Divorced Parents have an uphill and ongoing struggle to stay communicated for the sake of your children. You’ll have to remove the emotion from it and ‘just do it.”

When I was divorced, I discussed major moves with my ex that involved both her and our daughters. When I moved from my first apartment to a house, I told her I was moving and what the new contact information would be. When I put the girls into a private school, I talked it over with her first. When they had to go to a dentist and I needed to find one closer to school so they could walk there while I was working, I let her know which one they would be going to. I thought communication was important for the sake of our children.

That is one aspect of family living after divorce
that has to be addressed: communicating changes. But your ex isn’t the only one who needs to know about the changes in your kids lives however. Your kids need it too, especially if you are the parent with whom the children live. I came across a method from corporate America involving executive decisions. The CEO and Vice Presidents always did a Sanity Check before they made any announcements:

1. Does this make sense?

2. Who else needs to know?

3. Who will this decision affect?

Please think about these three questions when you make decisions in your kids’ lives that can affect both them and others. If you can answer “Yes” to “Does this make sense?” does that mean it makes sense only to you? Have you run it by a mentor or parent or wise friend? Would an adult friend at work give you the green light? I know we all think that our decisions are like crystal, but others might not see the same clarity you do. If you run your decision by others, they might help you shine more light on it.

Who else in the life of you, your children, and your ex’s family and friends needs to be taken into consideration? Have you informed that set of grandparents? Does this involve the child’s school in any way? Have you told the school? What about your childcare provider? Will your decision affect them? It’s nice to give as many people as you can proper notice so they can weave the change into their own plans?

Who will this decision affect? Is it a good affect or not? Universal good means the greatest good for the greatest number and I hope you’ll operate under that auspice. How will the child be affected? Because looking after what is good for them is a priority, this consideration should be #1 on your list.

When you find yourself planning major moves that will alter your life and the lives of your kids when you’re divorced, I don’t think it’s wise to run these ideas by children under the age of 12. They don’t process change easily and they may still be recovering from the changes forced on them by the divorce, so if you can do your processing out of sight or earshot from themFind Article, it would be a great kindness. You can plan when and how to tell them after you reach a decision. I always thought that communication with my ex was important though and worked to make that happen for the sake of my kids.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In his book “Getting Over It: Wisdom for Divorced Parents,” Len Stauffenger shares his simple wisdom gleaned from his divorce with his daughters and with you. Len is a Success Coach and an Attorney. You can purchase Len’s book and it’s accompanying workbook at http://www.wisdomfordivorcedparents.com

Having a healthy baby starts while you are pregnant and really before that, but eating right and avoiding certain things while you are pregnant will help insure your baby is healthy. You can also get advice from your doctor or midwife concerning exercises that are suitable when pregnant.

Your baby’s health depends not only on his own physiology but on your health, especially while you are pregnant. Eating healthy foods and doing moderate exercise can help you maintain your health while your baby develops. And you can always consult your doctor or midwife if you have specific questions about any foods or exercises.

First, don’t eat much of these kinds of food: sugary, fatty or those with caffeine. Some suggest limiting oily kinds of fish to two or fewer times per week. These are some foods to abstain from altogether while pregnant: raw eggs, soft cheeses, marlin, swordfish, and shark. It is best to refrain from drinking alcohol while pregnant or at least drink only a drink or two once or twice a week. Do not drink heavily.

There are foods you should eat while you are pregnant: eat high-protein food at least once a day and fruits and vegetables five times daily. Some examples of high-protein foods are: poultry, eggs, meat, fish, and, lentils. You can also combine certain foods to get high-protein if you are a vegetarian and there are good protein powders available as well. Your baby will be protected with antibodies, have the best nutrition, and consume the most digestible food if you breast feed her during her first year. Breast milk also provides essential amino acids, fluid, vitamins, minerals, and the high fat content that a baby needs, plus the correct amounts of cholesterol and carbohydrates. Your baby will be ready for solids such as rice cereal around four to six months of age. When your baby is eating cereal two or three times a day, it is time to mash up some vegetables and fruits and let your baby try one new food each week.

Here are some ways to keep your baby healthy. Get your baby immunized and make sure she is on schedule. Take her to her regular checkups. Wash your hands often and ask other people to wash their hands before they hold, play with, feed or touch your baby. Postpone any visits with sick family or friends. When you can’t wash your hands, use hand sanitizer after doing things like going to the ATM, pumping gas, using a shopping cart Computer Technology Articles, getting something out of a vending machine or touching public door handles.

Use disinfectant wipes to clean the baby’s toys or pacifier if she drops it. Clean any public high chair in a restaurant with the wipes. The brand of sanitizer wipes should be recommended safe for babies. Do not smoke near your baby and try to avoid others who do smoke. Eight-five percent of the smoke from a cigarette becomes second hand smoke. Your baby does not to inhale smoke. It is a good idea to put a changing pad or towel on a high chair or changing table that is for public use. Keep your baby from direct sunlight–put a hat on that protects her eyes or sunglasses. If the weather is cold put an extra layer of clothing on her. Put a hat on to keep her head warm.

All these suggestions can help both you and your baby stay healthy and enjoy each other.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Cummings is a devoted parent, husband and a regular author on a variety of family topics. As the General Manager for Bustling Baby, LLC – he knows the business of parenting and selects products to parenting life easier and fun with products ranging from safety gates to baby travel systems. David is devoted to ensuring a brighter future for all children through his contributions to children-oriented organizations.