Fussing in Public: How to Calm an Upset Infant
By Eirian Hallinan
For new parents, there is a special kind of nervousness around the idea of taking the baby into public. On one hand, sometimes you just have to go out-for doctor’s appointments, especially-and of course most parents do not want to keep their infants cooped up indoors all the time. On the other hand, young babies can be unpredictable in their moods, and the last thing you want is to have your baby explode in a storm of fussiness when you are in the middle of a public place. It is embarrassing, and you get dirty looks, and sometimes nasty comments, from other people. Most of all, it is just stressful.
Posted in Activities, Childproofing, Development, Emotional - Social, Moms, Nanny, Newborns, Social Life | 
Leave a commentFlying With an Infant: How to Avoid Disaster
By Marc Courtiol
Having a newborn can be stressful enough without leaving the house, so it is easy to understand why so many new parents are reluctant to travel. Babies need constant care, they are unpredictable, and their crying is sometimes difficult to stop. All of these things work against travel, which requires as much predictability as possible. The good news is that many infants fall right to sleep as soon as the plane starts moving, but you just cannot know beforehand. Plus, nobody wants to be those poor parents stuck on an airplane with a baby who refuses to be quiet. That is no one’s idea of a fun vacation.
Baby’s First Week: What to Expect
By Lisa Pecos
For first-time parents, the first week with a new baby is one of the most exciting, nerve-wracking, and thrilling times in your life. After months of planning and preparing for this moment, not to mention imagining and desiring for it to come, the simple act of walking through your front door with your baby for the first time can seem downright surreal. It is a magical time for many parents, but it also comes with a set of challenges that must be quickly overcome. And while the initial excitement is worth savoring, after a few days you will have to settle into the long-term, routine-driven life of parenting.
Posted in Care, Dads, Development, Emotional - Social, Moms, Newborns, Social Life | Leave a commentHow Does Having a Baby Change Your Life?
For new parents, no two situations are alike. Everyone has their own habits, their own hobbies, and their own experiences. So if you are about to welcome your first child into your life, only you can know how you are going to handle it. Some people have been preparing for years to become parents and are more or less ready, while others receive their first child with no more than a few months to prepare mentally, socially, and financially. Whatever your situation, there are ways to handle the new arrival so that your life and your family’s life become better. One thing is for sure, though: Life will change.
How Can You Help Your Toddler Talk?
Babies, even before they are born have an inbuilt curiosity and interest in human voices. They instinctively want to listen to and concentrate on sounds especially human voices. When you are thinking about how you can encourage your toddler to develop his speech remember this in-built instinct he naturally has.
Posted in Activities, Bonding, Development, Language Skills, Learning, Motor Skills, Physical, Social Life | Leave a commentEncouraging a Newborn’s Social Development
With all the things that newborn babies need, it is easy to forget that the first few months of life are a crucial stage in a child’s social and emotional development. As long as you and your partner are loving parents who give the baby everything he or she needs, you do not have to be overworried about socializing your baby. That aspect of parenting becomes much more important later on. However, there are things you can do right now to make your baby happy while laying a foundation for strong social skills in the future. Here are a few ideas.
Postpartum Depression: The Baby Blues Can Happen to Anyone
By Lisa Pecos
Pregnancy and the months following the birth of a baby can be emotionally turbulent times. For most women it is a time of joy and excitement, but it is not uncommon to feel some anxiety and fear. This comes from the basic fact that having a baby is a major life change, and change is always frightening. But for some new mothers, normal feelings of fear and anxiety can grow into something akin to clinical depression. This affliction, which is believed to affect between 5% and 25% of all new mothers, is known as postpartum depression.
Seven Methods for Stopping Tantrums
By Jamell Andrews
Tantrums are among the most difficult things that parents have to deal with. When a child is having a meltdown, it can be so frustrating that it may be tempting for the parent to have a meltdown as well. And if you ask anyone who has raised at least one child, they will likely tell you that dealing with tantrums can be an illogical and confounding challenge. It is not like dealing with an angry adult; kids handle their anger in completely different ways, and they rarely respond well to the types of things that we use to defuse tense situations involving grownups.
Disciplining your Toddler
By Jamell Andrews
For the majority of parents, finding effective ways of disciplining their toddler is incredibly difficult. Throughout a toddler’s development, he will naturally start to test the boundaries that you impose upon him. It is important to remember that establishing boundaries for your young child is extremely important, and he needs to know where these boundaries exist in order to abide by them.
Social Interaction with Other Babies
Generally, babies don’t want to play with other babies. If they play it is mostly with a parent. That is not to say that they should have no interaction with other babies and children. Babies and toddlers will learn how to do things by watching others do them. And having a certain amount of safe interaction with others helps them to be more social later on. Continue reading