Gender Selection : The Ultimate Choice

Children are a great blessing to their parents, and a gift to mankind. Being childless is a curse that many families bear in silence, especially around family gatherings and holidays. It is very important to appreciate all children for whom they are, regardless of their sex. Nevertheless, many couples regard the gender of their next child to be very important because they would like to balance the sexes of their children.
Did you know that to a great extent you can choose the sex of your next baby? There are certain techniques that may help you so that you will not be limited to having children of one sex. If you are concerned about the sex of your next child, this article will provide you with important information.
The following are common misconceptions about factors that influence the sex of your next child:

• Eating or avoiding certain foods will not make a difference.
• Having the female reach orgasm first has no influence.
• The depth of penetration at the time of ejaculation does not matter.
The following are factors that may in fact influence the sex of your next child:
• Position at the time of intercourse may slightly influence the sex outcome Couples who conceive during intercourse where the male enters his wife from the rear approach (“doggy” style) have a slight increase in bearing a son. In conceiving a daughter, the position of the couple at the time of intercourse does not seem to matter at all.
• The most successful results of gender selection over the last 20 years have been the obtained using albumen gradients for sperm selection of sex. Using this method you will have a child of the chosen sex 70% of the time. This relates to a 40% increase over the normal rate of having a boy or a girl.

Determine gender or gender selection

The sex chromosomes determine the gender of a child at the moment of fertilization. If the egg is fertilized by an X bearing sperm the child will be a daughter, and conversely if the egg is fertilized by a Y bearing sperm the child will be a son. The ratio of genders at birth is 51% males to 49% females. This ratio holds true for the human species, as proven by many studies.

A Live-in Nanny Or Live-in AuPair Could Be The Solution Your Family Needs

The Nanny is so far my favourite tv program. the only comedy that can make me laugh and i love nanny Fine! She's so stylish and supportive. But i'm not going to talk about her, i want to talk about a live in nanny or AuPair. Read this!

Childcare is not only expensive but can be hard to come-by. Often, childcare centres have waiting lists, and you could find yourself limited to the days you can choose from, which could limit your work choices. There is an alternative to enrolling your children into a childcare facility that could not only be convenient for you, but could ensure you have childcare and babysitting whenever you need it, and give you some freedom back to live life how you want to. An Au pair or Nanny could be the solution for you and your family.
Taking on a live-in Nanny or live-in AuPair is a growing trend across the globe, and where once upon a time, only the wealthy could afford one, it is now a more commonplace scenario for less wealthy families. With the cost of childcare ever increasing, and with more and more families needing to put their children into childcare to be able to gain a second income, sometimes there is no real advantage to paying hundreds of dollars per week per child, just to earn a few more hundred dollars for the family. You expend more energy and take on more stress and the benefits are not always clear if you are not able to make a decent income once the childcare costs are factored in.

When you have a live-in Nanny or AuPair, the cost is greatly reduced as you provide accommodation and food for your Nanny, and in return they offer childcare and even home help whenever you need it. You could include duties such as laundry and cleaning in the job description, and find yourself with even more time to enjoy your life and your family.

There is a growing trend now, where families take on short term nannies or AuPairs, who are travelling and would like to stay in your city for a period of a few weeks to a few months. You can meet and connect with these nannies online, and make the arrangements you need to, before they even arrive. Perhaps you only need vacation care for the summer holidays, or would like someone to stay with your children while you go away on business. There are many scenarios where taking on a short term live in AuPair or Nanny could be beneficial to you and your family, without the cost of it breaking the bank.

By using an online facility to connect with someone who would like to come and stay with you, is not only a very cheap alternative to paying an expensive agency to find someone for you, but you meet these people yourself online, can converse with them and get to know them before making a decision about whether this person is right for your family dynamic. With many AuPairs to choose from, from all over the world, there has never been an easier way to find the right person for the job, and for your family.

Taking on a short or long term live-in Nanny or live-in AuPair could just be the solution you are looking for to meet your childcare needs without it costing you a fortune. Take the time to have a look online and be amazed with the difference it can make to your life!

source from : http://www.populararticles.com/

A Gift Basket for Faraway Family Members

I know very well what it's like to have family who live far away. When I was growing up, my grandparents and aunts/uncles and cousins lived across the ocean. When I had my own kids, their grandparents and aunts/ uncles lived on the other side of the country. Now that my sister has 2 small children, the youngest of whom I've never met, this being far away has hit me again. How can we show far away family, especially when children are involved, that we want to be close and stay connected?

We could design a gift basket for family members who live far away, just to say we care. We would put into it several mementos that make the distance between us seem smaller.

If we have young children, we could send grandparents a digital picture frame. In case you're wondering what a digital picture frame is; it is a device about the size and shape of a picture frame that has a LCD screen. The screen displays multiple photos in a slide show format, and it connects to the Internet via the phone line to download new pictures and information to display. You use your computer to upload photos to a website and every day the frame uses the phone line to connect to the website and download any new photos. This is an ideal way to send digital photos of the family to grandparents who lack a computer and/or the skills to use one.

We could also include a DVD, or a video depending on the equipment we and they have, of some recent activity; perhaps our child scoring a goal at soccer or performing in a recital, or even just a family picnic or something like that. Photos are great, certainly better than nothing, but they just don't show you what the child is really like as well as video does. They don't give you as much of a feeling of being there as a movie does. We could also include a tape (either audiotape or videotape) of our child giving the recipient a special message.

Of course we could always send regular photos too. One idea to make a photo special is to cut out the shape of the children (the important part) and have it glued onto a plastic block so that it stands upright by itself. Another idea is to frame the photo in a magnetic frame that is suitable for the holiday so that it is easy to put on the fridge. I have one on my fridge right now that is a heart frame for Valentines Day. You can often get these at places like Target. We could include a picture the child has drawn or painted, or even a small thing the child has made himself if the child likes to do crafts.

Of course, most of these ideas are not just for children and grandparents, although I know that the time when you feel the farthest away from your family is when either you are a child away from grandparents, or you are away from a small child, especially a grandchild. These ideas can be applied to any faraway family members. When family members move away is when they most need to know that we're thinking of them. A gift basket would be a great way to reassure them of this.



Source: Free Articles

Best time to visit Disney World

It's not just about the crowds...

In choosing your time to visit Walt Disney World, you want to balance four factors:

•crowds
•weather
•park hours
•and special events.
Some choice times for Disney World vacations are mentioned at the bottom of this page. But first let's consider these four factors. You might change your mind about the best time to visit!

For starters:

Extended Park Hours & Special Events
Yes, the busiest times of year are crowded, but they also have benefits: extended hours, plus special parades etc.

During summer, the Magic Kingdom theme park is often open until 11 p.m. or later; during Christmas and New Year's, it will probably be open until midnight, and Epcot until 10 p.m.

Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney's Hollywood Studios are a lot of fun after dark, and you'll often find a special night parade, fireworks, and/or shows that only happen when the park is open late. For ex., during a visit we made in June, day-time crowds were intense but night-time in MK was delightful: no wait for rides, fireworks at 10, and at 11 pm, an extra Spectral Parade. Peak periods do have their benefits.

As for special events, many people would consider Disney Christmas -- with spectacular lights and festivities-- a "best time to visit", despite the crowds. Star Wars Weekends in June and the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival in spring (with free Flower Power concerts) are other fun times.

The calendars for individual theme parks at the Walt Disney World site show park hours. For special events by month, try this calendar at AllEarsNet.com.

Weather
Expect plenty of heat and humidity during summer, which sounds horrendous with small kids and long line-ups... But for many rides, line-ups are under shade or in air-conditioned areas; plus, you can take coping measures. Ride a "wet ride", to cool down. Leave the park in the afternoon, then return for night-time.

Summertime often brings thunderstorms; the rain rarely lasts long, and cools things down. Bring plastic ponchos, or buy the Mickey poncho on the spot. Hurricanes are rarely a problem, because Orlando's inland.

Crowds- Busiest (and Least Busy) Times
Also affecting best times to visit is visitor volume: i.e. when are the parks least crowded and most crowded? For example, the end of April, after Spring Break, has moderate attendance; January and early February, and fall months, have low attendance.

Resort Prices: also in the mix about "When to Visit Disney World" are the seasonal prices for Walt Disney World Resorts. Count up five different "Seasons": Value, Regular, Summer, Peak, and Holiday Season. Sample dates: Value Season, January 1 to February 13, August 3 to October 1, November 30 to December 18; Regular Season, March 30 to May 21, October 2 to November 29; Summer Season, May 22 to August 2; Peak Season, February 14 to March 29, and Holiday Season, December 19 to December 31.* (These are sample dates only; and there are variations even within the seasons. See details.)

Best bets for When to Visit Disney World

Disney-philes have praised the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas as a top time to visit, with the parks decorated for Christmas, but not much crowds. Seems like too many people are in on the secret, though; Mousesavers' authors have reported heavy crowds. Be aware, too, that the Magic Kingdom closes early some nights, and weather may be too cool for the water parks. Still, this remains a recommended time for enjoying the park decorations before peak season.

Other recommended times:

•January, after school starts back after the holidays
•late April, after spring break, until Memorial Day; and you can enjoy free concerts, with name bands from the sixties and seventies, during Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival
•late August: many schools in the southeast are back in session, and crowds are typically less. Also, resort prices drop somewhat. Watch out, though, for earlier park closings!

source : About.com: Family Vacations

tag-me-not

This morning I was tagged by Chris to write 7 random or weird facts about myself and then tag 7 more bloggers to do the same. So here goes.....

Here are the rules:
Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 Random/weird things about me:

1. i really hate it when people couldnt come at the specific time agreed on..can spoil my mood all day.
2. dont like to wear pink color when i was young but now i love it.
3. love to go to planting nursery than go shopping in supermarket.
4. can lose weight very fast but couldnt gain any weight even eat a lot
5. can get angry very fast but also very forgiven
6. doesnt like to take bath unless that place have hot shower
7. i love to watch cooking program, collect recipes but lazy to cook.

I tag these bloggers :i also manage to tag 3 only....

eTomyam
Steven Wilson
kento

Happy tagging

Tips for Busy Moms and Dads

Parenting is as much a learning business for us as traveling through childhood is for our children. Parenting is one of the most difficult jobs that nature has provided us with. Being a parent means not only being sensitive to each child and each situation; it also calls on us to stretch our imagination as we respond to the constant challenges our children present us with. Children can be demanding, difficult and defiant! No advice can possibly make you get it right every time, but a few points kept in mind would take you a long way in dealing with daily discipline.

The miracle of touch.

Out of the five senses touch is considered to have healing qualities. Whether it takes the form of hugs, horseplay or simply holding hands on the way to school, loving physical contact provides a simple and almost unconscious way of showing you care.

Keep the fun alive.

With all the commitments at home and work, most parents forget the word "fun" aspect of parenting. Young children love jokes and being silly. The familiarity of special words, pet names and silly voices always manage to brighten a child's day.

Flexibility helps!

Parents sometimes expect too much of children. They ten to forget that children have a vantage point that is above three feet lower that an adult's! bending down to get a child's eye view of a situation can save most upsets, accidents and mishaps.

Good manners go a long way.

Little children do not always know or remember "the right thing" to say in every situation. They should be encouraged to use the terms such as please, sorry, thank you where appropriate. It's amazing the difference the right words can make. They can often help from the right attitude too.

Children need limits.

Being cool helps but children also need to learn the difference between what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior and understand that behavior has consequences whether pleasant or unpleasant. Idle threats should be avoided at all times and always mean what you say.

Being in charge does not mean being a tyrant!

Parents often forget that children are individuals and tend to mould them into ideal persons that they want their children to be. Although there are times when "because i said so" is appropriate, more often than not it is better to give a reason for what you have said. Even adults make mistakes and children have reasonable ideas. In such situations parents should apologize in the same way we expect our children to apologize us.

Check your "dont's" No one likes a lot of negativity.

It sounds like nagging. Too many "dont's" can hinder a child's natural instinct to explore. Unless it is a life and death situation of something that will harm the child in some way, avoid using this word. Always check whether you are using it for your convenience or for child's safety. Good behavior should be rewarded with praise, encouragement or a hug rather than with sweet treats or money.

Children should be children!

Parents often make the mistake of expecting children to be mini adults and be have the way they want them to behave. Children are naturally clumsy, forgetful, and accident prone. Therefore they should never be punished for pure childishness. Bad behaviors should be dealt with justly and the punishment appropriate to the crime. Naughtiness is sometimes prompted by boredom or a feeling of neglect. At such times the solution will involve providing a stimulating activity for the child or giving him attention.

Being "in control" is not really "controlling".

Children do not need to be "Controlled" but when they deliberately misbehave parents should be "in control" of the situation. They should effectively manage and guide their behavior. Often the expression on your face or the tone of your voice will be enough to deter all but the most determined little ones. Yet there are times when just a stem face or a word would not do. Then appropriate and tangible action is required.

"Spare the rod" but do not spoil the child.

Children's behavior sometimes calls for sterner measures than just a small punishment by way of forbidding what he likes to do or sending him to the room. Deliberate, repeated defiance and purposely hurting another child are situations that need to be dealt with immediately. A well timed smack can be most effective way of correcting this type of behavior. A controlled smack (on the hand, leg or the bottom) will help your child associate this unacceptable behavior with unpleasant consequences and deter him from repeating it. make sure he understand what he did wrong and encourage him to say sorry. However, by your words and actions let your child know that although his behavior may have been unacceptable, he is always loved.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Know About Different Types of Educational Software

Children’s educational software comes in several types. These are especially designed for teaching users the basics of subjects, from reading and math to geography. Educational software is more intended to educate kids and is easy to use for ages of even three. Depending on the aim, educational software might be planned as a classroom help or could be used for home purpose. The most accepted educational software is normally known as edutainment, meaning it is a game in which users play and learn at the same time.

Classroom educational software typically educates about the subject matter according to a set of courses tracks students’ growth as they complete sections or levels. As a teaching help, it permits children that might not otherwise have access to a computer to learn while improving basic computer skills, such as mouse and keyboard use, at an early age.

There is as well a huge range of titles and kinds of educational software intended for use at home act as an addition to classroom learning, and even for the reason of comfortable education. Educational software surrounding almost every subject educated in school is broadly available for home use. Similar to classroom plans, many educational software titles considered for home use orbit a child's progress and alter the subject accordingly. There are titles, which severely teach by proven examples and then quiz children on material, and then there are the even more in style edutainment titles, which slot in the subject matter into a game.

Educational software stated gaining fame and recognition day by day as an option learning technique in the mid-nineties, and developers have also turn up with more new concepts to gather consumer demands for excellence and interactive educational software. Once intended for use with a home or for the classroom computer, educational software is now even on hand for moveable learning systems. While there are considerably fewer titles on hand for portable learning systems such as the Leapster, there are yet numerous titles varying in age suitability and subject matter that making learning active possible.

To get the most out of educational software, spend in titles that have adaptable learning levels to develop with your child and check user reviews for titles, which are both amusing and have replay values.

This article is written by Jagan who is a Copywriter of Occupational therapist. He written many articles in various topics.For more information visit:
Physical therapist. contact his at pacificpediatric@gmail.com.

Are Today's Parents Raising a Generation of Slackers?

They’ve been raised in an age of excess consumption, where plastic surgery and flashy cars are doled out as high school graduation gifts. Some experts say catering to kids’ self-esteem instead of teaching them about responsibility has left them poorly equipped to deal with adulthood. Armed with cell phones, laptops and their parents’ cash, they have a sense of entitlement like no generation before them. Many have never rolled up their sleeves for physical labor or held a job.

Research also showed more students enrolled in school over the summer, many parents are frustrated. They lament their children’s expectation of having everything handed to them. Fueled by reality TV shows that feature decadent lifestyles and Sweet 16 birthday parties that rival the lavishness of royal weddings, many kids believe the good things in life should be theirs for the taking—with no concept of actually working for them.

Dr. Terry Noble, a self-made success story and author of the new book, “Starting at Sea Level,” (Foggy River Books, 2007) shares the parents’ concerns. He believes today’s generation would benefit from doing some real work. “My father taught me to work and gave me responsibility as soon as I was ready to handle it,” says Noble. “By age nine I was feeding 5000 chickens daily. At 14, I was operating a 31’ commercial crab boat. At 16, I owned a farming operation and was saving for college. What I learned from him allowed me to retire at 52.”

“Starting at Sea Level” recounts Noble’s upbringing in Oriole, Maryland, a small Chesapeake Bay fishing village. Many of the men in Oriole earned their livings harvesting the sea or farming the land. Noble learned the value of a hard day’s work as a boy. He grew to respect the farmers and seaman who toiled at physically challenging and often dangerous jobs. He believes teaching work ethic and responsibility at a young age can instill life-long values.

Too many kids today are being coddled, accomplishing nothing and conning their parents into taking care of them until they are thirty. We need to show kids from an early age that we have expectations of them. Elementary age children are capable of learning to do chores around the house and the responsibility level should increase as they mature.

Children and teens benefit in many ways from work. They learn responsibility, prepare for future jobs, and earn their own incomes. Noble believes there’s another benefit to teaching kids physical labor such as yard work, caring for animals and helping with chores: reducing childhood obesity. “I understand the world has changed since I was a kid,” says Noble. “But there’s always some work that can be done around the house or yard, or for the neighbors or at a local, small business. Getting kids off the sofa and performing age-appropriate tasks can help burn calories and improve their physical health. Plus, it gives them a sense of accomplishment that sports can’t provide.”

That sense of accomplishment is often the prime motivator many kids need. Noble points to the satisfaction he felt when he began raising livestock to pay his way through college. “I gained a sense of worthiness by earning my own money,” says Noble. “I also learned how it felt to have those animals depend on me. The most life-changing aspect was that my livestock enterprise allowed me to meet a young veterinarian who inspired me to follow in his footsteps.”

I personally think kids in Malaysia also no different from The West..wht do u think?

A Good Husband Does Housework!!!

In the real world, most men do not do housework. While studies from the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan confirm that this generation of couples do half the amount of housework their parents did, most of those chores are still shouldered by women. Is there a way to prevent everyday skirmishes over home-front responsibilities from escalating into full-scale wars, and still get him to put the dishes in the dishwasher? Let's look at both sides of the problem:

Her Side: “I'm tired of doing all of it all the time.” “It's the psychic energy that is so draining. I have to be responsible for things even if I'm not in charge of them!” “How come he can fix a car engine but can't figure out how to put the toilet paper on the roll?”

His Side: “When I do the grocery shopping, she says I buy the wrong tomato sauces, and then yells at me,” “She'll find one spot of food on the pot and yell, 'Is this what you call clean?'” “The fact is that I can't remember to put my socks in the hamper is not a personal attack against her. I just.... forget.”

Even the best counselors don't have a foolproof recipe for success on this one. But here are a few suggestions:

1. Figure out exactly what needs to be done and who's doing it. Keep a log of everything for a week down to the minute details: Who walked the dog, who did the laundry, who folded the clothes, who took the car in for repair, and so on. It could well be that a spouse is doing more than you gave him or her credit for. In that case, make a point of appreciating each other's efforts. By not taking chores, large or small, for granted, you create a spiral of appreciation that, in time, can erase resentment.

2. Train your kids. Instead of fostering helplessness in the next generation, make sure that your children, boys as well as girls, grow up believing that sharing the physical as well as the emotional chores at home is just what considerate people do.

3. Let go. Sometimes, when it comes to housework and children, women are their own worst enemies. You asked Daddy to dress the baby and the kid comes out with a top and a bottom that does not match? Who cares? You wanted him to do the shopping? Then let him do it his way. The principle here is simple: If you give up responsibility for a chore, you have to give up control over it, too. Besides, some things just aren't worth quibbling over.

10 Memorable Gifts You can Give Your Children For Their Birthday

Everyone loves a special gift on their birthday: especially our kids! I have put together a list of 10 memorable gifts you can gift your children on their birthday without breaking the bank.

Art supplies: almost all kids enjoy crayons, markers, stickers, colored pencils, gel pens, special papers and scissors, sidewalk chalk, water colors, homemade rubber stamps, "how to draw" books calligraphy instructions, or origami instructions and colored paper. An art supply gift not only encourages the youngsters to use their imagination, but it can be an extra treat when you spend time with them using them.

Books are always great gifts for any age: you can get musical or squeaky books for the little ones, short stories for preschoolers, adventure books for 9-11 year olds, and so on: there is a book for every taste. You can also buy books about your child's interests, books about careers, etc.

A classic movie, which never goes out of style, great for when friends come over, or on that day when they are bored and nothing else could help.

For older boys, a tool kit would be great: gives them the opportunity to work side by side with dad, and possibly learn a life skill.

For older girls, beads could mean hours of fun. Buy a variety of colors and shapes and watch you little princess enjoy hours of happiness.

To the gourmand give a roll of sugar cookie dough from the grocery store, along with a couple of cookie cutters, and a rolling pin. Again, this would be a lot of fun for the little one to make, and share with friends and family.

For the nature lover, a gardening kit with a couple of small pots filled with potting soil, some seeds, and a plastic watering can give countless hours of fun, while caring for the plants, and watching them grow.

A disposable camera will add a boost to the party. If your budget permits, add a small picture album, and you've instantly created wonderful memories of that birthday.

A basket of fun: find an inexpensive basket, or another container, maybe a pail for kids and fill it with fun, cheap stuff. For instance, silly putty, a water gun, a deck of cards, sidewalk chalk, etc. For boys, you can add some little cars and for girls, throw in some hair accessories. Finish it off with some candy or a pez dispenser and you have a fun gift. If you find some fun, small things that most kids think are neat, pick up a bunch so that at any time you have a supply of items to mix and match for a birthday.

Children crave attention from important people in their lives, (mom, dad, grandparent, aunt, older sibling). Give that special child the gift of time: a day out with you complete with lunch, a movie, and/or shopping for the gift of their choice.