Raising a stepchild

Whilst this isn't strictly orientated towards babies - it is a parenting issue none-the-less.

By Raising Children Network

Around a third of Australians getting married have children from previous marriages. Step-parents may be sorting out problems from old relationships and dealing with issues with their own children, as well as coming to terms with their new children and with the many myths about blended families. Read about one stepfamily and about the challenges facing step-parents around the country.

At a glance

• 31% of men getting married have kids from a previous marriage; for women it's 33%.
• For one third of couples in a stepfamily, the marriage is not their first.
• Around one third of stepfamily couples are in a de facto relationship.

The challenges

Myths about stepfamilies

Of all parent and family types, none have more stereotypes or myths associated with them than step-parents and stepfamilies. Just think of the sugar-coated bliss of The Brady Bunch or the wicked step mother in Cinderella. Other stepfamily myths include:

1. A stepfamily is created instantly.
2. Stepfamilies can function like biological families.
3. All stepfamily members will, given time, love one another.
4. Relating to stepchildren is the same as relating to biological children.
5. All of the children in a stepfamily will automatically get on together.
6. Part-time stepfamilies where children 'visit' have it easier than full-time stepfamilies where children 'live in'.
7. The stepfamily is headed by a wicked stepmother or cruel stepfather.
8. Stepfamilies formed after the death of a partner have fewer problems than those formed after divorce or separation.
9. If stepchildren are treated kindly by their step-parent they will always respond well.
10. The couple can love one another so much that problems creating a stepfamily will be easily overcome.

© From Gerrard and Howden (1998). Making Stepfamilies Work: A course for couples – Leaders Manual, Stepfamily Assoc. of Vic., p36. http://www.relate.gov.au/stepfamilies/understand6_stages.html

Read the rest of this article @ http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/raising_a_stepchild.html

Should hearing babies learn sign language?

Should hearing babies learn sign language? It's a question that's been posed for some years now, and it's unlikely that the debate will be settled anytime soon. However, supporters of the practice say there may be no better way to introduce the concept of vocabulary into the life of an infant.

An Early Start

Some mothers actually begin teaching their children sign language at birth. In fact, one woman was quoted as saying that her son understood the sign for milk at the age of three weeks. While this may sound a bit far-fetched, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that signing can be helpful to babies.

Dr. Joseph Garcia is credited with the popularization of baby sign language. He's the inventor of the "Sign With Your Baby" system. Certified instructors teach the language to parents and babies nationwide.

Sign Language Promotes Other Skills

Dr. Garcia has been quoted as saying, "Signing is different than verbal language in that there's an eye connection. You must look at someone when you're signing to them." The physician believes that the majority of babies can start learning American Sign Language at six to eight months of age. In addition to language skills, ASL helps to teach them the importance of stopping, looking, and listening — habits they can carry with them throughout life.

Through the system, an 18-month-old can learn how to sign more than 150 words — a phenomenal number by any count. Usually, parents start by signing the words for eating and milk. Of course, it takes a great deal of patience for a parent to teach sign language to a baby. In fact, it may be several months after the initial lessons before the baby begins signing on his or her own.

If a sign is paired with a spoken word, chances are the signing child will actually start talking sooner than his or her counterparts. People who answer yes to the question, should hearing babies learn sign language, claim that, rather than retard speech development, ASL actually promotes it.

Should hearing babies learn sign language? It would appear that there is certainly no harm in it, and that, in fact, it can help to improve communication between parent and child. And what could be better than that?

Source: http://www.deafchildrenandsigning.com/should-hearing-babies-learn-sign-language.html

Useful websites

• E-books Teaching Parents And Carers How To Use Sign Langauge As An Early Means Of Communication For Use With Hearing Babies. Talk To Your Baby Before He Can Talk! British Sign Language.
• Learn How To Communicate With Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Speak Using American Sign Language! Includes Video Of 250 Signs!