Explaining The Types Of Baby Cribs

There are many choices available to you when choosing a baby crib. There are several types of baby cribs to pick from. Your particular décor preferences, budget and needs will help determine the type of baby crib that is best for you.

Standard

Standard baby cribs are those that you see most often. These are the typical baby crib. There are two types of standard cribs - the single drop side and the double drop side. The single drop side has one side that can be adjusted or dropped down to provide ease of getting to the child. In double drop side cribs both sides can be dropped down.

This may be helpful in a room where the crib is free-standing. In many cases the crib is placed with one side against the wall and therefore you may only need one side to be able to be dropped down.

Convertible

Convertible cribs start out as a baby crib and can later be converted into a toddler bed, daybed or full size bed. The convertible bed can be more expensive but it is often able to be used as the child grows. The head and foot ends may be used as a headboard and footboard with the addition of a simple kit which can be purchased where you bought your crib.

The convertible crib is a wonderful way to save the additional expense of purchasing larger sized furniture when needed. A disadvantage is that you may want to change the décor as the child gets older. To avoid that problem choose a wooden or metal crib that can go with many types of décor styles in the future.

Canopy

Canopy cribs have four posts at the corners to hold a canopy frame. You can then place canopy fabric onto the frame to form a canopy. Canopy cribs provide an elegant setting for the baby. They are also functional as you can provide a somewhat secure environment to protect the baby using the canopy as a partial enclosure. You can purchase pre-made canopy tops in specific designs or can make your own using the fabric of your choice.

Diligence should be used when providing a canopy crib for your infant. Excess fabric can be pulled by the child and may become a safety hazard. To ensure the safety of your baby always make sure that the canopy material and hardware are kept out of reach of the baby.

Round

Round cribs are a popular new option. Round cribs are comfortable for the baby because they can sleep in any position. They are also easily accessed by the parents. The round crib typically has a drop side. These can be very cute infant cribs. One drawback is finding affordable bedding to fit on the round mattress. This bedding is also not available in many patterns or colors. An option would be to sew your own bedding to make it more affordable.

There are other types of cribs but these are the most popular.


About the Author: Article written by Randi Reese, she offers a wide selection of convertible baby cribs and great pricing on sleigh baby cribs

Relate to Your Child With These Easy Tips

If you're part of the working world and also have children, there's a good chance you aren't satisfied with the time that you get to spend with them. Your heart may be in the right place, but hectic schedules can leave little time to stop what you're doing in order to talk to your kids and truly connect with them.

According to a recent survey, nearly one in four working dads feels that work is negatively impacting their relationship with their children. If you would like to get more in touch with your own son or daughter, there are easy ways to free up some parent-child bonding time. The following ideas should help ensure that the communication lines between parent and child stay open as often as possible.

* Share a hobby. From a good game of tennis to taking guitar lessons, sharing a hobby with your child will give you both a chance to do something you enjoy or learn something new, while catching up on one another's lives.

* Get involved in school. Make a point to join the parents' group at school and to meet all of your child's teachers and develop one-on-one relationships with them. Give your child an added pick-me-up at lunchtime with Lunch Mail, a miniature pop-open card that tucks into your child's lunch and contains heartfelt, inspirational or humorous messages inside. The entire line of Lunch Mail products may be purchased at www.live-inspired.com.

* Ask their opinion. With so much emphasis being placed on children respecting their elders' opinions, it will greatly please and flatter your child if you genuinely ask for their input on an issue.

* Schedule a family night. Take one night a week to spend time as a family. Nix the phone and TV and use this special night to connect with each other. Rotate which child chooses the activity and plans the meal for the evening. And whether you build a fort or play a board game, this is an inexpensive way to enjoy each other's company.

* Use the dinner hour wisely. More and more families are spending dinnertime doing their own thing, rather than talking to one another about the highs and lows of their day. Spend the majority of a full hour enjoying your child's company while eating a delicious meal.

(NewsUSA)

Dressing Your New Born Baby For The First Time

When you are pregnant the classes will focus on several main topics, pregnancy, labour, birth, feeding your baby, your babies sleep and how to hold your baby. But if you are not used to holding a new born, the idea of dressing them and getting their curled up arms and legs into clothes can seem daunting. It is always OK to ask your midwife for help, but here are a few guide lines to take some of the worry about hurting your baby out of dressing him or her.

Firstly don’t panic, babies look fragile, but they do not break easily. If your baby is hungry, feed them before dressing the baby, it is always easier to dress a calm baby. Newborns needs are simple, they need to be warm, fed and loved. Loved, well, that comes from inside and will grow all the time. Fed, we hope you will breast feed, but bottle feeding is a safe and acceptable way to feed you baby too. Warm – it doesn’t really matter too much what time of year your baby is being born, the clothes will be basically the same. Take simple clothes to the hospital, there will be plenty of time at home to put on all the pretty clothes and let your visitors see them.

You will probably dress you baby in a vest and a baby grow when at hospital. The easiest vests to put on a new born and the least fiddly for a new mum are the ones with envelope necks, and popper fastenings at the bottom. If you have never dressed a baby before, this is the easiest way to put it on. Unpopper the vest at the bottom, scrunch up the back and the front and open up the envelope neck – you now have a circular opening for the head and the rest of the vest pulled up. Place the baby on the vest so that the back of its head is in the circular opening and the back is under the neck. Now, hold onto the scrunched up front and with your fingers through the neck opening use one movement to pull the front of the vest over the baby’s head, now the whole vest is around the neck. Gently push the baby’s arms through the arm holes and roll the baby onto its side, pull down the back, roll it back onto its back, pull down the front. Popper up under the nappy and you are done. It may sound fiddly, but this is the best way as the baby does not get tangled in the clothes, and you never have to entirely lift the baby. Also as the baby starts to focus you will find that you can maintain eye contact when you are dressing him/her which will help to keep the baby calm. Then you just need to put a baby grow on top. This is simple, undo the baby grow and place it flat on the surface, place your baby on top and then gently push the arms and legs through and popper up the front. The easiest baby grows to put on are ones which popper all the way up the front and down both legs. If you can get hold of the baby grows with built in scratch mitts this will reduce the amount which you baby scratches his face in his sleep, and is far easier than trying to keep scratch mitts on a baby!

Finally when you leave the hospital you will need an outer layer, usually a baby hat made of soft cotton and a snuggle suit. When putting on the hat, put it under the head and then pull forward, a newborns neck is weak and trying to put it on from front to back is difficult. Put the snuggle suit on in exactly the same way as you would the baby grow.

Your little bundle is now dressed and ready to meet the world

About the Author: Jon Kelly is a published author who writes on many diverse subjects that includes advice on toddlers and babies. We hope to provide you with information you can rely on. To find out more please visit: http://www.greatbabysupplies.com

Make a Connection With Your Teen

Talking with teenagers about their health isn't always a parent's -; or a teen's -; favorite conversation. But parents have more influence on their teen's health than they think, according to researchers with the Prevention Research Centers (PRC) network.

"While some adolescents are very skillful in convincing us that we are no longer pertinent in their lives, we make the mistake of believing that," says Michael Resnick, Ph.D., an adolescent health researcher and director of the PRC at the University of Minnesota. "The research definitely contradicts that cultural stereotype."

Dr. Resnick has found that teenagers who feel they can talk to parents and other caring, competent adults are more likely than other teens to be protected from suicide, eating disorders, emotional distress, risky sexual behaviors and substance abuse.

Despite some appearances, most teens say they do want close relationships with their parents and care what they think.

"The parents sort of set the patterns," said Kristina Ann Jareno, 16, a high-school senior in Long Beach, Calif., who belongs to the youth advisory board of the PRC at the University of California at Los Angeles/RAND. She says she sees parents making decisions about nutrition and physical activity that affect her friends, such as choosing whether to emphasize sports, to drive children to activities and to purchase healthy foods.

Although friends, older siblings and older cousins are role models, Jareno said her parents are the reason she studies hard in school and stays away from negative peer pressure.

"My parents are the most influential people in my life," she said.

Mark Schuster, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UCLA/RAND PRC, provides the following tips to help parents discuss topics such as fitness, nutrition, sex and substance use with teens:

* Start talking about health when children are young, and keep the lines of communication open. Never tell a child he or she is too young to ask a question, but use age-appropriate answers.

* Instead of criticizing a teen all the time, notice your child doing something good, and offer a compliment.

* Ask questions that can open a conversation, such as "What do you think about that?" and "What's on your mind?"

* Let your teen know why you want to have the conversation with phrases like "I want to understand the things you're going through," and "There is a lot of misinformation out there."

* Listen without interrupting or jumping in with advice. Rephrase what your child says to be sure you understand what your child means, and let him or her know you are listening.

* Help your children learn to make decisions on their own. Let them come up with options for solutions, go through the options with them, and have them pick one that seems best. Then you can chime in with your thoughts.

* Teach your children assertiveness skills that will help them avoid unhealthy behaviors.

* Never underestimate a parent's power of example.

The PRC network comprises 33 academic research centers around the country, supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Eight of the centers focus primarily on adolescent health. For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/prc.

(NewsUSA)

Great Birthday Party Ideas For Kids

Everyone loves a great party, especially kids. Birthdays mark milestones in a child’s life and each one should be a memorable event. When it comes time to host your child’s birthday party, there are some fun and creative ways to make it a memorable event for everyone, especially the birthday boy or girl.

One of the first aspects to consider when it comes to hosting a birthday party is the age of those attending the party. For younger children, ranging from toddlers to five-year-olds, you will have to find activities and party favors that are age-appropriate. For older children, the choices can be a little more elaborate. Age also determines the length of time for your child’s party.

If your party patrons are young, you may want to inquire the help of their parents. This is especially true if your activities require adult supervision. When you send out invitations, let the parents know how long the party will be and how you need their help. Be sure to offer adult beverages and snacks at the party.

If the parents don’t have to stay, then tell them a time to pick up their child. Parties usually last around two or three hours depending on the age of the attendees. For younger kids, keep the party around an hour to two because they will usually get tired and disgruntled towards the end.

The next goal is to pick out a theme of some sort. Themes can be based upon action heroes, popular children’s movies, television programs or upon the type of activity you have at the party. Your decorations, snacks and the all-important birthday cake should coordinate with your theme too.

There are a slew of activities you can offer at your child’s birthday party. Kids enjoy painting or making items to take home, so you can use this as a basis for your ideas. Just remember to make the activity age-appropriate. It is also a good idea to offer smaller-scale activities for children to participate in as they arrive at the party. Hold the big activity after all the guests are present.

Looking for activity ideas? Here are a few to try:

- Autograph shoes. Have children bring a pair of plain canvas shoes or purchase the shoes if your guest list is small. Allow children to paint their names on them. Be sure to have an area prepared for this type of activity and buy paint that will come out of clothing.

- Build a dollhouse or castle. Use old cardboard boxes to construct a large-scale dollhouse or castle that kids can decorate and play in during the party. This activity may be better suited for outdoors or in a large banquet room.

- Creative flower pots. Purchase inexpensive clay flower pots at your local hardware store and let the children design their own pot. You can even supply seeds so the kids can plant them in their new creation.

- Outdoor Obstacle Courses. This is great for older kids and you can hold races with prizes for those who participate.


Learn more about the fascinating world of miniatures. Visit TheMagicalDollhouse.com today for a great dollhouse and dollhouse accessories from top miniature companies.

Kids and Money - Why Is It So Hard?

We learn so many things as we grow up. We learn how to walk, talk, and get away with not doing our homework. We learn how to play complicated games, many of them involving pretend money.

So, why is it so hard for us to learn how to manage money?

Why do so many people struggle to make ends meet, even on reasonably high incomes?

Why do so few people manage to provide sufficiently for themselves in retirement?

It’s not rocket science. We know what it takes. And there are some people doing it. So why isn’t basic money management as widely understood as basic geometry?

Imagine what life would be like if making money came as easily and naturally as riding a bike or tying your shoelaces. Imagine graduating high school with a permanent, secure, passive income already in place. You wake each the morning to find more money has appeared in your account overnight! If you want to travel, you do. If you want to paint, write, or do any other creative activity, you do. You choose your occupation based on what you love to do, not the burden of having to pay the bills. You have all the time you need to socialise with your family and friends, to stay in shape, and to practice your spirituality.

This world is not a pipe-dream. It’s not unrealistic. The world is alive with opportunity, more so now than ever before, and the opportunity is expanding exponentially.

With the right knowledge and attitudes, today’s kids can capture their share of that opportunity, and set themselves up for life.

So, why isn’t everyone doing it?

Because not everyone’s parents have the right knowledge and attitudes to pass along to their kids. Some of those who have the knowledge and attitudes are still setting themselves up in life, working long hours, and find it difficult to break the knowledge down into terms their kids can understand.

What can we do about it?

As parents, we need to be conscious that financial education ranks up there with education about nutrition, health, and communication. We must educate ourselves, so that we can educate our children.

There are many places to go on the web to get that vital financial education.

The Cash Smart Kids program provides lessons for the kids, plus additional reference material for their parents.

The Rich Dad website (http://www.richdad.com) is rich in content, and contains information about the Cashflow series of educational board games.

There are numerous e-Books, ezine articles, and offline financial publications with an online presence.

And, of course, there are dozens of relevant books in your local book store.

About The Author

Jenny Ford is an expert in educating children about business and wealth creation. She is one of the founders of http://www.Cash-Smart-Kids.com, and her blog can be seen at www.RaisingEntrepreneurs.org.

She holds an Honours degree in Psychology, a Diploma in Training and Assessment Systems, and an Advanced Diploma in Business Management. She is the mother of three young entrepreneurs, all of whom started successful businesses when they were nine to twelve years old.

10 Tips To Make Your Colic Baby Sleep

Is your baby's crying keeping both of you awake at night? Would you like to find out how you can soothe your colicky baby so both of you can get a good night's rest? If you want to take steps towards quieting and calming your baby, try this battle plan to soothe the symptoms:

1. Check to see if your baby is hungry

First of all you should check to see if your baby is hungry. To do this with young babies simply place you finger under their chin and if it tries to suck or move toward it then it means that your baby is hungry.

2. Walk with your baby

Walk with your baby or sit in a rocking chair. The continuous movement will soothe your baby. However, be sure to place your baby's head close to your chest so that it can hear your heartbeat.

3. Burping while feeding

Try burping your baby more frequently during feeding.

4. Know that a colic attack is coming and be prepared for it

When dealing with a colicky baby it is best to plan ahead. For example, if your baby usually has colic attacks in the afternoon/evening then you should do most of your household chores in the morning. Make sure that if your baby has been awake for most of the morning that he/she gets a nap in the afternoon and you take one with them. A nap can actually reduce the frequency of the colic attacks and how long they last.

5. Play music

Play music like classical or slow music as some babies respond better to sound and will find it soothing.

6. Stop the Crying as soon as possible

Using a pacifier may help stop your baby crying however, if this does not work a small bottle of sugar water helps calm and relax the baby.

Stopping your baby's crying spells as quickly and calmly as possible can significantly shorten the episodes of colic.

7. Massage

Place your baby across your lap while he/she lies on his/her belly and rub his/her back. This will help get rid of air in your baby's stomach and prevent gas.

8. Neck nestling - Dad's are fantastic at this!

This is when the baby snuggles his/her head into the space that is located between the jaw and chest of the parent. Your jawbone drapes gently over the baby's head and your voice box presses against its' head. Small babies hear not only with their ears but also the vibrations that go through their skull. If you sing something monotonous like a lullaby it will help your baby to drift off to sleep. This technique works best with dad's because they have a lower pitch and higher vibration from their voice.

9. A special favourite - especially good for dad's as well!

This is a good technique for dad's to do. What you have to do is drape your bare skinned but diapered baby over your bare chest. Make sure that your baby's ear is over your heartbeat. The rhythm of your heart combined with the rhythm of your chest moving as you are breathing and a bit of rhythmic patting on your baby's back will usually soothe both of you.

10. Use motion

Some babies prefer to be still when calmed down whereas, others like the use of motion to be soothed. Motion swings set at approximately 60 beats per minute is an excellent device to be used for those types of babies. The constant motion is great for relaxing the baby. However, you should bear in mind that for some babies this may not work as the swing only provides a back and forth motion.

A vibrating bouncer is another excellent tool to use to calm down your colicky baby. The vibration and rhythmic sound coming from this device will soothe your baby.

Caring for a colicky baby can be extremely stressful and frustrating at times but, remember it's not your fault. Also, bear in mind that you need to take care of yourself as well. You can't be very soothing to your baby if you are all tense and stressed. You need to try to relax and remember that your baby will outgrow this phase. In addition, keep in mind that if you need to take a break from your baby's crying then do so, there is nothing wrong with that. Family and relatives are often understanding and happy to take care of your baby when you need some time out for yourself, even if your baby is crying. If there is no one around it's ok to put your baby in the crib, let him/her cry and take a break before trying to make another attempt.

Do not fear or worry too much if your child has colic as your baby will outgrow it. However, do consult your doctor if your baby screams constantly or if your baby's colic attacks are accompanied with excessive vomiting, diarrhea and constipation. These symptoms may indicate a more serious problem.


About the Author:
Check out Colic Calm for more infomation about the best colic baby treatment. Also check out Infant Reflux Treatment.