Mommy Pehpot, Author at Mommy Pehpot

Three Parenting Strategies That Will Optimize Your Child’s Life

If you’re like most parents, you want your child to be a spiritually, mentally, and physically balanced being who attains personal and professional success. However, these things will not materialize magically. Rather, children lead positive, productive lives when they are taught life skills and nurtured in a loving way. Luckily, there are numerous parenting strategies you can employ to ensure that your child leads the optimal life she or he deserves. Here are three of them:

1. Spruce Up Your Home.

Environment plays an integral role in child development. Specifically, orderly, aesthetically appealing physical spaces can help your child think and work more productively. Home environments that are consistently clean and highly functional can also help create a sense of stability in your child’s life. As such, it’s important for you to periodically spruce up and optimize your home. There are numerous DIY projects you can put in place to do so, including the use of dryfast foam products like marine foam cushions in your child’s bedroom. Companies like The Foam Factory sell these products.

2. Emphasize Optimal Eating.

Another parenting strategy you can deploy to optimize your child’s life is placing emphasis on optimal eating. Children who eat well tend to have more energy, a stable mood, and greater self-confidence. The positive benefits that eating well have on the mind and body are unlimited, so make sure that you start teaching your child healthy eating patterns as soon as possible. One way to do this is by being a model, which means that you should be avoiding junk food like candy bars and highly processed items such as frozen dinners. Also be sure to pack fresh fruit and vegetables in your child’s lunch box so that you know what she or he is eating in the school cafeteria.

3. Be Active With Your Child.

One final strategy you should deploy to optimize your child’s life is being active with her or him. Children who exercise regularly have boosted immunity, a more positive body image, and better posture. There are several ways that you can be active with your child, such as becoming a coach or assistant for the local basketball, soccer, or softball team that she or he participates in.

Conclusion

Parenting is a skill that is honed and improved upon throughout the course of time, and the result of great parenting is oftentimes a balanced, happy child. As such, the use of sound parenting strategies is important if you want your child to lead an optimized life. Refer to the information found in this quick reference guide to ensure that you can help facilitate this outcome!

What You Need To Know Before Looking For A House

As most of you all know, we’ve been renting an apartment since we started our family. It was only in 2013 that we decided to purchase our own house. We moved to our house just last year, imagine we’ve been renting an apartment for 10 years! It’s not that easy to buy a house here in the Philippines. And it’s not easy to look for the perfect place/ community to grow a family. We even considered going abroad and see if we can start anew.

Out of all the places, we fell in love in Australia. Melbourne is ranked as most liveable city! The city is filled with parks, perfect for big family like ours. It’s also considered as UNESCO City of Literature, so many books to fill my kids’ curious minds! And of course, the houses!

We both wanted a house and not a condominium. It’s a big factor that we’re both raised in rural communities and not urban communities. The houses are lovely! Even the house and land for sale in Victoria, Australia were lovely and we can also imagine living in that area.
If only we can have a house there! But our house search though was limited to the places near us. We started our search in communities near the place we were renting. And while looking for house, we’ve learned that there are different types of houses and each one is priced differently. There’s duplex, single attached, and detached.

Duplex type of house are the kind of houses that shares a common wall usually on both side of the property. Its facade sometimes can be confused as one house but it’s actually 2 houses built but shares the same wall. Based from the houses we’ve seen, most duplex have their own parking area. We found this kind of house not suitable for us.

Single attached type of houses are the kind of houses that also shares a common wall but only on one side of the property. This was the kind of house that was offered to us. It seems very ideal for our family since it has parking space and a small space for kids to run.

We decided on buying a detached house as what we always prefer since we’ve seen those fabulous detached houses for sale in Melbourne. As the name implies, this kind of house is a stand-alone. It does not share a common wall in any side of the property, in fact it has its own fence. It also has its own parking and an ample space for gardening or whatever suits the house owner.

The house that we bought is not RFO or ready for occupancy. We paid the equity first and they started building the house when we’re done with the half of the equity. If you’re planning to have your own house, you’ll face the same question as we had before, RFO or build your own house?

From our experience, RFO (or like our arrangement) can be more expensive than building your own house but it is less stressful. We just need to take care of the payments as the house is done and ready to be occupied. The only disadvantage we’ve experienced so far is that we have no say on the style of the house or where things should be. It was minor in our case. I think, it would have been more difficult for us to build our house from scratch.

If buying a house for the first time, knowing the type of houses as your first step is very important. This will give you a glimpse of what kind of house is best for you and your family.

Proper Treatment for Pigsa, Wounds and Other Skin Infection

Ano ba ang mabisang gamot sa pigsa? I am sure most of you already experienced having pigsa. Ang sakit sakit di ba?!?

Pigsa is a skin infection brought about by the entrance of bacteria through a hair follicle. Infection po sya.. hindi totoo ang sabi sabi na pag may pigsa ka eh dahil marumi ka. Of course, kapag marumi ka sa katawan, lalala lalo ang pigsa mo.

Staphylococcus Infection

Pigsa or Boils are usually caused by a bacteria called Staphylococcus. This bacteria is already present in our skin and is harmless. It becomes harmful when it enters inside our body which causes infection. In the case of Pigsa, it enters through hair follicles or oil glands.

Aside from pigsa or boils, Staphylococcus can also cause these skin infections:

impetigo
cellulitis
Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome

And other than the skin infections mentioned above, Staphylococcus infection can also lead to:

food poisoning
blood poisoning,
pneumonia,
toxic shock syndrome
septic arthritis

YES! Staphylococcus infection is that serious! That is why it is very important to take care of a wound or a skin lesion. And improper treatment can lead to a more serious complications.

Eh di ba ang mga bata, kaunting kibot lang, nasusugatan na. Nakakatakot ung mga infections brought about Staphyloccus. Kaya naman I am very thankful that I got an invite to a recent event sponsored by Fucidin®. Proper way of taking care of wounds and cuts and how Fucidin® works when it comes to stopping Staphylococcus infection were discussed during the event.

#NoToStaphy Event

Mommy bloggers were invited to attend the #NoToStaphy event. Dr. Kristine Gutierrez talked about wound care 101 while Dr. Irene Gardiner talked about Fucidin® product and uses. According to Dr. Irene Gardiner, if the wound is MOIST use theFucidin® cream and if the wound is DRY use Fucidin® ointment.

Mr. Lars Olen- Vice President LEO Pharma™ (Global), graced the event and introduced what LEO Pharma™ is all about and its mission to the mommy bloggers.

Mommy bloggers were encouraged to join the fight against wound infection and participate in the say no to staphy campaign.

#NoToStaphy event is a sponsored event by Fucidin® in a parnership with PurpleBug® – digital marketing partner of LEO Pharma™.

About Fucidin®

Fucidin® (Fusidic Acid) is a formulation specially made to fight against a number of gram positive bacteria such as Staphyloccoccus. Fucidin® is a product of LEO Pharma™

LEO Pharma™ is a research-based pharmaceutical Danish company founded in 1908 and owned by LEO Foundation, which means commitment to delivering the best care for the patients.

They offer wide product range of dermatology products marketed in over 100 countries and has decades of trusted heritage in the Philippines. LEO Pharma™ Philippines is a Division of Zuellig Pharma Corporation

Steps To Proper Wound Care

STOP the bleeding.
Admit it mga inay, nakaka praning makakita ng blood.. and it’s a normal reaction. Just imagine how scary it is for the kids. Take a deep, calming breath then apply a steady but gentle pressure for 15 minutes with a sterile bandage to stop further bleeding. Elevate the wounded area, be it his arm, hand, knee, or leg, if necessary.

CLEANSE the wound
First things first, make sure nanay ang kamay mo ay malinis din ha. Wash the wound and the area that surrounds it with soap and lukewarm water for 15 seconds to prevent further contamination. DO NOT USE ALCOHOL and HYDROGEN PEROXIDE. Remove these two in your wound care kit na, it can only do more harm than help.

SECURE against infection
While cleansing removes bacteria from the wound and its surrounding area, it doesn’t kill bacteria, particularly the much despised Staphy. To battle this and help your child’s skin’s natural healing process, apply a thin, even layer of antibiotic cream or ointment on the surface of the wound to keep it moist. The ointment will also keep the bandage from sticking into the wound. Your best bet is Fucidin® because it’s fast acting and deep penetrating yet it does not damage healthy tissues.

COVER bigger wounds with bandage
If it is a minor cut, you can leave it uncovered. For small cuts, you can used adhesive strips (try 3m steri strips.. highly recommended by yours truly! maharlika lang). If the wound is big or worse,protect the wound from dirt and further irritation by applying a sterile bandage to help keep it clean. Covering your kid’s wound aids in more efficient healing, decreases the chances of scarring and infection, and offers extra comfort and protection until the wound is healed completely. Tips on covering wounds:

Hourglass-shaped bandages are great for wounds on tricky areas like his knuckles, heels, or fingers.
Larger bandages or adhesive bandages with wings are great for joints like elbows and knees
Separated edges of a cut can be closed with a butterfly bandage.

It’s actually a myth that bacteria will flourish under a wound dressing. Uncovered wounds dry out and form scabs, leading to greater chances of reinjury and scarring (you won’t want this happening to your child, especially a girl!). Using a sterile dressing will prevent further contamination. As long as your bandage is clean and replaced whenever needed, then you’re covered.

KEEP wounds wet
Don’t let it get dry and leave it exposed to air. Know that wounds should be moist, clean, and covered so they will heal faster. Moisture not only provides the skin’s cells with enzymes and nutrients to help fight infection, it also keeps bandages from sticking and causing further damage to the tissues. To do this, apply a layer of antibiotic ointment like the aforementioned Fucidin to help prevent infection. You may also apply Fucidin below bandages to keep the wound moist and protected from microbial agents, such as the dreaded Staphy.
REMINDER: Natural wound healing should not be disrupted and must be left covered for at least 24 hours.

CHANGE the dressings
If your child has a deeper, bigger wound that requires dressings, make sure to change it whenever the bandage becomes dirty or wet.
TIP: It’s always best to ask a healthcare professional for the proper ways of changing the dressings specific to the wound.

OBSERVE for infection
Eto na nga at pinaka iiwasan natin at ayaw na ayaw nating mangyari sa mga sugat ng mga anak natin. What are the signs of wound infection?

redness
increasing pain
pus secretion
warmth or swelling around the area

CONSULT a dermatologist
May mga time talaga na hindi na kaya ng super powers natin. We really need to call the Avengers na.. err consult a dermatologist. Here’s what we need to take note to know when to seek medical care for your kid’s wound:

If the infection fails to heal, is bleeding or oozing with pus, has read streaks, or if your kid has a fever
If the bleeding cannot be controlled by a bandage, direct pressure, and elevation
If his wound looks like it may need repair with stitches because of its size or cosmetic reasons
If his wound is from animal bites
If the wound is difficult to clean
If there is any of the aforementioned evidence of infection

This is a long read mommies, but please make time reading this one and join the fight against wound infection. Itataya ko ang blog ko for Fucidin® (oy not because I received compensation for writing about them ha) nasubukan ko sya talaga. Pigsa developed in my breast area… sa dinami dami ng lugar di ba!! jusmeeee and two days after applying Fucidin®, matutuyo na sya! I also tried it for my son.. mahilig kumain ng kuko eh..so talagang upod na ang mga kuko nya. Iniiwasan namin na masugatan sya sa area na iyon dahil last time na nasugatan sya, bonggang infection ang naganap! Eh nag kasugat pa din.. syempre I followed the proper wound care and applied Fucidin®. Kinabukasan, wala na ang sugat nya. Kaya talagang Fucidin® will now be included in our wound care kit.

Know more about Staphylococcus infection and Fucidin® by visiting the No To Staphy Website and No To Staphy- Fucidin® Facebook Page.