Family Relations

"The New Father, A Dad's Guide to the First Year" is written by Armin A. Brott, and published by Abbeville Press. The Second Edition, reviewed in this piece, chronicles the first year of Baby's life from the father's perspective.At times hilarious, but always accurate, the book encourages Dad's active participation in child rearing. Brott, a father of three, stresses the importance of both parents' participation and guidance during the first year.Beginning with the chapter, Congratulations, You're a Dad! "The New Father" teaches fathe .... More »

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For Hays couple Shawn and Sarah Schwarz, it's all about family.The couple has two children, Dalyn, 6, and Rilee, 3, and they keep busy attending gymnastics classes, soccer and T-ball games."That's where most of my time's spent," Shawn Schwarz said with a laugh. "They're pretty good kids."And this weekend, a time especially for Dad, was another opportunity for family time.While the family didn't have any big plans, Shawn Schwarz said he was planning to put the finishing touches on their backyard deck."There's always some family project .... More »

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Recommends authorities recover salary of absentee child-services directorPLATTSBURGH -- A state audit slammed Pyramids Child Development Center, saying the school improperly claimed reimbursement for nearly $240,000 in taxpayer money.School officials are fighting back, arguing they can support their actions.The audit, from the New York State Comptroller's Office, claims that some expenses were unexplained or undocumented, such as the preparation of Executive Director Melissa Dorsett-Felicelli's personal income taxes.The report also re .... More »

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Evaluating the emotional health and social connectedness of pregnant women may help determine if their children will need extra help to meet developmental goals later on, Canadian researchers say.If children get this assistance early, there's a good chance they will do just fine, Dr. Suzanne C. Tough of the University of Calgary in Alberta, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health.But Tough and her team found that more than half of the three-year-olds in their study who were identified as being at high risk for developmental probl .... More »

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When parents are slightly baffled by their 1-year-old's inability to distinguish right from wrong or their 3-year-old's lack of coordination on the baseball field, experts say it's time they start asking questions, as neither task should be expected at those ages.That may seem like basic knowledge to some, but according to a study presented early this week, for many parents there's a noticeable disconnect between their expectations and when their children actually should be hitting specific developmental milestones.The study, presente .... More »

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Lisa Holewa was amazed by how easily her daughter's kindergarten class moved from one project to another with no whining or tantrums.At home, Holewa's daughter dawdled or tried to negotiate when changing tasks, and Holewa assumed it was because she wasn't firm enough. But the teacher, Joan Rice, simply had the 5-year-olds put their unfinished projects in a "Not Done" pouch - giving them a signal that they would get to return to the project."That's the moment I thought there's really something magical going on here," Holewa said.Holewa .... More »

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First 5 Del Norte has begun registration for a six-week workshop entitled "How to raise emotionally healthy children."The free workshop is open to parents and caregivers of children up to age 5. Mick Miller, a licensed marriage and family therapist and retired director of Del Norte County Mental Health Alcohol and Drug programs, will be teaching the classes. The program will teach parents and caregivers how to be proactive in a child's development, instead of reactive. The class is limited to 12 sign-ups and is on a first-come .... More »

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Children's love for music often begins with bedtime lullabies and nursery rhymes.And as they grow, music continues to play an integral role in every part of a child's educational experience."The arts can completely change and energize the learning process for students," said Kerri Quinlan-Zhou, director of fine arts for the New Bedford Public Schools. "It's a powerful tool when you're able to make connections between music and the arts and other core subjects."The power of music can be seen in school districts across SouthCoast, with .... More »

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Back in 2006, Arizona voters passed a proposition that imposed an 80-cents-a-pack tax on cigarettes to finance an early child development program called ``First Things First." Plans are moving swiftly to launch the program next year.``It is designed to provide opportunities for young children, birth to five," says Rhian Evans-Allvan with First Things First.She said the program will offer ``high-quality child care experiences, access to preventative health services, professional development for those working in the field with young chi .... More »

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WESLACO - Angel Rodriguez doesn't know the words to his favorite tunes.But 15-month-old Rodriguez and the other toddlers from Just for Babies Daycare know that it was time to get their groove on when they heard a familiar song Thursday during the Week of the Young Child Program sponsored by the Region One Early Childhood Intervention Program.Children took part in a number of activities, from tossing a big purple ball to one another while sitting in a circle and chasing bubbles as they floated through the air.ECI Service Coordinator Yo .... More »

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Raleigh, N.C. - A new report says poverty in North Carolina leads to learning disabilities, behavior problems and other psychological and emotional problems for young people.The report, "Child Poverty in North Carolina: A Preventable Epidemic," was released Tuesday by Action for Children North Carolina. The advocacy group called for more access to affordable child care, health insurance and other community support for low-income working families.One in four children under age 5 in North Carolina lives in poverty, according to the repo .... More »

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Teaching robots to understand enough about the real world to allow them act independently has proved to be much more difficult than first thought. The team behind the iCub robot believes it, like children, will learn best from its own experiences.The technologies developed on the iCub platform - such as grasping, locomotion, interaction, and even language-action association - are of great relevance to further advances in the field of industrial service robotics.The EU-funded RobotCub project, which designed the iCub, will send one eac .... More »

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A first of its kind study finds breastfeeding while taking certain seizure medications does not appear to harm a child's cognitive development. The research will be presented at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 12-19, 2008."Our early findings show breastfeeding during anti-epilepsy drug treatment doesn't appear to have a negative impact on a child's cognitive abilities," said study author Kimford Meador, MD, with the University of Florida at Gainesville, and Fellow of the Ame .... More »

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Winter's Youth Day celebrates its 72nd Anniversary with one of the largest parades in Northern California and a day full of fun and celebration of the city's youth.This year's celebration begins on Friday, April 25 with the Youth Day Opening Ceremonies and Talent Show at the Winters Community Center, where the Youth Day Sweetheart will be crowned.Saturday, April 26, The Rotary Club pancake breakfast and the Youth Day Kiddie parade, will precede the annual Winters Youth Day parade at 10 a.m.The parade will march down historic Main Stre .... More »

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Mary Ann Block's parents taught her that you do whatever is necessary for your children. And that's what she did. When doctors made her daughter ill with inappropriate drug treatment and then could not get the child well, Mary Ann Block, was compelled to go to medical school at the age of 39 to save her daughter. Today her daughter is a healthy adult as a result of her mother's determination and devotion. Dr. Block was honored by the Ladies'Home Journal and The Lifetime Channel for helping her daughter in such an inspirational way.As .... More »

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