Traveling with your toddler

by Deb Donovan

Toddlers can be very squirmy. As every parent know, they hate to sit in one place for too long a period of time, they get bored easily, and they want to be the boss! It is no surprise that so many small children dislike staying in their car seats.

It is extremely important that your child be securely fastened in the proper size car seat or booster seat each time he takes a ride in the car. How can you make his ride (and yours) more pleasant? By making a few changes you can help to keep those restless little ones safely belted in their seats and make everyone's trip more enjoyable.

• Children love to make-believe! Act out a practice run at home, using their favorite toy or stuffed animal. You can belt them into their own car seat and take them off for a pretend drive to the grocery store. Talking about safety rules as you play, even with the youngest children, will reinforce the importance of buckling-up.
• Provide each child with his own backpack to carry some special items to be used only in the car. Some items you might want to include are a tape player and tapes, a picture book and a special toy that is quiet and not annoying to the driver or other passengers.
• Carry (non-messy) drinks and snacks, such as juice boxes, rice cakes, bagels, cereal, granola bars and pretzels.
• Keep a supply of "emergency" items in the car. Stock with wet wipes, diapers, flashlight, band-aids, bottled water, lightweight blanket, etc.
• Place a vinyl tablecloth or a large towel over the back seat to protect your car from spills and crumbs. Then you will be able to relax and not worry about the mess the kids are making.
• For long trips, travel late at night or very early in the morning to take advantage of the time your child is normally sleeping. Stop every two hours or so and let your kids get out of the car and run around. Play areas are great for blowing off some steam! Stop at family-friendly restaurants.
• Give your children positive praise to help reinforce their good behavior in the car.

According to Dr. Ricardo Martinez, a board-certified emergency physician and administrator of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration,

"Don't gamble with your child's life, regardless of whether the vehicle has an air bag or not. Make it a hard and fast family rule that the vehicle doesn't move unless all occupants are belted."

article source :

Nutritional guidelines for babies part 2

Finger Foods for Balanced Nutrition

The Bread and Cereal Group: teething biscuits, dry, unsweetened cereal without nuts, honey or dried fruit, bagel (stale ones make good teething rings), toast, graham crackers, whole grain crackers, pasta, mini sandwiches filled with cottage cheese and grated apple

Fruits and Vegetables: banana slices, ripe papaya sticks, avocado slices, soft cooked apple wedges, soft cooked sweet potato sticks, orange sections with membrane removed

Protein Food: chopped cooked egg yolk, shredded cheese pressed into a ball for easy pick up, cubes of soft cheese, tofu sticks, pieces of tender cooked flaked fish, scrambled egg

Dairy foods: grated cheese, cubes of soft cheese, lumps of cottage cheese

Nutrient requirements, seven to twelve months

• Protein -- 14 grams

• Iron -- 10 milligrams

• Calcium -- 600 milligrams

• Vitamin A -- 375 RE

• Vitamin C -- 35 milligrams

Baby's Daily Feeding Guide

Birth to between four and six months

• Breastmilk or formula (breastmilk on demand; 16-32 oz. formula until four months, 24 - 36 oz. formula four to six months)

Four to six months (if solids are started)

• Breastmilk or formula (breastmilk on demand; 24 - 36 oz. formula)

• Iron-fortified rice cereal two times a day

• Vitamin C- and A-rich strained fruits or veggies

Six to nine months

• Breastmilk or formula (breastmilk on demand; 24 - 32 oz. formula)

• Iron-fortified baby cereal, 1/2 cup a day

• Soft mashed, ripe or soft-cooked fruits or veggies

• Strained meats and combination dinners, tofu (if not sensitive to soy) Ten to twelve months

• Breastmilk or formula (breastmilk on demand; 16 - 24 oz. formula)

• In addition to cereal, add toast, bagels, crackers, dry cereal, whole grain bread, pasta, rice, cooked grains, muffins (if not sensitive to wheat)

• Fresh, peeled ripe, soft-cooked fruits and veggies

• Add egg yolk, yogurt and soft-cooked beans

On the matter of how much: Each baby is different so leave the decision of how much to eat upto them. Because only they know when they are hungry and when they are full, and because they can't communicate that too clearly, provide a good variety of wholesome food on a regular basis and then let them decide how much they will eat. Over the course of the day they will eat what they need, although their intake from one meal to the next may vary dramatically. At the minimum a one year old should be getting the following to meet those nutrient needs listed earlier: two cups of breastmilk, formula or milk (full fat), four servings of one to two tablespoons each of fruits and vegetables (one with vitamin C and one with A), two servings of meat or equivalent of one to two tablespoons each, four servings of breads or cereals, each about 1/4 an adult serving, and one must be an iron fortified cereal.

On the matter of fat: Although lowfat diets are recommended for adults, the American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Heart Association Nutrition Committee and The National Cholesterol Education Program agree that fat and cholesterol should not be restricted in the diets of children from birth to two. Dietary fat supplies concentrated energy, provides the essential fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic (necessary for proper neurologic development) and is a carrier of fat soluble vitamins. Infants have a difficult time eating enough lowfat foods to meet their caloric needs because their stomachs are so small.

article source : parenting.ivillage.com