Walking is a significant developmental milestone for every baby.  This is a sign that he wants to be autonomous and he is interested enough to explore his surroundings.  Be patient and let him walk at his own speed.  Usually babies start to walk by their first birthday, after he or she learns to roll around, walk on his knees, and pull himself up.

Spend some time training your kid and helping him take his steps.  But first he needs to balance himself and hold himself up without support.  As a parent, we are there to hold him and give him a lot of verbal encouragement and positive reinforcement.  When holding your child, kneel and grasp him by the torso.  Sometimes two people can hold both his hands and lead him to move onward.  Occasionally, let go of one hand so he can develop a sense of balance.  Leave your child to walk barefoot indoors or let him wear socks with rubberized pads.  Try various surfaces for a fresh, stimulating experience.  Comfortable and properly fitted shoes are needed once your kid ventures outside the house.  Walkers and jumpers do not speed up walking and may even hinder proper muscular growth.   Put some objects that your child can cling to and shove so he can take steps forward.

Think about proper childproofing.  Remove any appliance or furniture that may cause an accident.  Cover sharp edges to prevent cuts.  Remove items that are scattered on the floor like toys, etc.  Maintain your floor dry and skid-free. Always keep an eye on your baby.  Walking may be tiring for your kid, so let him get adequate rest and appropriate nourishment.

Disgusted with the non made in America products, a European transplant living in Arizona starts her one woman attack against mass production.

Louise Felice had a successful line of childrens clothes that she sold in europe. The handmade tradition is still around, there, and her ‘workforce’ were stay at home mums who loved their job as it meant some extra income doing something they loved.

She has decided to try the same thing here. The first collection of girls dresses is out and the boys collection will be available at the end of the year. The workforce is the same … just on a smaller scale at the moment!

Fabrics are found in the most unlikely of places – estate sales, bargain basements – and vintage clothes are also recycled!

“My aim,” Louise says, “is to go off on a complete tangent from mass production. I dont buy anything from Big name stores but rather support the few surviving mom and pop places. I recycle, upcycle, and use anything i think will fit into my collection.”

This has resulted in an eclectic collection where no two items are ever exactly the same.

I asked how she keeps her costs down, as her prices are amazingly affordable. “Well, first of all, the people who work for me love their job and the freedom it allows so they are not at all greedy! I run a cost effective car, use solar power, recycle, barter etc etc – anything that helps me keep my prices low!”

She eventually hopes to be able to employ more people especially stay at home moms. Support the cause – “my prices are low as i want to dress kids and not fleece the moms!”

http://louisefelice.com