by Rachel Paxton

It’s not easy working a full time job throughout your pregnancy. You may be at work out of choice, or out of necessity, but either way you need to take some extra precautions in taking care of yourself during the coming months.

It is very important to keep your stress level as low as possible during this time, and that’s not always easy. You will find yourself prioritizing your activities, and filtering out unnecessary tasks. My work schedule isn’t particularly demanding, but I have had to cut down on evening activities in order to make time for exercise and extra rest, two things that don’t come very easily to me.

When you’re supermom, taking time for extra rest is extremely important. When I first found out that I was pregnant, I had to keep reminding myself that I needed to slow down and rest more, including going to bed earlier. I resisted a little until I discovered that I am expecting twins. After recovering from that shock (I still haven’t), I decided that no activities were more important than getting my much needed rest. Rest is something you may not getting much of after your baby is born.

Don’t be afraid to ask for extra help around the house, with pet chores (don’t touch that litter box!), laundry, cooking, dishes, etc. Your husband and older children are perfectly capable of helping out, and will probably be more than happy to if you ask. Or, it just might not get done occasionally. My husband is getting used to the fact that he is “on his own” for dinner a night or two out of each week when I’m not hungry or can’t bear to cook.

Exercise is also very important, especially if you work in front of a computer all day. If you are able to join a family court club, they have many activities to choose from for the whole family. Ours offers a prenatal water aerobics class. If you can’t afford the monthly dues, often you can pay a one-time fee for a particular class. At the very least, get out and walk as much as you can, during your lunch hour or in the evenings.

I’m still in the first stages of pregnancy where most food doesn’t sound very appetizing. My tastes are constantly changing. I try to bring a variety of foods to work with me so that something will sound good when it’s time to eat. Lately I have been eating dried fruits, instant oatmeal, canned fruit cocktail, bananas, apples, tuna and sprouts on a wheat bagel, and chicken cup-of-soup. The hardest thing for me is drinking the 8 plus cups of water a day. I feel like I’m going to float away and hate getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I have been assured that drinking all this water will keep me from getting too bloated later in the pregnancy.

It can be hard to find good maternity work clothes. Look for local consignment stores and on Ebay.com. You will find a lot of great deals there and not have to pay “new” prices. Buy several pairs of neutral pants that will go with any top, and that will help save on your wardrobe.

Now is the time to start looking into your employer’s maternity benefits, if any. I have 6 weeks short-term disability I can use, at 66% of my current income. Income taxes, 401K, etc., are not deducted. If you plan ahead, you can take the time off you need without a large financial burden. Find out ahead of time what paperwork needs to be filled out and by when. Your doctor may need to fill out some of the paperwork for you.

If someone is to fill in for you while you’re away from the office, plan ahead and make sure someone knows what you do every day. My doctor told me I could be in bed as early as 6 months, and I have to plan on that even if it doesn’t happen. Don’t leave your employer without a replacement, if possible.

Don’t be afraid to get up and walk around when you need a break or to kick your shoes off under your desk when no one’s looking. Hopefully your employer is watching out for you and wants to help you through a successful pregnancy.

About the Author
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer, mom, and owner of several home and family web sites. To sign up for her bi-weekly newsletter and to find complete resources for the Christian home, visit her web site at http://www.Christian-Parent.com.

By Portia David

Pregnancy myths really vary from country to country. Most women follow some of these folklores due to the tradition they have ever since. But then, medicine and technology have changed the pregnancy experience of modern women. The development of medical testing has helped couples in determining the gender of their child. Discussion here will involve the facts regarding common pregnancy myths.

Women believe that standing on your head after making love can increase the chances of becoming pregnant. But according to some experts, this method has no proof to help women in getting pregnant. Though they contend that lying down after sex for 20 to 30 minutes can increase the chances of getting pregnant.

Another myth is that, people can determine the gender of a child through the shape and height of a woman’s stomach. The famous belief states that, women who carries a boy has a low belly. While women who will give birth to a girl, has a high stomach. But this is a total misconception. Because the shape and height of a woman’s stomach is determined by uterine tone, muscle tone and the baby’s position. In order to know the real gender of a baby, getting an ultrasound is very much recommended.

It is also erroneous to say that there is an association between the shape of a woman’s face and the gender of a baby. Pregnant women gain weight differently during pregnancy and their skin changes. People cannot tell that if a woman has a rosy cheek, is an indication that she will give birth to a baby girl.

Others also believe that taking a bath is unsafe and unhygienic. In contrast to this popular myth, there is no clear evidence which shows that tap water which enters the vagina can contaminate the pregnant woman. Actually, hygiene is very much needed during pregnancy.

Some women are afraid that if they put their arms around their head, the umbilical cord will muffle the baby. But there is no definite connection about this. Because according to a study conducted, 25 percent of all babies are born with their cords around their necks. Another myth that they believe is that, women lose a tooth for every birth that they have. But with the availability of supplements and vitamins nowadays, pregnant women will be ensure of preserving their maternal health. If a woman has a vitamin deficiency in her diet, calcium may be lost from the her teeth and bones. That is why pregnant women are advised to take at least 1500 mg of calcium everyday, either from food sources or supplement. Teeth will really fall if calcium is deficient or depleted.

During pregnancy, other women don’t begin any exercise that they are not already doing prior to pregnancy. This one has some basis. Because this will add protection to the newly pregnant woman from injury. In starting a pregnancy exercise, it is really important to seek the advice of a healthcare provider. It is advisable for pregnant women to join in a prenatal exercise or much better a yoga class not only to be physically fit but also to build a support group and even future social network. It is advised that pregnant women should take a walk for 30 to 40 minutes everyday plus a light exercise session after any physical activity.

With the modern technology and medicine being developed today, pregnant women should not anymore rely on these myths because there is no really clear evidence that these are true. What is best is that you must have a regular check-up with your doctor and ask for further questions if ever you want to clarify something. Because definitely they know best.

About The Article
For up to date links and information about Pregnancy, please go to: http://www.PregnancyClue.com.

By Beverley Brooke

There are many things that you can do to improve your diet and ensure that you gain a minimal but healthy amount of weight during pregnancy.

Choosing the right foods is important because you will be able to loose weight more quickly after delivery if you manage your diet during pregnancy.

So here is what you need to do during pregnancy to ensure weight loss success after you have your baby:

Tip #1
Choose whole foods. Whole foods are foods that are dense in nutrients. Think wild rice, whole grains, and unprocessed foods. Whole foods don’t include waffles and pancakes!

Tip #2
Add calories during the second trimester. Eating for two doesn’t literally mean eating for two. In fact during your first trimester your baby is about the size of a small bean! Most women don’t actually need to start adding 300 calories a day to their diet until the second and third trimesters.

Tip #3
Be sure you get a serving of protein, carbohydrate and fat at every meal. It will help you if you break your meals into six mini meals per day. This will help rev up your metabolism. Next be sure that you eat some protein, carbohydrate and fat at each mini meal session. This will help nourish your body more completely and help prevent cravings later in the day.

Tip #4
Choose foods high in fiber. High fiber foods will help fill you up when you are ravenous during pregnancy, and they will also help relieve constipation and help you feel great! A high fiber diet is good for anyone, whether or not they are pregnant.

Tip #5
Drink extra water. You’ll be thirstier than normal anyway during pregnancy. Drinking water helps flush toxins from your system and helps prevent excessive edema. Believe it or not you can actually fight weight gain associated with edema if you drink more water!

Remember that pregnancy is a short period of time in the long journey that is your life. You should enjoy every moment of it. By following the tips above, you can gain the right amount of weight and feel great throughout your pregnancy.

About the Author
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of How To Ensure A Safe, Healthy Pregnancy And Lose Weight After Pregnancy. Visit her site for more on www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com.

It isn’t very common, but many women are concerned about gestational diabetes in pregnancy. In reality, gestational diabetes only affects about 135,000 women, or 4% of pregnancies a year. What is it? Should you be concerned if your doctor or midwife tells you that you have it?

To start, during the second trimester, normally around your 23rd week of pregnancy your doctor will give you a blood test to determine your blood glucose level. This number is what tells the doctor if you have gestational diabetes or not. Gestational diabetes is caused by your body not being able to create and use all the insulin it needs for the pregnancy. Without insulin, glucose can not leave the body and it builds up to high levels. This is called hyperglycemia.

The risk to your baby from gestational diabetes is not as severe as the risk to your baby if you have diabetes prior to getting pregnant. Because your baby is done forming by the time gestational diabetes begins, birth defects are not probable, but there are other problems that may occur. As glucose can go through the placenta to the baby it gives an excess energy supply to your baby. Since your baby doesn’t need the extra energy, the energy from the glucose is changed into fat, which results in a large birth weight for your baby. Having an overweight baby at birth can lead to problems when it travels down the birth canal, including possible shoulder injuries, and breathing problems. It can also lead to overweight children, and children who develop type 2 diabetes as adults.

If your doctor tells you that you have gestational diabetes you should start treatment immediately. Treatment includes a special diet and meal plans designed to keep the sugar levels down. It also includes exercise and physical activity. Treatment helps you to avoid a c-section because of a too-large baby, while it also gives you a chance for a healthy pregnancy and birth, and a healthy baby.

Happily, gestational diabetes appears during pregnancy and normally goes away after you deliver your baby. However, once you develop gestational diabetes, you have a very good chance of getting it again in subsequent pregnancies. Having gestational diabetes can also lead to the possibility of your having type 2 diabetes later in life. There are certain things you may be able to do to help avoid either of these conditions.

• Lose weight
• Get Regular exercise
• Maintain a healthy nutrition

If your doctor tells you that you have gestational diabetes, don’t panic! With early diagnosis, you’ll be able to make changes to your diet and lifestyle, and properly take care of yourself and your unborn baby.

by Lee-Anne Robert

Every pregnant woman has experienced the pregnancy blahs. I can remember feeling so big and unattractive throughout my two pregnancies, and secretly wishing for the pregnancy to be over so that I could have my body back and fit into my normal clothes. It’s sad to say, really, because pregnancy is such a beautiful experience and the fact that you created this little human being that is developing in your body should make you feel wonderful through every step of the way.

Oh, but those pregnancy blahs kick in! Your stomach is growing, you cannot fit into your normal clothes, you can’t see your feet, you waddle when you walk, your feet and legs are swollen, and other additional physical changes make you feel, well, blah! Sometime during your pregnancy, you may even start to feel bored with the pregnancy and/or feel depressed. Yes, those raging hormones kick in too.

Here are some tips in helping to beat those pregnancy blahs:

1. Eat healthy and get plenty of rest. Choose healthy foods and ensure that your intake is nutritious.
2. Exercise. Even a short walk in the outdoors will uplift your spirits.
3. Make yourself feel attractive by taking the time to groom yourself. Do your hair and put on makeup. We all feel so confident and alive when we look good.
4. Buy maternity outfits that will make you feel good. Don’t buy just because they fit you.
5. Ensure to include pretty accessories in your daily wardrobe such as nice earrings or a pretty scarf. Most of us raid our spouse’s closet for clothes that we can wear throughout our pregnancy. Lovely accessories even dress up your spouse’s wardrobe.
6. If you start to feel bored with your pregnancy, choose an activity that you will enjoy to help you through the boredom. Many woman will prepare for the baby by going shopping or decorating the nursery. Other woman choose a hobby such as gardening, preparing a scrapbook, writing in a pregnancy journal, etc.
7. Roughly 10 percent of women experience mild or moderate depression during pregnancy. If you feel persistent depression or anxiety, seek professional help.
8. Spend quality time with your spouse. Go for a romantic dinner or out to a movie. Enjoy this time because it’s hard to find time after the baby is born.
9. Take time out for yourself. Motherhood is just around the corner so take this time to enjoy your independence.

Although it may seem like 9 months is taking forever, really, it goes very quickly. Enjoy the wonderful experience of pregnancy each step of the way. There will be a time in our lives when our children have grown up and we wish to live the pregnancy experience all over again.

You can beat the pregnancy blahs! Feel good about being a woman and feel good about bringing a wonderful new baby into the world.

About The Author
Written by Lee-Anne Robert, a mother of two young children and owner of Cuddles ‘n Gifts, info@cuddlesngifts.net

by Criss WhiteMany factors affect the development of a fetus into a healthy child, some which are beyond your control and others that are within your control. Here are ten of the most common pregnancy risk factors that can be controlled or influenced:

1. Smoking – Smoking is not only bad for you, but bad for your baby as well. Smoking during pregnancy reduces the amount of oxygen that the baby receives and increases the risk of miscarriage, bleeding, and morning sickness. Chemicals inhaled while smoking may lead to other health problems with the baby. Reduced birth weight, premature birth, increased risk of SIDS, and stillbirth are other possible consequences. Pregnant women should also avoid second hand smoke.
2. Alcohol - Drinking can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, including symptoms like low birth weight, medical problems, and behavior abnormalities. As soon as you know you are pregnant, stop drinking. For more detailed information on problems that can be caused by alcohol, visit www.nofas.org.
3. Caffeine – There are many conflicting studies about caffeine and pregnancy and some believe that caffeine is not as harmful as it was once thought to be. Nevertheless, the FDA warns against caffeine consumption during pregnancy and suggests quitting or reducing consumption at the very least. Caffeine has been shown to affect fetal heart rates and awake time (fetuses grow when sleeping). Decaffeinated coffee can also be harmful since producers often add additional chemicals to remove the caffeine. Caffeine can also increase risk of stretch marks. Suddenly quitting coffee intake can cause headaches; so most experts recommend gradually reducing the amount consumed.
4. Drugs and Herbal Remedies – Always be careful about drugs or herbal remedies that are not prescribed by a doctor. These substances may affect the development of your unborn child.
5. Nutrition – Good nutrition is crucial to a developing child, particularly getting enough folic acid. Lack of folic acid can cause birth defects. At least 400-1000 micrograms of this B vitamin is suggested (about ten times more if you’ve already had a child with neural tube birth defects) starting one month before pregnant and throughout the entire pregnancy. Leafy vegetables, orange juice, and beans are some natural sources of folic acid. Many stores sell vitamins with folic aci! d.
6. Exercise – Moderate exercise is helpful as it improves the mother’s mental state and can increase oxygen flow to the fetus. However, over-exertion can be dangerous. Most experts recommend reducing your exercise intensity during pregnancy. Activities like walking, swimming, and yoga are popular for pregnant women.
7. Prenatal Care – Regular doctor visits are important to your baby’s development. The body undergoes many changes during pregnancy. Some side effects may be completely normal, whereas other may not. Regular monitoring by a professional will help ensure that your baby will be born healthy.
8. Multiple sex partners – Multiple sex partners can increase risk of STD’s, which in turn may lead to birth and pregnancy complications, like low birth weight or premature birth.
9. Exposure to chemicals – During pregnancy, reduce exposure to unnatural chemicals, particularly pesticides in food. Many people now eat organic produce, which is grown without chemicals. The simplest precaution to take before consuming vegetables or fruits is to wash them thoroughly. Also, removing the outer surface of vegetables can be helpful since most pesticides will rest on the outside of the vegetable or fruit.
10. Other factors – Many other factors can affect fetal development, including heart disease, the mother’s age (before 15 years and after 35 years is riskier), asthma, excessive stress or depression, diseases, and bleeding. ! Consult your physician if you are affected by any of these conditions.

About the Author
Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For more articles on baby showers, check out our Baby Shower Ideas and more baby articles at Baby Lullaby.

By Tina Titas

Along with proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, one of the most important things you can do to benefit yourself and your baby during pregnancy is exercise. Women who exercise regularly while pregnant have easier labor, deliveries, and recovery time. The majority of pregnant women are able to exercise at a level appropriate to their stage of pregnancy, but you should always check with your doctor to make sure you have no risks or conditions that would prevent you from exercising safely.

Working out at home during pregnancy is fun and convenient when you use pregnancy workout videos as a part of your routine.

Through the use of one of the many excellent exercise videos that are available to you, you can exercise during all stages of your pregnancy in the comfort of your own home. The videos are fun and effective and you are sure to love the challenging yet pregnancy-oriented routines that will help keep you toned and fit throughout your pregnancy. Included in the many benefits of exercising during pregnancy are less fatigue, reduced lower back pain, stress relief, weight management, and a quicker return to your pre-pregnancy weight after delivery. Some forms of exercise are better than others for moms-to-be. Low-impact, low-risk exercises include walking, stretching, yoga, swimming, specialized prenatal aerobics, and Pilates.

Exercise during pregnancy is beneficial to both you and your baby. The wrong exercises however, can cause actually cause harm so it is important to do only those exercises that are known to be safe for both mom and baby. Pregnancy exercise videos will give you a safe, manageable workout routine that is appropriate for your stage of pregnancy. You can order pregnancy exercise videos featuring well-known exercise personalities or your favorite celebrities.

By exercising throughout your pregnancy you will help avoid many of the discomforts associated with pregnancy including constant feelings of exhaustion and lower back pain. An added bonus of regular exercise during your pregnancy is a faster recovery time after delivery and a quicker return to your pre-pregnancy weight.

Pregnancy exercise videos are a great way to keep fit and healthy during your pregnancy. Fun, easy to follow exercise routines designed especially for expectant mothers will give you to opportunity to keep your mind and body fit during your pregnancy and make it much easier for you to regain your pre-pregnancy shape after the birth of your child. You can be healthy and experience significantly less discomfort when you take the time to exercise regularly throughout your entire pregnancy. Pregnancy exercise videos can help you stay fit and will allow you to perform your workout in your own home at your convenience.

If you are an expectant mother or are planning to become pregnant, the importance of regular exercise cannot be overstated. You will make labor and delivery easier for both you and your baby and the benefits will extend after the birth of your child. You will lose that extra pregnancy weight faster and your body will be considerably more resilient if you have a regular workout routine that you continue throughout your entire pregnancy.

About the Author
Tina Titas is a columnist for several health-related publications. She recommends http://www.EasyNaturalRemedies.com/skin_care.html and http://www.MyBeautyRecipes.com for natural skin care that you can make with ingredients in your kitchen cupboards.

by Colleen Langenfeld

“Mom, I’m bored!”

“Dad, play with me!!”

Sound familiar?

If you’re a parent, these plaintive cries from your children can become daily shouts. As busy moms and dads, we’re continuously torn by the demands on our time. Here are some simple ways to spend time with your kids while getting the jobs done that need to be done (including the toughest job of all, parenting). These Sneaky Fun ideas are also great ways to teach our children exactly how to successfully accomplish many routine tasks.

• Make a silly dinner together.
  Think ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ or try a picnic on the living room floor. Bring your child along for the meal planning, shopping, prep time and clean-up. Involve them each step of the way.

• Turn on the music and clean, clean, clean.
  Forget TELLING your kids to go clean; side-by-side, with some of their favorite music playing, move through the house dancing and cleaning. They’ll love it (and so will you).

• Exercise together.
  You know you need to do it. Your child is your perfect exercise partner. Make it a ‘talk and play’ time and you’ll both get fit together.

• Share a hobby.
  Love to fish, garden, sew, paint, sing? Share that love with your youngster. Try an interest that fascinates them. Learn a shared passion – together.

• Start a girls or boys night out.
  You will make an incredible impression with this one. Take your daughter out for regular manicures and lunch. Stay close to your son with a favorite concert or sporting event. Teach your children about wholesome entertainment and the joy of healthy relationships. You can even team up with another parent and child for regular fun; just make sure that honest conversation is the true priority.

• Improve their skills.
  Do you have a student struggling with homework? Quit nagging and ask them to teach YOU what they’ve learned. Be a patient listener. The fastest way to learn is often to teach.

• Wash the cars.
  Need I say more? Water, the chance to soak mom or dad, and a sense of accomplishment when it’s all done. Follow up with an ice cream cone for a job well done.

• Growing things.
  Countless gardeners have discovered deep satisfaction in sharing their love of growing things with children and grandchildren. Gardening is a useful de-stressing tool and the most frustrated child tends to loosen up and share their heart while getting their hands dirty alongside a trusted adult.

• Plan, plan, plan.
  If your household is anything like mine, it benefits greatly when I take the time to map out regular activities. Menu-planning, budgeting and vacationing come to mind, for starters. Show your child (of the appropriate age) how to use their time and money wisely by including them in the planning of everyday family activities. As they mature, they can easily be put in charge of some of these planning sessions, teaching them to younger siblings. Your trust and belief in your kids can ease the stress on them as they grow, too.

• Organize.
  Almost all families struggle with organization in some area. Truth be told, we’re simply busy people and have often outgrown the simplistic organizing methods that once worked just fine. Give your kids the opportunity to be the creative organizer in your family. Whether its making sense of the family photos or tackling the hall closet, do it with them to get the job done and make a memory that’s shared.

• Schedule the fun.
  Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. Try scheduling a set time of fun in exchange for a set time of work. For example, Monday can be family board game night while Saturday morning sees the family hard at work in the yard. Sometimes it’s easier for kids to see the point when it’s a straight trade off of time and energy.

  The idea here is simple and clear. Use everyday activities to build relationships and teach responsibility. After all, everybody wins when ‘fun’ becomes a part of daily life!

About the Author
Colleen Langenfeld offers helpful resources to working moms. Make your life feel easier, healthier, smarter by reading our One Good Idea ezine. Start by visiting PaintedGold.com and clicking on the happy kids’ picture now!

by Rae Pica

Most people can understand how physical activity can impact not only their child’s physical development but also his social/emotional development. But intellectual development? What could movement possibly have to do with learning? After all, schools – where most of the child’s learning is supposed to take place – are our prime promoters of inactivity. (“Sit still.” “Stop squirming.” “Don’t run.” “Stay in your seat.”) If movement were critical to learning, wouldn’t the schools be employing it?

Certainly, you’d think so. Those of us who’ve understood the connection between moving and learning for a very long time have been waiting just as long for the educational “revolution.” And yet, not only is movement in the classroom a rarity, but also physical education and recess are being eliminated as though they were completely irrelevant to children’s growth and development. Perhaps the revolution will only finally arrive when you, as a parent, become aware of movement’s role in cognitive development and learning and begin to insist the schools do what’s right for children and not merely what the policy makers think they should be doing.

As Einstein so succinctly pointed out, “Learning is experience. Everything else is just information.” Piaget, the noted child development specialist studied by future teachers, labeled this learning sensorimotor and determined it was the child’s earliest form of learning. Since then, brain research has proven them both right.

But the most recent brain research has done much more than that. It’s now understood that, because a child’s earliest learning is based on motor development, so too is much of the knowledge that follows. The cerebellum, the part of the brain previously associated with motor control only, is now known to be, as Eric Jensen, author of numerous books on brain-based learning, puts it, a “virtual switchboard of cognitive activity.” Study after study has demonstrated a connection between the cerebellum and such cognitive functions as memory, spatial orientation, attention, language, and decision making, among others.

Thanks to advances in brain research, we now know that most of the brain is activated during physical activity – much more so than when doing seatwork. In fact, according to Jensen, sitting for more than 10 minutes at a stretch “reduces our awareness of physical and emotional sensations and increases fatigue.” He tells us this results in reduced concentration and, most likely, discipline problems.

Movement, on the other hand, increases blood vessels that allow for the delivery of oxygen, water, and glucose (“brain food”) to the brain. And this can’t help but optimize the brain’s performance!

All of this, of course, contradicts the longstanding and much-loved belief that children learn best when they’re sitting still and listening and working quietly at their desks. It also helps us understand why

• one Canadian study showed academic scores went up when a third of the school day was devoted to physical education.

   

• Canadian study demonstrated children participating in five hours of vigorous physical activity a week had stronger academic performance in math, English, natural sciences, and French than did children with only two hours of physical activity per week.

   

• study of third-grade children participating in dance activities improved their reading skills by 13 percent over six months, while their peers, who were sedentary, showed a decrease of two percent.

   

• in France, children who spent eight hours a week in physical education demonstrated better academic performance, greater independence, and more maturity than students with only 40 minutes of PE a week.

   

• children who participate in daily physical education have been shown to perform better academically and to have a better attitude toward school.

   

• a study conducted by neurophysiologist Carla Hannaford determined that children who spent an extra hour a day exercising did better on exams than students who didn’t exercise.

   

• recent research demonstrates a direct link between fitness and intelligence, particularly in children under 16 and in the elderly.

It is a huge mistake to think the mind and body are separate entities. The truth is that the domains of child development – physical, social, emotional, and cognitive – simply do not mature separately from one another. There’s an overlap and interrelatedness among them. And children do not differentiate among thinking, feeling, and moving. Thus, when a child learns something related to one domain, it impacts the others.

Research shows that movement is the young child’s preferred mode of learning – because they best understand concepts when they’re physically experienced. For example, children need to get high and low, small and large, wide and narrow shapes to truly understand these quantitative concepts. They need to act out simple computation problems (demonstrating the nursery rhyme “Three Little Monkeys” to discover three minus one equals two) to comprehend subtraction. They have to take on the straight and curving lines of the letters of the alphabet to fully grasp the way in which the letters should be printed.

Writing in Early Childhood Exchange, developmental and environmental psychologist Anita Rui Olds says: Until children have experiences orienting their bodies in space by going up, on, under, beside, inside, and in front of things, it is possible they will have difficulty dealing with letter identification and the orientation of symbols on a page. The only difference between a small “b” and a small “d,” for example, both of which are composed of a line and a circle, depends upon orientation, i.e., which side of the circle is the line on?

Eric Jensen labels this kind of hands-on learning implicit – like learning to ride a bike. At the opposite end of the spectrum is explicit learning – like being told the capital of Peru. He asks, if you hadn’t ridden a bike in five years, would you still be able to do it? And if you hadn’t heard the capital of Peru for five years, would you still remember what it was? Extrinsic learning may be quicker than learning through exploration and discovery, but the latter has greater meaning for children and stays with them longer. There are plenty of reasons for this, but one of them just may be that intrinsic learning creates more neural networks in the brain. And it’s more fun!

Carla Hannaford, in Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head, states, “We have spent years and resources struggling to teach people to learn, and yet the standardized achievement test scores go down and illiteracy rises. Could it be that one of the key elements we’ve been missing is simply movement?”

About the Author
Rae Pica is a children’s movement specialist and the author of Your Active Child: How to Boost Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive Development through Age-Appropriate Activity (McGraw-Hill, 2003). Rae speaks to parent and education groups throughout North America. Visit her at www.movingandlearning.com.

I was just talking to my sister in Christchurch, New Zealand earlier this week and she was complaining that the temperature on her side is “down” to 12°C (54°F). I looked outside where my kids were happily playing because we are finally “up” to 12°C after a long, cold winter. They were wearing light jackets and baseball caps.

What I am trying to say is that winter blues or seasonal affective disorder (SAD) as we call it is a year-round thing, depending on where you are. SAD is a not-very-well-understood but definitely existing psychiatric condition characterized by depressive symptoms during the long, dark, winter months. SAD is said to affect about 2 to 5% of people in the US alone. Other SAD symptoms include:

Moodiness
Lethargy, e.g. chronic fatigue and need for more sleep
Cravings for carbohydrates that easily lead to weight gain, the so-called “winter fat.”

SAD has two main characteristics:

It is seasonal.
SAD is observed in the winter time when the days are short, and daylight minimal. The symptoms usually start with the onset of autumn, peak in midwinter January when people get over the holiday mood, but resolve as soon as the sun stays a bit longer in spring.

It is geographic.
The incidence of SAD increases as one moves northward (or southward, depending on where you are). In other words, the risk and incidence of SAD is higher in higher latitudes where sunshine is practically non-existent in the winter time and the day basically consists of 24/7 of night time. It is no wonder the suicide rates are very high in winter time in these regions. In addition to the short daylight hours, winter gloominess can also be worsened by fogs and low clouds, something that you get when living close to big lakes like in Switzerland or Scotland. On the other hand, SAD incidence is practically non-existent in the tropics where winter is unheard of.

So how do we fight SAD (isn’t this abbreviation so fitting!)? Here are a few tips to help you through the winter blues:

Go outdoors.
The cure for SAD may just be outside your front door. Take advantage of the short daylight by going out late morning till early afternoon. Have you ever noticed how the snow make everything seems lighter even on the gloomiest day? Make a midday walk a daily routine. You get sunlight, vitamin D, and physical exercise.

Go somewhere bright and light.
If you have the time and the money, then follow the birds and go south (or north), even if only for a couple of days. Those of you living in the US don’t even have to go out of the country. A weekend in southern California or Florida would do just fine. Here in Switzerland, we always get daily information as to which is the closest hilltop or mountaintop to go to in order to escape the lowland fog and low clouds. You’d be surprised at the difference in visibility once you are over the clouds. The sun up there can be blinding.

Make your place as light as possible.
If you don’t have the money for a tropical, sunny vacation, then try making your home as light as possible. White walls are best in keeping a room light and airy. But if you don’t have them and you don’t feel like (understandably!) painting in midwinter, there are other things you can do. Open the curtains, blinds, shutters, drapes or whatever you have on your windows at daytime. Turn on the lights even if it’s daytime. You’d be surprised how dark it is indoors even with artificial light. Indoor illumination is approximately 500 lux. Try taking a picture with your camera. The flash automatically goes on!

Lighten up your clothes.
It’s not only the dark walls and the gloomy rooms that can affect your mood. It strikes me as strange that we tend to dress in dark, drab colors in winter time. Black maybe chic but it’s not the time to make a fashion statement. A little color on yourself could really cheer you up as well as others around you.

Use artificial light.
If you cannot have natural light, then go for the artificial type. Health experts at UC Davis recommend artificial light therapy for those with serious cases of SAD. The standard light therapy equipment is a TV-sized light box with fluorescent bulbs behind a protective filter. The box would emit between 2,500 to 10,000 lux, which is equivalent to the outdoor light at dawn or at dusk. SAD treatment consists of standing in front of the light box between 15 minutes to 2 hours every day and is said to be work better and faster than drugs. The box can be bought or rented.

Medications.
In cases where light therapy alone doesn’t help, the treatment can also be combined with anti-depressants. The drug Prozac seems to work best against SAD, according to the UC Davis experts. However, consult your doctor before taking any anti-depressants.

Choose fiber-rich carbs.
You may not be able to ignore those cravings for carbohydrates any longer. Make sure you go for the carbohydrates rich in fibers: whole grain bread and crackers, whole grain, sugar-free cereals, even whole grain pasta.

Keep a regular sleeping pattern.
If you give in to frequent daytime napping, you will end up not sleeping well at night. Keeping a regular night time sleeping pattern is the best way to avoid sleep disturbances.

Author: Science-Mom