Why you Should Read to your Baby

Do you read to your baby? The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines that recommend that parents read to their newborn infants. Some parents may not be doing that because it never occurred to them that babies benefit from being read to. There are some very good reasons for parents to read to their babies and young children! The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that parents who read to their children nurture not only their children’s literary skills, but also much more. They have put together some easy to read information that points out the benefits that come … Continue reading →

Porta Cribs: A Good Investment

Traveling with a baby can be difficult at times, especially when it is time for baby to nap or go to sleep for the night. One particularly handy piece of baby equipment is a porta crib. I never had one with my child, but I wish that I had. Things would have been a lot simpler if I did. A porta crib is great for traveling. You can easily pack up the porta crib, as it is lightweight. It folds easily and can be tucked away when not in use. If you take your baby to a babysitter’s often, the … Continue reading →

Chubby Babies: Cute or Dangerous?

My daughter was a chunk as a baby. And by chunk, I mean move over Butterball, there’s a new big bird in town. Just look at her: (Count the rolls: My daughter at 6 months.) Much of her girth can be attributed to the fact that during the first six months of her life she was connected to my breasts 24/7. (She was connected 18/7 until she was about 16 months old.) My little plumpy was an eating machine… and she had the figure to prove it. At six months she was in the 95th percentile for weight. (I thought … Continue reading →

Early Day Care Will Not Reduce Illness Later

One of the reasons many parents say that they put their children into daycare or early preschool is so the kids will be exposed to more germs and therefore get their illnesses over with before they reach school age, when absence from school may have more of an impact. I knew a mom once who firmly believed in the idea of exposing her kids early to illnesses. In fact, she ran a day care, and if a child came in sick, she would make sure that her children were playing with that child and sharing toys, in order to increase … Continue reading →

Do All of Your Children’s Names Begin With the Same Letter?

The Duggar family didn’t start the same first letter name trend, but they’ve certainly perfected it like no other. For the past two decades, Michelle and Jim-Bob Duggar have paid homage to the 10th letter of the alphabet by giving each of their 18 children names that begin with J. There’s Joshua, John-David, Jana, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jeremiah, Jedidiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer and 8-month-old Jordyn-Grace. Kind of puts the Carter, Cole and Cailin combo to shame. It’s not unusual for parents with more than one child to have their kids share the first letter … Continue reading →

Parents and Public Restroom Problems

Do you take your young son to the ladies’ room when he has to tinkle? Does your husband take your young daughter to the men’s room when she has to go “NOW! Daddy!” It’s a common problem among parents: knowing when a child is old enough to use gender-appropriate public restrooms. The family bathroom, which offers extra unisexual space for parents and their children, is not found in every store and restaurant. Meaning, at some point, moms and dads have to decide if it is wiser to bring their son into the ladies’ room or their daughter into a men’s … Continue reading →

A Mother’s View from the Pool: Breastfeeding by the Water

It’s that time of the year again… time for a new season of “A Mother’s View from the Pool.” Last year I kvetched about kids wearing Crocs in the pool, babies wearing teeny-weeny bikinis, and parents, who use lifeguards as their personal babysitters, while they chat on their cellphones, read their rag mags, and work on their tans. This year we are fortunate not to have to make the daily drive to our local city pool. By a rare stroke of luck the fees we pay to live around here were actually used to fund something worthwhile (besides snow removal): … Continue reading →

Baby Names–How Many is Too Many?

Once upon a time parents gave their children a first, middle and last name and called it a day. These days kids are lucky if they get off with monikers that take less a day to pronounce. Case in point: the latest round of celebrity babies born to some of Hollywood’s biggest names. Last week acting duo Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell welcomed fraternal twin daughters into the world. The bitty babies were bestowed the following gigantic names: Dolly Rebecca Rose O’Connell and Charlie Tamara Tulip O’Connell. But, the O’Connell twins are not the only Tinseltown tots embracing the four-name … Continue reading →

The Great Stroller Debate—-Preschool Edition

A couple of years ago I lamented about toddlers and strollers. Traveling with my then fickle 2-year-old was a challenge because I was constantly debating whether or not I should bring the stroller with us. It was always a toss-up as to whether she would ride in it or spend the day running circles around it. I thought about that blog the other day when I read a post by another blogging mom railing on Gwyneth Paltrow. Said blogging mom wrote an open letter to Paltrow chastising her for allowing her 4-year-old daughter Apple to ride in a stroller while … Continue reading →

What To Do If Your Child Is Choking

I recently discussed potential choking hazards and how parents can prevent their child from choking by feeding their child age-appropriate foods and removing potentially dangerous non-food items. But no matter how vigilant you are there is always the potential for your child to choke. Recently a waiter, who is currently training to be a firefighter, saved the life of a young girl who was choking on a crayon at the restaurant where he worked. The mother started panicking and screaming that her child was choking. Matt Miller ran over and stuck his finger in the child’s mouth and used a … Continue reading →