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Welcome to our site, a small ads site for new and secondhand products.
The baby and maternity products sold via our site are being sold by the general public and web traders, either directly through this site, or via one of partners, like, eBay. If you procure by using eBay you might want to check the reputation of the merchant, and are also covered against fraud by their first rate security processes, If you purchase directly from a nornal classified advert, it is wise to make the most of paypal, as this also offers a degree of protection.
Sell Your Unwanted Baby and Maternity Items Through Us!
It is quite simple and we charge only £2. Just use the Post a Classified! link and complete the details for your ad. You may include images (under 1 MB each).
To protect our system against spam, you should then add the digits that are shown and enter the sum in the adjacent field. Click on the Submit Ad link and you will be taken to the payment system. Once you have paid your advertisement will be added to the site and stay there for a period of 60 days.
Exercise TV, The Kind Diet and The Baby GateThis week I bumbled across ExerciseTV on demand on cable. It has gobs of workout videos available instantly, some killer and some painfully cheesy. Normally I don’t have the attention span for exercising in front of the television but curiosity and bad weather got the better of me. So far my favorite has been Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred. It has no dancy choreography or silly stuff, just lots of push-ups, squats, lunges jumping jacks and crunches. It’s very Turbulence Training-esque.
I finished reading The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. Food politics and celebrity nutrition claims aside, it has some beautiful color photos and tasty looking vegan recipes. If only I could get someone to make them for me, starting with the cupcakes. That’s always my problem with cookbooks. I like reading them. I like looking at the pictures. I like eating. I don’t like cooking.
Ripley is a menace. A few days ago it started snowing, which I guess smells sort of like rain, which must in some way remind her of thunder, which resulted in a full-tilt, head-spinning panic attack. She darted out the front door and down the street in a blind terror, chased by invisible demons and imaginary thunder monsters. Yes, a slush-colored dog darting through traffic in a snowstorm, oblivious to any calling, pleading or commands. It took forever to catch her and aged us like ten years. We have since purchased the biggest most ridiculous baby gate we could find. It’s like four feet tall and you need three hands to open it. There will be no more door-darting!
I use an affiliate link when discussing these products. I will receive a portion of the sale if you buy. See my Disclosure Statement.
“Babygate” being the best sounding label I can come up with for this controversy.
First, interesting posts from the Stryde Hax blog on “Google hacking” information about He Kexin. Essentially this involves using Google’s advanced search features to target very specific kinds of information. His queries on Google.cn and Baidu lead him to cached versions of spreadsheets from the General Administration of Sports of China that pretty clearly list a 1994 birthday for the golden girl of Chinese gymnastics. The Baidu cache versions (here and here) were still live when I looked. Interestingly, however, the files started evaporating from Google.CN’s cache more or less as the Stryde Hax blogger was doing his digging.
What does it mean?
In fact, in the comments to a prior post, Iâve raised the point that
Chinese parents change birthdays of children quite often for a variety
of reasons or advantages, to older or younger, hence the possibility
that things could go either way with He Kexin. He really could be 16,
yet still nobody would want to come out and explain the age changing in
local competitions â thatâs just another can of worms. Anyway, this
certainly isnât proof of anything nor is it great news. The point is
simply that, before jumping to conclusions on something having to with
China, it is worth considering the other possilities, and at the least,
consider that other possibilities do exist.
That last thought is definitely worth bearing in mind. Nevertheless, Imagethief had the good luck to be in the stands for the finals of the women’s uneven bars on Monday night, which meant I had the pleasure of seeing He, her only slightly less microscopic teammate Yang Yilin, and American Nastia Liukin (who seems gigantic by comparison) compete. All the Chinese female gymnasts are tiny. He is teeny tiny. If it’s a stretch to accept her as turning 16 this year, imagining her any older is downright impossible. Still, it was thrill to watch all three of them perform. They’re all great athletes and they all deserve recognition.
While He has got most of the attention, both because she’s a pint-size medalling machine and because the controversy hovers most closely over her, Yang has come in for her share of attention as well. I was interested to see a commentary from the AP that is constructed around the theme of Yang as helpless victim:
How fragile she looked, like a baby deer in the headlights of an oncoming SUV. Little pink hearts and the word “love” in blue letters decorated her hair clips.
The glitter on her forehead twinkled under the lights. Chalk was
encrusted where the skin met her slender fingernails. So thin, so
uneasy, so out of place she seemed, in a downstairs room in Beijing’s
National Indoor Stadium. She’d just won an Olympic bronze medal in
all-around gymnastics, one of the toughest sporting tests there is.***
[A little hesitantly], Yang started to
answer the questions. And the more she said, the more shocking it was.
The answers were brief, spoken without heart. What emerged was a
picture of a young girl who has been kept largely cut off from family
and the outside world for more than a year, so she could be intensely
trained to win medals for China at its own Olympics.
I have no doubt that China’s gymnastics training regimen is brutal, and the cold mechanics of China’s national sporting machine definitely deserve scrutiny. I also think the evidence of an age scandal is pretty compelling. Perhaps Yang is a victim. But she, along with He, is also a talent and should be celebrated as such. The rest of the world, America included, has had its grim training stories, especially in sports like gymnastics and figure skating for which the feedstock is young girls. This article has a whiff of the old cold-war double standard. Ours=plucky, heroic achievers. Theirs=manufactured robots/slaves/dopers.
Perhaps she’s a victim of the Communist Sports Machine. Perhaps she’s just a teenage girl who is a spectacular gymnast, who’s had a hard year of training, and who is uncomfortable talking to the media. As Nimrod wrote on that Fool’s Mountain post, consider that other possibilities do exist.
Hat tip: Adrian.
Golden girls.
Valentine’s Day Event Funded By Nevada OTS Focuses On The Safety Of Children With Heart Issues & Other Special Needs
LAS VEGAS- SAFE KIDS and the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety continue to expand their Special Needs Child Passenger Safety Program in Clark County. They have teamed with Children’s Heart Center & Foundation to hold an event on Valentine’s Day (February 14) to protect medically fragile children, by offering free child safety seat checks from 10-Noon at Willows Community Center, 2775 Desert Marigold Lane, in Summerlin. Certified Special Needs Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be on hand to educate parents and caregivers on how to properly use child safety seats.
The key message is: every child needs to ride properly buckled every time they travel. Nevada law mandates that children
6 years and under must ride in an appropriate child safety seat, for their height & weight, until they are at least 60 lbs. SAFE KIDS encourages the best practice of keeping children properly buckled until they are at least 4’9” tall and 80 lbs. Those are the height and weight minimums to properly use an adult seat belt. When dealing with children who have special health needs it is vital that we offer them the utmost in safety by teaming with community partners, SAFE KIDS can reach families who need them most. The SAFE KIDS Special Needs Program can help parents continue to buckle up their children correctly despite obstacles, such as: IVs, medical equipment, splints, braces & casts or physical disabilities. Many children with special needs can use a regular Child Safety Seat. However, through a grant from the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, Special Needs Child safety Seats are available to families at little or no cost.
“Before this child passenger safety program was created, their was little help for families with children with special needs,” says Jeanne Cosgrove, SAFE KIDS Director, and the first Certified Special Needs Child Passenger Safety Technician in the state of Nevada. “We are delighted to work with Children’s Heart Center and work with families who may not have found our services otherwise.
For more information, and to schedule photo opportunities, please call Shelly Cochran at 702.862.0165.
SAFE KIDS is Clark County’s first and only non-profit dedicated to the prevention of unintentional injuries to children. Housed at Sunrise Children’s Hospital & Medical Center since 1993 SAFE KIDS has offered education and training to thousands of Clark County families. Visit SAFEKIDSCLARKCOUNTY.ORG
SAFE KIDS TEAMS WITH CHILDREN’S HEART CENTER & FOUNDATION TO BUCKLE UP MEDICALLY FRAGILE CHILDREN
Caesar Lima Los Angeles, CA, United States When it comes to staying fresh and innovative, Lima is very particular, a self-proclaimed “non-purist”, he gets a kick out of going against the grain and doing the “wrong thing”. Caesar strives to create imagery that has never existed, that makes you think, that is unusual and at times, even surreal. However rebellious his methods may be, Caesar has become one of the most successful commercial photographers in the last few years. View my complete profile
Baby shower gifts are a tradition dating back to the early 1900’s where friends and family would throw a “shower” similar to how they would for a bridal shower – to “shower” the woman with gifts before her big day (marriage or having a baby). In the early days, the guests made most of the baby shower gifts. Umbrellas were a popular symbol of the event because the baby shower was traditionally an afternoon event and the guests would use the umbrella to stay out of the sun.
Today, if the Mommy-to-Be intends on registering, she should do so about a month before the baby shower. This allows the host to send the registration information along with the baby shower invitations. Modern day baby showers are much different and not just for tea. Baby shower gifts range from practical to outlandish. You should check to see where the Mommy-to-Be is registered for gifts before deciding the type baby shower gift to give. Here’s some of the more popular baby shower gifts as well as some creative gifts to give the parents-to-be.
Clothing: Sleepers, receiving blanket, undershirts, diapers. socks and hats. make sure they are easy to change since too many buttons or snaps may be difficult for new parents to take on and off the baby. the Mommy-to-Be will need cute clothes to take the baby home from the hospital
Health & Grooming Products: Baby powder, lotion, baby wipes, desitin, q-tips, hydrogen peroxide (for the umbilical cord), baby safety pins, nail file, scissors, first aid kit, baby soaps and wash cloths, baby thermometer, diaper bag
Feeding: Bibs, bottles, bottle holders, baby formula, breast pump, nipples, bottle brush set, tipper cup, feeding spoon, baby burp towels, baby dishes and bathrobe
In the Bath Products: Towel with cute hood, wash cloths, baby lotion, shampoo, soap, baby brush and bath toys
In the Crib/Bassinet Items: Crib fitted sheets, comforter, bumper pads, mobile, crib trim, waterproof crib pads and blanket to swaddle the infant
For the Baby Room: Stuffed animals, cute pictures for the wall, gift certificate for a muralist to come out, dresser, changing table, cute initials of the baby on some type of ceramic item, picture frame, nursery lamp, furniture, boppy, bouncy seats and piggy bank
Toy Time: Teething toys, colorful play matt, black and white play matt, musical toys and plush / stuffed animals
Learning Time: Baby Bach Video, Baby Einstein CD’s, classical music CD’s, Disney movies, books for the parents, baby books, lamaze soft books and story books
For the Parents: Pamper the parents-to-be with a gift certificate to a spa, book store, record store, or a nice gift such as baby hand and foot imprinting plaster, Baby Bjorn or other baby carrier Coupons for babysitting
Here’s some helpful hints for planning your baby shower gifts for the Mommy-to-Be and the Daddy-to-Be:
More Expensive but Practical Gifts: Stroller, bassinet, baby dresser, baby changing table, baby car seat, baby car seat attachment, high chair, baby swing, bouncy seat, sound monitor, video monitor, potty chair, diaper genie (container), safety gate, baby scale, breast pump, rocking chair.
Unique Gifts: Grow chart, gift for siblings, gift certificate for baby pictures, U.S. Saving Bonds for the baby, silver spoon or rattle and baby proofing the house
Baby Shower Coupons: For those that want to give their time for their gift and don’t have much money, it is fun to be creative and make baby shower coupons for the parents such as ” 2- Hour Babysitting”, “Cook for the Mommy and Daddy two meals”, etc. The parents to be will really appreciate this baby shower coupon gift book, especially for first time parents who appreciate the help
Gift of Saving a Life: A thoughtful baby shower gift is a gift certificate for a private CPR class for the mommy and daddy to be and a few of their selected family and friends who may become future babysitters
Diapers, Diapers and More Diapers: A great gift that seems to always running out for the Mommy-to-Be is to have everyone bring a few packages of diapers. New mommies never have enough in the house so getting diapers is a perfect baby shower gift
Useful Laundry Basket Idea: Instead of spending the money on a gift bag that is likely to get thrown away, use laundry basket, line it with a baby blanket and put the gift inside and cover with tissue paper or another blanket. Then the basket can be used for the extra laundry that will be added or for toy storage
Floating Ducky: Take a silver mini washtub and fill it with water and float a rubber duck in each one. Tie balloons to one of the handles. It’s simple, but sweet. You can also place various baby shower related items next to the washtub, like shampoo, lotion and such
Laundry Basket Goods: Purchase a laundry basket, baby laundry detergent, you’re favorite pre-wash, stain remover, wipes to go, and some fabric softener and place in the basket. You can arrange all these small items with tissue paper in the laundry basket, which will serve as you’re gift basket
Baby Shower Baby Books: Have each baby shower guest bring a baby book for the new parents. Have each guest pre-write a sentiment or advice to the new parent’s on the first page of each book which is a great memento to cherish for the baby growing up and the parents
Baby Plant / Tree: Buy a small tree that can be planted outside of the parents-to-be home. Tie baby items to the branches. The parent’s to be can watch the tree and the baby grow at the same time. You can do the same thing with a small indoor plant
Fleece Baby Blanket: A fleece baby blanket is made by taking two pieces of fleece and putting them together, then cutting 3 in slits every 1 inch all the way around the blanket and tie knots to keep the pieces together. Then just roll the blanket up and tie it with a ribbon
Keepsake Box: Use a hatbox and add personal touches to the box by filling it in with onsies, clothes, pacifiers, bottles, wipes, diapers, etc. You can also include a pack of alphabet stickers so I could put the baby’s name and birth date, weight and height on the box with the stickers once he/she is born
You can view lot of unique Baby Shower Announcements, inexpensive Baby Shower Invitations and personalized Baby Shower Cards add your personal message, along with your favorite fonts, ink color and then Preview your personalized baby card. This process allows you to see your baby card before you buy!
Sarah Porter is Press Agent for several websites including Cards-411, Cards Shoppe and more.
Author: Sarah Porter
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Excise Tax
In all my work on online child safety issues, I always try to stress how important education and media literacy efforts are. Indeed, technical parental control tools and methods, while important, should be viewed as just one part of a more holistic approach to encouraging digital literacy and digital citizenship. In recent years, many scholars and child development experts such as Nancy Willard of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, Anne Collier and Larry Magid of ConnectSafely.org, Marsali Hancock of iKeepSafe, Common Sense Media, the Family Online Safety Institute, and many others have worked to expand traditional education and media literacy strategies to place the notion of digital citizenship at the core of their lessons and recommendations.
What does it mean? Anne Collier defines digital citizenship as “Critical thinking and ethical choices about the content and impact on oneself, others, and one’s community of what one sees, says, and produces with media, devices, and technologies.” And Common Sense Media defines digital literacy and digital citizenship as follows:
Digital Literacy programs are an essential element of media education and involve basic learning tools and a curriculum in critical thinking and creativity.
Digital Citizenship means that kids appreciate their responsibility for their content as well as their actions when using the Internet, cell phones, and other digital media. All of us need to develop and practice safe, legal, and ethical behaviors in the digital media age. Digital Citizenship programs involve educational tools and a basic curriculum for kids, parents, and teachers.
Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute, had an excellent essay in The Huffington Post yesterday on “21st Century Citizenship,” that did a fine job of explaining these concepts in practical terms:
While there is a recognition that there must be a base-line of safety—using filters for younger kids and monitoring and privacy settings for the older ones—the emphasis is now placed on education, media literacy and a new kind of civics. It’s time for kids of all ages to understand and value the rights of free speech and assembly (i.e., connecting through social networking and other means) as well as an expectation of privacy and safety.
And with those rights, go an important range of responsibilities and duties. These include the need to respect others views, even if they disagree with them, to adhere to terms of service (however lengthy and obtuse) and the rules regarding fair use, flaming, accessing or uploading porn, and so on.
Just as we teach our kids to help at the scene of an accident, or to report a crime and to get involved in their local community, so we need to encourage similar behavior online. To report abusive postings, to alert a grownup or the service provider of inappropriate content, to not pile on when a kid is being cyberbullied, to be part of the solution and not the problem.
We need to use what we’ve learned about social norms to align kids and ourselves with the positive examples of responsible behavior, rather than be transfixed and drawn towards the portrayals of the worst of the web. It may be true that one in five kids have been involved in sexting, but that means the vast majority exercise good judgment and make wise choices online. The social norms field is ripe with possibilities and guidance in how to foster good digital citizenship.
That’s 100% correct. This approach must be at the center of child safety debates going forward. As Nancy Willard notes, digital citizens:
Only by teaching our kids to be good cyber-citizens can we ensure they are prepared for life in an age of information abundance. Talk to your kids, people! Teach them well.
Comments Posted in: First Amendment, Free Speech & Online Child Safety
From the Manufacturer
Do you need a tough and dependable gate to always protect your kids? Then, the North States Top Notch Gate is for you. It is very easy to use, requires no assembly or tools. Simply expand in opening, push down on locking bar, and gate pressure mounts into opening. This gate will give you many years of durable service. North States Gate Top Notch Gate also has a “Memory-Lock” feature that automatically retains the locking position so that you can easily remov (more…)
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This morning we stayed home and cleaned and did our normal around-the-house stuff. While unloading the dishwasher, out of the corner of my eye I caught Asher bolting toward the back door. I followed him back there and just watched him. With amazing confidence, he proceeded to begin climbing the stairs!
Cute! Or I thought! So I grabbed my camera and took this pic.
And then I watched some more.
I grabbed him right before he made it to the top. No joke! This makes me VERY nervous! A baby gate is my very near future.
I will add it to my list of things to do for the week. I generally have three or four lists of things to do, items to buy, and coupon deals to take advantage of—all stacked on the counter by my refrigerator. When we visited Steven and Heather at Thanksgiving, Heather showed me her notebook of lists. So, in an attempt to organize my thoughts, I started the Heather Steele method of list-making. I bought a Moleskine notebook at Barnes & Noble and then made this cover for it!
It has already been put to good use! Thanks for the fab idea, Heather! Now I’m off to research baby gates online before the little climber wakes up from nap!
How well do you know your neighbors?
My wife and I went on a movie date last night (thanks mom & dad for watching the kids). We watched a preview for a movie called, The Lovely Bones. I haven’t seen the movie yet but it caused me to reflect about the importance of keeping kids safe from the many dangers that exist in this world. My heart and prayers always goes out to parents whose children have been the victims of kidnapping, rape and murder. It’s a pain that no parent should experience and yet we accept it as a part of living in a very fallen world. The Lovely Bones is a good reminder for all parents on how sexual predators can endanger the safety of our children.
Let me tell you about Susie Salmon and the thousands of children her story represents.
On her way home from school on a snowy December day in 1973, 14-year-old Susie Salmon (“like the fish”) is lured into a makeshift underground den in a cornfield and brutally raped and murdered, the latest victim of a serial killer–the man she knew as her neighbor, Mr. Harvey. Amazon.com
December 6, 1973, the day Susie Salmon was murdered.
In my popular blog post, TEN SEXUAL PREDATOR WARNING SIGNS, I talk about the importance for parents to remember that while there are some common characteristics among sexual predators, pedophilia does not discriminate by race, gender, age, class or religious affiliation.
In fact, the information on this post and other entries that have been a part of this series caused me to create a two-hour workshop on PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL PREDATORS.
Over the years, I’ve been asking myself some of these questions…
The result of asking those questions gave birth to this workshop. If you, your church or school group are interested in bringing me to speak to your group, then be sure to contact me either via this blog or by completing a BOOKING REQUEST FORM.
Sex offenders watch lists that you may want to visit.
Family Watch Dog
Free national US search for registered sex offenders. Map registered sex offenders to see who lives in your area.Map Sex Offenders
Map Sex Offenders in your local area and neighborhood. Search for and find registered sexual predators in this free national registry.Criminal Check
CriminalCheck.com is the only FREE National Sex Offender database site on the web that searches all states (and the District of Columbia) with one-click.Sexual Offenders Registry
Search state or county sex offender databases. This site also offers news and articles.United States Department of Justice
The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW), coordinated by the U.S. Department of Justice, is a cooperative effort between Jurisdictions hosting public sex offender registries (“Jurisdictions”) and the federal government.
Copyright © 2009 Cesar G. Gamez, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cesar G. Gamez holds a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling and is a doctoral student at Arizona State University. He is the founder and director of Family Insights™ and is a sought-after speaker and workshop trainer. He is also a therapist at an inpatient treatment center for anxiety and eating disorders. You can follow Cesar on Twitter.
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Product Description
Thousands of children die every year in this country due to unintentional injury. Many of them preventable. Child Safety Made Easy is an easy to read resource that covers many areas of child safety including: car, pool, firearms, baby equipment, child’s room and toys, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, outdoors, holidays, general and pets. It is written in brief one to two line tips so that it can be read at short intervals. It’s a perfect shower gift, welcome … More »
The Paranoid Sisters Present: Child Safety Made Easy
Tags: baby equipment, bathrooms, BEDROOMS, car pool, Child, child safety, Easy, firearms, holidays, intervals, Made, Paranoid, paranoid sisters, pets, Present, Safety, Sisters, ToysA rear-facing seat is designed for infants only. These types of seats are designed to face the back of the vehicle’s seat and hold one year old children and up to 20 pounds. A child can stay seated in a rear facing seat if their height and weight allows. Make sure to read the instructions on the car seat’s manual.
Forward-facing Seat:
A forward-facing car seat with a harness is for children between the ages of 1 and 4 and up to 40 pounds. These seats can be convertible or combination seats. These seats go in the upright position facing the front of the vehicle.
Booster Seat:
A booster car seat is for children ages 4 to 8 and over 40 pounds. Booster seats are designed for children who have outgrown car seats with a harness. Booster seats are installed forward-facing in a vehicle and are to be used only with a shoulder. If your vehicle does not have a shoulder belt available for a booster seat, use a car seat that is designed to hold children over 40 pounds.
Visit your local safety station to verify that your child safety seat is installed properly.
Helpful Hints:
*Always read the car seat’s instructions.
*Always read the owner’s manual of a vehicle to determine the best place in the vehicle to place a car seat.
*Always make sure harness straps are at, or below, shoulder level.
*Never place a car seat in a seat that has an air bag. This could lead to serious injury or death.
* Car seats are designed for children of average size. If a child is not average sized, it is important to speak with a professional to determine which car seat is most safe for that individual child.
*Never hang toys from safety seat handles or place items in the back window of a vehicle. These items could lead to injury during an accident or a sudden stop.
*All children should remain restrained safely in the back seat until the age of 13.
To learn more about car seats or to find your local safety station visit:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Safety Belt Safe U.S.A.
We have always taken the same tact with our dog (65lb female choc. lab). Our dog was crate trained from the beginning, and so slept in her crate in the porch. This of course doesn’t work as well in the winter, so she sleeps in the main bedroom with my parents then. They have had no trouble with taking this step in terms of her dominance. I should also note that we don’t need to use the crate for her anymore, because she has gotten used to just going to the porch when we go to bed or leave the house.
sarah said…I don’t have a dog at the moment but when we did we let her sleep wherever. The last day I had was a miniature dachshund so she was in the bed. When it came to “sexy time” we pushed her out of the bed and into the other room. ha ha. When I was a kid I had 2 large dogs a German Shepard/Golden mix who never attempted to sleep in my bed and a Golden who slept in my bed (this dog was HUGE too). But everyone is different so you are going to get different things. I think now that I am an adult (really) I wouldn’t want a dog in my bed. The cats sleep in the bed with us though. Which is awkward when the try to climb in with you during our romantic evenings. lol
Amy said…We have a Boston Terrier—he’s our first dog and I believe we should do a lot of things differently in the future. Soba sleeps with us in our bed—-it helps that he’s 21 pounds and only has a little hair that doesn’t shed much. I wanted a dog since I was five and by the time we got our dog at age 29 I was not thinking down the road. He whimpered the first night (he was four months old), I slept next to the crate downstairs for all of 20 minutes, and he’s been in our bed ever since—total lack of self-control on my part and cuteness on his. He does love the large pillow bed that we bought him and having his own bed upstairs (in the room next door) and downstairs has helped when we don’t want him around. :)
Jackie said…We have 2 dogs (border collie and golden retriever) and 2 cats. The dogs are not allowed on the furniture or allowed to sleep in the bed, not there would be any room for them anyway. The cats on the other hand do whatever they want. The dogs do sleep in the bedroom though. We also have a baby gate for the day time, ours keeps them in out of the main area of the house though and they can spend their days sleeping in the bedroom in their beds.
Carrie said…We have 3 labs and all but one wants to sleep in our room. We have a dog bed in there that one always sleeps on, the other one sleeps on the floor by the window. The youngest likes to sleep in the living room. They don’t care what is or isn’t going on in the bed so there has been no need to kick them out or anything. Getting rid of the baby gate during th day might be fine…but then you might find Ms. Jersey sleeping in your bed when you aren’t there - maybe she won’t since she isn’t allowed on your furniture but you never know. I’m sure she’ll be happier to sleep in the same room as you guys - but you never know she might come in there in the beginning of the night then go back downstairs after you fall asleep. Another thing you’ll have to see about - is if she will try and wake you up in the mornings…our dogs don’t - but I hear that some do :) good luck and let us know how it goes!!
katrina said…My dog is about 40 lbs, and the biggest spoiled brat I’ve ever met. She’s allowed on the people bed when I’m napping, or in the mornings if we’re sleeping in…or I suppose, when we’re not home and I don’t know what she’s doing.
But, she also has a dog bed in the bedroom, and sleeps on it every night, no matter what. Even if she’s up on the bed with me when I fall asleep, she abandons me for her own bed well before mister man comes to sleep. And if we’re up too late, often she just goes to her bed around 10 when she’s had enough and is sure we’re not going to sneak out to the park without her. She also has no interest in what’s going on in the bedroom unless she thinks that we’re headed for the treat jar upstairs.
I have nothing to offer because I’ve never had dogs and probably never will but I do have two things to say:
1. that is indeed a pathetic look! LOL. I’m not surprised she’s got you re-considering things.
2. Whatever you decide, it makes me happy to see that you will do it thoughtfully. Being a great dog owner is a big responsibility and I wish more people were like you. My brother and his girlfriend have a dog and they are so extremely inconsistent in dealing with the dog that she is a nervous wreak half the time.
Well I don’t have a dog, but if I did it would sleep in the room with me. Webster (my kitty) sleeps in the bed with me every night. Usually on the pillow right by my head!
My mom has a bed right beside her bed for her golden lab and he likes that. He cries if she doesn’t let him in the room with her!
I want a dog!! Oh how I want one!
My uncle had a dog named Henry. He always let Henry sleep at the foot of his bed. And though Henry wasn’t allowed on the furniture, he would sneak up there when my uncle wasn’t home.
Anyway, it seemed that even though Henry was able to sleep in the bed upstairs, he still very much knew that my uncle was the leader of the pack.
Interesting post! Thank you for sharing it! Your dog is beautiful!
~Kellie
We have a 25lb cocker spaniel. She sleeps on our bed. I wish I never started this. Half the time she is up near me and in the middle of the night I have to pick her up and put her back at the bottom of the bed.
Last night she had to sleep right on top of my legs!!
Our dog rules the roost in our house!
I grew up with a dog and a cat and this post makes me wonder one thing….why do we as humans think it’s okay for cats to be on our furniture, but not dogs?? Seems unfair doesn’t it? I mean, same rules applied in our house, no dog on the couch or on the bed…but the cat got to rule the roost….and our cat during certain times of the year shed just as much as our dog!
Carol said…I could build a new cat with all the hair my two shed daily, yet they rule the house! They sleep in my bed (both are there right now, as a matter of fact!), on my couch and usually are doing their best to push me out of their way!
When I was growing up, we had a very large german shephard who slept in the hallway, between our three rooms. She only ever tried to crawl into our beds during thunder storms. She was a scardy-cat!
One time, I was vacuuming and cursing at the cats for all the shedding they did. As I was on my hands & knees, pulling the “fur” up by hand, I realized it was a rather reddish-brown colour, and not the black or white of the cats!! Oops…I curse them no longer!
I believe a dog should not get on the furniture. Nothing worse than going to a house of leaving with dog hair all over your clothes. I really believe the dog should sleep in your bedroom, on his own bed, on the floor. My dog had three beds. on in the living room, one in the bedroom and one in my office. As far as people coming over, kudos to you. Not everyone wants to be greeted by a jumping, licking dog. Another thing, my dogs walk at my side and do not sniff and pee on other peoples properties. When we go for a walk, we do just that… walk. Peeing and pooping can be done at home. So there you have it Congrats on having a well behave dog.
Anonymous said…I too have a golden retriever, Love her, hate her hair, she is not allowed on the furniture, she does sleep in my bedroom, not in my bed, and she gets the boot during those private times :-)
Amy said…I loved all the commnets, thanks guys!
What is definitely interesting, is that you’re right about the cats.
Our cats can do NO wrong. And the have just as much hair as Jersey does (if not more because they’re 2!)
I think my adversity to dog hair is because my dog growing up never slept with me, and I’m a cat person at heart.
We have two golden retrievers, both 80+ lbs, and they both sleep in our bedroom, one on either side of the bed. My older golden, who I had before I was married, cannot be persuaded to sleep in another room; we tried it once when my husband and I first lived together, and the dog outlasted my husband!
I’ll confess that, before I was married, my dog slept in the bed with me. It was a queen-size bed, so I wasn’t crowded, but hair was a definite issue at times.
During “sexy time,” the dogs just kind-of chill out and mostly ignore us. Occasionally they will come to the bedside for some petting when we are finished. LOL
BTW, I wanted to say that if Jersey’s prior family thought she was a “devil dog,” perhaps it was because they did not give her the exercise and discipline that you do. Goldens are wonderful dogs, but they are not for everyone. In addition to their shedding, they need a lot of exercise and human interaction. Not everyone is prepared to give that!
I please guilty to letting the dog on the couch/chair/bed with me. However, he does not sleep all night - just gets a snuggle and then sleeps on his doggie bed beside ours.
In the past, I have always let dogs sleep on the bed - pack mentality and all that - and not had an issue with dominance. However, I think that also depends on the dog.
Molly, our little lab has a bed in her room that she sleeps on at night, but when my husband gets up early she hops up onto the foot of the bed to be with me. When I get ready for work in the morning she lays on her blanket at the foot of my bed, and there she stays when I’m at work. She never gets up without first being told ‘ok’ or ‘up’ and like you mentioned, she loves being near our smell while we are out so I don’t mind her being there. I would never dream of leaving her downstairs (as I once though I would due to dog hair, etc). As long as they know whose boss and are obedient, it can’t be that wrong. xo
Naturallyme said…I have two dogs weighing in at 70 and about 50lbs. I alo have 1 cat. My dogs sleep on their pillows in the living room unless the girl feels the need to be a little closer. She sometimes walks in my bedroom at night and sleep in near the door.
My cat chooses to sleep in the computer room.
My dog roams around at night. She’s sometimes on a mat in our room, sometimes on a bench looking outside (her bench), and when she’s not feeling good, I wake up and find her snuggled into a blanket on the couch. She is allowed on the furniture, but it’s supposed to be when we invite her. We kenneled her for the first year, but now she’s kenneled during the day when I’m at work so I just feel bad about locking her up for so many hours.
Maggie said… This post has been removed by the author. Jen said…I am so behind on this post but I REALLY feel the need to comment!!
First of all - we TOTALLY let the cats roam the house and I agree, we give them a “puppy-free” zone of the upstairs (Charlie won’t even go up the stairs). But there are honestly times that I would love to have him up there with us…
Our bed is COVERED in cat hair because they sleep with us…but I don’t think it would be a problem to let Charlie roam the house at night…this is the problem right here…Charlie sleeps in a crate still (A GINORMOUS crate, but a crate nonetheless).
I don’t want to get bashed for that, because I AM a good puppy mom. We do all the things you mentioned that you do for Jersey, but we also do all the GOOD things too, he is WELL loved and well taken care of…it just took him a LONG time to outgrow his puppy “chewing” phase…which he now seems to have done…
I feel that the more freedom we give him, the better he is in fact. So I might be letting him sleep outside the crate a little more and just using the crate for travel and for a “safe place” for him…
Unfortunately. At 100 lbs, with 2 cats (one weighing 15 lbs herself) and the 2 of us + a queen size bed…um, not going to happen…but I don’t really see a problem with the dogs staying in the bedroom…
Wow, that was so long and I don’t know how much of it made sense…
Growing up our dogs always slept wherever… usually in the bed with us. Or, my first dog would sleep in under the covers with me! EEKS!
My fiance, however, had always trained his dogs growing up to stay in the kitchen/porch/garage area and she did and did so very well.
Now that we are getting our own pretty soon, we’ve had to come up with some ground rules. We plan to use a baby gate across the stairs and keep her downstairs and off the furniture. I also have allergies, so it will be good for me to have a fur-free zone for sure. We also plan to crate her at night and when nobody is home… at least while she is in the destructive puppy phase!
PS: I totally agree with teaching your dog to sit/stay while you are opening the door for guests. Wish I had thought of that with my dogs growing up! Instead they just barge on through wanting to say hello… no jumping, but still… Mom’s dog right now, a 75-lb husky, can be quite intimidating for guests! LOL
Fatinah said…we have a miniature schnauzer who sleeps in his kennel, which is in our room.
We have an Evenflo Top of Stair Gate. It’s a wooden gate with metal hardware. It swings. VERY secure.
In the online world, seems like parents are searching for ways to keep their children safe on the Internet.
I have provided some resources that will be of good use.
* OnguardOnline.gov
* WiredSafety.org
* Commonsense.com
* Ncmec.org
* TRUSTe.org
* ConnectSafely.org
* NetSmartz.org
* WebWiseKids.org
* AThinLine.org
Online safety is a good thing, so do not compromise your safety by being unaware. Get aware!
Everyone assembles at 7.30 at the play ground, to begin the day by hoisting the national flag and singing the national anthem.
According to Major Fernando one child is appointed as the leader each day, and that person is responsible for hoisting the flag. Regular classes commence at 9.00 a.m. At present the vocational training courses include aluminium fabrication and welding, tailoring, cookery and basic computing. A retired teacher also comes to teach Maths and English. The children are also taught spoken Sinhalese.
The classes usually end with a song and an appraisal of each student’s performance that day. Then its time for lunch. “Each meal we give them is a daily ration of a soldier, which ensures they get a balanced diet. For instance lunch consists of 4 vegetables and either fish or chicken every day,” he said.
Group games like cricket and netball follow. Then the children are free to read books, newspapers and watch TV until the light are switched off at 10.00 p.m.
“A routine helps children adjust quickly. Most children settled down soon,” Major Fernando, a veteran teacher at the Combat training school said.
At first he was apprehensive of the task at hand. “My wife was a little jittery when I said I’ll be working with former child combatants. That was because of the misconceptions about these children. But after coming here I have realized that they are no different from my own kids. Even the boys put powder and you’ll see that quite a few of them have even painted their nails. They are trying to relive the childhood that was snatched away from them,” he said.
At first glance one may wonder why military personnel have been deployed as rehabilitation officers. However, all the rehabilitation officials at centre are from the Army cadet corpse. They are trained teachers, with extensive teaching experience in civil setups, before volunteering to become part of the cadet corpse.
Hunting for their families
We met chirpy 17 year old Devi while she was engrossed in her sewing lessons.
Devi’s mother had abandoned her family and gone abroad when Devi was a mere toddler of two. She was bought up by her aunt in Yatiyanthota, and studied in a Sinhala medium school until grade 5. Then she had gone back to the North, to live with her younger aunt.
Devi was abducted when she was 16, in a white van and put into a make-shift jungle kitchen to churn out food and deliver it to carders fighting in the front line amidst the shelling.
“I was given weapons training but they put me to the kitchen after I started having fits and fainting spells. There were several children some as young as 12 with their heads shaved,” Devi said.
“The LTTE camps were in a thick jungle in Pudumattalan. We were really afraid, because we could hear constant explosions. Five of us were plotting to escape and one morning we ran away, when the commanders allowed us to go to the toilet in the morning,” Devi recalled.
She managed to go back home to her aunt. But she was separated from her family at the Omanthei checkpoint, amidst the exodus of civilians who were fleeing LTTE controlled areas.
“The army called for persons who were with the LTTE to come and register. So I went to this big tent. They took my information and handed me over to the police. Then I was produced before the Vavuniya magistrate and brought here. But my aunt doesn’t know I’m here,” she said. The International Red Cross has promised to find Devi’s aunt.
“Some children receive letters from their parents. Some parents come to visit. But many children don’t here from their parent’s at all.” She said.
The Bureau of the Commissioner General for Rehabilitation is attempting to setup the next rehabilitation centre in Vavuniya, to house another 250 ex-child combatants who are currently with their families in IDP camps. The decision was made to locate this centre in Vavuniya to ensure that the children are living in close proximity to their families.
The Ambepussa centre was started in March 2008, mainly to rehabilitate children who were freed from the clutches of the TMVP, a breakaway group of the LTTE which fought in the Eastern province.
About 99 persons freed from the TMVP, including 21 children, 3 adult females and 75 adult males who were former TMVP cardres have already been released from the centre.
Five others, who had joined the TMVP as children but are now above 18 are waiting to go abroad for employment opportunities. Vageesh, who came to the centre 26 months ago, is one of them.
“The LTTE caught my brothers and sisters as well, but they escaped. I was the only one who joined the movement. At first I didn’t realize the seriousness of this move. But I had to suffer a lot. My life was totally different to that of my brothers and sisters who were with my parents,” he said.
“After I joined the LTTE I ran away. But then they took my sister forcibly. So I went back to get her released. Later on I escaped again. But this time they came and assaulted my father. They took my family members hostage for 4 months. Therefore I had to rejoin,” he added.
“I was in the Mannar LTTE camp and food was scarce. Three of us decided to surrender to the army and then we were bought to Vavuniya. We surrendered in 2005 and was first taken to the rehabilitation centre in Pallekele and was then bought to Ambeypussa. My father came to visit me once. I haven’t seen my parents since,” Vageesh continued.
His father and sister were killed in a shell attack on his village in Killinochchi. His 11 year old brother lost one leg and had to insert a plate to the other. Only his mother was spared.
“I couldn’t even go to put soil on my father’s grave because the war was raging at that time. All I want to do now is to look after my family the same way my late father did. If I can work abroad for five years, that’s enough. I need to save money to secure the future of my younger brother and sisters. One of my sisters is 18 and I have to collect the dowry for her,” Vageesh said.
About his life with the LTTE Vageesh said “I don’t want recall that life. I want to forget it. It was two years of suffering. If I was told to shoot I shot, if I was told to cut I’ll cut. I did what they asked. I want to have my own family. I want to have my own life now.”
“I even have a girl friend now,” he said, with a shy smile.
Ragu, another experienced fighter, who joined the movement when he was 12 and had risen up the LTTE hierarchy to reach a ‘major’ rank, is also awaiting his visa to go abroad.
He has been in rehabilitation for 23 months and has followed three courses in tailoring, landscaping and another basic compute skills program. “Before I came here I didn’t know much about the outside world. But now I regret what I had done,” this young man of 28, who had been a front-liner fighter with the LTTE for 12 years said.
Ragu had participated in several major operations and lead a group of 150 carders. However, disillusionment set in after a group of senior leaders jumped to Switzerland during the ceasefire period. However, he was too involved in the movement to escape at this time. But Ragu seized the opportunity when the Karuna group split from the LTTE and surrendered to the army with a five others.
“Two of my friends were also rehabilitated at the centre here. They have gone back home and one had married. I have two elder sisters and one younger sister. Our parents abandoned us when we were small,” Ragu said.
Ragu’s birth wasn’t registered by his parents and he didn’t have a birth certificate. It was the officers at the rehabilitation centre that helped him to get a birth certificate and a passport with the aid of a doctor who estimated his age.
Ragu had joined the LTTE after being allured by the bravado claimed by the tigers during a cultural show in Batticaloa. But with time he realized the hollowness of his decision. “Sometimes when small children used to come and voluntarily join the movement, I would give them cash and ask them to go back home,” Ragu, a sensitive soul according to many, said.
According to Captain Chanaka Weerasinghe, a rehabilitation officer, Ragu still has childish ways.
“He dressed as a Vedda at the fancy dress competition we organised for the Sinhala and Hindu New Year in April. The child in him sometimes comes out all of a sudden and then it feels as if he is trying to relive the childhood that he never had,” he said.
“His girl friend came to visit him once. Now he is looking forward to settling down after returning from Malaysia,” Captain Weerasinghe added.
The rehabilitation officers accompany those who go abroad for jobs to the airport. According to statistics from the Rehabilitation Commissioner’s Bureau over 50 rehabilitated persons have been facilitated with finding jobs abroad.
Catch up Education
While many are encouraged to find jobs after rehabilitation, steps will be taken to provide ‘catch up education facilities’ for younger children, who are keen to pursue formal studies.
“There is one promising child who was trained as a Black tiger. He was an orphan living in the Senchollai orphanage. He was allowed to continue with his education but was given weapons training intermittently during school holidays. He was captured by intelligence officers when he was sent to Vavuniya on a suicide mission. He had just sat for his Ordinary Level exams. He had learnt that his exam results had just come out, while on his way to the suicide mission,” Captain Weerasinghe said.
Now the Bureau of the Rehabilitation Commissioner General is taking steps to help this bright spark, restart his advance level studies.
“He had succeeded in scoring a B for mathematics in his OL’s despite being shifted from place to place and his education being interrupted by intermittent training periods. The Commissioner General is keen on getting him into a good school in Colombo, where he will be given all the facilities to proceed with his ALs,” Captain Weerasinghe added.
The “three day” cadre
Not all the children at the centre had experienced active combat. Some children had been with the LTTE for a few days, some for a few months. Forcible abductions had sky rocketed in the past two-three months of the battle as the Tigers made a desperate attempt at replenishing their dwindling cadre base.
Karthik is chided by his friends as the “three day LTTEier.” He was abducted from his temporary hut in Puthukudirrpu.
We met Ganesh, the youngest son in a Mahaveera family at the netball court. The children are encouraged to engage in group games like cricket and netball after the regular classes finish.
“In the final days people were dying of hunger. The LTTE killed one of my brothers and dumped his body on a cross road because he broke into an LTTE flour store, where they stockpiled food relief sent for civilians. It was meant as a lesson for other civilians who were demanding the LTTE to release the food rations that were coming,” he said describing the agony of the civilians stuck in the thin strip of land designated as the no-fire zone in Puthukudirruppu.
“My father was a trader in Settikulam. One of my elder brothers was a martyr. The LTTE forcibly took me and my sister. I escaped after nine days in captivity. My sister also managed to run away after 15 days,” he said.
“But they came after me again and dragged me to their fighting line in Putumattalan. Five of us decided to run away after realizing that the LTTE refused to treat children injured in battle if they had once attempted to run away before. The LTTE fired at us as we tried to escape. I surrendered to the army in Valayanmadam,” he said.
* Names have been changed to protect the identity of the children.
Life after rehabilitation
According to Unicef Child Protection Officer Andi Brookes, Sri Lanka has made real progress in the area of rehabilitating child-soldiers by taking a series of constructive steps.
“Firstly, the push to rehabilitate children, separately from adults as per the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict was realized by setting up of the centre in Ambepussa, that mainly focuses on children” he said.
“Furthermore, there was a memorandum of understanding signed between the government, the TMVP and the Unicef, to release all child combatants recruited by this breakaway faction of the LTTE. This was then translated into an action plan from December,” he said.
He also noted that the Emergency regulation issued by the Presidential Secretariat on December 15, was a progressive step that translates Sri Lanka’s global commitment as one of the first signatories of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict into national law.
Unicef is also engaged in monitoring and doing a follow-up on children once they are reunited with their families.
“Probation officers continue to report on the child after an year of being released from rehabilitation. The key to ensuring their smooth reintegration is ensuring access to healthcare, education and other opportunities. A community based rehabilitation effort also runs in parallel to ensure smooth reintegration,” he said.
According to Brookes, the children who return may have a higher security risk than normal children.
“There is a threat that they might be victims of acts of revenge or remobilization. However, it is being viewd through a child safety lens and not a military lens,” he added.
As a key stakeholder in the rehabilitation process Unicef made a significant investment in the entire rehabilitation process by funding road repairs to improve access and covering certain running expenses. They had also helped organise several trips for the children including a visit to the zoo in Colombo, the botanical gardens, and the elephant orphanage in Pinnawale.A recent article in our local paper about a 9 month old baby almost drowning in a pool while being watched by grandparents is a stark reminder of our need to be vigilant when having children around swimming pools.
Even though both grandparents said they had a eye on the baby, a brief period of distraction has the potential to lead to a heartbreaking consequence .
Child and Infant Pool safety information is important for every parent. From KidsHealth.org, the Dodson Law Firm  provides a list of pool safety reminders for adults and kids.
Be safe around pools and other swimming sources. With Spring around the corner, these rules are important to pool safety for children and infants.
When you first have a baby it’s essential to put up a baby gate. You may have the idea that you can wait a couple of months until your baby starts to crawl , but things are going to develop faster than you can imagine . Before you blink your child will be crawling all over the place so it’s essential to put up gates where you don’t want your child .
One of the most essential places to put a gate is at the stairs in your house . If you have a house with two stories chances are at {some point | some point in time | your baby is is going to be at the top of the steps so it’s 100% essential that you have a child protection gate at the top of the stairway to know that your child won’t go tumbling down the stairs .
A lot of people don’t {consider | think about | that it’s also important to put a gate at the stairway bottom . Babies are going to start climbing every where of your house. They might attempt to crawl up the stairs , to avoid that you’ll need to put a gate at the bottom of the stairway .
Besides stairs you might want to put a gate at the beginning of your kitchen. If your pantry is tile then you shouldnt let want you baby crawling on it because she might fall over and bump her head. So to keep him or her out of the kitchen you’ll want a gate there too.
Those are the main places that people put gates at. Of course all houses are one of a kind so if you have another room that you don’t want you baby to crawl into then you can also put a gate there to keep him out . Babies crawl faster than you may think so you don’t want to risk anything. Put a gate wherever you don’t want your baby to go. You can’t monitor your child 24/7 so keeping him out of areas of the house can make your life a lot easier, you’ll be able to focus on life and know that your child is in a safe place.
Baby gates are one of the most important safety features to add to your home when you have a baby. They can prevent a lot of accidents.
To buy a child safety gate check out IBabyGate.com
We have always taken the same tact with our dog (65lb female choc. lab). Our dog was crate trained from the beginning, and so slept in her crate in the porch. This of course doesn’t work as well in the winter, so she sleeps in the main bedroom with my parents then. They have had no trouble with taking this step in terms of her dominance. I should also note that we don’t need to use the crate for her anymore, because she has gotten used to just going to the porch when we go to bed or leave the house.
sarah said…I don’t have a dog at the moment but when we did we let her sleep wherever. The last day I had was a miniature dachshund so she was in the bed. When it came to “sexy time” we pushed her out of the bed and into the other room. ha ha. When I was a kid I had 2 large dogs a German Shepard/Golden mix who never attempted to sleep in my bed and a Golden who slept in my bed (this dog was HUGE too). But everyone is different so you are going to get different things. I think now that I am an adult (really) I wouldn’t want a dog in my bed. The cats sleep in the bed with us though. Which is awkward when the try to climb in with you during our romantic evenings. lol
Amy said…We have a Boston Terrier—he’s our first dog and I believe we should do a lot of things differently in the future. Soba sleeps with us in our bed—-it helps that he’s 21 pounds and only has a little hair that doesn’t shed much. I wanted a dog since I was five and by the time we got our dog at age 29 I was not thinking down the road. He whimpered the first night (he was four months old), I slept next to the crate downstairs for all of 20 minutes, and he’s been in our bed ever since—total lack of self-control on my part and cuteness on his. He does love the large pillow bed that we bought him and having his own bed upstairs (in the room next door) and downstairs has helped when we don’t want him around. :)
Jackie said…We have 2 dogs (border collie and golden retriever) and 2 cats. The dogs are not allowed on the furniture or allowed to sleep in the bed, not there would be any room for them anyway. The cats on the other hand do whatever they want. The dogs do sleep in the bedroom though. We also have a baby gate for the day time, ours keeps them in out of the main area of the house though and they can spend their days sleeping in the bedroom in their beds.
Carrie said…We have 3 labs and all but one wants to sleep in our room. We have a dog bed in there that one always sleeps on, the other one sleeps on the floor by the window. The youngest likes to sleep in the living room. They don’t care what is or isn’t going on in the bed so there has been no need to kick them out or anything. Getting rid of the baby gate during th day might be fine…but then you might find Ms. Jersey sleeping in your bed when you aren’t there - maybe she won’t since she isn’t allowed on your furniture but you never know. I’m sure she’ll be happier to sleep in the same room as you guys - but you never know she might come in there in the beginning of the night then go back downstairs after you fall asleep. Another thing you’ll have to see about - is if she will try and wake you up in the mornings…our dogs don’t - but I hear that some do :) good luck and let us know how it goes!!
katrina said…My dog is about 40 lbs, and the biggest spoiled brat I’ve ever met. She’s allowed on the people bed when I’m napping, or in the mornings if we’re sleeping in…or I suppose, when we’re not home and I don’t know what she’s doing.
But, she also has a dog bed in the bedroom, and sleeps on it every night, no matter what. Even if she’s up on the bed with me when I fall asleep, she abandons me for her own bed well before mister man comes to sleep. And if we’re up too late, often she just goes to her bed around 10 when she’s had enough and is sure we’re not going to sneak out to the park without her. She also has no interest in what’s going on in the bedroom unless she thinks that we’re headed for the treat jar upstairs.
I have nothing to offer because I’ve never had dogs and probably never will but I do have two things to say:
1. that is indeed a pathetic look! LOL. I’m not surprised she’s got you re-considering things.
2. Whatever you decide, it makes me happy to see that you will do it thoughtfully. Being a great dog owner is a big responsibility and I wish more people were like you. My brother and his girlfriend have a dog and they are so extremely inconsistent in dealing with the dog that she is a nervous wreak half the time.
Well I don’t have a dog, but if I did it would sleep in the room with me. Webster (my kitty) sleeps in the bed with me every night. Usually on the pillow right by my head!
My mom has a bed right beside her bed for her golden lab and he likes that. He cries if she doesn’t let him in the room with her!
I want a dog!! Oh how I want one!
My uncle had a dog named Henry. He always let Henry sleep at the foot of his bed. And though Henry wasn’t allowed on the furniture, he would sneak up there when my uncle wasn’t home.
Anyway, it seemed that even though Henry was able to sleep in the bed upstairs, he still very much knew that my uncle was the leader of the pack.
Interesting post! Thank you for sharing it! Your dog is beautiful!
~Kellie
We have a 25lb cocker spaniel. She sleeps on our bed. I wish I never started this. Half the time she is up near me and in the middle of the night I have to pick her up and put her back at the bottom of the bed.
Last night she had to sleep right on top of my legs!!
Our dog rules the roost in our house!
Cosco and Eddie Bauer car seat recall. In a week or so Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG) will announce a recall of more than four million Cosco and Eddie Bauer car seats. The models affected are Cosco Alpha/Omega, Touriva and Hi Back and Eddie Bauer Touriva and Hi Back car seats. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says there are two problems: The webbing on 3,957,826 Dorel seats fails to conform to standards for abrasion; and the webbing on 54,400 car seats may degrade when exposed to sunlight. In both cases, the concern is that the seats won’t provide sufficient protection in a crash. Learn more in the full Safety blog post.
Cybex strollers recalled because hinges pose hazards. A third stroller has been recalled for problems with the hinges after a child suffered a broken finger when he caught it in the stroller’s hinge mechanism. This recall involves 1,200 Ruby, Onyx and Topaz models of Cybex umbrella strollers, sold at department and juvenile product stores nationwide between August 2009 and November 2009 for between $140 and $260. Learn more in the full Safety blog post.
Cheap bike helmets offer same protection as expensive ones. When it comes to bicycle helmets, spending lots of money to get good protection is not necessary. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute bought and tested six helmets—ranging in price from less than $10 to more than $200—and found they performed almost identically on standard impact tests. So find one that fits well so that it will be positioned correctly when you hit and then choose based on what you can afford to pay. Learn more in the full Safety blog post.
For the past year and a half, I’ve been a part-time caregiver for my father. One of my responsibilities is putting his pills into one of those pill minders. It’s a complex task, as his cardiologist tweaks his medication often. Some medications are given on alternate days, some have to be cut in half and one is different every third day. If a visitor drops by while I’m filling the pill holder, I find myself having to count and recount the pills. Being interrupted during this process is a big problem.
Being interrupted while dispensing medication is a problem for nurses, too, but nursing staff at one California hospital came up with a solution. The nurses wear a bright-colored vest or sash while passing out medications, and the staff is educated not to interrupt them during the process. During the pilot program, the hospital experienced a 47% decrease in errors.
What’s the takeaway for grandparents? If you are handling or dispensing medication, whether for yourself, a parent or a grandchild, don’t allow yourself to be interrupted. You may not have a vest to put on, but you can put on your best grumpy grandparent act. And if you are putting medications into a pill minder, be sure that it’s a child-resistant model. You’ll also want to remember that packaging is child-resistant, not child-proof. Child-resistant means that 85% of the children in the trial must have been unable to open the package within five minutes. Obviously this means that up to 15% of children could open the package within five minutes. We all know some of those children, right? So keep all medication out of the reach of children.
Read more about medication safety.
Ah, the age old question. I have been thinking about this ever since my little one started crawling back around 5 months old. To baby gate or not to baby gate?
My friends and family all have very strong opinions and very good advice when it comes to this question. There are pretty much two schools of thought on the subject…
1. Gates are great because they prevent falls and keep baby out of non-baby-proofed areas.
2. Gates are not necessary because you should be watching your children and teaching them where the boundaries are.
Now that I have an 11 month old who can pretty much run around the house like a toddler, I have found that the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Yes, I am always around my daughter and do my best to watch her every second of the day, but when I am making her lunch and she is playing on the kitchen floor, I need to know that she is not going to tumble down the basement stairs. This is the only area we have chosen to “gate off” out of necessity. Daddy works downstairs and she wants more than anything to go down and see him. She really does not care that she does not know how to step down stairs, she will just start going if we let her.
Then there is the staircase going upstairs. I have turned away for a second during a game of “peek-a-boo” and have opened my eyes to find my little Monkey halfway up the stairs! We have not gated that staircase and hopefully we won’t have to, but I do end up chasing her up the stairs at least 20 times a day. I wonder if we should have put a gate at the bottom. Some experts say you should have a gate at the third step from the bottom, so baby can learn by trial and error how to go up and down the steps.
I have some friends who have gated off almost every room of their houses, putting child locks on every single cabinet and drawer in the house. But what happens when those children are taken to another house? Will they listen when their parents say “no”? Since we have made the decision not to use gates and child locks (for the most part) I am sure that it was the right thing to do. It has been very annoying to have to teach her over and over AND OVER again not to open the cabinets, but now she stops at the word, “no” and when we visit other houses that are not babyproofed, she listens to the boundaries as we set them.
So what do you think about baby gates? Love ‘em or leave ‘em?
Brody’s been a monster when it comes to counter surfing. At first it was annoying, then it became really annoying, but now it’s gotten to Category 5.
I actually had just consulted my trainer on Wednesday to see what she would suggest to stop this behavior. Obviously not leaving food on the counter would be the most easy solution, but I don’t want to feel like I can’t put a sandwich down, run to answer the door, and have it disappear.
The final straw came this morning, when he got into a bunch of grapes that someone- not me- left on the counter instead of secure in the refrigerator, where Dr V House Law clearly states they are to be stored. Brody didn’t enjoy the subsequent induction of vomiting any more than I did. It’s time for drastic measures.
Enter the scat mat:
8,000 jolts right through the feet, baby. OK, maybe not that much- it only has one 9V battery after all- but it was time to teach the Brodester that actions have consequences.
I put the mat on the counter. Brody watched with interest. I put my hand on it, and immediately jumped and cursed a tiny bit (the kids were at school.) This, I thought, should be great.
Just to sweeten the pot, I scattered some rotisserie chicken on the mat, and sat down in the other room to wait. Brody was sniffing at the counter, debating what to do. He smelled a rat.
I moved further away, hoping that if I were out of sight he would be more inclined to be naughty. Nothing. I went back to the kitchen and touched the mat once again to see if it worked, and cursed again. Yes, still on. The chicken hadn’t moved.
An hour later, I heard the loud beeping indicating a shock and went running into the kitchen to see the aftermath. Apollo was sitting on the ground, balefully licking his paw and glaring at me. Brody was sleeping.
My son, upon hearing me say, “Don’t touch that!” immediately plopped his hand on the mat and he, too, was shocked. Then my husband decided to try it out, jumping 3 feet in the air in the process.
It is now 9 pm. To summarize:
Me: 3 shocks
Husband: 1
Son: 1
Cat: 1
Brody: 0
He’s not as dumb as he looks.
The wooden baby gate is not only solid and sturdy it is also stylish. Most baby gates are made of plastic which can be possibly be not as stable and certainly not as eye appealing as a beautiful wooden gate. Although safety should be the key factor in choosing a baby gate, the look of the baby gate is also important. Most baby items or baby furniture is made of white plastic or sometimes bright bold colors which stick out like a sore thumb in the home. The wooden baby gate often blends into the decor of the home and actually adds style to the room.
Wooden baby gates come in multiple finishes making it easy to match the trim or furniture already in the home. This is great for consumers who would rather have the baby furniture or kid items in the home coordinate, rather than stick out. Not only will the wooden baby gate blend in with he decor of the home, it will provide a solid barrier between the child and harmful places such as stairs.
A baby gate made of wood is more likely to last longer than a plastic gate. A plastic gate would be more likely to break from a child kicking it or a dog chewing on it. While a wooden gate could still get damaged by such abuse, it seems logical that it would with stain it better.
The durable wooden baby gate is roughly the same price as a plastic baby gate which really makes it a great choice. The wooden baby gate is more solid and definitely more eye appealing. There are multiple finishes to choose from and also many different models. Some models can be swung open with one hand while others are stationary and have to be completely removed to walk through the door way. Whichever model is chosen the interior decor of the home will not be comprised with the addition of a beautiful wooden baby gate.
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2½ years ago the Rhode Islandâs child advocate sued the state alleging widespread abuse and neglect of the children in its care. The child advocateâs office convened a panel of child safety experts to investigate and concluded that Department of Children, Youth and Family workers had missed or ignored several warning signs that might have prevented the beating death of a 3-year-old boy in an unlicensed foster home.
The DCYF revamped its licensing of foster homes, purchased fingerprinting equipment and conducted its own criminal background checks to reduce the time lag in evaluating prospective foster parents but child advocate Jametta O. Alston was frustrated with the pace of change at the agency and sued the state. Last May, a federal court judge in Providence dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that Alston and the other plaintiffs had no standing. Alston appealed to the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which heard arguments earlier this month. Their decision is pending.
For more, see projo.com.
The President recently released his budget proposal for 2010. It is a complex, difficult proposal to grasp, contemplating trillions of dollars in spending and trillion-dollar deficits extending, unbroken, into the foreseeable future.
One of the problems for American taxpayers is that the federal government is so large, so sprawling, and so unwieldy that it is virtually impossible to be an informed citizen. There are too many agencies performing too many functions and producing too much information. The recent Toyota safety problems, however, have brought NHTSA — the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — into focus for me. I therefore thought that NHTSA might be a good candidate for a closer look at the federal budget, on an individual agency level.
NHTSA is a federal agency that focuses on motor vehicle safety. Its NHTSA Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Overview, in PDF form, is available here. The Budget Overview indicates that the total proposed budget would be $867 million, of which $237 million would go to Operations and Research, $4 million would go for the National Driver Register, and the lion’s share — $626 million — would go to National Traffic Safety Grants. In short, more than 70 percent of NHTSA’s budget doesn’t go to figuring out problems like those that have led to the Toyota recalls. Instead, it serves as a fund transfer mechanism, where money comes in from the federal taxpayers and then is doled out to states and municipalities through grants.
For purposes of this posting I am going to assume that every cent allocated for Operations and Research and the National Driver Register is used for important federal government purposes. (This is undoubtedly a generous assumption, because $96 million of the funds budgeted for Operations and Research and the National Driver Register are identified, in Exhibit II-2 of the Budget Overview, as being for “administrative expenses.”) What about the grants, though?
It turns out that there are eight different grant programs, as well as administrative expenses for these programs, which in 2010 is budgeted for $25 million. To get more information about the grant programs, you need to go to the NHTSA Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Estimates, which also are available in PDF form here. According to page 48 of the document, some of the programs are designed to “encourage States to increase seat belt usage” and “child safety seat and child restraint programs.” These programs include the Seat Belt Performance Grant Program, which is budgeted for $124.5 million, the Occupant Protection Incentive Grants, which is budgeted for $25 million, and the Child Safety and Booster Seat Grants, which is budgeted for $7 million. In all, more than $150 million in grants go for seat belt-type programs.
Another $139 million is budgeted for Alcohol Incentive Formula Grants, which are designed, according to page 48 of the PDF’d document, to “to encourage States to adopt incentive grants to states for the implementation of effective programs to reduce impaired driving and its tragic consequences.” The largest grant program, the Section 402 Formula Grants budgeted at $235 million, is intended, also according to page 48, to “support State highway safety programs designed to reduce traffic crashes and resulting deaths, injuries, and property damage,” and under that program “ State may use these grant funds only for highway safety purposes; at least 40 percent of these funds are to be expended by political subdivisions (i.e. communities) within the State.”
When you get to the listing of “Anticipated FY 2009 Accomplishments” for the NHTSA grant programs, at pages 51 and 52 of the PDF’d document, you see things like placing a “national media buy” for the “Click It or Ticket” seat belt program and the “Drunk Driving. Over The Limit. Under Arrest” program and the participation of all 50 States in those programs.
These NHTSA grant programs help to explain why cutting the federal budget seems to be so difficult for Members of Congress. One could legitimately conclude that the federal government doesn’t really need to encourage States to have safer roads; one would think the States themselves could and would conclude that is an important goal. One also could conclude that people really don’t need to be reminded to wear seat belts or that drunk driving is illegal and will be punished. If individual States or local governments are having significant problems with drunk driving, for example, they can develop and fund their own programs, targeted specifically at the problem areas.
These NHTSA grant programs cost more than half a billion dollars, including the $25 million in administrative costs at the federal government end. (There also will be costs, of course, at the state and local government end, as those entities hire government workers to design programs that comply with federal regulations, make grant applications, and then themselves administer whatever funds are received from the federal government.) Yet if Members of Congress voted to eliminate these programs, in order to realize some significant savings, during their next campaign they risk being on the receiving end of attack ads that use those votes to argue that they are in favor of drunk driving, or against seat belt use or children using child restraint seats. The malign images of those potential ads probably flash through their minds when the budget is discussed, and they take the path of least resistance and vote against any cuts in the grant programs. The end result is that nothing gets done, federal spending never decreases, and our budget deficit and national debt holes get deeper.
No one supports drunk driving, unsafe roads, or reckless child-rearing activities. But if we are going to get our federal budget under control, hard choices have to be made. I think a good start would be to get the federal government out of the grant-making and TV ad-buying game and let States and local governments make their own decisions about how best to enforce existing laws on traffic safety, seat belt use, and punishing drunk driving. $626 million in savings may not seem like a lot of money — at least, not to a Member of Congress faced with trillions in federal spending — but it is a start, and every little bit of savings is needed if we are going to turn around our deeply troubling budget predicament.
If you want to do everything you can to protect your children, car seat safety should be a top priority. Many children die every year in motor vehicle crashes from not being in a proper safety seat.
There are four main types of child safety seats availble and it’s important to know at what age and weight your child should change to a different seat.
Infants should ride in rear-facing seats until they are one years old. Depending on the car seat company you are using more recommend that a infant also stay in this style of seat until they are AT LEAST 20lbs.
Toddlers should ride in a front-facing seat with a full harness. If your child is smaller than you should consider keeping them in a rear-facing seat until they outgrow it (usually around 40-80lbs).
School-aged children should ride in booster seats. These seats are front facing and raise the child up so that the seatbelt can fit them safely.
Once your child reaches about 4’9” they are ready to use an adult seatbelt. Make sure the seatbelt fits them correctly across their chest and shoulders.
If you have any questions regarding which seat you should use for your child consult your child’s pediatrician.
Thank you Pacopus for the photo.
Tsotsi is a grim reminder of what life is still like in the slums of South Africa from writer/director Gavin Hood. This inspiring film shows the beauty and horror of the townships in what the viewer can only assume is Johannesburg. It is based on a novel by Athol Fugard.
It’s a film filled with contradiction. It opens with the young gangster Tsotsi (played by Presley Chweneyagae) leading his gang of four into the train station to rob a wealthy man. They end up killing the man and letting him fall as the train car empties. This leads to Boston (Mothusi Magano) questioning why they kill the people they rob—he is obviously shaken by this when he begins vomiting. Boston is the only educated one of the group and asks Tsotsi many questions about his family. Tsotsi doesn’t answer anything and only stares harshly at his cohort before beating him senseless in front of the crowd of the local bar.
Attitudes change quickly in this relatively short film as Tsotsi goes out on his own to carjack a wealthy woman’s car. He shoots her in the stomach in front of her house gate and drives off in her car only to find it occupied by a baby. He becomes scared and grabs everything from the car, including the baby, puts it in a shopping bag and runs off through the fields toward his home in the township.
For reasons that the viewer doesn’t quite see, Tsotsi tries to care for the baby even though he has no clue as to how. He seeks out help and even tries to leave his life of crime. He even attempts to sever ties with his gang while still taking care of them as friends and surrogate family. As much as he tries to change, his past deeds follow him through to the end.
This is not a film for anyone seeking a summer Hollywood blockbuster. This is social commentary more than entertainment. It is occasionally disturbing to see the injustices that occur at the hands of gangs and police. The moral lines are blurred and every action by a character is a reaction to the immediate situation and, sometimes, past situations.
Tsotsi was the winner of the 2006 Oscar for Best Foreign Film. It is in urban slang of South Africa with English subtitles. The running time of the film is slightly under an hour and a half. It is rated R for language and violence.
Do you wonder about how best to contain your dog or cat? Whether your “best friend” is small or large…or somewhere in between…you will want to explore the many humane ways in which you can safely and securely contain your pet…to maximize his or her comfort!
Most pet owners would love to allow their four-footed companions full access to their homes and yards. As a rule, however, pets, like people, are much happier with well-defined boundaries.
In addition to protecting your “best friend” (and your family and furniture) by containing him or her at home, you will need to contain your pet when you are away from home.
Securing Your Pet When You Take a Trip
When business or personal travel is on the agenda, you may not always be able to take your dog or cat with you. Because pets sometimes get destructive when they’re left behind by their “family”, it is necessary to contain them.
Airy fenced-in areas are best. Of course, you will want a trusted friend or neighbor to pop in to make sure your pet is fed, given fresh water and exercised on a daily basis.
Special Cat Considerations
You will need to contain your pet when you take him or her on a short trip-like to the veterinarian. Whereas dogs can be taught to jump into and out of your car and can be either carried into the veterinarian’s office or led in by a leash, cats are a different matter.
A cat should be placed in a pet carrier when he or she travels. For short journeys, box-like units with plenty of air holes suffice. These carriers come in a slew of materials, from throwaway cardboard to sturdy plastic.
The brand name Marchioro offers plastic and wire carriers for under $30.00. More fashionable pet totes look like oversized handbags and can be used for any small dog, as well. They sell for under $50.00.
Special Dog Considerations
Restricting your dog-even small breeds, like the Shih Tzu-presents more of a challenge, but will keep your pet from running out the door when neighbors arrive, and prevent “visits” from other wildlife when your dog ventures outside.
Puppies pose a special problem: they are bound to get entangled in wires as they playfully explore their new surroundings. It’s best to limit their access.
The good news: gone are the days of limited pet house options, when dogs were tethered to a tree or chained to a small structure.
Humane Options
Here are a few ideas for containing your “best friend”:
Expandable Gates -
Originally introduced for children, this product gets a four star rating from pet owners, as well. Expandable gates are lightweight and compact and are a breeze to put together.
A popular style is a wall mounted model which, when installed, can be opened with one hand. It lets you push through the front hinged piece to get through. This sort of gate opens in either direction and is usually made of slim but heavy tubular steel.
The walk-through door can be installed at either end of the wall. An expandable metal gate is usually available for wider areas.
The KidCo brand expandable gate is designed to fit up to 13’ of space and is made with a non-toxic white plastic coating.
Non-Expandable Gates -
Non-expandable gates are also usually placed indoors. As with expandable models, you don’t have to worry about removing the whole front gate to get in or out with these freestanding pet gates. A simple one-hand release makes opening and closing a snap.
The gates come in varying sizes, lengths and widths. An extra-wide swing gate of from 7” to 10” wide provides an accommodation for your smaller pet. This sort of model is available at Ferret.com.
If you have a dog that likes to jump over obstacles, you might want to look into the highest freestanding gates. These gates are available in sizes that go all the way up to 41” in height.
Or you can purchase gates that are just high enough for your non-jumping pet to stay on his side. That way you and your family members will be able to easily step over the fence.
Most non-expandable models come in wood, wire mesh, and steel, and are sold for around $80.00.
Dog “Condos” -
If you can spend as much as $175.00 and you want your pet to be contained in style, you might want to build and place a “condo” cage on your patio or deck.
With the FenceMaster Condo Dog Kennel, you can even place your pet out in the sun! This model has a sun block panel which acts as a roof. There is no digging or installation required, either. The “condo” is easy to put together and requires only common household tools.
The dimensions are accommodating at 4’ W x 4’ L x 4’ H. The size can be expanded to 4’ W x 8’ L x 4’ H.
Pet Fencing -
Installation of a pet fence is a simple matter of placing a wire around the perimeter of the area where you would like your pet to romp around. You then simply plug in the transmitter. (It comes with an adaptor.)
Pet fencing can be used all year round and can be placed in the front or back of the house. The sets are assembled by the owner and usually include a collar with manually programmable levels of “correction”. These are harmless “zaps” which can be set with a simple flip of a switch.
After placing the collar on your dog, your dog receives a signal from the wire if he or she ventures too close to the perimeter. As your dog acclimates to the new environment, he or she will learn to stay within the allotted space.
SportDOG in-ground pet fencing has a model that covers up to 100 acres. A complete set is available for around $200.00.
Wireless transmitters -
This new electronic gadget doesn’t contain your pet per se. Instead, it keeps your pet away from off-limits areas via a collar and transmitter-somewhat like pet fencing does. It doesn’t require any installation and the cost is around $70.00
Treat Your Sweet Pet to a Suite
Finally, for those who feel torn about leaving their beloved pet behind when they travel, they can make it up to Fido or Princess by booking a luxury suite at a pet lodging facility-and dropping the pet off there! (A Google search will turn up a locale that’s close to the part of the woods where you’ll be traveling.)
Please note that you will be required to provide a certificate of your pet’s vaccinations.
Individualized and group supervised play sessions are featured in most of these suites. Pet Lodge of Williston lets you check up on your pet via internet, too!
Rates are $30.00 per day per pet for a standard suite and $45.00 per day per pet with a webcam. One-on-one playtime and a cuddle and bath are extra (but might be worth it so your pet doesn’t miss you too much!)