Babies & Toddler

Posts Tagged ‘Toddlers’

If you are the parent of a toddler but want to include him or her in making the decorations this Halloween season and are looking for suitable Halloween crafts that you can make with your toddler, there are a number of crafts that are easy and fun and can help you bond with your little one. In addition, these crafts will also teach the toddler valuable skills that they will need when they finally go to school.

The handprint spiders are perhaps one of the most popular toddler Halloween crafts this season. All you need is black paint that is water soluble and a paper plate. Pour the paint onto another plate or in a pan. Place your toddlers hands flat into the pan of paint. All kids love this part. Ensure that the paint has covered the entire hand but do not let it get too gloppy. Then, place the child’s hand firmly onto the paper plate a little above the plate’s center. Make sure that all the fingers are splayed outwards. Now turn the plate upside down so that the print is at the bottom. Reapply paint on the toddlers hands and press down onto the plate in the same manner as before. Take care that the heels of the palms of both the prints match up with each other. After the paint dries up, paste some googly eyes. Pull a string through a hole punched at the top and hang it wherever you like.

The pumpkin seed wreath is another great Halloween craft that you can make with your toddler. Once you have your pumpkin carved, wash all the seeds and save them up. You can roast these seeds in your oven, sprinkle them with salt and eat them as a yummy treat. Apart from these, once the pumpkin seeds are dry, cut out a round in some orange construction paper and let your little one glue all the pumpkin seeds around the outer rim of the circle with all the pointed ends facing out. Once the outer row is finished, make another row inside it. Use any Halloween decoration to fill in the middle. You can glue candy corn, a witch from fun foam or just about anything that you can creatively come up with.

Search the internet inside out to find other toddler Halloween crafts that will be safe and fun to make with your toddler. Include your toddler in the decorations and let him or her know that there is always an excuse for making a fun craft.

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Bad breath (halitosis) in toddlers tends to surprise parents as it is generally thought to occur only in grown-ups. Leftover food particles could cause breath odor in a healthy child. Food particles can be stuck between the teeth, at the gum line, on the tongue, or on the surface of the tonsils. The resulting bacterial build-up will react with saliva and cause bad breath.

Here are some causes of bad breath in toddlers:

Tartar build-up Tooth infections Pacifier use Dehydration Pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx) Tonsillitis (inflammation of tonsils)

There is no need for parents to worry of course! Regular dental hygiene can easily take care of the problem.Here are some common solutions to help you deal with your toddlers’ bad breath:

Make sure your toddlers are getting adequate fluid intake. This will take care of dehydration, if any exists. Make sure your toddlers are brushing correctly. If not, teach them the correct techniques. Use a timer for brushing time to make sure your toddlers brush for the correct length of time. Talk with your dentist and get your toddlers a routine check up. Make sure the pacifiers that your toddlers may be using are regularly sterilized.

Of course, bad breath in some instances can simply be caused by recently consumed foods or beverages such as garlic or onions or spicy foods like pepperoni.

There are other serious cases, however, where your children’s breath may smell toxic. In these circumstances, immediately check if your toddlers have consumed any chemical or medicine accidentally kept within reach.

Although it is very common, watching toddlers holding their breath can be a frightful thing for a parent to experience. Some call it the ‘nuclear option’ in a child’s weaponry. About 20 percent of toddlers use this technique to express their discontent or to get what they want – and considering the effect, they often do.

These spells are usually part of a child’s temper tantrums. Here are a few common signs to look out for:

• Breathing out forcefully followed by holding breath for a long time

• Turning pale or blue

Soon after one of the above signs show up, chances are your toddlers will pass out and collapse to the ground. In some cases, your toddler’s legs and arms may twitch and the body may suffer mild convolutions. This situation usually lasts for under a minute and is not a medical condition over which you should be worried.

Even though this is a common tantrum it should be stringently discouraged. Here are a few tips on how to avoid a breath-holding tantrum in your toddler:

• Do not pay overmuch attention to such tantrums.

• Find out the possible cause behind such behavior and eliminate the cause.

• Try to divert your toddler’s attention to a pleasant situation making the toddler forget the whole idea of breath holding.

If your toddler succumbs to this tantrum, remember:

• Do not panic—toddlers may take advantage of the fact that you are scared and resort to tantrums more often to get what they want.

• Make your toddler lie down to increase the flow of blood to the brain and within seconds it will be alright.

• The first time this happens, you may consider taking your toddler to the doctor to ensure it is a breath-holding tantrum indeed.

When you hear the word “toddler” what does it bring to mind? Certainly not neat, tidy and clean – toddlers and mess seem to go hand in hand! But there are ways of keeping the havoc a toddler can create under control, without tears from either of you.

Let’s face it, it’s possible to clean up after a toddler all day long and still be faced with a mess at the end of the day. But consider this – isn’t it much more practical to let mess happen where it will during the day and wait until the evening before you start to pick up the pieces. That compromise will give your toddler important freedom in her play; she can pick and choose between her games without worrying that they’re going to be cleaned up behind her.

Try to be flexible about clearing up. If your toddler’s in the middle of constructing a brick city or setting up a teddy bear’s tea party, then don’t insist that he has to put all his toys away just because it’s the end of the day. Gently move the work-in-progress out of everyone’s way and let him carry on where he left off in the morning. If he’s finished the project, but isn’t ready to dismantle it yet, then respect his wish to keep it all together for a while.

When it does come to clean up time, remember you’re the one who wants everywhere to be tidy – your toddler isn’t that bothered. It’s only fair that you take on some of the work. But make the cleaning up process a team effort. Try not to be overwhelmed by the mess, and take one room or area at a time. Tackling a huge task in small pieces makes it less daunting and frustrating for you both. When your toddler’s helping you, give her specific tasks one at a time, eg “Put teddy on the shelf, then put your cuddly puppy next to him” rather than “pick up all your cuddly toys and put them on the shelf.

Try to make the cleaning up process fun – instead of snapping at your todder – “Put your toys away now!” why not “suggest it’s time for the toys to go to sleep in their beds now?” Challenging your child to a race that he can win is another way to make clearing up fun, eg “Let’s see who can put the most bricks in the tub by the time I count to ten!” Singing along to the work also makes it go more smoothly. You can also make tidying into a learning experience – try teaching colours by saying, “You put away all the red toys, and I’ll put away the blue ones”.

Don’t make work for yourselves – invest in some easy-to-reach child-friendly storage – low and open shelves, shallow bins and boxes, pegs that aren’t out of arms reach. Avoid using one big toy chest as toys will sink to the depths and get broken which will result in tears and frustration when your toddler can’t find what she’s looking for.

Finally – don’t insist on perfection. If your toddler seems to thrive on mess and muddle (and most do!) don’t insist she keeps her own room absolutely immaculate. Make sure the rest of the house is tidy, but allow a little flexibility in her own area. And once the job is done, why not sit down with a good book from Scruffy’s Bookshop – the ideal place to find a great selection of kids e-books – instant downloads to read together after an exhausting session of clearing up!

Deciding on which book to buy for your toddler or baby can feel tremendous when standing in the children’s area of your local book store. If you find yourself looking and just not knowing which books to buy or where to begin the helpful children’s book buying tips below will make short work of your shopping.

Where to Find Books for Babies and Toddlers

Your local library and garage sales are great places to find used books for children. Most libraries hold a used book sale each year where you can buy great children’s books at rock bottom prices. Libraries also have books available to borrow for babies and toddlers. This can be a great way to introduce new books to your children.

Book of the month clubs offer an opportunity to build up your own personal library in your home. There are a wide selection of children’s book of the month clubs available where you can select books from a catalog and order them from home. Your child will get excited about selecting a new book each month and then have great anticipation waiting for his or her new book to arrive in the mail.

Choosing Storage for Children’s Books

Books should always be accessible to young children. By storing books on low book shelves or in low drawers children will be encouraged to pick up books and read.

You may find that children feel a connection to books if they help make a storage container for their books. Try getting an old cardboard box or storage container and having your child decorate the box. When the decorating is finished your child can load the box with his or her favorite books and keep it down low where they can reach in and get a book any time.

Which Book is Best for Babies and Toddlers?

Young babies like to look at colorful board books that are easy to hold and easy to handle. Thick cardboard like books or books with soft sides and vinyl covers allow babies to chew without getting hurt.

Toddlers like to read books with easy to follow story lines and simple rhyming books. Toddlers also like books that relate to their life. Such as stories about potty training or going to school, something the toddler is doing in his life.

Picture books are great for both babies and toddlers. Babies like to look at the colorful pictures and toddlers like to make up story lines to go with the pictures.

Selecting a Time to Read to Children

Babies and toddlers just love to be read to. Any time of day will work for most children when it comes to reading. A nice routine of reading at bed time or after bath time is recommended by many child development specialists.

Just remember that children love to read and if your toddler brings you a book and asks you to read, you should take the time to do so. Reading will build a love of books and foster great memories of quiet time spent together.

Educational toys and developmental games are excellent for strengthening the parent/child relationships. These games and toys are great source of fun and are wonderful way to enhance your toddler’s learning. In addition, manipulative games enhance dexterity and eye-hand coordination and provide numerous learning opportunities. In this brief article, we’ll discuss the benefits of toddler games, some popular developmental games, and how you can make the most of your toddler’s playing time.

First of all, you should keep in mind that education games and toys include board games, puzzles, dominoes and memory games. Here are some popular choices: Board Games: With board games, toddlers are able to learn their colors, shapes, and sounds, and move pieces which also enhance their dexterity skills. Puzzles: With puzzles, toddlers are able to solve problems. Some great examples are wooden and jigsaw puzzles. You can even purchase floor jigsaw puzzles and involve the entire family. Creative Mind Games: With creative mind games, toddlers are encouraged to learn shapes, colors, and sounds with the use of songs and other activities.

Second, when choosing developmental games for your toddler, use variety and choose age appropriate toys and games. For instance, a 6 month won’t like the same toy as a 12 and 24 month old. You see, 6 month old baby are just discovering the world and tend to put things in their mouths whereas 12-24 month-olds enjoy prodding and discovering. To choose the best age appropriate toy that suits child unique needs, try out various types and see which one interests the most. You’ll soon discover that your child is not only enjoying himself but learning and developing skills as well.

Third, take your time and don’t schedule too many activities at once. Toddlers are notorious for not being able to focus for long periods of time and tend to getting bored easily. Therefore, it is important that you keep playing sessions short and do not force toys upon him. Instead, use a variety of different developmental games and toddler educational toys, and switch gears, or move to something else, when he seems bored. This will encourage him to have fun, enjoy the moment and not get bored.

Fourth, have a wonderful time and enjoy the moment. Although it is tempting to do so, you don’t have to have structured play time all time and you don’t have to see the educational value in everything you do. After all, toddlers learn so much by just doing and being with you. So, have fun and don’t rush the educational process. It will happen!

In conclusion, playing developmental games with your toddler is a great way to relax and spend quality time with children as they improve their skills and improve their dexterity skills. So regardless of whether you play puzzle game, memory, dominoes, or snap cards games, you’ll have a fun and so will your toddler!

Toddler-hood is an important phase in the development of your baby. It is at this time that most children will perfect their walking and start speaking and responding in an interactive manner. It is also a time when the rapid rate of growth they have been experiencing so far will gradually decrease.

Your toddler’s growth has two aspects to it-physical and mental. Physical growth refers to the increase in height and weight and other physical attributes of your toddler. Mental growth refers to the increase in your toddler’s mental development including the capacity to think, imagine, analyze, judge wrong and right etc.

You can understand your toddler’s growth with the help of ‘growth charts.’ Pediatricians often use growth charts to monitor your toddlers’ growth. The growth chart represents a plotting of your toddler’s height and weight against the age to form a growth curve.

Your pediatrician would be able to give you proper instructions on how to plot and read your toddler’s growth chart to find out if your child is growing normally or not. Depending on how much data you like to record, and some dads love to record it all, you can download charts from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) at www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhanes/growthcharts/charts.htm.

However, most parents can just ask to see the growth chart at your regular appointments with your pediatrician. Make sure to ask where your baby is versus other babies on three key statistics: weight, height, and head size. Ask your doctor if any of these numbers appear low for the baby’s age.

It is important to note that toddlers aged between six and eighteen months can have widely fluctuating growth curves because the rate of growth is higher in this period. So the doctor will especially be looking for changes in the percentile ratings to see if the relative size of your baby is stable. Note that later, growth curves for older toddlers are normally more stable because they tend to grow more slowly.

As children learn to speak, pauses and repetitions of syllables or words are normal. Parents typically notice episodes of stuttering interspersed with periods of normal speech. Read more about stuttering in toddlers

I’m sure many of you are muttering under your breath, “Yeah, that’s easy for you to say.”  I don’t blame you.  Feeding toddlers can be one of the most stressful times for a parent, but hey; I’ve been there just like you.  Allow me to share some tips I’ve researched and used successfully with you.

We, as parents, tend to become overly concerned with the amount or types of foods our toddlers eat, and although we should strive for nutritional foods, the reality is; your toddler’s diet is not going to be perfect!

Toddlers can be very picky at mealtime and many actually prefer to eat one type of food at a time.  Toddlers are energetic and always on the go, so their natural instincts actually lead to snacking instead of sitting down to a real, hearty meal!

So the challenge for feeding toddlers becomes; how can I get my child out of his playful routine so he can actually stop and sit down at the dinner table to eat a home-cooked meal?

The answer is; you don’t force it, you encourage it.

You shouldn’t stress yourself out if you don’t think your toddler is getting the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals everyday.  Instead; be happy when and if they do!  As long as they’re eating approximately 1,000 -1,300 calories a day, they should be okay!

If you’re concerned about your toddler not getting enough vitamins and minerals, consult with your physician and he or she will probably suggest multivitamin liquid drops to ensure your toddler stays healthy.

The process of feeding toddlers shouldn’t force you to stray away from your normal cooking habits for the rest of the household.  You can keep cooking those delicious recipes you have always shared with your family and let your toddler choose whether or not he or she wants to eat it.  If your toddler refuses to eat a meal, make sure you have an alternative food or healthy snack they can munch on!