Hulalalala asked:


My 13 month old is almost walking and he is out growing his soft infant shoes…where is a good place to get him properly measured and fitted for infant shoes? Sketchers? Gymboree?

Karen Fusco asked:


You’ve heard all the nasty rumors about day care. Too many kids and too few caregivers. Lots of sneezing and wheezing. That little guy who’s always grabbing your child’s toy. Everyone’s got a story. But you have to get back to work and you have no choice. What’s a good parent to do?

Let’s concentrate on the positive. There are plenty of benefits to sending your child to day care. If you consider some of these benefits, it will help you come to terms with your own decision, whether you have a choice or not. Once you understand, you’ll feel you’re helping your child grow into a well rounded, happy child instead of feeling guilty about sticking him in day care.

Babies need interaction with other children. It’s never too early to start engaging your son in activities with other children, whether his own age, toddlers or older children. Learning to interact with other kids prepares your son for his first real school experience. Day care is a gentler environment, there are less rules and more flexibility than strict teachers may impose in school.

Children benefit from day care by learning self-control, how to get along with others, and how to share. They begin to learn all about friendship. Without day care, your daughter only knows you; you are her whole world. How scary would it be to get into school at age four or five and find out that Mom isn’t there with her? Children benefit from day care by expanding their world to include people other than their parents.

Separation anxiety will be lessened (or not an issue at all) when your child enters school if she’s been in day care. She’s already used to being away from you for some time during the day. She’s learned how to make new friends and can be content without your undivided attention. The transition from home to school is far less difficult for those who’ve experienced day care.

In addition to learning socialization skills, your son may also have the opportunity to learn some of the basics such as the alphabet and numbers, and he’s always increasing his vocabulary. This pre-preschool learning environment gives your child an understanding of what will be expected of him once he enters kindergarten. He learns to sit and listen, and is able to accept the information that will be thrust upon him in school. He learns the value of teamwork and to respect the opinions and emotions of others. Entering school for the first time is challenging for all children, but those who have been in day care benefit by already having exposure to a classroom-like environment.

Once your daughter enters school, day care can help with homework. Some day care facilities even offer after-school extracurricular activities like scout meetings, dance class, martial arts and on-site gymnastics instruction. Once she is in school her horizons begin to broaden.

As you can see, there are many benefits to placing your child in a licensed, qualified day care situation. And remember that even though your child is away from you for a portion of his day, it is really the parents that make the most difference in his life.

When he gets home from day care after spending a long day away from you, he will be bursting to tell you all about his day. Ask him questions about his friends, his teachers, his subjects. He will share his day with you no matter what his age is, and getting him to vividly describe his day is exciting to a child especially if you show interest. Of course you’re interested, aren’t you? After all, this child, a mini version of yourself, is taking on the world one day at a time, and the choices and desires he has will be a direct reflection of you. Make the most of that opportunity while you can - children are only children once.

Jon Kelly asked:


Your baby rolls over and reaches for a toy - suddenly you realize that your baby will start to play with some of the presents which he or she was given at birth. It is all very exciting, you get a toy box for the corner of the room and at the end of play you put it all away. So easy!

Suddenly your toddler has more toys than a toy shop, they all seem to have a thousand pieces and the thought of putting them away has become a horrifying nightmare. Every book and every professional nanny will tell you that the way forward is to get your child to do ‘tidy up time’. Tidy up time is great - when it works you feel that you both deserve a reward and suddenly you can see how parenting should work - unfortunately you have a couple of bad days where things end up in the wrong boxes, then all of a sudden you realize that nothing has a proper home anymore, it all just gets put away so it is out of sight! On close inspection you realize that there are cars in every box and drawer, the train track which you used to so lovingly put away is missing a handful of pieces ….

Now you have several options, you could diligently go through them all, sort them out and then try to get tidy up time to become more efficient. In the mean time it will be down to you to try to keep all the relevant toy pieces together.

You could be firm and go through the toys, work out which ones are now too young for your toddler and pass them onto a child of a more suitable age.

There is a third way, this is one of the hidden secrets of parenting, it allows you to succeed at tidy up time; to keep the toys in order, and to be able to see the floor if you have unexpected guests, also you can keep the toys so they can be used by a younger sibling.

It’s easy, you find a space where you child cannot go without you; a room where they cannot open the door or a cupboard they cannot open. Inside here you carefully arrange the toys in boxes. You need to leave something accessible, a general toy box full of the bits and pieces of toys which don’t have a home anywhere else, and another toy which you will need to choose quiet carefully. The second toy needs to be something that several children can play with in case you have children to visit and you have not planned anything. It also needs to be a toy which your child will not get bored of too quickly, perhaps a box of Lego, or stickle bricks, something with lots of different applications. Now comes the important part - if your child wants to play with any of the toys in the cupboard then you just have to make sure that the toys from the general box and the other toy have been put away before the special toy comes out of the cupboard. The good bit about this is that you should never have more than two toys boxes worth to clear away, even if tidy up time at the end of the day completely fails.

Don’t get stressed about the chaos of a toddler, just get a bit tough and you will all find life a lot easier, and you will suddenly discover how much more space you have created for your child to play in.

Paul Courtney asked:


Access To Eye Care Is Important For Your Family.

When children are young they are unable to describe how wel they can see things, particularly in the early learning stages and it is virtually impossible for parent to recognize a visual disability in the early stages thus imparing the child’s development.

Ensuring that your family has regular access to eye care, is perhaps one of the most important things for a family’s health. Without proper eye care, children are too often forced to enter school with untreated sight deficiencies, and in turn do not get the education they deserve. Access to eye care is equally important for adults. Even if you need glasses or contacts, allowing your eyes to go unchecked for long can lead to much more serious sight loss.

Choosing An Eye Care Professional

1. To ensure that your family has proper access to eye care, you need to choose an eye care professional that can work with your entire family, regardless of age. Children require a different approach to eye care than adults do, and not all eye care professionals will work with kids. Or, some will work with older children, but not with toddlers, who need access to eye care as well. Before you settle on an eye care professional, ask around to see which ones in your area accept children.

2. In order to ensure that your family has proper access to eye care, choose an eye care professional that offers several different types of payments options. The eye doctor you choose should accept several different insurance companies, as well as offer cash only payment plans. If you have a large family, you may want to look for an eye doctor that offers family discounts as well.

When You Can’t Afford Eye Care

For those who do not have proper access to eye care due to financial difficulties, there are alternative options, as well. Every state has a low income, state funded, health insurance program. Although these programs do not cover much, they do cover annual eye exams in most states. This is true for both adults that qualify, as well as children. Although glasses, contacts, and other specialized optometric procedures are not necessarily covered, the basic yearly visit is. This is one way our government has opted to ensure access to eye care for everyone.

When You Should Start

Although its never too early to start making sure your eyes are in good health, you should provide access to eye care to your children as early as twelve months. It is most important that children have access to eye care as early as possible to help protect against future eye problems. Your entire family’s eye care should be one of your highest priorities. Thanks to the efforts of many eye care professionals to provide access to eye care to everyone, this is now easier than ever!

If your vision is blurry , you are finding it hard to read or make out objects on the horizon or are suffering from head aches then good access to eye care will provide you with the necessary help you need.

Michael S. Carpenter asked:


Having a baby is a momentous, life-changing experience. And like all such defining points in a life, one that you’re never quite prepared for. No matter how many books you read, or opinions you seek out, when the time actually arrives, you find yourself blinded by the enormity of the task. And in the early days when you bring your newborn home from the hospital, the task is made all the harder by the sudden upheaval in your day-to-day experience. Nowhere is this more so than in your sleep routine. You find yourself thinking, “Why didn’t anyone mention this?”

Having gone through it myself, I want to share the top five things I wish I knew then. This is a list put together from living it, and dealing with the frustration and elation that comes with parenthood. Hopefully it will prove to help anyone caught in a similar situation.

Tip Number One: A Feeding Pillow

Looking back now, it can be hard to appreciate how much of an impact a pillow can bring; but I clearly recall what an impact it made upon us in the first few months. We had decided to breastfeed (and express milk to allow me to feed our daughter when my wife went back to work). At first, simply holding a newborn for what turned out to be several hours a day was simply exhausting. Plus it was difficult for mother and baby to get comfortable. Any difficulty in latching on is only exacerbated by poor posturing. Bed and sofa pillows were tried in different combinations, but they slid, didn’t allowed good placement, and were generally an unruly pile. When the feeding pillow arrived, it was a Godsend. It could be used anywhere - bed or couch, and helped place the baby’s head and mouth at just the right height and angle for improved latching on. Plus it allowed for different positions, such as baby in front, baby under arm, etc. When my time came to feed the baby bottles of expressed milk, I could see what an advantage it was. So much so, it’s my No. 1 tip.

Tip Number Two: Breastfeed

Breastfeeding is far and away the best option for feeding a newborn - it’s cheap, easy and doesn’t require any premixing. It’s also nutritionally far better than any formula. If you want the best start for your child, ****** is best. Many first-time mothers make half-hearted attempts, then give up. Perseverance is the key, and having able assistance from experienced health care professionals to help you out in the beginning. My wife experienced great frustration at first, fearful the baby wasn’t going to get enough nourishment. But with the aid of a few kindly midwives, they were able to show her how to get the baby to latch on properly, and within a few days the milk came in. The premilk (or colostrum) is so nutritious that very little is needed until the regular milk supply starts. ****** milk is all a baby needs for around six months, until you can start to wean. My wife also tells me the bonding experience between a feeding infant an a mother is a powerful one. Worries about how it will affect your figure, or that the husband may be put off should come a distant second to providing for your child. Only a tiny percentage of new mothers are physically unable to breastfeed, and certainly for them, formula is vital; but putting it off for cosmetic or other reasons should be considered versus what’s best for the baby.

Tip Number Three: The Two-Hour Rule

Simply put, a newborn infant cannot stay awake longer than two hours, max. After being awake for 90 minutes, start soothing and calming the baby down. A tired adult will become lethargic and sleepy; a tired baby will often become frantic and overactive. We suffered with our daughter staying up until 11pm, then crying for an hour or more before finally falling asleep. This is due to being overtired. Finally around 6-8 months, we started putting her to bed at 6:30pm. During the day we would put her down for two naps, and started keeping the two-hour rule. She would still cry, but not the spine-jolting wails of before. And she stated sleeping for longer and longer periods during the night. By 10 months she’d wake up around 11pm for a feed, but then sleep until 6:30 or 7am. She was calmer during the day, and slept much better during her naps. While it’s tempting to keep the baby up and play, or go along with Grandma asking for one more hour with her grandchild, you have to stay firm. Don’t keep the baby up longer than two hours, and you’ll be the envy of all your friends.

Tip Number Four: The Crying Peak

A new baby cries for various reasons - hungry, discomfort, angry, attention, etc. Eventually you’ll learn to distinguish what the various cries are for. Babies cry a lot, and sometimes for what seems to be no good reason. And while a child will use tears for many years to come, the crying peaks at around six weeks to two months. It may seems in the early days that the wailing will never stop, but if you can hold on, eventually it will taper off. Don’t expect that a three-month old will not cry at all, but often just knowing that it shouldn’t get any worse can be enough to encourage you to carry on.

Tip Number Five: Your Breaking Point

As mentioned above, babies cry often. And as a parent, your brain is hardwired to respond to the sound of a crying infant. Eventually, after several weeks of sleep-deprivation, an endless parade of diapers, and the complete loss of yourself in servitude to an unappreciative little screamer, you’ll find yourself at the breaking point. No matter how much you love your child, the moment will come when you realize you can’t take any more. This is completely normal. The important thing is to deflect your frustration away from the child. Scream, cry, punch the wall, go outside and stand in the rain - do whatever you have to do. But it’s vital you remember that the baby is unaware of your feelings, and is only doing what it’s supposed to do. You’re the adult, and you need to act like one, even when it feels like your mind is caving in. Work off your feelings and don’t do anything you’ll regret later. If you accept that as a new parent, you’ll be forced to your breaking point, you can preplan how you’ll respond to it, and hopefully when it happens, you can vent in a way that allows you and your baby to carry on together.

josephine asked:


childcare business

Fiona Lohrenz asked:


A vital aspect of your day care business is having a foolproof, comprehensive contract in place. I can’t stress enough the importance of spending some time on this crucial document. Believe me when I tell you that a well crafted contract can save you from much potential grief and gnashing of teeth (I speak from painful experience!!).

Essentially your day care contract sets out your terms, conditions, policies, rules and procedures and, quite simply, should indicate to all parents who you are, what you do, how you do it, what your expectations are in terms of their behavior and how you deal with complaints and transgressions. There should be no gray areas, nothing left to chance or misinterpretation.

So, I hear you holler - what should be in this epic tome and how do I even get started! Well, as it happens I have more than a few years of operational experience in this madcap world of day cares and, through much trial, error and ongoing learning have a pretty good idea of the stuff that you need to address. Allow me to give you a few tips and pointers but I’ll leave you to do the work of fleshing it out and personalizing your own contract….what?? You don’t get off scott free y’know….now get those pencils out!!

It’s usually a good idea to start at the beginning so here you could wax lyrical about your ethos and mission statement. Try and incorporate every aspect of a child starting in your day care i.e. what enrollment forms are required, the specific hours/days that care is required, necessary supplies, whether or not you institute a trial period (unfortunately, not everyone adjusts for various reasons) and detail your termination policy (if you kick my dog on the way in you’re outta here!!).

Incredibly important stuff yet often glossed over are your opening hours, holiday closures, maximum numbers catered, staff to child ratios, license and insurance details. Sticking to some of the nitty, gritty minutiae you could then launch into your payment policy. Spell it out: how much, when due, what’s covered, non-attendance and holiday situations (everyone needs a holiday but what happens regarding payment??), how and who to pay (you’d be amazed!), your hard line on late fees (this can be the single most destructive aspect of any day care/parent relationship, should be consistently enforced and clearer than clear), your rate increase policy and the reservations/deposits procedure.

Next up I have a general section where I ramble on about the different rooms, programs enacted, beg that toys from home stay at home, information on meals, diaper changing routine and detail a little about my drop off/pick up/settling in procedures (dropping a child off down the chimney is not really encouraged!). My behavior policy is included where I make it very clear exactly what I do in specific situations and…what I don’t do (tying a child to a tree is not really an option!). The toilet training policy emphasizes the importance of parent and provider working together and it’s helpful to detail your requirements in terms of clothing etc (it’s all very well to have a child run around au naturel at home but when you have vast quantities of toilet training toddlers….well, think about it!!).

A HUGE area of recurring problems and issues is that of illness. Set down stringent guidelines for your health and illness policy so that there is no doubt as to what your actions will be given specific symptoms and signs. Ultimately, you cannot have a contagious child in your day care and a sick child should be at home….period. The sign over my door does not say Doctor’s Surgery. Inform parents when you will call them and that you expect the child to be collected within a specific time frame. Following on from this you can explain your medication administration policy (both prescribed and non prescribed) which will incorporate the necessary forms.

Communication with parents is vital so let them know your preferred method i.e. informal, verbal report in the evening, individual report sheets or a little daily journal. Reassure them though that, while you may be busy they can also make an appointment to meet with you for a more in-depth discussion should the need arise. Scheduling annual parent/teacher meetings is another effective method of ensuring that everyone is up to date and on the same page.

So, there you have it! The day care contract or parent handbook in a nutshell…grin. Admittedly there is a lot to consider and quite frankly, this is an organic document that will evolve with your business. Stuff will happen and you will amend your paperwork accordingly.

Fiona Lohrenz has been running her own day care for the past 10 years and is the founder of a childcare website that offers articles and resources for child care providers and parents. She has also produced ‘Start a Daycare Business’ DVD all about Day Care. Fiona can be reached at her website on Child Care

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


You can begin to toilet train your baby right from the time he or she is 5 months old. That is, you cannot potty train you baby at that age but you can surely get your baby trained to urinate at regular intervals. However, to potty train your child or toddler the child has to be between 18 months and 24 months before he or she really understands what potty training is actually all about.

Toilet training toddlers is really a great achievement for any mother or parent and this means no more nappy changing or carrying the changing bag full of diapers where ever you go. Most parents are not sure how much time it will take before their toddlers are potty toilet trained.

But it depends on each individual toddler and the support, care and love they get from their parents. There are some toddlers who are ready fro potty training and will take a few days to be potty trained while there are some toddlers who will take months before they are ready to be potty trained.

It is always advisable to start toilet training toddlers only when they are ready for it. You certainly cannot potty train a screaming toddler who refuses to even look at the potty chair.

Look for signs from your toddler that indicates that they are ready for potty training. Normally toddlers are ready for potty when you find them becoming quiet suddenly and have a pretty serious look on their faces. Help them to gently sit on potty chairs after you remove their pants.

Hold their hands or hand them a toy to play with while they are doing their potty his will help them to relax and forget that they are actually doing their potty. You can even read to them while they are at it. It requires tremendous time, energy and patience on the part of the mom when she is toilet training toddler.

Take your toddler to the toilet at regular intervals especially after he or she has had lots of fluids to drink and help them to urinate and help them to flush after that. Children love to play with water and they love to flush and watch the sudden gush of water in the closet with a sound. Initially they will be terrified but slowly the mother should make them feel comfortable and assure them that there is nothing to be afraid of.

Try to buy fancy potty chairs which are now available in the market. These potty training chairs are now available in Disney character chairs and will thrill small children. When you are planning to get toilet training seats fro your toddler try to get the right size and something which will appeal to them so that they would want to sit on them when they do their potty.

Create a routine for your toddler whereby after every big meal you help him or her on to a potty chair so that whenever they feel they need to do their potty they will begin by indicating that they want to do their potty. All children are intelligent and they respond to love and care which is most important when you toilet train toddlers.

Christopher Peace asked:


Tell me about some fun games for toddlers?

When looking at toddlers toys, there are some fun games that a toddler may be interested in. Games such as Old Maid, Crazy Faces and Dominos help toddlers develop their memory skills. One game in particular the I Never Forget a Face Memory Game is ideal for developing your growing toddler’s memory and they have fun revealing two faces that match. Games such as Dominos teach colors and numbers and are also fun for a toddler to explore. These games are full of enrichment and play and what toddler wouldn’t like to have one of these games to play.

Are all of these games card games?

No, not all of the toddlers toys that are games are card games. There are also games such as United States Bingo, Pirates Duel and Life on Earth Dominos are not card games. These types of games are action games that involve dominos, the game of bingo and The Comet Shower game is one that is played in the shower. So, no, these toddlers toys games are not all card games. These games, no matter what they are, are fun to play and ensure hours of enjoyment and enrichment for your toddler. They develop learning skills that will continue to develop as they grow older.

What type of card game is best for a toddler?

When looking at toddlers toys and deciding upon a card game, think about what you want to accomplish with the purchase of these games. Any type of toddlers toys game that develops memory such as Go Fish for numbers, or I never Forget a Face Memory Game are two of the choices that you would have as far as a card game for toddlers. These games develop your child’s growing memory and they have a fun time discovering what is underneath each card. They are even more pleased when they find a match. This is a learning game that is well recommended for all toddlers.

What about Bingo for a toddler?

Bingo for a toddler is a fun way to introduce numbers to your child. There are many different toddlers toys that are built in this fashion. Bingo games can be learning games and there are many different types of Bingo that can be played such as Storefront Bingo and Travel Bingo. These types of bingo teach how to recognize certain things say in a grocery store, or when you travel. These are but two of the games that are available in the bingo format for toddlers. A toy store is likely to have these games in stock.

There are so many choices. How do I choose just one?

There is no reason when buying toddlers toys and games that you should only choose just one game over the other. There are many different choices that can be made, but if you are pressed to choose just one, then I would suggest I Never Forget a Face Memory Game. The memory game is one that will grow your child’s mind while providing hours of play and discovery.

Kacy Carr asked:


I have just read a story on *** education that I found quite disturbing. Not only am I shocked, I am fuming to say the least. How on earth are these so called bright sparks with their so called bright ideas permitted to lay down the law on what they believe is right for our children. There will be those opposed to my opinion on the matter, but as a mother I believe I have earned the right to say when “my” child is ready to be prepped on *** relations. I am all for the younger generation being made aware of the risks involved when having unprotected sex, but at an age appropriate that meets with their level of understanding. Below is a snippet that encouraged me as a parent to protest.

Mandatory *** and relationship education for children as young as four is needed to reduce the rising teenage STI and abortion rate, according to two leading sexual health charities.

These charities said children should be taught the names of body parts and about *** and relationships. So now we parents are compelled to confuse our toddlers, where the widgy now becomes a ***** and the tuppence a ******? Come on, “your avin a laugh aint yer.” Four year old children need to have a life and not taught how to create one. Is curiosity not to blame for many an unwanted pregnancy? Give a child a gun they will use it - get my drift.

I am aware and fully understand the importance of this invaluable information on *** education, and believe that every child should be enlightened of the dangers, but only when the time is right. General education is of the most vital for our children to excel in life, but cramming too much knowledge into a tiny brain, can only but damage. Let us take one step at a time for Pete’s sake. Show me a 4 year old that can follow the instructions on a condom packet if not been taught how to read.

Another comment in favour of *** education for 4 year olds went onto say that young people will find information and if we don’t give it to them in a responsible way, they’ll find it from elsewhere. Of course they will like most other things in life. It is true we learn from others, but let those others be mom and dad. Parents know their own children best and therefore qualify to determine at what age their child will understand about *** relations. Children differ greatly in the department of learning. We we have those that pick up things more quickly than others. When I say pick up. I sure do not mean a contraceptive pill or a condom, more like their dolly and toy soldiers.

Ministers in Scotland and Wales say they have no plans to make *** relation lessons compulsory at the moment. Could these ministers have children? It’s like the midwife who shouts at the breathless woman on the labour bed to cut out screaming while giving birth, only then do we find out she herself is childless (not all.) If these people care for the welfare of our children, then they should know innocent four year old toddlers wish not to think about “foreplay in the dark” but to “play in the park.”

I am a strong believer in nipping something in the bud, but in this case please let our babies’ have time to blossom.