5 Tips That Make Traveling with a Small Child Easy

3775957342_7d22aaac89_z

Being a new parent can be a lot of fun, but it can also present its challenges as well. One of the biggest challenges that most parents face is how to travel with their little one. Many parents avoid long trips because they do not know exactly how to prepare themselves for a road trip with their baby. Following a few simple tips will have you and your baby traveling in no time.

(more…)

5 Benefits of Baby Sign Language

As the parent of a baby or toddler, you may have heard of other parents teaching “baby sign language” to their little ones. Are you still deciding whether or not to teach your baby to sign? These are just some of the benefits of baby sign language:

It allows your children to communicate earlier than speech

You probably know that babies are extremely receptive and are able to understand far more than what they can express. Most children are not ready to speak until they are roughly 2 years old—but babies are able to communicate with sign language a lot earlier than that. After all, the skills they need to sign develop much earlier than the skills that they need to produce words.

Tantrum behavior can be decreased

Most of the time, early tantrums from babies result from their inability to communicate their wants and needs. With baby sign language, babies have fewer moments of distress and are able to communicate with you more effectively if they want “milk” or “more”—even without saying actual words.

It may enhance your child’s language skills and vocabulary

Teaching sign language to your baby entails a lot of repetition. Since you say a word and perform the sign for that word simultaneously, the visual and auditory repetition may be able to expand your child’s vocabulary and language skills. In fact, studies show that babies that sign have larger spoken vocabularies compared to the average baby.

It may boost your child’s spelling and reading skills

Studies show that hearing children who learn sign language at an early age have higher spelling and reading skills compared to their peers. Research also suggests that babies who sign have higher a 12-point higher IQ than those that do not sign.

It is a bonding experience

Communication can create a closer bond between a parent and a child. The ability to understand your baby can increase the feeling of closeness, and allow you to be more in tune with one another. One study showed that parents who signed with their babies proved to be more in tune with all of their baby’s nonverbal cues—whether or not they were signed.

6 Tips to Help You and Baby Get through the Teething Crisis

Your sweet little baby has not been in the best mood lately, actually the little one might have been rather cranky. You might be wondering if this is the sign of the first pearly white about to make its first appearance. Most infants start teething around 6 months, however some have been known to get their little ‘choppers’ a couple of months earlier. There are things that you can do that once you know your baby is indeed teething. Your baby will need all the love they can get during this painful little time in their life. There are other methods that can be utilize as well to help baby feel a bit more comfortable.

Massaging the Gums

A gentle massage on the gums can help baby tremendously. Mom or dad can take a clean finger and rub the area were the gum is swollen and tender. Your baby will actually show you what to do because they will begin chomping down on your finger to help the area. The more teeth your child gets the less you will probably want to use this method.

Teething Ring

Purchase a teething ring for your little one and keep in chilled in the fridge. The teething rings are usually inexpensive and comes in a variety of different colors. They are safe, however be sure to clean them before putting back in the fridge.

Cold Foods/Spoon

A cold spoon and food can be quite soothing to a baby on some teething days. Maybe have their favorite fruit or veggie chilled and waiting for them. Who does not like a little treat when they are feeling bad? Plus the coldness of the spoon and food can soothe the gum area.

OTC Medications

Ask your child’s pediatrician about given your little one acetaminophen. Some parents do not like giving mediation, however for those who do, acetaminophen is recommended for early teething. As your child grows older your pediatrician might prefer ibuprofen. If you do decide to give your little one medication always read the label and use the syringe that comes in the package.

Teething Jewelry for Mom

Moms can now purchase specially designed teething jewelry to wear for their little one. You know babies will grab the first thing in sight to chew on during this time. The jewelry has been designed for moms to wear and is FDA-approved. It is silicone which is free of anything toxic, BPA, phthalates, or anything else that could harm your little one. It is made out the same material as other teething toys. It is available also in a variety of colors.

Baby Teething Gel

You definitely will want to have some Baby Orajel to help out. Available on the market now is Baby Orajel Naturals which for many parents is the perfect alternate version to the original gel. It is most preferred by many because of its natural ingredients as oppose too the one which contained benzocaine. Now the active ingredient in Baby Orajel Naturals is eugenol. If not sure whether or not to use a type of soothing gel, ask your pediatrician what they recommend.

How to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night

Sleeping Baby

At one point or another, new parents very likely find themselves wishing and dreaming about the time when their baby can finally sleep through the night. The good news is that according to studies, babies as young as three months old are capable of sleeping five to six hours at a time. While it isn’t normal for new babies to sleep straight until sunrise, there are a few things you can to do help mommy, daddy and baby get a much better night’s rest.

(more…)

6 Tips for Hiring a Nanny

20053655279_a9232dc318_z

The thought of leaving your precious little newborn or toddler with a stranger can be terrifying. These tried and tested tips on hiring a nanny can help you find someone well qualified and trustworthy:

Identify your needs

Before beginning the recruiting process, take some time to identify your needs. List down the functions your nanny is expected to perform, as well as the qualifications and skills that your nanny absolutely must have. Will your nanny be expected to cook? Should she be fluent in a second language? Must she drive and have her own car?

(more…)

How to Get Free Baby Formula for Your Baby

Empty Bottle

Apart from the breast milk, baby formula is the main source of food for infants. However, baby formula is quite expensive and many mothers cannot afford it. You will definitely need to buy a whole lot of these baby formulas, considering the fact that your baby is dependent on formula for a few months of life.

There are quite a number of free baby formulas offered in the market. There is no denying the fact that free milk will be required as all mothers are not lucky enough to secrete sufficient breast milk, and they usually stop breastfeeding as soon as the child attains 2 years of age.

Luckily enough, mothers can now have access to free baby formulas being offered to promote nutrition for babies. Highlighted below reveals where nursing mothers can get free baby formulas for their new borns.

(more…)

What to do About Colic in Infants

13234990425_cee96732db_z

Is your infant keeping you up at nights and exhausted during the days with non-stop crying from colic? Don’t worry, many of us have been there, and it will end…eventually! But in the meantime, so you don’t go crazy, here are some ideas that might help…

For some infants, homeopathic treatments that help ease colic work wonders – there are dissolvable tablets and liquid drops. If that doesn’t seem to make a difference, then you can try approaching it from the milk/formula angle. You can buy a formula that’s specifically made to help ease colic…or if you breastfeed, you can try some changes in your diet. In general, doctors say to avoid foods that commonly cause allergies, such as wheat, eggs, cow’s milk, tree nuts, peanuts, soy and fish. I’ve also heard that it might help to eliminate foods that cause gas in your own body, such as broccoli, sundried tomatoes, high-fat snacks, etc.

(more…)

Tips for Mothers Raising Young Children

1830371817_097222fe6c_z

Raising young children and teenagers can be a daunting task. A good number of mothers raising young children don’t have the patient it requires. It is more difficult to raise young children to be respectable and responsible teenagers these days. It looks as if all odds are against mothers raising young children.

However, there are tips for mothers raising young children to be successful in their efforts to raise responsible and respectable young children.

(more…)