Where The Money Should Go

It really upsets me how we would budget for house renovations or save up for something only to have him come home with a brand new portable entertainment system! His justification was he bought it on 0% interest. He couldn't understand that what annoys me most is that he made such a big purchase without discussing it with me. There are other things that we could have bought with that money -things that the whole family would have enjoyed and not just him!

Often the source of conflict in marriage is when handling the family finances. Money and how to spend it is always a sensitive topic. Past generations saw the man of the house as the sole breadwinner and thus, the main decision maker. With dual-income households now the trend, more and more women believe that deciding how to spend the couple's earnings should be a shared responsibility. Problem is there are always have opposing ideas about where the money should go.

The way that a person values money may be attributed to his or her upbringing. If brought up thinking that saving for a rainy day is important, this person will probably be conscious about putting away money at regular intervals. It could be because of mismatched priorities. Different personalities have different priorities. The priorities are defined by one's own personality and taste rather than an objective assessment of the family's needs. A husband and a wife are still two unique individuals with different perspectives and would see things differently including how to spend the household budget.

In the end, there are no hard or fast rules to budgeting. It will vary from couple to couple, as everyone has their own set of values and priorities. The most important thing is to openly communicate so that decisions are made and goals are reached through a loving compromise.

Take Action: Children's Vaccinations

Is your child safe from the six diseases or the so-called Childhood Killers?

In my case, I must say that my kid is safe from these Life-Threatening Diseases for I followed his Pediatrician advised of bringing him for his shots in the scheduled vaccines.

Many parents should be vigilant and have their kids be vaccinated and not wait that something will happen and will regret the delayed actions of not preventing these deadly diseases.

Immunization for children should be given as early as possible to give them protection during the vulnerable early months of their lives.

Remember our former Senator in the Philippines- Ernesto Herrera. Polio crippled him in 1946 when he was only four-year old. Since then, Herrera has faced a daily struggle, not only with the crutches he uses to help him walk but also with a society that stigmatizes people with disabilities.

Here are the six diseases that every parent should take action and bring your child to your local health center or to his/her pediatrician for Immunization.

DIPHTERIA -a respiratory disease caused by bacteria.
Symptoms : Gradual onset of sore throat and low grade fever.
Transmission : Coughing and Sneezing.
Complications: Heart and Kidney failure, Death.
Vaccine - DPT

MEASLES – An acute bacterial respiratory infection.
Symptoms : Fever, runny nose, cough, a rash and red, watery eyes.

Complications: Lung Infections, deafness, brain damage.

Vaccine- Measles vaccine. MMR

POLIO - a virus that invades the nervous system.
Symptoms : Fever, Headache, nausea and vomiting.
Transmission : Direct contact with infected children
Complications : One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, usually in Legs.
Vaccine -Oral Polio Vaccine

TUBERCULOSIS - a bacteria that infects the lungs, back of the throat or skin
Symptoms : Chronic cough, mild fever in the afternoon and sweating at night.Chest and Back pain, and gradual weight loss
Transmission : Inhaling, ingesting or direct inoculation of TB bacteria.
Complications : Meningitis, Death
Vaccine- BCG

TETANUS a bacterial disease that affects the nervous system also known as lockjaw.
Symptoms : Muscular stiffness in the jaw, followed by stiffness of the neck,difficulty swallowing, rigidity of abdominal muscles , spasms.
Transmission : Through a wound, which becomes contaminated with the organism.
Complications : Death
Vaccine DPT

WHOOPING COUGH – An acute bacterial infection of the respiratory tract.
Symptoms : Initially runny nose, sneezing, dry cough, fever and loss of appetite.
Transmission : Coughing and Sneezing

Complications : Pneumonia, brain damage
Vaccine- DPT

To all parents, I strongly advise you to have your children be vaccinated because these vaccinations can save lives.

Sharing Bed with Children

In our country, it is a common practice for parents to sleep in the same bed with their children. It is also the norm in many other cultures, and not just because of limited space. It is common in Japan, for example, where they emphasize the nurturing aspects of family life.

Children sleeping with parents is a universal practice, but it is more common in cultures where children are given a special place in the family. In most underdeveloped countries, it is logical to assume that it is their custom to do so because of the limited space in their homes. It is an emotionally healthy experience for both parents and children. Especially for today's busy families, the family bed may be the only place I can settle down for quiet bonding times with my child. For working parents it gives us a chance to bond a little with our children and to retrieve some time to be close and cuddle with our child. Physical contact is very beneficial to both parents and kids.

On the other hand, children sleeping with parents has its own share of drawbacks, especially in couple's relationship. No spontaneous sex. I'm worried that our lovemaking will wake our child. Its kind of natural form of family planning method, but seriously, it deprives couples privacy and bonding time. In some cases, parents use the family bed to avoid serious marital problems. As long as the child sleeps between them, it tends to mask the serious pitfalls and gives a false sense of security in a marriage.

However, this arrangement has to end at some point in our child's life. When the child starts showing signs of independence with night-time routines, it is perhaps the right time weaning them. Interestingly enough, sometimes its us parents who delays the weaning, unwillingly to give them the eviction notice. Separation anxiety can go both ways. If we fail to wean our child it gives the impression that we lack confidence in our child's capacity to cope or fend for himself. Some moms chose a time they think is best to move, and others prefer to leave that decision to the child. If its parent-prompted, it may require plenty of patience and time.

Getting our kids out of the bed is a long goodbye-emotional, sometimes painful, and liberating at the same time. But moving out need not signal an end to the intimacy established through bed sharing. It simply means replacing it with other nurturing and bonding activities.

Unexpected Meeting With Endometriosis

I was 31 then and trying to get pregnant. My pregnancy work-up program started with a reproductive system ultrasound. The sonologist was not happy when she handed me the result and told me that my ob-gyne will explain it. I was already concerned with the word "cyst" written in the diagnosis.

The result said that I have this condition called endometriosis, a so-called chocolate cyst in my right ovary causing my infertility. My ob-gyne did not gave any options other than surgery or removal of the cyst since I am in a hurry for conception. Also added that the surgery is not a guarantee for pregnancy. Those last words made me think twice, if the removal of the cyst is still not a guarantee then why would I go under the knife?

Yes, I had episodes of pelvic pain and abdominal cramps but it could just be dysmenorrhea like almost all women are experiencing every onset of menstruation. The news of having Endometriosis or Ovarian Cyst is simply too much to bare.

Chocolate cyst or endometrioma are cysts that form when endometrial tissue (the type that lines the inside of the uterus) invades an ovary. It is responsive to monthly hormonal changes, which causes the cyst to fill with blood. It’s called a “chocolate cyst” because the blood is a dark, reddish-brown color. Multiple endometriomas are found in the condition called "endometriosis". Although often asymptomatic, chocolate cysts can be painful.

Medical treatment for Endometriosis are mostly symptomatic treatment means treating the symptoms of the disease rather than the disease itself. This means giving pain relief medicines or drugs that would stop the fluctuations in the woman's own hormone levels in an effort to remove the stimulation for growth of the endometriosis. Although medical treatment is usually successful in alleviating symptoms, relapses may occur after treatment has stopped. Surgical treatment is then often appropriate and can include keyhole surgery (laparoscopic surgery) to remove or destroy endometriosis or open surgery to remove ovarian cysts. A hysterectomy may be suggested if the main symptoms are heavy and very painful periods and the woman's family is complete. Medical practitioner believes Endometriosis is a condition that cannot always be cured although the symptoms can usually be sufficiently relieved to allow the woman to pursue a normal life. Symptoms will go away only at the time of the menopause.

However in my quest for cure of my condition I have found out that there are actually available natural and alternative therapy for endometriosis. In fact many women have achieved partial or complete healing of Endometriosis using alternative treatments. Alternative treatments includes but not limited to Acupuncture, Herbalism, Homeopathy, Naturopathy and Aromatherapy. In my case I have opt for Naturopathy treatment.

Naturopathy believe that the body’s natural state is one of equilibrium, which can be disturbed by an unhealthy lifestyle. They look for underlying causes of a problem rather that treating symptoms alone, combining diet and non-invasive therapies where possible to stimulate the healing process.

Natural treatments is not a quick fix. Treatment will take longer, but it will be gentler, safer, and more effective for long-term results. Lastly, and most importantly- I got pregnant after two months of therapy!

Lets Take Control of our Health

I was devastated when I first learned that I have an ovarian cyst which the doctor believes would only give me 5o% chance of conceiving unless otherwise I have the cyst removed immediately. Well that was 2 years ago. Thanks to natural and alternative medicines.

Natural medicine believes that our body not only has the power to heal itself but is also unable to work against itself. The key is to provide our body with the right tools to achieve this. These tools can be found in an unchallenged diet, fresh fruits and vegetables, water and techniques that support the body's own healing capacity. The process of healing is also one of learning and of growth.

Sadly, many of the treats fed today are full of junk and contribute very little to our over all well-being except obesity and long term health problems.

Lets take control of our health!

The road to regaining full health and vitality provides freedom of movement on all levels and is an exciting experience for all of us.

Discipline Thing

My husband already prepared a plastic ruler to use whenever our one year old needs to be disciplined. Is this part of spanking? Moms and Dads has different responses of what spanking is but all seems to agree that spanking is hitting whether using bare hands or a thing. Is it right to spank? This has long been an issue for parents and educators. There are those who assert that it is right to spank, even going as far as quoting a Bible message "To spare the rod is to spoil the child." And then there are those, mostly from the field of child development, who will say that spanking will have a negative effect on the child in the long run.

Is there a need to spank? If rules are clearly established, and parents and other adults consistently follow through with the implementation and the consequences, then our children will know that there is such a thing as discipline or management at home. This simply means that they have to abide.

What is the right age to start disciplining our children? Discipline should start when the child is born. Discipline is a life long process. Better to set up a routine for infants. Basically, routine is already a part of discipline.

We should sit down with our spouses and have a heart to heart talk as to the discipline techniques we want to establish with our children, so both is consistent in implementing them. This way, we don't send conflicting messages to our kids.

Does TV has a positive influence in our child?

Over the years, parents admitted that they use TV to baby-sit their kids. Filipino children aged one-and-a-half upwards watched an average of four to six hours of TV a day - that's about half their waking hours, an average of 12 hours a day. For these kids, TV has become an electronic babysitter. Family Life and Child Development specialist said that there are serious trade-offs in rearing children this way, as watching TV does little to stimulate their brain development. They recommend limiting their viewing time to no more than 15 to 30 minutes a day.

Most TV Programs including cartoons which are supposedly suitable for children, carry sexual, aggressive and violent content. TV is packed also with advertisements that promote consumerism and unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking and eating junk foods. If its learning we Moms after, why don't we let our toddler play instead. These has been proven to be the best way young children learn. Play stimulates all five senses, whereas watching TV stimulates only two- and not in an entirely good way at that. The fast cutting of images can be visually jarring, and the noise desensitizes children to the different sounds around them.

Another foundation for learning is the ability to concentrate - a habit of mind formed in early childhood. Study shows that children who watch too much TV have difficulty completing tasks in school, let alone focusing on the task at hand. TV gets in the way of habits of mind. Study also shows that excessive and inappropriate TV viewing excerbates the symptoms of learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. A child who is read to and conversed with has a definite language advantage over a child left to watch TV.

Toddlers need movement as their muscles and sensory-motor skills are developing at a very fast rate. Clearly, leaving them to lounge around in front of the TV does not support this development, and we might be unwittingly turning them into couch potatoes very early on. Another unhealthy habit toddlers might acquire from their parents and caregivers is eating while watching TV. Excessive TV viewing coupled with uncontrolled snacking has also been known to lead to weight problems in both adults and children. To prevent this from happening to our child, train them to eat and to watch TV separately.

Research further shows that in early brain development, toddlers have a critical need for direct human interactions. This allows them to develop appropriate social and emotional skills and lays the foundation for establishing relationships with people. When children spend lots of time interacting with TV characters, they might confuse the real world with the simulated world of TV. A telltale sign is when they talk mostly about TV characters instead of real people and events.

In the end, its our choice whether TV becomes a positive or a negative influence in a child's life. We are not saying that TV has no value. It can be a part of a learning environment, but it can never take the place of a parent. Watching our toddler's TV viewing habits and seeing to it that he develops healthy ones -will contribute greatly to his successful overall development. Finally, whenever we choose to let our child watch TV, be careful that the TV does not end up watching our child.