Rabu, 18 Januari 2012

Baby Parenting

Be a Good Teacher for Your Baby

Babies learn by exploring the things around them. Show your baby how to look at, listen to, touch or smell something new or different. Hold your baby so she (or he) can see things. Help her hold objects like her socks or a rattle. As she grows, give her safe objects to feel, shake or put into her mouth.

·       Be your baby’s teacher. She (or he) will see how you react to things. When you get excited about a toy or object, she’ll get excited too. As she grows, show her how things work—for example, how doors open and close. Talk about what you are doing. For example, “I am putting the food in the pot to cook it.” 

·      When a baby is learning something new, it helps her to try it again and again. With your help and support this can be fun, and your baby will like trying new things.

·    Protect your baby from harsh disapproval, teasing or punishment. A baby doesn’t understand right from wrong. She doesn’t know what things are dangerous for her to do. Watch her to keep her safe. Remove her from situations where she can be hurt or injured.

·      Talk and sing to your baby. Even before she is able to speak, this helps her develop language skills. Babies learn best when you talk to them.

·      Read to your baby from the earliest months of her life and continue this habit as she grows.


Babies Have People Skills, Too

From the start, your baby is interested in your face. She notices your expressions and tone of voice. She reacts to your emotions. For example, when you say something in a soft and loving way, she will relax and feel more secure.

Scientists have learned that babies show emotions as early as when they are one month old. Something else scientists have learned is that feeling good helps babies learn better.


Why? Happy babies are more alert, attentive and responsive. Babies remember things better when they are happy and at ease. The way you hold and talk to your baby can help her feel happy.

Babies who are alert and feeling good are more likely to look at things, explore and play. They will pay attention more. For example, they will try to make new things happen with toys or make sounds with people. This helps them learn and remember new things.

Brief periods of distress or difficulty will occur.

 These will not harm a child. Short periods of negative emotions can be helpful for your baby. You should do something quickly to help her feel better. From this she will learn you care about what she tries to tell you. Long periods of negative emotion, like crying, can do harm.

In the first month, the negative emotion that occurs is distress or a response to pain. Later, she will show sadness and anger. Next comes fear. All people have these emotions to protect themselves. Help your baby be at ease with having emotions. Respond to her emotions in a warm and loving way.

You can tell what your baby is feeling by changes in her facial expression. You can also see what she is feeling by her posture, movements and the sounds she makes.


Learning to Communicate

It will be months before your baby says her first word. But babies start learning about language much earlier.

Even in the first few weeks after birth, your baby is learning about language. Very young babies can tell the difference between speech and other sounds. They can tell the difference between the voices of men and the voices of women. They even know the voices of their own mothers. A baby can tell the voice of her mother from the voices of other women. Researchers think babies are able to do this because of the way specific parts of their brains work.

Babies can also communicate long before they speak. They use movements and sounds to let you know what they want or don’t want. Some people refer to these as a baby’s “signals”.

Right now, your baby can tell you if she needs something by fussing or crying. She can also let you know when she likes something or someone by looking intently. Babies learn best how to tell parents what they like or don’t like when they begin to see that parents respond to them in positive ways.

Even before she can speak, you need to talk to your baby. Even though there are differences among individuals, babies whose parents talk to them talk sooner.

 They also have larger vocabularies. Talking to babies gives them language skills that will help them learn more easily when they get to school. Hearing words on the radio or TV is not very helpful to babies learning language. Your baby benefits from having you up close smiling, talking and singing.


Babies Cry for Lots of Reasons

Crying is the way newborns communicate. Your new baby cries to let you know she needs or wants something.

The first thing to try when she cries is to feed her. By noticing when she wants to be fed and when she doesn’t, you will learn which cries mean that she is hungry, uncomfortable or wants attention. Sometimes she will want to be held. Sometimes she wants a dry diaper. Sometimes she is tired or bored.

As you and your baby get to know each other, you will sometimes be able to tell the difference between each kind of crying. You can then try to give her what she needs.

Taking care of your baby when she cries will not spoil her. It will help your baby feel loved and secure.

Smile, touch and talk to your baby as often as possible. Do this when you feed her, change her diaper or give her a bath. Your baby will learn that she can rely on you to take care of her.


Ways to Soothe Your Baby

Sometimes babies cry even when they have been fed, have clean diapers and are healthy. If your baby is crying because she needs comfort, there are many things you can do. Every baby is different.

Here are things you can try to find out what calms your baby down.

- Rock your baby in your arms or while sitting in a rocking chair.

- Stroke your baby’s head very gently, or lightly pat her back or chest.

- Make soft noises to let your baby know you are there and you care.   

- Talk to your baby.

- Softly sing to your baby or play soft music.

- Wrap her up in a baby blanket (but not too tightly).

If your baby keeps crying after you have tried everything, stay calm. Babies know when you are upset. No matter how stressed you are, never shake your baby. Shaking your baby can cause blindness, brain damage or even death.

If you need a break, call a relative, neighbour or friend to help. All babies cry. You will not be able to comfort your baby every time. That does not mean you are a bad parent. Do the best you can to soothe and comfort your baby.

Here’s a simple tip to help your baby cry less—carry her. Research shows that babies who are carried more often don’t cry as much as other babies.


Baby Needs

Baby's first Nike's may be absolutely adorable, but are they necessary? According to most experts - and not just modern ones but for at least the last thirty years - babies don't need shoes till they're up and walking around. Even at that point, it's good for the little tikes to get in lots of barefoot time so they get used to their balance and how their little toesies work.

Still, by the time they're spending more time on their feet than on their knees, it's time to get them into a pair of shoes, if for no other reason than to protect those feet from stubbed toes and other injuries. So, what sort of shoes should you wrap those precious feet in?

Certainly NOT the old-fashioned hard-soled leather lace-up shoes that were meant to 'train' baby feet to grow properly. Pediatricians recommend soft shoes that move with baby's feet. The soles should be non-skid to prevent falls, but flexible enough that they bend as baby steps out on his own. Skip the high-tops, unless they're flexible enough to bend with baby's ankles and feet. Choose natural materials that breathe to keep feet from sweating and becoming uncomfortable.

The proper fit for baby's first shoes is also important. They shouldn't bind or chafe anywhere, so shop when you've got plenty of time to let the little one walk around the store wearing the shoes you're thinking of buying. Slip a pinkie in at the heel while baby is standing - there should be enough room between the shoe and the munchkin's heel to allow your pinkie or a pencil to slip in easily. Also tie and untie the shoes a couple of times - if you choose lace-up shoes - to make sure that the laces are long enough to tie easily. Laces aren't a necessity, though. The experts are about evenly divided on whether tie shoes or Velcro are better, with no clear-cut 'best'. Choose whichever you like best. Laced shoes are a lot more likely to be left on - but Velcro encourages independence because it's so much easier to master.

Besides picking a time for your shopping trip when you have time to let your baby walk around a bit, time your visit to the shoe store for after a nap, when the little one is well-rested. Keep in mind, too, that baby's feet swell a little in the late afternoon, just like yours do. Shop later in the day to make sure that you get shoes that will fit at all times of the day.

As your baby grows and gets more active, check the fit of his shoes at least once a month. You can plan on buying new shoes about every three-to-six months just due to average growth, but also be prepared to replace shoes if they're worn, the soles are cracked or they have holes in them.

And if you have your heart set on Baby's First Nikes? Shop around - you're sure to find them.

First Name for Your Baby

It's overwhelming enough to decide on a perfect first name for your baby, but if you're not considering its effects on your baby's last name you may be setting him up for future disaster. It's easy to overlook how the combination of your baby's first name and last name will work together. Let's look at a few pointers in this area.

Perhaps the most obvious place to start is using a duplicate name for your baby's first and last names. William Williams or John Johnson for example. These names may cause some flack for your child going through school or they may provide a way to really set them apart. Mitch Mitchell, for example, was a famous drummer with Jimi Hendrix.

Common words as last names can present problems. My last name is Byrd and I have to think twice about names so my baby doesn't end up with a silly name. Be especially aware if your last name is slang for something vulgar. You can be sure your child will never live down a name like Richard Johnson once they hit high school.

Next, make sure the first name you pick doesn't end with the same sound that your last name begins with. For example, when saying Mark Kogan aloud, it sounds like Mark Ogan or Mar Kogan. And John Nolan becomes Jaw Nolan or John Olan. Just a small point to check for once you're pretty certain on a name.

Also make sure that shortened first names don't clash with your baby's last name. Edward Jed will most likely shorten to Ed Jed which has a silly sound to it. The classic prank phone call name Ben Dover is the result of a shortened first name as well.

Any name you choose can be made fun of somehow, but these are just some ways to make sure you avoid the most obvious mistakes. Above all, be sure to say your baby's whole name outloud so that you can evaluate its entire sound. Good luck finding that perfect name for your baby!

Naming Your Baby

Okay, you only get to do this once so let’s get it right. Remember that it’s not about you! Your little boy or girl is going to have to live with this name for the rest of their life. If they change it on their 18th birthday, you probably did a bad job of naming your baby.

In this article, I’m going to take you on a tour of the Internet as I look for baby names. I’ll be your guide, so sit back and relax. I know what I’m doing here. Trust me.

Before we start, though, no drinking on this tour. It results in baby names like Justin Case, Sandy Castles, Paige Turner, Rusty Hook, Shaunda Lear, Candy Kaine, or others just as bad. As a matter of fact let’s start out by searching for what not to name your baby.

So, you want to be original. Great. Remember, your kid’s gonna be mad when he or she finds out there were much better choices! Ok, that’s not bad enough? Well there are websites that make fun of bad baby name choices too. Some quotes from websites about people’s baby name choices.

These are actual questions posted on the Internet about naming babies;

I love this one “I once met a lady named Rodana. I think she runs a successful Internet business.”  In her spare time she destroys Tokyo.

And this one too. “I've suggested to my sister that she name her little girl to be - Manchester. She's not sure about it but she's considering. What do you think?” “Clever. Like being named Pittsburg or Schenectady. Kid'll grow up to be beaten to death by Liverpool fans.”

“We'd kind of like something that sounds good with Mikayla (our 3-year-old).” “Dear God, they're tailoring them into box sets!”

“What about the name skylar or raven?” “Thanks, 14-year-old-Goth-girl!”

“What about Bubba for a boy. a great unusual name “ “Since when did your Ozark shack get Internet access?”

“Do you like the name Alexia? I think it’s exotic and all 3 of my other girl’s names begin with an A too.” "Though Alexia sounds like a pretty name for a girl... alexia is actually an inability to read, caused by brain damage." “So maybe she should another A name. Something pretty, like Amnesia.”

“I am not pregnant yet but thinking about names...I just thought of the name Lourdes Solange. This baby will be 75% latina and 15% european :)“ “...and 10% polyester”

...and finally “Anyone ever thought about Sierra Joy? I love the name, but husband is less than thrilled with it.” “But he'll love the pine-fresh scent!”

And for all the geeks, nerds, and Internet junkies out there, yes, the Internet and your computer can conspire to name your baby for you! Try this one for unique baby names.asp I just love the categories, “baby boy names”, “baby girl names”, and “baby boy or girl names” for those parents who want to name the baby before it’s born and before they know what sex the baby will be.

That website makes up names each time you click the links. Okay, this website doesn’t exactly prove that technology is an actual improvement to our lives, but wait! There’s more! This one claims to have 11,000 names from origins all around the world so you'll surely find exactly what you're looking for.
This one is a little better at names that reflect different cultures.But Teutonic names? Are there still people who claim the nationality “Teuton”?

Okay, now, let’s try to get serious about naming that baby.  Now this article gives good, sensible advice about choosing baby names.and if you are still intent on being unique, read this first,

If you are gonna have twins, not that I advise it, here is another good article about naming your baby twins. I hope this little tour has helped you with naming your baby and that you have enjoyed the trip. Please look around and make sure you have all of your luggage and babies with you as you leave. Good luck on naming your baby!