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6 ways to know if you are a better mother than your mother
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No Caption - photo by Tana Bolinger
We all carry scars from our childhood years. To a certain extent, they have made us into the people we are in our adult lives.

As we grow older and start families of our own, we cant help but look back on those unresolved issues and wonder if our children will be put through the same things. It is especially scary to think that the contention and anger we felt toward our parents may be what our children will feel toward us one day.

Many people say that all they learned from their mother was what not to do. If such was the case for you, how can you be sure you are actually being a better mother than your own?

1. You havent forgotten how you felt growing up

If you had a distant mother, then you remember the heartache of watching happy families play together, eat together and love each other. You desperately wanted to be a part of that family.

When you were growing up, you also even wished you had a curfew, got grounded or had a mother who really wanted to get to know your friends.

The pain hasnt faded now that you are an adult and have children of your own. You still want that relationship with your parents, but the way you cope without it is to promise you will do everything you can to make your children feel loved.

2. You reach out to those you admire for parental advice

You know that you are not a perfect parent. With that being said, you dont just wallow in your own self-pity. You actively seek guidance and advice from those you look up to.

As a child, you never felt your mother tried to be better. You, on the other hand, have jumped leaps and bounds to get to where you are, and you didnt do it without asking for help.

3. You dont try too hard

Some parents fail when they try too hard to be a perfect parent. But, again, there is no perfect parent, and you know that.

When you try your best to be a good mother but dont go a step too far and do everything for your children, you have been successful.

The key is to be the best person you can be. When you notice your children looking up to you as their hero, you know you must be doing something right.

4. You make and keep goals

Your to-do lists and various daily and monthly goals have been a key to your success as a mother. Writing down your goals actually gives you a push to achieve them.

Not all moms make goals to be better mothers. Actually, very few do; but in their hearts they want to be better.

Write down your goals and push yourself like you always wished your mother would. This is the difference between you and your mother. You are trying.

5. You show your children love by loving their father

There is the all too common debate on whether or not loving the father more than the children is right. Well, no matter which side you are on, we all can agree that letting your children see you love your husband through word and action is a must.

My mother and father would always kiss, cuddle and use words of affirmation around us while we were growing up. It reminded me daily how much my parents loved each other and made me feel like my home was a safe place.

6. You make quality time a priority

You took the love language test, and it revealed that quality time is not your No. 1. This is surprising because, without quality time with your children, you are just an average woman to them.

When you spend an evening with just your daughter or take time out of your day to play a board game with your son, you make a greater impact on them than you may realize.

Many mothers (yours might be included) forget how important spending quality time is to a child.

Your mother may have forgotten what it felt like to be loved by a parent. It is possible her parents were, in fact, just as distant with her as she is with you.

Break the cycle and show your children how much they mean to you. Remember how important their first 18 years of life are. Your impact on them literally molds them into the people they will be for the rest of their lives.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.