Rattles to be sure, are a popular baby gift and they come in a huge variety of shapes, colors and sizes. There are rattles given as gifts that have been in the family for many years, being passed from one generation to the next, typically to the first born baby of each generation, or in some other manner. Baby rattles also have the little one working on their dexterity as they reach and grab for these wonderful toys when they want something to play with, or that makes noise.

Baby rattles are by far and away the most affordable and useful toys that you could get for a baby. They are indeed considered to be one of the first learning toys that a baby will ever use.

When your baby is in his or her crib, adding too many stuffed toys can not only be uncomfortable, but it can also actually create a safety hazard for the child. This is especially true when the child is an infant and they aren’t able to move themselves around much yet. In this case, rather than overloading the child’s bed, or even the playpen with a bunch of stuffed toys, then an assortment of baby rattles will fit the bill nicely. The rattles along with teething toys will keep the baby occupied and actually will stimulate a little learning by the child on his or her own.

Many people may wonder as to how a rattle can teach. The answer to that one is simple. There is a great deal to be learned by your baby with the use of baby rattles. Dexterity is one. The baby, when the rattle is out of reach will attempt to grab the rattle. This involves not only the use of the hands and the arms, but when the baby isn’t able to reach what he is grabbing for, then he or she will try to move to get it. Before you know it your baby will be rolling over and crawling to get to what it is they want to have. (This also becomes a dangerous time – make sure the house is baby-proofed!)

Baby rattles do not have to be the traditional ones that we think of that we get from the store. Nearly anything that is safe for your baby to handle can be turned into a baby rattle. The whole point of it is that they can grip it and that it makes noise as they move it. Many times, storage container sets come with very small bowls that are easily handled by a baby. You can put something in this and seal it tightly then give it to your baby to play with. You would be surprised at how much enjoyment can come from such a thing. It will keep the child occupied for quite a while!

Baby Rattles is a post from: Babyfolk

Here are some helpful tips if you are planning your nursery at the moment and are wondering how you are going to manage everything.  Here are alternative ways to achieve a wonderful result in decorating and furnishing your baby’s nursery.

Some furniture would be essential to your nursery. The crib should be your nursery’s centerpiece. You should choose a crib that will fit with the rest of your nursery pieces. Cradles are also great nursery furniture. Bassinets are used for children less than 4 months old. Changing tables are crucial pieces to your nursery as well. You could also opt for dresser/changer combinations if you want to save space and money. You will also need gliders to feed and bond with your babies.

Your crib will not be complete without nursery bedding. Nursery bedding should not only be aesthetically pleasing but they should also be able to provide comfort for the baby. Your nursery bedding will set the tone of your nursery which is why you should choose the correct bedding theme. The mattress will be the bedding’s most crucial element. A standard mattress will fit in almost all cribs except round cribs. The mattress should have a foam inner liner and a high coil count. A quality quilt will go well with any crib. For protection, you would want to have crib sheets to shield your mattress from solid and dirt. You should not use pillows in your crib or your baby may acquire SIDS. Your crib would also want to have a bumper and a valance.

Initially make a list of the nursery furniture you must have; make another list of the things you want to have; then make a third list of the things that would be nice to have. Start with getting the items on the first list.  Also you can ask family and friends to help furnish your nursery. People are going to buy things for you and the baby, so why not ask them to help you buy the nursery furniture.  People could go together on larger items or some might just give you the cash to buy whatever you want. Let everyone know you would like help with furnishing the nursery.

A lot of nursery furniture actually receives little use, and second hand goods can save you lots of money. Friends who have finished having babies may have furniture that you can buy cheaply and some people will just give you pieces.  A coat of paint does wonders for a pre-loved piece of furniture, and you have the added advantage of being able to choose a specific color to suit your baby nursery theme.

If you are a DIY-er, reconditioning nursery furniture will be a rewarding experience, and you will love to see your baby using furniture you have lovingly prepared.  If you do decide on a second hand bassinet or crib, you will probably want to purchase a new mattress, so your baby is sleeping on a fresh base.

So there are other ways to furnish your nursery than buying loads of new stuff. Plan your theme, slap on some paint, add some accessories and create a wonderful room for the latest member of your family.

Below are some tips to make your purchasing for your baby easy.
• Ask experienced parents what they found really useful and read our buying guides to help you decide on a purchase.

• Prepare a wish list of nice but non-essential items to give to friends and relatives when they ask you what you would like (as they will).

• Exchange unwanted gifts. Most shops oblige.

• Tell the world that you want hand-me-downs like baby clothes, prams, toys, etc.

• Borrow items, such as high chairs, Moses baskets, carry cots wherever possible.

• Make do. For example, an unused face cloth or cut-down worn towel that would double as a baby sponge. You can make sheets and cloth nappies from used soft cotton sarees.

• Plan ahead so you can take advantage of sales.

• Only buy new if there’s a safety issue involved.

• Buy up large whenever you see Buy One Get One Free or Three for Two offers.

Some Common Sense Tips on Baby Furniture is a post from: Babyfolk

Now, we know we are going to have to include the most obvious things on this list such as:

• Diapers
• Baby Formula
• Food
• Pacifier
• Clothing
• Bathing supplies

Those are the basics. And the quantities of each that you think you will need? Double that amount and you’re off to a good start. We have to remember spitting up and other things of that nature, or super wet diapers, etc.

Other things you are going to need include the car seat, stroller, and a playpen (hopefully you got one of those that break down very small). Lots of wipes should also be considered. These are worth their in gold and can be used for many more purposes than just diaper changes. It never hurts to have more than you’ll need when you and baby travel. You’ll be grateful that you had too much as opposed to not enough!

Now, you’re also going to want to carry a bottle of hand sanitizer as well. When traveling, you will encounter many people along the way, and the hand sanitizer can help you to keep anything from spreading to you and baby as you travel.

Bring extra formula along with you on the trip. If there is a delay for any reason, you don’t want to be sitting somewhere and no formula with you! Now, the same can apply to older children as well. Children are very active and are bound to become hungry at a time that not appropriate for the trip. Having something for them to snack on such as crackers, or even cookies will keep them happy until it’s time to stop for dinner, lunch or whichever the meal might be. You might find that these are your own saving grace as well!

When it comes to baby travel, you thought that was all there was to it, didn’t you? Well, it might be, but we’ll see. Are you going to be flying somewhere? If so, check current laws from your local transportation authority. Currently, there is a limitation of what can and cannot be taken on a plane that is in liquid form. This does indeed include baby formula, breast milk, or whatever might be in the baby’s bottle at the moment of travel. Liquid products that will be allowed will be limited as to how much can be in your carry on, and it must be sealed in clear plastic zip lock bags. It sounds ridiculous, but when you have knowledge of chemicals and their capabilities, a small amount can do a lot of damage. It’s a way of life now and we must do what needs to be done for the greater good of everyone. These rules change periodically, so there is no use to putting amounts within this article. If you are traveling by air, simply contact the airport from which you will depart and check on current regulations.

Now, depending on how old your baby is, you will need some sort of baby travel entertainment which may include their favorite toys, or a beloved music box or even several different items.

Traveling out of the country? If a baby will travel out of the country, baby needs a passport. Even neighboring border countries such as US/Canada or even US/Mexico are asking for passports these days whereas in the past a simple ID card was sufficient.

As we know from previous reading in this article, we never know what might happen and when. Maybe when baby began to travel someone passed by and slipped baby a bug. It’s best to make sure that you have baby’s entire medicine cabinet in your luggage. If you are traveling out of the country, this one is especially true, and in fact, an appointment should be made with the doctor ahead of time to get any vaccinations that may be beneficial to you. You simply never know what may happen and the rule of thumb when you and baby travel is better safe than sorry!

Your physician will know which shots you should have depending on the country (ies) you will be traveling to so be sure to let him or her know each country you will visit.

Baby Travel is a post from: Babyfolk

Part of the problem, and especially when we are new parents, is that we have a little trouble trying to decipher what’s wrong with our baby. There are a number of books around, sure, but the fact of the matter is that each baby is unique and while some things may appear to be similar, there may actually be something going on altogether different.

Provided here for you then, is a list of symptoms that you might look for if you suspect that baby may have begun teething. These are general signs, and are by no means a comprehensive list, but merely some clues as to what may be happening:

• Irritable – This symptom is more of a general symptom, but one that should be noted. Trying to figure out the problem is more of a series of deductions. The baby will of course get irritable when the diaper needs changing, or if he or she is hungry so we have to go through the processes. Check the diaper. If the diaper is clean, then perhaps the baby is hungry. Now, if you know you just gave the baby a feeding, then perhaps it’s something else, and in this case it may be teething time. Now, since this is just a general symptom, then we have to look at some other possible signs as well.
• Drooling – Again, not a tell-tale sign at all, but another symptom to look for. The baby can be drooling and irritable too, but that still may not be because he or she is teething. It is however, an indicator when appearing along with other symptoms such as
• Rubbing the Cheeks or pulling on the ears – Now this symptom, is generally one that indicates the baby’s mouth is hurting a bit. It may seem strange, but the fact is that pain from erupting teeth can radiate to the nose and the ears
• Chewing – An excellent symptom, or in this case sign, that the baby is teething is when they try to chew on something. The baby feels pressure from the teeth trying to come through. He or she will bite down on something trying to relieve the pressure they are feeling. It doesn’t matter to them what it is and it could even be your finger.
• Slight Fever – A slight fever is indicative of new teeth coming through. This is one of the symptoms in which another symptom or even two should be present before you take anything for granted. Take the babies temperature and monitor it. If the fever becomes too serious then you will need a trip to the doctor, but a low grade fever is nothing to worry over if the other symptoms are present as well. Still if the fever is one that is persistent, you will need to see the doctor.
• It’s common of course, for the baby to wake periodically throughout the night for feedings and diaper changes. As time progresses, you will begin to see a pattern of when the baby sleeps normally. If he or she is waking up at times that is unusual for them, this could be another sign of teething.
• Symptoms Like those of a cold – If baby is experiencing symptoms like those of a cold, along with any of the other symptoms here, it may not actually be a cold. Now it may seem strange that teething would present symptoms such as these, but the truth is that the baby is fussing with his mouth and nose more often now because he or she is trying to relieve the pressure they feel. Just like with the ear pulling and rubbing of the cheeks. This constant rubbing on the mouth and nose area may cause the baby to start sneezing, and the rubbing of the eyes and nose will have them red and appearing like the baby has caught a cold when in reality it’s the teething that is at the root of it all.

When it comes right down to it, the baby can begin the teething process anytime from about 3 months forward. It has been known to occur sooner in some cases. That’s why it’s important to be observant and note any changes that you see. The earlier that you are able to detect these signs of your baby teething, the better off everyone is because then you can take the necessary steps to help alleviate the pain the baby may be feeling.

How to tell if your baby may be teething is a post from: Babyfolk

As for toys during the initial 6 months of life, the primary focus should be on safety, and in addition, on the learning, or development of the baby. Toys should be of the variety intended for their age because these toys general focus on some aspect of baby learning. Certain toys are developed that will assist the baby in focusing their eyes, more work on coordination and following things around with their eyes. All tasks that are extremely important to baby’s overall development.

We must take care with these toys. Don’t let the dogs play with them, keep things reasonably clean, etc. As we may or may not be aware, another aspect of baby’s exploration includes tasting things, and nearly everything they encounter will make it to their mouth at one point or another.

Rattlers are a good toy for development. They make sounds which help baby to focus on listening. They also promote gripping and holding on to things. You don’t want the rattler to be too loud, but the baby should be able to hear it.

Another good toy is perhaps not actually a toy, but will think it is and that is a teething ring. The baby can begin to develop teeth as early as 3 months old. They will chew on this to help the teeth come through, and it is also soothing to the gums. The best ones will be those containing a gel that can be made cold in the refrigerator. Make sure it stays clean though!

There is a fantastic toy that is sort of an all in one type game that includes a frame that baby will actually lie under. Baby learning takes the form of continued development of coordination as the baby reaches for the items that are hanging from the frame. This also actually exercises baby and he or she begins to build muscle in the extremities.

Other toys beneficial to baby learning include balls, toys that roll, and even safety mirrors all work towards developing baby and getting them ready to move on to the next level of learning.

Once upon a time, people used to believe that reading to baby at a very young age was pointless. We now know that this is wrong, and the sooner that you begin reading to a child, the faster their vocabulary will develop. It is known that reading to children from a very young age has them well advanced in reading by the time they begin school, and those who have been worked with as infants have been known to read on a level 3 or 4 grades ahead of their classmates.

There are books that are geared to developing a child’s knowledge such as assisting the parents in teaching the child their ABC’s, various body parts and other such basic knowledge. Still other books such as fairy tales help the child’s imagination to properly develop. When you look at things on the surface, those who began baby learning at a young age are those who are excelling in their studies in the later years. Take a look at high school students today, and the vast numbers of children who have poor reading skills. Studies have proven that those having trouble in school at that age with learning, are primarily the ones who were never worked with at home.

Reading to children at an early age, and in fact making it an essential part of baby learning opens the door to a whole new world of words for the child. When they begin to understand the words, the door opens further still.

There’s a great many websites available online that specifically deal with toys, games and books designed to develop a baby’s mind and thinking skills as well as helping to build vocabulary more quickly and this should be an important part of your baby learning activities.

Another useful baby learning tool is music. Music affects babies just like it does anyone else. Soft music can be soothing to the baby and it aids in development overall. Again, this would affect the listening and hearing skills for baby and they will soon have a favorite song that for one reason or another especially appeals to them.

Never under estimate the ability of any child to learn, and the more you work with baby in learning, the faster they will develop the various skills needed by all of us.

Baby Learning is About Having Fun – Playing, Laughing and Talking with Your Baby is a post from: Babyfolk

Now, just like anything else, you should shop around for baby clothes. Things can get quite as expensive for the baby as it does for any adult, so you should do some price comparisons when shopping. That said, we now know that if we shop carefully we can still end up with all the latest styles and fashions that are hot on the market.

When you consider name brands, you’re almost always going to be paying a little more, but with major department stores caring more and more of these brands, starting there can have you finding some excellent deals. This is generally because the profit to the store comes from selling quantity as opposed to counting profit per item. As a matter of fact, in a lot of case the major department stores will sell these items almost at cost, hoping that you will also buy some of the ancillary items such as diapers and other things besides just the baby clothes. In most cases they are making the full profit margin on those items essentially making the low priced clothing their loss leaders.

Now, when we look at online shopping, you’re almost sure to find some fantastic bargains there simply because the competition for online shopping dollars is fierce.

Now, when we talk about style, there are some styles that just never die. One mainstay for any child is baby clothes with animals prints on them, and for little girls, everyone always loves to dress them in frilly dresses laden with ruffles all around. For little boys, anything sporty is always in style. This is especially so when it comes to jersey style clothing for the major sports teams.

The newest trend in baby clothes is those that are organic. This means the clothing is produced from materials that are sustainable, and have been harvested in ways that are environmentally friendly. This includes the use of harmful chemicals that are typically used in the manufacturing processes.

The organic type clothing, as with anything else of that nature is going to tend to be more expensive. Most people believe that it is a small price to pay in return for helping to save the environment as we know it. Still, careful shopping will net you some pretty good deals.

All in all, you have to consider that you will literally be restocking the wardrobe with new baby clothes a minimum of every few months as they grow. Looking around for sales that include retailer over stock, or even out of season items can save you a great deal of money. You sort of have to think outside the box on this one and plan ahead. Clothing going out of season now and the climate changes can likely be a useful piece of clothing the next season for baby by buying it in a size that he will be wearing around that time if you can find it available. Fashion trends are not going to change so drastically that it would be out of the question to do so, and you could potentially save a great deal of money in the process.

Another consideration when shopping for baby clothes is consignment shops. Many people balk at the thought of this, but when you consider the fact that it seems like the baby grows out of new clothes in a week, it becomes a welcome idea. The clothes in these shops would not be there if they weren’t in excellent shape for one thing. For another, these clothes might have been worn once or twice by the baby. The parents then realized it was time to move on to the next size and likely put these in the consignment shop for sale to supplement the purchase of the next line of clothes for the baby.

The most important thing of it all when it comes to baby clothes and saving money, is to shop around. There are lots of bargains to be had, and let’s face it it’s a buyer’s world when it comes to shopping so just be patient.

Remember to watch for sales at the major department stores, who will generally offer deep discounts on baby clothes hoping that other merchandise that isn’t on sale will be purchased too.

How to Dress Your Baby Without Spending a Fortune is a post from: Babyfolk

Take a look at sites like YouTube at the videos that people are posting left and right of 2 years singing songs all the way through without missing a beat. That child quite frankly, is for the most part doing nothing that any other child can’t do as well. It is just that the child’s parents worked with them, sang to them, played music for them and in general just spent ample time assisting the child to develop. The end result is the child learned what they were hearing.

There’s something about all humans that allows music to affect us in some sort of way that seems mysterious. There really is nothing mysterious about it. Musical instruments, when played properly of course, sounds good to our ears, and it is pleasing. Baby music is the same to children. We tend to produce tunes that appeal to them. These are generally fun type songs that set them to moving to the rhythm of the music.

Baby music can also help a child to build vocabulary, and to just learn in general. For those in the US, you may remember back in the 70’s (if you are that old!) the schoolhouse rock commercials that would come on during the Saturday morning cartoons. These were songs that were “fun” to the kids, and they were running around singing these songs all over the place and the Department of Education successfully completed their mission. These songs taught things such as the use of conjunctions, how a bill becomes a law and many other things. The US Constitution was also the subject of one these mini-features.

The point that is trying to be made, is that while it is pleasant to listen to, music is also a valuable tool for teaching. It stimulates the mind and opens it up to absorb information for lack of a better way to explain it in laymen’s terms.

Studies have been conducted, thoroughly testing the effects music had on babies. Now, these tests were conducted on infants who were premature at birth – a difficult time for everyone involved when the baby is a preemie. Now, this test consisted of playing pre-recorded lullabies for the babies for about a half hour a day. By the time the fourth day rolled around, what do you think that the doctors and nurses recorded? For one thing, the infants that participated in the test and actually heard the music had improved overall health, including gaining weight, blood pressures that were more of a normal level and even stronger heart beats. Now stop and think about it for a moment – music did all this!

Music definitely has healing power. When baby is feeling bad, singing some baby music to him or her can help to soothe them or even playing a music CD with baby music on it can help the child to relax and fall asleep.

It’s important to note, that “blaring” music is not likely to stimulate this learning process. In fact it could actually harm the baby’s ear if music is played too loudly over an extended period of time. The music should be soft, but loud enough to hear. If you cannot speak to someone sitting across the table from you because the music is too loud, then you need to put the volume down.

The idea behind it all is to stimulate the child and his or her thinking process, and then the learning begins. Play tunes that are fun for baby like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and other songs like that. It won’t be long before they are learning to sing along with the music, and learning other things as well!

Does Listening to Music Make Your Baby More Intelligent? is a post from: Babyfolk

Organic Baby Products is a post from: Babyfolk

Still, certain foods should be avoided when breastfeeding because what you eat can ultimately be passed along to the baby. Soft drinks that are loaded with caffeine are a definite no-no as the caffeine can be passed to the baby. Likewise there are a number of foods that can create problems for baby by making them “gassy” for lack of a better term. These foods include among others thing:

• Broccoli
• Onions
• Beans
• Even hot dogs or frankfurters

Once we get beyond the stage of just milk for feeding babies, we have to start considering solid foods, working our way up of course. This is an area where the baby’s doctor can guide those of you who are new moms but many people believe that at around 3 months or so you can begin mixing cereal with formula or breast milk for feeding babies. It is said that this will help babies to sleep longer at night and reduce the number of feedings necessary. Others contend that feeding babies anything of that nature should be withheld until about 6 months.

If the baby is crying a lot for feeding, then simply put, the breast milk or formula is not enough to keep them satistfied and adding cereal to the milk will help.

IMPORTANT NOTE – Feeding babies whole milk or any milk other than formula or breast milk before they are 1 year old. This can be dangerous to baby because his or her little body cannot properly break down the proteins produced in cow’s milk. In addition, whole milk contains too much potassium and sodium and makes the baby’s kidneys work harder than they should. This can be a major problem. Among other things that can happen, giving baby cow’s milk before it is time can result in the baby having low iron, and it can in fact cause allergic reactions and internal bleeding. This is not meant to scare, but to inform you of the consequences that may happen.

When you actually do begin introducing solid foods when feeding babies it should be things like the aforementioned cereals, pureed fruits and vegetables, etc. As you introduce each new food to baby, do so one at a time. You want to monitor the baby for any possible allergic reactions, and of course you will want to know what caused the reaction as well.

First introduction of any food should always be mashed well, or pureed. We want no chunks of anything that could potentially cause a choking hazard.

A great many people are beginning to see that producing baby food at home not only saves money, but it’s much healthier. Especially when you consider the fact that organic is better as there have been no pesticides used on them. Another reason being that there are no additives to prolong the life of the food and there are no fillers or artificial colors added either.

Making your own food for feeding babies is easy. The process is so simple in fact a child could do it! (one old enough to operate a stove, that is!) Simply cook the food as you normally would. It’s a good idea to leave out the added salt and other spices that you may use. When it is completely cooked (in the case of vegetables that is) then allow them to cool before moving on to the next process which is basically put them in the blender and setting it to puree. Mixing the puree can be done with water or breast milk if necessary, but in many cases you won’t need this unless you are pureeing meat or something along those lines.

It may seem to be additional work feeding babies with homemade baby food, but really there is only an additional step or two involved, and it’s so much healthier for the baby. Foods can be done in advance as well, and then frozen to use at a later time if you so desire. Be careful of heating however so as to not get it too hot for baby.

The first years of feeding babies are the most important. The baby is growing very fast and they are developing all over, including the brain. Take extra steps to ensure healthy development can set the tone for a healthy life overall. This healthy lifestyle starts at home and will follow baby into adulthood, so the patterns we set for baby now is likely the pattern they will follow as they grow.

Some Ideas on How to Feed Your Baby is a post from: Babyfolk

This video has become famous with nearly 100,000,000 views. Why? Because it is a wonderful, cheerful and encouraging celebration of family life. We can look at it every day and it makes us feel better. Yes. A baby can teach us to appreciate life.

Laughing Baby is a post from: Babyfolk