Dr. Harvey Karp is a nationally renowned pediatrician and child development specialist. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine. Over the past 20 years, he has taught thousands of parents his secrets for making children happy.

When he began to study medicine in the 1970??s, he was dismayed that a sophisticated, medical system didn’t have one good solution for babies with colic, a terribly disturbing but common malady. He read everything possible about colic, and was determined to discover whatever clues possible to clarify why so many children and their parents were overwhelmed by this mysterious condition.

He first learned there are fundamental differences between the brain of a 3-month-old baby and that of a newborn. During the first few months of life, babies make massive developmental leaps. These disparities, he theorized, account for the huge gap between how parents in our society expect new babies to look, and act, and their true behavior and nature.

His second pivotal discovery came when he learned the colicky screaming that troubled so many of his patients and their parents was nonexistent in the babies of several cultures across the globe. He decided to investigate further to find out exactly why that was the case.??? He realized that, in many ways, the peoples living in primitive cultures are ignorant and backward. Though, in some areas their wisdom is great and our culture is actually the ??primitive.??

By combining past trusted information with modern techniques and research as well as his own observations from his years of practice in the medical field, he theorized four ancient principles ?? the missing ??fourth?? trimester, the ??calming?? reflex, the five ??S??s?? and the cuddle cure ?? are crucial to fully comprehending babies and developing the ability to comfort them and help them develop healthy and restful sleeping patterns early in life.

Creating a healthy and happy atmosphere in a child’s room is not an easy task. Do you know what common mistakes parents make in choosing furniture and decor for their kids? What must be avoided and what should be included?

We should consider safety and ecology-friendly concerns. We should think ahead and choose the best mattress for child’s tender spine. With regards to the bed, chair, cupboard and table we should give preference to strong and child-friendly furniture for kiddies’ rooms. So each and every piece of new furniture should undergo our test whether it is strong enough and child-friendly.

Children are fountains of energy! And we must remember that children’s rooms are not only for sleeping, but for active life, games, fun and even sport… we should foresee so many factors. For example, walls: kids might draw pictures on it. So walls should be easily washable. Some parents prefer wall-papered, reasoning that they are more economical and ecological.

Other parents prefer glossy-paper-walls, since they are stronger, and can be washed and even painted several times. The variety is really vast and it allows parents to choose exactly what they like. As long as the colours are eye-friendly for a little person.

It has been scientifically proven that the children develop better if the walls are in pastel colours. It is even influencing the health of the children – they get sick less often, are less stressful and more productive with their homework. While bright colours and large figures, on the contrary, will bring tiredness and neuroses. Since a child’s room is a private space of your little ones where they should rest from the emotions of the day, the colours of the walls in children’s rooms should NOT be too bright.

If pastel tones seem to you too dull and not attractive, then you can choose good accessories, such as teddy bears, colourful lamps, hanging elements or paintings. But it is not recommended to decorate walls with creatures from cartoons or movies, especially modern ones, because it might influence negatively on the child’s psyche. Much better and healthy for the body and for the mind to choose images of nature: for example, fruits – bright, natural multicolours, they will perfectly bring a huge difference into children’s world.

Moreover, fruits can introduce a child to the alphabet and healthy food. Each fruit can contain a smiling face. My close friend shared a very innovative idea on how to introduce fruits and vegetables to the child in the best entertaining manner. Very easy and creative: with the help of magical and healthy fairtytales. It should be narrated to the little one on a daily basis. Preferably it should be an individual story on each fruit that is a part of the room’s decoration. The fairytale should, in an easy and entertaining form, explain to the child about the fruit’s life-story and health benefits. The main aim of this methodology is to introduce little ones to the world of nature and to develop in children the love for healthy food. Besides, the child will feel very comfortable in his room, being amongst good friends – fruits, as these stories will live in his imagination for years.

When choosing the furniture, parents generally are divided into two groups. The first group declares that independence is above all. They are prepared to change almost all items of furniture every second year.

The second group of parents prefer long-term things. Absolutely all – from clothes to furniture should be carefully chosen for years to come. ,For example, longer sleeves and trousers pipes are normally bought up oversize and rolled up. Always having an excuse that today everything is too expensive and child can wear the same shoes 2-3 years if they put in it extra pair of thick socks.

Anyway, again, it depends on an individual’s preference and choice but a professionals would recommend a golden middle road. Bed and chair – these are the two main items that should really be changed relevant to the child’s growth. A tiny tot requires a small cozy bed,a bigger child would prefer a bed with many shelves where he or she could store toys and accessories. The teenager needs a good bed suitable for an grown-up, relevant to his new ‘adult’ status at school, college or home. The chair should be chosen just as carefully, preferably according to the child’s taste. If a child’s elbows are at table-height, then you can be sure that this chair is appropriate for him.

A bookshelf is a essential part of a child’s room and should be very functional. When a child is still small, the bookshelves can be used for his clothing, later it will be an ideal place for keeping his toys, then books. There will never be enough books as long as they are beneficial for child’s mind and heart. We should always be very careful in choosing the right literature for your little treasure.

Let your little one to have the world of good books full of knowledge, kindness, good morals, the world of fairytales and wise stories, that are being narrated by loving parents.

Even the most advanced and exclusive interior without kind words can be replaced by the loving atmosphere created by caring and affectionate parents.

Bedtime routines and rituals are very important for most children in establishing positive sleep patterns and in developing a sense of security and stability. Your child will benefit from a set bedtime. Pick a time for bed that is reasonable for your child and which you can consistently provide.

Establish a bedtime routine that can provide predictability and a comforting, familiar pattern.??? Even an understandable and structured visual pattern can assist this process and can provide reminders and consistency for the whole family.

A good bedtime routine will help teach a child to calm down, relax and get ready to sleep. However, not every technique works for every child. For example, if bathing is stimulating or frightening for your child, it??s probably a better idea to do it at another time of day rather than right before you want your child to calm down and go to sleep.??? Incorporate activities that you know have a calming effect on your child into their bedtime preparatory routine. Keep the routine short and sweet.??? It should realistically only consist of four to six steps that can be completed in a reasonable time frame, not drawn out into hours on end each night.

Reading a favorite book each night, brushing teeth, having a glass of water, and saying a goodnight prayer can all be calming, soothing activities for a young child to perform each night routinely.??? Hugging and kissing family members is usually also an integral part of the process, of course!

There are those nights or times when circumstances prevent your child from getting to bed at their usual time.??? Be sure not to shortchange the process when this happens, but keep in mind that each step can be shortened significantly in order to prevent long frustrations at a time when everyone is tired.???

Co-parenting isn??t easy. It??s actually quite a chore. When neither parent is willing to negotiate or communicate, the child has the job of transitioning from one parenting style to the other. As a parent educator and family therapist, I have seen many anxious and confused children affected by their parents?? inconsistent rules and styles. Sometimes children do this under the same roof and sometimes under two, but the bottom line is that it is the parents?? responsibility to create a balance.

Parenting skills vary much like personalities. The differences can be as subtle as the setting of bedtimes to as serious as choosing consequences for bad behavior. The bottom line is adults have a number of motivations for parenting. For instance, they might try to do better than their parents. Thus, we attempt to find new and effective strategies to raise good kids. These ambitions can be difficult enough. Now add the challenge of joining forces with another adult who was raised by different parents and who may be select different strategies.

So how do parents, married or divorced, stay clear and consistent, raise confident children, and feel influential as parents? They learn how to work together and become better co-parents! Here are several successful co-parenting steps.

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1. Identify your personal style and motivations. Your first job in becoming a successful co-parent is to figure out your general style and motivations. If it were all up to you, how would you parent? How would you motivate your children? How would you use punishment and encouragement? What are the top 10 values you would like to teach your kids? Now ask yourself WHY? Why would your style be that way? What is your motivation? How did your parents parent you? Are you attempting to repeat their upbringing or compensate for it?

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2. Share your parenting style and motivation with your co-parent. I understand that you might feel vulnerable sharing your style and motivation. Your style may be different than your spouse??s style. In order for you and your partner to co-parent successfully, you both need to appreciate and support the ideas you bring to the table. When you listen to where the other parent is coming from, it will allow you to join forces.

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3. Before deciding on a parenting style and direction, consult parenting books and classes. Now that you have looked at each other??s parenting style, take a look together at good parenting books and the current research. Report back to each other and consider how your styles measure up.

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4. Decide on a parenting style. You now have several examples of parenting strategies and philosophies. Its time to blend what you believe with what your co-parent believes and what the experts say. This is the ultimate in negotiation but remember that if you do not negotiate at the adult level, it leaves your child to figure it out. Once you??ve decided, then write down the basics and embrace your new co-parenting style.

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5. Implement your new co-parenting style. Now you parent! Both parents are on the same page. Children are clear on what is expected of them and what the consequences are if they do not follow the family expectations. Thus, it lessens the occasions of arguing between the parents and the opportunities for manipulation by the children.

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6. Hold weekly co-parenting meetings with your spouse. Since you are the CEOs of your family and are business partners in a very real way, you must stay in constant communication. The success or failure of your family rests in your capable hands. Thus, co-parenting meetings are a must! These meetings should include finances, home maintenance, parenting, and relationship issues. Meetings should be held weekly with schedule book, meeting journal and budget book in hand. Continue to review your parenting style. You may find that one child thrives under your new system while another loses balance. Good co-parents always re-evaluate and restructure when necessary.

We are busy parents today. It is difficult to take the time to evaluate our parenting styles but the payoff is big for you as a parenting unit as well as for your child. Co-parenting takes the pressure off our children and the conflict out of our lives.

Does this sound familiar? “Can someone please go to the garage and get me a hammer and a phillips screwdriver?” “Sure, where are they?” “They should be right there on the shelf.” These are the hopeful pleas that escapes your quivering lips. You know that you own a hammer. You know you own a screwdriver. And, you know they are both in the garage. What seems to be a continuing mystery is where these things live. Of course, if everyone else in the family would just be as conscientious as you are about putting things where they belong, all this useless frustration about where things are could be avoided. Argh!

I know that some sort of garage storage solutions would help me out of this nightmare, and I’m off to a good start. Last summer I even built some shelves. These are great for Christmas boxes, a little food storage, some keepsake boxes, and the odd loose item or two. But what to do with the bikes, winter tires, lumber, that third row car seat I hardly ever use, and all the miscellaneous items that seem to clutter up the place? It turns out, there are actually lot of options when it comes to garage storage solutions and I just wanted to share some of what I found.

One of my personal favorites are garage storage solutions that use that empty space overhead. For example, did you know that you can get racks and bins that are made especially for the space overhead. Yep, you can solve your storage problems with some really cool garage organizers like the ones made by Tote Trac. They have these specialty racks that allow you to store skis, snowboards, luggage, blankets, kid’s stuff, sport balls or whatever. They come in different sizes and configurations. My favorite is their 6 track family pack system. It is fairly priced at around $40 – 60 and allows you to hang the tracks from ceiling or wall joists. In closets, the garage, or wherever. The bins hang from the tracks and are easily accessible. They can be hung on drywall and hold up to 400 pounds. The construction is quality white powder coated steel and can easily be installed by one person. It even has hooks allowing you to hang your bike. Anything to get stuff off the floor!

Another one of the garage storage solutions that is really good is made by MonsterRax. They make overhead storage racks that are are an ideal storage system. Their racks are made out of 14 gauge steel frames and can hold up to 500 pounds. These are boltless and can be adjusted for how far down from the ceiling you want the heavy duty wire decking. Pretty heavy duty item that is well-made and completely modular.

And last but not least, there’s the Prostor Heavy lift overhead garage storage solutions made by Racor. No discussion of garage organizers would be complete without a mention of this ingenious product. It basically allows you to load items onto a platform and lift it up to the ceiling (up to 12 feet high) without having to use a ladder. It has a 250 pound capacity so you can really store a lot of things. It includes a 4×4 platform, winding axle, steel support beams, all necessary mounting hardware, and sells for under $200.

Maybe one of these garage storage solutions will help you. I am excited about getting some of these for my garage. I guess I’ll plan out exactly what to get over lunch. Now where did I put my keys?

Kids stuck inside the house on rainy days can get bored and restless, but rainy day crafts can turn a gray, wet day into a fun experience for everyone.� If you are not exactly a “crafts person,” you may have no clue how to occupy your children on a rainy day, but in this article we will outline some of the most popular crafts and activities for children stuck at home in unfavorable weather.

Creative activities, such as crafts, get the entire family involved, and make the time go by much quicker.� A great resource for discovering many new and forgotten classic rainy day crafts is the book, “Rainy Day Crafts for Children,” by Amy Mullen. This wonderful book will fire up your imagination, and perhaps remind you of crafts you used to enjoy as a child.� It includes traditional crafts as well as baking, making self-portraits, and other simple but enjoyable activities your kids will love.

One of the simplest ways to get kids involved is to make an activity out of baking something fun and delicious.� Although they can be quite messy at times, kids love getting their hands into flour, cookie dough and any other ingredients they can stir, shape or otherwise prepare.� It is recommended that you do not worry too much about the condition of your kitchen when baking with children.� Obviously, if you truly get the kids involved, there is going to be a little more mess than usual.� So put aside your inner control freak, and simply let everyone have fun.� After all, there is a time for neatness; and there is also a time for messy child-like fun!

Cut-outs and other simple crafts can also be fun on rainy days.� One simple but effective tip is to trace over a picture of the child, and then cut out the outline as a decoration.� Of course, smaller children can use safety scissors, and you can use any type of paper you have available.� If you don’t have cardboard or other crafts paper available, try using decorative wrapping paper or even aluminum foil.� Let your imagination run wild, and encourage your kids to do the same.� Simple crafts activities like cut-outs can keep your children occupied for hours, and will help develop their imaginations while teaching creative problem-solving.

Another often overlooked activity that is great for rainy days is the humble board game.� With video games and new technology being all the rage these days, many of us have forgotten just how fun it is to get out a simple board game like Monopoly or Sorry.� Always keep a stash of board games on hand for just such an occasion.� These games encourage positive social interaction, and in many cases, help build math and other school-related skills.� But besides all that, they’re just great fun.

Obviously, the time to stock up on materials for rainy day crafts and activities is before the rainy day comes.� Search online and you can quickly find many reasonably priced craft sets that are appropriate for children of all ages.� Keeping a good supply of rainy day crafts available will ensure your kids have a great time in any weather.

There are many reasons living here in a Center City Philadelphia Condo makes me a happy person. I enjoy the view of the City Skyline and the cobblestone streets in Old City. Of course I also love the hustle and bustle. Particularly, here in Philadelphia, the history is something I have always been fond of. And we’ve got some of the best neighbors around.

But there are a lot of other great reasons to want to live here in Philadelphia. Important everyday things that can really help bring a little more happiness to our lives.

Think about it. Socialization with others is one of the most significant sources of happiness in a human being’s life. Whether it’s spending time with family or friends or contributing to the lives of others who may be less fortunate or just talking about a common-area garden briefly with a neighbor, as humans, we need to be around other people. (You rarely hear stories of overly joyful hermits who live sheltered lives all alone in a cabin in the middle of nowhere in Alaska like you might see on some WHYY special.) There is probably more than one local common-are garden to talk about here in center city condo life. There is definitely more than one neighbor to talk to too.

Nowadays, folks spend loads of time working. Actually, some studies show we are working an average of 500 more hours per year compared to about 30 years ago. That is without even adding in commute time. Add another 2 hours a day to that number and we’re not leaving much time for recreation in our lives. That can’t be good for our happiness? But if you lived in a Center City Philadelphia Condo and worked in Center City, you could walk to work (which would be good exercise, fresh air for you, and better for the environment) and you would probably save about an hour and a half per day from sitting behind the wheel at a standstill in traffic. And as a little bonus, you could go meet some friends on your lunch hour at your favorite restaurant or deli right here in the City to squeeze in a little happy non-work related conversation. It’s like free recharge time!

Think of the good urban design here in the City as well as the effective public transportation. With these two great Philadelphia qualities, Center City Loft and Condominium owners are spending less and less time behind the wheel. Neighbors, sidewalks, front porches, parks, courtyards……everything you need to be socially integrated just steps from your front door. You can easily take a stroll to the supermarket, work , a museum, the movies, or your favorite clothing store. And if something is a few more blocks away than you think you can handle or if you are carrying lots of shopping bags, hop in a cab, on a bus, or on the subway. Believe me they are not few or far between here in town.

As a long time Center City Philadelphia resident, I am always surprised at just how “small town” this big town of ours feels. It is a rare occurrence that I can walk to the gym, or simply walk around my neighborhood of Old City, without bumping into at least one or two people I know. Or the overwhelming ability to recognize familiar faces. At the intersection of 12th and Spruce Street the other day, I was waiting for a couple with their baby stroller to cross the street. I recognized him from eighteen years ago when he was an art student. We lived in the same condo building on 15th and Spruce. at the time. He hadn’t changed much. A few pounds, and a short beard later, and he still lives in town. And there is Mark and Paul, who own Zeke’s Deli. They have been frying my eggs for years. No strangers there. Even the crazy lady who walks around town with a bed sheet over her head. Unique, but no stranger. I recall first catching sight of her “one in a million style” when I first moved into the Old City neighborhood in the early 1990′s. Though I do reside in a fairly large urban area, there really is a sense of community. Even if it is simply the sense I get from recognizing familiar faces around Center City. The mailman for the southern residential portion of 19106? Same. The fed ex guy who continually blocks the small street behind my house? Same.

So we center city Philadelphians are lucky enough to spend more time engaging with friends, family, and our community, and less time commuting back and forth to work and running errands! Bottom line, living here in Center City Philadelphia can really bring more happiness to your life. If you don’t believe me, I challenge you to give it a shot. And you too can keep tabs on the crazy lady who wears a bed sheet over her head as a kind of fashion statement. She’s not too difficult to pick out of the crowd.

Send postcards from everywhere. It makes younger children look forward to your next trip and reminds your spouse that you are thinking of him or her.

Use your frequent flier miles for the family. My family knows that long trips mean many miles to apply to great summer vacations. This helps them see the positive side of my time away.

Be home when you are home. When I had a non-traveling job, I would leave for the office at 6am and return at 11pm . The funny thing is that I called that ‘being home’. When I started traveling, I knew a change was needed. I scheduled breakfast with each of my two children each week at our favorite bagel shop. It was great one-on-one time and ensured that they did not get lost in the post-trip paperwork. I actually spend more high-value time with the family now than I did before.

Don’t whine! Your family doesn’t want to hear about your delayed flights and bad hotels and you don’t need to rerun it in your mind. Tell them about the good stuff and you’ll all feel better about it, too.

Marry the right person. Gina and I have been married for over 25 years and her friends think she’s nuts for ‘letting me do all that travel’. Fortunately, Gina is an independent type who enjoys her time alone and takes advantage of my time away.

Bring a little home with you. I have my favorite picture of the family on the background in my laptop. Every time I turn it on, they are there.

Have your children’s teacher’s email addresses. When there are problems at school, I can keep in touch with the teacher from anywhere with email. The teachers love it and I know my children feel my presence (even when they wish I would disappear).

Keep available. I give the kids my cell phone number so they can call me anytime, anywhere. My daughter once called me in Europe to get directions to a restaurant in Boston . It was great to hear from her!

Help out when you are home. Gina knows that she can count on me to do doctor and dentist runs when I am home. I assume this role and others so that she doesn’t feel like a single parent when I am on the road.

Plan some family fun time. When I am home I feel an obligation to encourage fun family time. Whether it’s dinner out, a trip to the mall or a movie, we have fun together. You can plan this while you are traveling and give them something to look forward to.

For a free copy of “10 Ways to Motivate Your Sales Team”, please email article21@waterhousegroup.com and ask for article #21.

Stephen Waterhouse is Principal and Founder of Waterhouse Group. They specialize in helping companies increase their sales and profits. He can be reached at 1-800-57-LEARN or steve@waterhousegroup.com.

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