Monday, August 5, 2013

4 Month Old Starts Crying When Not Held?

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 on Sherpani Child Carrier
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sfhc21


As soon as you pick her up and start walking around, everything is fine. She smiles, laughs. But as soon as you put her down, she starts crying and won't stop till you pick her up. From what I've seen, there are two answers:

1. You can't spoil a child. Keep holding her..
2. You are spoling her too much. Set her down and let her cry.

Both sides are extreme...To me, it seems there needs to be a balance. So what's the solution from some of you in the middle. How did you get through this time?



Answer
Well the middle ground is to a) use a baby carrier so you have your hands free or b) find something to amuse the baby such as a jolly jumper, swing, bouncer, exersaucer, gym, arch, toys, or even yes if it is a choice between this and your sanity TV/videos.

And I know it is cliche but this will pass soon. Soon she will be crawling/scooting/rolling/more easily grab things and able to entertain herself for short periods of time.

If she has good head control which usually happens at 4 months then you can use a backpack carrier and things like the jolly jumper (or whatever it's called in the US jumperoo?)

And it isn't true that if you don't force them to be independent they will be clingy. Lots of studies have proven that attachment parenting where you do carry them around almost all the time, and co sleep until they choose not to causes kids to be more independent. I know I rarely put my son down and now that he can walk and crawl he wants nothing to do with me. *lol* Except when it's time to feed.

Think about it this way:

If you are on a diet and you tell yourself no more chocolate (or whatever your favourite food is). And you don't have it in the house and you go without it for weeks how often do you think about chocolate. How often do you want it. Then one day you have some, how much do you eat?

Then let's say a different time you go to the day after Valentine's Day sale and you buy more chocolate than you could reasonably eat. It's in your closet for gifts, there is an open box or two. Sure at first you may eat a fair bit, but quickly you stop thinking about it all the time, you eat less of it, you may even get sick of it and not want it all together.

If you "fill up" your daughter's need for contact now then she won't need as much later. She won't feel that she has to test all the time to make sure you are there and will hold her. She knows you will. She knows every time she needs you there you are, so why test it? Does this mean you have to make yourself miserable NO. You need to find a balance that works for BOTH of you. Balance YOUR needs vs HER needs. Can I tell you what that balance is? Nope. I'm not you and I have never met your daughter.

Find the balance, find what works and you won't have a clingy child because of it. Can I guarantee at 9 months she'll walk away and rarely look back, no. Because she is her and my son is himself. But I do promise she will learn Independence and self-soothing in her own time, just as she learned to smile, and laugh, blow kisses and clap. Yes you need to provide opportunities to learn. Some AP mommas go too far and will never put their kids down even when their child wants to learn to crawl or play with that neat toy when they are 8, 9, or sometimes a year old. But if you take a balanced approach filling her up without wearing you out that will be the optimal thing for her and you and she will get there at the right time for her, rather than be clingy because of over-indulgence or under-attention.

what to buy for my baby?




natalia m


This is my first child and i have 4 months to go. and i dont know what to buy and where to start please help me.


Answer
Two absolute NECESSITIES, from my experience with my six babies:

*Start with a NEW carseat-- don't accept a used one unless you can be 100% sure of its past; that it's never been in an accident of any sort (even fender benders), never been dropped, etc. Also, carseats expire after about 5-6 years (read each seat's manual to check), after which time the harness may not be reliable, especially after years of drool/spitup/juice spills/etc. weakening the fibers. The plastics in the frame can also break down, have structural weaknesses not visible to the eye, etc. If the seat has been stored in a shed or garage, with large variations in heat and cold, dryness and dampness, it could be even more unreliable. So please, if there's any way you can afford it, buy a NEW carseat, and check the manufacture date on the box and seat itself for a recent one, so you don't waste money on a carseat that's been sitting on the shelf already for 2 years. For more info, go to http://www.car-seat.org . This a great website for car safety info and suggestions on buying the right carseat for your needs. :)

*a good, comfortable baby carrier, such as a sling-style carrier, mei-tai, or wrap-style:

http://www.carryingaway.com.au/Default.asp?Redirected=Y

(A website with lots of info on different style carriers, it can help you figure out which one fits your needs best.) Wearning your baby during the early months is a great way to meet baby's needs for closeness & frequent nursing, while enhancing bonding and allowing mom the freedom to accomplish more than just baby care. :) A good carrier, IMO, is THE essestial piece of baby equipment, because you are going to spend an unbelievable amount of time over the next two years with a baby in your arms! ;)

After that, the necessities are pretty simple:

*diapers, either cloth or disposable, or both if you want to give both a try; wipes, either commercial ones, or plain soft cloths you can wet with plain water and/or a homemade gentle cleansing solution (search online for "homemade wipes solution" if interested)

*a foam pad or mesh "bouncy chair-like" seat for tub baths (infant baths are pretty much useless IME)

*clothes appropriate for the season; snap-crotch tees (onesie style), light socks, sweater, lightweight pants outfits, shorts or dresses, sun hat, diaper/swimsuit if you plan on swimming/water play, caps for indoors in A/C, etc. You don't need nearly as much as the books say-- maybe 5-6 onesies, 6-8 daytime outfits, 4-6 pj's, etc. Do buy lots of socks though because they seem to disappear easily.... ??

*burp cloths, which can be as simple as you like (plain white diapers) or as fancy, but anything absorbent will do.

*lightweight blanket to cover the carseat and offer shade from the sun, while in the car, or walking through parking lots, etc.

*about 4-6 receiving blankets for swaddling during the newborn stage

*baby nail clippers-- they are much safer & gentler on soft baby nails than adult clippers

*bulb syringe (nose sucker)-- the hospital will probably give you the one they use on your baby in the hospital, so don't go buy one until you're sure you need it.

*a sturdy bag to use as a diaper bag, whether it's specialized for babies and diapers, or simply a great bag that will hold up to a lot of abuse and wear & tear. My all-time favorite was a cheap $10 black leather backpack I picked up at Walgreen's on sale. It had a huge main compartment for diapers, wipes, & change of clothes, and several smaller pockets & pouches for the other baby care items I always kept on-hand.

Almost everything else can wait until after baby arrives, and you settle in and see what you really need, what you'll actually use, and then cross of the list all of those extra non-essentials that the rest of the world seems to be unable to live or raise a baby without, such as a crib, bassinett, playpen, swing, bouncy/vibrating/musical seat, stroller....

Our crib became obsolete when we decided early on that the baby would sleep in bed with us. A bassinett was useful occasionally to have someplace moveable to put the baby for naps, and could move it room to room, but I can't say whether we used it enough to make it worth the $$. Same with swings, playpens, baby seats, etc. They came in handy sometimes, especially with the babies who seemed to be more fussy than others (you can't hold them 24/7 after all), but they definitely were NOT something I would worry about spending money on *before* baby arrives. Once baby is here, you can get to know him/her, see what their personality is like, how high the baby's needs are for holding & comfort, etc. Then you can decide which of these accessories you really need. Maybe even borrow one from someone else to try out first before wasting $$ on something the baby doesn't even like.

I'm pretty much a minimalist; I don't believe in a lot of the bells & whistles that are on the market for babies these days, although some of them have their place and can come in handy. I would rather give my babies human contact & interaction, to stimulate them myself rather than have mobiles and blinky-light noisemakers do it instead.

Please also consider breastfeeding; not only will it save you tons of $$ on bottle paraphernalia, not to mention the formula itself, but I'm sure you already know that it is the healthiest thing for both you & baby as well. :) If you are interested, you should know that the best way to ensure that breastfeeding goes well is to educate yourself as much as possible before the birth, and to get a support system in place ahead of time so you can feel comfortable calling someone for help/support once your baby arrives. It's a lot easier to call someone you've met & have gotten to know to ask your nursing questions, than to decide to pick up the phone and call a complete stranger once things have *really* gotten bad. La Leche League meetings offer a wonderful opportunity for both-- information/education *plus* a support system. You can locate a LLL group/leader near you by either calling 1-800-LA LECHE, or checking their website here:

http://www.llli.org/webindex.html

Congratulations and best of luck! I hope this has been helpful to you!




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Is it hard to take Babies/Toddlers to Disneyworld? Any tips on waiting in lines and how to make it?

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 on Looking for an affordable baby backpack? Heres the Infantino Swift ...
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Holly


Were taking our 6 month old,almost 2 year old and 3 older girls to DisneyWorld. Im nervous we wont have any fun and it will be Im trying to decide on how to wait in lines with them,should I bring a backpack carrier they sit in and a stroller or one of the other? Can you wait in line with a carrier on? Tips please or should I postpone it. Thanks


Answer
Every ride (just about) you can't have a stroller, they have stroller parking close to each ride. Every ride has a height restriction, some may allow infants while others may not. One of the best thing I learned is the "baby pass". What it is, you ask a Disney cast member standing at the front of the line for a Baby Pass, the first part of your family goes into the 'normal' line of the ride - while the other person waits with the baby. When they get done riding the ride, you can use the baby pass which is good for 3 people and helps you skip the normal line! There are "family" restrooms everywhere and we take our whole family in there if you need to change the babies diaper, a feeding etc. They also have at the front of every park (if you're close to that) a nursing station, with high chairs, cribs, tv's for the kids, snacks for purchase, gliders for breast feeding or bottle feeding your baby, as well as a microwave. It's always very quiet and a great place to get 'away' if you need a little break for a bit.

As for the backpack carrier, you can use it while standing in any line - but for the ride, they will usually ask you to hold the infant in your lap for safety.

Just remember, Florida is hot and lines can be long and both kids and adults can get very cranky! Just try to have a great time and don't worry if the kids get a little fussy here and there! B/c Disney is A LOT of fun and your kids are going to have the time of their lives! :)

Good luck!!

Good family activities to do with my three year old daughter?




Travis


She seems to be getting a bit tired of the park, aquarium, zoo, and ponds. Generally this something my wife and I do every other weekend or so, just to get out of the house and spend some time together.

Also, we have twin five months old, and we'd rather not go hiking / camping with the infants, as you can imagine.

My daughter generally enjoys anything with animals, and crafts. She doesn't particularly enjoy anything 'girly' from what we've gathered. Likes to figure out puzzles, and always finding ways to make things 'work'. (She'll find a broken toy and will attempt to make it work again.) Extremely shy, if anyone comes at her too quickly, she's retreat behind my wife's leg.

Open to any serious suggestions, :) Thank you in advance.
My daughter hates the water, refuses to go to the pools / lakes with us. She will only go to the frog ponds with us to try and catch frogs in the puddles. Thanks for the suggestion though! :)



Answer
Some more ideas outside of the house...

-- Museums -- art, science, children's, etc. Most places have things for young children.
-- Library story hour
-- Children's theater production (maybe just for the 3-year-old and one parent, no babies)
-- Pet store. You don't have to buy anything -- just look at the animals.
-- Indoor playgrounds -- mall, McDonald's, other parks
-- Check out parks with short hiking trails (and you can wear the babies in backpack carriers), or find a new playground in your area.
-- Find a way to make old adventures more interesting. For example, our zoo has specific animal feeding times, so when we want something new, we choose a couple animals that we want to watch get fed that day. Or we splurge and buy the crackers to feed the giraffes ourselves or the food for the lorikeets. Or we watch for special events or shows on certain days.
-- Also, keep trying the pools/lakes. She may grow to like them over time.

Things to do at home...
-- Draw with chalk. You can do pictures, hopscotch, draw a maze or a path to follow, etc.
-- Ride bikes/scooters up and down the sidewalk.
-- Use blue painter's tape on hardwood or linoleum floors to make hopscotch or paths inside (for rainy/cold days).
-- Puzzles. (Maybe you could pick up a couple new ones.)
-- Board games like Candy Land.
-- Paint with water. You can do this on the driveway, the side of the house, or anywhere. Just get a cup of water and a paintbrush, and it disappears as it dries. Aquadoodle mats are fun for indoors.
-- Take a walk while you push babies in the stroller and she pushes a doll in her own stroller.
-- Build with blocks.
-- Take a magnifying glass or binoculars, and go on an animal hunt in your neighborhood. Look for birds, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, and all kinds of bugs.
-- Get an easel and some dry-erase markers, and let her draw and erase as much as she wants.
-- Since she likes puzzles and building, let her help with minor repairs around the house. If you're doing some hammering to hang a picture on the wall, let her help hammer a nail or two into a spare piece of wood. When my kids were 3, their preschool teacher had them hammer big pieces of styrofoam together, and then they got to paint what they had created. I think they even got to use a real saw to help saw the styrofoam before hammering it.
-- Get some sewing cards and let her "sew" them with shoelaces.
-- Start collections of leaves, flowers, or rocks, and let her sort and count them.
-- Blow bubbles.
-- When it rains, let her go out and jump in all the puddles.
-- Turn on all kinds of music, and dance around the house. She can even play along with her own toy or homemade instruments.
-- Read books. Lots and lots of books.

Honestly, there are so many things you can do with a 3-year-old. If you live in or near a major city, there are probably tons of things you haven't even discovered yet, and there's plenty you can do at home as well. Have fun!




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