Nocturnal enuresis, commonly known as bedwetting, affects millions of kids and teens around the globe. Approximately 15% of children wet the bed past the age of three, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. It is a symptom, not a disease, that runs in families, and is usually not associated with any emotional problems. There are a number of steps that doctors recommend to help bedwetters. The following are 10 tips to help kids stay dry at night.

1. Limited Liquids – Avoid excess fluid intake after 3pm. Carbonated drinks, caffeine, chocolate and citrus should be curtailed.
2. Urinate Just Prior to Bedtime – One of the causes of bedwetting is inadequately developed bladder control. Emptying it as close to bedtime as possible reduces the risk of it emptying involuntarily.
3. Focus on Pee Breaks – Rather than setting as a goal to get through the whole night, work with your child on getting up during the night to urinate.
4. Reward Milestones – This is an especially effective technique for use with younger children. Establish some goals – such as consecutive nights without incident – and provide incentives to reach them.
5. Avoid Blaming or Punishing – Conversely, reassure the child that they are not at fault for their bedwetting. Emotional trauma only makes matters worse.
6. Reassurance – As bedwetting does run in families, you can share with the child that another family member once had the same problem, and got through it, just as they will too.
7. Toilet Access – Be sure the path from the child’s sleeping quarters is as short, and as nearby, as can be arranged. The fewer the obstacles and the shorter the path, the more likely your child can get there quickly and safely in the middle of the night. Make sure the way is sufficiently lit as well.
8. Alarm Technique – Some doctors also recommend alarms which can be safely placed on the child’s underwear or bed pad. The alarm is activated by the wetness of the urine, and wakes the child to finish in the bathroom, then change clothes and bedding, etc. Ultimately, the conditioned response has led to as much as a 70% success rate.
9. Daytime Drill – Have your child go to the bed first to lay down for a few moments prior to bathroom visits during the day. This kind of drill will help the child develop the habit of getting up at night to go.
10. Involve Child in Clean-up – While your child should never be blamed, he or she needs to be aware that getting over the bedwetting is up to them, and not you. Having them take part in the clean-up helps them understand what’s involved, and makes a good motivational tool.

Parents of an only child worry about him or her becoming lonely, but even kids in large families can suffer from loneliness. Being lonely really doesn’t have to result from being alone. Some kids are perfectly content to spend time on their own and don’t seem to need as much social interaction as others. On the other hand, some children can feel isolated even when surrounded by a large family or other peers. How do you tell if a kid is lonely or just likes to be alone?

1. Talks a lot – One of the first signs of a lonely child is that he/she talks a lot. Kids who feel a need for social interaction will talk incessantly. Unfortunately, this constant blathering can really be bothersome to other people and cause further avoidance. This only makes things worse for the lonely kid.
2. Seeks attention – Another big clue a child feels lonesome is when he/she is constantly seeking attention. This can manifest itself in either positive or destructive ways. Attention seekers can either misbehave or engage in goofy shenanigans. Many of the best comedians started out as class clowns who were just lonely kids looking for attention.
3. Make-believe friends – Does your child have make-believe friends he/she interacts with on a regular basis? This could either be a sign that he/she has an overactive imagination or is really lonely.
4. Pesky – Lonesome kids can really be pesky at times. They will pummel you with constant interruptions at the worst times. The problem is that they resent the attention you give to your work, other people or even household tasks and try to divert it to them.
5. Reclusive – Although some lonely children will do whatever they can to get attention, others will do the opposite and become reclusive. This sign is a little harder to read because some kids just prefer to be alone while other really crave company but don’t know how to achieve it.
6. Lacks social skills – Most lonely children really lack the social skills they need to get along with others. This is like a catch 22 since this lack of skills just compounds the problem. Does the kid lack these skills because they’re lonely or are they lonely because they don’t know how to get along with their peers?
7. Low self esteem – Kids who are lonely really have low self esteem. They’re constantly seeking the approval of others to determine their own self worth and are subsequently disappointed. These children need to learn that they do deserve friendship but are not responsible for the poor behavior of others.
8. Behavior problems – Lonely kids can develop behavior problems such as being timid, anxious or unsure of themselves. This can only reinforce the problem if peers reject or victimize them because of it.
9. Sad – Lonesome children can become very sad and unhappy. They can start sobbing for no apparent reason and will reject any consoling. This can be heartbreaking for parents who often have no clue as to the underlying problem.
10. Says so – The most definitive sign your kid is lonely is when he/she says so. They might not come right out and say “I’m lonely”, but may say things like “Nobody likes me”, or “I don’t have any friends.” These kids are really seeking help and their pleas shouldn’t be ignored.

Parents of a lonely child really have a challenge to help their child overcome this problem. It takes some extra added attention and time out of their busy schedules. They also risk being accused of playing favorites when there are other siblings in the family. Parents can’t force other children to like their lonely child, but can help him or her with their social skills and self esteem. With love and understanding parents can encourage their kids to overcome their loneliness. When children learn to love themselves they find that others will follow suit.

Quiet time can be hard to come by in a house full of children, but it is important for your kids’ well being. Whether the time is spent relaxing and decompressing from an eventful day or focusing on homework, your children should have an uninterrupted block of time worked into their daily routine where they can find complete silence. Turning off televisions, cell phones and MP3 players should be strictly enforced, and here are some of the reasons why.

1. Kids Get Stressed Out, Too – Though many adults idealize childhood and think of it as a carefree time, for many modern children, this simply isn’t true. The American Psychological Association conducted a survey indicating that children worry about their family’s financial situation and their grades, with older children showing marked stress over issues such as college acceptance and funding. This survey also showed that parents consistently underestimated the stress level of their children by 12-24 percentage points.
2. Quiet Time Can Help Control Symptoms of ADD/ADHD – In order to properly concentrate on schoolwork, kids with ADD/ADHD need an uncluttered and quiet space to unwind and focus on the work at hand. Outside stimuli can greatly affect your child’s ability to keep their mind on one task; blocking out noise that can distract them and hinder productivity is a must.
3. The Pursuit of Individual Interests – Quiet time is a chance for your child to explore self-contained activities and interests, boosting their independence. In the absence of video games and cartoons, your kids can focus their attention on reading, working on artistic projects or other relaxing hobbies. The ability to entertain themselves with limited outside stimuli will serve them well later in life.
4. Improving Sleep Patterns – A child that spends their day being bombarded by over-stimulating noise and activity will often have trouble decompressing before bed without the aid of quiet time. This sleep disruption can affect everything from their mood to their physical health; setting aside a period of winding down before bed can help kids relax  instead of jumping into bed with a racing mind.
5. Preserving Parents’ Sanity- Your children are affected by your mood and stress level, and you are just as susceptible to the crankiness that comes from constant over-stimulation as they are. While your children are enjoying their quiet time, you’ll have the opportunity to decompress a bit as well; as a result, you’ll be better equipped to deal with the minor crises that crop up throughout the day. Keeping your cool in high-pressure situations will help them to do the same, so everyone wins.
6. Quiet Time Can Be Family Time – Instituting a policy of “Quiet Time” in your household doesn’t have to mean that everyone retreats to separate rooms to isolate themselves. Spending your quiet time together can be just as relaxing, and it will help you maintain your connections to one another. Younger, excitable children may need the occasional reminder to be calm, but everyone can benefit from peaceful time spent together.
7. Escaping The Demands of Siblings – Older children can be taxed by the rambunctious behavior of younger siblings, causing them to act out of anger when they’ve been pushed to their breaking point. A period of quiet time can give your older children a much-needed break from the little ones, helping them to treat them better and enjoy interacting with them more as a result.

Tailoring your Quiet Time to the needs of your family is essential to success; there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. Working out a schedule and guidelines can be approached as a family, giving your children the chance to give their input as well. They’re more likely to respect a plan they helped to create.

Many parents are concerned about exposing their children to alcohol and carefully monitor products they come in contact with. What most people don’t realize is that there are many different forms of alcohol that are used in common household items and even food.  An alcohol is any organic compound in which is bound to a carbon atom, usually connected to other carbon or hydrogen atoms. The three basic alcohols are ethanol, isopropyl alcohol and tert-butyl alcohol. The fundamental properties of these compounds have numerous applications, so here are 10 safe uses of alcohols for kids.

1. Rubbing alcohol – Isopropyl alcohol is the main ingredient in rubbing alcohol and can be found in just about every home. It’s used as a disinfectant, antiseptic and can also be used to cool and soother the skin. When kids get their immunization shots the nurse will first disinfect the surrounding skin with alcohol.
2. Ink – Most people don’t realize that alcohol is used in the production of the ink in the pens and markers kids love to use. Butyl acetate solvent has many industrial uses and one of them is in the manufacture of inks.
3. Paint – Butyl acetate solvent is also used in the manufacture of many paints. Children love to paint, so alcohol plays a big role in enriching their lives.
4. Ice cream – Believe it or not, alcohol is also used in many food items including ice cream. Kids love ice cream even though a form of tert-butyl alcohol is used safely as a synthetic fruit flavoring.
5. Candy – Sorbitol, Mannitol, Xylitol and Maltitol are sugar alcohols used in many sugar free candies and gums. Of course parents want to limit the amount of sugary candy their children consume to prevent obesity and cavities. These sugar free alternatives are safe for kids to consume in moderation.
6. Baked goods – Another use of tert-butyl alcohol is in many baked goods with synthetic fruit flavoring that kids love. Of course home made muffins with real blueberries are best, but can be expensive and time consuming. Chances are any pre-packaged baked products or mixes contain safe amounts of an alcohol subset.
7. Cheese – This form of alcohol is even used in the flavorings for cheese. Most kids love cheese and parents can’t object to their kids consuming this healthy dairy product.
8. Medications – The biggest concern parents have is for alcohol found in children’s medications. However, the reason it’s in many cough and cold medications is because alcohol is used to kill germs and dilate tissues in the throat for a warm, relaxed feeling. The lower percentage used in children’s medications are considered safe, such as the alcohol used in some teething medications.
9. Hand sanitizer – Most schools, clinics and other public places encourage the use of hand sanitizer to limit the spread of germs. Alcohol based hand sanitizers are more effective at killing germs than soaps and don’t dry out hands as much.
10. Lotion – One popular baby lotion lists cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol and butylenes glycol in the ingredients. Small amounts of these various alcohols are used in many lotions to soothe the itching and redness of dry skin while remaining gentile enough for infants.

Alcohol is a nearly universal solvent used to mix together various chemicals. You would be amazed at how many different products have some form of alcohol used as an ingredient or in their production. Of course parents don’t want their children drinking alcoholic beverages, but they need not be concerned about the many safe uses of the various forms of alcohols in common products and food items.

The battle between parents and their kids when it comes to getting dressed is the stuff of legend. Even from a young age, most kids have fairly strong opinions about the clothes they like to wear, and the ones that they absolutely don’t. Here are a few of the things that parents love to put on their children, and children hate having to wear.

1. The Sailor Outfit – Kids past toddlerhood almost universally hate the sailor outfit, and the choruses of “Oh, how adorable!” only make them more cranky.
2. School Uniforms – Parents love the affordability and time-saving nature of school uniforms. School administrators love that uniforms take the focus off of clothing and help keep it on academic performance. Kids hate uniforms. They hate the loss of individuality, the typically-uncomfortable fabric and the bland colors.
3. Enormous Hair Bows – There’s a particular kind of parent that likes to put disproportionally large bows on a little girl’s head, even during infancy. Adults may ooh and ahh about elaborate bows, but most kids hate them.
4. Frilly Dresses – While some little girls love to dress up, most don’t like the itchy lace and restrictive nature of a very fancy dress.
5. Anything With a Matching Hat – Try to put a hat on an infant, toddler or even a preschooler. Chances are, they will take it off and hurl it to the ground immediately. That adorable Easter outfit with a matching bonnet may be adorable on the hanger, but don’t count on it staying in place for more than five minutes.
6. Things That Require Turtlenecks – Kids hate turtlenecks. They’re uncomfortable, and can even make some children feel overheated and claustrophobic.
7. Seasonal Sweaters – Most kids aren’t wild about any kind of sweater, but their dislike will quickly skyrocket to furious hatred if a sweater has a snowflake, reindeer or other holiday motif. If you want to cause a really impressive tantrum, try to put a turtleneck under it.
8. “Kiddie” Clothes – At a certain age, most children decide that certain styles of clothing are too young for them. When they reach this point, no amount of cajoling will convince them to happily wear a pastel shirt with ducks on the front.
9. Cutesy Animal Costumes – There’s a reason why the pink bunny costume in A Christmas Story is a cultural icon: it represents everything that children hate and parents find adorable.
10. Bulky Snowsuits – Parents in colder climates love the snowsuit because they’re confident that their children will stay warm and comfortable. Kids, on the other hand, hate the bulky and clumsy nature of a puffy snowsuit. Putting it on is a chore, getting it off is even worse; if nature calls while your child is wearing one of these, be prepared for panic.

As with adults, likes and dislikes vary from child to child. One little girl may love frilly dresses, the more elaborate the better; her sister may have quite impressive tantrums any time she’s approached with one. It’s a good idea to respect your child’s individual clothing taste as much as possible to help foster a sense of individuality, but also to stand your ground when a particular style of dress is absolutely necessary. Striking this balance can sometimes be difficult, but your children will appreciate the effort.

Historically, the distinctions between male and female characteristics have been clearly defined by society and only recently have the lines been blurred. Now the societal roles of men and women are not as rigidly delineated as in times past, so the tendency to insist that boys be boys and girls be girls is in some ways an arcane ideal.

Labels reinforce negative self-images, such as calling a boy a sissy for behavior that has traditionally been more associated with girls. We’re going to share ten reasons why you shouldn’t call your son a sissy.

1. Instilling the notion in your son that he’s a sissy for crying will force him to subjugate those feelings for fear of ridicule, usually resulting in his acting out in other ways to compensate.
2. Labels can be self-fulfilling for a young mind. Eventually he becomes what you’ve programmed him to believe what he was already.
3. Dissuading him from self-expression or engaging in activities that may not agree with your concept of masculine behavior will discourage him from developing skills that would have otherwise brought fulfillment and even a vocation as an adult.
4. Trust is a huge factor in a parent-child relationship. You can irreparably sever this bond by violating his trust with what he will see as rejection.
5. What may just be a passing phase or innocent exploration on his part might transform into a fixation by virtue of your declaring it taboo.
6. You’re in essence sending a message that it’s not OK for a boy to express things like sensitivity, fear, or compassion. These are not incompatible with genuine manhood, and should be encouraged, not judged.
7. Labels also have a tendency to spread; and when they start at the top, from a parent, they roll downhill quickly and with a big head of steam. A parent’s words carry so much weight with a child and can last a lifetime. It’s important to choose them wisely.
8. What we teach our children with our words and deeds is transferred to future generations. Negative labels perpetuate stereotypes.
9. Many of the virtues that we have historically attributed to the female gender can also benefit males as well as society at large; but they need to be not only nurtured but permitted in your son at an early age.
10. We are not so much at risk of raising effeminate children by allowing them to develop their minds and hearts naturally, as we are in danger of handicapping them from healthy relationships and a sense of self-worth if we continue to prohibit  them from doing so.