http://www.minti.com/members/lightbee/advice/ Most Recent Advice on Minti by lightbee Copyright 2009 Minti en-uk lightbee I'm back at uni for the 3rd year now, and have been talking with other mature age students with children.  Studying seems to elicit all sorts of emotions for a parent - excitement at doing something new, trepidation about taking on something unfamiliar and guilt about the time it might require you to take away from the children.I think the ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/8402/Studying-when-you-have-kids/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/8402/Studying-when-you-have-kids/ Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:56:20 -0800 lightbee I daresay that there will be those of you who disagree with me, but let me just say that this is based on my own experience and observations and in what I know I have to deal with as a result.I find myself worrying when I see or read about people who talk about their children (literal children, not adult ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7194/Dont-burden-your-children/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7194/Dont-burden-your-children/ Sat, 18 Aug 2007 07:28:03 -0700 lightbee I've been doing some thinking about my time here at Minti and how there appear to be all these different stages you go through.When I first joined, I started reading some of the articles and Q&A.  Everyone seemed so enthusiastic.  I would read all these people who were saying that Minti was their life-line, how they had made so many ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6862/The-Minti-Journey/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6862/The-Minti-Journey/ Tue, 24 Jul 2007 05:05:56 -0700 lightbee One of the wonderful things about Minti is being able to share with other people.  And one great thing to share is photos of yourself, your kids, places you've gone, or pictures that you can add in a blog or a piece of advice to add that something extra.But how do you do it?Well there are a couple of different ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6283/Minti-Basics-Uploading-images/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6283/Minti-Basics-Uploading-images/ Sat, 09 Jun 2007 17:10:21 -0700 lightbee I guess the first question to ask is What is a blog?I thought it would be good to start with some definitions:"Blog" is just a shortened form of "Web log" meaning a log or journal or diary that you keep online.  A lot of different sites around the internet provide a similar service so you'll see it referred to all ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6281/Minti-Basics-Writing-a-blog/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6281/Minti-Basics-Writing-a-blog/ Sat, 09 Jun 2007 17:16:20 -0700 lightbee There is a lot of information on what to write in regards to advice content, but especially for those new to writing advice the "how to" can be a little bit daunting.  So this is a bit of a guide to the general information you need to write an advice.Getting startedFirst of all you need a topic.  I won't say ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6225/Minti-Basics-Writing-Advice-for-the-first-time/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6225/Minti-Basics-Writing-Advice-for-the-first-time/ Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:54:55 -0700 lightbee One of the wonderful things about Minti is the way parents are able to interact with each other.  One of the easiest ways to start interacting with other parents on Minti is to comment on what other parents have written.There are opportunities to comment all over the place in Minti - on articles, answers to Questions in the Q&A section, ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6157/Minti-basics-Making-comments/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6157/Minti-basics-Making-comments/ Thu, 31 May 2007 01:03:17 -0700 lightbee This is leading on from my first advice on grammar which is here.  Now you've got all the names of the different words down, you can start to put them together into sentences.A simple sentence is a group of words that is complete in itself and contains only one finite verb, which is a verb with a subject.A subject is ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5729/Starting-with-the-Basics-Sentences/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5729/Starting-with-the-Basics-Sentences/ Mon, 30 Apr 2007 06:52:34 -0700 lightbee I thought it might be useful to have some advice on basic English grammar.  Not because of any pet hate regarding people's use of grammar, but just because I know that often people are not taught the basics of the English language at school.  I hope this might be useful to anyone who is currently at school, who is learning English as a ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5727/Starting-with-the-basics-Words/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5727/Starting-with-the-basics-Words/ Mon, 30 Apr 2007 06:51:42 -0700 lightbee So you've been through a separation, or maybe you never lived with the other parent of your child/ren.  But now you have these little people who you want to have a relationship with both of you.  And as you do not live together, you're now looking at a way to co-parent.For the sake of this article, I am going to ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5581/Advantages-and-disadvantages-of-co-parenting/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5581/Advantages-and-disadvantages-of-co-parenting/ Tue, 17 Apr 2007 07:06:23 -0700 lightbee Had a bit of a revelation today.I was talking about a friend of mine who's kids are a similar age to mine and we're tag-teaming looking after the kids during the holidays.  I was saying how this friend of mine who I'll call K was such a natural mum.  She just thinks of things for the kids to do like ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5559/What-makes-a-good-mum-anyway/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5559/What-makes-a-good-mum-anyway/ Mon, 16 Apr 2007 03:43:56 -0700 lightbee After my last article on a reluctant babysitter, I realised that I didn't cover babysitting in the home!I had a display book that I filled with instructions on the kids for anyone who should come and babysit for us.  It covered all sorts of things, but these were the main ones: The kids schedule - when they went to ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5472/Babysitting-at-home/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5472/Babysitting-at-home/ Tue, 17 Apr 2007 05:42:25 -0700 lightbee A while ago I had a situation where I asked my BF who was not used to kids to look after my two girls while I went to the dentist.  My blog on the situation is here.  He was very reluctant to do so, but in the end agreed to look after them in the dentist's waiting room while I ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5453/Advice-for-a-reluctant-babysitter/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5453/Advice-for-a-reluctant-babysitter/ Mon, 09 Apr 2007 06:12:23 -0700 lightbee My 3 year old points out the obvious to people. She is always talking, she is friendly but sometimes says things that can be offensive.  This week alone we were out shopping one day and a child about 4 years old had a dummy. She said to me a loud voice "Dummies are only for babies aren't they. They're disgusting" ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5451/THINK/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5451/THINK/ Mon, 09 Apr 2007 04:38:37 -0700 lightbee Life constantly throws us curveballs.  It's usually the most dramatic things that are the most unexpected.  And when those unexpected things happen, we often don't have a chance to think through how we really feel about the situation and to modify our behaviour.  Instead we often react first, and think later.  Then you can end up in the situation of ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5175/Be-prepared/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5175/Be-prepared/ Sun, 18 Mar 2007 23:50:04 -0700 lightbee Some people, such as myself, commonly get blocked ears when there is a change of air pressure such as when travelling.  Some people never get this at all.This can be merely uncomfortable, or it can be extremely painful and even cause temporary deafness.  I can testify to having experienced all forms of this, and it was worse as a child ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4227/Blocked-ears-while-travelling/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4227/Blocked-ears-while-travelling/ Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:14:58 -0800 lightbee When my eldest daughter was born, like most babies, she didn't have any teeth.At 3 months, she still didn't have any teeth. At 6 months - no teeth. 9 months - no teeth.By this stage we were starting to get a bit concerned.  We spoke to the baby health nurse, and she assured us that some babies don't get teeth until they're ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4225/Different-ages-for-teeth/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4225/Different-ages-for-teeth/ Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:26:24 -0800 lightbee This is part 2 of advice on administering CPR to infants or young children.  The first part covered how to give CPR to infants.  This advice covers how to give CPR to young children (1-8 years).  A  lot of the information in this article is a repeat of the first one, but I thought that was important because if you ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3867/CPR-for-children-Part-2-Young-children/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3867/CPR-for-children-Part-2-Young-children/ Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:16:14 -0800 lightbee Kids often have reasons for costumes - fancy dress party, school play, acting out a fantasy! - but you don't need to go to all the trouble of hiring a costume.  A lot of easy costumes can be made quite easily and for little cost.A great place to start for costumes is the local op shop, fete or garage sale.  Amazing ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3857/Costumes-for-kids/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3857/Costumes-for-kids/ Tue, 09 Jan 2007 05:27:50 -0800 lightbee I like to be organised.  I don't always achieve that aim.  So, with that in mind, I thought I would do up a little checklist of things to put into a nappy bag for those who are new parents.  I have based this purely on my own experience with bottle-fed babies and using disposal nappies.  Most of these things I would ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3853/What-to-pack-in-a-nappy-bag/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3853/What-to-pack-in-a-nappy-bag/ Tue, 09 Jan 2007 03:45:44 -0800 lightbee If - god forbid - you should have to perform CPR on a young child or an infant, it is very important that you know specifically how to do that.  Children - especially infants - can be fatally harmed by incorrectly administering CPR, and that is absolutely the last thing you want to have happen.  This advice specifically covers infants, ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3638/CPR-for-children-Part-1-Infants/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3638/CPR-for-children-Part-1-Infants/ Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:00:25 -0800 lightbee If you are thinking of giving your new baby an unusual or a foreign name, there are some special things to consider in the process.  I have been saddled with an unusual name ("Leith") and have had a number of challenges to deal with as a result.If you prefer an unusual or foreign name for your child, consider the following: ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3634/Considerations-when-naming-baby/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3634/Considerations-when-naming-baby/ Mon, 01 Jan 2007 23:46:21 -0800 lightbee For a cheap way to get foils - or other hair styles - the local TAFE who runs hairdressing courses usually offers cheap rates if you are willing to have the apprentices do it.  They're not allowed to do it until they're in 2nd year and are always supervised.  Plus, they want to impress so they'll often take more pride in ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3617/Cheaper-haircuts-and-hairstyles/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3617/Cheaper-haircuts-and-hairstyles/ Mon, 01 Jan 2007 04:56:46 -0800 lightbee Years ago when we were studying sex education at school, I had been introduced to the concept of a water birth and it really appealled to me.  So when I was pregnant with my first child, and had a sympathetic midwife, I expressed my desire to have a water birth if possible.My first daughter was born in the corner bath ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3610/Having-a-water-birth/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3610/Having-a-water-birth/ Sun, 31 Dec 2006 23:07:30 -0800 lightbee After a rather heated discussion with my boyfriend on this topic, I just wanted to put my 2 cents in.I believe you should never ask a woman if she's pregnant - even if she looks like she's about to pop - because: You could be wrong, and you're basically just calling her fat. You could be right and ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3564/Never-ask-a-woman-if-shes-pregnant/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3564/Never-ask-a-woman-if-shes-pregnant/ Sat, 30 Dec 2006 02:27:13 -0800 lightbee First of all, I want to make a point by saying this that I don't want people to assume they are being abused simply because their partner is having a bad day and says something nasty.  That said, I know that it took me a number of years to work out that I was being abused, though when I look ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3561/Are-you-being-abused/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3561/Are-you-being-abused/ Sun, 11 Mar 2007 05:05:46 -0700 lightbee Its that time of year when people start reassessing their lives and thinking about what's coming up next.  Last year I got really serious and wrote myself a goal list.  Some of my goals were good and were achievable, most of the others were not.  So this year I've taken a different tack and have set myself some guidelines for ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3500/Setting-goals-for-the-new-year/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3500/Setting-goals-for-the-new-year/ Tue, 26 Dec 2006 22:02:20 -0800 lightbee My grandmother died about 3 months ago of breast cancer and it was the first time my little girls had to deal with a person's death.When someone you're close to dies you're definitely not in the best place yourself, and trying to help children come to terms with things when you're in that space is really hard.  Things I found ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3457/Children-and-dealing-with-death/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3457/Children-and-dealing-with-death/ Sat, 23 Dec 2006 03:24:58 -0800 lightbee After reading some of the comments on my first article on "How I lost weight after baby", I've realised I've missed acknowledging a really big part of the journey.As well as losing weight myself, I also began working as a weight loss consultant and did that part-time for nearly a year.  In that time I got to witness a lot ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3429/How-I-lost-weight-after-baby-Part-2-Emotions/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3429/How-I-lost-weight-after-baby-Part-2-Emotions/ Thu, 21 Dec 2006 03:47:55 -0800 lightbee I think it is so important to teach your kids to say sorry when they hurt someone or do something wrong, but I also think that's only half of the picture.  The other half being forgiving each other.Often I'll see my kids do something to the other and then just say "sorry".  I've noticed that just saying sorry without anything else ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3404/Forgiving/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3404/Forgiving/ Wed, 20 Dec 2006 06:08:07 -0800 lightbee My weight has always been a struggle for me.  Before I fell pregnant I weighed 86kg and - although I didn't put on much weight during pregnancy itself - I ballooned during my daughter's first 6 months of life.  By the time I decided I really had to do something about it, I was 95kg and had extremely bad knee ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3329/How-I-lost-weight-after-baby/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3329/How-I-lost-weight-after-baby/ Wed, 20 Dec 2006 03:26:14 -0800 lightbee Kids seem to adore cakes with characters on, but if you follow those books, it can get a bit complicated.  Not to mention you need all sorts of cake tins of different shapes and sizes.This is the way I made my 2 of my daughter's birthday cakes.  It was pretty easy and received lots of compliments.1. Packet Mix x 2I ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3307/Easy-Birthday-Cakes/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3307/Easy-Birthday-Cakes/ Sun, 17 Dec 2006 19:01:02 -0800 lightbee I've been thinking about some of the things I wish I'd done before I had kids, which I think would have made my life a little (or a lot!) easier.  Although most (if not all!) of you have already had kids, I thought I would share it anyway.  If anyone has any other thoughts I'd love to hear them.  Maybe we ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3284/Things-I-wish-Id-done-before-I-had-kids/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3284/Things-I-wish-Id-done-before-I-had-kids/ Mon, 18 Dec 2006 04:16:25 -0800 lightbee ***This advice is aimed specifically at Christians.  Although there may be messages of value for those of other faiths and spiritual beliefs, these are not covered here.  I have based this solely on my own experience.***As a Christian and a church goer, I have found that separation brings a whole new set of issues that other single parents may not have ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3282/Christianity-and-the-single-parent/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3282/Christianity-and-the-single-parent/ Sun, 11 Mar 2007 06:02:05 -0700 lightbee I cannot take credit for this advice.  It was given to me by another mother with grown-up children, who was also an early childhood teacher.  Her name is Dianne Hinton.  I used this advice with both my girls and when I implemented it diligently, they were both toilet trained within a number of weeks.My eldest was nearly 3 and a half ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3279/Toilet-training-for-boys-or-girls/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3279/Toilet-training-for-boys-or-girls/ Sun, 17 Dec 2006 02:21:01 -0800 lightbee When I met my boyfriend (BF), I was separated from my ex-husband and had 2 children who were 3 and a half and nearly 2.  My BF had no children, had had very little contact with children, had not been in a serious relationship and still lived at home with his parents.Talk about an unlikely match!It's been a little over a year now and we've ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3251/Dating-someone-who-doesnt-have-kids/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3251/Dating-someone-who-doesnt-have-kids/ Sun, 11 Mar 2007 04:20:48 -0700 lightbee Christmas has always been a really special time for me.  It's changed over the years - not always for the better - but I strive to keep that specialness in it no matters what.  Now I have kids, I feel even more strongly that Christmas is a special time and I am striving to make it that way for them ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3248/Christmas-with-an-ex-and-young-children/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3248/Christmas-with-an-ex-and-young-children/ Sat, 16 Dec 2006 04:55:31 -0800