14 things I learned in ACC255

1) how to create a blog (blogger.com)
2) how to create and edit a website (webs.com)
3) how to use chitika to add advertisement spots on my page (s)
4) how to use google analytics to track use of my page (ie how many visits per day, avg tim espent on my page, etc)
5) how to paste codes into my webpages (ie using the "custom HTML" edit button)
6) how to create cafepress products for my site
7) how to use clickbank to find relevant info to post on my site
8) how to submit my sites to search engine databases
9) how to submit my articles (or short versions) to EZine article databases
10) how to create a PayPal account
11) how to create a contact widget and post it on my page
12) how to use keywords to maximize my visibility to my target audience
13) how to create a privacy policy and put in on my page
14) how to create a landing page

Sesame Street- can it make a difference?

We all know what Sesame Street is. We all know the lovable characters. But do we really know the benefits of having our kids watch Sesame Street? It's been around since before my time; Now with over 4000 episodes. Not only does it teach our kids the basic academics, such as numbers and letters, but it also teachers them about the vast diversity among the human race. After they learn all this, does it make a difference? Recent studies have shown that kids who watched Sesame Street growing up have significantly higher GPA's in school. So, yea, it does make a difference! We all know that watching too much TV is bad for our kids. However, a little bit won't hurt! In that little time that we do allow our kids to watch TV, it should be used as a leaning experience. Even listening to counting in the background can be beneficial! We have been watching Sesame Street since my son was about 1 year old (he is almost 4 now). He doesn't necessarily sit down and watch the hour long program, but he takes in what he is hearing as he is playing around the house. I was not aware of the benefits watching Sesame Street can have when we first started turning it on for our son. But now I'm sure glad we did! It's a show that he's interested in, and can have fun with while learning. We now have quite the array of Sesame Street products around our house! We also play Sesame Street computer games which I've provided a link to below! GO LEARN!

SESAME STREET (.ORG)

Choosing the Right Potty Chair For Your Toddler

I've talked before about potty training and the difficulties you can encounter during the process. One of the toughest issues to face during potty training is getting and keeping your child interested! Some kids are already interested in using the "big-kid potty", yet others need the extra frills and encouragement. Every child is different and should be catered to accordingly. Shortly after my sons' third birthday, (keep  in mind that my son is a little farther behind than most), we decided that he was finally ready to start potty training. He now realized when he was going potty in his diaper, so I figured this was our time to start. We were so excited- I was ready for my big boy to start using the big boy potty! Much to my surprise, he showed no interest. We would sit on the potty and as soon as he got his diaper back on he would go! Then I realized that my son would need a little more encouragement (and possibly fun!) when going potty. So, we decided to get him his own potty chair. When I first started looking online for potty chairs, I was overwhelmed with the vast array of choices. To narrow it down, I figured out the theme that would most interest my son- Sesame Street! Now I needed to decide between a potty seat that simply lays on top of the regular toilet, and a potty seat that had it's own chair. Because my son wasn't interested in the regular potty, we opted to get him his own potty chain. We ended up purchasing the Sesame Street Elmo Adventure Potty Chair SS ELMO POTTY CHAIR .
Of course, Elmo is my sons' favorite Sesame Street character, but they also have the Sesame Street Abby Cadabby Magical Potty Chain for the little ladies SS ABBY POTTY CHAIR . They also had a few other Sesame Street Potty Chairs that we looked at including: SS FOLDING POTTY SEAT , SS SOFT POTTY SEAT AND STEP STOOL. I think we made the right chhoice because my son now gets super excited when I tell him it's time to go potty! The bottom line here is to choose the right potty equipment for your child. They may need some extra encouragement, so give it to them!

How Important is Your Child's Sleep Schedule?

Now that the kids are out of school for the summer, it's easy to let their good sleeping habits fade. During the school year, my son goes to bed at 7:30pm and wakes up at 6:30am- which equates to 11hours of sleep (perfect for my almost 4 year old!). Now that summer has come around, we-like many other parents-think it's OK to let our son stay up "just a little later" and sleep in "just a little later" because it's summer! An article from the MotherLoad blog brought my attention to this matter MOTHERLOAD- SUMMER SLEEP . Of course, we've all heard before that sleep is important to run a functional life. But do we really believe that? In the crazy hustle-bustle of the fast life these days, it's easy to let our sleep patterns dwindle. If we, as parents, don't have a grip on our our sleeping habits, than how can we manage our child's sleep habits? First a foremost, it is extremely important for us to understand the benefits of good sleeping habits for us and our children. These benefits can be physical, emotional, cognitive, and many others. More specific benefits of sleep can be found at The New York Times "Well" site SLEEP BENEFITS. These benefits can dramatically influence our children's behavior. Often times, children can be misdiagnosed with ADHD simply because of a lack of sleep (as erratic sleep patterns). To maintain a healthy lifestyle, good sleeping patterns should be adopted. Certain elements can effect your sleep adversely and should be avoided. Other factors can be found at FACTORS AFFECTING SLEEP . Once you understand how sleep affects you and your children, certain steps can be followed to achieve more and better sleep! These steps can be found at STEPS TO BETTER SLEEP .

Getting your child all the help they can get!

As parents, we want our children to be successful in life. How we define "successful" may be different for everyone, but the same general ideas probably overlap between those definitions. I want my son to be able to access all the tools he needs to succeed in whatever he chooses to pursue. My job as his mother is to give him opportunities to succeed. Sometimes, they need a little help along the way. When my son was only a few months old, we were told that he needed Physical Therapy. I still remember sitting in that room with the lady that did his evaluation, so angry that she was saying that MY SON needed help. I was angry, and worried, and scared. What did this mean for my son? After just two weeks with his physical therapist, I realized that this was our saving grace. My son is 4 now, and has over the years taken part in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and feeding therapy- all of which have had a drastic affect on my sons every day life. I can't express enough our gratitude to all of the people who have helped my son along his journey in life, and how thankful we are for each and every person that has touched me and my sons heart. My son now has the tools he needs to succeed in life! SO my advice for you today, is to embrace every opportunity you have to better your child's life. Whether it's some sort of therapy, or tutoring in school, or any academic challenge, or anything!- Help you child succeed in whatever ways you can! Trust me, you will be glad you did!

MomsWithAnswers Apparel !!!!

You may be asking, why on earth would I want a MomsWithAnswers T-shirt, or any other item for that matter? It's simple really. I'ts not about the design- although the design is pretty sweet if I do say so myself! It's about what it represents. I am striving to be a good person; to be a nice person; to be a helpful person; to be a kind person. I'm striving to change the way we, as a people, treat each other. Every act of kindness goes a long way. This is my way of being kind, and giving what I have. I am a mom, above anything else. My son is my life. I'm good at being a mother, and want to share my knowledge with other mothers who may need a little guidance. I've talked before about my older sister who has 3 kids of her own. I think the reason I am so open to giving advice to other mothers is because my sister was so EXTREMELY helpful when I had my son- and still is today! We all need help sometimes, and if I can help someone else by giving advice on something I've already experienced, than that's what I'm going to do! That being said, both my blog and my website represent so much more than my trying to be kind and giving advice to others. MomsWithAnswers represents giving what you have to give. MomsWithAnswers represents people being kind and helpful to each other from the simplest ways to the most elaborate ways. Show your support be purchasing MomsWithAnswers apparel which can be found at the link below. Among this apparel is T-Shirts (Baby-Adult), Sweatshirts (Youth-Adult), Teddy bears, Blankets, Hats, Bibs, water bottles, pillows, tote bags, thermoses, and more!

MWA APPAREL

Potty Training

I just cleaned up three "potty-messes" in the last 45 minutes! My son will be 4 in October and still isn't potty trained. Granted he does have a metabolic condition that has put him behind in many areas-including developmental delay, but gosh darn-it, it's time! He KNOWS when he is going "potty" and has even held it before when I realize he needs to go and rush him to the toilet. So I would say it's a good time to start. My older sister has three kids of her own and swears that the way to do it is to just put a potty chair in the living room and make them sit on it every half hour or so (maybe I should try every 15 minutes with my son!). I think I'll give it a try, but in the meantime, I think I should be researching this a little more. Every child is different, and what worked for my sister's kids may not necessarily work for mine. Not to mention, maybe trying a few different things at once is a better way to go? Well, I started my research and so far have come across an overwhelming array of information on potty training. I've narrowed it down to a few potty training books that seem compelling to me. I've provided links to these books below. What I've found most compelling is a short video that seems to be quite informational. I've also provided a link below for the video. I've you've used these products before, let me know how they've worked out for you! Otherwise, I'll give you a recap once I, myself, have used them! Good Luck :)


PAINLESS POTTY TRAINING Click Here!
HOW TO POTTY TRAIN YOUR CHILD IN HOURS Click Here!
POTTY TRAINING Click Here!

List of Recommended Products (learning toys)

The good thing about MomsWithAnswers is that we cover a wide range of advice that a mother may need throughout her child's life, mostly focusing on the younger years. This can also be a bad thing because with so many areas of discussion, it can be hard to narrow down the options and find exactly what you are looking for. You can use the archives to find older posts, but you can't type in a search to  find the exact article you are looking for. To ease this process, I will be continuously posting blog posts that contain an entire category of previously posted blog posts. Confused yet? Basically, it will make the search easier. For example, for this post, I will be focusing on product promotions, specifically toys- toys that we use in my house hold and would recommend to other families. These learning toys are focused on toddlers. Below, you will find a list of links that will take you to other previously posted blog posts. You will also find links to my website which also recommend certain products and go a little more into detail explaining the different aspects of certain learning toys. The toy/product name will be titled in the link so if any of them sound interesting, simply click the link and read what I had to say about that specific product! If you have used these toys/products in your own daily life, please post your own comments to let other mother's know what you think!

VTech Alphabet Train

Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Table

LeapFrog Learning Baby Tad

Promoting: Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Table

If your child is anything like mine, attention span may be an issue! When you can't get your child to focus for more than 30 seconds on anything than this makes learning (and teaching) more difficult. This is why I encourage the use of learning toys that have multiple levels of engagement. This way, your child can have different focus points to grab his/her attention. One great learning toy we have in our house is the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn table. This table has four different focus points including: phone, computer, piano, and book. Each of the four focus points also have different areas of interest including: colors, shapes, animals, alphabet, and numbers. All focus points also play music and light up when interacted with. The table itself has five different settings including: music, sounds, learning, Spanish, and off- meaning that each of the four focus points all have categories within these five settings. We never get tired of playing with this toy because it's like we are playing with a new toy every time! There is so much entertainment built into this toy! One of the great aspects of this table it is that it encourages your child to repeat what the table is saying. The phrasing by the table is usually one word which, again, encourages repeating by your child. For example, when my son opens the computer, it says "open" and my son repeats "open". Below, I've provided a picture of the table that we own, however, Fisher Price has many different models of this table. Each model has the same basic concept but is differentiated by it's own design. So choose the one that's right for your child!

Target-Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Table

WALMART- FISHER PRICE LAUGH AND LEARN TABLE

AMAZON- FISHER PRICE LAUGH AND LEARN TABLE

TOYS R US- FISHER PRICE LAUGH AND LEARN TABLE

KMART- FISHER PRICE LAUGH AND LEARN TABLE

Review of Alphabet Train

Our kids are learning every second of every day. So part of our job as parents, is making sure they are learning the right things. With kids, its never too early to start learning. Numbers, letters, colors, shapes- even a newborn can start to recognize these things when presented with them enough. The bad thing about toys though, is that often times, kids lose interest in a matter of a few weeks and then that toy is no longer relevant as a learning tool. Well, we have found a learning toy that we have used for 2 years already and will continue to do so for a few more i'm guessing! The VTech Alphabet Train Station (VTECH ALPHABET TRAIN STATION) had proven to be a learning tool for many ages. We started using this train about two years ago with my then 1 1/2 year old. At first, we mostly used it as a fine motor tool which challenged my son to get the small "letter pieces" into the slot they go it. We then began using it to identify different colors. Now that my son is 3, we have started using it as a picture identification tool, along with an alphabet recognition tool. In the mean time, the train continuously plays music and lights up at any action with the train- which keeps him interested while he's learning! This product has truly been a learning tool for my son and I believe his academic success will show its usefulness!

MomsWithAnswers

If you like my blog, you should check out my website. The basic concept is the same- helping mothers find advice that works! I've set the website up for easy navigation so it doesn't get confusing. Each page is linked back to other pages on my site so you are never actually leaving my site. While my blog typically covers smaller topics that only require a small amount of information, my website covers topics a little more extensively. Both my blog and my website can be used as supplements to each other, as they both focus on child care endeavors. I am hoping that the farther along in my blog I get, the more responses I receive from readers. I then hope to use those responses to guide my website's focus. My goal is to help mothers get the advice they need. By using feedback from readers on my blog, I can narrow down what topics seem more interesting to my readers and elaborate on such topics on my website. At this time, my blog and my website are both fairly new. Once I gain experience and a larger information base, I plan to change the format of my website. This will include easier navigation by grouping articles into categories that are easy to search for and within. Also soon to be coming to my website will be apparel with the MomsWithAnswers logo on it. T shirts for you and baby (and the rest of the family!) can be easily purchased in a few short steps. Everything is protected on my site as I only use supplemental sites that guarantee privacy and protection for my customers. If you have the time, check out the apparel and get representing! :)

http://momswithanswers.webs.com/

Staying Organizing

ParentHacksBlog posted helpful ways to stay organized with your "to do" list. This article can be found at the following link (TO-DO LIST). Read the post when you have time because I found it extremely helpful. Now, I will simply elaborate on this concept of staying organized and throw in some helpful tips that have helped me along the way. The article mentions using different colored notepads depending on which area of your "to-do" list you are working on. As an example, they said to use one color (say, yellow) for work to-do's, use a different color (say, green) for errand to-do's, and using another different color (say, pink) for home to-do's. That way, your to-do's are organized in categories. Having different categories is extremely helpful in avoiding an overload of information. Sometimes, it gets confusing to keep everything straight. The most helpful way I have found to keep me organized is to use different color highlighters (or pens) for different categories. Its the same concept as using different color notepads, but everything is kept in one place (my notebook!). That way, when I open up my notebook to see what my son has going on/needs for the week, I simply look at everything highlighted in yellow highlighter. If I need to see what I have going on/need for my schooling, I simply look at everything highlighted in blue. If I need to see what meetings/appointments I have, I simply look at everything highlighted in pink. And the list goes on. Once you get in the habit of using color coordinated organization tools, it becomes easier and easier to stay organized!

Homemade calendar advice from other moms

The nice thing about the internet is that you can find information about anything. And when you find the information you are looking for, you can share it with anyone. That means, I don't necessarily have to be an expert in all child care endeavors, to be able to share expert advice with you. Sometimes, the experts are the moms, themselves, that learn and grow on a daily basis with their kids. Kristin writes on ParentHacks Blog (PARENT HACKS- CALENDAR) about a homemade calendar she made to help her child better understand their weekly routine. Kids are extremely visual at young ages and using pictures, as Kristin does, sparks a connection in the child's brain. Using pictures to identify activities makes it easier for kids to understand, and also helps them understand the words behind the pictures. This blog was extremely helpful because she showed a picture of their own calendar as she explained the different parts. In cases like this,  it is important to know that you don't have to do everything exactly the same as where you are getting the advice. This is why I love blog posts such as the one Kristin posted on Parent Hacks Blog. She gave the important ideas behind what she was doing and then leaves room for adjustment by other parents to fit their needs. Each calendar can be different to suit your own child's needs. If you are working on numbers, make the calendar numbers a priority and pretty them up a bit. If you are working on learning the different days of the week, make the weekday-names the focus. If you are working on learning routines, use pictures as a main focus. Tailor your calendar to be helpful with whatever areas your child need help in!

Parent Hacks Blog

When recently researching other "mom blogs" I came across hundreds among hundreds of different mother's trying to share their advice with the world. At first, I viewed them as my competition. But now I see them as more of a supplement to my own blog. Their passion is helping other mothers- which is my passion as well! Searching through all these other blogs made me realize how much information is out there. If I can help others access that information then I will be fulfilling by dedication to helping other mothers in need find advice that works! I find myself visiting Parent Hacks blogs (PARENT HACKS) fairly often since I found it. Mostly because it is easy to navigate to exactly what I am looking for. Asha Dornfest created her blog to allow for searches within certain age ranges. That way, you don't spend a ton of time reading articles/blogs that are irrelevant to your own life. You simply find the age range of your own child and can search within those topics to find what you are specifically looking for. Eventually, when I have enough posts on my own blog, I plan to organize this way to provide ease of access to my readers. The only thing I do not like about the blog is that there are no personal tidbits such as family photos. I want my blog to remain relatable to my readers and plan to do so by keeping myself transparent on my blog. Sharing my sons smile with the world is a pleasure of mine!

5 ways to get your picky eater to eat!

1. Offer two different textures of food. This will stimulate your child's oral sensors with every bite. First try offering some sort of puree, such as yogurt or applesauce. Follow with a more solid food, such as crackers or fruit. Offering the puree first and then the solid will awaken your child's senses when the solid food enters their mouth. Sensors on the tongue and all around the mouth will awaken and be stimulates which will allow your child to feel the food inside their mouth easier. Switch what you offer your child every bite (starting with puree, then solid, then puree, then solid, etc).
2. Offer different temperatures of food. This will also stimulate your child's oral senses and encourage swallowing. When a child feels the different temperatures in their mouth, it stimulates/excites their mouth. Try offering a cold puree, such as yogurt, and follow with something warm, such as noodles. This will encourage your child to take another bite because they won't know what to expect (cold or warm!). 
3.  Offer different levels of flavor. Most children are stimulated by stronger, bolder flavors. It's as easy as adding cinnamon to applesauce! Sometimes the child is not stimulated by bland flavors and therefore has no encouragement to eat what is being offered. The extra flavor adds excitement to the child's meal and encourages swallowing. Another way to add flavor is to add pepper (only a small amount) to dishes such as pasta. The lift in flavor will excite your child and serve as encouragement.
4.  Count your child's bites out loud as you go. This serves many purposes. First, it serves as a distraction for your picky eater. Your child gets focused on counting instead of focusing on refusing bites. It also serves as reinforcement. Your child should get excited when you get to count the next number because they took their bite! Counting should also be used as a milestone marker. Aim to increase the "bite count" every few days and eventually your child will be eating entire meals!
5.  Reinforcement is key. Get your child excited about eating by offering bubbles (or something of interest) after they take their bite. Eventually, the reinforcement will be the yummy food they get to eat but to start off they need a little encouragement. Start by offering the reinforcement (ie bubbles) after every bite. Then as the days go on, offer the reinforcement only after 3 bites are taken. Then only after 5 bites, as so on. Eventually the reinforcement won't be needed at all!

Diaper Rash

My son often gets terrible diaper rashes. He has extremely sensitive skin and breaks out from multiple sources such as sunscreen, laundry detergent, lotion, and the like. So when he gets a diaper rash I am always worried if the ointment I use will make it better or just make it worse. Looking in the baby isle at the store can sometimes be overwhelming for they have multiple creams that do multiple different things. We've tried it all. We've used the multiple kinds of desitin, vaseline, Butt Paste, and many others out there. We've tried any brand imaginable. Eventually, I came up with a concoction of my own- and it works great! If you think about it, there are creams that protect (vaseline), creams that moisturize (Eucerin), creams that heal (Desitin), along with many others. So what I thought was, "Doesn't my son need all of that-protection, moisturization, and healing?" The obvious answer is yes. First, we started out using Vaseline (protection), Eucerin (moisture), and Desitin (healing). We switched every diaper changed and used them in consecutive order (one after the other). This seemed to work but it also seemed to take a few days to do its job. Then I thought, "Doesn't he need protection, moisture, and healing at the same time?" So I mixed up a batch of our own diaper cream which was equal parts Vaseline, Eucerin, and Desitin. It works great! Within a few hours my sons diaper rash diminished before my very eyes. This is the fastest acting diaper rash cream we have ever used. So now I sharing my secret with other mothers! Try it out! Moms With Answers-You Get What Works!

Propionic Acidemia

When your baby is first born, they undergo a "newborn screening" which checks for hundreds of possible problems that could exists in your child's little helpless body. Four days after returning home from the hospital with my new baby boy, I received the most terrifying telephone call. It was my sons pediatrician who was putting me in contact with a geneticist in Chicago (3 hours away from where we lived). The geneticist informed me that my son had abnormal results from the newborn screening and needed immediate attention. We packed our bags and drove the 3 hours, only to spend 2 weeks in the hospital. During this 2 weeks, we came to find out that my son has Propionic Acidemia. My guess is that you've never even heard of it because only 1 in 100,000 people have this metabolic condition. It is a lifelong struggle with protein. Basically, my sons body does not break down protein the right way. If too much protein is consumed, my son goes into what is called a metabolic crisis and his body shuts down. It was the scariest 2 weeks of my life. After dealing with this condition for almost 4 years now, I find myself, and my son, much more adapted to dealing with the daily stress it causes. We've figured out ways to maintain a healthy and normal life and will continue to do so. The first few months were the hardest, and sometimes I wish I had someone to ask advice from when times got tough. Now, I can be that someone for someone else. I can give helpful advice to other mothers who are dealing with the trials of this condition. I can help them through those times that are difficult! To find out more about Propionic Acidemia, please visit the PA foundation site at the following link. (PA FOUNDATION)

About Jessica Roberts

When I had my son almost four years ago, I had tons of people giving me advice. Advice about what I should have been doing then and also after my baby came. This advice came from everyone- including those random people touching my belly at the grocery store! Over the years, I've learned that the most helpful advice came from those who had used the advice themselves. These were the people that could tell me every little detail about what I needed to know. And even more helpful than those people were those that had done it multiple times! I'm good with my one little guy (Max), but I definitely have to give it up to people with more than one! My sister has three kids of here own and I find myself calling her daily for advice and quick fix-its. I come from a big family and luckily I have lots of help from them, but I realize that my family is not the same as everyone's. Not everyone has a sister that they can call up at any time and ask baby questions. Which is why i wanted to create a site for moms to give other moms advice- advice that actually works! I was 21 when i had my son and if I didn't have my family, I don't know what crazy advice I would have ended up following. Sometimes moms just need each other! I'm a mother above anything else. I'm also a student, full-time employee, family member, among many other roles. I strive to make a difference in the world, and if I can do that by giving other women motherly advice that I have found useful, then I think I will succeed. Please feel free to contact me with any questions and/or comments.