Shellie Braeuner

Talking to Children about 9/11

September 10, 2011 by Shellie Braeuner 1 Comment

September 11^th brings to mind so many images for us all. Some remember the buildings burning. Others think of the firefighters. Myself, I remember sitting in the family room with three pre-schoolers who were shocked that I let them watch Nick Jr. all morning long. While they enjoyed this un-heard of luxury, I was glued to the computer monitor with one ear bud to protect them from the violent images of the day.

In the long run, it didn’t work. Each of those young boys have grown into young men with their own remembrance of that day.

When talking to children about September 11^th, you must take their age into account.

Dead Baby Pills in Chinese Market

August 22, 2011 by Shellie Braeuner 6 Comments

People pop pep pills all the time. In the United States, pep pills contain caffeine. But in China, there is a little bit more. According to a documentary filmed by South Korea’s New Daily, Chinese hospitals contract with pharmaceutical companies and sell aborted and stillborn fetuses.

The corpses are dried, ground into a fine powder and placed in capsules. These capsules are marketed as stamina enhancing pills in China and several shipments have made their way to South Korea.

According to an article in International Business Times out of San Francisco, the South Korean news crew obtained several of these capsules. Hair, fingernails and bits of bone were visible in the powder. DNA testing showed that the powder was 99.7 % human.
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Getting Ready for the Lunch Bunch

August 20, 2011 by Shellie Braeuner 1 Comment

Bento Boxes — Bento boxes are a great way to pack a variety of fresh food.

Looking for a fun way to send the little ones back to school? Drop the PBJ and chips and send your children back to school with a wider variety of lunches.

Dairy

There are more options than that little carton of milk from the cafeteria. Yoghurt manufacturers have gone to great lengths to make their product more child friendly. Squeezable cups and tubes of fruit flavored product. Try freezing yoghurt tubes and placing them in the lunchbox before school. They are designed to thaw by lunch. Make sliced cheese more fun by cutting out fun shapes with cookie cutters before packing the slice in the lunch box.
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Read to Your Baby – The Importance of Books, Audiobooks, and the Spoken Word

February 23, 2011 by Shellie Braeuner 10 Comments

Guest Post by Shellie Braeuner of Kids Audiobook Reviews

Read and speak aloud – Your baby is listening.

Newborn babies have been listening to the sound of human voices from the time they are in the womb and prefer that sound to any other. (In fact, newborn babies automatically recognize the sound of their mother’s voice minutes after birth, and they can distinguish it from other voices around them.)

There is an important developmental reason for why babies enjoy the sound of human voices – they need to listen to hundreds of thousands of words before they are able to utter even one.

Talking to your baby is vital. Eye contact while holding and talking to a newborn helps them bond and learn the importance of language between people. [Read more…] about Read to Your Baby – The Importance of Books, Audiobooks, and the Spoken Word

Prenatal Massage and its Benefits

February 22, 2011 by Shellie Braeuner

Guest Post by Shellie Braeuner of Kids Audiobook Reviews.

Prenatal massage is a growing trend in the United States.

When a woman is pregnant, there are massive changes in her body. Women’s hormones change how she holds weight. Muscles in the abdomen and back tighten and flex with the growing child. As breasts change size and weight, even the shoulders can become sore and tight.

Pregnancy-related aches and pains are unpleasant. Having your husband or significant other rub your shoulders and back is nice, but it doesn’t beat a professional massage. Prenatal massage is performed by a professional masseuse who has experience with the unique shape and special needs of a pregnant woman.

Prenatal massage helps pregnant women relive stress, manage pain and increase circulation all without the danger of drugs. Obstetric nurses, doulas and midwives know massage can help a woman during labor. The therapist needs specialized training to help women in this very special time in their lives.