•Bullies
Bullies by Rexanne ManciniBullies are an ugly but very real part of childhood. There's not much we can do to protect our children from these cruel and brutal kids except teach them how to defend themselves from an otherwise unprovoked attack of the bullying kind. Bullies are kids who have tremendous low self-esteem. They feel better about themselves by tormenting another, usually smaller or weaker child. If a bully decides to pick on someone that is not smaller in size but otherwise imagined...
•Childhood Friendships
Childhood Friendships
by: Rexanne Mancini
Childhood friendships are as special as they are a necessary part of growing up. While some of our children will maintain these friendships into adulthood, many will not. Kids move away or they find other friends with more current interests and grow apart. Whatever form a childhood friendship is taking, know that these relationships are vital to your child’s well-being and growth as a human being.
Your child may have one very special friend from the...
•Children Patriots
Children Patriots by Rexanne ManciniThis year will be an especially poignant Independence Day for the United States on July 4. While there has been a surge in patriotism since September 11, we all need to maintain a sense of pride and love for our country whether we are at war or living in peace. Children need to feel a sense of belonging, in their family, their classrooms and their country. They thrive in an environment of respect, compassion and stability. If we teach our kids love, honor,...
•Children's Allowance
Children's Allowance by by Rexanne Mancini When we consider that the word allowance means, “allowing for,” it puts that “A” word into better perspective.Children will need access to their own stash of cash when they reach a certain age. Kids develop this need around age 8 or 9 and it grows into the monster it will become by about age 15 or 16 ... they do get more expensive with age, don’t they? At age 8, we began giving our older daughter money for each A on her report card and for each 100%...
•Children’s Sexuality
Children’s Sexuality by Rexanne ManciniWe are all born as sexual beings. It is as much a part of our anatomy, our emotional and mental make-up as breathing. Whether we are acting upon our sexual drive at any given moment is beside the point. I think it’s important to realize that children have sexual feelings, just not as developed as adult feelings. Whether these instincts remain healthy is quite another story. As parents, I believe we need to instill a healthy outlook in our kids about sex...
•Convicting Children
Convicting Children by Rexanne Mancini The conviction of 14-year-old Lionel Tate for first-degree murder and the subsequent life in prison sentence has been all but absent from the media lately. After the Florida court handed down the shocking sentence three weeks ago, it seems the media considers it old news. I am choosing to publish my feelings about this case anyway. I cannot seem to overcome my strong feelings about this topic. I cannot tolerate the fact that a 6 year-old child was...
•Febrile Seizures
Febrile Seizures by Rexanne ManciniWhile fever is the body's natural defense against infection, approximately five percent of children have what are classified as "simple" febrile seizures while running a fever.If anyone has a child who suffers from febrile seizures, take heart ... 99 percent of children outgrow them by the time they are six years old and there are generally no ill after effects. Febrile seizures can occur in babies as young as three months old. When the child is running a...
•Gaining a Child's Trust
Gaining a Child's Trust
by: Rexanne Mancini
My daughters and I went to the beach several weeks ago. They were having a blast playing in the freezing cold water as I tiptoed around the waves, trying to keep my feet from becoming frost bitten. Next to us in the water was a mother with her daughter who was no more than 18 months old. This woman was holding her frightened little girl hostage in the ocean as the bitter cold waves crashed into her and rushed back with a fierce undertow. The poor...
•Gifted Children
Gifted Children by Rexanne ManciniThere has been much discussion on the difficult child. Let’s look at the gifted child. Not to imply that gifted children aren't difficult ... as a matter of fact, I hold the belief that most difficult children are probably gifted and therein lies a part of their social problem. For clarity, let's refer to the gifted child in this article as the one who excels at academics and extra curricular activities of an extraordinary nature. My older daughter has a...
•Grieving Children
Grieving Children by Rexanne ManciniWhile it is my belief that death is just one more experience to seek growth and soul development in our current physical forms, losing a loved one is never easy. Our family has experienced its fair share of grief in the past few years. We’ve lost my sister-in-law (my daughters’ aunt), a beloved uncle and a cherished pet, to name just a few. I try to reassure my daughters that a loved one who has moved on is safe and happy, however, we still need to grieve...
•Head Lice
Head Lice by Rexanne ManciniI laugh I the face of chaos … better to laugh about it than fall to your knees, weeping from sheer panic and horror if and when your child brings head lice, this dreaded but very common liability of childhood, into your home. Yes, my kids have had head lice. No, they are not dirty or poorly groomed, nor do they hang out with dirty kids. How these perfectly awful little stinkers found their way into our home was on my older daughter’s head, courtesy of one of her...
•Holiday Expectations
Holiday Expectations by Rexanne Mancini As the holidays approach, I find myself wondering how I’m going to accomplish all I expect of myself. I expect to have perfect presents under the tree for an astounding number of people who will be visiting from out of town, besides the usual round of gifts for my children, immediate family, close friends and significant others, such as teachers, school staff, hair dresser, manicurist, etc. Added to the gift buying frenzy are countless trips to the...
•Infant Circumcision
Infant Circumcision by Rexanne ManciniIf circumcision were a choice I had to have made, I would have run frantically from the hospital with my newborn son to protect him from the procedure. His father would have chased me down, insisting his son “look like he did.” All I can say is I’m terribly relieved I didn’t have to live through that. Nor did I have to make the agonizing choice of protecting my baby from pain or disrespecting my husband. It would have been a huge battle of conscience. I...
•Learning Disabilities
Learning Disabilities by Rexanne ManciniThere are so many learning labels floating around these days ... A.D.D., A.D.H.D., Dyslexia, etc. Basically, these are labels pinned on children who are in some way learning disabled. I think most of these kids are learning advanced, but I'll try to stick to the facts ... somewhat ... ;-) Children who cannot sit still or are disruptive in a classroom environment are sometimes suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.) When they are also...
•Postpartum Depression
Postpartum Depression by Rexanne ManciniThe case against Andrea Yates, accused of drowning her five young children, is disturbing and horrible. Despite what you may think of Andrea Yates or the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of her children, her postpartum depression (PPD) defense will either serve to enlighten more people to the devastating affects of PPD or throw the study of this very real mental illness into the dark ages. While many doctors and psychologists have made great...
•Potty Training - To Train or not to Train?
Potty Training - To Train or not to Train? by Rexanne ManciniI have always found the notion of toilet training a toddler to be a bit much. I didn't feel right about pushing my girls to do something I felt would eventually come naturally. At three years old, both my girls were potty trained ... not because I read books and raced them to the porcelain each time I suspected they should go. They knew what the potty was for. They knew when they had to go. They'd figure it out on their own! Well,...
•Security Items
Security Items by Rexanne ManciniMy older daughter sucked her thumb. She did so until she was six. My younger daughter had a love affair with her bottles and pacifiers until she was six. Both girls gave up their security rituals on their own, in their own time and when they were ready to give them up. This is not to say that it didn't distress me to see their teeth protruding and to know that orthodontic bills loomed large in our future. I just couldn't do it to them ... couldn't take away...
•Spanking Children
Spanking Children by Rexanne Mancini~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Results of the Spanking Poll on Rexanne.com: Voters - 233Percentage of readers who do not spank their children: 37% Percentage of readers who spank their children: 62% ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am completely opposed to spanking. I know that almost twice as many of you spank your children as don't. At the risk of alienating 62 percent of my subscribers, I cannot, in good conscience, keep my opinions to myself. ;-) I feel we have evolved enough as a...
•Speech Impediments
Speech Impediments by Rexanne ManciniAll children must learn how to speak ... a given under normal circumstances. While not all children have problems developing their speech and linguistic fluency, some kids find pronunciation and language flow difficult. Repeating words, struggling to enunciate correctly and stuttering to be understood while a toddler is learning to talk is absolutely normal and might continue until a child has mastered speaking. This could be by age three, age five or...
•Teaching Children Good Manners
Teaching Children Good Manners
by: Rexanne Mancini
Last week in my newsletter, I mentioned that my children knew how to behave in nice restaurants because they had been exposed to the atmosphere at an early age. My idea of well behaved might be different from yours, however, I think there are certain basics that are important and universal.
When my daughters were babies, we would take them wherever we went. If they began to fuss or cry, one of us would promptly remove them from the...
•The Importance of Fathers
The Importance of Fathers
by: Rexanne Mancini
There is no doubt that mothers play an all-important leading role in the lives of their children. They are the obvious heroes of child rearing. But what about a father's role? Just how important are the dads of the world compared to the almighty image of mother? My belief is that fathers play just as important a role as mothers. Different, yes. Possibly not as nurturing, not as all-sacrificing but just as important in the developmental and...
•The Importance of Hobbies
The Importance of Hobbies by Rexanne ManciniConsider that children who have an avid hobby or interest that they are passionate about are more likely to spend their money, when they have their own stash of it, on that hobby or collection and not on drugs or other potentially harmful choices. If your kids are busy after school at dance class, soccer practice, rock collecting or any other hobby or interest they find engaging, they won't have time to hang with the kids who have nothing better...
•The Importance of Mothers
The Importance of Mothers
by: Rexanne Mancini
Moms, did you ever question your value as a role model, caretaker, administer of hugs and Band-Aids? I think we all have in today's climate of "do more, get more, have more."
Many of us work to bring home a paycheck and others work for our sanity. Have you ever wondered if your children were better off with the baby sitter than you?
Scientific studies are beginning to point to the overwhelming value of a mother's love, hugs and support....
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