EmilysBabyGifts - Baby Tips Blog

Keeping Those Little Shirts Tucked In

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:00:43 GMT

I went to a wedding not too long ago and my two year old's shirt was constantly coming untucked; it drove me a little bit crazy. A few weeks later when he was wearing a tuck-in shirt again, I tried something a little different. I put a plain white onesie on underneath the dress shirt. Then I used baby safety pins to pin the front of the shirt and the back of the shirt to the onesie, underneath the pant line where nobody could see. It worked like a champ.

Potty

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 22:14:44 GMT

I am fairly new to the potty training experience, so I don't yet have much advice on the subject. That said, I saw a lady in a Suburban helping her potty-training-age daughter sit on a toddler potty in the back of her vehicle. I thought that was a genius idea and I thought I'd share. Probably not for everybody, but I like it!

Talking, Easier Car Rides, and Do as I say AND as I Do

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:43:59 GMT

Very early on in my son's life, his pediatrician suggested we talk to him extensively, to give a play-by-play of everything we do. A few examples: Do you want the red ball? Mommy is getting your milk; please be patient. Do you see the bird? It is over there on the tree branch. The bird says "tweet tweet." I am shampooing your hair; ok, now let's rinse your hair... I am constantly talking to my son, and although people might look at me like a crazy person in the grocery store, I know I am teaching my child, and my two year old has a great vocabulary because of it.
On another subject on talking with your toddlers, rather than telling your toddler not to do something, which inadvertently puts the idea in the child's head, phrase your sentence in another way to tell him what he should do. For example, rather than saying, "Here is a ball to play with. Don't throw it.," you should instead say, "Here is a ball to play with. Let's roll it on the floor like this." If your child is already doing something you don't want him to do, then it would probably be appropriate at that time to say not to do it, such as telling your child not to bite or hit.
Talking can also be a great distraction. When my son is stir-crazy and frustrated about being in the car too long, I point out things and we make a fun game of it. We look at trees, water towers, hay, horses, the sky, the moon, police cars, tow trucks, windows, etc. It keeps him quiet a little longer. Another trick we do in the car is putting the windows down. My son likes to tell me which of the four windows to put down and up.
In addition to talking a lot, I think it is also important to lead by example and follow the rule - do as I say AND as I do. I think if you are polite with your toddler, he will be learn to be polite in return. Whenever my son gives me something, I always tell him thank you, and so in return, he always says thank you for everything I give him. He even tells me thank you after I change his diaper. The same rules apply with saying please. I try to never do anything I don't want my child to see me doing and repeat, which can be hard sometimes.

Infant Swimming for Survival

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 04:15:25 GMT

If you have a nearby pool, lake, pond, ditch, or other body of water that your child may have easy access to, I recommend you check out the Infant Swimming Resource. The video below which is also on their website shows just how easy it is for a small child to fall into the water. With the proper training, infants are able to survive an accidental fall into the water by swimming, flipping themselves over to breathe, and calling for help. Classes start at 6 months, and it could save your child's life.
http://www.infantswim.com/home.html

Parent/Grandparent Gift Idea

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 03:31:12 GMT

I want to say, first off, that I didn't come up with this idea. It was suggested to me in an automatic email I get, but I can't seem to find which one. Anyway, the general idea, is to make daddy a Father's Day t-shirt that says something to the effect of, "Daddy needs a pat on the back," and then the child puts handprints on the back of the shirt. Here are some photos of my versions, which I thought might be more likely to be worn. I used iron on letters from Hobby Lobby for the words.

My Sippy-Cup Comparison

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:49:37 GMT

Our son has tried a few sippie cups and we definitely have our favorites. As a first time-buyer of sippie cups, the choices can be overwhelming and confusing. Here is our summary of the cups we have experience with, which hopefully will help.

Gerber Graduates Fun Grips Soft Starter: This was our favorite starter cup. It has a soft spout and really is leakproof. We started using it when our son was 6 months, and it is still in use today and he is almost 2 years. The only bad thing about it is the capacity is 6 ounces and a 2 year old drinks that pretty quickly. It is a good starter size though, because anything larger would be too heavy to train with.

Playtex Lil' Gripper Spout Cup: We really like this cup for our toddler. It is spillproof, really durable, and it has a great capacity.

Playtex Insulator Cups: This is the same cup as above, but it is insulated, which is said to keep cold items cold twice as long. This insulating factor also keeps it from sweating. According to the Playtex website, both cups are 9 oz, but it seems to me that the insulated one has a smaller capacity. The other thing I don't like about this one, is that you can't see through it to see how full/empty it is, but I guess there is no way around that with an insulated cup.

Gerber Fun Grips: Some models change colors with cold temperature and it has the same spill-proof stopper as the Gerber Graduates cup mentioned above. It has a great capacity for sippy-cup pros. I really like this one.

Take 'N Toss: These cups are really cheap and we like them. They aren't spillproof and liquid flies when shaken, but they are great to have around as water cups, or when dishes get a little behind and you supervise your little one while he drinks. These are great to take on trips because they are easy to handwash since they don't have the valves that usually require dishwashers to clean, or they are disposable. Note: Usually when I go on trips, I take a small bottle of dish soap and a bottle brush so I can wash baby cups in the sink.

Munchkin Mighty Grip: This is a great trainer cup, but it doesn't last through the long-haul without having to replace the nipple-like top. My son liked to chew on it and he eventually bit a hole between the two slits, so now it quite a bit less spillproof.

Munchkin Straw Cup: We don't particularly care for this one. The straw is two pieces, and when you put it in the dishwasher basket, you have to spend time to stick it through the tight holes which is more effort than we particularly like to put forth. My almost two year old can't seem to open the top valve by himself, but he sure likes to close it, which once again is extra unnecessary parental effort. The top valve (the orange piece in the picture) has a hard time coming clean in the dishwasher, as does the lid sometimes. The area within the lid somehow always gets liquid in it and spills. We avoid using this cup altogether.

Here is another sippy-cup comparison that is a bit more technical.

Honey should not be given to babies under a year old

Sun, 02 May 2010 03:38:11 GMT

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against giving honey to babies. Infants 12 months and younger who are given honey may develop infant botulism, which is a type of food poisoning caused by a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum that can be very serious in babies.

Quote: "This bacteria forms spores which when swallowed by a baby will start to produce a poisonous toxin in the baby's intestines. This toxin, known as botulin causes the various muscles in a baby to be paralyzed. The symptoms then develop because of this paralysis including, poor sucking, weak cry, irritability, lack of facial expression (i.e. cannot smile because the facial muscles are paralyzed. The most dangerous part of this infection is that if the diaphragm, our main breathing muscle, becomes paralyzed, than the baby will have trouble breathing." http://www.drpaul.com/library/HONEY.html

Another site says to never give honey to an infant as it may be associated with SIDS. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001566.htm

Free Museum and Zoo Visits for Bank of America customers

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 21:33:55 GMT

I recently learned that Bank of America users can get in free to the Children's Museum, the Houston Zoo, and the Museum of Natural Science (and over 100 more museums nationwide), the first full weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of every month. Here's the link for more information - http://museums.bankofamerica.com/

Sleep when baby sleeps

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 02:36:43 GMT

"Sleep when baby sleeps." This is the probably the best advice I have ever gotten. I still abide by it whenever I can and my child is almost two!

Night Crying and the "Trained Night Feeder"

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:47:32 GMT

If your child wakes multiple times at night to nurse or have a bottle to fall back to sleep, you have a "trained night feeder," and here is some great advice.

Here is an article similar to one our doctor gave us by Dr. Barton Schmitt, when our son would wake up several times a night to nurse at about 6 months of age, followed by my personal account.

Night Criers and Feeders need Special Treatment

Last week this column discussed normal sleep patterns in infants and children. It was pointed out that babies wake four or five times each night. When parents entertain their youngster during these "normal" awakenings, the infant cannot learn to comfort and quiet themselves back to sleep. Babies who are placed in their cribs asleep expect their parents to be there when they wake up. Early on, parents need to teach their newborn how to soothe themselves to sleep. By two to three months of age, 90 percent of babies have attained that important milestone- a good nights sleep for both child and parent!Those infants who do not sleep the entire night are either "trained night criers" and "trained night feeders."

The "trained night crier," according to The University of Colorado's Dr. Barton Schmitt, wants to be held and entertained following normal nighttime awakenings, and the "trained night feeder" wants to fed as well as held in the middle of the night. Neither child has learned how to calm and soothe themselves back to sleep.

Three factors that contribute to a child becoming a "trained night crier." are: 1) rocking the baby to sleep, 2) entertaining the baby during the night, and 3) not letting the baby cry it out.

One way from preventing a newborn from becoming a "trained night crier" is to always put them to bed awake. Infants who are rocked to sleep and then put in their crib expect their parents to be there when they awake following normal awakenings. Put the child in their crib sleepy so that the child's last waking memory is the crib, not their parents.

When the "trained night crier" wakes up at three in the morning, letting the baby "cry it out" is easier said than done. Parents who can endure crying during the day are usually not as tolerant in the middle of the night. In addition, the crying baby may wake up an older brother or sister. Other adults may complain, especially if the family lives in an apartment or shares the house with their in--laws. The parent who has to get up in the morning and go to work finds the nighttime crying unbearable. So, the child is removed from the crib, the crying pays off, and the sleep disorder gets worse!

The treatment of the "trained night crier" Dr. Schmitt recommends consists of boring, brief (one to two minutes) visits to the baby’s room. Parents should not to turn on the light nor lift the child out of the crib. A few soothing words and a gentle touch are all that is needed If necessary, a wet or soiled diaper can be quickly changed in the crib. Occasionally the visit intensifies the crying since the child becomes angry that the parents are leaving the room without giving in!

If the child continues to cry, do not return for at least 15 minutes, gradually stretching the interval between visits by ten minutes each time. Watch the clock, since a minute of crying at three in the morning can seem like an eternity. If the crib is in the parents bedroom, move it to a separate room until the problem resolves. If the crib must be there, covering the side rail with a blanket will help buffer some of the sound and prevent the infant from seeing their parents.

Most babies will cry less each night until finally learning to put themselves back to sleep. Prolonged crying (even thirty minutes or longer) will not physically or psychologically harm your baby. According to Dr. Schmitt, babies are quick learners and sleep habits will improve in less than a week. Warn your neighbors about what you are doing and if other family members are not supportive, send them to a motel for night or two!

Dr. Schmitt describes the "trained night feeder" as an infant who wakes up to be fed one or more times every night. The factors that contribute to this condition are: (1) Worrying that the infant is hungry (2) Feeding the baby until they fall asleep at night (3) Leaving a bottle in the crib at night.

Many parents feed their babies when they wake up at night because they believe the child needs the calories. By the time normal children reach ten to eleven pounds, they can go eight consecutive hours without feeding. These children, therefore, do not need any additional calories during the night to remain healthy.

When an infant begins to act sleepy, stop feeding them and put them into bed awake. The baby’s last waking memory needs to be the crib and the mattress, not the bottle or the breast. If not, the infant cannot return to sleep during periods of normal wakening at night without being fed, and a "trained night feeder" is born.

Parents who leave a bottle in the crib as a security object are asking for both sleep and dental problems. When this child wakes up following normal awakenings, the infant uses the contents of the bottle to soothe themselves back to sleep. No problem until the bottle runs dry and the child cries for a refill! In addition, leaving a bottle in the crib can lead to severe tooth decay known as "milk bottle caries."

The "trained night feeder" is actually a "trained night crier" who demands a feeding as well as entertainment to go to sleep. Therefore, parents must deal this problem by phasing out any feedings after 11:00PM. This can be done safely as soon as the infant is about ten pounds. When the baby next awakens at night and appears hungry, follow the guidelines mentioned above for treating the "trained night crier," and do not offer any feedings. This will teach the child to put themselves to sleep without feeding.

http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=85

Here is my personal viewpoint written when my child was 6 months old:
Sam had previously been sleeping pretty well. He would eat and go to bed around 8:30, and he'd wake up at 6 a.m. to eat again. He'd wake up a couple times in between to get a pacifier stuck back in his mouth; and once it was back in, he was instantly back to sleep. Well, the past month or so hasn't been going so smoothly. He'd go to sleep in his crib and then wake up around 11, wanting to eat. At this time, my husband would give him formula hoping it would make him sleep better. Sometimes Sam would go back to sleep, but the majority of the time, he would stay awake and would end up in our bed. With Sam between us, we kept putting the pacifier in his mouth until he drifted off to sleep. Many nights he would wake up 2 or 3 more times wanting to eat. It is amazing how someone so little takes up so much space in bed. He was pretty good at turning himself sideways, causing my husband and I both to be on the edge of the bed. He also liked to snuggle with me, so I would wake up so many times a night to make sure the covers weren't covering his face and his nose was always free to breathe. Needless to say, we have been exhausted! Well, we went to the doctor yesterday, and she said the problem was that Sam would always associate falling asleep with eating, or shall I say drinking. He's a "trained night feeder." She recommended the Ferber method, which consists of sticking to a routine, and having him fall asleep in his bed, rather than putting him in his bed already asleep. If he cries, I should wait 5 minutes before going in to soothe him. I soothe him without picking him up, and leave the room in a minute whether he is crying or content. I gradually increase the amount of time between visits with the maximum time away of 15 minutes. After one night, I am a total believer. It took about 30-45 minutes for him to fall asleep the first time. He woke up at 3 or so. Dear husband started to get out of bed and I reminded him that Sam needs to cry for at least 5 minutes. Sam went back to sleep all on his own before we checked on him. It worked this morning with one check, and when my husband put him down for a nap, with no checks. I put him to bed at 8:30 tonight, and he is already asleep after about 10 minutes of him talking to himself and about 5 minutes of fussing without me checking on him. I just checked on him, and he is sound asleep, perpendicular in his crib, snuggled with his little blankie.