Saturday, July 25, 2009

Ride-On Toys For Your Kids

at 2:36 AM
Young children absolutely love ride-on toys. As soon as they're able to master the coordination required to make them go via foot to floor power, to pedal them, or to negotiate the steering and foot pedal on battery powered ride on toys, they're off and running - err, driving, that is.

They can't get enough of them. Ride-on toys are like a ticket to independence for toddlers, and since many also look like or mimic the vehicles adults drives, they love to pretend they're "driving" just like mom and dad.

Floor to Foot Power
There are such a variety of ride-on toys these days that it can be hard to decide what to choose. Certainly, for very young children, like toddlers, a foot to floor ride-on toy is the best option. Toddlers can have a car all their own and become mobile via their own foot to floor power, so you don't have to worry they'll go too fast or injure themselves. There are blue foot to floor ride-on cars for boys, pink for girls, and even princess cars and ambulances, but my personal favorite is the adorable airplane. There are even foot to floor ride-on toys that look like a mouse, a dump truck, and a hummer.

Pedal Power
As the child becomes more coordinated and learns to pedal, three wheel ride-on toys like traditional tricycles or Big Wheels are the perfect next step. But there are lots more pedal ride-on options, as well - airplanes, red and green tractors, forklifts, construction loaders, tractors with front loaders, dump trucks, front loaders, and even farm tractors with trailers to haul dolls or blocks or dirt or whatever suits their fancy at the time. There are also some very stylin' pedal automobiles - like the Mercedes, red Ferrari, and red BMW convertible and an entire line of sports team themed pedal cars.

My personal favorites in this line are the vintage look car pedal toys. The ™65 Ford Mustang in dark blue or bright red; the ™65 Ford Shelby GT-350; the 1932 Ford Roadster - either in pink, red, or in black with flames; and the 1932 tow truck, fire truck, or police car all look incredible, and any parent who is a fan of vintage cars or antiques will want one of these for their child. Of the entire line, the American Retro Limited Edition Burgundy Roadster impressed me the most with its appearance.

Battery Operated
And finally, after a child has reached 3 years of age, you may want to consider a battery powered ride-on toy. It's important, however, that these in particular be operated only with adult supervision and that your child has the skills necessary to comprehend the effects of moving the steering wheel a particular way and the stop and go foot pedal mechanism before you let them get on one of these. Chances are, if your child has had one of the pedal versions, he or she will have a good grasp of steering already and then you just need to explain the foot pedal.

The variety of battery operated ride-on toys is just as extensive as the pedal powered ride-ons. You can choose from many styles of cars, trucks, motorcycle, crotch rockets, ATVs, go karts, Jeeps, race cars, and dune buggies. There are modern sports cars - like the Jaguar, Ferrari, Porsche, and many more - as well as a classic car and even a baby "bug" (i.e., Volkswagen Beatle).

Obviously, the battery operated models are also going to be the most expensive, but if you watch for sales, you can save a bit on these, too. If you're looking for one really great gift for your child this year, a ride-on toy makes a fabulous birthday or Christmas present he or she will never forget!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

How do I take my infant's temperature?

at 4:13 AM 0 comments
While there are many acceptable ways for taking a temperature, you should use a rectal thermometer if you think that your baby has a fever.

To take a rectal temperature, first wash and rinse the thermometer and shake it until it is reading below 96 degrees F (or consider using a digital rectal thermometer). Next, rub a small amount of lubricant on it's tip and while your baby is lying down, hold one of your hands firmly on his lower back, just above his buttocks. Now gently insert the thermometer into his anus about 1/2 to 1 inches. Wait for two minutes and then remove the thermometer and slowly roll it until you are able to see the end of the mercury column, which is your baby's temperature.

For infants under three months of age, a fever is considered to be a temperature over 100.4 degrees F (call your doctor immediately!). Be sure to clean the thermometer with alcohol after each use.

In older infants, you can consider using an axillary (armpit) thermometer or a digital thermometer that can be placed in your child's ear. Oral thermometers are usually not used until your child is four to five years old.

When reporting your child's temperature to your doctor, it is best to just say what number the thermometer read and how you took it, instead of trying to add or subtract a degree yourself.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Popular American Girl Fashions On a Budget

at 2:29 AM 0 comments
Some little girl's best friend is their American Girl doll (18 inches) because they are fun, pretty, have an interesting life story, and have beautiful hair for your little girl to fix and primp. All kinds of clothes, DVD's, books, beds, and other accecssories are available through AmericanGirl.com. If you have all of the money in the world to spend on your little girl and her doll, then you will find their site a one stop shop to happiness for your little girl that provides hours of fun pretend play.

If you are on a budget, Target's website sells Our Generation dolls, which are also 18" tall. They can fit in the same things that American Girls can fit in and are a good alternative if your little girl just has to have a doll where she can fix her hair, but with a lot lower prices. These dolls generally cost under $30. You can find clothes and other accessories for them as well.

If your little girl just has to have the real thing, then indulge her, but save on the clothes and accessories. She doesn't have to have just American girl brand clothes for her doll. There are many places that sell alternatives to these expensive clothes for a fraction of the cost. You can find doll clothes for $2-$25 that are just as beautiful as the ones at the A.G. Store.

For example, Little Adventures sells a line of princess costumes for little girls that have exact match doll dresses. Cinderella doll dresses and Sleeping Beauty doll clothes are the most popular. But, many of the other doll dresses come with fun and interesting accessories. The princess Snow White doll dress comes with a matching sequin cape and a red bow for her hair and the Medieval princess doll dress in deep purple comes with a matching cone hat that is really cute! Their dresses are only $16 and often go on sale during the holidays or in off-seasons. If the price wasn't enough, these 18 inch doll clothes are machine washable, so if your little girl has a tea party or birthday with her doll and gets tea, punch, or birthday cake on her doll dress, mom can throw it in the wash and it will be as good as new! The princess doll clothes from Little Adventures are also designed to fit plush animals such as Build a Bear.

Hang up her clothes with doll hangers you can find on eBay for about 50 cents. You can find doll clothes armoires for clothes storage.

After she's dressed, your little girl will want to fix her doll's hair. You will find that the American Girl brand brushes are the best ones to use to protect their hair. Did you know that if your doll's hair gets cut or ruined that you can send in the head to A.G. and get it replaced with a new one! They have amazing customer service and your little girls can use their own hair accessories in their doll's hair or buy new ones at the store for them to wear in their hair.

Fashion is important for girls and she will go to every effort to dress her own doll just how she would like to look, so splurge on the doll and conserve with the clothes and you will find a happy compromise between mom and daughter and you will find her pretending for hours with her fun new doll!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Baby Shower Centerpieces Ideas

at 7:11 PM 0 comments

New mother? Here you will learn how to make and where to purchase your baby shower centerpieces. As the centerpiece is the focal point of the baby shower, it is very important for you to design or purchase the right one.

You need to place them above eye level at the table to keep from blocking the view of the and the guest of honor from seeing each other at the table. There are many different types of baby shower centerpieces to choose from. One very popular type of centerpiece which doubles as your baby shower gift is a baby diaper cake.

Once you have picked your theme you need to keep it featured around that theme. If making your own baby shower centerpiece, many of the supplies needed will be available locally. However, going online will add to the variety of baby shower centerpieces you have to choose from.

Many baby shower centerpieces will be made with candles surrounding them. Such as floral centerpieces, using fresh or artificial flowers. Fresh flowers will be more economical if you choose flowers that are in season. When choosing artificial flowers, you can go with silk, chocolate flowers such as roses, plastic flowers, or light-up roses.

  • Use a wicker basket and fill it with baby items. You could put a cloth diaper, diaper pins, baby bottles, bibs, baby socks, pacifiers and other small baby items. Surround the basket with small candles or put a couple of helium balloons tied to the handle.
  • If using a beach theme, use a beach bucket and place a flower arrangement inside, with candles around the outside. Or put small tools for the beach inside the bucket.
  • Fill a small goldfish bowl with water and fill it with floating candles and flower buds. Or you might even add a goldfish to the water.
  • Use votive holders and candles that match your theme. They will provide a soft type of illumination to the event.
  • Go to a craft section or a craft store and purchase small pink and blue gemstones. You could place these in votive holders, or small glass vases of different sizes. Add shredded tissue to the mix and you will have another lovely baby shower centerpiece.
  • You could get different glass figurines of a stork, swan, castle, teddy bear, or whatever would fit with the theme. Put them in a box filled with colored shredded paper and put the figurine on top. Any of these would be a great addition to your baby shower.
  • Hang an umbrella from the ceiling filled with stuffed animals. Or you could put flowers inside and add balloons, dolls and/or ribbons.
  • Fill a bucket, bowl, or basket with candy, small stuffed animals, or flowers, say rose.
  • If the baby shower is in the fall or winter. Use small pumpkins, headstones, or leaves of different colors. Pumpkins could be made of tissue, or small figures of pumpkins.
  • Tropical Themes could use many different items to make your baby shower center piece. Pineapples, tiki lights, small palm trees, hula dancer center piece, or a flamingo.
  • Nautical themes could use small boats, ships, sailboats, anchors, or a treasure chest.
  • Spring themes could include items such as hearts, leprechauns, or bunnies.
  • Western themes could use straw, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, western badges and rope.

These are just some ideas to choose from. Think about them, mix and match, or add your own ideas to make baby shower centerpieces that perfectly match your theme. You and your guests and guest of honor will have a fun day. They will be getting away from reality for a short time to rest and enjoy themselves.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Toddler and Pets - Animals

at 6:11 PM 0 comments

Whether or not you have a pet at home, toddlers should be pet-proofed as early on as possible. Teach your toddler the following rules for safety's sake:

Let sleeping (and eating) dogs (and cats) lie. Don't touch or go near them when they're napping or dining. And never touch their food: curious fingers can easily be perceived as a threat - retaliation is likely even in a mellow animal.

Never poke an animal's eyes, pull his tail, or tug in its ears. Always pet gently under the chin rather than on top of the head - which implies domination (Show you toddler how to do this).

Don't tease an animal. Don't offer a bone and then withdraw it, block its way to the water bowl, pretend you are going to hit it, and so on.

Stay away from dogs, cats, squirrels, raccoons, or other animals you don't know.

Stay away from animals that are sick or behaving strangely. This will have to be your call for now. The signs of rabies in an animal include one or more of the following: limping or staggering (because of paralysis of the hind legs); frothing or foaming at the mouth (due to paralysis of the throat and stiffness of the jaw); aggressive behaviors (attacking people, other animals, even objects); behavior changes (a nocturnal animal may come out during the day, a diurnal one at night); dis-orientation and lack inhibition. Some infected animals, however, may not have any noticeable symptoms.

Stay away from dogs or cats when they're fighting.

Stay way from a new mother dog or cat who is with her babies: she will fight to protect her offspring.

Never go near any animal without a grown-up around.

Always move slowly when approaching an animal. Don't run toward or ride a riding toy up to an animal: don't make sudden movement or jump around in front of it. (Cats are likely to run from a young child at play, but because toddlers can't necessarily differentiate between dogs and cats - and just to be on the safe side - this rule should apply to both species).

If a dog growls or is angry, don't run away (the dog might give chase): instead, roll up into a little ball on the ground and cover your face with your arms.

Never put your face near a dog's face. (Because toddlers are small, they are most likely to be bitten in danger areas - face, head, neck) the same goes for cats. (Since a feline's claws can do a lot of harm to tender young skin, too).

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Ways to Make Your Home Baby Safe

at 6:11 PM 1 comments

If you are preparing your home for a new baby, there are many baby products which are especially made to ensure your child's safety and security. It is impossible for parents to look after their child for 24 hours a day but it is within their reach to keep their home as child proof as possible.

There are various baby products available for you which will ensure the baby's safety and keep them from getting hurt. The various products are the car seats, bath seat, safety gates, bed rails, guards and locks, doorknob covers, outlet covers, table and oven bumpers. What is expected for a parent is to choose these products with utmost care because the safety issues concerning your baby can not be ignored at any cost. It is advisable not to buy the new set of the safety products without doing ample research.

As a child grows and starts to walk he or she wants to move in the house freely and investigate each and every corner of the room. The curiosity to know about the new environment the child has entered sometimes leads the child harming himself. To avoid any such mishap it is better to have the safety gates for the security of the baby. The safety gates will most probably prevent the baby to reach out the places where there are various electrical equipments and the wires. The safety gates are usually made up of high strength fabrics and Plexiglas. They are basically used at the stairways and the doorways. This gate is fitted easily between the two walls inside the door frame. This hardware mounted gate opens and closes like the door and is attached with the banisters and the screws in the wall.

While purchasing the safety gates you should always keep certain things in mind. You should always ensure properly that the gates do not have any kind of openings which can trap the neck or the fingers of the baby. One should check the sharp protrusions and the edges which can hurt the baby's hands. The height of the safety gate should be same to the babys height. The gates that swing at the top of the stairway should not be used. One should never use a safety gate which has a structure that provides the baby to hold his feet and then climb up on the gate. The gates which are used between the two rooms should be of the equal level to avoid the baby falling.

As a parent you would also ensure the complete safety of your child in the bathtub. You can not leave the child unattended in the bathtub as it is very dangerous and can cause the child to drown. You can purchase a bath seat for your baby. The seat will give the added support to the baby while taking a bath. This will help in preventing the soapy baby slipping out from your hands and hurting them. Always look for the JPMA certification seal which will help you in differentiating the original and the dubious products. One should never use the bath seat on a non skid surface or a textured surface.

Another safety product which will help your child avoid falling down is the safety rail. But before buying the safety rail ensure properly that they will fit into the baby's bed. If not checked there are chances that your child might be caught between the safety rails and the bed.

Keep on the lookout, and research baby products before your purchase. If you do this, your home with be a safe place for your baby.

Silver Baby Cups

at 7:22 AM 0 comments
Silver Baby Cups

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Baby Cold - How to Prevent Your Baby From Colds

at 7:10 PM 0 comments

Common cold is simply an infection that affects the nose and respiratory tracts. More than 200 different viruses can cause a cold. Babies, in particular, are more vulnerable, because their immune systems are not completely developed. Most colds are not dangerous, and usually last only a week. Colds that last longer than a week should be treated by a health professional. A cold may lead to pneumonia or other serious illnesses, especially in babies younger than three months.

Symptoms

Children with a common cold may display one of the following symptoms:

  • Runny nose
  • Low-grade fever
  • Sneezing
  • Coughing
  • Watery eyes

Treatment

There is no cure for the common cold. However, here are some ways you can help your baby feel better:

  • Wash your hands regularly. Keep the baby's toys, pillows, and bed clean.
  • Let your baby drink plenty of water, juice, or other suitable liquids to keep your baby hydrated. Breastfeeding is the best option at this age, since human milk contains the necessary antibodies to fight infections.
  • Clear the baby's nasal passage with a rubber-bulb syringe.
  • Keep the air in your baby's room moist by running a humidifier or vaporizer.
  • Doctors may suggest giving a medication such as acetaminophen to reduce discomfort to babies older than three months but always double-check dosage since the doctor will calculate on exact weight and age of your baby.

Call the doctor immediately in the following cases:

  • When the cold symptoms persist for more than two weeks
  • When the child displays symptoms such as wheezing, panting, or other breathing difficulties
  • When the child complains of pain in the ears
  • When a fever higher than 100F persists for more than three days
  • When the sputum is tinged with blood

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Babies, Children, Music and Movement

at 6:09 PM 0 comments

Movement and rhythm are a part of life from the very beginning. The unborn baby hears his mother's heart beat and the voices of his parents. Babies respond to these sounds with a reflex movement. As the baby continues to develop and grow the responses become more deliberate and rhythmic and are the first form of communication. This development continues through the early childhood years and beyond. How we move is influenced by the rhythms we hear and remember. What influences this remembering?

Parents all over the world naturally love to bounce and move to the beat when they sing to their infants. They use the natural rhythms of language and its rising and falling tonalities to communicate expressively to their little ones. Babies are bounced to chants and rhymes and rocked to lullabies. These early experiences that parents do naturally are important for later learning. These activities challenge the vestibular system which is in the inner ear and is responsible for our sense of balance. Rocking, rolling and bouncing activities to music are not only fun to do, but extremely important for the developing brain. Have you ever wondered why this is so important? Are music and movement somehow related?

Canadian researchers at McMaster University have gained some insights into what is happening in the brain when infants are bounced to the beat. When psychologists Trainor and Phillips-Silver studied how babies perceive music they found that movement was the key factor in helping wire the brain to hear rhythm. (Feeling the Beat: Movement Influences Infant Rhythm Perception, Jessica Phillips-Silver and Laurel J Trainor; Science, June 3, 2005). The seven month old infants who took part in the study showed decided preference for music that had accents added on the same beat on which they had been bounced. The infants consistently chose to listen longest to rhythm patterns that matched those patterns to which they had been physically bounced. The researchers concluded that the movement caused the babies to remember the rhythm differently.

When babies learn about their world they learn in a multi-sensory context. In all music and movement classes there is a special emphasis on learning through a range of sensory experiences. It is not surprising then that the researchers found that hearing the beat alone was not sufficient to form long term neural pathways. Watching someone else bounce to the music did not work. In the series of tests the babies picked out a rhythm only if they'd been moved to the beat while listening. Vision also wasn't necessary as blindfolded babies could pick out the rhythm too, as long as they were bounced.

Now the inter-dependence of the vestibular with the auditory doesn't mean that passive listening is bad or that continual bouncing is necessary, but it does suggest that interactive musical experiences where movement to the beat is deliberate and sustained will be beneficial for the child. So use your own natural musical instincts. Get up and move with your child to the beat, at every opportunity. Choose your musical instruments and recordings wisely to encourage active music making. You can be assured that you are making a difference.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Most Common Breastfeeding Problems

at 6:08 PM 0 comments

Although breastfeeding is a natural process, it does not happen easily. Mothers can face quite a few problems when they start breastfeeding their baby. This article provides useful insight to commonly faced problems by breastfeeding mothers, as well as gives solutions which can help you in breastfeeding your baby. If you are unable to solve your problem or are experiencing difficulties in breastfeeding your child, then we recommend that you consult a professional or an infant feeding consultant for guidance.

Breast pain

Some moms experience pain in their breasts occasionally when they are weaning their child. There can be several causes for this, such as the letdown reflex, too much milk production, blocked ducts as well as thrush and engorgement.

The letdown reflex is caused due to the release of oxytocin hormone, which stimulates the breast muscles to squeeze out milk. The hormone is actually released due to suckling of the breast. However, certain situations or conditions can also lead to the release of the hormone in breastfeeding mothers like thinking about your baby, or seeing a crying or hungry baby. The condition causes slight tingly feeling in some mothers to pressure, discomfort or pain in others.

Blocked ducts

Blocked ducts, also called Mastitis, are another problem faced by breastfeeding moms. Mastisis causes the area of the breast to become red, sore or inflamed, and is usually caused by poor pumping of the breast or by wearing a badly-fitting bra. Blocked ducts, also called inflamed ducts are caused if the baby is not "milking" properly. This causes the produced milk to be forced back into the breast tissue rather than being pumped out, causing swollen lumps to form on the breasts which can be painful. Make sure your baby is latched on properly when breastfeeding. Another solution to blocked ducts is to use a breast pump like Medela pump in style or Ameda purely yours to pump milk out of the breasts.

Sore nipples

Sore nipples are caused due to several reasons, such as a poorly fitting bra, use of certain creams or soaps which can dry the skin, causing dermatitis, or could be due to a poorly latched baby. Sore nipples are not a 'part and parcel' of breastfeeding as is understood by many women. In fact, breastfeeding should be a pleasurable experience for you and your baby, and any uncomforting issue should be dealt with professionally. If your baby is teething, it can also cause sore nipples.

Breast refusal

Some babies tend to go on a "breastfeeding strike" when they refuse to take a mothers breast. However this can be due to several reasons which should be identified as early as possible to allow the baby to continue breastfeeding. Some of the obvious reasons for breast refusal include mouth pain from teething, due to which the baby may feel irritated. If the baby has a cold or flu, or has an ear infection which is hurting, the baby can refuse to take your breast. In other cases, if your baby is not latching properly and not getting enough milk from breastfeeding, then the baby may refuse breast milk.

Some other obvious scenarios of breast refusal include the introduction of fluids or solids in the baby's diet, which leaves the baby feeling "filled" and not want to feed on your milk. If there is a lapse in the emotional bonding between you and the baby that can also lead to breast refusal, like if you have been away from your baby for a while to work, or if you let the baby cry repeatedly before feeding, it can disrupt the baby's routine. Some other cases of breast refusal may include certain smells of products you may have applied, like a perfume or cream which can put off the baby.

Engorged breasts

Breastfeeding mothers often experience engorged breasts during the first few days or weeks after giving birth. This normally happens due to excess milk production by the breasts, which can cause the breasts to be swollen, tender, lumpy and uncomfortable. Engorged breasts only last for a few days and as soon as your baby starts feeding comfortably at your breast, your breasts will feel softened.

Low milk supply

Mother's breasts only produce enough milk to meet the baby's needs. If the baby is not latching properly, or has been introduced to other foods in the diet, then your breasts will not produce more milk. To allow your breasts to produce enough milk, make sure that you feed your baby regularly. Do not wait for a regular routine before feeding your baby. As soon as the baby is feeling hungry you should feed her without waiting for your breasts to "fill up" or for a 3 hour interval to complete.

Whether you are a new mom or have breastfed before, you may experience any of these problems at some stage. Make sure you know the reasons for each of the problems as well as their solutions to be able to solve them and continue feeding your child.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Baby Safety Monitors Are For New Parents

at 6:06 PM 0 comments

Baby safety monitors are a blessing in disguise for first time parents. The market is flooded with numerous types of baby monitoring devices, so choosing the right monitor that meets your requirements can be tricky. Baby monitors are a wonderful tool; it allows you to keep an eyes and ear on your infant or toddler even when they are not near you.

Infants are very fragile and sensitive to a number of things but it's nearly impossible to keep an eye on the child all the time. Sudden infants' death syndrome is something that many parents are paranoid about. These monitoring systems let you keep a watchful eye on the infants and alerts when the child is having any problem. There are several types and styles of baby monitors that help you get peace of mind as well as safety for your child.

Baby monitors have transmitters and receivers that alert you when a child is waking up from a nap or during the night. This is very beneficial as it allows you to silently keep tabs on the baby without disturbing him/her. It has been seen that many children have trouble sleeping if the caretaker keeps popping into the room every now and then. There are monitors with sound and video images in the market that can give the parent a bird's eye view of the child's activities. It allows parents to supervise children all the time but there are instances when it becomes almost impossible to do so.

The mothers would certainly not like the child to play around in the kitchen near hot stove and sharp objects. This is the time when a child safety monitor comes to the rescue when the child is not readily visible to the caregiver. Video monitoring also lets you know what's happening to your child when it's with your "trusted" babysitter. There are certain things that you need to keep in mind while buying a baby safety monitoring device.

Go for the brands like Graco that come equipped with multiple receivers so that both the parents can keep one. A baby safety monitor with a receiver that is portable and battery operated is highly recommended as you can carry it anywhere with you. Check for the ability of the device to change frequencies as many household appliances and devices like television, radio can distort the feed on a video baby monitor.

Wireless baby monitors are equipment that every newborn parent should invest in. Take your time to look for a baby safety monitor that provides you with peace and an extra set of eyes and ears that are always guarding your little ones.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Should I Place My Child in Daycare?

at 6:02 PM 0 comments

This is a question that my wife, Angela and I asked ourselves on a daily basis, and would be a topic of conversation as we are laying in bed at night. I worked 12 hours per day (and sometimes more) and many times would have to work out of state for months upon end, without seeing my wife and children. The hours were so demanding that I could not even fly home on weekends.

At this stage in our lives, my wife tossed around the decision of going back to work so I could take a pay cut. The idea was... If both of us were working 40 hours per week, I could get out of the industry that I was in and actually work in the state in which I lived so I could be part of the family once again. However, we had to think about whether placing our children in child care was the right thing to do for them, and for us. It was a decision that we were very reluctant to make. It just didn't seem right that someone else should spend more time with our children than we would. Now don't get me wrong, we were not opposed to placing them into the environment of daycare here and there, to give them interaction with other children and for them to learn structure early on in life. We just did not want them to be there full time.

We had to think about the environment in which our children would be in, the diverse attitudes that our children would be exposed to from others in the group, and the educational content they would receive. Another thing that scared us was the stories that you here about children who get severely injured in daycare because the lack of supervisory-to-children ratio at the daycare facility. Sad to say, but at the time we were looking into daycare for our children, we heard on the news about a child who died in a swimming pool because there were not enough attendants to keep an eye on the children.

The other thing Angela and I had to think about was the cost of daycare, and whether there would be a cost benefit. After looking at the numbers, my wife would essentially be working to cover the $300.00 cost/week of daycare, and the wages that I would have made would barely cover the house payment, not to mention other cost of running and maintaining a home.

After coming up with several option, we concluded that I should give the home business industry another try. I had dabbled in the industry for several years before this point and never had any real levels of success. However, we knew that people were actually making it, and thought we would make another attempt. After days of searching, we finally found a website of a guy who was living the life we desired, and many people had quit there jobs after replacing their full time income with the simplicity of the system that had been in operation since 2001.

This was a blessing that showed up in our life because it made all of our problems go away. I was able to quit my job, my wife did not have to go back to work, and our children were never placed in daycare on a full time basis. In fact, the only time we placed them in daycare was to give them the interaction with other children for a couple days per week. This also gave Angela and I the opportunity to spend some quality time together as Husband and Wife.

So if you are contemplating placing your children in children in daycare, you may want to explore other option that may turn out to be more of a benefit to you, personally and financially.

Make It A Great Day!
You and your children deserve it.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

10 Commandments of Good Parenting (3)

at 2:12 AM 0 comments

7. Be consistent. "If your rules vary from day to day in an unpredictable fashion or if you enforce them only intermittently, your child's misbehavior is your fault, not his. Your most important disciplinary tool is consistency. Identify your non-negotiables. The more your authority is based on wisdom and not on power, the less your child will challenge it."

Many parents have problems being consistent, Steinberg tells WebMD. "When parents aren't consistent, children get confused. You have to force yourself to be more consistent."

8. Avoid harsh discipline. Parents should never hit a child, under any circumstances. "Children who are spanked, hit, or slapped are more prone to fighting with other children," he writes. "They are more likely to be bullies and more likely to use aggression to solve disputes with others."

"There is a lot of evidence that spanking causes aggression in children, which can lead to relationship problems with other kids," Steinberg tells WebMD. "There are many other ways to discipline a child, including 'time out,' which work better and do not involve aggression."

9. Explain your rules and decisions. "Good parents have expectations they want their child to live up to," he writes. "Generally, parents overexplain to young children and underexplain to adolescents. What is obvious to you may not be evident to a 12-year-old. He doesn't have the priorities, judgment or experience that you have."

An example: A 6-year-old is very active and very smart -- but blurts out answers in class, doesn't give other kids a chance, and talks too much in class. His teacher needs to address the child behavior problem. He needs to talk to the child about it, says Steinberg. "Parents might want to meet with the teacher and develop a joint strategy. That child needs to learn to give other children a chance to answer questions."

10. Treat your child with respect. "The best way to get respectful treatment from your child is to treat him respectfully," Steinberg writes. "You should give your child the same courtesies you would give to anyone else. Speak to him politely. Respect his opinion. Pay attention when he is speaking to you. Treat him kindly. Try to please him when you can. Children treat others the way their parents treat them. Your relationship with your child is the foundation for her relationships with others."

For example, if your child is a picky eater: "I personally don't think parents should make a big deal about eating," Steinberg tells WebMD. "Children develop food preferences. They often go through them in stages. You don't want turn mealtimes into unpleasant occasions. Just don't make the mistake of substituting unhealthy foods. If you don't keep junk food in the house, they won't eat it."

Likewise, the checkout line tantrum can be avoided, says Natale. "Children respond very well to structure. You can't go shopping without preparing them for it. Tell them, 'We will be there 45 minutes. Mommy needs to buy this. Show them the list. If you don't prepare them, they will get bored, tired, upset by the crowds of people."

"Parents forget to consider the child, to respect the child," Natale tells WebMD. "You work on your relationships with other adults, your friendships, your marriage, dating. But what about your relationship with your child? If you have a good relationship, and you're really in tune with your child, that's what really matters. Then none of this will be an issue."

Monday, April 13, 2009

10 Commandments of Good Parenting (2)

at 2:11 AM 0 comments

3. Be involved in your child's life. "Being an involved parent takes time and is hard work, and it often means rethinking and rearranging your priorities. It frequently means sacrificing what you want to do for what your child needs to do. Be there mentally as well as physically."

Being involved does not mean doing a child's homework -- or reading it over or correcting it. "Homework is a tool for teachers to know whether the child is learning or not," Steinberg tells WebMD. "If you do the homework, you're not letting the teacher know what the child is learning."

4. Adapt your parenting to fit your child. Keep pace with your child's development. Your child is growing up. Consider how age is affecting the child's behavior.

"The same drive for independence that is making your three-year-old say 'no' all the time is what's motivating him to be toilet trained," writes Steinberg. "The same intellectual growth spurt that is making your 13-year-old curious and inquisitive in the classroom also is making her argumentative at the dinner table."

For example: An eighth grader is easily distracted, irritable. His grades in school are suffering. He's argumentative. Should parents push him more, or should they be understanding so his self-esteem doesn't suffer?

"With a 13-year-old, the problem could be a number of things," Steinberg says. "He may be depressed. He could be getting too little sleep. Is he staying up too late? It could be he simply needs some help in structuring time to allow time for studying. He may have a learning problem. Pushing him to do better is not the answer. The problem needs to be diagnosed by a professional."

5. Establish and set rules. "If you don't manage your child's behavior when he is young, he will have a hard time learning how to manage himself when he is older and you aren't around. Any time of the day or night, you should always be able to answer these three questions: Where is my child? Who is with my child? What is my child doing? The rules your child has learned from you are going to shape the rules he applies to himself."

"But you can't micromanage your child," Steinberg tells WebMD. "Once they're in middle school, you need let the child do their own homework, make their own choices, and not intervene."

6. Foster your child's independence. "Setting limits helps your child develop a sense of self-control. Encouraging independence helps her develop a sense of self-direction. To be successful in life, she's going to need both."

It is normal for children to push for autonomy, says Steinberg. "Many parents mistakenly equate their child's independence with rebelliousness or disobedience. Children push for independence because it is part of human nature to want to feel in control rather than to feel controlled by someone else."

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

10 Commandments of Good Parenting

at 1:40 AM 0 comments
Does your child have behavior problems? Your relationship with your child likely needs some attention.

You know the checkout line scenario: 3-year-old child wants this toy, this candy, this something -- and she wants it nooooow! The crying starts, escalating into a full-blown tantrum.

In his new book, The Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting, Laurence Steinberg, PhD, provides guidelines based on the top social science research -- some 75 years of studies. Follow them, and you can avert all sorts of child behavior problems, he says.

After all, what is the goal when you're dealing with children? To show who's boss? To instill fear? Or to help the child develop into a decent, self-confident human being?

Good parenting helps foster empathy, honesty, self-reliance, self-control, kindness, cooperation, and cheerfulness, says Steinberg. It also promotes intellectual curiosity, motivation, and desire to achieve. It helps protect children from developing anxiety, depression, eating disorders, anti-social behavior, and alcohol and drug abuse.

"Parenting is one of the most researched areas in the entire field of social science," says Steinberg, who is a distinguished professor of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia. The scientific evidence for the principles he outlines "is very, very consistent," he tells WebMD.

Too many parents base their actions on gut reaction. But some parents have better instincts than others, Steinberg says. Children should never be hit -- not even a slap on a toddler's bottom, he tells WebMD. "If your young child is headed into danger, into traffic, you can grab him and hold him, but you should under no circumstances hit him."

Ruby Natale PhD, PsyD, professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of Miami Medical School, couldn't agree more. She offered a few of her own insights. "Many people use the same tactics their own parents used, and a lot of times that meant using really harsh discipline," she tells WebMD.

A parent's relationship with his or her child will be reflected in the child's actions -- including child behavior problems, Natale explains. "If you don't have a good relationship with your child, they're not going to listen to you. Think how you relate to other adults. If you have a good relationship with them, you tend to trust them more, listen to their opinions, and agree with them. If it's someone we just don't like, we will ignore their opinion."

Steinberg's 10 principles hold true for anyone who deals with children -- coach, teacher, babysitter, he says.

The 10 Principles of Good Parenting

1. What you do matters. "This is one of the most important principles," Steinberg tells WebMD. "What you do makes a difference. Your kids are watching you. Don't just react on the spur of the moment. Ask yourself, 'What do I want to accomplish, and is this likely to produce that result?'"

2. You cannot be too loving. "It is simply not possible to spoil a child with love," he writes. "What we often think of as the product of spoiling a child is never the result of showing a child too much love. It is usually the consequence of giving a child things in place of love -- things like leniency, lowered expectations, or material possessions."

Sunday, March 29, 2009

When Can My Baby Start Drinking Water?

at 11:02 PM 0 comments
The answer to this question is "yes". The answer is also "no"! The full answer is that, like all human beings, babies do need to take in water in order to survive.

But they don't actually need to drink water—in fact, pediatricians advise against giving your baby plain or distilled water until he or she is six months old. Babies get their water needs met by drinking breastmilk or formula, both of which are mostly water.

The reason your doctor will tell you not to feed your baby plain water is that it's easy to fill up an infant's stomach; a few little ounces will do the job. Babies should be filling up on nourishment—getting the nutrients they need from each feeding. Once your baby has been teething, he or she will need fluoride to support the
new teeth, so giving drinking water is a good way to meet that need. But until then, let your baby get water in his or her usual feedings of mother's milk or formula.

If your baby is running a temperature, your pediatrician may advise you to give him or her more liquids. Usually, your doctor will suggest a liquid like Pedialyte, which contains nutrients to restore the balance of your child's electrolytes. Again, don't give your infant water instead of other liquids unless the doctor advises it.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Understanding Breast Feeding

at 6:43 PM 0 comments
Since we have established that breast-feeding is best for your baby for the first six months of his life. It is a good idea to understand how the breast produces milk. Each breast is divided into lobes and this is where milk is produced. Individual lobes have as many as 15 to 25 tubes that convey milk to the nipples. These tubes widen on the way to the areola (the dark area around your nipples) where milk collects before being expressed. Studies with the help of infrared photographs show that the breasts grow hot when a baby cries. As a result blood rushes to the breasts bringing with it sugars to the milk glands.

As the baby suckles, oxytocin is released into the bloodstream, causing the muscle cells around the milk gland to contract and squeeze out milk that tastes sweet. The squeezing is also known as "the let-down reflex'. Before this reflex takes place, the baby gets some milk. This milk is called 'fore milk', which satisfies the baby's immediate need and is rich in protein. The milk that follow is known as 'hind milk' is more satisfying as it, has more fat and hence more calories. The 'let-down reflex' has to be stimulated for milk supply to build up. Let your baby decide how much milk needs to be produced. Feed him on demand do not regulate his feeding. If you do this the baby and your breasts will work in coordination and your breasts will produce milk according to your baby's requirement.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Baby’s Bath

at 1:34 AM 1 comments
Baby’s bath can be both fun and a nervous time for both parents and child. The key is to make sure that baby is comfortable and don’t rush yourself. Your baby only needs a bath only twice or three times a week, you can do it more often when it is the summer time. As the baths will make your baby feel more comfortable.

Preparing for Baby’s Bath

It is a good idea to prepare your self before bathing the baby. This will make it easier once you start the process. Make sure that you have soap, a towel, baby shampoo, a small tub or basin, if you are using the sink, make sure it is clean, a washcloth, clothes, diapers, and a brush. Make sure that the door and windows are all closed before starting the bath; this will help to prevent drafts from coming in and possibly giving baby a cold. You should also make sure that the water temperature is comfortable and not to hot and not too cold, baby can chill or burn easily. Never leave your baby alone in the water. If the phone or bell is ringing, it is best to just let it ring. Baby could slip down into the water and hurt themselves. Also, remember that baby is slippery, so you don’t want to be carrying baby around if you forget something, they could easily slip out of your hands.

Sponge Bath

In the beginning, your baby will only need a sponge bath. You should do this for the first couple of weeks. Fill a basin with warm water, gently insert your wrist or elbow and check the water temperature. After you have decided that it is right, take off baby’s clothes. Place a wash cloth in the water and squeeze it out; until it is just damp. Then using the washcloth gently wipe baby all over. Make sure to wipe her or his neck and head and behind the ears, and between his or her fingers and toes. Also, make sure to wipe around their eyes, and in the folds of their skin. After you have finished, then cover baby with a towel to keep the warmth in. Make sure that baby’s skin is completely dry before putting on their clothes.

Tub Bath

The next step will be to move baby to a tub or basin bath. You can use your bathtub, sink or a plastic tub. Before you begin you should line the tub with a towel to prevent the baby from slipping down the sides. Then completely remove baby’s clothes, and gently place the baby into the water. Remember to check the water temperature before inserting your baby. Also, you must support and hold baby carefully while in the tub. Then you can wash, rinse, and dry the baby’s chest, arms, and hands, turn baby over and do its back also. Wash and dry the baby’s legs and feet, you should do the diaper area last. While bathing baby you should check for rashes, sores, or other problem areas. If you see anything unusual you should call your doctor immediately, and left them know about it.
While bathing bath is a natural thing, it does involve getting use to a new routine. It will help to have everything prepared before you begin, this way you will feel confident and relaxed once you begin the process. Remember this time spent with your baby can be lots of fun, as long as you take the necessary precautions and prepare in advance. You will get the hang of it in no time and both you and baby will enjoy the time spent together.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Children's Wants and Needs (2)

at 9:43 PM 0 comments
Your attention is a powerful balm

To address these feelings of need, a good long-range policy for squabbles is to move in and offer love and attention to the child whose turn it isn't, or who can't have what or who he wants. Move in and make gentle contact. Let him know that this time, he needs to wait, or that he simply can't have what he longs for right now. Stay, listen to his feelings, and keep letting him know that he will get a turn, or that some other day, he can sit in the chair next to Daddy, or have more ice cream. "I'll help you wait" is a good reassurance to give, or "Sally will be finished with it sometime. I don't know when. But I'll help you wait." We call this kind of listening “Staylistening.”

A child can use wanting a turn or wanting more of something as a valve to let out lots of stored, outdated longings that keep him from feeling fully pleased with you and with life. You can give warm eye contact and loving touch, knowing that you and your love are pouring into some needy places in his experience. His feelings will be strong, in fact, the sweeter you sound, the bigger his cry will become. The healing process is full-throated when it's going well!

When children are feeling needy, you are the balm that they need. Your attention is by far the most powerful remedy, and if they can cry or tantrum with your attention surrounding them, you can be sure that they are getting what they need most in the world. When you can't be there, and it's you they are longing for, any adult who can listen and love them while they cry will soon be seen as their very best friend and confidant. Listening and love are what we need when we're aching for someone or something. It's great to get the person or thing you want, but when that's not possible, it's great to have someone who opens their arms to you, listens, and lets crying do its healing work.

With the "I'll help you wait, and listen to your feelings" policy, every child in the family (or in the play group or nursery school) will have a chance to be helped with their leftover feelings of wanting as time goes by. Every child will have the chance to dissolve outdated feelings of need that create defensiveness or aggression. Several good cries with a loving adult can help each child move toward playing flexibly and showing generosity to other children.

It's not easy to listen to children's longings

When you begin allowing your child a good cry or tantrum, you'll have lots of feelings of your own to cope with, too. We parents tend to swing back and forth between feeling sad that our child doesn't have what he wants, and mad that we have to listen to such a fuss. We can also become deeply miffed by other children who, because feelings of wanting have infected their behavior, "hog" the toy our child wants for what seems like ages! Our feelings are important too. They lead us to emotional debris from situations we faced many times as children, usually without someone to hold us and reassure us that all would be well. We need chances to talk about our own experiences as parents, and our memories of childhood, to begin to heal the tensions that build up when our children, or other people's children, are feeling heartbroken.

Listening to longings is a much-needed skill

Our world will become a very different place when we parents have spread the word about staying close and affectionate while our children cry and tantrum about the things they can’t immediately have. Children will have the chance to grow up with permission to unload bad feelings, and then to absorb our deeply satisfying attention. The empty and frightened spots inside them will have a chance to heal. We are citizens of a world full of people whose feelings of desperation need to be heard and healed, while justice is built. Offering love and listening to children while they wait for what they want is an important step in an excellent direction. And, fortunately, children with parents who set reasonable limits and then Staylisten to their feelings grow up to be thoughtful, responsible, and considerate adults.

Here's how it works

Here's a story that illustrates how helping a child work on wanting (and not wanting) can help her dissolve feelings about the bigger difficulties of her life.

My daughter is three, and she's going to pre-school now. My husband and I have recently separated. Ella loves school. She talks about it enthusiastically when she's at home, and she likes being there, but has a very difficult time when I leave her there. She wraps herself around me, clings tightly, and won't let me get out the door. This has been going on for awhile.

Yesterday, after we got home from school, she was feisty and cranky. I was fixing her a snack, and I could tell that bad feelings were close to the surface. The last straw for her was that the chair I had set out for her was in the "wrong" place. I knew that this was an opportunity to help her with how she felt, so I didn't fix it. She ran across the room, upset about the chair. I went over to sit next to her. She was trying to cry, but wasn't crying yet—it was a kind of "fake" crying. I sat with her, and told her as gently as I could, "That chair is just in the wrong place," trying to help her feel her upset fully. She said, "I don't need you!" and ran away from me. I moved to about four feet away from her again, and said, "I'm going to stay nearby, I don't want to leave you right now." She kept moving away from me, across the room or into another room, and I kept moving near her again. Each time she became more upset and getting closer to a real cry. Finally, as I moved in towards her she didn't run away. Instead she lay on the floor kicking and repeating, "I don't need you!" Then, I said, "I'm sorry I can't stay with you in the morning at school, but I just can't." She began to cry hard. I asked, "Does it make you mad?" She nodded no. I asked, "Does it make you sad?" She nodded no, then she nodded yes, and began to cry really hard. I told her again that I was sorry I couldn't stay with her in the mornings at school. She kept crying hard, and began to say, "I want Mommy! I want Mommy!" She was sobbing, and she came and curled into my arms and cried hard for awhile. It was lovely to hold her and help her with these feelings. At some point, she just stopped, as though we'd been having a conversation and the subject had changed. That was all.

The next morning, when it was time for me to leave her at school, she ran up to me, gave me a big hug and a kiss, and said, "Bye, Mommy!" and then ran off to play. What a change! I have to tell you that the morning after that, she was feeling things again, and clung to me—I think because our life has been unsettled at home, she isn't finished with this yet. But it was great to see what a good cry could do for her.

—a mother in San Francisco, California

Monday, February 23, 2009

Children's Wants and Needs (1)

at 9:39 PM 0 comments
It's a big part of parenting

A big part of our experience as parents has to do with developing ways to address the deeply felt wants and needs of our children. We deal with wants and needs from our babies' earliest moments through their entry into young adulthood. We have to figure out what our children's real needs are, and what to do when they want things they don't need, or can't have. And we have to deal with our own feelings of sadness, frustration, or anger about how much they need and want. We are dedicated to making life as good as possible for them, but sooner or later we find it hard to be generous when our own needs for rest, reassurance, and resource aren't well met.

Whole books are written about the developmental needs of young children, so this little article won't try to point out the difference between needs and wants at a particular age or stage. Suffice it to say here that children need lots of undivided, warm attention from their parents and others around them. They need to be treated with respect. They need play, lots of room to experiment, and lots of positive response to who they are and what interesting experiments they do. They need information about what's going on around them, from the very beginning: their minds work beautifully, and from birth they fully understand the emotional import of every interaction with us. They also understand far more language than we realize. Even when we meet their needs well, there are moments every single day when our children long for attention or for things we can't give them the moment they feel the need. When Mommy and Daddy can handle these moments of intense longing gently and with understanding, it makes a huge difference in a child's life.

Feelings of need can persist after the needy moment has passed

Children acquire feelings of neediness—need for attention, need for food, need for physical closeness, need for reassurance that everything is all right—during moments when they are frightened or sad. These moments occur in every child's life, no matter how attentive the parents may be. An example of such a moment might be a baby who is feeling pain from teething, and is hungry. He takes the breast or bottle, only to find that it hurts, so our efforts to help him with his hunger can't rectify the entire situation. He nurses and cries, nurses and cries, and we feel sad or frustrated, wishing we had a magic answer. Even after he’s done with teething, his emotional memory may retain those feelings.

Sometimes children experience a big need that isn't filled—the need to feel safe and close and cherished in the days right after birth, for example. When a baby has to be medically treated or separated from his parents for other reasons, he has feelings of need and fear that aren't addressed by the not-so-personal care of the hospital staff. When baby finally gets back to his parents’ arms, his present needs are being met at last, but the feelings of need from that scary earlier time may linger and make him jumpy, restless, unable to sleep well, or given to long crying spells for no apparent reason. Sometimes a child acquires a collection of feelings from incidents we adults consider uneventful, such as Daddy going to work in the morning, or Mommy abruptly leaving him to answer the phone or help with the older children's homework. In any case, these big and little experiences of need leave packets of feelings that a child then carries along with him until he can heal from the hurt, large or small.

"I need my Mommy" or "I want attention" or "I'm afraid to be more than an arm's length away from my Daddy" feelings can keep a child from exploring confidently, from making friends, and from noticing that he's safe with trusted relatives or caregivers. Sometimes such feelings hinder a child only under certain circumstances—when he's tired, or when lots of people are around, or when the parents are affectionate with each other. Sometimes such feelings operate most of the time, making it seem like the child is "shy" or "timid" or "selfish." The "feelings of need" signals can become so persistent that they govern the child's personality.

Children try to shed these leftover feelings

Somewhere deep inside themselves, children know that these feelings need to be addressed. It is not yet commonly understood that children will instinctively set up situations in which it's impossible for you to meet their stated "needs." They do this so that they can feel the need fully, show you how they hurt, cry or tantrum about it, and thus eliminate the hold the feeling has on them. Then they can function more logically and boldly, and feel much better about themselves. This is why your toddler may throw down a toy from his high chair, whine to get it back, and when you give it back, look unhappy and throw it down again. He's trying to "work on" wanting! Children's instincts on how to set up a good cry, to unload the outdated feelings of want that don't really fit the present situation, are remarkable.

For instance, one three-year-old girl I know was being weaned from her bottle, to which she was very attached. Her Mom knew that holding her and loving her well while she cried about wanting her bottle (she would refuse the cup of milk her mother offered) was a good way to help her daughter work through this attachment without feeling abandoned or neglected. Gradually, with several cries about desperately needing her bottle, she was spending more time playing without her bottle hanging from her mouth, and her general confidence was growing. One day, she gave her Mommy her bottle, and asked her to put it high up on a shelf across the room. Mystified, her Mom did what she asked, and returned to her daughter, who climbed into her mother's lap and began to cry heartily about wanting her bottle. She had set up her own time to cry about wanting her bottle!

Often, children will squabble over who gets a desired toy, or who gets to sit on Daddy's lap, or who got the most ice cream in their bowl. These squabbles can expose deep feelings of need, all wrapped around issues that are not, in the big picture, vital to the child. If a child is trying to work through his feelings of need, you will notice that although you try to fix things to make them "fair" or "equal," your child can't relax and enjoy the improved situation. He becomes defensive, runs away with the toy or hoards it, or remains otherwise isolated or unhappy although the situation appears to be fixed. The feelings of need are still operating strongly, and they will continue to make your child unreasonable.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

When is My Baby Ready To Play Outdoor?

at 11:38 PM 0 comments
Outdoor safety: "Is my baby ready to ..."
...be out in the cold?
Taking babies out in freezing weather isn't anybody's idea of a good time -- unless you're going stir-crazy indoors and yours seems eager to check out snowflakes.
What you need to know Let your common sense guide you: If you're feeling cold, chances are your baby is, too -- and he can't warm himself by walking around the way you can. So dress him appropriately (with one more layer than you, plus a well-insulated snowsuit, a hat, and mittens) and feel free to let him play a bit with you in the snow. Once you start feeling cold and wet, though, head in and get him out of his damp clothes.

...catch some rays?
With their thinner, more sensitive skins, babies get sunburned a lot more quickly than even the most fair-haired adult.
What you need to know Once your baby is 6 months old, it's all right to have him in the sun for limited times, wearing sunblock. (Sunblock's fine for babies younger than that, too, but it's best to keep them out of the direct sun altogether.) In the summer, keep him indoors during peak sun hours -- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. -- but if you have to go out, dress him from head to toe in lightweight clothing, floppy sun hat, and all. (And sunglasses, too -- if he'll keep them on.)

...go for a dip?
When the weather gets warmer, when is it okay to expose a child to the chlorine in a pool or unknown funkiness in lake or ocean water?
What you need to know Six months is a reasonable age to take your child for a "swim" in your arms. Why wait that long? "I worry about younger infants getting too cold in the water, even in a heated pool. By six months they develop the ability to regulate their body temperature," says Dr. Roche. No matter where you swim, just make sure she doesn't swallow the water; bacteria, including those from other babies wearing (or not wearing) diapers, could be lurking. One concern to scratch off your list: your baby's skin being affected by the chlorine.

...play in the sandbox?
Since a baby's first instinct is to put things in his mouth, digging around in the sand can seem like a risky way to have fun.
What you need to know Dr. Roche, a mom of three girls, ages 5, 4, and 2, takes a relaxed approach. "Try not to let him swallow whole mouthfuls of the stuff or rub his eyes, and wash his hands afterward." If yours does ingest some sand, offer him some water -- and hope that he remembers how yucky it was next time he's tempted. (And don't be surprised by a sandy poop.)

...hit the playground?
When can she slide and swing?
What you need to know The size of the equipment is important, as are your baby's motor skills. Once she's able to sit on her own -- usually by 6 months -- she'll probably enjoy a gentle ride in a bucket swing. And if she's a pretty good climber and walker, she'll probably be able to go down a small slide by herself by the time she's 18 months.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

When is My Baby Ready To Some Food?

at 11:37 PM 0 comments
Food: "Is my baby ready to ..."
...chew crackers, bagels, and other breads?
Which of them are choking hazards for an infant with few teeth?
What you need to know "By nine months or a bit sooner, a baby is able to try all bready foods, as long as parents keep a close watch," says Dr. Roche. The number of teeth babies have really has no bearing on their ability to chew; gums are mighty strong on their own.

...try something new without fear of allergies?
There's a long list of potential allergens, including dairy, egg whites, and nuts. But it's hard to know whether those of us without a family history of allergies should be concerned.
What you need to know Your baby can eat most foods after his first birthday. The exceptions:
Nuts. Many doctors think kids shouldn't eat foods with peanuts or tree nuts, like almonds, cashews, or walnuts, until they're 3. The earlier they're introduced, the more likely these foods are to become lifelong allergens for some kids. But if your toddler has already had a PB&J sandwich a few times and has not had any reaction, you're in the clear, says Dr. Brown.
Dairy foods. Processed products like cottage cheese, yogurt, and cheese (all made with whole milk) are okay by 6 months. Just hold off on cow's milk until he's 1. Your baby's still-developing digestive system would have a hard time processing the volume of milk he'd consume, compared to the smaller amounts of yogurt or cheese.
Strawberries. Raw ones can cause some babies to break out in a rash, so if you're concerned, feed yours cooked berries until he's a year old.

...try a piece of sushi?
With all the stories about food poisoning, you'd think raw fish is something to keep away from your baby until grade school.
What you need to know You can introduce sushi after your child's first birthday. "It's true that with raw fish, you're running a risk of food-borne parasites," says Dr. Brown. "But you can catch one of those at a salad bar. Just make sure to go to a restaurant with a good reputation. My kids have had sushi for years."
The biggest concern about sushi is mercury contamination. Doctors urge pregnant women and kids under 8 to stay away from albacore (white) tuna (but canned light tuna is okay), shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish -- all of which have extremely high levels.

...drink water?
You may have heard that it's best not to introduce water to a baby's diet until she's eating solids.
What you need to know It's true, but you can start giving your 6-month-old four to six ounces of water a day so that she gets fluoride.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

When is My Baby Ready To Some Gears?

at 11:35 PM 0 comments
Gear: "Is my baby ready to..."

...face front in a car seat?
When it comes time to turn your baby around in the car, which is more important: her weight or her age?
What you need to know Both are equally important: A child should remain rear-facing until she's at least 20 pounds and 1 year old, say experts. Dr. Shu goes even further and recommends keeping your child facing the back as long as she can stand it. "If we all could travel facing backward, we'd be safer. As soon as you face the front, the chance of whiplash goes way up," she says.
But what about kids who pitch a fit because they can't see you? Dr. Brown, mom of a 10- and a 7-year-old, says she's been there. "We flipped my daughter around when she was nearly twelve months old, but she was over twenty pounds at that point. I thought it was actually safer that way -- otherwise, I worried I was going to get in a crash, what with all of the turning around I was doing to quiet her down. But I still tell all my patients to wait!"

...fit in various baby carriers?
The worry: fitting a too-small baby into one of these items.
What you need to know First, check the manufacturer's specifications. After that, here's what experts recommend:
Front carrier. As long as your baby is above the carrier's height and weight specs (depending on the model, usually eight pounds and 21 inches), you can carry him around facing in from the get-go. He'll be ready to face out once his neck is strong enough to hold his head steady, usually when he's about 3 months old. And don't be overly concerned if his head slumps forward when he starts to snooze. It may look uncomfortable, but he'll be able to breathe just fine.
Backpack. No earlier than 3 months, and even as old as 6 months, depending on the type of backpack, say experts. A baby needs adequate head and neck control to keep his head stable and supported.
Umbrella stroller. Six months at the earliest. A baby needs good trunk control -- meaning the ability to sit up independently -- because of the lack of support usually found in these strollers.
Jogging stroller. While some manufacturers say that joggers are appropriate for babies as young as 6 months, Dr. Brown says she wouldn't advise it for babies under 1. "The ride can be quite bumpy for immature spine and neck muscles, especially going over curbs or rocky paths," she says.
Bike trailer or bike seat. A baby should be at least 1 year old before being put in a trailer, say the AAP and other experts. Besides the bumpiness potential, there's the risk of a spill, so your baby will need to wear a lightweight bike helmet while on the ride, and his neck won't be strong enough to support one until his first birthday.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

When is My Baby Ready To...?

at 11:34 PM 0 comments
There may be very clear right and wrong answers for much of newborn care, but once my baby was out of the first stages of infancy, the answers weren't so obvious. "So, is it safe...now?" I found myself wondering every few weeks. Will it be safe when she reaches a certain age? Weight? Developmental stage?

Many of these issues have changed since we were kids, so asking my own mom wouldn't do any good -- back when I was a babe, either the category didn't exist (sushi and jogging strollers) or the thinking was very different (putting babies to sleep on their stomachs).

Here, pediatricians -- experienced moms themselves -- share what you need to know about safe sleeping, eating, playing, and more.

Sleep: "Is my baby ready to..."
...snooze on her tummy?
Since 1992, when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) first recommended putting babies to sleep on their backs, the annual SIDS rate has decreased by about 50 percent. While some moms are ignoring the recommendation, most of us have gotten the message so loud and clear that the first time I discovered my 4-month-old on her stomach it was hard not to freak out.
What you need to know Once your baby has the upper-body strength to roll over regularly, at around 5 months, he has the strength to move away from a suffocation hazard, and the SIDS risk goes down. (The greatest risk is during the first six months.)
"I tell my patients: You should still put them down on their backs, but what babies do in the middle of the night is their business," says Jennifer Shu, M.D., director of the newborn nursery at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and coauthor of Heading Home With Your Newborn.

...have a blanket in the crib?
The official line from the AAP is to avoid blankets (they're a potential suffocation hazard) until your baby reaches her first birthday.
What you need to know Some pediatricians give the okay for babies as young as 6 months. "A small, crib-size blanket is fine for a child who can lift her head and can push it off or crawl out from under it," says Jennifer Roche, M.D., a pediatrician in private group practice in Amherst, Massachusetts. (Whether or not it stays on her all night is another issue.)

...ditch the bumpers?
Who would have thought a simple decorative touch in the nursery would end up being controversial? Some experts say bumpers are suffocation hazards and shouldn't be in the crib at all; others take a more pragmatic approach.
What you need to know To be on the safe side, avoid large, fluffy bumpers and remember to tie them to the crib as tightly as you can. Also, make sure there are no gaps -- that way your baby can't get his head stuck between the bumper and crib railings.
According to some doctors, you should take them out of the crib when your baby is sitting, around 6 months, but definitely no later than 9 months, when he begins to pull himself up to stand. Although it's not very likely, he could use the bumper as a step and launch himself out of the crib.

...sleep with toys in the crib?
With all of the nervousness about possible SIDS hazards, parents might worry about putting stuffed animals or other playthings in their infant's crib.
What you need to know depends on the plaything.
Stuffed animals. While the AAP doesn't recommend that babies sleep with plush loveys until they're 1, Ari Brown, M.D., coauthor of Baby 411, says it's okay once a baby is 6 months old, with these caveats: The stuffed toy is a small one (no bigger than the size of her head) and has no removable eyes or buttons. Your baby should also be rolling over and moving around on her own.
Mobiles and other crib toys. You should remove the mobile from the crib at the 6-month mark -- babies may then be able to make a grab for them when they sit up. As for attachable toys, as long as they don't contain small, "choke-able" parts, the only consideration is whether your baby can handle the stimulation. "Some will push the buttons repeatedly until they get sleepy. Other kids will just get more and more wired," says Dr. Shu, the mom of a 4-year-old.
Books. Since babies are likely to chew on board books, doctors recommend giving them only fabric ones in the crib -- after they turn 1.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Pregnancy at 45 to 49

at 11:31 PM 0 comments
Ages 45 to 49
YOUR BODY

The percentage of women who have babies in this age group is .03, and the chance of successful infertility treatment drops tremendously. Just being able to conceive and sustain a pregnancy is an achievement and to some degree a reflection of your own good health. "We all hear success stories of women who had children in their late forties through in vitro fertilization," says Dr. Younger. "But more than half of all pregnancies conceived through IVF in women over age forty are produced through donor eggs."

Once you've conceived, you're more likely to undergo rigorous testing than you would if you were younger. Most pregnant women in their 40s have some stress testing to check their cardiovascular health, and they'll be more closely monitored for signs of diabetes or kidney problems than those in their 20s, says Dr. Younger.

Even if you're in top physical shape, carrying and delivering a baby will be more difficult than it would be if you were in the same physical shape in your 20s. "Pregnancy, in a sense, is like an athletic event," says Dr. Niebyl. "Blood volume nearly doubles, increasing the strain on your heart, and the extra weight puts some strain on your muscles and joints."

YOUR EMOTIONAL SELF

Most women in their mid-40s are concerned about the health of their baby as well as their own health -- with good reason, since there are increased risks for both at this age. But most pregnancies, even among women in their 40s, have good outcomes. The better you care for yourself, the more successful your pregnancy is likely to be.

RISKS TO YOUR BABY

More than half of all pregnancies in women over age 45 end in miscarriage (before 20 weeks gestation). Risk of stillbirth is doubled for women in their 40s, compared with those in their 20s; for this reason, many doctors perform more stress tests and ultrasounds in the last weeks of pregnancy in older women. The chance of chromosomal abnormalities increases sharply. At age 45, there's a 1 in 30 chance of delivering an infant with Down syndrome and a 1 in 21 chance of having a baby with any chromosomal abnormality. In a 49-year-old those risks rise to 1 in 11 and 1 in 8, respectively.

OVER 50

The average age for menopause is 51, but typically the range runs from 45 to 55. Almost all pregnancies beyond age 50 require some assistance, whether from fertility drugs, hormone supplements, or, more often, donor eggs. Women still ovulating usually have to take progesterone for at least the first two months to maintain the pregnancy. Women who have stopped ovulating need donor eggs to conceive and must take estrogen and progesterone for much of the pregnancy, until the placenta begins to produce those hormones on its own.

At this age, there's a high rate of complications -- including hypertension, kidney problems, and placental problems -- that requires strict monitoring and care.

Then there's the issue of the woman's age once the baby is born. We all know 50-year-olds who are more energetic and alert than their 20-year-old counterparts, and they have the added benefit of maturity and experience. But women over 50 may need extra energy -- not to mention stamina -- to awaken every two hours with a newborn or to chase after a toddler.

Statistics show that once a woman has gotten pregnant, if she takes good care of herself and if prenatal screening tests are negative, she's much more likely to deliver a healthy baby than not -- regardless of her age. The rate of fetal deaths has dropped by about 70 percent since the 1960s. That's great news for all pregnant women.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Pregnancy at 40 to 44

at 10:29 PM 0 comments
Ages 40 to 44
YOUR BODY

First the good news: A recent study shows that women over 40 who have babies without help from fertility drugs or other assisted reproductive technologies tend to live longer than those who don't. Why? One theory is that estrogen, which is still produced in abundance in fertile women, has life-lengthening effects on the heart, bones, and other organs. However, fewer than 1 percent of women ages 40 to 44 have babies. The chance of becoming pregnant during any one month drops to only 5 percent after age 40.

How well you carry and deliver a baby in your 40s depends on several factors, including your level of fitness, overall health habits, and whether this is your first baby. "The biggest complaint I hear among my pregnant patients in their 40s is how tired they feel," says Jennifer Niebyl, M.D., a professor and head of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Iowa. "Hormonal changes in pregnancy make all women feel tired, but fatigue seems to be more pronounced in older ones and can be compounded if there are young children to care for."

If you've already had a baby, you may also be more prone to hemorrhoids, pressure on the bladder, prolapsed tissues in the uterus and vagina, and sagging breasts than you would have been 20 years earlier, simply because the muscles and other tissues in these areas have already been stretched. You can minimize these effects by making sure not to gain an excessive amount of weight during pregnancy, keeping moderately active, and doing Kegel exercises to keep your vaginal muscles strong.

YOUR EMOTIONAL SELF

By the time you've reached your 40s, you have a wealth of experience and maturity to draw upon when raising a child. Chances are, you'll also be more patient than you would have been in your 20s. But you'll probably have concerns. "What I hear most often is, 'I'll be so old by the time this baby starts college!'" says Glazer. "Or a couple will look down the road and see that their nest won't be empty until they're 60 or 70. Older parents have to balance feelings of loss of freedom and spontaneity with the joy they'll feel in raising the child."

RISKS TO YOUR BABY

About one-third of all pregnancies in women ages 40 to 44 end in miscarriage. There are several reasons: The eggs may be defective to start with, the uterine lining may not be thick enough, or the blood supply to the uterus may not be rich enough to sustain a pregnancy. The risks of placenta previa (in which the placenta lies low in the uterus, partly or completely blocking the cervical opening and creating a high risk of hemorrhage) and placental abruption (in which all or part of the placenta separates from the uterine wall) are also increased. Babies born to women in their 40s are also more likely to have lower birth weights (under 5 1/2 pounds).

Risks of chromosomal birth defects rise steadily with each year into your 40s. If you give birth at age 40, your baby has a 1 in 106 chance of being born with Down syndrome and a 1 in 66 chance of being born with any chromosomal abnormality. But by age 44, those risks rise to 1 in 38 and 1 in 26, respectively.
 

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