Living With Pets- Keeping Your Baby Safe
September 23, 2007
Living With Pets- Keeping Your Baby Safe
by: Sarah Veda
So, up to this point, your dog or cat has been your baby, but now there’s a little human on the way. It is normal and, in fact, wise to be concerned about how the two are going to mix. The chances are very good that everything will work quite well and your pet and your child will be very close buddies, but there are some things you can do to be prepared. First some tips for dogs:
Teach your dog to stay out of the nursery
Start right away putting up a baby gate or keeping the door closed to help your dog learn to stay out of the baby’s room. Later on, you can allow the dog in the room, especially if you are in there, but it’s best to prepare him at first to stay away.
Introduce your dog to some other babies
If he’s never been around a baby, carefully introduce some into his life. He is much less likely to be anxious around your baby if he is introduced gradually.
Make sure he is well trained
Baby Acne
September 23, 2007
One of the most common conditions a new mother may see on her infant, is baby acne. But while it is startling in so young a child, it’s really not a serious issue, nor should you be overly concerned about the causes or cures.
Some babies when born, may have small red bumps on their face. This is not baby acne, but something called "milia", which usually disappears in a couple of weeks. On the other hand, the acne will appear around that same two week period, and show itself as small white heads, sometimes surrounded by red, irritated skin on the cheeks, chin, forehead and even the back.
In teenagers and even adults, acne is blamed on hormones and excessively oily skin. To some extent this is true of infants also, with hormones transmitted through the placenta, often being blamed for the facial spots. However, science has no real idea of the cause, and there is normally no treatment for the few weeks a child will have it.
Because the baby acne appears on areas of the face where they may have spit up, rubbed against sheets washed in harsh detergent, or drooled, it can become slightly aggravated, but that extra irritation will go away by changing your laundry soap, and wiping their face with a damp cloth when needed.
Quick And Easy Snacks For Your Toddler
September 22, 2007
Quick And Easy Snacks For Your Toddler
by: Christine Steendahl
Your growing toddler needs to snack quite a few times a day in addition to eating regular meals with the rest of the family. Here are a few quick and easy snack ideas that you can put together in just a few minutes. You toddler will enjoy these yummy snacks.
Ham and Cheese Crackers
Cut up some pieces of ham and cheese and serve them with some crackers. If you want to make it fun, use a cookie cutter to cut fun shapes out of the cheese.
Fruit Dip
Caution, this can get a little messy!
Cut up some fruit in bite size chunks and serve with a small bowl of yogurt. Encourage your toddler to dip the fruit in the yogurt. This is an easy way to get your toddler to eat a serving of fruit, while also getting some extra calcium and protein in his/her diet from the yogurt.
Low Sugar Cereal
I always keep a box of low sugar cereal like cheerios in my pantry. They make a great snack with a little milk, or even just a bowl of dry cereal. Dry cereal also make a great take-along snack. Just throw a serving in a Ziploc bag and toss it in your purse.
Quick and Easy Snacks For Your Toddler
September 22, 2007
Quick and Easy Snacks For Your Toddler
by: Christine Steendahl
Your growing toddler needs to snack quite a few times a day in addition to eating regular meals with the rest of the family. Here are a few quick and easy snack ideas that you can put together in just a few minutes. You toddler will enjoy these yummy snacks.
Ham and Cheese Crackers
Cut up some pieces of ham and cheese and serve them with some crackers. If you want to make it fun, use a cookie cutter to cut fun shapes out of the cheese.
Fruit Dip
Caution, this can get a little messy!
Cut up some fruit in bite size chunks and serve with a small bowl of yogurt. Encourage your toddler to dip the fruit in the yogurt. This is an easy way to get your toddler to eat a serving of fruit, while also getting some extra calcium and protein in his/her diet from the yogurt.
Low Sugar Cereal
I always keep a box of low sugar cereal like cheerios in my pantry. They make a great snack with a little milk, or even just a bowl of dry cereal. Dry cereal also make a great take-along snack. Just throw a serving in a Ziploc bag and toss it in your purse.
Baby-Skim Guide To Traveling With Baby
September 22, 2007
Baby-Skim Guide To Traveling With Baby
by: Jamie Starr
Traveling with a baby can sometimes mean that you are so consumed with ensuring that you have everything you need to care for the baby on the trip that you forget things you need for yourself. The best thing to do is to prepare a checklist of what you need and then check off each item as you pack it.
A sample checklist should include the following items:
Diapers/ pampers
Blankets
Sleepers
Baby wipes
Baby lotion and soap
Extra pacifiers
Bottle
Formula, food, water and/or juice
Resealable plastic bags
Extra clothes - at least one or two outfits per day
Nightlight
Car seat
Portable crib
Collapsible stroller
Sun hat and sun screen Toys
Plastic for use in changing the baby
Any necessary medicines
Extra shirt for yourself
Burping pad
Washable bibs
Feeding spoons
Kettle, if the hotel room does not have kitchen facilities
Spend Time Not Money With The Kids This Winter
September 22, 2007
Spend Time Not Money With The Kids This Winter
by: Tammy Pinarbasi
Spending quality time with your children doesn?t need to cost a lot of money. What?s most important, is that you take the opportunity to bond with them. The time that you spend with your children will make them feel special and they will treasure it for a lifetime. Letting your children know that you are there for them, will create a lasting bond between you and your children.
The winter months can be rather dull for children since they are cooped up in the house more than they would like to be. This is a great time for you to let your children know you feel their discomfort by giving them some one on one attention from mom. It doesn’t require a great deal of money to make those boring winter days stuck indoors special.
One simple and inexpensive suggestion would be to make a plan with your child to watch his or her favorite television program or video together. Too much TV is not always a good thing, however, to get through a winter day trapped indoors, it’s a perfect activity. Shortly before you watch the program or movie you have selected with your children, ask them to help prepare some of their favorite snacks for the event. All children love to help mom mess up the kitchen a bit and especially if it means eating their favorite snack foods.
Moms Have More Fun!
September 21, 2007
Moms Have More Fun!
by: Aurelia Williams
Repeat after me… “Moms have more fun!” Doesn’t that feel and sound good?
As moms, we work hard keeping our family happy and healthy but what about ourselves? Do you realize how important having a little fun is? By
incorporating fun into you life, you will notice a more positive attitude beginning to emerge and you will also see that adding more fun into your life ultimately lowers stress.
You can increase the fun in your life by focusing on the activities you enjoy the most, spending more time on fun activities, or increasing the number of fun activities that you participate in.
Taking the steps to adding more fun into your life is as easy as:
1- assessing the current activities that you enjoy
2- adding new fun activities to your life
3- allocating more time for fun activities
Following are a few easy steps to take if you are ready to add more fun into your life:
Make a *FUN* list. Make a list of the current activities or hobbies
Five Tips for Unplanned Pregnancies
September 21, 2007
Five Tips for Unplanned Pregnancies
by: Sandra Montano
Pregnancy is often a pleasant surprise. Of course, there are times that pregnancy can come as a shock. Although most unplanned pregnancies are still pleasant surprises, it doesn’t make the situation much easier. There are steps you can take to make an unplanned pregnancy a pleasant experience.
First, speak with a friend or family member you can trust. You’ll need someone who will be supportive and not condescending. It’s already an emotional time for you. The last thing you need is the added stress of defending the pregnancy.
Second, once you’re past the initial stages of finding out about your pregnancy, prepare yourself for the varying responses of other people. You may get receptions that are congratulatory, and you may get some who are judgmental. Be prepared for both. Also remember that what’s done is done. It’s not constructive to look back in regret, anger, or despair. It is better to look forward and to make the best of the surprise situation.
Third, don’t feel as if you’re alone. Unplanned pregnancies happen to many people. There are support groups both online and offline available to help you through this confusing time in your life. Seek their counsel. Don’t be afraid to voice your own fears and concerns. You may find the sessions very therapeutic.
Make Your Own Baby Food
September 21, 2007
Those little containers of baby food sure are expensive once you start totaling up how much you use in a day. And now you are probably wondering how you could possibly save money on baby food (besides those $.25 coupons). Well, you can’t save money on those little containers, but you can on baby food itself. How? Make it yourself! It’s really not as hard as you think. Do a search on the internet for "homemade baby food" and you’ll find tons of recipes on how to make just about anything perfect for your little one.
Let me tell you how easy it can be to make your own baby food. Yes, it takes a bit of time, but knowing that you’re giving your baby the best food for him (uh huh, better than the baby food you buy in the store) and saving some money at the same time it is all worth it! So, here we go?
Martial Arts Training Helps Parents Manage Stress Effectively
September 21, 2007
Martial Arts Training Helps Parents Manage Stress Effectively
by: Grandmaster Ralph Chirico
Although, parenting can be one of life’s most joyful and rewarding experiences, quite often it can also be very challenging and stressful. As a parent there will be times when the demands and hassles of everyday living will mount and cause overwhelming stress. Some of the pressures can include: financial matters, family and marital life, problems on the job. The additional stress of caring for children can, at times, make parents feel angry, anxious and/or have the need to take a break from daily pressures and relax. Tensions and feelings are a normal and inevitable part of family life, but many parents can take it to the extreme. They need to learn ways to cope before it is too late.
Stress can potentially interfere with the parent/child relationship. Parents who have not learned to manage stress effectively tend to be less tolerant of their children’s behaviors and actions and are less emotionally available for them in times of need. Children often react to parental stress by specifically changing the ways they interact with their caretakers. Parents who react irrational can put children at an increased risk of being stressed themselves.
