Insurance And Financial Issues You May Encounter While Raising Your Child

•Raising Siblings
Adjusting to life as a sibling is never without stress for a young child who has to learn to share his parents with a squirming, screaming stranger. Instead of the happy event that the birth of a second child signals to the parents, a first-born can be downright traumatized by the arrival of a sibling. Many child-development experts have described the impact of a new baby on the first-born as akin to how you would feel if your spouse suddenly announced that he likes being a husband so much...

•Choosing A Baby Sitter For Your Child
Many parents prefer to choose a baby-sitter or nanny to care for their child if he or she is under age 3. This option can be the most convenient, because the caregiver comes to your home. Your child will also be in a familiar environment and will avoid exposure to colds and other infections from other children. Hiring a nanny is one of the most expensive child-care arrangements, but the biggest difficulty is finding a reliable, well-qualified person. Because in-home care is not regulated in...

•Choosing A Day Care Home For Your Child
Many parents choose day-care homes for children under ages 3. This type of day care takes place in the home of the caregiver, who looks after a number of children, sometimes including his or her own. The children may be of different ages. Many parents prefer day-care homes to day-care centers because the atmosphere is more like home and their child has one consistent caregiver who is more likely to give individual attention. This situation generally offers more flexible hours than a center; a...

•Your Child And Sibling Relationships
The arrival of a new baby can be difficult for an older sibling who now has to share his or her parents with another child. You can minimize your child's insecurity by encouraging him or her to help you care for the baby. A child who is 5 or 6 years old can learn to hold, feed, comfort, and play with an infant. As the baby grows and develops, he or she will look to the older child as a model. Whenever a new child enters the family, he or she changes the dynamics of the family and the...

•Guiding Your Child Through Teenage Years
Preteens and teens face numerous choices and decisions as they learn to become independent and express their individuality-often by exploring different clothes, hairstyles, friends, music, hobbies, religions, political issues, and social causes. They have an innate need to find things out for themselves-to test their feelings and ideas about life. They may reject their parents' values and challenge their rules, often pushing the limits placed on them by adults and society. Teenagers change...

•Getting Your Child Ready For Preschool
When the time is right for your child to begin a nursery or preschool program, you want him to be ready. How can you help your child prepare? Put away the workbooks-there are no academic skills necessary for entering preschool. But that doesn't mean you can't help your child prepare for this experience in other ways. Being part of a larger group takes some getting used to for children who are accustomed to being the center of your attention. You can help your child learn how to be social by...

•Helping Your Child Resist Cigarettes Alcohol And Other Drugs
Drug use occurs among children of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. American children are bombarded by messages that subtly and often not-so-subtly encourage the use of cigarettes, alcohol, and other drugs. The most effective way to reduce your child's risk of using drugs is to be a good role model. Children get confused when they are presented with anti drug education and prevention programs in school but witness use of these substances at home. Children whose parents use alcohol...

•Leaving Your Child At Home Alone
An estimated 5 to 7 million American school-age children go home to an empty house after school and fend for themselves. Some people say that being alone promotes responsibility and independence; others argue that the lack of supervision fosters delinquent behavior and hampers emotional and social growth. It's impossible to make a general statement about when a child can be left home alone safely. Usually children are not mature enough to be considered for self-care until they are 11 or 12....

•Discipline Strategies
Children need help to live within the limits you've established. Consequences that help your child understand his behavior and learn to control himself work best, beginning in toddler hood. Young toddlers, kids from age 1 to 2, often need only consistent verbal reminders to discontinue a misbehavior or to follow a preferred behavior. Often, a firm, No, along with a change of scene, is all it takes to get a toddler to understand what is expected. For instance, the 1-year-old who tosses sand in...

•Your Child s Rights
Since the 1 970s, numerous federal and state laws have been passed to ensure that children with chronic illnesses or disabilities have the same educational and developmental opportunities as other children. Many states have initiated programs to identify children with disabilities at a young age to help minimize developmental delays and reduce the long-term dependency that could other wise afflict a special-needs child. Children with a chronic illness or disability deserve to live with their...