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."

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3 Easy Steps to Kick-Start Potty Training For Your Baby

By: Gilian Low

This article sets out to provide you with 3 easy steps to begin potty train your baby. I came out with these steps based on my own personal experience in training my baby when it comes to helping my baby 'use the potty'.

It all started with my baby's peculiar way of passing motion. Since she was born, she had the habit of only passing motion once a day or once every two days. And you can imagine the amount of 'poo' in her diaper when she does her business.

As it was a really messy affair (not to mention the frequent staining of mattress), I was desperate for a quick solution. I shared with a friend who recommended her mother's way of potty training, that is to hold the baby over the potty and tell her to 'poo' into the potty on a regular basis. It is best to be done every day at a fixed time so as to regulate the bowel movement and for the baby to get used to the timing.

And this was exactly what my mother, my husband, and I did with our baby from as early as when she was just 2 weeks old. And our consistent effort paid off, from just 1-month plus old, my baby is able to urinate and 'poo' into the potty every time we hold her over the potty.

With this success, I like to provide you with 3 easy steps whereby you can also achieve the same result.

Step 1:

Of course, start off by purchasing a potty! J

Step 2:

Gauge roughly when your baby passes motion. Some babies do it after feeding; some do it in the morning etc.

Decide on a fixed time e.g. in the morning after bath, in the afternoon after feed, or in the evening before sleep based on when he/she does her business and when it is convenient for you.

Then consistently hold your baby over the potty at the appointed time. Remember to hold him/her back against your front body for support. Different people do it differently e.g. my mother does it sitting down on a stool while my husband does it standing over a table with the potty on the table.

However you choose to do it, just bear in mind your baby's safety and your own comfort.

Step 3:

Do not give up if you do not succeed at first try. The key is to keep doing it until your baby gets it. Some babies may learn it faster, some slower. It does not matter. As long as you are consistently doing it, you baby will get it eventually.

Just to share another success story. That day, my husband was holding our baby over the potty. At first, my husband didn't say anything or make any sound. Our baby looked at him and then he said 'Poo Poo, Baby'. Our baby then looked away and bent over slightly and started pushing, and out came the 'poo'. She just turned 4-month old that day.

Remember you can do this as early as when you baby is just 1-month old. However remember to hold him/her tightly and safely that he/she does not fall over.

Gillian Low, first-time parent who is interested in early childhood stimulation and education. So far, she has succeeded in training her 3-month old baby girl to sleep on her own. Not only is her baby girl able to sleep through the night at week-11, she is also 'potty trained' as early as 2-month old. Check out Gillian's blog, http://firstparents.blogspot.com/ for more details. Article Source: EzineArticles.com

How to prevent children from climbing out of the crib

By : Asaria Setemyr.

Simply put: Children climb. If they can find something to use for a boost up, they will, and they will do their best (and usually succeed) in getting onto/over whatever obstacale is in their way.

For newborns, having the crib mattress on its highest setting, and the railing as low as you feel is safe, helps lessen the strain on parents backs and makes those middle of the night feedings and diaper changes just a little bit easier. Once the baby starts sitting up however, it is time to do a bit of preventative modifications. When the child can start sitting up by himself, it is only a matter of time before he figures out how to pull himself up. Remove mobiles, toys and bumpers from the crib, set the mattress as low as possible and keep the railing on the highest setting.

Those measures will only work for so long though. As soon as the little prince or princess can figure out how to get their foot up on the rail, the climbing has begun. Don't buy the toddler tents. That is along the same lines as placing the baby in a cage and can diminish not only their inquisitive nature, but can also hinder their eagerness to try to figure new things out. (Such as how to get out of the crib, which involves climbing, which develops the child's leg and arm muscles.)If you're worried about them falling, but not ready to move them into a toddler bed, place a plush rug, or even a gym mat right beside the crib to cushion any falls. Make sure there are no loose threads or ties on the child's pajamas to prevent choking hazards when Houdini's going over the rails.

If your child is constantly climbing out of his/her crib, it is time to start looking into toddler beds. Transition the child by first placing just the mattress on the floor so they can get used to sleeping in something that doesn't have rails along all 4 sides. Look for a toddler bed that has good side rails and is sturdy enough to withstand the tortures that a young child will do to it. Take your child with you, let them help pick out the special "Big Kid" bed. Maybe buy them a new bed set to go along with it.

A baby gate placed in the door way to the child's room can help keep Junior where he's supposed to be until he gets the hang of being a big kid. But if he's mastered the crib climb, the gate climb is next, so be prepared.

Article Source : helium.com