http://www.minti.com/members/matthew/advice/ Most Recent Advice on Minti by matthew Copyright 2009 Minti en-uk matthew What prompted the creation of Minti? and What does "Minti" mean?Minti is about parents publishing their own "parenting" advice. Minti is a social platform providing the "voice" for parents and for other parents to hear it from all over the world.Read the answers in the "About Us" section here: About Us Is there an overview of the site?Yes we have ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4291/Minti-Frequently-Asked-Questions/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4291/Minti-Frequently-Asked-Questions/ Sun, 28 Jan 2007 21:18:38 -0800 matthew Taken from a recent blog post response I thought I would flip this topic into an article and perhaps prompt some discussion :)Sometimes you may find your child is getting close to another child whose behaviour is unacceptable or concerning to you.  Should you "manage" your child's friend choices in such an event and how could this be done in ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/458/Managing-your-childrens-friend-choices/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/458/Managing-your-childrens-friend-choices/ Tue, 13 Jun 2006 17:48:41 -0700 matthew There are a lot of points to consider when you think it is time for your child to start potty training.  Here are a few tips I have picked up via the net and from friends/family who have been through the training process:When is the right time to start Potty Training?This is different for all children and the "right age" ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/167/Potty-Training/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/167/Potty-Training/ Thu, 06 Apr 2006 20:13:54 -0700 matthew In answer to this question: "My daughter has a lose tooth. It's going to fall out. We've discussed the tooth fairy but I don't remember much else from when I was a kid. Do I have to worry about her swallowing it? What happens if it starts to bleed?"To get a detailed history of the tooth fairy you can take ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/161/Losing-Teeth/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/161/Losing-Teeth/ Mon, 03 Apr 2006 08:44:22 -0700 matthew Why do they grind?Bruxism (a.k.a. teeth grinding) appears to be happening more often in children.  Grinding of teeth is a strange occurrence that dentists are not really able to explain – some get it and some don’t without any particular reason.  Some possible issues which may give rise to grinding include new contact between teeth (upper and lower), poorly placed ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/159/Teeth-Grinding-in-Children-Bruxism/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/159/Teeth-Grinding-in-Children-Bruxism/ Mon, 03 Apr 2006 04:57:45 -0700 matthew I recently attended my Grandmother's funeral, she was a wonderful lady and it was an emotional day filled with memories and thoughts of my Granny.It made me think about how one deals with death or loss with adolescents and I found some excellent advice through the Australian based National Association for Loss and Grief.  Here are some of their suggestions:The ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/146/Dealing-with-lossdeath-Adolescents/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/146/Dealing-with-lossdeath-Adolescents/ Tue, 28 Mar 2006 18:50:53 -0800 matthew Babies are born with all their teeth formed inside their gums.   Usually the front bottom teeth appear first, then the front top teeth. Most children have four to six teeth by the time they are one.  Sometimes babies get cross when their teeth are coming.When your baby is teething you may see: red spots on the baby's ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/131/Teething-information/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/131/Teething-information/ Tue, 21 Mar 2006 17:42:38 -0800 matthew I just read a great post on Treehugger providing a listing of their top eco-friendly diaper alternatives.On the list they included:gDiapers - these guys provide diapers (also called Nappies in some countries) with flsuhable inserts and have received certification on their biodegradable status.  A more detailled review is at Treehugger here.a Spanish company called Crianza Natural provides diapers which are ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/115/Diapers-and-Nappies-for-Greenies/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/115/Diapers-and-Nappies-for-Greenies/ Mon, 03 Apr 2006 00:26:45 -0700 matthew It is a very common problem that children will lie to their parents, friends or guardians and there are ways to help reduce this type of behaviour.Children will lie for a wide variety of reasons: to avoid getting into trouble, to keep parents happy with them, to cover up for an inadequacy or embarassment, or just because they fail to ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/59/7-steps-to-help-when-children-lie/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/59/7-steps-to-help-when-children-lie/ Thu, 09 Mar 2006 19:12:01 -0800 matthew I really believe that kids who enjoy books and reading from a young age will find scholastic and future career success a lot easier.  Here are ten ideas to help you encourage your child to enjoy both books and the act of reading.1. Read aloud to your child every day.You can start when the child is a baby; hearing language ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/26/Eight-tips-for-encouraging-kids-to-enjoy-books-and-reading/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/26/Eight-tips-for-encouraging-kids-to-enjoy-books-and-reading/ Tue, 28 Mar 2006 16:49:44 -0800 matthew Lets face it, every child is naughty some of the time (some seem to be all of the time) and it is those moments that parents often face their greatest challenge.  The challenge of changing the child’s behaviour, whilst also keeping your cool.  In the past spanking and shouting were often used as a form of child discipline but many ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/24/Child-Discipline-using-Time-outs/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/24/Child-Discipline-using-Time-outs/ Thu, 09 Feb 2006 17:03:31 -0800 matthew A sibling relationship is usually the longest interpersonal relationship a person will have in their lifetimes. Few other people in your life will know you, especially so closely, from nearly the time of your birth until, hopefully, nearly the time of your death.While many adults do not get along with their siblings or have lost the closeness of those relationships, ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/17/Sibling-rivalry-steps-to-help-with-a-new-arrival/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/17/Sibling-rivalry-steps-to-help-with-a-new-arrival/ Tue, 28 Feb 2006 17:11:23 -0800 matthew Although biting isn't "abnormal" in the sense that one out of ten toddlers and two-year-olds does it, it is a disturbing and potentially harmful behaviour that parents and educators must discourage from the very first episode. If a child bites, remain calm and think about what the child experienced just before the incident. Understanding why young children bite can help ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/16/Biting-toddlers-what-to-do/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/16/Biting-toddlers-what-to-do/ Tue, 14 Feb 2006 21:04:03 -0800 matthew When your toddler is going through teething pains consider freezing bags of chopped up fruit, or freezing pieces in an iceblock tray.  Give these to your toddler when their teeth are hurting and it will give them relief plus they will be eating something good for them. Watch out for possible allergies if you child has not had that particular ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/15/Frozen-Fruit-for-teething/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/15/Frozen-Fruit-for-teething/ Tue, 07 Feb 2006 01:51:22 -0800 matthew The order is not important here:1.  White/background noise. Some use a the sound of rain or a hairdryer sound on continuous repeat while your baby is daytime napping and at night. It's a supporting approach that helps baby sleep well while parents sleep well.  There don't appear to be any bad side effects, and it makes sense to gradually lower ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/13/Top-ten-ways-to-get-your-baby-to-sleep/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/13/Top-ten-ways-to-get-your-baby-to-sleep/ Sat, 25 Feb 2006 22:55:18 -0800 matthew Many parents find that a child who is hard to get down to sleep can be easily pacified by a trip around the suburb in the car.  The combination of movement and the sound of the vehicle support the child becoming more comfortable and ready to sleep.  Movement is something children have gotten used to from the days when humans ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4/Sleepy-in-the-car/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4/Sleepy-in-the-car/ Mon, 06 Feb 2006 01:51:25 -0800