Tuesday, April 28, 2009
MMR: Is your child vaccinated?
| It is this time of the year in our region when chicken pox, measles and German measles spread their wings. Recently my hubby went down with rubella measles or German measles as they are popularly called. It sent me into tizzy as Maks is yet not vaccinated for measles. I recently got him the shot for chicken pox and doctor suggested we have to wait till next month for another vaccine. MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) is a vaccine for preventing these diseases. When we were children, there was no vaccine that's why if we hadn't got any of these autoimmune diseases in childhood, we will catch them now as happened with my hubby. Rubella measles is a mild form of normal measles which is characterized by red rash all over the body accompanied by some cold and cough and sometimes conjunctivitis. The lymph nodes can swell and can give you a little pain in your joints. The most important part is that it is communicable. It spreads through talking, coughing and sneezing. The person carrying the virus may be spreading it even one week before the appearance of any symptoms and one week after the onset of rash. The rash usually disappears in 3 days, that's why these measles are also known as 3-day measles. The rubella virus has incubation period of 2-3 weeks so you never know that you may be carrying the virus and spreading it without your knowledge. Children are usually vaccinated with MMR from 15-18 months and then another shot at around 2 years of age. I am already running one month late and keeping my fingers crossed. Although I kept Maks and my hubby confined in their separate rooms (believe me it was next to impossible) but you know children. They do not have a body as resistant as adults. So I am now tiptoeing counting the days to get him vaccinated with MMR and praying that he does not catch it meanwhile. Labels: german measles, measles, MMR, rubella measles, symptoms of german measles, vaccine for measles |
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Importance of playschools
| It is always a pleasure to see children achieve milestones whether it is their first laugh, first walk or first ever word (I would like to hear Mama but seems his first word is banana :)). The first step towards independence is when your child first joins a playschool. There is no definitive age to explore this idea but parents like me are usually skeptical. I don't want to send my child to playschool just because everyone else is doing so and moreover people of our generation have turned out quite well even without going to playschools. But the competition is severe in today's world and the kids need to be ready for this. But what sets the ball rolling is the shattering of the myth that playschools have anything to do with academics. We need to understand the importance of playschools before actually making up our mind. This is just like a social networking place in our lingo where kids can meet their similar age group counterparts and hence they learn to venture socially and of course this puts an end to their around 2 years of jail seeing only the same inmates (read mom, dad and the maid) apart from few paroles. The idea is to develop sensory-motor skills and social skills. Have you ever noticed children imitating others? This is the best way to make a child learn new things and the efforts are optimum at playschools. Nursery rhymes, drawing, coloring, sorting, role playing are some of the ways that let children break their inhibitions. Benefits of playschools
Playschools these days are open in every nook and corner of the neighborhood you live in. What is important before choosing a playschool is to see whether the school is qualified enough to handle such small babies. The kids need to be treated very tenderly at this age and any bad influence or wrong exposure can seriously affect their growth. So have a detailed check before you leap at the opportunity of registering your child in the nearby school. Playschools are not a necessity and stay at home moms can work the things out although not at the same pace as in playschools. It is a matter of personal choice and your ideology in upbringing your child. But if you choose to put your child in a playschool, make sure it is the right place and is not just an over the top daycare. Labels: benefits of playschools, how to choose a playschool, Importance of playschools, toddlers, toddlers and playschools |
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Virtue of happiness
| My son loves to watch cartoons. His favorite are Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck especially when they are dancing and not to forget Richie rich. To my surprise, he likes the dog and not the boy in Richie rich. Nevertheless he enjoys cartoons so much that sometimes he laughs out loudly just by seeing them jumping around (not doing any funny act). And I wonder, what is so funny? It is not only the cartoons, you give a weird expression, cover your face with your hands and start playing hide and seek, these kids giggle so wholeheartedly that the entire day brightens up. In this fast paced life, how often we take the time out and laugh out loud or do the things that we love to do the most. It can be going on a picnic or just watching the sun rising or playing with the kitten or dog in your porch, the small things that used to give so much of happiness to us as a kid, as a matter of fact even now. With the whole day governed by the the hands of clock, getting up at 6, preparing kids for school, packing hubby's lunch, struggling to make and get them eat breakfast, putting them on bus, picking them up as the clock strikes one, lunch hour, resting for a while, playtime, dinner time, life is so mechanical. We often forget to relax and smile. I don't want to wake up one day with wrinkles on my face and regret that I could have enjoyed life a little more, I may have done the things other way around. I want to do it now, and live my life to the fullest, i want to start enjoying those small moments again that used to give me so much pleasure. I want to laugh out loud. Do you too want to make the most while the sun shines. I bet you do. Labels: be happy, cartoons, virtue of happiness |