Archive for July 31st, 2006
Why is it important to affirm a child? Because a child who is truly accepted by his parents…can grow up learning to accept himself….he’ll be able to admit his own failures and weaknesses. He’ll be able to forget himself and love others.
Your child is helpless in the hands of the people around him. He is pliable to their shaping; they set his mold.
Your child is a rocket on a launching pad, ready to take off. How can you free your child, to launch him into his full potential? How can you conteract the downward drag of bad influences you don’t even know about ? The way he thinks about himself will have been very much influenced by the way you’ve talked to him, treated him, and handled him.
So for today, affirm….confirm….ratify…in every area of your childs life and these little ones, kicking in their cribs or racing around will become powerful potentials for tomorrow’s world. Remember they are our most precious possessions!!
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July 31st, 2006
Newborns can feel all different sensations, but respond most enthusiastically to soft stroking, cuddling and caressing. Gentle rocking back and forth will oftentimes calm a crying infant, as will massages and warm baths. Newborns may comfort themselves by sucking their thumbs, or a pacifier. The need to suckle is instinctive and allows newborns to feed.
Newborn infants have unremarkable vision, being able to focus on objects only about 18 inches (45 cm) directly in front of their face. While this may not be much, it is all that is needed for the infant to look at the mother’s face when breastfeeding. When a newborn is not sleeping, or feeding, or crying, he or she may spend a lot of time staring at random objects. Usually anything that is shiny, has sharp contrasting colors, or has complex patterns will catch an infant’s eye. However, the newborn has a preference for looking at other human faces above all else.
While still inside the mother, the infant could hear many internal noises, such as the mother’s heartbeat, as well as many external noises including human voices, music and most other sounds. Therefore, although a newborn’s ears may have some mucous and fluid, he or she can hear sound from birth. Newborns usually respond to a female’s voice over a male’s. This may explain why people will unknowingly raise the pitch of their voice when talking to newborns. The sound of other human voices, especially the mother’s, can have a calming or soothing effect on the newborn. Conversely, loud or sudden noises will startle and scare a newborn.
Newborns can respond to different tastes, including sweet, sour, bitter, and salty substances, with preference toward sweets.
A newborn has a developed sense of smell at birth, and within the first week of life can already distinguish the differences between the mother’s own breast milk and the breast milk of another female.
July 31st, 2006
A diaper (in North America) or nappy (in the British Isles and many Commonwealth countries) is an absorbent garment worn by individuals who are incontinent, that is, lack control over bladder or bowel movements, or who are unable to reach the toilet when needed. This group primarily includes infants.
Diapers may be made of absorbent layers of cloth or terry towelling fabric, or of disposable absorbent materials. The choice to use either cloth or disposable diapers is controversial. While cloth diapers are certainly cheaper than disposables over time, environmental impact, health and convenience also play a role in the decision. However, all of the studies which started the controversy in the early 1990s were funded by Procter & Gamble, which manufactures the vast majority of disposable diapers, and was facing growing criticism at that time.
What type of diaper will you choose? Disposable or Cloth, Hybrid (part flushable part reusable) or in former times in some areas, a wad of sphagnum moss was often used as a disposable diaper.
July 31st, 2006
A baby shower is a party in which expectant parents receive gifts or money for their expected child. By convention, a baby shower is intended to help parents get things that they need for their baby (such as basic layette items), especially items they may not be able to afford. It is a fairly recent tradition in the United States and in other cultures influenced by American culture or media.
Traditionally, a baby shower is held only for the mother-to-be, and only women attend. However, many people choose to have baby showers for both parents, and some people have a men-only shower. It is not uncommon for a parent to have more than one baby shower, such as one with friends and another with co-workers. A baby shower is generally arranged by a close friend or relative of the parents-to-be. Traditionally, it was considered improper for a family member to host because the event centers on gift-giving.
Baby showers have become more common in the past few decades, as families have become smaller and each child gets more individual attention. Though they are traditionally only held for the first child, they can also be arranged for subsequent children and for children who have been adopted. It is common for the host to provide baby-themed games during the shower. In some regions, shower favors (small gifts for the guests) are common.
Not all Americans hold baby showers. For example, in Jewish tradition, nothing may be bought for the baby before it is born. But many American Jews today do not subscribe to that tradition.
Gift giving may be different among people and cultures, but it exists in most societies at some level.
July 31st, 2006
