5 Tips On Raising Your Newborn Child

Having a baby is one of the most beautiful things that could happen in a parent’s life. Yet, it is also challenging. Raising your newborn child is not easy. It takes a lot of effort and patience to nurture your child until he or she reaches the stage of complete development. Though some of the time this task is can be quite challenging, the joys certainly outweigh any negatives. Here are some suggestions for successful baby nurturing:

1. Feeding

Breast milk is recommended for the first year of a newborn’s life. This is to give the baby the optimum sustenance to grow and progress. Generally speaking, the newborn child should be breastfed about 8 to 10 times a day during the baby’s first few weeks. As a parent, it is necessary that you know when your baby is getting the proper nourishment needed. Some indications that your baby is feeding well is when he or she is having four or more wet diapers a day or having a bowel movements 3 times or more a day.

2. Sleep

Don’t be surprised if your newborn child spends the majority of their time sleeping. It is common for infants to sleep most of the time, around 12 to 20 hours a day. When putting your baby to rest, it is advised by most doctors that you put your baby on his/her back, on a firm mattress. During cold weather, it is best that you dress your baby with warm pajamas to keep him warm rather than using a bedspread.

3. Bowel movements

Determining if your newborn child is having a bowel movement is easy. It is usually apparent when he starts to become quite hard to please, his face turns red, and he starts to cry and tends to move his legs. It is natural for newborn babies to pass a lot of gas so don’t be surprised if this happens often. If your baby is breastfeeding, it is quite normal that he will pass stools a couple of times a day. On the other hand, babies that are formula fed do not pass stools quite as frequently. Should you ever see any signs of blood in the stool of your baby, immediately give your baby’s physician a call.

4. Dressing your newborn

Providing your baby with the proper clothing is very important. Keep in mind that you should use clothing that is comfortable and appropriate. During cold season, you should clothe your baby with knit caps and booties. Though parents often want their baby to look fashionable, it is better not to overdress your newborn. Babies struggle to regulate their body temperature and therefore rely on layers of clothing to stay the right temperature.

5. Baby’s day out

Taking your newborn child can be fun. However, you need to consider when and where you can take your baby. Limit outings to nice days. It is important to keep your baby away from people with colds or any other form of illness. Also, avoid direct sunlight for this may harm your baby’s skin. In addition, avoid taking your baby to crowded places while your baby is only a couple of months old.

To sum it up, proper nurturing of your newborn child is a rewarding experience. You’re not only able to personally attend to your child’s needs, but you also get to enjoy quality time where you and your baby can bond together.

Source: http://www.toysrus.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=2257605

 

7 Easy Ways to Teach Your Children to be Grateful for What They Have

Here are some easy ways to incorporate instilling the virtue of gratitude in your children. As you go through your day, show them, the wonderful events going on behind the scenes that we all most usually take for granted.

1. Set the Right Example.

It is better if you teach them by using the appropriate words at the right times yourself. How many parents do you see saying “Thank You” to there two or three year old children. It is through example that kids learn best, and teaching gratitude is no different than anything else in that respect. “Children Learn What They Live!”

2. Teach It Through Role Playing.

You can play games with your children that implement the virtue of gratitude. Play the second chair and practice showing them how it feels to be on the receiving end of an unexpected, “Thank You!”

3. Teach by Showing Them How to Be of Service to Others.

Even simple things such as holding a door for an elderly person, are small ways we can show them how others appreciate us and our actions. It is also a way to put a smile and a lift into a strangers day, which always creates a good feeling within the person who is doing the kind act as well.
You would be surprised how many times a simple gesture like this can occur in your normal day activities, in places like grocery stores, doctors offices, or shopping trips.

4. Make a List.

An easy way to get them to make lists of what they are thankful for is to use “The Daily Gratitude Journal Software” You will find a link to this software in the resource box at the end of this article. There are two versions, one written in “kid language and displaying an output of “kid fonts” and an adult version as well.
5. Teach Gratitude While Going Without Things.

Recently my single family of three kids and myself had to deal with a full 24 hours of no power. This outage caused by a wind storm, was an ideal opportunity for me to teach them what we had to be thankful for that we normally took for granted. Simple things like, lights, heat, and being able to watch Tv, were just a few that quickly came to mind.

6. Show them How to Be Thankful for the Little Things in Life.

As in the previous example, although, most of us would not consider heat and light little things, they are things that are always there for our kids, so they are simple things that they usually don’t pay much attention too.

Other simple examples could include; having food to eat all the time, friends to play with, and having plenty of toys and school supplies. Showing them examples of third world country children who go without these things is a way of teaching them appreciation for what they have, too.

7. Teach them to see the good in someone they don’t like.

You can even use a negative experience to teach them the value of being grateful. When I think of this, immediately what comes to my mind is the Walt Disney movie, “PollyAnna” where she played the “Glad” game and found many things to be grateful for in every situation she encountered. Renting this video, watching and discussing it with them would be a great, gratitude building quality time family activity.

As you go through your day, show them, the wonderful events going on behind the scenes that we all most usually take for granted. Things like the police, who protect us, the firemen who are there for those who need them, and the clerk at the grocery store doing her job to help us get our food. Simple thank you comments to all of these daily activities is the easiest way to role model appreciation that they will learn and emulate.

Source: http://www.airgame.gr/products1.php?wh=1&theid=11

5 Tips To Help New Parents Get Some Sleep

The joy of a new baby is certainly special and something that all new parents experience. However, a lack of sleep is also part of having a new baby and new parents notoriously get very little sleep, if any at all. Fortunately, there are some strategies and tips to help new parents get some sleep when the new baby comes. Of course, with a baby you will never get an over abundance of sleep, but these tips will help you at least get enough sleep to keep your sanity.

Tip #1 Take Turns
When the baby starts crying both parents generally wake up, even if only one attends to the baby. However, in the first couple of months both parents might get up each time the baby cries. This will lead to a lack of sleep for both parents. The best plan is for mom and dad to make a plan of who will get up when to comfort the crying baby. Generally, taking turns is really the best option and will help everyone get just a little more sleep.

Tip #2 Nap With Baby
If you are caring for the baby and are tired and the baby goes to sleep then you should take a nap as well. This will allow you to get some much needed sleep. So, whether the baby naps in the morning, afternoon, or early evening you should also get a little rest because you never know when the baby might wake up.

Tip #3 Accept Help
Frequently when you have a new baby there are plenty of people willing to help from parents, siblings, friends, and other family members. So, when you really need to get some sleep just accept some of the help that is being offered. Having your mom care for the baby just a couple of hours will allow you to get some much needed sleep.

Tip #4 Keep Baby in Nursery
The baby should sleep in the nursery and not with the parents. Many times it is tempting to allow the baby to sleep with the parents, but this is not healthy for the child or the parents. So, put the baby to sleep in his crib in the nursery. Then, when the baby cries one parent can easily go attend to the baby without disturbing the other parent. This allows a little more sleep for new parents.

Tip #5 Feed Baby Before You Sleep
If your baby has been asleep for several hours and it is around 11 pm and you are getting ready for bed simply wake baby for a feeding. Most babies wake during the night because they are hungry, so if you feed baby late before you go to bed it is likely they will sleep until early morning or 6-7 hours. This will allow you to get some continuous sleep, even if it is not as much as you want.

Source: http://www.inflatablegamesinc.com/

7 Safety Tips For School Kids

Travelling to and from school is often not very safe. However, there are some simple rules that can help to make the school journeys safer, ensuring peace of mind for both children and parents.

1. Waiting for the school bus in the mornings, while traffic is at it busiest, requires a degree of commonsense. Try to have a safe place for children to wait at away from the street and heavy traffic.

2. Don’t let children move close to the school bus until it has come to a complete stop and the driver has signalled that it is safe to board.

3. At the end of the school day when children leave the bus, instruct your child to move away from the vehicle at least a dozen large strides to a point where the driver can clearly see them. This helps the driver and keeps the child safe as well.

4. Instruct your child to keep a close eye on all traffic near to the school bus. The law has some special protection measures for school buses, but car drivers are only human, and they can and often do make mistakes.

5. If your child walks to school, make sure he or she wears reflective material. Aim to make them as visible to as possible to all drivers. This will help to avoid accidents.

6. If a child rides a bike to school, instruct them to walk the bike through intersections, observe all traffic light signals, and be wearing reflective material. They should also be with a friend if possible as one can help to look out for the other.

7. If you take your own child to school in your car, always have older children in a seat with a safety belt on, younger children in a booster seat with a safety belt on, and very small children in special safety seats, all seated in the back with only you, the driver, in the front.

Source: http://www.airgame.gr/products1.php?wh=1&theid=11

5 Ways to Keep Your Kids From Getting Sick

Teachers are finding it more of a challenge than ever to keep their classrooms healthy and clean for students, according to a recent survey of teachers.

The survey found that 90 percent of teachers think it is “common for students to come to school sick.” Only about 30 percent said their schools’ custodial staff disinfects the classrooms regularly.

“Germs are frequently spread through surface contact yet many teachers do not have the time or the tools to combat these germs,” said Dr. Paul S. Horowitz, medical director of the Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital pediatric and adolescent clinics in Portland, Ore. “This discrepancy can directly impact the health and wellness of both students and teachers.”

More than 70 percent of teachers said they have missed school because of an illness they believe they caught from one of their students. The survey was conducted by the children’s publisher Scholastic and released during an American Medical Association and National PTA media briefing on children’s health.

Encouraging children to live a healthy lifestyle outside the classroom is important in illness prevention, said Janis Hootman, a registered nurse and immediate past president of the National Association of School Nurses.

“Children’s health habits away from school have a direct impact on what happens to them and their classmates during school,” Hootman said.

Doctors offer the following tips for parents:

* Make sure that your kids wash their hands. This is the single most effective method for disease prevention. Hands should be scrubbed for 10 to 15 seconds.

* Don’t allow your children to share utensils. Although learning to share is important, this shouldn’t apply to cups, glasses or eating utensils.

* Make sure your children get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation stresses the immune system. Most children need at least eight hours of sleep per night.

* Allow for a full recovery. Do not send your kids to school when they are sick.

* Keep your children up-to-date on vaccines. New vaccines guard against an array of dangerous illnesses, including meningitis.

“We’ve come so far in protecting public health as a result of widespread immunizations,” said Dr. Walter A. Orenstein, associate director of the Emory Vaccine Center in Atlanta, Ga. “We protect each other by vaccinating our children.”

Source: http://www.china-inflatable.com/?gclid=CMPdyIaasrgCFYdc3godUVsAHw

8 Fun Ideas To Get Your Kids To Eat Their Veggies

Do you have trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies? I sure do.

My daughter used to be great about trying and eating just about anything…and then she turned 2 ½. Now it is pretty much impossible to get her to eat anything other than corn when it comes to vegetables. So I had to come up with some fun and sometimes sneaky ways to get some veggies in her. Here are a few of my favorites.

1) Make big pot of vegetable soup, and then add some fun noodle shapes. You can use alphabet noodles or look for some fun novelty shapes. You may be able to find some cartoon characters, toy and sports shapes etc. I have even seen pumpkin and Christmas tree shapes. With a little luck your kids will be too busy spelling words, or identifying the shape to notice all the veggies they are eating in the soup.

2) If you can’t make them eat it, make them drink it. Pour some vegetable juice over ice and add a straw, a cocktail umbrella or a stick of celery and watch them drink it up. Your kids may not get as much fiber as eating the entire vegetable, but getting them to drink their vegetables is better than not getting any vegetables in their system.

3) Have you tried offering them some raw vegetables with some ranch dressing to dip them in? Many kids who don’t care much for cooked vegetables will eat them up if they can dip them. Just grab a bag of baby carrots and cut up some red and yellow peppers and some cucumber. Arrange them on a plate with a little bit of ranch dressing or your favorite vegetable dip on the side.

4) Take it even a step further and let them create artwork out of their vegetables. Offer raw vegetables in different colors and shapes and encourage them to make a vegetable collage on their plate. You can easily make a face using slices of cucumber as eyes, a baby carrot as nose and a slice of red pepper as a mouth. You can use watercress or shredded carrots or even some cheese as hair. Before you know it, you’ll find them sampling their “art supplies”.

5) To get them to eat more vegetables at dinnertime try a little salad bar. Put out some lettuce, some sliced or chopped tomato, slices of cucumber, shredded carrot, slices of red and yellow peppers, small broccoli flowerets and anything else you can think of. You may also want to offer them some choices when it comes to salad dressing. Favorites in our house are Ranch, Italian, Catalina, and French. To top it all of set out some croutons and shredded cheese.

6) Get the kids together and make a cold vegetable pizza. Start out with a can of crescent rolls. Unroll the dough, but don’t pull the triangle shapes apart. Instead push the seams together and bake on a baking sheet according to the package directions. Let the sheet of dough cool completely, then spread with some crθme cheese (we like a vegetable or herb flavored one) and top with some thinly sliced raw veggies. Cut into squares and serve.

7) Get them involved in the kitchen especially when it comes to cooking. Ask them to wash the vegetables, if they are old enough let them cut veggies (under your supervision of course), let them help you stir, or anything else you can think of that would be age appropriate. You’ll be amazed at how proud they will be of their finished product. Believe me, they’ll try just about anything if they made it.

8) If everything else fails, hide the vegetables in other food. My mom used to make us some special orange mashed potatoes. We thought it was very fancy, but all she did was to cook some carrots with the potatoes and mashed them right in there. You can also cover broccoli with tomato sauce or cheese. Think of a dish your child really enjoys and sneak a little bit of vegetable in there.

Give a few of these ideas a try and see which ones work best for your children. Keep at it and sooner or later they will start to develop a taste for vegetables.

Source: http://www.airgame.gr/products1.php?wh=1&theid=11