Baby Nursery Bedding and Furniture

Your family is expanding, and you need to start planning the nursery for the little one. The choices may seem daunting at first, but if you take it a step a time, it''s not that hard. If this is your first, a lot of things will be taken care of by family and friends at a baby shower, but they will probably want your input.

Furniture

The variety of baby furniture is as large as adult furniture. You have your choice of many styles, wood stain color or painted, and new or used. While buying used furniture is frugal, be sure that the furniture still meets safety standards and check for any old recalls that may have been missed by the previous owner. Most used furniture is in very good shape, and is well worth the savings.

There are three basic types of beds for newborns, cradles, cribs and co-sleepers:

• Cradles are usually recommended for newborns, as it''s easier to keep near the parents'' bed, if there is room. It''s also more comforting for the newborn. However, the newborn outgrows the cradle fairly quickly.
  


• Cribs are an investment, but by shopping wisely, that investment will pay off in the long run. Many of the cribs today are convertible, so they can be reconfigured into a day bed, toddler bed, and eventually a twin bed, by simply adding supports and the larger mattress.
  


• Co-sleepers are becoming more popular as many families enjoy the closeness of a "family bed", but don''t actually want the child in their bed full-time. They are an attachable mini-bed on the side of the parents'' bed.

They allow the baby to be within arms reach for nighttime nursing, but still have separate sleeping areas. Many people prefer this to actually having the infant in bed with them, for safety reasons as well as a less traumatic transition later, when they feel it''s time for the "big kid" bed.

Dressers

Dressers are another important feature in a nursery. Most cribs have matching dresser sets, but it''s not necessary to have all of it match, as long as it coordinates nicely. Many dressers come with a changing table that can be placed on top, so the baby can still use the dresser as they grow.

Be sure that the dresser is a solid construction, and that it won''t tip over after the little one begins the climbing stage. Check that the knobs can not come off easily, as they can pose a choking hazard.

Bedding

The bedding is one of the most fun parts of any nursery (not counting the baby). There are endless choices for the bedding (which usually consists of sheets, bumper, sheets, and comforters). There are many varieties of the traditional pinks and blues patterns, as well as gender-neutral designs for the parents-to-be who wish to be surprised.

One of the recent trends in bedding is using bright primary colors, especially combinations of red, black and white. Studies have shown that these colors help the newborn''s eyesight focus quicker.

There are hundreds of licensed character bedding sets, with matching accessories to decorate the nursery quickly and easily. Many of these are designs that most children will continue to love as they grow older, making it easy to save money in decorating in the future.

Adriana Copaceanu is a busy mom of 2. Visit Busy Moms Online to find ways to maximize your precious time. And if you are a new mom, you''ll find everything you need at her Baby''s First Year website.

Choosing Your Baby's Name ? A Difficult Task?!

So you are ready for the the most difficult challenge of having a new baby; it''s time to choose your baby''s name! Seriously now, for some couples it appears that choosing a name for their baby is as difficult as trying to empty the whole sea with a spoon!

Of course, no matter how desperate you are about choosing a beautiful name for your newborn, this article will definitely give you some great ideas! More importantly, you will get rid of the annoying question "Have you picked a name yet?"

Putting the jokes aside now, let''s get our hands on some important tips that will really assist you in picking a beautiful name for your baby.

Well, the first thing that you have to do is to try to think about a person that you admired through your whole life. Of course, this will probably lead you to the common practice of naming your baby after your mother/father (it''s almost impossible that this has not already crossed your mind) but there are also circumstances when you are going to remember other people that you always adored.

No success? Well, have a good look at your sweet newborn; does it reflect something really unique? Is there something special about your baby that reminds you of a beautiful name? People have named their children with names such as "Star" or "Aurora" because that''s what they felt their baby was reflecting. Among names of this category, there are also names that represent moral values; you could consider those too.

If you still haven''t picked up a name yet, you are probably lost among the thousands of names available. If this is the case then the whole matter boils down to finding a name that both you and your partner like. Sit down, discuss about various names and make a list of potential choices. Try to filter out names that you don''t really like and you will hopefully end up with your best choice. Good luck!

Baby Showers Are Fun

Baby showers are very fun to attend and throw for your friends when they are pregnant. However, it sometimes is not easy to come up with a unique baby shower gift to give the person who has everything. Gifts for babies come in all shapes and sizes, so here are some ideas for that unique baby gift you can take to the next baby shower you attend.

First, why not gift baskets? New baby products like baby bedding and baby clothing can be placed in one large basket, along with some cute toys or items the mother and father will need, like safety pins and baby shampoo. Trust me, your friend who is a mother-to-be will appreciate all the free baby products. Even through this may not seem like the most creative idea, this is often the perfect baby shower gift. Babies are expensive, so rather than getting the new parents designer clothing, spend your money more wisely on products they really need.

You can also get ideas for baby gifts are at a baby store. Product lines like Sassy Baby Products and Munchkin baby products often have fun and unique ideas for your next baby shower. They will give you ideas for both baby boy gift choices and the perfect gift for baby girl showers. New born baby gifts will jump at your from every shelf once you hit the store.

More creative ideas for a baby are personalized baby gifts. For example, you may not know the baby''s name yet, but you probably do know his or her last name. You can purchase unique baby gifts like toys with "Baby Smith" embroidered on the stuffed animal or baby books filled with personalization. Add these to the gift baskets. New baby personalized gifts will be the centerpiece of the basket with style.

When all else fails, try finding items that the mother and father will find practical. Diapers for free are always great! When you buy baby gift items, try to remember that the new baby will probably not remember them. You may want a unique baby gift, but you''re help mommy and daddy much more if you buy things for the baby shower that the parents will need anyone. It takes a load off of a new parents'' mind to know that their home will be stocked with supplies when they bring baby home. Sometimes the best baby gifts are not unique baby gifts at all. Try a gift card so the baby''s parents can buy what they truly need. Remember, the perfect baby shower gift is one that the new parents really love, and sometimes, your best option is to let them pick out their supplies themselves with a gift card.

Carl Deveraux is a freelance editor for Only Baby Gifts. Read more and find great deals and discounts on Only Baby Gifts products at http://www.onlybabygifts.com/index.aspx.

Baby Shower Gift Baskets Tips and Ideas

Personalizing a baby''s gift is an excellent idea, making the gift distinct and special and grows into a cherished token through the years. When giving or making a gift sooner, before the baby''s due, you are faced with a problem, that is, you are not yet certain of the name and the birth date. An option to consider is by giving a gift certificate for an etching or engraving design along with your gift. This way, when the wonderful day arrives, the parents can take your gift and have it personalized.

Choices for personalized gifts are baby cups, picture frame, jewelry or a cutlery set. There are wide selections of items that can be personalized; all you have to do is look.

A blanket for baby embroidered with the baby''s name alongside the name''s meaning would make an excellent gift for both mom and baby.

Your labor of love gift basket

Gift baskets are very popular today and indeed a wonderful idea which can either be purchased made-to-order or ready-made. Or, you can do it yourself by putting together all baby items that you like for the baby. Here''s how you can make one:

1. Know first the size of the basket that you will use. A very large basket may be difficult to fill, so a medium sized is recommended. Usually, craft stores sell baskets of different sizes, shapes and colors. Shredded tissue paper and raffia make great fillers to be layered at the basket''s bottom, alongside with baby towels and blankets.

2. If you do have a large basket, you can easily fill it up by choosing bigger items as well, such as crib comforters, stuffed bunny or teddy, pillows or crib bumpers.

3. Take into consideration the baby''s gender, what really the baby needs. For a first baby, there will be many things that he will need. Having to look at a baby registry if the mom to be has one, can help a lot, since you will know what the baby really needs. If there is none, you could always ask the mom what else she needs for the baby.

4. Consider having a theme. You can load the basket with everything pink for a baby girl or everything blue for a baby boy, or everything having a "pooh" or a dinosaur design. A bedtime theme basket filled with story books, music CD, blankets, pillows, pajama, musical crib mobile and a teddy bear can be a wonderful idea. Be creative and let your imagination soar.

5. Another way of being creative is instead of using a basket, a baby tub, a diaper bag, a small laundry basket or a trunk can also be used.

6. For a tub, you can fill it with baby bathing accessories, such as soaps, towels, bubble bath, powder, baby shampoo, lotion and bath rubber toys.

7. For the trunk, you can fill it with baby''s keepsake book, monogrammed items, receiving blankets, heirloom items, a picture frame and an inspirational book all about mom and baby. You can also place a little inspirational note containing all your wishes for the baby. This will add a more personal touch to your gift.

8. For the laundry basket, you can fill it with cute slippers, diapers, baby comb and brush, booties, and baby clothes.

Visit http://www.babyshowerguidebook.com/ today and download your free report on baby showers and get some great baby shower ideas.

Baby Monitors Give Parents Peace of Mind

Years ago, parents kept track of their babies by waiting for them to cry out and then checking on them. At one time, it was even advised by the experts not to check in too often, but to stick to a rigid schedule. Times have certainly changed. Now days there are monitors which will let parents listen in to the baby''s room so they will know if he is awake or asleep. They can also utilize a video monitor to keep the baby in sight while he is in his crib. They can even set up the monitors to spy on the babysitter.

It is no wonder baby monitors are so popular. They are actually quite handy devices. Now a mother can put the baby to sleep in a room upstairs and go about her day downstairs or outside and still be able to listen in on the baby to know when he wakes up or starts to cry.

The baby monitor is a simple device and is inexpensive and has become a common piece of baby equipment just like a changing table and stroller. A baby monitor has a one way speaker that lets parents listen in to their baby''s room so they can hear all his sounds from anywhere in the house. It definitely gives new parents peace of mind and saves many trips sneaking a peak at the baby to make sure he is still in the crib and okay.

In addition to the audible baby monitor, parent''s can also choose to install a baby cam. This will allow them to watch video of the sleeping child. They can even set up the baby cam to watch the babysitter take care of their baby, and keep an eye on the cam while at work or anywhere there is a computer connection. Some of the baby cams are so small, the babysitter would have no idea she was being watched.

Another type of alarm will emit a sound when the baby makes a noise. This type of baby monitor is handy if the parents are taking a nap or sleeping at night and are afraid they will not hear the baby cry.

There are even high tech medical alarms for newborn babies that sound an alarm when the baby stops breathing. This type of alarm is used for babies that are at risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or who have had incidences of apnea (cessation of breathing) in the hospital.

Apnea is not uncommon in certain medical conditions or if the baby was born very prematurely. An apnea baby monitor is connected to the baby''s chest and when the movement stops, then the unit will sound an alarm and the parents, or the nurse, simply jiggle the baby until he starts breathing again.

Newborn babies would have to remain in the hospital for much longer periods of time if it weren''t for the availability of apnea monitors.

The baby monitor in all it various styles and applications serves a very useful purpose in monitoring the baby and giving parents peace of mind. Parents of years gone by might just shake their heads at such baby monitoring technology, and advise parents not to worry so much about their sleeping bundle of joy because when he wakes up, he will definitely let everyone in the house know he needs some attention.

Anne Morris is an established freelance writer. You can find more of her writing at adoption-matters.com and baby-today.com.

And Baby Makes Three

Having a baby will be one of the most exciting and frightening times of your life. What if I don''t always know what to do? Will I be a good parent? If you are already asking yourself these questions, don''t worry, you''re already a good parent because you care enough to worry.

If you''re like many soon-to-be parents, you probably own one or more books on baby names. Afterall, the name that you choose will be with your little one forever and you want to make sure it''s a good fit. The first thing to look for in naming your child is a good flow with the first, middle and last name. In some instances, an infant is named after the mom, dad, grandparent or other close relative. It may help to research the meaning of names, which could later prove to be very significant in your child''s life.

In planning for the new arrival of your baby, it''s important to establish a nursery and furniture selection is essential to making this room a soothing and relaxing place for the newest addition to the family. You will need to choose a bassinet and, for those sleepless nights, a sturdy rocking chair. A changing table will also prove to be a very convenient accessory because it not only offers an easy to way to change diapers, but often features storage compartments for use in keeping your baby''s essential changing materials nearby. Otherwise, you can place a drawer unit next to the table for easy storage and accessibility. A baby bathtub, stroller and diaper bag are also important items to include on your major shopping list.

Preparing for the arrival of your new baby is exciting, but it may also be exhausting. Many women are given a baby shower in celebration of the upcoming addition to their family. As the name implies, the mom-to-be is showered with baby gifts that are sure to make decorating the nursery a piece of cake.

When a couple experiences the joy of having a baby, they are often overcome with emotion. From fear and anxiety to happiness and pride, these are all normal feelings that simply mean they are preparing themselves for the best adventure of all - parenthood.

Alex is a consultant for a New York Company which runs an online gift shop offering wedding favors and wedding supplies.

A Few Health Tips for Busy Moms

There''s no doubt about it- Moms are busier today then ever before. Most moms struggle balancing work life and home life, or if Mom stays at home, she often feels as if she is on a never-ending roller coaster that begins from the moment she wakes up until the time she falls asleep. It seems as if the most often complaint heard by mothers is that they don''t have time to take care of their health.

Lack of sleep, not enough time to exercise, eating fast foods are just some of the complaints that mothers feel contribute to their poor health. Well, here are some tips that will help ensure that all moms, no matter what their schedules, can take steps to protect their health.

First, make sure that you drink plenty of water. This may seem like an insignificant step, but you would be amazed how many women are actually dehydrated. Soft drinks, coffee, and energy drinks all hold a special appeal to moms who are busy as they suggest giving that boost that they need, yet the repercussions far outweigh the rewards. The calories that you gain from these drinks will only work against your health goals. You don''t have to cut these drinks out of your diet completely, just cut back and replace them with the required amount of water that you should drink daily. You need at least 8 glasses of water per day, but you may want to ask your physician exactly how much water he or she recommends you take.

Exercise is an area that many women neglect due to the hectic schedules that they keep. However, there is good news. New studies have shown that you don''t have to work out for a consecutive 30 minutes 3 times a week to be healthy. In fact, if you are a new mom, or just can''t find 30 minutes to dedicate to your workout, you can break it up throughout the day. If you can find ten minutes to work out three times per day, you will achieve the same benefits as if you worked out 30 minutes once during the day. The same rule applies if you break your workout into six segments of five minutes each. Therefore, find your work out schedule and break it up throughout your day. This way if the phone rings, or the baby cries don''t feel that you have to give up your workout. Just pick up where you left off, when you get another moment of time to yourself, and you will be fine.

If you find that you aren''t getting enough rest at night, then take naps when your baby is napping. If you have a hard time unwinding at night, try drinking chamomile tea. By incorporating these tips into your daily life, you will find that your health will improve no matter how busy your schedule is.

Find more great health tips at our Health reference website providing news / articles / directory / internet search.

10 Baby Nursery Ideas from Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes to African Safaris

Discover 10 baby nursery ideas covering from Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme wall decor to adventures on African Safaris. You will spend many hours with your baby in the nursery. Make sure that the room is comfortable and organized. Create a place of stimulation and story-telling.

Your baby nursery idea will begin to take shape while you shop for a crib and other furniture.
Just be prepared to be overwhelmed at first by the mind boggling choice of themes. You may be looking for a complete furnishing set, or you may be day-dreaming about designing your own custom decor.

Often a simple, classic approach is more sensible than a frilly, over-the-top baby nursery idea with paraphernalia that will just get in the way when you are frazzled and exhausted. This collection covers just a few of the thousands of possibilities.

1. Magical Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme Decor

Who doesn't love the Mother Goose characters? Adorable watercolors bring these stories to life. Your baby will grow to love the colorful creations on the wall decor. This wonderful series will coordinate well with most baby furniture and you will easily be able to find bedding and furnishings to match. Colorful Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme quilts and blankets are a treat. This is a delightful, fresh theme.

2. Original With Other Lovable Characters

We all fall in love with certain lovable story book characters, such as Peter Rabbit or Snoopy. Winnie the Pooh is a favorite of almost any baby, and the bedding and furnishings are available to create a classic Pooh crib. Find Snoopy curled up under a friendly moon and starts. Or opt for a variety of Disney characters, such as Mickey Mouse. Furnishings with rhymes always lead to hilarity and enjoyment and can be a fun baby nursery idea.

3. Charm Your Kid With Cute Creatures

When it comes to babies, it is a given that they love cuddly animals. A vast variety of creature comforters are on offer. From farm animals to frog decor abound. For adventurous kids there is dinosaur bedding. Little girls love lady bug or butterfly designs. African safari crib bedding lends itself to endless bedtime stories. Dolphins, adorable puppies and Noahs Ark will also be well-loved.

4. Anything On Wheels Will Appeal

Boys love fire truck crib bedding as a baby nursery idea. Be different and decorate with Harley Davidsons. Alternatively take to the sky with airplane decor. Another old favorite on wheels is a train theme. Kids love cars and anything that moves or make a noise. So indulge them in their room.

5. Naptime On A Nautical Note

Ship Ahoy! Tell tales of sea creatures and far-away, dreamy places with furnishings on a nautical note. From ships and sails to whale's tales and other ocean critters will stimulate little imaginations. This is the stuff bedtime stories should be made of. Every night another place and a new animal.

6. Sporting A Lively Theme

Dads will probably opt for this one if they are involved in decorating for a boy. Every sport under the sun is now represented in cot accessories. Baseball fans can choose their favorite colors, while football and basketball enthusiasts have not been forgotten. Just don't put too much pressure on the growing little person. Remember dad, this is his life - not your second chance...

7. Proudly Display Your Patchwork Creations

This baby nursery idea comes in every conceivable color and pattern. It often is a sensible choice, as the inevitable spills and mishaps won't be as noticeable. Patchwork quilts often become heirlooms. Perhaps you can make your own quilt from fabrics scraps with a story attached to each one. That can make for some interesting bedtime tales. Plaids are also a good choice, if you don't fancy patchwork.

8. A Star For Your Little Star

Watch your baby's face lit up as he or she discovers the wonders of creation. Why not help in this process with the moon, stars, planets and spaceships on bedding and curtains. All sorts of wonderful accessories can be added to complement this theme. You may have to brush up on your own knowledge about the subject, but you will need to do that anyway when your child reaches school-going age. With an outer space crib set your bundle of joy will go on many an adventure.

9. Turn Back The Clock With A Vintage Theme

Perhaps your family has some heirlooms you would like to incorporate in your design. With the right furniture, an old-world look can be quite something. You can always introduce a touch of color and some modern elements to stimulate the baby's senses. Try to use a variety of fabric textures for tactile stimulation when expanding on this baby nursery idea.

10. Teach To Care With Care Bears Bedding

These can be really adorable, with bright and cheery colors. Babies love these sets. A wide variety of accessories are also available, from bedtime bears to potty seats and keepsake pillow sets. You can also find delightful Care Bear lamps, area rugs, crib organizers and wall borders to go with the cot set and curtains.

Full sets usually include the fitted sheet, a quilt of some sort, pillow cases, crib bumper, dust ruffle, curtains and valance. Many manufacturers dream up all sorts of adorable, matching accessories to bring the room together. Wall hangings always help to create a warm effect.

So, get yourself a cup of tea, kick off your shoes, pull up the rocking chair and day-dream about all the magical hours you are going to spend here, discovering all the wonders of your baby nursery idea with your little one.

All-Baby-Furniture.com - Where you can read quick facts about all kinds of baby furniture, crib bedding and nursery accessories. Find out about the master-craftsmanship of the Cabana Bonavita Crib Collection read Bonavita Crib Collection Features Cabana And Sheffield's Baby Cradling Capacity. Copyright this article Rika Susa

5 Helpful Tips for New Parents

When becoming a new parent, there are just some things that baby books and family advice cannot prepare you for. Whether it is paying attention to the signs that a newborn''s health is failing or learning how to properly clean her ears, there is always something new that draws a question mark and sends parents into a frenzy. While you may receive numerous tips on how to care for your baby, dealing with the emotional and mental stress of being a new mother or father is often overlooked.

Below, you will find a few tips regarding both the concern and care for baby and parent:

Take Time For Yourself

When a baby enters your life, chaos may develop because your normal behavior, sleep, and lifestyle patterns are disrupted to adjust for a newborn. If you don''t find time for yourself to release built-up tension and stress, then you won''t be in any good shape to take care of your little one. Plus, children have a way of sensing when their parents are stressed, which in turn may cause them to react accordingly.

Reduce Stress By Saving Money

For some parents, a new financial strain is created with the addition of a new member to the family. Sometimes any penny saved can go a long way in the future. When you get into the habit of clipping coupons and requesting free samples, you can save money that can go towards other aspects of the household. If you call baby food and other baby product companies, you can ask for coupons and other discounts. Sometimes you can accomplish the same goals by visiting their website.

It''s OK To Accept Help

When parents take the attitude that they can do it all (baby, house, and work) on their own without any help from family and friends, burnout is inevitable. The daily tasks that come with changing diapers, warming bottles, and burping baby reach overwhelming proportions in a short amount of time. With new mothers, the risk of postpartum depression will increase. When family, friends, and even neighbors extend a helping hand, it is highly suggested to accept it.

Be On the Lookout For Jaundice

More and more newborns are seen developing jaundice, meaning a yellow pigment appears in the skin of the baby. When certain chemicals build up in the body, the baby''s liver has to work overtime to break it down and release it. The condition often goes away on its own, but if not diagnosed in time, brain damage may occur. It is important to know that around 60% of newborns will develop jaundice.

Get Enough Sleep

If you do not get enough sleep, how will you ever be able to keep up with the erratic patterns of a baby, especially if he or she suffers from a medical condition, such as colic? Parents who are deprived of their sleep become exhausted and suffer from lapses in memory, mood, concentration, as well as the ability to deal with the new parent responsibilities. Less sleep also means the body can break down and illness may settle in.

The worst thing to deal with is a cold that threatens the health of your child. Taking turns with another with the baby or dividing your time between shifts is a good way to make sure you get the sleep that you need. Single parents might have to call upon the help of their siblings or parents during the first six weeks, which can be rather difficult without assistance.

Opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the view of the Kids Rocking Chair which the author would like for you to visit.

Preparing for the Birth of A Baby - Essential Baby Clothes

If you are expecting a baby in the next few months, the chances are you will have started planning for some of her important things, if not doing them and buying them already. Her crib may be chosen; her nursery may be painted and decorated; you may have some beautiful bedding to match the baby decor of her room; and you may have bought a few gorgeous newborn outfits with which to adorn your newborn.

However, there may be a whole host of things you have not really thought of seriously, especially if you are a first time parent. It is so tempting to focus on the pretty things, and forget, or not learn of, the practical ones. So, when it comes to baby clothes, leave all the cute outfits to the baby shower guests, and concentrate for a while on the things you will really need. After all, you do not want your baby to be caught with her diapers down!

Having a baby is a combination of joy and stress for most people, and I suppose that is true of most major events in our lives. There is nothing to compare to the pleasure and happiness that a mother feels when she holds her new baby for those first few days after the birth; or the father showing off pictures of the baby to his friends and family.

Unfortunately, there is also nothing quite like the stress in worrying that everything is going to be all right on the night, or day, as the case may be. To reduce the chance of those stresses taking over, and to ensure that the family is properly prepared for their joyous new addition, it is as well to get organised with the practical things for the baby layette. Let the person who is to organise the baby shower sort out all that side of things, while you ensure all the most practical items are in place by month 7 of the pregnancy.

New parents quite often fall into the trap of being unprepared when it comes to suitable clothing for their baby. So, here are some of the essentials you will need to complete your preparation for the baby's arrival:

1. Cotton bodysuits, absorbent baby blankets, bibs, and baby booties are items that a new parent can never have enough of. Babies, God Bless them, are messy little things sometimes. For all the cuteness and adorability that they possess, they do dribble, slobber, vomit and overfill their diapers with some of their profuse outputs, and they are like that for about the first year or so of their lives. As such, their clothes do get messy quickly and often; so be prepared, and be practical. A mum may find herself changing her baby's clothing almost as often as she changes her diaper ? sometimes more.

2. The best plan is to stock up on the practical things such as "onesies" suits, baby tees, and mess-cleaning cotton blankets so that you always have plenty on hand. Buy these practical items in abundance, but not so many that you'll quickly be stuck with a pile of baby items that no longer fit the baby. It is a good idea to have at least five clean outfits at any time; that is clean items, and not awaiting the next wash. If you are going out on a long outing, you will need to pack extra, so always make sure that you have plenty of clean backups. Do not underestimate your little baby's ability to take your laundry load to record levels, unlike anything you have seen before if you are a first time parent.

The cute and adorable baby outfits, and the stores are stuffed full of those, are fine for taking baby to church, for visiting grandparents, or for taking family photos. However, be prepared for the baby to make a mess over that precious little outfit. While planning and preparing for the arrival of your new offspring, forego some of the cute outfits so that you can stock up on more of the practical essentials. The guests at the baby shower can provide the cute things, while you ensure that you are truly prepared for the reality of having a bouncing new baby in the house.

This preparing for baby article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner author of the baby website, http://www.bouncing-new-baby.com. Ably assisted by his baby daughter, he is also responsible for the Baby Blog, http://feeds.feedburner.com/bouncing-new-baby/RVnf

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.

http://SearchArticles.Net offers hundreds of tips and articles for new parents. Visit http://www.searcharticles.net/parenting.cfm for more parenting informatio

Spending Time with Your Baby - Making the Most of Joy

When you first bring home your Bouncing New Baby, you will surely feel you want to watch over her and be with her much of the time, especially if you are a first time parent. Newborn babies are fascinating even if they are not yours; when they are your own, that special feeling takes off into the stratosphere. You may feel tempted to hold them, watch them and chat to them the whole time; even when they are asleep you will enjoy standing silently over them and observe them in their slumbers.

Those first few days are a magical time, but then a transformation may take place. For the first few nights, the night feed may be a novelty, and you may even feel "great, she's awake, I can see her again". But then sleep interruption may start to irritate you rather than be a signal for pleasure; tiredness begins to take a hold as your sleep is disturbed so often. Night feeds, cholic, bringing up her milk; all can contribute to an interrupted night. Insufficient sleep mixed with aggravation can start to eat away at that feeling of wonder you had when your baby first came home.

Your baby has not changed; but you have. She is the same gorgeous baby you brought home from hospital. Her simple life is evolving only very slowly to her; it is yours that is changing most rapidly. Those rapid changes, maybe mixed with a new level of tiredness you have not felt before, represent the first exertion of pressure on that very special relationship - you and your baby.

Then there is day time. The old day to day pressures are still there; the need to rush around to the shops, worrying about money, wondering how to deal with work, job and baby; the car not starting, the leak in the pipe under the sink, the washing machine seizing up under the constant use. The days spent wishing you could get a good night's sleep, wishing you were back at work earning more money, and being with your work colleagues. The time you spend thinking: "where's my life gone? I have no control anymore. That baby is my jailer in the day time and tormentor at night."

Stop! That is a train of thought you must either not board, or at least get off at the first station. It is a train fuelled by self pity, and heading down the track to unhappiness for you, your partner, and your baby. You are the only one who controls your life; you choose between the track to contentment and joy, or to discontent and misery.

Remember, that baby loves you more than anyone else ever has, unless you have had a baby before. Her devotion, her admiration, and her dependence are total. It is for you to decide whether that is something to cause resentment in you, or the overwhelming joy that it should. That little miracle of a baby is the biggest responsibility you have ever had, but she can also be the source of the greatest pleasure and joy.

Compare your baby's devotion with your work colleagues you miss; in 10 years time you will probably have lost contact with most or all of them. Your workplace is like a busy junction where people cross over. Your work? If you are employed, your bosses will ditch you as soon as they need to if they see a "better" alternative. Your car, your washing machine, your leaking pipe; do you really think they are important compared to that unique and potentially wonderful relationship that is in your arms, the relationship with your baby?

You make the choices; you take the actions. You have experienced in the first few days with baby at home that there can be sheer joy and excitement; wonderment and appreciation. The baby loves you to bits; you can love her to bits too, and put the exterior trivia in their rightful place. Or, the baby loves you to bits and you can wallow in resentment because she's interrupting your life, demanding attention when you have a leaking pipe or a car that won't start.

In black and white, on paper, it's a simple choice; but how can you make that choice and achieve the right balance in your life? Think about it quietly for a while; somewhere on your own. Think of the pleasure the baby gives you in those precious moments when you do not feel stressed. Then, make a conscious decision to perpetuate those moments; to make each moment you have with your baby, infant and child a moment when you and she are there simply for each other.

As your baby grows, there will be countless moments of development that can bring you a lot of pleasure and pride; learning to walk, getting out of her crib, her kisses and cuddles, her first word and every new word thereafter; her expressions, mimicry, her laughter and her first attempt to dance to the music on the radio; her attempts to control and manipulate you, and learning to use her charm to get her own way. All can be moments of intense pleasure, if you allow them to be.

Such developments you can allow to merge into the noisy background of life's trivia, and miss the joy they can bring you. In so doing you are increasing the chances of an unhappy baby, and an unhappy you. Or, you can make each moment you spend with your baby one for you to enjoy to the full, shutting out life's trivia for those times you are sharing with your offspring. In so doing you would increase the chances of a happy baby and a happy you.

You make the choices; you take the actions. For your own sake and the baby's, spend as much time with your baby as you can, and set out to enjoy it to the full. Shut out the trivia that are trying to spoil your unique relationship, and your life will be considerably better for it.

It is not always possible, but try to organise the trivia around your time with baby. The more you give her precedence, and willingly, the more happy you will both be. Enjoy every single moment of watching her development. It is something that cannot be repeated.

This baby care article was written by Roy Thomsitt owner author of the Bouncing New Baby website, http://www.bouncing-new-baby.com. Ably assisted by his baby daughter, he is also responsible for the Baby Blog http://feeds.feedburner.com/bouncing-new-baby/RVnf

Baby Sleeping ? Scrapbook Page Layout Ideas

Your new baby is a precious addition to your family, and you want to keep every little memory safe in a scrapbook ? conventional or digital. You have so many cute pictures ? many of them with your baby sleeping. You want to feature your baby sleeping with scrapbook page layout ideas that show how sweet your little boy or girl is.

Baby Sleeping Themes

Scrapbook page layout ideas should begin with themes. In this case, you have chosen a theme of baby sleeping, but you may want to consider something that is not so broad.

1. Does baby pout when sleeping? Your theme could be "precious pouter".

2. If baby sleeps with heaps of toys, a theme might be "our priceless toy".

3. "Knitting up the raveled sleeve of care" is a Shakespearean theme that could feature baby sleeping.

As you consider scrapbook page layout ideas, open your mind to a variety of themes.

Baby Sleeping Layout Starters

You can get your creative juices flowing by looking at page layout ideas others have created. Here are 7 page layout ideas to get you started:

1. Baby Sleeping at Baptism: Page layout ideas for a baptism look good with ribbons and lace in antique off-white shades. Use a background paper in a rich wine shade. If baby received a certificate of baptism, this can be used along with photos. Focus attention on baby sleeping by making that photo prominent, framing it in lace. Include photos of parents and others who were a part of the occasion. A row of photos across the top of a 2-page spread could be set off from the rest of the page with a lace ribbon. Be sure the baby''s full name is included in rich lettering.

2. Baby Sleeping in Pink: Scrapbook page layout ideas for a little girl in pink will look good with a sprinkling of sugar and spice. Background paper can be a cinnamon brown textured paper. A dictionary definition of "spice" on a torn antique ivory paper could be topped with one photo of baby sleeping. Write "sugar" on a tag, and add a ribbon. Don''t forget a bit of journaling to tell about baby''s sleep habits. Embellishment candies will carry your theme beautifully.

3. Baby Sleeping in Blue: One of the cute page layout ideas you may want to consider is one that centers on a "Little Boy Blue" theme. Begin with a background in pale blues and whites. Perhaps a wide stripe patterned paper, or even a piece of blue and white fabric would work well. Mount your "baby sleeping" photo on the background with black corners. Add a photo or two of the many "blue" things in his life. Stack blue blankets, sleepers, toys ? anything blue ? and snap a few photos for further page layout ideas. Add blue embellishments, stickers, and a memento such as a piece of a blue blanket or favorite clothing. Journal in dark blue ink, making your notes encircle the page as a border.

4. Baby Sleeping at Birth: For page layout ideas that feature your baby sleeping during the first weeks of life, consider adding a copy of the birth certificate. If it has footprints on the back, be sure you use a copy of those, too. For digital page layout ideas, consider scanning the foot prints onto your hard drive. Then, in a graphics program, give them a transparent layer. Beneath that, insert a layer with the word "baby" in pastel colors, one color per letter. A few extra "feet" would be a cute embellishment. Frame your baby in pastel frames.

5. Baby Sleeping on Baby Sheets: Scrapbook page layout ideas for a baby asleep might begin with a background of sheet fabric. If you have the actual crib sheets on which baby slept, you might cut a piece the size of your page, and use it for a background. Mount your photos on torn paper in one of the brighter colors from the sheet. If the sheet has pictures of baby animals or toys, use similar embellishments and stickers. Add a corner of baby''s favorite blanket as a memento, and a note about how your boy or girl loved it.

6. Baby Sleeping in Family Tree: This is one of those page layout ideas that work well in a family heritage scrapbook. Start with a family tree background that uses a nostalgic tree graphic with family names arranged on it. Don''t worry about covering some names. This is just background for this page. mount your baby sleeping in a cradle cut out. Place the cradle strategically in the tree. Photos of parents or grandparents asleep as babies in the 40''s or 50''s would be fun for comparison. Who does baby resemble more? Add a few bird stickers. Journal on leaf shapes. Add a border of leaves.

7. Baby Sleeping at Dinner: Many babies fall asleep in the high chair, their tiny heads ending up on the tray. Scrapbook page layout ideas that feature such a photo can carry through the dinner theme. Can you tell what was served the time the photo was taken? If it was baby food from jars, get identical jars and set up a photo of what was on the menu. Write out the menu for more interest. Add a menu item of "Zzzzzzzz". If baby sleeping was at a home-made meal, include a recipe as one of your page layout ideas. Arrange a few teddy bear stickers and a spoon.

Whatever scrapbook page layout ideas are used, you will want to remember that each page is a canvas on which you paint a picture. Imagine each scrapbook page hung on the wall of a gallery or displayed on an art easel. All page layout ideas should tell stories without additional comments.© 2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about scrapbook page layout ideas at http://www.scrapbooking-for-fun.com. Anna is posting new articles every week on that site. You won''t want to miss her recent article on scrapbook page layout ideas for baby girls

How can I tell if my child is constipated?

When it comes to a child's bowel movements, there's no "normal" number or schedule — just what's normal for your child. He may pass a stool after every meal, or wait one or two days or more between bowel movements. His individual pattern depends on what he eats and drinks, how active he is, and how quickly he digests his food and then gets rid of waste.

If you're concerned that your child might be constipated, look for the following clues:

• Less frequent bowel movements, particularly if he hasn't had one for four or more days and is obviously uncomfortable when he does have one.

• Dry, hard stools that are uncomfortable to pass.

• Very liquid stools in your child's diaper or, if he's potty-trained, soiled underwear. Liquid stools can slip past the blockage in the lower intestine and wind up in your child's diaper or underwear. If you see this, don't assume it's diarrhea — it may be evidence of constipation.

Why is my child getting constipated?

Here are the likely possibilities:

Eating too many low-fiber foods. If your child eats lots of milk, cheese, yogurt, or peanut butter, for instance, and not enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, he could wind up constipated.

Toilet anxiety. If your child is feeling pressured about toilet training, he might start deliberately withholding his stools. If he shows all the signs of straining to have a bowel movement — stiffening his body, arching his back, and getting red in the face — but nothing comes out, he may actually be trying to hold it in.

Even if your child is potty-trained, he may not be taking enough time on the toilet to completely empty his bowels. That can lead to a buildup of feces that causes the colon to stretch and cramp. An enlarged colon can lead to hard, larger-than-normal, difficult-to-pass stools, making your child even more reluctant to use the potty.

Dehydration. If your child isn't getting enough liquids, his system will respond by absorbing more fluid from whatever he eats or drinks — and from the waste in his bowels, as well. The result can be hard, dry bowel movements that are difficult to pass.

Lack of activity. Movement helps blood flow to your child's digestive system, so if he's not active, he may experience trouble in the BM department.

How can I treat my child's constipation?

Here are some things to try:

• Avoid giving your child too many foods that have a binding effect. These include bananas, cooked carrots or squash, and large quantities of dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream.

• Boost your child's fiber intake. Give him plenty of whole-wheat crackers, cereal or bread, and fruits and vegetables such as prunes, apricots, plums, peas, beans, and broccoli.

• To help keep your child's stools soft, increase the amount of fluid he drinks. Water is your best bet, but small amounts of prune or apple juice may also help. However, you'll want to limit your child's juice consumption to about 4 to 6 ounces per day, to prevent tooth decay and a ruined appetite. He's probably drinking enough fluids if he pees at least once every five to six hours.

• Encourage him to walk, climb, and run around every day, to get the blood flowing to all of his organs.

• Massage your child's belly. Measure three finger-widths below his navel and apply gentle but firm pressure with your fingertips. Press until you feel a firmness or mass. Maintain gentle but constant pressure for about three minutes.

• Don't pressure your child to toilet train before he's ready. Pushing him to use the potty can make him afraid or resentful, and he could wind up withholding bowel movements. If you notice your child doing this, increase the amount of fiber he eats (see above), back off on the training, and wait to try again until you've spotted the signs he's really ready.

• Encourage your child to use the potty as soon as he feels ready to poop. If he says he never feels ready, try having him spend five to 10 minutes on the toilet after breakfast and dinner. (A child who's been constipated for a long time may have lost the ability to perceive that his rectum is full.) If your child goes to preschool, check to see if he's using the toilet there regularly. Some children are reluctant to use potties away from home.

• Talk to your child's doctor about treatment options. She may suggest an over-the-counter stool softener, a lubricant such as mineral oil, a suppository, or laxatives if your child is very constipated. A glycerin suppository will stimulate the rectum and help your child pass a stool. While using a suppository occasionally is fine, don't do it on a regular basis, since your child could wind up relying on them to have a bowel movement.

Note: If your child is deliberately holding back his stools, treating him with suppositories or an enema could be extremely upsetting to him. Always check with your doctor before resorting to this type of treatment.

• If your child is passing such hard, dry stools that he tears the delicate skin near the opening of his anus (you may be able to see these tears, known as anal fissures, or a little blood), you can apply some aloe vera lotion to the area to help it heal. Be sure to mention the tears to his doctor.

Tried and true; Maybe, maybe not

Part of helping your baby learn good sleep habits is teaching her to fall asleep on her own. But even the best sleepers sometimes need a little extra assistance — which is where sleep aids come in. These techniques and products run the gamut from a motorized bassinet to swaddling, but all share a common purpose: Helping your baby get to sleep. However, while sleep aids are often very useful, some come with a downside. You want your baby to learn to get to sleep by herself, not depend on the presence of a particular product or condition.

Look below to find a sleep aid that's right for you and your baby. For each item, we've included the age group it's best for — newborns (birth to 3 months) or older babies (3 to 12 months).

A word of caution: Never give your baby sleeping pills or other drugs that encourage sleep without consulting her doctor first — they may not be safe or effective. Most experts also frown upon giving herbs to babies, since no safe pediatric doses have been established and they could be toxic in high doses.

Tried and true
Choose one of these sleep aids and you can't go wrong — all will help your baby fall asleep without leading to any problems or bad sleep habits.

Swaddling
Works best for: Newborns
Infants under a month old (and some older babies) often appreciate being swaddled — snugly wrapped in a blanket for warmth and security. It can help calm a baby down and may keep her from being awakened by her own startle reflex at night. For step-by-step directions on how to swaddle your baby, click here.

Thumb sucking
Works best for: Newborns, babies
Thumb sucking is a perfectly acceptable way for your child to comfort herself, at bedtime or any other time — at least until the permanent teeth start coming in, around age 6. (After that it could lead to dental problems.) Babies are born with the need to suck, and most can't get enough just from the breast or bottle. And unlike a pacifier, your baby's thumb can't get lost in the middle of the night.

Bedtime ritual
Works best for: Babies
The experts all agree: One of the best ways to help your child make the transition to bedtime and sleep is to establish a calming, consistent bedtime ritual. You can start putting together a bedtime routine when your baby is as young as 6 or 8 weeks old, but it won't really kick into high gear until she's a little older. Your ritual can include any (or all) of the following: giving your baby a bath, cuddling, changing into pajamas, reading a bedtime story or two, singing a lullaby, and giving her a kiss goodnight. Whatever routine works for your family is fine, as long as you do it in the same order and at the same time every night. Setting and sticking to a consistent bedtime — on weekdays and weekends alike — is key to establishing good sleep habits.

Maybe, maybe not
While some parents swear by the following methods and products, the experts are divided on their usefulness. Pediatrician William Sears endorses doing anything that helps your baby fall asleep, but other sleep experts — such as Richard Ferber and Jodi Mindell — advise against any practice or gizmo that leads to your baby depending on its presence to nod off.

Dryer
Works best for: Newborns
Some parents swear by resting a newborn in a car seat on top of a running clothes dryer. The quiet thumping of tumbling clothing can be very comforting. Just be sure not to leave your baby unattended, for safety's sake.

Rocking
Works best for: Newborns, babies
Rocking your baby is a wonderful way to parent her to sleep, says Sears, author of Nighttime Parenting. Whether you do the rocking yourself or use a cradle, he advises you to stick to a rate of 60 beats per minute, the rhythm your baby got used to when you were pregnant and she could hear your heartbeat. Ferber and Mindell don't recommend rocking, arguing that you'll only be teaching your baby to depend on it to get to sleep. (Plus, shifting your baby from your arms to her crib without waking her is often a tricky matter.)

Breastfeeding
Works best for: Newborns, babies
Sears also encourages nursing your baby to sleep, especially when she's very young. Breastfeeding can comfort both you and your baby, he says, and a special protein in breast milk may actually help your baby fall asleep. Again, however, not everyone agrees with him. Many other experts believe this approach will prevent your baby from learning to fall asleep by herself. If you're nursing but are concerned about establishing a bad sleep habit, feed your baby earlier in your bedtime routine and end with a bedtime story instead.

Motorized cradle / bassinet
Works best for: Newborns, babies
Some babies fall asleep faster if they're moving, whether it's in the car or your arms. If you want a little help from technology, invest in a self-rocking cradle or pick up a battery-powered clip-on attachment that simulates the feel of a moving car. Remember, though, that most experts discourage using this kind of contraption; they think they're a crutch and a poor substitute for teaching your baby to sleep on her own.

Pacifier
Works best for: Newborns, babies
While pacifiers help many babies comfort themselves back to sleep if they wake up during the night, some experts argue they're not the best sleep aid. Why not? If your baby learns to depend on one at bedtime and it falls out of her reach, she won't be able to go back to sleep until she finds it. You can try to avoid that problem by strategically placing several pacifiers in her crib.

Something else to consider: Studies have shown that babies who use pacifiers at bedtime and naptime have a reduced risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

Ambient noise recording / machine
Works best for: Newborns, babies
You can buy or record regular household "music" (vacuuming, water running, or windshield wipers) or invest in a white noise machine. These products supply calming background sounds to help your baby fall asleep. If you'd rather not spend the money, try leaving the radio on quietly in the next room. All these remedies should be considered short-term solutions, though, if you want your baby to learn to fall asleep on her own rather than depend on special noises — or any of the other products discussed below.

Music
Works best for: Newborns, babies
In the same family as ambient noise CDs are recordings of lullabies, classical music, and other kids' favorites. Of course, singing a lullaby to your child yourself before she falls asleep is always a great option, since she responds best to your voice, but popping a tape in after you've belted out your favorite tune may help her drift into dreamland. A music box or musical lamp may also work.

Purchasing Children Toys

Learning should be fun: that's the reason why many toys are advertised as educational. Kids learn best when they are involved in their learning, when they are actively participating, doing something or trying something new.

So, how do you know which toys will be both fun and educational? The first thing to consider is the child you're buying the toy for: how old is the child? What is his or her skill level? You wouldn't want to buy a science kit for an infant. Likewise, you wouldn't want to buy an alphabet puzzle for a gifted fourth grader.

Once you have the most basic idea of the child in mind, there are five key points to consider when purchasing children’s toys.

1. Is the toy safe? Does a toy for a small child have small pieces that make it a choking hazard? Are the paints used for a craft project non-toxic? Are any chemicals used in a science kit that might be dangerous? The big thing to consider when buying any child's toy is that it is safe for the child.

2. Is the toy fun and appealing? Is the toy colorful and attention getting? Will the child want to play with it? If you are unsure, ask for recommendations or read reviews from others who have bought the toy. Regardless of how much you think the child could learn from the toy, if it's not something that he or she will want to play with, it would be better to purchase something else.

3. What is the overall quality of the product? Is it going to last? Are you getting what you pay for? A toy that breaks the first time it is played with isn't much fun. An educational toy that makes lofty promises but doesn't fulfill any of them is not worth a higher price.

4. Does the toy encourage open-ended imaginative play? Is the toy geared towards a specific educational purpose? High quality educational children’s toys encourage imagination. Puzzles and games often help to build critical thinking skills by developing a child's ability to reason and to develop strategies. Project-based toys help kids to learn to follow directions and to develop fine-motor skills.

5. Are there any lessons involved that you would not want the child to learn? Is the toy violent? Does it contribute to racism? Is it sexist? While most toy manufacturers develop products that contain only positive messages, there are some toys that may seem to deliver inappropriate messages.


By taking these questions into consideration, you will have taken the first steps towards buying an appropriate educational toy.

While buying a child's educational toy may seem complicated, there are some toys that are suggested for different age groups to give you an idea of where to begin. For pre-school aged children, consider activity mats, musical instruments, matching and memory games, and simple puzzles.

Because children learn quickly, it's important to evaluate when they have outgrown a toy so that another can be introduced. As kids grow up and begin school, look for toys that will encourage their interest in the areas where they struggle – word games for kids who need to improve their vocabulary, math games for kids who are challenged by numbers.

Of course, educational does not always mean that a toy has to have a classroom focus. Team sports encourage kids to be active, but they also help to improve hand-eye coordination and teach the value of working together to achieve a common goal.

So, which educational toy is most beneficial? The answer is any toy that makes learning fun for the child who plays with it. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of educational toys on the market, and you're bound to find one that's great for the child in your life.

Elly, Educational Toys Planet

Choosing Baby Toys

After two hours in a toy store, picking a PERFECT toy for your PERFECT baby, you finally proudly present another cute and cuddly fluffy to your little precious child only to find out, that this toy is destined to be collecting dust just like your baby’s other possessions in the toy chest. What’s wrong? According to the founder of the Institute of Achievement of Human Potential, the author of revolutionary books “How to Teach Your Baby To Read”, “How to Teach your Baby Math” and others, the child spends approximately ninety seconds playing with an average toy: a small child looks at it, feels it, tastes it, sniffs it, bangs it on a floor or shakes it in the air to see if it makes noise. All human senses have tested the new toy. Now the toy gets thrown out….

Does it mean the baby’s attention span is so short or that he is not smart enough? Quite the opposite: “…he wants desperately to learn everything he can, and as quickly as possible.” (Glenn Doman, How To Teach Your Baby To Read, The Gentle Revolution Press, 2002. P.25) The baby is smart enough to examine every object quickly, learn from it as soon as he can and move on – he has a whole world ahead of him and doesn’t have a second to waste!

So, does it mean giving him toys is useless? No. All children development researches constantly prove what every mother already knows – that her baby has a hidden genius inside, waiting to be unleashed. Or... never to be discovered… To help the inner genius to come out of hiding, we need to provide our baby the environment stimulating enough for him to learn as fast as he wants. There are dozens of books on how to interact with your baby, how to improve his strength, health, nutrition, how to teach him. This article is purely about fun time: how to select toys that your children will enjoy for longer then 90 seconds and that will help his development.

Yes, toys actually can help your child to develop, leading him to good grades, good friends, good skills. But since the selection is so vast and needs of children of different ages are so different, today we will concentrate on selecting toys for the youngest ones – for your cute little baby.

First, lets consider safety: I’ll never forget the huge bump on a head of my little boy, who figured out how to shake a rattle for the first time and the canny rattle hit him with all the great might of a happy baby hand! Check for items that can become loose and turn into chocking hazards. Check for sharp edges targeting your dearest baby’s skin, check for parts that can break while inquisitive little explorer is going to bang it against the floor, check the loose stitching that can give in to curious little fingers revealing harmful filling inside. Now, consider how you can please every one of those senses that baby will use to study her toy: every effort baby makes to understand and learn something, will result in another brain neurological connection being made. You don’t need to be an Einstein to realize, that the more neurological connections there is – the smarter your baby is going to be in the future!

The baby will feel the toy with his hand. Let’s try to pick something with variable texture: smooth, rough, soft, bumpy, slippery, and fuzzy. Plastic, fur, cloth, rubber, wood, silk, velvet – the more, the merrier! The more textures there are for the baby to explore, the longer he will stay exploring the toy. Aha, we already managed to keep his attention on the toy for longer then 90 seconds, right? Now, he will taste it. Of course you already checked the toy for safety, right? May be you want to put it into your mouth to see if there are no protruding parts, that could poke him inside? Is it comfortable for the little hands, is it convenient to grab? Time to listen to it. Luckily, our toy industry is working hard to entice the sense of hearing – most of the songs beep like a cell phone, mew like a cat, howl like a siren, play like a piano… Make sure you try ALL of those sounds. It is time to think of your own sanity: babies often become so fascinated with sounds, that they turn them on and on for hours – can you tolerate this that long?

My nephew once had a toy bus that was playing “Wheels on the bus go round and round” for hours, and hours, and hours… Nobody in a family could escape the headache. His Dad finally managed to sneak into the room and secretly take the batteries out.

My baby has got a toy car, that was singing “Are you driving, are you driving” any time anybody would walk past it. It didn’t take me long to transform the words into “Driving nuts! Driving nuts!” Homeland Security should throw these toys into the bad guys to shake up their sanity! Trust me, nobody could sustain the attack of even a few minutes of this tune. May be a variety of sounds would be better? How about an ability to make the sound level louder or softer? Once again, I urge you to listen to the tunes: babies will listen to anything you give them, so do you want your child play this silly song for hours or would you rather prefer him to get acquainted with beauty of Mozart’s pieces (“Twinkle-Twinkle little star” for the beginners in classical music, “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” for more advanced – I am talking about you, since for baby both will sound pleasing and interesting – your baby may be small, but not dumb, so he is entitled for a good music just as you are!) If the toy is making animal sounds, think again if you want your baby to learn how the real piggy talks or the strange grumping sounds produced by some hungover dude.

Just looking at the toy is going to be one of the primary methods of examining it! Multiple bright colors will help develop his vision, variable patterns – his ability to concentrate on detail, letters, numbers, shapes – even if he doesn’t know those objects yet, he will remember them for later.

Now let’s see other developmental peculiarities of a toy: it has animal pictures all over? Do they actually look like RECOGNIZABLE animals? It is an honorable effort to introduce your baby to the abstract art, but it is better to use famous museum pieces for that amiable purpose. To make your baby learn animals, select toys with animals that you can positively identify as such, not some suspicious monsters. If you think your 7 year old would do a better job drawing the cat, then the toy’s decorator, then skip this toy and move on to something more comprehensible.

It is a good idea to keep in mind that smallest babies can’t even distinguish the details and color tunes, so for infants it is better forgo the pastels, and stick to primary colors (white, black, red, yellow, blue), shapes and textures. Wavy lines, checkerboard patterns, dots and lozenges will do a better job for a developing brain of an infant, then indistinguishable for it tiny doggies, kitties.

Ahhh, yeah – size matters.

Size of the toy matters – we have already talked about convenience of grabbing by the little hands. If the toy has any buttons, check if it is easy enough to press it for the baby of your age. The bigger – isn’t necessarily the better – at first your baby would not be able to reach from one huge button to the next. And, obviously, babies don’t develop fine motor skills until about 7 months, so if you are choosing a toy for a younger baby, make sure that buttons and controls are large and easy enough for him to pull.

Size of the pictures matters a lot more than you think. The research shows that for small kids it is easier to comprehend and remember objects displayed in large sizes. Small babies absolutely adore really huge cardboard books that you present to them and prefer just munching of the small and cute ones that inspire so many “aaaahh” and “sooooh cute” of your girlfriends. Once your baby grows at least a few years, she will be able to admire the cute Little People or her own tiny library, but now – let her enjoy large and clear images, large and clear messages, large buttons, easy to pull controls.

You like this toy since it has all the numbers, colors, letters, and shapes? Good job on selecting variety of things to help development of your baby’s visual pathways! But to ensure your baby actually learns them (not merely distinguishes them), either you, or the toy should NAME every one of those, at least once in a while. Point and name the letters, shapes, colors – even if your baby is so tiny, he will not miss this opportunity to learn and surprise you one day, confirming that your firm belief in his inner genius proved to be true! To a reasonable extent, of course.

Your baby’s sense of smell our toy industry has not indulged yet – the toys do not have different smells yet. That’s until your baby will play with it, slather it with his solid foods, saturate with his saliva, drop it into a really dusty corner. Then it is going to be the time to appeal to your sense of smell. And common sense too – since you want your baby playing with CLEAN toys, your selection should be easily washable (preferably – machine-wash or dishwasher safe, but at least – easy to wipe with a clean wet cloth).

Now, finally, what can the toy do? The larger the set of activities, the better. And by that we do not mean more buttons - instead, look for various activities: twisting, pulling, dragging, opening (kids most popular) and closing, reflecting, etc. Look for substitutes – can you change the toys around, so that it looks like a different toy? Can you add items to this toy, such as easily adding or removing toys from a baby gym, or placing something different inside opening compartment? The more activities you can come up with while playing with that toy in a store, the longer your baby will play with it at home.

Keep in mind that babies LOVE movement. My 4 months son could spent as much as an hour examining simple blue whale, that was singing and vibrating, moving across the surface: he loved to watch the whale move across the surface as it vibrated, catching him with his arms and trying to shovel into his mouth, enjoying the vibrations of the tail against his teething gums. But once the whale stops moving, my baby starts whaling for me to come up with a new entertainment – standing whale is absolutely useless for him – he already learned everything there is to learn about velvety rounded toy and can’t wait to explore the mechanics of him moving through the space. So, I turn on the whale, and the fun begins!

The last but not least: don’t be afraid of the toys aimed at larger children. Be careful and never leave your baby with such toys unattended, but babies learn amazingly fast and you would be surprised how many uses your baby will find for a more advanced toy: my tiny baby could spend hours with the saucer-like activity board for 9 month olds. Initially, he enjoyed just the lights on the buttons, later – reaching and for the buttons and banging on them, then – sucking on a wheel and rolling the ball… and every few days he surprises me with a new motion that he can accomplish in making this board produce new sounds and actions.

Finally… have fun playing! How? That’s a separate topic that we would be happy to present to you in the near future.

Elly, Educational Toys Planet

“Containerized” Infants: How Products are Affecting Our Babies’ Brains

By Rae Pica

Besides the fact that they were built to do so, there are a great many reasons why infants need to move. The truth is, even though their movement capabilities are extremely limited when compared with even those of a toddler, movement experiences may be more important for infants than for children of any other age group. And it’s not all about motor development either.

Thanks to new insights in brain research, we now know that early movement experiences are considered essential to the neural stimulation (the “use-it-or-lose-it” principle involved in the keeping or pruning of brain cells ) needed for healthy brain development.

Not long ago, neuroscientists believed that the structure of a human brain was genetically determined at birth. They now realize that although the main “circuits” are “prewired” (for such functions as breathing and the heartbeat), the experiences that fill each child’s days are what actually determine the brain’s ultimate design and the nature and extent of that child’s adult capabilities.

An infant’s brain, it turns out, is chock-full of brain cells (neurons) at birth. (In fact, a one-pound fetus already has 100 billion of them!) Over time, each of these brain cells can form as many as 15,000 connections (synapses) with other brain cells. And it is during the first three years of life that most of these connections are made. Synapses not used often enough are eliminated. On the other hand, those synapses that have been activated by repeated early experiences tend to become permanent. And it appears that physical activity and play during early childhood have a vital role in the sensory and physiological stimulation that results in more synapses.

Neurophysiologist Carla Hannaford, in her excellent book, Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head, states: “Physical movement, from earliest infancy and throughout our lives, plays an important role in the creation of nerve cell networks which are actually the essence of learning.”

She then goes on to relate how movement, because it activates the neural wiring throughout the body, makes the entire body — not just the brain — the instrument of learning.

Gross and fine motor skills are learned through repetition as well — both by virtue of being practiced and because repetition lays down patterns in the brain. Although it hasn’t been clearly determined that such early movements as kicking, waving the arms, and rocking on hands and knees are “practice” for later, more advanced motor skills, it’s believed that they are indeed part of a process of neurological maturation needed for the control of motor skills. In other words, these spontaneous actions prepare the child – physically and neurologically – to later perform more complex, voluntary actions.

Then, once the child is performing voluntary actions (for example, rolling over, creeping, and walking), the circle completes itself, as these skills provide both glucose (the brain’s primary source of energy) and blood flow (“food”) to the brain, in all likelihood increasing neuronal connections.

According to Rebecca Anne Bailey and Elsie Carter Burton, authors of The Dynamic Self: Activities to Enhance Infant Development, whenever babies move any part of their bodies, there exists the potential for two different kinds of learning to occur: learning to move and moving to learn.

Still, recent evidence indicates that infants are spending upward of 60 waking hours a week in things – high chairs, carriers, car seats, and the like!

The reasons for this trend are varied. Part of the problem is that more and more infants are being placed in childcare centers, where there may not be enough space to let babies roam the floor. Or, given the number of infants enrolled, there may be little opportunity for caregivers to spend one-on-one time with each baby. This means, in the morning, an infant is typically fed, dressed, and then carried to the automobile, where she’s placed in a car seat. She’s then carried into the childcare center, where she may spend much of her time in a crib or playpen. At the end of the day, she’s picked up, placed again into the car seat, and carried back into the house, where she’s fed, bathed, and put to bed.

Even when parents are home with baby, they seem to be busier than ever these days. Who has time to get on the floor and creep around with a child? Besides, with today’s emphasis on being productive, playing with a baby would seem almost a guilty pleasure! And if the baby seems happy and safe in a seat placed conveniently in front of the TV, in a bouncer hung in a doorway, or cruising about in a walker, then what’s the harm? It’s a win/win situation, isn’t it?

In fact, it isn’t. Being confined (as one colleague says: “containerized”) affects a baby’s personality; they need to be held. It may also have serious consequences for the child’s motor – and cognitive – development.

Other trends in today’s society having an impact on infants’ opportunities to move are the inclination to restrict, rather than encourage, freedom of movement and the misguided belief that early academic instruction will result in superbabies. (In 1999, 770,000 copies of infant software – “lapware” – were sold!)

Humans are meant to move and play. The inclination – the need – is hardwired into them. Babies, in fact, spend nearly half of their waking time – 40% – doing things like kicking, bouncing, and waving their arms. And while it may appear all this activity is just for the sake of moving, it’s important to realize a baby is never “just moving” or “just playing.” Every action extends the child’s development in some way.

© Rae Pica

Rae Pica is a children’s physical activity specialist and author of Your Active Child: How to Boost Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive Development through Age-Appropriate Activity (McGraw-Hill, 2003). Rae speaks to parent and education groups throughout North America. Visit her and read more articles at http://www.movingandlearning.com.