The Help Tabloid

Safety regs are the greatest concern in purchasing a seat for your young baby, but the style variations aren’t just cosmetic, and you should know what the effects of your choice are exactly before it’s final. Cosco, Graco, Safety 1st, Disney; these and other brands produce high quality chairs targeted at children of up to 12 months or 20 pounds. Keep in mind, while sorting through potential chairs, to determine your preference between rear facing seats and more flexible seats so as not to choose something out of line with your needs. Every parent knows that getting your baby from the car back to the home while they’re asleep leads almost inevitably to their waking up - that said, as these seats often double up as baby carriers, the opportunity to avoid this improves. Need a seat your kids won’t be too big for so fast? In cases like this, look at a convertible product. Your children will ride in these seats only a short time, but it is still longer than a year. A convertible chair costs a little more but you’ll only need one. Reviews and parents should give you a warning that chairs in these styles are less portable.

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They’re not all created equal, however. Car seat reviews are the best way to gain a comprehension of precisely what all the models have to offer as well as what aspects are the most useful. Choose your safety seat sure in the knowledge that most available reviews are third party. As your son grows, he can trust the booster chair between the weights of around thirty to eighty pounds. You will decide between chairs using the car’s integral safety belt and those employing a five-point harness design. To check your little one will be comfortable in it, let him or her try them both out. Most booster chairs offer what may seem like minor additions in terms of attached toys, but upon seeing how well they occupy your toddler and for how long you’ll realize how welcome they can really be.

We can’t deny that you have a difficult choice facing you, due to the importance of finding something that suits the needs of the moment, and your lifestyle and wallet are hardly minor concerns. Smart parents won’t neglect comparison reviews - they are definitely the most reliable resource available out there.

A baby, along with bringing immense happiness and joy, increases both responsibilities and expenses for the parents. One such important expenditure is on a good stroller pushchair, in order to enable easy transportation of the baby.

Given the wide variety of pushchairs available in the market, it is quite a task to choose the right one. There are certain simple factors that if kept in mind can help you make the right choice and get that perfect stroller for your child.

Single-handed folding is very important, especially if you are multitasking and need your hands to be free for several other tasks. Secondly, getting stroller pushchairs that actually prop against the wall instead of falling down will help, as you do not want to be carrying it all the time. A reclining seat and an adjustable handle are essential in a pushchair, without which neither you nor your baby will be comfortable.

Similarly, it is important to ensure that your stroller pushchair has a large, all-weather proof canopy, as this ensures safety for the baby from all kinds of harsh weather conditions. In addition, if you plan to go for shopping with your baby, then you should invest in a pushchair that has a large shopping basket.

Last but not the least, you would require a stroller that will keep your child happy and will meet his or her growing needs as well. Investing in a pushchair with reversible seats and sitting and standing facility will enable you to meet both these requirements.

Big Foot Relay. Get the children bring 2 shoeboxes with them. Tape the hats onto the corners, then cut a one-inch-wide and four-inch long slit in each top. Have the contestants slip their feet into the slits in the boxes and race.
Batty Bowling. Get a number of silly or odd items that can be knocked over by a ball, such as a plastic milk carton, a candlestick, a stand-up doll, a plastic vase of blooms, a pizza box, a pillar of blank cans, an umbrella stand, an empty oatmeal container, and a book. Stock them up like bowling pins and grant the bowlers try to bang them through with volleyballs, tennis balls, or golf balls.

Cross Step. Draw a ten-by-ten grid on the sidewalk or patio with chalk. Have each player stand on a different square. One at a time, each player must move to a new square after crossing out the square she or he was once standing in. The magic is that players cannot step into a square that is settled or crossed out. If a player cannot move to a different square, he or she is out. The game extends until one player is left.
Kill the Cockroach. Part the actors into two teams. Line them up, one in front of the other and set an odd object in front of the first players in line. They must kick the object crossways the yard and the across the end line to win a point for their team. Kick things like a pillow, empty can, a sock, and so on.

The holiday season is a wonderful time for family, friends
and good cheer, but all the visiting can leave us feeling a
bit frazzled by the time it’s over. It can also play havoc
on our children’s sleep schedules and turn a once-sleeping
baby into an overtired zombie!

Here are a few tips to help you keep things on track for the
holidays:

* The biggest pitfall people run into when they travel is
over-scheduling themselves. There are so many people and
places to visit that after a few days your baby has missed
most of their naps and bedtime has been hours earlier or
later than your little one is used to. Some children handle
this upset to their schedule pretty well and make due with
“car naps” and late bedtimes, but others can have a compete
meltdown within just a couple of days!

I travel with my children all the time, but there is one
“golden rule” that I never break — and that is I keep to
their sleep schedules no matter what. If Aunt Betty wants to
see the kids, then she needs to come at a time when they are
not napping or in bed. It’s as simple as that. Now of
course, the odd family member might snicker at my
inflexibility, but I know that my children’s sleep needs
have to be a top priority — and I protect it everywhere we
go.

* Time changes can be a bit of a problem when traveling. If
you are going away for more than 3 days, then it’s better to
adjust your child’s schedule to the new time as quickly as
possible. They may need an extra nap here and there to
compensate, but adjusting quickly is better than trying to
stick to your home time.

* Try to keep things as close to home as you can. So if
your child has their own room at home, then they may need
their own room when they travel as well. (Our boys have
spent the odd night in a laundry room here and there!) At
the very least they should have their own bed and not be
sharing one with you IF that is not what they are use to. A
few nights in bed with you and you could find yourself “bed
sharing” with your child for weeks or even months to come.

* Make sure you bring all the comforts of home such as your
child’s favorite blankets, pillows, and stuffed sleep toys.
This will make your child comfortable and keep the bedtime
environment as close to home as possible.

* Some children test the boundaries when they are somewhere
new. “Maybe the rules are not the same at Grandma’s house,”
they think to themselves.

This may mean that there is some crying or protesting at
bedtime, which may be unusual for your child. Don’t panic,
it’s just a test! Go ahead and check on them a few times to
reassure them that everything is fine and it’s just time to
sleep, but DON’T start bending your sleep rules too much! A
night or two of “testing the waters” and finding that the
rules haven’t changed should reassure your little one, and
the result should be a pleasant’s night sleep for everyone.

Happy trails, bon voyage, and sleep well!

Dana Obleman (http://www.sleepsense.net) is a professional infant sleep consultant and is the author of “The Sleep Sense Program: Proven Strategies For Teaching Your Child To Sleep Through The Night.” She has helped thousands of families develop a gentle, step-by-step sleep program for their children, and is able to guarantee the success of her methods. Get a FREE sleep assessment for your child when you visit http://www.sleepsense.net

Education can be “hidden” in a lot of toys and games. When you think of educational toys and games for your children don’t overlook some of the obvious ones.

Today we will talk about Yahtzee, most say it is all in the luck of the roll. That maybe true but there is some logic involved as well. Do you use four ones for your four of a kind or do you try for sixes instead. Do you go for your large straight when you have a 2, 3, 4, 5, or do you try in when you have a 1, 2, 4, 5?

But besides the logic there is basic addition. Learning to count by 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s, and 6’s. Then of course you need to total up the score.

The game of yahtzee doesn’t take long and even if you are playing with a younger child that cannot add up the final scores just the exposure to counting by 2’s and 5’s for example will help them understand math concepts later on.

Yahtzee is also great because it doesn’t matter how many players you have, and you can even play by yourself and try to top your best score.

Then you must not forget the sheer pleasure of spending time with your children doing something enjoyable. Children flourish when attention is spent on them. You don’t have to plan an expensive trip to the amusement park to spend quality time with your children, just doing something that is enjoyable to both of you and giving them your attention is often enough.

Start your children young introducing them to different concepts such as addition, reading, etc. Young children love to learn and you will most often find a willing pupil that is excited to learn new things, especially when it is their favorite teacher instructing them, you.

The method know as 3d ultrasound is used in early pregnancy, it provides 3d images of the unborn child. Most times these ultrasound pictures are rapidly captured and joined together to created a “4d ultrasound”.

Three dimensional scanning works similarly to the normal scanning methods except that the ultrasound scanning waves can be sent from multiple directions. The ultrasound waves are reflected back then captured to provide info to construct a 3 d picture in very much the same way as 3d movies. 3d ultasound scanning was first developed by olaf von ramm and stephen smith in america.

It’s important to understand that sonologists around the world have always conjured 3d pictures of the body in their minds whilst doing 2d scans. However, until recently it was not possible to do this type of reconstruction on on patient information using ultasound scanning. The advent of baby scans for the first time allowed us a peek into the brain of a sonologist and so letting us see the images on the ultrasound machine.

The 3d/4d ultrasound image should utilize ultrasound energy following the same limits as conventional 2d ultrasound to create the 3d images. While there is no information of harm due to 3d ultasound scanning, its use in none medical situations needs to be undertaken with an understanding of the risks.

Please remember to save your unborn babies cord blood by involving like cells4life.

The method know as 3d ultrasound scanning is that can be used during early pregnancy, it provides 3d pictures of the fetus. Most times these ultrasound pictures are rapidly captured and combined and animated to created a “4d ultrasound scan”.

Three dimensional scans works in the same manner to the normal ultrasound scanning methods except that the ultrasound scanning waves are directed from multiple directions. The waves can be redirected back and captured and provide information to construct a 3d image in in the same way as 3d pictures. 3 dimesional ultrasound was devised in the usa.

It’s important to understand that sonologists all over the world have always pictured three-dimensional images of the body in their minds whilst doing 2d scans. However, until recently it was not possible to do this kind of reconstruction on on info using ultasound scanning. The advent of 4d baby scans for the first time allowed us a peek into the brain of a sonologist and so allowing us see the images on the ultrasound machine.

3d imaging should utilize ultrasound energy following the same limits as conventional 2d ultrasound to create the 3d images. There is no data to suggest any harm due to 3d ultasound scanning, its use in none medical situations should be undertaken with an understanding of the risks that may exist.

Figuring out naps for children can be far more dubious and confusing for parents than establishing healthy night sleep. It takes babies longer to “settle” into consistent, adequate length naps than it does to sleep through the night. Regular napping is even more difficult to establish for babies who have a history of colic or very fussy temperament as a newborn.

Naptime is not only more difficult to establish but it also provides different “nourishment” to the child than nighttime sleep. Even the morning and afternoon naps differ in their benefits. Babies have more REM sleep, the stage connected with dreaming, during the morning nap. REM sleep is associated with brain maturation and growth. The afternoon nap is linked with NonREM sleep, which is a deeper stage of sleep, and associated with psychological and physical restoration.

So how do parents know how often their child should be napping, for how long and when those requirements change? Below are some guidelines to help you along the way. Hopefully by knowing these sleep requirements and patterns, you will be able to read your child’s sleep clues and help him/her get the rest s/he needs for healthy maturation and development.

Birth to Four Months:
Newborns sleep a lot. At this age the child is establishing good circadian rhythms. The baby begins to associate external cues with sleep. These outward signals include light versus dark, noise versus quite, and eye contact/play versus non-playtime. It is important to learn your child’s signs for being tired, i.e., yawning, rubbing eyes, and/or scratching/pulling ears. Use these signs as a guide for when to put your child to sleep. The idea is to put your baby to sleep before the first signs of being tired appear. Until about seven to eight months of age, a baby should not be awake for more than two hours at a time. Some babies are ready for sleep after only being awake for an hour or so; it is critical to learn your baby’s “comfortable” awake time and put your child to sleep accordingly.

Four to Six Months:
Typically by four months and no later than six months, a baby’s sleep will become more organized and more adult like. The child’s body rhythms are in sync with his/her sleep/wake cycles. By this age babies are taking three to four naps during the day. The final nap is usually very brief. The amount of time the child is awake between naps will vary, but should not be more than about two hours. The optimal time for a baby to go to sleep is just before the outward signs of tiredness appear (yawning, rubbing eyes, etc.) This is the ideal time to set up healthy sleep habits for your child. For more information please visit http://www.child-works.com.

Seven to Sixteen Months:
At this age the child is taking a morning and afternoon nap. The baby can increasingly stay awake longer as they grow older. Typically, a child will take a morning nap three hours after wake up time and an afternoon nap following lunchtime. The baby will now be able to remain awake for the entire late afternoon stretch until bedtime. An earlier bedtime may be necessary, at least temporarily, once the third nap is dropped.

Sixteen Months to Three Years:
Sometime between 16 and 18 months of age, babies will drop to one afternoon nap. Typically the child will be able to stay awake longer and longer in the morning, pushing the morning nap later and consequently the afternoon nap later. When this negatively affects an appropriate bedtime then the afternoon nap is dropped and the child is down to one nap per day. At first the nap will occur in the middle of the day to strike a balance between what use to be the morning and afternoon nap. Slowly the nap will move until after lunchtime (about 1:00pm) where it will remain until the preschool years.

Three to Six Years:
During this time the young child will drop the afternoon nap. How this nap is dropped varies among children. Some will take shorter and shorter naps while others will drop down to napping a few times per week. Parents need to follow the child’s lead. This is not to say that once your child announces they no longer want to nap it is time to end napping. Let your child’s behavior be your guide. If s/he is no longer able to fall asleep at an appropriate bedtime at night, then you should begin considering altering the nap schedule. You can either try to wake your child earlier from his/her nap or drop napping to every other day. Watch your child’s behavior for signs of overtiredness. Arrange a nap schedule that minimizes your child feeling overtired.

When it comes to creating healthy sleep habits the most useful guideline is your child’s behavior. Continually monitor your child for signs of being overtired. For a checklist on overtired behavior visit http://www.child-works.com. Children’s sleep needs vary and change as they grow. Starting at four months of age it is critical to have children nap in a crib or bed. Motion sleeping (like in a stroller, car seat, swing or arms) will not allow the child to cycle through deeper phases of sleep and the nap proves to be less beneficial in its restorative quality. Also, many parents tend to underestimate how much sleep their child requires to be able to function well. Learning your child’s signals will steer you in the right direction for providing a healthy sleep schedule.

If you are interested in a phone class on this subject, please visit http://www.child-works.com/

Rachel Steinberg is a sleep consultant and co-founder of Child-Works. Child-Works provides parents research-based consulation in the areas of sleep, behavior and education. Child-Works has created a sleep plan package that helps parents create healthy sleep habits for their child(ren).