Good Feng Shui For Children

Lately I have really been into Feng Shui. I decided to study up on how this ancient art of object arrangement can affect your children. 

Creativity and children live together in the same part of your home (according to feng shui) because they share the same energies. This is an area that you will enhance to ensure yourself of many descendants as well as make sure that you will always take time out to “smell the flowers” and enjoy life’s recreational pursuits. To enhance this area you should make sure that you have lots of  metal picture frames that are used to feature photographs of your children. If your Creativity and Children sector is in your kitchen then make a point of displaying metal molds and utensils on your wall.  A display of metal cookie cutters shaped like animals is a nice touch. 

The color white equals the element of metal in feng shui. To enhance this area paint it white.  If this area is in your bathroom, augment it with white fixtures and white towels.  White dishes in the kitchen can help accomplish the same purpose. Look for furniture and everyday accessories that are round in shape such as throw rugs, coffee tables and stools.

Moving objects such as a round metal clock or a rotating fountain can also augment the energy in this sector.  If you do install an aquarium or fountain make sure it is shiny and new looking and that the water is always kept clean. Hoy is closely related to creativity and also the spirit of playing children.

The western sector or western wall of your home is the best place to put any kind of entertainment unit, the television, displays of art as well as store games, stuffed animals dolls and any kind of juvenilia. It is also the best area to store or feature items that are related to hobbies or crafts such as painting easels and sewing machines. S

ymbols of Fire and Real Fire are not favorable to children in Feng Shui. As the Eastern sectors of your house are isruled by the metal element this is not the place to put candles, a fireplace or a stove. This is because according to the Cycle of Destruction, fire destroys metal (and thus your creativity and fertility.) If you do find that your hearth or stove is placed against the Western Wall of your home then you can remedy the situation by placing a mirror above the mantelpiece or near the stove. Mirrors symbolize water in feng shui so the metaphor would be “putting out fire with the water.”  

Lately too I have been toying with many of the new room sprays that are on the market. Orange scents are supposed to enhance creativity and joy, especially when combined with vanilla.  Spraying your child's room with lavender can also help enhance peace. Lavender is also an age old remedy for getting your child to go to sleep.

Parenting Tips
, , , , , , ,

Toddlers and Depression

Believe it or not there is a rising epidemic of depression among toddlers in North America. It is depressing in itself to think that they can suffer from it at all but apparently many toddlers can get the blues.

Many studies conducted since the 1990s show that clinical depression is a disease that can attack all ages. Depression and thoughts of suicide can plague a child as young as two years old and torture them the same way they do an adult or teenager. 

An ongoing study being conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Washington School of Medicine is finding that there are more toddlers and preschoolers with depression then we think. Their findings about toddlers and preschoolers with depression were so concerning that it has prompted a major Surgeon General Report to be conducted about the state of children's mental health in the United States. 

According to the National Mental Health Association, a whopping one in three children in the United suffers from depression.  The results of these types of studies are thought to be comparable to what is going on in other countries in the world.

 Unfortunately if your kid is depressed it can be a lot harder to diagnose then it is for an adult as so often it is interpreted as misbehavior stubbornness or even a low intelligence quotient. Like adults, toddlers and preschoolers lose all interest in activities that they used to enjoy when they are depressed. They also become lethargic, withdrawn and irritable. A depressed toddler may also cry a lot, lack enthusiasm be impatient and irritable and always be tired.

The child may also withdraw from favorite family, friends or activities. Toddlers that are depressed may also have trouble sleeping or sleep all day. Many of them suffer form excess weight gain or weight loss. The toddler who is depressed may whine more or need more attention. Frequent complaints of physical problems, such as stomachaches and headaches can also indicate depression. 

Depression in toddlers can also mimic learning disorders, regression, and lack of concentration and memory loss. In severe cases the child may talk morbidly or try to harm oneself or others during play. Trying to harm or a kill a pet is also a symptom.  If you see these symptoms take the kid to a doctor. It does not mean you are a bad parent! However before you rush your child to a doctor keep in mind that kids have ups and downs just like adults. The above symptoms become pathological when they begin to have some duration.

Displaying any of the above symptoms for a day is not the same as displaying them for weeks on end and that is what you mainly have to watch for.  According to a report done by the United States Surgeon General any child that displays depressed symptoms for more than two weeks needs to see a doctor. According to the same report the average duration of depression in a toddler usually lasts from seven to nine months.

Parenting Tips
, , , , , , , , , ,