Catching ZZZ’s - Tricks and Tips For Getting Two Under Two To Sleep

Challenges of Parenting Closely Spaced Siblings

Parents of closely spaced children face many unique challenges. This is especially the case for parents that have two children under two or three children under three.

Most times children this young have varying sleep schedules. That means you may have one or more children that isn’t yet napping regularly or sleeping through the night.

Children that aren’t sleeping through the night can incite even greater sleep deprivation in their parents, who need all the energy they can possibly get during the day just to keep up with their closely spaced children.

Getting enough sleep is vital for managing your temperament and helping you face the challenges that parenting closely spaced children brings.

Key Strategies For Getting Two Or More To Sleep Routinely

So how do you get your youngest to sleep through the night? Better yet, how do you find time to sleep during the day?

Believe it or not there are several simple and effective strategies you can use to get your babies on the same sleep schedule.

Even if you can’t get them sleeping at the same time, you can find time to ‘rest’ during the day and ensure that each of your children sleeps at least one 5 hour block or more at night.

Here are some key strategies for ensuring a restful day and good night’s sleep:

Let’s Eat Outside - Great Kid-Friendly Picnic Ideas

Summer is finally here and with the kids home all day this is the perfect time for a picnic. Pack up some food, cool drinks and a blanket and head for the park, playground or even just the backyard. You can even entertain your little ones with a picnic on the kitchen or living room floor on a rainy day.

Of course you could just fix some PB&J sandwiches, pack a couple of juice boxes and call it a picnic, but there are so many other fun and delicious things you could prepare. Here are a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing.

A New Twist for PB&J

Pack a few rice cakes, a small jar of peanut butter, some raisins and other dried fruit as well as some apples. When it’s time to eat, spread peanut butter on the rice cake and let your child decorate it with the dried and fresh fruit. Raisins become eyes, a slice of apple the mouth and a berry makes a great nose.

Crackers and Cheese

Buy some hard cheese, such as cheddar, slice it (or buy it pre-sliced from the deli), and cut shapes out with small cookie cutters. You can also use cookie cutters on thicker slices of ham, salami or bologna. Serve with an assortment of crackers, and fresh fruit, such as grapes or berries.

Deli Style Sandwiches

Get some sub rolls, a little mayo and mustard (the small packs you get at fast food places work great for a picnic), and a variety of deli style sandwich meat and cheeses. Top it all off with a few leaves of lettuce that you washed at home and brought in a plastic baggie. Let each family member create their own sub with their favorite meats and cheeses. A bag of chips completes the meal.

“Fried Chicken Strips” With Veggies n’ Dip

Use some crushed cornflakes to bread chicken breast strips and bake them in the oven until done. You can do this the night before the picnic and refrigerate the chicken strips - they are delicious cold. Cut up some veggies like peppers, celery, cucumber, broccoli and cauliflower and add some baby carrots. Bring a little ranch dressing to use as a dip and your picnic is complete.

Desserts

Fresh fruit of course always makes for a great portable dessert on a picnic. Some homemade or store-bought cookies are another great option. Bake a batch of brownies, cut them and bag them after they have cooled completely for a chocolaty treat.

Grab a cooler, fix some sandwiches and head out to the park, playground or even the backyard for a picnic. Don’t forget lots of water on warm days!

Want more family friendly recipes and crafts ideas? Visit http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/info your entire family will love and http://www.kinderinfo.com for tons of craft and activity ideas that are sure to keep your little ones entertained.

Confidence : The Forgotten Parenting Skill

Let’s be honest, none of us was prepared for parenthood. Parenting is by far the most complex and demanding job you’ll ever take on, without advanced qualifications. So it’s not surprising that so many of us feel under-confident in the role.

When I first became a father, a friend once asked me what I most wanted for my new baby. Without thinking, I blurted out “confidence”. It surprised me that this was the first gift I thought of, but now I’m not at all surprised. Because with confidence, not only is so much possible, but we have the capacity to enjoy life.

What I really want for my children is happiness. Confidence is merely a means to an end. I also want them to live good lives, in the sense of developing integrity, honour, a sense of justice.

The first few months of parenthood were a trial. I don’t think anything prepares us for the lack of sleep, the sheer energy required to keep up with the demands of this helpless little creature. I have three children now, all different personalities, and one of the changes I observed was that we became much more relaxed with babies two and three. We knew what we were doing, we could anticipate the next steps, we just weren’t as flummoxed as we had been with baby number one. And you know what? This was good for our children.

It’s also something I see in my hypnotherapy clients. If you’ve ever visited a therapist you may have been surprised to be asked about your siblings, and your ‘birth order’ - where you fit in the sequence of children. This is because group dynamics affect us all, and the dynamics of the family leave a lasting impression - an imprint, if we can call it that. A child’s birth order really does have an impact on how they will develop, and perhaps the nervousness we feel with baby number one is part of this overall picture. Exposing family dynamics is often a helpful part of the process of helping people to understand just where some of their anxieties originated, and how irrelevant they are today.

So how do we develop confidence in children? The key is to provide opportunities for children to safely achieve. There is a debate rumbling under the surface of Western society regarding the teaching of competitive sports. Some commentators feel that it is essential to prepare children for a competitive life, whilst others take a more nurturing view, arguing that we should give all children the opportunity to become successful in something. Like many debates, this one is rarely exposed to public attention but continues by innuendo and half-truths, so that it becomes a battle between two competing clans rather than a shared venture to discover some useful truths.

All children can achieve. I have run projects with children as young as 7 years who proved themselves capable of mastering the most sophisticated professional audio recording equipment. I have worked with young teenagers who have not only composed and recorded professional-sounding songs, but also developed business plans which would shame many a professional in the field. Children are not limited by their age - if anything, it is adults who become limited by the changes induced by time. Of course children don’t have the same depth of knowledge and experience that we possess, but this is a blessing as well as a disadvantage.

So have the courage to let go a little, and sufficient confidence in yourself not to hold your kids back. Confident parents bring up confident children, and that is a gift to the whole family.

Jim Sullivan is a confidence coach.

http://confidence-self-esteem.com

May I Have This Dance?

How do people from dysfunctional homes know what is normal or appropriate in relationships? What happens if you want to be a loving parent but your role model was a bad example? How do you learn to be a mother if you have never been mothered?

As a parent educator, I have been blessed to work with groups of people from all over the world who want to enhance their parenting skills or find help in the midst of crisis. None reinforced the choice of my calling as did a participant a few years ago.

Regardless of the subject, a beautiful young woman continued to show up at my weekly parenting class. She slipped into a seat in the back of the room and took volumes of notes but refused to participate in group discussions.

Attendees varied from being court assigned, some child care providers looking for additional training, and parents who wanted to learn about a specific topic. She never signed the roster or filled out an evaluation. She always rushed out of class while I was visiting with others, so I never got an opportunity to get to know her on a one-to-one basis.

Then one night, I shared the story of a foster daughter coming into the kitchen when my husband and I were dancing to a tune on the radio. Becky collapsed on the chair and sobbed, “I never knew parents danced together. I knew they fought and argued and threw things, but I didn’t know they laughed and enjoyed each other and their children.”

We were stunned and heartbroken. It never occurred to us that living in a normal household was almost like living in a foreign country to her. We consoled her, “Oh Sweetheart. We are so sorry you had to see people be unkind to you and one another. You didn’t deserve that and it wasn’t your fault.”

“Someday”, she vowed, “I want to have a man who will dance me around the kitchen.” We promised her that she would, and she did.

After others left the class that night, my mystery participant approached me and requested a few minutes of my time. When we sat down, she asked if I would hug her. I told her what an honor and privilege it would be and how much I admired her diligence in attending the parenting classes.

She then told me she came, not because she had children or worked with children, but because she had never been allowed to be a child. Her mother was mentally ill and from the time she was 7 years old, she was the adult in the family. She had been forced to assume the role of caretaker for herself, younger siblings, her ill mother and drunken father when he showed up.

She confessed her need to mentally establish what normal families were like, before she could trust herself to get serious in a relationship. Her early life had been so chaotic and like Becky in the story, she was not sure what mothers or children did in a family setting. She decided if all families were as dysfunctional as her family of origin, she would never marry.

Connecting with this story, she decided she too wanted a man who would dance with her in the kitchen, honor her forever and help in the parenting process. She decided she would go out with the kind, wonderful colleague who had been pursuing her for months.

The classes helped her recognize the chaos had not been her fault and she had done the best she could under the circumstances. Each week, she would review notes from the class and ask herself, “Can you do this?” Her confidence and knowledge grew as more and more often, the answer was yes!

She is now a wife and mother and doing such a good job. I’m always pleased when she shows up for parenting classes. Now she has lots of techniques, tips and contributions to share on having a happy cooperative family.

The highlight of seeing her again is when she hugs me and says “I danced in the kitchen today.”

© Judy H. Wright, author, parent educator and international speaker
“Finding the heart of the story in the journey of life”
www.ArtichokePress.com Phone: 1-406-549-9813

This article was written by Judy H. Wright, author, parent educator and international speaker on finding the heart of the story in the journey of life. A full listing of books, classes and articles is available on the website: http://www.ArtichokePress.com Judy can also be contacted at JudyWright@MontanaSpeakers.com

5 Solid Reasons: Why Your Child Can Be An Achiever

All of us, including your child, entered this world equipped with a super-computer that can be programmed to achieve almost anything.

We all have what it takes to function at optimum level–to be the best student, to be the best in our career, and to function efficiently in every area of our life.

Want proof?

See the wonderful things and systems around you: your PC, internet, satellite, spaceship, mobile phone, video conference, modern health-care systems, development in biotechnology, and other millions of wonderful things that make life easy and enjoyable. ALL these were conceived and created by a human brain.

Most important thing to note here is that some of the owners of these creative brains were considered as dull or average when they were children! The best example is that of Thomas A. Edison, who had been declared as dull and slow learner by his teachers.

So any normal child can learn to produce such wonderful things. Any normal child can achieve extraordinary success. Here are five solid reasons why:

1. Your child is a born winner. Anyone who manages to arrive in this world is already a success. A Miracle.

2. Your child has a most powerful supercomputer, the brain, which can be programmed to achieve anything.

3. Your child’s brainpower is unlimited. This is not my opinion. It is what many scientists and other learned experts are saying about human brain. By making efficient use of brainpower, your child can learn anything, and achieve more success.

4. Your child has already achieved many significant successes. No, I am not exaggerating. Count all the skills or work or hobbies which your child has learnt till now. Like for example, riding bike, playing football or tennis, painting pictures, giving speech, making crafts…and so on.

Also, count the number of competitions and tests or exams your child has passed till today. This is not all. Add the number of skills which your child has picked up in school. Like, reading, writing, counting, etc… You will certainly get a long list of your child’s achievements. Yes, all these are your child’s achievements or successes.

Agreed, these achievements may not be earth-shattering. But they do matter. Because they show that your child HAS the ability to learn. Has the power to achieve success.

5. It takes only a specific Goal and practical Action Plans to achieve success. There is no other magic. And anyone, including your child, can do it.

If you look at the above five reasons why your child can be an achiever, you will realize that there is nothing impossible about it. With faith and right training, your child can do anything. Achieve any level of success. And today, you can do something to encourage your child in this direction.

Casually, discuss the above five reasons with your child. It does not matter whether your child agrees with it or not. Just discuss this positive information. Why?

Because whenever we talk or discuss about positive things and information with our children, we are automatically programming their brain positively. We are automatically making them AWARE of good things, which will certainly create good influence on their thinking and behavior. Sooner or later.

So you see, even if your child does not use the above information immediately, your child’s brain will definitely be exposed to positive information.

And this is usually the first step to big achievements.

Visit Narayan Bukkasagara’s web site http://www.mindpowerguide.biz to read his story of failure to success. While there get your FR.E.E copy of positive parenting ebook, 1st chapter of Success Mindwarethe complete self-improvement system for students, and read motivating articles to transform your children’s and your own life to peak performance. Use 1st chapter to change self-image of your children or yourself from ordinary to ‘WINNER’ permanently.

Watch What You Say

“Now don’t you go getting any ideas, Harold.”

“Don’t you get any ideas either, Terry.”

“Don’t you two get any ideas.”

The young mother’s words to her small children echoed in my head for several days. While I realized she was probably warning them to not do something against her wishes or something that could harm them, I can’t help but wonder about the effects that a situation like that, heard over and over for a period of years, will have on their lives and their ability to realize their potential.

Flash forward - It’s 20 years later and now little Howard and Terry are all grown up, sitting in a conference room where they both work as marketing managers, having graduated at the top of their classes in college.

The CEO is pacing back and forth saying, “Okay gang, what we need now, if we want to save this company, are some really good ideas.” As their bosses words trail off, Howard and Terry are jolted back in time to that day at the Eagle Diner. All they can hear is their mother’s voice telling them not to get any ideas. The conflict that this is causing has blocked their creative abilities. The contribution they might have made has been stifled by a poor choice of phrasing some 20 years ago.

I know this sounds a bit extreme but if you stop and think about it, this happens all the time. We are constantly being conditioned by the messages we hear, especially in our formative years.

We use phrases like “don’t get smart” and then wonder why children are doing poorly in school. There is a connection. Whatever is repeated, over and over, will be absorbed into the subconscious mind of the person listening, in this case your children. McDonalds knows this, as does every other successful advertiser.

In my seminars I ask people to complete this phrase. Winston tastes good like a ____. Even audience members in their 20’s can complete this advertising slogan, though it hasn’t been used for more than 20 years.
The words you choose and the phrases you use repeatedly will have a lasting impact on your children. Why not choose words that will help them realize their potential as unique, creative, bright, loving, powerful and successful human beings?

Imagine what could happen if you made a habit of using positive, empowering, self-esteem building messages every day? Imagine all your children could become!

Decide right now to create some positive messages you can implant in the young minds of your children. Make a daily habit of using positive messages when speaking to your children.

For example, you might say, “You know (childs name), every day you’re getting better and better in every way.” (This is a take off on a phrase from Claude Bristol’s classic self help book, The Magic of Believing).

© 2004 Jim Donovan PO Box 1147, Buckingham, PA 18912 (215) 794-3826

Jim Donovan is the author of “Handbook to a Happier Life, a motivational speaker and coach. For a no cost bonus product & more, visit http://www.JimDonovan.com

If you had all the information and tools you needed to live your dream life, would you use them? Yes?
Click here ==> http://www.jimdonovan.com/ebookoffer.html

Kids Internet Safety and MySpace - Be Careful!

Kids Internet Safety - Be Careful!

The Internet and Computers are becoming a necessity in our homes. Nearly everything we do be it registering a new appliance, paying bills, finding a movie, restaurant or an amusement park for location and hours, is easy online. Why “let your fingers do the walking” in the yellow pages as the phone book companies used to say, when you can find it with a few keystrokes and click of the mouse online?

Becoming computer literate is a must say California education standards. Even the 1st through 6th Grade and Middle Schools have computer labs! As a research and learning tool the computer, with the Internet and it’s unlimited resources if used in a safe manner can make all the difference in how well your child does on homework and assignments.

There is temptation and danger Online

When kids sit down at the computer the temptation to venture out and surf away from homework into chat, blogs and MySpace is extremely high. What kid wouldn’t want to see what their friends are talking about, listen to music and make their own free webpage? MySpace.com is a good example of the most inviting of these temptations. Nearly every internet savvy kid knows about MySpace. Opening with “what’s your MySpace?” when they meet a new friend in person is very common as part of getting to know each other. A local English teacher who also works in the computer lab guestimates one in four of her 8th grade students has their own MySpace.

MySpace.com- Danger Danger Danger!

There are countless articles on how kids have gotten in trouble and endangered their lives by turning to MySpace as a way, initially to get to know other kids their age. Read your kids articles about teens who have really gotten in hot water with MySpace to help them understand how persistant and dangerous the preditors really can be.

For an example of a good kid in trouble read the New York Times story of Justin Berry, who at age 13, innocent, lonely and computer-wise, behind the closed door of his room quickly exposed himself to countless pedophiles in a matter of minutes on MySpace.com. The scariest part of this Report was the video interview with the then 18 year old where he warns others of how much his experience “messed him up”.

How do you keep your child interested in learning, doing productive things and away from the dangers online? That’s a good question because the way they see it all the other kids are interacting on MySpace, sharing their favorite music and expanding their circle of friends there.

Begin by Educating Yourself and Your Kids!

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Read this CBS News Report to see how to protect Kids on MySpace.
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Sit with your child when they are on their MySpace.
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If they switch screens or minimize the page and refuse to show you every time you try they are hiding something. This is when you have to either get software filters or a software program that tracks every keystroke, every page, every website they go to, to find out who they are chatting with and what they are saying.
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Visit a page we here at JerSooz made a few years ago for more information on Kids Safety. Towards the bottom you will find a table with links that are designed help you get the information you need to keep your kids safe on the Internet.
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Another option is to use your Browser History, Chat History, Cookies and Temporary Internet Files to figure out where they go yourself. See below on how to do this.

Use Cookies- From the Start button go to Search, then Files and Folders type in Cookies and Search Now. Usually they are found in the C Drive of our computer. There you can click on any of the files that have a suspicious name to see what websites they might have visited.

Check for saved images- Another thing most kids do is save pictures from the people they talk to and websites they enjoy. This is a way to get an idea of what they are really interested in when they are not telling you everything.

The Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported more than 2,600 incidents last year of adults using the Internet to entice children. With numbers like that, you’d think all parents would be hovering over their kids, demanding to know everything they’re doing online. Check out your kids’ and all their friends Chat and MySpace profiles.

Do yourself a favor and make sure their Login and Password are set on automatic when your child goes into chat and MySpace online. Even if you are accused of invading their privacy it is worth it to pretend you are them a few times and see what sort of conversations they have online and whom with.

You might be amazed and upset by who you find yourself chatting with and what is said but do not break your cover just yet! Above all things remember you are doing this to protect your kids safety. By doing this you will either find that your child is the perfect innocent kid just having fun online or…get enough proof that they need more strict guidelines, rules, parental controls, or to have the internet taken away until they can get a handle on it. It’s for their own good!

Did You Know How Easily Your Location Can Be Found Online?

You are not annonymous online and your address can easily be found. This, of course means your kids on the internet in your home can be found by outsiders. It also means that you are responsible for trouble they might get into on your internet connection!

It’s simple, really, every internet connection has an identifying number that shows where your internet connection is. IP or Internet Protocol addresses show in chats and when you send an email. Want to see how easy it is to find someone with their IP Address? Start with your own IP address, Visit GeoBytes IP Address Locater page, and see for yourself!

Author, Susan R Allen, JerSooz Ezine www.jersooz.com/ezine Susan is the parent of a 13 year old who is computer literate.

Baby Sign Language - Communication Before Speech

Prior to mastering the art of speech, your baby has great difficulty in communicating his needs to you. This can cause frustration for you both — yet there is a solution. Baby sign language is rapidly becoming popular as a means of recognising — and responding to — a young baby’s needs.

Babies can be taught sign language from any age, but they really begin to take notice of the signs from around six months and may begin using them from as early as seven to eight months of age. As many parents will testify, babies understand an awful lot more than they are able to communicate through speech at this stage.

Some parents fear that using baby sign language may hamper their child’s speech development later on. Research into this subject, however, shows that children taught baby sign in infancy go on to develop superb language skills. In some cases, they may learn to speak earlier and often have an increased ability to learn a second language.

There are other benefits to introducing baby sign language - studies indicate that children who sign often develop a higher than average IQ. The major advantage for parents, of course, is to be able to identify their babies’ needs and respond appropriately — easing the frustrations that can lead to tantrums. Once this channel of communication is open, many parents feel that a deeper bond with their child is formed, creating a great sense of harmony.

There are various methods by which you can learn to sign with your child — no prior knowledge is needed, so learning along with your baby is part of the fun! It is important to remember to say the word when introducing any signs to your baby and to use the signs consistently - both in the home and outside it. Also, try to familiarise anyone who cares for your child with the signs they are using.

Some people like to invent their own signs to use with their babies, whereas others prefer to use conventional signs based on formal sign language — the advantage of using these is that they are recognised by a wide group of people. There are many books, DVDs and flashcards available, based on formal signing, that make learning this new skill both simple and enjoyable.

Taking into account the benefits that this simple communication can bring, it’s no wonder that more and more parents are using baby sign language — and achieving a fascinating insight into their babies’ minds!

Christine Albury is the author of http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com, helping you become head chef for a very special little customer.

For more information on learning and using baby sign language, visit Teaching baby to sign

Oral Thrush in Newborns - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Oral thrush is an infection caused by the yeast fungus known as Candida albicans and is a common illness in newborn babies. The fungus is also referred to as candidosis and moniliasis, but generally these terms describe the appearance of candida albicans in adults. This article will focus on the causes and symptoms of oral thrush in newborns as well as methods of treatment.

It may be helpful to first understand some background information on exactly what oral thrush is. Microorganisms exist everywhere in our environment and usually bacteria, viruses and fungi form a symbiotic relationship with the human body. These microorganisms are beneficial to the health of babies and adults alike and the body allows them to remain present. The fungus that causes oral thrush does not have a symbiotic relationship with the human body. Candida albicans usually works its way into the body when the immune system is in a diseased or weakened state. In their first few days of life, newborn babies are especially at risk from infections such as oral thrush.

Two specific causes of oral thrush are a reaction to antibiotics and transmission from a mother with a yeast infection. The mouth of a postnatal baby undergoes certain changes following a dose of antibiotic medication that create a breeding ground for a fungus to develop. It is also possible for a mother to pass on a yeast infection to her child in the form of candidosis. The transmission occurs from exposure in the birth canal and oftentimes results in infection when the baby is from two to ten weeks old.

Diagnosing babies is usually done using the clinical picture. This means that doctors are generally able to diagnose the infection on sight alone. Oral thrush manifests itself in the form of painful white lesions on the inside of the baby’s mouth. These patches appear on the gums, insides of cheeks, palates and tongue. It is also possible for thrush lesions to work their way into the esophagus. Doctors use throat cultures, endoscopic examination and barium swallow to help diagnose an oral thrush infection that has progressed to this degree.

Nipple damage due to breastfeeding can lead to an elevated risk of Candida infection. Although the nipples and areola may not show signs of an infection certain symptoms can help indicate that one is occurring. One or both nipples may be experience stinging pain or itching. Visible signs that a mother has a Candida infection include nipples with white dots, a skin rash with small fluid filled blisters, swelling and cracking of the skin.

If a doctor has reason to believe that an infant has oral thrush, he or she may send a cell sample from the baby’s tongue to a lab for analysis and confirmation. The use of a lab sample can help ensure that there are no other illnesses causing complicating a thrush infection.

When oral thrush or a yeast infection has been diagnosed, both the mother and her baby should be treated simultaneously. Coordinating care for both the mother and child helps avoid the risk of the infection being passed back and forth.

Medications for yeast can be systemic (internal) or topical (external). Often physicians will begin curing a yeast infection with a topical drug, followed by a more powerful systemic if necessary. Fluconazole is antifungal cream used to treat a mother’s breasts that have come into contact with a baby experiencing oral thrush. Some examples of commercially available anti-fungal drugs include Nystatin, Lotrimin and Itraconazola. Oral thrush is often treated with Nystatin by application to the inside of the infant’s mouth several times daily. For complete treatment information speak with your pediatrician.

By paying close attention to the warning signs and symptoms of an oral thrush infection, mothers can reduce the complications caused by this illness. As with all concerns related to the health of your newborn, always rely on the suggestions and information provided by your pediatrician. With treatment time and concern you and your child can overcome the challenge of an oral thrush infection.
Copyright © Safe-Baby.net 2006.

Rebecca Lee is a mother of four children. She is a retired midwife and author of articles about childbirth and newborn care. This is her first article written for Safe-Baby.net. Safe-Baby.net provides information on common baby illnesses.

Raising Bilingual Children: The First 5 Steps To Success

When I was growing up, the only way to raise a true ‘world denizen’ was at an exorbitantly priced Swiss boarding school. Luckily, such elitism has been thrown out the window, and now parents raise bilingual and multicultural children themselves. The children grow up just as world-savvy and sophisticated — and actually know their own parents! Still for the do-it-yourselfer, a few tips can smooth the way.

The most common question people ask me is “How do I raise a bilingual child the best way?” “Easy, just talk to them!” is my tongue-in-cheek response. It seems almost impossible to imagine the baby transforming into a communicating creature, let alone one conversant in several languages. Although the miraculous progress from cooing to speech occurs in exactly the same fashion whether it transpires in one or in several languages, the practicalities are different.

Here are the first steps to raising your very own polyglot tot.

1. Family agreement: Even though agreement within the family is perhaps the most essential ingredient, I am sometimes asked, “What do I do if my partner doesn’t want me speaking to our child in a language he doesn’t understand?” An insecure spouse may fear being excluded from ‘the secret language’ between the other parent and the child. Discuss and compromise. It is very important that couples find some solution that is acceptable to both parents as well as beneficial to the child.

2. Enthusiastic, yet realistic: Once the idea of two languages has settled in, many people consider adding more. Usually the number of languages spoken within the household is enough for the child to absorb, but it’s actually possible to successfully introduce as many as four languages simultaneously — provided you can offer enough exposure and need for each one. Still, research suggests that a child needs to be exposed to a language 30% of his waking time to actively speak it, and since waking time is a finite quantity, so, too, is language acquisition.

3. The practical plan: Next, you need to make sure you have a plan. Agree on who speaks what language to whom and then stick to it. There are endless variations on the two most successful language systems. The most common involves one person who always speaks to the child in the ‘foreign’ language. Anyone who is spending a significant amount of time with the child can function as this primary speaker. The second common language system is where the whole family speaks in the foreign language. To add another language beyond those already spoken within the family, or if your family doesn’t speak any foreign languages, you’ll need to provide an outside source like an immersion program, a nanny or an au pair.

4. Get together: Building a support network is probably the most underestimated success factor, so find others who are raising their children to speak your language. You’ll benefit from their knowledge and be able to share both your doubts and your triumphs. It also ensures future play dates that will provide your child with the ultimate language teachers — other kids. Books, music, movies, and toys in your minority language are the most obvious ways to boost your child’s exposure, but there is also an amazing range of other household items such as place mats, tableware, posters, etc.

5 Be patient: Raising multilingual children requires patience, and there are going to be times when doubt sneaks in. As with most aspects of parenting, it’s a long-term commitment and there will be ups and downs. But remember, that’s happening to the parents of the monolingual children too! Don’t worry if your child doesn’t speak his multiple languages as quickly or as adeptly as his peers. Instead focus upon his successes and marvel at the development of his little brain. Always praise, praise, and then praise some more! Know that when your child says, “I want a hug” in your language, you’ll almost cry with pride. At that moment, it won’t matter that it took some extra effort or that you had to wait a bit for the result.

And, hey, remember, you’re not alone. Madonna, Andre Agassi, and Antonio Banderas are among those raising bilingual children. And if they can do it, why shouldn’t you?

Christina Bosemark is the founder of the Multilingual Children’s Association, the definitive guide to raising bilingual children featuring expert advice and real world wisdom with parent discussions, resource directory, tips, articles and more. Ask us you most burning questions or share your own experiences here!