When will my baby sleep through the night?

I've often been asked the old age question of when will my newborn sleep through the night. Well, although this answer is different for everybody, most infants will develop some pattern of sleep by three months. And, sleeping through the night only means that you may get 6 consecutive hours of sleep. But, for moms who are used to getting three hours at a time, 6 is great news. It is important to establish a sleeping routine early on. I can't tell you how many moms asked me for advice on this. The first question I ask them is if their baby takes regular naps during the day? It is important for your child to have consistent nap times in order to establish a nighttime routine. When my first daughter was born, I did not realize that she needed to sleep so much. After all, babies don't come with directions. We often rely on family and friends to give us good advice when we have our little one. However, whatever way you choose to establish good sleep habits for your baby, remember, good sleep habits for your baby mean more sleep for you!!

HOLIDAY GIFT EXCLUSIVE

Every year I like to offer our customers a special deal on our products. We have a great gift set on our website (brand new) which includes a plush Dookie Duck toy and our Parenting Magazine DVD of the year, Baby Pre-school.

For a limited time, we would like to offer this gift set to you from November 14-November 30, 2006 for $12.99. You must call in to get this offer, 888-813-2408. Mention the offer was on the Baby Prodigy Blog.

INSPIRING YOUR CHILD'S CREATIVITY AT THE HOLIDAYS!

Inspire your child’s creativity at the holiday time and get some great gifts for the relatives on a small budget

It feels like we just took down all of our holiday decorations. But incredibly they are back before we know it. With so many family members and friends, how can we afford to buy gifts for everyone? There is no need to stress this holiday season because I have some great last minute tips for you.

While you are scrambling away trying to get gifts for your relatives, don’t forget that your kids can be very helpful at this time of year. Kids love to help. Besides it’s a great way to spend time together. My parents always used to tell me how much they loved the gifts that my sister and I made for them as kids. Everytime I went into my father’s office, I saw that paperweight covered with tiles that I made for him when I was five sitting on his desk. Not only does it make your child feel proud and special, but it creates long lasting family memories.

So, here are a few ideas for you and your kids to make that special gift for grandma, Auntie Carol, Cousin Lisa or one of your friends.

THE INFAMOUS PAPERWEIGHT
Take a block of small wood and get some tiny tiles. Glue them on and around the whole block of wood. You can get tiles and a block at your local hardware store. You can even take one of your kid’s building blocks to do this (If they don’t mind). Your child can also decorate it with raw macaroni and spray paint. Like magic, you now have a gorgeous paperweight. So the next time you open your window, your papers won’t blow away!

THE BEADED NAME NECKLACE
Your child will love stringing the alphabet beads to make a necklace for Grandma while singing the alphabet at the same time. I had my kids make them for every Aunt and Grandma in my family and they look great. You can get alphabet beads at your local craft store along with some string.

A MOBILE OF PICTURES
Take a regular hanger and some string. By the way moms, those satin hangers you never use will come in handy here. Put tiny holes in the pictures and put the string through the holes. Tie the string to the hanger and you have a hanging mobile of beautiful pictures. You can fasten to the ceiling by tying fish string to the top and putting a tack in the ceiling. Babies aren’t the only ones who love mobiles!

I hope you enjoy doing these activities with your kids. I know THEY will. Have a healthy and happy holiday season.

Baby Prodigy to Appear on wubbcast.com 9/5/06

Baby Prodigy's video of the year, Baby Pre-school will be dubuting on a video podcast for
pre-schoolers. You can view the clip at www.wubbcast.com. The wubbcast is created by veteran tv producer, Fred Seibert who is responsible for hit shows such as the Fairly Odd Parents and the new pre-school show Wubbzy both airing on Nick Jr.

Tune in to the wubbcast (www.wubbcast.com) on Sept. 9, 2006.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Hi:

I love that staples commercial in which the parent is on the shopping cart and the music is playing that it's the happiest time of the year because kids are going back to school. I have to say that it was great having my kids home from school for the summer. However, it's nice to have them go back to school because I'm sure like I did they get bored over the summer. One mistake I made last year was buying too many school supplies. Since I went shopping today for my girls, I wanted to share some helpful tips when buying school supplies. Here they are:

-If you can, get a list from the school. They supply the necessary back to school items. At least they do at our elementary school. I didn't even know they had this.
-Don't overbuy. The teachers will most likely tell you the first week what your child is missing.
-If money is tight, try the dollar stores, they have a school supply aisle there too.
-Some stores have lists in the front that have recommended items for each grade. Compare it with the school list I mentioned above. I spent three times as much last year because we didn't need all of the items.
-The best thing to do is buy when necessary. If you buy thinking you'll hold on to it most likely you will lose it and have to buy another.

Enjoy the rest of the summer with your kids.

What should we do for July 4?

When my girls were little, we had a hard time going out to see the fireworks because they didn't like the loud noise. I might add that our dog didn't either! However, even though we had to hold their ears, they loved seeing the bright colors in the sky. If you don't know where to find fireworks, call your local chamber of commerce, they may be able to find some in your area. You may even want to car your local fire department because I'm sure they know the areas too. If you live by a lake which we do, they often have a firework display going on. We even went to the mall one year because the fire department was setting the fireworks off their too. The best advice I can give this holiday weekend would be to let the professionals set off the fireworks. It is very dangerous to get fireworks in the wrong hands.

CNN had some great safety tips this morning for July 4th. They even had a great tip on how to stay safe from the barbeque. I think you should check that out on their website because the tips came from viewers and were very helpful. If you have any tips, please post a comment on the blog we would love to hear it. Have a great holiday weekend.

GET A FREE CD WITH A DVD PURCHASE

Hi Moms and Dads:

We are starting another promotion that will run from June 22-July 22nd. We are giving away our Baby Pre-School Musical Pacifier CD a $9.99 retail value free with the purchase of our Baby Pre-school DVD. To get this promotion, you must email us directly at info@babyprodigy.com to place the order. Don't wait, while supplies last.

WHAT DO YOU GET HIM FOR FATHER'S DAY

I have always had problems getting gifts for my dad and husband every father's day. Although my dad passed away two years ago, I never knew what to get him. Just when you think you've finally gotten that present that you're sure he'll love, it doesn't work. So, what I found for both my dad and my husband was to just let them pick out their gift. My father over the years, decided to increase his budget which was funny since we were paying for it. But, of course we never complained because he was the best dad in the world to me and my sister.

One bit of bad news on this...my husband thinks that this is the day to pick out that expensive gift he's always wanted. He wants speakers, surround sound. Hope I'm spelling that right. Of course he wants the bose system around $1,200. So what do you do in that case? Well, I'm still wondering what I should do because my husband really does do a lot for our family. I think I'm going to buy him something that I'm hoping he'll like but let him decide if he really wants those speakers. I have to say, getting gifts is really tough. My husband does not really have a "hobby" which makes it harder.

Some small tips...for starters, a great card works wonders. He loves cards from our kids that have big pictures and I love you written all over it. Lunch or dinner at his favorite place works great too. And, in my case just letting him pick what he wants to do on HIS day works great. I don't really have to make any decisions at all. Does anyone have any good suggestions besides a shirt?

What does your wife really want for Mother's Day?

I just got off the phone with a customer and we had a nice discussion about mother's day. As we spoke, I realized that I should post some ideas for our husbands for mother's day. What does your wife really want? From my point of view, I think we all want to be appreciated. It's a hard job being a mom and we love doing it but we would like our husbands to acknowledge it. So, here are some ideas for all of you husbands out there to do for your wife this year.
1. Please don't forget the card. If you can't afford a gift, the card is a wonderful way to share what you are thinking of us. And, please do write something personal in it!
2. This is the day to give some flowers. One rose would do, even a rose or flower from your front lawn :)
3. A great suggestion from the phone call today...pack the diaper bag if you have young ones and be ready to go somewhere even if it's just for breakfast. Just be ready and get the kids ready so she can take her time in the morning. Time is something we just don't have.
4. Making dinner would be great. But for those of you who have wives that like to eat out, check with your wife on her favorite restaurant.
5. Let us sleep! Please!
6. If you are getting a gift, her favorite hair and facial place might be a great idea. But, please make sure it's the one SHE goes to, not one you find out of the phone book.
7. Although we all want different things, moms all want to be appreciated!!!! We don't need much at all. Keep telling us how great of a job we're doing. We don't get tired of hearing it.
8. Have a great time on mother's day. And dads, please check back because I will be doing the same on Father's day.

WHAT DOES YOUR CHILD LIKE TO WATCH ON TV?

There is so much debate about how much TV children watch and I won't get into that now but I would really love to hear what kinds of programs YOUR child likes if you do let him/her watch. I'd really like to hear comments from parents who have kids 0-5 years old. Since I'm in the video business, if you can share this information that would be great.

I'd also like to hear if you let you child watch tv or not. When I started to do research for my book, I found it interesting to hear what moms and dads had to say on this subject. There was not much tv besides cartoons when I was little but now there are so many pre-school programs that inspire learning and creativity I was wondering if this changed anyone's opinion.

Comments greatly appreciated!

Musical Pacifier CDs now available on cdbaby.com

If you are a fan of cdbaby.com then check out our musical pacifier cds that were just listed on their site. In the next two months, they will be taking our cds to itunes and various other digital outlets. I'd like to mention this because although I've been in the audio/video business for children since 2002, I can't believe how things have changed. The days are gone of just ordering a CD or DVD from a website or buying it in a store. There are so many ways to listen to that music or view that dvd in this digital world we are in. I've decided to expand my company in this direction too because it gives Baby Prodigy a chance to reach an additional audience of millions and millions of people. Hope you stay tuned, more to come - Barbara Candiano-Marcus

MOTHER'S DAY GIFT IDEAS

About.com sent me an email today regarding mother's day gift suggestions so I checked it out. They gave me a link www.findgift.com/mom/ that has some great gift baskets for mom. I liked the one that's called breakfast in bed. It comes with a little tray too. We all get stumped this time of year but if you want a reasonable gift basket for mom, grandma or someone else, check it out. You can get a great basket for around $50.00. Post a comment if you would like another suggestion, I seem to be on some mailing lists.

Also, if you like to keep up to date regarding different things, sign up to receive the about.com emails. A lot of times, you can get some great ideas for just about everything. However, they seem to e-mail me once a day which may be too much email for some people.

Musical Pacifier CDs soon to be available on CD Baby website

News: Baby Prodigy Musical Pacifer CDs will soon be available on CD Baby: cdbaby.com. Stay tuned!

News: Baby Prodigy Goes Digital

I'm happy to give you some inside info on Baby Prodigy. Baby Prodigy's Musical Pacifier series will soon be available in the digital word. Stay tuned for exact date to be announced on this blog.

WHAT TO DO THIS SUMMER VACATION

Summer is almost here and that means that your kids will be home for two months. What do you do? My daugthers are 6 and 4 and they were just off for Easter break for two weeks. It was only two weeks but they were very bored without their friends. Sure, we took them out during the week, the movies, bowling, and even had some birthday parties but what do you do with them every day in the summer. Now is the time to look into summer camps. Two years ago the summer before my oldest went to kindergarten, I wanted to sign her up for day camp. I waited until a couple of weeks before but everything was booked. So I learned that you have to start right now looking into camps and extra curricular activities. The parks in most neighborhoods have a recreation center attached to them and most of them have day camps. Our kids love going to them. They do arts and crafts, play outside and they meet new friends.

Meeting new children is always a benefit for their socialization. In fact, a lot of schools now mix some of the classes so the children get to know eachother. My daughter knows most of the entire first grade class. This is much different than what my generation was used to. Also, meeting many kids also helps avoid the clicks that now start as early as kindergarten. So, start looking out for those summer camps and activities for your older ones. For your younger ones, enjoy them home as much as possible. It seems like my girls are growing up so fast!

POTTY TRAINING WHILE TRAVELING

How many times has your little one said, Mommy I have to go potty while you are behind the wheel driving to run errands.? I'm sure too many. You look around and there is not one place you can take them to go potty. While I'm sure you moms already know when you are in the early stages on trying to train your little one, they just can't wait. Believe me, I know. My husband and I love to travel and most of the time, you have to wait to find a bathroom.

I found the solution. Buy a little potty and put it in the trunk. Take some paper and wipes with you and there you have it, a portable bathroom. I used this technique for both of my girls because they just couldn't wait. It was great because I did not have to worry about finding that bathroom. And, since they have to go pretty often it solved the problem!

News: Baby Prodigy Releasing Toy Duck next month

We have not released this in a press release yet but I wanted to give my fellow bloggers some news early. Baby Prodigy is finally releasing a Dookie Duck Plush Toy at the end of next month. After so many requests, it's finally here. Check back soon, I will put a picture of it on the blog.

Also, our CD offer is good for another couple of weeks, don't miss out!

Baby Prodigy Helps Parents Raise Smarter, Happier Babies/Free Baby CD-Limited Offer

Hi Moms, Dads, Grandparents & Caregivers!
Purchase a Baby Preschool DVD, Parenting Magazine's 2005 Video of the Year for $12.98 and receive a free Baby Pre-School CD. Must order by Sunday, April 30, 2006 on the website at www.babyprodigy.com

Since I've gotten so many emails regarding this subject, I'd like to give you some great tips to help you with your colicky baby. I'm the mom of two little girls who screamed for hours. Although they are now 4 & 6 years old, I thought I would share some great tips that helped me through that difficult time.

Funny but yes, the vacuum sound does work. In fact, I vacuumed so long, I had to buy a new vacuum. Similar to that is the blender. Just putting water in the blender the sound of swooshing water actually helped too. If you don't already have a baby swing, they work great. I used to put my daughter in the swing and put some classical music on. This swing was a life-saver. Just check with the doctor to make sure you baby is old enough for it. Also, the good old fashioned car ride works wonders too. Usually my girls would fall asleep right away and I'd go home and put them down for a nap. And moms, please do let your moms and dads help too. Not only do they love watching their grandchildren, but it will give you a well needed break. My mom lives far away but my friend came over frequently just to hold my baby. It is very important to take care of yourself and accept help. In the first chapter in my book, I talk about accepting help and how important it is to take care of yourself. New moms can be in the habit of trying to do it all. However, with my second daughter, I eagerly accepted help and boy did I need it. I took better care of myself and felt better. If it is your first child, I strongly recommend accepting help from your family. I hope this helps some of you with newborns.