Hello!
I can't believe it's been several months since I last posted! My daughters just went back to school last week. My little one started Kindergarten and my oldest is now in third grade. It's hard to believe that those little "clicks" are already starting to form. I've always told my almost 8 year old that when it comes to those clicks, it's best to try to be friends with a lot of people rather than clinging on to one or two children. One minute everybody is your friend and the next minute the kids have moved on to someone else. I'd really like to hear your comments on this so I can address it in another post!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
So...How DO Babies Communicate?
Sorry I've been gone for a while but I'm back to posting parenting tips that may be of great help to new moms and dads. It can be very frustrating when your baby is crying and you don't know what to do. So, what does it mean when your baby cries? How do you tell the difference in cries? For starters, below are the reasons why babies cry.
1. I'm hungry
2. I'm tired
3. I'm bored
4. I'm overwhelmed
5. I'm uncomfortable
6. I have colic
But that's all great but how do you know the difference in cries? Well, I'll tell you. Let's start with #1 I'm hungry.
I'm hungry: Your baby usually starts with short cries that build to a steady rhythm of wails.
I'm tired: Exhaustian is expressed through a pattern of short wails, then a longer louder cry. This cry can continue until he falls asleep.
I'm bored: Cranky fussing that starts with irritable noises and escalates to crying if left unattended.
Overwhelmed: Similar to a tired cry but your baby may turn away from you when you try to comfort him.
Uncomfortable: Take a look at his environment. She may be too cold and shiver or be too hot and be flushed.
Colic: All too familiar to me of course....but these cries occur around the same time each day and last for hours. For more info, I offer great colic tips in my book, Baby Prodigy: A Guide to Raising A Smarter, Happier Baby.
1. I'm hungry
2. I'm tired
3. I'm bored
4. I'm overwhelmed
5. I'm uncomfortable
6. I have colic
But that's all great but how do you know the difference in cries? Well, I'll tell you. Let's start with #1 I'm hungry.
I'm hungry: Your baby usually starts with short cries that build to a steady rhythm of wails.
I'm tired: Exhaustian is expressed through a pattern of short wails, then a longer louder cry. This cry can continue until he falls asleep.
I'm bored: Cranky fussing that starts with irritable noises and escalates to crying if left unattended.
Overwhelmed: Similar to a tired cry but your baby may turn away from you when you try to comfort him.
Uncomfortable: Take a look at his environment. She may be too cold and shiver or be too hot and be flushed.
Colic: All too familiar to me of course....but these cries occur around the same time each day and last for hours. For more info, I offer great colic tips in my book, Baby Prodigy: A Guide to Raising A Smarter, Happier Baby.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Congratulations, you're pregnant
Congratulations...you've found out your pregnant! I've got some great tips that will help your worries go away. If it's your first baby, then you probably need some guidance. If it's your second or third then you may have things pretty much under control. If you're newly pregnant, go out and get some books to help you understand what you should expect during your first, second and third trimesters. They are all great but by far my favorite was What to expect when you're expecting. It was so wonderful reading about how the baby is growing week by week and the author does a great job explaining it. There are also many books on how to take care of yourself too. I highly recommend reading some of them. It is a very exciting time for you so enjoy it. Another thing you should prepare for is losing sleep. So, go out with your husband or wife now and do the things you love to do before the baby comes. Once you have the baby, you will find that you are too tired for the first few months to do anything.
Other things that you may want to read while you're pregnant are books on your child's development. Take advantage of your baby's brain development by providing them with an enriching and stimulting environment. In the next few posts, I'll share some secrets from my book about how to raise a smarter, happier baby! Stay tuned.
Other things that you may want to read while you're pregnant are books on your child's development. Take advantage of your baby's brain development by providing them with an enriching and stimulting environment. In the next few posts, I'll share some secrets from my book about how to raise a smarter, happier baby! Stay tuned.
Friday, February 09, 2007
When your child gets sick....
I'm sorry but I have not posted in a few days because my daughter has been sick. I wanted to share some my story hoping it may relieve some stress from you and your spouse. Although my husband works at a stressful job and I'm home with our kids, he was and is so great when our kids get sick. My daughter was up almost all night the past few nights and even though he had to work, we both got up together to help her. We have been to the doctor three times this week and each time he came with me. I'm hoping that if there are dads out there that visit my blog that they will read this and understand how much we appreciate their help when we are up at night with the kids especially when they are sick for a week. So dads....try and help if you can even if you have to work. Try and take a turn for one night or two it really is a big help and VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!!!!!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Baby Names
If you have children or know someone that has children, then you know what it's like to stress over naming a baby. Granted, there are hundreds of books out there that help you with the naming process. However, if your style is more of the celebrity type like Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise who picked out the name Suri, then you may want to dig a little deeper into unique baby names. If you prefer a name that's common or what's in at the time your baby is born, then those baby name books are a great help.
When my husband and I were naming our second daughter whose name is Lara, we couldn't decide on her name for months. We actually took the name at the suggestion of our friend who rambled off some names while we were at a birthday party. We dug a little deeper into our past (college years) where we all remembered hearing the name. It seems to be an East Coast name. I don't really hear the name out her in California but there is Lara Scott radio host, and Lara Flynn Boyle but other than those people I don't know any other Lara's.
The one thing you should remember about naming your baby is that they will have that name forever so you want to be sure that you won't grow tired of calling her Apple or some other unique name. Try to remember it's your child not you who really has to live with it. Although cute when they are young, babies are not little too long!
When my husband and I were naming our second daughter whose name is Lara, we couldn't decide on her name for months. We actually took the name at the suggestion of our friend who rambled off some names while we were at a birthday party. We dug a little deeper into our past (college years) where we all remembered hearing the name. It seems to be an East Coast name. I don't really hear the name out her in California but there is Lara Scott radio host, and Lara Flynn Boyle but other than those people I don't know any other Lara's.
The one thing you should remember about naming your baby is that they will have that name forever so you want to be sure that you won't grow tired of calling her Apple or some other unique name. Try to remember it's your child not you who really has to live with it. Although cute when they are young, babies are not little too long!
Monday, February 05, 2007
GREAT BEDTIME TIPS FOR TODDLERS
Establishing bedtime routines for your toddlers
Do you want to get a good night’s sleep? Of course you do. With two little girls only two years apart, I didn’t get much sleep until I followed regular routines with both of them. It is very important early on to establish good sleeping habits for your baby and toddler. One way to do this is to follow the same routine night after night. I can’t tell you how much easier my life was once my children had a bedtime routine. Here are some secrets that helped me get through those many nights.
Going Wild
Let the giggles and wiggles out! For about ten minutes, let them run around and get that energy out of them.
Soaking your troubles Away
Give your toddler a warm bath and let them relax. You can even give them a little massage with a washcloth.
Attending to details
Don’t forget to brush those teeth! Put on their favorite pajamas and diaper in a low key manner.
Unwind Review the day together. Toddlers like to talk so let them talk about anything they would like.
Wishing Goodnights
Have your toddler give his goodnight wishes to everyone. This can include the family pet and his toys. You can spend as much time on this
Story time
This is my favorite time. Cuddle up with your child and read her a bedtime story or you can make one up. My girls loved their dad’s stories. In fact, I used to listen outside the door to see how creative he was!
Music
Both of my girls loved relaxing to classical music. Of course, the Baby Prodigy Musical Pacifier CDs were a favorite in our house.
Lighting
It is important that you have some sort of light for your toddler. Leaving them in total darkness may frighten them. A night light comes in very handy at this age.
Goodbye with a kiss
Tell your child another goodnight and tuck them in. Leave the room without hesitating and don’t let yourself go back into the room. It can be tempting but sticking to the routine will give you the best results.
And, goodnight to you, hopefully you too will get a good night's rest.
Do you want to get a good night’s sleep? Of course you do. With two little girls only two years apart, I didn’t get much sleep until I followed regular routines with both of them. It is very important early on to establish good sleeping habits for your baby and toddler. One way to do this is to follow the same routine night after night. I can’t tell you how much easier my life was once my children had a bedtime routine. Here are some secrets that helped me get through those many nights.
Going Wild
Let the giggles and wiggles out! For about ten minutes, let them run around and get that energy out of them.
Soaking your troubles Away
Give your toddler a warm bath and let them relax. You can even give them a little massage with a washcloth.
Attending to details
Don’t forget to brush those teeth! Put on their favorite pajamas and diaper in a low key manner.
Unwind Review the day together. Toddlers like to talk so let them talk about anything they would like.
Wishing Goodnights
Have your toddler give his goodnight wishes to everyone. This can include the family pet and his toys. You can spend as much time on this
Story time
This is my favorite time. Cuddle up with your child and read her a bedtime story or you can make one up. My girls loved their dad’s stories. In fact, I used to listen outside the door to see how creative he was!
Music
Both of my girls loved relaxing to classical music. Of course, the Baby Prodigy Musical Pacifier CDs were a favorite in our house.
Lighting
It is important that you have some sort of light for your toddler. Leaving them in total darkness may frighten them. A night light comes in very handy at this age.
Goodbye with a kiss
Tell your child another goodnight and tuck them in. Leave the room without hesitating and don’t let yourself go back into the room. It can be tempting but sticking to the routine will give you the best results.
And, goodnight to you, hopefully you too will get a good night's rest.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Baby Prodigy Gift for Valentine's Day
Out of all the links I gave you for Valentine Gift suggestions in my recent post, I forgot to mention a gift for your toddler. Between now Feb 3, 2007 and Feb 14, 2007, I'm giving a discount on our DVD (Baby Pre-school) and Toy gift set. You can check it out on www.babyprodigy.com in the store section or view it on amazon.com. Just go to amazon.com and type in baby prodigy and you will see it. If you would like to order, send me an e-mail at, info@babyprodigy.com and mention code 857503 and you will receive this exclusive offer. The gift set retails for $16.98 normally and $19.99 on amazon.com, but I'm happy to offer it to visitors of my blog for $12.99 plus shipping. The DVD in the gift set is a Parenting Magazine Video of the Year and has won many other awards. It comes with a 8 inch plush Dookie Duck for your little one which he can cuddle with when he watches the video.
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