You are here: Home / Archives for Parenting

Help for Parents During Rocket Attacks in Israel

November 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment
mother comforts sleeping child

I've been catching up after my trip and am still absorbing the fact that Israel is at war again in the south. My sons, who have finished their army service, have not been called up for reserve duty. We've talked within the family about what to do in case of a warning siren. We've heard some booms from the direction of Tel Aviv. So my life has been relatively unaffected, as much as possible in this small country. I'm glad to be able to keep things together on the home front. But my heart goes out to those whose families are on the front lines, especially those who care for small children or an elderly or disabled person. I remember how traumatized I felt during the Scud attacks on the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: War Tagged With: , , , , ,

Flexible Maternity Leave: Good for Mothers, Babies or Employers?

November 8, 2011 by 19 Comments

The Neta Center (Women for Bettering Their Future) has proposed altering the laws surrounding maternity leave. Currently, maternity leave lasts for 14 weeks. If the mother has been working in the same position for the previous 10 months, she receives a monthly salary from the National Insurance Institute (NII, or Bituach Leumi) based on the average of her last 3 monthly paychecks. After the first six weeks, the father may take over all or part of the remaining leave. Mothers can extend their maternity leave, albeit without pay, to a full year after birth without risk of getting fired (at least in theory). The National Insurance Institute (NII) is strict about maternity leave. If a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Babies, Parenting Tagged With: , , , , ,

Mommy from Beersheva: “No Hate, War, or Politics”

October 30, 2011 by 7 Comments
bowl of chocolate pudding

Mommy from Beersheva, mom to Sarit, 4.5 and Aviv, 2.5, responded to my post earlier today on coping with rocket attacks: I guess so far we've been pretty lucky in keeping anxiety levels low.  I'm not sure if it's something we are doing "right" or blind luck. A few things that help us: We have a miklat (shelter) in our house.  That makes us feel safe because no matter where we are in the house (even upstairs) we can get to it within the allotted time.  We can even play in the yard (e.g. today we stayed inside, but not because we had to, we just did.  Having the option of fresh air and an outdoor space really helps.) Over the summer we really spruced up our miklat, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Israeli Living Tagged With: , , , , ,

Helping Kids Cope with Rocket Attacks from Gaza

October 30, 2011 by 8 Comments
Iron Dome Protection in Southern Israel

        Update:  Mommy from Beersheva responds. Thirty-nine rockets were volleyed on southern Israel last night from Gaza. One Israeli was killed, and several are hospitalized with light injuries. This picture, by Yogev Shlomovitz  of Ynet, and shows a rocket headed toward Gan Yavne. A reader from the south writes: "I am looking for help as to how to explain the rockets and sirens to kids, especially 3-year-olds . . . My 8-year-old tells her 3-year-old brother that they 'want to kill us so we try to kill them.'" I know several of you are in the line of fire. First of all, we  hope and pray that there will be no more attacks. As of 7 am, a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Israeli Living Tagged With: , , ,

When Should Babies Start Solid Foods?

October 25, 2011 by 36 Comments
baby eating oatmeal with fingers

A reader writes: So Tipat Chalav is now advising to give all babies tastes of food beginning at *4* *months*, because if we "wait" until 6 months some babies get more attached to the bottle and might resist integrating solids into their diet.Isn't there some statistic about breastmilk-only for 6 months reducing chances of allergies? There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the new Health Ministry guidelines about starting solids. The written statement makes it clear that starting at 4 months is optional, and should only involve tastes. But some parents are getting the message from Tipat Chalav, whether intentional or not, that they must start offering solids at 4 months. And the fact that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Babies Tagged With: , , ,

Is the “Breastfeeding Doll” Tznius?

July 18, 2011 by 21 Comments

The breastfeeding doll has arrived in the US. First produced in Spain, it has become quite popular in Europe.   The doll is made by Berjuan Toys, a company out of Spain. It comes with a special halter top that has two flowers where nipples would be. When a little girl puts on the top and holds the baby doll up the flowers, it makes suckling sounds. As you might imagine, some outspoken Americans are up in arms about this product. I guess they are worried that little girls might start thinking about what their breasts are designed to do instead of whether they are big or perky enough. People who find it offensive might ask themselves why it's okay for children to play with dolls … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breastfeeding Tagged With: , ,

Breastfeeding Basics with Christina Smillie

June 14, 2011 by 16 Comments
image.png

Many years ago I was asked to visit a new mother having trouble breastfeeding her baby. Not having much experience, I called a colleague for advice. The instructions she gave me for the mother went something like this: Sit in a straight-backed chair, with a pillow behind your back. Rest your feet on a thick book on the floor, so your knees rise above the level of your hips. Place a pillow on your lap to raise the baby to the height of the nipple. And that was only the beginning. In earlier generations, no one had to explain to mothers how to feed their babies. Women grew up seeing their mothers, aunts, cousins and sisters breastfeeding. But once formula feeding became prevalent, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breastfeeding Tagged With: , , , ,

Interesting Links: Dress Codes, Childless Jews, Israel Trip

February 22, 2011 by 2 Comments
sm-group.jpg

I hope you will enjoy today's selection of links. Interested in visiting Israel? The Jewish Women's Renaissance Project writes: We offer highly subsidized trips to Israel for Jewish Women 30-55 to INSPIRE THEM.  Our missions run from June through November. "If you inspire a woman, you inspire a family. If you inspire enough families, you inspire a community,— says Lori Palatnik, Executive Director and co-founder of JWRP.  We are hoping to bring 1,000 women this summer from 20 cities and 6 countries.  See this video by one of our participants from Dallas. On our website you will find a sample itinerary. Here's a new website for Jewish couples who have come to terms with the fact … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Links Tagged With: , , , , ,

Gan for English Speakers: Yes or No?

February 20, 2011 by 74 Comments
image.png

A reader wonders whether he and his wife should send their children to an English speaking gan: We are at a point where we need to place our first son into gan (preschool) next year.  We are trying to decide whether to put him in an English-speaking gan for the first few years, and then in a Hebrew-speaking one for the remainder of his education. So far, responses to our post on our local list is leaning towards English-speaking first. But, I was wondering if you have blogged about this or if you have an opinion. It's about time I blogged about this! Bilingualism is wonderful, and learning two languages at a young age is supposed to increase cognitive ability. By the way, the idea that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gan Tagged With: , , , ,

Guiding Couples Through Infertility

February 13, 2011 by 13 Comments
image.png

I'm continuing my report on the Kolech conference on fertility. The next round addressed aspects of infertility treatment. Those of you offended by Ir-Shai's statements can breathe easy for this post. Racheli Sprecher Frankel is a mother of seven from Nof Ayalon, educated at Matan and Nishmat, and a Yoetzet Halacha (an advisor on matters related to Jewish law, especially marriage). She serves as a —œhalachic counselor— for infertile couples. Sprecher addressed the "inter-halachic" issues surrounding fertility. In other words, unlike Ir-Shai, she focused on how the couples she counsels observe Jewish law in the context of infertility. She stressed that no one pressures couples to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured Articles, Fertility Tagged With: , ,
«Older Posts