Oral thrush is a common ailment among young infants, the chronically ill, and the elderly. A common fungus called Candida causes thrush; you may recognize it as the familiar yeast infection. While a small amount of germs, including Candida, usually live in your mouth, a healthy immune system usually keeps it in check. Thrush is whitish, and looks like velvety lesions mainly on the inside of the cheeks and on the tongue. The irritated red tissue underneath the lesions may bleed easily. Eating can cause pain to the already irritated soft tissue of the mouth, resulting in decreased appetite and increased fussiness.

Colic is a common problem with infants beginning shortly after birth and lasting for months. Technically, colic is persistent, unexplained crying in a healthy baby between two weeks and five months of age,” although I have seen it in older infants. Parents may try a variety of homeopathic remedies including massage to calm fussy babies and stop the screaming. Over many years of parenting over 100 children, I have discovered a variety of techniques to try. Sometimes it takes a few weeks to discover which one's solve a baby’s symptoms, since colic does not have just one cause.

Some causes of colic are: 

• food intolerances
• hunger or overfeeding
• lack of sleep
• loneliness
• overheated milk or formula
• overstimulation resulting from noise, light, or activity
• swallowing air
• milk allergy
• lactose intolerance
• tension
• digestive tract immaturity
• Intestinal blockage (be sure your doctor rules this out before trying other remedies.)
• infection (be sure your doctor rules this out before trying other remedies.)

   

Cleaning progress always stops dead in its tracks for me when I open a miscellaneous box that needs sorting and find old photographs.  I am instantly transported to a different place and time, and often find myself gasping at how young the kids look, yet how big they seemed at the time. Sometimes the memories are fond, other times eye rolls abound, but always there is something worth remembering from that exact moment in time.

Children who have been adopted at an older age usually have little to no personal belongings with them when they arrive.  The only visual reminders they have of their past are often the memories they carry with them.  This can be good when it comes to letting go of the things they’d rather not be reminded of, yet a painful loss when it comes to the memories that they cherish and find fading.  Children who were adopted at a young enough age to not have any memories of their biological family or their adoption will also love going through the photos and learning about their past and how their family came to be.

Creating a lifebook for your child is a wonderful bonding activity for the two of you to do together, and the book itself will serve as an extremely useful tool for your child as he or she begins to sort out the events of the past, and the feelings and emotions that go along with them. 

Does your child seem to be attracted to drama and turmoil?  Is he or she constantly rejecting the safe and stable people in their lives in favor for those that only bring heartache, confusion and ultimately rejection?  Does it seem like the closer you try to get, the harder your child pushes away?  Then you may very well be living with an abandoholic.

Haven’t heard of the term abandoholic?  Don’t fret my friends, as it is a term that I myself have only recently stumbled across.  As you may have guessed an abandoholic is someone who has become addicted to the rush of emotions that accompany being abandoned.

When someone has been hurt deeply, or repeatedly over a long period of time, a change begins to take place on the inside, and instead of feeling loving feelings towards those that keep you safe, secure, and cared for, the person begins to equate love with insecurity, and fear.  The drama and the rush of emotions that come along with someone who is unstable or emotionally unavailable become desired feelings, as they are now viewed as ‘safe.’