Baby Archives - Page 5 of 11 - Life with Gremlins

Baby discipline: When and how?

Just because your baby doesn’t understand that pulling mom’s hair out or sticking bananas in the VCR is wrong, doesn’t mean that they won’t still do it. Infants pose a difficult disciplinary conundrum. They become mobile and capable of doing dangerous and naughty things, but haven’t developed mentally enough to comprehend concepts like right and wrong, action and reaction, crime and punishment, and positive reinforcement. Truthfully, even if they did, they don’t have the attention span or memory for it to do any good as far as behavioral improvement. I know sometimes staring into those big baby eyes you could swear they know just what they’re doing and are doing it just the thwart you, and it’s in that moment as a parent you’re stuck wondering, “What do I do now?”

When should you start disciplining your baby?

The thing is, every baby develops at a different rate. Your baby may be developmentally advanced enough to understand one or more of the concepts required for discipline and praise to be effective. He or she may have the memory and attention span for it too. The great thing is starting discipline right away doesn’t hurt anything. Even if it isn’t doing any good at all, it’s also not doing any harm. Plus, it leaves you feeling like you did something, which can help you from becoming overly stressed or feeling helpless or angry when behavior becomes especially trying. You can start discipline and praise from the day your baby is born.

**How can you discipline an infant exactly?**

Never spank, hit, or criticize. I don’t take stance on the to-spank-or-not-to-spank subject; in my opinion it’s to each his/her own. However, when it comes to an infant, which the discipline is likely wasted on anyway, you should never use physical punishment. Your baby is still developing in an array of ways, and while babies may not be made of glass, if you do accidentally hurt your baby the effects are forever. At any stage, you should also avoid calling your baby bad. Focus your negativity on the act, not the child.

Be consistent. It’s important your reaction to bad behavior is always the same. This is how the reaction becomes committed to memory. Be careful that your reaction is not amusing as well. In the beginning, you can play around with options to find out what works for your baby’s personality type but lock it in before the toddler stage. Some infants react well to strong “NO!,” others find that hilarious. Some infants respond well to momentary removals of attention, while others could care less. In most cases, distraction does work well. Simply redirect the behavior to something new explaining why. At any age, always explain why you are doing what you’re doing, as well as why something is right or wrong. Whether this information is comprehended now is irrelevant. It’s a good habit, helps improve your baby’s vocabulary, and you never know, they may understand. Remember to offer praise for good behavior too.

What else can you do about bad baby behavior?

Sadly, baby geniuses aside, chances are your disciplinary efforts will be more for your sake than for theirs in the beginning. What you can do is keep your baby’s play areas as safe as possible, so that while bad behavior may be annoying, it’s not dangerous. Also try to keep play areas free of safe-but-messy no-nos. You goal is to remove the opportunity to be bad, until the developmental capacity is there to know what bad is.

Baby Summer Safety Tips

Perhaps the first sight of chickadees, puddles, and pussy willows is less climactic elsewhere in the world, but in Alaska, it’s a sign the extensive winter is over and the incredibly short summer is about to abruptly begin. If it’s getting warmer where you live, you and your baby better get out there and enjoy it while you can. If this is your baby’s first summer, there are a few things you should know.

Baby summer safety:

Sun protection:

Sunscreen should not be applied to babies under the age of 6 months, but after that, sunscreen is necessary even on cloudy days. Unfortunately, lots of babies react poorly to normal sunscreen. It’s just too harsh for their delicate skin. As a result, you’ll find a wide-range of sunscreen products designed especially for infants.

For babies less than 6 months old, be sure to use protective clothing, hats, umbrellas, or anything else that creates a shadow. It’s also best to try and avoid being out for extended periods without ample shade when the sun is at its highest in the sky. In most northern areas, this is between 10 am to 4 pm. If you can get your baby to wear them, a pair of sunglasses is also recommended and looks damn cool.

Clothing:

As a rule when clothing your baby look at what you are comfortable wearing, and then add no more than two layers. This is especially important in the summer as overheating is common. Remember to adjust your child’s clothing as you adjust your own. If you’re too hot, chances are he/she is too. This makes light layers an awesome summer choice.

Look for outfits that cover a lot of skin, but also breathe allowing that amazing summer breeze in. Choosing light-colored clothing may also help keep your baby cool; darker colors tend to draw sun, while lighter shades reflect it.

Bugs and other unintentional unfriendlies:

If you’re outside, chances are your baby will encounter bugs of various species, some of which are a bigger problem than others.

In the case of bees, you can try to keep your child free of sticky yum-yums– especially those high in sugar. Clothing in the shades of red and yellow also tend to attract bees the most. In the event of a sting, flick the stinger out with something flat like a credit card and then apply a thick mixture of baking soda and water as soon as possible. Some parents also swear a bit of toothpaste on the sting works well. Afterwards, keep an eye out for allergic reactions such as excessive swelling, trouble breathing, and hives. Sting allergies can be deadly.

For spiders, avoid areas where you often see them. Most spiders are non-aggressive and harmless, though there are a few species that break this rule such as the hobo and the brown recluse. If your child is bitten, watch the wound closely for blistering or spread of a growing red area around the bite. In either case, seek medical attention immediately.

Mosquitoes are probably the most common of bug aggrivators. Avoid shady areas especially near water sources such marshland or lakes. Infants older than 2 months can use a bug repellent that contains no more than 10 percent DEET. Many manufactures make children’s bug spray as well. For younger babies, that same clothing that shields them from the sun can help prevent bug bites. There are also certain natural substances that mosquitoes are not fond of such as garlic, lemongrass, and lavender. You might consider a baby play yard covered by a sheet if they are particularly viscous.

Christmas Tree Safety: Child or Baby Proof Your Tree

When thinking of decorating for Christmas, most people think first of the Christmas tree. Twinkling lights, sparkling tinsel, shiny bulbs, and a new addition to the home, the Christmas tree is almost irresistible to a child. And while festive, a Christmas tree and/or its decorations can also seriously harm that same child. Ornaments can be broken and contain sharp hooks. Trees can be pulled over on top of children. Pine needles can be eaten–the list of possibly injuries is impressive, but luckily all of these child hazards can be prevented. This guide on how to child or baby proof a Christmas tree will provide simple, step-by-step instructions to Christmas tree safety for any age child to help ensure the entire family has a happy injury-free holiday.

When it comes to Christmas tree safety not all hazards apply to all children. The first step to child proofing your tree is an easy one; identify the risks that apply to your child’s age.

Here is a general break down of common injuries applying to different age groups:

Infants that cannot crawl: (generally 6 months and younger) Before mobility is achieved a Christmas tree holds little risk to a child. If they can’t get to the tree, they can’t be harmed by it. All you need to do is follow general Christmas tree safety tips to avoid electrical fires, etc. An average of 160 fires a year are caused by Christmas tree mishaps, don’t let your home be one of them.

Infants that can crawl, but have limited reach: (Usually 6 months to a year) Pulling on lower branches, removing decorations from lower branches, becoming tangled in cords, eating pine needles.

Toddlers: (From about a year to three years) Over all tree havoc, de-decoration of entire tree, broken ornaments, ornament hook injuries, knocking the tree over, attempting to eat smaller decorations, etc.

Pre-school: (Four years and up) By the time a child hits pre-school, the dangerous of Christmas trees reduce dramatically. There is little risk involved.

Christmas tree safety for crawling babies:

One of the main steps to Christmas tree safety for a child that can only crawl is to either buy a very fresh tree or go for an artificial Christmas tree. Trees that become dry not only pose a greater fire risk, but they shed far more needles. Crawling children are at floor level, so shed Christmas tree needles are especially appealing. An artificial tree eliminates this problem altogether. A fresh tree, properly cared for will also shed less needles.

The second step to Christmas tree safety for crawlers is to secure the tree. Curious children often reach up and grab a hold of branches pulling Christmas trees to the ground and on top of themselves. There are a few methods of preventing this.

-You can mount or secure the tree. In this method, you screw or fasten the Christmas tree to the floor or what ever the tree is placed on securely. You should be able to tug on the tree without it falling.

-You can place the tree on a raised surface. This often requires a smaller Christmas tree be used, but for crawling children with limited reach placing the tree on a coffee table or other raised surface is often effective.

-You can gate off the tree. While not particularly attractive you can use a baby gate to build a box around your tree preventing a crawling child from being able to reach it. Another option in this same category is to place the tree in a room with a door that can be closed or gated.

The last step to creating a baby-proof tree for crawling children is to be wary of low decorations. Place any breakable ornaments up high and well out of the reach of the child, and be sure they are securely attached. You can use plastic bulbs with ribbons ties if you wish to have an even distribution of ornaments. When hanging lights keep them deeper into the tree’s branches, close to the trunk, and tightly wrapped so that your child can’t pull the strings from the tree. Where the cord for the lights comes from the tree to the electrical outlet should be properly secured. You can tape the cords down and then cover them with a tree skirt. Any unused outlet plugs should be covered with a child safety outlet cover.

Christmas tree safety for a toddler:

When child proofing a Christmas tree for a toddler, all of the tips covered in step one can be used, however, some suggestions will no longer be effective as a toddler has more reach and mobility than a crawling baby.

With a toddler the raised tree method is not recommended as they are more likely to still be able to pull the tree down. The Christmas tree can then either be very securely mounted, fastened to the floor, or gated off entirely. If you make your tree inaccessible to your kids, no more measures of Christmas tree safety are required, but then, what fun is that?

If you choose to simply mount or secure your tree, avoid using breakable ornaments even at the top of your tree. Store them away until your child is of a safe age. Plastic ornaments can be used instead. This is also a great time to make your own Christmas ornaments with your child from paper or popcorn for example. Avoid small decorations that may be a choking hazard. Be sure not to use metal hooks when attaching ornaments– stick to ribbon or string.

Extra tip: To appease children that simply will not stop de-decorating your Christmas tree, a basket of extra ornaments can be placed next to the tree for playing with.