Having a sick baby or child at home is no fun ... and I'm just talking about relatively minor illnesses like the common cold or a flu. It's awful to see your offspring suffer and not be their usual joyful self. It's also tough to manage the extra care they require and put up with (usually) more sleepless nights as they struggle to settle down or keep waking up. But there is something that's worse ... and that is getting sick yourself when your child is unwell. With many illnesses such as the common cold or the flu it almost seems inevitable that whoever spends most time with the child gets sick as well (school teachers and day care centre staff can tell a tale of this). So what can we do as parents to avoid getting sick when our children have a cold or flu? Here's my starter for 10 list based on recent experience (my 19-month old went through 2 consecutive colds and an ear infection and I didn't get sick - YAY!).

posted with permission

My daughter sat in her creaky, wooden high chair last week, blissfully happy in her chubby 2-year-old frame, and I worried.

I worried because in a few years this toddler will stand at the edge of the nation's body-image vortex, swirling with size 00 jeans, underfed celebrities glorified in gossip magazines, the latest "America's Next Top Model" and an unrelenting marketing drumbeat that skinnier is better.

How do I keep her from falling in?

My New Year's resolution is to help my daughter prepare for the mind-numbingly complex, sometimes fictitious image of the female body. Unfortunately, I am out of my element.

Today, involved dads are entering unfamiliar territory, such as body-image anxiety. They want to help, but don't always know how, says Harvard Medical University researcher Dr. Nancy Etcoff. When Etcoff gives a speech these days, dads ask a lot of the questions.

ACTIVE FUN IN THE COMMUNITY - ORGANISED SPORT FOR CHILDREN

Why is organised sport for children so important?
Organised sport helps to get children out and about, and contributes to setting up lifelong enjoyment and participation in sport and recreation. Participating in organised sport creates helps to encourage children to start being active for life.

Getting children physically active is brilliant for their health, happiness and learning.

What are the benefits of organised sport for children?
There are many benefits for children who participate in organised sport and activity. There are the physical benefits – healthy bones, bodies and cardiovascular systems and reducing the risk of future health problems. Organised sport and activity also helps children to control their movement and coordination.

Well it's week two and my stubble is looking more like a mo, I get more comments now, some laugh and others like it, more importantly my kids like it.
Thank you to the people that have sponsored us to-date, every contribution makes a difference to a great cause that otherwise goes unnoticed in the media, our own health and the health of other men. - Eric

During Movember (the month formerly known as November) the DIYFather team (Scott on the left and Eric) will be growin a Mo. That's right we are bringing the Mo back because we are passionate about men's health and the fight against prostate cancer. Why...

* Every year in New Zealand 2,656 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 600 die of the disease, making prostate cancer the second largest cause of male deaths, after lung cancer.

* The average life expectancy of a man in New Zealand is 4 years less than a woman.

To sponsor our Mo please go to http://www.movember.com/nz/donate, enter our registration number which is 106223 and your credit card details. Or you can sponsor us by cheque made payable to the "Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand" clearly marking the donation as being for my Registration Number: 106223. Please mail cheques to: Movember, PO Box 87 150, Meadowbank 1742, Auckland. All donations over $5 are tax deductible.

Week one into Movember and I have some recognisable hair that could be called a mow, as well as a strip of hair under my lip called a tickler, I have noticed some guys around town have already got a well formed mow in only seven days, well I would be lucky to get to that stage at the end of the month, but I will see. - Eric

During Movember (the month formerly known as November) the DIYFather team (Scott on the left and Eric) will be growin a Mo. That's right we are bringing the Mo back because we are passionate about men's health and the fight against prostate cancer. Why...

* Every year in New Zealand 2,656 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 600 die of the disease, making prostate cancer the second largest cause of male deaths, after lung cancer.

* The average life expectancy of a man in New Zealand is 4 years less than a woman.

To sponsor our Mo please go to http://www.movember.com/nz/donate, enter our registration number which is 106223 and your credit card details. Or you can sponsor us by cheque made payable to the "Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand" clearly marking the donation as being for my Registration Number: 106223. Please mail cheques to: Movember, PO Box 87 150, Meadowbank 1742, Auckland. All donations over $5 are tax deductible.

During Movember (the month formerly known as November) the DIYFather team (Scott on the left and Eric) will be growin a Mo. That's right we are bringing the Mo back because we are passionate about men's health and the fight against prostate cancer. Why...

* Every year in New Zealand 2,656 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 600 die of the disease, making prostate cancer the second largest cause of male deaths, after lung cancer.

* The average life expectancy of a man in New Zealand is 4 years less than a woman.

To sponsor our Mo please go to http://www.movember.com/nz/donate, enter our registration number which is 106223 and your credit card details. Or you can sponsor us by cheque made payable to the "Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand" clearly marking the donation as being for my Registration Number: 106223. Please mail cheques to: Movember, PO Box 87 150, Meadowbank 1742, Auckland. All donations over $5 are tax deductible.

One in 20 grade-schoolers is taking drugs for Attention Deficit Disorder - or ADD. Now, some of these children may really need medication, but experts recommend that you examine your child's lifestyle before you medicate. Is his diet full of sugar, caffeine and processed food? Is he getting enough exercise? Is he getting too much stimulation from video games and TV?

But, more importantly, does your family life have structure? Is he getting enough attention from you? Often kids will act out to get noticed.

So, why not take a one-on-one weekend trip with him, and use that time to really observe and talk about his behavior. And talk about your relationship. For you may find that this is where the real attention deficit has been.

Here are some tips on parenting an ADD child.

Huddle up and ask your wife tonight: Do you think our child has ADD? Do you think it's a lifestyle or medical issue?

Posted with permission from www.allprodad.com

A friend of mine runs a company (Anatomy Fitness) dedicated to fitness and nutrition. This first article is not only for your pregnant partners, but for you to support them by participating in their exercise.

- Eric

Exercise, Fitness, and Pregnancy

Exercising in pregnancy is great for you and your baby, as long as you are sensible and follow some guidelines. Not only does exercising release endorphins which will make you feel great, it is also great to prepare your body for labour and birth. Many studies have shown that mothers who are fit generally have a far easier labour and delivery than mothers who are unfit. It doesn’t have to be a lot of exercise, but every little bit helps. Below are some tips for exercising while pregnant. Please note though, that for both yours and your baby’s safety, you should always consult your Lead Maternity Carer (LMC),or the medical professional overseeing your pregnancy if you are not in New Zealand, about what exercise is appropriate for you to do while pregnant.

I think one of the worst punishments for both parent and child is looking after them when you are sick!

This week both myself and my wife were sick, Renee went to work with the flu and I was looking after Pyper, I was sick and really not in the mood for running around chasing her, and having her scream at the top of her lungs with everything that she finds cute or not!

So what do you do when you have to look after a little person who may also be sick and you or your partner are in charge, and your sick also??

If you are really sick then you shouldn’t be looking after them at all. Call a friend or relative and ask them to come over? If they can’t then you should definitely ask your partner to help out. Possibly you might need ½ a day to recover and then they might be able to go back to work or if the job permits they possibly might be able to do it from home.

In the first part of this series we decided that there are a lot of good reasons to include your child on your family health insurance plan. So, in this part we’re going to take a look at what kind of plan to get, what to avoid, and a couple of tips for saving money.

In short, when choosing a health insurance plan your main focus should be getting quality, 100% cover for the things that really count – surgery and hospital care.