A Hand Puppet Board Book: Let's Count

A Hand Puppet Board Book: Let's Count

Rock, Roll & Ride XL Trike

A sturdy trike with three fun ways to ride! Lock the base in place for ride-on, rocking fun. As your child grows, the base converts to an extra-long push handle so you can comfortably stroll behind while they learn to pedal.

Thomas & friends cuddle pillow

Thomas & friends cuddle pillow

Can Baby Sign Language Delay Speech?

By Jackie Durnin
Using baby sign can help ease frustration for parents and babies during those preverbal times offering a simple form of communication to help enable babies to get them selves understood.
But does using baby sign language actually delay speech?
The short answer to this is no.

Signing is a very good start to communicating as a babies physical development does not allow them to start speaking properly until around 18 months old.

Communication is communication and using forms of sign and gestures are all very effective ways for a child to get their message across and get others to understand them.

By using Auslan, the official sign language of Australia, as your form of baby sign language communication, you are enabling your baby to be able to communicate with a potentialy wider range of people and/or carers. Many people working in the childcare industry have had some form of basic training in sign language so using Auslan can be of great benefit for consistency rather than having to try and work out what made up signs or gestures may mean.

Part of the problem when parents get concerned that their baby is not speaking yet is because they think that their baby should be speaking by now. But that is rarely the case. Their are common milestones in your baby's language development milestones in your baby's language development but these have to be considered as guidlines only since each baby is unique.

There is a huge variance in the rate of vocabulary development and while many babies will start to babble or attempt their first words soon after their first birthday some will babble endlessly while others may skip it completely and begin speaking in short sentences. Whether a baby starts to speak late or early rarely gives any true indication of that baby's future capabilities.

Research carried out in America and published in the Journal of Non Verbal Behaviour by Dr Linda Acredolo showed that when using baby sign language and talking to your baby at the same time on average the children in their studies at 36 months of age were speaking at an equivalent level of non signing 47 month olds.

It is important to encourage your baby's attempts at speech by talking to them when using baby sign language so that they can connect the spoken word with the sign.

Start slowly and focus on 4-5 keywords to begin with. Encourage attempts to say words and repeat the words back to your baby. Listen to what they have to say and speak slowly back to them while giving them time to respond just as you would with an adult conversation.

If you have trouble understanding your baby but they are profficient in signing don't stop speaking to them simply because it is easier to use signs to work out what they want. If you dont take the time to speak with them they may become used to simply getting what they want by signing and not worry about trying to speak. While this wont affect them in the long run it is much better to continue with using speech and sign together.

For more information on how to help encourage your baby's speech you may like to read my article a little help on the road to talking a little help on the road to talking.

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Used Baby Items - Are they Safe?

By Shari Hearn
You new little bundle of joy is certainly a treasure. And, as you may have noticed, it sometimes takes a fortune to outfit, feed and accessorize your little treasure. How can you give your baby everything she needs, yet save a few bucks in the process?
If used baby items are your answer, whether purchased or given to you, you are certainly correct. Used baby items will save you money. But, are used baby items safe for your baby?

Safe Used Baby Items – Clothing

It’s no secret that babies grow out of clothing very rapidly. This is where buying used can be a big help. With the number of quality used baby clothing shops, thrift stores and used baby clothing sold on eBay, you can outfit your baby for a fraction what new clothing would cost. In fact, just recently four outfits for baby girls, size 3 months, were sold on eBay for $.15 (that’s fifteen cents!) with a shipping cost of $5. Four outfits for just $5.15! That’s quite a bargain. And, with proper laundering, quite safe.

Potentially Unsafe Items

But, what about used baby items that might not be safe to purchase? Which items for your baby should you scrutinize or avoid altogether?

Used Cribs

Be very careful when buying or accepting a used crib as you don't know the risks involved. If the crib is nearly new and properly assembled you should be ok. But, for older cribs you might want to take a pass. And, here’s why:

1. The crib may not meet current safety standards. For example, crib slats can be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart to prevent the baby's body from getting stuck. Also, the mattress must fit tightly so that the baby cannot get trapped between the mattress and the
side of the crib.

2. An older crib may have lead paint in the finish.

3. If you are missing parts or instructions, you could assemble the crib incorrectly, making it a dangerous place for your baby to sleep. Bottom line, this is your baby we're talking about. He deserves a crib that is safe.

Other Used Baby Furniture

You need to make sure that any used baby furniture contains lead-free paint.

Used Car Seat

Again, if the car seat is nearly new, you may be okay. However, if the instructions or the DOT safety label are missing, don’t buy or accept the car seat.

Used Baby Toys

If you’re tempted to give your baby your old toys, don’t. They may make great collectibles, but they may not be safe for your baby. Yes, yes, it’s true that you played with them and you made it through childhood, but there are new safety standards for baby toys now. Your old toys can be painted with lead-based paint or contain chips or cracks. Why risk the safety of your baby?

What about newer used baby toys? If you are considering used baby toys do inspect them carefully and choose those in excellent condition, rejecting those which have chipped paint, loose or missing parts, are cracked or chipped or have frayed threads. For those that pass inspection, make sure you clean and disinfect them thoroughly before allowing your baby to play with them.

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How to Select The Absolute Perfect Infant Bedding

By Christopher Smith
Helpful tips for selecting the right bedding for your infant...
When a baby is asleep, the mother is the one that will get the most rest (or so the saying goes). Therefore, a baby mattress is very important both for you and your baby as well.
Babies needs their sleep as much as the adults, and more so because most of their growing and development occurs during that time.

When shopping for a baby mattress you may easily be overwhelmed by the many choices available on the market today. With so many styles and brand names to choose from, how do you know which will be the best for you and your precious baby?

Measure Twice
It's a wise idea to have all the measurements of the crib and nursery when shopping for a baby mattress. This helps avoid return trips to the store or the hassle of changing your order. You may be surprised to learn that not all baby mattresses fit all cribs, although most are indeed standard sizes.

Practice Practicality
A good infant bedding should be adjustable in order for you to be able to make it the right size for when the baby is asleep or awake. Another important factor for the perfect infant mattress is that it should be waterproof, as there might be the possibility that you may have to clean it once or twice.

Helpful Tips
A great place to find a good deal on a baby mattress is right in your local newspaper. You should find some listings from parents selling the mattresses their babies have outgrown, along with other baby related items as well. There are also numerous resources on the internet such as message boards, online newspapers and bargain or freebie sites, not to mention all of the online retailers anxious for your business.

The Right Infant Bedding
You will be surprised to see the vast amount of mattresses available on the market today for babies. Famous brands such as Sealy Posturepedic makes baby mattresses that send soothing vibes and/or rock gently in order to put the infant to sleep and ensure that he or she falls asleep and stays asleep for the period required in order to get the benefits required.

If you have no choice but to purchase a baby mattress at the full price, you can always resell it once you don't need it anymore, thus getting at least part of your investment back. It is very important you assure your baby with the proper equipment in order for him or her to get the required sleep. You will have a happier, healthier baby and that will automatically make you a happier parent.

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Baby Bath Time

By Daniel Rozengurtel
Baby's day out is fun from A to Z, regardless of what the baby does. All the time the child may be enjoying himself and his activities will also be a treat for parents to observe. Why let this fun end when bathing the child? Baby Bath
With some application of mind, you could make baby bathing an interesting activity for the child, and hence for yourself as well. All you need on hand are a few baby-bathing products, bath toys, and robes that are not only baby skin friendly, but also handy bathroom accessories any mom would love to stock her bathroom with.

Baby bathing products or accessories are numerous, but there is one item that is most essential – the baby bath towel or baby bath robe. A baby bath towel or robe must be soft on the child’s skin. If the child shows some discomfort while you use it on him, assume your child has not taken a kind view towards the new accessory and it is paining or irritating his skin. Also, the bath robes or towels must be sufficiently large so that it can easily and fully wrap around the baby. If the bathrobe has interesting pictures of animals and birds, it may help your child to remain inside the robe for at least some time. Usually the soft cotton hooded towel sets cater to children right from their newborn days to 12-24 months, depending on the child’s size. Such towel sets also make great baby gift items.
These and many other items have made their way to the internet sites such as www.SpiffyBaby.com where the art of gift giving and its boundaries are limited by your imagination.
The same theory of baby skin friendly concept applies to baby soaps, lotions, oils, and toys. While purchasing baby soaps and baby lotions ensure that they are sensitive enough for baby’s skin and do not contain any potential skin irritants. In that sense, if you see artificial or synthetic ingredients in baby skin products, you may want to avoid them. These products can cause terrible skin irritations.

The major task of baby’s bath time, however, remains to be baby’s entertainment in the bath tub. The baby most likely won’t like anyone to disturb his playful mood by pouring water over him in the confines of a bath tub. This is where bath toys play a crucial role, in ensuring that the playful atmosphere indeed carries over to the baby bathroom, giving the little ones full company all throughout the bathing ritual. Bath duckies, rubber animals and shapes, baby bath seats, bubble bath buddies (for kids of certain age), even the bath water thermometer, are some good bath time toys that could give your child good company in the bathroom. These items usually make decent baby shower presents, as well as being relatively low-cost items.

Above all, the most important thing for a child during bath time is the interaction with his caregivers, and the presence of an adult for safety at all times.
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How to Hire a Nanny - Super or Not

By Shari Hearn
If only hiring a nanny were as easy as opening your door and having Super Nanny walk in and take charge. Of course, when it comes to Reality TV, the families are carefully chosen from among thousands of eager applicants. In the real world, however, you, the family, has to choose the nanny. Where to begin? Best Nanny

Nanny or Daycare?

Your first step would be deciding which option fits better for you and your family. Should you hire a nanny or send your children to daycare? One plus for daycare is the opportunity for your children to learn socialization. They may learn some social rules earlier, such as sharing. Another plus, which came out in a recent study by the National Institutes of Health, is that children in high-quality daycare before kindergarten had higher scores in vocabulary in the fifth grade.

The downside of daycare, which also came out in the same study, was the correlation between daycare and increased behavior problems later in school, although the report stated that both the increase in behavior problems and vocabulary was small.

For many people, there are other advantages to hiring a nanny over daycare:

• Health – infections in one child can be easily spread to the other children in daycare. At home with a nanny there is less exposure to other sick children.

• Personal Attention – children will receive more personal attention from a nanny than when in a daycare setting.

• Flexibility – hiring a nanny can be more suitable for parents who leave early or arrive home late and do not want their child to be shuffled from one caregiver to another. A nanny can also take care of a child who is ill whereas daycares often, for the health of other children, refuse care to children who are sick.

What to Look for in a Nanny

So you've made the decision that hiring a nanny is a better child-care solution for your child and family situation – now what? How do you go about finding a qualified nanny?

There are many places to look for a nanny, such as placing an ad in the classified section of the newspaper, referrals from friends, or an agency which specializes in nannies and other domestic workers. Going the agency route may be a bit more expensive, but agencies usually have a screening process in place and do their own background checks. If you choose to place an ad in the newspaper or use a referral from a friend, it's always wise to do your own background check.

Before interviewing prospective nannies, know exactly what type of services you are seeking. Do you want a live-in nanny, day-time nanny, full-time, part-time or on call? What is your budget? Will you want the nanny to clean the house, cook meals or transport your children to after-school activities or play dates? What other responsibilities are you looking for in a nanny? This can help when it comes time for the interview.

What Should You Ask?

When interviewing the prospective nanny do ask for the following:

1) References with contact numbers. In addition to personal references, ask for references from other families she's worked for.

2) Driver's license or other I.D. You want to know everything's current.

3) Any traffic tickets or accidents in her past? If driving your children to activities is important, you want to know her driving history. If she's using her own car you also want to know that it is in good working order.

4) Educational experience. Does she have any special training such as childhood education, cooking, etc.

5) Knowledge of first-aid. Many parents want a nanny who knows how to administer first aid such as CPR. You also want to know if the nanny knows how to tend to your children should they become sick.

6) What is her parenting style? What is her approach to behavior issues?

7) What type of activities will she engage the child in?

8) Ask about her least-pleasant experience as a nanny. If the situation sounds a lot like your family situation (perhaps the parents often worked late) then perhaps this isn't the nanny for you.

When you find someone you think has potential, do arrange a meeting between the prospective nanny and your children. Observe how they react to one another. Does the prospective nanny seem warm and natural to your children, or anxious and tense? Your observation is a great tool in selecting the right person to take care of your children.

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