Home And Family

My son抯 bedroom has always been a dark and dangerous, one of those places where anything might happen. But even I wasn抰 prepared for my late night encounter with his friend抯 father. Let me clarify. This experience was a strictly virtual one, the momentary blending of pixels across the ether ?webcam to webcam, although the embarrassment of being caught out in my nightclothes was real enough. My teenager has embraced modern technology, which means draughty street corners are out and instant messaging is in.

Armed with laptop, webcam and the absence of vowels required for today抯 communication, he conducts much of his social life with the help of Bill Gates and without removing his dressing gown. 慏isgusting!?cry the anti-progress police and it would be all too easy to take this route towards family strife. But I抦 not falling in step with the populist viewpoint just yet. At least I know where he is at night and with a flat-rate broadband connection there are none of those outsized phone bills that my parents endured when I was his age. Speaking of which, he has just shown me how to make free phone calls from my PC. And what about his room? Now I never step across the threshold without a note book and my best smile. After all, you never know who you might meet.

My relaxed attitude towards web chat is part of a broader acceptance of computers in my children抯 lives. Inevitably they will live in a more advanced world than mine so an ability to ride the wave of new technologies is a crucial part of their education and is thus reflected in the school curriculum. Of course I have concerns about the potential dangers, particularly of the Internet and have already observed, firsthand, the reduction of homework to a quick 慓oogle?and the moth like attraction of young children to a lit screen. However, I still believe that, with the right guidance and appropriate supervision, the benefits outweigh the pitfalls many times over.

The very advances that so worry the experts have equipped my sons with valuable life skills way beyond those of this 1970s teenager. Technology literate, politically astute, consumer savvy and in possession of a sophisticated sense of humour ?with all these positive attributes, forget those computers, perhaps it抯 the girlfriends I should be worried about. I feel sure that my children抯 enhanced development owes something to the communications capability and unlimited availability of information made possible by the Internet. I just hope that they will be equally well equipped to deal with the extra responsibilities that come with this shiny new world.

While much is made in the press of the detrimental effects of computers on the young, there are many situations in which they can be used to support creativity and constructive thinking. In our house computers are regularly used for digital photography, musical tuition and composition, animation, graphic design, database construction, programming, research, writing and much more. And yes, they are used for video gaming too. I抣l admit that some of these games push the boundaries of taste and are, at worst, mindless but given the content of your average soap opera, haven抰 the children seen it all before? I have to confess that as a somewhat serious teenager, even I lingered briefly in the twilight world of Space Invaders but progressed happily to boys in the end. I抦 not too worried – the pull of nature is strong!

Rather than banning games altogether, a bit of research and well thought out choices can reap their own rewards. The right game can even work as a bonding experience for the whole family. As boys grow up it gets harder for mothers to find common ground so I was delighted to discover a shared interest in puzzle adventures such as the acclaimed Myst series, which test observational skills and the ability to think laterally. A particular favourite, based on the Holy Grail conspiracy, gave us all a crash course in medieval art and religious history way before Dan Brown had written one word of The Da Vinci Code. Now you can抰 say that about Snakes and Ladders or Monopoly can you?

For those who are still worried that computers will bring an end to civilised society ?take heart. Last week I received an email from the moderator of a web forum that is popular with young people. Concerned that the language used on the site had dropped to an unacceptable standard, participants were being encouraged to write in clear and correct English and warned that 憈ext talk?would be removed from the website ?immediately. And what about all that sitting around? Some argue that computers are breeding a generation of overweight, exercise-adverse children. Not true. With all that cheap sports equipment available on ebay, my kids have never been so active!

It is important to note that you build and create your children抯 self-esteem and self image. The words and actions you choose in interacting with them will have long lasting effects on them for the rest of their lives. This may seem like a no brainer, but the problem that arises is what parents say when they are angry, tired, stressed, and when their child is not listening or obeying. The way you treat your children and the words you use with them matter. Even the things you think about your children matter too, so try to think positive things about them, otherwise they will feel and most likely become the very things you are thinking about. This is called the self-fulfilling prophecy because although the original thought or prophecy may have been false, a child may start to believe it as true, so then their behaviors and reactions ultimately live up to what was expected of him or her. You have a great influence over the way your children feel about themselves.

揅onditioning?is what happens when an individual is exposed to certain things, and then in turn acts or feels a certain way because of what they were repeatedly exposed to. For example, if your parents threatened or said they didn抰 love you, or said that they hated you, called you names or put you down when they were angry, you may unconsciously find yourself doing this when you are upset. Perhaps you grew up and vowed never to say those things to your kids or to other people, but do you say them to yourself?

The point is, although children are resilient, when they grow up in a home where they are verbally abused and put down, there will be profound negative effects. Sometimes this comes in the form of self-hate, which can then turn into hate and anger towards others. Remember the saying. You can抰 love anyone else until you love yourself. Great wisdom exists in these words.

Be mindful of what you say to your children! If you give them unconditional love and acceptance, they will grow and flourish, learning to love themselves and to be able to have faith and trust in others around them–especially you. By supporting your children in this way they will learn that they can trust in you and they will more likely come to you when they have a problem. All kids struggle with issues with peers at one time or another. It is important that you be there for your child in a supportive and nonjudgmental manner. Don抰 you remember what it was like to be a child or teen and how you felt at times like nobody in the world understood you–especially your parents? Didn抰 you hate that feeling? Some of the things that children struggle with may seem very trivial, but to them it is their whole world, and their feelings need to be respected. The reason why we are able to help the children and teens we work with is because we really listen and care about what they are saying. If you build this type of relationship with your child, it will be easier to talk with him or her about crucial areas that need to be discussed, such as drugs and sex.

Unfortunately most of what children know about sex is by what the media tells them (i.e. television, magazines, internet), by what their friends tell them, and by their own experiences. It may seem easy enough to just say no sex until you抮e married, and while this is a great idea and hope to have for your child, the reality is that many children become sexually active well before marriage. But the truth is, the more you talk with them–really talk with them–about the ins and outs of sex, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, attachment and heartache, they may be less likely to engage in it. Or if they do, they will make better choices about it. This also doesn抰 mean just sitting down with them one time and talking about it, you need to check in with them from time to time and ask them about their friends and pressures at school or what they have been hearing.

Once again, try not to judge. This may be very difficult as you may not like what you hear, but it抯 better that you know what your children are being exposed to than being left in the dark. This way you can help guide them and give them the support they need to make the right choices. Do not confuse this with having the sole role of friend to your child, because although you do need to be your child抯 friend, your role as parent needs to come first. This is also true for discussions about drugs. You need to talk with your children about drugs, and please don抰 wait until it is too late.

Teach them while they are young, talk to them about what happens to people when they become addicted to drugs, and talk to them about peer pressure. Give them tools and ideas for how to say no. And be aware of what your children are doing, pay attention to their moods and behavior, and if you learn they are doing drugs, get help. Put your foot down, set limits. It is not okay for your child or teen to be using drugs or alcohol–period. And with this be careful what you are modeling for them. If you don抰 want them to drink and smoke, it would be wise not to partake in these activities either. Otherwise you will be what your children will correctly call a hypocrite–and nobody wants to listen to a hypocrite. The sad thing is that your words don抰 mean much if your actions are saying something else. What you teach your children now will help them to be healthy functioning adults when they grow up.

Use the following check list to help you make sure that your child is safe in their bedroom.

1. Are electrical appliances safe enough to be used?

Electrical fires are more likely to start in a bedroom than in any other room in the house. And more fires start in winter due to the increase in indoor activities and use of lighting, heating and other appliances. Be sure to check that electrical cords are not frayed or trapped against walls where heat can build up. If you must use portable heaters in a child抯 room, then put a guard around it as though it was an open fire as children cannot be expected to understand the importance of keeping bedding, clothing etc. or themselves away from the heater.

2. Are electric blankets in use?

You must not use electric blankets for young children as bedwetting can cause electrocution. Instead use a hot water bottle filled with warm (not boiling) water. Place a cover on the hot water bottle to protect against burns and make sure the hot water bottle you use complies with safety standards.

3. How safe is the flooring?

Make sure that the bedroom floor is being kept as clear of toys and other objects as possible to prevent falls. Consider covering any hard floors with a soft impact-absorbing material but avoid rugs and mats as these can be a trip hazard.

4. Are your bunk beds safe?

Only use bunk beds that comply with safety standards and therefore offer adequate protection from falls. It is also better if the ladder is permanently fixed to the bed. As for the age when a child is old enough to use a bunk bed, there is some debate. Some safety advisors suggest that only children over six years of age should use a bunk bed while others place the threshold at those over nine year old. Children should not be allowed to play on the top bunk especially with scarves or long pieces of string etc. (these could get caught and cause strangulation). Any object in the child抯 hand could become a potential hazard if they fall on to it. The same is true of any objects left on the floor.

5. Is a computer set up for the Internet?

It is not advisable to provide internet access to your child if they are able to surf the web unsupervised in their bedroom. Instead, locate the computer outside the bedroom as this reduces the child抯 ability to seek out inappropriate information and allows you to monitor the websites your child visits. Consider informing your child of the possible dangers of using the internet and especially the ability of adults to talk to youngsters through chat rooms. It is also possible to purchase child safety software.

6. Are open flames being used?

Young children can become fascinated by fire. Every year many kids light fires in their bedrooms using lighters, matches and other ignitables. Be sure to keep matches and lighters locked away and check under beds and in closets for evidence of fire related behaviour. Be careful when using candles in your child抯 bedroom as they may attempt to light them when you are not supervising.

7. Consider if any other objects that could be dangerous.

There are many everyday items which, when improperly used by children, can become dangerous. Think about potential hazards. A curtain or blind cord for example is a strangulation risk so avoid using them. And bookshelves should be firmly anchored to the wall to prevent them from being pulled over.

8. Can they open windows or reach open windows?

Children are very inquisitive and don抰 always see the dangers of an open window. Make sure that small children are not able to reach open windows or open them by themselves. Window locks should be fitted but make sure that the keys are somewhere that is easily accessible to you in case of fire. It is difficult to balance keeping your child safe with giving them a means of escape during a fire. Older children should be taught window safety, especially if they have small brothers and sisters who are sometimes in the room with them.

First, RELAX and go with the flow. Easier, said than done? If you are anything like I was when I started my parenting journey, this is quite a challenge. I was anything but relaxed. I wanted to be the best parent ever and create a perfect little human being who would later grow into a perfect adult. Naturally, I would be able take credit for all this and receive kudos and pats on the back from everyone around.

Boy, was I wrong! Once my child exited babyhood and exerted her free will, expressed her wants and desires and voiced her opinion, I understood that she had her own agenda and was here to walk her own path. I was merely a vehicle through which she would get started! Once I understood that she was not a “mini-me”, I truly was able to relax and do what was right for her growth. And, to my surprise, I grew form the experience as well.

Next, REALIZE you are in a mutually satisfying, symbiotic relationship with your child. Your are in one another’s lives for very good reasons. Together, you may learn, grow, play, laugh, cry, explore and so much more. You may be able to re-live your childhood or create a new one if yours wasn’t so hot. I didn’t know I could learn from a child. I thought it was the other way around. A dose of humility is helpful when doing this since traditionally adults teach children. When I let so of preconceived ideas and trusted in the process, the lessons I learned were amazing.

We all know that kids are some of the best button-pushers around, right? Why is that? I’d say that part of the reason is that they are so honest sometimes that it hurts and they truly have no attachment to the outcome or effect of their words. For example, my daughter and I were looking at some old photos and she admired one of me that was taken about fifteen years ago. She commented, “Wow, Mom you look exactly the same now as you did then!” Beaming and about to thank her for her very keen observation, she intercepted and added, “…except for all those wrinkles!” Yes, brutally honest but certainly keeping the old ego in check.

Then, ENJOY the present moment. How many times do we live in the past or the future? As a parent, I recall thinking how nice it would be when my baby was a bit older: When she slept though the night, I could sleep as well. When she ate solid food I wouldn’t have to nurse her so much. When she walked on her own, I wouldn’t have to carry her as often. You see where this is going. It ends up being the elusive carrot, just like ‘one day I’ll be happy.’

Well one day is now. When we learn to appreciate what is happening right now, even though it may not be that pleasant, we are really living. The baby awakens every two hours? The toddler wets the bed? The preschooler started saying bad words? The pre-teen dyed her hair pink? The teenager hates you? So what? Chances are none of these trivial complaints will matter one day. You may vaguely remember some of them, or forget it all together. Hard to believe when you are the sleep-deprived parent of a potty-mouthed rebel, but it’s true.

Finally, TRUST yourself to know that you are doing the right thing and are on the right track. Ultimately, you know what is best for your family. You know what feels right and what doesn’t, what plans will succeed and which will fail. If you’re not sure, give yourself permission to experiment. There are no real mistakes, only opportunities to learn, grow and change. Be grateful you have the insight and wisdom to know this and remember: This too, shall pass.

We probably are not the first ones to admit that parenting is a very hard job. In fact, it is one of the most important jobs anyone will ever encounter. We’re sorry, but as much as we wish for it, that child does not come with an instruction manner. To have a child, no training is needed and there is no 24/7 hotline to call.

However, for new parents, it is easy to learn how to be a good parent. In order to become a good parent, you will need to watch, learn and listen. As we continue this article, we are going to give you some parenting advice for defining rules and setting limits for your child.

Children of all ages need to be provided with rules and structure for healthy development. Having structure in a child’s life helps the child gain independence and learn self control. It is vitally important that all family members are aware of the family rules. It is important children and adults to know where the lines are.

Your child will continue to test you to see if you are serious about enforcing rules, so make sure you remind them when needed. These gentle reminders are necessary because the child may simply forget a rule from time to time, or will not think to follow rules that are never enforced.

Finally, as your child gets older, start to give him or her more choices (such as letting your child choose which activities to participate in school. Also, give your child some free time to play with friends after your child has completed his/her responsibilities around the house. It even a good idea to have you child choose which responsibilities they would like to help out with in the home.

In conclusion, defining rules and setting limits is a challenging job, but in due time, you will get the hang of it. You may not be the “perfect limit setter” that you want to be, but just remember no one is perfect. Take your time and practice, and be patient with yourself during this process.

For some children, the biggest homework problem they have to solve is the volume they have to manage. Following are six specific ‘jobs’ for parents that will help keep things moving when the work load is weighty. These tips are especially useful with ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism or LD issues.

1. Be your child’s Admin Assistant. For example, to lighten the writing load, your child dictates while you type at the computer. Print it out and paste into a notebook if that is where the answers are supposed to show up.

2. Get them talking on the subject. If she抯 stuck starting something creative in nature, such as a story or essay, coach her to stockpile any and all knowledge, ideas or feelings she has on the topic, no matter how little or how silly. You may be amazed at how a plan begins to bubble up and how thoughts flow when your child expresses them aloud first.

3. Chunk down the tasks. Help your child see a big workload as a series of manageable steps. Putting a title at the top of a blank piece of paper is often the first laborious step that flows to the next and the next. It抯 the good old: 揕ittle by little.?and 揙ne step at a time.?/p>

4. Create visual tools. Colored sticky notes are the greatest invention for visible goal setting. As assignments come in, each title gets its own sticky note. Color code according to due date or subject or what makes sense. Post on the wall. As the assignments are completed, another sticky comes down and satisfaction goes up. Incentives, rewards and break time can be built into the conquering of each sticky noted assignment.

5. You do the busy work while your child does the thinking work. For a display project, you can help move it along by cutting and gluing. For math, you can copy questions into the notebook, leaving space for your child fill in answers. (Most teachers will support this accommodation especially for students who struggle with LD issues. You can check with the teacher on this by sending a note with the homework if that would be more comfortable for you.)

6. Help your child keep his work area and tools organized–just enough. A tidy workspace clears thinking space in the brain. Create enough system so your child has what he needs within easy reach. Do not over-do organization; kids function differently in what adults consider clutter or bedroom chaos. Do stay involved. For a good habit of organization to take hold, parents need to coach until it is officially a habit. Be careful your support does not turn into nagging. Find strategies that work for your child to take charge of his systems.

For more on Homework see companion article:
Homework: Six Strategies to Prevent Your Child from Getting Into Overwhelm

Everyone knows that having everything in the world does not lead to happiness. There is something more than material things that is needed to make people happy. It’s imagination. Imagination can turn even the most mundane things into something to be celebrated, and is something that every parent should try and instill in their child at an early age.
There are many ways to do this, but one of the most important and easiest is to draw out your child’s creativity by asking them to fashion roles for themselves. How do you do that? Well, you could always suggest that they do what kids love to do anyway, such as play dress up!

Dressing up offers even more benefits than you might think. It promotes the activity of the brain, in requiring your children to think about who they want to be, what that person or thing wears, and how they can make a costume that is something like it. But it also requires a large amount of physical creativity as well. If, for instance, your child wants to be Shaq, he or she will not be sitting on the couch. They will be bounding around the house or yard, exercising healthily in mind and spirit.

Playing dress up also encourages empathy. By taking on the roles of other people and things, your child will have to think like those other people and things. This encourages them to think as if they were not the center of the universe, and promotes an ability that will greatly serve them later in life, the ability to see the world through other people’s eyes. What’s more, it will allow children to function a bit better than they might otherwise. By playing a teacher, your child might more properly understand what is required of them in a classroom, or how to better relate to adults.

The way that a child plays out roles during dress up can be invaluable for parents. A parent who pays keen attention to the way his or her child is acting out their dress up character can learn a great deal about how their child understands the world. If, for instance, to use the teacher example above, a child always enacts a teacher who is cruel and unfeeling, it might be the case that the child’s teachers are not all too kind to the child, and perhaps a parent’s intervention is necessary.

Dressing up also provides the necessity of innovation. Since children can become quickly tired of things that become too routine, it will be required of them to invent more and further ways of dress up. This will increase their creative ability and make them more innovative thinkers.

You know everything start within ourselves. We can control our behaviors and our attitudes – up to us. But our behaviors or attitudes normally derive from our upbringing. In other words, our family plays a major role in shaping our behaviors and attitudes. In fact, not just us, everybody – since the beginning of mankind. Think, if we have a good family, no marriage problems, our behaviors and attitudes will be better because of this positive environment. Then we will grow up and be a responsible and caring citizen with a positive attitude. Thus, if everybody goes through this kind of process, I guarantee that our world will be a better place to live because we would have a lot more responsible and caring people accept for the Schizophrenia cases. I say that we should work towards a better marriage if we want to live in a better world. Remember, better world comes from better nations, better nations comes from better governments, better governments comes from better leaders, better leaders comes from better individuals, better individuals comes from good family, good family comes from a good marriage. So if we want a better world for us to live and for our children and for the next generation, better start from the root which is to have a better family.

So what is a good family? How do we define a good family? Simply said a good family is a family with a great marriage. If we have a great marriage, then we could focus on bringing up our children with positive attitude and positive environment instead of focusing our energy and time quarrelling with each other and creating negative environment for our children. How can our children grow and become a caring person if everyday he or she has to listen and witness his parents quarreling with each other. What sort of example is that? I believe it is our responsibilities to search for the secrets of a great marriage. It is a must if we want our children to grow in positive person and become a responsible and caring person. We owe it to our children. Remember, love alone cannot produce a great marriage. It is an endless search because we, human have a very special characteristic which is new. New in the sense that we always change, sometimes we are like this, sometimes we are like that, sometimes we want this, and sometimes we want that. I think you got what I am trying to tell.

Again, I want to emphasis that if we want to have a better world to live in, we better search the secrets of a great marriage. Just remember it is an endless task of trial and error. But, we must do it; we owe it to our children. Just remember that this task has to come from our hearts. Do this for ourselves, for our spouses, for our partners, for our nations and for a better world. Remember, everything must come from the heart.

Thank you.

Husni Husain.

husnihusain@gmail.com

http://marriageadvice.thankyou.com.my/

http://husnihusain.blogspot.com/

Recently, a reader wrote to ask me whether we as parents in our society might be doing too much for our children with special needs, particularly in the area of schools and education. Her thought was that “if we do too much for kids, all we do is teach them they can’t do for themselves.”

This raises the important issue of self-advocacy. It’s the absolute most important thing we can teach our children with special needs. The weeks before school starts can be an especially good time for teaching some of these skills. This is also a time of year when many parents find that there are varying types and amounts of school-related “to-do’s” that come with the job of parenting a child with special needs.

Many parents of children with special needs, in addition to teaching their children to advocate for themselves, have additional roles and responsibilities that are either expected of them by the school system or necessary in order to ensure teachers and staff are properly prepared. Even though the child may already be advocating for him or herself quite well, these are often things that would best be handled before school starts. And the child can still be involved as much as possible in these preparations, even though school hasn’t officially started yet.

For example, my son uses an FM system to help him hear in classes, and every summer about this time I call the school to be sure the equipment is back from “summer service.” Then, we go in and briefly visit the teachers to make sure they are all aware of how to use the FM. My son has always come along with me on these visits. When he was in kindergarten, it was me who did most of the explaining. Now, he’s a few years older and it’s he who does most of the explaining! So by starting back-to-school preparations early, there’s plenty of time to involve children and teach them how to advocate for their own needs.

Another example is a mom whose child uses a wheelchair. Before school starts, she goes into the school with her child, and they traverse the hallways and classrooms making sure everything’s truly accessible (even though school buildings are built to be accessible, you’d be amazed what gets “rearranged” — art supply closet built into a hallway … ramps used as storage space … !!). They make a list of needed changes, and it’s the child who goes into the main office and talks to the staff about what needs to be fixed before the first day of school.

One other important example is a school system that is resisting implementing the child’s stated IEP services, or worse, denying services altogether. These would be services such as OT, PT, counseling, speech and language, and more. These are discussions that take place between parents and school officials, and sometimes mediators and lawyers are also included. Children generally are not a part of those discussions.

And just one more example – a growing number of children have severe or life-threatening allergies. Especially when these children are young, their parents meet with teachers and staff before the school year to make absolutely certain that everyone is completely informed about what the child can and can’t eat, what to do when a classmate brings in food to share, and emergency procedures.

The ultimate goal is absolutely for children to be able to advocate for themselves. Along the way, parents do get involved depending on a number of factors, including the child’s age, their ability to communicate, the degree of complexity of their child’s disabilities, and the cooperation level of the school.

As parents, we need to continually re-examine what our children can do for themselves, what they may need assistance with, and what may need to be handled for them. And we can be proud knowing that all our hard work now, teaching our children to be independent and self-reliant, will help them lead the full life that is our greatest hope for them in the future.

Becoming a parent is not only a major lifestyle change that can be very rewarding – it is also a tremendous responsibility that requires some advanced knowledge about the basics on how to take care of a newborn. It’s crucial that both parents recognize the importance of a mother and a father in their child’s life. And even though mothers tend to be the primary parent in the baby’s early life, fathers will also play a central role in the baby’s first steps. The following lines present simple tips and advice that will make new parents life easier in the critical first days after the baby’s arrival.

The first days at home

When the mother arrives home with the baby, the role of the father is mainly support. Whereas his partner may be tired and have been advised to avoid exhausting household tasks, the father’s assistance in daily everyday jobs will surely be appreciated. One important mission is to ensure that your partner is following the advice of your doctor, something that will allow both parents to return to their normal activities faster. And the baby, who is adapting to the new environment, needs attention from both parents. It’s a very demanding period of emotional adjustment for all.

The baby needs to sleep

Most newborns sleep an average of 18 to 22 hours per day, and they don’t need absolute silence to sleep. In fact, it is advisable not to habituate the baby to sleep in total silence, because this way they will tent to wake up to the smallest noise. On the other hand, parents should avoid too much noise and bright light that can startle and wake up the baby.

Babies cry

Parents need to understand that crying is the primary means of communication of a newborn. Usually babies cry when they feel uncomfortable, hungry or wet.

When a baby cries for no apparent reason, he or she may only need some attention. Take your baby and talk or sing to him/her. The sound of your voice might be enough to calm him/her down. If these efforts are not delivering any results and the problem seems to be unrelated to the feeding and changing diapers, you may wish to contact your doctor or health professional.

How to pick up the baby

The muscles of the head and neck of your baby will only be fully developed around the third month. Therefore, when picking up your child, gently support his/her head with your hand and hold the neck with your arm. Always keep the back of your baby’s head supported so that it does not fall forward or backward. When the baby is lying down, make sure you put up a hand under the head and neck and one hand on the back.

Changing diapers

A baby’s diaper should be changed whenever it’s wet and after each bowel movement (poop do). Even if the feces of a newborn don’t always smell, it often occurs that the diaper still needs to be changed: the fact is newborns need to change a diaper 8 or 9 times a day.

The frequent change of diapers helps reducing the possibility of appearance of erythema of the diaper, which is often caused by feces and urine. Before replacing a new diaper on the baby, always clean the baby’s bottom after defecation.

How to make the baby burp

You can try to make your baby to burp in the middle of the meal or when the baby is finished eating. Take the baby, put him leaning on your shoulder and give him gentle pats on the back until he/she expels the air. Protect your clothes by placing a towel or a diaper on his shoulder in case the baby throws out any part of the meal.

Another position to make the baby burp is putting the baby sit upright on your lap. Massaging the baby’s stomach can help him/her burp. If your baby wants to burp but can not, lay them face down for a minute and repeat it a few times.

Dress the baby

If you’re going to be alone with your baby for a few hours, you should know how to change their clothes in case they get dirty. If you are concerned that your baby is not hot enough, touch his/her legs and arms. If they are cold, cover it with more clothes.

Most babies tend to move enough, so don’t underestimate the mobility of your baby. When you’re dressing your baby never leave him/her alone, even for a moment.

Knowing your baby In the years that follow, your will watch and help your baby to grow. These first few months, although very demanding, will be the beginning of many cherished memories.

Always remember that the more time you spend with your baby, more enjoy you’ll get back from he/she has to give: life and love!