stove and fireplace. Child guard screens offer hearth protection for your child’s safety around the hot wood burning stove. The intense hot heat
from fireplaces and wood burning stoves are no place for a child to play. Accidents happen and a child safety screen is designed to detour children from serious burns. Most child guard screens are light weight allowing them to be easily removed when tending a fire. Wood stove screens will offer protection from a child falling into the fireplace yet they are light enough that they will not harm a child if the screen should fall on them. It will scare the child more than it will hurt them. Wood stove child guard safety screen. This is the typical lightweight mesh screen designed for your child’s safety.
Most of the time your child will feel the hot heat and turn away but
accidents do happen and you can never be too safe. The mesh screen is projected out a few inches from the hot stove therefore it will be much cooler than the stove. The wood stove
screen features a center brace across the top to stabilize the screen. The screen is light enough to be removed when tending your wood burning stove yet rigid enough to prevent your child from falling into the hot stove. The child safety screen will also detour flying balls and toys.
Keep your child safe. KidCo makes a child safety screen for wood stoves. This screen protects your child with vertical bars and no mesh. This screen comes with mounting hardware so it can be attached to the wall at either end. The KidCo wood stove screen comes with 5 – 24″ panels that can be configured to wrap around any stove. Additional panels in 8″ and 24″ sizes can be ordered separately if needed. The center panel features a gate that can be opened
when tending the wood stove. This child guard screen offers the most protection for your child.
Fun Babysitting Games For Kids

Babysitting games are a necessary and fun part of taking care of children. Kids are difficult to keep busy, or at least busy doing something that we want them to do. Usually your energy level is much lower than that of your charges, so it’s a good idea to have some games to keep them entertained.
Marco Polo is a great kids’ game. Blindfold one child and tell them to yell “Marco!”. The other children all yell “Polo!”, and the person who is “it” can move closer to them by listening to where their voices are coming from, until they get close enough to touch someone else, and then they’re “it”. If it’s a nice day outside, do this activity out of doors, where there aren’t as many breakables around.
“Red Light-Green Light” is an old favorite among babysitting games. You can play it best in a big indoor area, or outside. Have one person stand with arms stretched out, and yell either “red light” or “green light”. Everyone else must run on green, and stop on red. The winner is the first one to arrive at the designated spot, while anyone who runs on red or stops on green is “out”.
“Duck-Duck-Goose” has been a favorite game for many years. It helps keep young kids amused for awhile, which can be a very good thing. Have the children sit in a loose circle, and have the person playing “it” go around this circle while they say “duck” or “goose”. When they tap and say “goose”, the person who was tapped has to run with the tapping child around the oval. If the tap-ee reaches their seat first, the “goose” has to stay in the center, also called the “pot”.
One good old stand-by among babysitting games is coloring. It sounds boring if you’re an adult, but when the weather is bad, it’s a very good project for filling time. If you have younger children, you will want them to color with crayons, since they are non-toxic. If they’re a bit older, you can use markers or colored pencils, but be careful none get chewed on, as they can be dangerous if swallowed.
It’s fun for kids to create different food ideas, especially if the weather outside is frightful. Use bananas and add candy pieces and raisins to them, in order to make them into people. When you make sandwiches, use various shaped cookie cutters that make sandwiches different shapes. Use healthy and natural foods whenever you can, so they’ll have a fun and healthy treat.
All of these babysitting games can be used to help keep your children occupied, but you should always be in the room with them, so you can monitor them and make sure all is OK.
Does Your Newborn Need the Hepatitis B Vaccine?

Hepatitis b is a liver disease caused by a virus with the same name. The infection may be acute or chronic and symptoms can include fever, malaise, fatigue, jaundice, abdominal tenderness, and elevated liver enzymes. While a person can be quite ill with this infection, the treatment is supportive and aimed at providing comfort. The vast majority of patients recover within eight weeks of an acute episode of the infection without any long term complications.
Parents are told that hepatitis b is a potentially life-threatening illness. What they are not told is the real risk of serious complications from the disease and that it is very unlikely their child will contract hepatitis b.
The virus is spread by coming in contact with the blood of an infected person. The vast majority of hepatitis b infections occur in persons considered to be in “high risk groups.” These groups include adults who inject illicit drugs or are chronic alcoholics; individuals who have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease; and men who have sex with men. Only 1.25 percent of infected individuals may develop liver cancer 30 years after being diagnosed as a chronic carrier.(1) Despite the low incidence of cancer, the hepatitis b vaccine has been called the first “anti-cancer vaccine.” Considering the risk factors of those who contract hepatitis b, it could well be the alcohol or the drugs that cause the cancer, not the virus.
The number reported cases of acute hepatitis b infection have steadily declined, from 18,003 cases in 1991 to 8,036 cases in 2000.(2) Of all persons who are exposed to the hepatitis b virus, 50 percent will develop no symptoms and 30 percent develop only mild flu-like symptoms. In both circumstances, the person will acquire life-time immunity to the virus.
Approximately 20 percent of persons who contract hepatitis b will develop fever, abdominal tenderness and the telltale sign of the infection: jaundice. In this subset of patients, more than 95 percent recover fully and will be immune for life. That means of all persons who are both exposed to the virus and become measurably ill, only 5 percent have the potential to become chronic carriers of the hepatitis b infection.(3)
So, let’s do the math: If 8,000 persons were diagnosed in the U.S. with hepatitis b in 2000, and 5 percent of those became chronic carriers, that would be 400 persons. If approximately 1 percent of chronic carriers go on to develop liver cancer, 4 adults might be prevented from contracting liver cancer by massive vaccination of more than four million newborns born each year.
Why babies?
In 1991, the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices (ACIP) began recommending the hepatitis b vaccine for newborns within the first 48 hours of life. Between 30-50% of children who develop adequate antibody after three doses of vaccine will loose detectable antibody within 7 years.(4) That means that many children vaccinated as babies will not have a measurable level of antibodies by the time they are seven years of age; most will not retain antibodies into adulthood.
The government pushed hepatitis b vaccination on infants as part of a strategy to eliminate the hepatitis b virus from the general population. Vaccination programs that targeted high-risk groups did not work because many adults refused the vaccine. Finding it difficult to vaccinate high risk groups with three doses of the vaccine, the government advisors decided the only way to control the problem was to vaccinate the entire population, starting at birth.
Newborns have been targeted for vaccination because they are accessible. Ask any parent who has tried to refuse this vaccine before leaving the hospital and you will hear horror stories of unrelenting pressure placed on them by nurses and doctors wanting to vaccinate their precious newborn.
If the hepatitis b vaccine is avoided at birth, then it is administered during the routine two month office visit…along with five other vaccines: polio (three strains), the Hib (H. influenza), Prevnar (seven strains of streptococcus), DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) and now, the new Rotateque (four strains of rotavirus). That is a total of 19 vaccine antigens and multiple doses of chemicals injected on the same visit into an eight week old baby.
Clearly, the universal vaccination of all newborns with hepatitis b vaccine is a policy that is based on convenience and opportunity, not need. Parents would be wise to investigate the risks of hepatitis b infection long before they are forced to make the decision about the vaccine.
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(1) Hyams, K.C. Risks of chronicity following acute hepatitis B virus infection: A review. Clin. Infect. Dis. 20, 992-1000. 1995.
(2) Acute hepatitis B infection and hepatitis B surface antigen positivity reported in the Department of Veterans Affairs: Occurrence in a population seeking medical assistance.
(3) Ibid. Hyams, K.C. (1995)
(4) Protection against viral hepatitis. Recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP). MMWR 1990 Feb 9;39(RR02):1-26.
Music Lessons for Children – How Young is Too Young?

I began playing a musical instrument late in life – in 4th grade, at the ripe old age of 9 – when my public school offered classes. I chose violin, and loved it. My teachers recognized my ability, and supported my decision to become a professional. But when I reached conservatory, what a shock! Most of the other students had begun years younger, in kindergarten or earlier. I had to practice 5 to 7 hours a day to catch up to those ‘virtuosos.’
Today, a growing body of research confirms what I sensed: There are neurological benefits to musical training from an early age, when the brain is forming. Research also associates childhood music lessons with higher grades, test scores, and self-esteem. And starting young means children have a better chance at becoming accomplished musicians, if that’s where their interests take them.
But not TOO young! Along with being a musician, I am a mother of three (including two teenagers who are pre-professional musicians, and a 6-year-old budding cellist); and I am the director and a teacher at a school that has taught music to hundreds of youngsters of all ages. Here’s what practical experience has taught me about launching children happily and successfully into the world of music.
1. ENRICH THE BABIES. Teaching an instrument to a child under 3 is an exercise in frustration. Instead, bring them to hear live music. Give them simple toy instruments, like keyboards – kids love pressing buttons. If you ever played an instrument, dust it off and start playing again, in front of them.
2. THERE IS A MAGIC NUMBER. It’s about 3 ½ . For many children, that’s the age when they can begin to concentrate long enough for instrument lessons – especially if the instrument is a piano.
3. CAN YOUR PRESCHOOLER FOCUS? If the child can focus on a task like a puzzle or shape sorter for 20 minutes, that child is probably ready. (If he doesn’t sit still for more than 20 seconds, don’t despair – he’ll get there later!)
4. START WITH PIANO LESSONS. Although violins are made in baby sizes, they are extremely difficult for most youngsters under 4 ½. Piano is so much better. The child can sit comfortably. There’s a palette in front of them – black and white keys They can concentrate on listening for high and low tones – basic ear training. And there’s gratification from the beginning: Press the key and it sounds good!
5. MAKE IT SOCIAL. The best classes for this age are like a great big playgroup, with the instrument as the focus. Children can’t wait to see their friends. If there are no classes like this in your area, consider finding another preschooler or two to join your child’s beginning lessons.
6. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Get at least three recommendations from other parents. You and your child should meet the teacher in advance, and tour the facility (whether it’s a music school, or the instructor’s house.)
7. SEEK RECITALS. Most preschoolers love to perform for family and friends. The children dress up; they shop for a special outfit; they even get new shoes! During or after the recital, there should be a reception (We call it a “party!”) The kids will run around, eat cookies and carrots, accept congratulations, and feel great!
8. KEEP THE REWARDS FLYING. Children are very goal-oriented, so hand out a LOT of rewards, stickers and small toys. When your child gets antsy, you can say, “If you can play these three measures, you get a sticker.” It works like a miracle!
9. GOT FIVE MINUTES? While lessons require a child to focus for 30 to 45 minutes, set the bar lower for home practice. If she can only put in five minutes, that’s great. She’ll go longer as she gets older. Consistency is FAR more important than duration.
10. CREATE A ROUTINE. Pick a regular place and time of day for practice.
11. BREAK THE ROUTINE. Some nights, I create an audience of stuffed animals for my 6-year-old. On “backwards” night, she does the measures in reverse. Sometimes she serenades me in the kitchen, while I cook. The wackier, the better.
12. DON’T BUY THE INSTRUMENT. If you have a choice, rent or borrow. Reducing your investment will help you achieve the right, laid-back attitude. When parents buy a new instrument for a beginning class, it’s practically a guarantee that the kid will fail. They feel they made this big investment, so their kid had better follow through. That’s too much pressure.
13. BE POSITIVE. Always see the bright side. Praise them for trying, and for their improvement. Your approval motivates them to stick with it.
14. GIVE IT FIVE WEEKS. After five sessions, parents and children understand exactly what’s required. That’s the time to ask yourself:
- Did my child learn something?
- Will he or she practice for at least a few minutes a day?
- Did I do ok? Can I handle the investment of time and energy?
If you answered ‘yes’ to at least two of these questions, keep going with music lessons. Most of our preschoolers do move on to private lessons. Or, if they’re old enough (4 ½ minimum) some switch to a stringed instrument. The piano lessons help enormously when they face the increased complexity of holding and playing a violin, cello or guitar.
But even if your child isn’t ready to continue, you have not wasted your investment. Everything they learned in those first five weeks as will still be there when they’re mature enough to continue making music, whether in 3 months or 3 years.
© 2008, Susan Pascale, All Rights Reserved.
113 Facts About Animal Cruelty

Animals caught in traps can suffer for days before succumbing to exposure, shock, or attacks by predators.
Traps often kill “non-target” animals, including dogs and endangered species.
To cut costs, fur farmers pack animals into small cages, preventing them from taking more than a few steps back and forth.
Crowding and confinement is especially distressing to minks- solitary animals who occupy up to 2,500 acres of wetland in the wild.
The frustration of life in a cage leads minks to self-mutilate- biting their skin, tails, feet- or frantically pace and circle endlessly.
“PETA investigators witnessed rampant cruelty to animals. Workers beat pigs with metal rods and jabbed pins into pigs’ eyes and faces.”
Snakes and lizards are skinned alive because of the belief that live flaying makes leather more supple.
Piglets are separated from their mothers when they are as young as 10 days old.
Once her piglets are gone, the sow is impregnated again, and the cycle continues for three or four years before she is slaughtered.
Approximately 3 to 4 million cats and dogs- many of them healthy, young, and adoptable- must be euthanized in animal shelters every year.
Cows produce milk for the same reason that humans do- to nourish their young – but on dairy farms calves are taken away at 1 day old.
1 day old calves are fed milk replacements (including cattle blood) so that their mothers’ milk can be sold to humans.
Animals can suffer brain damage or death from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. Beating the heat is extra tough for dogs.
Each year, approximately 10,000 bulls die in bullfights.
Most cows are intensively confined, unable to fulfill their most basic desires, such as nursing their calves, even for a single day.
Cows are fed unnatural, high-protein diets-which include dead chickens, pigs, and other animals.
Overall, factory-farmed animals, including those on dairy farms, produce 1.65 billion tons of manure each year.
Kid goats are boiled alive to make gloves.
The skins of unborn calves and lambs – some aborted, others from slaughtered pregnant cows – are considered “luxurious.”
About 285 million hens are raised for eggs in the US. In tiny spaces so small they cannot move a wing.
The wire mesh of the cages rubs off hens feathers, chafes their skin, and causes their feet to become crippled.
Before 1986, only four states had felony animal cruelty laws.
Glue traps cause terror and agony to any animals who touch them, leaving them to suffer for days.
In one study, 70% of animal abusers also had records for other crimes.
Sealers often hook baby seals in the eye, cheek, or mouth to avoid damaging their fur, then drag them across the ice to skin them.
Arsenic-laced additives are mixed into the feed of about 70 percent of the chickens raised for food.
Every year, nearly a million seals worldwide are subjected to painful and often lingering deaths, largely for the sake of fashion.
Scientists estimate that 100 species go extinct every day! That’s about one species every 15 minutes.
Every year in the US, 50 million male piglets are castrated (usually without being given any painkillers).
More than 15 million warm-blooded animals are used in research every year.
The methods used in fur factory farms are designed to maximize profits, almost always at the expense of the animals.
To test cosmetics, cleaners, and other products, hundreds of thousands of animals are poisoned, blinded, and killed every year.
In extremely crowded conditions, piglets are prone to stress-related behavior such as cannibalism and tail-biting.
Farmers often chop off piglets’ tails and use pliers to break off the ends of their teeth- without giving them any painkillers.
For identification purposes, farmers cut out chunks of young pigs ears.
Animals on fur farms spend their entire lives confined to cramped, filthy wire cages.
For fur, small animals may be crammed into boxes and poisoned with hot, unfiltered engine exhaust from a truck.
Engine exhaust is not always lethal, and some animals wake up while they are being skinned.
Larger animals have clamps attached to or rods forced into their mouth or anus so they can be painfully electrocuted.
Bird poisons attack birds’ nervous systems, causing them to suffer seizures, erratic flight, and tremors for hours before dying.
If you drink milk, you’re subsidizing the veal industry.
Male calves are often taken away from their mothers at 1 day old, chained in tiny stalls for 3-18 weeks, and raised for veal.
After they are taken from their mothers, piglets are confined to pens until they are separated to be raised for breeding or meat.
Although chickens can live for more than a decade, hens raised for their eggs are exhausted and killed by age 2.
More than 100 million “spent” hens are killed in slaughterhouses every year.
Forty-five states currently have felony provisions for animal cruelty. (Those without are AK, ID, MS, ND and SD.)
Dogs used for fighting are chained, taunted, and starved to trigger extreme survival instincts and encourage aggressiveness.
Dogs that lose fights (or refuse) are often abandoned, tortured, set on fire, electrocuted, shot, drowned, or beaten to death.
Cows on average product 16 lbs of milk per day. With hormones, antibiotics, and genetic manipulation? 54 lbs a day.
Humane treatment is not a priority for those who poach and hunt animals to obtain their skin.
Alligators on farms may be beaten with hammers and axes, sometimes remaining conscious and in pain for 2 hours after skinning.
Investigation of animal abuse is often the first point of social services intervention for a family in trouble.
A Canadian Police study found that 70 percent of people arrested for animal cruelty had past records of other violent crimes.
Dog fighting and cock-fighting are illegal in all 50 states.
Hoarding of animals exists in virtually every community. Well-intentioned people overwhelmed by animal overpopulation crisis.
The consequences for hoarders, their human dependents, animals, and the community are extremely serious- and often fatal for animals.
Declawing is a painful mutilation that involves 10 amputations – not just the nails – but the ends of toes (bone and all).
The long-term effects of declawing include skin and bladder problems and the gradual weakening of cats’ legs, shoulders, and back.
Declawing is both painful and traumatic, and it has been outlawed in Germany and other parts of Europe as a form of cruelty.
Kangaroos are slaughtered by the millions every year; their skins are considered prime material for soccer shoes.
Across the US, 6 to 8 million stray and abandoned animals enter animal shelters every year, and about half must be euthanized.
In California, America’s top milk-producing state, manure from dairy farms has poisoned hundreds of square miles of groundwater.
Each of the more than 1 million cows on the state’s dairy farms excrete 18 gallons of manure daily.
Every year, the global leather industry slaughters more than a billion animals and tans their skins and hides.
Elephants who perform in circuses are often kept in chains for as long as 23 hours a day from the time they are babies.
Every year, millions of animals are killed for the clothing industry.
An immeasurable amount of suffering goes into every fur-trimmed jacket, leather belt, and wool sweater.
Neglect and abandonment are the most common forms of companion animal abuse in the United States.
On any given day in the U.S., there are more than 65 million pigs on factory farms, and 112 million are killed for food each year.
Every year, dogs suffer and die when left in a parked car- even for “just a minute” – parked cars are deathtraps for dogs.
Dog owners: On a 78 degree F day, the temperature in a shaded car is 90°F, in the sun it can climb to 160°F in minutes.
98% of Americans consider pets to be companions or members of the family.
For medical experimentation animals can be burned, shocked, poisoned, isolated, starved, addicted to drugs, and brain-damaged.
Regardless of how trivial or painful animal experiments may be, none are prohibited by law.
When valid non-animal research methods are available, no law requires experimenters to use such methods instead of animals.
On average it takes 1,000 dogs to maintain a mid-sized racetrack operation. There are over 30 tracks in the United States.
Female cows are artificially inseminated shortly after their first birthdays. Happy birthday!
Birds don’t belong in cages. Bored, lonely, denied the opportunity to fly, deprived of companionship…
Many birds become neurotic in cages – pulling out feathers, bobbing their heads incessantly, and repeatedly pecking.
According to industry reports, more than 1 million pigs die en route to slaughter each year.
More than 100 million animals every year suffer and die in cruel chemical, drug, food and cosmetic tests, biology lessons, etc.
Approximately 9 billion chickens are raised and killed for meat each year in the U.S.
The industry refers to chickens as “broilers” and raises them in huge, ammonia-filled, windowless sheds with artificial lighting.
Some chickens spend their entire lives standing on concrete floors.
Some chickens are confined to massive, crowded lots, where they are forced to live amid their own waste.
Neglect/Abandonment is the most prevalent form of animal abuse (approximately 36% of all animal abuse cases.)
Cows are treated like milk-producing machines and are genetically manipulated and pumped full of antibiotics and hormones.
Foie gras is made from the grotesquely enlarged livers of ducks and geese who have been cruelly force-fed.
The best way to save cows from the misery of factory farms is to stop buying milk and other dairy products. Discover soy!
A typical slaughterhouse kills about 1,000 hogs per hour.
The sheer number of animals killed makes it impossible for pigs’ deaths to be humane and painless.
Because of improper stunning, many hogs are alive when they reach the scalding hot water baths.
13% of intentional animal abuse cases involve domestic violence.
Animal cruelty problems are people problems. When animals are abused, people are at risk.
Instead of improving conditions for animals, the dairy industry is exploring the use of genetically manipulated cattle.
More than half the fur in the US comes from China, where millions of dogs and cats are bludgeoned, hanged, and bled to death.
Millions of pounds of antibiotics are fed to chickens, who metabolize only about 20 percent of the drugs fed to them.
The 3 trillion pounds of waste produced by factory-farmed animals every year is usually used to fertilize crops.
Chaining dogs, while unfortunately legal in most areas, is one of the cruelest punishments imaginable for social animals.
Tens of thousands of horses from the United States are slaughtered every year to be used for horsemeat in Europe and Asia.
Since the last horse slaughter plants in the US were closed in 2007, thousands of horses have been shipped to Canada/Mexico.
Abusers kill, harm, or threaten children’s pets to coerce them into sexual abuse or to force them to remain silent about abuse.
There are no federal laws to regulate the voltage or use of electric prods on pigs.
Forty-one of the 45 state felony animal cruelty laws were enacted in the last two decades.
In the United States, 1.13 million animals were used in experiments in 2009, plus an estimated 100 million mice and rats.
As a result of disease, pesticides, and climate changes, the honeybee population has been nearly decimated.
Many studies have found a link between cruelty to animals and other forms of interpersonal violence.
Cows have a natural lifespan of about 20 years and can produce milk for eight or nine years.
A fur coat is pretty cool- for an animal to wear.
Eighteen red foxes are killed to make one fox-fur coat, 55 minks to make a mink coat.
Fur farmers use the cheapest and cruelest killing methods available: suffocation, electrocution, gassing, and poisoning.
In addition to diarrhea, pneumonia, and lameness, calves raised for veal are terrified and desperate for their mothers.
During Canada’s annual commercial seal slaughter, as many as 300,000 seals are shot or bludgeoned.
Teaching Babies to Read – When Should You Start?

Babies are born with a special gift. This gift is their rapidly developing brain. You see the brain is developed when your baby is born, but the wiring of the brain and the forming of all its systems happens within the first five years of life. This is why babies are able to learn to sit, crawl, walk and speak in such a short time. At birth they are like blank slates, waiting to see what information we will put into them.
The opportunities we offer our babies will greatly affect their lives. If we stimulate them and talk to them, read to them and give them opportunities to learn all they can, they will. Learning is second nature to babies. That is what they are born to do. They want to touch everything, taste everything, see everything, hear everything and know everything. It is almost as if they know they have this brief period to learn all they can and they want to take advantage of it.
Many parents have taught their babies to read beginning in infancy. They have discovered that their tiny babies can learn to read and it is no more difficult for them than learning to speak. Language is language to babies, whether spoken or written, and they are masters of language.
Parents can begin to teach their babies to read as early as 3 months old. In order to determine if your baby is ready to begin a reading program, pay attention to their visual tracking skills. Hold up an object about 8 inches from their face. Move it to the right and left and notice if your baby can follow the object with their eyes. If so, your baby is ready to begin learning to read.
Just because you can start with a baby that is 3 months old does not mean that you can’t also teach your 3 year old to read. There are advantages and disadvantages to teaching your baby to read regardless of their age. For example, if you teach your 3 month old to read, it may be a year before they are able to demonstrate their ability to read to you.
When you teach babies that are 2 years old and up, you have the opportunity to focus on their areas of interest. If your child likes vehicles, you can teach your child to read and recognize the names of many different vehicles. You can write short stories for your baby about these same vehicles.
It is quite easy to tailor a reading program to your baby’s interest. Pay attention to what excites your baby and then begin teaching them words that they are interested in.
Once your child has reached their 4th birthday, phonics becomes a better option for teaching your child to read. Children from 3 months through 3 years old can easily learn to read in very little time and with little to no effort.
Preparing for Your Baby’s Baptism or Christening

A Baptism or Christening is a family’s way to introduce their child into their church and faith officially during which they are blessed, and thanks is given for the child’s safe arrival into the world. However, some parents may choose for it to be a simple naming ceremony rather then a full scale religious one. A naming ceremony is a way to welcome the child without committing the child to the religion.
The first thing you must do to prepare for your baby’s Baptism/Christening is to decide if you will have a religious or secular (non-religious) ceremony. Once you have chosen which type of ceremony you would like to do, you will then need to select a date and contact your church.
You will need to meet with your minister, priest, or clergyman to discuss the details of the event. Will you it be held at the church, your home, garden, or another location? Find out about the guidelines for the ceremony, will it be something that is performed during a regular Sunday service or is it something that is done on a separate day and time that you need to schedule. If your church requires it, you may have to take special classes before the Baptism/Christening takes place.
Don’t forget to ask questions about the procedures you need to follow during the actual service, as well as the use of things like video and photography during the event. Finding out about these things ahead of time can be helpful when sending out invitations to your guests because you are able to make them aware of the rules they must follow during the ceremony, for example: no video cameras or flash allowed inside the church.
Once you have set your date and determined the information you will need to communicate it to your guests, it is time to send out invitations. It is best to begin looking for invitations about 1 month before the ceremony. You will need time to get them made up and to get them out to your guests. Guests should receive them at least two weeks prior to the big day. For many people, this will mean that you need to choose your invitations before the baby is born.
The most important part of the entire event will be selecting your baby’s Godparents, should you choose to have them. The Godparents will be the people who will take care of your child if something were to happen to you and your spouse, so making a hasty decision is not a good idea. Religiously speaking, they’re also responsible for directing your child in the customs of your religion.
Traditionally, in many religions, baby girls are given two Godmothers and one Godfather, and baby boys should have two Godfathers and one Godmother, but it’s really up to the parents to decide how many they want. You will also want to take into consideration how the chosen Godparents may handle the responsibility of becoming your child’s full-time guardian should the need arise. Once you have made the all important decision of choosing the Godparents, the rest of the event will be a breeze.
Traditionally, the Baptism/Christening gown that your baby will wear during the service would be a long white or cream gown, worn by both girls and boys. Many families will have a gown that has been passed to them from other generations, but if you do not have a gown you can choose to buy a vintage gown from an antique store, or purchase a new one. If you are not sure about having your baby boy wear a gown, do not be concerned, in recent years it has become quite common for baby boys to wear formal short suits or a formal white shirt and pants. If you are planning to buy a new outfit, you may want to find out how to preserve it for use by future generations.
The actual service will only last for about 20 or 30 minutes, and then you may elect to hold a small reception afterwards. If you do plan to have a reception, you will need to decide where you’re going to have it because you may need to book the venue in advance if you want to use a restaurant or hall.
The food doesn’t need to be extravagant, it can be as simple as sandwiches, vegetable and fruit trays, and drinks, or you can choose to have a hot meal catered. If you’re going to do the food yourself, prepare as much as you can the night before and store it at your chosen venue and then talk to family members about helping you set everything up. If money is an issue, consider holding a potluck. You’re family and friends will be more then happy to bring their favorite dish and you can be sure that there will be plenty of food, without the added financial stress.
Whether opting for a reception or not, it is a good idea to pick up a small favor for your guests. These can be any small gift that your guests will appreciate, and can be given at either the ceremony, the reception, or both. Your guests will appreciate your etiquette and your thoughtfulness. In some communities, it is also common to give a small gift to the godparents.
Once your baby’s special day is complete, don’t forget to send thank-you cards or letters to all your guests to show your appreciation for coming to your child’s Baptism/Christening. For those family members and friends who were unable to attend the event, whether due to distance or other obligations, you may want to consider sending them a Baptism/Christening announcement as a way to share your day and provide them with a keepsake.
Snow Globes – Unique Gift Ideas for Kids

Snow globe fascinates just about every little child. It creates an enchanting feeling once the “snow” is shaken and falls over the miniature scene. Baby-themed snow globes make the best gift ideas for babies and children. You can give them on various occasions such as birthdays, christening and other special events.
Igniting the holiday spirit, snow globes, also known as snow domes, are popular Christmas gifts for children. Often, parents who want to make their baby’s first Christmas remarkably special buy infant-themed snow globes for their son or daughter. This will serve as a keepsake that will last for several years or until the child grow older. But, this also makes excellent gifts for your little nieces or nephews, cousins or even to your god sons or god daughters on Christmas.
If you are looking for unique baby christening gifts, then snow domes are your perfect choice. Although toys and clothing are more practical to give, they won’t be fully enjoyed by the kid when the time comes. To make your gift more special, you can customize the globe with the name or picture of the baby and the date of christening. This will also serve as fantastic souvenir gifts on that special day.
Birthdays are another special occasions where you can give snow domes as presents to children. Kids love to celebrate their own birthdays, and more often, they want it to be extra special. What could make their birthdays more memorable than a beautiful piece of snow dome? Although there are several snow globes to choose from, baby-themed snow domes reflect more of their pure and innocent nature.
There are a variety of children’s snow domes in the market. The most popular are those made from the Disney collection. These domes showcase the popular Disney cartoon characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the Disney princesses, fairies and many more. Also, you can find snow domes with actual figures of cute, little babies and children on it. For Christmas, you can choose domes with holiday themes like the baby Jesus nativity snow globe.
You don’t have to limit yourself to these choices. To make your selection more personalized, think about what your child likes the most. If you are giving this to your friend’s son or daughter, ask the parents about it or observe the child’s characteristic. For boys, they often like superheroes from TV shows and movies. For girls, they like just about anything that is colorful and cute!
Buying that perfect gift for babies and children need not be a daunting task. All you have to do is look for a specialty store that sells different kinds of snow globes for kids! Indeed, snow globes are everlasting gifts! They are not only perfect for kids, but as well as for adults!
Cognitive Development – Preschool Play

Preschool is the best place to prepare children for the formal learning in a school. It focuses on teaching new skills and promoting development is all arenas with a great degree of fun without creating any pressure on the child. The children who are ready to go to preschool are at the stage of developing their thinking skills and preschool play provides the environment for that cognitive development.
At this stage, children learn language, its usage, its association and develop their memory, thought processes, awareness and knowledge bank. With right playing activities, cognitive development can be promoted immensely and children can develop strong problem solving skills that are foundation for a happy and successful life. Here are some activities of preschool play that promote cognitive development:
Role play
Role playing or pretend play allows children to use their imagination to build up new stories and ideas. They develop images in their mind and try to understand how a particular character will behave. This further gives them an understanding of the roles of things and human beings in different walks of life like doctor, chef, and firefighter. You can aid the process by pretend play toys like play food, scaled down versions of kitchens, houses, factories and doll houses, playhouses.
Puzzles
Preschoolers grasp concepts very fast so using puzzles involving numbers, alphabets, shapes, colors, sizes intrigue them way beyond you can imagine. Blocks, shape sorters, jigsaw puzzles also make them think beyond their usual mental boundaries and they try different things by applying their thought processes. These activities encourage the development of problem solving capabilities.
Rhymes and finger plays
Music stimulates the senses in very effective way. Listening to nursery rhymes and educational songs involving counting and word formation makes a deep impression on their memory and encourages them to learn in a fun way. Finger plays with puppets and finger toys tickle their creative abilities and inspire them to try something new without any fear.
Memory development
Teachers in preschools play a major role in memory development by re-introducing children to activities and tools or toys that were done or used, say a week ago. It compels them to think in terms of distance and the mere activity of trying to recall works very well. Concrete experiences help children in remembering things of past so make sure to indulge in distancing questions and old toys.
Playful learning encourages children to rely on their instincts and to satisfy their natural curiosity. They develop cognitive skills along with physical and emotional development. Preschool play builds a strong foundation for future life by nurturing children’s imagination, creativity, thinking and problem solving skills. So whenever you plan to choose a preschool for your child, do examine the emphasis they pay on cognitive development while having fun.
