Parenting

Any proud papa would be excited and expectant about the impending arrival of a new baby.  For him, however, he has the added anxiety of seeing his partner go through discomfort, mood swings, pain, morning sickness, childbirth and so on, not knowing how he can really be of assistance.  Well here is a checklist of things that are of wonderful benefit to an expectant Mom … even if she may not realize it at the time.

During the pregnancy

1.    Jobs, big and small: When your partner is pregnant, one of the most important things you can do for her is to offer support, understanding and able-bodied assistance.  From simple jobs such as stacking the dishwasher to more high-expectation tasks such as buying sanitary products for use in hospital, a new Dad-to-be should be the calming influence.

2.    Just be there: When she’s irritable and uncomfortable, having a haven at home can be bliss.  Try to keep in mind why she’s irritable and do your best to smooth things over.  After all, she’s weighed down and not feeling the best so try to soften the impact.

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Most of us have delighted in the story of The Wizard of Oz. Parents have passed this tale down to their children for ages, but have you ever taken the time to consider its true meaning? If you give some serious thought to the underlying theme, you will find that there is quite a connection between the lion and your shy child – and there is a very important lesson to be learned about how to parent a child who is shy or reserved.

Think about the beloved lion. Throughout the story the lion is searching for courage, something he is sure he does not possess. This supposedly cowardly creature is off to see the wizard, an ordinary man who turns out to be quite brilliant. The wizard informs the beast that he has had the courage all along but needed to believe in himself. With encouragement, the lion comes to see that he was courageous after all.

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While your nightstand may be overflowing with books about pregnancy and birth, you may want to add a baby sleep book to that stack, too. Getting the sleep facts of life before your baby arrives on the scene can help you to be a more rested new parent. Here’s a quick guide to get you started.

Top Seven Strategies for Preventing Baby Sleep Problems

1. Try to get your newborn to bed when he is sleepy but not overtired.
2. Use the power of daylight to reset your newborn’s sleep-wake clock.
3. Provide your newborn with a sleep environment that is sleep enhancing, not sleep inhibiting. Make sure your newborn’s sleep environment is safe, too.
4. Start thinking about how you’re gradually going to teach your baby self-soothing skills. (You want to start teaching your baby these skills by the time he is three- to four-months of age—the time when babies are capable of learning about sleep associations.)
5. Think about how you’re going to ease your newborn into a more regular sleep and nap schedule. (Pay attention to his evolving sleep-wake rhythms and you’ll start to see patterns start to emerge.)
6. Avoid highly stimulating forms of activity right before bedtime or your newborn may be too wound up to go to sleep.
7. Don’t forget to practice good sleep habits (don’t overdo it with the caffeine or the alcohol, particularly close to bedtime; and make sure you’re getting enough physical activity to be physically tired at the end of the day) and make sleep a priority for yourself, too.

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The market is flooded with toys for our children.

As a parent, it can be hard to decide which toys are the best ones to buy for them. Of course we want to get them the items they are excited about, but we also want to provide them with safe toys that they can learn from. It is important that your child has age appropriate toys.

Safety is a key concern when it comes to younger children and some toys that are out there. Always check for recalls on the toys you purchase for your children as well.

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You have planned to have a family for a long time.  You meticulously picked out the bedroom décor, the toys, and the books to read on development and labor.  Now your baby is here and growing up fast!  But you never knew it would be this difficult.  Your baby doesn’t eat like “all the books” say they will.  Your baby doesn’t act like what the books say.  How do you know what to do?

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