Believe me, there is no best list for first books, and there are no rules. If there is some book that you yourself were particularly fond of as a child, your own enthusiasm in now reading it to your child will be contagious, and that will be your “right book for starting.” Personally, I always […]
Sweets are not bad; they just need to be eaten in moderation. Most humans are born with a sweet tooth. We naturally seek out and enjoy sweets. What about side effects? ⢠First, tooth decay definitely increases with candy, but not if the teeth are brushed afterwards. ⢠Second, a high intake of refined sugar
It’s a good idea to think in terms of the four basic food groups when planning your family diet. Ideally, you should be getting 20% of your calories from the milk, meat, and eggs food groups, and 80% of your diet from the fruit, vegetable, and grain food groups. Obviously, we eat excessive amounts of
Passive smoking refers to the smoke your child inhales by living in a household with people who smoke. If one parent smokes, that’s equivalent to your child smoking 30 or 40 cigarettes per year. Children of smokers have an elevated blood nicotine level. I’m sure you’re well aware of the fact that smokers cough and
Feelings about nudity vary from family to family. Exposure to nudity with siblings or the parent of the same sex is fine and probably will continue indefinitely in locker rooms and so forth, but nudity with the parent or sibling of the opposite sex probably should be phased out between the ages of four and
Does your child dread going to the doctor’s office? If so, the following tips may make it easier: • First, schedule an appointment at a time your youngster won’t be needing a nap. Also, feed him beforehand so he won’t be hungry. • Second, bring a stuffed animal, security blanket, pacifier, or snack with you
If you’re sleeping with your child and want to change it, here are some suggestions. As you probably have learned, children don’t need to sleep with you, but they sure like it, and once it’s begun it’s rather hard to undo. I suspect you want to change this for the same reason other parents do
Some children are ready to be toilet trained by 18 months of age, and many, by 24. Toilet training is a gradual process that takes from two weeks to two months. In general, it involves about four steps. First, purchase a potty chair and make it clear that this is your child’s special chair. Put
It’s not harmful for your children to sleep with you, but don’t start until you have all the facts. – First, your child does not need this arrangement to be secure and happy. – Second, this is not quality time. If your child is asleep, it is neutral time, and if your child is keeping
Bottle fed babies don’t need solids until four months of age and breast fed babies are fine until six months. Introducing strained foods earlier just makes feeding more complicated without helping your baby in any way. • Between four and eight months of age introduce your baby to most of the strained foods and cereals.
