Parents have asked us why homework takes their child 2, 3 and even 4 times longer than their peers and what they can do about it. This article defines the 3 key issues and what parents can do about it. Student’s key issues often include:

1 - Attention is a major problem, both in class and while doing homework;

2 - They often have one or more vision issues - too often these student’s eyes are either: not working together; skipping words or lines when reading; or they have difficulty copying off the board;

3 - They become tense when doing homework and often lose it.

When a student has trouble paying attention in class, they often must be re-taught the information at home. What makes matters worse is that the students homework time which should have taken 45 minutes gets stretched to 1 and

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Using simple techniques Moms can learn how easily they can whisper relaxing phrases to their babies during pregnancy, delivery, and post-partum. Dr. Linda Miles, inspires and instructs Moms, using a practical, proven effective method, which calms both the child and Mom, while building a stronger emotional and physical bond between the two. And Dads can join in, too.

When Moms are anxious, babies feel that anxiety. Research has shown that a stressed Mom creates a stressed baby, causing the fetus’ heart to beat faster. When levels of stress hormones are too high for extended periods of time, both Mom and the baby’s mental and physical health suffer.

In 1973 Dr. Miles used natural childbirth with her son, Christopher Brett. She found Lamaze helpful, but after that pregnancy she wanted an even more stress free birth. She wanted less stress for both her and her child. Quickly, she realized the tremendous benefit listening with headphones to individually recorded, soothing music with a familiar voice would have. Here was a simple way to remind her to relax. When she was a bundle of nerves, there was an easy comfort with just the flip of a switch. Then, she could share, gently whispering, what she heard with her baby. To her surprise the relaxation practice brought deep calm not only to her, but to baby Brett, too.

With her initial personal success as a Mommy Whisperer, Dr. Miles studied and has used these relaxation techniques successfully for over 30 years with her clients and friends. After the stress of the pregnancy with her first child, a client of Dr. Miles used the Mommy Whisperer technique for her second child with entirely different results. She was calm throughout the experience, with less stress on her. Therefore, there was less stress on her child. She had a peaceful pregnancy and delivery. Because Mommy Whisperer’s reduce stress on themselves and their child, they can enhance the mother-child bond after the baby is born.

Using simple relaxation strategies, parents actually affect the physical structure of the baby’s developing brain. The patterns we learn, affect how we cope with stress and with life.

While soothing her baby, Mom is actually teaching her child to self-soothe. When you soothe your baby with whispers, they may develop a pattern of self-soothing that works under stress. And the opposite happens too. If Mom or anyone is loud and reactive under stress, the child develops that pattern and responds that way to stress. The brain loves the familiar, so how we train our children, becomes their coping strategy. So, whisper to your child, “I am so happy you are here.” “I love you so much.” “You are so beautiful.” “Everything is okay.” This gives them safety to learn and explore.

Copyright 2005 Linda Miles Ph.D

Author, Dr. Linda Miles, is deeply committed to helping individuals and couples achieve rewarding relationships. She is an expert with a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology, and has
worked in the mental health field for over thirty years. She has been interviewed extensively on radio, TV, and in newspapers and magazines. Find more relationship ideas and relaxation techniques on her web site and in the award-winning book she co-authored, The New Marriage: Transcending the Happily-Ever-After Myth, and on CD, Train Your Brain: For a Peaceful Pregnancy & Delivery. http://www.drlindamiles.com

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Stress Relief During Pregnancy
If you truly want to ensure a great pregnancy, you should work on keeping a healthy and positive physical, mental and spiritual state. There is substantial evidence which suggests that a mother’s physical and mental wellness during pregnancy can affect not only the outcome of their pregnancy but the well being of their child later in life. You relationship with your baby begins at the moment of conception.

There are many things aside from physical factors that can impact your pregnancy. Stress is one of the more common problems many pregnant mothers face at some point during their pregnancy. While stress in and of itself isn’t always bad, prolonged stress can be damaging to a pregnancy. Most people associate stress that is harmful during pregnancy with physical labor. However, emotional stress may be just as damaging. Stress actually causes certain hormones in the body to be produced, and some scientists have suggested that these hormones can promote miscarriage or even bring on pre-term labor.

The best thin you can to do to ensure the well being of your baby is to minimize both physical and emotional stress as much as possible. Here are some stress reducing tips you can engage in during your pregnancy to promote a happy and healthy outcome:

Accept the fact that you are pregnant. Some women stress because they thrive on working a very demanding schedule, and attempt to continue to do so throughout their pregnancy. At some point or another however your pregnancy will catch up with you, and you will need to slow down a little bit. Rather than see this is as a burden, consider this a great time to prepare yourself for the life you are about to bring into the world. Take some time to pamper yourself a bit and give yourself more time for rest and relaxation during the week. This can be time that you spend just with yourself and your baby, without having to share with the world around you.

Give up some control. Having a baby changes everything. If you are the type of person that likes to be in control, keep in mind that there are many things related to pregnancy and child raising that will be out of your control. You won’t for example be able to sail through pregnancy without any aches and pains (unless you are extraordinarily lucky) but you can work to minimize them. You may have other symptoms such as fatigue and nausea that don’t go away. Some women have to go on bed rest during pregnancy. Simply recognizing however that some things are not under your control will help you get a better grip on your pregnancy and arm you to face the challenges that lie ahead.

Expect the unexpected. You just never know what will happen when you are pregnant. Your baby for example, might decide to come a few weeks early. You may find that midway through your pregnancy your physician recommends bed rest. If you prepare for the unexpected ahead of time however, when it happens it won’t seem like such a challenge and you will be better prepared to handle it.

Maintain close ties with friends, family and loved ones. Pregnancy is an emotional time. The more people you have around you to lean on, the less likely you will be to feel stressed.

Accept help. Let people know when you can use a hand. You don’t have to manage everything alone during pregnancy. If people offer to help you out and relieve some of the burden you are facing, be glad that there are people around you that love you enough to help out.

Another important thing to consider during pregnancy is communication. It is particularly important that you keep the lines of communication open with your partner during pregnancy. Remember that pregnancy is a very emotional time, and many women act in ways they would not ordinarily during their pregnancy. Don’t assume that your partner is a mind reader. This assumption has negatively impacted many relationships. If you have concerns, anxiety, feel sad or are even angry, be sure you share your feelings with your loved ones. Let people know what you are experiencing physically and emotionally and how it is affecting you. This will help them understand where you are coming from, and will help them learn the best way to help you during your pregnancy.

If you haven’t considered a prenatal massage already, you should during your pregnancy. Prenatal massage can be particularly helpful during the third trimester when your body is feeling burdened by the heavy load it is carrying. There are many qualified practitioners that offer prenatal massage in medical offices, chiropractic offices and even in traditional spa settings.

Article by Beverley Brooke, author of “Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for you and your baby”, visit http://www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com for more on stress and pregnancy

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