Parenting Children

There are so many things to think about and discuss with your spouse when you are pregant and once the baby comes home. One of the easiest things for E and I to agree on was the twin’s eating. We knew we would offer the best foods possible to the babies and plenty of variety! We didn’t want chicken nugget and french fry kids, you know they type, that is their only order no matter where they are eating.
I read that food preferences are established early and that eating is a learning process, if kids are given mainly sweets that will be their taste preference instead of trying new things. It seems to be true in this house my kids will want fruit over french fries any day and they prefer guacamole and hummus to chicken nuggets and hamburgers.

The stats are scary too, 25-30 percent of kids 9 too 24 months did not eat any fruit and 20-25 percent did not eat any vegetables. The most common vegetable eaten by toddlers? French fries.
That shouldn’t be so shocking considering the childhood obesity epidemic.
What can you do to build your child’s healthy eating habits? Here are some tips:

Give the baby grains at six months. Sure he may be weirded out by the texture at first, but I bet he will grow to like it.
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They say the most accurate way to take a baby’s temperature is rectally. I could never get up the nerve to do it with my twins and the one time I did, I did it wrong. I didn’t put it in far enough or for enough time. From then on, I always used a temperal thermometer. Now I know how to do it and have instructions for the new parents who are as lost as I was.

-Clean the end of the thermometer with rubbing alcohol or soap and water

-Put a small amount of lubricant like vaseline on the end of the thermometer

-Place your baby on his stomach on a hard surface like a changing table and hold her steady by placing your hand on her lower back.

-With your other hand, gently slide the thermometer 1/2 to 1 inch into his bottom. Never force it in!

-Hold it in place for one minute or until the thermometer beeps.

-Clean the thermometer
(Normal rectal temperature is 100.2 degrees Fahrenheit or less)

You should take your baby’s temperature if:
-baby is especially irritable
-baby’s skin is hot
-baby’s complexion is either very pale or flushed
-baby’s breathing is unusually fast, slow or especially noisy
-baby has a runny nose, is sneezing or coughing
-baby rubs his/her ear or rolls head and screams sharply

Also, remember that overdressing, or too hot of an environment can cause a high temperature. If the baby is overdressed, remove some clothing and retake the temperature in 30 minutes.

While I was in the hospital they monitored the baby for signs of distress. They did various non stress tests and one sonogram to make sure the baby was handling the stress of my illness and developing appropriately. During one of these tests the nurse told me I had had two contractions and asked if I had felt them. I had not. Honestly, I have no idea what a contraction feels like since I didn’t have any with my first pregnancy, that I knew of. It got me wondering what they really felt like and have me asking any and every mom I come in contact with for their experience. I want to know in case I do go into early labor, something I hope not to do.

Premature births are babies delivered before 37 weeks and they are on the rise in the Untied States. Being born too early puts the baby at risk for life long health problems. There are signs for early labor and ways to reduce your risk:

-Get prenatal care as soon as you think you are pregnant

-Reduce any stress you can

-Do not smoke, drink or do drugs.

If you have any of these signs of premature labor call your doctor right away:

Contractions every 10 minutes
leaking fluid
pelvic pressure
low and dull backache

Of course if you have any concerns or questions call your doctor and if you need more information on premature births, visit the march of dimes web site.

When I found out I was having boy/girl twins I was so excited. Not only did I get to buy baseball mitts, overalls and cars but I got to buy pretty hair bows, dolls and jewelry. My daughter has jewelry, but no earrings yet because I was too chicken to get her ears pierced as a baby.
There are many reasons parents decide to have their daughter’s ears pierced. There are family traditions, cultural traditions, or for gender identity.
Ear piercing a baby has always been the subject of a controversy. Should you pierce their ears when they are young so they don’t remember the pain? Or should your child make their own decision when they get older?

My friend who has a one year old daughter decided to pierce her baby’s ears when she was just five months old. “I wanted to make sure everyone knew she was a girl, so I really did it for gender recognition” she said. Her pediatrician was fully on board with piercing anytime after the baby reached three months old and she did it safely in his office.
Of course there are health and safety concerns that you should consider with ear piercing:

Infection: This is the most common problem with any piercing. Make sure that the equipment being used is sterile, that the posts are clean and new, that the posts are 14K gold or hypo-allergenic stainless steel, and that the earrings are not too tight onto the earlobe. It is important to clean the ear with rubbing alcohol daily to prevent infection.

Choking: Of course earrings are not permanent so they can become loose and even fall out. Anything this small can pose a choking hazard to a baby. Make sure the earrings you get have a special baby proof backing that is very hard to remove easily.

Injury: You don’t want your baby pulling on the earring or ear and hurting herself. Make sure you only use stud earring until your child is much older, hoops are too easily entangled in clothing or hair and easy to pull on.

This is a decision that is one that should be made by both parents. Many feel that doing it early in life is easier for the child. We are going to let our daughter decide when she is ready to get her ears pierced. We will all go and celebrate with her as a family, like I did with my parents. I am excited to share this developmental milestone with her and to add to her jewelry collection for her “big girl ears”!

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My kids are very lucky and have no known food allergies. My husband’s father is allergic to seafood so we waited until our kids were three to introduce fish and they have never had a reaction. Since I have been pregnant I have eaten a ton of candy, which is what happens when you gestate through Halloween. Most of that candy had nuts in them which I never thought about until one day when it realized to me that maybe me eating all of those nuts may give my unborn baby a nut allergy. It wasn’t something my doctor told me to stay away from, but I remember that advice from other moms.

According to a new guidance report for pediatricians, in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics, I have nothing to be scared of. The only sure fire way to prevent allergies, food allergies and wheezing is to breastfeed your children. The report says:
-There is no convincing evidence that women who avoid peanuts or other foods during pregnancy or breast-feeding lower their child’s risk of allergies.
-For infants with a family history of allergies, breast-feeding for at least four months can lessen the risk of rashes and allergy to cow’s milk.
-There is some evidence for feeding hypoallergenic formulas to susceptible babies if they are not solely breast-fed.

Surprisingly to me, they say there is no convincing evidence that delaying the introduction of foods such as eggs, fish or peanut butter to children prevents allergies. They also state that infants should not get solid food before 4 to 6 months of age, just like pediatricians tell us.

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It seems like everyone I know is sick. If my friends are not sick then their kids are. Colds and viruses are so common this time of year, but it is hard to know what is just a cold and what is more and needs medical attention. Today we will talk about everything you need to know about colds and sniffles.

About 100 different viruses cause infections that lead to the common cold. Colds usually come on gradually, starting with a runny nose or a scratchy throat. Most kids do fine with a common cold but require a little more TLC. Remind them to wash their hands often, keep them hydrated (if they don’t want to drink, try ice pops, juice or soup) and use the nasal aspirator if necessary. Having a humidifier and/or a vaporizer in a child’s room is great for winter too.
If your child has a fever, Call the doctor.

The Flu season is usually from October to April. The main difference between the flu and a cold is a high fever. Babies and kids with the flu are very irritable can have diarrhea and usually don’t want anything to eat. I would treat the flu the same as if your child has a cold but call the pediatrician if your has has a high fever, has asthma or they have any problems breathing.

Croup usually appears in winter and spring. It usually comes on suddenly and the croup’s signature barking cough (like a seal’s bark) is very scary for new parents. Use a humidifier in your child’s room every day and night. Steam will help the cough and sitting with the child while the shower runs very hot will help her cough. Also bundling the baby and going outside in the cold is been known to help. if the cough seems to last for more then a couple of days or your child has a fever call the doctor.

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This week New Jersey government voted on a bill to require all children to be vaccinated with the flu vaccine. The bill was approved by the Public Health Council but still needs to be approved by the State Health Commissioner. NJ would be the first state to make this vaccine mandatory. What makes this bill so infuriating to me is that these vaccines contain formaldehyde and 25 micrograms of thimersol (mercury) per dose! The vaccinating of even this small amount of mercury repeatedly year after year from multiple vaccines can cause brain damage.
What happens when there is a flu vaccine “shortage” like they have every year and you can’t get the vaccine for your children? Do they not get enrolled into school?

Now Merck has voluntarily recalled about 1.2 million doses of its Hib (Haemophilus influenzae Type B) vaccines because they may not have been fully sterilized. During testing, Merck found certain bacteria in their vaccine manufacturing equipment, but not in the vaccine themselves. The Hib vaccine is recommended for all children under 5 and is usually given in a three-shot series, starting at 2 months old.

Here is a quote from Dr. Furhman, from the Eat to Live book on these mandatory vaccines that are popping up:
“It seems that lawmakers do not understand that freedom should include freedom from forced medications for ourselves and our children. The fact that we grant religions the right to do anything, but if not under a religious umbrella, those with strong science-based, philosophical-based or strong-personal belief get no such rights, I think this is unconscionable”

Even if you support all vaccines for children, you have to be concerned about the amount of vaccines that are to be administered to children. I would love to hear from you, what do you think about the safety and amount of vaccines required for our children?

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All babies crawl, walk and talk at a different age. There is no exact age for any developmental delays in kids. You may be concerned if your child is consistently behind other children hitting these marks. It is important to keep in mind that for each milestone, there is a range of ages during which a child will normally meet it. If at any point your baby seems to be losing skills, talk to your doctor. If you are worried about your child’s developmental delays, contact your pediatrician who may send you to a developmental specialist.
Here is a guideline for some milestones you can look for in your child:

By 3 months: Your baby should begin to develop a smile, and will smile at the sound of your voice, watch faces intently, and make noises.
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Any parent knows that kids songs, are usually just for kids. I know I want to poke my ears out hearing “Cinderella” sing some day my prince will come or some high pitched kid singing pop goes the weasel, over and over again. The same goes for lullabies.
We would play classical piano music instead of traditional lullabies for our kids, because if we had to listen to it, we at least wanted to enjoy it! I guess you can say we are music snobs, but how much can you take?

Rockabye Baby! saved our day. Rockabye Baby is not traditional lullabies, but rock classics that YOU love that are transformed into beautiful instrumental lullabies. Everyone from The Rolling Stones to Metallica to Coldplay are reconstructed into lullabies using instruments like the glockenspiel, vibraphone, mellotron, harp and bells.
Yeah, I don’t know what they are either, but it sounds amazing.

The kind people of Rockabye Baby sent us a few CDs to check out and we were instantly in love. My husband sings Pink Floyd songs to our kids every night, and he loved the Pink Floyd cd more then my kids did. I even caught him bringing it in his car to listen to while at work.
The Nirvana cd turned all of my favorite Nirvana songs into music for little ears. They are beautiful, calming music that would be perfect for any baby and the parents that love them.

Do you want one of these cds for your very own? You are in luck, I have two Baby Rock Christmas cds to give away. Filled with rock classics like 2000 Miles and Do They Know It’s Christmas? I am sure you will love it so much you won’t just listen to it at Christmas time.
To enter to win one of these cds simply leave me a comment on this post!
Deadline for this contest is midnight November 23. Good Luck!

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I am on the fence about vaccinations. I have written about them before and although I do vaccinate my children, I do it on my own schedule and I always have. I wish I lived in a state that let me pick which vaccinations to omit, but New Jersey is a all or nothing state like twenty seven others that only let you waive vaccinations if your religion dictates so.
My children get ONE vaccination at a time and I will delay some vaccinations. I finally found a pediatrician that not only supports me in doing so, but does not lecture me on the “safety” of vaccinations and hand me a piece of paper from the AMA.

I, just like any other parent, want to do what is right and healthy of my children. If you give them 4 shots in a single office visit, if that child has a reaction to the vaccines, how will you know which one gave her the reaction or which she is allergic to? That alone is enough reason to give one vaccine per visit.

I have read many books and web sites that are pro and anti-vaccine. I find some of it very important, and some just confuse me more.
The single best book, in my opinion, out there today that is about vaccines just came on the market. It is called The Vaccine Book by R. Sears. It is neither a pro or anti vaccination book. it simply tells you about each vaccine that your child gets, what is in them, what the possible side effects are and how to treat them. It allows you to make your own informed decision about these drugs we are putting into our own and your children’s bodies. It is an open minded book that I will recommend to any parent.

Have you read this book, if so waht do you think about it? Do you read about the vaccines that are given to your children or do you trust your doctor enough to go on their schedule?

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If you are a parent then by now I am sure you heard of the dangers of plastics in baby bottles, sippy cups and everything else. What parents don’t want their children exposed to is bisphenol-A, a plastic softener used in the production of polycarbonate plastic very commonly used in baby bottles and cups. I am also trying to purge my drawers of plastic food containers and replace them with glass ones since I am not aware of any bisphenol-A free ones yet.
You can find out why this chemical is so terrible for you, or your unborn baby or your children here.
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Breastfeeding is normal and natural. Breastfeeding in public is not disgusting or abnormal, it is necessary and natural.

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Regular readers will know we moved to our town when I came home from the hospital with my twins. My husband had been here for a couple of weeks getting and setting up an apartment, but this was a new town for us. We didn’t know anyone and our closest friends and relatives were an hour away. Needless to say, my husband and I went out on “dates” very infrequently and we did not hire a babysitter until we found a teenager girl in our neighborhood we could trust.

Finding a caregiver for your child, pet or family members just got a lot easier. Care.com is a web site that lets you browse through listings of caregivers in your area. If you are looking for a nanny, a elderly caregiver, a pet sitter or a tutor you will find it on this site. It allows you to look at their qualifications for things like are they trained in CPR, if they have experience with multiples (perfect for me)if they would be willing to do light housekeeping and if they have a valid drivers license. They have written personal statements and video interviews.

Now that my teenage babysitter is often very busy with her personal life and is hard to get, I will be using this site to find someone reliable in my area. I also will find someone to care for my cats when we go on vacations. This is a terrific resource for all families, I know you could use it couldn’t you?

A big thanks to Care.com because they are offering a free three month membership to readers of parentingourchildren.com! Go here to sign up.

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Last week I wrote about how medicines for children under 2 may not only not be helpful but can be deadly. Although the makers of these medicines insist they are not harmful if used as directed they are voluntarily withdrawing products sold for infants, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association said Thursday.

If you pick up any over the counter medicine, on the product under recommended doses it will say “for children under 2 consult a doctor”. In some cases parents are not doing so and children have been affected.
Instead of giving children medicine you can use a vaporizer, saline nasal drops, and make sure your child is well hydrated.

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I have some news to share with you guys, I am pregnant. I am due with our third baby March 2008. I was much more sick and tired this time around so I have had some issues, but otherwise I am feeling fine now. I am happy to share with you all the things that are going on with me, my body and my family while getting ready for this new arrival.

Now that I am in my second trimester and feeling better, I am getting excited about this pregnancy. We are not going to find out the sex of this baby at my upcoming ultrasound, so I am having some fun online. I have writtten before on some sites to have fun on and I have recently found some more. Check out this site to track your growing belly. I know you see it growing before your eyes but it is fun to see it from a different perspective.
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