By: ricardodiaz11

Child safety is a big concern for new parents.  There seem to be so many things to watch out for where a baby is concerned that sometimes it’s easy to overlook hazards that exist in everyday objects.  A baby’s high chair can be dangerous if not used correctly.  Here are some tips for high chair safety:

A baby only needs to use a high chair for a year or two.  When the baby starts to get big or begins walking, it’s time to stop using the high chair.  This will avoid the chance of baby tipping over the chair.

A big milestone for baby and parents is moving from the baby tub to the bathtub. One day you’ll notice that baby is sitting up and getting too big for his tub. It may happen just when you start to feel really comfortable giving baby a bath and moving to the big bathtub can be intimidating.

Some parents bathe with the baby or put the baby into the bathtub with a sibling. This will definitely make the baby feel secure and it’s a great way for siblings to bond. Just remember that you can’t trust another child to watch a baby in the bathtub and you still need to be there at all times.

There are bath rings which provide more security for babies in tubs. The bath ring is a seat for the bathtub and will help your baby sit up in the bathtub. It will remove lots of the worry about baby hitting her head on the porcelain sides of the tub or on the faucet.

Don’t forget how much babies love bubbles when you move to the big tub. Not only do they provide plenty of entertainment, but they help get baby clean. Add a couple of floating toys and you’ll have a happy baby that loves bath time.

Spending the day with an active toddler or baby can be a challenge. One of the best ways to keep you and your child happy is to spend some time doing fun activities. You don’t need to spend a lot of time planning — spending time with you is what your children really enjoy. Here are some easy ways to have fun with young children.

For more ideas, see this article on Parents.com.

New stories about unsafe toys in the news over the past few years have left many parents wondering where to buy safe toys for their young children. Nostalgic toys from the past, especially wooden toys, have become popular again. Parents feel good about buying their children toys from their own childhood, and wooden toys hold the promise of being free from plastics and toxic chemicals. Blocks, jigsaw puzzles, rolling toys, and classic stacking toys are some of the wooden toys that can be found online. Play food, cook sets and pots and play kitchens are also popular wooden toys.

Web sites like Fine Wooden Toys and Oompa sell wooden toys designed for toddler and preschoolers. Many of these toys are handcrafted in Europe. Wooden toys offer good value, since they are sturdy enough to be passed from one child to another in a family. They’re both eco-friendly and child friendly.

Some dads are almost impossible to buy gifts for. Here’s a great gift idea for new dads and dads-to-be. Sonogram Photo Cufflinks will take your sonogram photos and make them into a unique and personal pair of gift cufflinks. Now the proud dad can show off his baby pictures even before baby is born. You can also get personalized photo cufflinks with picures of babies, kids and pets. You can order the cufflinks at Cufflinks.com.

Summer is the time to worry about baby’s exposure to the sun, and some children are more at risk for skin cancer than others.  Parents magazine and the American Academy for Dermatology have published these risk factors for skin cancer.

If your child has one or more of these risk factors, there’s even more reason to take precautions against excessive sun.

Kids are getting into organized sports earlier these days, and it’s not unusual for them to start as young as age four. If your child is still an infant or toddler, it might seem like age four is a long way off. But as any experienced parent can tell you, it will be here before you know it.

When the day comes for you to sign your son or daughter up for a sport, you’ll need to remember that it’s up to you to be a role model for good sportsmanship for your child. Here are some tips about being a parent who’s a good sport.

Trying is more important than winning. If your child is trying hard, then it doesn’t matter if they win or lose. Encourage your child to strive to improve, but don’t put too much pressure on for the win.

Be a cheerleader for your child. Let your child know that you’re on their side and don’t criticize them after a sporting event. Leave the detailed critiques of their performance to the coach.

Don’t criticize other children. You really never know who’s sitting nearby when you criticize the performance of other children. Don’t let your child and others hear you putting down other kids.

Remember that organized sports for kids are about getting fit and having fun. Keep it light and let your child know you love them no matter what.

A backyard swimming pool is a great asset for a homeowner.  It can increase the value of a home and provide hours of fun and relaxation for the entire family.  Along with the benefits of pool ownership comes responsibility, since a pool can also be a hazard.  Here are some tips for backyard pool safety.

• Make sure everyone knows how to swim.  Adults and children alike should know the basics of swimming.

• Don’t leave children unattended.  Have an adult who isn’t swimming supervise children while they’re in the pool.  Children under the age of five should have an adult with them in the pool.

• Fence the pool.  A high fence which is separated from the house should be installed around a backyard swimming pool.  The fence should have a gate which closes and locks automatically.

• Keep pool area safe.  Keep flotation devices including a pole, rope and flotation devices near the pool and learn how to use them.  Keep the pool deck clear of toys when not in use.

By being aware of pool safety, you’ll avoid injury around the pool and keep all your family experiences around the pool enjoyable.

Family scrapbooking has been a very popular craft in recent years.  When you have a new baby you’re probably taking lots of photos, but finding the time to create a beautiful memory-filled baby scrapbook is another story.  Before you get discouraged and put aside the idea of creating a scrapbook with photos of your baby, look around for ideas to quickly create beautiful pages.  Here are some tips to get you started:

- Begin with a sheet of pastel colored card stock for your scrapbook page.  Find a few photos that go well together.

- For extra pop, cut frames or borders for the pictures in different colors.  Use an acid-free adhesive to attach the frames to the card stock page. 

- Use photo mount squares to attach the photos.  These squares will allow you to remove the photos in the future if you decide to do something else with them.

- Add hand-written captions for the photos.  There are lots of customized letters out there to apply to scrapbook pages, but nothing beats the personal touch of  your own hand writing.

- Decorate with stickers.  That’s one page done, and you’re ready for the next one!

A friend of mine (with 6 children) recently remarked that when her children were small, she found herself telling them to leave her alone so she could scrapbook.  She didn’t like how that felt, so she put aside the scrapbooks.  Now that her kids are in high school, she has a little more time and she’s gone back to scrapbooking.  It’s never too late!

Bringing a new baby into the house can mean sleepless nights for everyone. When exhaustion sets in, it’s possible to forget some of the basic safety rules for baby sleep. Here are some common situations to avoid:

Babies should sleep on their backs.
Studies have found that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is tied to babies sleeping on their stomache or side, so make sure to put your baby down on his back.

Don’t put babies to sleep in parents bed.
It’s tempting to bring your baby to bed with you, but the risk of rollover accidents make this a dangerous situation.  The safest route is putting baby to sleep in a crib.

Don’t let babies sleep where they fall asleep.
If your baby falls asleep on a couch, on the floor or in some other unprotected place, don’t leave her there.  Even if you’re afraid of waking her up, pick her up and move here to her crib.  The risks of an accident are too great otherwise.

Buy flame retardant sleepwear.
Your baby is unprotected in case of fire.  Wearing flame retardant sleepwear provides some measure of protection.

Remember these safety rules and before too long you and your baby will be getting a good night’s sleep.