Tag: toddlers

Preparing Yourself For A Little One

Taking care of a new born is no child’s play. In fact, it may drive many up against the wall. There are so many items that you require to be all set and geared with when getting ready for a baby. However there are a handful of things that you just can’t do without.

A brilliant crib is one of the most important things you could get for your little one. After all, you want your child to get a sound and calm sleep and an appropriate crib is the way to ensure it. Bear in mind to go with a high quality one that’s both- smooth and comfortable for your small 1. A brilliant quality crib is even more crucial simply because babies are likely to sleep around the clock.

Another very crucial item for your baby is a feeding bottle set. Even in case you’re still breastfeeding, a bottle set is quite essential primarily for those times when you can’t feed your little one; such as in public locations. Baby bottles are most useful in such occasions. Moreover you may additionally utilize them as water sippers for your baby.

Baby sling is another thing that you will need when you are getting prepared for a new born. These slings support you carry your baby together with you with ease, regardless of where you go. These lots of slings can be conveniently wrapped around the body of the mother. Naturally, you’ve the choice of baby carriers too. However, baby slings are far better. They assist you keep the child close to you at all times. So, you don’t have to worry about the child being safe. In addition, moving baby carriers is a trouble. Baby slings, on the contrary, get tucked to your body and offer a large amount of ease.

A bottle warmer also comes in convenient for infants. While it may not be as essential as the other items discussed, it actually aids you [take care] of your child far better. The bottle warmers are small and compact and assist you heat up child bottles and food jars effortlessly. So you’re saved from having to boil milk or food in unique utensils and then having to transfer it to a bottle. These warmers support heat the food contents uniformly without making any hot spots. Additionally, you’ve the option of adjusting the temperature to fit your necessities.

Once you’ve bought these items, you could contemplate yourself to be reasonably well prepared for your child.

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Baby Changing Bags- Finding The Best Bag For Your Cute Baby

It is surprising just how much stuff a tiny baby needs when you take it out. The essentials that you need not being limited to a blanket, a change of clothes, spare nappies, tissues, wipes, and a toy.

To carry these things you obviously need a bag of some kind, and there are plenty of bags around to suit the purpose, so many in fact that the choice can be overwhelming. So, how do you choose the best one for your needs?

It must, of course, be lightweight – that is essential. With the weight of the baby, and even the smallest get heavy after carrying them for a while, and the combined weight of all the odds and ends you ca not do without, the last thing you need is an excessively heavy bag. So, clearly, the lighter, the better. Then, remember that you will be needing this bag for some time to come, so make sure the fabric is tough, and that the bag is sturdy and well-constructed.

Also, it is useful to buy a washable bag. Choosing one which you can just wipe clean can be handy, as creams and bottles have a habit of leaking, just when you are in a hurry. Then, for those of you who live in wet climates, make sure the bag is waterproof too.

For hygiene purposes, make sure there is a large enough pocket to store the dirty nappies in when you are out and about, so you can keep everything else clean. It really would be a nightmare to find that the change of clothes or the clean spare dummy has been dirtied too. And, having plenty of small side pockets will help you locate your baby’s things in a hurry, or even your mobile.

The next thing to consider is what added features it has. Whilst these are not essential, they can really make your life easier. Examples being having a bag with see-through linings, so that it is easier to find items hidden away at the bottom, or one with an insulated bottle carrier.

Other things to consider are whether you prefer carrying a rucksack, a holdall, or a satchel style bag. Depending on the design of your pushchair, you may find yourself running out of hands, especially on a shopping trip.

After all these considerations, the rest comes down to style and price. This may range from a few dollars secondhand, to as much as you are willing to pay. As for the style, well, choosing that is the fun part, with so many attractive bags on sale, so choose something that reflects your dress sense and lifestyle.

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Drawing, coloring and toddlers!

To the casual observer a child who is drawing or coloring in,  is merely scribbling. The marks seem to be decidedly random, almost meaningless. But there is more going on in your young child’s mind as s/he engages in the physical act of drawing and coloring.

In fact, examining children’s drawing may give us important insights into how drawing fits into the overall physical, emotional and cognitive development of the young child. From toddlerhood through to primary school, children choose to draw and color, but the process actually starts much earlier – during toddlerhood.

At around the age of a year and a half toddlers become interested in scribbling. It seems to provide sensory enjoyment, but the child is also interested in the marks that are made. The act of scribbling can serve several useful purposes for the young child. Small muscle coordination and control improve with practice, cognitive abilities are exercised, opportunities for social interaction arise, and the physical movements provide emotional release.

Because a toddler’s small muscle control is not fully developed, he or she may approach the coloring sheet by grasping the marker with his or her fist and may well find it difficult to place the marks exactly where he or she wants them. Movements are typically large, involving the entire arm with very little finger or wrist control. This is due to the fact that the pattern of physical development proceeds from the center of the trunk outward.

With practice, your child will naturally improve his or her control. Full control, however, will not be achieved until much later. A few toddlers rest the forearm on the drawing surface to give them additional control. A repetitive scrubbing motion is common among two-year-olds. This provides them with sensory enjoyment and making drawing a very physical act.

By providing children with the materials and opportunities to scribble we can promote physical skills. Just as babbling is a natural way to gain language, scribbling is the precursor to muscle control and coordination.

Form an intellectual point of view young toddlers care about both the process and results of their art. They do not intend to represent objects at first. Instead, they are mainly concerned with color and line. However, they may look at the marks and scribbles they have made and, in surprise, recognize a shape and name it. While they may not have intended to draw a car, a house or a tree, the scribbles suggest the shapes. Children interpret, rather than intend. This is called fortuitous realism and becomes common as a child approaches three years of age.

As a parent you can encourage your child to draw and color by offering him or her opportunities to do so.  Let them loose on blank sheets of paper or provide them with a coloring book or coloring sheets, many of which  are available online. Little boys may enjoy coloring images of  cars and trucks or of favorite characters such as Spiderman and at sites like Spiderman Coloring you’ll find Spiderman Party as well as coloring pages, funny pics and more. For little girls search for coloring pages of princesses or fairies or anything else she may be interested in such as Disney characters or even trucks!

Remember however that toddlers need constant supervision while coloring due to the choking hazard that crayons pose.

Car Seats And Older Children

When your child’s weight exceeds 40 lbs you should check if the car seat that you are using is safe for the child. It is possible that your child’s weight exceeds the manufacturer’s maximum specification. It is also possible that your child’s height is higher than that of the seat. In either event you will have to consider changing the car seat.

Using a car seat for the safety of your children is mandatory in all states. A car seat is necessary for your child until the age that the child can use a booster seat. It is only after the age of 13 that your child is able to use regular seat belts without any support.

When selecting a car seat, make sure that the model is not recalled. In order to do so you can visit the manufacturer’s website and look up the list of recalled models. If at all you have to buy a second hand car seat make sure you do not buy one that is older than five years. Never buy a car seat that has been in an accident. It is pretty tough to ascertain if a second hand car seat has been in an accident. So, play safe and buy a new car seat.

Before attempting to install the seat, read the installation manual carefully. Reading the manual helps you to understand the installation procedure. There are a number of videos that can help you with the installation procedure.

Remember that once your child has outgrown the car seat and is between the ages of 8 to 12, you can consider the possibility of your child using the car’s lap and shoulder safety belts, with a booster seat. But try switching to a booster seat as late as possible. For that make sure that the seat to which you are upgrading has a sufficient upper limit in terms of height and weight of the child.

Take a look at the Britax range of car seats. With the model Britax Regent you cannot go wrong as it has a very high specification in terms of weight and height.

Even if you are spending a little extra for your child’s safety, it is a good feeling to know that your child will be secure and comfortable.

Carrying Babies Made Easy And Safe With Strollers

Babies in all traditional cultures were carried in a cloth tied to the back, front or hips. Other devices for carrying babies included baskets, cradleboards, portable cradles and travois. In the 1960s the use of slings once again became popular with the introduction of structured soft pack. Toddlers and older babies began to be carried on frame pack. In the 1980s the ring sling became popular. Pouch carriers were introduced in the 1990s. Prams or perambulator has been in use since the Victorian era in the United Kingdom but are not common today. At present there are different kinds of baby carriers in the market. This includes baby slings, hip carriers, frame backpack carriers, mei tais, slings, the hip and soft front carriers.

A stroller or a buggy is used as a means of transport to carry babies and young kids up to three years of age. This is convenient when traveling. It resembles a chair moving on four wheels. The baby is kept safe and secure in the stroller by means of a harness that holds the baby to the stroller by the waist, shoulders or the legs. There are strollers that offer three point harness and five point harness with the latter being more safe. The stroller is provided with either a foot break or a hand break. Besides the common single stroller for carrying one kid, strollers that can carry two kids side by side or one behind the other are available. Strollers that can carry three children too are now available.

There are many brands of strollers in different designs in the market such as Graco Strollers, Chicco Cortina Travel Stroller , Kolcraft Strollers, Inglesina Strollers, Rock Star Strollers, Maclaren Strollers, Stokke Strollers and Schwinn Strollers.

There are many kinds of strollers in the market. Umbrella strollers are meant for older kids and do not have a sun canopy or storage facility and have very little padding. For these reasons, they are also the lightest and cheaper. The standard strollers have sun canopy, well padded seats and large compartments for storage. For these reasons, they are heavier. The travel system stroller is also like the standard stroller, but has a car seat. This comes in handy to seat the child in a car seat while traveling by removing and attaching the seat as a car seat. This disturbs the child least while shifting the child from and to a car and stroller. The latest to arrive in the market is the jogging stroller which is also like a standard stroller but with three large wheels instead of four wheels. This keeps the stroller steady on rough terrain and while pushing the stroller at higher speed.