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One of the trickiest parts of parenting is sometimes dealing with the people who love our children almost as much as we do: grandparents. Setting boundaries and insisting Grandma and Grandpa follow the house rules often leads to stress and hurt feelings. Here are some ways to have a peaceful relationship with grandparents. Set boundaries. Of course, they want to see their grandchildren; however, parents and kids need some time with just each other. If your parents or in-laws are coming over too frequently — especially if it’s unannounced — let them know a schedule that works for you. Do this with any situation in which you aren’t seeing eye to eye. Keep in mind that your parents may have to set boundaries for you, too. It’s easy to fall into the trap of taking advantage of their willingness to spend time with your kids. Remember that they have their own lives, too. Chose your battles, then let them have a little fun — they’ve earned it! What issues are you most passionate about? No TV? Lights out at 7? No solid food before age one? Hold your ground on what’s really important to you and then let Granny and Gramps spoil the kids a little. After all, isn’t that one perk of grandparenting? Emphasize with their position and show appreciation. They love your children. They love you. They only know how to parent one way, and if you’re doing it differently, they may feel rejected. Don’t forget to let them know you appreciate them. Being criticized for how they care for and show affection to your child is a tough pill to swallow, especially when they are helping you out. “Thank you” and “I love you” both go a long way. Don’t expect them to change who they are. When you love someone, you accept them, warts and all. In some cases, that might mean your little ones’ first words are of the slightly vulgar variety because your mom has never been able to control her potty mouth. Your child is going to encounter people with all sorts of quirks. There’s no need to expect Grandma and Grandpa to be perfect. Remember “parent” trumps “grandparent,” but only play that card when absolutely necessary. In her essay “Our Baby, Not Yours,” writer Barbara Graham talks about the struggles of falling in love with a grandchild and reconciling that she’s not the one calling the shots. The bottom line is, you are the parent, and you have the right to call the shots regarding your child. If you need to take a hard stand, it’s better the grandparent hear it from her own child. If the conflict is with your in-laws, let your partner take the lead. Sensitivity and clear communication are key to ensuring everyone feels respected and on the same page. And if you aren’t on the same page, sometimes being in the same chapter is good enough!

Our son, Kyle, has Down syndrome. Kyle is 23 now, but he still lives at home. He is severely speech impaired, and because of compression on his spinal cord (which has been corrected with surgery), he has serious physical limitations as well. He occasionally requires the use of a wheel chair and often needs help with basic activities such as brushing teeth, shaving, and showering. Even without the physical challenges, however, Kyle’s mental impairments made learning difficult. Sometimes my friends tell me they think that it must be very difficult raising a learning impaired child, or they say things like, “I don’t know how you do it.” While there are many challenges and struggles that come with raising a learning impaired child, the approach is not much different from raising any other child. Whether your child is typical, learning impaired, or faces other kinds of challenges, as parents, we all want the best for our kids. And with 8-10% of our kids facing some kind of learning disability, the most important thing we can do is believe in them. Just because Kyle’s needs have been different doesn’t mean we haven’t always simply desired for him to be as happy and as capable as possible. The differences between raising a learning impaired child and a typical child were made more visible for us because Kyle has a twin sister. We have been able to mark those differences perhaps more clearly than most. From crawling and walking to riding a bike, Kira was able to progress quickly past her brother. As the kids got older, Kira became more independent while Kyle still relied on us for many things. Kira learned to dress and bathe herself; she learned to read and to communicate and eventually to advocate for herself. We have always had to be Kyle’s voice and advocate. We have attended countless IEP meetings; met with numerous teachers, aides, and therapists; and worked with a number of different medical specialists to ensure that Kyle has the care he needs. What we had to learn to do — for our own sanity as well as for Kyle’s sake — was to celebrate his milestones without worrying about when they occurred or how they compared to others his age, especially to his sister. While Kira has moved away to go to grad school and pursue her dreams, Kyle remains at home with us. And though Kyle’s needs are more severe than some with learning disabilities, the challenge for most parents with a learning-disabled child is in obtaining the best possible services, resources, and education possible for their child. My advice? Never stop advocating for your child. You know him better than anyone! Each of our five children is taking his or her own path. Although raising a learning impaired child like Kyle means providing more assistance and more intervention, we know he wakes up most mornings with a smile, he finds joy in each day, and we find joy in him. And for us, that’s enough.

{zphotos::104} Thanksgiving is wonderful time to craft with your children! Use these three fun and stylish tutorials to have fun with your kids while decorating your Thanksgiving table. I hope you enjoyed these Thanksgiving table craft projects with your kids! What are some of the ways you include your children in holiday celebrations?

Recientes revelaciones de un libro del ex agente de la CIA y académico de la Universidad de Miami, Brian Latell, desempolvan macabros secretos.

Are flu shots for kids necessary? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best way to protect your child from the flu is to be sure he gets the flu vaccine. Influenza is dangerous for children who are at a higher risk for complications. In severe cases, it can even cause death. Here’s what you need to know about the flu shot. Influenza is common in children under five years old. 20,000 children in this age group are hospitalized because of the flu each year. Severe complications are most common in children under two. Children with health issues such as diabetes, asthma, and disorders of the brain and nervous system are at an especially high risk of complications. There are several strains of influenza. The seasonal vaccine is developed to protect against what researched determine will be the most common strains. The CDC recommends all children over six months of age get vaccinated every year. Your child’s pediatrician will determine the best type of vaccination for your child. If a second dose is required, make sure to bring your child in to receive it. Adults who come in contact with children under age five should also be vaccinated. It is especially important that everyone who comes in contact with infants under six months old is vaccinated, since the infants are too young to receive the vaccine themselves. This includes grandparents, babysitters, health care workers, and daycare workers. For maximum protection, get your child vaccinated as soon as the vaccine becomes available each year. However, even receiving the influenza shot later in the flu season offers protection. While you’re talking to your pediatrician about flu shots for kids, make sure your child is up to date on all of his other vaccinations for fall. The CDC offers printable immunization schedules to help you stay on track of shots for children from infants through age eighteen.

I’m raising my daughter to be strong and independent, and for that I thank my mom and the parenting values she instilled in me by example. As a young, divorced mom of two kids, my mother did the best with what she had. And she did a pretty darn good job. Despite all the financial worries and anxiety-ridden fights, there are certain aspects of her parenting that I now proudly employ in raising my own daughter. My mom married young, right out of high school, without any financial security she could call her own. When she and my father divorced, the pain of starting over most certainly influenced her parenting. She constantly reminded me and my brother to get an education, to make our own money, and to depend on no one but ourselves. Now she is a registered nurse and happily secure in her future. We often talk about those years, and she regrets having been so forceful with her messaging. But as an adult, and now a mom myself, I completely understand. While I know my daughter will always have two committed parents to lean on, financially and emotionally, I keep some of my mom’s parenting values in mind. My daughter can be our princess, but she must also be the queen of her own kingdom. My daughter can lean on us for emotional guidance, but at some point she has to go out into the world and earn her stripes and winnings — of her own accord. Even though my daughter is the tender age of three, I find myself parenting with many of the same values my divorced mom raised me with. As I focus on strength, independence, and maybe even a touch of feminism, I put high expectations on my daughter and her future. My mom did the best she could with a tough situation. And while I wasn’t always happy about it at the time, I am glad she raised me with a value on independence.