Natural Moms Podcast #125

July 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment

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My guest this week is Wendy Priesnitz of Life Learning and Natural Life magazine.

(Now defunct, Life Learning magazine is currently integrated into Natural Life magazine.)

Natural Life is the brainchild of Wendy and her husband Rolf and has been in publication since 1976, allowing them to “unschool” their children at home while they ran their business. It is a refreshing publication that families who endeavor to life simply, respect the earth, and educate their children at home will love.

Wendy also talked about her newest book called Life Learning: Lessons from the Educational Frontier. It’s a collection of essays on unschooling. You can see Wendy’s other books on Amazon here

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Posted by carrie | Filed Under Podcast, Show Notes

Help a Mom With Potty Training

July 26, 2009 | 2 Comments

One of the cool things about blogging is the ability it affords you to be a connector. You connect with readers, but you also connect readers with each other.

A mom emailed me recently asking for advice. Instead of just giving her my opinion, I offered to post her question here for you to read and comment on.

photo credit: juhansonin

“HI Carrie. My name is Suzanne and I have 2-year-old boys who just turned 2. I live in Bend, Oregon, where we have a short summer and a long winter. A couple of friends suggested I PT my boys this summer — otherwise, we will be miserable doing it indoors or, worse, waiting until next summer, when they are 3 and more stubborn.

One of my boys seems somewhat ready — he tells us when he has a dirty diaper. The other is clueless — could sit in a landfill of poop and not care at all. We thought we would try the “ready” one, but then it seemed counterproductive to take diapers off of one but not the other, so for the last four days, we have let the two of them run around the yard without a diaper. Mostly naked, but today we put underwear on to see what would happen.

Basically we have been doing what you recommend here: http://www.contestformoms.com/parentingtips/potty-train-two-days.htm

But my question is: How long should it take for them to make progress? After four days, we are nowhere. The “ready” one does notice and get upset when he pees in underwear, but he does not make the connection between peeing and going over to the potty. We have two potties sitting out in the yard. When they were naked, the first three days, we would whisk them over to the potty when they started peeing, and sometimes they would pee in the potty and we would cheer. We also set a timer for every 20 minutes. Occasionally they would pee at the designated time, but not often.

This is all very exhausting — I’ve had to basically stop working this week to work on PT fulltime with our nanny. I can’t do it next week, but it seems to be a fulltime, two-person job. It’s insanity, really. My friends tell me to keep plowing ahead — that it will take 2 to 3 weeks for the concept to click. But I am so discouraged — I see no progress.

Should we quit and try again in four months or so? But then it will be snowing outside and we will be trapped indoors and cleaning up accidents in the house.

My friends who have succeeded with the intensive approach tell me to keep going, but other friends say it is stupid to try to PT 2-year-olds — stop making myself crazy and wait until next summer.

On Day 5, we experimented with separating the boys — I took one to the park and our nanny took the other to a different park. The “ready” one did have somewhat of a breakthrough — when I said, “Toby, you’re peeing!” he ran over to the bathroom at the park. But that NEVER would have happened had the other twin been there. They distract each other too much. Most of the time, one person is on duty with the boys, and I don’t see how that person can manage this process.

Help!”

Suzanne

Do you have any words of wisdom for this mom? Please leave them in the comments below.

Thanks!

Posted by carrie | Filed Under Mothering

Homemade Shampoo Recipes

July 22, 2009 | 1 Comment

Store bought hair shampoo, in addition to being an expense, usually has several questionable chemical ingredients that your hair, eyes and skin don’t need.

Especially if you’re using shampoo on your babies and kids, you want to be careful about the products you choose.
photo credit: flash.pro

Often the best hair products are the simplest ones – for instance, I’ve been using coconut oil on my hair as a pre-wash conditioning treatment, a pre-swim protectant, a styling aid and leave on conditioner (depending on when and how much I apply).

Did you know that you can experiment with homemade shampoo recipes made from stuff that can be found in your own pantry?

Here are a few homemade shampoo recipes to get you started:

Avocado, Honey and Milk Shampoo

(best for dry, damaged or color treated hair)

#1 – Peel the avocado, remove the seed and place in blender

# 2 – Add a tablespoon of honey.

#3 – Add ½ cup of milk to avocado and honey.

#4 – Blend on high until smooth. Use within three days. If you have some left over you can simply cover it and store in the refrigerate.

Honey, Seaweed and Lemon Shampoo

(best for oily hair)

#1 – place ¼ cup of dry seaweed pieces (available at most grocery or health food stores) in a large bowl.

#2 – Add 1 tablespoon of honey to seaweed.

#3 – Add the juice of one lemon to seaweed and honey.

#4- Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes so that ingredients can infuse together. Use on hair as you would any shampoo. Cover any leftovers and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

More:

Natural baby shampoo

Natural hair care treatments (including more simple homemade shampoo recipes)

P.S. Another benefit to making your own homemade shampoo would be: no plastic bottles to recycle! The waste created from these natural ingredients can be tossed into the compost heap.

Posted by carrie | Filed Under Beauty

What’s Homeschooling Really Like?

July 16, 2009 | 23 Comments

And how do homeschooled kids “turn out” as adults?

These are two questions that people often wonder about homeschooling. And even those of us who have experienced it often wonder the latter question.

Will my kids learn “everything they need to know” if I have an eclectic homeschooling style?

Natalie Wickham is a homeschooling “graduate” whose book, Pajama School – Stories From The Life of a Homeschool Graduate, gives you a peek inside the daily life of a large homeschooling family.

As I read this book I found myself thinking, “Yep, that’s exactly what it’s like!” over and over.

As Natalie describes new babies being added to the family, the homeschooling “routine” being shot to heck when major life events occur (and how that hardly matters in the end), how the daily grind of home educating changes over time.

If, as a homeschooling parent, you have concerns about specific areas of your child’s education (how will they learn higher math if I don’t remember how to do it!?, etc) you will find this book reassuring.

Natalie’s experience ( if there is such a thing as a “typical” homeschooler…) seems typical of so many homeschool graduates I’ve talked to and read about. She forged her own path. It may not have looked exactly like someone else’s, but her homeschool experience helped make her who she is. At one point, Natalie was working inside the public school system offering classes to help teach children character qualities. In her words:

“… I realized how much the environment in a public school setting pressures teachers to focus on maintaining structure and measuring results, while at the same time squelching opportunities for sincere academic inquiry and intellectual discussion.

… students were forced to conform to the mold that required them to be passive learners rather than creative thinkers.“

Natalie has graciously offered a copy of her book to one NaturalMomsTalkRadio reader.

If you would like to have a copy, please leave a comment below. Be sure to include a valid email address so I can get in touch with you.

The winner will randomly be chosen on Tuesday, July 21 at NOON Eastern time.

Thanks for playing!

Posted by carrie | Filed Under Homeschool

Wahm Wednesday: 5 Businesses You Can Start With Your Computer

July 15, 2009 | 1 Comment

5 Home Businesses You Can Start By Using Your Computer

The popularity of the Personal Computer (PC) and the widespread reach and penetration of the Internet has created a huge opportunity for a diverse range of home based businesses.

There are many successful home business ideas that are solely dependent upon the computer, and hardly need any other equipment or infrastructure to run the business.

Here is a selection of 5 prominent home businesses that you can run by simply using your computer:

1. Creating, running and managing your own Website: If you have a strong idea for creating a website that is packed with the latest news, information, knowledge, entertainment or any other thing of real value to the target audience, you can turn it into a successful business. The key objective of such a website is to achieve maximum online traffic of high quality visitors who become loyal to the site and visit it repeatedly. Once the number of such regular visitors increases and the site gains in popularity, you can earn revenues from it by way of online advertising. You need innovative web marketing techniques to popularize your site, but once it is running successfully, you can expect a constant stream of ad revenues from this venture.

2. Offering your online services as a professional writer: If you have good writing skills, you can turn it into a profitable business by offering your services as a freelance journalist, article writer, reporter or fiction writer. All you need is your computer where you can type your write-ups and send them to your clients online, regardless of their physical location in any part of the world.

3. Data entry and transcription services: Even if you may not possess any specific knowledge skills except for good typing speed, you can still create a home business in data entry services and transcription services. Many companies are willing to outsource such work to small home based businesses that can deliver the output efficiently and at a reasonable cost.

4. Web designing: If you are a professional web designer with experience, there is tremendous scope for you in the world of web designing. It is a growing business because the number of websites keeps increasing with each passing year, and the need for good web designers also keeps growing. All you need is some good designing software and your personal computer to run this business.

5. E-Commerce: If you have good sources for some unique products, you could market your products online by starting your own e-commerce website, or selling your items at various other commercial or auctioneering websites.

There is no dearth of home business opportunities for someone who is well versed with computers and is willing to capitalize on the power of modern technology.

BIO: Bizymoms has been helping women target="_blank">work at home for over a decade and now helps those who
are looking to start a home business with a variety of href="http://www.bizymoms.com/ideas.html" target="_blank">home business
ideas to choose from. Visit today to get your work at home business started!

Posted by carrie | Filed Under Work at Home

Natural Moms Podcast #124

July 13, 2009 | 4 Comments

My guest this week is Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. She is the author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome. The GAPS diet has proven helpful in treating autism, ADD/ADHD dyslexia, depression and even schizoprenia.

In this interview, Dr. Natasha talks about how gut health impacts emotional and psychological health, how the GAPS diet came about and the science behind it, and helpful tips for implementing the diet. bookcover

Natural Moms Talk Radio listeners have been offered a discount code (enter NMTR at checkout). Any new customer who uses this code will receive 10% off all products on their first order.

Get more info on the diet and order the book: http://www.gapsdiet.com/

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Posted by carrie | Filed Under Podcast, Show Notes

Sleep Apnea In Kids?

July 9, 2009 | Leave a Comment

I got an email a few minutes ago from a sleep specialist. I usually don’t delve into topics like this on the show or the blog, but recently a friend mentioned on a message forum that her son suffers from sleep apnea. I had no idea that kids could have this issue, but apparently it can cause all sorts of symptoms in a child that can mimic other problems.

Evidently some children who “snore” actually have sleep apnea. During the day these kids may be tired, have dark circles under their eyes and have problems in school that look like learning disorders.

Here’s the article:

In today’s stressful times, a good night’s sleep is hard to come by. Issues that arise in your everyday life can take a toll on your ability to relax your mind and rest soundly. If able to get some shut-eye, problems such as snoring may wake you and have a detrimental effect on your everyday life. The issue of snoring does not only affect adults, however. More than 10% of children suffer from snoring part or most of the night while sleeping. What most people do not know is that your child’s loud snoring can be an indicator of a far more serious problem- Sleep Apnea.

photo credit: lepiaf.geo

According to Dr. Dan Smith, “approximately 100 to 200 million Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Sleep Apnea can cause long-term health risks such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and impotency.” Below is Dr. Smith’s list of the 4 symptoms of Sleep Apnea that should not be ignored:

1. “Snoring that is loud enough to wake your child up” is the first indicator of OSA, according to Dr. Smith. This is not the occasional snort or two but that incessant, honking-level snoring

2. “If your child ceases breathing intermittently while sleeping.” When OSA occurs, the tongue can be sucked against the back of the throat. This blocks the upper airway and airflow stops or is greatly diminished

3. “Suddenly waking up because he or she can not breathe and has shortness of breath or gasping.” This is directly linked to symptom #2, says Dr. Smith. When the oxygen level in the brain becomes low enough due to the blockage, the sleeper partially awakens, the obstruction in the throat clears, and the flow of air starts again, usually with a loud gasp

4. “If your child is excessively drowsy during the day.” This does not mean hitting the proverbial wall at 3 pm that a quick snack can fix or throwing a temper tantrum due to exhaustion. This means actually accidentally falling asleep during the day (not during nap time)

Dr. Smith states that “while snoring is typically a problem that is associated with men, it is a condition that does not discriminate.” Dr. Smith says men, women and children can suffer from OSA. It is one of the most misdiagnosed medical problems – especially in children. Loud and regular nightly snoring is often abnormal in otherwise healthy children. If a child suffers from OSA, he or she may be getting too little oxygen and too much carbon dioxide. This condition can lead to poor heart and lung development, behavioral problems, and even death if unchecked.

Thankfully, health centers have opened to help diagnose and treat sleep apnea. Dr. Dan Smith recently opened the Focus Center for Sleep Apnea and Snoring. This Center provides care from a team of Medical and Dental Specialists, to create a more complete solution to OSA by combing the highest technology available in the field as well as continued advanced education.

If your child suffers from the above 4 symptoms, it is in his or her best interest to be given medical attention. At the Focus Center for Sleep Apnea and Snoring, the diagnosis process is easy and follows these steps:

1. Patients (or the parents of the patient) are given a questionnaire that will indicate if they are suffering from “daytime sleepiness” and gauges the amount of noise they make while sleeping (snoring)

2. After the questionnaire is returned, they are evaluated and it is decided if the child needs further testing

3. A thorough exam by a sleep physician is done utilizing technology that allows doctors to “see” the airway without utilizing x-rays

4. Further testing can include the use of an ambulatory sleep computer (sleep study for the home) that will tell doctors the extent of OSA your child has. The Watch Pat is an electronic computer that is taken home for your child wear overnight in his or her usual sleep environment. It is extremely comfortable to wear and does not affect their usual pattern of sleep. It tells the doctors how much true sleep your child get, how much and how loud he or she snores, and what position he or she snores the most in. It evaluates your child’s sleep stages (including REM sleep) and the oxygen content of his or her blood at different times of their sleep. Finally, it analyzes their personal data and generates a report

5. Further studies might indicate the need for an overnight sleep study (PSG). Treatment will consist of the best methods that can include a dental device, CPAP, or surgical procedure

Posted by carrie | Filed Under Health

Buy/Sell Used Kid Stuff, Make Money

July 6, 2009 | 6 Comments

Something came across my email inbox and I had to share.

I’ve been pretty vocal about the fact that I dislike eBay.

I don’t like how high their fees are for sellers, I don’t like how their customer service is virtually nonexistent (and how many people have found their account deleted with no explanation), I don’t like how they automatically favor the buyer – and can take money right out of your Paypal account if a buyer makes up a sham story about an item not being as described.

photo credit: CarbonNYC
But, buying and selling used kid stuff online is a huge way to save money or make some spare cash.

Today I got an email about a site called KidZola. KidZola is basically an online classifieds site that allows you to sell your kid stuff free. (Of course you can also buy stuff.)

Let me reiterate:

Ads are free, and sellers get to keep 100 percent of the profits.

Also cool about the site is that you can have someone else sell stuff for you (similar to eBay) – called “consultants”, these guys keep part of the sale but the process is more hands off for you.

This also presents a money making opportunity for moms.

All you really need are your computer, internet connection, a space to store the stuff you’re selling and some basic organization skills (umm – hello, moms are good at this stuff).

Consultants get to keep 35% of the profits. For someone with a knack for it, it would be a neat way to earn some extra cash from home. (Speaking of dealing with falling income.)

I plan on using the site to list some kid stuff. They accept clothing, furniture, toys, all kinds of items.

Posted by carrie | Filed Under Misc