How to encourage your baby to self-soothe

There are many things parents can teach their children. However, there are some things that children must learn for themselves. Soothing is one of them. But that doesn't mean parents can't provide the environment for baby to do the learning.

If your baby never spends time playing on the floor, how can he or she learn how to crawl? The same concept applies to self-soothing. If your child never has the opportunity to try to calm himself or herself down, the baby will continually be reliant on you as the parent to provide the soothing.

Self-soothing takes time and practice, just like anything else a baby will learn. Ensuring your baby catches on quickly requires a few steps.

1.Create a consistent routine. If you want your baby to self-soothe at nap time and bedtime do the same things each day before you will be placing your child in the crib, and ideally at the same time. For example, at nap time tell your child that he is going to go for a nap. At night, give the baby a bath, feeding or whatever nighttime routine you use.

2.Learn to read the baby's signals that indicate he or she is getting tired. Chances are your baby will become tired at the same time each day and sleeping patterns will become predictable.

3.Baby goes in the crib when he or she is drowsy, but not entirely asleep. Place the child in the crib when he or she is showing signs of sleepiness. This way the infant grows accustomed to falling asleep in the crib, rather than in your arms or in your bed. The first few times will likely be met with resistance. However, give your baby time to figure it out. Don't run in and pick up the baby at the first whimper.

4.Recognize when waking the sleeping baby is acceptable. Many parents adhere to the mantra "never wake a sleeping baby." However, you have to look at the bigger picture and use your own instincts when baby is sleeping. If your child has fallen asleep outside of the usual schedule, or is taking a longer nap than usual, it may be alright to wake him or her to get the child back on track. Also, if your baby has fallen asleep in your arms at night, you may want to wake the child so that he or she has the opportunity to drift back off while in the crib. This way he or she learns how to self-soothe and that will pay dividends when the infant can go back to sleep without your help in the middle of the night.

5.Don't give up. If your baby just won't catch on, he or she may not be ready. Wait a few weeks and try again. Find out if there's something you're doing wrong, such as rushing into the baby's room prematurely or failing to create a relaxing, predictable schedule before it's time to drift to sleep. Eventually your child can learn how to self-soothe.

Encouraging reading beneficial to kids

Nowadays, television seems to be more popular than ever. Programs appear to be more hyped, advancements in technology make television viewing akin to going to the movies and busy schedules have many people feeling as if some time with the tube is a great way to relax.

The pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of quality programming per day for children. Yet, despite such recommendations, the children typically watch four hours of television per day. This includes children under the age of two, who the pediatrics suggests should not watch any television at all, for fear of stunting cognitive, social and emotional development.

Watching TV is far more damaging to kids than it is to adults for a number of reasons.
·Weight problems. Common sense tells you sitting on the couch won't benefit you physically and it hurts children even more. The children who spend four hours or more per day watching television are more likely to be overweight. Overweight children do not develop appropriate patterns of exercise, which will hurt them well into their adult years.
·What television teaches. Studies have shown that television has consistently reinforced gender roles and racial stereotypes. In spite of a parents' best efforts, subtle nuances between what parents teach their children and what the television is teaching them could be negatively influencing how they see the world.
·What kids might see. While adults have the ability to differentiate between reality and the fictional world of television, children might not always be able to do so. For example, studies have indicated that children who see violence on television are more likely to believe something bad will happen to them, despite the two being entirely unrelated.

For parents, each of those potential consequences should understandably be cause for concern. Limiting television time is one solution some childcare professionals have suggested, while others suggest replacing typical programming with more educational programming. Where most advocates seem to agree concerns varying children's activities to include exercise and reading, among other things. While most children enjoy exercise, getting them to read can be a different story, meaning parents might have to come up with some creative ways to get their kids to embrace reading.
·Don't force it. As any parent knows, telling kids they have to do something often results in them not doing it. Such is the case with reading. Forcing a child to read can turn him off to reading forever. Try establishing a time each day when the television's turned off and everyone reads. Parents don't need to force reading during these times, but since children are greatly influenced by their parents' behavior, chances are they will also start reading.
·Buy kids magazines. Magazines geared toward children can be great ways to get them excited about reading. Unlike adult magazines, these magazines will feature stories written at reading levels more appropriate for children. In addition, most kids enjoy getting mail, so a subscription in their name will be something that excites them.
·Consider a reading allowance. Allowances aren't just for video games or ice cream cones. Along with their usual allowance, give kids an allowance for reading materials, be it books or magazines. Make sure they know such an allowance is intended solely for reading material, and bring them along each time you go to the bookstore. Again, since children often mimic their parents' behavior, if they see you buying a book, they'll be more inclined to buy one, too.
·Use your older kids. Perhaps the biggest influence on young children is their older brothers and sisters. If you have older children who enjoy reading, ask them to encourage younger siblings, simply by reading in front of them, suggesting books they read when they were younger or having them include the younger kids on trips to the library or bookstore.

Encouraging kids to read can be a great way to promote their cognitive development.

Babyproofing is no child's play

Many parents attest to the fact that early infancy is the stage of their child's life that they dislike the most. After all, with 2 a.m. feedings, diaper duty around the clock and the inability to understand the needs of their infant, it's easy to see how these challenging few months can be troublesome. However, the real "fun stuff" may be yet to come.

Enter the mobility months and the toddler years. At this point in a child's developmental state he is learning to move and communicate on his own. This involves exploring the world around him, first and foremost his home environment. When baby starts getting into just about everything in the house - even those items deemed off limits - you may wish for the days where your little sweetheart stayed put.

At this age your child is also most prone to accidents - with choking, falls and suffocation among the top causes. In fact, according to a study conducted by the Home Safety Council, children under age one have the highest rates of unintentional home-injury death of all children under 15. That is why babyproofing the home is essential and should be at the top of your list of priorities, even before your little one starts crawling or walking.
GETTING STARTED
It is impossible to predict just what trouble your child will get into when he becomes mobile. However, there are general guidelines you can follow to ensure overall safety.

To begin, view your home from a child's level, meaning get down on hands and knees and see what items may be of interest to an inquisitive young mind. Also see what items are in easy reach. Among your first discoveries may be electrical outlets and power cords, plants, and any knickknacks that you keep on coffee or end tables.

Go from room to room and make an inventory of potential hazards. Don't worry, once you head to the store with list in hand, you'll find a bevy of safety products that will remedy most hazards on your list.

KITCHEN

If there is one room in the home that has the largest number of potential hazards for a child, it is the kitchen. Plus, this is a room in which your attention is often divided between cooking, cleaning and watching your baby.

There are many steps you should take to ensure the space is safe. First, purchase cabinet locks to keep little fingers out of cabinets. These come in a variety of styles, so experiment with the type of lock that is most comfortable and safe. Move all cleaning products and suffocation hazards like trash and sandwich bags to a higher cabinet. Remember, locks aren't foolproof and a determined toddler may be able to figure out a lock.

Purchase stove guards and refrigerator locks so that these doors cannot be opened. There are also guards that prevent a toddler from reaching up and turning stove knobs. When cooking, use the back burners so that hot pots and pans cannot be pulled off of the stove.

Keep pet food bowls off of the floor when your child is given free reign of the kitchen. Pet food presents a choking hazard and may also contain meat that has not been screened for mad cow disease. It only takes a few inches of water to drown a child, so remove the water bowl as well.
LIVING ROOM
The greatest dangers in this room are unprotected outlets, sharp-edged furniture and heavy electronics.
Secure televisions, entertainment centers and bookcases with safety hooks to prevent them from toppling onto a child who is using these items to pull to a standing position.
Put outlet safety plugs in all outlets and place cushioned corner guards around tables, hearths and any other sharp edges. Use baby "corrals" and gates to block off the head and the foot of staircases and any other areas that are off limits.
NURSERY
Your child will spend a lot of time in the crib - moments when you are not likely to be in the nursery. If your child can pull to a standing position, make sure the crib mattress is in the lowest position so that he cannot climb out of the crib. Also, remove any toys that can be used to step up and out of the crib or mobiles that can be pulled off and become a hazard.
Consider window treatments without cords, such as vertical blinds or curtains in lieu of mini-blinds. Or, use cord containers that keep the cords wrapped up so they don't pose a strangulation danger.
If you are placing a toy chest in the room, use one that has an open top or has a gap between the lid and the top of the chest so that fingers cannot be caught. Also, place door stoppers atop doors to prevent pinched fingers as well.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
You'll need to modify your childproofing methods as your child grows older. Here are some other tips to consider:
·Vacuum regularly to pick up any loose change, paper clips or other items on the floor that your child can find and choke on.
·Remove the rubber tips of door stoppers because they can be a choking danger.
·Keep bathrooms off limits if possible. There are just too many potentially dangerous items in there. Use a toilet cover lock to prevent drowning in the toilet.
·Don't leave your child alone in a room, even with the best safety methods employed. And NEVER leave him unattended in the bath.