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This week’s Carnival of Family Life if now up at An Island Life. The carnival this week has a ton of entries, including my article on What to do When Your Child is Shy.
A few of my personal favorites were:
- A Lesson in Selflessness posted at There is a Season. It is a very heartwarming story about how generous her late husband mother is (it brought a tear to my eye).
- How to Lose a Script posted at The Rocketman’s Change for a Dollar. This is a definite must read if you have been putting off backing up those files you have stored on your computer and you have little ones around.
- Ten Reasons I’m a Youth Coach posted at GNMParents. This is a great article about the importance of being involved in your children’s lives.
- Fatherhood – Bonding With Your Child posted at More4Kids. This is a great post if you are a new dad or expectant dad. Bonding with your new child can be both fun and a little scary. Luckily there is much more information out there for new dads and more resources to help them.
Those are just a few of the great entries to this week’s carnival. Be sure to stop by and check out all the great articles.
It is inevitable, at some point during your child’s educational career you are bound to get a phone call from your child’s teacher. It may be only to tell you that your child is doing wonderfully in school, or it may be to discuss some struggles your child is facing academically, or it may be to discuss some behavioral issues. Whatever the reason the teacher is calling the most important thing you need to do is take the time to listen.
When you consider the fact that your child’s teacher has many children under their care (many more if your child is in middle or high school) it has to mean something that he or she has taken the time to call you about something. Getting a call from your child’s teacher in the middle of a busy day at work, or after work while you are trying to make dinner may be frustrating, but it is important to take time out of your day for the phone call.
Here are a few tips about dealing with calls from the teacher, especially those that involve some academic or behavioral issue that needs to be addressed.
- Make time to talk to the teacher, even if you are in the middle of something. If you can’t devote your attention to what the teacher has to say schedule a time for her to call back or for you to call her when your full attention will be available.
- It is important to take notes about what the teacher is saying about the problem, what suggestions he has for the solution, and what needs to be done. The notes will help you discuss the problem with your spouse and your child later.
- Be sure to share your ideas with the teacher. Spend sometime brain storming about the best solution, be creative, and be open with your comments. The reason the teacher called is not only to let you know what is going on but to also get your feedback as well.
- Getting a call from your child’s teacher about something negative can be upsetting, the worst thing you can do is get defensive. The important thing is tackling the problem and helping your child overcome the obstacle.
Likely when the teacher takes the time to make a phone call home it is because something is wrong or she is worried about something. Taking the time to listen to what the teacher has to say, being involved in the conversation and the solution, and keeping a level head are all very important.
I recently read an article on Yahoo News regarding testing that was conducted by Consumer Reports on child safety seats. Having recently written an article on child safety seats myself it sparked my interest. What I found in the article was astounding.
According to the article Consumer Reports was testing baby seats in order to make their recommendations and rank the seats in quality, safety, price, etc. For those not familiar with Consumer Reports, they test and evaluate all sorts of products and services in order to make recommendations on the best buys and best quality.
In this particular case they were testing and evaluating child safety seats. 12 seats were tested using 35 and 38 mph crashes. The sad news is that most of the child safety seats failed. Only two of the safety seats passed the test, those were the Baby Trend Flex Loc 
and the Graco SnugRide . The safety seats that failed either rotated on their base too far, flew off the base entirely, and in one case the dummy in the seat was flung 30 feet. As a result of the testing Consumer Reports has suggested a recall of the Evenflo Discovery infant seat.
The manufacturers have responded by saying that all their seats have passed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s testing, which requires that an infant seat perform adequately in a 30 mph front crash test. The Consumer Reports testing was done using 35 mph front crash tests and 38 mph side crash tests.
I will certainly be doing some extra research when it comes time for me to purchase an infant safety seat and I would certainly recommend that you do the same. The safety of your child is of the utmost importance, be sure the safety seat you purchase actually is safe.
UPDATE 1/19/2007: This morning I was watching the Today Show, they reported on an update to this story. Consumer Reports is now retracting their report and testing done on infant car seats. Apparently when the testing was reviewed by the government it was determined that the crash tests were actually done at about double the speed reported, more like 70 mph than 38 mph. According to the government review all of the infant seats tested were considered safe.
Shyness is something many people experience. I am one of them. Some would say it is an affliction, I don’t necessarily see it that way. It can, however, keep you from experience some things in life, and can impact your ability to meet friends and enjoy group activities. Addressing your child’s shyness early can prevent them from carrying that shyness into their adult life. Remember that being shy is ok, and very normal.
So what can you do if your child is shy, how can you bring them out of their shell? Remember that each child is different, and how you approach your child’s shyness will depend a lot on how old they are, how their shyness is affecting them, and what types of approaches typically work for your child.
Take it one step at a time: congratulate your child when he or she tries new things this will encourage him and help him build confidence.
Build his friendships slowly: if you are scheduling play dates to help your child meet new kids and make new friends take it slow. Maybe start out with just one child over at first, if that works out then you can add another child to the play date. Being overwhelmed is probably part of what makes your child shy around other people, so taking it slow will be easier on them.
Talk to your child’s teacher: teachers sometimes overlook the quiet kids. Take the time at the beginning of the school year to talk to your child’s teacher. Explain your child’s shyness and quiet manner. The teacher may have some good suggestions for bringing your child out of their shell, and if the teacher is aware of your child’s shyness ahead of time he or she can help encourage your child’s participation in the class throughout the year.
Encourage your child to participate in new activities: shy children are often uncomfortable in new group activities and often shy away from joining groups. Encourage your child to try new things. Sign them up for one group activity, like boy/girl scouts or a swimming class for example. They will be introduced to something new and will meet new kids to make friends with.
Identify talents: identify talents that your child has that help make them feel special. Perhaps there is a group they can join where they can use and grow their talent while interacting with kids that have similar interests.
Respect your child’s fears: if your child is starting a new group activity he is likely scared, acknowledge this fear and talk to him about it. He will feel encouraged in knowing someone understands how he feels.
Avoid embarrassing your child: shy children are often sensitive to teasing, avoid comparing your child to outgoing siblings or friend’s kids. It is important not to make them feel bad about their shyness.
Prepare your child for new experiences: This goes along with acknowledging your child’s fear. Once you have talked to your child about their fear of the new activity you can help them develop a plan on how they are going to face that fear. They are likely to be less shy and uncomfortable if they know what to expect and have some sort of game plan.
Teach by example: if you are shy yourself it will be helpful to teach by example. As a shy adult you may find it difficult to interact with other parents, make an effort to join parent groups and participate in new activities. Show your child that it isn’t so bad to put yourself out there.
Teach your child to deal with rejection: this can be very difficult because most adults don’t deal with rejection very well either. Talk to your child about rejection, what it can feel like, and how they can learn from it. Explain to them that not everyone is going to like them and that’s ok, but they need to meet new people in order to find great friends.
A lot of kids out grow their shyness around age 6, but will likely become a little shy and self-conscious again when they become adolescents. The key to dealing with shy children is acknowledgement of the feelings and fears, and encouraging them to explore new activities. Talk with your child’s teachers and pediatrician for advice on how to deal with your child’s shyness. Other parents can be great resources as well, especially those who have shy children. You may also consider having your child talk to a child psychologist if your child’s shyness is having a significant impact on their life and development. Your pediatrician should be able to advise you on whether this is necessary for your child and refer you to a good psychologist.
Some Helpful Websites
Ah, the end of the road is in sight. In just a few more weeks you will finally get to see your baby. Over the last 27 weeks your baby has made many strides and has developed from just a small embryo into a little fetus. Through the remaining weeks of your pregnancy your baby will continue its miraculous development and grow significantly to become the little person you will soon meet.
Your baby now weighs approximately 2 to 3 pounds is roughly 15 inches long. During the first part of the third trimester your baby will open its eyes for the first time. Movement of the fetus is very obvious and forceful given that your baby’s bones have fully developed by this stage in the pregnancy. You can especially feel the movements when you are sitting or lying down. It is thought that our movement lulls the baby to sleep, so when the mother is resting the baby is often awake.
The baby will gain a lot of weight during the remaining weeks of your pregnancy. From about the 30th week through the 37th week the baby will gain approximately half a pound a week. As the baby grows his or her movements will become less forceful as their living quarters get more and more cramped.
As the weeks pass the baby will complete the development of their reproductive systems. The downy hair that has covered their body throughout much of the pregnancy will fall out. The development of the baby’s lungs continues, each week the lungs become stronger. Premature babies born after week 32 often survive the challenges that face a preterm baby, but each week they stay in the womb allowing their lungs to develop will better their chances of survival and reduce the complications they will face.
Throughout the final weeks of your pregnancy it is all about adding on the pounds, and developing the lungs and the very necessary suck reflex. Around week 36 the baby will begin to move into position for delivery.
As the 40th week and your due date approaches the baby’s organ functions will continue to improve so that by the time they enter the world they will be ready to hit the ground running. The weight the baby has gained during the final weeks of the pregnancy will help the baby be able to control their own body temperature after birth.
This is an amazing time in your pregnancy. Your baby is almost here. Talk to your doctor about what you need to do, what you should look for to indicate you are going into labor, and when you should head to the hospital. Enjoy these last few weeks.
Here a few websites were you can find images of what a baby looks like during the third trimester.