Every parent wants to create the perfect nursery for their baby. But before you know it, that baby is ready to move out of the crib and into a bed. That’s when you need to think about redecorating the nursery for your child’s changing needs. Here are some tips to help get you started:

The children’s television series Sesame Street recently celebrated its 40th anniversary on the air. One of the older and favorite of the Muppet characters is Ernie, who was famous for his love of a familiar bath toy. See Ernie’s song about his Rubber Ducky in this YouTube video. You can also view Sesame Street videos at www.sesamestreet.org or see a different Rubber Ducky video on the Kideos website.

There are many options available to today’s parents when it comes to diapers for their baby. Disposable diapers continue to be popular because of the convenience of just throwing away dirty diapers. However, disposable diapers are expensive, and eco-friendly, biodegradable versions are even more costly. Because disposable diapers are highly absorbent, there is some feeling that children are more susceptible to diaper rash in disposables, since babies may wear dirty diapers for longer periods of time.

Cloth diapers come in two varieties – wash them yourself or from a diaper service. Washing them yourself is the least expensive option, but even a diaper service can end up being less expensive than disposables. Many people picture safety pins when they think of cloth diapers, but cloth diaper wraps with Velcro closings have eliminated the need for pins.

In the end (excuse the pun!), each family must decide which diaper option works best for them. Before deciding on disposable by default, it’s worth looking into the pros and cons of cloth diapers.

Here are some interesting diaper facts:

For more information on diaper choices, see this Consumer Reports article.

Kideos is a kid-friendly version of YouTube that’s perfect for children up to 10 years of age. Although YouTube has plenty of G-rated content, parents can’t help but worry about what young children might come across if they’re set free on YouTube. The videos on Kideos have been screened by a team of parents and educators and categorized by age. You can also search for videos by theme or characters. With hundreds of videos to choose from and the ability to make playlists of favorite videos, parents can feel good about letting their kids visit Kideos for a quick entertainment break.

Kideos is free for all users, but visitors are asked to make a voluntary donation to Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.

Team Umizoomi is a new Nickelodeon kids show that’s aimed at preschoolers.  The focus is on teaching math basics to very young children.  The design and format of the show are similar to Blue’s Clues, a perennial favorite with the younger crowd.  The bright 2D and 3D graphics of Umizoomi depict a world that is based on math.  The main characters are a sister and brother, Milli and Geo, who are super heroes.  With their robot Bot, they turn math into a fun adventure that is sure to capture the imagination of children.

Visit the official Team Umizoomi website for games and activities related to the show.

Parents have recently discovered that babies can learn sign language even before they’re able to speak. Research has found that infants can learn American Sign Language (ASL) and can use it to communicate simple feeling and needs from a very young age. This can accelerate speech development, build cognitive skills and increase the bond between parent and child. There are classes available to teach parents the fundamentals of baby sign language. My Smart Hands offers online classes and has published an online dictionary for baby sign language.

See baby sign language in action in this YouTube video.

Renting a bounce house for a child’s birthday party or as a fundraiser for a school or sports team has been a popular option for quite some time.  Kids do love bounce houses, but unfortunately these inflatable fun houses are a common cause of injuries to children.  Adults who rent bounce houses should be sure to follow a few safety guidelines.

Check on the bounce house operator’s experience and training. Determine what kind of supervision is required for the bounce house.  Will the bounce house operator supervise its use, or are other adults expected to provide supervision?
 
Find out what safety precautions will be followed by the bounce house operator.  Precautions should include the following:

Even with every possible safety precaution, it’s still possible for accidents to occur in a bounce house.  Hopefully the chance of an accident is greatly decreased if these precautions followed.

According to Parents Magazine, a recent study conducted at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that about 60 percent of teenagers eat only one fruit or vegetable per day.  Poor eating habits usually start in childhood.  No parent plans on raising a picky eater or a child who will only eat “kid food” like pizza and chicken nuggets.  However, if you always let them decide on what they will eat, that’s probably what their choices will be.  If you start when they’re young, it is possible to create some healthy eating habits. 

Here are some tips for introducing your baby and toddler to veggies:

If you haven’t been serving vegetables and your child is older, introduce them into meals and insist that your child eat a small portion.  They’ll thank you for it when they’re older and learn to appreciate the importance of a healthy diet.

Here are some of the baby development milestones to watch for in babies ages 3 to 6 months.

By the age of 3 months, most babies are beginning to smile and laugh and to make cooing noises when spoken to. Some babies are able to pull themselves up and stand with support. By 5 months, babies discover their hands and feet and enjoy playing with them. At 6 months, most babies are able to roll over in both directions.

Many babies ages 3 to 6 months are able to grasp objects and move them from hand to hand. At six months, many babies recognize the sound of their own name.  Some of the more advanced skills for a 6 month old baby are crawling, sitting up without support and imitating simple sounds. Some babies begin to cut teeth at 6 months.

The range of development skills begins to vary quite a bit from baby to baby after the age of 6 months. Parents should remember not to compare their baby with others too much and to talk to their doctor about any developmental concerns.

When my youngest son was a baby, it took him a long time to complete toilet training. At age 3, he was good about peeing in the toilet but would request a diaper when he needed to poop. After a well-meaning friend suggested that we take him to a psychiatrist, we discussed the problem with our pediatrician. She smiled at us and said, “When he’s a man, do you think he’ll need a diaper to poop?” Her humor defused our worries and within a few weeks the problem worked itself out. As soon as our son started preschool, he stopped requesting diapers. Since then, I try to remember to take the long view when it comes to worries about childhood development.

Reference: babycenter

Every baby develops in unique ways.  Parents who try to compare their baby with others are likely to be frustrated or puzzled because of the wide range of normal development.  Being informed about expected baby development milestones can help, but it’s important to remember that milestone charts should be used as a guide rather than a rule.  When in doubt about your baby’s development, be sure to talk to your pediatrician.

With these precautions in mind, these are some of the milestones you can expect to see in the first 3 months of a baby’s life.

Some babies may smile or laugh in the first 3 months and some are able to roll over.  These are more advanced skills that most babies master by the age of 6 months.

Reference: babycenter