This is the information our pediatrition gave us about feeding our baby that we thought might be helpful.
0 Comments
When your child can follow simple directions, have him pick up all the food he throws on the floor, and place it in a small portable trashcan/sack. It doesn't deter him from throwing food on the floor since the cleanup is still fun, but it is a start to learning there are consequences for his actions. My son is 20 months, and we also have him "help" us put laundry from the washer into the dryer, and he "helps" put his toys up into the toyboxes. If I am cleaning something that involves wiping, sometimes I give him a washcloth so he can feel like he is helping to clean too. It gives him a great feeling of accomplishment, and is great training for future chores.
For a first birthday, when I don't know what the birthday kid already has and the child might rather play with the box than the gift, I like to give useful things. Here are a few items that I think would be great gifts for a first birthday:
- Diapers- size four or larger should work (perhaps a diaper cake) - Wipes- yep, still need these - Boogie wipes are great too. - Toddler toothbrush and toddler toothpaste - Clothes- size 18 month or 2 year, keeping in mind the season when the child will be that age. - A training potty - Pull-ups, underwear, potty training books, or other things relating to potty training. The parents/child might not be interested in potty training before the 2nd birthday, but these items would be nice to have when that time comes. - Baby food, healthy snacks, and feeding accessories like feeding bibs (the wipeable kind that catches food) and snack travel containers - Sippy cups. We can't seem to have enough of these. - A gift certificate for professional portraits might be a nice idea. - Baby wash, shampoo, lotion, and cotton swabs are things that often need replacing. - Shoes, I would go with size 6 to be on the safe side, but size 5 might work. For this newly walking stage, I strongly recommend flexible soles. I loved my son's Pedipeds (available at USA Baby, boutique baby shops, and ebay of course), which lasted several months. They are a little pricey (for my standards at least) at about $30, but I am really glad I got them. - House slippers- cute and functional - If you are creative, have time and access to a bunch of photos of the baby's first year, a photo book would be a great gift. I have made a few with Shutterfly that I am really happy with. A gift certificate for mommy to make a book with Shutterfly or comparable book maker would also work. - A collection of books with the child's name in the title would be fun. I came across a website called More Than Paper where a book can incorporate a child's name, friends, hometown, etc. - Last but not least, I can create something unique for a first birthday gift. I have the froggy potty gift and two gift basket examples in the photo gallery- the orange crate with diapers, sock monkey and other frequently used items, and the blue container with food and feeding accessories :) I thought I would pass on this interesting website I found with parenting tips from two moms. Here is their page of registry suggestions I thought was helpful. http://www.rookiemoms.com/shopping-registry/
I don't know if everybody knows to do this already, but about a month ago, I discovered a great alternate use for baby's safety swabs. They are perfect for getting those hard to get, stuck inside the nostral boogies! Who knew!
When your baby goes through the challenging phase of squirming and flipping over every time you want to change his diaper, have a book or toy ready nearby that he has never seen before, or allow him something to play with that is usually off limits like your keys or phone. This distraction can be quite mesmerizing and will give you enough time to get the job done with less hassle.
Here are a few more cool baby products I came across. The first - "crib grass" by Boon. I don't think it is readily available yet, and if it is, please let me know. We read everywhere that we shouldn't put bumpers in cribs because a baby's face can become pressed against it and the fear of SIDS sets in. But without a bumper, A- the pacifier falls on the floor, and B- it hurts when the baby slams his/her head against the rails. A solution for A is a crib mesh bumper that I know is available, but that doesn't help with the B part. Anyway, this "crib grass" seems like it would be a great solution. It looks padded, and it wouldn't keep the pacie in the crib 100% of the time, but it would be better than nothing, and it looks like it would have enough breathing room and cushioning. And hey, it looks cool. Update 02/09/11: I contacted Boon this past week to ask where Crib grass could be purchased or if it is even manufactured, and their response was as follows: Crib Grass is a very innovative concept in crib bedding, however, due to both the poor performance of crib bedding recently and the economy as a whole, we decided to hold off on it and stick to our core categories (bath, feeding, organization, decor) at this time. On the topic of grass, Boon also has a "grass" drying rack. It seems like a great idea. I also would like to have my son try out Boon's bendable spoons and sporks which are more ergonomic for toddlers and the way they hold their utensils.
I do quite a bit of research for baby gifts. In my internet search of cool products that parents and I would love, I came across something called the Thilde Pocket. It is something that is attached to the side of the crib with pockets containing toy and book surprises to entertain a young early riser to give mommy or daddy a little more time to sleep in the mornings. I would love to make something like this as a product on my website... I just need to learn how to use a sewing machine. Please let me know if you think this is something anyone would be interested in. I was thinking if it spanned the length of the crib, it would double as the protective crib covering that I recommended in an earlier post.
Studies show that good air circulation could help prevent SIDS. A fan in the room is also a great way to add white noise for baby. As I am sure everyone has heard, unless a doctor instructs otherwise, infants should always be placed on their backs to sleep. Wikipedia is informative about SIDS as another source.
Although the law states that your child may face forward in his/her car seat at one year AND 20 lbs., it is recommended for safety's sake to have your child face backward as long as possible- until he/she meets the maximum height and weight for the car seat's specifications. Read more by clicking the link above.
Update 4/16/10: I faced my son forward when he was about 20 months old. |
Emily DuckettEmily became a mommy on her birthday in July of 2008 to a wonderful son named Sam. She has since become rather obsessed with all things related to babies and baby items. Archives
January 2011
Categories
All
|