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We recently talked about what to do when your toddler is Beat or bite. While you surely hoped that your cute child wasn’t the type to hit or bite, you probably also knew that these are common things that many toddlers do out of frustration, attention, or because they lack the communication skills that are required to get their point across. What you may not have been prepared for was that they beat themselves.

Toddlers don’t just hit others to let go of their feelings. Sometimes they can turn these great feelings inward by hitting their head with their own hands, or by banging their head against a wall or other structure. While this is less common than hitting or biting others, it does happen and can be scary when it does. Let’s start with why a toddler could harm himself in this way.

Why toddlers beat themselves

A toddler can beat himself up for the same reasons as another toddler – frustration at not being able to fully communicate his or her wants, needs, or feelings. They may also seek the attention that the behavior gets, especially if you had a big reaction the first time – which wouldn’t be surprising as it may have been unexpected and shocking to you.

In some cases, as reported by Healthlineit can also be self-calming or sensory-seeking behavior:

Some children crave physical sensory experiences more than others or have a slightly subdued pain sensation. In response, they might beat themselves for the desire for physical stimulation. Some children also turn to repetitive physical movement to calm themselves down when they are stressed or tired.

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But unlike hitting or biting others, there is another reason a toddler might hit their head – they are in pain. If they are teething or have an ear infection and cannot communicate what they are feeling, they may hit the head to try to point it out or deal with it. If you notice them hitting your head or face at a certain point, it may be an indication that you are in pain. So look for other symptoms.

How to deal with it in the short term

When your toddler starts beating himself up, the first task is to 1) make sure he is physically safe and 2) help him calm down. This can mean covering corners or sharp edges when your head hits a piece of furniture, moving it or objects they use out of reach, and wrapping your arms around them in a bear hug that’s tight enough to prevent this from happening keep them from thrashing any further (but not too tight). How Very good family recommends:

Take your arms and prevent them from hitting themselves by blocking their fists. This action can be calming and possibly enough to calm your toddler and stop self harm. The goal is to create a safe, loving environment for children to relieve the pain or frustration they are feeling.

Especially when they’re looking for sensory input, a bear hug or this type of blockage can provide some of that input to help calm them down. You can also try showing them a safer way to express their frustration, e.g. For example, by hitting a pillow, stamping your feet, or breathing slowly and deeply. Depending on the child, a few drinks of water or a soft toy or pillow to squeeze out can be helpful.

Talk to them in a calming voice, and try to put into words their feelings and the situation by saying things like, “You seem to feel really crazy! It’s hard to leave the playground, isn’t it? I wish we could stay and play forever! “This helps them feel heard and understood and gives them the language they need to express their feelings.

How to deal with it in the long term

If hitting isn’t an isolated incident, it’s important to look for patterns or triggers. There may be a specific physical need, e.g. B. Hunger, thirst, teething, or tiredness. Knowing what their triggers are, you will be better able to avert the tantrum before it even starts, and you will eventually develop the language skills necessary to communicate those needs.

When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to speak to the pediatrician if you are concerned about the behavior. Especially here is when Healthline suggests that you make the call:

• You have tried using the usual strategies to stop the behavior and nothing has changed or it has gotten worse.
• Your child is self-injuring (there are bumps, bruises, or scratches).
• Your child has delayed speech or seems to be unable to hear you clearly.
• Your child is showing signs of physical illness such as fever, loss of appetite, tiredness, or irritability.
• Your child will also have symptoms of a developmental disorder such as autism spectrum disorder or sensory processing disorder.

Pediatricians often see these behaviors so they can get advice on whether something is likely to be a phase or when it is time to do a physical exam or refer you to a specialist. In the meantime, in addition to the strategies mentioned here, you may have other strategies that can be helpful for you and your child.

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If you’re looking for a grammatical convention that is guaranteed to spark an unnecessarily outraged debate, look no further than the Oxford comma [Editor’s note: I don’t know that I’d call it unnecessary].

You see, the Oxford comma isn’t just any old comma – it’s the comma that maintains lexical order and keeps things readable, proponents believe. It guarantees a capital O, for God’s sake. There are two arguments at the opposing kernels of the debate – but before you decide which side it is, how it’s used, and why it tends to upset people on both sides of the grammatical divide. (However, if you read carefully you can determine which camp Lifehacker falls into).

What is the oxford comma?

It sounds so chic, like it was handcrafted in an Ivy League grammar factory. The Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma or series comma, is the comma before the final conjunction (usually one and / or) in a list of three or more elements.

Or as Oxford University (who else?) appropriately worked out:

When writing a list, of course, include commas to separate each item. However, an Oxford comma is if you also put a comma in front of the “and” [Final Item]”.

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Here is an example of the Oxford comma in the wild:

He enjoyed drinking soda, reading comics, and driving his razor scooter.

Without the Oxford comma, this sentence would read:

He enjoyed drinking soda, reading comics, and driving his razor scooter.

Ok, just enough. But why do some of its proponents become hysterical when it is not used? And in what contexts is it traditionally ignored?

When is the Oxford comma used? (And when should it be?)

Newspapers typically omit the Oxford comma, but reservations are maintained where inclusion is necessary for clarity. In the old days – when Print newspapers didn’t die– –Newsprint limited real estate provided, meaning even a tiny, perhaps unnecessary, comma could spread a story on the sidelines.

But aside from this specific, esoteric fact, there are no really clear rules that dictate when to use it. Rather, it’s basically a preference, with American English preferring it a little more often than our British counterparts. Many publications do not strictly enforce the use of the Oxford comma and only mandate its use if absolutely necessary for clarity.

Here are some examples of how it can be used effectively, courtesy of Oxford University:

They sent gifts to their sons Kate and Sophie.

Without the comma in front of the last conjunction, you will be forgiven that “your sons” are called Kate and Sophie.

Please get me bread and cheese, orange juice and lemonade and my throat candies.

As the university notes, “the sentence without the Oxford comma becomes harder to read because there are already other conjunctions that group pairs of things that go together as individual items on a list.”

All of this seems fair, but what about sentences that don’t necessarily need a closing, clarifying comma? Cue the debates (and just handshakes).

Why is there a debate?

Basically there are purists who believe that the Oxford comma should be ubiquitous in all grammatical contexts, and there are other people who think such a strict use is excessive.

Indeed, one of the main arguments against the Oxford comma is that it would be better to rephrase certain sentences to remove the ambiguity that the lack of a comma sometimes inadvertently creates.

To illustrate, here is an example Grammerly: The phrase “I love my parents, Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty” is certainly preferable to “I love my parents, Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty”. But it could be restructured to say, “I love Lady Gaga, Humpty Dumpty and my parents.” The latter example is far less confusing and shatters any possibility that Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty could raise a child together without over-seasoning the dish with punctuation, so to speak.

Anyway, the Oxford comma definitely has its use, although sometimes it is redundant. After all, it’s only a comma, so there’s no real need Write a paper to support their use in all contexts.

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Although I lived in Mississippi for the first part of my childhood (and visited almost every year after we moved to California), I didn’t grow up on sweet tea. My mother never cared about sugar – she drank water and, to a lesser extent, Diet Coke – and my grandmother made her teapots sweetener with tiny single grains!Point saccharinthat I haven’t seen anywhere but in their kitchen.

But sometimes I crave some really sweet tea, so I make something. After all, I am an adult and being “adult” means that I can pamper myself whenever I want. These food cravings are never so severe that I want a full pitcher of sweet tea – one glass is plenty – but making a single glass isn’t as simple as adding sugar to unsweetened iced tea. There are best practices that you should follow. So let’s stroll through the process step by step.

Do not use whole boiling water

Most black tea – the tea you should use to make sweet tea – is best brewed above 200 ° C and below 212 ° C (boiling). There are some fancy black teas that taste better when brewed at lower temperatures, but sweet tea is not made from fancy tea. (Get the cheap stuff – you’ll be covering up any delicate, nuanced flavors with lots of sugar anyway.)

If you have a kettle with precise temperature control, use this one. For all others: Bring some water to the boil, then take it off the stove and let it cool for about 10 seconds. If you’re making a single glass of tea – and I mean worth at least a pint glass – you need a cup of this very hot water.

Add tea bags, not time

The longer you boil your tea, the more bitter it will taste. If you want a more flavorful brew, resist the urge to let the tea bags sit in the hot water for a long time and add more tea bags instead. This will add more tea flavor to your sweet tea without the astringency that comes from over-extraction. I like the taste of tea more than the taste of sugar (at least in a beverage situation), so usually Add two tea bags to a cup of boiling water and let steep for 4-5 minutes.

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Always add sugar before the ice cream

Sugar doesn’t dissolve in cold water, at least not at a rate that is helpful for sweet tea drinkers. To keep it from lingering Add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar to hot tea. (Some cute tea fiends may prefer three whole tablespoons, and I’m not here to judge.)

Cool, don’t shock

Some black teas don’t like cooling too quickly, and adding lots of ice at the same time can cause your tea to become cloudy. To prevent this, Combine your hot, sweetened tea concentrate with an equal amount of water at room temperaturestir this until it’s no longer hot, then add lots of ice.

Let’s check

To make a single glass of sweet tea you will need:

• 2 cups of water, divided
• 1-2 cheap black tea bags
• 1-3 tablespoons of white sugar
• ice
• A very large glass

Bring a cup of water to a boil. Once it boils, take it off the stove, pour it out of the kettle, or – if you’re a scumbag like me – take it out of the microwave. Let it cool for about 10 seconds then add your tea bags and let steep for four minutes.

Remove the tea bags, add the desired amount of sugar and stir to dissolve. Pour a cup of room temperature water into a large tea glass, add your hot, sweetened tea concentrate, and stir to cool. Once the water is no longer hot, add as much ice as the glass can hold. Have a sip on a porch, balcony, or near your best window.

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Most business owners are aware of their personal creditworthiness, but a Study suggests 60% of them do not know their creditworthiness – however, this number is crucial for securing supplier contracts and qualifying for loans on competitive terms. Here’s what you need to know about getting your business credit score and improving it.

What is a Business Credit Score?

In the same way that your personal credit score quantifies the status of your personal finances, a business credit score reflects your company’s finances. The score determines your creditworthiness and is calculated based on the credit information of your suppliers and lenders, court records and debt collection agencies.

There are three major business credit agencies – Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, and Equifax – and each one provides its own scores and different calculation methods. In general, however, your business credit score will range from 0 to 100, with 100 being the highest score for creditworthiness.

These agencies also offer reports that, unlike personal credit scores, are publicly available to anyone willing to pay for them, including vendors or potential business partners who may be considering whether or not to work with you.

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These reports provide background information about your company, such as: B. Your tax reporting status, number of employees, property status and relevant banking information including your history of bankruptcies, foreclosures, mortgages and litigation. It’s worth noting that lenders can also view your personal credit report, so the two types of credit scores are not exactly separated from each other.

The advantage of having a strong business credit score is that you can get larger loans with preferential interest rates and terms. In fact, 45% of small business borrowers who get a “no” from their creditors are rejected because of their creditworthiness. According to a 2019 study cited by Nerdwallet.

How to Create a Business Credit Score

You won’t automatically receive a business credit rating just for opening a business. A score builds up over time – although there is no guarantee that it will. To make sure that you are building a Business Credit Score with all three major offices, here are the steps you need to take:

• Set up your company as an independent company legal person, like a partnership, cooperation or LLC.
• Open a bank account on behalf of the company.
• Receive a separate business phone number.
• Get one Employee identification number from the IRS.
• For Dun & Bradstreet specifically, you will also need to submit an application Duns numberthat the agency uses to track your business.

How Can You Improve Your Credit Score?

In many ways, improving your business credit score is similar to improving your personal credit score. By paying your bills, setting up lines of credit, and checking your credit reports for errors (which unfortunately are common), your score can grow over time. Use of creditor how much of your company’s credit lines you actually use, along with the age of those lines of credit, will also count towards your score.

Unfortunately, there is a cost for your business to keep track of your credit history as business credit reports, unlike personal credit scores, are not free:

• Dun & Bradstreet’s The cheapest deal that actually shows you your creditworthiness is the CreditBuilder Plus product, which costs $ 149 per month (this includes a DUNS number for your business if you don’t already have one).
• Equifax charges $ 99.95 for a single report. (You can order one Here.)
• Experian sold a CreditScore report for $ 39.95This includes your Experian Business Credit Score.