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Why you Should Read to your Baby

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Do you read to your baby? The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines that recommend that parents read to their newborn infants. Some parents may not be doing that because it never occurred to them that babies benefit from being read to. There are some very good reasons for parents to read to their babies and young children! The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that parents who read to their children nurture not only their children’s literary skills, but also much more. They have put together some easy to read information that points out the benefits that come … Continue reading →

Baby Animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

We interrupt your regularly scheduled details of the Animal Kingdom to bring a special post about the park: a highlight of all of the baby animals born there in the recent months. I could talk about the special tours and shopping found there (and I will eventually), but a choice between that and adorable baby animals? Please, I’m going with the cute. The most recent addition to the Animal Kingdom came in June, in the form of a baby okapi. Okapis look like they’re some kind of deer, or strange deer-like horses that are related to zebras, because they have … Continue reading →

Are You a Baby Talk Basher?

Are you guilty of slapping on a smile when speaking to a baby and letting loose on nauseatingly annoying phrases like: “Coochie, coochie coo you cutesy wootsey cutie patootie! Does my little poopsie woopsie need a fresh diapey wipey?” Baby talk. For some parents it’s their best friend, while other moms and dads view the high-pitched, jibber jabber as their worst enemy. If you do a lot of baby-talking in public places, you might end up with more enemies than friends, but that’s no reason to tone down your shrill sentences, at least according to some pediatric speech and language … Continue reading →

Feline Body Language, Part 2

Today I’m concluding my look at the meaning of feline body language and noises, as set out by animal behavior specialist Amy Shojai. The rest of Shojai’s list covers actual body language as opposed to noises. First I’ll describe an upset, aggressive cat using her parameters, then a relaxed, happy cat. Scared cats arch their backs to look larger, whereas defensive cats try to shrink into themselves. Ears flicking back and forth mean agitation, ears directed sideways indicate unease, and ears curled tightly towards the head denote that the cat’s preparing itself to attack. The fur bunches and stands up … Continue reading →

Baby Language

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With my first child, I never worried too much about “teaching” her how to talk. However, I did come up with one technique that seemed to work when she was a toddler. If she would mis-pronounce a word, I would simply say it back to her correctly. If she was having difficulty saying something, I would tell her to look at my mouth. When she was watching my mouth, I would enunciate slowly as she watched. It almost always did the trick. She would be able to say the word correctly from then on. Now, I have a boy and … Continue reading →

How To Tell When Your Baby Is Tired

A well rested baby is a happy baby. A tired baby can put the whole house on edge. Getting your baby to bed before she is overtired is the trick to maintaining peace and sanity in your home. Unfortunately, your baby can’t tell you, “I’m sleepy, mom,” when she’s ready to get some shut-eye. How are you supposed to know when your baby is tired and ready to go to bed or lay down for a nap? The idea that baby’s don’t communicate with their caregivers in any way other than crying is a total myth. Have you ever seen … Continue reading →

Seeing and Saying Baby

Normally I write about college life. My college life as a graduate student and as an instructor. Occasionally high school is thrown in there but I rarely talk about anything younger. Today I actually have something to share in that area. If you weren’t aware I am also a (relatively) new parent. My wife and I had our first and I’m the Fatherhood blogger here at Families.com. Our son has provided many great things to write about over the past year (he’s just turned one in fact) but he just recently demonstrated the importance of learning to me and I’d … Continue reading →

Book Review: The Secret Language of Babies

This past week while browsing the bargain table at the bookstore, I came upon a title that really caught my eye: “The Secret Language of Babies: The Body Language of Little Bodies.” Written by Sally & Edwin Kiester, who wrote the Better Homes & Gardens New Baby Book, this book is just under 200 pages and is hard to put down. It’s full of large, colorful photos of the cutest babies (and their parents). It also features a language development charts, interesting baby facts, visual guides to interpreting baby’s body language, sounds, faces and cries, and interesting research about babies … Continue reading →

Ten Outdoor Activities You Can Do With Your Baby This Fall

Do you need to get out of the house? Need more ways to entertain you and your baby this fall? Make a cool or rainy fall walk into a fun walk – it doesn’t take much! 1. Go outside in the rain or just after a rain. Where I live, it rains a lot in the fall and winter. In fact, the year that my daughter was born, we broke the winter rain record and had rain for more than 30 days in a row. Needless to say, we went outside in the rain. Invest in a good pair of … Continue reading →

Toddler Language Development

Language development explodes during toddlerhood, with new words being acquired daily. For example when your your reaches eighteen months, his or her vocabulary should increase up to five times the amount that it was when he or she was only fifteen months old. First words The first words that a baby says are usually mama and dada. We see this across cultural lines, and it isn’t surprising that these first words are usually reserved for the baby’s parents. After that, the first word could be anyone’s guess. The word “more” is a popular first word, as is the name of … Continue reading →