How To Teach Your Kids To Compromise

The art of compromise is essential in business, politics, and marriage. It’s also a crucial life skill for your child. The ability to be flexible, to take into account the wants and needs of others, and to solve problems creatively makes our children better friends, siblings, teammates and students. Of course, we’re not born with those skills. They must be learned.

MommyBase.com offers many tips for teaching children compromise skills:

• Discuss a Variety of Issues with Your Kids. “Many children’s books, movies and tv shows, including cartoons, include some sort of conflict. This gives you a perfect opportunity to ask your child for his or her thoughts about which character was right or how a conflict might be resolved so that both characters are happy. If that is too much for your child, you can discuss the ending, explaining more thoroughly how the characters acted to make a compromise.”
• Address the Issue of Control. “Many times, children do not like to compromise because it means they are not in control.” They suggest working through this problem with simple methods:
  • Offer easy choices like “Would you like to wear this outfit or this dress?” or “Would you like pizza or pasta for dinner tonight?”
  • Explain how you and your spouse compromise.
  • Observe how your children interact and suggest ways for them to figure out compromises on their own. If they fight over a toy, stop them and pose questions that help them reflect: “Why do you want this toy? Why does your friend want it? Is there a way you can each get at least some of what you want?” Praise them when they compromise.

Family Times has additional advice:

1) Create situations of positive interdependence – Competitive play is fine, but teamwork is more important.

2) Teach “Win-Win” – Seek solutions where all parties are successful.

3) Agree to Disagree – Sometimes a solution where everyone is satisfied is not possible. If your child knows it’s okay to not always agree with someone, they’ll be more able to find alternative solutions that avoid conflict.

4) Debate Skills – In debates, one must understand multiple sides of an issue and respond to arguments in a logical, non-emotional way. This requires self-control and can help children learn to resolve disputes peacefully.

5) Discuss Empathy and Compassion – When children understand how to view a situation from the other party’s emotional perspective, compromise is more likely.

6) Don’t Compromise Values or Safety – Let your children know when a compromise might not be the right decision.

At the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we love helping people start families with healthy pregnancies. We pride ourselves on helping men improve their fertility through uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, contact us through our website or call 941-210-6649.

Why It’s Important For Parents To Get Enough Sleep

Most parents have heard that it’s vital for them to get a good night’s sleep, but when we don’t know the details of why something is so important, it’s easy for us to shrug off this advice. Here are some useful facts that underscore why maintaining a healthy sleep schedule is a crucial habit for parents.

Problems Caused by Lack of Sleep

SleepFoundation.org lists the following complications of sleep loss:

• Irritability: With insufficient sleep, people are more irritable, anxious, and likely to lash out at children, spouses, friends and co-workers.
• Anxiety and Depression: Without proper sleep, people have higher risks for negative moods, anxiety and depression. If you experience these symptoms, reach out to your health care provider.
• Accidents and Injuries: Sleep-deprived people tend to have longer reaction times, which increases the risk of accidents such as motor vehicle crashes. Avoid driving or operating other machinery when you are sleep-deprived.

All these complications affect our ability to parent our children.

Can I Catch Up On Sleep Over the Weekend?

Many parents think they can catch up on sleep during the weekend, but a 2019 study indicates this is a bad practice. It found that weekday sleep loss had negative effects on metabolism, and extra sleep on the weekend didn’t help fix it. The sleep-deprived people in the study lost some sensitivity to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. They ate more at night and gained weight. This decreased insulin sensitivity is a common precursor to type 2 diabetes. A number of studies have linked long-term sleep deprivation to high risks of diabetes and obesity. According to sleep specialist Dr. Phyllis Zee, who is also a professor at Northwestern University School of Medicine, other results of chronic sleep loss — including impaired alertness and mental performance — cannot be compensated for with a couple of nights of extra sleep. “Regularity in both timing and duration of sleep is key to brain and body health.”

Good Habits

This article from Harvard Business Review reinforces the negative effects that sleep deprivation has on parents but also gives advice on fixing this problem:

• Prioritize sleep.
• Maintain a consistent sleep routine.
• Limit exposure to blue light at night.
• Keep devices out of your bedroom.
• Don’t bring up serious topics before bedtime.
• Buy time if you can by having meals or groceries delivered.

SleepFoundation.org has other tips:

• Nap when baby naps.
• Be comfortable declining requests to come see the baby when you don’t have time.
• A good sleep environment is cool, quiet and dark.
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Start sleep-training baby at six months.

At the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we love helping people start families with healthy pregnancies. We pride ourselves on helping men improve their fertility through uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, contact us through our website or call 941-210-6649.

Fun Facts About Semen

Here’s a well-known fact that we rarely mention: None of us would exist without semen. Why stop there? Let’s learn more about this fluid vital for human life.

Semen vs Sperm

People use these terms interchangeably, but they mean different things. Stated simply, semen is the bodily fluid that contains sperm.

What Else Is In Semen?

In addition to sperm, semen also contains other ingredients. According to WebMD, “the fluid is made mostly of water, plasma, and mucus (a lubricating substance). It also contains 5 to 25 calories, and is made up of small amounts of essential nutrients including: calcium, citrate, fructose, glucose, lactic acid, magnesium, potassium, protein and zinc.” These ingredients serve an important purpose. Sperm “need nutrients because they must travel a great distance and withstand the harsh environment of the vagina. The nutrients found in semen will keep the sperm alive and provide energy while they race to the egg. Their main energy source is fructose, a type of sugar.”

Sperm Count / Density

When men ejaculate they release an average of 2-6 milliliters (mL) of semen, or approximately a 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon. Each milliliter contains an average of 15 million sperm. Sperm count can be affected by lifestyle, environment and age, though healthy men over age 70 still have the potential to have children.

Sperm Motility

Sperm motility is “the percentage of sperm in a sample that are moving, as well as an assessment of how they move,” according to WebMD. “One hour after ejaculation, at least 32% of sperm should be moving forward in a straight line.” And according to Sarah Vij, MD, director of the Center for Male Fertility at Cleveland Clinic, “The optimal timing between ejaculations in a man trying to cause a pregnancy is 24-48 hours to allow for a release of a high number of motile sperm.”

Sperm Life

According to a post from Patricio C. Gargollo, M.D. of Mayo Clinic, “The life span of sperm after ejaculation depends on the circumstances. Ejaculated sperm remain viable for several days within the female reproductive tract. Fertilization is possible as long as the sperm remain alive — up to five days. Sperm can also be preserved for decades when semen is frozen.” One thing keeping sperm alive inside the cervix is cervical mucus.

Healthy Sperm

WebMD gives the following advice for healthy sperm:

• Don’t smoke or use illegal drugs, especially anabolic steroids.
• Avoid toxins such as pesticides and heavy metals.
• Limit alcohol intake.
• Maintain a healthy diet and weight.
• Keep your scrotum cool, because heat slows sperm production. Avoid hot baths and tight pants. Wear boxers instead of briefs.

At the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we are committed to helping men overcome reproductive issues and start healthy families. We pride ourselves on helping men improve their fertility through uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, contact us through our website or call 941-210-6649.

What Causes Premature Birth?

According to the CDC, about ten percent of babies were born prematurely in 2020. Let’s look at the causes of this phenomenon, and how to prevent premature births.

What Qualifies as Premature Birth?

According to Mayo Clinic, “A premature birth is a birth that takes place more than three weeks before the baby’s estimated due date. In other words, a premature birth is one that occurs before the start of the 37th week of pregnancy.” They also define more particular preterm stages:

• Late preterm stage – babies born between 34 and 36 completed weeks of pregnancy
• Moderately preterm – babies born between 32 and 34 weeks of pregnancy
• Very preterm stage – babies born at less than 32 weeks of pregnancy
• Extremely preterm stage -babies born at or before 25 weeks of pregnancy

Complications of Premature Births

Cleveland Clinic describes many health problems that can afflict preemies, including:

• Apnea of prematurity, or temporary pauses in breathing during sleep.
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or underdeveloped lungs.
• Intraventricular hemorrhage, or bleeding in the brain.
• Necrotizing enterocolitis, or inflammation of the intestines.
• Neonatal sepsis, or blood infection.
• Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), or abnormal blood flow in the heart.
• Retinopathy of prematurity, or underdeveloped blood vessels in the eye.

They note that preemies are also at a higher risk of developmental challenges later in life, including cerebral palsy, hearing and vision problems, learning disabilities, and poor growth. Mothers of preemies are at elevated risk of anxiety, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and problems bonding with their baby.

Who Is At Risk?

Johns Hopkins Medicine lists the following risk factors for premature births:

1. Having previously given birth prematurely.
2. Pregnancies with multiples (twins, triplets, et cetera).
3. Any history of uterus or cervix problems.

Additional risk factors listed by Johns Hopkins include: smoking, infections, and not getting prenatal care. They advise pregnant women to “learn about all the risk factors and talk to your obstetrics provider about what you can do to help reduce your risk for preterm labor.”

Prevention Tactics

The CDC lists several ways to help prevent premature births:

• Assuring access to health care before and between pregnancies.
• Identifying women at risk for preterm delivery and offering effective treatments to prevent preterm birth.
• Preventing unintended pregnancies.
• Waiting 18 months or more between pregnancies.
• Choosing single embryo transfer as appropriate when undergoing in-vitro fertilization because pregnancies with multiples has higher risk of preterm delivery.

Additionally, Cleveland Clinic recommends a surgical procedure called cervical cerclage, which uses a single stitch to keep the cervix closed until delivery.

At the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we love helping people start families with healthy pregnancies. We pride ourselves on helping men improve their fertility through uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, contact us through our website or call 941-210-6649.