*Reliable full-time daycare in Mebane*

Cuddly Bear Daycare

Stay-at-home mom has two full-time openings, and one part-time opening in her Mebane home, located in Collington Farms.

As a licensed k-6 teacher with four years teaching experience, and recently two years of grocery store management experience, I have decided to stay home with my 9-month old daughter. We live in a spacious four-bedroom, two living room home filled with age-appropriate toys, children’s music, children’s videos, and children’s books.

Being a teacher makes me value a structured, nurturing childcare environment. I promise to provide daily activities filled with:

Mealtimes
Naptimes
Music Time
Independent, and Guided Playtime
Story time
Downtime, including children’s videos (i.e. Sesame Street) and movies (i.e. Disney)

My hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p. m., Monday through Friday. Taking in ages 0 – 3 years.

I have a B.A. in Elementary Education from Mars Hill College, and I am currently in the M.Ed. program at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Three weeks to college acceptances

I assume that I am the only mom of a high school senior out there, or the blogs here would have been filled with comments of the stress of the college application process.  Only three weeks to go until all acceptances are mailed out.  Will my sanity survive??   When I read Illyse's column on her Type A personality in getting online for her middleschoolers classes, I had to laugh:  just wait until online college applications!    I am a very hands-off parent.  Whatever my child wants to do, apply to whatever college, whenever and however, is fine, as long as I don't have to serve as her personal secretarial assistant to make sure the deadlines are all met.  Luckily she has the organization down to a science.  HOWEVER, there is no way not to make the whole waiting game a nail-biting experience.  It is like sending a resume into a black hole when one really, really needs and wants a job,  sitting back and watching your child send her applications into the college application black hole.  All the online statistics about acceptance rates of every college for every type of student -- gradepoint, ethnicity, geographical region, socioeconomic class, standardized test scores, etc.   only make the application lottery more of a nightmare.   One dean of college admissions sent ALL of the applicants' parents an email telling them to chill.  THere is one month left, and he was afraid the parents of all his college's future students were going to be locked away in a looney bin.  At least he understood.  It was a very nice letter about the applicants: "I applaud their accomplishments and look with confidence to the future that they will shape, here or elsewhere. 
We also applaud your role in their academic and personal development."   Whew, my job there was recognized, so nothing left now to do but chill.

Infant Stimulation Acitivities

Does everyone still know about infant stimulation activities. Because the "bible" How to Have a Smarter Baby was first published in the mid-80's and the commercialization of this research really took off in the 90's (i.e. black & white toys, mobiles, etc). I was wondering if any moms still follow the activities that were based on the original research?

Skin-to-skin, "kangaroo care" so important!

A new US-based but  Australian-led study suggests that low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin may be responsible for SIDS in newborns. According to the study, infant massage may be one way to boost serotonin levels in newborns. "Scientists have known for a long time that touch and skin-to-skin contact play a major role in the development of serotonin pathways in babies brains," said Australian pediatrician Graham Reynolds. "Now that a link between serotonin and SIDS has been established, more research is needed to find out whether infant massage may help further reduce the rates of SIDS, in conjunction with the Safe Sleeping Guidelines."
For the full story, please click here: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/29271/

Skin-to-skin contact, aka "kangaroo care," also helps new mothers establish their milk supply, regulate newborns' body temperatures, and promotes bonding (dads are encouraged to practice kangaroo care, as well).

www.doulacarebyamy.com

Crib Recall

The Consumer Product Safety Commission will announce a massive recall of cribs on Tuesday. Details are here. Recalls of infant and child products will be listed here. 

Downtown Raleigh daycare openings

First Presbyterian Church Child Development Center has openings in its 1-year-old and 4-year-old rooms. This is a four-star, full-time daycare with some awesome, caring teachers. My daughter has gone there since she was a baby. If you're looking, please give them a call at 821-1845.

What's your opinion on the cervical cancer vaccine?

There is growing concern about the safety of the cervical cancer vaccine and there have been numerous documented cases of injury and death in the US to girls that have receive the vaccine.
Any thoughts? Pros and cons? I'm always so hesitant to trust a new vaccine that has not had the advantage of being tested over time.
My other thought is this...if HPV is sexually transmitted, then can't we just teach our children to wait until marriage for sex? I feel that this is not an unrealistic proposition considering that people have been sexually abstinent until marriage for many centuries in a lot of cultures. It is really only within the last 50 years that all of the sexual moral taboos over premarital sex have been eliminated.
Here's a story on it. It is in the UK, but it's basically the same product.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,556943,00.html?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a16:g2:r4:c0.135986:b28009542:z0

Shingles in kids? anyone?

My teenager was sent home with shingles today.   Yes, shingles: the disease though formerly rare in people under age 50, the shingles that anyone who has had chickenpox, the vaccine or disease, can get.   Is there a resurgence of shingles in kids or young adults today because of stress?  Does anyone know, or know other kids who have gotten shingles?    I wanted to know if my child is a real outlier here, or if shingles in teens is becoming a new trend. THX.  My initial search for changes in demographic trends of the age of shingles patients did not find any data except in blogs where laymen were claiming more kids were getting shingles, but had no data to support it.  What have you heard?  If your kids are getting the vaccination, ask your doctor.  

Chrons Disease

My boyfriend has Chrons Disease; has been at UNC Hospital since June7th. Mike was just admitted to ICU for the 3rd time lastnight since being at the hosp.
Does anyone on here have family members/friends who have Chrons.....

thanks
Alissa

Babysitting co-ops

There's a story in The N&O today about interest in babysitting co-ops where parents swap services with each other.

I know there are several neighborhoods in North Raleigh that have at least had these in the past ... Harrington Grove comes to mind. Have you participated in one before? What was your experience?