Your baby is developing from day one and it’s one of the most fulfilling aspects of parenthood to watch them grow and learn. You’ll become fascinated by their skills and amused by how they try to copy you. In 12 months, they’ll change from a tiny helpless newborn into a sturdy and sociable toddler who very much has a mind of their own. Your role as parents is crucial in your baby’s development: you are their first teacher and friend and by being aware of the stages of development you can encourage certain skills at certain times.
It’s important, however, to remember that your baby’s physical and mental development is individual to them, so never push them beyond their capabilities. Your baby mainly learns through play: they’ll love it if you’re their playmate and although you should show them how things work, it’s essential to their sense of self and independence that they find out how to do things for themselves. They also learn by watching others, so encourage their social skills; getting to know other people is crucial to their development.
PREPARING
Pregnancy is an exciting time for you both, but your excitement can also be tinged with apprehension, uncertainty, and – if the pregnancy is a surprise – even dismay. Each person’s reaction to the knowledge that he or she is going to become a parent is different, but luckily nature has made sure that there is plenty of time to get used to the idea during the 40+ weeks from conception to birth. Pregnancy is not an illness, but it does put a lot of strain on a woman’s body. So if you’re planning to become parents it makes sense to think abut fitness well before you conceive and to look after yourself during the pregnancy. Once the pregnancy is confirmed you will both feel happier if you follow its progress by attending antenatal checks and finding out as much as possible about how your baby develops in the womb. It will help you both to understand the minor discomforts and emotional ups and downs that a pregnant woman sometimes feels, and to face up to the slight possibility of something unexpected happening.
READ MORE
Obviously, child safety is paramount for all parents of small children and this has to include car safety. When a child reaches the age of three or four, they may be ready to graduate from car baby seat use, to a booster cushion. However, many parents are unaware that simply placing them in a seat belt is not enough. In order to ensure safety and avoid possible internal injury or even death, many experts agree that booster car seats may be necessary for children up to the age of nine! It really comes down to the size of the child so there are no hard and fast rules on age limits, some children may be ready for a booster seat or cushion by age 3 other would be at risk unless placed in a proper baby car seat before age 5!
It isn’t until people have children of their own that they realize how important car safety is for children. Baby car seats became a prime concern for new parents today but this has not always been the case, you do not have to go back many years to remember kids riding around in the front seats of cars in their parents laps! Most newbie parents today I’m sure, are looking for the best, safest car seat they can find.
READ MORE
What is hypoallergenic formula milk
Whether or not a formula milk is hypoallergenic – i.e. will not cause symptoms of allergic reaction – is determined by the proteins contained in the formula, not the sugar or carbohydrate. Misconceptions are common about what is and what is not hypoallergenic. No formula is NON-allergenic; the specialty formulas just have degrees of lesser stimulation of the allergic response. According to the Food standards agency “If your baby is diagnosed with a cows’ milk allergy, your GP might prescribe hydrolysed milk formula for her. You shouldn’t give her partially hydrolysed formula or soya formula without consulting your GP, because babies with cows’ milk allergy might react to these types of formula.”
READ MORE
When it comes to loss of appetite and bottle refusing there are three main types of feeding and eating problems that parents encounter:
Poor appetite.
Faddy eating.
Poor mealtime behaviour.
Refusing to eat
It is possible that children refusing to eat can be caused by a psychological problem, especially if you can think of a specific event that may have triggered it, like moving home, change in daycare, or death of a close family member, change of access due to divorce/seperation etc. But you should really only consider psychological causes this possible physical causes have been eliminated by your GP. Remember – weight loss is never normal in a young child, and this should ALWAYS be investigated.
READ MORE