ourdoors Ireland waterfall

Scientific Benefits of Spending Time Outdoors

1 Comment / Baby, Featured, health, toddler / By /

Spending time outdoors is beneficial for everyone. We hear this more and more, but what are the scientific facts behind this statement? I’ve broken up the topic into 3 sections, so you’ll see how outdoor activities positively impact our babies, toddlers and ourselves by encouraging healthy development and critical thinking skills and more. Outdoor time for babies   In Scandinavian countries, babies get at least 2 hours of outdoor time. Nordic babies are exposed to sleeping in the stroller even when the weather is not perfect (perfect = negative temperature). The Nordic perspective on this is that one sleeps better while in the cold. Sleep consultants agree that when indoors we should have our babies sleep in 68 F – 70 F / 20 C -21 C (which might be considered cold for adults), but they won’t adhere to the idea of letting a baby sleep in the stroller. Motion sleep is compared to junk food and even called “junk sleep”. I personally think that sleep should be protected as much as possible and it should happen mostly in the bed. However, it’s OK for your baby to have a cat nap in the stroller, so the baby will have a quick recharge and get some natural vitamin D every now and then. (Note: I participate in the affiliate amazon program. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon or other publishers I trust (at no extra cost to you). I may receive a small commission when you buy using my links, this helps to keep the blog alive! See disclosure for details.) Taking Your Baby Out for the First Time Getting outdoors with babies can be overwhelming for first time parents. On top of worrying about all the possible scenarios when your baby might fuss or even constantly cry, you’ll also concern yourself about forgetting to bring with you all the “crucial” baby stuff.  Once you’ve repeated the outdoor activities a number of times, it will become the norm. Make sure you pack once and “refresh the stock” weekly: one full outfit change (for explosive poo – this will end up around 6 months of age, or when your baby will start solids); 3-4 diapers, disposable bags,  cream, wet tissues, dry tissues; a travel baby changing pad; a blanket; formula ( if necessary); after solids are introduced, also get water and a baby food refillable pouch. Also important for outdoors activities is the right stroller. There’re so many strollers in the market. We decided over Baby Jogger Stroller with a universal platform (glider). The girls love it:     Outdoor time for toddlers   We acknowledge more and more the importance of outdoor time, but we spend less time playing outside. An UK study concluded that children spend half the time playing outside in comparison to their parents. Harvard experts researched 6 reasons why children need to play outside: Sunshine Exercise Executive function; These are the skills that help us plan, prioritize, troubleshoot, negotiate, and multitask; Taking risks Socialization Appreciation of nature I recently read an Irish article related to The Benefits of Outdoor Play and I really liked how it’s emphasized that children need to learn how to take calculated risk and that parents shouldn’t set too many limits to children’s adventurous play.  They need substantial amount of time outside to boost their creativity, self-confidence, social skills and ability to concentrate. Going outside with toddlers is not too complicated. You just need a bottle of water, napkins, disinfectant, a healthy snack, a small toy and a bit of cooperation. At this age, they might be difficult to convince to get out and then even more difficult to get them back home. Outdoor time for adults Adults also benefit from spending time outdoors. There is a study showing that it takes as little as 2 hours per week spent outdoors for a healthier and happier life. It gives us the chance to absorb some natural vitamin D by walking in the sun for 15-20 minutes a day (maybe a bit longer during the winter time).  I also stumbled upon a study on the relations between sleep, time of physical activity, and time outdoors among adult women. It’s quite interesting how they concluded that the morning time spend outdoors is a stronger predictor of sleep efficiency (as opposed to evening). Therefore, we should get into the habit of spending at least 15 min daily (in the morning) outdoors. This will improve our health and sleep! This is a personal blog. My opinion on what I share with you is that “All models are wrong, but some are useful”. Improve the accuracy of any model I present and make it useful!

toddler s first haircut

First time haircut while Terrible Two-ing

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I’ve been dreading the first haircut – now it’s too late. Bianca is 2 years and 9 months old and very active. She likes having her hair long ( like Elsa from Frozen) but desperately needs a haircut so the hair stays out of her eyes. Today it was mummy’s salon day, so I used the occasion to thick another box: Bianca’s first haircut Last week was a disaster. She’s halfway through the terrible twos and cries very often. So… she cried when the hairdresser touched her hair. There is no general recommendation related to the first haircut age. Still, you’ll find on the internet that most kids have their first haircut between 6 months and 2 years old.   Bianca’s hair grew very slowly.  See below a hair growth timeline from 6 months old to today: Today was a haircut win. Mummy’s stylist helped a lot. Vera has 3 kids and a lot of of experience, the little car helped as well :-)) The haircut took less than 5 mins, but for me it felt like an eternity. Like all new toddler experiences, parents are more nervous than necessary. We should have faith that everything is going to be OK and trust our kids more.   (Note: I participate in the affiliate amazon program. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon or other publishers I trust (at no extra cost to you). I may receive a small commission when you buy using my links, this helps to keep the blog alive! See disclosure for details.)   While you’re struggling with toddler haircut, you can try some hair accessories. They’re so precious: Bianca loves Peppa pig, Minnie Mouse and Frozen. Toddler haircare When Bianca was a baby, we would have washed her hair at every wash. When she was 1 yo, I washed her hair every second wash and now it’s every 5 days. Shampoo wise, we’re using Bioderma ABCDerm from birth. When is it the time to move to something else? What are you guys using for your toddlers? Terrible twos are difficult, but kids are delicious at this age: I love her so much!     This is a personal blog. My opinion on what I share with you is that “All models are wrong, but some are useful”. Improve the accuracy of any model I present and make it useful!

Photo by cottonbro: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-using-macbook-pro-on-white-table-4065864/

What is a data scientist?

1 Comment / Cristina, Data science, Featured / By /

New job titles are confusing. When dad asked me what I do for a living, I told his that I’m a Data Scientist. By his look, I understood that a job title wasn’t enough to explain what I do, so I added: “I use current and past information to predict the future”. He seemed fascinated and we continued the conversation with some work examples. Dad is my biggest supporter, so he asked how can he be of help in promoting my new project. So I created a small experiment for dad in my blog. I wanted to see how good I was at explaining what a Data Scientist is to someone that has no connection to the industry.  I created the Mini Data Science Quiz: 3 questions that can be answered in less than 1 min. Dad was 70% correct. In Data Science, if the model accuracy is above 70%, you’ve got a decent model.   (Note: I participate in the affiliate amazon program. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon or other publishers I trust (at no extra cost to you). I may receive a small commission when you buy using my links, this helps to keep the blog alive! See disclosure for details.)   If you want to educate yourself in Data Science or start a career in Data Science, put these 3 materials on your list: R for Data Science Python Data Science Handbook Doing Data Science with Python Start a 10-day free trial at Pluralsight – Over 5,000 Courses Available Can you do better than dad?  Mini Data Science Quiz This is a personal blog. My opinion on what I share with you is that “All models are wrong, but some are useful”. Improve the accuracy of any model I present and make it useful!

6 months old baby

6 Month-Old Baby: milestones & more

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6 Months old? Or the “big half year birthday” 6 months is not an anniversary yet, but it should be celebrated as your baby has achieved so much until now and so did you! Your baby is not an infant anymore, but rather a tiny human who smiles and laughs. In this blogpost, you will find the important milestones for a 6 month baby – the normal growth range, sleep, feeding, activities, must-have toys and a daily schedule. Milestones When researching my content, I use official websites such as the CDC ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). They list the below as the milestones a child should reach by the end of 6 months: Social/Emotional Milestones Knows familiar people Likes to look at self in a mirror Laughs Language/Communication Milestones Takes turns making sounds with you Blows “raspberries” (sticks tongue out and blows) Makes squealing noises Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking and problem-solving) Puts things in their mouth to explore them Reach to grab a toy they want Close their lips to show they don’t want anymore food Movement/Physical Development Milestones Rolls from tummy to back Pushes up with straight arms when on their tummy Leans on hands to support themselves when sitting By 6 months of age some babies might be able to remain in a seated position for limited period of time and to roll over and pivot ( 360 degrees). Very few babies will army crawl, start to clap , reduplicate babbling ( repetition of syllables like “baba”, “mama” , without understanding the meaning). Baby Growth  The normal growth range at 6 months old differs between boys and girls. Length Girls range from 61 – 70 cm (24-27 in.)  in height; Boys range from 63 – 72 cm (25-28 in.)  in height; Weight Girls range from 5800-9500 gr (13-21 lb.) in weight; Boys range from 6200-9900 gr (14-22 lb.) in weight. Another important aspect is that the growth rate of the baby will slow down after six months: you will expect the baby to gain about 500 gr (1 lb.) per month moving forward. For more info on this, check the Growth WHO Standards table and other baby standards here. Baby Sleep At this age your baby will have 3 naps a day with the below structure: 1st nap after 90 min ; sleeps after every 2 hours ; 7 pm bedtime (with none to 2 feeding times; I personally wait for at least 5 hours from bedtime for the first night feeding). Baby Feeding This is the perfect time for the baby to enjoy one solid meal a day. See some of the solids that can be introduced below; Try waiting at least 2 days after introducing new food to the baby to check for any allergic reactions. If you notice symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting it might mean that the baby is allergic to a certain food type. Don’t forget to start giving the baby water. If you use bottled water, check the level of sodium or sulphate. Look on the label to check the levels: Sodium (Na) <= 200 mg/l ;  Sulphate (‘SO’ or ‘SO4’) <= 250 mg/l. Baby Eyes Your baby’d eyesight has improved a lot by now and they are able to see right across the room. Also, if you are wondering what eye color your baby will end up, you might have a good idea by 6 months of age. A baby’s eye color will settle around 11 months of age. Activities Sky is the limit, there are so many activities that you can do without the need of any special toys or materials: Introduce the concept of body parts by showing the baby the major body parts in a mirror, or while naked; Chat as much as possible to encourage the baby make sounds;  Show the baby how clapping works; Encourage crawling by making the baby reach  for a favourite toy; Allow the baby to play with a spoon and a sippy cup to establish eating habits; Funny faces are so powerful at this age, your baby will enjoy the show and you’ll be awarded with giggles; Introduce new people as often as possible; especially now that separation anxiety might kick in; Peekaboooo; Teach the baby the meaning of NO. Must-have toys  (Note: I participate in the affiliate amazon program. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon or other publishers I trust (at no extra cost to you). I may receive a small commission when you buy using my links, this helps to keep the blog alive! See disclosure for details.) When you exhaust all the activities that use no materials, get some of the below toys (6M +); your baby will love them: Stack of circles. They’re very popular and promote hand-eye coordination and creativity. Get them here. Play mat. If you haven’t received by now as a gift from your friends , buy one yourself. Bath toys. Now that they can sit, your baby will spend more time in the bathtub. Get ready and prepare the setup. Teething toys. The first one or two teeth are coming soon, teething toys help a lot: can be soothing and help alleviate pain. 6 Month Baby Schedule 7:00: Wakes up & Nurse / Receives bottle 7:30: Playtime (activities & toys) 9:00: Nap 10:30: Solid food & Nurse / Receives bottle 12:00: Nap 1:30: Outdoor time 15:00: Nap (usually a cat nap if the first 2 naps were long) 16:30: Nurse / Receives bottle 17:00: Playtime (activities & toys) 18:00: Bath time and pre-sleep routine 18:30: Nurse / Receives bottle 18:45 – 19:00 Bedtime!   This is a personal blog. My opinion on what I share with you is that “All models are wrong, but some are useful”. Improve the accuracy of any model I present and make it useful!

Baby eats solids

Introducing solids: the cheatsheet

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Introducing solids to babies Solids are an important milestone for babies. Some will love it, some will be a bit reticent at the beginning. So there are 50-50 chances to have a successful food diversification start. Having 2 kids, I can tell you that we experienced both situations: Bianca gave us signs that she’s ready to eat around 6 months of age, but she wasn’t so thrilled: With Giulia it was totally different: she sat in an upright position at 5 months of age and was reaching for our food even earlier. She gave us many signs that she’s ready to eat. We started diversification with her a few days after she celebrated her 5 months birthday: HOW? You have to know that there are 2 main ways to give baby food: baby-led weaning (BLW): solids are introduced as finger food; it is recommended to start with this method when babies are 6 months old or older; puree   (Note: I participate in the affiliate amazon program. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon or other publishers I trust (at no extra cost to you). I may receive a small commission when you buy using my links, this helps to keep the blog alive! See disclosure for details.)   Of course, you can do a mix of the two. This is what I did. I used a pressure cooker to soften the food and if I decided to give purees, I used a fork to smash the food until soft with no or small lumps. If you don’t have a pressure cooker yet, I recommend this one, we’re using it on a daily basis. WHEN? Different countries have different recommendations related to when to start giving food to your baby. My Data Science intuition tell me that the 4-6 months milestone is positively correlated with how much maternity leave a parent can take. For example, when we were based in Ireland, the general advise was to give food to babies starting with the 4 months of age (I believe that this is related to parents going back to work earlier). Now we’re in Romania and here you can have a long maternity leave (it’s paid by the Government and you can take up to 2 years). So here, the paediatricians advise to start with solids at 6 months of age. HOW MUCH? I followed a super easy rule for both Bianca and Giulia: gradual increase of food: started with a spoon and reached a cup at each meal; number of meals by age: 4-6 Months old: 1 meal / day; 7 Months old: 2 meals / day; 8-9 Months old: 3 meals / day; 10-12 Months old: 3 meals + 1 snack / day; 1 Year+ : 3 meals + 2 snacks / day; WHAT? I’ll start this section with what NOT to give the baby: salts, sugar and honey are forbidden in the first 12 months. 4-6 Months old – 1 meal / day : LUNCH: Vegetables + Proteins Vegetables: sweet potato, parsley, zucchini, carrot, parsnip, green beans, pumpkin, bell pepper, onion, garlic, leek; Proteins:  homemade cheese, chicken, turkey, quail, rabbit, beef, egg (hard boiled); Others: Olive oil, parsley leaves, lovage, dill; 7 Months old – 2 meals / day : BREAKFAST: Fruits LUNCH: Vegetables + Proteins Fruits: apple, pear, avocado, apricot, peach, nectarine, plum, banana, blueberrie­s, watermelon; Vegetables: same as month above; Proteins: same as month above; Others: caraway, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, thyme, oregano,inactive yeast 8-9 Months old – 3 meals / day : BREAKFAST: Fruits LUNCH: Vegetables + Proteins DINNER: Vegetables, Cereals, Dairy products Fruits: same as months above plus grapes, cherries, sour cherries, papaya, dehydrated dates, raisins, kaki, mango, cranberries Vegetables: same as months above plus red beets, green peas, broccoli, cauliflower, red lentil, green lentil, celery, lettuce, endive; Proteins: same as month above plus yogurt, butter, sour cream, liver, white fish (trout, cod, perch, hake, gray mullet, dorada); Cereals/ Pseudocereals: millet, rice, bulgur, couscous, oat, barley;   10-12 Months old – 3 meals + 1 snack / day : BREAKFAST: Fruits LUNCH: Vegetables + Proteins SNACK: Fruits DINNER: Vegetables, Cereals, Dairy products Fruits: same as months above plus quince, figs, kiwi, chestnuts, pineapple, strawberries, raspberry, blackberries, orange, lemon, grapefruit, pomelo, pomegranate in a smoothie, goji, olives, nuts – peanuts – cashew –  pistachio- almond crushed; Vegetables: same as months above plus tomato, aubergine, spinach, mushroom, wild garlic, turnips, white potato, asparagus, cucumber; Proteins: same as month above plus  ricotta, mozzarella, mascarpone, kefir, pork, mutton, goose, duck, lamb; Cereals/ Pseudocereals: same as month above ; 1 Year – 3 meals + 2 snacks / day : BREAKFAST: Fruits LUNCH: Vegetables + Proteins SNACK: Fruits DINNER: Vegetables, Cereals, Dairy products SNACK: Vegetables Fruits: everything ; Vegetables: same as months above radishes, peas, artichoke, sorrel, cabbage, nettles; Proteins: same as month above plus fish, cheese, cream cheese, cheddar, parmesan, edam, gouda, svaiter, grana padano, emmental, pecorino, goats cheese; Cereals/ Pseudocereals: everything ; WHAT? I’ll start this section with what NOT to give the baby: salts, sugar and honey are forbidden in the first 12 months.   Get a long bib that attaches to the highchair and let the baby explore the food, it will be fun!     This is a personal blog. My opinion on what I share with you is that “All models are wrong, but some are useful”. Improve the accuracy of any model I present and make it useful!

Clean Code

17 Clean Code standards to adopt NOW!

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You are here because you code, but how professional does your code look? Professional programmers think of systems as stories to be told rather than programs to be written. I have listed 17 important clean coding standards into 4 different sections. Make sure you bookmark the page and share it with your colleagues: Naming: The name of a variable, function, or class should answer all the big questions. It should tell you why it exists, what it does, and how it is used. Best to use Computer Science terms (algorithm names, pattern names, math etc.) wherever possible. Otherwise, stick with application domain terms. Do not try to be cute or funny when naming. Spend your time wisely when trying to find the correct name. Shorter names are generally better than longer ones, as long as they are clear. Add enough context to a name, but NO MORE. Functions and Methods FUNCTIONS SHOULD SERVE ONE PURPOSE. They should serve it well with NO SIDE EFFECTS. This means one level of abstraction per function. Guide: – They can’t be divided reasonably into sections. – They can’t do anything hidden. If you must have some coupling, then you should AT LEAST make it clear in the name (ex: serializeAndSetContext(…), startThreadAndLogWork(…)). Although this isn’t that pretty. Should be small. Hardly ever longer than 30 lines. Blocks within IF, ELSE, WHILE, FOR should be small, one line in an ideal world. And that should probably be a function call. The indent size within a function shouldn’t be greater than 2, rarely 3. If you come up with 3 levels, first consider if it is possible to break into another function. Arguments are hard for testing. Ideal number of arguments for a function is niladic(0). Next comes one monadic, followed closely by dyadic. More than 3 arguments require special treatment, most likely those arguments need to exist in a class of their own. In professional programming, you have only 2 reasons for function arguments: asking a question or operating on arguments (transforming it, returning a dependent result). In professional programming, flag arguments are bad practice. Passing a bool into a function proclaims that the function does more than one thing. It does one thing if the flag is true and another if the flag is false. In monadic argument functions, we should keep a verb phrase + name pair: download(object), convertToString(date) etc. Comments Comments are, at best, a necessary evil. Most of them are excuses/ justification for bad code. C. Martin: “Comments usually compensate failure to express ourselves in code.“ Clear and expressive code with few comments is far superior to cluttered and complex code with lots of comments. TODO comments are acceptable. But the TODO should be addressed when possible. Module formatting Use the newspaper metaphor for source code: You read it vertically. At the top you expect a headline that will tell you what the story is about and allows you to decide whether it is something you want to read. If one function calls another, they should be vertically close, and the caller should be above the callee, if at all possible. Surround assignment operators with white space to accentuate them.   (Note: I participate in the affiliate amazon program. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon or other publishers I trust (at no extra cost to you). I may receive a small commission when you buy using my links, this helps to keep the blog alive! See disclosure for details.)   Want to learn more? Grab your Clean Code Handbook: Clean Code   This is a personal blog. My opinion on what I share with you is that “All models are wrong, but some are useful”. Improve the accuracy of any model I present and make it useful!

About me

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Are you ready to see the baby world from a data scientists’ perspective? I’m a mom since 2019 (upgraded to mom v2.0 in 2021) and a Data scientist since 2016 (check out my CV here). Hey. Wait. What’s a Data scientist? Anytime when someone asks me what I do for a living, I instantly think of Chandler and the below Friends scene:  via GIFER 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 A Data Scientist is a special kind of analyst that takes raw data, cleans it up and models it in order to be able to make predictions. I decided to create www.thebabydatascientist.com to promote data driven parenting, giving you the peace of mind every parent deserves with the aim of making your baby smile. If you happen to become interested in Data science, there will be a lot of information on this topic too for you to read. Ready to stay connected? This is a personal blog. My opinion on what I share with you is that “All models are wrong, but some are useful”. Improve the accuracy of any model I present and make it useful!

baby guides toddler

All models are wrong, but some are useful. A repository of baby guides

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Famous aphorism, which originates from 1976, was mentioned by George Box when referring to statistical models. I find “All models are wrong, but some are useful” to be applicable to all the models in our lives, but especially to how we’re supposed to raise our kids. Internet is full nowadays of guides about everything you need to know to raise a child. You’ll find in this article the most important mental and physical baby/toddler development info, so bookmark this page! (Note: I participate in the affiliate amazon program. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon or other publishers I trust (at no extra cost to you). I may receive a small commission when you buy using my links, this helps to keep the blog alive! See disclosure for details.)   Understanding Growth Standards for Children   The WHO Child Growth Standards were developed using data collected in the WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study by the World Health Organisation. The site presents documentation on how the physical growth curves and motor milestone windows of achievement were developed as well as application tools to support implementation of the standards. The below growth curves can guide you in the first 2 years of age:   Tracking Your Child’s First Major Gross Motor Milestones   As a first time parent I was concerned about how soon my baby girl managed to achieve the major motor milestones. The below chart sums up a comprehensive study by the World Health Organization. You’ll see that the windows of achievement are wide, there is no reason to be concerned if your baby is inside the window. Reference: WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. WHO Motor Development Study: Windows of achievement for six gross motor development milestones. Acta Paediatrica Supplement 2006;450:86-95.   Tracking Mental Development Milestones in Children   I’ve mapped below the first 3 years of mental development milestones based on 3 famous books: The Wonder Weeks: A Stress-Free Guide to Your Baby’s Behavior Misbehavior is Growth: An Observant Parent’s Guide to the Toddler Years Misbehavior is Growth: An Observant Parent’s Guide to Three Year Olds      The Wonder Weeks: 10 major, predictable, age-linked changes – or leaps – during their first 20 months of babies’ lives: Below is what Amber Domoradzki observed as childhood developmental stages: Creating a Healthy Sleep Schedule for Your Baby   I really like how Dr Marc Weissbluth advises In his book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, 5th Edition: A New Step-by-Step Guide for a Good Night’s Sleep to “watch your child, not the clock”, but still tells you to try and stick to a sleep schedule. A schedule will help you obtain healthy sleep patterns. You’ll baby will give you signs when she/he will be ready to have the sleep schedule adjusted. I shared my experiences with sleep training in this article: https://thebabydatascientist.com/2-successful-sleep-training-methods-to-try/   Navigating Sleep Regressions in Infants and Toddlers   Sleep regressions; I’m not sure how real they are, but be aware that they might happen: A Step-by-Step Guide to Introducing Solids to Your Baby’s Diet Introducing solids: the cheatsheet of baby food by months. You’ll find details in this article: https://thebabydatascientist.com/introducing-solids-the-cheatsheet/ Immunization Schedule for Children 0-15 months old:   Find below immunization recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Ages 15 months old and younger . Some countries might provide the below vaccines for free based on the national vaccination schema:   Encouraging Independent Play in Children   Solo play is encouraged and beneficial, but how long can our babies / toddlers play by themselves? at 6 months up to 5 minutes at 12 months 10 to 15 minutes at 18 months up to 20 minutes at 24 months up to 30 minutes A full article on this here: https://thebabydatascientist.com/independent-play-6-to-24-months/   OMG Are they all wrong? Well yes, it will not be 100% applicable to your child. Still, they’re useful. It’s reassuring to know what to expect and that difficult periods are normal.

DELL EMC Data Science Certified Associate

The perfect Data Science Certification for a Junior Data Scientist

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Starting with 2019, the interest in Data Science education and getting an accreditation skyrocketed. Have a look below at the Google trend of the two search terms: Data Science course vs Data Science certificate:   This shows that many people are looking to get formal training on Data Science.    Generally speaking, a technical certification will be somewhat attractive on a CV, but a certification alone will not secure you a role. The majority of Data Science interviews will have at least one technical test and multiple discussions. Some interviewers might even question you more on the topics of the Certification.  To boost my confidence in my Data Science skills, I also decided to pursue a Data Science Certification. I did my “Google research” and I was pleasantly surprised by the results: DELL EMC program scored high in the top Data Science certifications search. This meant for me, as a Dell employee, that I was able to access multiple learning materials to prepare for the exam.    Structure Dell offers a two-level Data science certification: Associate and Specialist level. The Associate level exam consist of 60 questions and you have 90 minutes to answer them.  The minimum score to pass the exam is 63 and the topics assessed are: MapReduce (15%) MapReduce framework and its implementation in Hadoop Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) Yet Another Resource Negotiator (YARN) Hadoop Ecosystem and NoSQL (15%) Pig Hive NoSQL HBase Spark Natural Language Processing (NLP) (20%) NLP and the four main categories of ambiguity Text Preprocessing Language Modeling Social Network Analysis (SNA) (23%) SNA and Graph Theory Communities Network Problems and SNA Tools Data Science Theory and Methods (15%) Simulation Random Forests Multinomial Logistic Regression and Maximum Entropy Data Visualization (12%) Perception and Visualization Visualization of Multivariate Data I recently (in January 2022) took my Associate level one and I am currently studying for the Specialist level, so it is an ideal time to write about my learning and exam experiences. Learning The official website page for the exam and course info is this. Here you will find details about the On Demand classes they offer, exam link and practice tests. You can also see more sample questions here and additional online practice tests. The Data Science and Big Data Analytics course prepares you for the Data Scientist Associate v2 (DCA-DS) Certification. Once you pass the exam, you receive a Dell Technologies Certified Associate(DCA-DS) Certification. Why is the Data Scientist Associate v2 (DCA-DS) a good certification for a junior data scientist: Going through the topics included in the material will give a good foundation of data science terminologies. It gives an intro into what big data is, the most basic algorithms, and an understanding of the responsibilities of a Data Scientist and the data science lifecycle. Learning all of this will enable immediate and effective participation in big data and other analytics projects. You’ll be hands-on Hadoop (including Pig, Hive, and HBase), Natural Language Processing, Social Network Analysis, Simulation, Random Forests, Multinomial Logistic Regression, and Data Visualization. The labs will prepare you to do data processing, apply algorithms and run data visualization in R. It will empower you to keep on studying and move forward to get the next level certificate as DCA-DS Certification is a prerequisite for DCS-DS. The Advanced Methods in Data Science and Big Data Analytics course prepares you for Specialist – Data Scientist, Advanced Analytics Version 1.0 (DCS-DS) Certification.    (Note: I participate in the affiliate amazon program. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon or other publishers I trust (at no extra cost to you). I may receive a small commission when you buy using my links, this helps to keep the blog alive! See disclosure for details.)   If you don’t have availability to sit in a class for a full week (8  hours a day), you can study for the exam at your own pace. Dell Emc published the below book to help you prepare for the exam. It is rated very high and it’s now discounted on Amazon:   When are you getting one of this?   If this is not motivational enough, I’ll leave below an interesting Ted Talk on the influence of social network  (one of the topics of the course / exam) and you’ll see why Data Science is so cool:       This is a personal blog. My opinion on what I share with you is that “All models are wrong, but some are useful”. Improve the accuracy of any model I present and make it useful!

The Surprising Benefits of Raising Kids with Pets: A Comprehensive Look at the Research

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A growing body of research indicates that raising kids with pets can have numerous benefits for their physical, emotional, and social development. Here are a few examples of studies that have explored the benefits of raising kids with pets: Physical benefits: A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that children who grow up with pets are less likely to develop allergies and asthma. Another study published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology found that children with pets had lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and improved cardiovascular health. Emotional benefits: Research has shown that pets can help children develop stronger emotional bonds and improve their social skills. A study published in the Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities found that children with pets had higher self-esteem and lower levels of anxiety and depression. Social benefits: Pets can also help children develop social skills and build relationships with others. A study published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology found that children with pets had higher levels of social competence and were more likely to initiate social interactions with their peers. Overall, the research suggests that raising kids with pets can have numerous benefits for their physical, emotional, and social development. If you’re considering bringing a pet into your home, it may be worth considering the potential benefits for your child. Choose the right pet: Some pets are more allergen-friendly than others. For example, hypoallergenic breeds like poodles and bichon frises produce fewer allergens than other breeds. You can also consider a reptile or fish as a pet, as these animals are generally considered hypoallergenic. Keep your home clean: Regular cleaning can help reduce allergens in your home, whether you have a pet or not. Vacuum frequently, especially in areas where your pet spends a lot of time, and consider using air purifiers to filter allergens from the air. Gradually introduce your child to pets: If you’re considering getting a pet and your child has allergies, consider starting with a short-term visit to a friend or relative’s home with a pet. This can help your child become more accustomed to the allergens and may help prevent a severe reaction. Talk to your doctor: If you or your child have allergies or asthma, it’s important to talk to your doctor before bringing a pet into your home. Your doctor can help you assess the risks and make a decision based on your specific allergies and medical history.   Choosing the best companion for your family The most beneficial pet for a child will depend on a variety of factors, including the child’s age, interests, and allergies. However, some pets may be more beneficial for children than others, based on the research that has been conducted. Here are a few examples of pets that may be particularly beneficial for children: Dogs: Dogs are often considered to be one of the most beneficial pets for children, as they can provide love, companionship, and numerous health benefits. Studies have shown that children who grow up with dogs are less likely to develop allergies and asthma, and may have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Dogs can also help children develop stronger emotional bonds and improve their social skills. Cats: Like dogs, cats can provide love, companionship, and numerous health benefits for children. Studies have shown that children with cats have lower levels of anxiety and depression, and may have improved cardiovascular health. Cats can also help children develop stronger emotional bonds and improve their social skills. Fish: Fish can be a good choice for children who have allergies, as they are generally considered to be hypoallergenic. Fish can also be relaxing and therapeutic to watch, and caring for them can help children learn responsibility. Ultimately, the most beneficial pet for a child will depend on the child’s individual needs and interests. It’s important to choose a pet that is a good fit for your child and your family, and to be prepared to provide the necessary care and attention to keep the pet healthy and happy.                       This is a personal blog. My opinion on what I share with you is that “All models are wrong, but some are useful”. Improve the accuracy of any model I present and make it useful!