Articles on baby care

How To Organize Your Baby’s Clothes by Lawrence J. Reaves

Even as adults, organizing our clothes - and keeping them that way - can prove to be a challenge. Your baby’s clothing is infinitely harder to keep arranged. First, there are far more items as the result of gifts, showers, and accumulation. Second, each item is much smaller. Losing a sock, mitten, or a tiny t-shirt is par for the course. To be sure, if you don’t systematize your little one’s clothing, you might quickly find yourself scrambling to find things when you need them most.

In this article, we’ll provide a few organizational tips to help you keep track of your baby’s garments. We’ll explore how you can organize a closet or a set of dresser drawers in a way that ensures items will be there when you need them.

Coordinating The Closet Space

Organizing your little one’s clothes in a closet is simple if you have hanging dividers. You can buy them at any home design store or make them yourself. At the very least, you should coordinate the garments according to size and age. For example, if your baby is less then twelve months old, you should section off your closet by “zero to three months,” “three to six months,” and so on. Ideally, you should do this for each type of clothing or use. For example, “for play” items would be separated from “for dress” items.

Some parents prefer to have multiple age tiers hanging in their infant’s closet rather than just one. They might have “zero to three months” and “three to six months” hanging with other clothes packed away for the future. This will ultimately depend on how much room you have available.

Arranging The Drawers

You can use the same principles as you might in a closet to arrange your baby’s clothes in her dresser drawers. The socks, onesies, shirts, leggings, and outfits should be separated by size and age. The difference is that containers can be used to keep everything from mixing together. You might be surprised by how easily your little one’s bibs can become intermingled with her socks and mittens. When you’re in a hurry or half-asleep, having her clothing compartmentalized and labeled will be a boon.

Ongoing Maintenance Is Critical

Just like your dishes, your baby’s clothing items can become disorganized quickly if you don’t take time to maintain the structure you’ve established. For example, you might be tempted to throw garments into a drawer when you’re in a rush rather than placing them into their appropriate containers. Or, you might be tempted to hang shirts outside their categories. These things can come back to bite you in the future - often, at the worst possible time. Invest a few extra seconds to keep everything in its proper place.

If you take the time to organize your baby’s clothes, you’ll avoid the frustration of frantically searching for items you can’t find. It’s a simple chore that pays for itself over and over.

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Article Source: Articles For Fun

The Advantages of Teaching Kids About Money Early by Nicole Clemow

If you’re like most parents you like the idea of your child working because it teaches them responsibility and it allows them to have their own money. When thinking of the different ways for kids to earn money the idea of whether or not they like the job doesn’t usually come up. After all, some parents think, it’s just pocket money anyway. What if we encouraged our children to only look for jobs that were in line with their passions and interests? Could this be a clue to what other successful people have done? The story below may help find the answer.

On July 18, 1950 a child was born in Shamley Green, Surrey England. This child was not a stellar student and actually struggled through school. Part of the reason for his struggle is he had an undiagnosed case of Dyslexia. Though he excelled in athletics he got bit with the entrepreneurial bug early in life. His first two ventures were growing Christmas trees and raising Australian parrots. These were not successful but it didn’t deter him from his dream of having his own business. At age 16 he dropped out of school and moved to London. While in London he started another business that saw moderate success and that was Student Magazine. Three years later at age 19, he started a mail order record company. This was the company that launched his enterprise. Today you see his brand in the sky, on television, in music and he is worth an estimated $8 billion. This man is Richard Branson founder of Virgin Enterprises.

It has been said before that success leaves clues so as parents what are the clues we can take from this story? In a recent interview with USA weekend, Joan Rivers, who hosts a new show called, “How did you get so rich?”, stated that everyone she talked to that was rich had two things in common, they worked hard and they loved what they do. So here are 3 big clues:

- Teach your kids to do what they love
- Teach your kids to work hard at what they do
- Teach your kids that failure doesn’t mean failure

The first two clues go hand in hand. For example when your child gets a new video game do they spend hours trying to master that game? Guess what, they are actually working hard at that task but because it’s fun to them it doesn’t seem like work. Work only feels like work when you are doing things you don’t enjoy doing. Take time to examine the things your child likes to do and encourage them in that area. From the business end see if you can turn that into a way for your kid to earn money, because now you are demonstrating you can do what you love and get paid for it.

The last clue is simply failure doesn’t mean failure. What if Richard had stopped because his first 2 ideas failed? He wouldn’t be where he is today. Does it hurt you as a parent to see you kids fail? Yes! However, there are great lessons in failure that shape your successes down the road. Did you ever notice that all it takes is for your child to touch a hot stove one time to know don’t do that again? Failure teaches us what not to do so we then learn what we should do.

So parents the next great business mind of the 21st century may be in your house. Encourage them to do what they love. Help them to look for ways to translate their passions into income opportunities. Don’t just have your child settle for the job at the local mall, but try to find various ways for kids to earn money combining the things they love, because that is one of the great clues to success.

For more information and strategies on teaching kids about money, check out Nicole’s blog
http://www.waysforkidstoearnmoney.org/blog

Article Source: Articles For Fun

Vacation Activities and Hobbies For Children by CD Mohatta

Vacations and holidays are times when parents get frustrated because their children pester them because of boredom. There are a variety of activities you can get your children enrolled in so that they learn something worthwhile and also are happy doing the same.

A) Martial Arts- You can enroll your children in Karate, Judo, Kung Fu or Taekwondo classes. Martial arts help to improve the health, flexibility, alertness and help to develop a person overall. Your child will be fit for life, think about it. And no one will dare to touch him or her.

B) Arts & Crafts- There are a variety of arts and crafts your child can learn.Many children love creative things. In fact, some have an inborn artistic talent. You can enroll your child in classes for drawing, painting, pottery, crotchet, origami, ikebana or flower decoration, etc. In fact there are so many different types of painting like oil painting, pencil sketching, fabric painting, etc. Your children will love to play with colors and learn something new.

C) Cooking- Yes, it may sound strange, but children would love to try cooking. You can involve them in cooking things where the usage of electrical appliances and fire appliances is minimal. Make sure you are with them. Try to bake a cake together. Or prepare Ice cream or cookies or sandwiches together. Throw a small party for their friends.

D) Computer classes – Get your children enrolled in some computer class which will help them in their school or college ahead. They can learn the different office suites, making presentations, using the Internet, email, etc. You can also get them to learn different designing softwares if they are interested.

E) Outdoor activities – If your children love the outdoors, you have a variety of options available. Swimming, horseback riding, rock climbing, cycling, etc., are very popular among kids. You could also send your child to a camp where they teach baseball, basketball, football, etc. to young kids. Just find out what your children prefer and take a decision.

F) Stamp Collection - Postage stamp collecting or philately is the most popular hobby in the world. Some people have become millionaires after selling their stamp collections. You can start stamp collecting by asking your family members and friends for the stamps they receive in their mail on the envelopes. You can visit your local post office. Many post offices have philately sections too. You can connect with different collectors on the web via different social networks. You can also purchase stamps on ebay and such sites. Some collect stamps only on a specific theme. Example – there are people who collect only olympic stamps. Start today. Similarly, coin and currency note collecting or numismatics is a very popular hobby. In fact some people collect both coins and stamps. These hobbies will help you to learn about new countries and cultures.

G) Collecting Other Stuff - Many people have a hobby of collecting different things. I am suggesting a few things you can start collecting and build up a hobby collection for yourself. A hobby helps you connect with similar minded people, make new friends, pass away your time, learn new things and have fun at the same time.

Some people collect sea shells and conches. Some people like to collect old music records or LPs. You can also try to collect match boxes from all over the world. Some of your collections may become valuable while some may not. You need to decide, what you enjoy most. Lots of Americans keep baseball cards. There are a lot of comic book collectors too. A first issue of Superman or Spiderman could bring you a fortune. Search your attic for old stuff. There are book collectors too. If you have the moolah, try procuring antiques. If you are super rich, you can maintain a garage of vintage cars. There are people who have hundreds of antique cars. If you aren’t so rich, well try and collect model scaled-down cars. These are very popular among collectors as well.

Ask your children to develop a hobby of collecting something or choose any of the other activities listed above.

The author writes text messages and advises for internet and social networking content like myspace countdowns and myspace comments. He also writes quizzes on subjects like personality, etc.

Article Source: Read Free Articles

How Our Thoughts and Actions Affect Our Children’s Behaviour by Ruth Edensor

When children misbehave, it is pretty natural reaction to feel negative and we may behave in a negative way back such as shouting or putting them down, withdrawing affection or some other method of making children feel bad about what they have done. This is because their negative behaviour attracts a negative response from us. The trick as a parent is to stay calm and positive and non reactive so that we can encourage the behaviour that we want.

James Allen in his classic book “As a Man Thinketh”, explains this theory really well.

He likened our minds to that of a garden. He said that we can “intelligently cultivate” a garden by planting useful seeds and helping it blossom, or we can leave the garden to grow wild and let an abundance of useless weeds take over.

He believed negative thoughts and actions were like weeds, very destructive and attract negative behaviour, while positive thoughts and actions develop into positive behaviour. If left unattended a garden will become overgrown with weeds which will kill the flowers and be destructive. Negative thoughts are destructive in the same way and too many of them will make the mind filled with negativity which comes out in negative actions and behaviours. As parents if you are mindful of pulling out the weeds and planting (flowers) positive thoughts then you will encourage your child to be a happy, positive attitude to life.

So next time you feel yourself getting annoyed with your children, and they are misbehaving, check to see if you are saying or doing negative things which will be making the situation worse. You can turn things around by saying more positive things and acting in a more positive way, even if this starts with calming down and getting yourself in a more positive mindset first.

For example,

If you asked a four year old to get dressed for school and 5 minutes later you see that they have not even started, it can be a natural reaction to think negative about this and respond by saying something negative, such as,

‘Why can’t I trust you to get dressed when I ask you, you are always wasting time and making me late for work’. …….and so on. Although a child may respond and get dressed, it is not going to put them into any kind of good mood, which will likely mean more negative behaviour later on.

If we turn our thoughts into positive ones, we might say something encouraging and positive, for example,

‘Come on it’s time to get dressed, you are really good at getting dressed, show me how quick you can get dressed and see if you can beat me to the kitchen for breakfast, … This is much more positive and likely to put them into a good mood and want to please you by getting dressed.

So remember GOOD thoughts and actions produce good results

BAD thoughts and actions produce bad results

A Child Behaviour Consultant with 30 years of experience of working with children and a psycholgy degree. Author of A Parents Guide to Children’s Behaviour is a link A Parents Guide to Childrens Behaviour http://www.childbehaviourdirect.com is a link to child behaviour Direct

Article Source: Read Free Articles

Eliminate the Tears From Baby Bath Time
By Jennifer Flaten

Baby bath time is about more than simply getting your baby clean. The primary goal is to have a clean, soft baby, but bath time is also a time for both you and baby to get to know each other. It should be a fun and relaxing experience for both of you.

Unfortunately, it can turn into a less-than-relaxing experience if your baby becomes upset and starts to cry. Bath time tears can quickly turn what should be a happy event into a stressful situation. Fortunately, there are a few steps that you can take to make sure that bath time is pleasant for everyone.

Water Temperature

Proper water temperature is critical for a pleasant bath time experience. The bath water should be at a temperature between 90 degrees and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Start by filling the baby bath, tub or sink with cold water, then add hot water to get the right temperature.

After filling the tub, make sure to swirl the water around. This way there will be no hot or cold spots.

Test the water temperature before popping the baby in the bath. You can drop a small amount of water on your wrist or inner arm. If you prefer a more scientific approach, use a bath thermometer.

Some parents turn down the thermostat directly on the water heater to under 125 degrees. This ensures that the water coming out of the tap is never too hot.

Room Temperature

Consider the room temperature. Babies lose heat through their skin much more quickly than adults. Water enhances this heat loss. The room may feel comfortable to you, but it could be too chilly for your baby’s sensitive skin.

Before placing the baby in the bath, make sure the temperature in the room is between 70 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Warmer is better, as long as the room isn’t stifling. Make sure the room is free from drafts as well.

We lose the most heat through our heads, so washing your baby’s head last may cut down on discomfort. You can also keep a washcloth on the baby’s head to keep heat from escaping.

Bath Soap

As tempting as it is to fill the tub up with suds, you need to remember that babies have extremely sensitive and delicate skin. Newborns typically don’t need to be washed with soap, and babies need very little.

If you do use soap, make sure it is formulated for infants. Use just a tiny amount squirted in the tub or on a washcloth. Never use soap on your baby’s face or head, no matter how gentle it claims to be. Anything that gets in your baby’s eyes will be an irritant.

As your child gets older, you may use more soap or a bubble bath. Always be sure to use a children’s bubble bath formula. Adult bubble bath can be extremely irritating to a child’s sensitive skin.

Use a small plastic cup to rinse your baby’s hair instead of a sprayer. It is much quieter and gentler for the baby. Keep the baby’s head tilted back when you’re rinsing the hair to keep soap out of the eyes.

Organization

Have everything you need for the bath laid out before you get your little one undressed. It is important to double check that the room temperature and the water temperature are perfect before putting the baby in the tub. You should also double check that you have all your bath toys, wash clothes and towels right by the tub.

Immediately dry your baby off when the bath is finished, then wrap the baby in a bath towel for warmth. A hooded bath towel is ideal, as this helps to keep the head warm.

For more information on baby bath, visit the parenting section of Life123.com.

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