Do You Have a Happy Husband?

An article taken from:

Crosswalk Marriage

Do you remember the day you said “I do”?  I remember my wedding day in 1999 very clearly.  My fiancé James and I had decided to have one of his favorite seminary professors marry us.  Ours was only his second wedding to officiate, but we didn’t care about his inexperience.

Just as I approached the door leading into the sanctuary, I was shocked to hear the sound of our professor’s voice, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to bring James and Arlene together in holy matrimony.”  The only problem was, I was still standing in the hall with all the bridesmaids.  Our professor mistook a break in the music as his cue to begin the ceremony.  He got all the way to that famous line, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”  There was complete silence.  Our friends and family didn’t know whether to laugh or be mortified.

At this, my aunt started playing the piano, bridesmaids went flying down the aisle, and finally I joined my own wedding in progress!  Although it was a rough start, the ceremony continued without a hitch.  My heart was full of love.  All I wanted to do was to make my husband’s dreams come true.  Chances are that’s what you were dreaming about on your wedding day too. You wanted to make that groom of yours a very happy man.

Fast forward from that moment to the present.  Is it still your heart’s desire to make your husband a happy man?  A few years ago, my husband James and I were teaching a young-marrieds class at our church.  We looked at those newlyweds on the first day of class.  There was not a centimeter of space in between those couples.  Wives were superglued to their husbands’ sides.  Eyes were locked, hands were held, hair was twirled.  I looked over at my James who was sitting about one foot away from me.  Maybe we, the sage teachers, were the ones who needed a refresher course on touch, affection, and romance!

We were not having marriage trouble, but the tenderness and physical affection that we enjoyed during our courtship had been compromised.  Among other things, having three young children can do that!

If we are not intentional, the heat of passion turns into the warmth of companionship in marriage.  That warmth can cool into a cordial relationship that resembles two roommates rather than two lovers.  You don’t want that dull fate.  It’s not what you signed up for.  

By answering the following questions, you can quickly assess how you are doing in the marital satisfaction department.  Ask yourself if you agree or disagree with the following statements:

1. The environment of my home is warm and peaceful on most days. 

2.  I drop other things (even with my kids) to make time for my husband if he needs anything.  

3.  I never say unkind things about my husband to others.  

4.  If there’s a decision to be made, my husband has the final say.  

5.  I enjoy having sex and look forward to making love to my husband.  

6.  My husband and I talk regularly about ways to improve our sex life. 

7.  I make an effort to look attractive with my clothes, hair and makeup even on days when I only see my husband.

8.  I am a healthy body weight and exercise at least 3 times a week.  

9.  My husband and I go on a date at least once a month.

10.  We still enjoy romance, kissing once a day for at least 5 seconds.  

How did you do?  Count the statements that you agreed with.  If you agreed with 1-4 statements, your relationship is probably on shaky ground.  There are some critical areas of unmet needs that you must identify both for yourself and your husband. 

If you agreed with 5-7 statements, you have some good habits and attitudes to build on.  As you make a few key changes, you and your husband will be laughing, flirting, and enjoying each other’s company more.

If you agreed with 8 – 10 statements, you have a happy husband!  Set your sights on moving from great to unbelievable.  Be on the lookout for other women to encourage and mentor along the way.

If you scored lower than you thought you would, don’t be discouraged.  Rather use this little reality check as a guide to get you back on track.  I remember driving down the freeway and seeing a pickup truck with these bold words printed on the back window: “Happy to be here, proud to serve.”  Can you imagine those words hanging in a frequented place in your home?  When you can say with your whole heart, “I’m happy to be here as your wife and I’m proud to serve you,” your husband will want to hurry home every day because it’s the place he feels most valued and loved.

Take a look at your wedding picture today.  Then close your eyes and remember what you felt like on that day.  Happy to be here.  Proud to serve as your wife.  I can see your husband smiling already.  

Arlene Pellicane is a speaker and author of 31 Days to a Happy Husband and 31 Days to a Younger You.  She has been a guest on Family Life Today, The 700 Club, Turning Point with David Jeremiah, and The Hour of Power.  Arlene and her husband James live in San Diego with their three children.  Visit Arlene’s website at www.TheHappyHusband.com

Article: Happy Parents Make Happy Kids

Article is taken from http://health.howstuffworks.com/pregnancy-and-parenting/parenting/happy-parents-make-happy-kids.htm

By using indicators such as achievement tests, teachers' descriptions of children in classes, and their own interviews, analysis of relationships and other observations, Carolyn Pape Cowan and Philip Cowan, husband-and-wife psychologists at the University of California have concluded that it is possible to predict how well children will do emotionally, socially and academically.

The key? How the parents are doing. That's true, whether the parents are together or separated, and matters more than the number of hours with their children. Even in cases where mothers truly care about the development of their sons and daughters, says Carolyn Cowan, spending every possible moment with them when they get home from work, "the children do not fare well if the adults aren't taking care of themselves and their relationships."

She adds: "It's not just the quality of the mother and father's relationship with the child, but how they're managing as a couple that affects how well kids do. Not many couples truly share the load equally, but where it does feel shared, the husband and wife are happier as a couple and their parenting is more effective and nurturing."

Overall, the Cowans believe half of how children turn out is probably genetic and beyond parents' control. But their research suggests that about 15 percent of what happens to children can be attributed to what parents have done, 15 percent to how the marriage is going, and another 15 percent from the history of the family — for example, the parents' own experiences as children. That's equally true, they say, for divorced or separated parents and stepparents.

Lessons, according to the Cowans:

• Make your relationship a priority. Schedule time together. Make it happen. If a long night out isn't possible, at least try for a regular hour here and there.
• Make yourself a priority. Take breaks for yourself. Find time for friendships.

"Frazzled people with the best intentions but who are not themselves getting nurtured and befriended — and getting relief from looking after kids and family — are just not going to be as available with the energy it takes to be a strong parent," says Carolyn Cowan. "Those kids will not do as well.

My Sarah has grown aggressive... =(

Please pray for us...

Sometimes I felt I am in a very helpless situation... seeing my lil princess reacts and behaves very badly towards her surroundings, the people around her and even with me and daddy. It's sad to be in this position when I personally do not know what to do and help her out. Daddy & I must really pray for her... and please, pray for us too.

Recently she becomes more aggressive and started hitting and throwing tantrums that are worst than before. Helpless we may be, we're praying for the LORD to lead us... At the same time, I go for on-line help and found this article from baby centre about aggression and how we are to go about it. I hope this will help many parents like us in dealing with a 3-4 yo child whom I believe is also feeling helpless and wonders why the change in their behaviour at this stage. Who knows? They might be clue-less and yearns for us parents to help them come out of this "agony"....

Here's the article:

Why preschoolers get aggressive

There you are, watching your little angel through the window at preschool, thinking how blessed you are to have her. All of a sudden, she draws back her little hand — and whacks another child squarely on the nose.

Shocking as it may be to you (and to the other parents who witness it), aggression is a normal part of a preschooler's development. Indeed, lots of children this age grab toys from classmates, hit, kick, or scream themselves blue in the face from time to time. Sometimes the cause is a simple case of fear: Your child might lash out if she feels cornered by another youngster, for instance. Other triggers have less to do with instinct and more to do with circumstances. After all, your preschooler's learning a host of new skills, from using scissors to speaking in complex sentences. She can easily become frustrated with everything she's trying to accomplish and end up pouncing on a playmate. If she's attending daycare or preschool for the first time, she's also getting used to being away from home. If she feels resentful or neglected on top of everything else, she might just retaliate by shoving the kid who won't get out of her face. And sometimes, your youngster is simply tired and hungry. She doesn't quite know what to do about it, so she responds by biting, hitting, or throwing a tantrum.

The good news is, your preschooler will eventually outgrow her aggressive behavior as she discovers how to use words instead of fists and feet to solve her problems. The key is helping her realize — sooner rather than later — that she'll get better results from talking out a dispute than she will from yanking a friend's hair.

What you can do about aggression

Respond quickly. Try to respond immediately when you see your preschooler getting aggressive. It's tempting to wait until she's hit her brother for the third time before saying, "That's enough!" (especially when you've already reprimanded her a dozen times in the last hour). Even so, it's best to let her know instantly when she's done something wrong. Remove her from the situation for a brief time-out — for a preschooler, three or four minutes is plenty. The idea is for her to connect her behavior with the consequence and figure out that if she hits or bites, she'll miss out on the fun. No matter how angry you are with her, try not to yell, hit, or tell your preschooler she's bad. Rather than getting her to change her behavior, this simply teaches her that verbal and physical aggression are the way to go when she's mad. Instead, set a good example by controlling your temper and calmly pulling her out of the action.

Stick to the plan. As much as possible, respond to aggressive acts the same way every time. The more predictable you are ("Okay, you shoved Tina again — that means another time-out"), the sooner you'll set up a pattern that your preschooler comes to recognize and expect. Eventually it'll sink in that if she misbehaves, she gets booted out of the fun — the first step in controlling her own behavior. Even if she does something to mortify you in public, stick to the game plan. Most parents understand your situation — after all, we've all been there before. If people stare, toss off a wry comment like "Don't you just love this age?" and then handle the episode the way you see fit.

Talk it out. Let your preschooler cool down, then calmly discuss what happened. The best time to do this is after she's settled down but before she forgets the whole thing — ideally, 30 minutes to an hour later. Ask if she can explain what triggered her outburst ("Jenny, why do you think you got so mad at Tina?"). Explain that it's perfectly natural to get angry sometimes, but it's not okay to shove, hit, kick, or bite. Suggest better ways of showing how mad she is: by kicking a ball, pounding her fist into a pillow, finding an adult to mediate the dispute, or simply voicing her feelings: "Tina, I feel really mad because you took the purple crayon."

Now is also a good time to teach her to walk away from infuriating situations and people until she can think of a better way to respond than letting her fists fly. You can help your youngster deal with her anger by reading books together on the topic. Try Mr. Rogers'sLet's Talk About Feeling Angry, Aliki's Feelings, or Jane Martin's Now Everybody Really Hates Me.

Reinforce responsibility. If your preschooler's aggression damages someone's property or makes a mess, she should help make it right again. She can glue a broken toy back together, for instance, or clean up the crackers or blocks she hurled in anger. Don't frame this action as a punishment, but rather the natural consequence of a belligerent act — something that anyone would need to do if he or she broke something.

Also make sure your preschooler understands that she needs to say "I'm sorry" when she oversteps her bounds — even if you have to lead her by the hand to the offended party and say it for her. Her apologies might seem insincere at first, but the lesson will eventually sink in.

Reward good behavior. Rather than paying attention to your preschooler only when she misbehaves, try to catch her being good — when she asks for a turn at the computer game instead of snatching the mouse away, for instance, or gives up her swing to another child who's been waiting. Tell her how proud of her you are. Show her that self-control and conflict resolution are more satisfying — and get better results — than shoving other kids into the next century. Keep a special calendar on the refrigerator or on her bedroom bulletin board, and reward her with a colorful sticker when she manages to keep her temper in check.

Limit TV time. Innocent-looking cartoons and other so-called children's shows are often rife with shouting, threats, shoving, and hitting. So try to monitor the programs your preschooler sees by watching them with her — particularly if she's prone to aggression. If something happens on a show that you don't approve of, talk to her about it: "Did you see how that girl pushed her friend to get what she wanted? That wasn't a very good thing to do, was it?" (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids this age see no more than an hour or two of "quality" television a day — yet another reason to skip that show in the future.)

Don't be afraid to seek help. Some kids have more trouble with aggression than others do. If your preschooler's behavior is frequent and severe, interferes with school or other organized activities, and results in physical attacks on children or adults, consult her pediatrician. Together you can try to get to the root of the problem and decide if a child psychologist or psychiatrist is needed. Sometimes an undiagnosed learning or behavior disorder is behind the frustration and anger; sometimes the problem is related to family or emotional difficulties. Whatever its source, a counselor can help your youngster work through the emotions that tend to lead to aggression, and learn to control them in the future. More than likely, professional help won't be necessary — but if your preschooler does need some counseling, it'll be a relief to know that you don't have to deal with the problem on your own.

[Article] A lie or imagination

About children: A lie or imagination - the psychology of raising a child

By vox vocis
You were convinced that you found an ideal secret hiding place for candies and you were about to take the daily dose for your little chocolate ''exterminator''. Surprisingly, the supplies are missing and you find out that they were given to a hungry cat because your kid felt sorry for the poor animal.

While the kid is telling you the detailed story of what happened, you are looking at ''proof'' tainted all over his face and clothes, and you are surprised because the child lies with so much self-confidence, without a blink of an eye. Don't despair, because all children experiment by twisting the truth. The more intelligent the child, the greater the number of invented stories. The severity of a lie depends on the motive behind the untruth, the age of the child and the rules of behaviour you set in terms of family.

Children start inventing things ever since the age of two, and in the fifth year of life, their imagination is so intensive that they sometimes cannot differentiate reality from fantasy. Sometimes, twisting the truth is the result of hidden desires, therefore, if your four-year-old child brings a toy from kindergarten, saying that the governess approved of it, don't proclaim the child a liar because the kid convinced himself that it actually happened, and all out of a burning desire to have that particular toy.

Many times children lie to stay out of trouble. The worst thing in a situation like this, is to punish your child, to lecture him or to accuse him of lying, which can deepen the fear and motivate the child to invent even more incredible stories. On the other hand, if you don't react in time and you ''close your eyes'' in front of tiny little untruths, there is a great danger that lying later in life, becomes a habit. Start explaining to your child in due time, that even when he or she wants something really, really bad (whether it's visiting Spiderman or going to Disneyland), it cannot always become a reality.

When telling a story to your child, make sure you emphasize the difference between reality and the events in the story, but pay attention not to soffocate the child's imagination as it is a great teacher, just to justify the fact of not writing his or her homework. The child can tell you it drove basis for developing creativity.

Around the age of six, children realize that lying is bad, but this doesn't stop them to use untruth in order to solve a problem or avoid a punsihment. In this life period, the child plans and enriches its repertoire of false excuses, and it will try to ''sell'' the story about being ill to the a bike ''a hundred miles an hour'' to prove himself or to raise self-esteem between its coevals.

White lies

In order to guide the little Pinochio to the truth, you will make an example by always keeping your promises and you will never lie.

''White lies'' are untruths said in order to avoid hurting somebody or to protect oneself. When you are teaching your child to be truly honest, make sure to explain that it isn't nice to say ''Oh, your face is so wrinkled!'' to grandma or ''You're so fat!'' to the nice lady selling ice-cream, or to turn off an invitation from a friend by saying: ''You're boring, and I won't come cause I don't like you.'' You can practice games together by ''play pretending'' in which the child can learn what to say in a given situation.

Text written and partly translated from an article by doctor P.R. in The People's Health Magazine issued in 2009: Rijeka, No. 598-599.

Article taken from

http://vox-vocis.hubpages.com/hub/A-lie-or-imagination-the-psychology-of-raising-children

Imaginary friends (Part 3) : Pretend Play

Pretend play is vital to children’s development. Imaginary friends are an extension of pretend play, which is a normal, healthy, important part of a young child’s development. Pretend play gives children a chance to learn about roles, relationships, power, and control. Pretend play also gives children a chance to work through the multitude of feelings they experience daily. Because adults make most of the decisions about children’s lives, children are always looking for ways to gain some control and to deal with their feelings of helplessness.

When a child goes to the doctor, she doesn’t get to decide to go, if she is going to get a shot, an examination , or medicine. When she comes home and "becomes" the doctor, she is in charge of the decisions and can give her imaginary friend as many shots as she wants. She and her imaginary friend could even devise a way to escape the doctor’s office altogether. Children often use pretend play to become the person in charge.

A child who resists naps and nighttime routines may spend all day putting his teddy down for a nap. These imaginary play outlets help children learn to cope with their lives.

Read more at

http://www.ivillage.com/should-you-worry-about-your-childs-imaginary-friend/6-n-146009

Imaginary friends (Part 2)

Sarah's imaginary friends have increased over time. She doesn't just have 2-3 friends as mentioned in my earlier post, but many of them. Each time, when asked who was the friend, a new name will be mentioned. "Atta", "Anna", "Alla", etc... and she said they are "Malay" friends, cuz she does hear those names from her kor-kor Ivan. So, they automatically became her friends as well... :)

Sometimes, she would say that her "friend" doesn't want milk, when in fact she herself doesn't want milk. I found the below article very true, specifically this statement: "Sometimes children can use their imaginary friends to avoid doing something they don't want to."

The article is taken from http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=122&id=1979

Imaginary friends

Contents

• What do imaginary friends do?
• Are imaginary friends a problem?
• What you can do

It is quite common for children of about three or four years of age to have an imaginary friend. This may be another child or could be a magical person or an animal. Sometimes the imaginary friends change as the child grows older.

Often children who have imaginary friends are only children, or oldest children in the family; but having an imaginary friend does not mean that your child is lonely. They are usually creative, imaginative children.

As the child grows older the real world takes over and by the time the child is going to school the imaginary friend usually just quietly disappears.

What do imaginary friends do?

Imaginary friends can be helping your child in different ways.

• As playmates providing companionship.
• They allow the child to play creative games and try out different ways of doing things.
• They are a way for children to practice getting on with others.
• They are a way for the child to safely test out different actions and feelings, eg fear or anger.
• They allow the child to be in charge and control someone else at a time in her life when most people seem to be controlling her.
• They allow children to have a private life that adults are not part of.
• They can help children to deal with strong feelings such as fears or anger, by having a fearful friend or being angry with their friend. ,
• They can help children if things in their lives are stressful. For example a child who is always cross with her friend may be in a situation where she feels that the adults in her life are always cross with her.
• Children who are very "good" may have a friend who is very "naughty" and does some of the things the child would perhaps like to do.
• They can help children avoid getting into trouble with parents because when some thing is wrong "the friend did it".

Are imaginary friends a problem?

Imaginary friends are a part of normal development and rather than being a problem they can help children to deal with some of the stresses in their lives.

Sometimes an imaginary friend can help parents to see where a problem is.

• For example if the imaginary friend is afraid of the dark it is likely that the child is afraid of the dark and learning to manage her fears through the friend.
• If the friend is always misbehaving and getting into trouble it may be that the child is having too may rules or punishments.

Sometimes children can use their imaginary friends to avoid doing something they don't want to.

• If this happens a lot, parents need to treat the imaginary friend in the same way as the child, eg "Mrs Rabbit might say you don't have to go to bed, but I am your mum and it is bedtime. Mrs Rabbit can come if you like".

If your child plays happily with others and enjoys doing things with you and other children there is not likely to be any problem. If the child continues to choose the friend very often rather than doing things in the real world it is helpful to have a look at what is going on in his life and think about ways to help him enjoy doing real things as well.

What you can do

Here are some ways you can respond to your child's imaginary friend.

• Let your child take the lead in how you respond. If it is a private relationship and the child wants you to stay out of it follow that lead. If you are asked to join in the play then do so. Usually you will be asked to make room for the friend in different ways such as providing a seat in the car, not sitting on the friend in a chair and maybe providing things like a cup or plate for the friend.
• While accepting the way your child wants you to act towards the friend it is helpful if you don't get too involved and take over or add your own ideas to the story. It helps your child to work out what is real and what isn't if you stay grounded in the real world most of the time and if you take over or add to the story you are taking from your child's need to create her own story.
• If the friend is always to blame when the child does something wrong it will be helpful to take it out of a "blame" situation. For example if the child says his magic bunny spilt the milk you could say that mistakes are to learn from and that you will help him to clean up the mess for the bunny.
• As your child gets older try to provide lots of enjoyable experiences with real children and real things so the friend will gradually not be as interesting or attractive as the real world, and will disappear.
• Remember that being three or four years old in an expanding world can be scary and that by having a friend to help him through this time your child is being both resourceful and creative.
• If you feel that your child is shy or does not relate easily to others see the topic 'Shyness'.

Imaginary friends

In our conversations every now and then, lil Sarah would sometimes include her "friends" in. She has 2 sets of friends... the real ones (Cheh-cheh Ashley & Andrea) and the imaginary ones (Careful Carol & Neat Nadia). I guess it all depends on her mood at that time which friends she refers to when we have conversations about "friends".

"Careful Carol" & "Neat Nadia" - these are 2 of Sarah's books which also became her "imaginary friends"!

Sarah loves these 2 books and sometimes I don't mind reading it to her over and over (as she requests) because they are good books teaching some great values in life. She likes being careful and neat, and if she forgets doing what she is supposed to do, some simple reminders of her friends are given and she knows what to do already.

So, sometimes imaginary friends are helpful to instill good habits! While we are at this topic, I decided to google search about it and found this article:

Australian researchers say having an imaginary friend can help a child learn.

According psychologist, Dr. Evan Kidd at Melbourne's La Trobe University, children with imaginary friends are better at learning to communicate than other children because they have a lot of practice at inventing interactions with their friends, which helps them improve their conversational skills.

Dr. Kidd and his colleague Anna Roby explored the hidden world of imaginary companions in a study which involved 44 children, 22 of which had imaginary friends in an attempt to understand the benefits.

The study found that the 22 children who had imaginary friends were better able to get their point across than were children of the same age who did not have an imaginary friend - Dr. Kidd says these children are in charge of both sides of the conversation so have a lot of practice at inventing interactions between their imaginary friends and themselves and this is what facilitates the development of their conversational skills.

The researchers also discovered that children with an invisible friend or personified toy had a better social understanding, were generally first born or only children and were very creative.

Dr. Kidd says all the children with imaginary friends were very creative and treated these imaginary 'friends' as real, played with them throughout the day and referred to them in conversation - one child reported having a companion named Sarah, who had a pet dragon while another enjoyed a friendship with an imaginary family, Mr and Mrs Driller who had two children - another child had an imaginary tomato called 'Bodder' and a potato called 'Bun.

Dr. Kidd says the phenomenon of the imaginary friend is really misunderstood and people think it is rare and a concern but past studies have shown that around 65% of children aged between three and nine, had imaginary friends and the characters, rather than due to some internal malaise, appear to be an essential component of normal development.

Dr. Kidd has established in his research that the benefits of imaginary companions are long lasting - a study of university students showed that those who recalled having an imaginary companion in childhood were more creative, more achievement oriented, and more emotionally responsive than students who didn't have one.

However, there was no difference between any of the 44 children when it came to listening skills.

Dr. Kidd is a Research Fellow at La Trobe's School of Psychological Sciences.

The article is taken from :

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090603/Imaginary-friends-help-children-learn.aspx

You & I deserve some "ME" time...

Taking care of you too!

Isn’t it just wonderful to have a little one to dote on? Yes, we know how being a parent can be one of the most rewarding experiences. But while it can be wonderful it does take a lot of patience and energy as well. And that is why we know how important it is to have some "ME" time.

Here are some suggestions for you to unwind and indulge in some "ME" time:

1. Have "ME" time every morning. Try not to start with chores. Wake up just a little earlier than your little one & sit down to empty your mind of any thoughts. One good way is to put on soft instrumental music and just tune your mind into the music.
   
2. Have "ME" time every week. Besides work (if you are a working parent) and home, it is always good to have a refreshing change of environment:

• Take a walk in the park in the evening. This is probably one of the easier and relaxing activities for any parent. But this is simpler said than done as we know it also takes a bit of commitment to do even that. But list out the benefits and motivate yourself by doing it with a close friend.


• How about window shopping? Yes, even that can be therapeutic for any person. Sometimes the idea of just getting out from the home and a change of environment can relax the mind.


• Go out for a meal. Enjoy a good healthy and enjoyable weekend lunch or dinner, or on a day you find convenient in the week that you do not have to rush through.

Remember, you deserve some "ME" time! Of course our ideas can only work with the cooperation of your partner or with the help of close family members who don’t mind taking an hour or two to give you some "ME" time. So do share this article with your partner. After all, even your partner could do with some "ME" time as well!

Article taken from here

[Article] Secrets of the Dog Tongue

OK, there'll be times I would post interesting facts and articles (at least to me! :p) that I found (besides about children)... and here's one of those...

You see... before I teach my children at school, I must make sure that I get my facts right. I do hope that all teachers do that, which quite sadly to say, not many teachers I know actually bothers about educating children beyond what they have in their text books (sigh! :/) .... Anyway, the theme this round is "MY PETS". And so, after some browsing, I thought it was interesting to know and share that....:

What is the purpose of a dog tongue? Why does a dog stick out his tongue when he pants? Why worry about canine tongue injuries? Get the answers to these questions and more.

Why Write an Article About Tongues of Dogs?
I'll start by saying that many people have come to Pet Comfort Products looking for dog tongue. At first, I couldn't figure this out. Then I realized that people were using image search tools, such as Google image search, to find dog tongue pictures.

As it turns out, I have a nice picture of a dog on the dishes and bowls page on Pet Comfort Products. So, the mystery was solved. I now know why people are coming here to find dog tongue.

In light of this, I started doing a bunch of research on dog tongues. This is really an amazing topic and I think if you stick with me, you'll really appreciate the nuances and complexities of the dog tongue.

What is the Purpose of a Dog Tongue?
A dog tongue is a large mass of muscle that is found at the base of the dog's mouth. Primarily, it organizes and manipulates food for chewing and swallowing. Like a human tongue, it is the primary organ of taste and it is somewhat neurolgically associated with smell. The surface of the tongue is covered with taste buds and it's kept loose and moist by saliva. It is well supplied with nerves and blood vessels, making it one of the most important muscles of the dog's body.

In addition to lapping up water and food, a dog's tongue is a heat regulator. That is, when a dog runs around and gets hot, the tongue hangs out to cool them down. Most people don't know this, but a dog's tongue actually gets larger during exercise due to increased blood flow. In turn, when a dog pants, the dog's entire body is cooled off through evaporation.

How does this work exactly? The tongue gets larger and the dog will pant. These quick and shallow breaths will cause the wet dog tongue to evaporate moisture which in turn cools the dog's tongue. As blood flows through the tongue, the blood is cooled off. It is then transported to the rest of the body, which helps decreases the dog's body temperature.

By the way, this is why leaving your dog in the car is so dangerous. If your dog cannot cool off their tongue, they cannot cool off their entire body. This can translate to heat exhaustion or or other heat trauma. Provide your dog with cool air please!

Here's a quick list of other functions of a dog tongue:

• Wound Healing Tool : A dog will lick wounds and facilitate healing to a point.
• Texture Testing Tool : A dog will lick surfaces and materials to judge texture.
• Affection Giving Tool : A dog will "kiss" their owners and provide affective.

Dog Tongue Injuries
Dog tongue injuries are not too common but accidents do occur. Commonly, a dog's tongue will injured during exercise or other realted exertion. Farm dogs, police dogs, and other work dogs are obviously most prone to tongue injuries. If your dog goes to doggie day care, be certain that there is good ventilation with cool air provided, especially if exercise is part of the routine.

If a dog's tongue is injured when hot, remember that blood flow is increased. This means that you need to watch for excessive bleeding. Be especially careful if the middle or back of the tongue is damaged. Be sure to help your dog cool down by providing a cool environment as quickly as possible.

Some dogs chew wood, glass or other breakable material. If their tongue gets stuck with a splinter or glass shard, it is important to seek help from a veterinary. Don't let this kind of injury go too long or your dog's tongue could become seriously infected.

Things to Consider
Dog tongues are really amazing. They are much more rich and complex than most people realize. Keep in mind that large dogs with large tongues have a need for different bowls and dishes. Obviously large dogs need larger bowls.

If you pay attention to your dog's tongue, you will learn a lot. You'll also be able to better understand the health of you good friend. Give your dog a hug for us!

Article taken from Pet Comfort Products.

[Article] Colour Meaning

Since my interest about knowing the colour representations grew after watching Sarah "coloured" our family members, I decided to do a google search on colour representations and I find this article rather interesting....

Article taken from http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

Red

• Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love.
• Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. It has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red. In heraldry, red is used to indicate courage. It is a color found in many national flags.
• Red brings text and images to the foreground. Use it as an accent color to stimulate people to make quick decisions; it is a perfect color for 'Buy Now' or 'Click Here' buttons on Internet banners and websites. In advertising, red is often used to evoke erotic feelings (red lips, red nails, red-light districts, 'Lady in Red', etc). Red is widely used to indicate danger (high voltage signs, traffic lights). This color is also commonly associated with energy, so you can use it when promoting energy drinks, games, cars, items related to sports and high physical activity.

Light red represents joy, sexuality, passion, sensitivity, and love.

Pink signifies romance, love, and friendship. It denotes feminine qualities and passiveness.

Dark red is associated with vigor, willpower, rage, anger, leadership, courage, longing, malice, and wrath.

Brown suggests stability and denotes masculine qualities.Reddish-brown is associated with harvest and fall.

Orange

• Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.
• To the human eye, orange is a very hot color, so it gives the sensation of heat. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red. Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. It is highly accepted among young people. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite. Orange is the color of fall and harvest. In heraldry, orange is symbolic of strength and endurance.
• Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design. Orange is very effective for promoting food products and toys.

Dark orange can mean deceit and distrust.Red-orange corresponds to desire, sexual passion, pleasure, domination, aggression, and thirst for action.

Gold evokes the feeling of prestige. The meaning of gold is illumination, wisdom, and wealth. Gold often symbolizes high quality.

Yellow

• Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.
• Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. Yellow is often associated with food. Bright, pure yellow is an attention getter, which is the reason taxicabs are painted this color. When overused, yellow may have a disturbing effect; it is known that babies cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow is seen before other colors when placed against black; this combination is often used to issue a warning. In heraldry, yellow indicates honor and loyalty. Later the meaning of yellow was connected with cowardice.
• Use yellow to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings. You can choose yellow to promote children's products and items related to leisure. Yellow is very effective for attracting attention, so use it to highlight the most important elements of your design. Men usually perceive yellow as a very lighthearted, 'childish' color, so it is not recommended to use yellow when selling prestigious, expensive products to men – nobody will buy a yellow business suit or a yellow Mercedes. Yellow is an unstable and spontaneous color, so avoid using yellow if you want to suggest stability and safety. Light yellow tends to disappear into white, so it usually needs a dark color to highlight it. Shades of yellow are visually unappealing because they loose cheerfulness and become dingy.

Dull (dingy) yellow represents caution, decay, sickness, and jealousy.

Light yellow is associated with intellect, freshness, and joy.

Green

• Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money.
• Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance. Sometimes green denotes lack of experience; for example, a 'greenhorn' is a novice. In heraldry, green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the color of free passage in road traffic.
• Use green to indicate safety when advertising drugs and medical products. Green is directly related to nature, so you can use it to promote 'green' products. Dull, darker green is commonly associated with money, the financial world, banking, and Wall Street.

Dark green is associated with ambition, greed, and jealousy.

Yellow-green can indicate sickness, cowardice, discord, and jealousy.

Aqua is associated with emotional healing and protection.

Olive green is the traditional color of peace.

Blue

• Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven.
• Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness. In heraldry, blue is used to symbolize piety and sincerity.
• You can use blue to promote products and services related to cleanliness (water purification filters, cleaning liquids, vodka), air and sky (airlines, airports, air conditioners), water and sea (sea voyages, mineral water). As opposed to emotionally warm colors like red, orange, and yellow; blue is linked to consciousness and intellect. Use blue to suggest precision when promoting high-tech products.
• Blue is a masculine color; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability; it is a preferred color for corporate America.
• Avoid using blue when promoting food and cooking, because blue suppresses appetite. When used together with warm colors like yellow or red, blue can create high-impact, vibrant designs; for example, blue-yellow-red is a perfect color scheme for a superhero.

Light blue is associated with health, healing, tranquility, understanding, and softness.

Dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness.

Purple

• Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.
• According to surveys, almost 75 percent of pre-adolescent children prefer purple to all other colors. Purple is a very rare color in nature; some people consider it to be artificial.
• Light purple is a good choice for a feminine design. You can use bright purple when promoting children's products.

Light purple evokes romantic and nostalgic feelings.

Dark purple evokes gloom and sad feelings. It can cause frustration.

White

• White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the color of perfection.
• White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity.
• In advertising, white is associated with coolness and cleanliness because it's the color of snow. You can use white to suggest simplicity in high-tech products. White is an appropriate color for charitable organizations; angels are usually imagined wearing white clothes. White is associated with hospitals, doctors, and sterility, so you can use white to suggest safety when promoting medical products. White is often associated with low weight, low-fat food, and dairy products.

Black

• Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.
• Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown (black holes). It usually has a negative connotation (blacklist, black humor, 'black death'). Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color (black tie, black Mercedes). In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief.
• Black gives the feeling of perspective and depth, but a black background diminishes readability. A black suit or dress can make you look thinner. When designing for a gallery of art or photography, you can use a black or gray background to make the other colors stand out. Black contrasts well with bright colors. Combined with red or orange – other very powerful colors – black gives a very aggressive color scheme.

[Article] Lack of Sleep Linked to Early Death

I've been having only about an average of 5-6 hours of sleep daily. Nowadays... ever since my busy moments of assignments, I wake up at 4+. My alarm would trigger at 4am... If too tired, I'll keep snoozing till about 5.30am :p, but that would mean a maximum of 6 hours of sleep a day. When work or studies call, sometimes I've got no choice... and when I look at hubby and lil Sarah sound asleep, am a lil envious actually. However, it's kinda routine now to wake up earlier. If not, it feels like I'm missing something... hmm... but now, reading this article make me think twice about having that lack of sleep... :/

Lack of sleep linked to early death: study
Wed May 5, 9:44 am ET

Article taken from yahoo news.

LONDON (AFP) – People who get less than six hours sleep per night have an increased risk of dying prematurely, researchers said on Wednesday.

Those who slumbered for less than that amount of time were 12 percent more likely to die early, though researchers also found a link between sleeping more than nine hours and premature death.

"If you sleep little, you can develop diabetes, obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol," Francesco Cappuccio, who led research on the subject at Britain's University of Warwick, told AFP.

The study, conducted with the Federico II University in Naples, Italy, aggregated decade-long studies from around the world involving more than 1.3 million people and found "unequivocal evidence of the direct link" between lack of sleep and premature death.

"We think that the relation between little sleep and illness is due to a series of hormonal and metabolical mechanisms," Cappuccio said.

The findings of the study were published in the Sleep journal.

Cappuccio believes the duration of sleep is a public health issue and should be considered as a behavioural risk factor by doctors.

Society pushes us to sleep less and less," Cappuccio said, adding that about 20 percent of the population in the United States and Britain sleeps less than five hours.

Sleeping less than six hours is "more common amongst full-time workers, suggesting that it may be due to societal pressures for longer working hours and more shift work"

The study also found a link between sleeping more than nine hours per night and premature death, but Cappuccio said oversleeping is more likely to be an effect of illness, rather than a cause.

"Doctors never ask how much one sleeps, but that could be an indicator that something is wrong," said Cappuccio, who heads the Sleep, Health and Society Programme at the University of Warwick.

Research showed no adverse effects for those sleeping between six and eight hours per day.

[News] 9-month-old baby chokes to death on fish ball

2010/04/14
TAMPIN: A 9-month-old baby choked on a fish ball and died while being fed by a caretaker at a nursery in Jalan Cantik near the Tampin Hospital yesterday.

Wan Nur Alif Wan Arif Fadhla was sent by his parents to the nursery at 7.30am, but two hours later, he was believed to have choked on the fish ball the size of an adult's thumb.He was immediately rushed to the hospital some 50 metres away but was pronounced dead on arrival.The baby's father, Wan Arif Fadhla Wan Yusof, 41, said he received a call from his wife, Nur Azita Ibrahim, 31, at about 11.15am, informing him of the incident."My wife is a school teacher and she called me from the school, saying that our son had been admitted to the hospital."When I arrived at the hospital, I was told that my son had died. He had choked on a fish ball and was unable to breathe," said Wan Arif Fadhla, a civil servant.

He said he was very disappointed that the nursery staff had not cut fish ball into small pieces before feeding it to Wan Nur Alif. Wan Arif Fadhla said he had lodged a report at the Tampin police station.Wan Nur Alif will be buried at the Muslim cemetery in Kampung Pulau Kerengga in Marang, Terangganu.Tampin police chief Superintendent Wooi Hooi Cheng said the nursery staff would be questioned pertaining to the incident.When contacted, an officer of a district Welfare Department said a probe would be conducted.The officer also said the nursery had been in operation for many years.

News article taken from NST

This is a totally devastating news of what a nursery could do to a child. That is why it is extremely important to know inside out of the place we sent our children to whether it is a daycare, a nursery, a kindergarten, etc. We must do all the necessary checkings to ensure the safety of our children. Do they have the basic knowledge of childcare and education? Do they have the basic knowledge of health & safety for these little ones? Does the centre provide a safe environment for these little ones? Well, for this case, I don't know what the caretaker is thinking, but giving a fish ball? to a 9-month old baby? My goodness! I think this caretaker is really insane!