Baby Products | Better Parenting

Keep Your Child Rear Facing After the First Birthday

June 20, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

The standard advice from leading car seat safety experts for a number of years has been to keep your baby turned to rear facing in a safety approved car seat until she is one year old. This allows the car seat to take the brunt of any force that your baby may experience during a collusion. This positioning also allows your baby’s sensitive back and neck to be protected to help prevent serious injuries.

Recently, however, car seat safety experts are now recommending that parents keep their kids rear facing in their car seats for well beyond their first year. This is due to the fact that even after the child’s first birthday, their bodies are simply not mature enough to provide a level of protection to their sensitive internal organs. Having the protection of being rear facing means that they are more likely to come out of an car accident without being seriously injured.

Although your child will likely have long outgrown their infant seat by the time they have their first birthday, you can find a wide variety of convertible car seats. This type of car seat allows you to place your child in a rear facing position up to a certain height and weight. When this threshold has been met, the car seat easily converts to a forward facing seat. In addition, the height and weight threshold of the car seat that is facing forward is typically quite a bit more generous than when it is rear facing.

Picking Adorable Baby Animal Costumes

April 5, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Babies and toddlers give you, the parent, the ability to do something you have never been able to do thus far. What do you get when you combine human babies and baby animals? You have a whole zoo full of baby costume potential. If you are looking for a great costume for your child, you can look below to find some ideas.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Turn your baby into a true lion cub by adding a mane and a long bushy tail. Another popular cub costume is a bear character. With black plush fur, small ears, and paws, you can create a costume to turn your toddler into a bear cub. Trying to find various wildlife baby costumes will not be hard. You can easily find an affordable costume within your budget. You can even make a bear or lion cub by getting the needed materials from a craft store. There are patterns available to help you finish the costume.

If a large roaring lion is not a great idea for your toddler, consider an animal costume with wings. Do not worry; no matter how hard your toddler flaps his or her little wings, they cannot fly away. You can stick to a traditional blue bird or something a little more unique. You can find detailed costumes of multicolored butterflies or bright pink flamingos. Teach your little one how to buzz in a bumble bee costume or flutter around in polka dots like a beautiful lady bug.

Filed Under: Baby Products, Child Care Tagged With: baby animals, Costume, Lion

What Happens after the Baby Blues

January 21, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

It’s the childbirth that gathers our hearts, and it’s a mother’s experience that captures our souls the most. That goes the same especially for the baby blues, otherwise known as postpartum depression. For the most part we don’t consider it a very seriously fatal condition due to the medication and therapy available. Most of the support tempers it right away, too. Nevertheless, postpartum is there right in front of us. And we don’t really give it much credit for how much damage it can really do, because we’re so quick to think that it would have passed long after the birth and noticing that the symptoms have gone away. First off, this is what postpartum depression actually is.

It’s a form of clinical depression with the classic signs of fatigue, sobbing, irritability, despair, sadness, and an overwhelming feeling of being alone in the world. Several other symptoms exist that vary from person to person; and social class affects the severity of some symptoms as well as how many symptoms are actually present. But as said before, the only focus is on the present state of postpartum rather than the lasting effect that occurs after. That is when we need to be careful and vigilant. That’s where the worst can happen.

It has been proven that postpartum depression can also lead to suicide/homicide as well as drug and alcohol abuse over time. Once a person has thought to last through the depression that is when the true ugly head rear itself up in all its gruesome glory and make life difficult enough to end itself in agony. Make no mistake: it’s something that shouldn’t be allowed.

If you suspect anyone suffering from postpartum depression, be sure to do your research on rehabilitation centers in your area at Rehab-International.org for more details. Protect your friends. Even better, if you’re the one who might be suffering, protect yourself. You and your baby depend on it.

Filed Under: Baby Products, Child Care Tagged With: Depression, Health, Major depressive disorder, Maternity blues, Mental health, Postpartum depression, Rehab, Symptom

Fostering Imagination

January 10, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Children have some of the most creative imaginations. While many parents believe that imagination is just something that children use to occupy their time, others believe that it is a very important part of childhood that can really help develop various aspects of your child’s life. Regardless of what school of thought you are in, it is important that you encourage your children to foster and develop their imaginations.

There are many great benefits of developing your child’s imagination. Recent research has shown that children who were encouraged to develop their imaginations through various activities had strong, fond memories of childhood, believed they had positive experiences as children, and even had a higher level of confidence than children who were not encouraged to use their imaginations. The use of imagination also helped children in various social and academic settings. Children who were encouraged to develop their imaginations had better critical thinking skills, a refinedspeaking pattern, and even higher IQs.

All these great benefits might have gotten you thinking about how to foster or encourage the use of imagination in your child. There are hundreds of ways that this can be done. Parents have encouraged the use of imagination through allowing children to paint and explore their creative side or even through allowing their children to create stories and share them with others. Other great ways to encourage the use of imagination include nature walks in the park, exploring various aspects of life, and even having creative play time using kids costumes. All of these ways encourage your child to use their imagination and help develop it so that they can receive the benefits of having an active, creative imagination. Remember your child has a very active imagination, and with a little bit of encouragement, it really can provide a lot of benefits for your child’s future

Filed Under: Baby Products Tagged With: Child, Child Health, Children Youth and Family, Critical thinking, Foster care, Health, Home, Intelligence quotient

Getting Ready Financially for a Baby

December 15, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image via Wikipedia

When you are getting ready to have a baby, there are many things that you have to get ready. One, of course is your mind set. Things are going to be different when you are a parent, and most soon-to-be parents understand this. You may be focusing on things like getting the baby’s room in order, but there is one important thing that you should never forget. Your finances.

Having a baby can be stressful on a family’s finances. First, you may find that you are taking maternity leave, or even leaving your job altogether. If either of these are the case, you may not have any money, or at least the same amount of money, coming in each month. This can financially cripple some families, if it is not planned for. Buying things like formula, diapers, and wipes can get expensive, and when you add in new clothes every few months, as the baby grows out of the ones you have, toys, and other baby items, it really adds up.

Start looking at auto refinance rates. If you refinance your car, you may be able to save a lot of money each month. This is much easier than refinancing a home. With the extra money you have each month, you can pay off other bills early, or put it into savings.

Save as much as possible. Though this may seem obvious, if your income is being cut, you will want to start saving as much as possible before hand. Having a good amount in your savings account before the baby arrives will help alleviate the stress before it starts.

Clip coupons. You can find coupons for a lot of the baby essentials, both online and off. Though at first it may seem silly, you will quickly find that these coupons will save you a lot of money in the long run.

Filed Under: Baby Foods, Baby Products, Parenting Tagged With: Coupon, Infant, Parental leave

Finding Halloween Costumes for Your Kids

December 7, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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As a mom, you always want to give your children what’s best. Even if it’s just small things like playing dress-up or getting an inexpensive toy that they would really like to have, you try to please them. It’s not always easy to do, especially if you’re tired and money is tight. However, there are plenty of ways you can make your kids happy. Buying them something isn’t always necessary, as just playing with them and showing you care about them can be enough. You’ll also want to do something nice for them on special holidays, so you can all celebrate together.

Whether you need something for a birthday, a Christmas pageant, a school play, or you’re looking for Halloween costumes, there are plenty of options. Some people make their own costumes for their kids, but a lot of parents are busy and want to just buy them, instead. With fancier clothing for holidays, buying is required unless you’re a good seamstress. Your kids aren’t going to mind you buying something for them instead of making it with your own hands. What matters to them is that you love them and care for them. They can see that you do, and they won’t forget that.

It’s important to show your children every day just how much they mean to you. Children can often get confused, or misunderstand something that’s said in passing or as a joke. As you spend time with your children, make sure you talk at their level and be clear about what you’re telling them. Be sure they understand, so they don’t have to feel bad about something they misunderstood. Raising children isn’t always easy, but it brings so much joy to the life of a mom and can be a very rewarding thing to do with your life.

Filed Under: Baby Products, Child Birth, Child Care, General Tagged With: Clothing, Construction, Costume, Halloween costume, Home, Parenting, Parties, Recreation

Planning for a new Arrival

December 2, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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The pink line magically appeared on the pregnancy test and after all the tears and joyful smiles, moms start planning for the little bundle of joy. While it seems like most parents would need to take out a loan from Payday One to afford all a tiny baby requires, there’s baby showers, resale shops, and nine months to prepare.

Babies need clothes, but not as much as one might think. Six or more one-piece sleepers or gowns will get moms through the first few weeks of life. Winter babies will need fuzzy sleepers, hats, and booties, but no more than three of each. Onesies work for summer or winter babies and any new mom will need at least four of these.

In the nursery, babies will need receiving blankets and burp cloths, as well as, a crib, mattress and crib sheets. While a changing table isn’t necessary, babies need cloth or disposable diapers (lots and lots of them), wipes, rash cream, and powder or cornstarch. Sanitary gloves are helpful since diapering can be a messy affair. Car seats are mandatory in all states; the hospital won’t allow babies to leave without one.

Feeding baby can be another adventure. Breast feeding moms will need nursing pads, bras, and cream to help alleviate nipple discomfort. A nursing pillow that helps prop baby in the correct position allows for strain-free feeding. Bottle fed babies will need at least six bottles, nipples, and rings. Formula will be determined by the baby’s pediatrician.

Babies inevitably will become ill and having a stocked medicine chest makes life easier. Gauze, cotton swabs, and rubbing alcohol are necessary to care for the cord. Vaseline makes taking baby’s temperature rectally much easier and more comfortable. Saline spray, Tylenol, and gas drops should be on hand to keep baby comfortable when cranky. Getting prepared is half the fun of pregnancy, enjoy it!

Filed Under: Baby Products, Child Care Tagged With: Diaper, Infant, Tylenol

Tips for Buying Baby Clothing

November 19, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Mark.Pilgrim via Flickr

When it’s time to buy baby clothing for the newest addition to your family, there are many things to consider. Do you want to always dress your baby girl in pink or your boy in blue? What clothes will make your baby most comfortable? Which outfits are most appropriate for the current season? What sizes are best given that babies grow so very fast the first year of life?

By answering these questions, you’ll have a better idea of what you’re looking for when you go to the store or shop online for baby clothing. Most baby clothing is soft but there are varying degrees of softness, depending on the fabric. Choose one piece outfits that have built-in feet coverings to ensure your infant doesn’t get too cold. If you live in a warm climate or if you’re shopping for summer, you may want to purchase clothing that won’t make the baby too hot. The goal is to strike the perfect balance so that the baby stays a comfortable temperature. Almost always, you should shop for pajamas that fit snugly. You don’t want to dress your baby in a loose outfit that could slip up over the baby’s face and interfere with the baby’s breathing during sleep.

You should avoid buying baby clothes with tiny attachments that baby could pull off and ingest. Often, holiday outfits will have extra ornamentation so be aware of that when you’re shopping for these clothes.

When it’s time to buy shoes for your baby, look not just at the length of your baby’s foot but also the width. Many first time parents make the mistake of buying shoes that are long enough for their baby’s foot but fall of easily because their baby’s foot is very narrow. You can sometimes overcome this problem by putting your baby in thick socks.

Filed Under: Baby Products, Child Care, Parenting Tagged With: Baby, Children, Clothing, Shopping

Using a Food Dehydrator to Make Your Own Baby Food

November 18, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Even though many baby food companies are starting to introduce organic foods into their lineup, you may still be concerned about the ingredients in processed baby food products. If you have a food dehydrator, you can make your own baby food, evading this worry entirely; you’ll know what’s in your baby’s food.

Instead of creaming or liquifying the vegetables and fruits first, you can simply dry them in the dehydrator and store them. If you want, you can go ahead and portion out a serving of meat, vegetables, and fruit, and store the individual portions separately.

When you are ready to make your baby’s food, you would follow whatever process is necessary for rehydrating the food while it is still in its original “whole” form. Once the rehydration process is complete, you could then mash or add liquid to the food so that your baby can eat it. In this way, you can know your baby is receiving all the nutrients the fresh food has to offer.

You know that a little salt is necessary for maintaining proper sodium levels, but sometimes the sodium level in processed food is raised simply through processing. By making your own baby food, you can control the amount of salt, or any other seasoning for that matter, because you add them after the food has been reconstituted.

Another good thing about making your own baby food is that it may be possible to use other liquids besides water for reconstitution purposes. For example, you may be able to soak dried meat in fat-free, low-sodium broth and let fruits sit in their own juices to “plump” up. This not only adds more flavor, but also more nutrition.

Read the directions for using your food dehydrator carefully, and make sure your work surfaces and utensils are clean so you won’t have to worry about your baby becoming sick from food-borne organisms.

Filed Under: Baby Foods, Baby Products Tagged With: Baby food, Cooking, Food, Food dehydrator, For Children, Fruit, Home, Organic food

Protecting Young Children from Health Hazards Caused by Chicken Coops

November 18, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Whether you are a large-scale or small-scale chicken farmer, you should know that chickens and chicken coops can pose health hazards to humans. This is true even with the most scrupulous cleaning and maintenance, so you must take steps to protect your children.

Young children in particular may be very vulnerable to the respiratory diseases and viral infections that can be passed from chickens to humans. For this reason, anyone who has chickens, especially those who keep chickens in smaller areas for pets and for egg production or the occasional meal (if your kids haven’t grown so attached to them that they will allow you to use them in that way) should take precautions for protecting young children from health hazards caused by chicken coops.

If you have a large-scale chicken operation, then there may be state regulations that prohibit children under a certain age from even being in close proximity to the chicken coops. If you simply have a few chickens, however, and your children are constantly watching them or playing with them just as if they were regular pets, you need to take some extra measures to make sure your children are protected.

Do not let your children close to the chicken coop when you are cleaning it out, whether it is because you have gotten rid of one batch of chickens and are preparing for another, or because it’s time for the twice-yearly cleaning. The waste and litter can release spores into the air which can then be inhaled or absorbed through the skin. You yourself should be wearing protective clothing.

If you children hold the chickens, even the fluffy baby ones, make sure they wash their hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after they have put them down and before they do anything else. Chickens can transmit certain viruses through their fecal matter to humans.

Filed Under: Baby Foods, Baby Products, Child Care Tagged With: Agriculture, Animals, Birds, Chicken, ChickenCoop, Egg (food), Home, Poultry