Once you have come to the realization that divorce is the only option for you and your spouse, you need to really consider the ramifications of that decision. You need to think of yourself and also your kids, if there are any involved in the relationship. In the State of Arizona, child custody is determined by different factors.
According to the courts and Arizona divorce lawyers, the most important factor is what is in the best interest of the child or children. Family courts in Arizona will not discriminate against a parent because of one’s gender. Below is a list of the different factors that go into determining child custody in Arizona.
Best Interests of the Child – the following will be taken into account by the court:
• What are the child’s wishes? Does the child wish to be with one or the other parent?
• The wishes of each parent. Does one parent travel for work, does one parent work from home?
• History of abuse, domestic abuse, child abuse, etc.
• The child’s relationship with each individual parent.
• The child’s adjustment to moving. A new school, new house or scaled down apartment, what kind of impact will these changes have on the child.
• Mental and Physical health of all of the parties in the divorce case (parents & child).
There are two outcomes parents can expect from Arizona courts regarding child custody. The courts may grant sole or joint custody. Again this decision is reached based on the factors listed above and also other factors the judge takes into account. If joint custody is awarded then parents will be forced to come up with a plan for the child and also be held accountable for the plan.
This plan mostly covers the child’s well being until they are 18 or graduate from high school. The plan usually includes items regarding the child’s education, health insurance, residence, and support payments.
Even though you and your spouse are having a tough go of it and have decided to end your relationship, you’re still responsible for your child. Raising your child together will be the toughest part moving forward. Always remember to conduct yourself in a respectful manner because your child’s future depends on it.
Mothers have always talked and sang to their unborn babies, if only to express their love and happiness for the new babe. Research of the past decade has finally caught up to what every mother knows instinctively. Babies respond to stimulation in the womb. They can hear and taste and respond to movement and sound. But can babies learn during their time in the womb?
Rick Gilmore, director of the Brain Development and Cognition Laboratory at Penn State, says, “There’s ample evidence that fetuses are picking up information from the outside world. They’re especially receptive to sounds from the mother’s body and the external environment.”
One influential study from 1986 had pregnant mothers read Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat twice a day. Once the babies were born, researchers checked to see if the babies recognized the story and their mothers’ voices. When the babies heard recordings of their mothers reading Cat in the Hat with its distinctive rhythms, they responded by slower sucking motions on their pacifiers, a sign they were paying close attention. When people other than the mothers read the story, the babies were not as interested. The newborns responded to both their mothers’ voices and to the story they’d heard in the womb.
Can learning be stimulated in the womb? While parents probably shouldn’t begin differentiated instruction just yet, it is true that unborn babies learn to recognize their mothers’ voices. They even recognize theme songs from television programs their moms watched while pregnant. Studies on babies who received stimulation while in the womb report that these babies have enhanced development of their senses such as sight, hearing and movement. Researchers in child development find that stimulated prenatal babies reveal superior learning capabilities later in life.
Prenatal stimulation also seems to affect intelligence and IQ. Dr. Beatriz Manrique’s study called “Project Family,” tested prenatal stimulated babies at the age of three and found these babies exhibited an average of 14 IQ points higher than children who were not stimulated. When parents stimulate their unborn babies, they strongly bond with the child, which leads to more stability and happiness after the child is born.
Babies hear and respond best to their mother’s voices. According to Gilmore’s report at Research Penn State, if a mother is bilingual, and talks to her baby in both languages, the baby’s brain might respond to the stimuli by enhancing the baby’s ability to learn those languages after birth.
If you want to breastfeed your baby, you will most probably need a breast pump. Although there are numerous breast pumps, including manual and electric pumps, I would say – based on my experience – that the Medela Pump in Style Advanced – is the best out there.
I must say, that I have tried numerous breast pumps, but is the only one that was indeed helpful. I first tried to use a basic manual pump, but it was extremely frustrating as I was unable to maintain my milk flowing. After a while, I have tried to use an electric pump, which seemed to be better. However, I was able to keep my milk flow only for a rather short time. Additionally, the unnatural feel of these machines affected me in some way and made things more difficult.
Eventually, I have decided to perform some research on the internet about efficient breast pumps. The Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breastpump was extremely popular. This costs more than a manual pump, but it is preferable to spend a bit more money on something good rather than spending money on several ones which fail to work.
One of the most impressive features of this breast pump is that imitates the natural suckling patterns of a baby. First, in the stimulation phase, it mimics the quick and short suckling of a baby to start milk flow and then, in the expression phase, the suckling gets more deep and slow.
It is a highly user-friendly breast pump, as it has battery pack (for mobility) and extremely convenient adjustable vacuum and speed. This pump is not just the best one, but it is perfectly safe for you and your baby as well, because all major parts of the pump are BDA/DEHP free.
The pump comes with a nice backpack and various extras, such as the collection containers and lids for the milk, battery pack, removable cooler carrier, breast shields, a cooling element and useful information on breastfeeding. Please not that the batteries (8 AA) are not included in the price.
This article was provided by Stan, the webmaster of breast pump reviews and top rated breast pumps blog.
keep looking »