Why her controversial parenting technique is raising eyebrows

By
Nicole
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Nowadays, breastfeeding is one of those topics that results with countless of debates. Depending on the people involved in the debates, the opinions regarding the breastfeeding differ. Some support it, some prefer bottles, and some are totally indifferent on people’s opinions regarding it.

The story that comes from the UK is about breastfeeding and the debate that resulted from the story itself. However, this is in no way a normal breastfeeding story, but a very controversial interview that was published in the British newspapers.

Miira Dawson is a mother of two kids. She loves them a lot, she is very protective towards them and she is parenting them in a very unusual way.

Miira’s interview was published in The Daily Mail. The mother, at the age of 36, has got a 5-year old daughter and 2-year old son. What is strange about the way she is parenting them is the breastfeeding. She plans to breastfeed them until they reach the age of 10. She says:

“I think it is a lovely thing for a baby to grow up and remember being breastfed, as not many people would be able to say this,” Miira says. “Plus, there are all of the health and IQ benefits.”

She also explains that the their bonding, i.e. the relationship between the older child and the mother, is going to be even stronger. The mother goes on by explaining that the relationship between them is healthy and normal.

“She’s never had a blanket or dummy (pacifier) so that is her equivalent,” Miira says. “I’m sure if I could detach my boob and just give it to her, she would be extremely happy.”

However, breastfeeding is not the only thing that’s unusual. The mother and the two kids sleep together in one bed. The son and the daughter are sleeping with their mother, while their father Jim is comfortable in another bed in another bedroom.

“Naturally I feel left out when it comes to the sleeping situation,” Jim laments. “I feel like it restricts mine and the children’s time together and it doesn’t give me the chance to do things that I would like to, such as reading bedtime stories.”

Experts’ opinion on extended breastfeeding

This story resulted with different opinions. Many are against that unusual parenting style, while some support the mother. Nevertheless, the scientific community has not found anything wrong regarding the extended breastfeeding.

Tightly connected to this issue is the publication of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). These experts say that the natural weaning age for humans is from 2 to 7 years-old.

They even go further. The experts say that the long breastfeeding process decrease the chances of breast cancer. What’s more, the experts say that the child who has been breastfed for longer period has better immunity against contracting illnesses.

Interesting! The majority of the people find Miira’s parenting style very strange and not ‘normal’. However, after reading the experts’ opinions, maybe that’s not that strange after all. What’s you opinion?

Mom bans mother who smokes from touching baby

By
Monica Pop
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Passive smoking and its negative lasting effects on non-smokers is something many people are already aware of. No matter if you don’t smoke yourself, being around people who do and inhaling the smoke may affect one’s health. This is the reason why people should avoid places where smoking is allowed and forbid friends or family members to smoke inside their home.

Recently, however, one mother-to-be raised the question of the health consequences of third-hand smoking. This is something not many are aware of, but it’s there, and it’s real.

Third-hand smoking are the chemical residuals of tobacco smoke that remain on clothes, fabric, furniture, and even walls. The smoke can also be found in any place where someone lights a cigarette. You are probably familiar with that unpleasant scent when entering a place where smoking is allowed. Unfortunately, it sticks with your skin and hair even after you leave.

“Thirdhand smoke clings to clothes, furniture, drapes, walls, bedding, carpets, dust, vehicles and other surfaces long after smoking has stopped. The residue from thirdhand smoke builds up on surfaces over time,” M.D. J Taylor Hays wrote on MayoClinic.

A study about the effects of third-hand smoking had been done on mice and the results are likely to be more or less the same for us humans. It was reported how the group of rodents affected showed increased level of stress, molecular damage, and inflammatory diseases. Some even showed signs of hyperinsulinemia.

The studies that are expected to give clearer image of the consequences this has on humans are still ongoing, but people are still advised third-hand smoke should be avoided as much as possible.

“People are exposed to these chemicals by touching contaminated surfaces or breathing in the off-gassing from these surfaces,” Hays added. “This residue is thought to react with common indoor pollutants to create a toxic mix including cancer-causing compounds, posing a potential health hazard to nonsmokers — especially children.”

Learning about the damage this is likely to cause, the mother-to-be was determined to keep her child out of the hands of the heavy smokers, including her mother-in-law, unless they shower and change clothes after smoking. This may sound as a ridiculous request, but she says she does it for her bundle’s of joy well-being.

She wrote a letter to Slate’s Care asking for advice on how to tell her mother-in-law about their decision. She said she was aware her husband’s mother may be offended by her request, but her child’s health is what she is most concerned for.

“I am expecting my first baby soon,” she wrote. “When the baby is born, my in-laws will be coming for a visit. My mother-in-law is a heavy smoker. I’m not worried about her smoking in front of my child, but after researching thirdhand smoke, I am very concerned about her holding the baby after she has had a cigarette. My husband and I have decided that after she smokes, she needs to shower and change her clothes before she can pick up the baby.”

The columnist’s initial though was that this mother was simply overreacting, but after doing a research, he changed his opinion and wrote how he believes the future mother has all the right to ask from smokers to stay away from the little one, unless as she states above, they change clothes and take a shower first.

At the end of the day, this woman is just a mother concerned for her offspring, and no one should get offended for her trying to keep the baby safe.

While children are in the process of growing, their immune system is still weak and they are likely to suffer the consequences of passive, as well as third-hand smoking more than the adults. When a baby comes close to a smoker, they get contaminated by that person’s skin and clothes themselves.

Researchers and doctors are urging people, especially parents, to learn more about the damage third-hand smoking causes and do their best to keep their children as little exposed as possible.

Airline employee serenades mother of fallen soldier on flight

By
Nicole
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Travelling, especially for more than 10 hours, can be tiring and annoying. However, sometimes people do things that may make us laugh or mark the day as a quite memorable one. The passengers of a flight to Louisville were pleasantly surprised by what had happened on the plane.

Thanks to Sean Warren and his camera, we can all see what really happened on the place. He was travelling to Louisville and since he wanted to spend the rest of the flight in peace, he was listening to music. However, a message announced by the cabin interrupted his comfort.

The person who made the announcement was Scott Wirt. He is an operations agents at the Southwest Airlines. His message was very emotional as a matter of fact. He told the passengers that among them there is a mother of a son who died on duty on 25 July 2018.

The mother, Debbie was on her way to attend a ceremony in her son’s honour. He graduated from Jeffersontown High School in Louisville, Kentucky. Debbie’s son was called Tylor Edenhofer.

In Tyler’s honour Scott did something very touching. He started singing You ‘Raise Me Up’. This song, especially the performance, deeply touched the passengers and brought everyone to tears.

Sean Warren was among ‘the Scott’s audience’. He saw the performance and heard the singing. He immediately started recording the event and the video ended on-line. This was not the first on-line video of Scott, though.

Sean posted the video on his Facebook page. The video was an instant hit and reached more than 110,000 views. The comments are wonderful. Many expressed their gratitude of sharing the video, but also honoured Tyler’s dedication to serve the country.

Scott’s contribution to Tyler’s honouring is great, especially to Tyler’s mother. Since her son meant the world to her, these kinds of gestures remind her that people may not forget her son and his work.

Undoubtedly all people on the plane were deeply touched. We are sure they will remember this day for the rest of their lives.

Child complains about babysitter, so husband installs a hidden camera and discovers shocking footage

By
Monica Pop
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When Desiree LeBlanc who is a child welfare officer had to get back to work after she gave birth to a baby girl, she tried hard to find the best person she could trust her daughter to.

After carefully considering all the options, she decided she would feel most comfortable with leaving her baby in the care of 28-year-old Christina Williamson. LeBlanc recalls her first meeting with this babysitter, and says how the place was very neat and there were a bunch of toys around. Christina’s home also had a big garden where the kids could have fun when the weather would be nice.

Once LeBlanc’s daughter started attending Christina’s home daycare, this mother was even more convinced she made the right choice as the babysitter seemed to be taking great care of the kids. Whenever there was an incident of any kind, the parents would be given details. LeBlanc says how there were times when she was told how her daughter accidentally scratched herself and she would also receive pictures to see how serious it was. This spoke of Christina as a caring person.

One day, however, this all changed, and what LeBlanc learned left her outraged.

Her supervisor told her to go and pick her daughter from daycare and advised her not to speak to Christina while doing so. LeBlanc didn’t know what was going on, but she did as she was told.

Later, she learned the dreadful truth about what was going on behind closed doors. The way this babysitter treated the kids she was supposed to take care of is cruel and unacceptable.

Cristina’s mi*treatment of the children was discovered by her own husband who set up cameras around the house after one of the kids, an 8-year-old boy, told him how there was “unusual treatment of the kids by Christina.” After he checked the footage, he immediately reported his soon to be ex-wife to the police.

KCCI News reported how the kids were aggressively pushed and screamed at. This babysitter from hell could be seen forcefully holding them face-down and stuffing their mouths with clothes to prevent them from crying.

The footage also showed how she would leave a 5-month-old baby at home all alone during several occasions.

Thankfully, Christina was sentenced to 5 years in prison and she won’t be able to hurt any other child ever again. News Channel KCCI Des Moines 8 reported how none of the kids have shown lasting effect from the way they were treated.

This story just shows how cautious parents should be when choosing a babysitter.

Proceed with caution: The video below contains strong images.

Granddaughter dances with grandfather with Alzheimer’s

By
Monica Pop
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According to the Alzheimer Association, around 5.8 million Americans of all ages are living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2019. This condition is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. The sad reality is that there is no cure and the treatment options are limited.

This cruel disease affects person’s memory and changes the way they act and think, eventually causing difficulties doing even the simplest of tasks. The family members and those around the person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are also affected. They are forced to see how their loved ones forget of all the beautiful memories they shared together and have a hard time remembering who the people they spent their life with are.

A woman named Rachel knows the struggle and the pain of looking after someone with Alzheimer’s all too well.

Her loving grandpa was diagnosed with the illness a few years ago, and she’s the one who provides him with round the clock care. Watching him getting even worse over time, this caring granddaughter does everything in her power to make the 93-year-old man’s days more fun and more enjoyable. She even says how she loves being there for him, as he’s the person she loves the most. Rachel doesn’t find it difficult to prepare her grandpa’s meals, clean his house, or take him out for a walk. She’s indeed the best granddaughter this man could ever ask for.

This time, Rachel did something different for him. She made his eyes shine by inviting him to dance with her.

She didn’t really know whether he remembers any of the moves or his favorite music, but she was willing to make him smile, and he was willing to try. The outcome is an amazing and unique experience Rachel would always keep close to her heart. To her surprise, her grandpa could keep up with the beat and it looked like he was having the best time of his life.

The video of these two dancing together was shared on YouTube and many people agree how it’s the sweetest thing they’ve seen all day.

The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is unlike any other. Everyone knows how the grandmas and grandpas would do anything for their children’s children, but this video proves that many times grandkids would do the same.

Rachel can’t contain her smile as she knows how moments like this are really special. And as the elderly man’s condition is getting worse every day, they don’t really have a lot of time ahead in order to enjoy this much many times. Luckily, the video will be there to remind Rachel of the fun time once her grandpa is no longer able to dance again.

Many of the people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s end up at nursing homes, as there is no one who can take care of them at home. Those who are lucky enough, however, to have someone like Rachel by their side spend their final days in the comfort of their place.

Rachel will never stop taking care of her grandpa. She knows she is the one who can ease his days and the occasional smiles she gets from him are enough thank you for all the hard work she does.

We hope they will have many more opportunities to dance together.

Take a look at the lovely video below.

Toddler paralyzed, left with permanent brain damage after eating a slice of raw apple at daycare

By
Monica Pop
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The life of the Renata family from New Zealand turned upside down and changed forever after they got a call from the daycare on that fatal day. Marama was alerted how one of her twins, 22-month-old Neihana was given CPR after he chocked on a slice of raw, peeled apple. All this mother prayed for while driving to the hospital was for her little boy to be alright.

Unfortunately, the news were bad. Neihana was diagnosed with permanent brain damage. He was left without oxygen for certain amount of time which led to cardiac arrest. The boy was placed in intensive care and was unresponsive for days. He survived, but was left with hypoxic brain injury and cerebral palsy, which prevented him from walking or talking ever again.

Neihana needed round the clock care and his mother quit her job in order to be able to take care of him. This was all very devastating and sad.

“Neihana needs constant care. He needs help with everything,” explains Marama.

“We got told that we basically have a boy that can breathe,” said the child’s father, Wi Renata. “He could open his eyes but there was nothing there. He could just breathe.”

This incident raised the question about the food served at daycare and kindergartens. The Little Lights Early Learning Centre in Rotorua serve little children solid food such as apple slices knowing kids are likely to choke from the pieces. And this is really concerning.

“THERE ARE CHILDREN THAT COULD CHOKE TOMORROW AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN,” SAID MARAMA.

“I FEEL FRUSTRATED, ABSOLUTELY FRUSTRATED. NOTHING IS BEING DONE WHEN SOMETHING CAN BE DONE,” SAID WI.

Sweet little Neihana has made progress, and despite his condition, he never lost the smile on his face. His sister makes him company every day and he enjoys seeing her around.

Neihana Renata with his twin sister

“It makes me feel good knowing that I can see him laughing,” says Wi.

“He has made a lot of progress since the accident and is a generally smiley boy but he is severely disabled and can’t walk, talk, roll,” Marama told Australian news.

“A lot of effort is put into maintaining normal body alignment and muscle length,” she explains.

The Ministry of Health in New Zealand took matters in their hands and issued warning for the daycare centers to cook foods such as apples, carrots, and celery. They expect every educational institution of this type to follow the guidelines regarding food they published. Wi Renata believes this recommendations are great but the government should enforce them, otherwise there won’t be any results.

After thorough investigation, Work Safe, a health and safety regulator determined how the daycare followed all legal guidelines, including having a person trained in first aid. The only thing they failed at was offering sliced food to such young children. A failure which resulted with a toddler being left permanently disabled.

However, another investigation done by the Child Forum questions the way the first aid was provided. Apparently, a staff member tried pulling the piece of apple using their fingers, which could easily resulted in pushing it even further, reports Sarah Alexander.

Alexander also speaks of the fact that daycare doesn’t provide parents with enough information on the type of food their kids are served. She also says how incidents such as the one that involved Neihana are rarely reported so many moms and dads are not aware that it ever took place.

“THERE IS NO RECORD THAT THIS INCIDENT EVER OCCURED. PARENTS MAY LEAVE THEIR CHILD AT A SERVICE NONE THE WISER AS TO WHAT ITS HISTORY HAS BEEN,” SAID ALEXANDER.

“Why isn’t the Ministry warning parents? There is potential for their child to be served food that is high risk of choking. To me, this is a serious breach of trust,” she continued.

The incident took place in May 2016, but it went public just recently. The daycare changed their food menu only a year after.

Marama says she doesn’t blame the daycare, but as a doctor, she would have approached a chocking child differently.

Below is the whole story and some of Marama’s advice.

We pray for Neihana to get better over time.

Dad arrested after rushing choking daughter to hospital, nurses bond him out

By
Nicole
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When the child’s safety is concerned, parents are willing to do anything. No matter what danger is upon the child, there is no parent out there that will  sacrifice anything just to make sure his kid is growing up in a safe and healthy environment.

This was particularly true for Darius Hinkle from Centreville, Illinois. He was put into situation between choosing the safety of his child or breaking the law. It was obvious that he chose his baby, even though he had to break the speed limit regulations. The incident happened on April 4.

The parents’ nightmare started with their 1-year old baby putting a penny in the mouth. The girl started chocking and could not breathe properly. The panic struck the parents. Darius and his wife Donecia Pittman started the car and headed to the hospital.

For KTVI, Hinkle says:

“First thing in my mind was, get her to the hospital. That’s my daughter. I won’t let nothing happen to her.”

The panic and the worries for the baby’s life made Darius drive way over 100 mph. This alarmed the police and they started chasing him. However, Darius did not want to slow down nor to stop the car. His plan was getting to the hospital as soon as possible.

The police followed Darius to the Touchette Regional Hospital. Upon arriving there, they told them to get out of the car and put their hands up. The parents had to do that and they told the police what the problem was.

Pitman explains:

“They told us to get out and put our hands up, and I got out and I put my hands up and I yelled and I told the police ‘my baby is choking.’”

She adds:

“And I told them multiple times that she was choking. They was just worried about the fact that we were speeding.”

To make the things worse, Darius did not have the drivers licence. That sent him to the jail because of that. Nevertheless, they managed to get to the hospital on time and save the baby.

Luckily, the nurses got into action and decided to get Darius out of the situation. They knew he broke the law just to save the baby.

Pittman was very shocked to find out that her husband will be getting out of the jail very soon. She recalls:

“Somebody was up there and they said ‘I’m here to bond out Darius Hinkle, and I was looking like — I didn’t know who it was, and when I looked out the door to see who it was, she spoke and said I’m the nurse from Touchette Hospital. I couldn’t thank them enough like they was there for us ever since we had got there.”

Thanks to the staff of the hospital all three of them are safe and sound. They can enjoy the love they share in their lovely home with this adorable cute baby girl.

Dad who choked one boy and threw another down a half-pipe was ‘defending his son from bullies’

By
Nicole
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A very disturbing video has been published on Facebook. The video features a shocking event involving a grown up man and several boys. The violence filmed with the camera is very unpleasant.

The incident happened in New South Wales in Australia. In the local skate park in Goonellabah, a group of boys were playing and having fun. However, one moment a grown up man came to the park and started chocking one boy and he threw another one down.

According to the reports, the man was defending his son from the bullies, and it is believed that he came to the park with his own son.

New South Wales Police had to react to this incident. They started the investigation against the man. They also confirmed the authenticity of the event.

“Police have been told a group of 12-year-old boys were at a skate park in Goonellabah when they started to verbally abuse and threaten another 12-year-old boy. The man allegedly assaulted one of the youths and threw his scooter. Officers from Richmond Police District were notified and commenced an investigation.“

North Coast Crime also came up with a statement regarding this event. They said:

“If the adult in the video or anyone who knows him reads this, can you please send me a private message?”

However, we still do not know what’s the reason for such a behaviour. The police officers yet have to determine the causes for the violence and the background of the event.

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