There is nothing I can say - the cartoon says it all.

Here is a new twist on an old story and a real bug bear of mine. As bloggers, many of us run income producing streams of one sort or another.

For many of us, it is ads; for others it may be affiliates; it may just be a Google Adsense banner. The point here is that we often run ads to generate income. Most of us make very little.

I came across this site; Buy From Bloggers who are running a campaign to encourage bloggers to buy from each other.

The concept makes sense. If you are going to buy something, it would make sense to check out some of your favorite blogs to see if you cannot buy the item through their links. The cost to you is the same, the blogger gets some income and not one of the rich sites.

If you are looking for a good affiliate advertising network then look no further than the Pepperjam network. They are offering a nice $10 sign up bonus together with an offer of $10 per post for up to five post per month - that's $60 in your first month - not a fortune but very easy money.

Pepperjam have a wide variety of affiliate partners that you can sign up to. There is something there for every publisher. You can see from my sidebar that there are a lot of publishers in the Parenting and Families sector - I have only included a few.

I don't know how long this free $10 offer will last - probably only for July and you do need to sign up via the special $10 banner that you can see here. Once approved you need to sign up for Pepperjam affiliate advertising to receive your free $10.

One of the most worrying times for new parents is when their newborn gets their first cough or cold. Some parents are lucky. Perhaps it is the time of year when they are born, perhaps it is because they have strong immune systems, but some babies seem to miss the coughs and colds until two or three.

Some don't and it can cause parents a lot of concern and distress - so to baby.

Cold Symptoms

Being restless and upset may be the first sign that something is not quite right. This may also be accompanied by a slight temperature rise.

A runny nose will normally follow fairly quickly and it this that causes most distress to both baby and mother. The baby appears to struggle to breath and mother feels helpless.

Treating a newborn's cold

We have a new advertiser in the form of Andy's Airplanes - apparently a favorite of many toddlers.

Andy'sAirplanes.com is the official store for Andy's Airplanes clothing, toys, DVD's, and much more. The show, Andy's Airplanes, is designed for toddlers and follows Andy on his adventures to new destinations to meet new friends and learn about their culture and history.

The show has received the silver award in the Parents Choice Awards. The show has been recognized for good educational content toddlers 2 to 8.

Are your toddlers fans of Andy's Airplanes?

I don't often review other sites and make referrals, or should I say I don't do it often enough. One blogger emailed me asking to look at their post and I found it to be quite comprehensive.

The post - 38 Tips to Keep Your Kids Entertained and Stress Free When Seeing a Doctor - at ondd.org - online nursing degree directory - is well written and contains plenty of good tips broken up into various categories.

To quote the closing paragraph from the article:

A little planning and forethought on your part can go a long way toward decreasing the anxiety of your child and making sure that they are calm, cool, collected and entertained during their visit to the doctor. By following these tips, you’ll keep their visit stress free. Which is just what the doctor ordered.

If you are about to take your child to the doctors or to hospital then this article may be well worth reading.

I call my toddlers monkeys. I sometimes wish they would take the lead from these guys occasionally. But then again - when its your own kids - would you really have them any other way - I wouldn't. Well almost.

I was struck the other day when I overhead a comment made by a mother about her daughter. It appears her daughter was pregnant and about to give birth. The comment went along the lines of "she is too young to be a mother, she really isn't ready for it".

Fair enough. I imagined her daughter to be a teenager, maybe single - sign of the times I guess. But no, her daughter is in her early 20's.

Now that got me thinking. If she isn't ready to be a mother, when will she be ready? When she's 30?

We are in a society now that is actually failing to teach our children how to be parents for the next generation. We are no longer passing on 'parenting skills' and this is occurring due to a number of circumstances.

The first is simply the lack of siblings. Big families are no more. Most families are either one or two child families and those children are often only a couple of years apart. I have met young women who have never changed a nappy (diaper). Never had the opportunity to bottle feed a baby or help with bathing.

When these young women finally have their own child, everything is new. No wonder they are nervous and feel as if they are not prepared to be a mother - they aren't.

The other problem is the duel working parent situation. Both parents are working, the youngsters are often sent to day care or to a friend to care for them. Once they get home, its the TV to baby sit whilst mom prepares dinner. The kids are shunted off out of the way - they are not even learning the basics of cooking or cleaning.

As families, it is those moments together; whilst cooking a meal; or helping to bath the baby; or helping give baby a bottle; or helping to change a nappy; that the foundation for so many life long skills are initiated and developed. I am not just talking about our daughters either, our sons are also missing out on these important lessons.