Now that your child has begun to walk, talk and feed himself, it’s a good time to buy a spillproof cup. Experts says babies should start drinking from a cup at about age 1. Why the rush to wean? because prolonged and frequent bottle use can lead to cavities in baby teeth as well as in the permanent ones forming underneath.According to Fred Ferguson a professor of pediatric dentistry, Baby-bottle tooth decay occurs when the sugars in milk, juice and other beverages react with bacteria in a baby’s mouth to form acid.

So here are the following tips to make the switch (from bottle to cup) easier:

* You should make the cup irresistable: Let your child  drink from the cup to quench his thirst during meals and then offer him his bottle afterward. Once things are going well, you can cut the bottle out completely. You can also offer only water in your child’s bottle while filling the cup with his favorite drinks. Water doesn’t promote tooth decay and given the choice, a child will choose a cup filled with milk or juice over a bottle of plain water.

*Distract him with other things- If your toddler asks for his bottle, try distracting him with a toy, an activity, or a snack instead. Let your toddler see you or other older siblings  drinking from a cup. Chances are he’ll be doing what you and the other big kids are doing.

* Continue to encourage him – If your gradual  weaning isn’t working, (your last option is to  throw all your toddler’s bottles) you can always praise him for being a big kid and explain the the” bottle man” is coming soon to collect bottles for all the new babies being born. Toddlers may complain for two or three days but typically they will move on.

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This is mine!

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 ”honey, it’s time for you to sleep now.” “but mom!!!!!!!! I’m not yet sleepy and besides I’m not even tired yet” 

This is a normal conversation between a mom and her little one who prefers playing than sleeping. During this moment, your patience will be tested and yes, It won’t be easy. It is important that your child understands why she needs to sleep.  That heavy and groggy feeling shows that your child is not at her best condition. She needs to know that her body is like a celphone battery that needs to be recharged.  So here  are the following things that you can do to help your child love sleeping.

• Sleep with your little one. It helps your child get into a routine.
• Try bedtime routines like, reading, or taking a warm bath. It helps your child to  be calm and relax.
• No sodas, ice tea or any food contains caffeine before bedtime.
• Avoid having TV inside your child’s room. Study shows that kids who have TV’s in their rooms sleep less.
• Remember that children has wild imaginations. Avoid watching scary movies or TV shows close to bedtime because it makes it hard for them to fall asleep. Just incase this situation happens, pray with your child before they go to sleep.
• Use your child’s bed only for sleeping. In that way,you’ll train your child’s body to associate her bed with sleep.
• Have a “bedtime chit-chat”. This is the time to ask your child how her day was. This will  help your child relax and It will be easy for her to sleep.

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Learning how to walk is a key milestone in your baby’s life. When you see that your toddler is beginning to stand, your first instinct is to encourage him to make his first baby steps. The worst thing that you can do is urge your baby to walk while he’s wobbling around. BE PATIENT! They’ve just discovered something new and they need time to get on their feet and walk. Developing the motor skills of a child is a long process, and the parents’ role is to lend a helping hand.

Forcing your child may irritate him.  Just like adults, we get cranky when we’re not in the mood.  Allow your child to explore.  Your job as a parent is to stay by his side with your arms ready to take action when help is needed.  Be a guide to your baby.  Each step means everything to your little one.  It’s an achievement for him.    The best thing to do is to encourage him.  Clap your hands, give him a cheer like he has won a contest.  More importantly, hugs and kisses can be a great motivation to your child.

Reserve purchasing walking shoes until he learns to walk outdoors.  Walking barefoot helps him develop balance and coordination.  Bright stars tropical fun around we go activity station will enhance these developments in your child’s motor skills. The activity table adds fun to your child’s learning process and will make their every step fun and easy.

Where to buy: Bright starts

Price: $79.99

Video: Activity station

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Image courtesy of care.org

I know not everyone who reads this will be religious, or of my tradition, but I felt that this prayer spoke to all parents; to our deepest prayers if we pray, but also to our deepest desires and fears for our parenting task, whether we pray or not. 

It’s taken from the book Guide My Feet: Prayers and Meditations on Loving and Working for Children by Marian Wright Edelman, the founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund. 

Dear God, I thank you for the gift of this child to raise, this life to share, this mind to help mold, this body to nurture, and this spirit to enrich.

Let me never betray this child’s trust, dampen this child’s hope, or discourage this child’s dreams.

Help me, dear God, to help this precious child become all You mean him to be.

Let Your grace and love fall on him like gentle breezes and give him inner strength and peace and patience for the journey ahead.

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Or ice day, as the case may be.  Where I live, we get very little snow, but a ton of ice.  The effect is the same, though–5 people stuck in the same house together for 72 hours or more.  Usually we consider it a nice, roomy house, but on these days, it starts to feel a bit crowded.  

So, let’s talk about what to do to keep from going crazy on snow days. 

First of all, take a deep breath and get a grip on your patience.  You’re just going to have to accept that your day is going to be different, and much more kid-centered, than you had planned.  This can be a problem if you work from home (I can’t even count how many times today I told my kids, “Just because you’re home doesn’t mean that Daddy and I don’t have to work.”).  But kids aren’t entirely unreasonable.  If they’re old enough, make it clear when you need them to be independent and when you can give them attention.  You may have to reinforce it a few times, but they’ll usually work with you.

Here are some other ways to pass the time in a positive way.  Don’t forget that any of these can be spaced throughout the day or traded off (Dad plays board games while Mom reads, Mom bakes cookies while Dad uses computer).

• Trilogies.  Star Wars, Back to the Future, Shrek, Indiana Jones… at least 3, sometimes 4 or even 6 movies.  Watch one in the morning, one after lunch, and one after dinner.   This way they don’t veg in front of the TV all day, but it can still be fun to watch the whole series.  You can use the in-between time to work while they play, draw, or do chores.  Yes, you heard me, I said…
• Chores.  You might need to supervise, but why shouldn’t they fold socks, vacuum, or put away the dishes?  Not all day, of course, because snow days are supposed to be fun, but after a movie or an activity is a good time to say, “Now before we do anything else, I need everyone to bring me the sheets off their beds.”
• Board games.  Admit it; you have a bunch of games, but you hardly ever play them as a family.  Snow days are tailor made for some good family game time.  Younger kids can team up with parents or older siblings if they can’t play on their own.  And like I said above, one parent can play best 2-out-of-3 in Candyland while the other parent takes a break or gets some work done. 
• Work out tapes.  Our kids are usually in better shape than we are, but that’s because they’re used to being active.  If they are stuck inside the house all day, all that energy is going to be diverted to fighting with siblings or bugging you.  Work some of it out with them by doing an aerobics tape together.  Another way to fit in some activity is to put on a CD and dance around the living room for several songs.  But it’s no fun for them unless you get up and get moving with them.
• Baking.  Even little kids can pour a cup of flour in a bowl, and they take such pride in eating what they’ve helped make.  And then when they start whining that they’re hungry, you have something to give them!
• Reading out loud.  Give them coloring or drawing materials and start a chapter book.  You can do several chapters throughout the day, or just do a few at night.  The sitting and listeing involved helps keep everyone calm, and it has also been known to divert arguments.  The drawing during a story helps them process what they’re hearing and tap into their creative side.

Snow days don’t have to be crazy-making.  With a little patience and a good attitude, they can be some of your family’s best memories.

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