Healthy Baby

Teething is a term I use to describe when teeth are on the move in the gums. Some mothers think it means that teeth are up and visible, not in my definition anyway. We tend to blame teething bouts for a lot of unsettled behaviour which may not always be the case, but for some parents it is a great relief that they can blame something!  Let's talk about what happens when your bub teeths.

I am often asked when can solids begin?  Or, when can a baby drink from an open cup?  So for your reading pleasure, here are my recommendations for solids, finger foods and open cup drinking.

 Truth be told, life after the birth of your baby is inevitably different.  Priorities change and parents find themselves changing to accommodate these different needs. Obviously the baby has needs that need to be met, but somewhere along the track people forget/ignore that parents also need their needs met.  Let me talk about the husband-wife relationship post birth.

I remember well Christmas day when my children were little: the giving and receiving of gifts, having family and friends over to share the fun.  The incredible amount of food and trying very hard to stay awake after lunch!

I loved watching each child unwrapped their gifts.  The look of surprise, happiness and the eagerness to play with their gifts. The gift for a one year old was very simple, a box of cellophane paper with different colours and the box big enough to play with too, loading and emptying it.

Encouragement verse Praise.  How are they different?, and Why you need to know the difference?

Out of habit parents will over praise a child.  They will praise for every little action they perform; eating, smiling, walking, playing etc etc. I believe praise can be waaaaayy over done.  Secondly, we need to shift the focus of our praise from the child to the child's behaviour. Change 'good girl/boy' to 'well done'. 

For families with twins, the issue of sleep management is by far the most frequent problem. Rarely is it an issue for the babies, most twins cope well when either twin wakes and cries.  It is the parents who are anxious, particularly the mother. This week I'll talk about what to do if one bub wakes, while the other remains asleep.

It is not built into children to behave 'well' or be considerate of others, it is learned.  Accept it because it is how we are and most of us will spend a lifetime trying not to let our ego take over. HOW we manage our behaviour is the key. In this article I'm going to discuss common drives of misbehaviour in little-ones.  Also, disciple and punishment.