Sunday, August 12, 2012

PARENTING 101: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children


Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a set of characteristic symptoms that develops after being directly or indirectly exposed to a traumatic or terrifying event where a physical harm was threatened, witnessed, or actually experienced. It can also occur after an unexpected or violent death of a family member or a close friend, or after a serious harm or threat of death or injury to a loved one. the people with PTSD often avoid any situations that will remind them of the trauma, but often re-experience the affliction through flashbacks, memories, nightmares, or frightening thoughts especially when they are re-exposed to events or objects that remind them of the trauma. They also feel the Survivor's guilt, the feelings of guilt of having survived the event in which friends or family died.

Causes:

  • Assaults such as Rape
  • Fire
  • Physical or Sexual abuse
  • Senseless acts of violence (school and neighborhood shootings)
  • Natural disasters (flood, earthquake, volcanic eruption)
  • Car accidents
  • Military combat (often called "shell shock")
  • Witnessing another person experiencing these kinds of traumatic events
  • Diagnoses of life-threatening medical illness
  • Psychological/mental abuse
  • Negligence
  • Friend's or family member's suicide

Risk Factors:
  • Severity of the trauma
  • Social support
  • Levels of cortisol, norepinephrine, and epinephrine - Important for the "Fight-or-flight" response of the body to stress
  • The distance of the child to trauma
  • The parent's reaction to trauma
  • The number of traumas that the child experience
Signs and Symptoms:

Re-experiencing the event
  • recurrent and intrusive (unwanted) memories of the event 
  • distressing dreams or nightmares of the event 
  • acting or feeling as though the event were happening again (flashbacks) 
  • distress and fear when reminded of the event 
  • physiological reactivity (feeling jumpy, startled, or anxious) when reminded of the event 
Persistent avoidance of any reminders of the event 
  • avoiding thinking about or talking about the trauma 
  • avoiding activities, places, or people that are reminders of the event 
  • no memory of an important aspect of the event 
  • lack of interest and participation in activities (due to wishing to avoid cues of the event) 
  • feeling detached or estranged from others 
  • limited range of emotions 
  • sense that they will not live to graduate college, get married, have kids, etc. 
Persistent feelings of anxiety or physical reactivity
  • difficulty falling or staying asleep 
  • cranky, irritable, or angry 
  • problems paying attention or concentrating 
  • overly aware of noises or other cues that remind them of the event (smells, visual cues) 
  • exaggerated startle response 
Treatment:

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
 CBT is the most effective approach for treating children. One type of CBT is called Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT). In TF-CBT, the child may talk about his or her memory of the trauma. TF-CBT also includes techniques to help lower worry and stress. The child may learn how to assert him or herself. The therapy may involve learning to change thoughts or beliefs about the trauma that are not correct or true. For example, after a trauma, a child may start thinking, "the world is totally unsafe."
 Some may question whether children should be asked to think about and remember events that scared them. However, this type of treatment approach is useful when children are distressed by memories of the trauma. The child can be taught at his or her own pace to relax while they are thinking about the trauma. That way, they learn that they do not have to be afraid of their memories. Research shows that TF-CBT is safe and effective for children with PTSD.
 CBT often uses training for parents and caregivers as well. It is important for caregivers to understand the effects of PTSD. Parents need to learn coping skills that will help them help their children.
Psychological first aid/crisis management

Psychological First Aid (PFA)
 Used with school-aged children and teens that have been through violence where they live. PFA can be used in schools and traditional settings. It involves providing comfort and support, and letting children know their reactions are normal. PFA teaches calming and problem solving skills. PFA also helps caregivers deal with changes in the child's feelings and behavior. Children with more severe symptoms may be referred for added treatment.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
 EMDR combines cognitive therapy with directed eye movements. EMDR is effective in treating both children and adults with PTSD, yet studies indicate that the eye movements are not needed to make it work.


Play therapy
 Play therapy can be used to treat young children with PTSD who are not able to deal with the trauma more directly. The therapist uses games , drawings, and other methods to help children process their traumatic memories.

Other treatments
 Special treatments may be needed for children who show out-of-place sexual behaviors, extreme behavior problems, or problems with drugs or alcohol.

The Parent's Role

Most kids will need a period of adjustment following a stressful event, so during this time, it's especially important for parents to offer support and love, and to monitor their kids carefully.
  • Let them talk about the traumatic event when and if they feel ready. It's important not to force the issue if kids don't feel like sharing their thoughts. Praise them for being strong when they do talk about it. Your child may prefer to draw or write about their experiences. Either way, encouragement and praise can help your child get their feelings out. 
  • Reassure them that their feelings are normal and that they're not "going crazy." Support and understanding from parents can help kids process difficult feelings. 
  • Some kids find it very helpful to get involved in a support group for trauma survivors. Check with your pediatrician, school, or local library to find groups nearby. 
  • Get professional help immediately if there's any suspicion that a child has thoughts of self-harm. Thoughts of suicide are serious at any age and require prompt and effective intervention. 
  • Help build self-confidence by encouraging kids to make everyday decisions whenever appropriate. PTSD can make a child feel powerless, so parents can help by showing their kids that they have control over certain aspects of their lives. Depending on their children's ages, parents might consider letting them decide things like what's for dinner, what to wear, or select a weekend activity. 
  • Tell them that the traumatic event is not their fault. Encourage kids to talk about their feelings of guilt, but don't let them blame themselves for what happened. 
  • Stay in touch with caregivers. It's important to talk to teachers, babysitters, and other people who care for kids with PTSD. 
  • Do not criticize regressive behavior (returning to a previous level of development). If children want to sleep with the lights on or take a favorite stuffed animal to bed, it's perfectly normal and can help them feel better. 
  • Also, take care of yourself. Helping your child cope with PTSD can be very challenging and may require a lot of patience and support. Time does heal, and getting good support for your family can help everyone get past difficult life events.
x

Saturday, August 11, 2012

PARENTING 101: Child Depression



Depression in Children often are not diagnosed because it is normal for children to be moody, feel sad and lonely especially in some situations where they feel disappointed, rejected, and unappreciated. The feeling of sadness often lessen and will be totally diminished with time, but when these bad moods interfere with the child's ability to function, lingers for weeks, months, or longer, or they always have angry behavior, that must be the time to seek professional help.

Symptoms:

  • Having bad moods or irritability that persists for a long time
  • The feeling of "being in the dumps"
  • Low Self-esteem
  • The Feeling of Hopelessness and Helplessness
  • Social Withdrawal
  • Changes in appetite
  • Changes in sleep
  • Lack of energy
  • Inability to enjoy the things that use to bring pleasure
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
  • Aches and Pain that don't respond to treatments
  • FREQUENT THOUGHTS OF DEATH AND SUICIDE
Causes:            

  • Lowered levels of neurotransmitters in the brain
  • Genetics/Hereditary
  • Death of a loved one
  • Separation/Divorce of parents
  • Breakup with girlfriend/boyfriend (teens)
  • Stress (School, Home)
  • Chronic Illness
  • Bullying
  • Disability
SUICIDAL WARNING SIGNS

  • Many depressive symptoms
  • Social Isolation
  • Talks of suicide, hopelessness, helplessness
  • Increased acting out behaviors (sexual, behavioral)
  • Substance abuse
  • Increased crying or reduced emotional expression
  • Focus on morbid/negative themes
  • Giving away possessions
Treatment:
   
     Consult a pediatrician first to rule out any physical illness. If depression is suspected, your pediatrician may refer you to a Psychiatrist, a medical doctor who can diagnose, perform treatment, and prescribe medicines;  or a Psychologist, A health personnel who can diagnose and treat depression but unable to give prescription. It is important to seek medical advice immediately because early detection and diagnosis is important in treating kids with depression. The psychiatrist or psychologist can perform a complete evaluation and start a treatment plan that may include counselling, medicine, or both. The counselor might prescribe some sort of group counselling where the family works with the child in therapy.

THE PARENT'S ROLE

    As a parent, it is our responsibility to ensure that our kids are always happy and comfortable with their lives, but there are things that are beyond our control. It often make us feel guilty and frustrated because our child's depression maybe caused by the things that we do or didn't do. These are the ways that we can help our children cope with depression.

  • Make sure that the child adheres to the medicine and treatments
  • Incorporate physical activity in the daily activities of living to alleviate the symptoms of depression
  • Talk and listen to the child. Let him express what he feels and offer love and support
  • Accept the situation and never tell the child to snap out of it
  • Watch out for suicidal warning signs at all times
Discipline

  • Don't shame or punish the child, it can make the child feel less confident
  • Allow the child to make mistakes. Overprotection can be perceived as lack of faith in the child's abilities
  • Don't expect the child to do exactly as you say all the time
  • Don't force your child down the path you wanted to follow. Avoid trying to relive your youth through your child's activities and experiences.
      My heart goes out to all the kids who suffer depression because of the situations that they shouldn't have experienced at this very young age. Enough of the embarrassing, enough of the bullying, enough of the rejection, these kids deserve to be loved, deserve to be accepted, and deserve to be happy.

x

NOTE: The owner of the image here is a kid who suffered from depression because of her disability (she has a clubbed foot). As of now, she's recovering from her depression, she's into continued counselling which helped her a lot, and thanks to her mom, she seek for professional help when she have noticed that her child was feeling depressed. You can check out her blog Unbroken Skyscraper

Credits: MedicinenetKidshealthThe Depressed ChildUnbroken Skyscraper                                                     

Saturday, June 30, 2012

A Dream of a Vintage Wedding Postscript

In continuation with my yesterday's post, here are another inspirations for a vintage wedding. 

low loose bun with a crystal vintage-inspired hairpin
Sugar Rose Cake
Pink and Red Tulips and Roses Bridal Bouquet
Classic Ford Model A
A Vintage Gramophone for music

Hope you've enjoyed this round of vintage wedding inspirations. till next time!

Credits:

Thursday, June 28, 2012

A Dream Of A Vintage Wedding


Photography by: Three Nails
One of a woman's dream is to have a perfect wedding. This is one of the important milestones in a woman's life because this is the day that she will enter the family life with the man that she love and she want to spend her forever with. This day should be the perfect and the best day of her life and this should be the day where she is the most beautiful woman in the world.

My husband and I tied the knot in a simple civil wedding but we are still planning to have a church wedding ceremony after a year or two, and for me, this is the perfect time to plan for my dream wedding: The Vintage Wedding. 

I've searched for vintage wedding ideas for the invitations, venue, wedding favors, make-up, music, and of course, the wedding gown. Here are some of the inspirations for my dream vintage wedding. These are the minor elements of the wedding. I will post the major elements of a wedding in the coming days. 

A vintage-inspired wedding invitation with mad lib rsvp card | Paisleyquill
Tea-dyed escort Tags 
Vintage Books Centerpiece (I want this because I love books!)
Heart-shaped mint candies in bride and groom tin can for wedding favors
A tightly curled fiddlehead fern with peacock feathers boutonniere for the groom
Vintage Guestbook Inspiration: Antique display table with gorgeous stationery for guests 
Brown Program Booklets displayed in a vintage wooden box



Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Frugal Mom

When us, women start to build a family and rear children, there are a lot of things that we have to give up. One of those things is buying expensive stuffs for ourselves. I'ts not a sin to pamper ourselves sometimes but we can't help but think of our kids first before we buy something, especially if we're on a tight budget. We tend to just shrug off the urge to buy the thing that we wanted because we want to provide first the things that our family needs and put ourselves in the least position on our priorities. Though we have extra money to buy our stuffs, we still feel guilty if we choose ourselves first among our children's needs.

Because of this dilemma, I've thought of a frugal way to pamper myself with the things that I fancy especially clothes, shoes, and handbags. My remedy for this is visiting a local thrift store/vintage store or commonly known as "ukay-ukay"(in the Philippines).

Yeah, this may seem off but its not really that icky to use the things that were previously owned by others or "pre-loved" by others as it will feed our personal needs without feeling guilty, it is practical, and we can contribute in saving mother-earth, too. With proper cleaning and disinfecting of the things, it will be good enough to use it again plus, the things in the thrift stores are unique, we could actually find designer and original items, 50-80% below its original price (i actually found some c:)

These are some of the things that I bought from different thrift stores I've visited around the metro. 











Saturday, June 23, 2012

Tips For Good Study Habits For Our Kids



Giving our child a full and good quality education is one of the crucial aspects in rearing a healthy and successful individual. It is important that we develop effective study habits for our child and assist him in his studies to improve his academic performance and enhance his learning abilities. We should check our child's work and study with him so we can monitor the things that he learn and provide him with necessary information if he have some questions that are not tackled in school. Studying with our kids also creates a bonding moment with our kids which helps in their school performance. Here are some tips in creating a good study habits for our kids.

1. Standard Study Time. Set up a regular time for studies and consistently, strictly implement it. This will establish our child's studying routine and homework habits. We can use an alarm clock or a bulletin board indicating a reminder of the study time.
2. Standard Study Place. Choose the study spot that is away from distractions like noise and television. We should also keep away things that could distract our child like some handheld gaming devices (psp, nintendo DS, etc.) and toys. Dont use the bed as the study spot because it may interrupt the child's sleeping habit since the bed is used for sleeping.
3. Standard Procedures. Help our child to plan the things that he needs to accomplish. Write down the things that should be done (homework, essays, research, reviews) so he can track the things that he needs to do and the things that he have accomplished.
4. Do the Homework. Some parents have the urge to just do the homework for their kids to get it done correctly without explaining to the child the procedures and the answers to the homework. We should guide the children in doing the homework so they would learn the answers and they'll have the idea what the homework is all about. We should teach the children some strategies in solving the problem and guide them to the answers.
5. Have a Break. Allow breaks between the study hours so the child could refresh his memory and will not lose focus. Long hours of study could be so boring and blocks concentration, and sometimes, it makes the child feel sleepy. Give at least 5-10 minutes break then resume after.
6. Be Organized. Teach the child to be organized and clean with the study table so his school stuffs will be accessible to him whenever he needs it.
7. Instill the importance of education. Talk to the child about the possibilities and opportunities when he did well in school. If his dream is becoming a doctor, tell him that he can make this dream come true if he will study hard.
8. Make learning fun. We can play word games and puzzles with our child after he have finished everything that should be done. This will make the child more enthusiastic with studying and it also help in the child's learning ability.
9. Standard Sleep. The child should have enough sleep because it is important for effective studying and memory. A child with lack of sleep will have poor school performance and dull memory.
10. Acknowledge. Acknowledge the child's effort after he finished everything that should be done. This will give the child a positive point of view about studying and will make him more interested. This will also boost his self-confidence. Proof read everything and help the child correct the mistakes if there's any.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Sleek Review

I've finally got one of my dream palettes, the Sleek I-divine palette in acid. Sleek is actually a UK brand and is not available in the Philippines BUT you can find a lot of online sellers in Facebook and Multiply which distribute the brand, from blushes, lip paints, to eye shadow palettes including this one. This is really my favorite among the others and i got mine from Hot Boutique By Carmella in Facebook. I love how the shadow sticks to the skin and stays there for hours. It is not easily erased by oiliness or sweat.

The colors make me Colorgasm! *drool*

Swatches

I tried to imitate the Nicki Minaj Super Bass Look Using the palette and I'm Really impressed with the palette's intense hues. When I applied it i thought it was kinda light and unnoticeable but when i took a photo of it, the colors are so intense, i was really surprised and excited!

I am looking forward to creating more looks with this gorgeous palette. For now, I'll practice more on "super bass" look and will keep you guys posted. :)


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Carl's Summer Class

I've enrolled Carl last month in Special Education Institution in Pasig City, a school run by the government for special children who can't afford to go to a private special school. I'ts great that there's a school like this  for poor Filipino special children so they will have access to the kind of education that they need. The tuition fee for a year is only 300 pesos. The shoes, notebooks, books, and PE uniform are all provided by the government. The school accepts Hearing impaired children (just like my Carl), Autistic children, children with down syndrome, and children with learning disabilities (dyslexia, to name one). The teachers are graduates of  BS education with special education major, and are all friendly and approachable. The school has a security guard and never let the children go out of the school premises if not picked up by the guardian. This Summer, the kids are taught how to write, to perform activities of daily living, to do some house chores (within the scope of the child's capacity), and to socialize with other children and the society. I'm planning to transfer Carl in a private school if our budget permits but as of now, I'll just let my son enjoy this school and the privilege of studying for a very affordable price. I'm so thankful that there are teachers that are willing to give education to these children in exchange for a modest salary. You are like an angel to parents who have a special children because without you, who will impart knowledge to the child aside from us parents? KUDOS TO ALL SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS!! 




Sunday, May 13, 2012

The Modern Day Sisa



Sisa is the fictional character from Dr. Jose Rizal's Noli me Tangere (Touch me not) written way back in the 1800's. The book was written as a way of protest against the spanish friars in our country. Sisa, one of the popular characters in the book, is a mother of two boys, Basilio and Crispin, and the wife of the abusive gambler Pedro. Sisa is described as a mother who considers her sons her only treasure. She would often anticipate when they return home as she would prepare their favorite dishes. She remembers each son's features and when alone, remember moments when her sons were with her. The children were working as sacristan in the church when apparently, they were accused as thieves and later, they were nowhere to be found. Sisa then succumb to insanity. She roamed about and was recognized by the limping Basilio. As she has not recognized her son, a chase ensued and ended when Basilio fell off the tree to catch his mother. When she finally recognizes her son, Basilio had fainted. When Basilio woke up, Sisa had died.

Today, a lot of mothers are agonizing, crying in pain as they lost their children due to kidnapping. There are news that there are people lurking around searching for women who have newborn babies. They would offer the woman some cash and groceries, and "help" the woman in carrying the child. When the woman is unaware, that's the time the suspect would runaway with the child, leaving the helpless mother alone. Another story also states that there are men in a van who are looking for children playing on the streets. When the children's parents are unaware, they will get the child, ride in the vehicle, and drive away. Based on the police investigation, the kidnapped babies were possibly being sold to couples who have no children. Other children possibly were kidnapped by the syndicates to be made as beggars on the streets.
No one could possibly explain the pain of losing a child except the mother for she carried her child for nine months, showered the child with love and affection, cared for the child, built dreams and aspirations for the child, and of course, because that is her child. A mother, without all the riches in the world will still be rich because of her children's love. She considers them as her treasure, her valuable possession, just like Sisa who've gone insane because her children were taken away.


Credits: wikipilipinas


Sunday, May 6, 2012

Summer Love

In time for the summer, I played with my palette to create a look that suits the summer season. I used mostly Golden hues, orange, bronze for the cheeks, and golden bronze color for the lips, mostly from sephora palette. You can wear this during the day or night, when you go clubbing. :)



Thursday, April 26, 2012

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Mamonluk

Ma Mon Luk (1896-1961) was a pioneering Chinese Filipino chef and entrepreneur. He established the popular Chinese restaurant that bears his name, Ma Mon Luk.
[edit]Life

Born in Guangdong, China, he was a grade school teacher in Guangzhou when he decided to emigrate to the Philippines in 1918. According to legend, he migrated to the Philippines in order to earn his fortune and win the hand of a girl whose wealthy Cantonesefamily looked none too kindly on his poverty. Arriving penniless in Manila, Ma Mon Luk decided to peddle chicken noodle soup, utilizing egg noodles. He soon became a familiar sight on the streets of Manila, plodding down with a long bamboo pole slung on his shoulders with two metal containers on each end. One vat contained his especially concocted noodles and strips of chicken meat, while the other stored chicken broth heated by live coals underneath. With a pair of scissors, he would cut the noodles and meat to serve to his customers. Among his frequent customers were students from the various schools and universities in Manila, whom he would regale with tales about China. Ma Mon Luk himself called his concoction "gupit", after the Tagalog word for "cut with scissors".

Ma Mon Luk soon opened his first restaurant in Binondo, where he introduced his equally famous siopao, a steamed pork dumplingenhanced by a secret sauce. Ma Mon Luk nonetheless continued to peddle his wares on the streets, advertising his restaurant by giving away free samples. By the 1950s, Ma Mon Luk and his mami were nationally known, and Ma Mon Luk became the iconic Chinese restaurant, sprouting many imitators who failed to equal its success. At one point, in the mid 1990s, there were at least six Ma Mon Luk restaurants in Metro Manila, but as of 2006, only the branches in Quezon Avenue and Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo remain open.

Ma Mon Luk died on September 1, 1961 of throat cancer and is buried at the Chinese Cemetery in Manila. He is succeeded to date by 3 Mamonluk generations.


The Famous Mami of Mamonluk

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Holy Week

We've spent the holy week at my husband's hometown in Pasig City, where the residents celebrate the occasion traditionally. There was a procession of the saints, a mass held everyday, way of the cross, visita iglesia, and the 7 last words. These are some of the saints included in the procession.




Tuesday, April 3, 2012

And We Tied the Knot.

Yesterday was one of the greatest moment in my life. After eight Long years of being together, We Finally tied the knot in a simple Civil wedding. But before that, there were a lot of things that we've prepared to finally get the schedule of our wedding. First, the marriage licence . It is obtained at the local registry office (that's inside the municipal hall) by giving the Birth certificate, and attending to a series of seminars, but since we're living together for five years and we already have children, we directly went to the hall of justice, gave out our birth certificate, cenomar or certificate of no marriage, an affidavit of parent consent (for me since i am only 24 years old) and an affidavit stating that we are living together for five years. Included also were the birth certificates of our three children. After checking our requirements, we were given the schedule of our civil wedding. For our reception, we went to a local restaurant, The Seafood Island which is located in Market! Market! Taguig and reserved a total of 40 seats for our guests. And everything was all set! The wedding day came, and it all went well as we planned. We are planning also to have a church wedding, if the time and budget permit but for now, we will cherish this moment and treasure it every waking hour of our lives.




Sunday, March 4, 2012

Roughhousing with the kids!


Being a mom of three boys requires A LOT of energy because male children are more energetic than female children. The girls just play house and barbie quietly with their girl friends while boys run around, play wrestling or other kinds of boys' play. As a mom, i also play with them through roughhousing, though its more appropriate for a dad to roughhouse with the kids well in my case, i'm the one obliged to play horse or wrestle with them as their dad is working abroad. I enjoy it though especially when i hear the kids' laughter, it really relieves stress.

THE BENEFITS OF ROUGHHOUSING


Roughhousing Boosts Your Kid’s Resilience. Helping your child develop a resilient spirit is one of the best things you can do as a parent. The ability to bounce back from failures and adapt to unpredictable situations will help your kids reach their full potential and live happier lives as adults. And an easy way to help boost your kids’ resilience is to put them in a gentle headlock and give them a noogie.  Additionally, roughhousing helps develop your children’s grit and stick-to-itiveness. You shouldn’t just let your kids “win” every time when you roughhouse with them. Whether they’re trying to escape from your hold or run past you in the hallway, make them work for it. Playtime is a fun and safe place to teach your kids that failure is often just a temporary state and that victory goes to the person who keeps at it and learns from his mistakes.

Roughhousing Makes Your Kid Smarter.  Psychologist Anthony Pellegrini has found that the amount of roughhousing children engage in predicts their achievement in first grade better than their kindergarten test scores do. Roughhousing actually rewires the brain for learning. Neuroscientists studying animal and human brains have found that bouts of rough-and-tumble play increase the brain’s level of a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF helps increase neuron growth in the parts of the brain responsible for memory, logic, and higher learning–skills necessary for academic success.

Roughhousing Builds Social Intelligence. Roughhousing builds social intelligence in several ways. First, when kids roughhouse they learn to tell the difference between play and actual aggression. Dr. Pellegrini found in a survey among school-aged children that the ones who could tell the difference between play and real aggression were more well-liked compared to kids who had a hard time separating the two. The kids who mistook play for aggression often ended up returning their classmates good-natured overtures with a real punch in the kisser. The ability to differentiate between play and aggression translates into other social skills that require people to read and interpret social cues. Roughhousing also teaches children about taking turns and cooperation. You might not recognize it, but when you horse around with your kids, you’re often taking part in a give-and-take negotiation where the goal is to make sure everyone has fun. Sometimes you’re the chaser and sometimes you’re the chasee; sometimes you’re pinning down your kids and other times they’re pinning you down. Your kids wouldn’t want to keep playing if they were constantly on the losing side. Everyone has to take turns in order for the fun to continue.

Roughhousing Teaches Your Kid Morality. 
When we roughhouse with our sons and daughters, they learn boundaries and the difference between right and wrong. If they start hitting hard, aiming below the belt, or becoming malicious, you can reprimand them and then show by example what’s appropriate roughhousing behavior. Also, roughhousing teaches our children about the appropriate use of strength and power. As I mentioned earlier, when we roughhouse with our kids, we often take turns with the dominant role. Because we’re so much bigger and stronger, we have to handicap ourselves. The implicit message to your child when you hold back is: “Winning isn’t everything. You don’t need to dominate all the time. There’s strength in showing compassion on those weaker than you.”

Roughhousing Gets Your Kid Physically Active.  What better way to teach your kids to live an active lifestyle than by getting down on the carpet with them for some vigorous roughhousing instead of everyone vegging out in front of the TV? All that running, tumbling, and tackling helps develop strength, flexibility, and coordination in your child.


Friday, March 2, 2012

Changing the drill bit of the electric hand drill

The Electric Hand Drill

The Chuck Key

The Drill Bits

The clamp gear and the Chuck cap

The chuck key is used to loosen the bit slot

insert the drill bit in the slot and tighten the bit slot using again the chuck key, turning it counter clockwise

voila!

After minutes of pounding the nails (and my thumb >.<) I've finally hung my modem and router. :)

There are times that we, moms, have to do what "only dads can do" like drilling a hole in a concrete wall! I had to drill a hole in the wall and put the nails in order to hang my DSL modem and my router to make my workspace organized and of course, to prevent the kids from playing with the gadgets, especially the cords but I had no one to do it so i had to do it on my own. The apparatus to use in drilling a hole is the Electric Hand drill tool. I'm kinda familiar in using it so i tried to drill a hole in the concrete but the hole that i made was bigger than what i intended and i just realized that i had to replace the drill bit that is installed in the hand drill. I didn't know how to change the drill bit until i stumbled upon an instruction in the internet courtesy of Ehow so i want to share to you moms what i have learned. :)

Instructions

1. Decide which bit you will be attaching. This will depend on exactly what application you are going to be using the drill for. Do you need to screw drywall onto wall studs? Do you need to bore a hole for a door handle? Or perhaps you need to drill a pilot hole for a furniture project. Choosing the proper bit is important for making the job go smoother and easier.

2. Find the chuck key and locate the clamp gear and chuck cap. You will have to use the chuck key in order to break the drill's hold on the current bit. The chuck key is usually found attached to the cord near the plug end. It is a piece of metal featuring a thin handle and a round, grooved head that resembles a gear. On the front of the electric hand drill you will see a set of grooves that resemble those found on the chuck key; this is the clamp gear. There will also be a series of holes immediately in front of the gearlike grooves; this area is called the chuck cap.
3. Insert the tip of the chuck key into one of the holes on the chuck cap. The grooves on the chuck key and the clamp gear should fit together.

4. Turn the chuck key counter-clockwise. Use the handle of the chuck key to get proper leverage. Like the gears in a clock, the turning chuck key will force the bit slot of the drill to open. Sometimes, a little extra force is required if the existing bit was really tightened down. Once you break the hold you can easily loosen the drill tip by turning the chuck with your hand.
5. Remove the current drill bit and open the chuck wide enough for your new drill bit. With the old bit removed, you may have to open the tip up even wider depending on the size of the bit you will now be attaching. If that is the case, just keep turning the chuck to open it wider.
6. Insert the new bit and hand tighten the chuck to hold the bit in place. Use the chuck key to further tighten down the drill's hold on the bit by inserting it as you did earlier and turning it clockwise. That is all it takes to change electric hand drill bits!
CREDITS: EHOW