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You want your daughter to wear a dress to the party. She wants to wear jeans. You want your toddler to take his medicine. He does everything he can to keep that yucky stuff out of his mouth. The more you insist, the more they resist. You can break free from power struggles and turn turbulence into positive growth opportunities by putting a few helpful tips in place:

* Step back and view the big picture. How do you respond when your kids challenge your authority? If you view your kids as “willful,” or “bad,” consider this: it is developmentally appropriate for kids to test their boundaries. As children grow they have a natural desire to make their own decisions and do things for themselves. They want to separate from their parents and function under their own power. Instead of viewing this as threatening, view it as anecessary part of growing up.

By taking on a big picture view, your emotions won’t overpower your judgement when dealing with power hungry kids. When you exert your will through force and intimidation, one of two negative side effects occurs: either your children give in and lose motivation to make decisions for themselves, or they rebel, fighting back against you. When children push for power, remind yourself that a positive response from you can set a course for cooperation and empowerment.

* Break negative patterns. Power struggles follow a pattern like the steps of a dance. They do “this,” you do “that.” Change the pattern and you change the course of your relationship. Anne has a pattern of engaging Mom in power struggles over her curfew. Anne tells mom, “I’m staying out late.” Mom says, “No you aren’t.” Anne protests. Mom yells. Anne glares. Mom punishes. Anne seeks revenge with rebellious behavior. It’s always the same pattern. Once Mom recognized the pattern, she made a conscious decision to change it. The next time Anne said she wanted to stay out late, Mom had a new response. She said, “You really want to stay out late tonight don’t you dear?” Anne started to protest out of habit, then looked at Mom in shock. “Yes,” Anne said, “I want to stay at Kims house until 11 p.m..” Mom listened to Anne’s feelings assuring her that when she got older, she could stay out later.

* Allow kids to make some choices. Lots of parents report success at sidestepping the initial power struggle. Then, they slip back into yelling out orders which sets the pattern back in motion. This can be avoided by giving kids choices that allow both your needs to be met. Judy doesn’t want to wash her sticky fingers. Instead of fighting with her, Dad gives Judy a choice, “Do you want to wash with bar soap or liquid soap?” Judy picks liquid soap.

Kids want power. When you give them choices within reasonable limits, it’s much easier for them to cooperate. The key to making choices work is to only give choices you are willing to accept. Give “real” choices not manipulative ones, such as this: “You can choose to eat your tuna fish sandwich or choose to lose television for the day.” That’s not an empowering choice. When you allow children some sense of power in their life, even if it’s something small, like what color cup they drink from, what bedtime story they hear, or whether they want to do homework before or after dinner, their esteem grows as they enjoy some control over their lives.

* Empower your kids. When you cannot seem to break free from a power struggle, ask yourself, “How can I empower my child in this situation?” Jane argued with Michael about eating junk food. Every time her back was turned, he devoured everything. Jane decided to give Michael power by telling him, “Michael, I bought one box of girl scout cookies. I will not be buying more snacks until next week. You are in charge of how you want to eat your snacks. You can eat them quickly or make them last throughout the week.” Michael counted the cookies in the box and made a remarkably sensible plan for snacking. No more power struggle.

* Do the unexpected. Using humor helps to side step power struggles. Breaking out into a foreign accent or cartoon character voice can lighten the mood. When things are getting tense, wave your hand in the air and say, “Lets erase this whole conversation and start over again.” Walk out of the room and come back in, starting over on a calmer note. This can be enough to set things back on track.

* Focus on solutions. Power struggles create a win-lose attitude. No one truly wins unless you both win. Teach kids the importance of listening to and considering each person’s point of view. Show them how to look for solutions that work for all. You can say to your child, “Lets see if we can come up with some ideas that take both our needs into consideration.”

* Disagreements and disrespect are two different things. Do you believe your children should never say “no” to you? Instead of viewing “no” as a sign of disrespect, view it as a disagreement. We encourage our kids to say “no” to drugs and peer pressure. While teaching kids to stand up for themselves, we must realize there will be times they will stand up for themselves with us. The key is to teach kids to show respect during disagreements. When Andy said, “You can’t make me eat those peas. Get them off my plate,” it didn’t go over well with Dad. He sidestepped the power struggle by saying, “Andy, it’s easier for me to be helpful to you if you say something like, ‘Dad, I would rather not eat peas with dinner.’” Every time you take a respectful approach with your children you model peaceful ways of dealing with disagreements.

Marilyn Suttle presents parenting and work/life communication keynotes and workshops for corporations and associations. To receive her FREE e-newsletter: Life in Balance: Thriving Kids/Thriving Parents, visit: www.SuttleOnline.NET, or reach her directly at 1-248-348-1023.

There has been much attention in the media of late on the transformation of families, Dr Phil’s Phenomenal Family Series and Super Nanny to name a few. I recently had the pleasure of being featured on a radio program, Coaching Corners in New York in which I spoke about creating your dream family by becoming the parent you want to be. Many parents have this hope but do not know where to begin and how to get there. Others know what to do but get side tracked; finding their present state of their family is far from what they want it to be. I hope this article will help those who are new parents create your dream family and those seeking to transform your family. I want to make parenting easier, more meaningful and encourage parents in their efforts withthe following four principles.

First,create your vision of your dream family.

Look beyond the immediate behavior or situation seeking to be changed. Rather than focus on quick solutions, consider the big picture. The big picture reflects the long term or the more important values you are trying to make an impact upon. Corporations and businesses find they are more successful with a vision and mission statement to guide the daily efforts of their leaders and teams. You are leading your family toward a vision.

Here are questions to consider in creating your vision. What are your values and greatest desires for your family? Who are your parent role models and mentors? What families do you aspire to be like? What is your definition of success and happiness for your family? What experiences from childhood do you want to bring or not to your parenting?
When considering your vision, you want to capture the essence of what you value and want to create.

Some examples of possible family visions include:

1. To teach and influence my children to be generous in spirit, have a contribution to make and become responsible citizens.

2. I want my home to be a safe haven, a place of laughter and fun in which my children want to be home and the neighborhood children feel welcome.

3. I want to create a family which values learning and curiosity and celebration of one’s uniqueness.

The above 3 combined can be one family’s vision statement. It is important to note, one’s vision and values are not to be judged. There are different versions of success and happiness.

Second, change yourself and you will have influence over the destiny of your family.
You can influence the outcome of your child’s self-esteem, behaviors, and values through your relationship, approach and modeling. Pay attention to how your communication, discipline methods, use of family time, habits and routines, and activities supports your vision. Many parents seek help with discipline issues. One of the most common errors a parent makes is in focusing on the wished for outcome. It is easy to get attached to the outcome of your efforts. The more attached to needing your child to change, the more likely to become frustrated and unwilling to stay focused on you. So instead, as you approach your child’s behavior and discipline I suggest you 1)be very clear and focused on what you want to create (rather than stop), 2)let go of needing your children to be different, 3)recognize and change your own behavior which interferes, and 4)have faith and patience with the process.

Third, one size does not fit all.

Over the course of my 18 year career working with families, many parents have sought my services to deal with problem behavior hoping to find the ‘right’ strategy to ‘cure’ the behavior of their child. There are some strategies suited for some parents and some to others. Parents sift through many books seeking to find the answer. Some books conflict with others, some walk you through each step with what to expect and how to respond. It can seem overwhelming and confusing.

Instead of searching for the ‘right’ way to raise your children, you can:
Experiment with approaches which seem in line with your philosophy
Explore new possibilities, be creative
Grow along with your children, learning from mistakes, being willing to struggle
Use your unique strengths and skills
Pay attention to your intuition

When you keep the big picture in mind, the choice of parenting strategy will become apparent to you. In other words, have a vision and your approach will follow hence making parenting easier and more meaningful.

Fourth, change necessary areas of your life to support your family vision.
You can make your family a priority without losing yourself or your marriage in the process. Staying on track with your parenting efforts can be supported by other areas of your life. Example areas to keep in check:

Health and well being.

If you are exhausted, you will get in the way of your dream becoming reality. Adequate sleep and leisure time for self are essential. In order to take care of yourself, admit you cannot do it all, acknowledge your struggles, and accept your own limitations. Even, ask for help!

Marital and co-parenting relationship.

It is very important you share a similar vision and approach to parenting. Notice what you each contribute that may be different but equally valued. Give time to yourselves as a couple. Ah, the famous last words, “Remember, when we used to…”

Financial/Professional.

Yes, you can seek financial/professional and family success together. It may be necessary to reevaluate the intent of your financial and work related goals if it is interfering with your family vision.

Create Your Dream Family TELECLASS
Begins May 11th. Two classes offered, 11:00am and 12:00pm
Go to www.baystatecoaching.com for details on class and registration. Email lisa@baystatecoaching.com

Lisa Martelli of Baystate Coaching is a Personal and Career Coach with 18 years experience as a psychotherapist. She provides ongoing one-on-one coaching via telephone and also offers teleclasses, and workshops on location.

The end of Daylight Savings Time marks the time when we “fall back” or set our clocks back one hour. Those who aren’t parents delight in the gift of an extra hour of sleep. Those of us who have children fear waking at 5 am instead of 6 am! However, there are some basic techniques you can employ that will help this transition go smoother.

If your child’s bedtime is 7pm or later:

On Saturday, October 29th, try to push your child’s bedtime forward at least fifteen minutes to a half hour if possible. The key is not to force your child to stay up too much past his/her normal bedtime because this could be counter productive. If a child’s bedtime is pushed too far the night sleep may become disrupted and the child may also wake too soon. Continue this gradual change in time for the next night or two until your child’s bedtime has been adjusted by forty five to sixty minutes. Be sure to keep a morning wake up time no earlier than 6 am.

If your child’s bedtime is before 7pm:

If you have an infant who goes to bed between 6 pm and 7 pm then you can use this earlier bedtime to your advantage! On Saturday, October 29th put your baby down to sleep at his/her adjusted normal bedtime, i.e., between 5pm and 6pm. Treat this as a short nap and wake your baby after twenty to forty minutes. This will set your baby up for a later bedtime. Your baby will most likely adjust to the new schedule very quickly.

By implementing these easy techniques your family will be back on schedule shortly. If you are one of the lucky ones, it may only take a night or two to achieve this new schedule. If this is not the case, do not worry; children should take no more than a week to adjust to their new bedtime.

Copywrite 2005 Child-Works, LLC

Rachel Steinberg is a sleep consultant at Child-Works.

http://www.child-works.com is the ultimate parent toolbox providing parents consultation services, information, and resources in the areas of sleep, behavior, and education.

Baby shower invitations set the tone for the big day

Baby shower invitations reflect the joy you feel at this special time in your life. Pregnancy is often a time for people to reflect on the meaning of family. A baby shower is an opportunity to gather family for laughter, stories, celebration and advice.

Shower invitations share the joy

Shower invitations and especially printable baby shower invitations should be of the finest quality. Shower invitations are not simply devices of practicality. If they were, you would just make the announcements to everyone via e mail. People send printed shower invitations in order to commemorate the importance of the event and make baby announcements in style.

For style, for beauty, and for durability, handmade shower invitations are the best. Acid free paper ensures the shower invitations will last a lifetime. Mass-produced shower invitations can show age within decades and by the time your child is grown, the shower invitations may have yellowed or faded. With acid free shower invitations, you know that your children may see these shower invitations and announcements in the future.

If you save one of these shower invitations to place in your child’s baby book where you keep the birth announcements notices, he or she will undoubtedly spend time marveling at it. The beauty of the shower invitations will let him or her know just how anticipated they were, and how much you thought of them, even before they were born. Beautiful, handmade shower invitations will help your son or daughter reflect on their entrance into this world.

Looking for baby bedding, baby gift baskets, baby furniture, baby shower invitations, baby strollers, Robeez shoes, baby shower games or themes, please visit http://www.baby-shower-4u.com



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Whining. They all do it. It’s not so much what they’re saying as the creepy little tone of voice that gets under your skin and makes you want to stab yourself in the neck with a pencil. Or maybe that’s just me.
It’s a horrible habit to get into and it can seem like an impossible habit to break your child of, but let me tell you the really scary thing: You, yes you, are actually the person who taught your child to whine - and you are the one who will be able to make it stop.
Whining is one of the ways that our children use to manipulate us into getting their own way. Yes, I said “manipulate.” A lot of people don’t like it when I say that, but our little buggers are brilliant manipulators - and it’s okay. Every person has to learn how to be happy in the world and for a certain span of time - say from the age of 1 until 30 - we think that getting things will make us happy. So, it logically follows that we learn how to manipulate our environment to learn how to get stuff.
As the major vehicle in your child’s life, they learn how to drive you like a fine Porsche. If I push this petal, I’ll get this result and if I push this one I’ll get this. Don’t just be a passive petal, sitting there waiting to be pushed around. Take the wheel and teach your children how to negotiate the world in a healthy, respectful way.
Following, you’ll find the keys to breaking the habit of whining and learning how to use Direct Communication. This is one of the most important skills to teach our children - especially our girls.

Keys to Learning Direct Communication

• The first key is to stop rewarding the behavior that you no longer wish to see. This first step is very important. Every single time your child whines, simply say, “I am going to say ‘no’ to that request because you whined instead of asking me. Next time, try saying, ‘Mom, may I please ________.’ instead and give me the choice of saying ‘yes’ or ‘no.’” That’s it. Say it the same way every time and NEVER give in to whining. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your children will learn this new way of getting what they want. Remember: you teach people how to treat you. This is especially true of your children.

• Now that your children are asking direct questions, you have to make sure that you are also practicing direct communication with them - and your spouse. If you are modeling manipulative, indirect ways of managing things, they will continue to try to manipulate you. There are many, many small ways that we manipulate our families and friends and it’s time to STOP! If you use the techniques of half-truths, white lies, going behind someone’s back, talking over each other or simply ignoring one another, passive-aggressive manipulation, assuming authority for everything without including your partner, sacrificing yourself and your needs to make yourself feel superior, or any combination of theses to get what you want from your spouse and others, you are teaching your children to use them as well. It’s time to cut the games, stand in your authentic Self and use direct and clear communication. This opens the door for every person in your home to be themselves, with no apologies, able to negotiate (and re-negotiate) healthy agreements for themselves. Life becomes about happy cooperation, not sneaky manipulation.

• Practice, Practice, Practice. Really work on asking clear, direct questions. Give others the opportunity to say “no” to you and practice saying it to others. The reason people use manipulation to get what they want is because they feel powerless in the face of a situation. You are never powerless. As you learn how to be clear and direct, you access more and more of your own inner power. And, what’s most important, you model for your children how to make healthy requests and to learn to be okay with a yes or a no answer.

Shelly Walker is the mother of two beautiful children and the author of Awakened Power and the upcoming book Parenting Keys. Shelly is passionate about children and believes that every child deserves healthy, happy parents. For free tips and to find out how to get a free copy of her new book, go to http://www.parentingkeys.com.

For some women, getting pregnant is very easy. They find that it can all happen within 3 months. However, on the other side of the coin, some women find it very difficult to get pregnant. There are many reasons for this, such as; Age, stress, and overall physical condition.

Nowadays there are four fertility tests that you can take in order to find out the reasons as to why you can’t get pregnant. The four fertility tests are; Hormone testing, Ovulation, Chlamydia and gonorrhoea cultures, and Sperm analysis.

Hormone testing consists of a series of blood tests that are taken at different times, which helps to verify the normal hormone production. This blood test measures the amount of progesterone you have, and finds out if you have enough of it to carry on a pregnancy. Another blood test is done to test your prolactin levels. Prolactin is the hormone which is responsible for producing breast milk. Having elevated levels of prolactin can impede with conception. There is also another blood test taken to test your thyroid function. Having an under or over stimulated thyroid can cause problems with getting pregnant.

In the ovulation test, your gynaecologist is looking for regularity in your cycle. A good way to track your cycle length is by using and ovulation predictor kit. This kit is recommended by most gynaecologists.

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea cultures are taken in order to detect these two viruses (Chlamydia and gonorrhoea). These two viruses are preventable but also difficult to detect. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea can cause infertility.

Sperm analysis is done by taking a sample of your partner’s sperm. With this sample, one can easily evaluate sperm count and quality. The quality of the sperm is measured by its shape and movement.

Taking these 4 fertility tests will help your doctor to find out where the problem lies in you not being able to get pregnant. Once your doctor knows this, the next part of the procedure is finding a solution to rectify this problem. Good luck!

By Paul Ghossain
http://www.multitheme.com

There is hardly anything else that can match the excitement of waiting for the arrival of your baby. Ask any parent, especially the mother-to-be, and you will be told that the new baby’s arrival is, by far, the most cherished and much-awaited event. She waits with baited breath for the moment when she will be able to hold her baby in her arms and see this most wonderful and precious gift of nature. She spends each waking hour counting the ticks of the clock for the baby’s arrival.

One way to shorten the period of waiting is to organize a baby shower. It serves many purposes and helps to take the sting out of the anxiety of waiting.

A baby shower is held to formally inform all the near and dear ones about the baby’s arrival. They, in return, bring gifts for the baby and shower their blessings and good wishes on the expectant mother. Generally baby showers are organized by the parents, friends or relatives.

The idea of holding baby showers has no apparent historical background. It is a typical US style custom that is being widely recognized in countries influenced by the American lifestyle.

Basically, a baby shower serves the purpose of making a joint effort to collect all the essentials for the baby. It helps to reduce the financial burden on the parents-to-be, and also gives them many ideas and useful tips to be prepared for the most important event in their lives. Needless to say, it is a beautiful way to welcome the new member in the family.

Whoever organizes the party has to think of unique and original ideas or themes to make the baby shower a memorable event for the expectant mother. They look for ideas that would best suit her personality or the tone of the occasion. Of course, the underlying theme is of celebration, merrymaking and festivity so that all who come enjoy the occasion.

Finding brand new ideas that have not lost their charm due to overuse is not an easy task. You have to think of so many things, the most important being the gender of the baby.

If you know the sex of the baby it becomes a lot easier to plan the baby shower accordingly. It’s the first step towards organizing the baby shower.

It helps you to decide the theme of the party, and you have then no problem in choosing the appropriate colors and organizing the right kind of games to play.

It goes without saying that it becomes difficult for the organizers to come up with brilliant ideas if the sex of the baby is not known. In such cases, they have to rely on the neutral colors and push their creativity a little harder to think of interesting games to play.

You can organize an excellent and fascinating baby shower, whether or not you know the sex of the baby. Of course, you will have to do your homework and search for some generalized and yet amusing baby shower ideas. You will find any number of ideas floating around that can make the party great. Just keep your eyes and ears open to catch them and personalize them with a bit of ingenuity.

Looking for Baby Shower Ideas

If you have a creative mind, you will have no problem coming up with great baby shower ideas. You will easily think of something attractive, appealing and appropriate.

Someone who is not so ingenuous also has nothing to worry about. There are many magazines and brochures that present excellent ideas. Moreover, it’s’sbest to talk to relatives and friends, and if nothing else works, go to the Internet.

Thanks to information technology, it is not difficult to come up with a perfect baby shower idea. You will find tons of web sites that cater to those who are planning to organize a baby shower. You can pick and choose what suits you best.

Essentially, a baby shower must cater to the taste and style of the guests and keep in line with the personality of the parents-to-be. It should be a fun occasion that can express the joy and happiness of everybody for the baby’s arrival.

Kim Anderson is the owner of http://www.quickandeasybabyshower.com and http://www.quickandeasybabyshower.net Sites devoted to helping you make sure your baby shower is great.

“Life is not a matter of holding good cards but of playing a poor hand well.” Robert Louis Stevenson

Resiliency, or the ability to “bounce back” from adversity and challenge, is a trait (or perhaps a skill-set) that I’m sure all of us as counselors, parents, and/or educators, hope to foster in our children, our students, our clients, and even in ourselves. We know that being resilient is necessary in being able to maintain perspective, move forward, and overcome setbacks. Without resiliency, an unfortunate event, accident, or loss can result in giving up, learned helplessness, hopelessness, and a lack of social interest.

Whenever I think of resiliency, I can’t help but think about my experiences as a Probation Officer in the Juvenile Court system and the many children I encountered there who lived in unspeakable conditions and in the most dysfunctional of circumstances. Amid the many terribly troubled kids in the system, there were always a rare few who were amazingly resilient, despite their living conditions and familial dysfunction, making me wonder where they got the strength to cope and exist in a world that, to them, must have seemed terribly unfair and difficult.

Just as there are some children from great families who mess up and have to learn many of life’s lessons the hard way, there are, too, many children who come from dysfunction and despair, who somehow make it, and somehow survive amazingly welldespite poverty, affliction, criminal families, lack of education, and a lack of social or moral values or role models. I would often wonder, in my years of working with some of the most troubled teens in town, what their secret was. What was it that made it possible for one kid to be capable of coping, overcoming problems, turning his life around, and abiding by societal rules, when another from a similar background just couldn’t seem to be able to get it together?

Fortunately, much research has been done on the topic of resiliency, and Tucson is a leader in the Resiliency Movement. The Tucson Resiliency Initiative (TRI) is “a grassroots effort to promote resiliency” (TRI website www.tucsonresiliency.org).

According to “Introduction to Resiliency” by Katie Frey, Ph.D., (www.tucsonresiliency.org), researchers in this field have identified characteristics common to children who have succeeded “against the odds.” These protective factors include many traits that can be developed by using principles that we identify from psychology as being Adlerian in nature, including encouragement, respect, and social interest. In her article, Dr. Frey lists qualities of resilient children as those who are “self-reliant, independent, self-controlled, hopeful, and who have an internal locus of control, and a sense of purpose.”

So what can we do to help foster these qualities and create an environment for our children that is condusive to resiliency?. To learn resiliency, we can help provide access to resources for meeting basic needs, access to leadership positions, opportunities for decision-making, and meaningful participation in the community. Other suggestions by Dr. Frey include creating an environment where there is unconditional acceptance by at least one other person, having clear and enforced boundaries, encouraging pro-social values, appreciating an individual’s unique talents, and creating and maintaining a positive school climate with teachers and positive adults who truly care.

So as the school year begins, and many of us resume (or continue) in our efforts to make the world a more encouraging and resilient place, keep in mind that the single most important thing you can do in the life of a child is to love him or her and present opportunities for growth and reliency.

For more information on the Resiliency Movement, check out these resources:

www.tucsonresiliency.org
www.raisingresilientkids.com
www.resiliency.com

Jana Beutler Holland, M.Ed. is a life coach, therapist, and personal trainer based in Tucson, Arizona. Jana is owner of Life in Motion Coaching, a Life Coaching Company, as well as SWAT Fitness, a personal training company, providing personal fitness training in Tucson and online, as well as offering several other fitness programs to help clients lose weight, improve their health and fitness levels, and live happier, healthier lives.

Baby shower games are a wonderful addition to any baby shower. They can be used as a ice breaker to get things warmed up or they can be used to fill in time between other activities or as an optional activity for those who want to do something fun.

Some things that you want to think about before planning baby shower games are to think of the target audience. What are the ages of people attending the baby shower and what types of games would they like. It is best to plan baby shower games that encourage people to interact. When people talk to each other, work together, and talk they have more fun. It also helps to have some type of small prize. This helps motivated people, instills a little bit of friendly competition and gets people into the game. This does not need to be an expensive party favor or anything just something small and simple. A candy bar, a candle, bar of soap or any other fun trinket will work.

Nursery Rhyme fill In- This is an easy general game that can be played by everyone. Prepare some nursery rhymes before hand by deleting a few random words out of the text. Then read the nursery rhyme aloud and people try to guess the deleted word as your reading.

Baby Memory Game- This is a great memory game for the intellectual types in the crowd. Prepare a large tray with 10 to 15 baby items. Things like bottles, diapers, and so on. Then cover the tray with a blanket and place it in the middle of the room where everyone can easily view it. Take the blanket off for 10 to 15 seconds and then place the blanket back. You can then provide all the guests with a piece of paper and they write down all of the things thy can remember from the tray.

What Is the Mystery Taste? - Prepare this one ahead of time by purchasing a few different jars of baby food. Take the labels off or cover them with some opaque paper. Number the jars so you have a reference for the contents of each jar. Then have people take small bites and try to identify the food.

You Did What? - This can be a fun game for people that know a little bit about each other before coming to the shower. As people come to the shower have them complete a small piece of paper where they list 4 little known things about themselves. They do not need to write their name on the paper and then just collect all of the slips of paper in a bag or box. Then one at a time people pull out a paper, read it and try to guess who it is about.

Three Truths and a Lie- This is similar to the game above but another fun variation. As guests arrive have them write 4 things about themselves. One of the items that they write about themselves is a lie and the other three should be true. They will then read this aloud to the group and everyone will try to guess which one is the lie.

Baby shower games can be free, cheap and easy to put together yet they add a nice touch to the baby shower. People can become more relaxed and feel comfortable by playing baby shower games and it helps the interaction flow a little more smoothly. Often people are stuck talking about he weather, work or other mundane topics. By playing some fun baby shower games you can energize the crowd and create a fun open environment in which people can easily strike up spontaneous deep conversations.

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By the time you find out you’re pregnant (pregnancy test $15) to the time junior blows out the candles on his first birthday cake (cake $20), parents can expect to spend upwards of $18,000. And that’s on baby’s first year alone. By the time junior reaches 18, the average middle-income family will spend $160,140, according to recent government calculations. That doesn’t even touch college tuition. Ouch!

Children are priceless, but raising them is probably the most expensive thing a parent will ever do.

But there’s good news. One of the few times companies are eager to hand out free things is when someone is having a baby!

When author, Sue Hannah found out that she was expecting twins, she couldn’t wait for their arrival. But feeling the financial strain that goes along with being a new parent (times two), she was definitely a little nervous.

Desperate to find extra help for her expanding family, she contacted almost every company that manufactured baby items. She scoured through parenting magazines, searched the Internet and made phone calls until her husband thought she was suffering a pregnancy-induced craze. He claimed she couldn’t get something for nothing. Boy, was he wrong!

She was surprised to find out that many companies offered free stuff to new and expecting parents–and with no obligation to buy anything! She received hundreds of dollars worth of fabulous freebies for herself and her babies, including free diapers, baby wipes, baby food, baby bibs, bottles, free gift packs, parenting starter kits, free parenting videos and software, coupons, parenting books and magazines, and tons of free samples in the mail, all from well-known companies like Huggies, Gerber, Heinz, Nestlé Carnation, Johnson & Johnson, and many more.

“It was really exciting to receive free stuff in the mail”, says Hannah. “These companies were eager to respond to my requests for free samples and promotional items and within a couple of weeks of contacting them, my mailbox was flooded with valuable free stuff–and with no obligation to buy anything! I could hardly wait to see what my mailman brought me in the mail each day! I filled up three large storage bins with free stuff for my twins, and saved a ton of money!”

After receiving a flood of free stuff in the mail, Hannah decided to compile her contacts and listings into an awesome book, Free Stuff For Baby!, consisting of toll-free numbers that parents could call to request free stuff, company addresses where parents could write to request free stuff, as well as Internet websites where parents could register online to request free stuff for themselves and their baby. And what a success that book has been! Hannah has recently appeared on several television programs promoting her new book, including, “Northwest Afternoon” (KomoTV/Seattle), “Your Morning” (Comcast), “Canada AM”, “Breakfast Television”, to name a few. Her articles have appeared in tons of parenting magazines, including “Fit Pregnancy”, “Today’s Parent”, “Work & Family”, and many more!

For those “new or expecting” parents who are reading this article today, Hannah has offered to give you a sneak preview of her new book, “Free Stuff For Baby!”, in the form of an awesome, 101-page e-book called “The Best of Baby Freebies”, that contains hundreds of listings of companies that offer free stuff to new and expecting parents in the U.S. and Canada….FREE!! Details are available at the website. www.Free-Baby-Samples.com

Hannah’s final words of advice: “Join as many mailing lists as you can to take advantage of what these companies have to offer. Enjoy your baby. Cherish every moment!”

Note: When contacting these companies, ask to be put on their mailing list to receive free promotional items for new and expecting parents. If you are expecting multiples, be sure to mention that in your correspondence with them.

Check out Sue Hannah’s website at www.Free-Baby-Samples.com, where you can sign up for these and many other free baby offers online. Simple, Fast….and FREE!!

1. Pampers (Procter & Gamble)
In the United States or Canada, call 800-543-0480, 800-726-7377
U.S. Website: http://www.us.pampers.com/en_US/home.do (click on “JoinPampers.com”)
Canadian Website: www.pampers.ca (click on “coupons and special offers”)
Call the above-listed number to be put on the company mailing list to receive sample products and disposable diaper coupons. Call again after the baby is born to receive further offers. Pampers will also send out occasional mailings and coupons at the different stages of your baby’s development. When you register online at Pampers.com, you will receive a free newsletter, a $10.00 New Registration Coupon Book, private product previews and samples from Pampers, as well as special offers from other Procter & Gamble brands.

2. Huggies (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
In the United States or Canada, call 800-544-1847
www.Huggies.com
Call, or sign up online to join Huggies’ mailing list for new and expecting parents where you will receive coupons for Huggies diapers, wipes, and other promotional items and free samples that they are offering at the time.

3. Johnson & Johnson
In the United States, call 800-526-3967
In Canada, call 800-361-8068
U.S. Website: www.johnsonsbaby.com
www.babycenter.com
Canadian Website: www.jnjCanada.com
Parents can call the above-listed number to receive a free Baby Care Basics brochure with valuable coupons, as well as to receive occasional mailings from time to time with further offers from Johnson & Johnson. You can also attend at the Johnson’s Baby Website to sign up for their free personalized newsletter, as well as special offers. When you sign up, you will automatically be entered for a chance to win a diaper bag filled with $50 worth of Johnson’s Baby products. There is one winner each month. Good luck! Residents of Canada can call Johnson & Johnson to receive a “New Parent’s Pack” with free samples, coupons, and literature.

4. Bright Beginnings
www.brightbeginnings.com
Bright Beginnings, the fastest-growing baby formula in the United States, is offering a free sample of Bright Beginnings baby formula, coupons & more. Residents of the U.S. can sign up online at the Bright Beginnings website.

5. Nestlé Infant Nutrition
In the United States, call 800-242-5200
In Canada, call 800-387-5536
U.S. Website: www.verybestbaby.com
Canadian Website: www.nestle.ca (click on “Good Start Magazine”)
Call to join Very Best Baby to receive a free 6-month subscription to The Very Best Baby magazine, as well as to receive free money-saving checks for Nestle Infant Nutrition products. You can also register online to join the Very Best Baby at the above-listed Website. When you register online, you can choose to receive an assortment of free benefits.
Residents of Canada can call the above-listed number to receive a FREE subscription to the Nestlé Baby Magazine for expecting and new moms. Along with your free magazine subscription, you will receive valuable coupons, free samples of infant formula and baby cereal (if you choose), plus information and savings on special products for new parents. You can also subscribe online to the Nestle Baby Magazine by visiting the website listed above.

6. Similac Welcome Addition Club
In the United States, call 800-BABYLINE (press #1)
In Canada, call 800-518-CLUB
U.S. Website: www.welcomeaddition.com
Canadian Website: www.welcomeaddition.com (click on “Join the Club”)
Call the above-listed toll-free number, or attend at the Website listed above to join “The Similac Welcome Addition Club”. Member benefits include money-saving discounts, free samples of Similac Infant Formulas, periodic newsletters containing expert pregnancy and parenting advice, or other gifts. Residents of Canada can call the toll-free number, or write to the address listed above to join the “Welcome Addition Club” to receive coupons, free samples, and a free gift for your baby.

7. Enfamil Family Beginnings (Mead Johnson Nutritionals)
In the United States, call: 800-BABY-123 (press #6)
In Canada, call 800-361-6323
U.S. Website:www.enfamil.com
Canadian Website: www.enfamil.ca
The “Enfamil Family Beginnings” program is a free program that is brought to you by Mead Johnson. Call the above-listed toll-free number to take part in the program and receive valuable retail checks and special offers. You can also register online at the above-listed Website to join the “Enfamil Family Beginnings” program.
Attend at http://www.enfamil.com/enfamil8.html/ to print out a page to pack in your suitcase and give to your nurse at the hospital when your baby arrives to receive a free diaper bag and other free samples.(Offer available at participating hospitals.)
Residents of Canada can call to receive discounts on baby formula, and to join the “Enfamil First Connections” program. When you join “Enfamil First Connections”, you’ll receive a keepsake box with a free product sample and coupons, informational brochures, & more. You can also register online at the above-listed Website to join “Enfamil First Connections”.

8. Gerber Products Company
In the United States & Canada, call 800-4GERBER
U.S. Website: www.gerber.com/mygerber/register.asp
Canadian Website: www.gerbercanada.com
Call to receive coupons for baby food, a free informational booklet, and a free baby spoon. Check out Gerber’s Website to receive up to $50 in valuable coupons for Gerber products, special offers, free samples and more when you join “Growing Up Gerber”.

9. H.J. Heinz Company
In the United States, call 800-USA-BABY (press #2)
In Canada, call 800-565-2100
www.heinzbaby.com
Call the above-listed number to receive a free feeding booklet with discount coupons, as well as other free promotional offers from Heinz. Residents of Canada can call the above-noted number to participate in the “Children’s Miracle Network” program, a label-saving program where you can collect and send in the labels/box tops from any Heinz baby product. Through the Children’s Miracle Network, Heinz will make a donation of 6 cents for each label collected to a local participating children’s hospital.

10. American Baby Magazine
U.S. Website: www.freebiesquest.com(click on “baby & toddler”)
Get a FREE subscription to American Baby magazine! Are you a new or expecting parent? Do you know someone who is expecting a baby or who has a baby under 1 year of age? Check out Hannah’s website at www.freestuff4baby.com for tons of baby freebies and parenting resources!

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***For more baby freebies, don’t forget to check out Sue Hannah’s website at www.Free-Baby-Samples.com where parents can sign up for these and other terrific baby freebies. SIMPLE, FAST…..AND FREE!!!

Sue M. Hannah is the author of “Free Stuff For Baby!”, published by McGraw-Hill Publishing Companies. Check out her website at www.Free-Baby-Samples.com for more baby freebies!